restless
I figured out why I'm feeling restless in my sewing lately... I'd don't have my hands in any big projects right now. Usually I'm planning/sewing for an upcoming class or planning/sewing for a quilt-along or planning for a community event like Scrap Attack. With the Penny Sampler class I did almost all the sewing in advance, so my work now is to steadily turn notes and photographs into lessons. So far, so good. My pace to that end feels really manageable and apparently I have extra energy? Apparently, I need a new big project?
At the moment I have three ideas.
no.1 - Babies
Like everyone else I'm smitten with Heather Ross' new Briar Rose. I'm particularly fond of the strawberries, clovers and nanny bees. So, what's stuck in my head is to make two Geranium dresses in size 6-12 months, just in case we do get pregnant when we plan to and we happen to have a girl. (Yes, that's a lot of "maybes".) And because I'm thinking big after all, I'd like to also make a Geranium dress in Aria's size. Plus, why not some bibs and burp cloths too?
These are my three favorites. I think the Nanny Bee for Aria and the others each in a baby dress would be so sweet.
Now I've already considered how I will feel if the baby does not come to be, but I think I'm OK with making stuff without knowing. I'll be disappointed no matter what if things don't work out, and time spent making things is not likely to be my biggest concern. Of course I could gift things or donate them to the local pregnancy center. At least, that's how I rationalize it....
no. 2 - Reupholster
Ok, I'm going to show you a picture of the armchair that I've had on my to do list for ages. I'm showing it to you as a sort of virtual accountability. I know I want to reupholster it. I know it really needs it. I know it's not so hot looking. Plus it's in a dark corner of my sewing room, which is also our entry. So people open our door and... voila! But, feel free to tell me all those things again because I keep getting wimpy about this one and trying to talk myself out of it.
I'm intimidated because I've never reupholstered "real furniture" before. Plus, I don't know what fabric to use. I've been waiting for the "right thing" to appear, and since it hasn't I'm starting to wonder if that is a delay tactic.
Questions - Is it unwise to reupholster in quilting cotton? Do I need to use decorator's weight or what about linen (like Anna Maria's Field Study)? Would large, irregular patchwork on this chair be too much since my sewing patchwork chair (small squares) is already in this room? I wish I at least had a fabric chosen. That would be a start.
no. 3 - Tobacco Leaf Quilt
Last week a friend mentioned a pickle dish quilt, and my mind immediately flew to the Tobacco Leaf quilt in Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration
. I know I will make this eventually. It's going to be really time consuming... so why not now?
At first I thought it might work in yesterday's fabric stack, but upon further reflection I would want to make it in fewer colors so that this twin-sized quilt would be more mature and timeless, easier to translate into different decor styles.
I decided this gorgeous Kona Ruby is perfect as the background fabric, and eventually realized I'd love to see the leaves made in black, cream and gray neutrals. Simple and classic. And then I realized that this could work as a new quilt for Aria (both kids are promised new quilts in the next year). She loves this color red and likes the fabrics I've chosen. She wants her room to also include navy blue, but I think we could do that in pillows and other accents while keeping the quilt simple, color-wise. Excited! I haven't gotten to make a quilt for my kids for ages!
Ok, so how to choose? Baby Projects - enticing, but not really practical. Upholstering - doesn't sound fun, but I'll be so glad I did. Tobacco Leaf quilt - well, obviously, I'm powerless against a quilt. I have to do that one. So, let's do that one and one more. What do you think?
At the moment I have three ideas.
no.1 - Babies
 |
| complete Briar Rose at FabricBubb |
Like everyone else I'm smitten with Heather Ross' new Briar Rose. I'm particularly fond of the strawberries, clovers and nanny bees. So, what's stuck in my head is to make two Geranium dresses in size 6-12 months, just in case we do get pregnant when we plan to and we happen to have a girl. (Yes, that's a lot of "maybes".) And because I'm thinking big after all, I'd like to also make a Geranium dress in Aria's size. Plus, why not some bibs and burp cloths too?
Now I've already considered how I will feel if the baby does not come to be, but I think I'm OK with making stuff without knowing. I'll be disappointed no matter what if things don't work out, and time spent making things is not likely to be my biggest concern. Of course I could gift things or donate them to the local pregnancy center. At least, that's how I rationalize it....
no. 2 - Reupholster
Ok, I'm going to show you a picture of the armchair that I've had on my to do list for ages. I'm showing it to you as a sort of virtual accountability. I know I want to reupholster it. I know it really needs it. I know it's not so hot looking. Plus it's in a dark corner of my sewing room, which is also our entry. So people open our door and... voila! But, feel free to tell me all those things again because I keep getting wimpy about this one and trying to talk myself out of it.
I'm intimidated because I've never reupholstered "real furniture" before. Plus, I don't know what fabric to use. I've been waiting for the "right thing" to appear, and since it hasn't I'm starting to wonder if that is a delay tactic.
 |
| Field Study linens at Sew Love Fabrics |
Questions - Is it unwise to reupholster in quilting cotton? Do I need to use decorator's weight or what about linen (like Anna Maria's Field Study)? Would large, irregular patchwork on this chair be too much since my sewing patchwork chair (small squares) is already in this room? I wish I at least had a fabric chosen. That would be a start.
no. 3 - Tobacco Leaf Quilt
Last week a friend mentioned a pickle dish quilt, and my mind immediately flew to the Tobacco Leaf quilt in Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration
. I know I will make this eventually. It's going to be really time consuming... so why not now? At first I thought it might work in yesterday's fabric stack, but upon further reflection I would want to make it in fewer colors so that this twin-sized quilt would be more mature and timeless, easier to translate into different decor styles.
I decided this gorgeous Kona Ruby is perfect as the background fabric, and eventually realized I'd love to see the leaves made in black, cream and gray neutrals. Simple and classic. And then I realized that this could work as a new quilt for Aria (both kids are promised new quilts in the next year). She loves this color red and likes the fabrics I've chosen. She wants her room to also include navy blue, but I think we could do that in pillows and other accents while keeping the quilt simple, color-wise. Excited! I haven't gotten to make a quilt for my kids for ages!
Ok, so how to choose? Baby Projects - enticing, but not really practical. Upholstering - doesn't sound fun, but I'll be so glad I did. Tobacco Leaf quilt - well, obviously, I'm powerless against a quilt. I have to do that one. So, let's do that one and one more. What do you think?