More Pictures of the 12 UFOs for the PHD 2022 Challenge

I wanted to post more pictures of all the 12 UFOs I want to complete for Quilting Gail's PHD 2022 Challenge-but I still have not gathered all the photos.  This post was started in the middle of January.  The start of this semester was very busy and I have found myself struggling to get to post

I realize that to update this blog and keep up with challenges, I have a LOT to learn--like how to post the icon for the challenge, how to post the spreadsheet.  I use Excel all the time--uploading to this blog post is definitely not the same as integrating it into a Word file, so, I will continue working on that.  

I listed the UFO's in my post on the 15th of January, but this time I am trying to upload a picture of each one.   

 1.  SEC quilt for my DH (needs borders)

More information about this quilt, its status, and the blocks is in my last post, but my task this week is to buy a new piece of royal blue for the outer border.  I am not satisfied with the blue I could find when I purchased it in the summer of 2020--we were in Phoenix and all stores were closed down.  I ordered it on-line, but when it arrived, it was not a pure, royal blue--it was almost an aquamarine blue.  

UPDATE: The royal blue border fabric was purchased and borders were finally finished.  

This one is now ready to be sent to a long arm quilter to be quilted.  I do not trust my skill level to quilt it by machine, yet.  With my rheumatoid arthritis, I can no longer handle the quilting of one this size (89" square).

2.  Pink/Green Quilt (already quilted--just needs binding)

 SEC quilt for my DH (needs borders)

2.  Pink/Green Quilt (already quilted--just needs binding)

I worked on this as a leader/ender project for a couple of years.  It was an easy quilt to piece.  I had it quilted during a summer that I spent in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma at a quilt shop there that is now closed.  I have never added a binding to it.

UPDATE:  Borders are cut and ready to see on.  Hopefully I can stitch the border by Monday night and meet my goal for February!

Other PHD goals for 2022 and status:

3.  Deer Print Quilt for DS (needs 1 more row of blocks and borders)--Christmas gift for DS.

4.  Brown scrappy log cabin quilt (needs four more blocks)--gift for me and my DH--to be used either on our bed or on the bed in our camper.  

5.  Biblical Blocks Quilt (needs 4 more blocks and borders cut and added)

6.  Warm cabin nights quilt (need to finish border, check/adjust  block sizes, and assemble)

7.  Bears in the Woods Quilt by Eleanor Burns (Need to sew most of the blocks and assemble for DD)

8.  Civil War Quilt --needs binding sewed on 

9.  Route 66 Wall Hanging/Panel Quilt--need to assemble and add borders--this is to be a Christmas gift for DH--wall hanging for camper bedroom.

10. Yellow & blue round robin quilt (needs 1 border added)

11.  9-patch quilt (Need to assemble sashing and  blocks)

12. Purple pinwheels quilt--all assembled--just needs quilting.  I started this quilt about 12 years ago for my mother-in-law, Carol.  She passed away before I could get it quilted, so it has sat.  Time to get it quilted and bound.  I think I will gift this to my sister-in-law, Carol's daughter.  The fabrics wre bought as a collection from Keepsake Quilting quite a few years ago.  Some of the pictures appear to be pink--there are pink hues, but it is primarily Purple, lavenders, and teals.

3.  Deer Print Quilt for DS (needs 1 more row of blocks and borders)--Christmas gift for DS.

4.  Brown scrappy log cabin quilt (needs four more blocks)--gift for me and my DH--to be used either on our bed or on the bed in our camper.  

5.  Biblical Blocks Quilt (needs 4 more blocks and borders cut and added)

6.  Warm cabin nights quilt (need to finish border, check/adjust  block sizes, and assemble)

7.  Bears in the Woods Quilt by Eleanor Burns (Need to sew most of the blocks and assemble for DD)

8.  Civil War Quilt --needs binding sewed on 

9.  Route 66 Wall Hanging/Panel Quilt--need to assemble and add borders--this is to be a Christmas gift for DH--wall hanging for camper bedroom.

