WIWW: Simple Gathered Knit Skirt

 

On my summer bucket list, I said I wanted to try more garment sewing. Well this is my second attempt at sewing with knit fabric and I learned a few more valuable lessons this time around. Thank goodness knit fabric is so forgiving.

I love a simple gathered skirt, such a basic pattern but when paired with some awesome fabric it sure does make a great skirt. To help me get a nicer looking skirt I used a pattern I picked up a JoAnn a few weeks ago for like $2! I always hate the waistbands with a separate casing for the elastic so just folded down around the top of the skirt to make my casing, sewed around it leaving an opening for the elastic and threaded it through. I really wanted to have a yoga waistband, but this knit fabric is just too stretchy to really do well, no matter how small I cut the waistband after trying it on it was too stretched out and the skirt was falling off my hips. So lesson learned always check the stretch and recovery of your knit fabric!

With this skirt I wanted to hem my skirt to make it look a little more professional. So after reading many blog tutorials and tips for sewing with knits I thought I would give hem tape a whirl. Once I got the paper backing off, this made the difference in hemming knits. I will never hem a skirt without hem tape again!

Now to try sewing a dress!

*Outfit details

• Skirt made by me, fabric purchased from local fabric store.
• Target t-shirt
• Chaco sandals
• Necklace, purchased at a street fair

 

WiP Wednesday

I have been sewing and quilting a lot lately. {Thank you Nora for naptime!} I am currently working on my mini quilt for my Schnitzel & Boo Quilt Swap. I really hope my partner enjoys it! And since I had some scraps from trimming I am starting a few mini quilts for myself!

I have also been trying my hand at garment sewing and this time with knits. So far so good, now that I better understand sewing with the correct needle. Yesterday I cut out a second skirt for me and a little circle skirt for Nora. My skirt needs to be hemmed and I’m thinking of a hi-low hemline.

That’s all for now. Happy Sewing!

Linking up with WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Woodland Plus Quilt

 

Previously I have never undertaken a quilt bigger than say a slightly oversized crib quilt. And I’ve made plenty of crib sized quilts and a few wall quilts. But I had not ventured beyond because 1.) My previous sewing machine sucked the big one, and 2.) I was a little scared of the undertaken. Well no more, I have finished an oversized throw and it feels good.

I’ve been working on this quilt for about 2 months now and it feels so good to have it off my UFO list! I had the top pieced together, but I just didn’t have the motivation to piece the back and begin quilting. Until last week, I decided it was time to finish my plus quilt. A good practice run for the 7+ throw quilts I will be making before Christmas.

I used Jeni’s Arithmetic patchwork plus quilt pattern (Love her patterns, clear instructions and easy to follow!) and fabric that had been in my stash for ages! Between this quilt and a few others that I have pulled for, my stash has been depleted. Time for shopping! This quilt was pieced together with my new favorite thread Aurifil in 50wt white (#2024) and quilted with 40wt Mango Mist – Variegated (#4659). Seriously this is the best stuff ever!

For the quilting I decided to go with wavy lines and I love the texture that they created. My hubby has already claimed this quilt for himself. Guess I need to make another throw quilt for myself, oh darn!

And here are a few outtakes from our photo shoot. My hubby is such a good sport!

Latest projects and WiP

The past few weeks have flown by. I can hardly believe that March has come to an end and we are finally have some spring weather.

In thou of spending time outdoors (though I have spent the warmer days, I’m talking the upper 30’s and 40’s outdoors) I’ve been spending plenty of time in my studio, sewing away the rest of this winter. This month alone I’ve managed to check off a fair bit from my master sewing to-do list!

I created this little mini spool quilt to hang in my sewing studio.

Finished my Quilted Super Tote for my upcoming trip. I am loving the size of this tote, there is plenty of room for diapers for my Miss Nora, and still plenty of room for my stuff. I used some fun fabrics from my stash, perfect for spring.

I just love my Starburst mini. Pattern is from Canoe Ridge Creations Fresh Mini Quilt Club. I already of plans to make a few more to hang around the house.

I’m currently working on a few quilts and one happens to be for myself.

