Serious Stash Busting

If you are like me you have A LOT of fabric, more than you can probably use in your lifetime and you also like to shop for new fabric.  This can be an issue as to where to store all your fabric and also that feeling of guilt (although somewhat fleeting) when buying new fabric.

Making charity quilts is one way of stash busting and I have another that I have been doing recently......making little girl dresses for charity.

Now I know you quilters out there say 'I don't sew, I make quilts' but if you can sew a straight seam (which I assume you can if you quilt) and can read instructions (which I assume you can if you quilt), then you can make some really adorable little dresses.

Here are some patterns that are super simple.......this means no zippers or buttons.

New Look 6796:

(source Simplicity Patterns)

 

New Look 6504:

 (source Simplicity Patterns)

Simplicity It's So Easy 2427

(source Simplicity Patterns)

 

 Each of these patterns come in multiple sizes so you can copy off several different one. Some of the dress bodies take as little as 1/2yd and add some scraps of coordinating fabric for yokes, ties or ruffles and you have adorable little dresses.  Some need a little larger amount of fabric but usually nothing over 2yds depending on the size you make.

Here is a recent one I finished of NL 6796:

I think this is a size 2.  I had enough of the print fabric for the yoke and body but not enough for the ties and bottom band.  So I simple dug through my stash to see what had that could work.  Here's another one:

Same pattern, same size.  I had enough of the print for the body front without a bottom band but not enough for anything else.  So I simple used scraps for the yoke and ties, and something entirely different for the back that matched the front.

I am currently working on a few dresses using the other patterns, both using a variety of fabrics.  The fun part of making these dresses is picking out the fabrics.  The satisfying part is making a pretty dress for a deserving little girl and reducing your stash at the same time.

Here are the 19 dresses I made on my first go around with this project:

I kept a spreadsheet of how many made, sizes and the yardage used for each....the total was 19 (in 3 months) and the total yardage used was .....30.125yds!  This year I am hoping to make 25 - 30 dresses, so far I have 6 completed and 3 more in progress.

Now where you ask do these little dresses go?  There are a number of charities that you can send them to, here are just a few:

Little Dresses for Africa
Forgotten Children's Ministries/Girls

You can also find a list of charities accepting donations here:

Handmade for Charity

My first group went to 'Little Dresses for Africa', this year I will spread the love to another group possible in Honduras or here in the USA.

So if you need to do some serious stash busting consider making some little dresses.  It's fun, it uses up fabric and mostly what little girl doesn't love a cute little dress.  You can make a difference and put a smile on a little girls face.

 

Pillowcases with French-seams

I bought.....yes, you heard me bought a new bedspread.  We were is desperate need as the 30's pinwheel quilt I made 16 years ago had seen better days......MUCH better days.  It was time for retirement and a new look.

I have no time nor inclination to make a queen size quilt, so off to Target I went.  And for a mere $50 and 1/2 hour of time a got a nice reversible two-tone aqua quilt.  It was just what I wanted, perfect color and everything, it just needed wild pillowcases to punch it up a bit.

Pillowcases are the easiest thing to sew and if you're like me and don't have a serger, french-seams are a nice was to finish the seams.

Here is a quick tutorial for making pillowcases with french-seams.

For one pillowcase cut the following:
Body Fabric: 25 1/2" x 41"
Accent Fabric: 1 3/4" x 41"
Cuff fabric: 10" x 41"


Making the Pillowcase Body

Attach the accent strip to the cuff and press the seam to the accent strip.  Attach the body fabric to the accent strip.  Press the seam to the accent strip.  Your pillowcase now looks like this:

Make sure that all edges are even, trim if needed.  It seems that after I don't how many years of sewing and quilting I still have trouble with this.....I think I cut something wrong!  So pay attention as you cut!

Press the raw edge of the cuff under 1/4" (sorry about the pic, my battery was fading fast).

Fold the cuff to the inside, covering the accent seam up to the stitching.

Use a few pins on the wrong side to hold in place making sure the accent seam is covered.  The turn to the right side and pin (remove the pins from the back BEFORE you start to sew).  Using matching thread, top stitch along the accent strip about an 1/8" from the edge.  This is what the front should look like:

This is what the underside should look like:

Making the French-Seam

Fold the pillowcase in half, WRONG sides together, lining up raw edges on 2 sides.  Stitch a very narrow 1/4" or 1/8" seam on these 2 sides.  Although hard to see, it will look like this:

If you had sewn a 1/4" seam, carefully trim to 1/8".  Turn pillowcase inside out.  Make sure corners are poked out and square.  Press along the stitched seam so it is nice an flat. Stitch approx. 1/4" to 3/8" along the seamline, encasing the raw edge.   It should look like this on the inside:

Turn the pillowcase right side out and your done!

