Plus Quilt

Several years ago, while working at an amazing place, I bought a ton of this American Jane Recess fabric by Sandy Klop. I always meant to make a quilt with it. I made some other stuff, Jessica made quite a few things, yet it wasn't until this year that I finally decided to treat myself to the quilt I wanted. 

Almost six years it took me, I may be a bit slow....

I'm kinda glad I waited though because if I'd have made it back then, it wouldn't be this quilt. 

I love this quilt.

I used only one of each pattern/color for the pluses. The background is blue dot stripe. No pattern, just cutting up 4.5 inch squares and seeing what happened. Pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread. 

I backed the whole thing in Maggie's dress navy. 

It lives on my couch for now and it makes me happy every time I look at it. It made me even happier to come home one day to it being used as a fort by two sweet babes. 

Because that's what it's all about.

Around The Worldy, Worldy

In my efforts to use what I have, I unearthed a charm pack of Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow. Then I decided to try my hand at a values quilt. Around the world style.

I really love it. Since it was a charm pack it was pretty small so I finished it off with some blue Kona on two sides. It's a great size for a stroller quilt, or for a sweet babe to drag around. It could even be a nice wall hanging. 

The back is finished off in blue Kona and some of the extra blocks. Not so perfect diagonal quilting lines and a hand sewn binding finish things off.

I think this qualifies as my first quilt finish for 2013.

It'll be up for sale in the shop.... Unless I decided I need it for my wall...

Dumplings.....?

Right before Christmas I pinned this tutorial from Craftpassion. She said she was inspired by rice dumplings her mom makes. The pattern was so fun and simple I was inspired to make.... a few. 

These aren't all I made. I may have been accused of becoming a bit obsessed.  

Can you blame me? They're just so cute.

These weren't all I made. Some found new homes before I could take their pictures. 

If you're looking for an easy small storage solution or a gift for someone special, try these. Be careful though, dumplings can be addictive.

Quilt Collaberation

So, started a quilt for my guest room. As I was making the top, Jess started making a baby sized quilt with my extra, just because. Mostly because, this rail fence style quilt had been calling to her.

I think it's out of her system now.... ha ha.

I love it but I already have a big quilt in these fabrics that, no, is not yet finished.

The fabrics are mostly Michael Miller with  touches of Denyse Schmit, Riley Blake and Kaufman Kona.

I got distracted from finishing my big quilt, by making the quilt back for this one. Well, I got distracted by that and a few hundred other things. Simple straight line quilting finished it up.

It's always fun to work with Jessica. I am thankful for her energy Every. Single. Day.

We are putting this one up in our shop, hoping someone else will love it too.

Jess is not the only fantastic helper around my house.
P.S. Apologies for the blurry photos. I think I need a new lens. Or new eyes. Or both.

Necessaries

Small items required for a purpose. 

Miss Bella Boo needed diaper covers. I really did not mean for them to have a patriotic color theme. I was just pulling solids to try out the pattern to see if it worked for me. It is pretty perfect. If you don't like seeing a diaper, but love your girl in dresses, I can recommend this free pattern from Dana Made It. 

I added a bit of cotton twill at the back so no guessing is needed when trying to change a wiggly baby. These are so easy to put together, there really is no excuse for me not making a few more. I want to try some in knit too..... 

Girl Stuff

There are a lot of dresses in the queue for our Isabella. 

A LOT. 

This fabric decided to be another Simplicity 4243. I made the first one in a 3-6 month size and she is wearing it now. She is quickly growing out of it. She's our little big girl.

The fabric is Weekend Lollies in Peach by Erin McMorris. 

The trim is a jumbo rick-rack from Joann, in raspberry. 

I decided to go with a button closure instead of a zipper and I made my own bias tape for the arm openings.

By the time she wears this, she should be running around on her own. Guess I should make something smaller next time....

Dear Jess, Sorry I Forgot About Our Blog

Okay, I didn't just forget about our blog, I pretty much forgot about everyone's blog. I am sure no one was holding their breath for me to come back, but in the off chance you were, oops, sorry, I'm back. For the most part. While I've been MIA I have been doing things, not doing things, not noticing when things are done and working. The other day Jess and I decided to put aside everything we should be doing and play. I ended up making a quilt. She made two. She'll show her's to you later.

