vingt centimes

Running Refashion

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Four years ago I started running. I'm still not that good at it, but I keep at it. One of the things about running that I wanted to accomplish was to run in road races. I always envied folks who earned those race t-shirts! I have run a number of road races since I took those first few running steps. While I'm not breaking any records, I'm fitter now than ever before, which is a pretty great thing. Running is something I do with my husband. He's been running since he was in high school, and is my biggest source of encouragement. I'd probably have given up running if not for him. So, I started running races, and earning those t-shirts. The funny part? I don't like t-shirts! They don't fit right. They're cut to fit a man's body, and they just don't flatter my form. Take this t-shirt, for instance. See that shirt in the before? That would be a size SMALL. Small? Well, there was no way I was going to wear that in public. I've always read good things about Jalie patterns, so I ordered Jalie 2805. I did a couple of muslins to find the right size, then I went to work. I picked the sleeve and side seams apart. There was nothing wrong with the collar or the shoulder seams, so I left them alone. I first cut the front, then the back. The main difference was that the arm holes were much smaller, and I cut off some excess on the sides. Then I cut the sleeves into a modified cap sleeve, using the existing hem, making the sleeve several inches shorter. Then I sewed it all back together. Here's the final product. Much better! I wore it running, and I discovered I need to shorten it several inches, which is easy enough with a double needle and matching thread. This project got me started on refashioning t-shirts-- I've done a few more since then!

Be My Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:07:00 +0000

This little cutie was shipped off in the mail yesterday, as a birthday gift to my mother in law, who will ring in a new year on Friday. I've lost track of how many wall hangings I've made for her over the years, suffice it to say... a lot! She changes them out seasonally, and I always look to see which one is up when we visit, just for kicks. She asked for a Christmas wall hangign a couple of years ago, so I figured she'd enjoy a valentine version, too. I have a feeling she'll be tickled pink by the vintage valentines, which is right up her alley.

Buggy

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:34:00 +0000

Not so long ago, while organizing my fabrics, I came across a bag full of these bug jar blocks. I made several of these very adorable quilts in a short span of time, and then I stopped. After a several year hiatus, I was ready to get these made up into a quilt, and here it is! My parents' neighbors are new grandparents, and we gave them this quilt for their new grandbaby. They were thrilled!

Look at the Birdie

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:56:00 +0000

Once upon a time I bought a package of two one yard precuts. They were meant to be turned into an apron or some sort of project. Meh. I turned them in to a quilt for Project Linus-- my 70th quilt for PL as it turns out! How about that? Good stuff!

Teddy Bear Picnic

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:52:00 +0000

Here's another panel that I quilted up recently. It's backed and bound with coordinates, and turned out pretty cute!

Green and Gray

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Oh, this quilt! I was given 16 squares of this yellow-y green fabric, and a bunch of matching strips. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what to do with it. It hovered over the trash can more than once, each time getting pulled back at the last minute. Finally, in a moment of inspiration, it was paired with charcoal gray, and voila! I love the modern simplicity of this quilt-- it's terribly appealing! It will need to find just the right home to be appreciated, but I feel certain that it will.

Here it is, 2012. In fact, here it is 1-2-12. As I've been spending time in my sewing room the past couple of days, it seemed like it might be a good time to finish some projects that got started but never finished. Along those lines, I've sewed a binding on one quilt, quilted and bound another, and am currently piecing together blocks made from fabric I picked up on vacation the year before last-- I think I'm off to a good start!

Sweet Safari

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +0000

Recently I was given a number of very sweet panels, which I have been enjoying sewing up. I've just been doing eyeballed (read: not even remotely perfect!) sorta straight lines. No measuring, just quilted. It went very fast and was really fun, and looks pretty cute, too! I made two of this panel, and both are bound in a tiny little white on green polka dot. Fun!

On Eagle's Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Truth be told, this quilt isn't my style, but it does fit in to one of my goals-- making more boy oriented quilts. The front features an eagle print and a multi colored print that coordinates. The back is one big piece of deer themed fabric. Very masculine! I hope it will suit a young guy!

Boxed In

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:18:00 +0000

You may have noticed by now that this is my favorite pattern to make! This quilt is the smaller version, although I did have enough to make it one row longer, which I think is nice for a donation quilt. Pieced and quilted by me, bound by mom.

'Neath the Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:16:00 +0000

This year, my brother took an interest in holiday decorations. That's rather notable, so I thought I should make something! He had a real tree, so I made a skirt for future trees. I stopped in the fabric shop and found three fabrics I liked. The bolts were almost gone, so I polished all three off. (when I was all done, there was a two inch strip left of one fabric!) I pondered many different options, but in the end went with something completely different from what I started out with. I made 16 'square in a square' blocks, each measuring 11 1/2" inches. I sewed them up into a square, layered them over batting and backing, used a plate to trace the opening for the tree trunk, a ruler to mark the opening in back, sewed around the outside seam, turned the whole thing inside out, and voila! Of course I had to make a matching gift bag/stuff sack. It was well recieved by my brother and hints were dropped by my parents that they'd like one. My husband was bummed out when the skirt disappeared from under our tree and he learned that it wasn't for us-- it was a gift. I wonder what I'll be making next Christmas...?

Joyeux Noel

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Joyeux Noel, mes amis (Merry Christmas, my friends)!

Sneak Peek!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:48:00 +0000

This year I am giving one hand made gift, and it is a Christmas related gift. I was at the grocery store this morning, and I happened down the holiday aisle. I was so excited to find a box of polka dot ornaments-- they will go perfectly with what I made! I can't show you the gift just yet, but I thought you'd enjoy a sneak peek. (Don't you love my vintage holly table cloth?)

