Pillow

I am in love with this turqoise colour that I keep seeing everywhere.  I had a break between contracts for work so had 10 days at home alone to sew (!!)  I still didn't even get close to finishing my to-do list but did get quite a few things done that always get pushed back, including this pillow cover.  Pillow covers are so quick and easy and satisfying, I should make them more often.  Although this matches the lamp in the family room, my eldest daughter immediately claimed it as a the perfect pillow for her doll and later came to tell me in amazement that it matches her skirt.  The fabric is It's a Hoot by MoMo for Moda Fabrics.

Car tissue holder

I've been wanting to make this for almost a year -- since we got our new vehicle.  The console is too small for the box of kleenex so the box has been rattling around on the floor getting stepped on.  The fabic is leaflet by Jessica Jones.  It holds just enough kleenex for a long trip and fits over the car visor.  I meant for the pattern to go the other way but miscalculated. Happily, the leaves in the centre unexpectedly lined up, something which I'm sure I couldn't have done if I tried ;).

Oliver + S Sunday Brunch Jacket

I finally got around to making a sunday brunch jacket and was very pleased with myself . . . until I tried it on my girl. How do I not know by now that I need to add at least three inches to pretty much everything I make?? It's a size five and fit her well except for the length. I added a sort of cuff to the bottom and really don't like the way it turned out.

It's 21 wale cord lined with lightweight shirting (eek, sorry for the blurry picture!). I used some of the very helpful advice from Tilly and the Buttons, the only difficulty being that I had to take into account the yoke + body + the facing in the front (rather than just one the piece + the facing in the tutorial). It hurt my head too much to try to draft one piece for the lining so I ended up mirroring the outer jacket, with slight adjustments at the armhole. Luckily the shirting is extremely lightweight so the gathers in the lining + the gathers in the jacket are not too bulky.

I bought the buttons on my first trip to the fabric district in Montreal -- they were $9 for 4 (!!) -- and I love the way they look with the blue cord.  My daughter loves it, especially the "diamond" buttons so it really doesn't matter that I'm not entirely happy with way the bottom looks.

Pattern Review

I ordered my first pattern -- the Reversible Kimono Dress -- from ManiMina on Etsy this week. 

I had a couple of minor issues with this pattern: the first is that there are no measurements given for the sizes.  I'm making size 4 for my three-year-old because it's for her birthday and I would hate for it to be too small.  I'm just hoping it's not too big either.  Secondly, I'm glad it's not a complicated pattern because I'm not finding the pieces that easy to fit together (it's a PDF file that you print off and tape together).  Finally (and this if very minor) the sizes and pattern name are written outside of the pattern pieces; I am labelling it by hand because otherwise once the piece is cut out, I want to be able to remember what it is.

edited to add:

I finished the dress in time for the birthday and it turned out super cute. Unfortunately Miss Thing has never put it on.  I know better than to push her because then she'll never wear it but I really want to see her in it.  Judging by the past, six months from now she'll find it in her closet and it will be her new favourite (at least that's what I hope!).

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 . . .