Quilt Progress

Taking a little mid afternoon work break to post progress on my grandson's (boy does THAT sound weird - "grandson") quilt. After finishing the four-patch squares, I've moved on to the appliques. I started with the police badge squares. It's my least favorite of the three applique designs so I figured I would work out all my rusty applique skills on it. I'm happy with how it turned out even though I still don't love the design. Looks too much like a grinning badge to me but I couldn't figure out another design while keeping the lines simple. I finished both of them yesterday morning.

 

Next up are the car and hat designs. They are cut and wonder-undered and ready to be appliqued. I adore the hat and think it looks so much cuter in person. The striped fabric appears to be purple but it isn't. Blame it on the iPhone photo taken in artificial basement light. 

Do I remember how to quilt?

My daughter and husband are expecting a baby boy in December and have decided on a policeman theme for the baby's room in honor of his daddy. What a cute idea, right? We must be the only ones that think that because there is no bedding or baby items with a police theme anywhere. Fireman, yes. But no police. "No worries, darling daughter, I can sew." It slipped out before I could help myself.  You sewers know how that happens! I love quilts and have made a few but the last one was 18 years ago in anticipation of my youngest child. Ay yi yi!

How hard can it be, right? Well, it turns out there are no quilt / applique designs in that theme either. So, I had to completely start from scratch.  After looking at quilt designs that she liked, we decided on a mix of applique and simple four-patch squares for the quilt top. For the appliques, I found a very cute car design in "Quilts, Bibs, Blankies... Oh My" (adorable designs!!)

   

but no luck finding anything else police related (except for handcuffs and guns but we thought that might not be too child friendly!) I found a couple coloring book pages that I used to create templates for a police hat and shield.

 
I practiced with some scrap fabric until we came up with the final templates for the appliques.

I drafted the design (hee hee, that sounds so official for the chicken scratch shown below, doesn't it), calculated the measurements and converted to fabric quantities.

Next came picking the fabric. Turns out my daughter is quite picky when it comes to the colors she wants. She said blues and greens but that's not really what she meant. She meant very, very, very specific shades of blues and greens. Four quilt shops, hundreds of blue and green fabrics and three hours later and we had the fabrics. Four-patch squares are done. Appliqued squares up next!

Sunny Dress (Butterick 5780)

Edited to add a photo that better shows the lines of the dress:

I loved the lines of this dress when I saw the pattern introduced. In spite of the difficulties mentioned in the lone review at PR, I decided to make it anyway. It was a challenge!! The bodice construction was quite clever but I could have used more directions and/or illustrations in the pattern to help me through. I'm happy with how it turned out (but secretly, very glad it's done!!)

Particulars:
Pattern: Butterick 5780 with modified sleeve
Fabric: A medium weight ponte knit
Omitted zipper

 Jazz Hands for Nancy!


More details related to the construction in my PR review here.

The Dress that wanted to be a Tunic (B5495)

Edited to add the tunic versus dress photo:

There are many great versions of this pattern out there. Some people have made it as a top, some as a tunic and some as a dress. I was really inspired by Lori's versions (Girls in the Garden) and decided to make it as a dress. But after I got it done, I just wasn't sure if I should leave it a dress. I've made quite a few knit dresses with a busy pattern and I find that I only want to wear them a couple times and then I get tired of them. The same thing does not happen with tops, oddly enough. But I still couldn't decide so I posed it to my Facebook sewing group. Probably 30 people responded and don't ya know, it was split right down the middle. What finally pushed me to the tunic was that I needed a comfy outfit to wear for the shopping day during PR NYC in May.

The pattern is Butterick 5495 (View A lengthened) and the fabric is an ITY I purchased in Austin last November at a PR weekend.

I never took any photos of myself in this but here are a few others took at Mood.

Here I am with Swatch the Mood "mascot".

Here I am with Sherril, Meg, Connie and Karen.

White Jeans (Jalie 2908)

The Jalie 2908 stretch jean pattern is one of the hot patterns at PR. I wanted a pair of white jeans this spring and found a nice white stretch twill at Denver Fabrics. I made a practice pair first in some lightweight stretch denim and thank goodness I did - I cut and sewed a size T, which is actually larger than my measurements and they were way too tight. A handful of the reviews said they thought the pattern ran small but not enough that I considered going up a size. Based on my muslin, I cut TWO sizes bigger (a V) and they fit fine. Perhaps could have been a tiny bit tighter in the butt but overall, I like the fit. My twill had lots of stretch so I'm not sure why the sizing worked as it did.

