Part Dresden Pot Holders...

Just finished the pot holders from Annie's book Pot Holders for All Seasons by Chris Malone. There is just one problem in the instructions where you put down the backing piece - it says face up which would mean toward the inside of the piece? So no. Face down so you have the right side of the fabric showing on the pot holder. But maybe I didn't interpret the directions correctly...directions in these books are not always clear to me. I used scraps from lots of other things, plus a fat quarter for the larger floral pieces. I couldn't resist because it is so pretty. The green with tiny florals is a piece I bought from ETSY that I then couldn't figure out what to do with!   This was a fun project, and it's not perfect. The insulation I used is Bosal Poly-Therm Fleece and it says use two layers of it plus a layer of regular batting - this made for a really thick piece to quilt and bind. Next pot holders will have one layer of batting and one layer of insulated batting.  The Poly-Therm is really nice. One layer of fleecy batting and one of heat reflective silver metallic stuff.  I have lots left. 

Luckily I have the Elna 720 to sew with the AcuFeed and I needed that plus the extra-high clearance on the foot lifter to slip these pieces under to sew.  Other than that it was a quick project. I do take issue with the idea it is a project for beginners though. I found that a previous knowledge of quilting through batting, and how to bind, plus fabric placement came in handy and then I made a few glitches anyway! :)  This was the first time in all these years of sewing that I have made any sort of Dresden pattern and I LOVE it. Could be I will make more of those in other projects.   OH - I made a cardboard template to use in ironing in the edges of the Dresden pieces before sewing them together. That really helped when sewing them to the front of the piece as well. 

Tiny Dress for Tiny Doll...Memories...

My little 1950s Betsy McCalls was still in the same little underthing for years now. I finally made that little dress for her. It is from McCalls 2300, which was also a 1950s original pattern for her. I used to cut out all the Betsy McCalls paperdolls from the magazine back then as a small child.  She was so much like my friends and me in her clothing for school and play. :) This little doll belonged to a friend many years ago. I won't make any more of these tiny clothes because it was a most difficult task for the old fingers, but she does look pretty good now. And she has her own tiny doll stand. :)  The background is a panel Canada Rockies that I recently purchased.  Panels make great backdrops, and I need to get them out more often for doll pictures.  Her waist has a velvet ribbon around it and there is a bit of lace around the hem. The skirt is not as full as the pattern would have had me make, but I wanted to simply have her in a fifties simple little dress. :) Lined bodice without sleeves. I used Velcro peel and stick for Fabrics for a closure, as I know that product works well. :)

 

Dolly Dress Form Gets a Dress...and tiny cap...

 Yes, a little dress. This one looked so easy, but in the doing I discovered it had lining issues but I managed to flatten those! I had that small remnant of pretty floral fabric left over from various things and I had the eyelet. I added the eyelet - the pattern itself is for a very basic non-embellished dress. Then I thought the knob at the top of the form needed a nice little cap to match. That was a circle of fabric with a tiny hem I did and then elastic around the edge. HAHHAA....could be better. I will try this dress on one of the dolls when I get around to it as well. It could be a cute little Summer dress. 

Two Easy Summer Dresses from Vintage Butterick...

LOVE this pattern. I have pictured it and mentioned it before here, so not much more to say. I have not made the sleeved top, and I think that is worth a try too. Haven't made the pants either. One of these days when I need and want to do the pants and top I will give it a go. Meanwhile I made two more dress-jumpers out of two pieces of fabric of which I had 3 yards each. 

I had thought maybe quilt backings, but really never clicked with them on projects. SO - dresses/nightwear they are now. Around the house. I don't think I will be wearing them out. :) But oh goodness, they are so comfortable. I have made this pattern now about 6 times and for some reason these two are larger on top and I could have cut them quite a bit smaller but for around the house I am OK with this outcome. :) The Black with Dragons is a Riley Blake fabric and the other is unknown and I think a cotton blended with rayon perhaps. It irons nicely and doesn't seem to iron differently than cotton but it is so soft. Washes nicely as well.