I've wanted to try and make a large log cabin block for a long time. After starting an all blue block, I had an ah-hah moment and decided on some Roy G Biv. This is one more project that is completely from things I had already in my stash. If I add up all the things that I've done and haven't shown you, I think I've gone through about 15 yards of fabric in the last month. It could be a bit more. I don't know whether to be proud or freaked out since my cupboard is not bare.

Anyway, enough, if I wear myself out with this one post I may never come back. Then Jess will probably stop making me cool labels that I don't notice and I really couldn't bear that. On to the pictures.

 45x46

 Backed with Kona in yellow and bound with Kona in coal.

 Quilted in a square spiral starting from the middle and going down the middle of each "log".

I've put this one up for sale in the shop because, well, I guess you can have too many quilts. If it doesn't sell though, I won't be crushed because in my heart I believe, you really can't ever have too many quilts.

Birthday Party Dress

I hope you're not tired of little girl's dresses, because I am not tired of making them yet! Have I mentioned lately that I love the Oliver + S patterns?? Hm, maybe once or twice I think.

I have been hoarding some of my Anna Maria Horner Voile hoping to find the perfect thing to make with it. I think it works well with this pattern. It's light but crisp enough for the pleats. I used Little Honey in Meadow and Pastry Line in Marine

I found a small vintage button in my stash that seemed to be meant for the front. 

 More vintage-y goodness on the back.

 I hope our little miss likes this one!

Reversible Dress In The Most Awkward Way

During the time when we weren't blogging because other things were going on, I was still managing to sew some. I'm not sure it was wise operating machinery and all.... and obviously, judging from these pictures, I've forgotten how to use my camera. Just sayin, I know they are sort of blurry and all that. 

Anyway.

Jess and I started this one day when we weren't thinking with even one brain between us. We wanted it reversible, she suggested just binding it, I wanted to make two sided piping, she didn't want the buttoned shoulders that the pattern (old pattern) called for. We thought, we'll just sew it together and flip it right side out!! Those of you using all of your brains will know why we were wrong. You can't do that unless you leave the sides of the dress completely open. See it has that criss cross thing going on.

Silly us. 

Now we know what we already knew.

We laughed at ourselves. 

Then I preceded to hand-sew the sides of the dress together.

The End. 

I'm, Like, All Grown Up Now

Next in the line of never ending (I'm serious, I hope) things for Isabella.... McCall's 5835. This is a size 1 and will be more of a top than dress. I think. 

Jess choose this polka dot design by Riley Blake. I decided on the dark green to coordinate with it. 

It's a sweet, fairly easy pattern. Fairly easy because I changed the way they told you to put the bodice together. The instructions call for too much hand sewing  for my liking right now. Having just sewn the Ice Cream dress by Oliver + S, I finished the bodice with the method shown there. 

I picture it with a little pair of jeans. Jess may have other ideas.... 

I also had some help from my new toy. See that underarm seam up there?? 

Yes, I am all grown up, I finally got a serger. 

I have resisted for so very long because the silly things intimidated me. The price and the threading and such. 

Then I saw a post over on Crafterhours. Adrianna informed me that this model was on sale for a attainably low price. I caved and I'm so glad I did. It can cut down to one step what I used to take three steps to do. Time is something that I don't have an excess of lately. 

It was a bit busy when it came so my attention was not all together when I started trying the machine out. After realizing where I threaded it wrong, I was good to go. So far, it's amazing. 

Dear Serger, 

I 

heart

 you.

Oh!

Dear You Know Who,

I 

heart

you too!

Ice Cream Dress

Oh dear, I'd forgotten how fun it is to sew little dresses. This Nicey Jane fabric used to be the bumper pads Jessica made for Micah's crib. I love reusing stuff, don't you? Jess picked the Oliver & S Ice Cream Dress. The fabric was a little less than eighteen inches across so I could only make a 6 - 12 month size. The solid is from Joann's. 

After seeing a version with a rounded collar, Jess decided that was the look she wanted. The button adds a bit of interest. Both the front and the closure button were some I had in my stash. They don't match but they coordinate with the fabric in a fun way.

 I added the bias trim to try and distract from the not so well matched strip I had to add to make it long enough.... 

I kinda love it.