Stitchin' Addiction

Lavender and White

2012-01-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

When I was 14, my family built a new house. And my sister and I got to pick, out of the four upstairs bedrooms, which one we wanted. We also got to choose how we wanted to decorate the room. I wanted lavender and white. But my sister wanted blue and green and pink - in pastels. So we compromised. We did all pastels - lavender, blue, green and pink. Our room came out beautiful - and rather "patchwork-ish," which I love.

In my twenties I moved into my own apartment and I finally had my own bedroom! I could get my lavender and white room. So, two years ago, I began the quilt for the bed.

The main fabric - the calico - is one I found in a quilt shop years ago. My grandmother was with me and she heard my exclamations over the fabric, so she went back later and bought four yards for me. I had saved it for something special and I decided this was the "something special."

I used the reverse Irish Chain pattern and, after finishing the top, I took it to my friend here in town who has a quilting machine. She quilted it over a year ago and then it just sat in my pile of unfinished projects...

And sat...

and sat...

Until a few weeks ago. I finally got the binding on. And I handsewed it as a watched a movie. Finally, the quilt is done...six weeks before I move out of my apartment. O well! Now I have it for my next bedroom.

Summer...

2012-01-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

In the middle of winter, my thoughts turn to summer. Yes, I know. I may be unusual. I like summer. Even hot Texas summers. I will say that last summer was a tad hotter than I would have liked, but summer still beats winter. Hands down.

So, this winter, I have been making beach dresses. One for my good friend. One for me. One for my sister-in-law. One for another dear friend. And so on and so forth.

"Beach dress" is a loose term. It just means any dress that is summer-y. The reason I started calling them "beach dresses" is because some of us are planning a beach trip together for this summer. So, of course, we are going to wear our dresses.

I actually started on my one friend's dress last June. It is a linen look white eyelet - a piece that had been sitting in the fabric stash for years. I combined two Simplicity patterns to create the look that my friend wanted.

I had the best intentions. I was going to complete the dress for her to wear last summer. Somehow, these things never happen in my overcommitted life. Finally, in November, just in time for my friend's birthday, I finished the dress.

Now, she lives in Michigan. Michigan is cold. Especially this time of the year. (Just call me Captain Obvious.) But my dear friend very creatively "layered" and changed the sash/shawl into a scarf. Then she had her sister take pictures and sent me the pictures. Isn't she just beautiful?

Burp Rags

2012-01-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

Now for the second part of the project :-). After making the flannel baby blankets, I combined the smaller pieces of flannel to make 10 baby burp rags. See? Aren't they cute?

They are now listed in my boutique...$3 each or $5 for two. Go pick some!

Baby Blankets...

2012-01-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

My latest sewing project, since the rush of the Christmas creativity has settled down, was making baby blankets for Stitchin' Addiction's boutique. Here are the finished products:

They are soft flannel - pastel green, pastel yellow and pink gingham. Check out my shop if you want to buy one!

Facebook Drawing!

2012-01-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Stitchin' Addiction has a facebook page. Right now, the first 100 people who "like" Stitchin' Addiction's facebook page will get entered into a drawing to win a $20 Stitchin' Addiction gift card. If you have a facebook, go "like" the page! Maybe after we get 100 "likes" on facebook, we can try for 100 followers on blogger - complete with a drawing for that, too! Spread the word!

Stocks...Medieval Times...Christmas

2012-01-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

So much water under the bridge since the last time I posted...

I set up a booth at the local Renaissance Faire and got put in the stocks!

Then I went to Medieval Times with a dear friend and her family in honor of her daughter's Sweet 16. But before going, I made a costume for the daughter for her 16th birthday gift...

And then, for Christmas, besides sewing a whole other multitude of gifts, I made a Christmas dress for my niece...to match the one I made for my sister almost a year ago...

And here is my sister...adoring my niece...and my niece looking curiously around. As always. She is one inquisitive little girl!

Those are only the highlights. I have made more things than even I can remember.

Look for sales in the near future, new items in my boutique, and a giveaway. I also now have a facebook page for Stitchin' Addiction. Please go out and "like" my page...and recommend it to all your friends!

Costumes Now Available!

2011-09-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

The newest and greatest addiction to Stitchin' Addiction is the costume rental and sales section. Please check out what we have to offer! Here are just a few of the costumes modeled by my wonderful brothers at a Renaissance Faire.

