Sis Boom Jamie Dress

I decided to take a leap into unknown sewing territory for me and attempt to make something wearable.  I jumped in on the Sis Boom Jamie dress sew along over at sewsweetness, hosted by Sara.  I cannot believe I am sharing these pictures with you, as I tend to hate pictures of myself, but its proof that I actually have sewn something that I would wear in public!!

I cannot sing enough praises of this pattern, as being a complete newbie to sewing clothing, the instructions were so precise and most every step in the pattern is accompanied by a picture showing what it should look like.  I started working on this Thursday evening, thinking I would *just* cut out the pattern pieces with the intent of getting sewing this weekend, but within 4 hours, I had a compete dress, minus the straps and the hem!  I got back to work this afternoon and within an hour or two had a complete finished dress.  

I think the only two things I would do differently next time would be: 1. To not add the extra width in the bust.  I erred on the side of caution and added the extra material, but in the end I think it would have been fine without. 2.  To continue the waistband around to the back of the dress as well. 

I am really really happy with how this turned out, and I see more versions of this Jamie dress in my future.   Check out all the fabulous finishes over in the flickr pool, there have been some very cool variations, like this tunic length version by Kim.  I can totally see myself rockin' this tunic version with some capris over the summer.

If you're interested, here is a link to the pattern on etsy.  I can't say I'll be going into business as a seamstress anytime soon, but putting this dress together has significantly lessened my fear of sewing clothing, so thank you Sara for broadening my sewing horizons!!

I will be linking this post to Canoe Ridge Creations Sew Modern Monday!  Thanks Megan for hosting!!

Lookie what I found...

Lookie what I found on my latest trip to Joann's!  I had heard that Denyse Schmidt had designed a line of fabrics for Joann Fabrics, but I figured there was no way it would be in my Joann's out in the burbs in PA...but much to my surprise as I ventured back into the quilting fabrics to pick up some muslin, I spotted the DS Quilts Collection!  Eeek!!  All the prints were so so pretty, but I resisted and only picked up a half yard of these five prints.  I'm sure I'll be back for more, but this should get me started.

Sooo...bust out those Joann's coupons and go get some DS yummy fabric!!

WIP Wednesday {4.13.2011}

It's Wednesday, which means its WIP time!  Here's whats been going on in my sewing room this week...

Completed Projects

Amy Butler Cosmo Bag



This is more of a start and a finish this week, I know I have had it listed as a WIP for some time now, but I got down to business this week, and completed the Cosmo bag from Amy Butler's Style Stitches book!  This bag monopolized the majority of my time this week, but its now completed, taken its maiden voyage to the gym with me, and I cannot say how much I love this bag!

Nook Cover

This was just a little mini project, but I figured I'd snap a pic of it before it goes to its new owner.  A co-worker of my moms was admiring the Nook cover I made for her and asked if I would be willing to make one for her daughter.  She said her daughters favorite colors were orange and pink, and this is what I came up with.  I pieced the front, but instead of quilting with batting, I used fusible fleece.  I really like the extra padding the layers of fusible fleece gives the holder, and, its much quicker than quilting the layers to batting.  Hope she likes it!

Ongoing Projects

3 x 6 Bee Blocks

We are now into the second quarter of 2011 in the 3 x 6 bee, which means a new beehive with new blocks to make!  I am the caretaker of beehive 24, and us caretakers decided to arrange a secret block swap along with our beehive blocks, and this is what I've drummed up.

Hexagons!!  I have always loved the look of hexagons, but they always seemed so labor intensive.  With the help of my Accuquilt GO! and the hexagon die, I think I had about 50 medium sized hexagons cut out in less than a half an hour, and then went to town basting them to paper templates, which has resulted in the above blue and orange in progress hexagon block!  Hopefully my partner likes!!  I must say, I do really like having a hand piecing/quilting project in the works that I can work on while mindlessly watching TV in the evenings.

Sis Boom Jamie Dress Sew Along

I'll be honest, I've gotten as far as prewashing my fabrics with this!  As the Cosmo bag was my "project of the week" last week, this dress is my project of the week this week!! 

