Strips and Bricks Version 2.0

Remember this quilt?



I designed it about over a year ago for Sew Hip magazine and, since then, have enojoyed seeing versions of it here and there.
I've also gotten a fair number of inquiries from folks wanting to know how to get a copy of the pattern. Apparently finding copies of this British magazine is not easy here in the States and purchasing back issues is near impossible.
Seeing as the pattern is very difficult to come by, I've decided to update the pattern with my own edits and illustrations so that I can offer it for sale in my store.
My first step, however, has been to remake the quilt. I'd given the original away as a gift to a friend so I needed a new version to both refresh my memory on how to make the quilt and for photography purposes.



I stayed with the original color palette, lot of low volume fabrics and a various shades of "whites" to give this version the clean, modern feel that the original had.



I've got the top all pieced and all that's needed is some backing, batting, and a bit of quilting. Then I'll add the illustrations and the pattern will be ready.
My release date is next Wednesday, August 3 and I'll be celebrating it with a little pattern giveaway. So, if you think you'd like a chance to win a copy of the pattern or you'd just like to see the finished quilt, check back then.

Friday is the new Tuesday

or maybe just a good day to shoot a few pictures of another version of my Tuesday pillow design.




Whether it's Tuesday or Friday or any other day of the week, all those colors make me smile.

Baby it's cold in here

I have an air conditioner and I'm not afraid to use.
Heck, I want you to come over and enjoy it with me.
My new air conditioner is in my formerly un-airconditioned garage also known as my dye space. Now it's just a standing unit and, because the doors are open, it really works best if you're standing close to it, but, it makes a HUGE difference.
While you're enjoying the newly conditioned air, you can also be learning how to dye fabric like I did in this quilt.



The technique is called itajime and I've used it to create patterns on fabric in a bunch of my quilts and pillows.
On August 15, my air conditioner and I are hosting a workshop to teach this technique to folks who live or will be in Austin, Texas. I've posted all the info here, so check it out if you're interested.

Also, there's still space in my Dyeing to Learn Batik workshop happening this Sunday, July 25.

Bye for now!

Three Times Makes a Tradition

Years ago, my husband and I were having dinner with some new friends. We'd actually met this couple in Lamaze class. That would be over 18 years ago because if we were all in Lamaze class we were definitely first time parents. I don't know anyone who takes a birthing class the second time around. Anyway, our new friends were not only new to our acquaintance, but to Austin in general, having just moved here from New York City. In our desire to show our new friends a uniquely Austin good time we took them to one of our favorite Tex-Mex restaurants. One of the couple asked how long the restaurant had been around and I replied that it was an Austin tradition. "Really," the husband commented in surprise,"How long has this place been open." "Ten years," I answered, " That's why it's an Austin tradition." Having come from the Northeast my friends had to laugh at the idea that an establishment just ten years old would be considered traditional. But, I stand by what I said back then. Sometimes, traditions are pretty quickly established.
Consider this example: two summers ago I made this top using this tutorial.
The following year I made the top again, but this time used my hand dyed fabric and altered the pattern a little by moving the location of the strap ties from the shoulder to the front chest.
Now summer's here, I have an inexplicable desire to make the pattern again. Actually, I just finished two new versions of this top. They're not from the same source and one is sewn while the other is knitted, but they're essentially the same idea.
Version #1 is a repeat of the tank from previous years, but with one significant addition.



I was inspired by Jennifer Casa's Undaunted pattern to add elasticized thread to the waist. Maybe it's because this version is the newest one, but it is definitely my favorite. Though, truth be told, I wear all three. They're so easy to wear and, though I'm of the belief that nothing is actually "perfect" for Texas summer weather(how do you dress for 100 degree temperatures), these little numbers come pretty darn close to ideal summer tops.

Version #2 is basically a knitted take on this tank. The pattern is the Summertime Tunic from the 2008 summer issue of Interweave Knits. My original inspiration to move the strap location came from this pattern. This despite the fact that I'd never made it.



I used Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, a yarn that I've had sitting in my stash and giving me the hairy eyeball for a long time. It feels so good to use the yarn, but, as luck would have it, I still have more. Anyway, this hemp/cotton blend is also a qualified perfect weight for our summer weather and I love the ties almost as much as the top itself.



I made them from some leftover fabric I purchased from Bolt 44. Love that place.
So, it is with confidence that I declare the making of this summer top my personal Austin tradition.

As a postscript to the original story: The restaurant that I originally called an Austin tradition, Seis Salsas, closed down just a few years later. Some traditions apparently last longer than others.

On a totally unrelated topic, if you're interested in another opportunity to take my batik workshop, I've just listed a new date/class in my Etsy store. Check it out here.

A Quilt for Cupcake

Just a few little peaks of a quilt started, put aside, and now emerging at the front of my list of projects to finish for a friend's new arrival.





Throughout the pregnancy, the parent's referred to their wee one as cupcake.
I hope to have the quilt finished in time for the baby naming in a week and a half. Until then it will be Cupcake's Quilt.

Time to Make the Donuts

Remember that Dunkin Donuts commercial where the beleaguered employee pulls himself out of bed at the crack of dawn and declares," Time to make the donuts."? When I was a kid my Dad would often leave the house and, as he closed the door, say, "Time to make the donuts." It became one of his standard phrases, despite the fact that he was a doctor, not a donut maker. Well, I love a good, silly tradition, so lately, as I head off to work in my dye studio, I too say, "Time to make the donuts."
I've been dyeing a lot of fabric lately. Some of it is meant for existing orders in my shop. Some of it intended projects for my home and family such as my college bound girl's recent request for some pillows and a hand dyed closet curtain for her dorm room. Guess how long I thought about that request before I said yes. People, she actually wants me to make her something.





