Yak Shaving

Somewhere in the middle of last month, I pulled out the cream colored interlock knit I bought ages ago with intentions of making something for me. I located and prepped all the pattern pieces I needed to make view D of McCall’s M6513. Ian helped with the tissue fitting. And then I discovered the interlock was about an eighth of a yard short. If this were a true case of yak shaving, the story would continue like this: So, I gathered my things to head off to the fabric store. But I discovered a flat tire on our one car. …

New Home Needed for Possibly Antique Crazy Quilt

Back in the early-mid 1990s, my grandmother gave me a quilt top, since I was into quilting. I think she may have picked it up at a garage or estate sale, but I don’t know for sure. It’s a traditional crazy quilt, with hand-embroidery around the edges of every single piece of fabric. The time and love that went into making this is a bit mind-blowing. The fabrics are all over the map, but they tend toward the satin, silk and velvet. Some of them look like they started life as ribbons. Not all of them have held up so …

Bloggers’ BOM Quilt Almost Done!

I’ve got my first completed quilt top of 2013! Really, it’s amazing what one can do with several hours of quilty time each week. I’ve recently started working on Fridays at Stash Quilt Shop, and when I’m not cutting fabric for folks, I’ve got access to a sewing machine. There are several BOMs from last year that never got finished, so I’m using my Stash-time to finish them up. First up, since it was the farthest along: the Bloggers’ BOM from Jackie at Canton Village Quiltworks. The blocks are on point, with shashing and stepping stones. I think the border …

My New Tiramisu

We finally had a day where all the variables lined up: decent light, not too cold to be outside in short sleeves, Ian available to take the photos. Here’s my very own Cake Patterns’ Tiramisu, the first completed real installment in my personal Wardrobe Improvement Project! I started this dress during StephC‘s Tiramisu Sewalong, but didn’t manage to finish with everyone else. The 30 minutes a day format of the sewalong didn’t quite work for me (although it’s possible I could have adjusted things to make it work) and I spent so much time trying to get the fit just …

Waiting for Sunshine

Ian’s wardrobe has two modes. If it’s gray and rainy outside (roughly October til late April), he wears long sleeves and all black. If it’s warm and sunny, the sleeves get short and the colors get bright. I mean, really bright. He’s got a shirt that’s a bright orange with little black kokopellis on it. About a year and a half ago, while we were in a fabric store for some other reason, Ian found a fabric he liked. Sure, I’ll make a shirt. We have a go-to pattern for him (McCalls’ 4079), I’ve already noted all the adjustment to …

Tutorial: Square in Square Block

Welcome to March! For us northerly types, the days are visibly longer already, and the buds are swelling on the trees. One of these days, the sun will stop teasing us, and we’ll all squint and complain about how bright it is. March is my month to lead Sew.Quilt.Give. It’s probably unnecessary for the bee participants, but I’m taking the opportunity to write a tutorial for my chosen block, the Square in Square block. It’s a first for me (the tutorial writing, not the block), so if you have any constructive feedback, please share! This block is a variation on …