Week ending January 23, 2022

With my Monday off from work, I did some sewing, went to a doctor's appointment and got sosme seeds started in my greenhouse  in my garage. First off, I wanted to do some work on my 2021 temperature quilt and got it pieced through April - I think. I love how it looks so far. January is on the left and those white and light pink pieces are Winter Storm Uri.

I got fabric in the mail this week. I had to order some for another pattern test that I'm doing - I'll share more photos of it next week as I didn't work on it this week other than to cut into the fabric I had to order. I had run out! But I got these Ruby Star Society Charm Packs in the mail from Stitch Supply Company from an Instagram giveaway!  These came in a nice zippered project bag.

I signed up for another quilt pattern test! This one is for Lifting Limits Quilting and it's going to be so good! I am determined to use my "good" fabric especially my hoarded fabric from Anna Maria Horner. She's my favorite fabric designer and I have hoarded some fabric from her for way too long. I really need to use it and get more enjoyment from it. I agonized over my fabric pull for way too long. I needed 12 fabrics - which I always feel like the more fabrics the better. But it can be so hard to make a final decision. 

I started cutting them out and kept checking how I liked them all together.

I was happy and relieved once I had everything cut out.

After everything was cut, I took some time to fold and organize all my Anna Maria Horner remnants and scraps. I think at some point this year I want to make a scrappy quilt with my AMH scraps and remnants - and any bonus blocks I make along the way. The bag on the bottom left is filled with truly scrappy bits and is the project bag that was part of my prize from Stitch Supple Company. It can hold a  lot!

 

I made quite a bit of progress over the weekend and got all my flying geese made.

I took some extra time to sew a second stitch line so that I could use the trimmed wings for a bonus project later on. I now have a whole bunch of HSTs in these fabrics. 

Here are my flying geese.

Now I just need to get them all trimmed this coming week. My bonus blocks are in the box shown at the top of the photo. 

I'm hoping to get at least one quilt top finished this coming week - but that might be a stretch. Thankfully I have plenty of time to get both done and  don't need to rush. One silly project I have in mind to do in the coming month is to make the cats their own quilt. Yes - that's right. I'm making a quilt for the cat. I'm thinking a 20" quilt or two that they can have in their kitty beds. 

Week ending October 24, 2021 in my Sewing Room

I didn't do much this week.  I was so busy with work and didn't have much free time when I got off. 

On Monday I got mail from Minerva. They sent me fabric and a pattern to sew up.  I'm making view A of this new look pattern. The fabric is a cotton voile. 

I started a quilt pattern test for Frannie B Quilt Co. It took me forever to decide on fabric and this is what I settled on.  I decided to use some vintage ditsy floral prints and my scrappy background is 5 or 6 low volume light colored prints. 

I had a tumble Wednesday on my lunchtime walk and really bruised up my right hand. It hurt and was swollen,  so I took two days off from sewing to let it heal. 

I got out my Sew Easy ruler/cutter since my hand was tender and couldn't handle using the rotary cutter. I bought this at a garage sale about 5 years ago and this was my first time using it. I love it! I'll definitely be using all the time now. 

Friday evening I got my star block made for the Stargazing Quilt Pattern that I'm testing for Frannie B Quilt Co. I signed up for the block test, but I'm hoping to make the throw size quilt. 

Saturday I went through a few bins in the garage. We are planning on moving some shelves around and switching everything to smaller storage containers.  Before we do, we are going through everything to see what needs to go, and what we need to keep. I was excited to get to the storage bin with my grandmother's quilts. This is the quilt she made and gave to me for my graduation and wedding. 

Here's the note she wrote on the back. She left her signature and date on all her quilts and often left a little note about the quilt. 

I also have this Indian girl quilt that she made. I'm not sure why or how I ended up with this quilt. 

I also have this patriotic quilt top she made and hemmed to use as a table cloth. She gave it to me when she came to my house one year for a fourth of July cookout. We have used it a few times. I am thinking of turning it into a quilt. Or I might back it with something so the fabric doesn't continue to fray with use. 

I took my Deltille Quilt (Pattern by Running Stitch Quilts out for a photoshoot now that it's completely finished! Here she is in all her glory. I have a short blog post about it and the backing on Minerva.com 

I ended the weekend getting ally pieces cut out for my Stargazing Quilt.  

