Sewing Summit 2013

Alright friends.  I have SO much to say about Sewing Summit.  This is the edited version.  Even coming home exhausted with a cold and a punctured finger, I la-la-la-loved it.  What everyone says is true!

Since this was my first year, I wanted to do EVERYTHING.  My cousin and I showed up late on Wednesday night so we could go to the shop hop on Thursday morning.  The shop hop was great to meet people.  It’s so easy to strike up a conversation with “Oooh that’s cute” or “Where did you find that?”  It was so nice to hang out with a bunch of women who had the same interests in quilting and sewing and also new the exact names of all the latest fabric lines.

Honestly, I have to say that when I got my class schedule I was slightly disappointed.  Everyone was posting about how happy they were that they got all their first choices, and I didn’t get all of my first choices.  I only had 3 hands on classes.  Well that just goes to show how wrong I was, and how much appreciation I should be showing to the Sewing Summit organizers.  I absolutely LOVED the classes I wasn’t excited about. 

My first class was Creative Journey with Susan Petersen of Freshly Picked.  The Creative Journey series of classes have a teacher who talks about how they got to where they are today.  I didn’t know who she was, and wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was completely blown away by her lecture.  She was hilarious, humble, and completely upfront about the difficulties while still maintaining a positive attitude and a sense of professionalism.  She talked about how she promoted her business on instagram, and had so many good tidbits of information.  I wasn’t even interested in starting a business but I was so inspired by her lecture that I went up after class and told her and took a photo with her.  She also delivered the quote of the weekend when someone asked how she balances life with work.  “Balance is bullsh*t, it lives where unicorns live.”

Another favorite class was with Sunni Standing of AFashionable Stitch.  Sunni was so nice that she didn’t even skip a beat with a crazy person (me) telling her that she was the reason why I signed up for Sewing Summit.  Her class on fitting did not disappoint and I feel like I learned a lot that I could take back home from her class.

Surprisingly, the classes I liked the least were the hands on classes.  I think I finally have to admit that I am not a beginning sewist.  The classes sounded were fun, but they were all things I could have done at home without help.  The ones I had were basically here’s the pattern, let me know if you need help.  I can see this would be extremely helpful for beginners, but it wasn’t necessary for me.  Next time I sign up for classes I need to consider if the class is teaching any new techniques I haven’t learned yet.  Looking back at the class list now (and seeing what other people made) I would have made a different priority list.

Having said all that about the classes, the best part about Sewing Summit was being involved with a community of like-minded sewists.  I’m an introvert, but I wouldn’t classify myself as shy.  I had no problem going to up someone and telling them their bag was AMAZING and everyone was so nice about having a nosy sewist butt into their conversation.  I am horrible at keeping in contact with people, but hopefully with a re-inspired attitude and instagram I will be able to keep in contact with all the amazing people I met.  After all, they are my sewing family now :)

Catty Bombshell

I sewed my first swimsuit! It's the bombshell swimsuit from Closet Case Files. I was doubtful it would turn out so it's full of mistakes but it turned out pretty ok.  Heather did a fantastic sewalong to accompany it so there is plenty of help.

I cut a size 12 and removed 1.5 inches from the length. Next time I will make the elastic around the top a little tighter since there is a little bit of gappage around my cleavage area. Nothing too bad but it would sit a little better. 

I was also too lazy to change my serger thread color so it shows up, especially when wet.  I used a cheap swimsuit fabric from Joann's and a swimsuit lining.  The red leopard print is fun, but I have doubts on how long it will last.  It's already pilling a little bit from the prewash.  

However saying all that, it fits well and I don't feel self conscious for showing too much skin at baby showers and work events.  Working with knits really is forgiving so this is much easier than it looks!

I will definitely be making another one in the future. My husband says this is the kind of suit that girls like and guys don't but even he said this one was flattering :)

Rosy Date Night Dress

April Rhodes asked for some pattern testers for newest pattern and I jumped at the chance!  Her first pattern, the Staple Dress was so fun to make and so easy!  I never posted about them, but did have a couple instagram photos of the two dresses I made.  Here is her latest pattern, The Date Night Dress:


It features fluttery sleeves and a box pleat at the back.  You can either cinch in the waist with a belt, some shirring, or leave it loose.  I chose to use a belt.  The photo where I have my hands awkwardly to the side is sans belt so you can see the shaping of the dress.  Since I have almost no waist and a weirdly long torso, I think the dress is more attractive on me with the belt.

