You'd think by this time I would have learned to manage my sewing time better. It's now September 26, and I have only knocked off 3 more projects from my UFO list. I sewed 5 things total, but 2 were projects I had to do, but weren't part of my UFOs. We'll get to that later.
So, let's see the damage for this week:
Baby Heart Quilt
I originally pieced the top of this quilt for a friend who was pregnant. That was 3 years ago, so, it's safe to say the child is no longer a baby. And probably would have no interest in a quilt unless it had Disney Princesses on it.
Being the optimist that I am, I just HAD to change the design. Yes, in my head, I thought I had plenty of time to spend ripping seams and cutting new blocks and strips. After all, there's still a weekend left of September, right? Totally logical. Here is before:
And here is after:
I learned a ton from this quilt. For one, I learned using cotton jersey knit as a backing is a bad decision if you are low on time and don't have any fusible batting. There are TONS of bubbles and puckering on the back. It's really kind of a shame, but I was in a rush and messed it up.
Should have listened to my mother regarding that whole, "Haste Makes Waste" lesson.
When it comes to quilting, it's difficult to slow yourself down and remember the importance of properly positioning and basting the top, batting, and backing. I get so excited that it's almost finished, and I mess it up at the very end, which is why I highly recommend taking a breather when you stop caring about overlaps and imperfect mitered corners.
However, I did get to practice some free motion quilting with the Big Foot (video coming soon). It was so much fun! I did heart shapes and, I'm not going to lie, at first I really sucked.
First try. Don't judge.
But after about 7 hearts, it started looking a little bit better. There is just something about quilting hearts that makes you smile.
I don't plan to have any more children for awhile, so if anyone needs a baby quilt or wants it for a charity, feel free to message me and I'll send it over. Once again, full disclaimer, the back is scary....and the front has a fair bit of puckering.
Oh, one more important lesson. Verify the type of chalk you are using before you go marking on your quilt top.
Yeah, super fail.
Oil Cloth/Vinyl Grill Cover
Thank goodness for the Walking foot, or this would not have been possible. I drafted my own pattern for this one and, if that sounds impressive, just know that the measurements were off by about 20 inches (oops). I ended up having to remove a whole back section to make it work, but none the less, it does work.
Are you blinded by bright colors yet?
Originally, I wanted it to be one pattern; just the cherries. But apparently 7 yards wasn't enough, and I was too lazy to go buy more, so I mixed and matched from my stash. I'm still on the fence about whether I actually like it, or am just thrilled to be finished.
If anyone wants the blueprints to this, leave a message and I'll email it to you.
Texas Fleece for the Old Man of the House:
I bought this as a Christmas gift 4 years ago (better late than never, right?). Since fleece doesn't fray, and the old guy doesn't care, I never got around to hemming it. I felt a little guilty, because basically I gave the mister a cut of fabric and said, "Look, I made this for you!".
Apparently, if you want to sew something for your significant other, just pick out his favorite sports team. It's fail proof.
Now, time for those 'life' sewing tasks.
For instance, if you're barely above hobbit size, you may have had to hem a pair of pants in your life....or maybe 50 pairs of pants.
So, I hemmed my nursing school scrub pants. At least you can now see my retro shoes. And, believe me, they are retro.
Here's the deal...
Once, again, my Grandma is an awesome woman. We'll, she used these shoes 40 years ago for a part time catering job. She said they were the most comfortable shoes she had ever worn (which must explain why she hid them in an attic, but I digress).
Being that I needed white, leather shoes for nursing school, she thought she'd save me a buck and give me her shoes. It must be a grandmother thing, because she seems to always know what I need before I even know I need it.
Talk about some vintage SAS.
To be honest, they're pretty ugly. They're scuffed, dirty, and not really that comfortable. But, they are exactly what I need. Because these shoes were my Grandma's, and that woman raised 4 kids as a single mother on a secretary's salary in a time when divorce was taboo. She worked hard and sacrificed to provide for her family. So, every time I want to complain about how "hard" school/work/life is, I can look down at my feet and be reminded of her. After all, compared to what she went through, I have it made.
Moving on...
I also broke my $9.99 watch wrist band (surprise, right?), so I had to sew another one using black, thin elastic and pretty ribbon. Most comfortable watch I've ever worn. Seriously, it's super comfortable. It can get wet and I was able to embellish it with green ribbon and orange hand sewing thread.
And sometimes, you need a little bright green and orange to get through the 10th pulse rate assessment of the day with a smile on your face.
Are you finishing any UFOs?
