Finishing Details

Here are the bits and pieces that got completed during Christmas break (hand-stitching that I brought along with me to Oregon--yay, for once that strategy worked!)

All of them involved just the tiniest of finishing steps.  But, you know, those pesky details can just sit and sit (at least in my sewing world).

Clockwise, from top left:

Gah - can't I take a better picture?

Headwrap

"Morning Walk Headband Earwarmer" a free pattern available on Ravelry.  Begun in November 2014, I finished the knitting portion AND the crochet edging before the end of football season (January).

And there it sat.

Bought the cute moose button (seen in collage above) in July.  Wasn't until I went to a meeting of the Oakland Stitch and Bitch Group that I got the ends tucked in.

Just one button! Finished in December, and worn almost daily in the chilly Oregon weather.



Mystery Cube Puzzle

This feels like an ancient project--the prototype cube/block puzzle that I started in 2013 to see if the concept would work, before making one out of the Get a Clue with Nancy Drew fabric line.

I got far enough on this version to make adjustments and corrections so that the showcase version would approach perfection--but I didn't finish this one!

Lots and lots of hand stitching.  Tedious.

  

This cube was made out of fabric scraps--nothing larger than fat quarters. Fussy cutting made the 3 interior scenes super cute and kid-friendly!

Neck Ruff/cowl   

 Well, seems like I called this one "finished" back when I posted about it in March.  But I was too quick on the draw--didn't buy the buttons until July, and finally stitched them in place in December. Ah well, I do get ahead of myself sometimes...

Pi cowl worn with Pi t-shirt

Pi cowl


Lightning fast! Started in September, with yarn purchased in July.  Finished the knitting shortly after I posted my progress in November.  I knew I would need assistance to finish, as the Kitchener stitch was something I had never attempted.  The close-up in the collage at the top of this post shows my seamless join (can you tell which color was used for joining?)

YouTube--and my friend Tree--to the rescue!  I had the toughest time getting the steps down, even though they were very basic, and the video was clear.  Thought I was a visual learner, but I finally had to write down the steps, rather than just replaying the same 30 seconds of video.

This was another warm and helpful item to have with me in Oregon.  Win.


How do these items appear on my list of UFO's to finish?  (Sometimes I cheat and call things done before they are done done.)

Well, THREE of them are accounted for.  (The 4th one wasn't started in August, when I took stock.)

Proud of myself there.  I may not have gotten my UFO's down to single digits (a 2015 goal), but I finished the year in great style.

Fluffy Finish

The ball-o-fluff rag quilt is done.  Got tested out a bit during football watching on Thanksgiving weekend.

Sweetie models the finished product

At 36x54" (91.5x137 cm), it was deemed the perfect size for the lounging lap: won't hide the remote or get in the way of a plate of nachos, but tucks under at the sides and feet in a very cozy manner.

And it stores neatly over the back of the chair also, due to its compact size.

Same layout as was shown during my previous blog post: 4x6 grid of 10" (25.4 cm) squares.  I used one layer of Minky for the back, one layer of flannel for a filler, and flannel for the face.  Sewed each block's sandwich together with a single X of stitching, and attached the blocks with 1/2" (1.3 cm) seams.  Rag cuts were approximately 1" (2.5 cm) apart--but not because I measured while I was cutting them, just turned out that way by eyeball.

Closer view of some of the flannels used.  The owls, plain gray, and origami print were purchased for this project.  The dinosaurs and turquoise plaid were leftover scraps.  And the HO-HO-HO and couch prints have long been in my stash--gotta come up with something clever for them one of these days...

The back: I found scraps of Minky/Cuddle at Goodwill, in colors that went with the gray/white/yellow floral.  Yay for color and design, but Boo! for not using up very much of the floral fluff.  I still have YARDS of that stuff.

Ooh--shout out to glen of QuiltSwissy for the fabulous advice on de-fluffing and making the quilt safe for general house use.  Many trips to the dryer, and frequent emptying of the lint trap, did the trick.  Thanks for the blogging love, leaving a comment that did the trick. 

It's a finished project, and for that I'm thankful.  It gets almost daily use in our drafty house, and that makes me a happy grrl.  And I get to show off (every sewist loves a show & tell, right?)



Linking up with Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday, being hosted this week at Quokka Quilts.  Go check out some other fab finishes!

One in a Minion

Minion cupcakes!

