Another skirt

Another week, another completed skirt.  It feels good to get something off my to-do list, particularly since I'm wearing this one next Wednesday.  Nothing like a good deadline to get me motivated :)

 I used this lovely fabric, from Anna Griffin's Honoka collection.  I hadn't seen it anywhere previously, but my LQS had it, and it seemed a great fit.

I used Amy's semi-famous tiered skirt pattern, modifying it by only making four of the pattern's five tiers and eliminating one of the fourth tier's five panels to keep the volume and weight down.  I am walking/pushing a handcart for twelve miles in this skirt, after all.  In hindsight, I should have used all five panels - there wasn't enough of a difference between the bottom two tiers, so there was almost nothing to gather.  But at least it will be a little less full and heavy, right?  Plus, when I get home, it's losing that bottom tier anyway, and I need to wear it in five days, so I'm just leaving it as is. 

Hooray for finishing something else up, and now on to making my apron for the same trek.  I'll be relieved when all my trek sewing is done, and I can get back to my comfort zone - quilts.  Even if it is the next Central Park Urban Lattice quilt.

Now, go check out all the other finishes at Sew & Tell Friday!

Just Three for May and June

In some ways, May didn't feel like a terribly productive month.  But looking back, I got more done that I thought.  Hooray!

May -

#1 - The Central Park Urban Lattice quilt - it's done!  The quilt part, at least.  The duvet aspect still needs a tiny bit of work, but I'm still thrilled that it's almost done.  You can read more about it here.  It's sitting on my dresser now, needing to go through the wash, and it still makes me happy looking at it.

#2 - Continue working on the second Central Park Urban Lattice quilt - that's a no.  I didn't even touch it.  I think I was still going through a bit of a quilt hangover from the first one.  While that quilt is lovely, an overwhelming amount of time went into it, and I'm having a hard time getting excited to do it all. over. again.  Maybe in July I'll start again.

#3 - Finish Joshua's quilt - it's done!  You can read more about it here.  He's been sleeping with the quilt every night and nap since I finished it.  Seeing your quilts in action is one of the better feeling as a quilter.  And that it's your cute-as-a-button little one makes it that much sweeter.

#4 - Make a skirt - it's done too!  You can read more about it here.  This Secret Garden fabric worked out so nicely, and as a bonus, the skirt even fits.  And I successfully put in my second zipper ever.  Whew.

#5 – And in a crazy, unprecedented bout of productivity, I actually snuck in a bonus project.  I know – I was floored too. A friend is having a baby shortly, and three of us got together and made her a baby quilt.  I pieced the top, Amy basted and quilted, and Teri bound.  I love dividing and conquering.  And this makes up for the complete fail on #2, right?

Whew!

And on to June -

#1 - Make another skirt - I have the pattern, fabric, and if everyone can stay healthy, I have a sewing date with Amy for tomorrow night to get started.  It's one of her semi-famous tiered skirt.  I'm very excited.

#2 - Make an apron - For the same pioneer trek for which I'm making/made the skirts, I need an apron.  Boring, but necessary.  Blah.  I'm thinking Kona Medium Gray with the fabric from the skirts for the pockets?  We'll see how motivated I get.

#3 - Work on something else.  It could be the snowball Verna quilt I just started for myself, a quilt for my husband, or the second Central Park Urban Lattice Quilt.  I'll be happy with progress on any of the above.

There it is - my month in review, and my goals for this month.  It seems I use my sewing machine more than I think.  And that's awesome.  

So what about you?  What are your plans for June?  And go check out all the other completions for this month!

Sew & Tell Friday

Like Amy, I've caught the skirt bug.  It's a fun bug to catch :)

I'm going on a pioneer trek later this month with the youth from our church.  Since ankle-length skirts suitable for walking around in ninety-degree weather while pushing a handcart are a little hard to find at Target these days, I got to sew.  I used this large paisley print from Sandi Henderson's Secret Garden line.  I figured I might as well use lovely fabric, especially when you find it half off.  And blue and yellow together make me happy these days. 

This skirt was a fairly simple one to sew up, even for someone who last made a skirt in middle skirt.  This may be my second zipper ever, which would explain why there are no close-up shots of the zipper, facing, or any other fiddly parts.  Thankfully, none of said fiddly parts are in any shape noticeable to the casual observer.  Whew.  And when I get home from the trek, I'm planning on chopping off the bottom twelve inches and having a fun just-below-knee-length skirt for the summer.  Hooray!

Next up is one of Amy's semi-famous tiered skirts using this fabric.  I'm excited.

Go check out all the other finishes this week!