all buttoned up.

Minefield

Truly is at the pull out phase. If you were to come over right now you would have to step over a trail of mismatched shoes, overturned books, and bagged beans and tins. She moves from glove and hat bin to the kitchen drawers with speed and precision. We have always done bare bones child proofing and this sort of mess only lasts for a moment. It is her work and it makes her so happy. Besides, I tell myself, Sam had to contend with exposed wiring and crumbling plaster. See how spoiled you are, little girl? Baseboards!

I have been going deep into public school schematics and politics as it relates to our district and our small part of it. It is distressing. They need to adult proof some of this crap. And because I have been spending a lot of time reading and going to meetings I have needed projects that I do not get too attached to (otherwise, I sit staring at the piles helplessly and accomplishing nothing). I thought maybe a I should tackle some school auction quilts. You are allowed to say that this is a terrible idea. So, I am amassing ideas and piles and thinking how to accomplish more than one without becoming lost in the details. Christina's Tanagram Quilt looms large in my mind, but I also have some other ideas I'm trying to flesh out that would be good to do with the above 8 set. Any advice in this arena is appreciated. I'll let you know how things are coming together as I start to get students involved. I think my biggest concern is the quilting end of things and if I can manage that on my own. Also the children. I'm no dummy.

I leave you with this:

Happy Weekend.

Liberty Blues Napping Quilt

When I gave this to our neighbor she pulled it out and said, "Oh, it's warm! And it smells like dryer!". I told her it was because I am magical. Also, I had finished it that morning and the dryer had stopped unexpectedly while it was in there, so I had to stall her with tea while I restarted the dryer and then 20 minutes later excuse myself to go to the bathroom (wrap it) so I could give it to her.

Magic. Scrambling. Same diff.

I mostly finished this top two and a half years ago. The top hung in a closet waiting to be finished and really, waiting for the right person to give it to. Our neighbor and good friend is just that person. After she retired a few years ago, she filled up part of her free time making sure we are all doing all right. I return the favour by sending the boys over to *help* her with yard work. So, clearly, the least I could do is give this woman a quilt.

 

The 4" squares and binding are all Liberty Tana Lawn prints in blue. The white is a Kona cotton and both the blues on the front and the backing are Free Spirit voile. The blue toille print that borders the whole quilt is from Alexander Henry and is also cotton voile. It is on the small side-- 52" by 70". It's a good size for the couch or the end of the bed. The whole thing is silky and lovely. Clearly, it's too nice to stay in this house full of people. 

I've almost run out of quilt tops and works in progress to finish up. I put together some stuffed full scrap bags and I think that I'll put them up here on Tuesday. At least three of the bags are all vintage fabrics. And then I have to get sewing again so we will have stuff to talk about!

 

A Sunny Spot (Japanese Sewing Books, My Old Friends)

Shortly after the Baby Girl Announcement, Erin sent me a stack of Japanese girl/kid sewing books her girls had outrgrown. She is an excellent gifter. One of my favourites in the stack is A Sunny Spot (ISBN978-4-529-04894-1). The clothes are femine and unfussy. They are also pretty easy to sew but look otherwise, which is really the best. Sometimes clothes with clean lines are illogically complicated to sew.

I made "Camisole With Wide Strap" for my leggy 4 1/2 year old niece (pattern pictured directly above). She was not in the mood to be photographed. It is more of a dress than a tunic on her, but that will change pretty quickly. I love the pockets. I added a fabric tag in the back so she could easily figure out front from back, and then did a quick Anna Joyce style applique on the front (again, she was NOT IN THE MOOD). From tracing to finishing it was only a couple of hours of work. The lightweight cotton (ticking stripe) came from Bolt originally, but I've had it on my shelves for a while. It is the sort of fabric I'd like a room full of. 

And speaking of shelves-- they are overflowing with scraps. Is anyone into scrap bags/envelopes? I was thinking of listing a bunch on Big Cartel, along with some yardage of things that I don't think I'll use. I am horrible at parting with things like this, but something needs to be done. I may have to enlist reinforcements to talk me through it.

Feather Bed

I have a long list of quilts I want to make-- some from patterns in books or online, and some that I have yet to realize on paper. When I saw Anna Maria Horner's free Feather Quilt pattern for Field Study I put it at the top of the list. I had a stack of fat quarters from the Japanese company Hokkoh purchased at Quilt Market in Salt Lake almost two years ago just sitting there waiting. That saved me a boatload of time, since I tend to think a little too hard when matching fabric to a pattern. I originally wanted to applique the feathers across the quilt, but decided that this one was 1. probably going to see the inside of washing machine a lot thanks to three little people, and 2. I had not left myself enough time.

I split the stack into three different colour stories and made up 23 feathers. If you are thinking of doing this one (and I would support that notion), be prepared for the cutting and pressing to be the most time consuming part. You're cutting from templates on the bias and any number of things can go pear shaped if you don't pay attention. Once I started laying out feathers, I realized that I also wanted/needed a little more negative space, so I threw in some blank half blocks for balance. I quilted it using my Bernina and its BSR free motion function. I will tell you that there are a few glaring mistakes visible on the backside, where the flannel puckered and folded under hundreds of tiny stitches. This is in part to my sketchy time management, carelessness, and utter disdain for making quilt sandwiches. No matter how many times I sandwich those buggers together, I end up with lumps and bumps. Normally, I start quilting and then readjust my basting pins as I go. I neglected that step and paid for it. Any tips welcome. I usually tape the back to the floor, lay the batting on top, smooth, and then repeat for the top.

