Sewing Plans for the last Quarter of the year

I have so many things that I have started but not finished this year.  I have listed them in previous quarters of the year to help with getting them finished before starting something new, sometimes the lists have helped but sometimes I just start something new anyway!
So, we are now into the final quarter of 2014, and here is my list of things that I hope to achieve.
Linking up with Katy's Finish-Along with the hope of being randomly selected for a Finished Project prize!

1.  My sister Bonnie's quilt.  I had been trying to get this finished for her Australian Winter but it just didn't happen, but maybe now it will finally get done and sent, as I am putting it down as my number one priority.

2.  I started this hand piecing of apple core shapes at the Edinburgh Stitch Gathering and would like to have it finished into a cushion.

3.  I am planning on making a mini quilt using a combination of low volume fabrics as the background and a lone star inside a swoon block for the main design.  I have bookmarked the tutorial and purchased the fabrics, I just need to get on with it and do it!

4. There is probably no chance that I will actually do this, but I will list it anyway, my applique Garden Quilt.  Come on girl, just do it!!!!

5.  Probably no chance of getting this one finished either, but I will include it in the hope that a huge pocket of time opens up for me: My Pretty Potent quilt.

6. A clutch handbag I am making using this frame and the family tartan in silk as a gift for the newest member of the family.  Just waiting for the fabric to arrive now.

7.  Wedding quilt using Terra Australis fabrics.  Unlikely they will get it before their first anniversary next year, but I can always try!

Sewing Plans for the Third Quarter of 2014

I can't believe it is already time to compile a list of all my unfinished projects for the third quarter of the year!  Where has the time gone?
Katy is hosting a Link-Up with prizes to help motivate us to finally get any of our long-term projects completed.  Feel free to join in: visit her blog here for all the details.

My Finish-Along goals for Q3

1.  My sister's quilt. Argh!  I really had hoped to get this done much earlier in the year, but I keep procrastinating and putting it off.  I really did want it finished in time for her to snuggle under it during the Australian winter, so hopefully it will get there at least before the daffodils open!

2.  I recently bought a fat quarter bundle from Anna Maria Horner's new fabric line Pretty Potent, and have deliberated long and hard over what to do with it.  I've finally decided on a pattern, and once some coordinating solids get decided upon, I am going to start cutting into these lovely fabrics!

3.  I have finished all nine of the Swoon blocks, and have sashed them together.  This quarter I aim to finish the quilting and binding and have it complete!

4.  I have had these Harris Tweed remnants for well over a year now, but have finally purchased cushions to go inside them so I have no more excuses to leave them undone.

5.  Will this finally be the quarter when I finish my needle-turn applique quilt????  Oh I do hope so!

6.  Earlier in the year I bought some gorgeous organic voile from The Village Haberdashery, it is Flight by Birch fabrics.  I have wondered what to make from it for quite a while, and have finally decided on a dress pattern.  I do hope to finish this in time for a holiday in August.

7. There is a wedding coming up in my husband's family, and the young couple are marrying overseas and so have requested that no presents be given.  So I thought a nice quilt made just for them would be really nice.  I have the pattern and colour idea, just need to purchase fabric.  My plan is to make the quilt on the cover of this magazine:

So, that is my list of proposed finishes for the third quarter of 2014.  I'll be linking up with the Finish-Along over at The Littlest Thistle.

Finished Quilt for Diane

This is my 'easiest quilt top ever' using two charm packs (previously explained here) and it is now completed and bound, ready for gifting to a dear lady named Diane.  She isn't an internet user so I am happy to share it on here before she receives it.

I did the quilting myself on a long-arm machine at Beechwood quilting, which I wrote about here.  Diane likes bumble bees and so I tried my hand at a few bees and flowers in a variegated thread.

It is by no means perfect, but it is my first attempt, and I really enjoyed the quilting process.  I'm either brave or naive to have chosen a plain fabric for the back, most likely naive, as patterned prints hide mistakes so much better!

And one last final photo before it is rolled up and gifted:

How could a 65 year old lady not love this? - or at least the affection and effort involved anyway.


I'll be linking up this finish with Katy's Finish Along, as it is one of my five Q2 goals that I had hoped to complete by the end of Spring, and now I have finished 3 out of my 5 projects on my list!  Yay!

Gertie's Vintage Slip - Reveal

Ooo, La Laa!  I am about to show you my underwear!!  Prepare yourself!  But firstly I'd like to share some of the changes I made to the pattern, which is a vintage style slip/petticoat,  Gertie's Butterick 6031.

Due to some weight gain over the winter I decided not to take in the fitted waist so instead just cut straight upwards from the hip line to the top.  I also added 5" to the hem, as I held the pattern pieces up against me and thought it would be a bit too short for me as it was.
I used a two-way stretch fabric that I bought at the Creative Stitch Show in Glasgow in March.  You can tell this fabric is meant for slips and nightwear just by the slinky feel of it.  I think this would have been hard to buy online.  All the stretch lace, elastic and lingerie fastenings I had to buy online, as I couldn't find anything at the show for this garment.
At the moment Gertie is running a Sew-Along for this garment on her blog, but it hasn't been all that I thought it would be.  It's not a very interactive sew-along.  I asked a question on her first post almost three weeks ago now, and never got a reply.  I asked a question on her fourth post, yesterday, and as yet haven't heard anything, despite her end of post comment saying "Let me know if you have any questions."  ...of course everyone is busy with life I guess.
So I have decided to just wing it and go it alone.