Hope to hear from you soon! It's the perfect season to rent costumes!

Baby Hat

2011-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

One of the last gifts I made for my little neice before she was born was a darling little crocheted hat. I have made many of these in adult sizes, but never for an infant before. I had a pattern for it and was dying to try it.

I had a tadbit of yellow baby yarn left, just enough to make the hat. It took an hour or two and I was very, very pleased with the result.

And then...my neice was born! The hat fit her perfectly...and she makes it absolutely ADORABLE!

If you want to make this hat...here's the pattern:

Hook size: F

Chain 6, connect for ring.
Crochet 8 double crochet on ring.
Crochet 2 double crochets in each loop.
Continue until you have a 3 inch circle.
Crochet 1 double crochet in each loop until about 5-6 inches long.
Crochet a few single crochet to end.
Weave ends in.

A Yard...and a Half a Yard...

2011-06-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

My dear little cousin loves bugs. At least, she used to love bugs. About 3 years ago, when my sister used to sew a lot of little clothes for her. That's when we found and purchased the "bug fabric." But, like many other things at my family's house, it got laid to the side and never completed.

Until I found it two months ago. And realized it would make an adorable sundress for our fast approaching summer season. I had just learned shirring from this tutorial and was eager to try it out.

But, since it had been three years, one yard was no longer sufficient to make my cousin a dress. So I dug in my stash and found a half yard of a coordinating pink gingham. Combining the two pieces, I came up with this...

The whole outfit is simply rectangles. The top part of the dress is 18" by 66". The pink gingham part is 10" by 88" and the tiny ruffle on the bottom is 3" by 110". I gathered all the layers before doing the shirring and adding the halter strings.

The result? A simple dress which only took about two hours of work!

Growing Up On the Farm

2011-05-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

When I was twelve, I became a country girl. Up until that point, I had been a bonafide city girl, living in a suburb on a quiet cul-de-sac. All that changed the year I turned twelve. My parents moved us to the country. And since I was the oldest, some of my siblings never knew anything but the country. That would mean my five little brothers.

I loved all five of my little brothers and taught them all kinds of things as they grew up. Surprisingly, even though they were outside boys, bonafide country boys, I taught them how to embroider and they didn't protest. We embroidered baby animal quilt blocks when they were preschool and elementary age. (The five of them were born in a six year span.) The blocks never got finished, though, because chickens, and goats, and calves, and horses called, and then the boys began restoring old engines, and mowers, and bicycles, and now trucks.

So, this winter, I went on a finish project kick. This was started simply because I was snowed in my tiny apartment for three straight days. That was rough. So I started looking for things to do and I found the blocks. First, I finished sewing them and I put names and dates on all of them. (This was accomplished while talking to friends on the phone.) Then, I put the blocks in Biz and water. Biz is an amazing thing. It removed all the little boy fingerprints from the white blocks, but it didn't hurt the stitching one bit.

After the snow and ice melted, I visited my favorite local quilt shop.

There I found these adorable ginghams to border the blocks - because, in my infinite fifteen year old wisdom, I had made the blocks rectangle instead of square. After squaring off the blocks with gingham, I cut blocks out of the farm boy fabric I had bought years before at Hobby Lobby. The blocks were 12.5" when I was done cutting.

I laid out the blocks on my bit of bedroom floor to decide on the most eye-catching pattern.

After piecing the top, I took it to a dear lady who hand quilted it for me - in time for Mother's Day. I put the binding on the day before Mother's Day and we gave it to my dear mother.

Isn't she beautiful? I think so, especially for having borne eight children - with the five boys all teens right now. She was thrilled with the gift - and surprised!

For a parting shot - here are the boys when they were all elementary age - so a few years after they worked on these blocks. Wish I had a current picture - but then, they are much cuter in this picture.

They are pumping water when we were on a family vacation - they used to beg to get to pump...now they wouldn't do it if you paid them! How times change!

Many Years Later...

2011-05-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

I think I have said this before, but in case I haven't...my mother and I have been cleaning out the home that my siblings and I all grew up in. Well, some of them are still growing up in it, but you get my drift. Because of aforesaid cleaning out, many old projects have been rediscovered. Now, if there is one thing you must understand about my family, it is this cardinal rule: Never, ever get rid of a project. Always, always keep it in the hopes that you will one day have the time, or the inspiration, or the money to complete it.

