The Sewing Bee

[Apple]

I made my first donation blanket!  It's going to go to the NICU where my son spent his first two weeks.  I bought a ton of flannel while it was on sale (plus coupon), so I have a lot more material to use up.  I should have bought more "plain" flannel for backings, but the prints they had this time were just too darn cute.  I'll have to match up what I have, and then go get more.

From start to finish, it took just over an hour.  You can't tell in the photo, but it has a decorative stitch all the way around the edge.  Size is 1 yard x width of fabric (minus seam allowance).

[Sharon]

I was hoping to be close to having a picture of my sheep quilt to post.  Instead I will be ripping out 132  4 1/2" seams.  I sewed a fence piece consistently wrong.  When I went to put the vine piece for the ivy that weaves in and out of the fence I discovered it. 

Most of the seams are double sewn too because I need to bring the overall border size down so I stitched right next to the existing seam.

[Apple]

Oh no!  I'd be tempted to just skip the vine if you can't tell the fence was done wrong.

[Sharon]

Feb 8, 2017 20:02:30 GMT -5 Apple said:

Oh no!  I'd be tempted to just skip the vine if you can't tell the fence was done wrong.

The vines with little ivy leaves are appliqued on top of the fence.  I could have left it and probably no one would have known, but I would have known.  The fence does look better done the correct way.  I got one small border section done this afternoon, so 29 seams.

This quilt is way more work than I anticipated and some of it is my fault.  I chose to hand blanket stitch around all the sheep and all the ivy leaves.  There are 12 sheep and 72 ivy leaves.  The ivy vine also has little tendrils coming off of it which I will probably hand embroidery.

I can't wait to post pictures since I am so pleased with how it is turning out.

[Sharon]

The top row of fence is sewn wrong. The bottom is the corrected fencing.  So glad I decided to take it out and do it correctly.

[quince]

The bottom one does look nicer, even with no vines yet. I can't wait to see the full thing!

[quince]

Made this.



The flap is a handwoven sample from when I got myself a rigid heddle loom. It's a bit short because I kept mucking up a seam. Man, I need practice.

[Sharon]

This is today's project.  It is a swim coverup for my Brother's birthday.  When we were growing up we spent a lot of time on the lakes boating, swimming etc.  The entire family had these cover ups made by my Grandma.  A couple of years ago my brother asked if I had the pattern.  I told him I would make him one if we got me the towels.  That never happened so I picked up a couple of towels at Macy's on a black Friday sale.  The whole thing is made with 2 bath towels.  They are great because they can just be be thrown in the wash with beach towels etc.

[Apple]

I was laid up in bed sick for a couple days, so I wasn't able to do what I wanted.  I did put together two microwave bowl pot holders though: www.seamshappy.com/2012/08/13/microwave-bowl-pot-holder/

I also designed a quilt for a friend, hoping to hear back from her soon to see if she likes the idea.  It's a baby quilt for a coming nephew and another gender-unknown baby.  I hope to sew the top together early next month, it will look like a castle with a dragon.  If she doesn't like that, I'll do something else for her (something simple, since I'm still learning).  

[Sharon]

I checked out the link on those bowl pot holders, what a clever idea.  That could use up a lot of extra pieces of fabric/batting that is laying around.  DD is supposed to be spending the morning here.  I think I am going to have her start tracing leaves on the fusible web so when I am ready to add ivy leaves to my vine at least they will be traced.

[Blonde Granny]

You likely already know this, but when doing a quilt for donation, wash it in something like Dreft or a non-scented detergent and don't use any fabric softener.

[CCL]

Feb 10, 2017 19:28:30 GMT -5 Sharon said:

This is today's project.  It is a swim coverup for my Brother's birthday.  When we were growing up we spent a lot of time on the lakes boating, swimming etc.  The entire family had these cover ups made by my Grandma.  A couple of years ago my brother asked if I had the pattern.  I told him I would make him one if we got me the towels.  That never happened so I picked up a couple of towels at Macy's on a black Friday sale.  The whole thing is made with 2 bath towels.  They are great because they can just be be thrown in the wash with beach towels etc.

Nice and I love the way you incorporated the stripes.

[CCL]

Feb 10, 2017 15:11:41 GMT -5 quince said:

Made this.



The flap is a handwoven sample from when I got myself a rigid heddle loom. It's a bit short because I kept mucking up a seam. Man, I need practice.

Nice.