Pattern is from Jeni at In Color Order. This is a perfect pattern for a beginner and I love how this quilt top turned out.

Yesterday I got to do a little sewing and this is what I managed to whip up, some blocks for another mini.

And because she is just so cute, I had to include a picture of my little Miss Nora.

Happy Sewing!

 

 

 

 

Sewing is Good for the Soul

So yeah, to say I love my new sewing machine would be an understatement. I absolutely, positively love my new machine! I get so jazzed to sew. I’m no longer just planning projects, I’m actually accomplishing them! Since bringing my machine home I have sewn at least once a day and sometimes twice depending on how nap and bedtime goes.

My word of the year is today and my sewing has been really reflecting this. I have put off certain projects because I didn’t think my skills were good enough, well I’ll never get good enough if I don’t try and I most certainly have been trying and testing my sewing and creative skills. Plus I no longer have the excuse that my machine can’t handle a certain project because it didn’t have a free arm, well not anymore!

With that I have been checking off projects that have been on my sewing to-do list for quite awhile. There are still plenty there, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far.

First I finished piecing together a quilt for one of my nieces for Christmas (yes I’ve started working on Christmas gifts already!), I love how it fast it come together. I had a jelly roll and used the Fat Quarter Shop Jelly Roll Jam pattern, but I just added more blocks to make it bigger and I love the end result. So cute!

I sewed a few of this bag style for Christmas gifts last year. And I just knew this would make a great library bag. Now I don’t have to worry about overloading my library bag.

In addition to a new library tote, I started sewing up new fabric grocery bags. I’ve completed one and have many more planned.

Pattern from Michelle Patterns

I also stitched up an Everything drawstring bag from Jeni’s Drawstring bag pattern. Love how fast it comes together.

I have many more projects in the works. Including a new tote/diaper bag for myself and a throw quilt for the family room. Time to get back to the sewing room!

 

 

My New Toy: Husqvarna Viking Opal 650

So about 2 months ago I killed my Brother sewing machine that I got at Wal-Mart when I was living in Iowa for a summer internship in 2005. And earlier last summer I purchased a Dressmaker sewing machine off Craigslist for $25. Which was perfect since I was cursing my Brother long before it died. Well after sewing strictly on my Dressmaker for the last few months and making Christmas gifts and knowing I wanted to sew more quilts in 2014, I started looking at new machines. I was just thinking of getting something that would be a small step up from my Brother and that was a little smarter than my mechanical Dressmaker.

So I was just looking at relatively inexpensive Baby Lock machines at my local fabric store. Then the hubby told me to find what I really wanted and just get that machine, since I started doing a lot of sewing. My dream machine would be a Bernina, but that just isn’t in the budget right now. So I narrowed it down to Juki, Janome, or Viking. Since I wanted a machine that would be able to be served in the area I decided on the Viking. (But a nice straight stitch Juki would be very nice!) After playing around with the Viking Opal 650, it seemed like the perfect fit. I could sew bags easier than on my Dressmaker, plus the 8 inches of throat space has been wonderful!

The Opal 650 has 160 different stitches, but I have only played with 10 or so of them. When I demoed the machine at the store, I played with the buttonhole and I must say this is the easiest way to make a buttonhole. Now I just need to find the confidence to sew clothes and try it out at home. The only bummer is that it doesn’t come with any of the quilting feet, so I will be getting a walking foot and possible a 1/4 inch foot. I love that I can save my stitches with my specifications. For example since I’m a quilter I piece with a scant 1/4 inch seam. Well most of the time I could only get a true 1/4 inch seam and my blocks were always off by just a smidgen. Now I found my scant 1/4 inch seam and I’m getting blocks that are pretty darn perfect in my book!

 

I’ve had this machine for a week and I have already pieced a quilt top, finished a new library tote, and a few other small sewing projects. I love that my stitches are even and that I can control the speed on the machine and not just with the foot pedal. (And I can sew without the foot pedal, which is nice when Nora is messing around in my sewing room!) Sewing in fun and something that I look forward to do everyday and this machine has really helped me improve my sewing even in this short amount of time. Let’s just say I can’t wait to quilt on this machine!