Star Wars and February Update

Recently I drug my husband kicking and screaming to Joanne's to help me pick out fabric for the quilt I am making.  In the hope, that if we liked the finished product it would go in our living room. Right as we walked through the door to Joanne's what did he find... Star Wars fabric!  He was so overjoyed - arms brimming with fabric, he rushed to the cutting table so he could have some new pajama pants!

Now, if you remember I had some pretty lofty goals for February.  I didn't really accomplish what I had hoped.  The vacation I thought would help me achieve the goals really derailed them, but here is an update.                                                              


• To finish the Minrou Jacket Sew-Along and complete my first jacket ever! 

   I am up to date with the Sew-Along, but it has fallen behind schedule.  I believe we should be finished before the end of this week.  I can't wait to show off this beautiful jacket!

• To complete the quilting blocks for January and February from the Craftsy course.

   Yay! This was a sewing goal accomplishment and a task I really enjoyed!
• Participate in the Sew Colette Sew-Along for the second month (the Pastille dress from the Colette Sewing handbook.

   While I detoured a bit from the original pattern - this was another sewing accomplishment and a great springy addition to my closet.
• Complete (3) UFO’s a Pink Ginger Skirt, an Amy Butler traveling handbag, and Light Blue Georgette Sorbetto

     The Pink Ginger skirt is complete except I need to do some handstitching to the waistband this will be finished this week and you should see a post on it!

    The Amy Butler bag is on my sewing table now and I am hoping to wrap this one up this week as well.

   The Georgette sorbetto is still in the UFO basket!

• Complete a Lonsdale Dress!

   This dress never made it to the sewing tables.

Derailments:  2 pairs of StarWars pants, pillows for the house, and watching too much Project Runway.

Lavender and Cream Pastille

Pictured above is my finished Pastille dress for the February portion of the Sew Colette challenge.  About halfway through the construction of this garment - I was pretty much ready to give up.  I had convinced myself that I really didn't like the style of the dress, the fabric was a poor fit, and that it was just going to look sloppy.

However, I was determined to finish it just so it wouldn't become a UFO.  So, on I went...  the first issue were the sleeve facings.  They looked horrible!  I thought about recutting them and redoing them but I just really didn't like them.  I finally decided to finish the sleeves with bias tape instead.  The only color I had a full pack of was lavender - so that is what I used.

The second issue was the pleats at the bottom of the dress.  Somewhere along the line all my markings had faded.  I could attempt to re-trace them from the pattern - or guess on lining them up properly, but neither of those options made me happy either!  So, I decided to do something I never do!  I hemmed the skirt with my machine and then placed a strip of bias tape over the hemline.  I figured I need someway to tie the bias tape into the theme and look of the dress or the sleeves would just look odd.

Finally at the finish line I tried the dress on and it was suggested to me by the husband no less, that I should also trim the waist, and there you have it - a dress I really do love despite the earlier comments.  I guess sometimes you have to fail to achieve success.

Next up for the Sew Colette challenge.... the Truffle dress.

Welcome to my Home! (Pillow Shams)

Welcome to my Home or at least my living room.  One of the projects I have had on my list was to cover these pillows I had bought several years back at Pier One but had since married and redecorated in something that fit both our styles.

My husband who is a muscian after his 9-5 day is completed, takes an active interest in how I decorate the house.  I wasn't use to that, and while finding something to compromise on sometimes takes  more time than desired.  We are usually both pleased with the outcome.  The end product is that our living room is a little bit rock and roll with little tiny subtle splashes of girliness thrown in. 

For the pillow covers we choose a black fabric with grey music symbols and a grey artsy fabric and the blue with birds (my pick).  I was a little unsure how they would all turn out but I am pretty pleased!  The back room you see in the distance is the dining room (which is a different color scheme).

 Another view of the pillows and the living room.  And below is a close up of the black and grey pillows.

The project was pretty easy to put together!  I cut one square for each pillow the exact measurements of the pillow plus a 4/8" seam allowance and then for the back of the pillow I calculated what 3/4 of the square size would be and then 1/4 adding in seam allowance all around.  They are shams that can conveniently be pulled off and washed (the same reason we have a couch cover with our dogs we need to be able to conveniently wash things) and secured in the back with velcro.

Block of the Month Club Progress

I finally dove in and caught up with the Craftsy Block of the Month club for my 1st quilt.  Pictured at the top are the February blocks which used two different half square triangles.  I really enjoyed making these blocks and the different methods that were taught in the class.  It is interesting to think how many designs you might be able to piece together out of just these triangles.

The bottom pictures are the January blocks which featured the slash and sew method for quilting.  These were pretty easy but I wasn't really impressed with my blocks when they were done. I did vary slightly from the directions by using more than one color for my asterix block which  I actually think "saves" the block a little.  I wish I had added in more than one color for the pound sign strips as well.

I was going to do a seperate post just on the fabric choice but after making up my mind felt that wasn't necessary.  To be honest, this being my first quilt and not knowing what the finished product was going to turn out like, wether I would like it or not.  I actually just picked up some yardage from Joanne's in colors I liked.  If the end product is less than desireable I might end up with a fancy beach or picnic quilt.

The class is a lot of fun and I am looking forward to the March blocks!



What’s on the Sewing Table – February

                                                                   image source


I have some pretty large goals for such a small month! However, I recently received a fortune cookie that said “There will be new clothes in your future” – I am not kidding! So, I am diving in!

• To finish the Minrou Jacket Sew-Along and complete my first jacket ever!

• To complete the quilting blocks for January and February from the Craftsy course.

• Participate in the Sew Colette Sew-Along for the second month (the Pastille dress from the Colette Sewing handbook.

• Complete (3) UFO’s a Pink Ginger Skirt, an Amy Butler traveling handbag, and Light Blue Georgette Sorbetto

• Complete a Lonsdale Dress!



What do you have planned for this month?

The Un-Healthy Obsession

Have any of you seen this absolutely adorable dress from Modcloth?  I have to admit to a love affair with this dress that is bordering on obsession.  I mean polka dots and sundaes on the same fabric - it is so cute - it should be a crime!  However, the dress has a slightly steep price tag for such a simple silhouette.

My creativity started flowing and I found the fabric below.  Which I also found out comes in white with the blue polka dots.  Part of me wants to go out and snag this fabric as fast as I can!  But then, it isn't the same cute pink from above and then I start to think why a 30 year old woman wants to be wearing ice cream sundaes.  Am I too old for cute?

What do you think?  Would you go for the dress or go for one of the fabric selections OR possibly say no all together?