A new top

Wow I have been completely absent from blogland. Well, I am back and here's a top ready for spring! This is a Simplicity 2593 made with voile by Anna Maria Horner. It's very light weight and silky smooth. The garment is finished with french seams, which I am very happy with.

I made version A of the pattern with the rolled neckband. I took Jona's advice and folded under 1" on the back fold line at the top to get rid of the droopiness in the back. I also raised the neckline in the front by 1" simply because I want to be able to bent down to tent to my preschooler without worry about showing too much flesh. Overall I am very pleased with the changes.

Unfortunately I don't have a better  picture of the top. Note the neckband.

When I wear it for the first time while on vacation in San Francisco. I just couldn't seem to get the neckband to sit nicely. And since I was wearing a cardigan, which I usually do, the bump in the back from the neckband was more than a bit annoying.When we got home, my first project was to take out the neckband. Since I didn't use a matching bias tape to bind the neckline, simply leaving out the neckband was not an option.

Here's what I came up with...

I am hoping the pleated raw edges will fray a bit after washing, giving it a softer look.

New hobby

I haven't touch my sewing machine for  months! Between setting up our new nest and doing things with the kids, there's just no time to sit down in front of the sewing machine. So, I decided to pickup something that's more portable, something that I can do 5 minutes at a time, and knitting is just the thing.

I was able to finish my very first project in less than a week, most of it done while the kids are playing in the playground. I am very proud of myself, considering I haven't knitted since junior high, and the only projects I had done before were chunky scarfs. The Swirl Hat from Sheepy Time Knits is a great pattern for beginner, and it's simple, almost self-correcting, and so much fun!

I will still sew, and I have high hope for September when Sarah will be in school full-time and Ben will be in preschool 2 mornings each week. In the meantime, I will be knitting throughout the summer!

Lost package

Two months ago I went on an online shopping spree for fabric. In two nights I ordered from three different online stores for fabric - Nani Iro from Mountain of the Dragon, Anna Maria Horner's Little Folks from CityCraft, and a mix of quilting fabrics from Fabricworm.

The Nani Iro arrived in 2 weeks (I finally got to see and feel the famous double gauze!). I waited for another two weeks, at which point I emailed CityCraft and Fabricworm. CityCraft was really nice and offered to issue a USPS claim and refund or re-ship if the package doesn't arrive in a week. Luckily the package arrived the day after I sent the email.

Fabricworm responded to my first email, which basically said it may be held up in custom. I waited for another two weeks and still no package. I contacted fabricworm again and they said basically the same thing. My subsequent emails were not answered. At this point I am passed the 45-day deadline for filing a dispute with PayPal.

It's disappointing because I have ordered from fabricworm before and was quite happy with them. And the irony is, out of the 3 orders, the one from fabricworm is the most urgent - the order is for 2 baby quilts - and I really do hope to finish the quilts before the two babies turn one!

I think I will make the quilts from my stash.

A new dress for me

I am so inspired by this red dress on harmony and rose that I made one for myself, before I make anything else. And trust me, I have a long list of projects waiting to be started.

It's a Built by Wendy pattern Simplicity 3835. It comes together very quickly and is fairly forgiving. Mine is made with a cream baby cord that I have in my stash. I put my own spin on it with pleated pockets, trimmed with bias tape that I have kicking around. I may shorten the sleeves a bit but overall I am quite happy with the way it turned out.

A bean bag for Ben

I can't believe the 2-week spring break is over!! Anyway, we had been extremely busy during the break. Fortunately, I got this bean bag chair done BEFORE the spring break. It feels good to sew again! (BTW, notice the brand new hardwood floor? It's pretty isn't it)

The bean bag chair is based on this tutorial from Stardust Shoes. It's great to be able to find great patterns on the net, and it's free too, no less.

The applique is upcycled from some of Ben's old bibs...

It has been so long!!

