Quick Update! Stay Tuned for More Details on These Projects

First up, 2 western (African) shirts, made for a friend & his little boy.  Both are from vintage patterns, and the contrast fabric is from my stash from our trip to West Africa.  

And, this weekend I started on a Colette Patterns Cooper backpack, using canvas Charley Harper fabrics & Heat 'n' Bond iron-on vinyl!  This is going to be a cool backpack, but I'm seriously thinking I may need to make another smaller purse out of matching fabric, too. Maybe using the BB Bag pattern I already have...

I hope to get something written up this next weekend about these, and another item that is close to being finished.  More later...

Stuff I've Made: Quilts with West African Wax Prints

African Market quilt.

I was trying to show a colleague my West African wax print quilts that I made shortly after our trip to Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana & Cote d'Ivoire in 2006.  And realized that I have mentioned them but never put them up on this site.  The Roommate had 2 snow days last week (I had none!), so he took some photos for me. Thanks, Honey! 

So, we did our last big backpacking/overland trip for 5 weeks through West Africa.  Last because we're getting pretty old to be lugging backpacks around and sitting on buses for hours, staying in places with shared baths, etc.  We've done that all over the world, partly to stretch our travel & souvenir-buying $$, but also because riding buses (not renting a car & driver) and staying in hostels is a great way to see how the local people live. We don't cover as much ground and certainly travel inefficiently, but on the other hand it's a great way to find out what's happening, plus watch some wonderful Nigerian movies on the bus, and get off and do bird-watching every time the bus driver takes yet another unscheduled break. We are usually the only non-locals on the bus, always of great interest and high entertainment value, plus people are generally quite friendly and curious about who we are and what we are doing there.  

Reverse of African Fabric Shop.

We knew we wanted to buy as much kente, kuba, bogolon textiles, and wax print fabric as we could carry on the plane (about 40 lbs/each). So we took old clothes and shoes that we left behind, and just stuffed our backpacks! We used a scale in a little neighborhood market to check & were thrilled when we got to the airport & checked in with 79 lbs!  

Reverse of African Market quilt.

We've spent time in markets all over the world (we love them, in fact, and go out of our way to be in town on market day), but found them to be so crowded that you spent the whole time worrying about being pick-pocketed.  Also, they are HUGE, so it's really hard to find what you want; i.e., the textile stores!  When we finally found the fabric section in the Accra market, we discovered that the prices weren't that much better, and the selection wasn't any different in the less crowded, well-organized shops a little bit out from the city center.  

African Fabric Shop.

Speaking of fabric shops...they were wonderful. (A few photos here.) Clean, organized, & often with marked prices--a real luxury.  So the second quilt I made is called African Fabric Shop.  I used pieces of all 44 fabrics I bought, (as I did with the Market quilt), but tried to make them a bit more orderly.  Both of these quilts are smaller (3' x 4' or so), and we use them all the time in the sun room when we're reading or watching a movie.  Bella also loves them, which is really all we care about.

The last picture, below, is to show you the great machine-quilting my friend Mala Ramakrishnan, of Classic Quilts Dubai did.  Mala is an amazing quilter & a true artist, so I always felt safe giving her my quilts & saying, "Whatever you think will look best."  Both are quilted with the same pattern, to make them a matched set, along with the same fabric selections being used in both. 

Orcas, Table Runners & Napkins, Oh My!

I got the table runner & napkins made for my mother-in-law, who found this amazing fabric in Ketchikan.  I didn't have quite enough for 12 napkins (the Roommate's parents love to entertain!) but found some more fabric at this great online quilt shop, Rushin' Tailor, located in Skagway.  Their prices are great, and the shipment only took 4 days; I would totally order from them again.  And don't worry...I ordered plenty to use on another Roommate Western shirt project! 

Here is the package all ready to go (it shipped out this morning, just before the blizzard hit). 

