Tag Archives: sewing

2020 Mini Quilt project – January

Posted in Craft, Creative Practice, Handmade, In the Studio, Make Stuff, quilting, Quilting, Quilts by

I have been thinking about crafting goals since last December. I have the habit of making lists of things to do that are so huge that there are literally not enough hours in the day to get it all done. Then I get frustrated that I can’t get 40 hours of work done in a 16 hour day (assuming 8 hrs for sleep … but not accounting for anything else like work, or dog walking or laundry… you get the idea). SO This year I decided to set ATTAINABLE goals for my creative endeavors. I am still working through the details on knitting and memory keeping (but enough to say that my goal is to use up both stashes of supplies) but I have narrowed down quilting and garment making.

Today…I present to you completed project #1 on the quilting list for 2020! My quilting goal this year is to complete at least one quilt block and a mini quilt each month following Alyce Blyths “Mini Master Pieces” book of 12 essential blocks and techniques. I love Alyce and several years participated in a Half Square Triangle quilt along with the result being a beautiful quilt for our home!

The first lesson is a basic 9-patch block, super simple so I wanted to play with dark backgrounds and using some fabrics from my stash that have been aging like fine wine under the piles ;-). I’m very happy with the result!

The block finished size will be 6″ square and I made up 7 to set aside and see what percolates after working on more blocks from the book.

I don’t have a design wall but fortunately, the mini quilt is about 24″ square so laying out the squares on the craft table totally works! Some blocks were fussy cut around motifs and I will admit to liberal use of the seam ripper when I sewed blocks together in the wrong order and upside down.

No photos of quilting, I used two layers of scrap cotton batting… I think by the end of this project I will have used up my bin of batting scraps in the attic – huzzah! I set my machine to it’s slowest setting and used my walking foot, remembering I had quilting gloves after about 1/3 of the way done. Definitely room for improvement as far as machine quilting. But that is the beauty in smaller projects, room for experimenting on a small scale.

I am very pleased with the finished product! This series will also be a good exercise in binding. My corners need a bit of work and there was a bit of hand stitching involved but still a success!!

Looking forward to Februarys block…I’ve got my fabric all pulled and set aside!

What projects are you working on in 2020?

(Also…am not a huge fan of this new “block” arrangement on WordPress, I feel like it’s getting in the way right now more than it’s helping…anyone else out there have feelings on this???)

In the Studio:: On tossing out and starting fresh

Posted in Around Here, Craft, Fiber fun, Handmade, In the Studio, Make Stuff, Sew this by

This past week I did an extensive studio clean-up and scrapbooking supply organization (don’t get too excited, still not quite done with that part but it’s coming along nicely).  I have a pile of sewing projects to start/finish and a list of layouts and albums both digi and paper to work on, oh and hello…December Daily will be upon us before we know it – ahem!

I have been vexed by a dress that I sewed in April, and it has been in the pile and on the list since then.

Enter McCalls M5890

mccall-s-patterns-m5890-misses-jackets-top-dresses-and-pants-in-2-lengths-size-ff-16-18-20-22_7353165

I had a lot of trouble with my sewing machine which resulted in not a great sewing outcome for this garment… the fit was OK and I wasn’t as wild about the fabric as a long dress, and the topstitching was horrible due to said machine problem (since having machine thoroughly cleaned this fall, the problems have all resolved themselves…magic!)  and I just wasn’t feeling it.  at.  all.   For months I’ve been going back and forth… can I fix the topstitching?  Should I just make a skirt out of it (I have about a yard extra to make waistbands etc…) and try and salvage something?  Do I even like the pattern anymore?  Do I like the fabric anymore?

Answers to above ?’s ??  No fixing the topstitching… No to the skirt, it’s just too contrived…No to salvage….No to the pattern, at least the top of the dress, don’t like how the neck/arm/capsleeve came together weirdly…No to the fabric, maybe for a t-shirt or shorts but not a dress, plus, it’s winter now ugh.

So here is my answer to the above conundrum:

freedomfromtiedye

Yep…86’d the whole thing… including the extra fabric…and I crossed it off my list.  I have to say, it was really hard to just toss it in the trash.  The save-every-scrap part of me was screaming but for the good of my sewing karma, it had to go.

I feel so much better now.

On to the next project!

Have you ever totally trashed a project?  Was it freeing or guilt inducing?

 

Making-Modern Half Square Triangle Quilt Along

Posted in Craft, Fiber fun, In the Studio, Make Stuff, Quilts, Sew this by

I’ve been broadening my podcast horizons lately and have started listening to the “Modern Sewciety” podcast and I love it, Stephanie has such a lovely way of chatting with her guests about quilting and the quilt world (which I admittedly do not know much about).  I have made a number of quilts over the years but would not consider myself a “quilter” because, well, I didn’t use an established pattern, I made everything up and made my own patterns. And, I don’t quilt as in put the three layers together and hand stitch them on a quilting frame the size of my dining room table…no thank you.  I have quilted smaller quilts on my home sewing machine, tied a number of larger quilts and sent one out to Nebraska to be machine quilted, hmmm funny still didn’t consider myself a quilter. Well, I guess that is all about to change with this quilt-a-long I heard about on Stephanie’s podcast a few weeks ago.   I’m embarking on the Modern Half Square Triangle (HST) Quilt Along this year courtesy of  Alyce  at  Blossom Heart Quilts .

2 blocks per month x 12 months will equal enough squares for a nice sized quilt.  I’ve pulled fabrics from my stash and purchased just a few pieces to round out the color palette, I’ve also purchased a light grey fabric with white printing that will be the background fabric in each block, I am waiting until the top is done to decide on the sashing and binding fabrics.

QAL Fabric Pull

Aren’t they pretty?!  I went with very highly saturated colors for the most part which I think will give some nice contrast against the background.