1. Sis Boom Jamie Dress - Quilt-Style!, 2. Sis Boom Jamie Dress, 3. Sis Boom Jamie dress full, 4. Zebra Sis Boom Jamie dress skirt, 5. IMG_3596, 6. Sis Boom Jamie Dress, 7. Sis Boom Jamie Dress side view, 8. Jaime Dress 002, 9. jamie dress minus straps

Seeing all these awesome dresses in the flickr pool is just the motivation to get my butt in gear and sew a dress!!



Quilt tops awaiting quilting

Central Park baby quilt #1

Scrappy Rainbow Quilt

This Weeks Stats

New Projects: 0
Completed Projects: 1
Ongoing Projects: 7

Be sure to head over to Freshly Pieced and add your WIPs!

Goodies!!



Lookie what the mail man brought me yesterday!!  I am beyond ecstatic, I received this lovely doll quilt from Krista (lolablueocean)!!!  There are not words to express how much I love this, and how thankful I am of Krista and the time and detail she put into this fabulous doll quilt.  The bright fun colors, the spiderwebs, THE QUILTING, oh my!!

I could stare at this for hours, just look at all those awesome fabric strips!  Krista did an amazing job, I cannot even fathom how she did all the fabulous quilting! 

Just look at those feathers.  Swoon.  I had seen this doll quilt in the flickr pool, and had commented that I hoped it was comming to me, and how luck am I, it did indeed come my way!

Krista also sent along this adorable mug rug which I also just love.  Half square triangles AND embroidery AND linen?  Couldn't get any better. 

Krista also included some fabulous thread and fun ribbons that I must find a project to use them in.  Again, thank you thank you thank you Krista, I just absolutely love the doll quilt you sent!

Cosmo Bag

I purchased Amy Butler's Style Stitches book a few months ago, and had all intentions of participating in Bree from My Crafty Crap's sew along she is hosting using the book to create one project per month.  Now seeing that it is April, and the Cosmo bag is technically January's bag in the sew along, I'm not quite following along.  I knew right away when looking through this book, that of all the bags out of this book, this was one that I just had to make.  I have to say right off the bat, that I LOVE it.  Love Love Love.

I used City Blooms by Kitty Yoshida for the main exterior, Riley Blake purple bead chain for the handles and Riley Blake Victoria in fuscia for the lining.

This bag is the first pattern in the Style Stitches book, and is labeled "beginner."  Now, I really didn't have a hard time putting this bag together, but I don't think I could have just opened up this book, not having had much sewing experience under my belt, and had a successful outcome.  This bag was incredibly labor intensive, and I grossly underestimated how long it would take to put together.  I clocked it, 3 hours alone just to cut out the fabric pieces from the pattern and apply all the 90 million yards of interfacing to all the pieces.  And then I began sewing. 

I hit one major hiccup during the construction...it was 100% my fault and an error in attention to direction, but when I was assembling the outer portion, I sewed the handles on backwards (I sewed the right handle onto the left side of the bag, and the left handle onto the right side of the bag).  Ugh.  I didn't realize it until I went to sew the sides on, and thought, "huh, this doesn't seem right."  Well, that's because it wasn't right.  Like I said completely 100% my fault, but frustrating none the less.  Me and my seam ripper became best friends working on this bag.  

I will say, this bag is monstrous.  Like you could fit a small child inside.  Actually, not even technically a small child.  I do love it, don't get me wrong, this will make a great beach bag, and I plan on using it as a gym bag as well, but it's big.

I love this button detail, and am going to keep it in mind if I ever need a closure like this.

To briefly review this pattern, the construction is very labor intensive for a "beginner" pattern, with lots of curved seems, resulting in TONS of pinning.  As seems to be true with Amy Butler patterns in general, do not expect lots of pictures in the instructions.  I think this pattern had about 14 steps, and while the book has plenty of pictures of the completed bags scattered throughout, there are no pictures of the construction process.  There were 2 maybe 3 diagrams scattered throughout the instructions, but the directions are very clear, concise and worded so there were not may steps where I found myself confused.  Overall, I would say this bag was totally worth the effort!