The side view shows a better view of the fun parts of the dress.  The sleeves are extra fluttery, and shows how deep the arm hole goes.  You can see a peek of the slip I made to go with this dress.  April was so nice to include it as part of the pattern!  It really is a simple slip.  Really quick and easy to make with just one pattern piece!  I used Robert Kauffman Gold Radiance, a silk/cotton blend, and I love it.  The slip is especially appreciated since this kind of dress really needs a drapey fabric, and my favorite cotton voiles are sometimes a little sheer.  The side view also shows that the front of the dress is a little higher than the back which I think it cute.  I was a little unsure of the trend and this hi-lo is extremely mild.  A good way to try it out!

The pattern itself is a PDF pattern and goes together really easily.  April's instructions walk you through the steps, including finishing all seams (french seams on the inside)!  The only bad part about having the inside look as good as the outside is that I have trouble telling if the dress is inside out or not!

Lets see, technical details.  I cut a size small for both the slip and the dress, but if I were to do it again I would cut a medium in the slip.  It's a little tight in the chest for me.  I used Robert Kauffman Gold Radiance for the slip, and Anna Maria Horner's Turn of Events in Indigo voile for the dress.  LOVE voile.

In summary, it's a great pattern while still being easy enough for beginners.  This dress isn't my normal style, but after wearing it for photos it's growing on me.  Can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve, April!

February Baby Sweater.. in June!!

Quick post with iphone photos.  I finished a sweater for Maren!  Just in time for her 2nd birthday.  It's very cute and hopefully it will fit when it starts to get cold again.  The sweater is from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac and it's the February Baby Sweater on Two Needles.

I used a circular needle instead and made my way through the armpits so there was minimal seaming.  It's not perfect but it works.  Also, obviously from the photo, I am not good at spacing out buttons.

The buttons are very special.  They come from my Popo (grandma).  I think they match the sweater well!

J-1 Josepha's Jonquil

After a 3 + year break these blocks are calling to me again!  Lots has happened since my last block, the biggest is that I got married!  This block was one I finished in 2009, but did not cut down to size until 2013.  Simple applique.

I did not look up the meaning of "Jonquil" until I finished the block, and then learned that it means a daffodil.  I probably should have chosen yellow fabric.  This green fabric does make me happy though.  Not sure where it came from!

109-20-0-2595

Ruby Star Wrapping: 5 Minute Party Pouch

Wow this week I procrastinated on my project for the Ruby Star Wrap Along. 

Good thing I decided to make the 5 Minute Party Pouch!

I followed the example here and made it out of one big rectangle.  Even with having to search for a needle for my sewing machine, this took less than 5 minutes.

It was really quick and easy.  I can see myself whipping these up for baked goods in the future instead of going to the store and buying cellophane bags.  It's Lucy's birthday soon, so she's checking out presents :)

Ruby Star Wrap Along: Chinese Takeout Boxes

Have you seen the newest book from Melody Miller? I saw it featured on Rashida's blog, and immediately pre-ordered it. And now there's a sew along with awesome prizes!

The book is really fantastic, but I had other projects on my mind, so this sew along is perfect.  As long as I make a few things during the sew along I'll have some wrappings ready for the holidays!

This week on the sew along Anna made these really cute chinese takeout boxes.  She said it was easy, so I decided to try it.

They really were easy.  I forgot how fun hot glue guns are!  The best part about this project is that I used scraps.  These were all scraps from my Christmas quilt I made a few years ago.

I have this crazy idea to start making pom poms to use instead of bows since I'm not knitting much anymore, but couldn't get it to work out quite right with these boxes.  I think I need smaller pom poms!

In summary, these boxes were really easy.  I think the hardest part was making sure the interfacing fused completely with the fabric.  I think they'll be perfect for packing some cookies or spiced nuts or caramels (!!) for the holidays.  Even Lucy was intrigued by them.  She kept trying to see what was inside :)

Quilt for Popo

Last weekend was Popo's 93rd birthday party.  I'm similar to her in that we both do not like being hot.  However, recently I've noticed that she likes to have a blanket covering her legs in her wheelchair sometimes.  So... for her 93rd birthday I decided to make  her a quilt!