I can wear these 3 seasons. With or without tees underneath. If I am desperately warm I don't need a tee, but for the most part I will wear one under. BUT, I think I need a few solid colored, image-free tees now in neutral colors like black and white and cream. Maybe with longer sleeves. :)

I think these will be for nightwear.

Machine Covers from Yellowfarmhouse..

 

Lovely work in these covers...I need to have the pictures in one place for my review on Patternreview !  I purchased these all at Yellowfarmhouse on Etsy. Very fast mailing and came in great shape! Excellent small business by a lady who lives in Iowa. She is an excellent seamstress! First the above cover is on my Elna 720. 

Then the cover for my Brother PS500 has a lovely Dresden plate embellishment!

 

And I cannot resist this one of the Elna...

Here is the cover for my Pfaff and Oh I love this one!!

Being inspired by the Pfaff cover I made my serger cover myself! Not as well done I think but I like it! :) 

Cutting Out Binge...Lots of Projects Piling Up...

I don't care much for cutting - I know I have said that before....this is my current batch of projects to work on - cutting first. Among them is my wall hanging - the ubiquitous project I have been stitching on on and off for several years now, but there is a quilt cut out, and pot holders and a pin cushion so far as well as a few dolly outfits...still at it today as you can see.
 

After all the cutting I think I will have projects for sewing on all my machines until next year. No kidding! :) And I know there is a pattern I need to print out to cut still...and I want that cut out by next week. I bought the Korean Hanbok dress pattern for 18" doll designed by Doll Tag doll clothes. Such a good designer. 

I want to make that sometime very soon. I will comb my Asian fabric collection for the right design for this. Will be making it in cotton though. If I do it correctly I may buy silk to do another Hanbok and another Cheongsam doll dress as well. Both my patterns for these are from Doll Tag via Pixie Faire. 

Among my projects all cut out so far is my little dress for my Betsy McCalls tiny doll.  I have a stand for her so need that dress! :) 

Also, I have some ideas for that Simplicity 8714 pretty long dress. So we'll see. :)

Past Projects...and I Do Mean Past Here...

Nice vintage pattern I made up back in the 70s...bit of nostalgia here...reviewing this on PatternReview in the Past Projects contest. :) It's been a fun contest! 

I think this is the only vintage pattern I have a picture of myself wearing. I could riffle through old pictures more but I am not going to. 

I remember sewing the pants and the tunic. Pants in a medium green kettle cloth, and the tunic in a multi-green-on-white kettle cloth. I loved cotton and kettle cloth in particular. 

At the time knits were just so popular and I was sewing all cotton things. I finally got a couple of double-knit pants suits made as the craze waned! HAHAHHA...no pictures but they were cute! 

I am engaged in a few weeks of cutting out projects. I don't care much for cutting out so I am making myself do a pile of projects before I get to sew anything.
 

Shorts Saga...

Previously I wrote about my shorts initiative. Here... Comfy Shorts  so an update might be nice. I did make one pair with the pattern I had drafted from my own pants. Well, it was SO small in the hip area. What I did was just cut it right up both sides. Then I sewed in a trapezoidal panel that was less wide at the top - one side to the front and one side to the back. Both sides. Then redid waist. Now it has sort of a skort look but they are wearable for Summer.  Nice save.  Bit unfashionable but nice and cool! With this top I look a lot heavier as well. Sigh. :)

The next pair of shorts I decided to use a KWIK SEW pattern I had bought on ETSY. Original white paper and all. KS2837. 

I have to tell you - I thought I picked the right size. Good grief - Those babies were so large I could have invited in several other ladies to wear them with me. I mean really. Not only huge but completely would have covered my neck had I pulled them up to fit! Used a Carolina Cloth from Home Sew in a lovely neutral light creamy tan. Really nice, all cotton, kind of crumpley after washing.  So I washed that all cotton in scalding hot water and did it twice hoping for shrinkage. But no, when you WANT shrinkage you don't get it. So - today I cut off the waistband and tossed it, trimmed and finished the top edge and did an elastic waistband again with the sew-flip-sew method and what do you know! Now the fit is fine. They are large in the legs but I like that. No pictures of these yet. So that pattern really runs large and I could have used at least one to two sizes smaller. 

