Wardrobe Refashion

I just posted at Wardrobe Refashion to sum up my six month sign up. The post is here.

I am not going to sign up again for a while. I have several items I want to refashion, but I just haven't gotten to them yet.

And what else??

We've also been visiting a lot of flea markets and antique malls in the past month. I have made a few acquisitions. The first photo is a shelf unit I found last Friday in Tipp City. I plan to paint it and add some small boxes, then use it on my sewing work table for various and assorted.
The only thing really sewing related are the mother of pearl buttons I found. I love this $2 scarf, the owl bottle will be part of my small bottle collection, and the two dolls heads - well someday I will make them both bodies and dress them!

My best acquisition, however, is this Welsh Dresser. I have looked and looked for something like this - considered many - but this was the "ideal". It isn't too small nor too large. I am still polishing it, as it is soaking up furniture oil like mad. But its dark oak finish looks great against my aqua walls!

WHAT have you been doing in February, Sally?

It may not seem so from my lack of posting, but a lot has actually been happening. I've had an issues with getting work done on the weekends. But with my sewing room, I can work a few minutes or an hour at a time.

First up, an all Cotton version of the Caftan I've made before in minky-ish fabric. The fabric is Alexander Henry from a couple of years ago - sleeping owns with a quarter moon in their background. Of course, the pattern needed 4 yards, and I started cutting without realizing that I only had 3 and a half. SO I had to do an extensive internet search to find the same fabric so I could have matching sleeves. This took quite a while, as the same fabric is available in many places with a pink background and a light blue background, but the dark blue background - a bit harder to find! But it is done, and comfortable.

Last Saturday I went to a Sew In with my former co-workers and their pals at a socal service agency. I took along two big projects I've been working on. The eight pointed stars on the right are those I finished appliquing a month or so ago. I started these in October 1999. I hope to have a finished quilt for the star's 10th anniversary. There are 101 squares. I spent several hours trimming the squares to 9.5 inches. I did note that my applique technique got a bit better as I went along, but really did not match work from some of the others I've seen. Then I started trimming the Paris Flea Market quarter squares. I started these about four or five years ago - I have a stack of these quarter squares, then another larger stack of half squares. I think I can make a nice size quilt with just the quarter squares.

These are photos from the Sew In. My new friend Ann is on the left. Not sure who the ladies in the middle photo are, then some former co-workers in the third. It was a great day and I got a lot done.

I've finally finished my friend Paula's birthday present - almost a month late! I made a zipper bag and a tool roll to match the tote bag and work saver that I made her for Christmas.

Finally, I also finished piecing the top of my brother's Carpenter's Wheel quilt. I need to pin and quilt and bind, but the hardest part is done.

In progress: A pink corduroy shirt that only needs buttons and button holes, an apron that needs binding because I ran out mid-sewing, and two tops cut out - a short version of the caftan above, and the Natalie blouse from BurdaStyle.

Summary of Projects Completed in 2008

I am going to remove this list from the sidebar, so wanted to "archive" it by making it a post. It details the various and assorted completed projects in 2008.

Projects Completed in 2008

• 3 Joan of Arc Design Shirts
• Grey Fleece Men's Top
• Santa and Polka Dot Table Runner
• Santa and Polka Dot Tree Skirt
• Pink and Peach Crazy Square Quilt
• Shop and Ride Your Bike Bag
• Gift Tote and Work Tube Roll
• Roll Up Purse Organizer
• Green and Silver Tunic - Simplicity 2841
• Dana Marie Xceptional Shirt - 1037
• Christmas Purse - McGeehee's Perfect Purse Book/Pattern
• Courtney's Red Satin Birthday Dress - Simplicity 3629
• Skyler's Fleece Blanket for Christmas
• Zared's 3rd Birthday I SPY Quilt
• Hansi's Crazy Patch Blanket
• Joan's Crazy Patch Blanket
• Simplicity 3697-Tunic in turq/blue/white print with turq trim
• Simplicty 4050, View D dress in blue with pink daisies
• Simplicity 4050, View A Dress in Aqua
• Black Floral Knit Hot Patterns Deco Cosmo Dress
• Pat's Crazy Quilt Blanket (6-5-08)
• Dana Marie Pacific Northwest Sweatshirt - White stretch cotton (3-26)
• Dana Marie Pacific Northwest Sweatshirt - Pink Stretch Jacquard (3-20)
• Knit Top - Simplicty 3697 (3-8-08)
• Red Knit Dress - Simplicity 3804 (photos 3-8-08)
• L2 Bag in Bohemian Manor at 75% size (photo 3-3)
• Simplicity 2990 - Teal and Black Top (Photo 2-13-07)
• Red & Black Hat (Photo 2-13-07)
• Paula's Sewing Machine Matt, Bag and Pin Cushion
• Butterick 4690 Satin with Flannel Back Nightgown
• Butterick 4690 Flannel Nightgown

Carpenter's Wheel Corner Blocks Ready to GO!

I finally have finished the four corner blocks for the Carpenter's Wheel Quilt. Finding blocks with appropriate names and appearance was a bit harder than I thought it would be.

--The upper left is Buzz Saw. I took a block at Quilter's Cache and modified it - added more "teeth" to the saw.

--The upper right is Jacob's Ladder. This is a pretty common block and I took the pattern from one of my quilt pattern books.

--The lower left is Carpenter's or Builder's Square. Again, a fairly common block and I got the pattern from a couple of books. I varied the placement of fabrics. This was the most difficult block to make. I had to do it twice, as the first time it was too small at the end!

--The lower right is Thor's Hammer. This was the most difficult to find. There are virtually no blocks I could find that had the noun Hammer in it. This was the only one. I also saw it referred to as War Hammer.

SO, now I have all the borders and corner blocks ready to attach to the main quilt. This weekend, I hope to have this top finished. Wish me luck.

Weekend Sewing 2-2-09

Wish I got more done, but this is my output for the weekend. First, little Zman is going to preschool this week for the first time. He has to have a blanket for quiet time, so you know grandma had to make one for him. It is pretty simple - fleece with fringe, but I wanted to add his name. This turned into a multi-hour ordeal, sewing, ripping, applique, ripping - I finally dug out my heavy strength iron on adhesize and used that for the letters. I ripped a plain 8.5X11 sheet of paper into quarters, then made a pattern of each letter.

I made a second lounger from McCalls 5768, using similar fabic, but in green and white. This time, I raised the slit opening a bit, but other than that, it is the same and is as comfortable as the pink and white lounger I made earlier.

I cut a third one out to be made in cotton, but somehow got confused - I thought I had four yards, but I only had 3! Of course, I did not figure this out until after I had the first piece cut out. So I spent a lot of time on Sunday looking for the same fabric (an Alexander Henry from 2006), in the same color. I did finally find it at The Quilted Fox in St. Louis, MO, so am waiting for the delivery of the new fabric to complete that project.

Joining Large

Today I was added as a contributor to the blog, Large. Large's creator states it purpose and philosophy as:

large is a multi author blog about upsizing life. It covers
clothing and fashion, sewing, buying and anything else
we might be inspired to write about. It aims to fill the gaps
some of our favourite blogs and media miss, provide inspiration,
information, tips, tutorials, product reviews and resources
for plus size living. It is not a moaning about being fat blog,
a pro or anti diet blog. We welcome contributions of all kinds,
from photos of your favourite outfits (on yourself or
others) to sewing fabric and pattern recommendations to reviews of new products. Australian content is particularly welcome. Contact soozs.com@gmail.com for info on how to share your thoughts with us.

I plan on sharing more details of finding style and fit for a larger person at Large, as well as here at SallySews.