Computer Issues

So, my computer is putting up a fight. It freezes up, mostly.
It seems it only wants to work when it wants to work.Which SUCKS!

I will keep you up-to-date as best I can about my crazy creations.
Hopefully miss computer will be on the mend soon.

New T-shirt flimsy

My latest T-shirt quilt top is finished.

I used as much of the shirts as I could by using the T-shirt backs and what was left from the T-shirt front to make the border.

Bonus-you get a peek of my garden.

I really really wanted to have this quilt FINISHED by Father's Day, but, alas, it was not to be. I did, however, finish the top and will start quilting it by Father's Day.

You know you love my retro kitchen floor

I really like the borders. What do you think?

Replacing a Lost Quilt: Mission Accomplished

Mission accomplished!

in the shade

I put all of the blocks together and took this picture before putting the borders on.

Don't you love the speaker and part of my computer in the picture?

almost a finished top

After I had the blocks sewn together long way (top to bottom) with the sashes between the top and/or bottom of each block, I measure how long it was so that I could get a measurement for the remaining sashes. I was hoping that it would not measure over 44" so that I could just cut from selvage to selvage.

Unfortunately it was bigger. I do not like to sew sashes together if I can help it. I just prefer the look of one long slender cut. So more thinking cap...

Fortunately I was given approximately six yards of the green fabric for this project. If I was careful I would have enough to cut the sashes, borders, and binding and still have enough for the backing.

I did the math and thankfully it was close enough (math is not my strong point).

With the sashes being two and half inches finished I started cutting. Instead of adding half and inch for seams (so three inches), I cut it two and a half inches! So, I just put it aside for the binding. I still had more than enough for the borders, the sashes, and the binding left, but still. Talk about being nervous!

I finished the top and started quilting.

I marked lines in between the blocks and started quilting.

setting sunlight

It has minimal quilting. I wanted to quilt it more, but I could not really quilt in the blocks and it was not easy to see on the fabric.
This quilt turned out to be a LOT bigger than I expected. Measuring: 53x55"
Doesn't it look so different in the setting sunlight?

backing

I am happy to report that the recipient loved it.
Can you tell which three has muslin behind them?

Replacing a Lost Quilt Details

This quilt was very straight forward.

The blocks were already made and all I had to do was put them together using sashing. To prepare, I was cutting the blocks into a more uniform rectangle. This was working until I found that there were three blocks that did not want to lie flat.

No matter what I did to cut or iron it, it would not lie straight. I did not know what I would do. I was worried that if I left it the way it cut that it would not sew straight, the sashing that would not lie straight, and the quilt would have this big wave. So, I put on my thinking cap. Thinking.......

What if I basted the block to something to stabilize it? That could work. Then I can cut that down to size and sew the basting stitches inside the seam. Why not? We use muslin for all sorts of stabilization of blocks.

Perfect! I decided right away to use muslin and later (after already using muslin) thought about paper.

I basted as close to the edge and keep the sewing as straight as I could and stitched the folds in so that they would remain permanent.

Then I cut the block to size.
It worked perfectly! So, I repeated with the other two worrisome blocks.
Continued success!

I cut the rest to size and began to sew on the sashing. After sewing a couple this happened.

I sewed the sashing on backwards! I am just glad that it only happened once and in a small piece. I dislike working with the seam ripper, but who does?

Replacing a Lost Quilt

I am putting together a quilt top for a friend of a friend. This was the original.

The tradition of this family is that when one of the women of the family has her first child all of the other women make a quilt block to be put into a quilt for that child. These quilts are family treasures.

Unfortunately this quilt was lost in a house fire. Many family members got together to replace the original blocks, and I was asked to do the honor of putting these blocks into quilt top and quilting it. Which is what I have been working on the past two weeks.

More to come...

maxi skirt

axi skirts have been fashionable recently. I knew that I wanted one but I did not want to purchase one when I could make it instead.

So, I started looking for tutorials and used a couple. These are a few that I found:

This maxi skirt tutorial is fabulous (and is the one I used for the red skirt). Another maxi skirt tutorial that is straight forward. Yet another maxi skirt tutorial that uses regular fabric instead of jersey fabric. There is even a tutorial to turn a dress into a maxi skirt. This looks so cool. I am on the look out for a dress that will work. My favorite (other than the fabulous three tired skirt) is this maxi yoga skirt (this is the tutorial I used to make the grey and blue polka dot skirts).

Here are a couple of things that I learned making these skirts:
Definitely use a ball point needle on jersey fabric. I skipped this at first and my stitches were skipping also.
Do NOT cut the bottom of your fabric and hem it before washing. You will REGRET it. I do!

