Quilting Cotton – The Finished Garment

Bungalow Bag

I have a great diaper bag. The only problem with it is that it is full of diapers. And crayons. And a couple of snacks. And hand sanitizer. And a baby sling.

But lately, with my youngest now two years old, I have begun to imagine a magical, mythical future where my bag has things like lipstick (I think I still have some somewhere), money (I wish I still had some) and empty space (I want some!).

Two Zip Hipster bag sewing pattern by Dog Under My Desk, sewn by The Finished Garment. — Check out that pattern matching.

Do I decided to sew an anti-diaper bag. It will not be waterproof to keep the messes in. It will not be black so that I can ask my husband to carry it for me. It will not attach conveniently to my stroller. It will be small and pretty and not have room to carry a menagerie of toy animals.

I used the Two Zip Hipster by Dog Under My Desk. It’s a great pattern that makes a real, professionally finished bag.

I would rate the pattern as intermediate to advanced. Nothing is particularly difficult, but it’s a very detailed pattern. This pattern uses 11 pattern pieces for the exterior, 7 for the lining, 15 of interfacing, plus hardware. There are 15 pages of really great instructions.

I also think that to do a really good job, you need a quarter-inch presser foot, a stitch-in-the-ditch foot and a good quilting ruler. These are all basic quilting tools, but not necessarily what an apparel sewist might have on hand. Everything needs to be done in a very precise manner to get good results, and these tools help a lot.

I used fabric from the Bungalow collection by Joel Dewberry. I love the colours – so vibrant! So hard to find thread to match. And the birds are really cute. Yes, I put a bird on it!

This is not a quick project, but the results are so, so great. I will definitely be making another (probably without birds).

Project Summary

Pattern Review: Two Zip Hipster by Dog Under My Desk.
Fabric: Swallow Study in Lavender, Empress in Grassland, and Stripes in Lavender from the Bungalow collection by Joel Dewberry for Free Spirit, courtesy Warp & Weft (now closed).
Finished size: 11” tall, 9” wide, 1.5” deep.
Cost: Pattern: 12$.
Project Sewing Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Modifications: None.
Results: Great.

Spring Table Runner

Last week I showed you a table runner I made for my mother-in-law, and this week I have the one I made for my mother.

Like the previous one, I used all fabrics from my stash, most left over from previous projects. The design is a simple window pane design with white sashing. I used freeform wavy lines for the quilting.

The backing is a fabric I had purchased for another project online, but when it came it didn’t quite match the other fabrics, so I’m especially glad to have found it a home.

It’s a nice simple quilt, but I’m quite happy about how the peach and emerald green look beside one another. Hopefully this will get lots of use.

This post is linked up to Crazy Mom Quilts and her Friday finishes. It’s also part of the Stashbusting Sewalong.

Project Summary

Fabrics:

Little Blomster in coral, Blomster in emerald, Pilvi in mint, and solid coral from the MorMor collection by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics.
Houndstooth in multicoloured, from the Textured Basics collection by Patty Young for Michael Miller Fabrics.
Kona white by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

Size: About 17″ by 48″.
Block: Windowpane.
Cost: Fabric: 0$ (all from my stash).
Sewing Level: Beginner.

Forest Birds – A Wildwood Blog Hop

The air is crisp and the leaves are falling. So it’s the perfect time for a fall blog hop.

Fabric from the Wildwood collection, sewing by The Finished Garment. — Ready for the world.

The Warp & Weft Sewing Society have all pitched in to showcase the latest fabric collection by Canadian surface designer Elizabeth Owen. The collection is called Wildwood, and it’s a really quite pretty. The inspiration for the collection was the wild woods of story books, so I was excited to see what would be in my Warp & Weft delivery.

I decided to start with the story of Hansel and Gretel for inspiration, and so I made an outfit for my own “Gretel”, Kid No 1.

I made a simple panel skirt in Essex linen. The pattern is from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe à panneaux” (panel skirt) in size 120. Then I used the Wildwood print to make a matching blouse, McCall’s 6388, using some blue solid for contrast.

