Twin Set

Finished twin set

     I finally finished something for myself.  I made this twin set from a muted raspberry jersey fabric.

Shell pattern

     For the shell I chose The Monaco Shell from Textile Studio Patterns, view B.  I have made this top many times and I like how easy it is to sew.  I do add a little loop of ribbon in the back neck to make it easier to tell the front from the back.

Cardigan pattern

     For the cardigan I chose Great Copy #2445 view A with alterations.  I was at a fashion show where the contestant modified this top pattern to be a cardigan with tails in the front.  It was done by extending the front crossover piece at the sides and then letting the opposite edge hang free instead of sewing it into the side seam.  It took me a bit to draft the pattern right and then to figure out how to put on the banding.  I do like how it turned out and will probably make another one.

     This color will go well with many different pants, navy, white, black, brown, grey and even blue jeans.  I should get a lot of wear from it.

T-shirt Pillows

Fun pillows from t-shirts

     If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you have seen several t-shirt quilts that I have done.  Here is a fun project I did for a client making pillows out of t-shirts.

Go Pack Go  OOPS wrong team :-)

     I cut apart the t-shirt like when starting a quilt, being sure to preserve the back also.  I stabilize the pieces with fusible interfacing and then cut out the pieces.  For the back of the pillow I use just an overlapped closure, no need for a zipper.  I finish off the edges of the back pieces, overlap them and then sew the front to the backs.  Turn it right side out and stuff with a form and you are all set.

Back of pillow

     A fun addition to a couch or recliner on gameday.

Follow the Leader Quilt

Follow the Leader quilt

     I have made each of my grandchildren a quilt for when they were born.  Now that they are getting older I am making them a larger quilt.

Detail of the arrow block

     Grandson Colton loves his trucks so when I sew this quilt kit at Mill House Quilts in Waunakee, WI I just had to get it for him.  I cut it out and made the truck blocks at home.  At retreat in March I pieced the rest of the quilt top together.

Detail of the border and a cornerstone

     After getting it pieced, I realized it was only about the size of the baby quilt I had done for him.  I took the strips that I had cut for the binding and added them as a third border.  Then in my stash I found a blue  marbled fabric.  The size of the final border was determined by the amount of fabric I had.  I also added cornerstones from the parts that were left from the panel that the truck blocks had been cut from.

Label with name 

     I had a piece of red fabric in my stash that I used for the backing.  The new binding was made from strips cut from leftover fabric from the kit.

Who made it label

     For one of the labels on his quilt, I found a truck appliqué design that was meant to be a birthday design with a number in the bed of the dump truck.  Using my software, I erased the stitches for the number and then shrunk the size of the truck to fit on the label.  Again using scraps of fabric from the kit I did the appliqué design.  I think he will enjoy his quilt when I give it to him on our vacation in July.  I hope to have the other two done by then also.

Big Life Decision

      The past few years my husband and I have been very fortunate to be able to train and race.  We have been part of Team USA that went to Australia to compete in the World Duathlon competition in 2015.

     This year we have both been working through injuries that have limited our ability to train.  We both turned 60 last year and now have three grandchildren.  We are active and enjoy being able to run around with the kids.  In looking at what we are spending both in money and time to train for these big races I had a long discussion with myself and with him.  After much soul searching and praying I have come to the conclusion that I am going to pull back from the racing.  I am not going to go to Bend, Oregon this summer to compete at the national level and I am still thinking about whether or not I go to Canada for the World competition in August.

     The big consequence of not doing Nationals this year it that we won't be able to do Worlds in Sweden in 2018.  I would like to travel there but I know I can still go there without a race in mind as my children have reminded me of several times.

    This has been a hard decision for me because I enjoy the benefits from working out but I was feeling too much stress about all of it.  It is time to enjoy my family and have fun adventures.  I look forward to taking active vacations with my husband and visiting exciting places.