Full disclosure, I dyed the fabric for the pillow top a long time ago. In fact I had sewn it into a pillow, but extended exposure to my eldest's room can be detrimental to a pillow. So, I took apart the previous pillow, washed the fabric, quilted the top and dyed new fabric for the backing.

My other reason for spending hours slaving over a hot wax pot, dipping all manner of tools into the wax (hey, this is starting to sound a lot like donut making), and dyeing fabric is that I'm going to be a vendor at the Austin Area Quilt Guild Show this September.
So, I'm planning some new patterns,



in a variety of color ways,



and I'm going to start offering fat quarter bundles in many of my patterns. The bundles will consist of 4, fat quarter pieces of similarly patterned fabric, in 4 different colorways.
Since I'm feverishly working on making fabric for the show, I'm not sure exactly when these bundles will appear in my shop, but they'll land there eventually. Just as soon as I'm done making the donuts.

Calling all Skirtmakers

I'm finally writing the tutorial for the mock patchwork skirt. Why is the fabric for the tutorial skirt different than the featured skirt? Why, indeed. The answer is all wrapped up in the backwards way I put together patterns. I don't sketch an idea, make a mock-up, take careful measurements, and then make the final product. No, I put stuff together, rip seams apart, curse under my breath(or not), and then write a pattern. Doesn't the first method sound so much more civilized? Of course it does. Will I ever work that way? I wouldn't know how. That's why the skirt in the tutorial is made out of a different fabric. The process for both is the same minus the cursing.

Anyway, here's the tutorial:

Simple Drawstring Skirt

Materials:

At least 1 yard of fabric
(this varies based on your measurements, but I used 1 yard for the skirt and drawstring)
Large piece of paper
(I used a 24" x 36" piece of newsprint. I buy these in pads from the Art supply store)
Quilters Clear, Acrylic Ruler
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Paper scissors
Fabric Marking Pen
Machine Sewing Thread
Coordinated Top Stitching Machine Thread
Iron
Pins
Tape Measure
Safety Pin
Rotary Cutter and Self-healing Mat
Small Scrap of Fusible Interfacing
Seam Ripper

Measuring for the Pattern:

Little side note: I made my skirt so that it had very little ease and sat about 2" below my waist.

1. Measure around your the upper part of your hips, about 2" below your natural waist.
2. Add 3/4"" for ease and seam allowance.
3. Divide this measurement by 4.
4. Measure around your actual hips.
5. Add 3/4" for ease and seam allowance.
6. Divide this number by 4.
7. Measure the vertical distance between the upper part of your hips and and your hips.
8. Determine how long you want your skirt to be.
(mine was 16")
9. Add 2" to that measurement.

Drafting the Pattern:
1. Working along one of the paper straight edges, draw a point perpendicular to the edge that is the same distance as your divided upper hip measurement.
3. Using a ruler, draw a line perpendicular to the paper's edge to that point.
4. Measure down from the line the distance between your upper hips and hips and mark it with a dot.
5. Draw a line perpendicular to the edge of the paper so that it intersects the dot. This second line should be the same as your divided hip measurements.
6. From your upper hip line, measure your desired skirt length. Mark with a dot.
7. Draw a line perpendicular to the straight edge of the paper that intersects this line and is about 1 1/2" longer than the upper hip line.
8. Draw a line to connect the endpoints of the upper hip line and the bottom line.
9. Using Paper scissors, cut out your pattern.
Note: The straight edge of the paper is now the edge of the pattern to be positioned on the fold of the fabric.

Cutting the Fabric:

1. Fold fabric in half and pin skirt pattern to fabric so that straight edge of pattern aligns with fold in fabric.
2. Using a rotary cutter, cut around pattern.
3. Remove pins and reposition pattern to cut a second piece like the first.
4. From same fabric, cut enough 1 1/2" strips to make a length measuring about 48".

Sewing the Skirt:

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all seam allowances are 3/8".

1. With right side facing, fold skirt in half.
2. Use your finger to crease the midpoint of the skirt along the upper edge and lay skirt on a flat surface.



3. Center a 1" line about 1 1/2" from raw edge of fabric. Mark with a fabric marker.
4. Cut a small square of fusible interfacing and, following manufacturer's instruction, adhere to wrong side of skirt directly behind marked line.
Note: This will give the drawstring opening a little security.
5. Using a buttonhole foot and coordinating thread, sew a buttonhole along marked line.



6. Gently open buttonhole with seam ripper.
Note: Skirt piece with buttonhole opening will now be referred to as skirt front.

7. Pin skirt front to skirt back, right sides together, along side seams.
8. Sew together side seams. Press seams open.



9.Serge or zig-zag stitch seams to finish.



10. Top stitch along both sides of seams on right side of skirt.



11. Working with top of skirt, press in a 1/4" seam allowance.
12. Press an additional 1" seam allowance.



Note: This forms the casing for the drawstring.
13. Sew casing in place close to folded edge.
14. Using diagonal seams, sew 1 1/2" strips together to form a single length.Press seams open.
15. Working on an ironing board with wrong side of drawstring length facing up, press short sides of drawstring length 1/4".



16. Meet long sides of drawstring together and press.



17. Open out to reveal midpoint crease.



18. Working with one long edge at a time, fold and press long edges toward midpoint crease.



19. Meet long folded edges together and press.
20. Top stitch drawstring.



21. Attach a safety pin to one end of drawstring and thread through casing.



22. Hem skirt.
23. Wear with pride. Maybe even with a newly knit top.



Just a suggestion. Enjoy!