All Washed

The one on the right was the green that came when I mixed the blue and yellow. I added more yellow to the one on the left.
Chris wanted a shirt that was blue and purple, so here it is. This is pretty close to the actual color, just a little bit brighter than reality.

Jim wanted a blue and white shirt. Not a whole lot of white, but I think it'll do.

The purple in the picture is quite a bit brighter than the shirt. It's kind of odd, but I think I like it.
My favorite. The orange on the shirt is much nicer than you see here. I guess I can have the blues right, or the reds right.

This is the light blue shirt that I overdyed with purple. I like it much better now. And, it won't show drops and drips so much!

Dyeing

Rinsing out shirts and bits of fabric I dyed yesterday. I put the first shirt out to let it drip a bit before I wash it, then I had to move it and realized it was frozen. It had only been a couple of minutes, but then I looked at the temperature.

I promised my brother and his son dyed t-shirts as part of their Christmas presents. I've just got around to doing it. While I was dyeing, thought I'd do a couple of other shirts for my husband. The rainbow shirt is for my husband, of course! The blue and purlpe one next to it is for my brother.



The blue with bits of white is for my nephew. He asked if he could have a dyed shirt too, I asked what color he wanted and he was stumped for minute. He came up with blue and white, so I tried to give it to him.


I dyed 4 half-yard pieces of fabric as well. Two with orange and yellow and two with green and yellow. I had a bunch of purple dye left, so I threw in a light blue t-shirt I had. I wasn't very fond of the color, so we'll see if I like it better now.

Shadow Stars Done

Here is the label I ended up making for the zip-it quilt. It was a commission from my niece for her sister. It is very soft and snuggly.

Here is the next top. I ended up quilting 1/4 inch around the stars and the center square of each star. They're not exactly perfect, but they'll do. I have a soft yellow fleece for the backing.

You can see the quilting here a bit better. The binding is the same peachy-pink as the interior backgrounds. I sewed it to the front, then used a back and forth curve to sew it down. I don't know who it's for yet, but I'll figure it out.

Next...not sure yet, I think maybe a new top as a reward for finishing one more.

One More Done

Simple (relatively) straight line quilting with Mikee for the back. Very soft and supple. I just put the binding on...did it by machine. Sewed it to the back, then brought it to the front and used a zig-zag stitch on the front to finish it. I can't remember which of the blogs I read mentioned using a zig-zag to keep the binding softer, but I decided if any quilt should have it, this one should.

This was a commission, so it's off very soon.

Next...more quilting (I think). I still have two more tops pinned and ready to quilt (well one is already partly quilted). When I finish those I'll make some more tops. Have two more great-nieces or nephews on the way.

Design Wall Monday 1-25

You've seen these before, but now they're up there because I just cleaned my sewing room and found them again. Actually, they weren't lost, just put in a pile and forgotten. I thought I made a big mistake and dyed all of the white fabric I was using for the background of these blocks, but I found some more of it so I can make at least a baby quilt. I don't know who would want a baby quilt with a white background, but I'll find someone very clean!

I'm sewing on the binding of the zip-it quilt, then I have two more pinned. I will finish those this week! (I will, I will!)

Weekend Work

I had a need to change the layout of my sewing room. There aren't many ways to move it, but I did it. Here are some pictures...

Here it is before. I didn't clean at all, just took the pictures. In moving the furniture I had to clean lots of junk out. I put some stuff away in boxes, some I got rid of, and some just got put away.

...and here are the after pictures. I can now get all the way around the cutting table, that should make it a bit easier. All the junk that was piled around the room now has a place. I put up another shelf near the window, and also put some more of the boxes that I have in the closet. I've put the current quilt tops there, as well as the extra books that won't fit on the shelves. Now that everything is in place, I hope I can get back to sewing again. I have to put the binding on the quilt for Christin, I may get done with it tonight if I can get to it.

Quilting is done

Well, the top is quilted. I just need to buy some fabric for the binding. I don't have enough of the dark brown, and though I do have different greens, I think I want the binding to just disappear into the quilt and not be a statement.

I didn't have any trouble at all with the Minkee, but I did a couple of things that probably made it simpler. I had read some else's blog. She said that she quilted making sure that she didn't cross lines anywhere. I also noted the non-stretch direction and only quilted that direction. I quilted about every two inches and it came out flat and didn't stretch at all. I also made sure I sewed only one direction. In my case from the light end to the dark end all the way across the quilt. It was getting kind of bulky under the harp of the sewing machine, so I decided to try sewing from the other direction. The Minkee shifted some and though the ripples weren't horrible, I decided to take that line of stitching out and continue in just one direction.

I would use it again, but with the same constraints. I pinned about every 4 inches, and made sure that I had smoothed the two fabrics (I didn't use a batting, just the quilt top and the Minkee) only along the non-stretch direction--the length of the fabric as it came off the bolt.

Design Wall 1-18-10

Still working on Quilting, not piecing (though that is my preference). I didn't finish quilting the Shadow Stars quilt for an hour, but this one is a commission and needs to be done by the end of January. I'm putting minkee on the back, so have to pin well, and be sure I only quilt lengthwise (that's the non-stretch direction).

I had to go out and buy more pins so I got stuck for a bit. The bulk of the pins I own are being used in still another top that is pinned and ready to be quilted. If I can finish these up in the next week or so, I'm giving myself permission to make another top. I have two more grand nieces/nephews on the way...gotta get going on those.

Check Judy's blog to see what others are doing.

Oh, I forgot. I purchased these yesterday...

I plan to make a bowl in the very near future. I just finished pinning the zip it quilt, so will get started this morning. Simple lines from top to bottom, irregular, but not too messy!

Fabric Sale (and giveaway)

I certainly don't need any more fabric, but I've started dyeing, and Suzanne Earley's Nuts and Bolts shop is having a 30% off sale. I'm getting fabric for $3.50 / yard. You'll find her shop here. Suzanne’s Great Big Giveaway (and sale)

Design Wall 1-11-10

Here is what I am doing right now. I don't have anything on my design wall. I'm trying to get tops quilted, instead of starting new tops. I don't think that will last long, but right now that's what I'm trying to do. If you want to see what others have on their design wall, check out Judy's blog.

Washed and ready to use

We just finished laundry, so the quilt for Joe got washed. It's much more cuddly than I expected-Yay! It's on the back of the couch and ready to be used. I love the way the quilting added texture to it. How fun.