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

Xmas finish: stockings for my siblings

ONE of my 4 goals for December got checked off:

finished making three Christmas stockings, for me and both of my siblings.  

Made from my own pattern and technique, detailed with a tutorial here.  It had been so long since I sewed up the first of the 3 stockings that I actually referred back to my own tutorial.  Hooray for taking good notes!  (And posting them online where I can find them again.)

Interior: reproduction fabrics (left) vs. back of actual vintage quilt (right)

Raw materials?  One vintage 1930s quilt, well-loved and used by the whole family during our growing-up years; I was so surprised that Mom still had this among her possessions.  
 

Reverse sides

There was no salvaging this quilt.  There wasn't even enough "good" area to make a throw pillow.  So these Christmas stockings are the perfect choice:

• They will be taken out and admired once a year
• They will receive minimal handling
• They might never get washed (have you ever washed a Christmas stocking?)
• Many of my holiday decorations invite nostalgia and strong memories--these will fit right in 

 

Although I had set four December goals, these stockings were my must finish item.  So I'm linking up with One Monthly Goal.  Check out some other finishes there!

Elm Street Quilts - One Monthly Goal December finish link-up

I like that writing down my goals helps me to remain focused--even when I take a detour mid-month.  I should do this more often...

FQ Pop-up finish

Oops, a project inserted itself into December: the Fat-quarter Pop-up, by Fat Quarter Gypsy.  Like that was in my plans for this month...

Thank goodness it's a quick make.  Plus, I had the added advantage of having already made a couple t-shirt pop-ups--Minecraft, Minions, and hummingbirds (oops, 2 of 3 not blogged)--using the same spring mechanism, so I was well aware of how things went together in general.

Supposed to only use ONE fat quarter for this.  But I just can't resist mixing fabrics--it's what I love most about quilting.  So, maybe a second fabric came into play.  Just for the base, mind you.  Oh, and a peek of contrast on the inside.  Can't help myself.

Done.

Do you whip up some quick projects in December, too?  Were they on your list, or did they just POP into being?  (see what I did there?)



Quick finish deserves a linky party, don'cha think?  Linking up with Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday, being hosted this week by Alycia Quilts.  Go show some love!

December progress & Charity Pillowcases

More than halfway through December, time for a quick check-in on

• 31 days of blogging
• December's monthly goals

Hey, only 4 blog posts under my belt in 15 days, so I'm far away from the stated blog-post-a-day challenge.  But, I'm patting myself on the back for not giving up--11 days in a row passed by but I came back!  (Recall: a measly 6 blog posts for the previous 11 months.  I have a lot of bad habits to overcome here.)

Funny story on the December goals...I clearly recall listing FOUR sewing goals for December, and choosing one of these to be my main focus.  Someone was not listening to herself declaring these to be the only December goals.  Alas, dear reader, I have strayed.

There has been some progress on the Xmas stockings.

And then, I went and made a couple pillowcases.

To my credit, these were for my Guild's annual charity donation, and have already left my hands.  Also, they were made from stashed fabrics, so no new purchases.  Finally, the cuffs were both scraps leftover from 2016-17 Circles BOM--even better than stashbusting is finishing off scraps!

Alrighty then: a finish(!) + some progress + more sewing needing to take place.  Sounds about right for a mid-December progress report.

Mending in March...and May... and MO-vember?

Saw the hashtag #marchisformending on the Instagram playground, and determined that I wanted to play along.  The mending pile is really no fun, but not having things hemmed and such means that I can't wear them.  So there:  the push-pull between sewing the shiny, exciting things and fixing the forlorn and cast-aside got a bit of a shove this past spring.

I'm right proud of all that got done.  Did I make it to my goal of

mending ten items?

Read on...

Jumper hem: best selfie I've ever taken

1, 2, 3, 4.  Hemming
The most odious of tasks in the mending pile.  However, I managed to hem two pairs of track pants (one was determined to fight my sewing machine, but I vanquished it with walking foot and parchment paper for stabilizer), a jumper whose hem had actually been stapled up at one point, and the sleeves on an eyelet blouse (turning it from matronly to chic).


5, 6.  Elastic
Replaced sagging elastic in one pair of gym shorts and a silk broomstick-pleated skirt.  So happy that I have a stash of various elastics!


7.  Monofilament invisible topstitching
Attended an Earth Day-related sewing event with trained tailors and clothes alterations people on hand to help you #menditdontendit (I blame my children for any hashtags that enter my speech patterns).  One of them helped me use monofilament to invisibly topstitch an unruly facing in a vintage men's shirt.  Ooh, you should feel this polyester!  They just don't make them like this anymore.

8, 9, 10, 11.  Serger for the win
Bought myself a new serger for my birthday, but hadn't taken it out until May.  What was I waiting for?!?!
     Magical serging put new sleeves on a hoodie (original sleeves were too tight, so I carefully replaced them with ones from a long-sleeved T-shirt that I had cut up to use in a T-shirt quilt.    Have worn this several times already--so comfy.
     Technical serging put a lining into a wrap-front t-shirt (where the skimpy manufacturers had only used one layer of fabric), and added some clear elastic along the side seams for a ruched look.
     Rolled hem serging finally finished a summer party-dress.  Too much trouble to hem that bias-cut polyester crepe any other way (I had tried; and cried).
     And finally, serged rolled hems onto the remaining altar cloths for the campus chapel--just in time for the Class of 2018 to have their Baccalaureate service.

I did it!  Wish I could say that this completes all the mending, but alas.  The mending pile is still bursting and threatening to fall over. 

I will just pause here a moment to tell myself, "Well done!"