So, yes. A good part of what we have found are unfinished projects. Lots and lots of them. Many of them have actually been featured here on my humble little blog.

One such project...

My mother began these placemats a long time ago...quite possibly before I could remember anything. They were for her mother. Through the years, we would occasionally find said placemats and I would offer to finish them for her. And she always said she would finish them herself one day.

Well, finally, this last time around, I convinced her to let me finish them in time for Mother's Day. It was a simple project, since she had already cut them in ovals. It just took patience to get the lace to lay flat around the curves.

So I pinned carefully, working in a little extra on the curves...

Then I sewed slowly...

Yes, I sewed over the pins. If you believe that is absolutely unforgiveable, you can let me know in the comments section. I will sew over pins when it is precision work that might not come out right if the pins are removed before the sewing is completed.

And here is the finished product...

I made four - to go with the two my mother had completed years before. And we gave them to my grandmother on Mother's Day. I like them...maybe I will make some for myself. My mother has lots of good creative ideas. I inherited that from her. I also inherited the propensity to not complete projects...

Easter Dresses: Photoshoot

2011-05-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

It is a very rainy, dreary day...a little over a week after Easter, and I am finally getting these photos up for you. Enjoy the sunshiny warmth of the pictures and maybe it will make your day seem a little bit warmer!

Getting all prettied up for the photoshoot...

The view from the back...ties, ribbons, sashes, and all...

Hmmm...what's down there? Good thing we didn't see a snake in the creek or they would have all gone running!

"Are we almost done yet?"

Easter Dresses: Part Four

2011-04-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Since I did the dresses in ascending age order, it was now time for the oldest daughter's dress. She did not like the blue floral print that figures largely in her sisters' dresses, so for her, I put a flower on her dress that she could remove when the photoshoot and Easter were over.

This was the hardest dress for me to create. She had picked a pale pink cotton and wanted this pattern of McCalls. To have the dress made in only the pink seemed too plain for me. So, I looked at other fabrics and trims that I had, trying to get my creativity gears going. The best I could come up with was to make the dress in the vintage style that is so popular right now. However, the ideas would not "click" to create a picture in my mind, as it normally happens.

Finally, I found this Simplicity pattern, a tiny blue check, and a hand crocheted white trim. I combined them with the look from the McCalls pattern and came up with this end result.

I made the flower in the same way that I made the one on this dress. Here is the lovely herself modeling...

Easter Dresses: Part Three

2011-04-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it was time for the third daughter in my friend's line-up. As second oldest, and being very vocal, this daughter is the one who picked the blue floral which you see in all of their dresses. She wanted her WHOLE dress made out of the print, so I obliged, adding a shiny pink sash to set off the dress.

The pattern is an older Simplicity pattern, which is no longer in print, with one simple addition: the belt and sash from Simplicity 2828. In my humble opinion, this one change made the entire dress...and fit her personality very well.

And here are the youngest and the second oldest modeling for you...

Such sweet faces...and so much fun! They came up with this pose all on their own!

Easter Dresses: Part Two

2011-04-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Yes...you are right. It is past Easter. I am behind in posting to the dear little blog, but I promise you that I did complete these dresses before Easter!

Part one was the dress for the two-year-old daughter in my friend's line of four daughters. Here is the dress for the six-year-old...the next up in line.

We started with an idea from McCall's 6018. But, McCall's were not on sale at JoAnn's anytime soon, so I got Simplicity 2828 when JoAnn's had a 5 for $5 sale.

Because of the thickness of the lined bodice and the double layer belt, I had to put in a regular zipper, as opposed to the hidden zipper I typically insert in all of my sewing projects. Funny how I have been sewing all these years and I just learned that hidden zippers do not do well with many layers of fabric...

Then, to finish it off, I made the flower. I cut two pieces of fabric, one of the blue floral and one of the pink plaid, 2 1/2 inches by 6 inches. I roll hemmed the two layers together, then ran a basting thread 3/4 of an inch from one edge. I pulled the thread in tight, then wrapped the excess around the gathered part and tied it off and trimmed it. To finish the flower, I pressed down the two layers with an iron and ran three loops of ribbon through the middle. I sewed a safety pin to the back, so the flower can be removed when the dress is washed.