And speaking of blizzards, we're in the midst of one right now.  This is our backyard while I'm writing.  Pretty! 

And here it is on the dining table, in CA.   They sent this great photo of the table set with some of their Alaska art + the items I made.  I thought you'd like to see how they worked out!  I think they look great on the teak dining table.  

Knit Picks Shimmer - Easy Scarf for a Gift

This lovely scarf was made with Shimmer, which Knit Picks doesn't have any more.  The next best is Diadem, which is the same silk/baby alpaca fiber mix.  The resulting textile is amazing; totally non-itchy and it reflects light a bit, too.  It's a joy to work with.  I tripled the yarn and used size 9US needles.  I love the slight color change!

This is a really simple pattern, just a K1 P1 rib.  I think it came out quite pretty.  The fact that it's all ribbing means it's stretchy & a little thicker, too.  Perfect for a scarf.  

I like the pattern & the yarn so much I'm making myself one, too; this time with a K2 P2 rib.  I'm only doubling the yarn and using US10 needles for a little different look. Also quite pretty, if I do say so myself. I'm about halfway through it now.

We are having a nice long winter here in DC, so I may get some use out of this scarf this year, rather than having to wait until next winter.  

Here He Is: Mr. Xmas in his Xmas Shirt

Obviously the Roommate's Western Xmas Shirt is finished! Here is the supermodel showing it off. 

Apparently I'm even luckier than I previously thought, because at least 2 friends have told me their significant others would never wear anything like that.  The Roommate is an elementary school teacher and the children love him, partly because he does not mind looking silly...so even if the crazy shirts I make for him are not sophisticated or classy, he wears them anyway, with pleasure.  

You can see that I had fun w/ the contrasting red & green.  The red is under the collar, and inside the neckline & the button placket, so it just shows a bit.

I also included some red inside the pockets & red star buttons--because the Roommate is also a communist! ;-)  For those detail pictures, click here.  

The pattern is Simplicity 6693, from 1974, BTW.

Another Xmas Gift Finished!

We got a lovely blast of snow and ice today, so it feels a lot more like xmas & makes sitting in front of the fireplace, reading with Bella (who has kept me focused on sewing all day, in managerial fashion), a lovely proposition.

Of course, it's Sunday and not having to go out in it helps...it feels romantic & cozy & fun.  I don't work tomorrow, but the Roommate does, so this won't be so fun tomorrow for him, driving to work, especially if we have a true ice storm as they're predicting tonite.

Lining on left.

So after we ran out to the gym & to get some supplies (milk, limes!),  I got one of my projects done, a quilted iPad holder for my sister (who doesn't read this blog, so my secret should be safe).  I did a bit of piecing, and decided to curve the edges of the front flap because I couldn't find my instructions for making a mitered corner for the binding.  I could have looked it up on the innerwebs, I know, but decided this made it a bit softer & worked better with the pretty fabric.  

I think most of this fabric was a gift from a quilting friend, but there were so many different colors that matched & mixed, so I think parts of it were serendipitous, too.  No complaints; it was nice to work with such pretty fabric, and to have lots to play with.  

I also managed to get caught up on my Project Runway Allstars episodes.  Sometimes I feel like I spend more time trying to find something to watch while sewing than I spend actually sewing!  

This is the outside back of the tablet cover.  

What are you making for xmas gifts?  

Xmas Presents - Not Quite Ready for Prime Time

The main fabric in this photo is a panel from a girl's kimono...it's silk and I bought it in Japan years ago.  I've been waiting to use it, and the time has come.  

I'm also using up some scraps (given by a generous freecycle member) & a bit of other cotton stash items for this gift.  I won't say too much more about it because one of the giftees reads this blog.  

I have also been doing a bit of knitting (also for xmas), and am still trying to finish the cotton test run for the wool jacket, the half of See & Sew B5699 that I haven't even started on!  

