Year end wrap up for 2011

I blogged every sewing project completed in 2011.  I guess it was a fairly productive year as I made 21 quilts, 4 wall hangings, 2 table runners, 10 bags, 9 pillows and 9 garments.

Here is what I sewed:

Quilts

• 2 selvage quilts
• Pink floral quilt
• Blue embroidered quilt
• Hawaiian quilt
• Jelly bean quilt
• Wedding quilt
• Baby quilt
• 2 mini quilts for mom
• 11 charity quilts

Wall hangings

• Spring and Summer season wall hangings
• Basket applique wall hanging
• Asian wall hanging

Table runner

• Embroidered runner and 8 napkins for co-worker
• Christmas runner for secret santa exchange at work

Bags

• 9 selvage bags
• Serger wine bag

Pillows

• 9 turtle pillows for Painted Turtle Camp

Garments

• 2 Little House on the Prairie hats
• Wedding vest and muslin vest
• Knit wrap dress
• Taupe pair of pants
• White long sleeve and teal floral sleeveless blouses
• Green tweed jacket

Last finished quilt for 2011

This quilt was from a class I took taught by my friend Sandy.  Using my embroidery machine more was a goal this year so I embroidered teapots on the center squares. 

Tree of Life Selvage Quilt

I finally finished the second selvage quilt.  I started it last spring at a retreat but put it aside for other projects.  The year is winding down and I am determined to start 2012 with few UFO's.  This quilt is going to be entered into the guild quilt show in March.

Selvage bags

Sewing bags were made out of fabric selvages for my sewing friends.  I also made a few extra for me.  In total, I made nine bags.  I quilted the bags as I topstitched the selvages so they would hold up when storing notions like scissors.  I also put the zippers in using the serger.

Serger wine bag

This wine bag was made on the serger during a class last week.  After the holidays I hope to find the time to make more.  I need to get more of the animal print fabric as I think it makes the bag.

Secret Santa Table Runner

We had our office holiday lunch today where we exchanged gifts.  I made a Christmas table runner for the person I drew.  She was so excited about the table runner that she is going to hang it on the wall so it doesn't get ruined.  I think it turned out great and I finished sewing the binding  this morning.  Nothing like sewing down to the wire.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar baby quilt

I finished the baby quilt this morning just barely in time to give it to Monica at her shower today.  Pretty good considering that I didn't start on the quilt until the week of Thanksgiving.  I ordered the kit months ago and thought it was a baby quilt but ended up being twin size.  Needless to say, it took longer to make that I thought.  Now it is time to get started on Christmas gifts.

Housewarming gift - Table runner and napkins

 I finally finished a table runner and napkins for a coworker's new home.  I am a little late as she moved into the house in May.  It took her a while to let me know what she wanted then I wanted to take more embroidery classes before tackling this project. I made the runner extra long and also embroidered 8 napkins.  Got them to her just in time for her Thanksgiving dinner.  So that the runner could serve dual purposes, I made the back of the runner out of Christmas fabrics.  She loved it.

Mini Flag Quilt

When I went to Oregon in July to visit family, Mom cleaned out her sewing room of most of the fabric and one kit.  She asked me to make up the kit for her for Christmas.  I am happy to report that I now have my first Christmas gift made!  It turned out so well.  I love the fabrics with a 40's feel.  The quilting was done in the ditch for the stripes with stars quilted in the blue star part of the quilt.

Charity quilts 10 and 11

Here is the latest round of charity quilts.  I made and surpassed my unofficial goal of completing 10 so now I may shoot for 20 this year.  I definitely have enough fabric to make that many but am going to take a break from comfort quilts and do some different projects.

Charity quilts 8 and 9

I finished two more charity quilts for the quilt guild.  Most of my quilts are pretty floral so I was happy how the red and beige quilt turned out as it might work for a man.  I wish I could say that these charity quilts are making a dent in my stash but they didn't take it down very much.

Pink Pinwheel Quilt

I have been busy finishing more UFO projects.  I started this quilt last year and finally finished it. It was a kit  from Fat Quarter Shop.  I  love how the quilt turned out and the colors brighten up my living room.

