Tuesday, May 31, 2011

For Mary

Aunt Mary is off to the MTC. Tomorrow she starts her 18 month mission for our church.  Curious?  We wanted to send Aunt Mary away with something from us that wouldn't be a pain to have to carry along with her necessities. Here's what we came up with: PILLOWCASES!
Awesome, right?  How functional.  We brainstormed various Aunt Mary facts and then got to work.
First up, i heart cats.  Because man, Aunt Mary and cats.  (I have now confessed to Aunt Mary my feelings toward cats and she's not holding it against me.)
Aren't the creases great?  Aunt Mary had to unpack this one for the picture and I so didn't bother to iron.
It's more applique, I've become a little applicrazy.  I blame the Scrabble quilt and the left over fusible web.  I did a simple blanket stitch around it all.
The heart is made with the over the top " I love my kitty cat" fabric that I used when I made Mary some flannel slippers a few years ago.
Next up, Godzilla attacking Atlanta Bread Company.  Mary used to work there.  On our end it was a great deal; she brought over the stuff that was getting less than fresh.  The peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate are really good.  (and yeah, the lighing's crummy)
 Anyway, Godzilla.  He's applique and blanket stitch with backstitching on the details.  And my very first successful french knot for his eye. 
 Doesn't he look angry?  He must not have tried the chocolate filled croissants yet.  They taste way better than that car will.
The only potential flaw in the whole pillowcase scheme is that they could be wildly uncomfortable to sleep on.  Guess she can always just turn it over.  Although having Godzilla imprinted on her cheek would be pretty funny.
In other Aunt Mary sewing, I adjusted the sizing on the temple slippers I made her for her birthday.  I had forgotten to factor in the nylon slippery factor, they shouldn't slip off anymore.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Growing

Secret Quilt #2 was feeling like it needed a little more, so I added a little more.  I'm thinking about diagonal quilting in the middle, but that's waiting on a few pieces of information. 

One of the plants we're plant sitting is flowering for the first time ever.  It gets more direct sunlight here than its usual spot, I was told. 
 The most blooming ones are in the middle of the plant jungle.  These are the best shots I could get. 
That's the latest in my sewing room; quilts and plants alike are growing.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Someday

I'm intrigued by the idea of making a doll house quilt.  I had a blanket dollhouse that is now Lily's.  It's a panel with the dollhouse printed on it.  I really want to make a quilt with a house.  I figure the walls, floors, and baseboards can be pieced and the furniture and whatnot appliqued on.  I like the idea of being able to put lots of little details in each room.  I think it would be fun to make it match the actual decor in someone's house.
Right now this is on my board with my other quilt ideas.  Someday I will make one of these.  Maybe all the pregnant people I know will have girls and I'll get to make one soon...

The "Fake Pleats"

I think they look pretty impressive, I mean come on, pleats are hard core.  These were crazy easy.  Well, okay there was some math involved, but as far as the physical making of them, easy. 
I made a bunch of equidistant button holes on the back of the rod pocket.  I did this before I sewed the pocket, so essentially giant buttonholes near the unfinished edge then I folded it over to make the rod pocket.  (The equidistant part was where the math came in.)
Once the sewing was all done I just wove the rod in and out through the buttonholes.  That way, the "out" part of the curtain pulls away from the rod when I open the curtains and creates a fake pleat.  Easy.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Again With July

Right now I'm quilting in the ditch and I'm not sure I'm loving it.  The squares aren't really the main element of the quilt per se, so I figure it's not really an issue.  I'm usually not totally sold until I see the full effect anyway; so in July.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A Sneak Peek

This doesn't get a full reveal until July.  But until then, if you look now, you can see part of his left elbow...
(geeky quote for Jenna's amusement, there are no elbows above)