Birthday Blouse | Sil 450

Note - birthday blouse, not birthday suit! 

 

While travelling this summer down to the states, we got to stay with my good friend in Minneapolis.  I had been following the blog Patty the Snugbug for a while and she worked at this cool little shop Sewtropolis. 

So on my birthday, after some fun water sliding, we found this adorable shop - it was so much fun!

 

The blouse is made form a Michael Miller coordinating quilting cottons.  Then I got the contract pink fabric (fat quarter) here at Periwinkle Quilting.  It needed something...or it was going to die from the blahs.

I did make it up and wore it a few times...and something wasn't quite right.  It fit but looked funny.  Then I realized - it was too short.  So I found more of the 'solid' blue print and added to the bottom, following the shirt-tail hemline.  Love it now.

This is from Silhouette Patterns - 450 Nancy's Blouse.

 

Yellow Swirl Top | NL6871

This is one of my favourite tops as it suits my body shape...and if you make the sleeveless version you can make it from 1m of fabric.  1m like Periwinkle Quilting sells when they cut and bundle the end of the bolts (remnants really).  They didn't have any more of this fabric, so I gambled on it.  I won.

I love that the fabric works so well with my pink cardi - really fun outfit!

The yolks were cut opposite grain on the edge beside the front and back.  The bias strips for the armholes were pieced from what little scraps there were.  In fact I don't think I had even 2" square of scraps.  Pretty efficient!

Quilt | The Big One

This quilt has been a LONG time coming.  I bought the fabric almost two years ago (blush) at Prairie Chicks in Hague when I saw it hanging in the store.  I bought the last kit...but a bit more of some of the fabrics as I wanted to make it larger. 

I used some of my own stash and ended up with two quilt tops.  Rather than doing two quilts, I decided in my practical mind-set to do a reversible quilt. 

Our New Quilt
Our room had an old duvet that I made the year we were married (10+ years ago) and we really needed a refresh!  So thought I'd better make us something.  Didn't want to be the shoemaker without shoes, after all.

Side One

 

 

Side Two

 

      

 

And just a few more close-ups of side two as the pattern is more diverse in terms of fabrics.

 

 

 

 

 

The Pillows

Pillows finish the bed, right?  Well, I did some up to match with the left overs. 

 

 

 

I added a strip of the turquoise blue fabric (folded in half and inserted like a piping) between two fabrics to add a bit more interest. I am very pleased how they turned out.

 

 

The Quilting of the Quilt - Get Someone Else to do it!
I decided it would be a good idea to use my embroidery machine to 'quilt' the quilt as it took so long to finish the kids' twin-size quilts when doing free-motion quilting.  I was also proud that I was putting my embroidery machine to good use.  I found a stippling (free-motion-style) pattern online and purchased it.  Couldn't be easier...until I started to actually do it. 

It takes forever.  F-O-R-E-V-E-R to do a queen-sized quilt.  It took me three weeks to get the quilting done.  While slick to do, it still takes time to hoop the area, put it in the machine, ensure there is enough thread left to do the 5-minute design, and ensure the quilt's weight doesn't pull while embroidering.

 

I know it would have taken longer to do free-motion-quilting but I think I will be farming out the 'quilting' part to one of those fine ladies with a long-arm machine next time.  Worth the $100 or whatever.  I am always up for a new experiences, but that doesn't mean I will EVER do that again!

Quilt | Imogen

So how can my son have a lovely quilt and not my daughter?  So shortly after finishing Alistair's quilt, I started on Imogen's quilt.  All the fabrics were from Prairie Chicks, using the same quilt pattern design.

Finished September 2010 when Imogen was 4 years old.

 

It looks a bit longer on my daughter's bed as her bed is actually shorter than average.  It was a former hospital bed that I received from my grandmother when she passed.  It was the bed I slept in when visiting her as a child.

Here is what it looks like without all the pillows.

 

And the pillows are all leftovers, with the exception of the non-ruffled ones.  I bought a yard of fabric from a vendor at a quilt show.  Don't recall the name of the shop, but they were from Regina.

 

 

Here you can see the quilt block a bit better...and all the free-motion quilting.  Again, it took a quite a while to complete.  Now it's so soft from use and washing.

I was trying to be 'crafty' and used up the left over cuttings from the quilt top.  A bit more miss-matched than Alistair's quilt.  But I like the quirkiness of it.

Our Quilts | Alistair

This is the first installment of a three-part post on the quilts in our house.

When on maternity leave, I took a quilting class with two other new mums (with our babes in tow) at Prairie Chicks in Hague, SK.  It was great - we went out and the babies were young enough to lie on their blankets, and sleep in the strollers.  Wow that was a long time ago...in 2009 actually.

This is my son's quilt.  I really love the colours in it.  While it is definitely a boy's quilt, but it has a look for being around for years.

Like how the border frames the quilt so well.  Also you can just see the curtain that was made to match the quilt.

On the back I did a patch to show when I made (finished) the quilt.

The quilt was 'quilted' in free-motion style on my sewing machine.  Took a while but was so worth it.  Love the result.

Really enjoyed doing this block where you sew four blocks together in a square, then cut it off-centre and frame it.

Here is the back where I used just two fabrics to finish it off.  It is reversible in a sense.

Basement Closet Curtains

I hate seeing clutter and bi-fold doors pinch kids fingers...so I (finally) took the doors off the basement closet where all their toys are stored.   Now the kids can easily put their toys away (yeah right?!?).

 

I practiced a new technique of hidden tab top curtains (copied a RTW Pier One panel), where the loops are sewn on the wrong side.  It gives a nice 'clean' finish on the outside.

 

 

I was also glad as I got to deplete my roll, yes roll, of cream drape fabric from Designer Fabrics in Toronto.  I travelled monthly to Toronto for work from Saskatoon (ironic as we just moved back from Toronto).  I got a great idea to buy a roll of fabric and check as luggage on one of my trip. I know, what was I thinking! But it didn't cost me a dime, and it was before all the luggage restrictions.

Designer Fabrics in Toronto is great -- it's always on shows on HGTV like Sarah's house. Anytime they need fabric, they go there. Kind of like the Canadian version of Mood on Project Runway...but smaller.

Baby Gift | Levi

Another holiday break project just wanting to be posted (better late than never).

This was made for my friend's her first grandchild.  I loved this sweet print - with cute little elephants on it. The shop only had enough for this project, so I bought it all.

The fabric is 45" wide heavy weight, good quality flannelet from Periwinkle Quilting here in Saskatoon. I prewashed it and it's lovely and soft.

 

Here is the 45" square blanket.  Too cute.

 

 

I had to include this adorable book - from Barefoot Books of course!

 

 

I was able to do three burp cloths.  Double layered flannelet, serged around.  I used these everyday with my babies.  They were smaller and handier than other receiving blankets.

 

 

 

I even rolled up the burp cloths and tied them with the cut-off selvages.

 

 

And here it is, all bundled up...for baby Levi.