I did follow her FBA diagrams today and found them helpful.  The pattern envelope has a little calculation to do: full-bust - high-bust  = X, and then this X number tells you which cup size pattern piece to use.  I had to make mine bigger than the largest pattern piece, but it wasn't clear how much bigger.  So I first made a 2" FBA pattern piece which was way too Madonna/Vogue/pointy, then I made another one with only a 1.5" FBA and this one seems to suit me better.

There is a lovely feature to this pattern, cut away lace sections.  You pin the stretch lace onto the fabric with the edge of the lace along the edge of the fabric, and then you sew along the other edge of the lace, the edge that is 1.5" away from the fabric edge.  Once it is sewn you cut away that strip of fabric that was under the lace, so that now you see some gorgeous flesh behind the lace!

The lace under my bust.  You can also see
the bust dart with top edge stitching.

Okay, so here we go, hope you're prepared... 

of course I have decided to go headless, as you just don't know what people may do with photos on the interwebs!  All those lovely ladies who have formed the Curvy Collective have suddenly made me feel a lot better about my curves, and (today) I am feeling brave and proud to share this make.

Here is a back view of my slip.  I know many ladies don't show the back view of their makes, for all sorts of reasons, but it really is helpful to see the back of handmade items, "Posterior for Posterity!"

I will be wearing this as a slip/petticoat and so I fitted it whilst wearing my bra, and I will always wear it with a bra.  I did use the recommended narrow width of lace for the straps, it's just hard to see here because my bra straps are wider than the black lace - sorry about that.  

So one last photo, standing normally.  The added 5" hem falls just at the top of my knees, but my Mister took this next photo looking downwards so the slip looks a bit longer than it is.

Hope this helps others to feel less self-conscious and more proud of the curves!

This is one of my completed goals for Katy's Q2 Finish-Along.

Glow in the Dark Star Wars Pyjamas

Today I got stuck in and completed a pair of pyjama pants in one day!

front

I didn't do the best job at pattern matching on the front seam, but I am happy with the overall balance of the print, the "Star Wars" text is running horizontally to the floor and is spread out fairly well across the width of the front.

back

And the best bit about this pattern is that there are pockets on both sides!  Very useful for hankies and mobile phones.  The pattern I used is Butterick 5572.

Every single seam has been neatly finished on my overlocker - first time I've really used it for anything important and I must say that it is a very satisfying feeling to see all those neat edges!

Sorry I haven't got any glow in the dark photos for you.  It was really tricky to take any photos in the dark without the flash going off.  The only parts on the fabric that glow in the dark are the crossed over light sabers.

My dear husband kindly modeled these for me but they are actually getting posted off to Australia as a gift.  I am positive they will be well loved, but fingers crossed that they fit!!


Linking up to Katy's Finish-Along.  This is one of my sewing goals for Spring (Q2) and it's completed!  Yay!

Spring Sewing Plans

This is a list of things that I'd like to finish by the end of Spring.  If you too want to make a list be sure to link it up with Katy's Finish-Along and for every item you complete from your list you have a chance at winning lots of lovely prizes!

1.  I finished the top of this quilt and had it already for being quilted during the first quarter of the year(Q1), but as I want to learn how to use a long-arm machine and quilt it for myself, I couldn't get a lesson booked in time for this to be considered a Q1 finish, but it will definitely be a Q2 Spring finish!  I'll take photos of my long-arm adventure and write about it here for you.

 

2. I began working on a quilt for my sister, and I'd like to have it finished before her Aussie Winter arrives.

3.  I bought Thimbleblossom's Swoon quilt pattern and have been happily cutting out Tasha Horsley's Country Girls fabric.  I am really enjoying this and have made five of these 24" blocks so far!

4.  I'm only including this next project just-in-case I get really sick and bed-ridden and all I can do is hand-sewing.  This is my longest running WIP and I have little hope that I will finish it this season either, but you never know!  In My Garden applique quilt, 5 blocks done and 4 to go... still.

4.  I am making a Nightie / Slip for myself.  Not sure I'll be brave enough to model it on my blog though - maybe a headless shot?

5.  I am also making some glow-in-the-dark Star Wars PJ pants for a friend... If they get the measurements to me before Q2 is over.

Winter Sewing Plans

There have been so many year round-ups and year-long resolution plans in my blog reader!  But I am not going to layout a whole years worth of goals as you never know what is around the corner.  So I am going to keep my goals seasonal.
Winter is the perfect month for any and all forms of stitching.  Dark and cold outside, warm and glowing inside.  I am hoping to get a few things finished before the end of March, and am linking up this list of goals with Katy's Finish-A-Long.  My goals for Winter are as follows:
1.  To turn this lovely tartan wool fabric my Mister gave me as an anniversary gift into a long skirt.  I received this pattern as a gift from Jeri.

2.  To finish all the applique blocks for the In My Garden quilt I've been working on for a long time now.  I'd be really thrilled to get the last four blocks of the patchwork top all completed by March.  As I plan to hire the use of a long-arm machine to quilt some of it, as well as some hand quilting, I will save that part of the quilt finishing until the Spring.

3.  ClaireEPoppins gifted me a Moda charm pack, so I bought another one the same and have sewn  them into 35 square-in-a-square blocks.  I would like to get these sewn together and then come up with an interesting border to make it bigger and to have it bound and quilted by the end of March.  It will be a gift for an older lady friend.

4.  I'd like to use these Sweet Life fat quarters to create a baby quilt for a dear friend who lives far away.  I'd like to try the dresden plate idea for these too.

You might like to think about linking up any jobs that need finishing too, as there are prizes up for grabs for anyone who finishes the items on their list!  For more rules and info click here.

Click here to go to the Link-Up