That's my dress!

So I'm sat on the sofa reading a post about the principles of fabric selection by oliver + s, and imagine my surprise when I scrolled down to see a photo of the dress I made. Lets just say I have a big smile on my face. In case you missed the photo of the dress from my last post, here it is again:

I especially liked how the designer used the words 'elegant and sophisticated' - I am honoured.

This is the first and only item of clothing I have finished (I have a Gillian sized dress I started to make for St Georges day but it's still not finished). In January I wanted to join an evening class to learn holiday level French, to you and me, that's asking for a bread without the locals muttering under their breath. But all of the French classes started in September and lasted a year so I could not join. I had already decided I wanted to make an item of clothing and so joined a dressmaking class to learn the basics, the group met two hours a week for ten weeks - perfect. I love the oliver + s patterns as the designs allow children to look like children and had looked through the flickr pool quite a few times as it's a great source of fabric inspiration. So as soon as I joined the class I ordered the tea party pattern.

My niece loved her party dress and I would make it again.

Gx

101 in 1001

Late last year I read craftavist's blog and her 101 in 1001 and 31 before 32 lists, and they really inspired me. I wanted to start off small, so for the first time in years I made New Years Resolutions, all 7 of them. I had only one requirement, they had to be fun, 3 months later I had completed 6 of them.

I really wanted to do more and found many people in the blog world with their own 101 in 1001 list. It was started by the Day Zero Project. The idea is to write a list of 101 tasks and goals you want to complete in 1001 days (2.75 years), and for me that's the 28th October 2011.

Over a month I contemplated what should be on list and was happy with its content. Then I went and get engaged, that totally threw me. The list is quite a bit longer (it's the wedding's fault) and as long as I finish about 80 of my 101+, I'll be happy.

I'm not quite ready to put my list out there for all the world so see so I'm going to list the tasks I have completed at the bottom of my posts and add them to the left side bar. Maybe one day I'll post the full list...

But for now, I have completed 13 out of the 111 tasks, they are:

1. Sew an item of clothing.

Here's the tea party sundress, designed by oliver + s, made by me and modelled by my niece.

and a close up

20. Visit an art gallery/museam. V&A

24. Go to a concert. Blur

27. Watch a musical. Chicago and Wicked

30. Skiing. Indoor

59. Take an evening class. Clothes-making

61. Watch a new foreign language film.

93. Plant irises.

94. Plant crocuses.

96. Plant a tree.

103. Choose engagement ring.

105. Choose wedding location.

107. Choose wedding dress.

More fabric

At the Sticky Fingers quilt show they had fabric samples donated by sales people, magazines and cakes for sale, and all proceeds go to Breakthrough Breastcancer. As it's such a good cause I had to help out by eating homemade cake, and by buying fabric samples I was finally able to get my hands on some of the Farmers Market range by Sandi Henderson, here's a sample

plus another sample

and another

and another

and another

and a sample from another designer, sorry I don't know who

the last one, I promise

I really need to start sewing.

Gx

Sticky Fingers quilt show

Wife and husband team Wendy and David own Sticky Fingers, a little craft and quilt shop in the village of Coppull in Lancashire. Wendy runs piecing and quilting classes in their building 'Next Door but One', isn't it a great name! And yesterday they held their first quilt show, supporting Breakthrough BreastCancer, they displayed quilts and wall hangings all made at some point at Next Door but One. They also had items made for City and Guilds and a Clutch of Cushions entries. Here are my favourite quilts:

The quilts in the photo below were both hand pieced.

The fabric in this quilt is a lot lighter in real life.

Over 50 cushions were made for a 'Clutch of Cushions', all participants purchased a fat quarter of the beautiful dark pink fabric (donated by Makower) and had to incorporate it into their cushion. This is the cushion I voted for, I do not know who made it but I suspect it's by a lady in my quilting group. I'll find out on Tuesday.

I have just realised the boy and I have made plans for the same weekend as the Festival of Quilts in August - argh!!!! I did not go last year and really wanted to go, let's hope I can do both.

Gx

My First Quilt

I am taking part in Camille and Carrie's Parade of Quilts, each participant shows their first and most recent quilt.

I can't quite decide if the first quilt I started is the first or third quilt I finished. In the middle of making the one below I started to design and make two quilts for the twin girls my sister was expecting, so it was finished after quilts 2 and 3.

I attend Croston Quilters in Lancashire and the amazing ladies Anne and Janet patiently and painstakingly talked me through each stage of making this quilt. When I first talked to Anne she said it would take six meetings to finish the quilt - but she did not know me! I can't just make one thing at a time and so it took me around a year to finally finish it. Anne is the reason I am precise when cutting and sewing, if my sewing was not straight enough or the seam allowance was wrong it was ripped out and I started over again. It's the best teaching I could have had. But alas I no longer have it, my mum loved the lap quilt so much I gave it to her as a present.

My most recent quilt was a present for my cousin's son for his first birthday and it is based on the Melly & Me Scrappy Cabin Quilt Challenge. For this quilt I decided any colour could be used except pink, but I did manage to sneak a little bit in. It's 52x42" and is for a cot bed.

The top is pieced from pre-loved fabric, scraps and fabric from my stash. It's the second time I have quilted free-motion, I found the quilting pattern in the amazing book Simple Traditions, author Kim Diehl calls the pattern cinnamon rolls and I found it a lot easier to quilt than stippling and more fun than quilting in the ditch. The label is pieced into the back and that's another first for me.

Have a good week.

Gx