And of course Gretel needs a bag to carry her breadcrumbs, so I added a small satchel, the “#7 Sac tube” (tube bag), also from Collection privée filles & garçons. The bag is made in linen and lined with the Wildwood print.

A simple bag from a Japanese pattern book, sewn by The Finished Garment — I love the simplicity of the bag.

Bird ornaments, from Last Minute Patchwork Gifts, sewn by The Finished Garment — Look what I found!

That meant that only one thing was missing – birds! I couldn’t count on the local wildlife to pop in for my photo shoot, so I made three little birds using the pattern from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, and the leftover scraps from the other pieces.

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit the other amazing sewists on our blog hop!

Warp & Weft Wildwood Blog Hop

September 26 – Carla from My 1/2 Dozen Daily
September 27 – Cynthia from Cynthiaf
September 28 – Lysa from Lysa Flower
September 29 – Cathy from Blueberry Patch
September 30 – Esmari from Warp & Weft
October 1 – Me!
October 2 – Heidi from Elegance & Elephants
October 3 – Sherri from Thread Riding Hood

Summary

Patterns:

Blouse: McCall’s 6388 available in sizes 2-8, but now out-of-print. I made the size 6.
Skirt and bag: From Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe à panneaux” (panel skirt) in size 120, and the “#7 Sac tube” (tube bag).
Bird ornament: From Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

Fabric:

Full Bloom in Indigo from the Wildwood collection by Elizabeth Olwen for Cloud9 Fabrics, courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.
Essex linen in Natural by Robert Kaufman Fabrics, also courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.

Sewing Level: Confident beginner.
Modifications: I shortened the skirt, by 2″.
Results: Great!

Summer Skirts

We’re just experiencing the last bit of summer here, so I’m taking the opportunity to show you one of my very last summer projects – two fun summer skirts.

The Sunday Brunch A-line Skirt sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment — These skirts are super popular with my girls.

I used the Sunday Brunch A-line Skirt by Oliver + S, which I’ve used before, and quite like.

It’s a very quick, easy pattern, and makes a nice, basic skirt. I made this in sizes 4 and 6. The only changes I made were to lengthen the size 4 by one inch, and the size 6 by two inches, and lower the kick pleat to match. I also added the pockets from the Oliver + S Sandbox Pants, to the back of the larger skirt.

I used stash fabric for both skirts, leftover from other projects. This pattern takes a little under 3/4 of a yard of fabric, per skirt, which is what I had.

It’s a great pattern if you have just a little bit of fabric left over. But unfortunately, it meant that pattern matching was out of the question. Since this fabric would have been wasted otherwise, and these skirts were meant for casual fun, that seemed fine, this time around. I settled for an absence of awkward print placement, but I had to trace out the pieces with chalk a couple times in the size 6, to get that right.

The skirts are a big hit and seem to get worn at least once a week, which is a lot with my sometimes finicky kids.

This project was part of the Sewcialist Scraptember Sew Along and the Stashbusting Sew Along Kid Challenge.

Summary

Pattern Review: Sunday Brunch A-line Skirt by Oliver + S available in sizes 6m-8.
Fabric:

Bella Flower in Blue by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics, courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.
Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna (organic).

Sizes: 4 and 6.
Cost: Pattern: 0$. Fabric: 0$ (all was leftover pieces from other projects).
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I lengthened the skirt, by 1-2″, depending on the size, and lowered the kick pleat.
Results: Great. These were fast, are super comfortable, and are now in heavy rotation.

Back to School Stashbusting

I have two kids in school this year and both needed new pencil cases. I had great success with the Perfect Zip Bag pattern by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson!, so I decided to use it again. Why mess with a good thing?

Perfect Zip Bag sewing pattern by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson!, as sewn by The Finished Garment. — This bag was made using the Seven Seas collection by Cloud 9.

The first bag was made using leftover scraps from the Seven Seas gym bag I made last year. Now it’s a matching set! Kid No 2 helped pick out exactly which creatures needed to show on the outside.

