Not So Scary Y-Seams

I have a new baby quilt that I've been working on for a very special, longtime friend. 

I am incredibly happy for her, and this is going to be a really special baby. 

I've been learning Y-seams just for this quilt.

They're really not as scary as people make them out to seem.

That being said, piecing is slow-going, and I need to take breaks with other projects in between to keep my sanity, but it's not terrible. 

I am glad that it's a project that I waited on until my consistency with seam allowance improved, though.

And I have a closer relationship to my seam ripper. hahaha

I got on the somewhat low volume bandwagon.

I really wanted the colored, arrow-type pieces to pop. 

I don't know if it's a boy or girl (my money's on boy), but I think it's gender-neutral enough.

And these are fabrics that really remind me of my friend.

Look at that beauty of a seam!

Some are certainly better than others, but it's coming along nicely. 

Not too shabby here, either.  

 

I can't wait to finish this baby up and pass it on. 

I love making quilts for friends, praying for them and their families, putting my love in the quilt. 

Any new skills that you're working on?

Arielle Skirt - Muslin #1

So, I've been wanting to venture out into apparel for some time now.

But it's super intimidating. First of all, patterns. 

I mean, I can measure out so many inches by so many inches on a piece of quilting cotton with my ruler and rotary cutter. But how do those markings on that tissue paper stuff get on your fabric?

Am I right?

Plus, now you're working in three dimensions.

And quilting cottons just play so nice. In quilts. Not always so much in apparel.

Somehow, at some point, I stumbled on Tilly's blog.

Oh my gosh, you guys. She is adorable. 

And she's really good at explaining and demonstrating.

So, when her book came out, I was all over that like white on rice (3/4s white?). ;)  I have read it cover to cover multiple times, and it breaks things down in such an accessible way. And it comes with super cute patterns that I actually want to make. So often sewing books for beginners have terrible patterns. Stuff I have no interest in making. 

Not so with Tilly.

But she had this other pattern, not in her book, that I was just loving. The Arielle Skirt.

I mean how cute is that?

And work appropriate?

Yes and yes.

And I need a little distraction from some other things on my mind and heart right now?

Also yes.

So I started the Arielle.

So, I, per Tilly's great advice, made a muslin. I measured between a 3 and 4 in Tilly's sizes, so I graded between the two (how-to shown in her book and her blog) on my trusty Swedish tracing paper. 

I used Saral Tracing Paper and my Clover tracing wheel to transfer the markings to muslin (that's how you do it!) and carefully cut out.

I'm so glad I took the time to make a muslin, because it really just didn't fit the way I wanted. And if you're going to the trouble of making something for yourself, it really should fit well, right? 

I mean that's the advantage of sewing.

I'm certainly not "average" size wise. Who is? I'd like to meet you. ;)

I'm shorter than what ready-to-wear considers petite for example.  I'm 5'1" and "petite" is made for a 5'4". Three inches can be quite a bit of difference. 

For example, you can kind of see in this first picture that the skirt is just too long for me. 

I apologize, these aren't the greatest pictures. I'll make Mr. Gardener take them next time. ;)

Pinning it up made it much better for me.

Some people can really pull off that mid-calf, midi look. I, however, look stumpy. So, I just don't do it. ;)

It fits okay, but I'm not in love with how it's pulling across the middle. It makes me feel like it's too tight and made me just feel unattractive.

And I'm a believer that how you feel influences what you look like (and how often you wear something). So I need to make some adjustments here. 

I also realized that I didn't follow the tracing/cutting instructions quite right so the darts are right side in in the back and wrong side out in the front. Oops. 

But at the same time, while I've got some hips and booty influencing the pull in the front, the waist doesn't fit quite right either.

So, I think I will shorten the length, size up to a four instead of grading between the three and four, and take in the darts in the back. 

I'll let you know how it goes. :)

But I'm so glad I did this with my cheap, crappy muslin fabric versus my nice and more expensive apparel fabric (which should be in the mail!).

Are you working on anything interesting?

Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WiP Wednesday!

WiP Wednesday 8

Got one more block done on my Circle of Geese quilt.

Slowly but surely...

Four down, five to go!

I think this little guy is so darn cute.

I love Riley Blake!

Here are all four all together.

I gotta get my act together. I think the baby shower is soon!

Darn it! I'm going to bring one of these to a baby shower! :)

Join me for WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. 

Works in Progress Wednesday 7

So...for this week, I have two more Circle of Geese Blocks for my newest baby quilt.

Nevermind the fact that I need to finish quilting my Bloom Bloom Pow quilt.

Whoops.

It will get done. I promise.

Block 2.

Excuse the shiny sun. 

I'm glad to see it here once in a while. If only it would warm up. I'll take 32 degrees at this point.

Block 3. 

