Back to quiltmaking!

(Stashbusting report amendment: Last week I was still in a holding pattern as far as bustin any stash as I was still making costumes, so no fabric bought but none used, either. This week I'm hoping to sew something quilty and use some stash.)

The costume sweatshop is officially closed! I turned in the 11 coats we made and then was asked to make another, different costume. This time I had to make a black satin shirt for a guy as well as cover a tux jacket with sequined black fabric. I finished both pieces and turned it in Tuesday night. Of course, I neglected to take a picture but suffice it to say that it was sparkly and they were happy. So, now I'm finished and the sewing room is cleaned of all beads, sequins, threads, and scraps.

So to celebrate, I put the blocks from a swap that I did with 2 friends on the design wall last night. It's called a Strippy Sawtooth Triangle quilt. We used reproduction fabrics with shirtings as the backgrounds and each made 3 sets of 25 triangles. That way we'd have a total of 75 different blocks. Then we each had to set the triangles to make them into rectangles. I used a gold fabric for mine. There will be a strip of a large print fabric between each row when finished. I'm really happy with how this is turning out. It's so nice to handle plain cotton fabric again!

Carla

Drum roll, please....

Edit: Sunday Stashbusting Report: I was too busy to buy fabric or use any to make quilts because of making 11 of these coats. That's one way to keep from buying fabric!

I wrote a few weeks ago here that I agreed to make some costumes for a play at our magnet high school for performing arts. I wars hoping that my sisters would help because at the time, there were 9 coats to make. Lucky for me, they pitched in andwe actually ended up making 11. We didn't have a pattern other than an old tuxedo coat I took apart. The fabric is heavily beaded, mirrored, sequined, embroidered stiff stuff that was very hard to cut and a challenge to sew. I ended up breaking 12 jeans needles. We had to make them sleeveless but added an Elizabethan style shoulder roll. There's 4 each of purple, brown and red.

Here's a couple of close-ups:

We still have to put the lapels and shoulder rolls on the other 11 and then we'll be finished. I can't believe that we;re actually done ahead of schedule! All that procrastinating and we're still finished early!

Way to go, Jill!

Jill is celebrating her 200th post on her blog with a drawing for some prizes so go check it out. I've never won one of these drawings but there's always a first time! She's also involved with the planning of a quilt retreat that's also a fund raiser for St. Jude's. There's room left so go check it out. I'd love to go but Ohio's a bit far for me!

Carla

I'm Elinor, who are YOU?

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see


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Stashbusting on back burner

Just a quick note to make my late stashbusting report. No fabric in, no fabric out last week. End of report.

However, the costume sewing has begun in full force! With the help of my trusty sister gang, we have made significant progress. Six of the nine coats are at the almost finished stage!!! They're turning out to be pretty striking. I've figured out how to sew on the extremely beaded, mirrored, and otherwise embellished fabric and have only broken 7 needles so far. That's just a little over one per coat. I'll have pictures to post over the weekend. Stay tuned!