Blast from the Past!

June 14, 2012 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , 45 Comments

Heeeeeyooooooo!  How’s everybody doin’?  It feels like we’re really into summer now– how did that happen?

I think I mentioned it in my last post, but we’re moving to a new apartment this month (hoping to be totally into the new place by the end of this weekend!), so I’ve been packing and packing and digging through mountains of crap, annnnnd look what I found (no, I’m not talking about the giant bottle of vodka that went missing a few years ago… although I found that, too!)!

This quilt is a crime against humanity.

It’s baby’s first quilt!  Have I ever mentioned that my mom is good at everything?  I grew up watching her quilt, and every once in a while she used to try to teach me (that, and, oh, basically every other handicraft).  This was my feeble attempt at quilting.  It’s mostly finished, but there are chalk lines still on the fabric that I was supposed to stitch and never got around to.  I don’t really remember, but I’m sure that my mom did the bulk of the work on this thing.  Also, how much do you love the weird color scheme?  There are some mustard-y stains on this thing, which is weird, since I definitely never used it.  Blech!

But that’s not all!  Look what else I found!

My first embroidery project (also unfinished)!  It’s a dresser scarf, which is perfect if you need something to collect dust on top of your dresser.  Sigh.  It’s a little sad running into proof of your childhood’s attention span difficulties.

See the perforations in the bottom right corner of this picture?  You’re supposed to crochet lace around the edges of this using those holes (I’m not really sure how that works as I never progressed that far with my crochet skills, either). It’s actually kinda cute– I wish I had the patience to finish the embroidery!  Dresser scarves aren’t really my cup of tea, but they do make me think of my grandmother.  She always had them all around her house.

How are all your projects going?  There are so many fun sewalongs happening right now! Are any of you guys doing Sunni’s 2-in-1 Sewalong?  I really wish I was, but I’m a bit too overcommitted right now.  I’m going to live vicariously through your wrap and shirt dresses!  Are any of you guys joining in on the Hazel dress sewalong right now?  I wasn’t planning to, since I’m trying not to buy new patterns right now, but my sister sent me the PDF as a gift (thanks, sis!!) and I’m using stashed fabric, so that’s a win-win!  My muslin fit surprisingly well right off the bat– I just had to shorten the bust darts and fiddle with the straps a teensy bit.  In other news, I decided to use the Summer Spark Sewalong as the impetus to finish my Iris shorts.  I broke down and enlisted some professional help with the fitting process by taking a private sewing lesson.  Kimberli from The Sewing Studio was super helpful and kind (she’s got tons of experience, so if you have any problems you could use some expert assistance with, take a lesson from her!), and I think we have most of the kinks worked out in the muslin.  Sadly, I had to pack up my sewing stuff tonight, so it could be a few days before things are back to normal and I can start sewing again.  But I’m champing at the bit and can barely wait to finish the dress and the shorts!

Hope you’re all well!  I apologize in advance– I’m not sure when we’ll have the internet up and running in the new place, so if I’m not checking your blogs as regularly over the next little while, please forgive me.  I’ll be excited to see what you’re up to when I’m back online!

45 responses

  1. Hope everything goes well with the moving! And the embroidery looks pretty–maybe you could turn that into a little bag or a pillow or something so you could still get some use out of it?

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  3. Oh, man, moving. It’s hectic and stressful, but a great way to go through every, single, tiny thing you own! Right before I moved, I made a pile with the goal to not move any unfinished projects – I think I got down to 1, so I was pretty proud!

    Good luck with moving!

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  4. Ha ha, I like that you have a similar relationship with trying things to me…..I also have a few unfinisheds, embroidery, needlepoint and patchwork too!
    Good luck with the move and I am all anticipation for your iris shorts!!

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  5. Good luck with the move. I feel for you because I hate the moving process although a new place is always exciting. It’s good that you’ve kept your first sewing projects!

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  6. Good luck with the move! My childhood disinterest was definitely sewing. Only once I got older and had to buy my own clothes, pay my own rent, power and food did sewing become an interest! Love the idea of your dresser scarf but agree it’s a total dust collector!

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  7. I’m sure you could recycle that embroidery into something you might use. Er, can’t really think of anything, I like Becky’s suggestions, or maybe a pyjama case or something (if anyone uses such a thing these days!).
    Hope the move goes well!

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  8. My husbands granny keeps trying to get me to quilt (and my husband for that matter because he wants a new blanket, oh and can’t forget my brother in laws quilt request, sigh) I just don’t know if I have the patience for it. I’m so into making my own clothes right now. I know selfish right?! Maybe one day…
    Good luck on the move!