[Apple]

Blonde Granny -- will definitely be using a hypo allergenic detergent, probably All Clear.  DS was still pretty weak when he came home from the NICU, so we had to be pretty careful with anything we used.

Sharon -- any updated photos on the sheep quilt?  How did your brother like the robes?  

quince -- I like the little purse  

[Apple]

I've been busy...

I've made a few more postcards, but this is my favorite so far:



I've made the tops for two baby quilts for a friend, I hope to start trying to quilt them this weekend.  The first one is for one with "unknown sex", I was just asked for "no pink".  The second one is for a boy, and the parents are Seahawks fans, so I used mostly lime green and navy blue.  The aunt, who I am making them for, raises chickens, so I told her if I could add a little yellow (and maybe purple), I could add a chicken. (Posting two photos for this one, first one shows the colors better, but second one shows the completed top.)  She sent me photos of two styles she liked, and I used them to create my own tops.








I've been slowly making blocks for my parent's quilt, and have cut out a bunch of rectangles for a castle and dragon quilt I designed.  So many projects, so little time!

[Sharon]

It is funny that I was just thinking earlier today that I should update my projects.



Here is one of the boarders for the sheep quilt.  I am hand blanket stitching around all of the leaves and then hand embroidering the random curly tendrils.  The picture on the pattern also shows veins in each of the leaves.  Not sure if that will get done or not.  If I can figure out how to do it on the machine I might but all of this hand work is taking a long, long time.  Especially since I need to take tiny stitches since the leaves aren't that big.  The picture is upside down.  My fence post is standing on its head.  It also took the better part of an afternoon to select the fabric for the leaves.  At first my leaves had too much pattern in them and it just wasn't working.  Once we switched to fabric that had less pattern things started looking better.



This is a baby blanket that I am also knitting for my grand baby to be.  It is actually a really easy pattern to knit so it is coming along very well.  The blanket will actually be about 48" x 36".  DD wanted it to be a little bit bigger.  Good for a toddler to haul around and curl up with.

I like having lots of projects going at the same time then I can just work on whatever suits my mood at the moment.  My brother was very happy with his swim suit cover up.

[countrygirl2]

Great work ladies you are making me want to sew. All I've done of late is put 2 zippers in coats

and have a light weight one that is a Ralph Lauren that needs to be done.

I'm debating on bringing my sewing room out of the basement and putting it in the spare bedroom.

About the time I do the kids would come home. Hubby says well we can sleep in the basement and

let them have the upstairs, yep that would work.

Seems like I have too much going and I just don't need clothes. I may make some anyway, you

guys are making me feel antsy.

I love the blankets and the knit one. That's something I never learned is knitting, wish I had.

[Works4me]

Mar 30, 2017 22:13:07 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

Great work ladies you are making me want to sew. All I've done of late is put 2 zippers in coats

and have a light weight one that is a Ralph Lauren that needs to be done.

I'm debating on bringing my sewing room out of the basement and putting it in the spare bedroom.

About the time I do the kids would come home. Hubby says well we can sleep in the basement and

let them have the upstairs, yep that would work.

Seems like I have too much going and I just don't need clothes. I may make some anyway, you

guys are making me feel antsy.

I love the blankets and the knit one. That's something I never learned is knitting, wish I had.

How did your RV interior come out?

[countrygirl2]

Really nice, I have had problems posting pictures here before so gave up.

We took the table and chairs out and DH made me a bar across and under the windows on

the passenger side instead. We have folding chairs there I recovered too, and they just

slide under the end of the bar. It opened up the whole kitchen area so its easy for us to get around

before it felt like it was just full of furniture. Helps make up for no slide outs.

Hubby put all my new valances back up and I put up the drapes in the front. I think that was the

hardest part putting everything back. I sealed around all the windows.

We sealed an area in the back that was letting some dirt come up under the bed from the engine.

It was a small place where some wires went under the wooden bed bottom but still will be cleaner.

I rewallpapered all but the bathroom which is still good after 20 some years!! It looks really clean.

Put some stick on tile blocks behind the sink, hubby isn't crazy about them but it picks up the colors

nicely. New blinds in the front living area, washed the day/night ones in the back and put them back,

wish I had ordered 2 new ones for back there though. The old girl looks good, now I need to wax

the outside, we are going to Tenn in April just for a couple of days to go to a theater for DD.

[quince]

Too lazy to do separate pictures.

My favorites are the Darth Vader carry on bag and the blue purse. They are full of imperfections and rookie mistakes but good practice.

By the time I'm good at this I'm going to have a bin of purses to be scrapped.

