106 Yards in 2015

Here's a picture of (approximately) 106 yards of fabric to represent my accomplishment of 2016: I used up 106 yards from my stash!  My goal had been to use up 50 yards- I tried to be conservative, considering when I made the goal in January, I knew I would be having a baby in May.  

It was an interesting process to see how much fabric different projects really used up.  And it felt gratifying to see that my use of fabric is substantial, even with the significant life event of adding a third child to our family.  I plan to keep track of my stash used in 2016 but I am not going to aim for an arbitrary number of yards to be used up.  I could easily use up lots of fabric if I only made simple items like pillowcases and whole cloth quilts.  What I am really interested in accomplishing in 2016 is to work on some projects that have been waiting for far too long: I bought the fabric, I mixed in stash favorites, and these piles have sat and waited for years.  I am particularly concerned about any kid-themed quilts.  I want those done for my children to enjoy- it will be too late when they're teenagers and older.

My favorite project of 2015 was my Swoon quilt.  I can't believe how fast it came together and I love everything about it.  I wish more projects would feel so effortless.

And I certainly embraced my love of making dresses for my daughter:

I am still mulling over specific goal ideas for 2016.  Right now I just feel overwhelmed because my baby is fighting a never-ending cold, my sewing room is a mess, and I am so sad Christmas vacation is over and I feel the need to establish a real routine- which just feels overwhelming!  I will get my sew-jo back soon, I am sure!  I have to get a baby quilt done for this Saturday- so I will be sharing that soon.  Thanks for reading!

Sunday Stash: Presents Received

Just for fun, here's a "Sunday Stash" post.  I make gift giving (for myself) easy because I always have my eye on a sewing book or fabric range that appeals to me.  The books I received for Christmas include:

The New Hexagon by Katja Marek

Quilt Lovely by Jen Kingwell

Old Quilts, New Life by Sarah Fielke

Beyond Snapshots by Rachel Devine and Peta Mazey

I am especially excited about The New Hexagon (I also received the paper pieces to make the 52 unique EPP blocks- totally worth it to not photocopy and cut from the book!).  I realized I had recently been quite keen to do the EPP for Owen's stocking and that this might be a fun project to work on when I have the desire to sew but only the energy to watch Netflix.  More on this project, coming soon!

Nick generously gave me lots of fabric for Christmas: Ella Blue Basic bundle (left), Paper Bandana (right), and Lecien Modern text basics (bottom).  The Ella Blue collection is my favorite- I am sure these versatile fabrics will appear in many projects.

Finally, The Intrepid Thread had some killer end-of-the-year deals that will feed my interest in garment sewing.  The purples/grays will be two dresses for Charlotte and the others are designer knit fabrics that I couldn't pass up at $5 per yard!  I am so excited.  I've never sewn knits before but for such a bargain, I am willing to try.

Linking up with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash.

Last Finishes of 2015

Tomorrow Nick goes back to work and my sister is already on her way back to Ft. Collins.  I am definitely feeling the post-holidays blues.  It's been an awesome break with a lot of fun and not too much stress.  I don't want it to end! 

I managed to squeeze in a few more sewing projects before the end of 2015.  The Oliver and S Jump Rope dress was all the rage about 5 years ago.  There's even an archived sew-along on Sew Mama Sew.  Finding a paper copy of the now out-of-print pattern is no easy task but I luckily grabbed one on Etsy for a few dollars.  

Even though my daughter is a true size 4, I impulsively decided to make a size 5.  It was a lot of work, so I am glad it will last a little longer as she grows quickly.  

Her reaction to the dress was priceless, she was so thrilled and insisted on wearing it for our full day in Denver this past week.  She really loves this gem fabric (Natural History, designed by Lizzy House) and thinks it's relevant to her favorite Disney princess: Elsa.  I found this pattern very challenging- most notably the button placket on the front of the dress.  But it all came together relatively smoothly and I look forward to making this dress again.

