Quilted Scraps

If I haven't been hand sewing for an extended period of time, I get antsy.

But what I always have on hand is plenty of fabric scraps.  Some of these are from a hexi quilt that has been pieced and is still being quilted.  Some prints were specially purchased to make a rag rug.  

Whatever the source, there were a lot of scraps, some handily stashed away in a single bag which made finding them easy.  So when I needed a hand sewing project, I thought that it would be fun to start another English Paper Piecing project, just not a full sized quilt because I still have one of those to actually quilt!

The obvious choice was placemats.  I have been using a set that has pops of red, and my downstairs is very cool color themed.  Not to mention the fact that the rugs that I made are being used downstairs, so using scraps from those projects makes everything very color coordinated. 

I went searching for a design other than hexagons, and came across this pattern on Etsy.  The different shapes seemed like they would be fun, and make it possible to use even the really small scraps.

I wasn't entirely sure how to finish the pieced design when I began.   In the end, I just applied the pieced section to a piece of cotton before making my quilt sandwich.

At this point, I wasn't sure if the final placemat would be rectangular or some other shape, but at least the quilting could begin!

I ended up cutting a shape that I was hoping would work out of some packing paper to test the size.

Once I was sure about the shape and size, I basted around the edges, and cut off the excess.

The edges were then bound with a contrasting color.

Since the rest of the project was hand stitched, I went ahead and applied the binding by hand as well.

With what I had cut out and pieced, there were enough motifs to make three placemats.

The most tedious part was removing the papers from the smaller triangles and diamond shapes.  Who knew?!

I ended up using a pin to get under and pull up one edge of the paper so it could be removed.

That was the placemats.  But I did have a few poppies leftover and I didn't want to waste them or let them be relegated to the land of abandoned projects.

They were almost too large for a coaster, but that seemed like the logical thing to make to match back to the placemats.

So now I have two little mini placemats, or coasters, or hot pads on hand.

This project was a lot of fun.  My fingertips may not agree (still haven't learned to use a thimble properly) but the joys of hand sewing got me through.

And I enjoy these placemats so much more than what I was using previously.

Which makes for a successful project!

Birds of a Feather

Exactly how I survived without a pink circle skirt, that is what I would like to know?!

And where can I find more pastel colored cotton twill is my next question!

I honestly had no idea that this garment was going to be such a workhorse.  But I can safely say that it matches so many things in my wardrobe (not including the top that I made from the fabric remnants).

And that is saying a lot, considering that I already have a significant number of full, tea length skirts in my closet that I have made over the years.

I still find it difficult to resist a gorgeous floral print, but I have learned that solid colored basics are not something to be afraid of, especially when the fabric substrate is textured, and definitely if the color is not to be missed.  And I can always wear it with a printed blouse to indulge my need for a print, so I call that a win.

The cotton does wrinkle slightly, and those wrinkles are absolutely more obvious in a lighter solid color, but I now know the reason that people love denim.  But will I be converted to wearing jeans?  I highly doubt it!  

This particular pattern is the Stanwyck Skirt.  I was not entirely sold on a gored circle skirt when I first became aware of the pattern.  But after having made a few, I love it!  And the fact that I can get a tea length circle skirt out of three yards of fabric (provided it can be cut with a multi directional layout) is awesome.

So I cannot say for certain whether or not I am done with this pattern, but my closet is getting rather cramped with all of these skirts, so perhaps it's time to work on more blouses.

I have a black floral rayon print that would work perfectly for another Collar Confection Blouse, so maybe it's time to get started on that project.

And looking at this blouse has reminded me that it's the perfect time of year to pull out my cotton caftan made from the same fabulous avian inspired bedsheets.  Because this heat is getting rather ridiculous!

Blouse:  Made by me, Decades of Style "Collar Confection Blouse"
Skirt:  Made by me, Stanwyck Skirt
Shoes:  Sam Edelman "Kayna"
Necklace:  Rafael Jewelers

Sequins & Spangles

This was one of those projects that was started in 2020.  I wanted something that would keep me busy . . . for a long time.

I have wanted to make a sequined circle skirt for YEARS, and this seemed like an excellent time to begin.  Of course, choosing a motif to sequin was too much work for my brain.  Instead, I decided to choose a print that I liked and embellish from there . . . so much easier!

My first thought was to outline each flower plus an added smattering of sequins at the center.  Then I added on a stem and a few beads for good measure.  But the stem didn't look right with the large silver sequins, so I had to find something slightly smaller.

And as for placement of those sequins, they were originally meant to sit along the hemline, perhaps skipping every other floral motif.  I interfaced that portion of the hem with some organdy that I had on hand to support the sequins and beads by hand basting it into place.  This also made the hemline stand out, which was fine.

And look, it's my little "helper."  Larry was visiting and decided to be a cuddle bug, which doesn't happen all that often, so I worked around him.  Unlike Valentino, he is not put off by me reaching or moving slightly.  If he has decided he wants a lap, there is little to dissuade him from remaining right where he is.

The placement of sequins also morphed into a full out explosion since I was having so much fun playing with sequins and beads.

Each cup sequin was applied with a bead to hold it in place and knotted off at the back.  This will keep most of the embellished bits in place should one get snagged or pulled.  I would love to learn more about tambour bead and give it a try, but the thought of being able to release an entire line of beads with a single pull is not very exciting.

From there, I just kept going . . .

When I wasn't having fun hand sewing sequins, I let the skirt live on my dress form so that the hem could drop.  I also figured out that the flowers that I had chosen to embellish were getting lost in the folds of the circle skirt.  Whoops . . . I guess I should have put the skirt on the form before getting started with the sequins. 

 So the only logical thing to do was to put sequins on ALL of the flowers!  And honestly, that was just fine.  This process was rather addicting.  I decided that the fabric was sturdy enough not to require any interfacing for the upper portions of the skirt, and I think that was the right decision.  In the end, I cut around the motifs that had organdy underneath so that the drape of the skirt was not effected.  Once all of the sequins and beads were in place, I thought that the organdy made the hemline area a little too stiff.

While searching online for smaller sequins for the stems, I found pink ones in the same size, so the little pink flowers were also adorned with sequins.

I thought about adding yellow beads, but didn't end up liking the way they looked.

And while the bulk of the time spent on this project was sewing each sequin on, one at a time, there were a couple of other things to take care of on the construction of the skirt itself.

I usually like to have my zipper openings at center back, but for this skirt, I decided that it would be easier to work with two panels instead of three.  I also found a single button amongst a collection found at an estate sale that was a perfect match to the print, so instead of my standard hook & bar closure, I went with a button.

And there was some seam binding involved, obviously!

And while I can't find any photos of the process, I also added a few bones to the waistband to keep it from collapsing.

I have to say, I loved working on this project!

I have mentioned before that I find hand work to be therapeutic, and this project definitely fit the bill.

As a finishing touch, I used a larger sized sequin along the hemline.

I think it does a nice job of finishing the look.

And the skirt obviously needed a couple of hanging loops.  I didn't think that a ribbon would be enough to support the weight of the skirt, so instead, I used two bias tubes of fabric.  Since the zipper opening is on the side seam, I put the hangers at center front and back.

And that, I think, is about all there is for this skirt.  It was a labor of love, and I have to say, it is quite fun to wear!