[Apple]

Apr 4, 2017 12:02:48 GMT -5 quince said:

Too lazy to do separate pictures.

My favorites are the Darth Vader carry on bag and the blue purse. They are full of imperfections and rookie mistakes but good practice.

By the time I'm good at this I'm going to have a bin of purses to be scrapped.

Those are my favorites too  I would use them all the time!  (I'm not a purse person, but lately I've been finding ones I like.  They are pretty much all handmade and quirky.)

I think I have that same "pow" fabric, found it in the remnant bin.

[Apple]

My updates...

I finished two baby quilts I posted up-thread, they got delivered last week (one of the babies is due this week, so I got them done on time!)

I also finished up my Castle and Dragon quilt.  It's about 36" x 42" (each full piece in the quilt was cut 4x6).  I used Warm and White batting, it's thin, but works really well for this one since I did it "envelope/pillowcase/birthing" method.  Amazon had what I can only imagine was a goof on the price, but the company honored it.  I got a 40 yard roll x 45" for $20.22.  I'm pretty sure they either priced it for a single pre-cut size, or they misplaced the decimal, but either way, it was a heck of a deal.  I'll use it in my donation quilts, as well as some light-weight other quilts.

Anyway, I designed this one myself, thought of it while getting ready for work a couple weeks ago.  I need to work on my applique stitching (my machine doesn't have a satin stitch), but I'm really happy about how my detail stitching on the dragon turned out.  

[countrygirl2]

Very nice, I should not be just sitting here, should be busy, sigh.

[Sharon]

The sheep quilt top is finally done.  It still needs to be quilted and have the binding put on but the top is done.




This next picture shows the corner and border a little better.  Each corner has a different colored heart.  I used heat n bond to apply each sheep and all the leaves.  They I hand blanket stitched around every leaf and each sheep, each sheep nose, ear and legs.  The little tendrils on the vines were hand embroidered.



I am thinking that I will have this professionally quilted rather than trying to do it myself. 

[Jaguar]

Sharon that is so beautiful and gorgeous, my you done such wonderful work!

[Apple]

My quilt top is finished!  It is huge!  It's going to be a monster to quilt!  (good thing I bought myself a nice sewing machine and frame last weekend   .

We used scraps from some fabric my mom dyed and used in my sister's wedding.  Also scraps from a scarf she made me before my trip to Europe in 2015, and scraps from the first quilt I completed (The Grinch).  Each block/fabric has some kind of "meaning" to it-- either a parent's job, hobby, something that reminds me of them, etc.  

One block is a Christmas present.  Growing up, my parents would wrap presents in their room, and then send them out a few at a time.  Our job was then to look for the name.  It could be hidden anywhere-- in Santa's hat, on the ornaments of a tree, inside Frosty's pipe...  Anyway, they would stretch this out over several nights before Christmas.  Christmas morning, we'd have to find the names all over again.  On occasion, two different kids would find two different names, and we'd have to send it back (they would reuse wrapping paper and not cross out last year's name, lol).  So, I "hid" each kid's name in the "wrapping paper" of the present block.  

We had an old VW van, and when I would ask what the noise was (the motor between the front seats), my mom would tell me it was the rabbits.

The block on the bottom with the shoe, witch head, keyhole and Humpty Dumpty was a theme park we visited every summer (Enchanted Forest).

So, yeah, little stuff like that in the entire quilt.

There is a small section where each kid and grandkid is represented with a piece of fabric (Marines for brother, travel fabric for me, sailboats for niece, soccer balls for nephew, etc).  I used the same fabric to make the binding that will go around the quilt when I'm finished.

Just need to get it done in time for Christmas!

[Sharon]

Apple that quilt is way cool. 

[quince]

That is awesome and so interesting, Apple.

[Jaguar]

I love that quilt, it's so full of wonderful memories, awesome work there that you did Apple

[sealy]

Feb 7, 2017 11:33:31 GMT -5 Apple said:

I made my first donation blanket!  It's going to go to the NICU where my son spent his first two weeks.  I bought a ton of flannel while it was on sale (plus coupon), so I have a lot more material to use up.  I should have bought more "plain" flannel for backings, but the prints they had this time were just too darn cute.  I'll have to match up what I have, and then go get more.

From start to finish, it took just over an hour.  You can't tell in the photo, but it has a decorative stitch all the way around the edge.  Size is 1 yard x width of fabric (minus seam allowance).

You could always use the others for the backing then it will be reversible. I can't see a picture though.