UFO Finishes

 Last night after the quilt debacle, I decided to clean my sewing room in hopes that would motivate me to get some of the countless clothing projects done.

I finished 2 things.

Neither on the "to do" list (of course).

There were still bags of stuff yet unpacked from the quilt retreat in early July.  I discovered the Runaround Bag pattern from Lazy Girl Designs which was a gift from one of my quilt buddies, along with the 2 fat quarters to make it.

I remember now why I never buy patterns.  It's because I never follow them anyway.   I cut the fabric differently from the directions which yielded more leftovers. (To be fair, the cutting directions were for a directional fabric.)  I added an inside pocket and a key loop. This is the inside lining before assembly.

As promised, it is quick and easy.  The zipper directions I found particularly clever.

I added topstitching wherever the instructed said they were optional.  I also topstitched the strap close to each outside edge instead of down the center as the directions state.

I like the outside pocket on the back.  I made the strap about 42" long so I could wear it across my body.  I imagine putting my phone in that outside pocket so I can easily reach it and attach headphones for walking to work and listening to music.

My only criticism of the design is that with my big key fob, change purse and phone, the whole thing is a little...slumpy.

There is a loose layer of batting between the lining and the back.

This is totally worth making again...maybe next time with some free motion quilting panels or some stiff stabilizer to de-slump it from my heavy load.

About 5 months ago, I was all excited about sewing some leather into clothing in anticipation of the fact I knew I would be spending a lot of time on the motorcycle.

While on rides, I've designed dozens of great things in my head.  I also bought patterns of the basic shapes I imagined.  I have drawers of linings and zippers and knit fabrics for tanks to wear with them.  Unfortunately, leather is easy to sew with, but not forgiving.  Only one shot.  Thus the critical need for muslins.

After pricing leather hides (hundreds a hide for nice stuff), I started scouring thrift stores.  I am particularly fond of 80's style coats as they have oodles of yards. (They are also cheap since no one wants them.)  These 4 ugly coats cost me only about $50.  They are of similar weights and I imagine many outfits from this.

One spring day, I pulled out the seam ripper and removed the arms from the least ugly jacket (bottom right in the photo above).  I thought it had potential to become a vest without having to be completely resewn.

Today, I was fairly successful.

I took nearly an inch of  volume out where there was seam where you want to add a dart in the bust/arm hole.  I also put a 1.5" curved waist curve on each side.

The pocket project started well but ended ugly.  Since there were no outside pockets, I used what used to be the sleeves as pockets with the cuff edge being the top of the pocket.  I had to remove some snaps that were in the way.  The shape of the sleeves mimics my hip curves.  They are top stitched into place.

Unfortunately, as careful as I was with placement, things shifted.  There are also some gathers on the bottom of one pocket.  Leather stretches.  At times, it's more like sewing with pizza dough than fabric.

I'm thinking it's time to fashion a leather flower out of the scraps to sew on the center front where the left pocket (right side of photo) and you and I will be the only ones to know that pocket isn't even.  Shhhhh!!!

Be sure to check out the Addendum post for the flower addition.

Philosophy

If your quilt has an error and the casual observer can not detect it, does the error it exist?  

I am going to pretend that it doesn't. 

There are actual 2 errors.  Today, I am not inclined to fix either.

OK.  I'll tell you, if you promise not to blab.  One strip of blocks got flipped when I was sewing them together (second diagonal from the bottom right).  From a practical standpoint that means that the South Dakota and Wisconsin blocks are swapped.  (The blocks are in alphabetical order starting in the top left with Alabama, ending with WY in the bottom right).  I have the state or block name written in red ink on the block, so that writing is also upside down.  Error 2 has to do with a block size variation that I failed to notice and compensate for.  That makes the sashing in the lower left 3 rows take a significant zig-zag.  

Maybe I'll fix the state order.  Zig fix is too complicated for the minimal difference to make it worth while.

Baby Quilts

I finally got the baby quilts for the twins done.  They are intended to be functional quilts that used up bits and pieces of the stash, not great masterpieces.  I was trying to finish them Thursday night, but a storm took out our power for most of the evening.   Friday night, I started cutting out 2" bias strips from a batik fabric that used to be curtains in my girl's room.  I was debating if it was worth the extra time to make bias instead of straight strips, but decided that for a baby quilt that would likely be washed often, the bias was worth the effort.  But that made me think I should round the corners as justification for having a bias edge.

I may never do mitered corners ever again.  I am predicting that rounded corners are going to be my signature style.

Not only does it look cool, but it was fast and easy.

I did trim 1/8" off the corner after the binding was attached to the back side to make the corner transition smoother.

I had planned to help my daughter sew some clothes this weekend, but she stayed up all night gaming.  So while she was sleeping, I not only finished the baby quilts, I made this pair of bags to deliver them in.

I think I may have won the skull and roses fabric in the same blog give away as the Day of the Dead fabric that became the Oingo Boingo Bowling Shirt.

Just a basic shopping bag.  Each bag used 1/2 yard of fabric.  1.5" hem across the upper edge.  French seams for both strength and a nice finish.  I did top stitch the seams as well for reinforcement.  Box pleat on the bottom to create a 4" bottom and sides.

Fussy cut the white skull fabric 3.5" wide with skulls centered (1/4" seam).  Made a tube and seam is centered down the back of the strip.  Had to cut each strip in half an re-orient so the skulls were always upright.  Pressed and top-stitched before I attached.  20" of strap above the edge.  3" from side-seam.

