2 + 2 skirt, take 2

I love this pattern!  and did you hear -- Oliver + S now has women's patterns!  I have a huge list of things that I want to make and now I think I need to add the Passport Dress & Jacket.  If the women's patterns are as well put together as the kids I can't wait to try them.

This skirt is for my 5 year old.  I usually don't make matchy-matchy stuff for my kids but I loved the first one so much and had the fabric so . . . it's a size 4 with some added length.  The fabric is more It's a Hoot, this time turquoise and the waistband is plaid from the same line.

Handstitching

I've started handstiching this quilt.  I love the red embroidery thread around the squares; I plan to do that randomly throughout the quilt but I'm not sure about the red swirl inside.  I went to the quilt shop expecting to buy something that would blend but there was nothing that would blend with all the squares (duh) so I came away with red.  The salesperson said after it's complete and washed you wont even notice it's red.  It's not the same handquilting thread that I've bought in the past -- it's machine thread, which I'm "conditioning" with thread heaven -- and it's quite thin.  (I'm sure there must be some technical name but I don't know what it is).  It will blend with more than half the blocks so I think I'll continue it and hope that my handstitching improves with time.  (Maybe I should start with the ones it blends with?!)

patchwork skirt

I've been taking a photography course but it's not showing in my pictures!  I keep changing settings and forgetting what I've changed and I still need to work on composition. 

Anyway, here's a skirt I made for J. for "red day" at school.  Everything in her wardrobe is pink or purple but she's been wearing this lots -- hence the wrinkles -- it hasn't made it to the wash in a few days! 

I based this skirt on the Moda Bakeshop tutorial but added another row of squares to make it longer.  The fabrics are momo freebird left over from my latest quilt plus a couple of random bits thrown in -- Amy Butler happy dots and Walmart green polka dots, I think.

I also added side seam pockets in a super soft brushed cotton.  I thought J. would be thrilled about the pockets but she says she forgets they're there.  And often has the skirt on sideways so can't find them anyway :P.

2 + 2 skirt

I love pleats!  This skirt came together really quickly and looks super cute on.  Best of all it has enough of a twirl factor to please my girly almost-three-year-old.  The fabric is It's a Hoot Cherry Bandana and Cherry Eggs from Moda.  I made a size four but shortened it.  I was worried it would be too big around but the elastic in the back solved that problem and it still looks great.  My oldest has asked for a skirt "exactly the same . . . only bigger . . . and longer . . . and blue".  I can see lots more versions of this skirt in our future!

Quilt top finished

I adapted the blocks from the sewing machine cover in Fresh Quilting to make this quilt.  I love love love how it turned out and am looking forward to quilting it and am going to do it by hand.  The blocks are 5" squares of momo freebird and the sashing is 2 1/2" strips of linen.

This summer when she was machine quiting my pinwheel quilt, my aunt told me that I should always lock my seams.  At the time I had no idea what she was talking about but when I was piecing this quilt it all became clear.  What a difference that makes when you're trying to line things up! 

It's a Hoot!

I have been looking for red chairs for my kitchen table for a couple of months with no luck.  We have white cupboards, white floors and a glass table so need some colour.  Last weekend, when I was taking back a chair that had been soundly rejected, I spotted a lovely lamp -- on clearance!  Yesterday, I received the It's a Hoot yardage I ordered from Aunt Bea's (which is now closed!) and look how lovely they look together.  Maybe a few throw pillows are in order??  If I don't get talked into making new skirts for the girls first.  For some reason they think every fabric shipment I receive means I'm making something for them . . .