Here is second youngest modeling the dress for you...

For My Niece...

2011-04-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was the baby shower for my sister-in-law and my niece-to-be. So I can finally post the pictures of the project I have been working on for several weeks...yay!

I started out with three inglorious piles...

Those were the three colors for the quilt. Now, there is a story behind the fabrics. First off, I found a pattern for a baby quilt years ago that required both satin and calico fabrics. The result was absolutely stunning and sweet. I had decided to use this pattern for my little niece. Then, when I went to dig in my scraps for appropriate fabrics, I found a bunch of white satin...white satin that we used to make the dress for the flower girl's dress in my brother and sister-in-law's wedding. Then I found the pink satin-like fabric we used for our bridesmaid dresses. Ta-da!

I pieced the top - the pattern required making nine-patch blocks in random patterns - and then sent it off to the quilters. I put the binding on late Monday night...

...yes, the binding is pieced, too. I love piecing!

And here is my beautiful sister-in-law with the finished product. I love it, she loves it, don't you love it, too?

Memory Dress...Easter Dress...Birthday Dress...

2011-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Nearly five years ago, I served as a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. That's me, on the far left. I made the dress for the wedding, but never wore it again. Originally, I planned to make it into another pattern, but that never happened.

Two years ago, my cousin and his wife had the most adorable little girl, Rosa. She was born one day before my birthday. Recently, I found the dress again and had one of those "a-ha" moments: I could make the dress into something for Rosa's birthday!

I used Simplicity 8540 (which is out of print), a simple toddler's dress. However, I added the belt from Simplicity 2828. I used some sheer scraps to make the belt and overlay the sleeves and some satin scraps to make the collar.

I take it to her tomorrow...maybe I can get some pictures of her modeling it and update this post with them in a few days.

Nautically Inspired: Part Two

2011-04-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Well, are you ready for part two? One of the other fabrics in my sister's stash is the one I used to trim the skirt, the trim I used to create a rope-looking effect. She had 2 or 3 yards of this fabric and I found this cute dress pattern that I had been dying to try.

The pattern was very easy and the fabric, as a rayon mix, made fitting easy. The neck does fit on you a little lower than it looks to be on the model on the pattern, in case you try this pattern.

My sister will tell you that when I sent her the dress and the skirt, I also sent her two pages torn from a JCP catalog and a list of ideas with ways to wear such skirt and dress.

Personally, I think they need a pair of red peep toes and the dress would look adorable with a thin red leather belt. Watch for the photoshoot and we'll model all sorts of ways to make these three pieces into multiple outfits.

Nautically Inspired: Part One

2011-04-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

As I was perusing my sister's fabrics, I noticed she had a lot of navy and whites. She just wanted to get rid of them or allow me to use them to make something for someone else. However, my active brain did not like that idea...she needed more clothes and I would find a way to make something stylish and fitting for her.

One night, I had a brainstorm. Why not make several nautically themed outfits out of aforesaid fabrics? Sailor-inspired wear is in and it would be very fitting for my sister and her style.

So, the first project was to transform an old jumper in to a pleated skirt. Yes, I forgot to take "before" pictures again, so I only have the finished product.

I used a pattern with lots of pleats in it and I added the trim. I wanted the trim to give a sense of "rope," so I knotted it. The trim was simply some fabric that I made into bias tape and then stitched down.

Sorry the pictures are blurry.

Keep checking back for part two and three of this series...and for the photoshoot at the end!

Of Shawls and Spring...

2011-04-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

My sister may laugh at me, but I have this thing for shawls. It started a year or two ago...and has escalated in the last few months. Here are some "shawl pictures" my brother took this winter of me...

So, when my mom was cleaning out and found two pieces of fabric she no longer had a use for, I decided to make them into shawls... They were about a half yard each, so I just roll-hemmed the edge on my serger (after I cut them straight with my rotary cutter)...

And they were done! So easy! Now I have a new set of wardrobe possibilities! Let me illustrate a few for you.

Tell me about your favorite wardrobe addition... Maybe I'll have to try it, too!

