Epiphany

As I was using needle turn applique to make this flower stem and leaves, I had a Taylor Swift moment.  When it comes to piecing a quilt...

But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you

We are never ever ever getting back together,
We are never ever ever getting back together,
You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

Like, ever...

I have not spent any time the past few months doing applique as I was trying to finish up a stack of UFOs.  For the first time in months I have enjoyed and looked forward to working on a quilt project.
I may have to set a deadline then let go of some other projects so I can get back to applique.


 By the way...don't forget that Google Reader goes away at the end of the month.  I have been using Bloglovin' for a while and today added the link to my sidebar.  Looks like only half of you are set up to follow using the new reader....click on that link if you're interested in continuing to follow this blog.   I plan to do a lot of applique.  Enough FMQ to get quilts ready to give.  A bunch of clothing to use up the stash.  And a little piecing....just as much as is absolutely necessary.

1991 block

I was planning to spend the day sewing a dress for myself.  Instead I helped daughter to figure out how to make shorts.  Of course, she wants the "waist band" to be 5.5" below her waist line.  Her older sister went through this phase.  Of course, I couldn't find that pattern.  But I did remember the experience so I just drafted something on tissue paper, cut it out with some icky double knit fabric then made all the adjustments to create a new pattern.

I decided to reward my good deed with some quilting.

I made some flying geese using the tutorial at this link.  I liked the technique and the math... but mine didn't come out with perfect points.

I decided that since I would be trimming the final block down to size after the applique was done, I didn't do the flying geese all the way down the side...that will give me some wiggle room.

I prepped the block for back basting applique by tracing the reverse version of the picture on the back side of my block with pencil using a "light box" (aka dining room window).

There's a tutorial on this technique on the top right bar on this blog if you aren't familiar with how to do it.

It took some digging around to get fabrics that I'm happy with.  The pica fabric was hardest, but did find something suitable (in the sea-shell applique box in case you were wondering.)  There's some good variety of purples in the 5" batik friendship square stash.   I have a big stack of green batik fat quarters that I bought with a leaf themed quilt in mind.  I can probably spare a few of them.  Hot pinks are neutrals in my stash, so the hardest part of the pick was how dark or light to go.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Applique Planning

Summer is not really "quilting" season for me. But I am feeling badly for my applique fans.  And I have to admit, that I'm getting pretty testy not having a hand project to work on if there's something interesting on TV.   So I put my next clothing project on hold for the night to get an applique project rolling.  This is one that's been in my head and in various permutations for years.

This is as far as I got for my Baltimore Album style National Park blocks.  This is my block for Grand Teton National Park.  I love the way the wild geraniums, Arrow Leaf Balsam Root and Indian Paintbrush turned out.  I stalled out on the lupines however (need to re-do the leaves and the blossoms were just silly in detail) and it's been ignored ever since.

I've gathered tons of reference material.

 I should note here that I think it is my personal responsibility to keep National Park Book Shops in business.  

(And you thought my fabric stash was bad....)

All stuffed into a project box labeled "National Park Applique" with little bits of great prints for flowers and leaves.

 
So you're familiar with the Civil War Bride quilts? The minute that I saw it, I knew that I needed to make one of these rather than a Baltimore Album.  I love the rectangles.  I love the pictoral view.  But I needed these to have personal relevance.

I have pages and pages of notes with ideas.

I decided that instead of a "bride" quilt, perhaps I should do an anniversary quilt.  So I started the planning, outlining key events of each year that we've been married.  Of course, the idea started around our 20th anniversary....I may have to expand to 24 or 25 squares.

Which leads me to what I did this evening.
The 1991 block.

The pica and phlox in the lower right represent the Mount Moran climb with Blair and Fred.  While I was waiting my turn, I was sitting on a ledge, hanging out with a very cute pica who was munching on hot pink phlox flowers and looking at me with a "WTF is this on my patio?" kind of expression.

The line at the 3" mark on the left side represents where the row of flying geese (blue geese on background) will be to represent the backpack trip in the Wind Rivers (WY) where the Blue Goose (the name of our friend's camping van) got forced off the causeway into the marsh (Goose on the Pond).