I should have just cut out shorts from my TNT Burda. What was I thinking! Here is that Burda I love, Burda 2614. 

 

Review a Past Project Contest on PR...the best kind of contest...

 

Contest - there will not be judging nor will there be voting! Sounds like MY kind of contest!Not really a fan of contests at this point in life, but this one is gonna be fun. :) Thanks to the originator of the contest. Plus Summer usually brings an element of the doldrums to PR, and this seems to be giving it a little kick this well! :)  I have lots of things I can enter. Did the first one today.  I decided the little Scrubs pattern needed doing! :)  We'll see what else I put in there, as all there is to do is write! :)
 

Finally Three More Tops Finished...Pamela's Perfect Tee Wins Pattern Comparison...

Above is the best fit. The floral isn't my favorite but the fabric was a poly crepe from Girl Charlee and was a pleasure to serge and sew!  The neckband fit perfectly. This is Pamela's Patterns Perfect Tee and it is. I shall make it again, but use my shoulder template to trim the upper bodice area a bit and raise the bodice between shoulder and bust as I would usually do. I left out the darts. I really don't need them. There are two versions in the pattern. Darted and not darted. This is a wonderful pattern that is the first tee not to pull back over my shoulders when wearing - it is drafted for the mature woman. And it really is! I heartily recommend it. I would love to remake it in a fabric I loved! 

The rather off grey sleeved top is that way because I had run out of fabric for sleeves so I cut them out of a tee I was never going to wear that I had laying around. :) The fabric on all these three tops in this blog post is from Girl Charlee on sale, and I was pleased. This particular mint/teal floral was a pleasure to sew on even though very light and airy. Mostly cotton with some spandex. It is very comfy to wear and it feels cool. The sleeves are all cotton grey knit. Also very comfy and light. But it is not a pretty top! :) I won't be wearing it out, but around the house it is fine. And most of my time is around the house! The pattern is New Look 6458 and I just turned under the sleeves and neckline for finishing.It does fit although the length made for not too roomy at the bottom. I usually increase both sleeve and length.

 The green and yellow pretty fabric top is from another go at the Breezy Tee pattern from Always Autumn. :) It is really a nice fit except the sleeves which are cut-on. I had to slice the side seams and make the armholes larger this time - my fault for not measuring. This pattern really isn't large enough for me but I cut it quite a bit larger in side seams and it is a nice fit at the neckline so I keep trying it! :) She does a good job on drafting but it is only the one size so you have to make it fit you! That fabric was awful. It slid and slipped and was able to thwart every trick I know (yes, Microtex needle, dual feed, etc., etc....silly fabric!) so the neckline I gave up on and just soldiered through a neckline turn-under and it is not perfect. However, it is odd how when worn it looks like a design feature. HAHAHAHA....

So - in Conclusion - BEST TEE PATTERN yet is Pamela's Perfect Tee, but the others are also doable. I do like to keep trying that Breezy Tee! :) But I like a higher neckline which the Pamela's Pattern gives me.  Also, Pamela's Tee allows for other necklines, including a V if you love that style, plus various sleeve variations. I will be making it again. I am done with trying other top patterns now I think!

FOOTNOTE: I made a couple more kitty quilts, one very small for the top of our cat tree and one that is larger. And now scraps are gone! YES!!! Well, let's face it I have a few but not enough to fit in a one of my food storage bags! YEA!

Mitered Corner Practice....Six Placemats...

Six placemats - one side fish and one side chicken to be used in those two types of meals. Yes, I like a theme on my dinner table. :)  Free motion quilted on my Pfaff 1222E using So Fine #60 in the bobbin in a light pale ivory and in the top OMNI in very light blue. Warm and Natural Batting. The binding is a pretty little print from yardage I purchased at eQuilter, where the other two fabrics came from as well.
 

Easy Serger Cover from Swoodson Says...

 
This is an easy tutorial where you draw out the pattern pieces yourself. I love that it is specific to the Brother 1034D, as that is my serger. The tutorial is from Swoodson Says

It does take some skill to navigate the main seam. There is a 90 degree turn at the back corner and then the curving seam on the front edge, and the two straight parts of the main seam in back and front. So take care on that! It is kind of fun really.   I used a brown paper bag for the side panel pattern and the pattern for the main piece. Worked well.

