Let's Catch UP a Little

 When last we met up with our intrepid heroine, she was posting end of summer sewing plans - FOR 2023!  Let's just see how that worked out, shall we?

First up: Nova - made with a challis bought in Mexico in January and sewn up in time to wear on another vacation to Mexico in November.

Second: -That pumpkin coffee print has been sewn and worn multiple times.  

Third: I believe I put this back, but I'm going to have to look. Because I vaguely remember making it, but there's no photographic evidence.

Fourth: I made the flannel PJ top, but not this linen, yet. Also, I don't really love the top, so . . . 

Fifth: I tested the Grainline Studio Alder Shirtdress in the extended sizes.  I loved making this dress.  I love the pocket construction and how fun it is (I've even used it on a few of JB's shirts) but I'm having a moment with how I look currently and I'm not in love with any of the photos. 

Sixth:  While I did make a Vali top in October and I also sewed up the beautiful red toile like fabric, the two did not come together. Look for a blog post on this dress soon.

Seven, Eight & Nine have not been touched at all. 

Ten: Eleanor did get a new robe for her birthday.  However, Gigi got a new sewing machine for Christmas and I could not figure out how to get E's monogram from my embroidery stick into the machine (still haven't figured it out 8 months later). And all her dolls got matching robes & pjs - blog post on that too

Eleanor's Gingham Quilt

    It all started with a picture on Instagram.  I mean, isn't that how all good stories start?  Miss Andrea Quilts posted a picture of a gingham baby quilt that she made.  And it was stunning! 

    Fast forward a few months and I made a whole cloth quilt for baby Harris (Harris is Eleanor's baby brother).  I have also recently (in the last couple of years) finished Krystle's wedding quilt.  So, it was time to make Eleanor a quilt.

    They came to visit for Thanksgiving.  Miss Eleanor is a little bit opinionated (but she comes by it honestly) and I'm not the greatest at matching fabric so I wanted both her and her mom's input on the fabric selection.

I found this free pattern and used it.  I still have 2 pillowcases to quilt.  Don't judge me.  

I knew the quilt was going to be gingham in design and that E wanted pinks or purples.  In my research, I had found some beautiful quilts where the medium was a print - and I really, wanted that look.  So we started with a dark solid purple and white.  Then found the tiny purple print.  The backing and binding were no brainers - we just pulled them from the same fabric line as the print fabric.  Easy peasy!  

Fast forward to January 12th.  Fifth birthday party is coming up in 13 days and I still have just a stack of fabrics.  Fortunately, I was busy with running Carriage Corner and didn't even start cutting the fabric strips until Friday, January 14th.  I was determined and had the entire top put together by the end of Sunday!  

Whew!  On track to make it to the birthday party with gift in hand!  Except when I put it on our queen size quest bed - it looked huge!  Do I take some rows off?  

The next Thursday, I was able to pin baste the backing, batting and top together and start quilting.  I quilted the entire quilt on my home machine using a walking foot, cotton quilting thread in pale pink on the front and a bluish green on the back.  The quilting lines are 1/4" on either side of every seam line!  Really play up the gingham effect!  

By Friday night (2 days before the party) I had sewn the binding on.  I stitched the binding on the back by hand with big stitch binding.  I used pink perle cotton thread and did a large running stitch to hold the binding in place.  I literally carried the quilt with me all day Saturday, stitching in the car when I had a chance!

Around 9p Saturday, I finished the quilt!  Yeah!!  And I threw it in the washer.  First thing Sunday morning it went into the dryer.  I took it out, folded it up and promptly forgot it when we left for the party!  

Eleanor got her birthday quilt

about 2 weeks later in February when they came to visit.  If you ask her she had a great weekend!  She came to visit Gigi & Gramps, went to an ice festival and Gigi made her a pink quilt that's so cozy and she sleeps better!  All worth it in the end.

And as you can see from the photos - it fits her twin bed perfectly!  She already has the pillow case that matches the backing.  She'll get the other two soon - just as soon as I make her Easter dress.

Handmade Christmas

Since moving to the East Coast and becoming grandparents - our holidays celebrations have enlarged.  And I don't just mean by 1 baby!  See, our son in laws parents live close and everyone is wonderful and amazing and we do Christmas as a large group.

For years now, I have made both girls and our SIL flannel pants for Christmas.  This year, a boyfriend was added to the flannel pants list.  I also make the 3 of them a pair of hand knit socks.  But what in the world do I make for our SIL's parents?!

This year when I stumbled upon this photo from Emily Hallman on instagram - I knew what I needed to make for SIL's Mother!  Sadly, I'm pretty sure I didn't take many photos.

Then the question was what to make for SIL's Dad.  hmmm. . . .
They love to travel.  It's always so hard to find your luggage at the airport - I mean everyone has the same black or navy blue suitcase and they just get lost in the crowd - so luggage tags with the same monogram I used for the napkins I gave them last year.  Done!

You can just see the luggage tag that SIL's Mom hung from her bag for their Winter Get Away.  These tags fold in half and close with snaps.  On the inside, I used the alphabet function of my sewing machine to type their surname, address and a contact phone number.  I sandwiched the two pieces of fabric, right sides together with a length of ribbon for hanging.  Sewed, turned, topstitched and then sewed 2 snaps on each tag.  I made 6 in total.

Both of SIL's parents like to enjoy wine and they recently moved into a new house, so a set of wine themed travertine coasters was the final item included in their gift. 

I think they liked everything.  Now, what to make them next year?  hmmmmmm (currently taking suggestions).

A Family of Flannel Pants

For more years than I know, I have made flannel pants for the entire family for Christmas.  I tried looking back in my blog too show long I've been doing this - and it didn't help.  Most likely, since the girls were born. 

Some years I've done matching for the girls with contrast cuffs, and some years I've just bought fabric that spoke about the recipient to me.  And then there was the year that everyone got flannel boxers because I made cotton PJ pants because we went to Florida for Christmas that year (2015).  For the last several years, I've just been buying flannel in a print that has something special the recipient loves - like penguins for Jessica and sunflowers for Krystle.

The Christmas before Eleanor was born (Christmas 2016), I used scraps from everyone's flannel pants and made sleep sacks. 

For Christmas 2017, I everyone got flannel pants AND I made Eleanor 2 tunics from the left-overs from Gramps & Daddy's pants and pretty little jumpers from the leftovers from Mommy, Aunt Jessica & GiGi's pants.  But - that's not what this post is about.  This post is about Christmas 2018.  Just like in years past, when JoAnn's has their big flannel sale - that's when I buy it.  I pay right around $2 a yard for the flannel and try my best to find something that everyone will love.  Last year I found Sunflowers, footballs, elephants, penguins, video games and coffee.  And then Krystle mentioned that she really wanted matching pants for her little family this year and that she would just buy matching PJs if I'd already bought flannel. 

Well - I couldn't let that happen - could I?  So, another trip to JoAnn's was in order - but trying to find a bolt of flannel with 7 - 8 yards on it was so much harder than I thought it would be.  I took JB with me he found fabric for another bowling shirt.

In the week before Christmas, after making Jessica and her boyfriend flannel boxers, I made Kyrstle's family matching flannel pants for Christmas and Krystle bought everyone matching white tees for their family photos.

I wonder how long they'll be matching?  Also - the previously purchased flannel?  It got made up too and gifted in early 2019.  I mean, Eleanor was going to outgrow her PJs if I didn't make them up soon!

These were fun to make - I'm looking forward to many more years of #flannelpantsfactory