Throwback Thursday

Vintage Christmas Stockings

My mother's oldest sister made this stocking for me for my first Christmas. 

The original.

It's debut in 1962.

1963

My mother copied it for my siblings and then the in-laws and then the grandchildren.  No pattern. She just worked from whichever stocking she had access too when the need arose. So they are similar but unique. 

My family's variations!

My older nephew's was the last one she made and delivered herself 4 years ago.  So when my brother and sister-in-law announced last year that they were expecting they were afraid that the new baby would be without Grandma's stocking.  

My mother was a wise woman.  Turns out that she left a blank Christmas stocking in her knitting stash which I have along with the fabric/sewing stash.  It did not have a name so that was left to me, the family seamstress.  I don't knit so it was harder than it should have been.  Finally, in despair I just embroidered it on with yarn and a daisy chain stitch.  It is even more different than the others but that will be part of its story. 

When my sisters examined the finished product they agreed that my mother must have made this one shortly after my nephew's.  She was in a slow decline at that time and I'm sure she anticipated the need in the future and made it while she was able. 

Which brings us to the present.  Does anyone have a pattern for these stockings?  We know that there are others out there but have been unsuccessful locating a pattern.

I was looking at new (to me) quilting/sewing blogs and found My Quilt Infatuation.  Looks like fun so I'm linking up to Needle & Thread Thursday over at my quilt infatuation

Mylar Balloon Wreath

This was a "make it up as you go" project.  My usual MO. 

We had accumulated quite a few old mylar balloons and it seemed like there should be something that could be done with them.  I can't throw anything away, so it was a problem.  

My dad needed a Spring-ish wreath for his apartment door, so the experiment began.

Make a cut near the end of the balloon and get out as much of the extra air as possible.

Smooth the balloon as flat as possible and cut off the tip a few inches into the body of the balloon.

Cut off the seam on one edge.  I used a rotary cutter I keep with an old blade for non-fabric use.

Then I kept cutting - without measuring exactly - about a 1.5" width. 

 And cutting and cutting.

The base of the wreath was an embroidery hoop I had on hand.  About 12".  Whatever you have will work, just get the proportion of diameter and strip length to please you.

Then just tie the strips around the hoop. 

For the shorter strips we did not worry about the seam at the top, but just tied it right on as is.  For the longer lengths, we cut into 2 pieces.  You will figure out what works for the you.

Some of the strips curled up on themselves.  A little pulling and flattening by hand took care of most of it.

We had balloons from all kinds of occasions so tried to get the colors in there randomly.  We worked at it over a few weeks cutting as we went so it is not as random as I would have liked.  But since the tying was done by Middle E - very willingly -  I did not complain.

The finished wreath.  The lighting in his hall is terrible and the photo is blurry.  But you get the idea.  Not bad.

My dad loved it, but kept calling it a hat since Middle E put it on her head at some point!

Last Stash Report of 2015

Oh My!  It has sure been a while.  I knew that working 5 days a week instead of 4 was going to make a difference, but I did not realize how much less time I would have for sewing.  I tried to keep track of the few projects I finished so that if I ever blogged again I would be able to report accurately.  Unfortunately I have very few photos.  Oh well.

Pillow Cover for Senor G's comfy pillow.   I just made it up as I went along using the fewest seams possible.  It works.  0.65 yds of an odd corduroy that was on its way to Goodwill

Basket with handles that Little S made for her Mama Cristy in Guatemala.  I had made this fabric basket
before and lost the instructions, but was able to figure it out on my own without too much trouble.  I did go back and find the link again for myself afterwards though.  0.17 yards

Davis Classroom Quilt.  For the 3rd year I am making a carnival auction quilt for Ms. Davis' class.  This year I had been given some bright fabric scraps that I worked right into the quilt.  So that didn't count in or out.  I do get to count the white squares the kids drew on and the few other blocks I added.  0.67 yds

Christmas Table Cloth for my SIL in Guatemala.  A pretty dark pink with gold outlines of holly leaves.  The image is stuck in my mind even if I didn't take a picture.  1.17 yds.


