Passages - 3 Studios Quilt Challenge 2010

Finished!

I decided that today I would finish this little project!  It isn't exactly as I envisioned, but then again, it was nice to do something different than I normally do.

Here's how I linked the word passages with the iris.  To me, the blooming of my irises is the passage point between winter and summer.   The blooming also reminds me of the passage from bud to flower and reminds me of my daughter who is at the blooming stage.  She's not a child, yet not an adult either.

Regarding technique, this quilt is more about the background quilt and trapunto effect than anything else.  I also wanted to play around with flowers that were all in one piece; that's why I printed them onto cotton using the Bubble Jet Set.  I wanted to have flowers, but not have to applique 20 little pieces.  I thought I might be able to define the flowers better through the quilting and thread painting.  As an experiment, it didn't turn out too badly.  I haven't washed out the water soluble marker in the photo below, but you get the idea of what it looks like.

This photo shows the 3D detail created by the trapunto a little better:

Not sure what I'm going to start tomorrow:  the blouse or the skirt.  Hmmm.

Parting Shot:  Starting.  We've started seeds for our garden this year.  The children planted these on Monday and we're just starting to see little plants.  They should be big enough by the first or second week of June to be able to plant them into the garden.

Passages - 3 Studios Quilt Challenge 2010

Another Sneak Peek

I've been working on the quilting for this quilt, and that's really what is left besides the binding.  I'm pretty sure it will take me the next couple of days to complete it and I should be able to show it to you on Saturday.  For the moment, here are the threads I'm working with:

Here is a sneak peek of the background quilting.  While these stitches look huge, in reality, this is a about a 2"x 1.5" section of the quilt.  I'm working on my free motion quilting, so these little quilts are a good opportunity to do that.

Meanwhile, just so things don't get too boring and slow around here (it is Spring Break and the children are home, so there have been some changes in the regular sewing schedule), I do have these projects planned for this weekend and next week.  First, the Great Vintage Shirt project for the month of May made up in yellow stripes (I think):

Second, a skirt from Burda 4/09, #101B.  This will be made in red pique, I'm not sure whether I will keep it a-line or change it to a straight skirt.  I'll see when I get it made up.

Parting Shot:  Snuggle.  My husband sent me this photo while I was away last weekend.  Wellie decided he wanted to sit with my husband while he was watching TV.  Wellie isn't a lap cat, so it isn't often he decides he wants to sit with someone. 

Quick Project - McCall's 3432 - Nightgown

This is the time of year that I go through all the children's clothes for the next season to see what they've outgrown and what still fits.  After clearing out a lot of clothes of my daughter's I was pleasantly surprised to find that she only needed some kind of pajamas/nightgown.  I usually don't make her nightgowns, but she said she'd try one this time. 

The fabric is a burnout knit that I got from Metrotextiles in NYC.  I believe that Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics has this same fabric if you like it and can't get to NYC.  Because of the sheerness of some spots, we opted to line it.  She had her choice of aqua or purple rayon jersey and she chose the purple (I got that from Gorgeous Fabrics, too). 

The pattern is one that I got from Marji in a box amongst some other things.  I'm pretty sure it is out of print, as it was published in 2001, but I didn't check.  I used it as a starting point for the right shape and then used the Jalie tank top pattern to get a better fit.  To line it, I bascially made two nightgowns and then joined them at the top edge, right sides together, making sure to sandwich the straps in between.  I purposely cut the purple layer longer and hemmed each layer on the serger with a rolled edge hem. 

The straps are regular bra strapping, which is different from the self-fabric straps of the original pattern.  This was easier, since I already had a compatible color and the hardware.  My daughter wanted adjustable straps anyway, so this made it easy.

I was a little leery of the wide neck of this nightgown, and for good reason.  When we tried it on, it was just a bit too wide for her body.  To solve this little problem, I made some pleats at center from and just top stitched them about 3/8" from the top finished edge.  We've seen this look in RTW and patterns recently and it was an easy fix for the too wide neckline. 

She wore it last night and really liked it.  I suppose if she decides she doesn't like it, I'll hem it to tank top length and make some matching shorts!

