Other Sewing Projects
T-Shirts
I dipped a toe into garment making recently. I took a class at Montavilla Sewing Center to learn to work with knits, and made myself a t-shirt. This shirt has a v-neck collar and a rounded hem. Since it came out so well, I got a pattern for Charlie and made him one, too. His has under the sleeve panels in a different color and a crew neck.
Turtle Pillow
Karla and I collaborated on this project. Click on the image for more info.
Adventures in Fabric Dyeing
I’ve had a few opportunities lately to try fabric dyeing. Since I wasn’t sure if this would be a craft I wanted to pursue, taking a one-off class or two was the perfect way to try it out. I took an indigo shibori class at Montavilla, and an immersion dying class at Sew Expo. Here are the results of my trials. Not bad, but certainly it requires space and equipment that I probably won’t want to invest in. Now I have a greater appreciation for hand-dyed fabrics and will purchase from others instead of doing it myself.
Napkins and Pillow
My friend MaryAnn is a fabric designer. When she creates new designs for Spoonflower, they send her a panel that includes a 16 inch square of 12 designs. She asked me to cut the squares out and make napkins for her so she can use them as promotional materials. I also took two of the designs and made a throw pillow for her. I especially loved her groovy flower print and bought a yard of that for some upcoming bag projects. Stay tuned for those in the coming weeks.
Phone Cover
My friend Dana asked me if I could create a cover for his phone, to protect it when travelling. I came up with a pattern and made a prototype in scrap fabric to make sure it would work, then whipped up the final product using gray linen with a darker gray cotton lining. I interfaced both the exterior and the pocket with fusible fleece for added protection, and attached a piece of double-fold elastic to hold the flap in place. I think it will suit Dana’s needs perfectly.
Mini Quilts
My local quiltshop, Montavilla Sewing Center, in Lake Oswego has a mini quilt show every year. The entries must be 5″ x 7″ or smaller, so they are truly mini. It’s been years since I made a quilt, and the small size appealed to me. It is also a chance for me to try new techniques and practice my binding skills without a lot of pressure since the pieces are so small.
I used paper piecing for the heart, and free form flip and sew for the others. I tried multiple ways of attaching the binding. I’m still practicing that skill, but it’s improving each time.
Placemats
To continue with my quilting and binding practice, I made two linen placemats. I found a lovely variety of linens at Piece by Piece Fabrics in Eugene, OR. They had a sample square made up that sold me on the idea. I prewashed the fabrics and used a basic log cabin design. These will look great on my kitchen table in Portland.
Storage Bins
Some of the very first projects I worked on when I got my new sewing machine are these storage bins. We use them for our coffee pods, and I’ve gifted some to friends. They are quick and easy to sew, and a great way to use up smaller pieces of fabric.
Quilted Pillow
I made this quilted pillow as a hostess gift for Michelle, using two images from a McKenna Ryan pattern called Prickly Pots (see the Pine Needles website for the pattern). This pillow celebrates Michelle’s love for succulents.
Quilted Journal Covers
I used this project to practice both straight line and free-motion quilting, at which I am very much a beginner. The covers fit a Moleskine 8 1/2″ by 5″ journal. I found the instructions on the Craftsy website in a video by Christina Cameli for quilted gifts.