Strips that Sizzle Quilt.  Actually the last thing I posted about, but never did the stash report on.  A UFO that my mother got me started on and I finally finished.  Well kind of finished.  It is still a UFO since it needs borders, backing and quilting, but at least it has progressed.  I count fabric out when a specific step in the project is all done, so I get to count the center now.  9 yds

Work Aprons.  We had 4 new teachers so I made aprons for them and personalized then with their names.  My mother had made the original aprons about 4 years ago.   1.5 yds

Pet Rock Blankets.  We made pet rocks during our Pet Week.  The kids liked carrying them around so much that I cut out flannel blankets for them.  1.38 yds

American Girl Doll Bedding for Little S for Christmas.  Another project that I made up as I went along.  I got the bed frame when our school was flooded.  Anything that touched the water was thrown away, but I saved this.  Sure enough it was the right size for the AG dolls.  When the girls went to see the Nutcracker with my sister I quickly whipped up the bedding.  Lack of time sure helps me eliminate the agonizing decisions of should I or shouldn't I.  I just went with what worked and it worked just fine.  Little S wanted a fuzzy pillowcase for Christmas and her doll got one instead.  She was happy with that.  1.5 yds

American Girl Nightgown for Little S.  I found this link  for AG doll cloths patterns  a while back.  When I got the bedding done I knew the doll needed a new nightgown to go with it.  Unfortunately the doll chest has been covered up with College R's plants so there has not be an official modeling yet.  I will say that although it came out fine I was reminded of why I prefer quilting to sewing clothing.  I also was again impressed by the memory of my mother making 2 sets of elaborate Barbie Doll clothes for College R and Middle E many years ago.  What patience.  I made Samantha's nightgown with a few changes  0.5 yds

So here is my final report.  I had a goal of 100 yards, but that didn't happen.  But under the circumstances I am still pleased.

Fabric Used This Report:  16.54 yards 

Fabric In This Report:  0 yards 

Total In 2015: 7.02 yards
Net Used 2015:  65.12 yards

Linking up to  Patchwork Times  where others are giving a year end report as well!

Strips that Sizzle is a Flimsy

This is a 16-year-old UFO done.  YOu can read about it's humble beginnings here  and  here  and here .  It has been a flimsy for a while and I was ready to write up a post about this and some other finishes...

It makes me dizzy so I don't think it's a keeper.

Thinking I might add borders to enlarge it somewhat.

... when Whoosh.  A Pipe burst.  School flooded.  Water came from above over my class counter and cabinets.  Four inches of water in most of the building - and my cabinets.  Most furniture and supplies beyond hope.  First day of school 5 days away.

Not much we could do after emptying the building.  Reconstruction is still under way 3 weeks later, but we have a start day of Monday for teachers and Wednesday for kids.  So I need to take advantage of my last days and get non-school things done.  Most of our holidays will be used as make-up days, so not sure when there will be down time again.

You would have thought I would have really be sewing like crazy with my girls back in school, but me not teaching yet.  But the flood and all the unknowns about getting back in and what was lost and what wasn't really put me in some kind of limbo.  I did do a last minute job.  Monogram on a towel for one of Middle E's friends going off to college.

I had just finished making work aprons for the new teachers at work and was going to take a picture of them on the hooks at work, but now they are lost in the jumble of stuff.  I guess that gives me a guaranteed finish for a later date when I might not have a current finish!

I ended up working a lot on my Leaders & Enders.  I know they are supposed to be used while working on a larger project, but I just could not concentrate on anything.  The Leaders & Enders were perfect.  Mindless. 

Check out some other finishes at Crazy Mom Quilts   and Confessions of a fabric addic.

Stash Report 080915

I am close to some bigger finishes, but not close enough.  Here's a little stash out though.  I finished the burp cloths for my new nephew and they are being delivered today along with the quilt.  How's that for current and up-to-date!


Fabric Used This Week:  1.5 yards 

Fabric In This Week:  0 yards 

Total In 2015: 7.02 yards
Net Used 2015:  48.58 yards

Linking up to Patchwork Times  to show how others are doing on busting their stash!

A Finish for Baby Dexter

I finished my new nephew-to-be's quilt a month or so ago but I could not make the burp clothes until the baby was born.  We knew the baby was going to be a boy but my brother and his wife would not disclose the name.

I think this satisfies the "Woodlands Animals" theme.

Baby Dexter made his appearance July 21 at a whopping 11 lbs.   We will go visit them this Sunday so I could not put off the burp cloths any longer.  

Linking up with  Crazy Mom Quilts   and Confessions of a fabric addict  to show off finishes.

Design Floor

Made surprising progress on the Strips That Sizzle UFO this week.  Because of the initial mis-cut I had 4 distinct blocks to work with instead of 2 so my original design ideas would not work.  I ended up with this star. It makes me kind of dizzy but that's okay.