The second bag was made with leftover fabric from my latest pyjama sewing project, and from a quilt I made ages ago. Kid No 1 picked all the fabrics. Even the interlining is from scraps from another project.

All scrapbusting, all the time!

This project was part of the Sewcialist Scraptember Sew Along and the Stashbusting Sew Along Kid Challenge.

Summary

Pattern Review: Perfect Zip Bag pattern by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson!
Fabric:

Laddies and Poppets, Sea Critters, and The Fleet in Grey from the Seven Seas collection by Michéle Brummer Everett for Cloud9 Fabrics, courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.
Rainbow in Purple, from the Angry Birds collection and licensed to David Textiles by Rovio Entertainment, LTD.
Ta Dot in Mustard, from Michael Miller fabrics.
Flannel scraps for the interlining.

Size: Large (View A), with inner pocket and wrist strap.
Cost: 0$
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: None.
Results: Great. I would strongly recommend this pattern and would make it again.

Just to be clear: The Angry Birds name is trademarked by Rovio Entertainment, LTD and used by the fabric manufacturer under licence. The bags shown here are not official licensed products and are not available for sale. But you can always buy some fabric and make your own!

Birthday Bears

There was a birthday at our house this summer, and it involved a teddy bear sleepover party.

I wanted to make something fun for all my kids, something that wasn’t too young for the biggest one or too old for the youngest. But I’ve had all four kids at home all summer so time has been limited.

I started with these cute tiny bears. I used the free pattern for Warren the Charity Bear by Shiny Happy World. It is a super easy pattern, and very squeezable.

Birthday bears by The Finished Garment. — These are just right for little hands.

I thought the original pattern looked a bit big, so I scaled the PDF down to 50 per cent. It’s just the right size to be snuggled by my littlest. Instead of buttons for eyes, I just embroidered the whole face and because of the small size, I embroidered the hearts as well.

It’s a bit tough to see, but each bear has slightly different coloured eyes, just like my kids.

I used some white minky fabric that was left over from an Easter bunny costume (never blogged) for the bears. It’s super soft and cuddly.

The bears were cute, but they took no time at all. So I decided to make them each a sleeping bags. There are couple of cute patterns around, but I ended up using The Three Bears’ Sleeping Bag by Flossie Teacakes.

The Three Bears' Sleeping Bag, sewn by The Finished Garment. — This print is Licorice Cats by Anne Kelle.

It’s an adorable pattern. I made the Daddy Bear size. It’s just right for a typical 12-inch baby doll, but mostly gets used for stuffed animals at out house.

I used quilting cotton and batting left over from previous projects, but I matched the fabric in each sleeping bag to clothing that I’d made for each kid, so that they would know which one was theirs. With four sleeping bags, there was a lot of switching thread.

The pattern was good, but the fabric requirements were a bit off. If you want to make a large sleeping bag, you’ll need 1/3 yard for the sleeping bag lining, and 1/3 yard (possibly a mixture of assorted prints) for the outer fabric, as well as 1/3 yard for the batting.

I made three changes. I quilted the entire sleeping bag, I used double-layer bias tape for the binding, and I machine-stitched the binding in place. I think this last part will make them a bit tougher.

I’ve seen some very cute versions with quilt blocks for the main front section, but I had to make four, so I stuck to simple single-fabric panels and straight-line quilting.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any action shots of these, but I can definitely say they see a lot of playtime. On any given day, I might find a single bear, a pair of dolls or an entire menagerie of sea creatures inside. And best of all, they are machine washable.

I love making toys for the kids. It is so much fun. I have to keep myself away from adorable doll and stuffed animal patterns. They are just way too tempting.

This project was part of the Sewcialist Scraptember Sew Along and the Stashbusting Sew Along Kid Challenge.

Summary

Pattern Review 1: The Three Bears’ Sleeping Bag by Flossie Teacakes.

Fabric: Assorted quilting cotton and batting scraps left over from other projects.

Cost: Fabric: 0$. Pattern 10$.

Sizes: Daddy Bear.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: Quilted both layers, used double-layer binding and machine stitched the binding in place.

