Sunday Stash

A Summer of travel means a lot of Stash Enhancement! 

Here are some of the goodies I brought back from my trip to Idaho last month.

One shop I don't get to visit often is the Sun Valley Fabric Granary. It's not the largest shop in Idaho, but I think their selection is the best curated! Here's a view inside the shop:

(Photo lifted from Sun Valley Fabric Granary website)

 Doesn't this just make your fingers itch to get inside this shop?

I picked up this "Alation" kit just because I liked Bonnie Christine's "Winged" fabric collection for Art Gallery. I failed to note it requires using quilter's grid interfacing, so the odds of it actually being made are not great. Maybe I'll try it without the interfacing method.

Have you hear about "double gauze" fabric? It is yummy soft, and really double-layered. This pretty cut is going to become a summer top -- probably Amy Barickman's Asymmetrical Tunic from  Indygo Essentials.

Here's a closeup showing both layers:

You know I'm a "cat person," so I couldn't/didn't resist this Cotton  Steel panel "A Tiny Piece of Portugal" by Sarah Watts, plus the companion print. Someone will love the wall hanging it will make!

Anna Maria Horner is one of my favorite designers -- and her "Loominous" collection is among her best. I must love it, because when I got this pretty fuchsia piece home, I realized I have the same print in turquoise! 

Of course, there's more to show -- come back next Sunday to see!

From the desk of your

De-Stash Sunday

Nothing added to the stash this week (gasp, can you believe it?). 

I did get my dress finished in time for the wedding, though! I meant to ask someone to take a photo for me, but in the excitement, I forgot. DH did snap this shot of me with the bride and groom:

[Helpful hint: ask the photographer to stand up when he takes the photo. This is not a flattering angle!]

De-Stash

Look what I have to de-stash this week! Nearly 5 pounds (that's more than 14 yards!) of Moda 3 Sisters. Mostly Chocolat and Double Chocolat, it's left over from my very first Quiltmaker's Scrap Squad 2013 project:

Here is the "pile." Some scraps, but mostly fat quarters and fat eighths:

And here it is on my postal scale. Yes, I zeroed out the scale when I put the ruler on it to hold the fabric.

Would you like to add it to your own stash? Here's the deal: I'll give away the fabric, free. The recipient just has to pay postage. Anywhere in the world, just be the first person to comment and pre-pay the postage via PayPal, and it's yours.

This de-stash batch will "just" fit into a medium flat-rate box, which costs $12.35 to send anywhere in the U.S. Of course, international postage would be more -- as much as $65 US, so be warned.

Please comment with your PayPal email address and I'll send you an invoice for the postage. The first person to reply with both a PayPal address and zip code is the "winner!"



From the desk of your

WIP Wednesday: Back in the (sewing) Saddle Again

Now I know why it's been years since I've done any fashion sewing -- I'm just not shaped like the patterns anymore!

 I finished the dress I will wear to the wedding of my BFF's son:

I have more of a waist than this photo make it look. Apparently if one has "hips," one's boobs should be closer to one's waist than to one's shoulders. I had to virtually re-draft this pattern to get the darts in the right place.  It would have taken less time to just design my own pattern! It's Simplicity 6262 and the fabric is "Petal Poetry" for Exclusively Quilters. I'll get a selfie wearing it on Saturday at the wedding.

Now that "the dress" is finished, I can go back to quilting! First up is "Missouri Star," for one of the members of the 2013 Quiltmaker Magazine Scrap Squad. I think I should have reversed the dark/light pieces, but it still looks like a star, right?

Thursday at midnight is the last chance to enter my "600 Followers on Bloglovin' Giveaway." Go to last Thursday's post to enter using the Rafflecopter widget. The prize is an autographed copy of Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making. Of course, international entries are welcome!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

I forgot to share my Hats for Sailors knitting with you last week. I will tomorrow, I promise!


