Quilt Qwazy Queens - a tiny wardrobe

For World-wide Quilting Day in March, Marian from Seams to Be Sew hosts an annual blog hop.  This year's theme for "Quilt Qwazy Queens" has us post about our craziest make.  I must admit that I've made my share of crazy unusual items over the years.  (See here, here, and here, for example.)

I'd like my epitaph to be about my boundless optimism and wild creativity...

Note: giveaway info and full blog hop schedule at the end of this post.

Today's post is about a tiny wardrobe.  And the handsome fella who gets to wear it.

Meet Oakie: world traveler & fashion icon

It all started with the raincoat.  Oakie came home from a spring break trip to England where he had spent much of his sightseeing time inside a ziplock bag due to the incessant rain.  (Spring can be that way, right?)  Sweetie asked if I could make Oakie a raincoat.  Um, sure thing.  Black pleather OK for that?  And a visor on the hood (to keep his beak from getting wet).  And a striped lining (just because I can).

Casual beach attire

Formal wear (the lad has been in multiple weddings)

Hanging out at QuiltCon 2018

Dive hoodie: a real hit with the ladies

Makes friends wherever he goes

Tiny dinosaur backpack--with pockets & piping!

You didn't really get to see all the places Oakie has been: London was just the tip of the iceberg for this little guy.  He makes a great travel companion--takes far better photos in front of the coliseum in Rome or Hubbard Glacier in Alaska or the Sydney Opera House than anyone else.

His wardrobe has grown to the extent that I made him luggage (seen in photo at right).  And I talked others into participating in the tiny wardrobe madness.  The mini-quilt and orange life vest pictured above were made by others (as were his Santa hat and Minion beanie).

And, as he clearly loves the camera so much, I go to great lengths to photograph Oakie & post to Instagram
#wheresoakie

Someday, I will make tiny clothes for grandchildren.  But for now, this is my craziness.  Thank you so much for the chance to show off. 

Giveaway: 

There are two $35 gift certificates for The Fat Quarter Shop to be won by some lucky blog reader and commenter.  The Rafflecopter link is here.  Closes on March 20, 2019.

Full Blog Hop schedule:

March 15, 2019
Melva Loves Scraps
Words & Stitches
Websterquilt
Seams To Be Sew

March 18, 2019
Quiltscapes
Days Filled With Joy
Life In the Scrapatch
Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes. (you are here)

March 19, 2019
Bumbleberry Stitches
Kathy's Kwilts and More
Ms. P. Designs USA
Quilt Schmilt
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

March 20, 2019
MooseStashQuilting
Thrift Shop Commando
Karrin’s Crazy World
Songbird Designs

Sewing for Quilt Market

In the flurry leading up to Quilt Market in Portland this past May, I did a bit of sewing--trying to decorate the booth for the Japanese fabric lines that I peddle (just one of my many part-time gigs).

Here's what got done!

1.  Reversible apron
Both a brand thing--"Hi, we sell Japanese fabrics here!"--as well as a practical issue--pockets!  I made this apron from a panel (currently in stock: tell your local quilt shop to order a bolt :)
 

2.  Tissue box covers
What does the enterprising salesperson do with sample swatches that are no longer needed?  Why, make something cute and clever (and useful! if I do say so myself).  Whipped these two up in a trice: traditional Japanese motifs on one, and the ever-so-cute contemporary Japanese designs on the other.  The fabrics are backed with scraps of fusible fleece, to give them some body.
I think I will add interfacing/fleece to my next tissue box project; I have made several, but have not thought to make them more sturdy.

3.  Upcycled jeans skirt
I wanted to play with double gauze material, but didn't have a lot of time to stitch something up that would look "professional".  I had seen some versions of an upcycle--attaching basically a long ruffle onto a pair of jeans, and decided to give it a go.  When I cut the jeans off at bottom of the zipper in the front, it did hack off a bit of the back pocket (unlike the YouTube video I linked), but I think this was absolutely the correct place to cut.  And, if you haven't tried double gauze yet, you simply must.  (Umm, get the good stuff, not the Shannon brand--sorry, Embrace.)

This skirt is like wearing secret pajamas!

4.  Hawaiian tote bag
This finish deserves its own post, but if I don't get to that anytime soon, here is at least a picture.  Made from scraps of Hawaiian print fabrics (a souvenir from last year's vacation visit to a swap meet).  This is one of my favorite tote bag patterns, and the exterior pocket is perfect for showing off a sashiko stitchery.  Conveniently, the stitchery was Hawaiian-themed as well. 

So that's some quick-stitch I got done in May.  Next Quilt Market is in November, and I've already started sewing for the booth.  Fortunately, most of my makes come back to me and get used & loved.