10. Yellow & blue round robin quilt (needs 1 border added)

11.  9-patch quilt (Need to assemble sashing and  blocks)

12. Purple pinwheels quilt--all assembled--just needs quilting.  I started this quilt about 12 years ago for my mother-in-law, Carol.  She passed away before I could get it quilted, so it has sat.  Time to get it quilted and bound.  I think I will gift this to my sister-in-law, Carol's daughter.  The fabrics wre bought as a collection from Keepsake Quilting quite a few years ago.  Some of the pictures appear to be pink--there are pink hues, but it is primarily Purple, lavenders, and teals.

PHD 2022 and Refreshing this Blog!

 

Project #1 for PHD Challenge

 

Welcome to 2022!

I decided that it is about time to dust off this blog and make it a meaningful way to track my sewing passions, which include sewing garments for myself and occasionally my daughter, quilting, and embroidery.  So, I plan to post updates on all three of these areas this year and see how much I can accomplish if I become more focused and organized.

With that in mind, I have decided to join the PHD 2022 initiative.  I have quite a few quilting and fashion sewing projects lingering around my craft room, but today's post will focus on quilting only.

Here is my list of UFOs:

1.  SEC quilt for my DH (needs borders)

This quilt has a block for all of the SEC football teams--my husband is a huge SEC fan.  Each team has a block surrounded by its colors.  I started this quilt 3 years ago.  The borders are supposed to be a royal blue with yellow cornerstones.  Each of the four corner blocks will have an SEC patch.  I am going to try to hand quilt it.  

The picture below shows the blocks assembled.  I want to add a narrow black border.  This is a Dewey block from Quilter's Cache.  It is a great pattern for highlighting a feature fabric..

The four blocks above were originally going to be corners.  I should have known that these blocks, which finish at 16 inches each would be too large for the four corners of the quilt.  Too bad.--someone (DH or DS) will receive a wall hanging with these.  I plan to order more patches to center in the white centers of the blocks.  .Each piece in these  four blocks was fussy cut, and each block features fabric from one of the SEC teams at the present time.  I have to finish this quilt before a change occurs in 2025--I am not re-making the quilt--I might add a couple of throw pillows for the two new incoming teams!  LOL

I should have plenty of time coming up after this week--my new semester of classes just started this week, and I have to work the rest of this weekend on starting my on-line classes.  After that, my husband leaves for Omaha , Nebraska for work -- I probably will not see him until my spring break in March.  I hope to take this quilt to him then. So my January project will be to work on this as much as possible.  Next month's project is a binding job--everything else is done, so this might carry over to February, but my goal is to at least finish the top before the end of January--at least!

2.  Pink/Green Quilt (already quilted--just needs binding)

3.  Deer Print Quilt for DS (needs 1 more row of blocks and borders)--Christmas gift for DS.

4.  Brown scrappy log cabin quilt (needs four more blocks)--gift for me and my DH--to be used either on our bed or on the bed in our camper.  

5.  Biblical Blocks Quilt (needs 4 more blocks and borders cut and added)

6.  Warm cabin nights quilt (need to finish border, check/adjust  block sizes, and assemble)

7.  Bears in the Woods Quilt by Eleanor Burns (Need to sew most of the blocks and assemble for DD)

8.  Civil War Quilt --needs binding sewed on 

9.  Route 66 Wall Hanging/Panel Quilt--need to assemble and add borders--this is to be a Christmas gift for DH--wall hanging for camper bedroom.

10. Yellow & blue round robin quilt (needs 1 border added)

11.  9-patch quilt (Need to assemble sashing and  blocks)

12. Purple pinwheels quilt--all assembled--just needs quilting.  I started this quilt about 12 years ago for my mother-in-law, Carol.  She passed away before I could get it quilted, so it has sat.  Time to get it quilted and bound.  I think I will gift this to my sister-in-law, Carol's daughter.  The fabrics wre bought as a collection from Keepsake Quilting quite a few years ago.  Some of the pictures appear to be pink--there are pink hues, but it is primarily Purple, lavenders, and teals.

It is easier  to see the borders in the picture below.  Most importantly, the quilt is pretty, and I just need to quilt it or send it out to be quilted.

The quilt has a triple border.  In the picture above, you can see the pinkish/lavender fabric at the bottom is the lining.  I need to get this one started before next December if it is to be a Christmas 2022 gift.

I will update the other items in the list above with photos and descriptions as I have more time in the next couple of weeks.  This three-day weekend is a work-related weekend for me as I finish my on-line classes that I teach -- on-line classes begin in two days.

