A fast finish

I never really set out to do something fast, but when it happens, I get sooo excited. I had a custom order for a T-shirt quilt that was completely finished in less than two weeks. These were extremely well-behaved shirts.

It also helped that my client was crazy-organized. She sent a color picture of the design with her shirts (which were washed and smelling extra fresh) and took about 0.4 seconds to pick her coordinating fabrics for sashing and backing.

Incase you are wanting to make one for yourself, here are some numbers you might find handy:

I used exactly 3 yards of heavyweight iron-on interfacing for the back of the shirts (12 total squares, 13.5" wide).

1 yard of the navy sashing 3" wide

2 yards for the yellow borders 5" wide

4 yards for the pink backing + cornerstones (3" squares).

I used a navy binding from my stash since there wasn't enough of the calico remaining. My rule of thumb in binding colors - frame your art! I originally thought about using the yellow to blend with the borders but my instincts told me otherwise and I'm glad I obeyed. The navy looks much better on the front and the back than the yellow would have. Whew, close one!

Totally random, but have you ever seen someone eat a tomato like an apple? My youngest girl appropriately enjoyed our first tomato of the season.

Let's take a trip

Well, that was a month! I have been abundantly blessed to have had some very special opportunities lately. Sit back, get comfortable, and join me on a trip down Sewing Memory Lane!

My most recent finish:

My one and only nephew turns two this week! I think every two-year-old boy needs a sock monkey quilt, don't you? Another quilt-as-you-go project and it worked beautifully again.

Well, if you don't count ripping out the quilting because the original minky backing was a disaster.

What I learned: don't use it if you can't tape it on the floor for basting. That should have been my first clue that quilting (even straight-line-quilting) was not going to go well.

I bought this great flannel and put a little monkey surprise with it and it went soooo much better.

Remember those totally rad blankets I made to protect my hydrangeas from the late spring frost? I think they worked!!!! Last year (and well, every year) we get a maximum of 4 flowers on the bushes. Not this year! They are bursting with color and they are gorgeous!

My second puppet is complete. She's actually going to go to a Ventriloquist Convention this week. Wow, talk about an amazing opportunity. I got to make a puppet! For a professional puppet person! I get a little emotional to think of how far the Lord has brought me out of the pit I was in. Sorry, no hyperlink for that one. Just giving thanks to our great God!

Another pastel commission! :) But it had actual colors in it, so I was ok.

Watermelon.

More watermelon.

I was asked to make the banner for my neighborhood's July 4th Parade! More to come on this as it was a crash course in applique.

Another charity sewing event. This time we made pillowcase dresses for little girls in Haiti. I was so thrilled to see more ladies come who have never sewn a thing in their life. Hopefully they left feeling motivated and ready to try it again and again. We finished the night with 17 dresses with more to come from a few who could not attend. Awesome.


Whew! Thanks for staying with me during the hiatus and for the trip down Sewing Memory Lane. More good clean sewing fun is to be had this summer for sure. What lovelies are you sewing this summer?