Baby Boy Quilt for Aiden

Block detail

   
     I like to have a quilt on hand to give when someone has a new baby.  I have been making baby quilts from a quick pattern that uses just a yard of three different fabrics.  It is Pathways, A Three Yard Quilt.  The cutting is pretty easy and all the blocks are the same so it goes together quickly.  This one for a boy I used some fun hippo fabric.  Usually I use the same fabric for the binding and the second border.  This time I found this fun polka dot that picked up all the colors and worked well with the flannel I found for the backing.

Label one

     To be prepared for a new baby I will make the quilt top, have it quilted and then make a label for who pieced it and who quilted it.  I will then sew on the binding by machine and then the final hand stitching is completed except for one lower corner.

Bubbles quilting detail

     After the baby is born, I will stitch out another label with all their statistics and stitch it in place.  I will then do the final hand sewing.  It is so fun to be able to give a personalized quilt soon after the birth.

Bay boy quilt for Aiden

    This one I had ready to go (note the unfinished binding on the left side).  My daughter's friend found out that there was another baby for adoption and he was born in November.  He joined his big sister who had just been born in January.  Welcome to the world Aiden.

     I currently have two more quilts at the quilter, but they are already spoken for.  One is going to be for my great-niece and the other for my grandson.  They are due in March and April.   Need to work on two more to have ready for any other babies that decide to join our family.

Sewing with Vinyl

WonderClips and hem

     This past summer I made some marine vinyl into panels that were used to provide 'hiding space' under some shelves.  The client has a glass blowing business and does classes in their studio.  They needed something sturdy to place around the shelves to hide supplies.

     These were quite wide so there was a lot of fabric to work with.  Because the vinyl shows holes I could not pin the hems in place.  My large WonderClips to the rescue.  I measured and clipped and then took it to the sewing machine.

      I needed to use a heavy thread and a large needle and my teflon foot.  I also increased my stitch length to about 4.  This provides enough holding power without too many needle penetrations that could weaken the vinyl.

Small WonderClips and Velcro

 

     I then sewed Velcro to the top,  There was no need to turn under the top edge because the vinyl doesn't fray.  (We probably didn't need to hem either but they liked the look of a hem versus just a cut edge on the bottom).  This time I used the smaller WonderClips to hold the Velcro in place.  To make it more manageable, I rolled the piece and then unrolled and rerolled as I sewed.

Sewing on the Velcro

     Not the most exciting project, but a nice change of pace.
   

Two Fabric Tassel Pillow

Inspiration photo

     I had some fabric and trim leftover from a valance I had made for my sewing studio.  I thought a pillow would be a fun way to use some of that fabric.  I had seen a photo in a magazine and that became my inspiration.

Sewing on trim

     First I dug though my stash of fabric scraps and found a coordinating solid in my quilting cottons. Because it was lighter weight than my home dec fabric, I applied an iron interfacing to the back of it to give it more weight.  The interfacing I used was ShirTailor, the same one I use when making T-shirt quilts.

Sewing top and bottom pieces together

     After deciding that I would use approximately one fourth solid and three fourths print on the pillow front I cut my pieces slightly larger than I needed.  I chose these proportions so I could have a full flower on the front.  I then stitched the trim to the bottom of the solid fabric right next to the fringe.

Close up of sewing

     I then pinned the top and bottom pieces together and stitched directly on that line of stitching so that I knew that the tape of the trim would not show.

Lining cut to size

 

      I cut my pillow lining from a napped sateen lining the exact size I needed.  I trimmed the corners to prevent dogears on the pillow.

Lining pinned to back of front piece

     I then pinned this to the backside of the front piece and serged all around, cutting off the excess fabric from the pillow front.

Serged front piece

     I then used some painter's tape to tape the end tassels out of the way.  After getting my back piece together with the zipper, I pinned right sides together and sewed all the way around with a half inch seam allowance.

Ready for pinning to back piece

     Turned it right side out and inserted the pillow form and now I have a fun pillow using just leftover fabrics .

Finished pillow

December 2015 After School Sewing

Trapezoid shade valance

     We finished up sewing for 2015 the second week of December.  We had a break of three weeks and just started back after the New Year.

     I finally finished a project for my own home, a valance for the sewing studio.  Some color to brighten up the studio.

Michelle and her shorts

Cara and her awesome coat

     In Tuesday's class Michelle, finished a pair of shorts and started on a square neck blouse.  Ellen is working on a dress for her sister.  The fabric is quite slippery so it is providing some challenges for her.  Cara finally finished the coat she started last fall.  It has a lining and a zipper.  She did a wonderful job and it fits her beautifully.  She learned a lot making this coat.

Lindsey and her tree skirt

Hailey and her peasant blouse

Makayla and her peasant blouse

     In Wednesday's class, Lindsey made a tree skirt for her family.  The twisted cord she used for the edge was hard to sew on but she learned all about the zipper foot and lots of pins.  Natalie is working on a ruffle skirt and Makayla and Hailey finished their peasant blouses.

Aviva and her pants

Grace and her shorts

     In Thursday's class, Aviva finished a pair of drop waist pants that included making buttonholes for a drawstring while Grace made a pair of shorts that she opted not to hem but instead let the fabric fray for a fringy finish.
   

     Planning my summer schedule now and hope to have it finalized in the next month.