San Francisco and Sewing

Just returned yesterday from a week vacation in San Francisco, not only did I attend Pattern Review Weekend I took a much needed vacation to the lovely city since this was also going to be my first time visiting California.

Pattern review weekend was awesome along with meeting guest speaker Sandra Betzina, I met a few new PR friends, Marcia, Jennifer, Michele, Rosalia, Tina and so many more, this was my second PR weekend and it was good to see some of the PR members I met at my first PR Weekend in NYC 2012 plus Deepika, Bonnie and the other volunteers.

Deepika, Sandra Betzina and Bonnie

Sandra Betzina brought her sample garments for some of the patterns she created for vogue, it was nice to get a up close look at the completed items, plus frabric and color choices.

The best though was the information Sandra shared on fitting, having only sewn for a short time, fitting to me was always daunting, apart from taking in the sides of an item that was too big, that was the extent of my knowledge on fitting, but not anymore after attending a seminar with Sandra I am now filled with new knowledge and material to help me through most fitting issue I may encounter, at least I hope it does LOL. 

I picked up Sandra's book Fast Fit, plus the today fit pattern V2948, a pair of KAI scissors, some organza, rayon facing, point turner, wonder tape and stay tape right at the seminar, I love shopping made easy.  At dinner that night I won the Angela Wolf  Runched-T pattern...sweet.

I went shopping at Britex, the store had such lovely luxury items, I picked up some light weight power net after Sandra Betzina shared a lovely top she made using the material.  I have a jersey knit fabric I am planing to make into a blouse and now I am thinking of adding in some light weight power net to the mix that should be interesting.

Light Weight Power Net from Britex

Stripe Jersey Knit Frabric from JoAnns

These pattern review weekends can become a bit addicting, one I love to travel and if they keep going to interesting places that I have never been, I may...I might, I probably will be going to another one.  I will post more about my San Francisco vacation soon.

Recharged and ready to Create

Took some time off, had a birthday in March, visited Jamaica, but did plenty of reading.  I found I needed to get my focus back, had too many things going at once, and now I am recharged, rested and ready to get going again.

I received some wonderful treasures, knitting needles, dishes, sewing box and a charming sewing table from a lovely lady by the name of Shirley, she was the sweetest lady and I will miss her.

I discovered this lovely pink and white gingham window panel wrapped around some of the dishes, after further inspection I realized it was the perfect size to make a pair of pillow cases.  All I did was wash and iron the panel then cut it in half sew up 2 sides and I was done.

Quilt Sandwich

I have basted my quilt top using safety pins to my  batting and backing, creating the sandwich of fabrics and it is now ready for quilting. 

Since I did not have a table big enough to hold my quilt I laid it out on the basement floor which has a layer of exercise rubber matting.  I also placed plastic drop cloth painters used over the floor to prevent getting my fabric dirty.

The basement floor was perfect, because I was able to lay out my backing fabric on the plastic, I skipped taping with masking tape, because of the rubber matting on the floor, I was able to pin the backing fabric directly to the rubber matting and kept it taut using straight pins.  Once I had pinned my batting and quilt top to the back fabric with safety pins, I was able to remove the plastic quite easily if it was caught by the pins.

Quilt Sandwich, Top, Batting and Backing

All pinned up and ready for quilting

Quilt Top

I have completed my lap quilt top, I only need to add a small border, still debating if I want to add one, and then I need to create my quilt sandwich and quilt all layers together. 

The quilt can easily become a full size quilt by adding wider sashing strips between blocks and a wide border on all sides, but I am sticking to the lap quilt option.

It took some time for me to sort out my own layout of each block. I chose to connected my blocks on the long side, 5 blocks at a time then long sashing that I join between each row of 5 block panel, the instructor went with the 4 block sashed together method.

I chose to go with a dark blue backing fabric, there were a few colors that stood out in these blocks, one of them was the blue, and I wanted a more neutral color on the back since each block had so much white and other prominent colors.  But to keep quilt back interested I went with a floral print.




Quilt top with Sashing all blocks connected

All 20 Quilt Blocks

 

Quilt Back Fabric

Pirates and Quilts

I took a little break and went to Tampa to visit with my friend Yvonne and we went to the Gasparilla Pirate Festival this past weekend, there were lots of Buccaneer bead throwing and I caught lots of beads at least 2 pounds worth, and many people were in full pirate gear it was awesome. 

Throwing Beads

Buccaneer Beads Caught

 

Parading Pirates

Another awesome friend Gail also took me by the Tampa Buccaneers Football Stadium and the corporate office to see some more pirate theme items around town, yeah it was pirates weekend and I had a fantastic time.

 

Helmet Design Display

Sew Centers

 

Not to be outdone by pirates, I visited two sewing center while in Tampa, the ladies at the sewing centers Keep Me In Stitches and Bernina Pfaff Sewing Center, loves to sew and there were some lovely quilts, bags, and clothing on display.

This was a great motivation for me because I am completing my first quilt, I was able to pick up some quilting supplies and a quilting book by Julie Herman Skip the Borders.  I even got to view two of quilts below that are in Julie's book on display in the Keep Me In Stitches sew center, it was nice to get a real up close view of the finish quilts.

White Star Quilt on left and Box of Chocolate Quilt on Right

When I visit the Tampa area again I will definitely visit the sewing centers again everyone was so nice and helpful and Tampa sure knows how to throw a Pirate party ARRGH!!

Final 2 Quilt Blocks

The moment have arrived, I have completed all 20 quilt blocks from the 2012 Craftsy Block of the Month.  The below two methods used paper piecing templates from Piece by Number website, if you want to see how it is done check out the The Sometime Crafter website on how to make the circle of geese block.

Next step will be to assembly my blocks into a pleasing layout, then connect blocks using fabric strips in between each blocks.

Friendship Circle (Oct)

Circle of Geese (Oct)

September Quilt Blocks

Finishing the quilt top is near, took some time getting to my September 2012 blocks but the moment has arrived and they are sweet.

Chain Block (Sept)

Cleopatra's Puzzle (Sept)

Each little square cut and pinned