Finally, no mention of Quilt Market would be complete without a gratuitous picture of Oakie.  He has been my faithful traveling penguin companion on many quilt-y adventures of late.  Here he is with Lucy, a traveling doggie companion who had come all the way from Japan to visit Market.  They are totally upstaging the blue-footed booby and puffin fabrics that were supposed to be the stars of this corner of the booth...

 #wheresOakie

Visual Diary: Oahu

Hotel carpeting: always interesting

I'm not much of a photographer, even when I go to amazing places on vacations.  This trend has improved only slightly with the age of the camera on one's phone.

So, if you'll indulge me, I have about a dozen photos from our recent trip to the island of Oahu that I'd like to park here in BlogLand.  No selfies.  Very little scenery, especially of the typical sort.  I just pull out my camera when I see something inspiring.

Exhibit A: hotel carpeting.  I have demonstrated before my love of the quirky design that is the hallmark of hotel carpets.  Couldn't help myself.  (Full disclosure, I have snapped pix of the upholstery of restaurant booths, too.  My family knows I have no shame.)

I really found lots of textures and themes in Hawaii that were calling out to me.  Come along for my version of sight-seeing!

 First things first: Hawaii boasts lovely flowers and unusual plants.  And those tropical beauties decorate many surfaces--including this phone booth.  (When did you last see a phone booth?  With a working phone?)

Some actual Hawaiian flowers and plants.  Fun to see plants that we consider indoor houseplants growing much happier in their tropical home environment.  Even Oakie took time to admire a simple floral display (in the restroom of one of the botanical gardens we visited).

The Kapa (traditional barkcloth, right) displayed in our hotel was a true work of art from a woman working to bring back this technique to artisans in the Islands.  Of course, I wanted to investigate becoming her apprentice--how cool might that be?

Another textile-related inspiration.  What is it about textures that I cannot resist?

Somehow, part of our hotel complex was dolled up to look like a village or temple area in Asia.  Not quite sure what that was about...

But the details were pretty cool, so out came my camera...

The memorial atop the sunken USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor features two versions of an abstract Tree of Life.  The Tree symbolizes rebirth and renewal.  I was very moved by visiting this memorial, and equally inspired by the interpretation of this very old Tree symbol into such a contemporary, graphic version.  (Of course it looks like a modern quilt to me.  How could it not?)

Having just worked on a traditional sashiko design, I think my brain was tuned in to Japanese symbols found throughout Hawaii.  The Island culture today is certainly mixed with a lot of Asian imagery and themes.  This picture is from a shopping area that seems to cater to Japanese tourists.

And finally, we conclude our tour of Hawaiian motifs with a t-shirt.  I liked this one because the traditional Honu sea turtle was decorated with a map of the islands.  Good graphic design: combining two appealing, iconic images in a cohesive, new way.

I escaped my vacation without purchasing any apparel.  But those ubiquitous Hawaiian print fabrics did come back with me...  I'll save that tale for later.

Do you take pictures of unusual things while traveling?  What does one do with pix of the hotel carpeting, anyway?

Oakie's "Luggage"

Third finish of 2016: Oakie the travel penguin now has a bag to hold all his outfits and accessories!

This is the Sew Together Bag, slightly modified.  I removed the center zippered pocket to leave a large open space.

Top: modified; bottom: unaltered pattern

Initially, I thought Oakie could travel in the center compartment, but I was wrong...

Snug as a penguin in a pouch

Not that he didn't fit, but his clothing needed more room.

This guy has more of a wardrobe than I do! Visible in the photo: teddy bear, new Christmas hat and ugly Christmas sweater, sombrero from Mexico, visor & board shorts.  Yep, this is one well-appointed penguin, no matter the occasion.

A lad and his luggage... contented sigh.



Stash report: entire bag was made with scraps and stash; according to the pattern, almost a yard of fabric gets used up in this beauty.



[Credit for Oakie's new Minion hat goes to my talented sister--wish she had a blog for me to link to]

Know Your Satin

Ah, the joys of working with difficult fabrics.  One satin in particular has given me fits.


This satin, my test fabric for Oakie's bow-tie, was actually a dream to sew with.  Surprisingly.  Made me forget how other satins might behave.


And then there's the other satin.  Oakie's choice, of course. 

First attempt at turning the bow-tie resulted in shreds.  Darn. 

 

Second attempt had the stiletto poking through the end of the tie and leaving unsightly holes.  Double-darn.

Imperfect finished product.  Oh, wait... it's finished!

But I persevered.

"Ready for my close-up"

Reminded myself multiple times that I am sewing an outfit for a stuffed penguin.  Have to say it out loud just to keep the perfectionist voices from taking over.


And I finished: bow-tie, tuxedo pant, and cummerbund.  This boy is ready for the wedding in July.

So stylish. 

