November Christmas QAL 1 and Thank You's

Sue of Quilt Times http://quilttimes.blogspot.com/  is hosting this November Christmas QAL.  I want to know where the time went!  Boy, I feel as if these months keep going by faster and faster.  So today I will enjoy the gorgeous November day we are having here and hopefully get some stitching done.

 

I have several Thank You's I want to mention.  First one is to Elizabeth of Sand and Sunshine http://sandandsunshine.blogspot.com/ who hosted the October Christmas QAL and from whom I won this terrific pincushion.

Elizabeth, I told you it would get used right away.  Thank you for this cute win.

Second is to SewCalGal http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/ from whom I won the pattern and fabric to make a wine vest.

It isn't made yet but I'll get to it soon.  It's that time thing I mentioned earlier:)  These vests are so neat and useful.  Thank you, SewCalGal.  Please note that SewCalGal has a Friday giveaway each week. 

 

My third thank you is to Donna of So Sew Crafty http://sosewcrafty.blogspot.com/.  Donna posted about a giveaway during the September QAL and I went over to the site and entered.  And I won for becoming a follower of the site.  So Donna, thanks for sharing the info.  I know that when bloggers share about giveaways it increases the competition.  But the more giveaways we enter the better our chances are of winning something we can use so it's a nice thing to do.

 

Fourth is my Thank You to Barbara H. Cline and C&T Publishing, from whom I won the prize about which Donna posted.

 

 

There isn't any reason why I can't make one of the beautiful quilts in the Simply Triangles book because I have the ruler and the instructions.  And I intend to make one in the coming year.   Barbara's blog is at   http://www.quiltingal.blogspot.com .  Her quilts are treasures.  Thank you, Barbara. 

 

So what am I going to work on today?  My cross stitch project from Point De Croiz novalee02  http://novalee02.over-blog.com/ .

 

I stayed up late last night working on it.  So today and tomorrow are cross stitching days, hopefully. 

 

And the Christening Dress and Cape are completed.  In my humble opinion the pictures don't do it justice.

 

 

 I think that a baby filling them out will make them look even better:)

 

See you later.

God Bless.



Sewing for a Princess and Getting to Know My Sewing Machine

My sewing machine and I have been together for maybe eight or more years but it still holds surprises for me.  I was looking something up in the owner's manual when I spotted a topic that interested me; "How to sew square corners."  What I learned is that there are two notches on the plate that indicate when the fabric is reaching the 5/8 " mark, the usual apparel seam allowance.  By knowing this, you can turn the fabric in the same spot for every corner and your seam allowance is the same on both sides of the corner.   I never knew about those notches, even after all of the times I've replaced bobbins, etc.  And I love them.  I used them when I sewed the Christening dress back and they do work great. 

I've also been using feet I only use occasionally, namely the rolled hemmer and the buttonholer.  The dress now has a perfect rolled hem.  The buttonholes are not so perfect.  The piping bumps prevented the foot from sewing forward and so I have a little hand sewing to do on them, but not too much. 

The online store from whom I ordered the wool crepe let me know yesterday that they sold out of the fabric (after placing the charge on my card; bad business practise if you ask me), so today I bought white velvet for the cape.  Is there a princess in the house?

This is the dress so far:

 

 I've been auditioning placement of the lace appliques.

 

 

 I think the second version is what we're going with although I would like to see something at the waist. 

 

I'm happy about the progress I've made. 

Now on to some cross stitching.

 

God Bless You.



More Dress Progress

 

The plan to use lace at the neckline was abandoned and I added piping instead.  Because the fabric is cut on the diagonal, I am now dangerously close to have very little left to play with, so let's hope all goes well.  I cut the bonnet fabric so that should be all set.

 

I hand sewed in the sleeves today and will machine stitch them in later, but it's looking good.

 

 

I'm done for today.  Buttonholes next, then the skirt.  Life better not get in my way:)

 

I wanted to say Thank You again to Elizabeth of Sand and Sunshine  http://sandandsunshine.blogspot.co.uk/ for the having us over to her place yesterday for the Christmas QAL.  Elizabeth has informed me that I'm the lucky winner of the pincushion, so that makes my day.  I don't use just one pincushion because I sew all over the house so I can certainly use another.  Thanks, Elizabeth.

 

 I made so much progress on this project because we have this QAL so a big Thank You to Sue of Quilt Times  http://quilttimes.blogspot.com also for starting this up some 3 years ago.  Some day I'm going to go back and count up all of the things I've made during our second Saturdays just so I can amaze myself.  It's alot.  Thanks Sue.

 

God Bless You.



October Christmas QAL 2; Pretty Sleeves

I've got the sleeves put together.  They will have a ribbon around the top of the lace and a bow on the the outside.

 

 

I'm going to begin the bodice next but need to find lace for the neckline. 

 

My deadlines are creeping up on me.  The next part of the cross stitch SAL is due 10/20 and the FMQ Challenge and Treasure Chest QAL are due 10/31.  And yes, I will get them all done.  And I will do them all nicely.

 

 

 

October Christmas QAL 1

Today the Christmas QAL is hosted by Elizabeth of Sand and Sunshine    http://sandandsunshine.blogspot.co.uk/ and located in Florida.  If you want to see some really cute Halloween decorations then visit her blog today and if you wish you can enter her giveaway for a very cute pincushion.  Thanks, Elizabeth.

In a previous post I mentioned my very special project of using my sister's wedding gown which our mother made for her and sewing the Christening dress for her newest granddaughter.  I'm using the Simplicity 4766 pattern:

I'm making the version without the lace over skirt because my sister's gown was slipper satin and gorgeous, so the fabric is rich enough.  My mother sewed lace details on the gown and this gown will have that also.  But after cutting the dress last night this is all the fabric that's left:

There's just enough left for the bonnet. 

I'm taking this one step at a time so progress may be slow. 

I ordered wool crepe for the cape.  Not sure yet what I'll get to line the cape. 

 

God Bless.