I have checked and rechecked to make sure I don't have the same fabrics next to each other and to make sure I have the blocks going in the right direction.  That was a big problem early on. 

This picture was taken several rearrangements ago and I am starting to web it all together. 

Head on over to patchwork Times To see some other design walls - and floors! 

And the winner was....

Strips That Sizzle

Last week I was trying to decide what project to work on next and it had to be from the UFO bin.  Strips that Sizzle seemed like a good choice since there was a nice stack of 60 blue blocks already made.  I just had to check the strip bins and see what other color I had the most of in order to make the opposing blocks. No big surprise there. - green.  

I made up a few blocks and then cut them diagonally and paired them w a blue that was also cut.   About halfway into the stack of blues I realized something was wrong.  I had cut them wrong so I did not have the strong visual effect that gives the quilt it's name.  Arrrrrgh 

No sizzle going on here.

Thankfully I had not sewn the pairs since I was setting up a Leader & Ender project pile.  So I correctly cut more blues to match up w the already cut greens   Then I made more greens to match up w the already cut blues.

That's more like it!

 Then I made even more greens to match w the remaing blues but I didn't cut either   That last batch I will save and cut after I have a layout and know which direction I need to make the layout complete

Now I can't wait to get them sewn and start playing w a layout.   This was a great way to use up strips and it was so nice to have strips already cut and ready to go!  

What did I use for L&E while I was sewing the green blocks?  The alternating blocks for the previous L&E project.  I had already turned lots of 2" squares into 2 patches, then 4 patches, then 16 patches.

There are lots more blocks than this but I can't reach over the table to put them up 

  and now I am working on a layout.

I am liking the look and working on getting a good variety before sewing more big blocks together.

Head on over to Patchwork Times  to see what others are working on.

College Quilt Finish

I promised a t-shirt quilt to my niece for her high school graduation / birthday present.  She is a very detailed person so it had to be balanced just right and prefectly symmetrical which was a bit tricky with the varying sizes and colors.  I gave her a few sample layouts and she chose her favorite and then worked on the details.   I would have sewn the small sections together as one square but she wanted them separate - and it works just fine.

She picked the sashing and border/backing fabric and they work perfectly to separate yet join the various colors.  

All in all a successful finish, but also a reminder of why I don't really like this kind of quilt.   The quilting is always tough - quilt through the shirts or not, match each color or not.  And then the actually quilting because sewing through the t-shirts is not the same as sewing through regular fabric.  Then finishing.  With all the thread changes I spent more time sewing in the thread tails than all the rest of the project.   

But it is done!!!  And there was just enough fabric remaining to make a matching pillowcase   

Linking up with  Crazy Mom Quilts   and Confessions of a fabric addict  to show off finishes.

What Should I Work on Next?

I've had so many finishes this summer I am exhausted thrilled.  I've been working so hard on finishing UFOs and NOT starting anything new.  Mostly I've been having quilting & binding finishes which I have figured out is not my favorite part and probably why they stack up at that point.  I want to sew.  My Leader & Ender project is at the point where I just want to do it!  So I also need a new Leader & Ender project.  So I dumped out the UFOs that are still in the piecing stage.  Hmmm.  What to choose?

I've got a small center that needs borders or something. It was a commissioned quilt about 16 yrs ago that the people changed their mind on.  There is no more of any of the fabrics involved, but the maroon is close.  Then there is a bag of blue Strips that Sizzle also about 16 years old   And a bag of 3.5" blocks that I was working on for an idea at least 19 years ago. 

And the winner is ...   

Hopefully by this time next week I will have chosen one and made some progress on it.  I need to stop agonizing over the small details and just move forward.  Done is good!!

Head on over to Patchwork Times  to see what others are working on.

Stash Report 071215

Lots of finishes. Lots of fabric out

Trip Around the World DONE!!!  backing and binding.  4.33 yards 

Lined Curtains for VPK classroom at work   9 yards 

Spinning Octagons (needs a better name now that I like it!)  borders 1.1 yds   Even though I bought the orange border fabric I don't feel bad at all because that is what inspired me to finish it!!

Fabric Used This Week:  14.43 yards 

Fabric In This Week:  0.9 yards  orange for Spinning Octagons

Total In 2015: 7.02 yards
Net Used 2015:  47.08 yards

Linking up to Patchwork Times  to show how others are doing on busting their stash!

A Finish Frenzy

Little S spent 3 weeks with family in Guatemala.  After an initial burst of energy and lots of finishes I had slowed, but I was determined to get in a few more finishes before she got back and I did! Yippee!

