Something New in the Works

I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve done any sewing. It has been a long, busy summer and while I’ve done a few projects here and there, I haven’t worked on anything big. I’ll have to round up pictures of the crafts I made for a recent women’s event I was in charge of, but for now here’s a sneak peek of what I’m working on next. When it’s finished it’ll be a Christmas present for my almost sister-in-law who really wants to know what I’m making. Here’s your hint! Hope you like it!

I do have several other projects in the works. In addition to my brother’s wedding quilt, I have another quilting project that I’m hoping to finish for Christmas, some clothes for me and the girls and some home decor projects. More to come soon!

 

Finished Quilt

Wow! I have about fallen off the planet, haven’t I? I took a brief haitus from crafting and blogging, which turned into a longer stretch than I would  have imagined. No point in offering excuses – I don’t have any that are that worth telling – so here’s a picture of the baby quilt that I finally finished. I had it quilted with an allover star pattern and just love how well it turned out. There’s just something about a finished, washed quilt that is all crinkly and beautiful.

Now that school is over for the semester, I have a few weeks to sew before it picks up again in September. I’m going to try to finish some Christmas presents so I won’t have to rush to finish them near the end of the year. Can you believe it’s August already? Where did the summer go?

 

A quilt for baby

Earlier this week, I went to visit a friend of mine who recently had a little baby boy. I had been wanting to make a quilt for them, but just couldn’t find the right idea or the right fabric. So I decided to bring my quilt books with me when I went to visit.

We poured through idea books for a while, as I tried to get an idea of what she liked. I mentioned that I have friends who really like log cabins, another friend who loves pinwheels, but I tended to gravitate to stars. She told me that they used to live in Philadelphia so maybe something red, white and blue may be fun.

On the way home, I pulled off the road to call a friend (trying to be responsible and not talk on my cell while driving). As I did, I noticed a sign for a fabric store. I figured I’d go and just see what they had. I’m so glad I did! I found the sweetest fabrics that I knew were perfect for this quilt. I ended up with some red with little tan stars, blue with tan stars and tan with red stars. I got home and pulled out these red, white and blue charm squares I had – I bought them months ago on a whim and wasn’t sure what I’d ever do with them. I didn’t have a pattern I wanted to use, so I figured I’d wing it. Starting with the charm squares, I put together some pinwheels (and some four patches that just didn’t make the cut), then got the idea for the star blocks. Add a few borders and a few extra pinwheels and presto! A cute little baby quilt!

I’m off to the fabric store tomorrow for batting and backing fabric so I can put this little quilt together. I think I’m going to bind it in red. I hope they like it!

 

Finished Dress and Other Projects

My mother-in-law was here this week and taught me a couple of things about sewing. She taught me about the mending stitch on my sewing machine, how to add godets to a skirt to add extra fullness and a couple of finishing techniques. I wished I had been able to watch her a little more closely while she sewed my dress. What she accomplished in two days would have taken me at least a week! Probably two!

Here’s what she made for me. She was able to use the pattern I drafted with some minor (and not-so minor) adjustments.

My husband took one look and told me it looked like a dress someone’s grandmother would wear. Nice, huh? My sweet four year old tried to make up for his blunder by exclaiming, “Mommy! You look so pretty!” (She’s been complaining for months about the lack of dresses in my closet.) My six year old son was typically boy – “You look very…flowery.”

I did sneak in a little time at the sewing machine to make a top and pants for my baby girl.

I’m really pleased with how this sweet outfit turned out, though there was a scare. The shirt turned out shorter than I had planned (I guess I didn’t read the pattern closely enough before I cut the fabric) and I had sewed the pants pieces upside down, so there wasn’t enough room around the top. Without intending to, I made a belly shirt and low rider pants for my baby! Fortunately I had more fabric to add to the pants to fix them and they’ll be okay. Not perfect, but wearable. I am pleased with how ruffly the ruffles are.

And, as promised, here is a picture of my other daughter in the pink and tan outfit I made the other week. Her brother is behind her in the sock monkey shorts I sewed. (He asked me to make something and these are the best I could come up with!)

I have a couple of things cut out and ready to sew – a dress for the baby and a ruffly top for the middle one. Hopefully I can get to them this week!

 

Easter Dresses

Happy Easter! Here are my three, all decked out in their Easter finery (minus my son’s tie, which met it’s untimely demise somewhere between the beginning and end of Primary).

Hopefully this week will be a big sewing week. I started my brother’s log cabin quilt – you know, the one I nearly severed my finger while cutting. My finger is remarkably better – really another week or two and I should be good as new. Amazing!

I’d like to make some more progress on that quilt and since my mother-in-law will be in town, I’d like to make some headway on that 1930s dress. It obviously won’t be my Easter dress, but it will be springy and fun nonetheless.

I’ll be sure to take some pictures this week. Thanks for reading!

 

New outfit

It was another rainy day here, so I spent the afternoon sewing an outfit for my middle daughter. I found these beautiful fabrics – Henry Glass’ Asian Pacific line – at our $1.99/yard fabric store and turned them into a pair of cuffed capris and a reversible A-line top, complete with button closures. I need to get some elastic to finish the pants, but I’m so pleased with how they look.

I’ll have to snap a better picture after I get the pants finished. Maybe I can convince my daughter to stand still long enough to model them for me.

As for my 1930s dress…that’s put on hold until next week. My mother-in-law is coming to visit and she’s an amazing seamstress, the kind who can see a picture and then re-create it without a pattern. I’m going to admit defeat and turn it over to her. For now it’s probably wise that I stick with patterns that actually have sewing instructions!

 

I haven’t died yet…

So I think I’m going to live. I’ve finally taken off the huge bandage they put on at the hospital and have started bandaging my finger with telfa and coban – this really great elastic bandage stuff. So instead of looking like my hand went through WWIII, I now look like ET because I have this big flesh colored ball at the top of my finger.

The good news is that even though it’s pretty sore, I can still function. I can type (good thing since I have a major school assignment due this weekend). And sew (I made a pair of shorts and a dress yesterday. I think today I’m going to pull out the ruffler I bought ages ago and figure out how to make it work for me. I’ve decided I absolutely detest making ruffles and gathers. Hopefully using the ruffler will take the pain out of it for me.

It’s a rainy, gross day here so I’m going to clean the house and then get sewing!