Realistically, I probably won't get all this done.  For one thing, we'll be away for xmas & we both work full-time until then.  Meaning, between packing, cleaning, doing laundry, wrapping presents & working on xmas cards, we'll be pretty darn busy.  Not to mention the gym!  But I'm doing my best, & if some doesn't get done, oh well.  

What are you doing to prepare for the holiday season?  Gift-making, gift-baking? Will you get it all completed in time?!  

New Quilted Cover for My Tablet

I've mentioned before that I'm trying to use up fat quarters, since I really don't quilt anymore.  I have a ton of Japanese-inspired prints (and some Chinese, too), and decided I needed a new quilted cover for my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet...mostly so I could wash the old one! Both the outside & the inside green are crane-heavy fabrics (the bird, not the construction equipment) because I got it in Nebraska at the International Quilting Museum during Sandhill Crane season. (Roommate & I were there visiting cranes, friends & family.)  

New ゆかた (浴衣) - Xmas Present a Big Hit!

You may remember I made the Roommate a new yukata (cotton kimono) ゆかた (浴衣) for xmas.  Well, here's a quick update showing the only gift I made this year on the handsome model.  He has not taken it off much since he opened the package xmas morning, so I think that's a good sign.  

He was thoroughly surprised...hadn't missed his old one (which I used to line this new one), and had forgotten about picking out the nigiri sushi fabric, too!  Which means he's the perfect person to make presents for.  ;-)

I lucked out, sort of, in that he was stranded in SFO during Hurricane Sandy & I had 2 days off work, so not only did I have time to get it done, I didn't have to hide what I was working on!  

Handmade Quilty Xmas

We dug out our Xmas stuff this year (we were in the Galapagos last year), and though we didn't do much decorating (Little Miss Bella appears to be fairly dangerous to trees and ornaments), I got out a couple of items I made when I was quilting a lot (and Mohammed was making my clothes, not me!).

This first was a quilt I saw someplace, but I decided to turn it into a Christmas item, using up some of my red & green & Christmas fabric. 

The second, a table runner, is made using some quilt blocks I really like because you can do so much with them.  The Around the World Quilt I made uses the same quilt block.  I'm still amazed at the amount of xmas fabric I was able to buy in Abu Dhabi!  

Happy Holidays & Best for 2013.  And a 1963 TV clip to get you in the mood!

A cozy for my new tablet...

As a librarian, I'm not sure whether or not I'm a traitor, but I finally broke down and bought a Samsung tablet!  (Many of my colleagues already have them, so I decided to get on the traitor-wagon).  Anyway, it's a Galaxy 10.1 & I mostly got it for reading. I've checked out 2 books so far from the library, and also have got my subscriptions to the New Yorker & Economist activated.  

Rather than buy a cover, I decided to use a bit of the scraps from my extensive stash & make a quilted cover.  I was inspired by Jamie, and I found her tutorial here:  Quilted Tablet Cover

As you well know, Bella loves to supervise, and here she is, right in the middle of things.  One look at that luscious raccoon tail & you can see why I don't do any cutting when she's around.  

I ended up not using any big pieces, really, just scraps from clothing & other projects.  The button is vintage, from my grandmother's house.  
This is the back, nothing special, but I like doing this non-traditional quilting (with my machine!), overlapping cool 1950s looking boxes, hopefully.  Though  I'm sure this color combo is not at all appropriate to the 1950s.  I do love using scraps...I see dresses & quilts I've made which bring back some great memories.  

Here it is closed, with the very pretty binding fabric showing. 

And the last picture shows you yet another bound buttonhole!  I'm still not an expert, but they are fun, and look soooooo nice.  I had to do some handwork on the inside, to sew down the binding of the buttonhole so it would look neat  look when I open up the case.  

Yukata! - In which I decide I need a dress form...

