Stealth quilting

When I took up sewing again, my other half was generally encouraging, but there was one proviso: "If you take up quilting, we're getting a divorce." Now, I've never had any interest in quilting, it generally seems to be a bit fuddy duddy and twee. When my new sewing machine came with a free quilting kit I wasn't that bothered other than by the appeal of the walking foot, which I could use for knits. Remembering my husband's words, I put the quilting kit somewhere out of view just in case he started divorce proceedings, but I had no intention of using it.... Until now.
Friends have just had a baby and I wanted to make them a gift. When my son was born, a friend gave me a lovely cot blanket, simply sewn with a lovely vintage print. 

It has been so useful and even 7 years later it sits at the bottom of The Boy's bed. I thought it would be simple enough to make one and then I started looking at pics on the internet and my idea sort of grew from a simple blanket to something a little more... Quilty. Uh-oh.
After much browsing, I ordered a pack of fat quarters from Plush Addict and picked up some fat eights at my local quilting shop in Warwick. This was unknown territory for me and it took me a week before I dared cut into the cloth. After much deliberation I cut the fabric into 23cm squares and arranged them in a 3 x 4 pattern. I stitched them together in rows than stitched the rows together and finally backed it with some purple fleece blanket from Ikea.

I'm really pleased with the result and hope the recipients like it too. 

And I've got enough fabric left for 2 more blankets. The walking foot and extension table are awesome and will definitely be getting more use. Just don't tell the husband...

Dolly Clackett sewalong - Car Fest Simplicity 2444 dress

I have to admit I have been Blog-stalking Dolly Clackett since I took up sewing.She lives nearby in Leamington, her blog style is very engaging and she is both prolific and talented in the dress-making stakes. I do envy her ability to rock a quirky looking retro dress, even though the style doesn't particularly suit me. And the shoes! Man, I love the shoes.

So I was excited to see the sewalong her friend has organised for her forthcoming wedding. The perfect opportunity to finish and showcase my CarFest dress! This is truly a Dolly-inspired dress, from the retro print fabric to the use of her old favourite, Simplicity 2444.

I have made this dress in preparation for CarFest, which is, oh, 6 months away! I'm so excited about it though, as The Boy is a total petrol head. The fabric is from Ditto Fabrics in Brighton and I also bought some other car-related fabrics from Fabricland to make The Boy some funky shirts for the festival. That's the next project.

 

So, with this dress, I lengthened the bodice and graded it between a couple of sizes for a better fit (although it's actually a bit looser than I planned - I've had a stomach bug and I think I've lost weight - better get back on the cakes!). I also scooped out the neckline at the front and back to make it a bit more summery. I lined the bodice as the fabric is quite sheer, but I haven't got round to lining the skirt as I ran out of lining! I'm even toying with a proper petticoat to give the skirt a bit of oomph. I managed to insert an invisible zip between the lining and the main fabric, using this tutorial. Overall I am pretty happy, although I will need to insert some bra strap holders as the neckline is a bit wide across my scrawny upper chest and my straps keep poking out.



I've said before that I don't feel quite right in this style of dress as it feels a bit too girly and young for me. But at festivals anything goes, so I'm looking forward to wearing this. I just hope the sun shines!