2021 Review of Finished Quilts and Tops

 

The Morningstar Quilt - July 2021

It's been a VERY productive year for Quilting.  Pandemic Life agrees with my hyggie lifestyle.

 

Starlight I (Winter Blues) Quilt - January 2021 

This is the one I gave away.

 

 Starlight 2 (aka Winter Blues) - August 2021 

This is the one I got to keep!

 

Hollyhocks Around the Barn - May 2021

 

Farmer's Wife Quilt Top - June 2021

 

 

Dog Quilties x3 - August 2021

 

 

Holly's Memorial Christmas Quilt - September 2021

 

 

Heart of Winter - September 2021

 

 

Nestled in for the Holidays (wall hanging) - October 2021

 

(Holly's) Smoky River Quilt Top - November 2021

 

 

Sugar Plum Quilt Top  - December 2021

Clothing Patterns for Hand Woven Fabrics

Another reference collection to help me keep track of clothing patterns for handwoven fabric.

Back in the day, I used to make dresses -- wedding dresses (including my own), medieval garb for SCA.  The trouble with that was by the time I finished something, it no longer fit me.  Welcome to middle age and motherhood! Ugh!  That' when I turned to quilting here it didn't matter how long it took to finish a project, and it was sure to fit when you were done! 

And here I am contemplating the prospect of sewing clothing again.  I would hate to put all that time and effort into designing a project, dying yarns, warping the loom, weaving cloth, cutting into that woven cloth, and then coming out with an end product I couldn't wear.  Grrrrr!

 

I had to laugh a bit -- The lady in the Artistic Artifacts video had the same experience!

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  The Artistic Artifacts Vest
• I bought this kit with the idea of trying out the pattern to see how it works on this body. 
• Fit-for-Art even offers video tutorials for fitting adjustments to the Tabula Rasa Jacket /vest).
• Check out Fit-for-Art's other patterns including
• The Tabula Rasa Ikat Blues Jacket
  

•  You've already heard me talk about Daryl Lancaster and her The Weaver Sews Pattern Collection.
  

• Wearable Wovens with Daryl Lancaster

  • 800 Zippered Vest A or B 

    500 Vest Look Book

    800 Vest Look Book 

    

     I think this is Daryl's vest pattern as done by Natalie Drummond  Gorgeous!
    
     
    The following are from Daryl's workshops
    

  
  

  

  
  
   
  
  
  

• Swing Style Sensations Jacket Pattern:
   
   

• Maybe even this sweatshirt makeover? 
  

 

Yes, it's a very attractive idea to start with a sort of "blank" or shell,

so I wouldn't have to start from scratch with the clothing.

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  Clothing Patterns from the Weaving Room by Susan Lilly offers some "timeless" patterns that I think might work:
  
  
  
  Although this book came out in the 1980s, it's hard to find now.  You can get a pdf / digital copy on etsy for $20.
  
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  I could not find a source / patter for this, but it looks very simple.  Basically a scarf for the front part attached to a very simple boxy rectangle vest.  This seems simple and do-able.

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Vogue 8000 (Sandra Betzina: Try it with handwoven fabrics.)

 

Get Weaving Lined Vest with Pockets

 

I may add more to this post as I find clothing patterns I think might work for handwoven fabric.

Great Finds at StV

Happy Holidays from Michele at Sweet Leaf Notebook! 

A Very Merry Vinnie's Christmas!

If I have a day off, I take a stroll through the local St Vincent de Paul's to see what treasures may be on offer there ...  This week, I found several worthy items!

  

This boiled wool snowflake vest is cozy and warm.  For only $6!  Perfect for an old lady like me!   Wool is getting harder and harder to come by, but not impossible.  And no one in the checkout line made any comments about ugly sweaters either.  I am considering dying it a darker purple or blue ...  We shall see.

I picked up this scarf because it was woven and wool and I liked the gradient colors.  Mostly I wanted to study it from a craft standpoint.   

 

Only later did I notice the tags saying it was an authentic Versace.  The wool is very soft. It's nice and warm, and has bumped the cashmere scarf I've been wearing from Scotland for the last 15 years!  I paid a whole $1.50 for it.  Who-hooh!

 

One one side of it, there is an image of the Versace Lady woven into it.  Very subtle. 