Well, I'm off to try to sew clothes with the daughter.  And a reminder to those of you making comments... about 1/2 of you are showing up as "no-reply" bloggers.  If you have left a comment on one of my blog posts and didn't get an email reply, you probably need to fix your settings.  I suspect this is a "Blogger Thing" as it has happened with people with whom I've always been able to reply and many new followers (Stephanie, I mean you.)

Oh!!! I found the Love Entwined Applique.  I had foolishly "put it away" into an old suitcase that I sometimes use for projects.  It was hidden under a pile of fabric waiting to become clothing.

Remember me?

Most activities...including quilting, are very seasonal, at least for me.  This is biker season.  Instead of quilting, I've put about 1500 miles on the motorcycle, about 120 miles at a time, over the past month and a half.  The only pics I have of those events are several weekend where I took to placing self-adhesive googly eyes on biker tats.

I have to save some for their blackmail potential.  In case DH or I come up missing, you have permission to release these to the police.

In mid-June I decided to get serious about physical activity.  I started by building 10-30 minutes into my insane work day to take a walk.  When I wasn't able to meet my 150 min/ week goal I did some serious (crazy) re-vamp of my schedule and doubled the goal to 300 min/week.  Is anyone surprised that I actually did better when the bar was raised?  For the record, I have not lost an ounce (literally) but I have walked my ass into shape (literally) and have firmed up the jiggly bits all over.   These shoes were my reward.

I have been plugging away at the hand piecing of the USA quilt.  All the diagonal strips have been combined and now just need to add the end triangles and sashing strips.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this project!

An in the category of "what the $%*^"....I have lost this project.  I've been working on the Esther Aliu applique.  I was finished with the center and remember taking this on the Grangeville/Salmon ride, but was too tired on the ride to work on it.  I remember prepping strips for the outer border after I got home.

I can't find it.  Anywhere.

It is probably lost in my house.

Poo.

I think I will forget about that and work on my self portrait applique for a Christmas gift for my DH.

As I create that pattern, I need to detail the right mirror, improve the boot...and figure out how to represent my real curls.  Shouldn't be hard as I crank this up to "larger than life" size.... Right?

Karma

I spent many hours this weekend hand piecing rows 4 & 5  of my USA quilt together.  This distant, but blurry pic reinforced that I made the right decision by adding 2.5 inch sashing strips (2" finished) around each block .  The extra inch really adds some breathing space.

This is about 1/2 way.  And yes, I am "totally over" the need to completely hand stitch anything.

But the real purpose of my post is to talk about the "leftovers".  Tonight I spend my second "round" of adding strips to the mini blocks I started on the retreat to build some large, lovely red blocks.

Why"

All my friends who sent red fabric sent WAY more than I neeeded.  I have enough for the USA quilt,

Plus a bonus half square triangle quilt (also hand pieced).

But those extra reds are going to be a Karma Quilt Give Away!!! If you sent me fabric you already bought a ticket to win a red & white quilt  (...ok, maybe just a flimsy...I may be getting unrealistic).

Here's the deal.  Everyone who sent fabric is automatically entered.  But I know I'ts been a crazy long time since I started.  And then there's the whole Google Blogger Bye Bye thing.  So to figure out whom I may be easily able to hunt down, I'm offering a BONUS CHANCE.  Everyone who sent red fabric and replies to this post with any comment that suggests that you are still alive, gets a bonus chance.  How easy is that?   Hope to hear from you soon.  And just for fun, include the state you sent fabric from in your post.  

Baby Quilt 1 Done

Long term blog followers might recognize this tidbit of piecing.  About 3 years ago, I received a packet of precut triangles from a shop hop at Halfway, Oregon.  One day, when I was killing time, I started piecing them together, and adding bits and pieces to make this quilt.  It was my very first foray into true improv piecing.  Meanwhile, I've been trying to improve my FMQ skills and periodically would pull this quilt out to try  a design I saw on a blog.

 I just went back through my blog and discovered that I pieced this the summer of 2011.  I posted about it here and here.  As I re-read the old blogs, the irony is that I think I was about to go out to dinner with our friends Kas & Dave the day I was "killing time".   They are now pregnant.  With twins.   About a week ago I found out that they were having girls.  The next day we received the invite to the baby shower.  That's really not fair.  The babies won't be ready for another 7 weeks.  I spent most of Saturday quilting like a fiend, but still didn't finish.  I took the partially finished quilt and the flimsy, but took them back to finish.

  

Which I did this afternoon.  And because quilters are really far more interested in the back than the front...here you go.  The initials in the end panel are the parents and the girl's initials.

Other baby will get this quilt.  Which has an even more interesting connection.  It was also made from Shop Hop Charm Squares.  From the same shop in Halfway, but 2 years later.  Oh, and the reason that I had enough door prizes to make a quilt is because it was from the trip when I took my biker buddies with me. And the babies daddy is a biker.  Well, at least he was before twins.

And I might have finished at least one of them if I hadn't stopped to crochet a couple boobie beanies.  After all Daddy needs something to look at while the babies are eating.

Color Blind?

Quilting initials into a panel of a baby quilt.  Can't stop thinking that this looks just like the pictures they eye doc uses to assess color blindness.  If you are color blind and can't figure out what I'm talking about...I'm probably right.

Next step?  Martini glass marking.