Recently Gregory seemed a little jealous that I keep making his sister so many dresses.  He asked if I could make him a quilt for Christmas.  Sorry buddy.  If quilts came together as quickly as dresses do, I totally would have been on that!  But I know I garnered a few parenting points by making him this cute zip pouch to store some of his most favorite Legos.

The one priority of this vacation had been to finally put together my "DYO Sampler" quilt which is approximately 1 year and 7 months in the making....  I was able to put half of it together but I am going to take another break on it- this was frustrating thanks to all of the math and my imprecise piecing of the tulips on the bottom.  It's a bit wonky and I fear that if I force myself to press on immediately in putting the rest together, I will be careless and frustrated.  I promise to get back to it soon though- I so want this off my design wall!

So here's my final tally of fabric used in 2015.  Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts at Finish it up Friday.

Total stash fabric used in this post: 2.25 yards
Total stash fabric used since 1/1/15: 103.75yards
Total stash fabric used to date:  106 yards  

Handmade Christmas Gifts for Sister Missionaries

 Again this year, we decided to have the LDS Sister Missionaries over for Christmas.  Being away from my family during holidays is difficult for me, so I seek opportunities to invite others to our home and simply have more company to enjoy.  These young women who choose to serve for 18 months of their young lives don't have it easy, so I decided to do something nice and make them a few things.

I contacted the Sisters to ask them what their favorite colors were.  Sister Copling said she liked purple and green and Sister Sema gave me a unique combination: coral, navy, and gold.  I did my best with what I had in my stash. I made them both 241 totes (pattern by Anna Graham of Noodlehead) and pillowcases.

Here's what I made for Sister Copling:

Sister Sema:

I will admit it was a bit difficult to use some of my favorite Echino fabrics from my stash for the totes but I am really proud of the fabric combinations and had a lot of fun with this pattern.  I went the extra mile with making adjustable straps- I had no idea if they'd prefer to wear the bags across their body or on their shoulder.  Now they have a choice.  I used this YouTube video by Sara Lawson to help me understand how to correctly install the purse hardware.

I have now surpassed using 100 yards from my stash in 2015.  Special blog post coming on that topic.

Total stash fabric used in this post: 5.5 yards
Total stash fabric used since 1/1/15: 98.25 yards
Total stash fabric used to date:  103.75 yards

Owen's Stocking

 Yesterday afternoon I finished Owen's Christmas stocking.  When I started English paper piecing the hexagons a few weeks ago, I told myself, "There is no pressure to get this done in time for Christmas."  Truly.  We literally bought him a beanie baby and that's all he's getting from us for Christmas.  He doesn't need a thing.  He's 7 months old and doesn't know the difference between Christmas and any other day.  Maybe I sound like Scrooge but I am chalking it up to experience as a parent (we spoiled Gregory on Christmas when he was just a few months old and in hindsight, it seems a bit silly) and trying to be frugal.

 Anyway, I am really pleased the stocking is done and I love how it came out.

I accidentally ordered a full yard of the fox fabric (Festive Forest collection, designed by Tamara Kate) - so I put a bunch on the back:

I had a lot of trepidation about the non-traditional color pallet of Owen's stocking but I wanted it to be a bit different than the other kids stockings.  I think they all go together pretty well without being too different or matchy-matchy.

I've been meaning to blog this for years, but Nick's paternal Grandma has a tradition of making her grandchildren and great grandchildren Christmas stockings out of older family quilts.  She is so talented and well into her 90's but still churning out amazing projects like this:

On the back of each stocking, she has a family genealogy on the back, starting with the quilt's maker.

Here's all four of the stockings:

We do have a fireplace in our home but no mantel.  Any good ideas for hanging stockings as decorations?  Thanks for reading!

Total stash fabric used in this post: .5 yards
Total stash fabric used since 1/1/15: 94.75 yards
Total stash fabric used to date: 98.25  yards

Christmas Gifts: Tote Bags

More finishes to share.  I made three tote bags using a pattern in Sandi Henderson's book Sewing Bits and Pieces.  I had a lot of fun choosing fabric combinations and aiming to use pieces that are fun and pretty as well as difficult to use in quilts.  These are Christmas gifts.