Charity quilts 5, 6 & 7

I mentioned once that I wanted to make 10 charity quilts this year.  I just may make that goal and possibly exceed it.  While visiting family this summer, I inherited quite a bit of quilting fabric in large enough chunks for backs of quilts.  Feeling overwhelmed with having a little too much stash, I decided to sew it down by making some more charity quilts.  Here are three of the quilts I made for the quilt guild this month.

Spring and Summer Wall Hangings

While traveling or sitting out on the boat waiting for the fish to bite I embroidered the center part of these hangings.  They are Crabapple Hill patterns made into wall hangings.  I now have all four seasons.  We'll see if I keep up with getting them changed so they are displayed with the current season.

Little House on the Prairie Bonnet

It has been awhile since I posted but that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing.  A friend of mine has been reading the Little House on the Prairie books to her daughter and thought it would be cool for her daughter to have a bonnet like they wear in the books.  I offered to make one for her and it turned out so cute, I made a second one so when her friends come to visit, they can wear one too.

First Selvage Quilt

I have been saving the quilt fabric selvages from my sewing friends for several years in order to acquire enough to make a quilt.  This is the first of several I plan to make.  I worked on this during the sewing retreat several weekends ago and finished sewing the binding on this week.

Geisha Quilt

Finished another UFO.  We bought the fabric for this quilt at a shop down the road from our condo in Kauai.  I pieced together the top at my first quilt retreat a couple years ago and it has taken me until now to get the inspiration to quilt it.  I quilted around each Geisha and the faccial features as well as the designs on the border.

The Perfect Knit Dress

That's what it says on the pattern envelope.  I have quite a few lovely knits in my stash but have not had the courage to sew them as I don't have much experience with knits.  After reading several blog posts on McCalls 5974 I decided to try it with some inexpensive knit I bought on sale.  Don't know what I was afraid of.  It was pretty easy to sew and with the help of the serger made up really fast. 

I thought I would try a photo on the dressmaker's dummy as this dress looks much better this way than on the hangar.

Wedding Quilt

The wedding is happening this coming weekend.  The vest has been delivered and now the quilt made as a gift is completed.  The pattern is called Chinese Lanterns and there are both Japanese and Chinese fabrics in the quilt blending like their cultures.  The quilt label is my best one yet.  I am loving the new sewing and embroidery machine.

Silhouette Patterns #3200

After attending the Peggy Sagers workshop on fitting pants last month, I wanted to made a pair  before I forgot everything I learned.  I like her patterns as they include many shortcuts and go together really fast.  This pair of pants was made out of some unknown fabric I had in my stash.  After wearing them today, I now know the fabric has some wool content as they felt very itchy (I am alergic to wool).  The pants are a little big so still need to tweak the pattern some.  I made them exactly like the pattern with a front zipper. Next time I would like to make the legs slimmer and lengthen them by about an inch.  I may also try an invisible side zipper.

Silhouette Patterns #600

After attending the Peggy Sagers workshop last weekend, I have been inspired to sew garments for myself again.  Our local chapter of ASG is putting on mini workshops each month called "From Pattern to Muslin" with the goal of having patterns that fit us at the end of the year.  Our first project is a blouse.  The white seersucker long sleeve blouse below is the first project from the mini workshop.  I used Silhouette Pattern #600 classic blouse with no changes to the pattern other than some fitting tweaks.  After finishing, I wanted to perfect the sewing techniques so made a sleeveless version using some silk I got at the $3.00 silk store in the L.A. garment district.  While the fit is pretty good and much better than ready to wear, I still don't have it perfect so look forward to finding out what changes I need to make at the mini workshop next weekend.

Wedding vest

The wedding vest is finished and I was able to give it to the groom-to-be on Easter, four weeks before the wedding.  I was pleased with how it turned out and it fit perfectly.  This was my first time making men's clothing.  Not sure if it is a direction to my sewing I will take very often but it was fun to help with the wedding.  The fabric was beautiful, white and silver silk for the front and satin for the back and lining.

I know the groom isn't supposed to see the bride in her dress before the wedding but evidently it is OK for the bride to see what the groom is wearing.  This photo shows the happy couple showing the vest off to the family.