Parting Shot:  Nap Mat.  No sooner had I put the 3 Studios Challenge Quilt on the ledge out of the way than I found Wellie sleeping on it.  Sigh.  I can't put anything down in the workroom without him checking it out. 

Passages - 3 Studios Quilt challenge 2010

Sneak Peek

Today I got the background and images put together.  It took a little time to audition backgrounds, but I'm happy with the yellow fabric for the background and the purple for the backing:

Originally, I had planned to use several background colors, but after seeing how the images looked on various colors, I changed my mind completely and went with the yellow.

Here's a close-up of one of my images:

What could it be?  Could be a butterfly, a cabbage or a zebra.

Now I need to actually quilt and finish the thing - it needs to be done by the end of the week!

Parting Shot:  Teal.  With all the flying time I had last week plus a little time on Sunday, I was able to finish the teal top, actually teal nightgown - that's what the pattern is for.  I really like how it turned out and it was quicker to make than I thought.  It is very comfortable, cute and warm - practical and fun all in one garment.  BTW, Wellie did get the mouse, and my husband then sent it to a watery grave. 

I'm Back!

I got back from Paducah, KY on Saturday, with no major drama.  The AQS show was nice, I had a great time, and I didn't win any prizes.  It was nice to get away for a little bit and see old friends and enjoy the warmer weather.  Here's one good photo of me after the show:

Tomorrow is a sneak peek day for the quilt challenge quilt - I have to finish it this week!

Parting Shot:  When I'm Away.  The cats and mice will play.  My husband snapped this picture one of the mornings that I was gone.  I am hoping that Wellie actually caught the mouse.

New Look 6587 - Done!

When you last saw the dress, it still needed a lot of work! Over the past few days, I was able to make and set in the sleeves, put on the facings, add the collar and finish the buttonholes and buttons.  Here it is on the dress form - yes it has all of the buttons, I just didn't want to button them all and then have to unbutton them all for her to try it on!

Here she is wearing it:

I did note a few things about this pattern.  One is that the collar seems a little large, or wide, especially in the smaller sizes.  This may not be so obvious if you're making a larger size.  I did not cut this one down, but I certainly could have.  My daughter didn't seem to notice, but it is bigger that I'd like for this style, so if I make it again, the collar will be smaller.  Two is that the neckline is very low.  I did not alter this neckline, as the fabric was light and thin and I knew she'd have to wear a slip and camisole anyway.  If this were thicker fabric, I certainly could raise the neckline and probably add another button or two at the top.
 
She's extremely happy with it and it is exactly what she wanted, so that works for me!  The pattern has a couple of variations and a lot more sizes, so that will be good for the future, too.

Parting Shot:  Packing.  I'll be leaving tomorrow to go the AQS show in Paducah, KY and will be returning on Saturday. I won't be posting during that time, but I hope to remember to get at least a couple of pictures this time.  Usually shows are pretty busy, but I will try.  I am packing the camera as soon as I'm done with this post!

Passage - 3 Studios Art Quilt Challenge 2010

Passing Through the Water

This week for this little quilt, I've been working on the images.  I had to search through all my photos to find the ones I wanted to use, edit them and then print them onto the fabric that I prepared last week.  Once the images were set onto the fabric, I had to gently wash the pieces.  They are now drying. 

Next week, I will get them onto the background, and the do all the quilting.  It sounds simple, but I'm actually working on a few techniques, trying them out before I decide if they're good enough to keep to use for art garments.  These little quilts are a good way to try out new things!

Regarding yesterday's post, thank you all for the responses!  I had a little thought that the buttons might be too old, but on the other hand, if she likes the buttons, she's more likely to wear the dress.  I decided the direct approach was best, and the conversation went like this:

Me:  What do you think of these buttons for your dress?
Her:  Pretty!!  Use them.

That was it and those buttons will be on the dress tonight.  I expected more of a challenge, as she didn't like these same buttons for other projects in years past.   My experience with this age group is that they are pretty direct and will definitely let you know if they think something is ugly!

Parting Shot:  Tulip.  Here's that tulip, now bloomed.  It is the only thing we have blooming right now beside the little violas, but we do have a lot of green things growing.  You can see the irises behind it.