Now my last project I would like to finish up before Christmas is Owen's Christmas stocking.  Here's what I have so far:

Total stash fabric used in this post: 3 yards
Total stash fabric used since 1/1/15: 94.75 yards
Total stash fabric used to date: 97.75  yards

Finish it up Friday: Several Finishes

 It's time to play catch-up on this blog.  I have several finishes to share.  I have lots of pictures and less time for words.

I revisited the Oliver and S Library dress pattern with some Amy Butler Hapi fabric.  I love how it came out and am continuing to feel pleased that my daughter is consenting to wearing florals despite her penchant for novelty prints:

 I love how happy she is here:

My love for making dresses isn't slowing down and she can only wear so many....  I am seriously considering making these to sell at some point.  They're such a gratifying sew!

A friend here in Colorado is having a baby boy tomorrow (due on Christmas, getting induced tomorrow!  Eeek!  Exciting!).  Even though I've known Kelly was pregnant for quite a while - she came to me early for an OB recommendation - I really waited till the last minute to make the baby a quilt.  I pulled out one of my favorite boy prints (Ready, Set, Go! by Robert Kaufman) and got to work.  The bike theme is deliberate as the dad in the family works for a company marketing special mountain bikes.

This quilt came together fast and I am quite pleased with it!  I backed it with a stash dwelling blue/white polka dot and machine bound it with the same:

Finally, I attended a Christmas party with a gift exchange and brought this pouch to give as my gift.  I only finished it an hour before the party started and had to settle for a quick iphone photo:

I have one more major sewing deadline before I can really relax and focus on some of my own projects.  I'm trying not to go too crazy with handmade gifts, so it shouldn't be too hectic.  Thanks for reading!  Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.

Total stash fabric used in this post: 5.5 yards
Total stash fabric used since 1/1/15: 89.25 yards
Total stash fabric used to date: 94.75  yards

SMS Giveaway Day: Embroidery Hoop Ornament

For the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway, I am offering this festive foxy ornament to one lucky visitor to this blog.  Simply leave a comment telling me your favorite color.  This giveaway is open to anyone in the world.  I will keep this giveaway open through Sunday, December 13 and they will be chosen via the Random Number Generator.*

The "2015" label is not adhered to this yet- the winner can choose to keep or omit this feature.

A little about me: I am a sewist who focuses primarily on quilting and making dresses for my daughter.  I've also been known to make bags, softies, and gifts for friends.  This year I had a goal to use fifty yards of fabric from my stash and I am nearing one hundred.  I love using thrifted materials from yard sales to complete my creations- making something out of "nothing" is a thrill!

Being or becoming a blog follower is not required but I'd love it if you'd stay.  Here's a mosaic of some of my favorite projects I've completed in 2015.  You can also find me on IG @dresdenlane

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Please make sure you are a not a no-reply blogger and that you check the accounts you are using to enter giveaways.  Last time I participated in SMS Giveaway day, I contacted at least five different people before someone finally got back to me.

Update: #71 Harriet Toothfighter is the winner!  Yay!  Heather is a personal friend of mine whom I love - so this is pretty exciting for me.  I promise it was Mr. Random Number Generator that picked her.

Scraptastic Tuesday: Embroidery Hoop Ornaments

When I work with my scraps, this is what my sewing room floor looks like:

I had a great time making 10 wooden hoop ornaments over the past few days.  The idea came from this tutorial by Elea Lutz.  I had these cute 4" wooden embroidery hoops purchased from a yard sale (thrifting for the win!) and dug deep to find any Christmas/winter scraps and just had fun with it.  I used wool felt for a backing to the hoops (to make the backside look neat), vintage rick rack for the hanging loops, and red pom poms for the berries.  I busted out the glue gun, pinking shears, and fabric paint/stamps too- I felt so crafty.

Here's a closeup of a few of my favorites.

I will be keeping a few for our family and giving a few to friends and family.  It was definitely a fun project and I hope to revisit it again.

Linking up to She Can Quilt for the December Scraptastic Tuesday Link up.