You can see that I'm using scrap paper for paper piecing here. 

Hehe. See the music lyrics in the background? 

I love the stained glass look that the backlighting gives the blocks here.

I'm having so much fun sewing these up. They are sooooo much easier than they look!

And what a privilege and honor it is to have a reminder to pray for my friend, her baby, and her family every time I sit down at the sewing machine.

So, I now have 3 total blocks for this quilt. I'm going for 9 total Circle of Geese blocks, plus some sashing and borders. 

I also worked on some Valentine coasters I'm making. 

They're going to be more exciting than this, I promise. But have to do Part A to get to Part B.

I'm hoping to get a tutorial up for y'all here soon. Check back in with me. 

I cranked out 16 of these babies on Sunday.

See how fun they'll be? Embroidery floss, fabric paint, gold thread. 

And I finally bought into the Washi tape trend? Did you know Target carries this stuff now?

I'm not late to the party. ;) It doesn't start until I get there. 

Do join me for the party at Freshly Pieced and Works in Progress Wednesday.

Works in Progress Wednesday 6

It's been awhile since I posted one of these babies.

And I have so. many. WiPS. 

Whoops. Quilt ADD getting the better of me. 

But here's the latest (and where I have actually made progress). 

Remember the fabric I purchased about a month ago? 

It's starting to take shape!

Into a Circle of Geese quilt!

This is block number 1 of 9. 

The seams don't really show THAT much in person...it's the light through the background. But I kind of like it, reminds me of stained glass.

I've been wanting to try my hand at one of these for seemingly forever.

And I'm pretty stoked about this one. 

Knowing who it's going to...I have pretty much free aesthetic range.

So, in that spirit, I'm diving in.  Bright colors, bold prints. I'm having a great time!

I'm planning the geese and cutting them out block by block to make sure I like the arrangements together.

81 geese can get overwhelming otherwise. :)

And my trusty pincushion is helping. 

What else are you supposed to do with those VS puppies? ;)

Join Works in Progress Wednesday with Freshly Pieced. 

Works in Progress Wednesday 5

Making major strides on my Bloom Bloom Pow quilt.

Finished piecing the "starter blocks," cut them up into triangles and pieced the triangles together in half hexagons.

I should take more pictures between steps, just for my own benefit to see the progression, but I get excited and have to keep going.

More in the stack, but I decided I didn't need to spread them all out for photographing at this juncture.

I think I'll be done soon. At least with the quilt top.

Eye spy with my little eye, something Phi Mu related!

Can you see it?

New fabric arrived for my next endeavor.

Actually, I think I'll be working it concurrently with a couple of other projects.

I just love the bright colors. While I do like the look of solids in quilts, I love bold pattern so much that I couldn't resign myself to just solids. So, that hot pink zebra print? Yeah, that's for the backing. :)

More bright zebra print. That's for the back of the Bloom Bloom Pow.

Yes, it will be loud and proud.

I'll explain it, but I have to wait.

The lime dots are for the binding. A smidgeon tamer. :)

Linking up with Works in Progress Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Also linking up with Kelly for Needle and Thread Thursday

Works in Progress Wednesday 4

Here we are at Works in Progress Wednesday again.

And, look! No baby quilt this week!

You know what that means...

Tune in on Friday for the final reveal. (Mr. Gardener has been commissioned to help take pictures tonight.)

Now onto the next....

So, there actually is a baby quilt this week, but this is a different one.

I'm finally back to my Bloom Bloom Pow this week. 

The color choices are a little different for me and I'm pretty nervous about them. I hope it all ends up looking good together. There's a story behind them, but I can't share it yet. While I'm sure the mama-to-be has probably figured out that this is her quilt, there's still a chance for a surprise.

I've made four of the...well, I'm not sure what to call them. They're not the actually finished block, but the first step of the block, then I'll cut it, rearrange the pieces, and sew them back together.

Sound confusing enough? 

I guess I'll call them starter blocks? 

Well, either way, I've finished four of them. I have 10 full-sized ones left and 4 half-sized ones.

They sew up real nice and easy. 

I've actually almost completed six more. One last step.

Which really only leaves four more full-sized blocks and four half-sized blocks!

This one might be finished before this baby arrives. :)

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In other news, I have a request of y'all.

Our friend, Todd, was in a very serious car accident yesterday. Thanks be to God, he is alive, but there is concern, that he may be paralyzed. Can y'all be in prayer for him, please? And for his family? He has a wife and a daughter and they are obviously under a lot of stress. They could all really use your prayer.

Because our God still works miracles today.

Sometimes in ways we can't or don't see and sometimes in ways we do. 

He is in this and every situation until He says it's finished.

God is good. All the time.

I really appreciate your prayers.

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Linking up with Freshly Pieced 

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