This is 64" by 64" ish and was a gift for Sharalee, who is also one of my sisters. It's backed with flannel from my shelves (I've started buying large amounts of flannel on clearance in order to afford to back my quilts with them) and the only think I bought specifically for this project is the Kona cotton for the background. I'm a good way down the list of people in my family that have handmade quilts from me, although, I think I should start going by household until we all stop breeding.

So, what say you? Do you have patterns on your list? Or do you have swatches waiting for the right pattern? I just bought 5 half yards of the newish Liberty Lifestyle cotton on sale at Sew, Mama, Sew and I'm trying to match dot com them into a new relationship with a quilt.

Winterizing

I did nearly no baking this year (a little for the neighbors, a little for guests) but I did stop and make these for a Mariko's Not Necessarily Cookie Specific Cookie Party. They are Lamington Cupcakes and come from The Craft of Baking, a book that usually gets a work out at my house this time of year.

That is glaze, not ganache and the cake part is more cake donut than cake. The crumb is very fine and bright white and as a not lover of cakes, I really love these. The recipe makes 12 largish ones and when I do it again, I may borrow smaller cupcake trays and try to make more small ones instead. They are rolled in toasted coconut and the few leftover were fine on the counter for a day or two.

We headed to my parent's house in B.C. to see the hundreds of cousins (not quite) and play in the snow that we woke up to the first morning after we arrived. We drove home just before Christmas to spend it here with our friends and various hi-jinks. The boys received more things that they needed than wanted (maybe) but it turned out just right in the end. The last couple of months I felt like I had acquired so many things (!!) for them but when they were all wrapped and under the tree I realized that I just have a lot of children and not really a lot of things for each.

I've finished a total of nine of Alicia's ornaments this year-- I sew them in bed at night getting the baby down. I have two more half finished that I packed away for next year. If you find yourself wanting to get into handwork and needing guidance and a beautiful finished project, I can't recommend her kits highly enough. I followed the directions and got exactly what was promised. They are sold out now, but I'm hopeful she'll release them again the the fall, so stick them on that list in the back of your head.

This was, by my counts, a banner year for making. I didn't think I would get very much done but I made a fairly ambitious list anyway, and then plowed right through it during nap times and a couple of weekend afternoons. I am always surprised at how much I can get through if I just put my head down and do it.

Comforter Style

For those of you who have purchased or sewn with Japanese double gauze, your eyes are probably popping and you're thinking "GIRL, YOU BOUGHT ALL THAT?!"

I'll stop you there and say, no, I didn't buy it, I STOLE IT. That makes it better, yes?

Mariko had a stack of half yards of Nani Iro Pocho and Fuwari Fuwari sitting on her shelf for years. I knew that she had planned to make a quilt out of them, but after watching the stack sit untouched on her shelves, taunting me, I finally took it down and told her I had a plan.

I had no such plan.

And so they sat on my shelf for a year and a half until one day I said, "enough!" and I cut into them with a half plan and a lot of good intention. The pattern is based on a throw project from Rashida Coleman's, "I Heart Patchwork". The squares are 9". I had wanted to tie it but I didn't want it to look fussy, so I opted for diagonal straight line quilting. The back is two lengths of double gauze sewn together, and I like it almost better than the front.

A few notes on working with double gauze:

• I didn't prewash because I wanted it to fluff up quite a bit in the dryer. Double gauze washes up almost like flannel and there's significant shrinkage due to a pretty loose weave.
• Because of that loose weave, piecing double gauze is best done on or against the grain. It frays and I had a monkey of a time trying to match those points due to stretching.
• It is so dang COZY, almost like a comforter. I stitched the binding on while putting T to sleep one night. I promptly fell asleep under it. I gave it to Mariko the next day because I knew I would want to keep it if I dragged it out. 

These projects bring me great joy. When I first started blogging (8 years ago?) I used to send surprise packages and swap beautiful things with people all over the world. It was fun and not always predicated on reciprocation. Making stuff and giving it away without occasion is so freeing and sweet. I need to fit more of that gift giving into my life again. Of course, if I can't find anything for Mariko for Christmas, I'm calling this her gift. So basically, I'm also covering my ass.

 

Where the Cat Hater Makes Tiny Cat Clothes and The World Did Not End

Manny poked at my belly this morning and asked me if we were going to get another baby soon.

How are YOU doing?

We are good. I'm sewing cats and kittens and tiny clothes for each. They are going under the tree for Truly.

I Blame Dorie.

There are probably more coming.

(The clothes all come off! The tiny dress is reversible! The baby is 2 1/2 inches tall!)

