Its Been Awhile: Finished Sewing Projects!

Yeah, it feels like forever since I've actually posted about finished projects. Really, I'd like them to be garments because my garment sewing has been so sporadic lately, but any finished projects are good.

The first project is an embarrassing UFO. DD#2 and I discussed the idea of a Birthday Memory Quilt for one of her close friends. Her friend's parents took the girls to the 9/20/09 Mets game (which they won!), and I asked the mom to take pics for the quilt. DD#2's friend still doesn't know what her birthday present is, but my daughter has been telling her that it has been coming along. For an entire 4 months! It seemed like every time I tried to work on it, I'd get to a point then stop for some reason. I was planning on finishing it the last week of November, but my tension disk went wonky on my embroidery machine. It had to be serviced, and it took 3 long weeks to get it back. At that point, I was pressed for time with 20 headbands for Christmas presents for my daughters' friends.

Here are some of the headbands with their Christmas tags. The school name and mascot were also embroidered on them in addition with each girls' names. I used some great 100 weight fleece ordered from http://www.wazoodle.com/ (royal blue on the front/grey on the back and terrific fleece BTW). I made several changes from a book's design so it's essentially my own at this point and enjoyed using my Coverstitch for the topstitching around the headband edges.

The downside to these headbands? DD#1 came home and said several people were mad at her because they didn't get one LOL. I may have several orders come spring time when Track and Softball starts. Truly, these headbands were a big hit with their friends. These headbands were designed to perfectly match the embroidered scarves I made for their friends for Christmas 2008

Back to the Memory Quilt! Here is the quilt front:

DD#2 picked the pictures to use for the quilt and I embroidered the front with the Mets lineup from the 9/20/09 game. Baseball graphics and text were added for a customized Birthday Memory Quilt. It was great that the game date was also the exact date of her friend's birthday.

The quilt is double sided with orange fleece on the back. That side is plain because I wanted it to feel soft against her skin. The top and bottom edges are fringed and knotted, the sides are just fringed. I used the iron-on transfer sheets for the pics and ironed the pics to cotton flannel. For the edges of the pics, I used pinking shears, then stitched around the inside of the pinked edges to attach the photo blocks to the quilt.

Here's a closeup of the upper front of the quilt:

Here's a closeup of the lower quilt:

The one disappointment? The girls couldn't get a pic of themselves with David Wright ;) . But at least our darn Mets won that game. I was very happy for Danielle. She's a big Mets fan and we're a family of Mets fans although sometimes we wonder why.

Next up, finishing my leopard print skirt.

ETA, I'll leave you with a pics of Jake in my sewing room.

Headbands, Skirt, and Other Things

Other things first :) . I love writing about Jake. I realize not everyone is a cat lover so I'll make it quick.

Here's the cat tree Rich made for Jake. He LOVES it too :) .

Jake fooling around.

What a showoff he is! Proudly displaying that short, wavy coat of fur. If only my hair could be as wavy as his fur.

On to the headbands. They're Christmas presents for my daughters' friends. I just couldn't finish them in time with my embroidery machine in the shop so long so they'll get them when the girls go back to school. I finished 7 today, and will finish the other 8 tomorrow.


Here are the finished headbands:

And here are the ones that will be finished up tomorrow. I need more 1" elastic so that is what's holding me up.



And you see this skirt below? I started it about a month ago. An easy, no pattern necessary simple pull-on elastic waist skirt. What is it waiting for? Me to set up my serger for a rolled hem. I have to change from my off-white thread to black thread. This is the time when I long for a jet-air threaded Babylock, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. The leopard print fabric is a woven mesh purchased locally, and the lining is a black, polyester lining fabric purchased somewhere in NYC. Paron's I think? My sister purchased 10 yards for me way back when.


It's above the knee with the lining about 3" shorter than the woven mesh. That's the way I wanted it. I can wear it with my brown suede boots or my black leather ones.


Still no reviews as of yet. I really wanted to get some done, maybe tomorrow night? I don't know--the headbands still need to be finished for Monday. We'll see...we'll see.


And BTW, HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!! Sure hope 2010 is better than 2009. Thanks for the encouraging comments in my previous blog post :) .

Christmas 2009

Well, it's been an interesting past two weeks. I still haven't finished most of the sports headbands, just one completed one. It's what I'm going to be working on during Christmas vacation. Here is one of the headbands for DD#2's friend who absolutely loved it. We gave it to her Wednesday evening, and her father found her wearing it in bed on Thursday morning. So I guess she truly was pleased. It's my original design, although not much thinking required for it ;) .

Front:

Back:

Hayley's quilt is finished, and I'm just waiting for pics at this point. I asked her to take pics of it before giving it to her grandparents. We have been working on it for about three weeks, but she had to finish it up on her own. Hayley is my 13-year old sewing student, and I can't wait to see the finished project.

Now, on to my Christmas present :) . My little, lovable Jake who is really growing. The little guy gets neutered on Monday so that is his unlucky day. But we want to keep our little kitten permanently loving and as the breeder said, "Do NOT let him become a man!" LOL. Here is my wonderful little boy. Check out his adult fur growing in. It's short and wavy--so cute!

Snuggling with DD#2:

The handsome guy showing off his short, wavy coat (soft as velvet!):

Right now, I'm off to bed! I'm in normal body rythm mode of going to bed at 11:30 and getting up around 7:30 a.m. If only it could be like this every day...