Powerless Against the Swoon

This is going to reveal to you how ridiculous and vain I am. But I'm just gonna put it out there...



I really wanted to resist making a Swoon quilt. I've enjoyed admiring them on Flickr for a while now, but when they became so prolific, I decided I was too cool to make such a common pattern. Seriously, why would I need to make a quilt that everyone has seen a bazillion times already? Psh. I'm too cool for that. I only want to make mind-blowingly original quilts that will smack you across the face with awesomeness.

(Delusional. There is nothing new under the sun, even in "modern" quilting.)


So then the Swoon-along came about at the turn of the new year, and I couldn't stop daydreaming about a Swoon on our bed. Dammit Swoon, I thought, get out of my head! I'm above you and your tempting wiles. Freaking Delilah quilt is what it is.

(Now I'm a crazy person arguing with a hypothetical quilt.)


So I caved, which is obviously where this story is going. But I decided I would rebel by not using "pretty" fabric. You know, nothing floral or serious. The pattern itself is already so pretty that I wanted fabric that didn't take itself too seriously. Enter the Lizzy House stuff I've been collecting slowly over the last few months. Perfect. I also decided I sure as heck wasn't using white. That's so been DONE.

(Are you guys getting from this inner-dialogue what a donkey face I can be? What is wrong with me?)


So I got some Bella silver for my background. Gray is for the cool kids. I'm so cool.

(Which is obviously far from original. I mean, have you seen Jacey's blocks? Love them.)

So here's my first block, which took me ALL weekend. Not because the pattern is hard to follow, but because I wasn't paying close enough attention. I've never used my seam ripper so much, and it was just because of stupid things like sewing sections on upside down or wrong side to right side. (I'm so cool!)


Anyway, I'm happy with it and can't wait to see how the rest of my blocks turn out. I also hope someone out there feels better about their embarrassingly vain quilting neurosis because of this little tale. You're welcome. (I'm awesome!)

What's Scrappenin.

Getting back to my scraps this week. It's really fun to be a part of the quilt-along and see everyone else's scrap progress. But I've realized that I don't want to finish my Japanese + & x  blocks by March. For one thing, I don't think I could even if I tried. I'd have to forego all other sewing, which you know I have too much ADD for.

But I also just want to enjoy it. I have a crap ton of scraps and I love making these blocks up out of fabric combos I've used in other projects. I envision having about 80 of them when I'm ready for it to be done. That probably won't be until fall or the end of the year... I think I have a total of 15 right now.

Anyway, here's the new batch. Like little scrap firecrackers.

Oh how they make me happy! I think I will have to try a separate pillow or mini for the scrap attack. These are for more of a slow-sipping kind of quilt. 

You might recognize the fabrics in that last picture from my bro quilt. That block on the right I cut up as I was making last month's do Good Stitches blocks, mod mosaics. Such a striking look, but yeesh do these things take forever:

And here's just a little peek at another quilt I'm working on this week. It's a little retro, a little traditional, a little out of my comfort zone, and VERY red. It's totally growing on me though- I can't wait to finish this one up:

Official Scrap Sorter/ Adorabilty Infuser:

Lastly, I forgot to mention before that I guest-posted on my lovely friend Rachael's blog last week. I mostly talked about whatever I wanted and the crafty things I'm into lately, including 4 sewing tools I can't live without. Check it out here!

LTTSA: Bear Carrier Part 1- Fabric & Really Fun News!

Ok, I think I've finally recovered from the holidays and am back in the groove of my normal making. And I'm so excited to get back to our Oliver & S Little Things to Sew- Along!

This month we are working on the Bear Carrier. I figure a lot of little ones out there have new dolls and stuffed friends that might need a way to be close to their hearts. 

But of course, you can make any project from the book and link up at the end of the month. Have you tried the cozy winter hood yet? I would highly recommend that one too. Or maybe you could whip up some of those cute scarves like Tara did. Anything goes, as long as it's Little Things to Sew!

Today I cut out the pieces for my carrier. For the main part, I'm using nice gray denim I cut from a pair of my husband's old jeans. The lining, straps, and pocket are all fabrics from my stash. I gotta say, I'm LOVING the pink/ aqua/ charcoal combo. And I love that this project is a mix of old and new materials. 

The lovely mother of pearl buttons are from my vintage collection my mom gave me. I just love it when I have all the perfect elements right on hand. Next week we'll talk button holes! (Although you should know, I'm no expert. I've only done a few so I'm getting some practice too.)

Now for the exciting news about this month's sew-along prize. It's coming to you straight from Liesl G! Could there be anything better for our little group of Gibson groupies?? I decided to email her this week, and she graciously offered up a free digital download Oliver & S children's pattern to this month's winner. That means you get to choose from a few adorable out-of-print patterns. Check out all 4 that are available here. Thank you so much Liesl!

If you are new to the sew-along, we'd love to have you join this month. Read up on important info by clicking the sew-along tab at the top of the page, and be sure to leave a comment here if you plan to make something. All the fun is hearing from and helping each other- so don't be shy!

