Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A couple tanks..

I finished up this Colette Sorbetto tank top this morning.
Colette Sorbetto FrontColette Sorbetto Back
I made a size 4 and I'm pretty happy with it. I used some fabric I got at an estate sale a few years ago and I made the bias binding out of navy blue linen.I really enjoyed how quickly this came together, and I like how the bust darts are in the right place (i think!)  It's a bit less loose than I imagined it would be, so I might make a size up next time, but the top area fits great.  It's definitely a bit too short for my liking, so I'd lengthen it.  For this one you were supposed to hem the bottom but I wanted to keep that extra length so I used bias tape on the bottom too.  I want to try adding sleeves too!

After I made this top I remembered the Wiksten Tank Top that I made a few months ago that I never blogged about...
Wiksten Tank FrontWiksten Tank Back
So both tanks are loose fitting tank tops, but there definitely were differences.  No bust darts here and the armholes are finished by folding under.  Not sure which one I prefer yet. I used quilting weight fabric for this one, so the seams are a little bit bulky (instructions have you create french seams for the sides).  I like the curved bottom hem.  It covers up my behind when I crouch!  The neckline might be a little too low and I might try a size larger with this one next time too.  I've already worn this out a few times and regardless of the unflattering photo, I think it looks ok.  This one definitely took more time because of the hems.  Bias tape is so quick!

So the real reason why I made the Sorbetto is that I wanted to get a Colette pattern under my belt before I joined the Colette Clover Pants Sew Along.  I'm pretty excited.  I cut out a size 8 for the pants because I basically have no waist, but I'm a bit nervous because I also have no butt.  We'll see how this works out...

Thursday, October 6, 2011

I climbed Diamond Mountain!

Completed Diamond Mountain Quilt Top!

What an accomplishment for me!  I completed this top for Lizzy House's Diamond Mountain Quilt-along.  The pattern is in her lovely book, and the fabrics are all from her 1001 Peeps line.  I usually don't like to make something exactly the same as someone else, but this quilt was so so so so fantastic that I had to make it exactly the same.  LOVE the colors.  I really like Lizzy's style.. new modern fabrics with classic quilt patterns reimagined in a new way.  I sound like a school girl with a crush.  Sorry.

Anyway, this quilt uses this ruler, and it was great.  I can't imagine using a template to cut out all those triangles.  The fabrics kept the quilt interesting enough to get all the way through and finish the quilt.  I am SO happy.  Kaleidoscope quilts may be my new favorite type of quilt to make.

I have some Hobbs Fusible batting on order.  Still deciding on what fabric to do for the backing... I'm thinking the Ice Frappe Kona Cotton.  I do love the Orange Scheherazade print but I think the minty green will be a nice contrast to the bold top.  Hmmm...

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

New Baby Quilts!

I've been busy making baby quilts but was just reminded that I haven't posted about any of them.  You might have seen them in my flickr stream, but here they are!
Modern Crosses Baby Quilt
Mitered crosses back
This first one is a modern crosses baby quilt from Modern Log Cabin Quilting.  I really love this book!  I altered the blocks so they are slightly larger than the pattern.  I sewed the rows and tacked down the center of the crosses, but I don't think I like how the finished quilt looks.  I think I like more all over quilting.  I definitely will make this quilt again, but will definitely stick to the pattern recommended size and maybe quilt the blanket some more.  The fabric is some kona cotton gray that I messed up in cutting, some pink that didn't make the cut for my Civil War Diaries quilt, and a little bit of Munki Munki (on the back) that I bought when I first started quilting.
 completed spiderweb quilt
The next baby quilt is a spiderweb quilt!  I love these, but this is the first one I've completed.  I finished it in one week!  I used this pattern, and it was great.  I pressed the seams open since there are so many seams.  LOVE this quilt, and the baby's parents love it too.  Yay. The fabric is the robots fabric by David Walker for Free Spirit.

Odyssea quilt front
Odyssea quilt back

Next is a quilt I made for my coworker.  She didn't know if her baby was a boy or girl, so hopefully this quilt is gender neutral enough!  I  based it on this pixel quilt from Spool Sewing.  I plan on making the Spool Sewing quilt as a wedding gift for another friend, so this quilt was a nice test run.  Fabric is Odyssea by Momo for Moda.
Disappearing nine patch baby quilt
Next came a quilt for a family friend who was expecting a boy.  This one is a disappearing nine patch quilt, but I took the layout of the squares from another Spool Sewing quilt.  They called it the magic quilt.  I don't deny that this quilt was quick, but I think I like more structured and symmetrical patterns.  For this one I used one of the Pink Chalk Fabrics solids bundle plus the gray.
Boy half square triangle quilt frontBoy half square triangle quilt back
This quilt was for a boy for my mom's childhood neighbor's daughter (who had a son).  This is made of half square triangles and I based the layout on Rita's half square triangle quilt.  It's made from Holly Holderman's Oh Boy! fabric line for Lakehouse Dry Goods.  I didn't mind making this quilt, but all that trimming! 

Zig zag babyZig zag baby back
Next is a zig zag quilt.  I used Anna Maria Horner's pattern, and I'm not sure if I liked making it this way.  I do like that the zig zags are not as broken up as if I had made it with half square triangles or rectangles.  In the end the mom of the baby and the grandma loved this quilt, so I guess it was worth it!  The fabrics are Anna Maria Horner (blue flowery on front) Heather Bailey (orange) Urban Loft 1800 (blue flowery backing) Essex cotton (white) and some Kaffe Fassett shot cottons (pink and yellow).

There is one more quilt that I made for my niece (yay for niece, but whoops no photos!) and a quilt top I just finished, but those will be blogged about soon.  Maybe.