So, I finished it.  Again, I need to reiterate how pleased I am about how well the batik (blue) goes w/ the Japanese poet print.  You can see from the photo at right how messy my house is...NO! you can see that it is really a boxy Japanese kimono pattern, modified a bit to hopefully be a bit more flattering.  However, there is so much bulk under the arms, at the side seams.  I do like the final result & will wear it a lot (it's so loose that I can wear my pajamas underneath it easily)...but, I may try to think of a way to take in the side seams to reduce some of said bulk.

I need to mention though, that kimono are not meant to be shaped, the pieces are rectangles made to efficiently use the narrow woven fabric.  When we lived in Japan, one of my students was studying tea ceremony (the Japanese make everything an art & it always involves lots of study & practice)...and she had to wear a kimono.  She told me that her kimono hated her!  This student, Akiko, was a normal female shape, but she said that when you wear kimono, you have to have no shape.  "Like the trunk of a tree," was how Akiko put it!  Which surprised me, but if you think about it, she's correct (look at some photos from Kyoto, if you need more evidence).  Which again brings me to the question of why I thought I would get a shapely housecoat if I copied a kimono pattern?  Oh well...it was a fun project.

A reminder, a yukata is a kimono, but made from cotton, not silk or wool.  It's a summer kimono, essentially.  If you've ever spent a summer in hot, muggy, Japan, you know why they invented this version of the kimono!

Here's the back--you can see I added some darts in the back to give it some shape.  I also added them in the front, but they don't show much because of the overlap.

Under the arm, where the
sleeve (R) is attached

I had to look at the Roommate's yukata to figure out how to do the underarms.  Attaching the sleeves was easy enough--just lots of straight line sewing, but after sewing up that little flap at the bottom of the sleeve, there's actually a gap in the fabric.  I top-stitched that to make it lay smooth & look nice.

I tried it on w/ my hapi coat belt, but the Roommate & I didn't think it looked very good, so I decided to make tie fasteners.  There are 4 of them, and I'm also quite pleased with them--I made them by folding the fabric 4 times and sewing a few times--so they are rather sturdy & flat--and I think they make nice little knots.  2 are inside, where they don't show, so that the overlap stays put.

One thing I kept coming up against over & over was how to fix it while it was on me.  The Roommate is extremely helpful & willing to do most anything w/ regards to textiles & sewing, but he doesn't always "get" what I'm talking about.  I really feel like a tailor's dummy, or dress form, or adjustable mannequin is the next item I want for my sewing room.  I may have to wait a while--we have to pay for our new south wing, first! The duct tape version is looking better and better!

Another issue...of course I don't have any matching pajamas!  Uh oh.  I do have some great stretchy fabric that sort of matches, maybe I'll make some pants out of that. 

Stuff I've Made, small purse, BB Bag

This is from the BB Bags pattern by Mickey Beebe, on Tracey Brookshier's website.  I used some of my West African fabric, which I bought in Accra.  It's hard to tell but it's actually 2 complimentary fabrics.  They do a lot of that over there, lovely matching sets of fabric.

First, some pictures of the little purse I made.  Here, you see it open.  I took these pictures w/ my iphone, so they're not great pictures, but hopefully you get the idea.There are plenty of zippers & pockets. The only problem I really have with the design is that everything you are carrying must be flat!  So it's hard to put both keys, a phone & some chapstick in there all at once! 

For the closure, I had originally put on an African bead along with a string loop I attached after I'd put the binding on.  It quickly broke, but the closing loop (made of the same fabric) is still on there.  I close it now with a safety pin; not so cool.  What I really need to do is undo the binding, sew in another loop, with the bead already on it, then use the loop that's already on there to close it. I made one for my mom, too, also with other West African fabric.

Stuff I've made: Fashion lanyards, using up my bead collection

Whenever we travel I try to buy a packet of beads. So when I needed some lanyards for work, I decided to get out some of those beads and make fashion lanyards. Here are 5 I've made. I get compliments on them & now have enough that they match most of my work outfits!

