quilt-as-you-go

I made a toddler size quilt out of some fabric that already had a pieced look to it.  the fabric I was given wasn't big enough to be the top by itself, so I added more squares to it and tried quilt as you go with this joining method from the Gourmet Quilter.

I'm not a rainbow and bright colors kinda person, but I really like making bold colored quilts like this, especially paired with black to make everything pop.

compared to traditional quilting like I did on my crazy quilt, it's definitely easier to work on smaller squares to join them up later.  it's also a great way to use up smaller pieces of fabric because you don't have to have a large solid backing, and you have the option for a reversible quilt.  this would make a great group project as well.  so many wins for this one!  I will keep this in mind for future quilts.

pillowcase dresses

I helped make pillowcase dresses that went to Colombia earlier this week.  we completed 84 - yay us!  these are very simple to make and super cute. Hobby Lobby has an easy to follow video on making these, and a size chart for size 2T up to 8.

I surged the raw edges and turned them under instead of using bias tape under the arms because I wanted to crank out as many as possible.  don't panic if it looks bunched up and funny after sewing the fabric under the arms - once it's ironed it lays flat and it's fine.

  

something else I do different than the pattern is making the ties come out the center back of the casing instead of tying at the shoulder.  I thought it'd be harder for the younger ones to try to pull at the bow if they couldn't easily reach it, but the strap can be shifted to tie at the shoulder for the older ones that dress themselves.

the deal was cookies for a picture, and to not tell daddy what we did that afternoon!

I iron down the top edge 1", open it up and mark two lines within the casing, and sew a rectangle in the back seam making sure to reinforce at the top and bottom so the seam doesn't come undone.

  

I separate the seam and clip the stitches within the rectangle I just sewed to make the opening for the strap ends to come out of, then stitch the casing down.

  

these are the cute projects I miss out on when only having boys, so hopefully there are some girls in our future so I don't scar my sons with memories of trying on girlie things...even if it is for a good cause ;)

hats and booties for Nigeria

the sewing group I'm in sends newborn hats and booties to The Eku Hospital in Nigeria.  these are the patterns that I like to use:

Booties pattern by Paula Daniele from Crochet Hooks You.  these are pretty simple to do, and they look great.  she does her double crochet 2 together different, but I'm sure any way will do fine.

I can't seem to find the exact hat pattern I use from memory, but it could be that the pattern in my head is a mixture of a bunch of different hats I've made!

round 1:  make a magic circle, ch 2 (counts as 1st dc), dc 9 times into loop, sl st into top of ch 2 to join, pull tail tight to close hole (10 sts)

round 2:  ch 2, dc into same st, 2dc into each st around, sl st into top of ch 2 to join (20 sts)

round 3:  ch 2, dc into same st, *dc into next st, 2 dc into next st, repeat from * to end, sl st into top of ch 2 to join (30 sts)

round 4:  ch 2, dc into same st, *dc into next two sts, 2 dc into next st, repeat from * to end, sl st into top of ch 2 to join (40 sts)

round 5:  ch 2, dc into each st around, sl st into top of ch 2 to join (40 sts)

repeat round 5 until desired length is reached (I did 7" to have enough for a cuff), fasten off, and weave in ends.

I've attached buttons, flowers, and bows to the hats I've made, but they can definitely stay plain and still be cute.  I also use different yarns and hook sizes, so depending on what I use I check this chart to see if the sizing is good.

crazy quilt

I was asked to make a quilt with a bunch of random fabric for a charity sewing group I'm in, so I thought the best way to make all the fabric work together and use up as many scraps as I could was to make it totally unorganized and mismatched - I even turned some of the fabrics the wrong side up - I know, I went a little crazy on my crazy quilt!  I love how I could just throw stuff together and really didn't have to worry about anything except making straight cuts.  I even staggered the rows so I didn't have to match the blocks up O:)

I did some free motion quilting with my new darning foot and just doodled away with a multi-colored thread.  it really popped against the black sashing and really tied the blocks together.  this took a while, but it also went kinda quick because I enjoyed doing it - it passed the time, and the more I did the more inspired I was to finish.

I don't know if I could do one like this every month, but sewing for the past couple of weeks has made me want to sew some more between the crocheting I've been doing for the group.  I saw a video for quilting as you go that I really wanna try next time!