To be a bit cliché, this shoemaker is a professional Web Developer and her child is this blog, but it was past time to launch what I have of a new design. All the content is still here, everything else is a work in progress (kind of like most of my sewing projects)!
Because I’m doing more than one Saturday Sampler this year, missed last month’s meet up for this, and we met a week early this month, I decided to update every four months instead of quarterly this year. So, here’s the first of three updates for one of the shops. All blocks finish at 12″ square.
January’s block was Contrary Wife.
In February, we made Greek Cross.
March brought Friendship Block (one of many with that name). I really think a quilt full of these could be very interesting.
And this month was Clay’s Choice, a block named after Henry Clay, but also known as Star of the West once Clay faded from public memory.
Instead of the whole quilt being a surprise as it was last year, this year they have the top completed and on display already. I’m trying to decide if I want to follow their setting style or not, so there’s still an element of personal choice. I can’t decide if I’m warm or cool about the quilt’s fabrics.
There’s still eight more blocks to help me make up my mind.
I did a bit of sartorial sewing over the weekend, but I haven’t yet managed photos. In the mean time, I’ve been plugging away on additional signature and piano key blocks. They’re quickly filling the design wall. All of the signature blocks are complete; the three that will be in my quilt are at the top of the wall, framed with scraps from my other blocks to build them out into 8″ finishing squares to mix in with the uneven nine patch blocks. I stil have another set of 12 piano keys to finish up, but then I’ll be done.
A note on the design wall
I received an email asking about my design wall. Mine is very low-tech—a scrap of batting (currently what is left from a queen pre-cut after two baby quilts, something around 50″×80″ or so) hanging from Command hooks with safety pins.
I do want a better solution in the long run, but this actually works very well—and I can swap out batting scraps as needed. I know most people swear by flannel or felt for their design walls, but I much prefer batting. It seems to hold on to the blocks much better, and can be purchased much cheaper than flannel if you pay attention to sales (assuming you want something wider than 45″). I also like that it’s not on a rigid board—this way, I can roll it up if I want, preserving the layout on it, and hang up another scrap for another project as needed.
Aside from the baby quilt I finished earlier this week, I’ve spent most of my sewing time lately on the various samplers and block swaps I’m currently involved in. My sewing space is a mess, but my design wall is rather colorful at the moment.
The final swap for this round of my bi-monthly LQS block swap is a 6″ Ohio Star signature block for each member (10) and however many sets of three 6″ piano key blocks we want to use for our final layout. I’ve finished four of the signature blocks and 20 piano key blocks (out of 44 that I plan to make at this point). My other stars will use different fabrics from the four completed ones (seen in the blue/purple/green/orange piano key set), while the other piano keys will be made mostly of the same fabrics used in the previous swap blocks.
Rounding out the wall this week is another block for the Modern LQS sampler, and another for the SYWTQ Amish-esque block. Because we traveled over Easter weekend, I didn’t make it to the other sampler meeting, so I should have two to finish next month.
I really can’t turn down any idea that brews in my brain involving Parson Gray fabric. When Carl mentioned that a friend was planning on decorating her baby’s room in blues and browns, I knew I had the perfect excuse to buy a few half yards of Seven Wonders.
Enter Disappearing Seven Wonders.
I put together two sizes of disappearing nine patches—10″ and 8″—bisected by 2″ strips. It went together rather quickly on the retreat I went to in February.
Being a baby quilt, I backed it with a Minky-style fabric of blue and brown stripes. Because the background is white, the result was a less-than-opaque backing, so I threw an 80/20 blend batting in between (I think it is Pellon Nature’s Blend, but it was a scrap from something else, so I’m not positive).
The quilting is an all-over wave-like pattern in a blue/white variegated thread (technically meant for denim).
It crinkled up nicely, even with the bit of poly in the batting and backing.
Topping it off is a new label. I’m planning on telling you more about that later this week.
Now to pop it in the mail! I’m a few weeks late, but I doubt the new baby boy will mind. That’s finish number two for the year. Time to get back to some WIPs.
My project last week was to cut out and assemble a shirt based on the dress pattern Tiramisu from Cake Patterns. Why a shirt rather than the dress? I wasn’t in love with the fabric I had (a basic black medium-weight jersey from JoAnn Fabrics), and wanted to get the fit issues out of the way before cutting out a skirt. Mostly, I don’t need another crossover bodice black dress.
My first iteration didn’t go so well. I started with cutting out the size based on my measurements, but the front was a bit indecent (at least for work and family events).
This is my second iteration, using the next size up for the front pieces, which I went ahead and sewed up into a full shirt to wear for Easter morning.
It still has some fit issues in the crossover bodice, but overall, it gives pretty good coverage, doesn’t gape badly, and is very comfy. I love it from the underbust up.
However, as soon as I can buy more of the jersey, I’m going to rip it apart from the underbust down and make a few more changes. There are two major issues with the way I sewed this up as a shirt.
The first is the lower “skirt” part—below the midriff panel. I cut it with the stretch going the wrong way (down, not across), so it doesn’t stretch like it should, and could have also used an extra inch or two in width over the hips. Secondly, it is too long, but it’s also currently unhemmed, so that would be an easy fix if not for the stretch issue.
The most important issue is proportion. I am rather short waisted—especially when you factor in the visual imbalance of my chest. As a result, the wide midriff panel comes to my belly button, and with a seam lying there, it just throws off all the proportions and makes me look weird.
I’m trying to decide between two fixes: one is to remove the midriff panel all together, and just sew the base of the shirt to the crossover section. The other is to drastically shorten the midriff panel (like sew-along-er Melanie did), so that it is better proportioned. I think I’m going to do the latter for this particular iteration. I’d like to play around with doing the former in the future, but I would change the back to be all in one piece so there is no awkward, unneeded seam horizontally on the back.
I think if I can fix the proportions and cut the lower panels properly, this will be a great t-shirt alternative. There is more work that can be done for the chest fit on the pattern, so expect a second version of the top in the future, or maybe even a full dress.
The top’s not the only me-made article of clothing in the photo. The skirt is something I started about two years ago, but still haven’t finished (I wore it with a slip here, but it really needs to be lined for opacity). I’ve forgotten by now, but I think it is Simplicity 4188, made in a linen/rayon blend. I need to take in the waist a bit (even though I’ve put on weight since I made it) and chop a few inches off of the length in addition to finishing seams and adding the lining. It is supposed to be tea length (both by pattern and personal preference), but I’m so short that even with it hiked up to my natural waist, it reaches the ground when I’m barefoot. I never posted about it, since I never finished it, but I needed something to wear yesterday, so out it came (but I didn’t have time to fix the issues before we left town Friday night.
I think I’ll focus on fixing it up this week—it is a very nice skirt otherwise.