Beatrix for a Boy

My admiration for Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr is well documented, so when it came time to pair a charm pack of Lizzie House fabric and a baby-quilt-to-be-made, I turned to the first three issues of Modern Quilts Illustrated for a pattern. I don't use charm packs or layer cakes or what-have-you very often because I don't often own them, and I don't usually make quilts with a single line of fabric. That said, Lizzie does a fantastic job of mixing just the right number of quirky prints with her take on dots and stripes, that it's hard to go wrong when you're looking to make up something for a baby. This was a straight up stash project, and the only thing I changed was the size of the squares (which was dumb and took me much longer to do thanks to having to do MATH which I'm stereotypically awful) and an extra row of solid blocks on the long ends to make a small quilt a bit bigger.

 

A Soft Ring (and a Ribbon Jar Gift Certificate!)

Like all good sewing momentum, you become transfixed with items Off The List and then head decidedly that direction (away from the list). I had help this time: Julie over at The Ribbon Jar, an online purveyor of beautiful ribbons, asked if I wanted to be a part of their Blog Hop, celebrating the revamping of their website. She sent me a packet of ribbon along with a bundle of my choosing (disclaimer: it was free to me). That said, it still took me far too long to make my decisions! They really have a lot of great stuff to choose from.

Picking a project to showcase some of what they sent didn't take me long (it's execution is another story). My plan was for a whole stack of taggy rings for Miss Grab-and-Chew, but I'm putting the other two or three on hold for Christmas. I used a free pattern for Baby Rings from Making it Fun (Kathy Miller's blog), scraps from my bin, and strips of Herringbone, Stitched French Cotton Ribbon, and both Red and Golden Wheat Grosgrain. The pattern is great. It's straight forward but does require some hand-stitching and attaching straight lines to curves. It's good practice if you've decided you're not good at either. To make stacking rings, I'm going to shrink the pattern slightly as I go.

Truly is happy to have something else to flick and tug at. She's at the age where it's helpful to have a small pile of toys next to the bed, in the car seat, in my bag, and in her basket in the living room. She has yet to force teeth out, but it's a near constant struggle and she will chew whatever she gets her hands on. I'm glad to be able to have another toy to be able to pop in the wash. The ribbon is beautiful, of course, and I couldn't help but colour coordinate when it came to picking out my own. I didn't own any velvet ribbon prior (the horror!) and I am a sucker for grosgrain, herringbone and twill of all kinds. It's almost time for gift bag season, after all.

The Ribbon Jar is offering one 25 dollar gift certificate to their online store to one commenter. Do you have a favourite type or colour ribbon at The Ribbon Jar? Let me know, and I'll randomly pick a name before Thanksgiving and you'll be on your way to owning it. You can see other participants and enter to win gift certificates here.

Hesitantly Holiday, The Folk Star Throw

Last year I ditched (gave away, mostly) a lot of winter/Christmas/holiday stuff that we didn't use or that I wasn't really feeling. It seemed strange and ruthless to get rid of things like these, but I really felt like I wanted to replace them with things we would all really look forward to see every year. I had it in my head that I wanted to make a holiday quilt, something that came out in November and could stick around through January. I had a small pile of dala horse/My Folklore Japanese fabric that I had been saving in a stack for a project like this, and then the clever bunch over at Purl Bee published instructions for a Striped Star Mini Quilt. Done.

I followed the instructions for the first star to the letter and was dismayed to realize how much pieced waste it created. For every arm of the star I was cutting away large triangles of strip piecing, and in the end I was left with a colourful pile of work going unused. And since last year this time I was in the beginnings of a wicked third trimester, and was running low on time/patience/ability to fit myself under my sewing machine, I put my piles away until I could figure out an easier way of putting them together.

A month ago I pulled them out, determined to get that Christmas Quilt done BEFORE Christmas, and decided that paper piecing was going to be much quicker and leave me with much less waste. I am a mess when it comes to math, but this one was pretty straight forward. I only used the paper for the striped arms of the stars, and then cut triangles out to piece the block together, following the original directions. I ran out of steam after four stars, and being determined to use only fabric I had on my shelves, I decided to put together some over-sized pinwheels to get it to throw-sized. In a perfect world, those blocks would have been some complicated variation on flying geese or something equally as folky, but time is not on my side this year either.

Again, in a perfect world full of money trees, I would have liked to find the some sort of neutral linen or soft wool to back it with. Instead, I pulled out yardage of yarn-dyed stripe left over from pj pants, and a warm grey, Japanese Snowmen print Mariko had de-stashed to me. The kids will like it better and I'm sure that in a few years I will look at its quirkiness with fondness. The quilting is mostly echo/straight-line, but I did use the free-motion foot to quilt all of our names into one of the stars. There are a few small open blocks that I think I might go back and embroider in: exponentially upping the quirk factor (if I'm going with it, I'm going to really go with it).

For now, though, it's done and ready for the couch (or who am I kidding? The floor.) and the next few months. It's also off the list and that is really the best gift. For the first time ever I'm only sharing my sewing space with my deep freeze and washer and dryer and it is AMAZING AND WONDERFUL, not to put too fine a point on it. I also have a space heater down there, so there is really no stopping that list from getting super long.