Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2014

It's That Time Again!  Blogger's Quilt Festival is here!!!

The linky party opened a few days ago and it has prompted me to finally get online and blog about the quilt I made my niece Arielle for her birth.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern: Giggle + Squeak pattern from SUCH Designs
Fabrics: Various fabrics in mainly purples, greens, and greys with a few pops of blues and pinks
Methods Used: Applique, quilt-as-you-go, straight line quilting & free-motion quilting
Quilted: By me on my home machine
Dimensions: 46" x 46"
Completed: March 2014

Arielle's nursery theme was Monsters so I knew right away which pattern I would use.  I bought the Giggle + Squeak pattern from Carrie of SUCH Designs a few years ago at a quilt show and she was such a lovely person to meet.  It's always nice to know that people are just as wonderful in person as they seem on their blogs.

 I loved adding all the little details to the faces in each block.  Some definitely came out looking more monster-like than others, but I love them all.

And while this photo isn't the greatest for showing the true colors of the quilt, I love that the quilting is easy to see.  I quilted each block differently as inspiration hit me.  My favorite is the top center since I free-motion quilted loops and hearts in it.  I also loved the top left, which is just a back and forth squiggle, but it took only a few minutes to finish so it was awesome.

 I didn't want to buy any additional fabric for the back so I used up all the leftovers from making the front.  I've never made such a scrappy backing before and I love it.  Since I did quilt-as-you-go on the front there's very minimal quilting on the back. 

I also did a little embroidery tag for the back and appliqued it on in the center of the large square of text you see on the bottom right of the above photo.  And do you see the date?  Today is actually Ari's 6 month birthday! Happy 6 months little one!!!

These photos of Ari enjoying her quilt were actually taken over the weekend, so this is her just a few days shy of 6 months.  She's shaping up to be quite the bruiser, just like her cousin Penny.

Oh, and here's one of Penny with her cousin's quilt before I sent it off.  What do you guys think? Do the girls look alike???

What Can I Say? I'm Selfish

....Selfish Sewing that is!

I have fully embraced this round of Selfish Sewing Week and I've been spending as much spare time as I can in my sewing room working on projects just for ME. 

So far I've managed to get one project done each day of Selfish Sewing week, and I have plans for the rest of the week.  Let's hope I can keep this ball rolling!

Monday: Open Wide Pouch (Tutorial by Noodlehead)

Tuesday: Ruby Top (Pattern by Made-By-Rae)

Wednesday: Maritime Shorts (Pattern by Grainline Studio)

Thursday: Maritime Shorts #2 (Pattern by Grainline Studio)

I realized that I don't have a picture of the completed Ruby Top I made on Tuesday, so you will all have to make do with my work-in-progress picture I snapped.  I'm currently wearing the top otherwise I'd try and get a shot of it now.

Which brings me to Me Made May! (Like I don't have enough things going on).

Here goes!

"I, Steph Granite, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14.  I endeavor to  wear at least one handmade item each day for the duration of May 2014 and to make a new garment each week"

I feel like it might be hard to wear something EACH DAY, but when I think about it I have quite a number of handmade clothes, so I should be able to so it!

Wordless WIP Wednesday

Reconnecting With My Roots: Garment Sewing

Over the years that I've been blogging I've posted mainly about quilting and sewing small projects, but I rarely ever post about garment sewing, which is funny, because that's what I started out doing!

Yes, like many of you my first projects on a sewing machine were all clothing.  I actually sewed garments pretty exclusively until I discovered quilting 5 years ago, and it's all been downhill from there.

Well recently I looked in my closet and I decided it was time to sew up a few things for myself.

First up was the Ruby Top by Made-By-Rae.  I already had her Washi Dress pattern (see the post here) and I love it so I figured it was time to give Ruby a try.

Ruby Top #1

I started off making a dress but since I'm pretty top heavy it just didn't look right.  I need things that accentuate my curves a little bit more.  But I love it as a top.  I love it so much that I made two more and I have two more in the plans.

Ruby Top #2

Ruby Top #3 (This time in KNIT!)

And since I was on a roll (and since I had just purchased Parcel #1 from Perfect Pattern Parcel) I decided to try my hand at an Ava top.

Sleeve or No Sleeve?

 I had a hard time deciding whether to put the sleeve on it or not, so I solicited the advise of my Instagram friends and everyone said to go with no sleeve, so that's what I did!

Me!

I actually love it sleeveless.  Perfect for sunny California days (which is everyday, people.  Sorry to rub it in your faces)

And because I was feeling confident, I pulled out a WIP from last year's Selfish Sewing Week and I grit my teeth and finished it.

That's right, the Miz Mozelle dress I blogged about in September is finally finished.  I had to carefully pull the collar off and make a new one that laid correctly.  And let me tell you, taking the collar off was no easy feat.  I accidentally ripped a giant hole in the dress, but I was able to cut the neckline just a little bit lower and make the collar just a little bit wider and it all worked out.

It might actually be better, because I can ::just:: manage to maneuver the neckline so I'm able to nurse while wearing this dress.  I wore this one to church this past Sunday and it was so comfortable.  Win!

And guess what?! Selfish Sewing Week is just around the corner and I have some pretty big plans.  So mark your calendars and plan to set aside time to sew something for yourself April 28-May 3

Oh, and while you're doing all that selfish sewing, sew yourself a top as well and join Rae in her Spring Top Sewalong April 14- May 11

2014 FAL Q2 List

Helllloooooo!

My computer has been fixed! ::happy dance::

The hard drive on my computer crashed early December 2013 and it's taken this long for us to get it back up and working again, but now I can blog again!  Yay!!!!

I've been busy making tons of stuff, but I'll get to that later.... This post is about UNfinished stuff.

That's right! This is my FAL list for Q2:

1. Hem Husband's suit pants (this is an easy one!) (by Thursday)
Current status: Hem marked, just need to sew

2. Make my Easter Dress!
Current status: Muslin made, fabric purchased, just need to make it

3. Finish the muslin for my Easter dress (you know, so I can wear the muslin)
Current status: All sewn together, I just need to add finishing details line bias tape and hem

4. Make baby boy quilt (by end of April)
Current status: Fabric selected, pattern settled on, just need to do it!

5. Make Henry's birthday quilt (by end of April)
Current status: Fabric and pattern selected.  Just need to sandwich and quilt

6. Make 6 diaper covers
Current status: PUL and other supplies laying around

7. Make 4 baptism gifts.
Current status: Pattern decided on for all, fabric decided on for 1.

8. Finish my January Stash Bee quilt.
Current status: Quilt top completed, need to quilt

9. Finish quilting husband's Mario Quilt
Current status: Partially quilted.  Still needs binding

10. Sew 2 new tanks
Current status: Fabrics and patterns selected (the Ruby tank pattern)

And that's it! I'm limiting myself to 10 projects to finish, and even that's pretty ambitious for me.

Whoops! I guess that's not it!

Project 1B. Add velcro to Deacons' vestments (almost forgot this one!) (by Saturday)
Current status:  Placement marked, just need to sew on velcro by hand

Extra-Ambitious Project 11. Finish Penny's Christmas stocking
Current status: Partially embroidered and sequined

And that's REALLY it!