Finish #1. Trip Around the World is quilted and bound.  I even got most of  the thread tails sewn in on the trip to the airport to pick up Little S. 

It is not quite square.

Not a thrilling back, but got fabric used up.

Finish #2. Curtains for the VPK classroom at work. I really should have had a before picture - sad, droopy, dusty mismatched curtains in a very non-childlike fabric hanging from rods that were falling off the wall.  I've had the measurements for months.  I remade the remaining panels from a set of curtains I got at goodwill when I made my classroom curtains 2 years ago.  Huge improvement and glad to have that bundle of old curtains out of my closet.  Someone else will paint at least one of the walls a yellow color. 

Finish #3. Spinning Octagons. I spread the blocks out one last time on Little S's floor and was still not convinced I liked it.  Then while at Joanns getting the rods for the curtains I found a remnant I knew would be perfect as a border and my interest was instantly revived.  On a break from quilting Finish #1 I squared up the blocks. I didn't agonize over it or worry about it.  I just found the smallest block and squared them all based on that.  I have known all along this was not going to be even close to perfect.  For now I was just aiming for a finish.  I quickly sewed them together and picked an inner border that worked with the orange sherbet fabric.  How did I ever think I did not like this quilt?  All the imperfections are now a reminder of all that went into this quilt. Considering it was a 20-year-old UFO made with pieces cut from cardboard templates I am pretty pleased.  It might be a keeper after all.  I certainly have to come up with a better name.

The colors are more distinct in real life.  The sun washed them out quite a bit.

Next up is to make a t-shirt quilt for my niece before she heads off to college and quilt the Spinning Octagons.

Linking up with  Crazy Mom Quilts   and Confessions of a fabric addict  to show off finishes.

Stash Report 062115

At last a stash report and a good one at that.  Lots of finishes this week.  More finished quilts than finished photos but that is fine.

1) Quilt top, backing and binding for nephew to be : 5.12 yards   

2) Scrap box quilt border & backing to donate to a young cancer patient: 2.06 

3) around the world borders, backing and binding: 4.44 yards 

I had to buy fabric for the baby quilt since I was working within a theme but the damage wasn't too bad.  And found the end of a bolt of solid pink on clearance for just $1/yard that I could not leave behind.  Solids are always good. 

Fabric Used This Week:  11.62 yards 

Fabric In This Week:  4.62 yards

Total In 2015: 6.12 yards
Net Used 2015:  33.55 yards

Linking up to Patchwork Times  to show how others are doing on busting their stash!

Lots of Finishes

The girls were gone (and we ate leftovers all week) and I was super productive even though I either went in to work or worked at home most days!!  I had a short mental list of 3 major things I wanted to finish in that time and I got that done!!  I also got a bonus project done!!

#1 was a non-sewing project   A few years ago I finished hand quilting a family heirloom quilt for my team teacher.  As a thank you she offered to make me a photo album but I had to pick the photos. I thought if I just got out the box of photos from the time we first moved to Russia until College R was born that would be a nice finite amount to work with.  Took me more than 3 years to actually get out the box and then I realized she would never be able to sort and cull and crop the photos.  That took me over 6 months in bits of time usually when Señor G was out of town and I could make a big mess.  I was so close to the end and I did it!!  That project is out of my hands and I am very thankful. 

The initial sort.  When I realized I might be in over my head!

#2 finish quilting an unexpected quilt  that was halfway quilted.  Done.  Once the photos were off the floor I could get to the sewing machine.  Binding is cut, pressed and ready to go

#3 get a baby quilt for the new nephew to be at least to the flimsy stage. Once the inspiration hit it didn't take any time at all.  I also got a backing pieced and ready - all from stash. 

Bear Paws Flimsy

I had to do a lot of piecing to get enough claws.

Can you spot the pieced claws?

BONUS   -  get the borders on the project I pulled out of my MILs scrap bag last summer.  The fabric had already been set aside and there was enough for the backing as well.  This quilt is very pretty but really has no special meaning.  It was a few odd pieces found in a bag that was given to my MIL and I was curious to see how far I could take it.  Señor G is a free lance interpreter and recently has been working with the family of a little girl undergoing cancer treatment.  Her name is the same and her birthday very very close to our Little S.  I really felt like I needed to give her this quilt.  As soon as I get the thread tails worked in it will go to the other Little S. 

I tried to quilt some little flowers in among the stipple.

Linking up with  Crazy Mom Quilts   and Confessions of a fabric addict  to show off finishes.