And, as I've heard tell before: Done is Beautiful!

Guess What I Made

First clue: here's what the pattern looks like

I used freezer paper to make this pattern, then cut it out from scraps of an old skirt.

This was to be my prototype.  I had some fiddling to do to make the item fit its intended recipient--of that I was certain.

Found the pattern, a free .pdf download, on Miss P's blog.

Here is what the pattern looks like, printed out at full size (100%), and again at 60%.  That was my guess as to how much smaller I would need to make it.

Lucky guess on my part! 

I used the recommended 1/4" seam allowance.  Left the back seam unsewn, which is a good thing, because it was tricky to get that tiny fabric tube turned right-side-out.

A very stylish young man

Oakie needs an outfit for the wedding, and I just couldn't think of a penguin not wearing a bow-tie to such an event.

I got a little ahead of myself... wanted to see if Oakie would look sexy-casual with the bow-tie untied.  Started picturing him with a smoking jacket.  Meh.  Not so much.

I need to make another one of these--this time in the wedding colors!  (I have just the satin fabric.) 

And to narrow down my options for what goes with a bow-tie:

• tuxedo jacket with tails?
• tuxedo pants?
• with suspenders?
• tuxedo shirt front?
• cummerbund?

Stay tuned.  90 days until the wedding, give or take.

Oakie needs one of these!

Just gotta share: I found a Sew Along that I am so tempted to jump into.  I'm not yet horribly behind--their schedule started (slowly) in February, and continues through Fall.

It's called the Great Quiet Book Sew-Along, and it's being hosted by Sherri at Thread Riding Hood.  A sew-along to make a cloth book!  I LOVE cloth books.  I am such a sucker for them...

 

My book of basics: "How to Make Cloth Books for Children"

Moda's "Ten Little Things" counting book

Other ideas (blogs, websites) that have caught my eye

A pattern I purchased last spring.  (No, I haven't made it.  Yet.)

"Hurry up, Pizza Man!" The pepperoni page...

My very first cloth book (1997), of a completely original design.  I long to make another of these one day, updating with all the new techniques and ideas I have learned.


Oakie needs a cloth book, right?

I could populate the pages with penguin-specific fabrics

 and notions,

Oakie on a recent brewery tour. Kids, avert your eyes!

make sure good photos of him are included on the photo pages,




and add to the adorable over-the-top attire and accessories that he is collecting.








Reality check: I need another new project right now like I need another hole in the head.  I'll just set this website away for later...  Maybe after the wedding I can still jump into a sew-along and have a completed product in time for Christmas.

A lucrative County Fair

The County Fair was good to me!  I almost feel like an Olympic athlete: I have a medal count.  Those little ribbons that I covet have graced me multiple times this year.

The haul

Three blue ribbons (yay!!!)
Two second place red ribbons (still a big deal!)
Two lovely quilts that got lots of pairs of eyes on them (but no ribbons, alas)

Back in June, I set my aspirations to enter ten items into the fair.  Well, I managed to get seven things entered, and that seems darn good to me.  And, I was richly rewarded by the judges--just a bonus to all that hard work.

Ribbon-worthy

Oakie scored big-time for me, as three of my entries were about him.

Oakie's award-winning summer duds

1: Doll (or stuffed animal), outfit only
For this entry, I made a new visor (Oakie's old one got lost in a hurricane in Florida) and matching board shorts (swim trunks?)  I looked for a small-scale Hawaiian print, but settled on a tiny fishy print as being appropriate to the garments.

The board shorts were a bit challenging, especially since Oakie doesn't really have legs, just lower flippers.

I may revise the design a bit, if I make another pair, but these have enough design details to "ooh" and "aah" over: drawstring ties that emerge from grommet holes (embroidered); mock fly stitching; and seams that are top-stitched to resemble ready-to-wear styles.

2.  Doll accessory
I already blogged about Oakie's backpack, and it went on to win a blue ribbon.

Even without that pesky lining that I (wisely) decided not to add in.

3.  Doll clothes, woven
I think the "doll clothes, knit" category really means a garment you knit or crochet.  This category is for clothes that are sewn, but the doll (or stuffed penguin!) is not wearing the garment.

Oakie's dress attire (sailor suit) that I completed for last summer's Alaskan cruise won a red ribbon.

4.  Toy, book or game
I wonder how the judges manage this category, since it can be so broad.  In years past I have entered cloth books and a large "quiet cube" (like a quiet book, but in a big block shape).  I entered the Nancy Drew mystery block that I completed for a blog hop in March.

 My stitching was not the neatest in the world, but I won a red ribbon.

5.  Any holiday-themed item
My final blue ribbon was for a textile item featuring Santa's sack.

Can't show it to you yet, because it is my surprise for the HoHoHo blog hop.  Check back soon for more details!