Wednesday 7 August 2013

The week that I made a staple dress and a quilt top

Yes you read that correctly.  This week I have made a staple dress and completed my St Louis 16 patch quilt top...and made and sent my X and + blocks for the August queens.

 
 
Amy hadn't given any preferences so I went a little bit scrappy for her but kept the triangles white to calm the blocks down a bit.  Nikki asked us for bright, modern and geometric.  I think these fit the bill.


If you instagram the #stlouis16patch quilt seems to be the quilt of the moment.  Just like the #scrappytrips was a few months ago.  I jumped on the bandwagon and turned this stack of 1 yard cuts of  Sarah Fielke's 'From little things' into a quilt top.


The blocks came together pretty quickly using 4 inch strips which were stitched then cut and flipped and stitched back together again.  Each block measures around 14 inches finished.


I've had this fabric sitting in my stash for about 2 years now so it felt good to cut into it and turn it into something which will be used.  My eldest has already claimed it for herself once I manage to find some suitable backing fabric and get it quilted.


But what I am most proud of this week is my staple dress.  Again another hashtag (#stapledress)
and what seems to be world wide domination if instagram and flickr are anything to go by.  I made mine using some AMH Field study - sundials in turquoise. 


Now I was quite nervous about sewing a dress.  I've not done anything like following a proper pattern for ages but I went ahead, reading the full instructions very carefully and checking each step of the way.  I mastered french seams and neck and arm facings without hitch and even managed the shirring (5 rows) around the waist.  And what's even better is......it fits!!! 



All I need now is an excuse to wear it!  I have another one of these planned using a Nordika panel along with my new found confidence in dressmaking.

1 comment:

pennydog said...

I have the same bed in our spare room! Love the voile for the dress, I think I will eventually succumb (though I have other patterns and it's quite expensive for just one item...)