QAL-block 1

Aaanndd….here is my first block!  Yay!  I have had that dark blue fabric for YEARS!  I’ve been hoarding it as it’s one of my all-time favorites but now it has found it’s perfect home as part of the new quilt!  The block is a little rough around the edges as I need to “true” the block up, I’m waiting to do that until I purchase a 12.5″ square ruler specifically to that task.  But it’s done!  It didn’t take forever!  It didn’t make a huge mess!  Everything went back onto the shelf until it’s time for the next block!  Win Win Win!

What have you been making this weekend?!

 

Four boxes and two bins…part four

Posted in Craft, Creative Practice, Fiber fun, Handmade, Sew this by

Yay!  The last of the big boxes…I am so happy I took the time to work on this project.  Definitely time to clean out the old and start making stuff…I can feel new projects on the horizon…but now on to Box Four…

piles of stuff...

piles of stuff…

Ah ha!  So this is the box with the lighter weight fabric earmarked for clothing…. wondering where this went….Have a lot of sewing to do from this box in the next few months.

Re-purpose

-pieces of fleece leftover from making “cozy pants” for the girls…I’ve been cutting them up into 6” squares and will sew those squares together for throws for each of them.

Keeping

-Two lengths of linen colored linen fabric…originally purchased for shorts/capri’s and a jacket…may turn into shorts and skirt

-Three lengths coordinating Amy Butler “Blossom” (I think) prints….one for a skirt, one a blouse and one for jacket lining…. definitely going to sew these up this year, not quite sure into what yet.

-Three lengths denim, from mid to very lightweight…. skirt? shorts? top?  All of the above?

-Linen/cotton windowpane plaid…have had this forever, not sure what to do with it but it is really beautiful.

-Three lengths cotton prints for sleeveless blouses….honestly, one of these pieces I am not really that thrilled with so I may let that go.  The other two are cute and I have to dig around and see what pattern I could make with them…

-One length pansy print fabric I have had forever and have been afraid to cut up… I think this is the year

-Two pieces cotton twill, black and brown…for shorts…now that I’m wearing my shorts longer, I hope there is enough of each.

-Length of linen/cotton/poly blend print…black and brown batik…I really liked this when I bought it but now I’m not quite so sure… can’t decide if I want to put the effort into making something out of it or not…would probably be a full skirt….will keep for now and think about it.

-Big length of muslin for fitting.

more crummy photos, I know…trying to shoot quick and move on to the next pile of stuff!! you get the idea!

more crummy photos, I know…trying to shoot quick and move on to the next pile of stuff!! you get the idea!

Pitching 

-cotton print no longer thrilled with

-pieces of blue bottom weight cut out but never sewed…now lily is too big for them!

*Yay*!  (insert jumping up and down and hand clapping)  The big boxes are done and just taking things out and re-folding them I have gotten a lot more room.  Definitely will not need all four boxes going forward.

Now just the bins to go through…on to the next post!

See the other posts in my 2014 Fabric de-stash series:  

Box ONE  ,  Box TWO and Box THREE

 

Four boxes and two bins…part three

Posted in Craft, Creative Practice, Fiber fun, Handmade, Sew this by

Ah ha!  I see you can’t get enough of watching other people de-stash their fabric… well I have to admit, it’s much easier that working on your own …

This process has not been too too painful so far, so moving on to box three !

Again, apologizing for crummy blurry photo!

Again, apologizing for crummy blurry photo!

This seems to be my “fine fabric” box with all my woolen pieces …

Keeping

-Two pieces of Spanish Lace for Mantillas that my mother gave me…my father brought them back from his USMC maneuvers in Spain  one white, one black   *gorgeous*  no idea what I’m going to do with it.

-Beautiful linen cotton from Britex in SF  (2 1/8 yd / 60” wide) from a work trip where we managed an hour for fabric shopping… pulling this out to make a shirt this summer.

-2 yd 60”  wide red italian wool flannel…. card attached says 65 wo / 25 pa / 10 cashmere recycled….so soft and warm…have been saving to figure out the perfect thing to do with it !  and if anyone knows what “pa” is, let me know…I’m just assuming I’m going to be dry-cleaning the finished project anyway.

-5/12 yd 45” wide  black very fine worsted wool…  again, beautiful, can’t remember where I got it and not quite sure what to do with it…maybe a dress??  don’t wear dresses but there is enough for several things

-2 yd 65” wide grey wool flannel …. again, soft and warm…given to me by one of the gals I worked with at Hathaway in NYC many moons ago…she was cleaning out and knew I sewed and knew I would appreciate it.  Need to find just the right thing to make out of it.  (see my problem?!)

-2+ yards 60” wide black/grey wool suiting… I think this is from Britex as well….might have gone with the black worsted.  I think I was going to make a suit jacket out of this with pants and a skirt to match???  back when I worked in an office and people wore suits and pantyhose to work.

-2 yds taupe and 2 yds khaki worsted wool/blend bought at Fabric Place probably to make slacks…when I worked in an office…keep?  pitch??  hmmmmmm  will have to think about this one.

-lots of yards black satin backed flannel coat lining….I think I bought this to re-line a coat I don’t even have anymore (!) but I am going to keep it because it is really good fabric and I’m sure I”ll have to re-line something at some point so back in the box it goes.

The "keep" pile…will set this aside for winter sewing.

The “keep” pile…will set this aside for winter sewing.

Pitching

black “posh” fabric lining….I really can’t stand this stuff…I’ve lined lots of things with it and it’s hot and sweaty and heavy so I am not going to keep it.

That was almost too easy …

See the other posts in my 2014 Fabric de-stash series:  Box ONE  and Box TWO

What are you de-stashing these days??