Chain of Daisies

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:03:00 +0000

A few years ago, when Amy Butler's Daisy Chain was a new line, I picked up fat quarters here and there, as well as a few lengths of yardage. Earlier this year I finally turned it into a quilt. I love it! I had just enough fabric to make it a row wider than I usually make this pattern. Subsequently it was too wide for my design wall (thus the photos outside!). I love this quilt! The colors are so calming. Looking at it reminds me of a seascape. I also had fun piecing the backing. Not an inch of this fabric was wasted. Can't wait to use this quilt!

Little Denim

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:50:00 +0000

There was this piece of flannel with little dalmatians on it floating around my sewing room forever. It wasn't enough to make pajama pants from, it wasn't enough to do anything with. Finally, one day I decided to wing it and see if I could eek a small denim quilt out of it. Wouldn't you know there was exactly enough to make this little guy! I gave it to my mom to give to a group that organizes Christmas gifts for folks who need a bit of assistance making the season more bright. I gave one to them a couple years ago, and they were so pleased with it. Hope they like this one!

Orange Trip Around the World

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:13:00 +0000

This eye poppingly bright quilt started out from one jelly roll. Which clearly wasn't enough. So I bought another. And then made a trip to a store 45 minutes away to get two more when the local store ran out. I took several of the fabrics out of the roll, so I should have known that I wouldn't have enough, I suppose. It was fascinating to arrange this quilt. Each rotation of the squares resulted in a completely different look. I had to photograph each way to decide which I liked best-- it was a hard call. I saved the stripe for the binding--love a striped binding! Pieced by me, beautifully quilted by my long arm quilter and bound by my mom.

Taupetastic

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:09:00 +0000

This little guy is really subtle, but I love it! It's very calming and pleasing. I don't usually do much with neutrals, but this was a success. Machine pieced and quilted by me and, you guessed it, bound by my dear mom.

Calico Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:22:00 +0000

Often short lengths of yardage find their way to me. I group like bits together until there's enough for a quilt. In this case, the large scale cabbage rose print dictated the color scheme. Machine pieced and quilted by me, hand bound by my mom.

Meow

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

This sweet, soothing little quilt features a cat print and a floral/starburst aqua fabric. The aqua has the tiniest hint of green in the pattern, which is picked up by the other fabric-- they're quite complementary! There was quite a bit of the cat fabric in my stash-- you may remember these pajama pants I made a while back. I machine pieced and quilted this, and my mom hand sewed the binding.

Quatre Cent is French for 400

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Who would have thought, way back in 2005, that this humble blog would make its way to its 400th post? Oh my! Looking back, I've been busy! I've donated more than 60 quilts to Project Linus (and there are currently more than 20 in the finishing queue!) made dozens of quilts, oodles of bags and all sorts of things in between. My skills increase with each new project. Sewing is my favorite pastime, and it gives me great joy. Thanks for continuing to share it with me.

Gift Swing Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:46:00 +0000

Whenever we visit my inlaws I always stop by their local chain fabric store, which is much larger than the one here in town. I've picked up some pretty neat things there over the years. Last year I eyed these pretty coordinates but thought they were overpriced, so I didn't get any yardage. This year, low and behold, they were on clearance at a reasonable price! I picked up a half yard of these two prints, knowing they'd work up beautifully into a swing bag. This bag will be a Christmas gift. Oh how I love this pattern!!

Vintage Swing Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:46:00 +0000

Not too long ago, my mom gave me a 3/4 yard length of a vintage home dec fabric. I knew right away I wanted to fussy cut it and use it in a swing bag. Originally, I'd hoped to line it in an aqua, but I didn't have just the right thing, so I lined it in purple, which worked swimingly. This was my summer bag this year. I have made this bag so many time I can almost make it with my eyes shut. I adore it!

RWB

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:21:00 +0000

In one of the fabric bundles my mom sent my way I found all of these fabrics, each was WOF, and seven or eight inches wide. Each one was quickly straightened out, trimmed and cut to a five inch strip. If there was enough extra, I cut a two inch strip for the binding and this red, white and blue quilt came to pass. Bound by my mom.

Flames

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:08:00 +0000

One of the things I've been working on with my donation quilts is trying to make more quilts for boys. It's something I have to work at-- although I'm personally not big on the color pink, I have a mountain of pink fabric and I seem to turn out a lot of pink quilts! I think this particular quilt fits the bill for more masculine-- it features a race car fabric and a flame fabric. I'd been having trouble figuring out how to use each of the fabrics separately until I tried them together--perfect.

Drive In Double Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:01:00 +0000

I liked this quilt so much I made it twice! (actually, while cleaning up my sewing area over the weekend, I discovered a third one! All it needed was a binding, which I took care of as soon as I found it. It's now in a pile of fourteen quilts waiting for my mom's finishing touch!) I hope this fun quilt will brighten the day of someone in need.

Purple Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:45:00 +0000

This is a project I started a very, very long time ago. It sat around, nearly finished for a long time. I finally sat down and quilted it up and my mom sewed down the binding. This was made up from leftovers from this quilt. I hadn't looked at this in a while, and it was fun to pick out various fabrics and remember where I'd gotten them. I don't wear t-shirts, but I love buying fabric when I'm out and about, and I have made a number of quilts or projects that don't look like souvenirs to others, but remind me of adventures I've been when I see them.