Here are my fabulously LOUD pillowcases, made from Michael Miller's Feelin' Groovey fabric available at The Cotton Loft, of course!

Now go and make some WILD pillowcases for your bed, or your teenager's, or your toddler's or anyone's!

MOD Retro Tunic

I knew when I saw this pattern, McCall's 5882:

I had the perfect fabric for it in P&B MOD, here is my version in sunny yellow (we also have this in a lovely spring green):

This pattern for McCall's is the same as the Sabrina Tunic for Serendipity Studios, I am pretty sure the designer is the same.  This tunic was easy to make up and is very flattering to a wide variety of figures.  I especially like the high neck.  I can think of lots of other fabrics in the shop to make more versions of this top out of......in fact I may go try the dress next!

Enjoy!
Chris

Farmer's Market Bathrobe

As I mentioned in the earlier post I have been doing more garment sewing than quilting. I think this happens to a lot of quilters, you just make one too many quilts and BAM! You just can't make another one.

But what do you do with all that fabric you have? And you certainly can't give up buying fabric, but how can you justify buying new fabric if you're not making quilts? Well, you make other things! Purses, placemats, and yes......clothing!

I learned to sew in high school and I remember now why I took to quilting.......it's easier! Now I'm not saying quilting is not a challenge but I can piece a simple quilt a lot faster than I can make a simple article of clothing. Garment sewing has given me a challenge and new interest that I had lost with my quilting. It provides me with another creative outlet.

Garment sewing is hard, it is even harder to sew a well fitting garment. I am still learning to make more fitted items like pants and jackets, but that process can be long. While I work on those projects I like to throw in a simple project so I feel like I am accomplishing something. Like this:


Yes, it is blindingly bright, but I love it! If that fabric looks familiar it's because it is Michael Miller's Farmer Market (which you buy at The Cotton Loft). I used this pattern (which you can buy here):If you've done a little sewing this is a pretty straightforward pattern, nothing to difficult. I did underline my fabric with white cotton batiste to give it a little more body and finished the seams with bias binding. This is the perfect bathrobe for our warm Florida mornings!

This pattern has a lot of options to it and I plan to make a few more of them. I can see some cute pajamas made up in some wild retro fabric! If you have a teenage daughter or niece this is the perfect pattern to use to make her something she'll love. A cute little cami top and matching shorts, extend the look by making a pair of long bottoms in a solid color.....the possibilities are endless. Some pieces require as little as 1 to 1 2/2yds of fabric, surely you have that in your stash! And this pattern is simple enough for the novice sewer.

So if you've been thinking about trying something different.....get to it......get sewing!

Enjoy,
Chris

What I Made This Week

I really needed a new eyeglass case. I am sure my current one is from the Bush One era, and it looks like it. So I figured it was time for a new one and I thought I could easily make one so I did. Maybe you need a new eyeglass case too, here's what you do:

Cut 2 rectangles for the outside at 8 1/2 x 5
Cut 2 rectangles for backing at 8 1/2 x 5
Cut 2 rectangles of batting at 8 1/2 x5
Cut 2 rectangles for lining at 7 1/2 x 4

Layer 2 stacks of outside fabric, batting and backing. Quilt in diagonal rows using 1" masking or painters tape.


Re-cut quilted rectangles to 7 1/2 x 4.
Pair each lining with a quilted rectangle right sides together and stitch 1/4" along one short side.
Make a simple template or round the corners by freehand on the short end not stitched.

Open, turn right side up and press seam.


Matching seams pin sections right sides together. Stitch 1/4" around leaving opening of about 3" in lining. Carefully clip or trim curves. Turn inside out and press. (Turning is easier said than done. Start with the quilted end and use your thumbs to turn and push through the opening. Use a pencil eraser end to push the curved ends smooth. Press and stitch lining opening closed.

Use the pencil eraser end to push the lining into the eyeglass case. This is also easier said than done because the lining sticks to itself, but enough shoving.....I mean gentle prodding with the pencil eraser end will get it where you want it. Topstitch 1/8" to 1/4" around top edge.

Behold the new eyeglass case! It took about 1 1/2 hours total. I told you my old case was in bad shape!