And this little gem -- a vintage whisk.  I have to laugh a little at Nigella (It just isn't Christmas without Nigella!) Lawson never leaving home with out her special egg whisk.  It's not quite the same, but it makes me happy.   Now I have one of my own too!

Mechanical hand mixer.

A few weeks ago, I found this beauty: One of those mechanical egg beaters, just like the one my Gramma Matucheski had when I was a kid.  This one is in really good shape -- no rust, and it's in perfect working order.  I even made egg nog with it-- Gramma's recipe no less!  Froths the milk like a champ.  Best stocking stuffer ever!  By the way, that mug is reminiscent of Gramma Matucheski's house back in the day, too.

Study Guide for Hand Painted Warps

This post serves as a reference for dyeing / hand painting warp sets for weaving.

The Gist Yarns Podcast - Episode 13: Dyeing Warps for Weaving with Kathrin Weber of Blazing Shuttles 

Take a look at some of these gorgeous warps for sale in the Blazing Shuttles Shop.

Blazing Shuttles Website

Blazing Shuttles Facebook Group - Color Inspiration!

Blazing Shuttle Facebook Page

 

Batik Place Matts for Christmas

I worked up some new place matts for our household, given as a Christmas present to my husband who cooks.   Used mostly batiks and batting scraps with this general pattern/technique from Night Owl's Fat Quarter Place Matts.  I did enlarge them with an extra piece of fabric at the top / bottom.

 

 

 

My poor sewing machine has some issues these days ...  There seems to be some give in the post where you attach the sewing feet.  When I move the fabric, it also shifts that post and the stalk where the needle attaches -- just ever-so-slightly.  I must have broken 7-8 needles in the process of free-motion quilting these place matts.  I can't use the 1/4-inch foot anymore because the needle comes down on the foot instead of through the little hole.   Hmmmh-- I may have to retire this one and take up one of my mom's fancy-dancy sewing machines.   Maybe I'm just too hard on it?  I did finish multiple quilts this year, and several more tops!  Maybe I can crack it open and tighten up whatever is loose ...

Extra practice with the bindings.  Even after all this time, I still get stuck on joining the beginning and ends of the binding.   

The batting was cut off of one of the quilts finished earlier in the year.  Wool, I think.

Before (left/upper) and after (right/lower) washing and fluffing.

 Before (left/upper) and after (right/lower) washing and fluffing, with a little more of that crinkle texture.

That wet finish has a way of making everything come together as a team, as one cohesive unit.  The stitching sinks into the batting and the fabric.  

It was a Christmas present, so I had to wait until the gift had been given before I could post it here on Sweet Leaf.  ;-)

 

Here's something else that arrived in time for Christmas.

I'm just so tickled and amused to see a killer whale wearing a sweater and advertising chocolate.

 LOL!

Looming

 Leftover Mug Rug after 2 more overshot scarves.

Kind of sad to think this is the last run-through of this very satisfying overshot sequence.   The wonderful 72-step sequence I've come to know and love over the past 2 years.  Soon you'll see the new scarves!

I had a little extra warp and yarn leftover, so I  did a sample, or a mug rug, in addition to the full-length scarves.

I am not ready to cut it off the loom just yet -- not until I have another project ready to go.  An empty loom is a sad sight to behold.    You can't really see the layers of the finished scarves because the slats are covering the ends.  

 

3    8-yard warp chains of 150 (or so) ends each

3/2 unmercerized cotton 

for Bath Towels / Bath Sheets

I did run the cotton warp for the bath towels I want to make ...  Have I mentioned how I LOVE my warping mill?  Total game-changer!     Turns out the 4-shaft version should work well on my loom -- It will only be an inch (or so) shorter than the recommended pattern width.  So I am closer to being ready to cut these overshot scarves off the loom, and warp it with a new project.  ;-)

 

Before Orange Oil Furniture Polish.

After Orange Oil Spa Treatment

In the meantime, I gave my old Kessenich 4-shaft floor loom it's annual spa treatment.  I dusted her off, and polished her up with some orange oil.  She was thirsty!   Smells good, and makes the wood come back to life again!    Next is to oil up the metal moving parts, and soap up the wooden shafts s they slide past each other.