This is the Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along quilt.  It was really fun to make.  I have to say that I am much happier now that I know what settings to put my machine on for a scant quarter inch.  My points don't all match up perfectly, but it's nice to look at this quilt and see how far I've progressed.



I used Quilter's Dream cotton batting request loft.  I love this stuff!

Chambray Washi

Alright, here is my first wearable washi.

Not bad, right?  I also look pretty proud of myself.


Alright, first I have to say this is a fantastic pattern.  Rae clearly spent a lot of time on the pattern, and it's made very well.  I used her video tutorial to do the partial lining, and it's awesome.  When Rae was making the pattern, she mentioned that she was trouble with the darts.  I should have known it would cause me trouble too!

This is my 3rd Washi.  I will put on the other ones on at a later date and show you, but I had a problem with the shirring.  I used a small stitch length, so when I tried to put it on, the back did not stretch back to the original width!  Once it's on, it's fine, but it was very difficult to get on and off.

For this one, I used a stitch length of 5.0 and a tension of 3 when I did the shirring, and it seems to have worked out.

Now, this will not be my last washi.  If you look closely at the bust darts, you can see that they look odd.  It's not as obvious in this photo, but if you look from the side they are a little pointy.  I think they are also a little higher than my bust apex, but would gladly take some advice and opinions.

For the next one I cut out, I shortened the bust dart by an inch, but didn't realize they look a bit high until I saw these photos.  It seems to be a little better, but we'll see!

Renfrew #2

My second Renfrew was not much quicker than my first.  I decided to size down, so I had to cut out all the paper pieces again.  While I was at it, I also cut out all the pieces for view C.



I forgot the twill tape at the shoulders, so had to go back and add it, but it didn't seem to work right.  I went straight to the serger for the neckband, and it has creases.  My twin needle doesn't seem to like me, so the neckband looks like it has raw edges even though I promise it doesn't!

The fabric is from Girl Charlee, and I think it's cute.  The stretch was kind of on the bias, but for this shirt it didn't seem to matter.  This fabric curled a lot more than the bamboo jersey I used last time.  It also seems to stick to my tummy fat more.  I am sucking in here like my life depended on it.  Here is the fabric info from the site:

Content: Cotton Jersey
Weight: Light to Medium Weight
Stretch: 25%
Width: 60/61"

Notes for next time: Size 8 fits better.  Don't forget the twill tape!  Also use a straight stitch when setting in the sleeves, the neckband and the twill tape.  Don't be lazy and go straight for the serger!

Aside from all that, I really like the shirt.  I also like cutting off my head for the photo.  No more weird faces!

First Renfrew!

There is no reason anymore not to make my own shirts.  I made a Renfrew, and it was great.  I cut a size 10 and did View B (short sleeves, V-neck) and it's really not so bad.  The fabric I used was a bamboo jersey that I bought years ago.  In the pattern, Tasia says to use a stable knit.  I have no idea what that means.

I got a little confused as to when to use a zig zag and when not... which is why my right shoulder is a little frumpy.  I did a zig zag stitch there and it seemed to rumple it up a bit.  I did use my serger to finish up all the seams.  I think next time I will use my serger from the start and only use the sewing machine to topstitch.

The shirt is a little wide at the shoulders... sometimes the seam goes onto my arm.  But really, the shirt is comfortable and fits fairly well.  I'll call it a success!

I have more planned, and I did a big order from Girl Charlee.  Hope the fabrics are nice!

Cake Decorating Class

So not exactly quilting related, but I did take a cake decorating class a few weeks ago with my friend Ingrid.  It was at Dragonfly Cakes, and it was really fun.































We were provided with two 6 inch cake rounds, which we cut in half and buttercream-ed together to create a four layer cake.  Then we covered it all with a crumb coat, then a final coat, and then finally some fondant.



I created tons of triangles out of scrap fondant, and arranged them on my cake.



Looks kind of like a quilt, right?



In any case, the class was really fun.  I doubt I'll ever use fondant on my cakes I make at home, but it was entertaining for the class.  The buttercream portion of the class was informative, and next time I make a full layered cake I'll definitely feel more confident.

February Free Motion Quilting Challenge

Wow I'm behind again.  February's challenge for SewCalGal's Free Motion Quilt Challenge was fantastic.  It was by Diane Gaudynski who taught us how to do feathers her way.  Unfortunately the tutorial for her month was only up in February, so you can't access it now, but it was very interesting.  If I have a chance to take a class I would love to take one from her.



