Wordless WIP Wednesday: July 31, 2013

Emerald Bracelet Lap Quilt

Ready to see my latest quilt finish? Here it is!

 

 

This quilt has been on my mind for what seems like years, but it only took about five months from cutting to binding. The pattern is Spice Market by Modern Quilt Studio, and I made the 50” x 80” napping size. The top is pieced from a variety of Kona solids, the backing is Pearl Bracelet by Lizzy House, and the binding is Crosshatch Sketch by Timeless Treasures. I quilted it with white Aurifil 50 WT thread.

 

 

The pattern was easy to follow and the piecing technique was enjoyable. I’m contemplating making another one in all blues, or low volume, or scrappy, or… I'll just put this pattern back on the shelf until I decide which color scheme to use next.

 

 

Zakka 2.0 Sew Along: Yum-Yum Apple Bib

Patchwork, Please! is filled with the kind of super cute projects that Ayumi Takahashi is known for, and this adorable bib is no exception. For such a small object, this bib sure gave me a heap of trouble. First, I quilted the apple body without completing the intended embroidery, so I had to embroider the seeds rather awkwardly.

 

 

I very carefully cut and sewed double-fold binding tape, but could not for the life of me figure out how to neatly transition the binding into straps. Perhaps I should have used single-fold bias tape, but I’m so accustomed to using the double-fold variety that I didn’t even think twice about it. I’ll have to try that next time, as this charming bib would be perfect for gift giving.

Wordless WIP Wednesday: July 24, 2013

 

 

 

Zakka 2.0 Sew Along: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Towels

Well, my linen dishtowels didn’t turn out quite like the Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Towels in Patchwork, Please!, but I’m okay with that. My towels are smaller, embroidered instead of patchwork, and more subdued. Once I got started, I didn’t stop at breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also made towels for second breakfast, elevenses and afternoon tea. I did, however, follow Ayumi’s instructions for machine piecing binding, which I had never done before, and it worked like a charm. This Zakka 2.0 Sew Along is lots of fun, even if I’m not following each project to the letter.

 

 

Zakka 2.0 Sew Along: Dino-Mite Hat

Out of all the projects I’ve made so far from Patchwork, Please!, by Ayumi Takahashi, the Dino-Mite Hat is my favorite. I made my version almost entirely out of scraps, only adding a stashed fat quarter of purple Pearl Bracelet fabric for the outside of the hat. It was a very satisfying project, as I was able to complete it in less than 24 hours.

 

Quick, easy and fun, I would definitely make this little hat again. The only trouble I ran into was that I accidently started the spikes from the back instead of the front, but I’ve been told that it’s not noticeable to the average observer. Most importantly, my sweet daughter doesn’t seem to mind! At two years old, this hat just fits her. It’s the perfect addition to her dress up box.

 

 

Wordless WIP Wednesday: July 17, 2013

Grey Eyelet Wiksten Tank

Garment sewing is still new and slightly scary to me, so I keep returning again and again to the same pattern that I know and love: the Wiksten Tank. This is my fifth time using this pattern and the third tank top I have made. I had planned to make Colette’s Taffy blouse next, but the muslin revealed that I need to grade the pattern in order for it to fit me, and I’m not having the best of luck with that.

 

 

One evening this week, I was trying to lift my grey mood by reading my bloglovin’ feed. Just as I was starting to get sucked down the rabbit hole that is the blogosphere, I was inspired to get off my bum and sew something instead of sitting there just thinking about it. My trusty Wiksten pattern was close at hand, so I grabbed it and some hoarded Flea Market Fancy Eyelet fabric from my stash and set to work. Three hours later, I had a new shirt to wear to work the next day, and my grey mood was nowhere to be found.

 

 

Seeing that my first Wiksten project took me three evenings to finish, I was pretty proud of how quickly I whipped up this tank. Practice is definitely worth it! Now I just need to find a new pattern that I can learn to love as much as I love the Wiksten tank.

Wordless WIP Wednesday: July 10, 2013

Zakka 2.0: Polka-Dot-Café Apron

While I love the Zakka 2.0 Sew Along overall, I must admit that I wasn’t looking forward to making the Polka-Dot-Café Apron. I haven’t the slightest idea where to find twill and twill ribbon close by, and I didn’t have time to buy them online. Luckily, I remembered a long unloved one-pocket apron hanging in my pantry. I received it as a gift ages ago, but seldom used it. I enjoyed digging through my scrap bin to find fabrics that coordinated with an oven mitt and pot holder my mom had given me, and pulled together this refashioned apron in no time. Since it only has one pocket, I made one block per Ayumi’s instructions and added a border to make it big enough to cover the pocket. I traced the templates onto freezer paper and would use this technique in the future for fussy cutting. The block itself was fun to make. It warms my heart to have revamped this apron into something I will enjoy using, which I wouldn’t have thought of doing if not for this sew along.

Fresh Sewing Day: June 2013

I don’t know about you, but my sewing productivity always seems to decrease in the summer months. There is just so much to do outside! Still, even though I only finished three things in June, I made significant progress on several other projects, so I’m anticipating several more finishes in July.