Other quilting UFOs and on/going projects:

1.  Pickle Dish Paper-Pieced Bali 

2.  Scrappy Basket 

3.  Kaffe Fasset Quilt Kit from Arizona

4.  Cactus Wallhanging Kit

5.  Jinny Beyer Moonglow quilt kit (only two blocks complete)

6.  Scrappy Hexagon Quilt

7.  My mother's flower garden quilts (one is almost complete, another is cut out--I want to finish these two for my niece and daughter.

8.  Big Foot Quilt

9.  Applique chicken quilt

10.  Applique cat quilt

Work demands are crazy---I  will update this blog with new posts and pictures for the other UFOs and descriptions as soon as I can. For now, I am going to attempt to join the Link party for PHD quilt projects. This is my first Linky party attempt, so maybe I can still figure it out and join for the year.

Summer Sewing Time -- Quick Update

Summer time has arrived for me!  Although it is still officially spring according to the calendar, temperatures here in the South will soon be rising to a steamy heat daily!  The summer break (that my career as an accounting and business instructor at a local community college allows me to take) officially began almost two weeks ago at graduation.  This year was rather special as my youngest child and only daughter graduated.  Faculty march each year, but having her in this year's ceremony made this year's event more special.  She will be attending a university next fall with her soon-to-be husband.  I am very proud of her 4.0 GPA which has helped her to secure full tuition scholarships in her major in communications and public relationships.

Trial Run of V1250 Bridesmaid Dress

Having been inspired by  Sew Intriguing's pictures, I made a wearable muslin of what I wanted to sew for the bridesmaid dresses for my daughter's wedding in June.  I used Liann's suggestions from this post.  I started approximately six inches above the pattern's bottom cutting line and I angled all the way out to make the most of my 60"+ fabric.   I added 22 inches to the bottom.   Here is what the layout looked like after I made my changes to add flare and a mini train to the back:

The fabric is from Gorgeous Fabrics.  I had wanted to make a maxi dress for myself, but Danielle loved the fabric so much that I thought that she could have a wearable muslin.  She will probably have me to remove the train portion and use it for  dressy maxi-length dress that would be appropriate for church or for dressier occasions--maybe even her bridal shower coming up soon.



Here is the back view:

And, a view from the side:

This is a view of the dress from the front--I have not hemmed it since we might alter this to be a shorter dress.

She loved the dress, and fortunately, there is enough fabric left over for me to make a dress.


Update:

We ended up cutting the length to just above her knees so that the dress could be more versatile for her.  Pictured below is  Danielle wearing the dress at her bridal shower.  The fabric came from my stash and was purchased a couple of years ago from Gorgeous Fabrics.  The fabric was easy to sew and feels great!

This pattern is so versatile!  She has a turquoise jacket that she can pair with this dress and she instantly looks appropriate for her leadership conference this week which requires business attire  with closed-toed pumps.

Fortunately, there is enough fabric left for me to make a dress or a tunic for myself.  First, however, I have five bridesmaid dresses to make.  Stay tuned . . . !

Panel Print Top

I recently purchased this panel from Marcy Tilton's online fabric store here:

Here is a detailed picture of the panel:

After it arrived, my daughter liked it so much that I ordered another panel for her.  Obviously, she is too old for mother/daughter outfits, but she is moving away next month after her wedding.   As a result, we can each wear one since we will no longer be in the same vicinity.  Since I am still sewing bridesmaid dresses for the upcoming wedding,  my sewing time for other endeavors is very limited, so selecting a simple pattern such as Vogue 8877 allows me to show off this beautiful panel quickly.

I used the version above and paired it with a soft, black dotted tissue knit (also from Marcy Tilton Fabrics) that I think is now sold out (SEE UPDATE BELOW--FABRIC IS AVAILABLE!)  , but similar  fabrics can be ordered here.  The mesh fabric is going to be used for the top piece and the three quarter length sleeve shown in View C below.  I lengthened the top front piece approximately an inch and a half in order to use every possible inch of the length of the panel.  I used the panel for the bottom front and back, but I could have used one panel for the front piece only  and had enough to use for another top had I chosen to make the back piece out of the mesh knit also.