After taking pictures and waiting a day or two, today I added the little kitty embroidery. The cover needed something! I just love that little kitty and spool. I had not embroidered in quite some time, and had to drag out the instructions! SHOCK!

I bought my other machines covers made by a very talented home sewer and sold on ETSY. I wanted this serger cover to sort of bland with those, and the lady had used a double-sided muslin fabric for the main body of two of my covers. I took a chance on the fabric through AMAZON and was so happy to find it was identical to what she had used! Just in case anyone wants a really nice machine cover - see her store at ETSY in the Yellowfarmhouse. I didn't want to make three covers because her prices are so good, and it would have cost me more to make them myself than to buy them. This serger cover did not because I had the cotton for the sides, and the pattern was free. The double-sided fabric did cost about 22 dollars for two yards, but I have other uses for it as well. And the embroidery was a design I had from Embroidery Library and PolyNeon thread I have have had for a few years.  All in all I love this cover and it will make me smile whenever I see it.

Kai Curved Scissors and Gingher Curved Scissors Compared...

I love my new little Kai 5100c curved blade scissors.  The Janome pink scissors are also my favorite. I wanted another tiny scissor to have one each beside my main machines. My Brother SE400 came with a very nice medium blue handled little snip scissor that is not curved, and that lives in my Brother machines basket.  SO - the comparison. You can see in the picture that the Kai is small and more delicate. It can more easily get in under the thread ends I want to trim, and although the Gingher is a wonderful scissor as well, I prefer the Kai.  I like to snip the ravels off the edges of a seam before finishing the edges, and the Kai is very fast and efficient at that task.  If I were to embroider, I could easily snip jump stitches. 

I did have the Gingher curved blade scissors of this size as well, but they are a bit thicker and less delicate than the Kai and I eventually gave them to my daughter.  Do be careful though - these Kai blades are extremely sharp - take good care of them, and don't drop them on your floor where they are liable to end up stuck straight up out of the flooring.

Prairie Girl and Sugar and Spice Outfits...

 

 

 Had some fun making these two outfits, although originally it was to be one outfit. I forgot the sleeves on the Prairie Girl, so I made the bolero I previously posted about. :)  So I got out the Sugar and Spice from Oh Sew Kat and made the little blue dress. I do love that fabric. The apron fabric from Prairie Girl I love as well. Ursula is my Glitter Girl, and she has a vinyl body, so looks better in the sleeveless fashions. :) Patty is in the prairie outfit here.  They are having a nice walk along a beach.

 

Fun with the 14" Prairie Girl from Thimbles & Acorns...

 

 

The dress under the little Bolero is Prairie Girl 14". No sleeves. Forgot them! SO - as my Patty was standing there freezing I made a little bolero from A sweet KWIK SEW pattern. KS4362. Quite a recent pattern, and now the KWIK SEW brand is going away. Sigh. Too bad. But Simplicity had moved the doll patterns to KWIK SEW and now I expect to see them all moved to Simplicity?! This amalgamation of the brands is irritating to say the least, but apparently it is economics that is the driver. 

The bolero is made from the scraps of the pink sweatshirt knit poncho I made myself awhile ago. I have SO much left over from both poncho projects. I added the cute little flower. Home Sew is such a good place to buy those embellishments!  

I made the apron from Prairie Girl also, finished it up two days ago. BUT, I want to make a little 14" dress from an Oh Sew Kat pattern for Ursula to wear under the apron. I am trying to finally get her out of her Summer clothing too, and a nice long dress with apron will be a nice look. I will have pictures later. 

Scrappy Throw 2022...

Finally done, and almost ALL of my scraps along with this, after the kitty quilts and the doggie quilt and now this throw! This one is about 48"x47" - a little teenie less maybe, and that is my scrappy sewing - improv style -  for awhile. 

Next is some doll clothes and then - I bought this book, and some insulated batting, so pot holder time - I think small projects now for awhile. Plus I have some garment sewing piled up. Lots of ideas. :)

Yes, I like Annie's books!