October 2016 in Review

Finished

Lizzy House Glam Clam Quilt: My big finish for October was the Glam Clam quilt that I started in April. I really loved how it turned out. You can read more about it here. 

Jam-Packed Gift Bag: I needed a gift bag for my dad's birthday present, so I tried out the Jam-Packed bag from the book For Keeps: Meaningful Patchwork for Everyday Living by Amy Gibson. I add a couple inches to the length, and it was just the right size for the gift. The pattern was originally intended as a lunch bag, and so called for Insul-Brite. I used regular batting instead and quilted the outer fabric. It was fun to make, and I'd like to try enlarging it for Christmas gift bags. 

Christmas Gift Bag: It's never too early to start making gift bags for Christmas. I used 5" square scraps to whip up a quick drawstring bag. 

Started

Building Blocks Shawl: Aside from my Glam Clam quilt, the project that absorbed most of my creative energy in October was this year's Westknits Mystery Knitalong, the Building Blocks Shawl. I decided to join last minute and was obsessed with it until the final clue was realized, and then lost some steam. 

Existing WIP

Rae Scarf: Even though my Building Blocks Shawl took most of my knitting attention, it was a bit awkward to tote around. I kept my Rae Scarf in my purse for on-the-go knitting and made good progress. I'm almost halfway done! 

Lizzy House Glam Clam Quilt

Earlier this year, I had the good fortune of taking a class from Latifah Saafir on her Glam Clam quilt. Yes, I already made a Glam Clam quilt for my daughter back in 2014, but I wanted to make one for myself. I also wanted to take a class from Latifah, as I had long been an admirer of her work. I backed her Kickstarter campaign, and was itching to try out my new Clammy ruler. The class did not disappoint. I learned how to use the new ruler, was introduced to using "registration points" instead of the tabs from the old templates, and got to hear a few stories behind the motifs in Latifah's new fabric line, Grafic. It was a really fun day.

  

For this quilt, I broke into my beloved Lizzy House stash, which I had been saving for a special quilt. There were several different designs covered in the class, but since I wanted to make the classic version again, I cut all my fabric beforehand. Cutting the clams with the ruler was so much easier than cutting them out by hand with the old templates. (On my first Glam Clam quilt, it felt like I spent more time cutting than sewing, and I had to take breaks because it made my hand hurt.) Since I arrived at class ready to go, I was able to sew a little more than half of my lap sized quilt during the class. I finished the piecing the next month at my mom's house during one of our sewing days.

It took me a few months to get up the courage to quilt this, as the last lap sized quilt I quilted wasn't very fun. Since I knew this would be a couch quilt, meant for cuddling, I keep the quilting light and simple: vertical lines two inches apart. I had fun with it and used a light blue thread. This quilt is currently being used and loved and is one of my favorites. 

The Glam Clam pattern is fast and fun, and I already want to make another. Latifah just updated the pattern in her shop, if you interested. (This post is not sponsored. I just love these quilts.)