This week I'm hoping to do some work on a t-shirt quilt and on my Stargazing Quilt. I have plans for the Halloween weekend that will keep me busy and not much time for sewing. I'm already counting down the days to the next Holiday - Veteran's Day - and having some time off then. 

George & Ginger Drama Dress - Tunic Hack

I made my first Drama Dress from George + Ginger earlier this year when I was headed to NYC to see G + G hit the Fashion Week Runway. I decided it was time to make another. I don't wear dresses, so I decided to hack the Drama Dress into a fun tunic.

All I did was take three inches off the length before hemming. I cut this Drama Dress out per the pattern. But when I tried it on, I just didn't like the length on me with leggings.

I completely eyeballed cutting straight off the bottom on my cutting table. I'm pretty sure it's not perfect, but I love it.

The Drama Dress has the option to add a bow tie. I cut the bow tie out, but decided I wanted to keep it separate.

Here is my Drama Dress sans necktie. My intention was to take photos of this Drama Dress being worn with some mustard jeggings. I had a few minutes to take photos after work one evening and liked how it looked with these pants - so I left them on. However, I forgot to change into brown shoes.

 I made this Drama Dress with 3/4 length sleeves and think it will be perfect to wear into the early spring.

I love the loose and swingy fit of my hacked Drama Dress. I think I may make a few more, but I'll take the time to actually remove the length from my pattern pieces first.

The Drama Dress comes with a ton of options. There are multiple necklines including a collared version and a really cute keyhole neckline. It also has optional pockets!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Ellie & Mac Be Confident Update!

I love a good tunic, because I tend to wear leggings whenever I'm working from home and on the weekends. I especially love wearing tunic that have a high-low hemline. I love the shorter front to show off more of the fun print of my leggings, but enjoy the extra coverage on my rear (where I need it). I was excited to hear that the Ellie & Mac Be Confident pattern was being updated and signed up immediately to test the revisions.

I compared my original Be Confident pattern pieces to the newly revised pieces. I found that the shape of the high-low skirt had been modified. It now has a more gentle slope from the front to the back.

The length of the tunic length skirt was not changed much - it is just a tiny bit shorter. I'm 5' tall and did not remove any length from the skirt. I did remove length from the bodice.

The Be Confident does have a full circle skirt. Which means it is perfect for doing some twirling!

As an adult, I think we forgot how fun it can be to let loose and go for a spin.

I forgot how dizzying it could be.

The bodice of the Be Confident was slimmed down for an improved fit. I made the Be Confident last year and had been disappointed in the fit as the bodice was extremely loose. Now - the fit is just perfect.

The bodice is intended to end at your natural waist. I'm 5' tall and I removed 2.5" in length from the bodice. I recommend measuring yourself to determine if you need to shorten or lengthen the bodice.

I used a slinky lightweight knit for this Be Confident and the wind was able to blow my skirt around.

I'm wearing leggings I made with this fun blue plaid plush brushed poly from Zenith & Quasar Fabrics.

There was one revision made to the pattern after I made this version. The revision narrowed the shoulders by 0.5 inches. If you notice in my photos, the edges of the shoulder go out and slightly over the edge of my shoulder.

If you already own the Be Confident, you will get an email with the updated pattern. If you don't already own it, now's a great time to buy it at the price of $3.85. In addition, there is a site-wide back to school sale. All patterns are 40% off - no code needed! Shop all patterns HERE!

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And here's a few photos of an earlier version I made. This was the looser fit bodice.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

New Horizons Designs Women's Cascade Tee

New Horizons Designs just released the Women's Cascade Tee. A girls version was released recently and so many women wanted a version of their own. The Women's Cascade Tee is on sale through July 11th for $7. You can grab the Bundle with the girls version for $14.

I made the sleeveless version for the hot Texas summer.

I love the relaxed fit and the cascade ruffle adds a little bit of flair.

I made this version with a striped poly spandex 2-way stretch knit that I bought at C&C Fabrics for $2/yard.

I tried my best to match up my stripes and really love how my Cascade Tee turned out.

The first version that I made, I made it a size too big. I didn't realize my error until I tried it on and posted fit photos in the testing group. My mom came by for a visit recently and it fit her perfectly.

This one is also sleeveless.

I used a silk jersey I purchased from Golden D'or for $1/yard during one of their big clearance sales.

My mom is a bit of a clown - so I have to include this photo as proof.

The Women's Cascade Tee also have sleeved options and can be made without the flounce for a simple relaxed fit tee. The introductory sale price ends on July 11th!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.