I wore them yesterday to a family birthday celebration with my recently completed top (McCalls 6078) and was thrilled to receive some unsolicited compliments, including from my daughter:

Daughter: I thought you said you were making a pair of white jeans.
Me: I DID. I finished these yesterday.
Daughter: You MADE those? WOW, they are really good.

Smiles smiles smiles....

Derby Dress 2012 (S2588)

Every year, our good friends host a Derby party. The ladies get into the spirit and tend to dress up as if we are actually at the Derby, hats and all. I wore the same black hat as last year but forgot to include it in the photo.

This year I chose a Simplicity Project Runway design that allowed me to pick and choose elements of the dress to get what I wanted - straight or full skirt, sleeves or sleeveless, skinny neck band or yoke, belt or tabs or no trim. (Simplicity 2588 (straight skirt, skinny neckband and sleeveless) It was a little difficult to determine how much fabric was needed because of the options. My dress used approx. 1 3/4 yd (60" width).

The fabric is a satin twill I purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics about a year ago, intending to make a flowy skirt. The fabric ended up having a little heavier hand than I expected so I decided it wouldn't be suitable for the skirt I had in mind. But it worked beautifully for this dress. I trimmed the waist with a braided piping purchased from Rainbow Fabrics in Chicago.

Pattern sizing was true. I had to make my typical adjustments for small upper body. Overall, the dress ranged anywhere from a size 10 (through the shoulders and bust) to a 12-14 (lower bodice to waist) to a size 14-16 (at the hips)!

Prior year Derby dresses:

2007 Dress
Not sure what I wore in 2008
2009 Dress


2010 Dress
2011 Dress

Missoni-ish Top (B5527)

I'm finding all kinds of unfinished posts. Pictured above is a top (Butterick 5527) I made back in October or November. I purchased the knit from Banasch Fabric in Cincinnati and wore it to the PR Anniversary weekend in Austin last November. Imagine my surpirse when I walked into a fabric store in Austin and saw my fabric on the rack and made into a dress. Too funny!

To be honest, I didn't love this top. I don't think the peasant style is flattering on my body, makes me look larger than I am. The top has since been donated to Goodwill.

Baby & Big Brother Goodies

I thought I had posted this before but I guess I didn't! Mark's son and daughter-in-law had their second baby in January, a baby brother to their four year old son. I made the baby some goodies including the duck bathrobe above, dinosaur cuddly fleece blanket and knit blanket shown here. Big brother fell in love with the ultra soft dinosaur blanket and claimed it for his own. I told him I would make him a matching bathrobe out of the fabric but JoAnn's had sold out. Instead I purchase a cute monster print and made him the robe shown below. I gave it to him about a month ago and found out yesterday that he wears all the time when he's home.

Yarn for Sale

As I continue my house purge in preparation of moving, I am destashing some yarns. The following are listed on ebay. Click on description for link to ebay:

SOLD - Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn Color S40, Lot C

SOLD -Luna Yarn Endless Summer 10 Skeins

SOLD - Tilli Tomas Evening Bag Kit with Berrocco Boho

SOLD - Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria Yarn, Turquoise #10

SOLD - Schaefer Yarn Marjaana, Colorway Jane Addams 5-0/50 Merino / Silk

SOLD - Noro Big Kureyon Yarn; Color 17 (2 1/2 skeins)

SOLD - Knit Picks Wool of the Andes yarn - 6 skeins; pumpkin (4) and winter night (2)

 SOLD - Noro Kureyon Yarn; Color 153 Lot A (4 skeins)

SOLD - Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora Rose Pink (15512) - 2 skeins

Another cowl drape tank - M6078

This is my fourth version of McCalls 6078. I tried View C this time. I followed Elizabeth's lead (AKA Queen of the Bathroom Photo) and took a photo in the restroom at work. Quality is not good but you get the idea! I wore it to work with a jacket over but it would be so cute in summer over a little pencil skirt or some skinny jeans (maybe the white ones I'm working on!)

Thanks to Carol's comment, I am editing to add that I purchased this fabric during PR Anniversary Weekend in Austin in November last year from TexStyles. It was just a tiny remnant, maybe 3/4 yard?, but plenty for this top!