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

Retreat Recap

I have become a very unreliable blogger.  Oh dear.  The original purpose for my blogging was to celebrate my accomplishments and gain some clarity on my life/creativity journey.  So this post has twin foci:  documenting my January retreat and showing what ended up occupying my time at May's retreat.


January's retreat with the Something to Crow About gang was awesome!  I have finally learned that, for this season of my life,

going to retreat is less about how much I get done/accomplished, and more about connecting with dear friends and new sewing enthusiasts.  

I smiled to myself on the final show & tell of that weekend, when so many people talked about how much (or little) they had gotten sewn together.  If I am traveling all the way to Oregon (from California), it's about the people more than the sewing.

Patting myself on the back here for this realization.  I feel wise... and now I'm gonna brag a bit about the sewing part.


1.  Challenge Block  (January)

The challenge this time was "white background", which really leaves the field wide open for designing a 12" block.  In typical fashion, I got super-excited about designing a block, tweaking an idea from one of the pattern booklets received as a gift at retreat.  Oy.  Made a paper-piecing pattern for this *cute* carrot block; it used up some seersucker from ancient stash.


2.  "C is for Chicken" book  (January)

Made good progress on this.  My favorite finish was turning a Courthouse Steps block into a chicken, and then making that chicken into a pocket.  Children's book = lots of interactive opportunities!

3.  Quick Curve Ruler sampler  (January AND May)


January- goal of 4 blocks, 1 completed.
May- 6 more blocks completed!
That leaves only 5 blocks to go--and these are big, 16" blocks.

Stashbuster: tote for cutting mat/rulers

4.  Ruler/mat tote bag  (May)

Missed taking the class for this tote, but I had the pattern (plus, the instructor was at retreat with me ;-)   Also, several others at retreat had been in the class, so I polled them about what sort of pockets they chose.

The pattern is very open-ended when it comes to pockets.  And, in my world, the usefulness of any tote is heavily dependent on the pockets.

I went to town customizing this, and got it almost done: only needed to finish the binding, put on straps, and clip all the threads I left everywhere.




5.  Another Hawaiian-shirt-into-apron

Birthday gift completed.  How did I not get any photos of this before it got sent off?




 
6.  Retreat project

A plethora of red & blue strips and scraps were available for making string blocks.  I think almost everyone made a block (or a few).  Can't actually pick out which ones I made, but I did use a bit of my stash in the mix.



Yay, belated post about retreat: check!
My next scheduled retreat is coming up in October.  Haven't even started panicking about what I'll work on then...

TGIFF: Hawaiian halter apron

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday, and presenting my First Finish of 2018!


This is only my 2nd time hosting (last was in October 2016, followed by a desert in my blogging presence).  What this means: you, too could be a volunteer host.  Do you have a New Year's Resolution to try new things?  Break out of your comfort zone?  Head on over to the tgiff link to sign up for a volunteer week (or two).

Happy birthday, cherub!

My finish this week is not the result of weeks or months of tedious work.  Nah, that would be the item I thought would be finished.  This week I celebrate a quick make: an upcycle (and a gift for my youngest cherub).



 
Before: a pair of Hawaiian print shirts, purchased at a thrift store because they reminded me of my recent vacation.  Actually a bit difficult to find said Hawaiian print shirts in cotton--mostly they are rayon.  But cotton is the better choice for an apron designed for actual kitchen use.

After: cute halter apron!

I couldn't find the instructions I used the last time I made one of these, so I just based my cuts and stitches on the apron at hand.  (I wear that one all the time.)

Made things intentionally a bit bigger, to better fit the recipient, but still threw a couple box pleats in the back.  Hope she likes it.

Now it's your turn:  Link up any finishes for this week and don't forget to stop by some of the other finishes--leave them some comment love! Grab the TGIFF button and link back to this post, so your  visitors can see other dynamite finishes.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Grandmother's Fan Pillow finish

Look, another finished item makes it into the blog!  This was one of my goals to finish in March, and I had to confess that I still hadn't finished it by July.

I used a pre-printed muslin backing to make the Grandmother's Fan block from an assortment of blue fabrics that were leftovers from making another pillow (not yet blogged).  Probably my favorite aspect of this pillow was the Man About Town background fabric from Northcott Studio.  (I have since purchased another big length of it--too versatile not to have more of this.)

This same fan was previously seen in pink fabrics, from a challenge block I made in January.  I also have a few more of these fan blocks made up, in Japanese indigo fabrics.  And I have yet more of the printed muslin, just no plans for it...

Meanwhile, loving this finished pillow!

Textures: I Ruff You

I am in love with textures lately!  (Okay, maybe always, but I'm working on a couple textured projects, so it's only natural to highlight textural elements.)

The shop has a panel that will stitch up into a children's book.  (One of Sandra Magsamen's Huggable and Loveable book panels.)  I happen to have a soft spot for children's books--especially those made of cloth. (see some of my previous book makes here and here)

So I stitched it up!  But I had to add a few embellishments.  You know, just because.  On the front cover, I couched down a striped cord for the heart/balloon's string.

On the page with the words "10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes", I stitched on buttons from my big ol' button jar: ten of 'em!

I appliqued a matching eye patch on one page, made from KraftTex (a washable paper that feels and looks like leather).  Oh, and can you see the french knots I added to the dog's ears?  Black-on-black doesn't show up so well in photos...

What goes around the outside of a Valentine heart?  Well, I used rick-rack instead of lace.

 

I just used good old Perle cotton to stitch around some of the words pre-printed on the panel.

 And finally, the doggie on the back cover was missing a tail!  Can you imagine?  So I stitched up a little felt tail.  Much improved.

What do you think?  Are you a fan of cloth books?  Any favorite textural elements that the kids in your life really like?