Works in Progress

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I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in the last week. Unfortunately, it’s the sort of progress that doesn’t seem like anything got done. I spent the majority of last night taping together and cutting out pattern pieces for a few upcoming projects: The Scout Tee from Grainline Studio, the Betty Bowler Bag from Swoon, and City Gym Shorts from Purl Bee.

pattern-cutout

And in between taping and cutting, I did laundry so that I could pre-wash some fabrics, including the red plaid wool that was recently gifted to my stash, a couple of cotton prints from Sarah Watt’s line August for Cotton + Steel, and the lion linen from the same line. (Then I took a very poorly lit instagram photo of them.) I’m not sure what each will become yet, but I’m very ready to get started.

pre-washed fabrics

I did make a tiny bit of progress on my Double Wedding Ring quilt, adding a 4th ring to the row. Only one more ring and I’ll have the first row complete.

double wedding ring closeup

But I’m totally ready to take a break from quilts and make myself a few nice clothing and accessory items. Do you switch back and forth between quilting and clothes/accessories? Or do you generally stick to one type of sewing? What projects are you working on right now?

 Sharing over at:
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

13 Comments

  1. anna in spain on September 3, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I tend to keep at a project until it’s finished, because my mum and sis never managed to finish anything in their lives…when they got bored they put it up, and then when they felt “crafty” again, they’d go out and buy new stuff. We’re on a v. small pension, so I can’t afford not to finish stuff!
    Still hand-quilting the baby quilt for my friend, 2/3 done. I can only give an hour or two a day to it.
    Also need to bite the bullet and finish shortening the sleeves on one of my husband’s winter shirts, it’s navy blue which is why I’ve taken this long. I had to take the cuff and sleeve-guard off, shorten the sleeve a good 3 inches, and then put it all back together. He has very short arms for his height; short legs, too! This is the 4th shirt I’ve shortened this summer. Like I dummy I left the dark one for last. We each bought a pair of the same model of chinos, one size difference, I shortened mine about an inch and a half, had to shorten his a good 3 inches and a bit. And we are the same height! So I guess he’s longer in the body than the legs and arms.´

    After the baby quilt is done I want to try a few “crazy” squares using scraps and bits, and see how it looks.

  2. wendy on September 3, 2014 at 10:41 am

    I don’t even stick to sewing, I switch back and forth between crafts at a rate of knots. the DWR looks fab, it’s going to be really bright and cheerful

    • Andrea on September 3, 2014 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks so much Wendy! I’ve been enjoying working on it, but I haven’t had a finish in a while, so I feel like I need to give it a break and sew up something fun and quick.

  3. cindy on September 3, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    I love seeing DWR quilts. Someday I’m gonna make one! Fun fabric combo in yours.
    I am mainly a quilter…don’t do garments. But I do bounce from one project to another as I get bored easily. Sometimes I may take a break from quilts to make a bag or pincushion or journal cover…something quick!

    • Andrea on September 3, 2014 at 1:47 pm

      Those quick projects are great! I love a finish, and that DWR won’t be giving me one anytime soon, unless I start counting each ring as a finish. 😉

  4. Rachel on September 4, 2014 at 12:15 am

    Good for you! I hate the taping together part of patterns, but it’s definitely worth it.

    • Andrea on September 4, 2014 at 10:49 am

      It is. I love at home printable patterns, because I can print multiple copies if I need a new size or want to make adjustments.

  5. Stacey on September 4, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    I love your wedding ring quilt! Amazing! I definitely have a lot of works in progress on the go all the time too – often a mix of quilts, embroidery and paintings!

    • Andrea on September 5, 2014 at 7:46 am

      Thanks so much Stacey! It’s been fun so far, I just hope I can make it through all those little pieces.

  6. Donna C. on September 16, 2014 at 3:46 pm

    Where do you get your “at home printable patterns”? And, do you use a regular printer? I’ve never done that in my 62 years, but would love to look into it. I do have boxes of patterns, know a little about adjusting them, but would like to know more. Also, you mentioned pre-washing some red plaid wool. Didn’t it shrink? Did you want it to shrink, and why? I’ve had some pretty blue plaid wool for a long time now, but don’t know what to do with it.

    • Andrea on September 16, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      Lots of smaller independent sewing pattern companies sell downloadable patterns, which can be printed at home on your standard 8.5″x11″ paper. The only important thing to remember is to change the scaling to “None” before you print (some printers will shrink the image just a little to make it easier to print). Fishstick Designs has a nice tutorial on printing and putting the pattern together. Some patterns also come with a “Copy Shop” version you can take to your local copy shop or a place like Staples/Office Max and have printed on the big paper, so it’s like your patterns you buy in the store, but will be on a more durable weight of paper. The Oliver and S site has a great selection on downloadable patterns. And Every bag I’ve made except the Weekender by Amy Butler has been a downloadable pattern. Some of the places I’ve gotten patterns include Sew Sweetness, Swoon Patterns, and Michelle Patterns. I hope that’s helpful! If you have any more questions, please let me know.

  7. Donna C. on September 16, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    That’s great help. I’m printing your answer so I can look into those sites. Now, about the wool plaid you pre-washed, did it shrink? What did you want to do with shrunken wool? I have some blue plaid, and I’d like some ideas on what to do with it. I don’t think I’d like a garment out of it. I’d look 10 lbs. heavier! Lol

    • Andrea on September 17, 2014 at 8:36 am

      I washed it in cold water, and then let it air dry. It actually did very well. It didn’t seem to shrink much at all. I used mine to make a top, but I have some left over that will probably get used for the exterior on a bag. I love to use heavier weight fabrics on my bags. They make the bags feel so much more substantial.

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