WIP Wednesday 9/11/13

My computer has been in the shop for nearly two weeks now and it’s driving me a little batty! So that means that you’ll have to endure cell phone pictures of my WIPs this week.

Finished this week

My baby turned two this past weekend. She’s officially exited the baby stage and is in full-on toddler mode. I have mixed emotions about it because I’m pretty sure she’s going to be my last child. Anyway, for her birthday, I made her a #geranium tunic using Made by Rae’s pattern. And I think it turned out pretty stinkin’ cute! There are definitely things I need to do better next time (like pay attention to where my 3/8” seam line is on my machine – I used the 5/8” line when sewing the bodice, but it still fits!), but I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Instead of using one print, I used two Lizzy House prints, a Hello Pilgrim flower print and some green Pearl Bracelets.

I still need to add the buttons to the back, so I'm hoping I don't put that off too long.

It was my dad's birthday last week too. Every time he calls me on the phone, he sings, "I just called to say 'I love you'" by Lionel Richie. So for his birthday, I made him this wall-hanging. Eventually, I'll make myself a pillow like it too.

In progress this week

I'm having wrist and elbow surgery in a few weeks so I'm trying to get this next project crossed off my list ASAP before I lose the use of my arm for six weeks.

I used Red Pepper Quilts' Labyrinth pattern to make this brown and blue quilt top. I plan to add another outer border to finish it off. I really like the color combo. Brown isn't usually a color that I use much in quilts, but I like how it pairs with the blue here. The top came together pretty quickly too. I'll definitely be making another one in the future.

Lost my mojo. Photos brought to you by Instagram.

That's right, ladies and gents, I've lost my sewing mojo. I was on a roll, going strong for the first couple months of 2013, but I've hit a wall. And here's why.

Back in January, I shipped my Gradated Mod Mosaic quilt out for quilting services. I was hesitant, but also excited. I gave clear instructions for the directionality of the top and backing, including pictures for the quilter to refer to. Unfortunately the quilt came back with the backing flipped 90 degrees. {Sad face.} At first I didn't notice that it was on wrong so I squared it up in preparation for attaching the binding. Then, I just happened to turn it over on the side where the label was and saw that it was on sideways. I notified the quilter, let the issue settle for a night, and then requested a refund since I decided to unpick the entire thing so I could fix it. (If I didn't, it would always bug me. Plus, I think the quilt was stretched too much during the quilting because it looks poufy and it shouldn't.) The quilter was quick to return my money, and while I felt like a jerk asking for it, I was happy for the quick response.

I've been slowly chipping away at unpicking the quilting. It's slow-going and has left me feeling a bit deflated about this hobby of mine.



I've tried moving on to other projects, like this Lucky Square quilt for the mister (pattern by Jessica of Sew Crafty Jess). I've finished all 63 blocks and am working on the sashing strips. Hopefully, I'll have a finished top soon.



I also threw together my first pair of PJ pants since high school. These Transformer PJs were for my obsessed 6-year-old's birthday.



The Middle has also been asking for a new Easter dress, just like the one I made her last year. I found that it's fun to sew for your little ones when they're excited for what you make them.

I made the mistake, however, of sewing this dress when she was asleep and not trying the bodice on her before finishing the dress. It was a couple sizes too big.



But, take 2 worked out great. Adding a contrasting zipper to the back was the best way to have the bodice fit around her chest without the neck needing to be big enough for her large head.



I also took the time to do some therapeutic sewing. This "always" pillow was inspired by Amber of One Shabby Chick. While it won't be staying at my house, it was really cathartic for me to make. "Always" is particulary meaningful to me at this point in my life.



Hopefully, I'll finish unpicking the quilting and make some quick progress on the Lucky Squares quilt so I can get back in the swing of things and keep moving forward with knocking out my WIPs. My goal is to finish all my in-progress quilts by July. That'll free up the latter half of the year for new projects and Christmas sewing.

Easter Dress

So I don't sew clothes. I've sewn a couple skirts in the past, but most of those times, I went to my mom's house for help. At quilt market last May, I met Jennifer Paganelli (such a genuinely nice woman) and bought her Girl's World book, thinking it would be nice to have a bunch of patterns to try for my girls.

When I brought the book home, my older daughter loved looking through it. In fact, she pretty much thought the book was just for her. I never ended up making anything out of it. Until today.

I saw the dresses Kayli made for her girls and was motivated to try making an Easter dress for little miss A. I typically don't keep yardage of fabric on hand since I'm a quilter and prefer smaller cuts, but I happened to have a few yards of this Art Gallery fabric that I also bought at quilt market last May. Thankfully, my daughter approved of the non-pink options I gave her.

I used the Mary Sash Dress pattern from Jennifer's book.

Little miss A is on the small size, so although I used the XS pattern piece for the bodice, I still had to alter it a bit. I also wanted the dress to have wider straps at the shoulders.

And I kept the length of the sash the same, so it makes a nice big bow on the back.

The only real problem I ran into was a result of taking the bodice in a bit. You see, my children are blessed with larger than average heads (I like to tell myself it's because they are so smart). The altered bodice fit really well...except for the fact that I couldn't get it over my daughter's head. So I called my mom and asked her what I could do so I didn't have to start over. She suggested that I cut a slit in the back and add a button. So that's what I did. Although, I haven't attached the button yet.

You may have noticed her princess shoes. She was very excited to try the dress on, even though I hadn't hemmed it yet. She had to go find her shoes and her brother insisted on dressing up like a prince, which meant that he put on jeans (as opposed to the comfy lounge pants he was wearing), a long sleeve gray shirt, and his church shoes.

Overall, I think it was a success. I'm happy it came together pretty easily and that we found solutions for the couple snags I ran into. Best of all, it's daughter-approved. And perfect for practicing your curtsies.