The feathers were interesting in that you do not sew over your previous feather line, but rather combine it with some sort of echo quilting.



My biggest problem is that I have trouble with the shapes of the feathers.  Instead of a gently curving, elegant feather, I have a huge mass or something.  Oh well.  You have to practice to learn, right?  I did buy a feather template, Infinite Feathers, so hopefully this will help me in the future.

I am always extremely impressed when I see feather quilting.  This is definitely something I would like to improve!

GT&SB BOM. Last of the applique blocks...

I can't believe I'm actually making progress on this quilt!

I am done with the all applique blocks (not the border), and finished the double drunkard's paths.  All I have left is one more block, the fillers, and the border!  AND... it's only February!  Here are my latest blocks:
 


And because it's fun, here is the progress to date!
 
The end is in sight!

And we're back!

Has anyone else had their blog taken down by blogger before?  I had to submit a "NOT SPAM" report and they had to reinstate my blog.  How odd.

Anyway, we're now back!  Of course I didn't notice that my blog was gone until January 31st, the day that the entry for the January challenge for SewCalGal's Free Motion Quilting Challenge was due.  I posted my photo to the flickr group and put that in the linky instead.    This post is just to catch up.  This month, Frances Moore was the teacher.  She did a video on how to do a leaf pattern.  The goal of the month was to "learn and/or improve your FMQ skills by practicing the design that Frances has shared in her video tutorial."  I haven't FMQ-ed in a long time, so this was a nice first challenge.

I had problems making a nice heart shaped leaf, but when I concentrated it seemed to get better.  For better or worse, I am not picky about my free motion quilting, so this is fine with me.  I did seem to be fighting my machine.  I think I need to change my needle, and my timing might be off.  Next time I'll try using the foot pedal instead of the start/stop button, but for now I don't think it's too bad!

Here is the front of my quilt sandwich:

Here is the back, it seems to show up a little better:

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

2011 was good to me this year. Chris and I went on a couple trips (Point Reyes Station, LA, Cozumel) and we learned how to scuba dive! Scuba diving is really amazing. We are now trying to figure out how much scuba diving we can afford. Just what I need, another expensive hobby!

On the crafty front, this has been the year of baby quilts! There are some quilts and little things I know I have not blogged about, but what can you do?  I completed more than I remembered.  Here is a mosaic to summarize:


For 2012, here are my goals and resolutions.  It always seems more official in print, doesn't it?

Resolutions:
1.  Use all the fancy body butter I bought (I have really dry skin, especially in winter)
2. No fabric buying... unless it's by Lizzy House (couldn't resist!) or is needed to complete a project
3. Participate in the FMQ Challenge
4. Do not start a new project unless I finish an old project!  For reference, here is an incomplete list of old projects

• 30's repro quilt (finished top)
• Row by Row quilt (top almost finished)
• Partly Cloudy quilt (top finished)
• Veggie one block wonder quilt (fabric cut)
• Kristine's quilt (fabric cut out)
• Drunkard's Path Quilt (some blocks finished)
• Sampler Afghan (20 more blocks to knit, plus put all together + border)
• Green Tea & Sweet Beans Quilt (finished 8 months, need to finish last 3)
• Diamond Mountain Quilt (finished top)

Here's to a great 2012!

Green Tea and Sweet Beans BOM Update

I have been faithfully making these blocks!  I just took a look, and I have completed 7 of the 12 months.  And I've done some more blocks too!  Here are the ones that haven't been posted on the blog yet...

Month 6- Day Lily.  I liked this one, but for some reason it took me a long time to sew on the outside corners!


Month 7 - Flower Block.  These were fun!  I really liked the petals, even though they didn't turn out perfect.  I think they're cute!


Month 7 - Igloo. I absolutely love these blocks. The round parts gave me fits, but I think they turned out well.


Month 8 - Applique Block #2. This one took me FOREVER. I think I decided I didn't like applique or something..


Month 9 - Berry Basket. I completed this one even though I didn't finish the second block for Month 8. I have been looking forward to this block since the BOM started! I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that the pot fabric wasn't the same as the original (it's orangey in the original) but I think the blue pot fits as well.


I have a couple of blocks that should be finished soon, but hopefully there will be another Green Tea and Sweet Beans update soon!