Results: Cute!

Pattern Review 2: Warren the Charity Bear by Shiny Happy World.

Fabric: Minky scraps left over from another project.

Cost: Free!

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: Scaled the pattern down to 50 per cent.

Results: Cute and super easy!

Shorts on the Line – The Scooter Edition

My kids always seem to grow like beanstalks over the summer. Inevitably, they grow out of their hot weather clothes sometime around July.

This year, the Shorts on the Line sew along arrived at just the right time to make something for the now much taller, Kid No 2.

The Oliver + S Sandbox Pants sewing pattern, as sewn by The Finished Garment. Fabric: Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna (organic). — I really love this print. So bright and fun!

For these shorts I used the Sandbox Pants by Oliver + S. It’s a really great pattern, that I’ve used a few times before.

Oliver and S Sandbox Pants — Oliver + S Sandbox Pants sewing pattern.

I didn’t make many modifications. I shortened the pants to shorts. I also left off the drawstring waist and used a simple elastic waist. I left off the buttons on the pockets as well. Kid No 2 is not a fan of either. Drawstrings and buttons are his kryptonite. They also take longer, so I’m not complaining!

The pattern calls for 1 3/4 yards for the pants, but I got these shorts out of 1 yard of fabric.

The print is Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna. It’s a really nice, smooth organic cotton. I love the print, but unfortunately it was printed slightly off grain, which made cutting and pattern matching a bit of a pain. I’ve used other prints from the collection, without any problem, so I guess I was just unlucky this time.

Kid No. 2 loves bright colours and fun, but age-appropriate prints. Unfortunately, most of the clothes in the stores for boys his age are in darker, and/or more serious colours – lots of navy, grey and beige (yawn). One of the great things about sewing my kids’ clothes is being able to make them the things they really like.

This is also a stash-busting project for the Stashbusting Sewalong. I bought this fabric maybe a year ago, so I’m really happy to get it into regular rotation.

Summary

Pattern Review: Sandbox Pants as shorts by Oliver + S.

Fabric: Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna (organic).

Size: 6.

Cost:
Fabric: about $16. Pattern: $0, since I’d used it before.

Sewing Level: Advanced beginner.

Modifications: I shortened the pants to shorts, changed the waist from a drawstring to an elastic waist, and left off the buttons on the back pockets.

Results: Great. I’ve used this pattern a few times before and will definitely use it again.

Summer PJs

Last week was Kids Clothing Week (KWC), and what did I get done? Not much. I did plan a lot of projects though, so that counts right?

The one thing I did finish, was four sets of pyjamas. The spring PJs were a big hit with the kids, and they needed more so I just did the same thing again.

Bedtime Story Pajamas sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment. — All the sizes!

The kids chose the fabrics – all Angry Birds prints. I used the Bedtime Story Pajamas sewing pattern by Oliver + S, for the bottoms, and appliquéd an angry bird from each print onto store-bought t-shirts for the tops.

I’ve made these pyjama pants eleven (!) times before. Yikes, that is a big number. But they are definitely my go-to pyjama pattern for kids. Quick, easy and great results every time.

Summary

Pattern Review: Bedtime Story Pajamas by Oliver + S.

Fabric:

Fence in White, Stars in Blue, Rainbow in Pink and Rainbow in Purple, all from the Angry Birds collection and all licensed to David Textiles by Rovio Entertainment, LTD. I bought this at the local chain shop.
Sketch in Grey by Timeless Treasures for the waistbands and leg bindings.

Sizes: 18-24m, 4, 6.

Sewing Level: beginner, intermediate if not just the pants.

Modifications: None.

Results: Excellent! I’ve made these 11 times before. I would highly recommend this pattern.

Just to be clear: The Angry Birds name is trademarked by Rovio Entertainment, LTD and used by the fabric manufacturer under licence. The pjs shown here are not official licensed products and are not available for sale. But you can always buy some fabric and make your own!

Girls in White Dresses

Nothing says summer like girls in white dresses.