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  9. Hey, I like the quilt! It would make a great baby quilt with those colors. I like the embroidery too. I love the look of hand embroidery, but have 0% patience with doing it myself!

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  12. Ha, my mom is the same way – good at everything she put her hands on. Sewing, quilting, embroidery, cake decorating, even watercolor painting ffs. She always tried to get me to do crafty stuff with her too but I only cared about sewing 🙂

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  13. Happy moving Ginger, hope it goes smoothly! I’m gonna be starting Hazel and Iris over the next few weeks 🙂 Can’t wait to add those two pieces to my wardrobe!! Looking forward to seeing your projects too!!!!

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  14. Congrats on finding the bottle of vodka. 😉

    Good luck with the move. You seem to be taking this potentially stressful time in stride.

    I just finished my Hazel muslin the other night, out of some free quilting cotton in my stash. It’s actually a little big on me, which is kind of a shock. Just getting used to Colette sizing I guess. Anyway I think it’s going to be a keeper. I have some adorable pink and teal gingham that is dying to become a Hazel, so we’ll see.

    I’m also doing the 2-in-1, but that was sheer luck. I made the wrap version back in the spring and had already cut the fabric for the shirt dress, so I’m just going to jump on with what I already have.

    Funny, I was going to try Iris for the Summer Spark, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I’m in over my head as it is. (But I have the cutest yellow linen-esque suiting fabric that would make a really cute pair, so it’s killing me not to!) You are incredible to be moving and still keeping up with these sewalongs. When you have time, definitely post more about your sewing class and your Iris progress.

    Again, good luck on the move. Keep up that awesome attitude.
    Shelley

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    • Good luck on your move!

      Please don’t pick on those “weird” colours too much–they’re my colours! *LOL*

      The dresser scarf reminds me of my mother–she loved them! Me? Not so much. As with you and your mother, my mother tried to teach me other needle arts–crochet, knitting, tatting and a few other things I don’t recall. Sewing is the only thing that stuck!

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  15. Happy moving!! Looking forward to seeing your Hazel and Iris shorts! 😉 I’m tempted by the 2-in-1 but I fear the dress is a little too formal for me and I’m trying to commit to making things I’ll really wear.

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    • I feel the same way about the 2-in-1… the pattern is super cute, but doesn’t really fit into my lifestyle that well (for some reason the Hazel dress seems more casual and easy to wear to me).

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  16. Sometimes it’s hard to look upon old projects kindly, but they make you the sewist you are today! (At least that’s what I tell myself when I come across an embarrassing early project!) Happy moving!

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  17. OMG, my first embroidery project was a dresser scarf too! It’s totally in storage right now, ha. I’ve been wanting to sew the Iris shorts too…even have the pattern all ready to go, but I keep getting distracted by other projects. Doh!

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  18. How neat to find projects from your past! I shudder to think of the projects I used to cobble together and that my mother has invariably saved. 😉

    Good luck with your move! I’ve moved 3 times within the last 3 years (for school) and it would make sense that I would not be such a fabric hoarder and would have gotten rid of stuff, but no. I still have all this sewing stuff and keep getting more.

    And as a Polish-American gal, I definitely appreciate the found vodka. 😉

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    • It sounds weird, but I miss moving all the time! I was so streamlined in college and the years immediately following it that moving was a breeze! But then again, it’s nice to not HAVE to move every year. 🙂

      I was going CRAZY looking for that vodka! It made me feel like I was losing my mind to not be able to find something in the apartment! 🙂

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  19. Good luck with the move. You made me laugh as my mother is a very skilled sewer and quilter and my past attempts at quilting have been a bit pathetic due to my inability to keep lines straight and my general sloppiness! I second the comment about using the embroidery for a little bag or how about a patch pocket detail?x

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  20. Thanks for the heads-up on the 2 in 1 sewalong! That’s such a nice pattern, I’m a fiend for shirt dresses. I was thinking about making a baby quilt for a friend who’s due in August, but on second thoughts it may be over ambitious… think a knitted hat and a couple of bibs may be more my style!

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  22. the rose embridory is so pretty! i wish i had a patience for it. since im used to using sewing machines, anything hand sewn feels so slow..you made me want to try it again though! i used to love doing embridery when i was a kid. thanks for the round-up of all the sew-alongs that’s going on in the sewing blogsphere! i’m so terrible at keeping up with my readers lately. 🙂

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