Skipping Squares Quilt

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Here's what I've been up to for the past couple of weeks.  I experimented with a number of new (to me) quilting designs.  Wow!  Being a novice quilter such as I am, this was quite the time-consuming project.  The piecing went together quickly.  The pattern, Skipping Squares, is one that I purchased from Cluck Cluck Sew.  It called for ten fat quarters, but I had a bundle of twelve fat quarters that I purchased for 50% off a couple of years ago from the Fat Quarter Shop.  The fabric line is called Full Moon by Felicity Miller for Free Spirit Fabrics.  I used all twelve fat quarters and made my quilt slightly larger than what the pattern indicated.

I didn't have a large enough piece of fabric from this line for the back, so I used what I had and improvised with a couple of other miscellaneous fabrics from my stash.  All those various quilting patterns show up nicely from the back side.

Speaking of quilting designs, here is a close up of some meandering hearts and some stippling bordered by a tree bark looking design.

I also used my embroidery machine to embroider a label onto one of the back panels.

The plan is to use this new quilt in our RV this summer and then it will come indoors to live for the winter.  The size is perfect for an RV queen size mattress.  I do plan to also make some kind of matching pillowcases or shams for the finishing touch.

Now on to some more garment sewing.  I placed an order with Mood Fabrics las week and I'm expecting my new fabric to arrive today.  Yay!  Have a terrific week.

Pam

Another Sassy Librarian Blouse

I found myself wearing my original version of The Sassy Librarian Blouse so much, that I knew I needed to sew another one.  This time, instead of 100% cotton quilting fabric, I used 100% cotton voile.  The fabric has a lightweight hand, similar to batiste.  It is an Anna Maria Horner voile print.

When I made this blouse for the first time last fall, I increased the length of the front vertical darts by 2" because the blouse seemed to be a bit boxy.  This time, I did not increase the length of those darts because the fabric drapes so nicely that it doesn't have that boxy feel to it.  Here's a closer view of the wide collar.  You can also see the drape better in this photo.

One of my favorite details of this pattern is the shaping that the back vertical darts give.  The shaping shows up quite prominently from the side view.

All in all, this is a comfortable alternative to knit tops.  I always wear it very casually just as I wear t-shirts.  The voile fabric also washes up nicely (no need for gently cycle) and it doesn't require ironing if I remove it from the dryer as soon as it is dry.   If you like the feel of batiste or lawn, give the Anna Maria Horner voile a try.  You most likely will not be disappointed.

Happy Sewing,

Pam

Easter Jacket

I was in need of a shorter jacket to wear with my new Colette Meringue skirt (and jeans, and capris, and slacks - you get the idea!).  This Project Runway inspired pattern, Simplicity 2728, was the answer.




Worn with my Colette Meringue skirt - beautiful, bright spring colors make me happy   :)

Here it is with skinny, black corduroy pants, which is more weather appropriate since *sigh* it is raining and snowing here today:

 

Can you see that teeny little pop of light pink color at the top of the pockets?  The jacket was so solid, that I thought I would add just a subtle touch of interest by lining the pockets with the same light pink lining that I used inside the jacket.  By omitting the pocket facing that was included in the pattern, I was able to stitch the lining fabric to the pocket fabric, right sides together, then turn and press. Because the lining fabric is much lighter than the corduroy, and there is no facing, the lining pulls ever so slightly to the top of the pocket giving a glimpse of what is inside.

 

Speaking of lining, I really like the way this pattern has a facing that goes around the entire outer edge of the jacket, so the lining is attached completely to the facing (no messy hemming - well, my hemming is usually messy anyway!).  The facing is then sewn onto the outer edges of the jacket.  It gives such a nice, clean finished edge around the whole inside of the jacket.

Before sewing the lining to the facing, part of one side seam in left open for turning.

After sewing the facing, with lining attached, to the outer jacket, the open side seam in the lining can easily be hand sewn closed.

I used an itty bitty overcast stitch to close up the opening in the lining

I prefer to wear my sweaters and jackets buttoned just below the bust line and not all the way down to the hem, so I added only one button to the front of this jacket.  Why add all those buttons and buttonholes is I'm not going to use them?

 

 

 

Now if the weather will only cooperate, I can wear this short-sleeved beauty most of the spring and into summer.

 

 

Pam 

Still Stitchin'

Yes, it has been quiet here on a notion to sew lately, but scout's honor (yes, I was a girl scout) I have been busy sewing and creating fun things to wear and to enhance the nest.  Here is a pink, spring jacket (Simplicity2728) in fine whale corduroy and another version of the Sassy Librarian Blouse done up in a beautiful Anna Maria Horner voile fabric.  I must confess, right here and now, I deplore having my picture taken, so I've procrastinated on photographing these so I can write pattern reviews.  Shame on me!  I must get over the camera phobia so I can share with other sewists how much I like both of these patterns.  That shall be my goal for the upcoming week.

On the home front, I stitched up a quilt top called Skipping Squares, and I am now in the process of quilting said project.  As I was pondering the quilting process, I envisioned a comforting, traditional, granny square throw to accompany this colorful quilt.  That's what I need - one more project to complete!  Here is a photo of the progress of the aforementioned home projects.  Of course, I plan to post a full review of the quilt pattern when the quilting is complete.

Do you have multiple projects in progress at one time, or are you a focused, one-project-at-a-time sewist? 

Pam

Crochet Edging

Isn't the crochet edge along the bottom of  that Martha Stewart cake stand just the sweetest accent?  It probably took a whole 20 minutes to crochet.  I'm not exaggerating!  The instructions are over at Raising Up Rubies and it is originally suggested as a shelf edging, which is a terrific idea.  But every time I passed my cake stand, I wondered what I could do to give it a little oomph, and this was just the fix it needed.

Here's a close up of the crochet scallop edging:

I adhered it to the stand using ultra-thin glue dots from my scrapbook supplies. The glue dots do a great job of holding the crochet edging to the cake stand, and while they stick to the ceramic, they do not cling to the yarn when the crochet edging is removed.  They can then be easily removed from the ceramic by simply peeling them off with your finger.

A couple of completed sewing garments are awaiting pictures and reviews, so I plan to have those up here in a few days.  In the mean time, if you are stateside, keep your chin up, it looks like spring just might be blowing in!  Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour this weekend.

Pam