Mystery Quilt Update...

Week 6 of the Allietare Mystery Quilt has begun.  It is very exciting to see what my quilt is going to look like.  Here is my version:

I forgot to take a picture after I filled in all the V areas.  It is more neutrals with red.  The quilt is put together on the diagonal.  I created a diagram them picked up each row numbering the row to match the diagram.  I'm hoping that this helps me keep up with the rows.  As you can see, the quilt is a bit bigger than my area was to lay down the quilt.  Fortunately, I was able to place everything around the legs of the tables.

After I finished picking up the quilt blocks, I worked on one of the blocks for The Splendid Sampler:

I like the fabrics that I picked but I don't really like the way the square turned out.  I will be taking this a part and checking the measurements as the middle of the block is too narrow.

Happy Sewing!

When is Knitting Like Sewing?...

Have you ever given it much thought?

Both knitting and sewing are fun to do but fitting is when they are a like and equally discouraging.  I just finished watching a class on Craftsy called "Feminine Fit".  This is one of the best class I have taken in a long time.  Don't get me wrong.  I like all of my Craftsy classes but this one went into a lot of depth on how to get an item to fit well.  How to measure and then transfer that information back to your pattern. Fitting really isn't that much of an issue unless you have larger bumps, very short, very tall, narrow shoulders, wide shoulders, wide hips, skinny.etc. I think you get the idea.  This is exactly the same as when you sew.

So, if you're a knitter, do you go through the effort to make an item fit by adding shaping and changing the pattern to fit? or do you knit the item for the desired fit by using the bust measurement?

I have a friend who doesn't think it is worth the effort to make an item fit.  She just wants to knit and as long as the item goes around her she is happy.  I'm going to follow through on the project for the "Feminine Fit" class and see if it is worth the effort.  The project for the class will cost somewhere between $30 and $50 in yarn.  I am not a fast knitter so I can even guess at the time.

What do you think?  Is a good fit worth the time and effort it takes to create it?

I'm off to print off the materials for measuring and graphing the correct.

Happy Stitching!

It IS So Addictive..

Yes, I have the quilting bug right now.  I've been working hard on the Allietare Mystery quilt.  I was very excited when I started week 5 of the mystery.  It meant that I was getting close to seeing what my version of the quilt would look like.  There were a few days where I would spend 4-5-6 hours working on the quilt.  This is also when I started finding mistakes.  The first mistake that I noticed was some how I had miscounted the Week 1 blocks and was short.  So, I started cutting and sewing.  The next mistake that was found was all of the Week 5 blocks were put together wrong.  I spent hours taking them apart and putting them back together.  I'm now getting toward the end of Week 5 but this is mostly the part where I'm cutting the pieces.  Maybe with the next update, I can show what my version will look like.

So now on to the addiction.  It's not like I don't have enough in my cue.  Besides, the Allietare Mystery quilt, I'm planning on an Ocean Waves quilt for my son.  I can't find a pattern for a queen size version of this quilt so I will be winging it and it needs to be finished by the first of June so I can have it back before he heads off to college. I have joined in not one or two but three quilt sew alongs.  I'm I crazy?  I just couldn't resist.  The first sew along was with the online quilt group that I'm a member of and it will be a mini quilt.  I have selected the following fabrics:

The remaining little pieces will be from the stash.  Here's what the little quilt is suppose to look like upon completion:

This is my very first mini quilt.  Hopefully, I will get it completed.  It is suppose to be finished sometime in the fall.

On to the next quilt....Oh, yes, this one is going to be a year long event with 100 blocks.  It is the Splendid Sampler.  I think this will be a lot of fun.  The blocks are going to be 6" square.  Again, small blocks but this is going to be busy working with this.  They're on block 2 and I'm not.  Here's the fabric that I selected:

This is Kindred Spirits from Moda.  Someone else posted this bundle on the Splendid Sampler group and I had to have it.  I'm not sure that there is actually enough "darks" in this bundle so I may add to it.  The Splendid Sampler is hosted by Pat Sloan and host of other designs.  It should be a real learning experience.  You can find information at thesplendidsampler.com.

As if this isn't enough to keep up with, I'm also going to try to do Pat Sloan's 2016 Mystery Quilt - My Secret Garden.  It's already up to block 2 also but I haven't gotten any fabric together for it yet.  You can find information regarding this mystery quilt on Pat Sloan's blog.

So, does it look like I'm going to be busy with quilting stuff?  I don't know how I'm going to get my other sewing done and my knitting.   I suppose this is one way to keep busy.  I will now need to work on some kind of organization solution so I can keep with all of these quilting projects.  I was thinking that maybe the clear plastic shoe boxes would work for some of it.  I'm open to any ideas.

Happy Sewing!

Did You Ever Have A Project...

..that you put off forever because you didn't know where to start?  I've had this basket for a long time:

The blueberry blue really don't match my red, green, and off white decor.  It is one of those projects that should be relatively easy.  However, I never put in the effort to figure out how to recreate the liner on the basket.  My sewing buddy wanted to make some basket liners so we decided that this would be a great project for our monthly get together.  With a little encourage and a couple of hours of sewing time, I now have a lovely new liner for my basket:

I am very pleased with my new liner.  The color is much closer to what I wanted in my living room.  This was so easy that I am sorry that I put off making the liner for so long.  Here's the basket in my living room:

For now it will hold a pair of large pillows.  Those pillows can hid a lot of stuff under them.

I will never put off making a basket liner again!

Happy Stitching!

6-Piece Sewing...It's Time For Spring....

I saw that the spring 6-Piece information had been posted today.  I never did do anything with the winter 6-piece except dream a little.  However, I have a big trip for later this year and I need to think about things that will pack well.  Maybe I'll be able to join in.  The spring 6-piece is:

1. Jacket or cardigan in a neutral color
2. Jacket or cardigan in a color
3. Pants or skirt in a neutral color
4.  Pants or skirt in a color
5.  Top in a neutral color
6.  Top in a color

Looks easy doesn't it?  Really if you followed through on wardrobe planning at the end of the year there would be 24 pieces that should be interchangeable.  I never seem to plan that well.  Maybe that is something to strive for.

I don't really need any additional jackets or cardigans but I do need tops and bottoms.  So, I will be plan on that attempting 4 tops and 2 bottoms.  I really need to dive into the stash as I know I have lots of fabrics in there that would be appropriate for this particular 6-piece and will work for my trip.  No, I'm not going to call any particular project out but be sure that it will all be easy sewing.

If you want to let more about the 6-piece sewing, check it out over at Artisan's Square.  Join in the fun.

Happy Stitching!

Mystery Update...

Progress has slowed.  I thought the Week 5 clues would be super easy and they were until I realized that I had not finished Week 1 clues like I thought.  That means that there is a lot of extra cutting, sewing, ironing, and trimming going on.  I'm am trying to maximize my sewing time as much as possible by stitching until there is nothing else left to stitch, then moving to the ironing board to press everything.  Then, I start checking the items that have been pressed, trimming where necessary, and redoing if needed.  It is a slow process.  Well, at least for me.

I'm already dreaming of the next quilt which will be for my son to take away to college.  So, it has to be done no later than the end of May.  We have settled on a design and amazingly I was unable to locate a printed pattern so I will have to figure out the needed fabrics on my own.  I suspect that I will guess on the background for the quilt.

Okay, off to work on the Mystery Quilt.

Happy Sewing!