Just one step

My eldest son Mark has been married for 11 years, is the father of adorable twin girls, is a published author ("Snowmen" - which he wrote during the 3-day novel writing contest) has two masters degrees and is working towards his PhD. Yesterday, he successfully defended three papers he wrote over nine days earlier this month. These are the words he wrote in an email to me right after.

"They [the panel] had lots of great things to say about my paper[s], and said I comported myself really well."

Mark is in the middle - flanked by his younger sister Maili on the left and younger brother Eric on the right.

Last Christmas was so mild that these three went for a run.

Yesterday was just one step towards being called Dr. Sedore. There is much more to do and a few more years to get there but yesterday's stressful exam was a success.

Congratulations and much love from the whole family.

Maple leaf quilt block

For all of those people who browse my blog and love the maple leaf quilt in my post titled "Arm chair quilt show Part 1," I don't have the pattern because it's not my quilt. There are various places on the internet and in books where the pattern can be found. One such place is HERE.

It's an easy pattern to replicate yourself if you have some graph paper. Use a search engine for the words 'maple leaf' or 'autumn leaf' and you may find other sources for a free pattern if you're not inclined to make your own.

I'm sorry if you have been one of those people who has requested the pattern and have not heard back from me because your request comes up as a 'no reply' comment.

This is an appliqued maple leaf quilt that I showed on my blog in September of 2014. It was in a quilt show called Maud's Garden of Quilt Show.

Here's a close-up of one of the leaves. I love the way the maker placed the shadow of the leaf on the quilt.

Little dresses

I've been busy sewing again. This time for two little girls.

They are hanging up in my closet waiting to be given to my granddaughters who are fraternal twins.

This was the first pattern I decided to try out.

It was made from a piece of mauve floral poly-cotton that was in my stash. I even had enough to make matching panties.

 

This too was a mauve floral that was in my stash but it's cotton and I decided to make the panties out of some matching broadcloth that I had. Butterick 6047 is the pattern that I used. I made the dress version with the ruffles on the shoulders.

I even managed to make an extra pair of panties out of a darker purple broadcloth.

All of these pieces used half inch single fold bias tape. The navy blue that I used for the panties above was already in my trims box but I didn't have any mauve. When I went to purchase some at Fabricland, there was none to be had the first time I went. It seemed that half inch single fold bias tape was a popular item because there wasn't any at all of any colour.

The pantie pattern I used was from McCall's 7037.

 

I've got more garment sewing to do and I am also thinking of using up some of my stash by joining in on the Meadow Mystery.

Row by Row Experience 2016

This is the second year that I have participated in the Row by Row Experience. If you don't know about it, HERE's a link where you'll find all the information. This year the theme was Home Sweet Home.

It's all put together just before I sewed a small border on.

Here are close-ups of some of the blocks.

I used these four segments separately in my quilt instead of sewing them up like this, in one row.

I chose to cut my flowers out of fabric as one piece instead of doing the 8 petaled flowers that were in the pattern. We are given liberties as to how we interpret the design.

I'm glad I used this background fabric.

A nice air mail feature that I replicated with marking pens and the inside of the envelope (the butterfly) was a scrap that just fit.

The envelopes were fun to make and I hope I can use the pattern in another project.

I really liked the fact that a lot of the rows this year were vertical and some shops gave you the option of making them vertical or horizontal. One shop had two different patterns in different directions so you could choose which one you wanted.

I used the same fabrics in a couple of the rows. The sky blue was used repeatedly as was the leaf fabric.

I had to inform the shop that designed this row that they had left out the little mouse from their pattern. The butterfly was my own addition. If you click on the photo, you can get a closer look at the fabric I used for the owls. It was hard to find feather fabric and so the owl bodies are actually bark.

 The original pattern and kit for this gnome had him and his toadstool sitting in the middle of a yellow field. The stars had the same yellow. I wanted the row to look a bit more interesting so I gave the row some grass, flowers and sky. I didn't buy any kits since I had so much fabric in my stash to use up.

Here's the quilt stretched on the frame. I hand quilted the whole thing and took it off the frame last Wednesday. On Thursday, I finished putting the binding, label and a hanging sleeve on. Saturday, I brought it in to The Workroom on Queen Street  and retrieved my prize of 25 fat quarters and the bonus prize because I used The Workroom's row in my quilt. It's the last row in my quilt and basically spells out Queen Street West because that is where the store is located.

My queen photo came out too blurry to use so click on some of other photos to see what she looks like. This is the other part of the bottom row. I used my own flowers once again and made the heart red instead of the black in the instructions. I quilted the compass points too. At first I was going to use two different fabrics but then I realized that I didn't have to. I could just quilt the other half of the compass points. It saved on time and it saved my fingers from quilting through more fused fabrics.

I don't know which of these two photos is better.

There are no photos of me with the quilt.

Except this one. 

The Workroom first posted photos on instagram - not facebook. I found this out because my daughter's friend saw it and asked if that was my quilt.
Now, the quilt photo is on facebook and it was noted that I hand quilted it.
https://www.facebook.com/rowbyrowstudio/?fref=nf
 My name is still misspelled, though - it's DOlores (that happens a lot!)

It was a lot of fun choosing the rows and then putting it all together. I didn't have too much trouble figuring out a layout this year and didn't have to add my own row.

Now, I'm off to sew some little outfits for my favourite little ones. 

I'm linking this to The Needle and Thread Network. Hop on over to see more fibre creations.

All about my little people sewing

I do like sewing - a lot. I love sewing things that get used.

Hallowe'en costumes are always fun. Luc was a pirate last year and Patric was a parrot.

The pattern for this outfit was a freebie off the internet and was fun to make.

Capes are easy and a great way for me to use up some of the broadcloth I've accumulated. These are reversible with two different colours and on one side I put their initials. Another free internet pattern.

This hat that Teemu is wearing was made for Luc when I was looking after him. It's made with one of Luc's daddy's old t-shirts. The neckerchief or drool bib is made from a scrap of flannel that was left over from making Luc and his brother Patric some pajamas.

This is a fat quarter that was just hanging around my sewing room. I thought it had potential for the outfits I was working on.

I had already made the girls some shorts and I didn't want to keep the tops plain.

I'm not a lover of ric rak. It was something I used when I first began sewing as a little girl. I used it and other trims my mom had on my dolls' clothes. The motifs on the fat quarter just seemed to look like fun circular flowers to me and a good chance for me to use some up some of the ric rak.

These were made last week. I'm pretty sure I made the top for one of my girls but I have no idea why it called for a 7" zipper. The neck areas seemed big enough to go over the twins' heads. I kept most of my old patterns and have augmented them with new ones but they sure are a lot more expensive now.

Teemu's mom sent the family a photo of the little guy yesterday.

His whole outfit was made by me. The shirt was actually made for either Luc or Patric but the shorts and hat were made just for him. I made loads of short sleeved shirts for my two sons as they were growing up. I'm glad I get to use my patterns and fabrics for next generation of little people.

There will be more outfits to sew.

I'm linking up with the Needle and Thread Network.