Perfect music: Cold Beverage by G. Love & Special Sauce (is that the best band name ever?!) It's 100F+ today & tomorrow...and I'm not even mentioning humidity here in the DC area! So, yeah, I like cold bev-e-rage!

Something I made but don't have anymore :-(

When we left Istanbul (and we were in a hurry) we had to leave lots of stuff behind (sewing notions, lots of sewing notions!).  And this quilted wall-hanging, which I didn't think I'd miss, but I do and I might have to make another to replace it.  It's supposed to be a window looking out on a flower garden.  What do you think?

Blanket-stitched handworked thread loop

Thanks to Pattern ~ Scissors ~ Cloth for the great tutorial on a handworked thread loop.  I have been looking for a way to make an invisible loop for the belt on my Route 66 dress.  Since I didn't know what to do, each time I've worn it, I just get some red thread & tie it around to keep the extra belt flap from flapping (a great flapping picture to the left--it even casts a shadow!).  Which works okay, but I usually walk during lunch w/ co-workers, so I change clothes--and almost always break or lose the thread loop!

Yesterday, I was glad to read Sherry's blog and learn how to make a more permanent loop myself.  I can't say mine is as neat as Sherry's, but still, I think it looks great. I tried it on last night, so I know it works; I'll wear it to work tomorrow (a scorcher, 100F, so a dress--yes!).  I used the same length of thread Sherry recommended (about an arm's length), but DUH! I was doing a much bigger loop.  I ran out about 1/2 way thru the blanket-stitch.  But I cut off more thread & wove that in & that worked fine.  The belt rests right on my hips, so the loop doesn't have to bear the weight of the belt.  Thanks, Sherry!

BTW, this amazing pop song from 1982 came up on the roommate's shuffle yesterday:  Dislocation Dance - Rosemary.  I will never ever get tired of those horns!  Ever...

Stuff I've Made, Part 4987b - Nancy Ota's Zip It! Bags

I've made many of these (20?) as gifts for friends & I have 3 of my own.  A friend gave me the pattern, Zip It! Screen Play bags by Nancy Ota, along with a few yards of Pet-Screen (it's screen door material that pets can't destroy with their claws).  It's a quick project (45 minutes is my record) and they are such great gifts.  You can make them in many different styles & configurations.  You just need a few strips of fabric and zippers.  You can also decorate the zipper pulls (beads, bows) to make them more interesting.

You'll notice I couldn't resist adding some of my West African fabric--it looks so good with the black, but apparently there is colored Pet-Screen now?  I haven't looked for it, so perhaps it's easy to find.  And I turned one into a purse by adding a strap--it's useful for hikes, bike riding and birding trips, when I just need a few things.

The bags above are from Nancy Ota's website; aren't they cute?!  

Other stuff I've made: Sweater for friends' new baby girl!

Okay, this beautiful girl is 9 months now.  But I made this right after she was born & thought I'd made it plenty big enough.  But, it fit her when she was only 3-4 months old.  Which shows you how much I know about babies!  It's cotton & I could not get the neck to be the right size (I can't remember which book I got this from--something from the library).  So I just made a neck opening and crocheted buttons to close it.  The trim on the edge is also crocheted.

Other stuff I've made: Sweater for the Roommate

Here's a sweater I made for the roommate for Xmas 2009.   He has another I made 20+ yrs ago & it was too loose when it was finished, is rather ridiculous now.  I may unravel it & do something else with the yarn.  Anyway, we met at a college radio station, hence the gadgets on his sweater (see detail).  He loves it & gets lots of compliments on it.  It's fun to make stuff for him, because he will wear it.  I also like having a roommate to dress up.

BTW, I've just added a tag cloud to the blog (near the bottom) & have started trying to standardize the labels (tags) I add so with any luck these posts will be searchable.  Let me know if you think I'm missing any useful tags or if you think I've mis-tagged something.  I'm a librarian, so tagging is my life!!