Other versions:
Version 1  View B
Version 2 View B
Version 3 was a bust - I made it from a cotton overlock knit and the fabric was simply too heavy for the design.
I  guess it's obvious I love this pattern!

Baby blanket for grandson

January was a busy one! I managed to eek out a couple sewing projects and this baby blanket for Mark's son and DIL who gave birth to a beautiful little boy a couple weeks ago, their second child. It is knit in Cotton Ease (of course!) I found the pattern on Ravelry here and loved all the variations. I decided to once again use a random stripe pattern and this blanket will coordinate nicely with the one I made for his cousin last year.

Speaking of CottonEase, these colors are long retired but they are called popsicle (turquoise), blueberry, candy blue, vanilla and licorice. I still have tons of the old CE left as a result of my little hoarding episode in 2005. I think I have every color in my stash except the strawberry creme. It does make a great baby yarn though since it is washable and even dryable but still quite soft for a cotton yarn. Even though I've done some de-stashing over the years, I've held on to this yarn.

Austin Confetti Top - Vogue 8634

At the Austin PR weekend in November, several of us purchased a slinky knit from The Common Thread. In fact, we may have bought the whole bolt! I forgot to record what the fiber content is but I suspect it's a rayon knit. I decided to use mine for another tunic from Vogue 8634. My first one was made with a sweater knit but I thought it would adapt well to this drapier fabric; and I was right! I love how it turned out. I made the same size but I took in about an inch on the side seams so it would fit a little more closely.

My serger did NOT like this fabric. I never figured out the problem but I'm glad I'm done with it!

Christmas Highlights

I didn't make very many Christmas gifts this year (darn those 24 hours days) but I did make an apron for my daughter Molly from the Emmeline pattern.


and polar fleece hats for Mark's grandkids.


Mark and I took a quick trip back to Delaware to surprise my mom on her birthday (Dec 26). It's been awhile since I've been back and it was quite fun to spend some time with my whole family. Because we flew into BWI, we detoured to show Mark the Inner Harbor and have lunch at the Rusty Skupper.


My family has hosted a Christmas party on the 26th for as long as I can remember. A long time ago, I introduced them to the "Dirty Santa" gift exchange and it's been an annual tradition ever since. They've even called me in some years that I wasn't able to attend to verify the "rules" of the game. LOL. A shot of all the gifts awaiting start of the game (my two sisters in law and my mom behind them).

I want to marry this fabric - J2794

While at PR Anniversary in Austin weekend, April had a trunk show for her new business Fabricker and I bought some lovelies including this luscious silk/cotton/rayon knit. It feels so good against my skin! I turned it into another Jalie sweetheart neckline top (2794). I made one a few years ago and loved it but it was a bit snug then and since I've put on a few pounds since, I decided to go up a few letters for this one. I overestimated and it turned out way too big. I played around with it until I finally got the right fit and added long sleeves. I still love this pattern and would love to make a few more.

Two down from my marathon cutting session; Nine to go!

Glittery Cowl top - M6078 (revisited)

I loved the polka dot version of McCalls 6078 I made last summer. I've worn it many times! I followed up with another version in an interlock knit that was a complete failure and concluded a lighter weight, drapier knit works best for this pattern. I picked up a very stretchy, lightweight sweater knit from TexStyles in November and knew the glitter threads would be perfect for a holiday top. Not sure if TexStyles has a website but you can find them on Facebook here.


I wore it several times over the holidays with this quilted shimmery jacket.

Finally - a review of my Mother of the Bride dress! (S2497)

Took me awhile but I'm finally getting around to blogging / reviewing Simplicity 2497 - a Cynthia Rowley design that is nominated for top ten patterns in 2011. I made a muslin here and had to make a few tweaks to the bodice to make it fit. (Full review at Pattern Review if interested.) I made a bolero jacket to wear over it but didn't like it when it was done so I left it off. Forgive the wrinkles in the dress. The photo was taken at the end of the evening as you can tell by the wine-enhanced giant eyes!

Shoes are A. Marinelli Excess and came from Zappos. No longer available at Zappos but they may be available from other vendors. Not sure if you can tell in the photo but the back is silver and the front is a sheer, sparkly mesh; the medallion on top is made from a bunch of strands of silver beads. They are much nicer in person!


This is the cute little bag I carried, which I found at at T.J. Maxx! It is silver with a black lace overlay.


Overall, I'm happy with the dress. I've actually worn the outfit two other times since the wedding.