So for the last day of school, and beginning of summer, everyone got a new white dress. Well, except Kid No 2, but he’s more of a summer shorts fan anyway.

This is the first of three dresses, and it’s made with the cutest print. Who doesn’t love ladybugs?

This is one of my favourite patterns – the Geranium Dress from Made by Rae. This is the second time I’ve used this pattern, this time in size 5.

The Geranium dress from Made by Rae, as sewn by The Finished Garment, A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project. — I made the faux cap sleeves from view B of the Geranium dress.

This time around, I made the dress with the view B faux cap sleeves, but with a gathered skirt. I made two changes. I added red piping at the waist, and I added in-seam pockets.

This dress was made for Kid No 3, and is a huge hit. She loves ladybugs and the colour red, and recently asked me why she doesn’t have “a dress that twirls”. The pockets are hidden in the gathers of the skirt, and she loves the “secret pockets” too.

This was a lot of fun to sew. The pattern makes a really pretty dress that’s lined and nicely finished on the inside. But the sewing was quick and problem-free.

Warp & Weft Sewing Society

This is a Warp & Weft Sewing Society project. We are a group of talented sewists and quilters creating beautiful projects inspired by the fabrics from Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.

Summary

Pattern Review: Geranium Dress from Made by Rae.

Fabric: Ladybug Dots from The Red Thread collection by Creative Thursdays for Andover Fabrics. Courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles. The lining is white cotton batiste.

Size: 5. (Comes in sizes 0-5 or 6-12.)

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: None.

Results: Great. This is the second time I’ve used this pattern and I would definitely recommend it.

Feeling Blue

Yay! My first quilt of 2014! Of course this was supposed to be my last quilt of 2013, but (sigh), life.

Anyway, this is a cross quilt, made using fabric that has been sitting in my stash for way too long. Maybe two years? I am really happy that it has finally been transformed into a quilt.

Bue Cross Quilt by Shannon of The Finished Garment — The fabrics are Kona solids in greys and blues.

The fabrics are Kona solids. I bought them as a bundle, and I had to write to Mad About Patchwork, where I bought it, to find out what was in it, because this particular bundle isn’t even available anymore (though there is one that is very similar).

It seems that the colours are some of, but not all of: Snow, Ash, Medium Grey, Coal, Charcoal, Black, Indigo, Navy, Nightfall, Marine, Deep Blue, Ocean, Windsor and Delft. There might also be Slate and Pepper. That’s actually more than the number of pieces of fabric in the bundle I have, so hmmm, I am not especially helpful. But definitely some of those. Clearly I need better record keeping, and maybe a colour card.

This quilt is also a gift for a family member, so yes, there was another quilt dance party. Fun! Hope you don’t mind, mystery family member! The angle of the photo below makes the quilt look small, but it is actually 60″ by 67″ – a nice size lap quilt, perfect for snuggling on the sofa.

I used Crosshatch Sketch, which is the same print I used in my last quilt, but in Royal, for the backing. It is a very bright blue. I had planned to use the same print in the Denim colourway, but couldn’t find enough online. But, in retrospect, this blue is the perfect blue for the person who will be getting it. It really is their blue.

For the binding, I used three different colours.

For the quilting, I just did some simple straight line quilting. Nothing fancy. But I think this works really well with the piecing.

Of course the kids always check my quilts for quality, warmth and general coziness.

And since this was for a family member there was extra-thorough quality assurance testing.

I didn’t really use a pattern, but if you are looking for a tutorial, you can find a good one online here, by Jeni Baker of In Color Order.

Hope the quilt is a hit. I’ll find out soon.

Feeling Blue Quilt

Quilt block: cross, or modern plus.

Size: 60 by 67 inches.

Fabrics:

Kona solids. I’m not sure of all the colours, but I think these are Snow, Ash, Medium Grey, Coal, Charcoal, Black, Indigo, Navy, Nightfall, Marine, Deep Blue, Ocean, Windsor and Delft. There may also be Slate and Pepper.

Binding: Three of the above.

Backing: Crosshatch Sketch in Royal by Timeless Treasures