Work in Progress - Butterick 5882

A little preview about my current work in progress. Butterick 5882.

 I always seem to be very late with these popular patterns that everybody seems to make as soon as they are released. This is a very beautiful pattern and I will write a review as soon as the dress is finished.

For now just a quick view. I am very happy about how the pleats turned out. I have to take a break with the dress, because I don't have the boning for the bodice yet.

The dress pinned to my dress form. The bodice and skirt are not yet sewn together. 

 Another project I am very looking forward to is the Multitasker Tote by Anna Maria Horner. The pattern and some beautiful fabric for it are on their way to me. I also have another Coco dress cut out. Hope to finish it over the weekend.

New Fabric and some thoughts about knits

 Some of my new fabric. First up Anna Maria Horner Hand Drawn Garden Fat Quarter Bundle. She is one of my absolute favorite fabric designers. Aren't those colors just beautiful?

 This is a bundle of fabrics I got from my older sister for my birthday last year. Heather Ross prints. Again one of my all time favorite designers. (the pigeon wasn't part of the present, and isn't Heather Ross either) The solid is a Shot Cotton Fat Quarter. Almost a year in my stash now and I still didn't find the perfect project for these treasures. It has to be very special.

Wee Wander by Sarah Jane

Oh, how I love these prints. I couldn't wait until I finally had the Fat Quarter Bundle. With the matching solids. And they even added a Mini Lucky Charms pack to my order for free.

 I found these wonderful jerseys at Girl Charlee. They have so many beautiful jerseys for really good prices. These two are super soft and flowy jerseys. Perfect for some skater dresses.

Which brings me right to my thoughts about knits. When I started sewing I read a lot of online tutorials, and how-to's, and such. And I thought sewing with knits must be some very hard super special task. 

IT IS NOT!!!!!

It is very easy, and I don't understand why there is so much fuss out there about sewing with knits. I think in some ways it is even easier than sewing with some kind of woven fabrics. All there is to it is a ball point needle, and a walking foot would be very good, but not necessary. But don't most sewing machines come with a walking foot? My super cheap brother had one, and I know Janome includes it. Not all Bernina's have one included, but if one spends the money on a Bernina the walking foot really is the smallest expense. Just saying! Don't let 'em scare you!

My Giant Vintage Star Quilt

The pattern for this quilt is from In Color Order by Jeni Baker. You can find the free tutorial here. After I found a bunch of really nice Giant Vintage Star Quilts in her Flickr Group.

My sister made one of these quilts and it inspired me to make one too. I needed a cuddle blanket for watching movies.

The fabric is Dowry by Anna Maria Horner. I used this Fat Quarter Bundle. The piecing of the top and back was a matter of an afternoon. It went together so quickly, and uses less fabric than one would think.

The backing fabric is cuddle minky in purple. The back shows nicely how I quilted it. Just straight lines left and right of the long straight joining seams. It was done within an afternoon, including the binding. I used the leftover stripes to cut the binding.

I love this quilt. It is so amazingly soft and cuddly. 

Back from my vacation

As the title of this post says, I am back from my Christmas vacation. I spent two weeks on Bainbridge Island, WA, at my older sisters house. My two younger sisters from Germany came visiting too. It was a lot of fun. And since my older sister sews too I got a lot of inspiration for upcoming sewing projects.

My sewing related Christmas presents

Sewing pattern for Iris hoodie

Draping: The complete guide, Lark by Jamie Christina, Hawthorn by Colette Patterns

They do have a little sewing shop on the island which happened to have a sale while I was there. I couldn't help but to buy some fabric.

The pink fabric is a poly chiffon with sequins that I got from my sisters stash. The black lace with sequins is from the fabric store.

 

From left to right:

Chambray by Robert Kaufman

Essex Yarn Dyed Linen by Robert Kaufman

The most amazingly soft Italian cotton from the fabric store!

Black stretch corduroy from my sisters stash

Anna Maria Horner:

Dowry Flourish Cherry

Postage Due Kalediescope

Field Study Linen Parenthetical Berry

 Anna Maria Horner Field Study Ghost Wing

Horse Print on cotton from Spoonflower

Sarah Jane's Children at play by Michael Miller

I also got two Anna Maria Horner Fat Quarter bundles. One of them is already a quilt top, and will be blogged about later. And a fantastic interlock knit in gray (also from the little fabric store) which is already sewn up into the Lark pattern. I just have to add the closures and it will be ready for pictures and blogging.

Now I really have to start some stash bustin'!