Jersey does not ravel, so when you have it all finished (except the length) throw it in the washer and dry it. If you  are still worried serge or zigzag the edge before washing it. Then cut or sew it to length. With the red skirt I just turned up the edge about a quarter of an inch and sewed the hem. I got lucky with that one. The grey one is the one that I have regrets with. I think I may shorten it a few inches and then hem it again.

Now I just need to finish the other two. Hopefully I can find a tutorial that adds pockets.

May Small Project Wrap up.

I will go into detail later. For now I want to get this post up before May is over.
I finished three skirts!

I still have two more that I want to make, but they will have to wait until June err tomorrow.

I did not finish the tree skirt. BUT I did work on it, which is more than I have done in months *cough* years. I hope to get it finished in June, and then I will have a big reveal.

Baby sheet? I guess it is going to the June list also.

How did you do?

May Small Project List

New Stack of T-shirts Coming Together

This is what I have so far with the new stack for the newest T-shirt quilt.

It will not take much more to have this quilt top finished. I will definitely keep you informed on how this is turning out, but right now it is looking great.

More Baby Blankets

I finished the final three baby blankets for the month of May.

I had fun making these.

This monkey blanket is for a friend who is having a girl. The theme is: monkeys and pink. I may make her another on of these with pink on the back instead of pink dots. You can always use more blankets, right?

This blanket does not have an intended recipient. I plan on putting it on my new etsy shop. This is the first item to go in this shop.

This is the third blanket. I made it in a hurry. I wanted to show you what it looks like when you pull the blanket through the opening so, I took this picture for that. Then I finished the blanket, and since I was already thirty minutes late for the baby shower I bagged it; forgetting to take a picture.

I am happy to report that she LOVED it.

While I am showing you pictures that may help you make your own, here is a picture of how I close the opening. I use a slip stitch with a needle and thread by hand. I go in one side a stitch then the next side and pull closed. Then tie it off and pull the thread into the fold and clip. You really do not see the stitches when you are finished and looks good.

Kindle Cover

Still working on May small projects.

This was made for my manager who received from her daughter (you will never guess) a Kindle (you got it; you are amazing) for her birthday.

She was so super excited to get it and talked about it at work. She said that she was doing so much with it and carrying it around with her almost everywhere and that she was worried about getting it scratched.

You know how it goes. You hear something like this and before you think you say "I'll make you a cover!"

So, I did AND... it was super easy AND gratifying.

She said she wanted it to be purple. Well, I had left over purple fabric WITH batting already in place from this project (it was the backing fabric). I matched up some other purple fabric and a button and we were in business.

 

I started to quilt the fabric and the batting. This was so much fun. The straight lines were easy to make on a small project like this. I did not have to rearrange the bulk fabric that I have with a quilt; making the lines almost perfect!

I turned the fabric right sides together and sewed the side and bottom closed.

I took my inside piece and sewed the side and bottom closed leaving a small gap (about two inches) open. Just like making a pillow or one of my baby blankets, we will be turning this inside out through the hole.



I made a button loop. I cut a strip of fabric two inches wide by ? inches long (I do not remember how long it was. I trimmed it off later, after I made sure it would fit over the button). I folded it half then ironed.

 

Then folded the halves in half and ironed. Then re-ironed the original fold so that the raw edges were inside and sewed the edge closed (no picture of that *sad face). Whew, I hope all of that made sense.

Here is where I trimmed the excess off of the button loop. I just eye-balled the needed amount of loop and pinned each side to the center of the cover. Then I slipped the inside over the outside making sure that the loop was also slipped in, right sides together and sewed the top (are you with me?).

Then I turned it inside out using that little hole at the bottom of the inside fabric then sewed that hole closed. Wow, my picture taking of the steps started to slack here. I must remember to have a talk with the photographer, he he.

 

Then you just tuck the inside in. See how the button loop just pops out without extra sewing!

Almost finished!

At this point you can just sew the button on and be finished with it OR you can sew around the outside of the top to tack it down.

I tried to do that, but the sewing was not even. So, I torn the sewing out and just put the button on. That way if she wants the inside to be the outside she can turn it inside out and reposition the button. I doubt that she will do that, but she can.

I wanted to get a picture of this with the Kindle in it, but I did not have my camera OR my phone with me when we tried it out, but it fit so great.

I really enjoyed making this. It took so little time to make it.

I have enough of this fabric left to make another one of these. Maybe I should make one for me. Then I would have an excuse to get a Kindle.