One More Dress - New Look 6587

After discovering a few weeks ago that none of my daughter's old church dresses fit, I've been working towards replacing them.  This is the last one for this year.  She's been wanted a shirt dress, but not a vintage one with a side zipper.  Most of the vintage patterns have a button bodice, but along with the side zipper that you have to have to get into the dress.  I know there are some that button all the way up the front, but considering she's still growing, a multi-size pattern for $1.99 is a better bargain at the moment. 

I cut this out Saturday, intending to work on it yesterday afternoon.  That didn't happen, as you'll see from the parting shot.  This morning, I worked on the dress for about an hour and got the bodice and skirt sections assembled and then put together.  So far, the dress is going together quickly!  This is a good thing, as I'll be leaving on Thursday for the AQS show in Paducah, KY and I'd like to have this finished before I leave.

Now, if I can just convince her that these buttons are perfect for the dress, I'd be all set!  I've had these in the collection for a long time, probably more than 10 years, waiting for the right garment and I have 10 of them.  The dress needs 11 buttons, but these are a bit bigger than what the pattern calls for so I think I can readjust the button spacing.  They are a clear plastic with a blue tinge and would go nicely with the rose print since they are roses, too.
 

What do you think?  Let me know in the comments, so that I know whether to give this idea up or try to convince her.

Parting Shot:  Monastery.  This is what I did with part of my Sunday afternoon.  My daughter and I built a monastery out of cardboard and hot glue for a history project - the size of the base cardboard is approx. 16"x16".  It would look better if we wouldn't have had to engineer and build it in less than three hours!  We could have done better than black magic marker for decoration as well. 

And The Winner Is . . . .

sdBev!  Please email me at summersetbanks "at" gmail "dot" com and I'll get you all set up with your gift certificate to Gorgeous Fabrics.

Just for fun, here are some "then and now" pictures of my children.  When I started blogging, my daughter was 8 and my son was 5.  Then:

Now:

Parting Shot:  Progress.  I've made some progress on the knit top, I'm now past the border rows and working on the body.  I'll have plenty of time later next week to work on this, so maybe in a few weeks, I'll have it done!  Sorry for the dark photo, but otherwise the texture wouldn't show well.

MQX Fun!

Yesterday afternoon I drove down to Rhode Island to see the Machine Quilter's Exposition and to be in the fashion show the same evening. 

The show itself was amazing - there was a lot to look at and to be inspired by. Alas, no pictures, as I don't want to offend any of the other artists by posting pictures of their work without permission.  Most of them wouldn't have a problem with it, but it is courteous to ask before just assuming it is ok to post someone's work all over the internet! 

I did do some shopping and chatting with people.  I bought the stuff below and will be picking up a few more things from my Janome dealer once he gets back to the shop and get things ordered for me (this part could take a couple of weeks).  Anyway, back to this stuff, I got some thread from Superior Threads for a future project, a very cool button and key fob from Joyful Adornments. 

I've already got a project in mind for that button, too, but that is far in the future. 

The fashion show was fun and it was great to see my friends and their creations.  It is very inspiring to see what everyone has made over the past year and be able to look at everything close up.  Here I am, grinning like a monkey, but having a good time in Garden Path:

At the end of the evening, I got a second place for the necklace, Spring's First Blush and I got Mark Lipinski's (he was the emcee for the runway show) choice award for Garden Path.

Sorry I don't have any pictures of the green paisley shirt - I will try to get one this weekend, but yesterday was a long day!  Tomorrow I'll pick the winner of the Gorgeous Fabrics gift certificate, so if you haven't entered the drawing yet, go back a couple of posts and do so! 

Parting Shot.  No Joke.  Oh yeah, that is what you think it is.  Snow.  This morning when we got up, it was snowing.  Right now it is raining/icing, but we had snow on the ground until this afternoon. 

The Great Vintage Shirt Project - Advance 8254

Finished!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the kind words regarding my blog and posts!  It means a lot to me to know that some of you faithfully read my blog and some of you have actually endured every single post.  It is nice to see all the familiar names and some new ones, too - enter for the drawing if you haven't already.  When I post the winner, I'll try to post a few "then and now" photos for fun. 