Maternity Easter Dress

2011-04-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

My lovely sister-in-law is expecting her first in June. And she's been wanting maternity dresses. So, when I started my blog, she talked me into making her Easter dress...because then I could show the world that I can sew maternity clothes. Well, actually, she didn't have to do a lot of talking. When it comes to anything sewing, it's not real hard to convince me...

She chose Simplicity 2647 - a dress that I have long adored and that seemed like it would work for a pregnant woman as well as a non-pregnant woman. We went with view F and she had a soft, lilac jersey knit for the dress. I happened to be down at their house (they live two hours south of me) two weekends in a row, so I made her dress during those two visits. (Don't worry! We did other things, too; we didn't just sew!)

This weekend she wore the dress and she texted me to tell me how comfortable it was. And my brother took pictures of her and sent them to me...

Isn't she beautifully radiant?

Because of the way this dress is made, it was very easy to make it maternity. I simply added some inches in the skirt width and in the bodice width. That was all. Tada!

Knitting...and Crocheting...

2011-03-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Creating something always helps me destress, but one of the best ways I have found to destress through the years is to knit or crochet a simple pattern. As a result, I have several favorite easy patterns to knit or crochet.

I am currently in the process of finally decorating my apartment...yes, I have lived here for over a year and a half, but I am just now getting to it. I have chose to decorate the kitchen in turquoise, brown, and rose. I found a big ball of cotton yarn in those colors at JoAnns a month or so ago. It was on clearance for $4 and I figured I couldn't get my washcloths and hot pads any cheaper than that!

After much "destressing," here is the result.

I got six washcloths and six hot pads out of the ball of yarn.

The hot pads are crocheted; very simple - just double strands of yarn and a circular pattern.

The washcloths are knitted.

Both patterns are very simple - just comment if you want them and I can post them.

Piles

2011-03-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their own system of organization. Mine is "piles." I will admit, they are messy piles. But, nonetheless, they are discernible piles to my mind.

We have been cleaning out at my parents' house. Cleaning out means that I discover a whole lot of my unfinished projects. Here is the evidence.

Yes, every one of those pikes represents a project. There are quilts, dresses, skirts, pillows, a Christmas nativity set, a felt book, and so much more represented in those piles.

Keep following to see the outcome of these "piles" :-) Leave a comment - what's your preferred method of organization?

Baby Bib

2011-03-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

So...my brother and his lovely wife are expecting in June! Needless to say, I am a little excited. Not only is this my first nephew/niece, it is a little girl! Even though it will be a few months before I gaze at her adorable face, I decided it is high time to begin sewing her wardrobe.

Project Numero Uno: A Crosstitch Baby Bib.

I started out with a pink bib made to crosstitch on. Mom had a book of patterns to crosstitch onto baby bibs and when I saw the "Daddy's Little Angel" pattern, the decision was made for me. My brother is excited beyond measure about his little girl...and I knew he would be proud of this bib.

My sister-in-law is decorating her nursery in pinks and browns, so I decided to do the bib in these colors, with a touch of lime green.

Easter Dresses: Part One

2011-03-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Right now, I am making Easter dresses for my friend's four daughters. Today, I finally finished the first one. I say "finally" not because it took me so long to make the dress, but because so much else has been going on in my life that it detained me from completing the dress much sooner.

I took three bags of patterns and fabrics to my friend's house one day, and after much debating among Mom and the three oldest daughters, this is what we came up with:

The blue and pink floral is actually two dresses that look like new. I remembered to take a "before" picture of one of them.

Two weeks ago, I finally cut out the youngest girl's dress. She is about two-years-old, and we had chosen a dress with pinafore pattern. I finished them both today.

I made the dress so it can be worn separately and the pinafore so it can be worn as a sundress.

One down...three to go...
Keep checking back for the rest of the dresses...and a photo shoot at the end!

Baby Gift for Spring

2011-02-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, I was going to visit a girlhood friend. We hadn't seen each other since her wedding and I knew she had had a little girl recently, so I wanted to take a baby gift. I only had a few days, so I went digging through the stash for something quick and easy - and hunting through my mind for an idea that I would already have all the supplies for.

I found a piece of purple gingham that had white teddy bears and white bows scattered all over it. There was about a yard and a half of it - the perfect amount to make a lightweight spring/summer blanket.

I cut the fabric in a sqaure, serged the edges, and then hemmed it. Hmmm, it still needed something else - the perfect touch to make it look unique and take away the plain, simple look that was haunting it as it was.