And there's lupine.  Because lupine are cool.  And grow everywhere we were in 1991.

I am feeling very optimistic about this project.  This sketch came together very quickly.  Perhaps because I've been unsuccessfully drawing lupines for years?   My biggest challenge will be finding fantastic fabrics for pica fur.   Hmmm, come to think of it, I may have some in my Seashell Applique Stash.

Oh no.  I've just made a strategic error.  Sarah Liz is already shocked at my fabric stash.  I didn't even admit to anything that is quilt related rather than clothing related.   But FOR THE RECORD, my quilt fabric stash while far, far more diverse than my clothing fabric stash, is considerably smaller.  But only because 5" of fabric for applique (x 200 fabrics) is kind of reasonable.

ZigZag Dress

I am finally finished with the McCall 6433 dress.  It is not without it's problems.

The area on dresses that frequently don't fit me right is the upper bodice, so I took extra care to follow the fitting directions on the pattern which suggested that no adjustments were needed.

I debated changing the neckline.  But I thought that I could get away with a slightly plunging neckline since the maxi length would keep everything else looking very modest.

Problem #1: Error in neckline judgement: believing it would look like the pictures.

I had planned to make the dress with the sheer knit fabric that I bought last year in Portland at Fabric Depot and use a tank dress as a slip.  As I read the directions, I decided it would be easier to line it as was the pattern plan for the bodice.

I auditioned several fabrics from the stash and this navy piece of cotton knit that I got at a thrift store won.

Problem #2: In retrospect, a thinner fabric would have been better.  This was a lovely, thick t-shirt knit that added a lot of bulk on the upper body pleats.

I also added a skirt lining, but only to knee length so the bottom 19" is sheer.  I am still happy with this decision.

Problem #3: When I was laying out the fabric, I realized that the zig-zags went the length of the fabric instead of selvage to selvage.  So I have a piece of fabric 60" x 77" with the length the wrong direction of the fabric design.  By flipping the bodice sections upside down and compromising some on length, I was able to get it cut out.  

I got the dress finished today, tried it on, and found several issues.

Problem #4.  The fabric pulls away from the zipper.  I may be able to press this issue away.  Alternatively, I do have long hair... That should cover the problem.

Problem #5: When I tried it on, one of the sleeves was all weird.

I tried to ignore it, but it was dramatically different from the other one.

I discovered that when I surged the sleeve on, I'd managed to get a tuck of the lining fabric into the seam.   Ugh.  I hate to admit this, but I already fixed this problem once.  Somehow I managed another tuck.

My solution:  Hand darning of the lining fabric.  (Point of clarification: I mean "darn" the verb, not "Darn!" the expletive.  I was saying many other colorful words at this point.)

Problem #6:  lining shows.  I think this is likely related to the fact that the blue knit has a lot more stretch than the zig fabric.

My solution:  Hand-stitching the lining into place about 1 cm from the edge where the lining was drifting.

Why by hand?

Because it is completely invisible on the front.

Lining problem solved!

However, now we can see that there is some serious cleavage going on.  (Do I get to count this as problem # 7 since this is where I discover the degree of the issue, or is this still problem #1?)

Don't get me wrong.  I am happy to show off the girls.  I was a flat-chested teen and always wanted to have a rack.  And gaining 30 pounds is way cheaper than buying a set.

However, this is a bit much for the office.

Final fix?

A Boobie Dickey.

*snort*
Tee Hee Hee!
Oh...I crack myself up.

I imagined this with snaps, but couldn't find a sew-in snap in my stash.  (I'm sure I have them, but they are hiding).

I settled for velcro.  Strips of fuzzy side on the inside of the dress, and hookie end on the dickey.  I actually need to add another dot on each side to help it to lay flatter.

Stash used:
* 1 5/8 yard zig-zag knit (only 1 year old!)
* 1.5 yard navy knit - less than 2 years in my stash, but from a thrift store so likely in another stash for years before that.
* 22" zipper - price tag of $0.75  probably from the 3 bags of zippers that I bought for a couple bucks at Salvation Army in the 1990's.
* velcro
* thread

This is my second completion for both Style the Stash and  Sew Your Wardrobe for a Year

Slow Progress

My schedule this week was crazy, so I was reduced to a few hours of sewing time.