Wow! It has been more than two months since I last posted on this blog! I have been busy. Our family moved from Calgary to B.C. We drove out west on Dec 19 and made an offer on a house on Jan 16, with possession date 10 days away and we moved in on Feb 6. It was super speed house hunting in action! We ended up in Port Moody, a little suburban commuter city between Burnaby and Coquitlam. It has been 2 weeks since we moved in and we love it here. It has trees and mountains and creeks, it's quiet, and people are friend. I am so glad to finally have a permanent address again.

Obviously I haven't done much sewing the last two months. In fact, I still haven't put together my sewing table and my craft area. But that will come soon. I have a few projects lined up - a baby quilt for baby Nathan born in January, another quilt for Erick and Elise's for April. BUT, I have decided to be selfish and make something for our new house before anything else. First projects: cushions and curtains for this space:

I picked out these fabrics for cushions:

Looking at the pictures I realize I need another bright color choice, but these will do for now. As for drapery, I am hoping to find a big print cream + gray geometric print. Curtain is a much bigger commitment than cushions, so it will probably take me a while before I find something that I like and can afford!

My new toy and a stroller blanket

I know I know I should be packing, but then I got my new toy - an iPhone 4. And you know what, I can't find a case that I like. They all make the phone too bulky. Plus when I throw my phone into the backpack I don't want my key to scratch the screen. That will be bad. So, I spent the precious 2 hours, when Sarah was in school and Ben was napping, plus a late night, to make this.

It's snug, I have to squeeze the bottom to get the phone out. But I am still happy with it. And I got it out of my system - otherwise I will be thinking about it the whole time I am away from my sewing machine.

And we went to baby Elijah's three-month birthday dinner tonight. Wow what a cute and big boy! Here's what I made for him.

A handmade Christmas

I am done!!!! I am sooo happy! I have been busy busy trying to get them all done before my friend Agnes, one of the recipient, arrived from out of town. I used Lizzy House's Castle Peeps, which I have been saving for the perfect project. I love the way they turned out!

This is my first attempt in free motion quilting. After quilting 5 cushion tops, I think I am finally getting the hang of it. Although it is still far from perfect!

And here's one just for Sarah:

We are less than 2 weeks away from moving to Vancouver. It's time to pack up my sewing machine! It will be hard. Who knows how long it will take us to find a house and be able to take our stuff out from storage. One thing for sure - I am going to whip up a few of these cushion covers for myself.

A real treat

No cooking today.
Shopping, without kids...

Made big plan of sewing goodies for friends and family before packing my sewing machine for the big move in December.

Nice dinner with hubby tonight, no kids again. Life is good.

A needle book

I have been wanting to make one, but it was postponed so I can work on Escher's quilt. Now that it's done, I get to this little project for myself pronto.  I love the bright colors of the front...

There's a little pouch on the left for my thread clipper, and the right side is a flap for the needles...

It is so handy, especially now I am getting my hands on paper piecing. The best thing is it's made entirely of scraps!

A quilt for Escher

The quilt is done and in the wash. This quilt started out as Mixtape II from Oh Fransson. After the initial blocks are pieced, I wanted the blocks to jiggle a bit, as shown here. This last minute change caused the quilt to be bigger than a normal baby quilt, which means it's probably not as easy to carry around and be used with the stroller. I also used the extra blocks to make the piece back, and I still have a few blocks left over. I really want to make a smaller stroller quilt, or a pillow with the leftover blocks. Let's see if I get around to doing it before we move.

I wasn't sure about the quilt front when it was first done. I think the binding really make it pops. I quilted the whole thing with random crossing lines  using painter's masking tape as guide, which allows me keep the line straight and also helps me visualizing the lines before quilting.
 

I am super happy with the way the label turned out...

I can't wait to meet little Escher and give him this quilt. I hope he likes it. 

Last but not least, here's a quick one I made for Ben last month. He loves cars so this road quilt is fun for him to drive all his little cars with. The back is a cute flannel.