Caution: extreme Minion cuteness ahead

Sweetie's birthday was last week, and I managed to pull off the next-to-impossible feat of making sewing a gift on-time.  All it took was for me to completely neglect housecleaning and making meals for a couple days.


Worth it.

Bought the minion panel, and had a Panel Apron pattern from Something to Crow About, but knew I was gonna have to be clever: the 1 in a Minion saying would get cut up if it was left at the top of the apron.  So I carefully sliced it off and pieced it onto the sides, where it shows in the back while being worn.

I was fortunate enough to have a bit of a coordinating minion print to use for the neck strap, but I needed fabric for waist ties (and a tiny bit of width in the apron body).  I think the blue/orange stripe I found goes well in both places.

Birthday win: Sweetie likes it!

The apron is backed with a blue chambray from stash. Only 2/3 yard used, but I'm so pleased to finally have busted something from stash.

Linking up with Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts for Sew Cute Tuesday.  This week's theme is Christmas gifts, but I'm hoping this birthday gift gets to join the party, too.

Now--back to housework?  Or back to Christmas sewing?  (So hard to choose...)

The Opposite of De-Stash

Quilting Treasures panel - sewed up!

Sunday Stash folks, I'm here to celebrate an entire month's worth of wanton abandon.
Stashbusting Sewalong folks, this post is me confessing a bout of weakness.

You see, there was this sale...

It was a month-long sale at the shop.  Kind of a gimmick-y thing, we called it Treasure Hunt.  The idea was to clear out some of the older fabrics in the shop, by discounting them based on the year they came in the door.  (For example, a 2005 fabric would be $5 per yard, a 2008 fabric would be $8, etc.)  Are you seeing the potential here???

As an employee, I can always get my discount, so I usually am not swayed by the monthly sales.  But this sale: some of the senior citizen bargain fabrics were priced below my available discount.  And, unfair advantage, I know where the older fabrics are sprinkled around the shop.  (I deliberately waited until late in the month for most of my purchases--gave other shoppers first dibs on saving $$$.)

Batik assortment, 2005 - 2009 fabrics.  I have a charm pack of very light creams to pair with some/all of these.

Two different Minky fabrics (sock monkeys!) to become backings (2013); funky Madras Patch from Michael Miller, and a Marcus Fabrics stripe from the 50% off table.

I hit the Asian section: the fabric on top of the pile, while 100% cotton, has the most amazing texture.  Gonna make a casual jacket out of it.  Below that, a 2005 Lecien Japanese plaid, and a 2009 Etsuko Furuya Echino (45% linen, 55% cotton) in electric fuchsia.

Last shopping day before Thanksgiving, and I bought enough Asian fabrics for a whole quilt, including backing and binding.  Top left corner is Robert Kaufman Asian Traditions (the chrysanthemums), Robert Kaufman Beau Monde, and Fresco from Free Spirit/Westminster.  The remaining fabrics are much older; some go back as far as 2004.  The Alexander Henry print in the bottom right corner is from 2009, I think.  I have this one all planned out, with the pattern.  Maybe I'll get to it in January!

I'm not counting yardage here, since my efforts to keep count all year have been woeful.  Suffice it to say that my stash has grown; BUT almost everything this month was purchased with a project in mind (or even in the works).

Since buying fabric makes me happy, I'm joining in with the other happy, thankful souls at Sunday Stash, hosted by the ever-fabulous Molli Sparkles, and showing off my stuff.

Goals for November

My little brain is running away with me lately—can’t figure out whether I’m coming or going.  Which is why I’m taking a cue from many of my bloggy friends (chiefly Barbara) and setting some goals.

What do I want to accomplish in the month of November?   

• Does this list seem reasonable to accomplish, when exposed to the light of day? 
• If I list things out, will I go back and check my list when I get distracted?

1.  Finish fluffy rag blanket.

 

Just a couple more seams, then the slicing and fluffing can finish ‘er up.

2.  Make one placemat.

Just one? Why yes, this is the prototype for a whole set of placemats to be paper-pieced from a sushi roll collection of Asian fabrics.  Want one done to show off at the quilt shop during our upcoming shop hop.

3.  Make napkins.  Many napkins.

Several folks are getting cloth napkins as Christmas gifts this year.  Won’t spoil the surprise by showing the actual fabrics or the intended recipients, but you probably know who you are…

4.  Finish crochet rag rug.

About halfway done with this, but I put it far, far aside for most of the year.  It was meant as a gift back in the spring—ha!  Fear not, Christmas looms.