The results are stunning and it feels luxurious! The black knit was a bit tedious to manage, but well worth it!  The combination of the two types of fabrics was similar to many tops in high-end local boutiques,  I do not think any of the fabrics of the boutique tops, however,  felt as  luxurious as Marcy's fabrics.   I finished Danielle's top first,since she will be taking her version with her to a leadership conference this week.  I will post pictures  of the finished garment when she returns.  Meanwhile, I need to order some more of the black mesh knit in order to finish mine.

UPDATE:

The black knit that I used for the sleeve is a tissue knit--NOT a mesh knit that I originally mentioned before I edited the post above.  I found the shipping invoice and noticed that the black fabric is called a tissue knit, and I was able to find the exact fabric here:

Since it is a semi-sheer fabric, it does not overwhelm the panel print, and it makes a lovely combo. This fabric feels totally luxurious.  I think it would work very well for lingerie, also.  I love it, love it, love it!!!!

Here is a detail picture of the dotted tissue knit:

Sewing for a Wedding

My current sewing goals revolve around my new role as a mother of the bride.  My daughter is getting married this June, and I have volunteered to make the bridesmaid dresses.  There will be five attendants plus a flower girl.  Whether or not to make the flower girl dress has not been decided, but I am committed to making bridesmaid dresses in a simple but elegant style.  We have chosen Vogue 1250 that everyone in the sewing blogosphere has probably made by now.  As I perused some bridesmaid styles, I saw a dress almost identical to this one in a mint green with an inset of dark green sequins at the neck.  The price was $173 for each dress.  I thought to myself that I could make an almost identical dress with this pattern but for significantly less.  Most of the attendants are college students who are also saving and working to pay for college expenses.  Here is the view from Vogue:

I have measurements for four of the five attendants, and we are currently looking for a stretchy satin or knit to use for the dress.  We plan to lengthen it.  Danielle (my daughter) wants me to add some flare.  Just as I was about to give up and go with a different pattern, I found another blogger's picture of a sequined gown.  Check out Sew Intriguing's pictures of her sequined gown.

Now, I need to figure out how to create fullness in the lower skirt without having to add a side seam.  I also need to find a way to add an inset under the draping neckline.  Danielle wants to use a light turquoise blue and the inset will be a darker sequined fabric.   I hope to create a fake tube top with the inset and sew it underneath the arms across the bodice so that it will appear to be a simple tube top underneath.  

Any ideas or suggestions will definitely be welcome.  I plan to make a trial run in different fabrics very soon.  

I have also been eyeing some fabrics at Gorgeous Fabrics for my mother of the bride dress.  There is also a sequined fabric that is gorgeous--I am not sure about the color.  I need a simple pattern with a beautiful impact if I choose this:

Decisions, decisions, decisions . . . !

Launching Sewing at the Rock

Welcome to my blog.  I plan to use this blog to chronicle my sewing, quilting, and other needlework accomplishments and attempts.  I live in the rural community of Little Rock, Mississippi, where we have one store and a post office.

My time for sewing is very limited, but I have been inspired by many sewing bloggers who are also working mothers and still manage to sew many beautiful garments.  It is time for me to join in the fun.  I have sewed all of my life, and I enjoy the process as well as the feeling of accomplishment that comes from knowing I have made something that is stylish and looks well.  I am not ready to go on a total ready-to-wear fast, but my ready-to-wear purchases have significantly declined.

To launch this blog, I would like to showcase a picture of a prom dress that I made for my daughter a couple of years ago.  The pattern is still in the McCalls pattern book, so I hope  that this is still relevant and inspiring.  The fabric surprisingly came from JoAnn's.

I made a muslin using similar fabric, and I used the smallest size.  I still had to cut several inches from the width of the bodice.  I sewed bra cups into the bodice, and added boning.  This was my first garment that I ever underlined and used boning.  I enjoyed the process of creating this dress for my daughter, but it was indeed a challenging project.




There were no markings on the skirt pattern to tack the poofs in the skirt in place to the skirt lining.  It took several hours of trying this on and playing with various poof arrangements to finally come up with the final assymetrical arrangement.  I believe my daughter thought that an impending disaster was about to occur.  She was very pleased with the end result.  A friend of mine helped to lay out the beads which were hand sewn to the shoulder and under the bust.  Here is a close -up view of the beading on the shoulder.

Here are a couple of these two bff's' pictures as they prepared to leave for prom.