5 posts tagged “quilt”
Today I finally finished my mini quilt. I started with sewing selvage strips together. I sewed many 10x5 inch blocks. Then I cut them in half to make 5x5 inch blocks. Then I cut some solid & pattern fabric 5x5 inch squares. I sewed them all up then made disappearing 9 patch blocks. Then I sewed all those together. Once the quilt was pieced I cut two fabrics for the backing and sewed them together. Then I sandwiched it all together and machine quilted a crazy wavy pattern all over it. I have a really simple & tiny machine so this took awhile. Then I machine & hand sewed the binding around it. I finished that today. It was a fun quilt to make. It took 8 hours and 15 minutes over 5 days to complete. I can't sit and do one thing too long so I did this mostly in 30min-2 hour sittings. It is 19 x 25 inches.
I've already started on another one!
I met Andrea in Photography Club at my previous college about three years ago. She ended up moving back home to California over the summer and became pregnant! Well her little girl arrived early and Andrea asked me to make a quilt for her. I was more than happy to. I really enjoy sewing, but I love it more when it is for someone else. I know it will get used and appreciated. She asked me to make little Emily's quilt in primary colors but keep it girly. I looked through my fabric stash and sent her some examples. She picked out nine fabrics: three of each primary color. I decided to do the Disappearing 9 Patch block (which became my favorite during week one of Sew Mama Sew quilt month).
So, I planned the quilt out and started putting it together. I decided it needed to look more girly so I embroidered one patch and added Emily's name to it. Once the top was done I thought it needed more red so I added a red bordered around the top. The back is done in very soft cuddly red fleece. Then I stitched it all together. I loved the way it turned out and hoped Andrea did too. She sent me an email this morning saying it arrived and she loved it. Whew!
I made these today. And of course they have been added to my etsy store (click here) for $5 each (free s&h).
I am still trying to design & make a stuffed bears. my trash can is full of rejected teddy bears I have tried to make and failed. I have been researching and coming up with so many ideas, but i suck at the patterns. Maybe tomorrow I will come up with something, finally. I also want to make these cute fairy tale finger puppets from one of my thrifted vintage books.
I am now on book three (in a week!) and updated my LibraryThing profile.
My boyfriend will be home in a week and a half. I cant wait for that first hug.
I drove to Joann Fabric all excited today. Today I will learn to knit! On my way Steve called. He was exchanging some jeans at Old Navy, which is across the highway from Joann Fabric. He said he was going to meet Seth later to go to Best Buy, but while he was waiting he wanted to hang out. While I waited for him to get to the store I got everything on the Stitch & Bitch supply list, well the things I could find. I also wrote down the needle sizes & type of yarn to get for the first three projects in the book, so I wouldn’t have to come back. Well Steve came and the two of us are starring at the yarn.
“Is super bulky the same as extra bulky?”
“Is chunky the same as bulky?”
So we decided that yes and yes. Now time to pick colors. Steve picked the colors for a striped scarf because I couldn’t decide. So I had a basket full of stuff and felt pretty good. Then we go over to the fabric because I’m also working on a quilt. Make Steve carry the fabric bolts while I get mad that they have horrible fabric selection.
We get to the register and I let Steve pick out a candy for being good (lol). The lady at the register knows me by now. She is probably in her early 50s. Long salt & pepper hair, petite, has the sweetest voice and no matter how crazy that store is she is always in a good mood. She asks me, “So, what project are you doing now?” I talk to her and then she tells me my total: $65.45. I was shocked. I hand over my $20 gift card and then my debit card. I couldn’t believe that basket of the cheapest supplies and the few skeins of yarn added up to that much. I just didn’t believe it, but we checked the receipt. It was correct.
We get home. Steve is on the computer. I am sitting in bed all excited getting my supplies out of the packaging. I open my Stitch & Bitch knitting book and realize that this is going to be a struggle. It takes me 30minutes to make one lousy knot. It took me another hour to learn & accomplish the first step. And well, that is as far as I have gotten. I really want to learn, but it isn’t happening. I’ve gotten the first step down and then I’m stuck. So far the only good my knitting needles have done is scratching my back and making dramatic stabbing at my neck motions when I get angry.
But, my quilt is coming along:
