The April Burda is here!

Now that I actually made something from the January issue, and liked it quite a bit, I decided to get a year subscription.  I am so excited!  A big thank you to Scott's parents for the Christmas and birthday money.     

You get patterns for all these clothes in one magazine.  If only I had more time, a good source for quality fabric, a professional snap press, and a cover stitch machine, I would sew all my clothes.  Really, Honey, I would.    

Quinn acquired two new skills this week.  

1)blow his nose on the wipe 

2)clean the piano with the wipe.  

He decided to combine the two this morning.  The result, a very slimy piano.  Doesn't he look guilty? 

The Petticoat on her

Here it is on Asha.

She wouldn't take it off, either.

Jerome's invention at Hi-Cap.  Proudly presenting the patent.  

Girl's Petticoat

I finished it last night. 

Asha is going pouffy this Easter.  Look at all this netting!

Pattern from this book, "Girls at a Recital!" ISBN4-579-10990

You can also find it on ebay or etsy.  

Diagram and measurements for all the layers.  

Hop on over to Alison's blog.  She is making TWO of these for her girls.  

I couldn't have done it without her encouragement and step by step sewing tips.   

Tackling a beast

Alison and I are doing a little easter dress sew-along.  Thank goodness for that because it is turning out to be quite a project.    

Before I talk about the beast, here is a selection of fabric I am auditioning for Asha's Easter dress.  None of it is enough to make a big puffy dress I am after, but I could make the top with white and the skirt with color.  They are all machine washable, and comes out of the dryer almost wrinkle free, a big plus. 

The white on the left is a medium weight cotton/lycra poplin from Vogue Fabric in IL.   

The blue is cotton with lovely needlework that Scott's mom gave me.  

The white on the right is a seersucker from a quilting shop in Kaua'i.  

The hot pink is cotton/poly.  Although it is not a traditional easter color, it is really growing on me.  I am tempted to run back to the store for more yardage so I can make a whole dress out of it.      

This is what my sewing area looks like right now.  The beast is on the ironing board, a HUGE petticoat for the easter dress.  Or, I should say it will become one hopefully soon.  I got all the pieces cut out and layers together into circles Saturday.  25 yards of gathering to be done, and then it will be attached to a tank top.  A big thank you to Scott's mom, who ran to the fabric store for me when I realized that I didn't have enough netting and lining.          

     

My mom's best friend sent me a box of Japanese noodles and sweets.      

Here is Kai enjoying Strawberry Pocky.  Yum!  

Wardrobe Refashion: Hoodie

Before: a size 10-12 turtle neck shirt from my friend's giveaway pile + light pink cotton lycra fabric from my stash

After: a hooded shirt perfect for spring

Pattern: view 15 of Over lock kids book

 

Now Kai wants me to make one for all the boys.  It surely is tempting after seeing what Alison did.    

Boy Bibs

I pre-washed all my cotton batting yesterday.  Some of the bibs I made last year deformed after the wash because of excessive shrinking of the batting.  "Warm and Natural" batting didn't shrink all that much in the wash, but the one I got at Walmart (can't remember the name) shrunk quite a bit and in an uneven way.  Now I am a true believer of "Warm and Natural" and "Warm and White".  

      

Project Improv update

Jacquie has started piecing the blocks into quilt tops.  They are beautiful!  I can't tell you the joy I felt when I saw my humble block in the second picture (here).  

Today, while I was feeling the spirit of it, I dug deep into my scrap pile and made some more.  I am starting to get the hang of it.  

Next up... 

Asha's Easter/baptism dress

some bibs and diaper totes for RS auction night

Kai's spring/summer clothes

Heather Bailey, Freshcut quilt  

Whirlygiggle top, finished

I decided to make part of the border a scrappy one.  I LOVE the result.  

Whirlygiggles, again

Remember Alison's fabric scraps?  This is what I did with them.  I couldn't think of a better way to showcase the bright and beautiful prints.  It measures 55 x 77 at this point, so I will add a border to make it a twin size quilt, and then it will become another quilt top to be added to the " to-be-quilted" pile.    

Here are some close-up pics of the favorites.  

Here is a Quinn update for my Mom.

- 27 pounds

- one molar, three to go

- several dancing moves, including side scoot while shaking his bottom

- plays the piano one finger at a time (When he feels like it.  When he doesn't, check pic.)

- says "blah, blah" while handing me a slobbered up object

- brings a sippy cup from the drawer when he is thirsty

- wants to be held when he has a messy diaper

- gives out open mouth kisses on request

- unlimited smile for everybody 

Card Trick Quilt progress

I sewed two more blocks and cut fabric for 16 more.  That is a lot of triangles.  384 to be exact.   I learned that these blocks are called Card Trick.  There are many pictures of finished quilts using this.  Here is a tutorial, too.  (Thanks, lumiousquilts for the info!) 

Here is Asha with the camisole.  It is so cute on her.  I am looking around for fabric to make the dress version.  My Laura Ashley dress is in the running.    

Summer Camisole

Asha has a cute camisole she wears over a fitted white t-shirt.  It is made with liberty-like fabric and lined with cotton batiste.  Now that she is about to grow out of it,  I made one to replace it.  

Pattern: view 13 of Girls Holiday Clothes ISBN978-4-579-11195-4

Fabric used: patch-worked floral from Spain (Thanks again, Alison!), and cotton batiste for lining.  

   

Here are some pics to show you the detail of the patchwork.   

Can't wait for Asha to come home.  

Alison's scraps become my treasure

Alison sent me a priority mail box packed full of her scrap quilting fabric.  She mostly makes clothes, so her scraps are pretty big.  I am seeing another Whirlygiggle Quilt using these cute prints.  Thank you so much!  (Kai took this picture.  I am bending down to get close to the fabric so Kai wouldn't chop my head off.  He got it after ten tries.).  

  

I few pictures of my boys per my family's request.    

Facist Quilt, really?

Just because I finished my Star quilt top, I let myself start another quilt.  When I saw this block somewhere on the blogosphere, it reminded me of a Japanese sashiko pattern.  I sketched it on a piece of paper, and made a couple blocks during the weekend.  I really like them.  I just wish I could remember where I saw it so I could attribute it to the proper person.    

Scott doesn't see the "modern" and "Japanese" in the blocks.  He thinks they looks like a Swastika.  Do they, really?  What do you think?        

Going green?

Adrianne had this great idea to make fabric bags that resemble zip-top bags.  They are good for carrying around gold fish, cheerios, animal crackers, and anything else dry.  So I made a couple.        

 

A thin strip of velcro keeps the food in.    

Here is some of the fabric I got with the money my mom gave me for my birthday.  I love the birds and the polka dots from this Moda Sweet collection.  Z and S fabrics is having a 20% off sale that ends today, so you might want to check it out if you haven't already.