Digging through my trims, I found quite a bit of 1/8" wide white satin ribbon. I zig-zagged this on the hem, leaving about 8" of the ribbon at each corner and stopping the zig-zag about 3" before I got to the corner. I repeated this on all four sides. Once I was done, I tied a bow at each corner and tacked it down.

The whole project took me only an hour or two...and my friend was thrilled!

Spring Crazy!

2011-02-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

When the weather was so icy, with temperatures in the single digits and teens for days on end, all I could think about was summer, spring dresses, and beaches. I guess now I am sewing the products of those dreams!

Awhile back, I bought this fabric on sale for my sister. She loves blue and looks fabulous in it. I found it again last week and asked my mother for her opinion on a pattern for it. She came up with New Look 6886.

I decided to go with look "C" and made the dress this week.

The pattern is really simple and fast. A word of warning, though. I ripped out those cap sleeves five times before I got them the way I wanted them to fit and look. The way the pattern is, they are completely off your shoulders, and I didn't want them that way. To get them the way they are now, you have to recut the armholes - cutting them in about 1"-1 1/2" and tapering them in so it doesn't make the armhole any lower.

I am going to add a blue satin sash and the dress will be ready for my sister to wear. (Sorry, Ang, you'll have to wait till Spring Break to get this one - I'm not mailing it.:-)

Spring Suit

2011-02-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

One of these days, I will remember to take "before" pictures to show you what I started with. I am not used to photographing my work as I create, so it is taking me awhile to remember to photograph the steps of the project, rather than just the finished product.

All that to say, I began this project with two pieces of clothing. One was an ankle-length, sleeveless dress, made out of navy crepe. It was my sister's old dress; she had made it, worn it a little, then moved onto different styles. The fabric itself was in almost new condition and had a lot of wear left in it. The other was a blouse of my great-grandmother's (we called her Granny). Granny's blouse was a linen-look type fabric, a white background with small navy flowers scattered over it. When Granny passed away, my sister had kept the blouse, because she liked the fabric and it reminded her of Granny. However, the blouse posed a unique problem. It did not have set-in sleeves, so it was hard to come up with something to remake it into that would be stylish for a girl in her 20's.

As I have been through the "stash" lately on a repeated and regular basis, I came across these two fabrics again. Suddenly, I had an inspiration. Why not make a short sleeved spring suit set out of the navy and a sleeveless dress blouse out of the floral?

I was very pleased with the result. The skirt is Simplicity 4951; a simple A-line skirt with a band. I have used this pattern multiple times and am always pleased with the result.

The top was Simplicity 4123, an It's So Easy pattern. I added a zipper down the back; this makes it easier to get the blouse off.

The jacket was Simplicity 4230.

I used look "B," but instead of a cuff, I simply sewed the tucks in the sleeve. I thought it made the jacket look classier.

Other than that, I stuck to the pattern.

The suit is now in a shoebox, wrapped in brown paper, with my sister's name and college dorm address on it. I took it to the post office this morning, so hopefully it is safely on it's way. Shhh...don't tell her!

Memory Quilts

2011-02-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right: Memory Quilts, not Memory Books, as in scrapbooking. I owe the idea for this project to a good friend of mine. She approached me five years ago with her idea: she had saved her sons' baby clothes and she wanted them made into quilts to give to her grandchildren. Naively, I agreed to make the quilts for little more than the cost of the supplies.

It was only when I sat down to look, really look, at the bags of baby clothes she brought, that the enormity of the task dawned on me. Most of the clothes were of a knit material, so I had to iron them onto interfacing. But that wasn't even the first step! The first step was to meticulously cut the clothes apart, followed by the ironing. Then, the fabric was finally ready to be cut and sewn into a quilt top.

Last summer, I completed the quilts for her oldest son. She wanted two quilts for each boy. A few weeks ago, I finally completed the two quilts for her youngest son.

Here are some close-ups of the blocks. As I cut out blocks, I tried to get the main parts of the clothing: whether it be a design, a pocket, the pearl snaps down a western shirt, or anything else.

She loved the quilts - so much so that she is already planning to have me make some like them for her little girl that is due next month. I'm not so sure about going through all that work again :-).

