Lots of Sewing (quilting) Going On!

I finished my string quilt. I am really liking this one. The strings are from both my stash, Diane's stash, and from an exchange with my Guild sisters. I put a light strip down each block so you get a nice triangle. I am really proud of myself since I didn't obsess about making sure the colors are balanced. I just pulled them out of the bag and as long as I didn't have the same fabric in the same block next to each other, it was fine. Some of my triangles don't match up exactly, but that is okay as well. I am putting a yellow and red check on the back and will load it on the frame today and do a simple stipple. The blocks are on a muslin base so this will be a nice heavy winter quilt---useful on cold TN nights. It is a nice 80 x 80 before quilting, perfect for my queen size bed.

I decided I wanted to do some garment sewing after reading about Lane's adventures with making shirts. I once made absolutely all of my clothes and my children's (especially my daughters) when they were little. When my granddaughters were small I did the same thing. Given all the discount stores and the price of patterns and fabric (and my obsession with quilting) I rarely sew garments now. My youngest granddaughter (she is 7) though thinks Mai (what my grandchildren call me) makes the "best" of everything, and is particularly happy when I make her something. I decided then to make her a play outfit. She choose the material (remember the cupcake fabric) and I choose the pattern. All the fabric is from my quilt stash. I even found cupcake buttons. What is funny though, see the back of the pack---how can you have buttons that shouldn't be dry cleaned OR washed?!? I am going to go ahead and use them and suggest to my DIL that she wash the top by hand---but isn't that weird? Why would you make buttons that couldn't be cleaned? I have a pair of jeans that are too short for her, so I will put the ruffle on them tonight. Isn't the outfit cute though? I have material (again from my quilt stash) for another outfit I will cut out this week-end. T his time the pants are polka dots--too cute!

I did wash out my "singing" dyes, and although they aren't as loud as I would have liked, they are in "harmony". I am going to dye one more batch since I want an even brighter group. They really are brighter than the picture shows, but this afternoon, I will try again! I still think they came out pretty good though. Depending on which is the best batch, I will send some to my blogging friend.

Well, I think I have brought you up to date. I am going to sit for a minute try to find a book on the Internet (see the comments after my last post) and then try to fold some of the clothes piled on the pool table. Do take care and thank you so much for stopping by to "chat".

Hugs!