Back to Sewing

First Time Quiltmaking classes have ended - one last week, and one today. Here are pics of both classes.  Don't ya love their bright quilts?

Yep, that's me in the back row, right.

Each class ended with considerably fewer than the 20 students who first began! I heard from some of them who let me know they couldn't attend the last, photo-taking class because they had medical problems, or were traveling. 

These two groups of students received a fifth quilt pattern in their hand-outs - a new design. It's also 36" X 48". I added it because I wanted to offer a design that was more modern-looking, and was a little more challenging, for those students who have previously sewn and/or made quilts. "Spinner" is made with several solids and other modern fabrics, including Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets.

36" X 48"

One student, Lisa, completed Spinner. She added a counted cross-stitched label to the quilt front - the white square, lower right.

Next Thursday I'll be teaching another Free Motion Quilting workshop, and then I'm "off" until the middle of June when I teach a Beyond First Time Quiltmaking series. Until then, more sewing is on my horizon! Here's what I've done lately.  

A recent purchase was the online pattern called "KidShorts" by danamadeit.com. I love the immediacy of downloading a pattern, and that directions have you print only particular pages for the size pattern you want to sew. I am experimenting on shorts for grandsons who live far away. Their moms gave me waist and length measurements so I could select the correct size.

Easy-peasy to cut and sew these elastic waistband shorts in a couple hours. Next time, there will be pockets. Star Wars fan Austin was the first to get his.

The fabric is glow-in-the-dark, purchased at Hawthorne Threads.

I was tickled that my daughter-in-law thought to email me a picture of Austin wearing his new shorts, immediately after they arrived in the mail! Even though it was too cold for shorts, Austin negotiated with his mom to allow him to put them on over long pants! Cutie-pie.

The other sewing I finished was this bag. I love sewing with selvages, and thought I needed a different, larger bag, to hold my cell phone, camera (I rarely go anywhere without it), and credentials. 

I sewed it two-side. Any bag or tote pattern can be adapted for selvage-sewing. This is the Sonoma Swing Bag.

As always, I added extra interior pockets.

No surprise. I have several other projects in the works. What about making a selvage skirt?

You'll be hearing more from me! Linda