Jumper for Professional Wear

2011-02-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Some time ago (who knows how long), I cut out a jumper to wear for work. As a school teacher, I am always in need of cute, professional-looking outfits. I had a piece of dark brown moleskin suede and when I saw the jumper on Simplicity 3678 (I was going to link you to the pattern cover here, but apparently it is out-of-print), there was an instant connection in my mind between the pattern and the fabric.

Since I am currently on a quest to finish my unfinished projects, I pulled the jumper out again. Plus, it looked like it would be nice and warm, and with all this snow and ice, I wanted something warm to wear to work!

The pattern itself was fairly easy to construct. I did have to lengthen the bodice and the skirt, but those are pretty normal alterations for me, since I am above average height. The only real problem was the armholes; they were cut funny and once I finished the jumper, I realized they didn't fit right. They needed to come in more and the needed to be larger to accomodate the sleeves of the blouse, t-shirt, or sweater that I would wear under the jumper. So I spent a few more hours taking out the armholes and recutting them. The final result was perfect.

I really like the gathers in the bodice and the unique look that creates. Here is the back view.

The ironic thing was...the day I finished the jumper was the day the snow and ice finally disappeared and we had a beautiful day - but I wore the jumper anyways!

Baby Dress

2011-02-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

My friend is about to have her first little girl, and so I started digging through my stuff to make her a baby gift. Somehow, when it comes to baby gifts, my first thought is always "make," not "buy." Sigh...life would be less complicated if I would just buy gifts. But my legacy is gifting with handmade gifts...passed down from my grandmother and mother. Plus, it is much more fun and creative!

In my stash, I found a mint green gingham dress that I had cut out several years ago. It was going to be a gift for someone else, but evidently, I was too busy at the time to complete the dress, so it was placed in my stash. It was a round-yoke, cut for about 3-6 months size. When I went to sew the dress, I couldn't find the pattern anymore. It was an old pattern I bought from GoodWill and somehow it has been misplaced since then. The good news was that I have sewn many dresses in this pattern, so I didn't really have to have the pattern.

I found a piece of trim in the trim scraps just the right size to go around the yoke and four matching buttons in the button box(es). Here is the finished product:

Here is a close-up of the back: trim and buttons.

I think, with the gingham, trim, and pattern combination, the dress came out somewhat vintage-style. What do you think? Looking at it now, the one thing I would change would be to add tiny tucks on the sleeves, the bodice, and the bottom of the skirt.

Decorative Pillow

2011-02-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Several summers ago, I took a quilting class at Alford Inn & Quilt Shop (http://alfordinn.com/). It was just a single class - lasting a few hours - and we learned how to make stained glass quilt blocks. During the class we made the first block. While I enjoyed the class and loved the artistic beauty of the finished block, I knew that I did not want to make a dozen, or even two dozen, of these blocks so that I could have an entire quilt. So the lonely block sat in my unfinished "project pile," awaiting it's final destiny.

I came across the block, and the remaining scraps, recently, in my quest to complete the unfinished projects around my apartment. After some consideration, I decided to turn the block into a decorative sofa pillow. Here is the finished project:

The block wasn't quite large enough for the pillow size, so I added a black border. I then used the green scraps for the back and the purple scraps to create a piping around the edge of the pillow.

In this photo, you can see the detail of the blocks. Stained glass quilting is fun and creates a stunning look - I have just decided it takes a wee bit more patience than I have at this age.

The Red Dress

2011-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

It all started with my sister. Last fall, she went shopping for fabric and patterns to make her Christmas dress. And she came home with this.

She had two red satins - one solid and one with glitter. For the pattern, she wanted to use the picture on the far right.
She was going to make the dress herself. She even got the pattern cut out and the fabric laid out. But, she is very busy with college and, she likes the idea of hand-crafted dresses more than she likes the reality of sewing them, so her early work never came to fruition.
A few weeks ago, a little birdie told me that my sister still wanted the dress - for Valentine's Day. So this weekend, I made it up for her. Here is the finished result:

Since she is tall, I lengthened the skirt six inches. I also had to lengthen the bodice about an inch and a half - it looked to short on the pattern and I was right in my guess.

Here you can see a little more of the bodice. Although all the gathering was tedious, the overall pattern was very easy. I ran a full day of basketball games for the league I direct, then came home and finished this dress before midnight. And my sister was very thrilled with the end result!