A couple of Raglans on my Ragamuffin, and Other Knitsy Thoughts

Hey guys, just wanted to pop in and let you know that I'm guest posting today on Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy. Stacey is starting a sew-along thru the very awesome Sewing For Boys book, and this week she is having a bunch of guests showing off their projects from the book to get things pumped up.

I'm sharing 2 versions of the raglan tee pattern in the book, plus all my best tips for sewing with knits. (Which I hear Rae also happens to be talking about this whole week. Knits-apalooza!)

You should go check it out here. All of the cool kids are doing it. And you'll be able to see what hilarious thing this shirt says. You know you want to.



Ok, while we are at it with the knits, I might as well answer Rae's kniterview questions. No, I'm not just pretending that she asked me to guest post too :) She actually wants people to do this!

1. I honestly don't remember. This was the first knit project I made, an LBB Hoodie. I don't think I knew enough back then to even know that knits were different and I should possibly be afraid of them. So that took care of that.

2. See #1

3. Clothes for my boy! And I've now made one LBB Hoodie for my baby girl too. Hendrix's Halloween costumes I've made from knit the past two years as well. I'd like to try a top for myself come spring...

4. It's hard to compare. I'm into quilting pretty hard now (have you noticed?) so that's what I like to do with wovens. I'm obsessed. But I also absolutely love being able to make super-comfy practical things for my kids. Apples and oranges really.

5. Interlock is easiest. Jersey can be a tricky bastard but it's just so soft. I've only used ribbing once and I still need to get a better feel for it...

6. I've only used recycled tee-shirts and sweatshirts until just this week. (See above linked guest post for my other shirt made with store-bought knit.) Oh, and I did buy the ribbing as well. We have a few really nice Michael Miller knits at the local fabric store I work in, but I've also browsed this online store and lusted after their wide selection of knit prints. 

7. See #6

8. My main machine, a Brother pc-420.

9. Nope. I have one. It's a sewing resolution this year to actually figure out what to do with it.

10. I used to just lengthen the stitch slightly, but the Sewing For Boys book has a fantastic tip on this that I  will be utilizing from now on: zig-zag stitch, 1.0 width and 3.0 length. 

11. You know, I haven't. But I can see how that would be pretty helpful. My current walking foot needs replacing though.

12. oooooh, also need to try that. 

13. My absolute favorite thing to do with knits is to cut out my pattern pieces with freezer paper. In fact, I've started doing it with all patterns on any fabric, but it especially makes the cutting so much easier and more accurate with knits. I explain a little more with pictures here. 

14. Don't be afraid. It's really a must if you like sewing for your kids, so just cut into an old tshirt and go for it. This free tutorial is a good place to start. 

More about Rae's Kniterviews here. What about you guys? Do you embrace or fear the knits? 

Bro Quilt

This was my big Christmas project this year. As in, consumed most of my December. Because I am crazy and a sucker for compliments, I didn't decide to make my younger brother a quilt until after Thanksgiving. That's when he saw this one and said he liked my quilts. What's that? You like my quilts? Then, yes you will have one. 

Luke is a real guy's guy. He climbs huge mountains and deadly glaciers. He'll camp in the middle of nowhere on any night of the year. He wears mostly things made out of high-tech insulated materials with names I can never remember. He moved to Las Vegas a few months ago just because he could. Besides all of that, he is just an amazing brother and brother-in-law and uncle to us. 

So I envisioned this quilt that kind of looked like it was going places, just like my brother. I've been wanting to make a flying geese quilt with a different spin. It's also somewhat inspired by Tula Pink's Field Study pattern, which is perfect because I knew I wanted those Prince Charming raindrops to be showcased. All of the prints are from my stash, I just added the Bella Navy and Teal solids. The dark background is pretty hard to photograph, but I love the way the navy looks. It's strong and manly but not at all drab.

My favorite thing about it might be that back is corduroy! Super soft, grass green, fine-wale corduroy. I got the idea when a customer in the shop did the same for the back of her quilt. It came out great, but the next time I use corduroy I think I will pre-wash it. I don't usually prewash anything for quilts, but after I washed the finished quilt it seemed like the back shrunk just slightly more than the front. Not a big problem, just something I will keep in mind next time.

Here's a close up of the Michael Miller Old Script print, just because I love it. I also love the Cloud 9 Across the Pond Banks print with the little arrows. Arrows in the arrows- it's meta.

I think it came out to about 65" by 80," but I didn't measure after washing. Putting together fabrics and a design for a man quilt- a single, 24 year old man who lives in Vegas- was really a fun challenge. I would recommend making a man quilt to anyone. And Luke seemed to be very happy, so I'm happy.

My Year in Sewing!