Feeling the need to complete something quickly, combined with the fact there was white thread on the machine, I worked on this.

The 9-patch blocks were from a shop-hop door prize.
I added a green border around the outside of the finished blocks and added a 6" border of one of the prints that I had purchased for the back.

It will finish at about 45x60.  Baby quilt for the stash.

I've been working on a knit maxi dress made out of this cool zig-zag fabric that I bought last year in Portland.

I saw a trick on PBS to use the walking foot when you work on knits to avoid accidental stretching.

Because the fabric is sheer, I'd originally planned to make a tank dress to wear under it.  After reading the instructions, I decided that the lining they had planned made more sense.  This is a navy blue cotton knit that I found at a thrift store.

I had great intentions of wearing it to work today.  But my machines were not going to cooperate.   The serger's attitude improved after being re-threaded a couple times and a new needle.

My new Singer has this bad habit of getting thread caught around a part inside.  Which gives me few clues until the whole thing starts  clinking and acting like it's totally dead.  Screwdriver, seam ripper, tweezers, and a fair bit of cussing then it's good as new.

Ponderance

I just had a moment.  As my therapy group I invite you to play along if you've ever had a "moment" like this that makes you pause.

You might have too much variety in your fabric stash if...

You go to the garage (or where ever your surplus stash lives), looking for a piece of lycra.  You see, I'm working on a birthday suit.  I mean a swim suit for my birthday.

And the only piece of knit fabric that you find is...

A fuzzy, curly black, soft, fleece that looks like it would make a lovely teddy bear.

Really?

And now I can't erase the image of a thong / g-string made out of this fabric from my brain.

BTW.  I did find the lycra bin. And a couple pieces of silk that I had COMPLETELY forgotten about. 

Floral Skirt

This is my first completion for both Style the Stash and  Sew Your Wardrobe for a Year

The process for my skirt started with a muslin of Simplicity 2475

I used an old sheet and realized as I was cutting it that it was, in fact, the perfect color for my Chartreuse and Puce Flying Goose quilt.

Queen sized cotton sheet from Savers the day purple tags were 1/2 price making the cost of the sheet $2.50

Only a few adjustments were needed - narrowing at the waist and a bit of adjustment on the back rear seams (where darts would be normally).

I even went so far as to insert a chartreuse kick pleat in the muslin...you know...just in case I liked it enough to become a skirt rather than a pattern.

Turned out that pattern was still the best career choice for this fabric.

I went digging around in the stash and found this fabric.  It was 3 panels of a linen (or linen-like) fabric probably intended for curtains or throw pillows.  I am pretty sure that I bought it at St Vincent DePaul thrift store for around $5.

Let me know if you want the leftovers by leaving a comment. If several of you do, I'll do a random drawing. (US postage only please).

I actually had a great time fussy cutting the flowers to balance the colors and to make sure the stems would all end at the hem.

You can just imagine how clever I feel putting the blue butterfly in the waistband.

There's another floating above my tush.
I am pleased That with clever cutting I was able to include all the flowers in the original border.

The kick pleat has some of the dark green leaves inserted.

Side zipper on the left.  It's pink and metal since that's the only light colored 7" zipper in my stash.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the skirt.  Of course it would have been much easier to fit if I had a flat tummy.  But if I wait for that to happen, I will never have clothes to wear.

The inside is completely lined with what I believe is a cotton sheet.
The lower lining connects with the hem.

The only thing that didn't go as smoothly as I'd planned was the lining and the kick pleats.  It actually turned out exactly like I'd planned.  The problem is that all the layers are bulky.  Maybe if it's really linen, it will all soften up and solve it's own problem.

So, my first project to be completed for both challenges.  Ready to wear it to work tomorrow.
Fashion fabric, lining, zipper, thread and pattern all from the stash.

Next:  a lined knit dress.  Trust me, it's not as crazy as it sounds.