Mom's Quilt

I will be leaving for a few weeks and will not be blogging until I return, but I wanted to leave you with the following pictures.  My mom wanted to make a quilt a few weeks back, so we searched through her stash, along with mine, looking for just the right fabric that she could use to make a quilt.  We actually went 'shopping' in my closet and her's.  We finally came across this flannel, panel that she had purchased while living in Arkansas.  It was a line of fabric that Thimbleberries had put out years earlier.  I  liked the panel very much and was anxious for mom to get started on her quilt.  She had purchased an accompanying fabric to match the panel at the same time, but the rest of the fabric that was needed to make additional  borders, along with the backing and binding, needed to be purchased.  So off we went to a real fabric store as my closet store had nothing to offer.... Once mom completed her quilt, I took it to my dear friend Sharon Moninee to have it quilted.  I picked the quilt up yesterday and quickly went to work making the binding attaching it  by machine rather than by hand so I could take it with me on my trip to surprise my mom.  I had Sharon use a wool batting rather than the normal 'Warm and Natural' batting that I so often have her use, due to its light weight and warmth.  Here is the result:

Don't you just love it!  As usual, I made a label and attached it to the back BEFORE Sharon quilted it.  Here is a glimpse of the label:

When mom and I were shopping in my closet, we found other pieces of fabric that mom was able to use and she made  a second quilt with that....I can't wait to share that quilt with you  when I return.  

Happy sewing!

Project #5

This project was easy for me to complete as I make stockings all the time!  There were some wonderful techniques shared in the construction of this stocking however, that I found very helpful and am sure I will use  over and over again when constructing more stockings on my own.  As you can see, I used fabric that I had on hand that was used on a stocking that I had previously posted before.  I am so enjoying this class that I am considering taking another one at some point in time. Many thanks to the wonderful instructors at Martha Pullen.

My stocking:

The In-between........

Sometime ago my cousin, who does NOT quilt, visited a quilt shop in her area and saw a quilt hanging on the wall that she thought was absolutely gorgeous!  She proceeded to purchase the kit that was packaged together to make that same quilt...with hopes of one day putting it together......did I mention that she does NOT quilt...let alone sew anything together for that matter!  Well, she held onto the kit for some time, then eventually gave it to me and my mom to sew together for her.  That kit was instantly thrown into the deep recesses of   my closet to never be seen again, as far as I was concerned,  I had way too many projects of my own to complete let alone taking on someone else's.  My mom decided one day, that my cousin's quilt kit needed to be rescued from the prison of my closet and  that we needed  to put it together for my cousin.  'Go for it', I told her.  (Now I am no dummy and I knew that I would be the one who would end up having to finish that quilt.  Seriously mom?)

The kit did not have enough fabric in it to complete the quilt that my cousin had fallen in love with.  If the backing had not been included in the kit, we would have been up a creek as I have never seen that fabric available anywhere.  Because the kit had been purchased so long  ago, I knew that the fabric shop where the kit had been purchased would no longer have the fabric available either.  So...I had to improvise.   I used the purple fabric, meant  for the backing, to make a narrow border along with the binding.  The small scraps of fabric that were left over, were sewn together to form the outer border.  Here is the result...... 

The front:

 The label I made, sewn onto the new backing fabric that my mom picked out.

And to my dearest cousin.....you are not allowed to purchase anymore kits!  😍 Love you...

Project #4

I just finished project number four...a toddler jacket.  I made the huge mistake of purchasing some inexpensive fabric from a well known retailer in my area.  I know better than to do this and constantly tell my students and/or friends NOT to make this costly error. I was thinking 'sample' and not longevity.  Because I did not make a wise decision with my fabric choice, I wonder just how long the pulling of the snaps will last before the snaps simply pull through the fabric itself.  Lesson learned. 

Here's the jacket:

I love the color and I especially like the flannel that I picked out for the hoodie lining.  It is so very soft!  The writing on the flannel is pretty cute too.  Prayerfully this jacket  will last longer than a month!😊  (Maybe it's a good thing I am doing this class on-line...my instructors will never have to experience the horror of feeling just how flimsy my fabric really is.) Honestly..it looks much prettier in person..honest.

Serging On.......

I am close to completing my third project for my licensing...a summer dress for one of my granddaughters.  Since we are a rather patriotic bunch, I decided on a red, white, and blue fabric so that she will be ready for Flag Day as well as July 4th.  I have not added the buttons nor buttonholes as yet because I haven't decided what I am going to use, but I knew you would be able to view it as 'completed' without them.  

The dress:

Continuing on....😍

Another Project Done!

As I shared with you a couple of posts ago, I am taking yet another class in serger licensing through the Martha Pullen Company.  Martha's classes are beyond description and you are able to learn far more than you can imagine from the gifted teachers that are at your beckon call at any given moment.  The techniques, videos, and written instructions are the best I have ever seen....and over the years I have seen and experienced a lot.  It is no wonder that I continue to return to the place where I know I will be taught the latest and the greatest in the sewing skills I long to possess.

Below is a picture of the USB bag that I just completed. I not only had to sew this bag together, but then I had to photograph it,  then send the photograph to my instructors, and finally wait to see if it passed their approval or not.  It may not seem like it, but there are many various techniques that are required to complete  this tiny, little bag.  Changing from overlock, to flatlock, to 2-thread chain stitch was time consuming.  Also, incorporating the use of three different feet to accomplish the look I was going for was also quite challenging at times.  Adding the zipper was merely the icing on the cake. So to my instructors there at the Martha Pullen Company,  I applaud you all for your stick-to-itiveness, your support and constant encouragement to drive us to do our best.