Looking back over the year in my Flickr stream was pretty fun. I've been sewing for almost 4 years now, but a couple of things happened in 2011 that really pushed my skills and gave me great opportunities. The first was when I won a new Brother sewing machine in the Prudent Baby potholder contest back in March. Obviously, getting a better machine was great for me and I love my Brother. (and still love my old Singer too!) But winning an online contest that I entered with no expectations gave me a lot of sewing confidence and pushed me to join in more in the online sewing community. This blogging thing became a lot more fun and I realized that I could "meet" some really cool friends here. 

(Thank you little potholder!!!)

Then in the beginning of June I began working at Sewn Studio, a beautiful fabric shop and sewing lounge that had recently opened right in my neighborhood. I was forced to grow more in the technical side of things that I hadn't been able to learn on my own. I have became more comfortable sewing with patterns and different types of fabrics. Of course, I still have a ton to learn and am so thankful that learning is built right into my super-fun job. But the biggest new adventure working at Sewn brought was quilting! I took a class there early in the summer from the talented Heather Jones and was instantly hooked. I still make lots of other things, but even those tend to look more "quilty" now. I have a long list of quilts I want to make in 2012 and I can't wait to start!

These are my finished quilts since that summer class. (More on that last one later this week!)

1. Hendrix's quilt 1, 2. Mini Quilt 1, 3. solids 2, 4. Fall mini, 5. loulouthi back, 6. loulouthi front, 7. Flurry Quilt 1, 8. Bro Quilt




These are my Little Things to Sew-Along projects so far. Hosting the sew-along has been so much fun, and I can't wait to get it started again this year. I just love Oliver and S projects!

1. no hand stitching!, 2. Penguin backpack, 3. Bias-Trimmed Apron, 4. Bias trimmed aprons, 5. LTTS Puppet Theater, 6. Cozy Winter Hood




This year I also joined a quilting bee, do. Good Stitches.  This has been a fantastic experience! I've gotten to know new quilting friends and tried some things I otherwise wouldn't have got to. Really looking forward to seeing what our circle makes this year.

1. August block 1, 2. August block 2, 3. greek cross 2, 4. greek cross 1, 5. Do Good Stitches September #1, 6. Do Good Stitches September #2, 7. DGS November block 1, 8. november DGS blocks, 9. December DGS block 2, 10. December DGS block 1




I made a good amount of clothes for my kids. I will always love doing this and I hope they tolerate wearing my creations for a very long time.

1. dragon 1, 2. grandpa cardigan, 3. Amelia top, 4. Ice Cream Dress, 5. Girl's LBB Hoodie 2, 6. Boy's LBB Hoodie front, 7. fall dress, 8. Itty Bitty Baby Dress, 9. Airplane shirt 1, 10. Easter outfit 2, 11. Chevron shirt, 12. warhol dress 1, 13. helicopter shorts14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available




Lots of other diverse projects this year too...

1. Bunnies, 2. Baby Swaddler open, 3. Baskets after, 4. Crib Sheet, 5. chevron wristlet 2, 6. Mae, 7. Pirate bag, 8. patriotic-pillows 3, 9. swaddlers, 10. Sewing machine cover, 11. Convertible Clutch, 12. blocks 1-6, 13. full tree skirt , 14. Stocking stuffers, 15. stocking detail, 16. 4 patchwork bibs

The very best thing I made this year was little Elsie. (I know, groan. I couldn't resist.) We love this little girl like crazy, wild crazy!

So for 2012? I'd love to make a real article of clothing for ME using a real pattern. I've always said in the past that I'm perfectly happy just making for the kids, but I also know that if I want to stretch and learn, I need to try this once or twice. Maybe I'll actually like it.

As far as quilting, there is SO much I want to try. I want to work a lot more with solids and unique color stories. I'm also really inspired by all the curviness I'm seeing everywhere lately. I want to do a lot more improv, but I also want to try designing a quilt actually using math and getting it all worked out BEFORE starting. That's not how I normally operate, but I feel like it probably has some perks :)

I'd also like to actually figure out my serger. Yes, I have a serger that someone gave me, and it just sits on my shelf because I don't take the time to actually learn how to use it. Kind of embarrassing, but I know once I do it I will be sooooo happy I did.


Blogwise, I'm not really good at thinking far ahead and executing everything I want to do. (Those of you who have been waiting for this late link party are nodding mmmm-hmm.) All I know is that the sew-along will continue and the bias tape swap is coming soon!  I do love this blog and am thankful for all of you who read and encourage me. I couldn't help but notice that I got my 300th follower just today, a pretty cool way to start the year. I really wish I could raise a New Year's glass with all of you, but instead we get to have "parties" with links here that our friends would probably think really dorky. Little do they know how ultra cool we are :)

Happy New Sewing Year!
Jessica



(If you don't mind, put your first name and blog as the "name" of your link. For instance, Jessica@ALittleGray. That way we can all know who we are looking at. I hate it when I can't figure out someone's first name by looking around their blog!)

<center><a href="http://alittlegray.blogspot.com/search/label/year%20in%20sewing" target="_blank"><img alt="The Year in Sewing" src="http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx147/alittlegray/blog%20stuff/sewingyear150.jpg"/></a></center>