5.  Make 20 blocks for 1930’s patchwork quilt.

I need to make progress on some UFO’s.  This one is still in the “easy piecing” stage, so I thought I’d put it back on my radar.

6.  Finish Pi cowl.

My Monday Knit Football project, this baby is coming along.  Can’t remember whether I need 22, 24 or 26” before I attach the two ends, but I see the light at the end of this nerdy tunnel.

7.  Hem altar cloths.

A task that was bequeathed to me.  Should get it done before the chapel needs them for holiday celebrations.

BONUS Points?

My students would always ask me about extra credit, so here’s a couple items thrown in just for fun.  May or may not go in this direction.

8.  Banana pencil case

9.  Minion surprise

 

OOPS, I forgot about these “required” items:

10.  Blocks for quilt guild.  I am 3 months behind; however did that happen?

11.  Alternate triangle samples for December Triangle Techniques class.

12.  Black and white BOM for December January.  Have to stay at least one month ahead of my students!

Gad zooks!  What a list.  

If I take half a week off for Thanksgiving preparations and celebrations, and spend minimal time in the sewing room while it is being used as a guest room by our invited guest, will I come up with any time to sew in November?

I feel like I’m picking small, manageable projects.  But the cumulative effect of twelve such projects might negate the whole manageable notion.

Wish me luck.  And if you feel like weighing in about whether I’m truly living in Magical Wishful Thinking Land with what I hope to get done in November, I always welcome a Voice of Reason.

It's So Fluffy!!!

Haven't seen Despicable Me 2? I'm gonna die!

Well, maybe not unicorn-fluffy, but the project on my design wall sure is some-kinda-fluffy.

Working on a super-soft rag quilt.

I have this excess Minky--thought I was in loooove with it for a backing, but now I'm all "meh."  Which means, I have yards and yards of said Minky.

And look what I found: links on the Internet for making a rag quilt with some Minky (or Cuddle, or the like) and some flannel.  No batting needed, just two (or three) layers of the flannel.

And I'm off to the fluffy races!

Here's the link I initially followed.  It is a tutorial site with lots of helpful video (but beware, it is super commercial feeling).
http://www.fleecefun.com/how-to-make-rag-quilt-beginners-guide.html

Design wall bed: the flannels

My goal here is to make a lap blanket 36" x 54", using Minky as the backing and flannel as the front.  Since both dimensions are divisible by 9, I'm cutting 10" squares and using 1/2" seams.  This means I need a 4x6 grid--24 squares.

And, after cutting 48 flannel squares (one set in place of batting) and 24 Minky ones, I know where to find the fluffy: my cutting mat, the floor of my sewing room, and the sweater I was wearing today...

Any hints on dealing with all the fluff? I'm a little worried about what will happen to my washer and dryer when I get to the ragging step.

Professional Sewist? Maybe Not

Since quitting my full-time teaching job and moving to California, I have been exploring alternate career paths.  I lucked into part-time work at a quilt shop, which had always seemed like my dream job.  While wonderful, the low pay and very-part-time hours remind me regularly that this is not to be my next career.  (Since when is entry-level retail called a career?)

But... my daydreaming aspirational mind keeps pushing me to try mixing my hobby with a career:

Sew Together Bag: class at Always Quilting on January 10th

Maybe I should write up some of my designs and try to sell them?  Maybe I should start a long-arm quilting business?  Maybe I can become a (famous) quilt teacher, traveling far and wide and plying my expertise to eager audiences?

Triangle Techniques...

And maybe, if I tried to do any of that, sewing would cease to be as fun as when it was only my hobby.

Yep: it already has happened.  The last four things I have sewed have been for marketing purposes, not for fun.  I can't even remember what my own UFO's look like because I have put them away in favor of striking out in the Big Girl world of quilting teaching and designing.

Sew. Together. Bag. Again...

Which begs the question: how do they do it???  You know, They. I'm talking about the Elizabeth Hartmans and Angela Wolfs and Lee Heinrichs of this world: they clearly have design careers.  I see them on their blogs, and on television, and on the bookshelves, and on and on and on.  Do they still enjoy sewing for fun? Do they have any time to sew for themselves?


How about you?  Do you dream of being a great designer (or something related)?  Have you found your sewing/crafting hobby becoming stressful? What do you do to keep a balance, keep the fun in with the creativity?

Triangle Techniques: class at New Pieces on December 5