From the desk of your

The Fastest De-Stash

I've been test-sewing a bag this week, so I haven't added a thing to the stash -- gasp!

Since I have bags on my mind, I decided to offer this little bag "kit" for this week's de-stash.

This de-stash is so small, it should fit in a first-class envelop. So the postage will be only $2 US.  If you'd  like to try your hand at making a bag -- and help me de-stash at the same time -- just comment on this post with your PayPal address and zip code. I'll send you an invoice for the postage, and when I receive the payment, it will go in the mail to you!!

Have you commented on my 600 Bloglovin' Followers post yet? The prize is special, an autographed copy of Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making.

Comment here using Rafflecopter for a chance to win! It's the first time I've used Rafflecopter to host a giveaway, and it seems to be working fine. The biggest problem is no-reply commenters. If you're not sure your email links to your comments, please just add your email in the comment. Or send me an email at AuntMarti at 52Quilts dot com and I'll add you to my address list.  It will break my heart if the Rafflecopter chooses a no-reply commenter as the winner, and I can't find you!

My dress for next weekend's wedding is nearly finished -- I should be able to get back to quilting tomorrow!

From the desk of your

Finish it up Friday

Isn't really happening today, because I spent ALL MORNING looking for this pattern:

I know I bought it, because I can remember showing it to DH while we were having lunch at Yolanda's Taco Bar in Castle Rock. (Last summer.  Maybe the summer before.)



Sigh.



I really want to find it, because Anna Maria Horner is going to be the guest-teacher at Front Range Modern Quilt Guild in August.  And I wanted to take the pattern to show everyone tomorrow at the guild meeting.  It's AMH's Multi-Tasker Tote, and I bought my copy at Stash.  Sadly, Stash no longer carries fabric or sewing patterns.  However, Crafty Laine in Monument will stock the pattern.  And if you don't live in Colorado, they do phone orders!

On a happier note, I did finish my "Favorite Things" top.  The pattern is called "Summer Time," and I had to pretty much re-draft the pattern to make it fit.  Angie warned us that the pattern "ran big," but really -- the neck opening went below my bra in front!

Here is is on Esmerelda:

Yep, it's really that orange.  Tangerine Tango, you know?  It matches my new Keen sandals perfectly.

Oh, and the quilt on the design wall behind Esmerelda?  That's what I was supposed to finish today so it can go to Florida to be a "beach quilt" for my favorite OT!

Even though I didn't finish a quilt, I did finish my blouse, so I'm linking up to:

Thank Goodness it's Finally Finished, this week at Plum and June.


From the desk of your

Memorial Day Sew-a-Thon

Dang. I mean really.  Dang.

Never has it taken me so long to make one simple top.  Neither have I ever had so much trouble with a pattern.  And I've done a lot of fashion sewing in my day, including tailoring suits and more than one wedding dress.

It took two tries to get a collar that fit this neckline.  And two tries to make the armscye binding fit.  I don't know if I was off on my seam allowance, if there was a problem with the pattern, or if I was just having an "off day."

Here's the pattern: 

 And here's my finished top:

I guess anyone close enough to see the sloppy collar won't be looking at my collar!  AND there is an ink blot right in the front -- don't know if it was on the fabric or if it picked up from the ruler when I was marking the front pleats.  I had success removing ink from some t-shirts (SOMEONE left his razor-point felt tip in his pocket when he put his shirt in the laundry.  Not naming names, but I only know one person who likes that kind of pen!) using hairspray, so after I wear this today, I'll try removing the ink.

The fabric is from the Filigree Collection by artgallery fabrics, purchased last June at G Street Fabrics last June when DH and I went to visit My Little Sailor at Ft. Meade, Maryland.  Artgallery uses the finest grey goods for their fabric, their quilting cottons are nicer than a lot of fashion fabric cottons.

Hancock Fabrics has Butterick patterns on sale this week for 99 cents, maybe I'll try a different pattern for my next summer top.

Really.  Dang!

From the desk of your