I am going to link this post to Canoe Ridge Creations Sew Modern Monday, be sure to check out all the awesome entries!

postage stamp quilt top



It's been entirely too long since I began this quilt, but the top is finally finished!!  I followed along with Rachel of p.s. i quilt's postage stamp quilt along and finally have a quilt top to show for it. 

I had played around with making this quilt smaller than the suggested result, because I wanted to have some left over blocks to make a pieced back.  In the end, I do have about 15 extra strips, which will be enough to add a little extra into the quilt back, and I am glad that I went with the larger size.  The top measures 60 1/2 x 80 1/2 inches, yes that is 1200 tiny little 2 inch squares!!  I'm pretty sure this is the largest quilt I've put together as of yet, and I'm a little nervous how my little machine will handle quilting it.  I really don't want to pay to have it long arm quilted, and, well the quilting is my favorite part, so I don't want to give it up!  

Here are a few close ups of some of the blocks (please ignore the errant strings that I have yet to pluck off).  To make this quilt, I used a jelly roll of It's a Hoot by MoMo for Moda and a jelly roll of Bella Solids in Snow.

I really do think that these prints lended themselves very nicely to the smaller 2" blocks in this quilt, and even the little squares of the larger all over prints caught a few cute little glimpses of little birdies and cool shapes. 

This quilt top has been folded up and stashed away, and will stay like that for a little while.  I'm still deciding on how I want to quilt it, I really want to straight line quilt 1/4 inch from each seam, but my last session of straight line quilting has me paranoid of puckers!  I think it is my basting that is off...what are your tips for sucessfully basting  your quilts?? 

WIP Wednesday {4.6.2011}



WIP Wednesday time!  Unfortunately there has been little to no sewing done this week.  We had such a crazy busy weekend, that I think the only time I was in my sewing room, was to put away all the fabric I bought on our shop hop!

Ongoing Projects

p.s. i quilt postage stamp quilt along

I finally have all my blocks sewn together for the p.s. i quilt postage stamp quilt along.  I was arranging my blocks on my design wall, I didn't realize how big this quilt is going to be, above is a glimpse at what fit on my design wall.  I did spend some time sewing rows together, and have the quilt top almost half way pieced.  Thats my goal for tonight, get this quilt top finished up!  I really do like how this is turning out.  I was originally thinking of giving this quilt to my cousin and her soon to be husband as a wedding gift, but I found a better quilt to make for them (more to come on that later!)  I'm thinking this might be tucked away for a friends birthday, but we shall see.

pintoppers

I blogged about these yesterday, and I guess it is technically something I did finish this week.  These are available for purchase if anyone is interested for $ 4.00 per topper. 

Cosmo Bag



Baby steps here.  I have found my fabric I want to use to make my Cosmo Bag from Amy Butler's style stitches!  This is project numero uno after that quilt top is pieced together.

New Projects

Sew Sweetness Sew Along

Sara from SewSweetness is hosting a sew along to make a dress!!  Sara always has the most adorable dresses and clothing that she makes featured on her blog, and I am always in awe of what she can do with a sewing machine.  She has put together this awesome sew along using the Sis Boom Jamie dress pattern, which I think looks absolutely adorable. 





I am stepping 100% out of my comfort zone on this one and am hoping that my end result is something I wouldn't be embarassed to wear in public!  Above is the fabric I selected for my dress.  I have to say, I found it very challenging to select a fabric that I could envision on that large of a scale, so here's hoping my selection works well!  My fabric has been prewashed and I need to print out the pattern pieces next.

Quilt tops awaiting quilting

Central Park baby quilt #1
Scrappy Rainbow Quilt

This Weeks Stats


New Projects: 3 (I'm adding in 3 x 6 bee blocks and caretaker block swap here too)
Completed Projects: 0
Ongoing Projects: 5

Be sure to pop over to freshly pieced and add your WIP!