I did find time to finish my latest vintage shirt.  This one is one of my favorites so far - besides the monogram shirt from last month.  (I think I'm going to get some cool cufflinks from Etsy for that one for fun!).  While the fabric has pretty much dictated that the style be simple, I have used some really nice details to take this shirt to the next level.

For the seam finishes, I used both french seams and flat-felled seams.  Sure, I could have serged, but you can buy a RTW serged shirt anywhere - completely encased seams are an extra touch of luxury.  The side seams and shoulder seams are french seams:

The sleeve was set into the armscye with a flat-felled seam before the side seams were sewn.  The best tip and tutorial for doing this is from Pam Earny's blog - she's a professional shirt maker and her tips are excellent. 

To finish the edge of the facing, I stitched the facing pieces together, then the interfacing pieces together and then stitched each unit together at the outer edge, right sides together.  I then pressed the seam and fused the interfacing in place.  Again, this is a nice finish with no raw edges.  Sorry - no photo - I forgot when taking all the pictures, but thought I would mentioned it for those of you thinking, "What about the facing edges?"

For the buttonholes, I made bound buttonholes, while they aren't terribly visible, I know they are there.  Here is one from the right side:

Here is the whole row of them from the inside - I did them assembly-line style, doing the same step to each of them before moving on to the next step.

Here is the completed button and buttonhole combo:

I am wearing the shirt today, so maybe I'll get a picture of myself in it.  I'm leaving in a little bit for MQX which is in Providence, RI.  I'll be taking in the show and shopping the vendors this afternoon and this evening, I'll be on the runway wearing Garden Path, Spring's First Blush and maybe some other designer's pieces.  I hope to have some photos tomorrow for you!

Parting Shot:  Fabulous!  Will you look at this piece of fabric?  Isn't it great?  I purchased this for a new project (to be revealed very soon!) from VickiW's Etsy shop.  She hand dyes and paints fabrics - this is one of the gradients.  It is exactly what I wanted and a great price, considering the time and effort it takes to hand dye fabric.

1000th Post Giveaway!

Yes, that's right, today's post is my 1000th post!  In honor of such a milestone and as a thank you to all of you who have been faithfully reading along, commenting and be so helpful, I will be having a drawing for a  giveaway.  I thought for quite a while about what to give away, but not everything I thought of would suit a variety of tastes.  Not everyone likes vintage patterns or artsy-fartsy stuff, so the next best thing to give away would be something that is one-size-fits-all and is sure to please everyone:  fabric!

Not just any old fabric, but gorgeous fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics.  I will be giving away a $50.00 gift certificate to be used at Gorgeous Fabrics so that the lucky winner can pick out whatever makes them happy! 

Gorgeous Fabrics logo used with permission from Ann, owner of Gorgeous Fabrics

To enter into the 1000th Post Giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and I will pick one winner at random on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at noon. 

Parting Shot:  Huh?   Did I plant this?  I can't even remember.  My son had tomatoes and peppers growing in this bed last summer, so I know we didn't have lilies.  I think my daughter planted this one and the other two just like it.  Which will be just fine, because once they are done blooming, the sunflowers planned for this spot will be tall and blooming, too.

Passages - 3 Studios Quilt Challenge 2010

Passing Through the Liquid First

For the Passages quilt, I've decided to use some images printed on fabric to convey my ideas.  To that end, I've got fabric soaking in Bubble Jet Set:

Once I get my images on the fabric, I'll start assembling and then quilting the project.  Some of the fabrics that I have picked for this project are shown below. 

Some of them may stay and some may go - not sure yet!  That's the fun of these challenges for me, they are not as planned as some of my other projects.  This is good because it lets me be a little more creative without the feeling of must.follow.the.plan. 

Tomorrow there will be a very special announcement, so stay tuned! (Hint: it has to do with the number of posts I've made!)

Parting Shot:  Fun!  Now that the weather is warmer the bikes have come down out of the loft in the garage and the children are having fun riding around the property and neighborhood.