New quilting book

Yesterday I got this from Amazon delivered  by UPS

I have been a big fan of Elizabeth Hartman. Her website literally got me into making quilt, which I knew nothing about 6 months ago. From her website Oh Fransson!, I learned everything from choosing fabric to making a quilt sandwich to making binding. Imagine my excitment when I found out that she coming out with a book!

The quilts are modern and beautiful, and I love she also offers two alternatives for each quilt. Love it!

This one is for baby Sophia

Here it is... my first baby quilt! This quilt is based on the Charm Squares pattern from Oh, Fransson. It started more boyish than for girl, and sure enough, Alice had a girl. So I tried my best to add girly elements to it. I am liking the hot pink binding. It's in the wash right now, I am so happy! I hope Alice and baby Sophia will like it.

Work in progress...

Between selling our house and dreaming about moving to Vancouver, I still try to keep up with my sewing projects. I am done the quilt for Alice's baby girl - will post pictures of it as soon as I put a little personalized label on.

Here's a picture of another baby quilt that I am working on... can't wait to see what it looks like when it's done.

Online shopping

Last week, I received these fat quarters from Hawthorne Threads:

I am very happy with the service and fast shipping from Hawthorne. It's always exciting to receive goodies in the mail. These are going to be a baby quilt for Shirley. Incidentally, I have quilted Alice's baby quilt. I am only waiting for the baby to come in October - if it's a girl, I will use a seriously girly color (think hot pink) for the binding as the quilt is looking a bit boyish right now.

And I got the Kona color card in the mail today! I ordered it from North Country Quilt since it's out of stock from Pink Chalk Fabrics. It took quite some time for it to be shipped and I was waiting very anxiously for a while. Now that it's here I am sooo happy I got it. It will make matching color a lot easier. And the biggest benefit - I can order Kona solid online since the selections of solid cotton from local fabric stores are very limited, not to mention expensive. It's a good day!

A baby quilt in the making

After the table runner project, I was determined to make quilts. It's completely coincidental that there are a bunch of new babies coming for friends and family. I know the perfect gifts for the little ones! The first one out the gate will be Alice and David's in October. Since they don't know whether it will be a boy or a girl, the quilt needs to be gender neutral. I decided to make the Charm Squares Baby Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman from Oh, Fransson!. It a super fast and easy pattern which is great as a first quilt project.

Here's what I come up with...

Do you think it's too boyish? Hmm... I hope they are getting a boy. I am going to the fabric store this afternoon for border and binding. I kinda like the way it looks with the light gray in the picture so I may pick something similar.

I am very excited. I plan on quilting it with straight lines similar to my runner. I still need to find the courage to try free motion quilting.

Saying goodbye to my previous life

I have been a stay at home mom for 3 years. It felt much much longer than that. I was a software developer in my previous life. Today I gathered the courage to pack the books that have been collecting dust the last 3 years.

Some of them were dated 1994, the year I graduated. Some were utilities books that I referred to almost daily at work. There were purely academic ones, most of them I got when I was working toward a Master degree, which I never complete. There were Java and software design and software process books. It's hard to part with them. Looking at them is like traveling back in time. I remember the projects that I worked on. They also reminded me the personal events and emotional stages during those years. Some of these books traveled with me from Calgary to Toronto and back. Today I am saying goodbye to them. Allen and I are planning to move to another city, and it's time for me to move on. Goodbye books.

Potatoes

I love fingerling potatoes!

A quilted table runner

I have been very inspired by the modern quilts I saw lately that I want to give it a try. Doing a full side quilt is a bit overwhelming so I choose to start with a table runner. Plus I needed a runner for my sideboard anyway.

I started by cutting rectangles from my scrapes. The plan was to have them running down the middle surrounded by a white/gray prints and then a thick deep blue border.

 

It was ok but I wanted it to be really fresh. The blue border seemed to add too much formality to it. So I decided to have some fun and added a strip of squares on one side...

I quilted it with straight lines across the width. For the border, I picked a darker gray with bold prints. And here's the finished product.

I had so much fun making this that it won't be the last!