November 2014 | Go-Go Kim

sewing + social media + so much more

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thanksgiving Day and Little Quilts!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 
I hope you are all having a lovely day filled with peace and yummy food and most importantly...
LOVE!

I signed up to take part in the Little Quilts Swap a couple of months ago!  I thought that I was going to be finished with the othe projects much sooner than I really was, that seems to happen quite often around here, lol! The swap is from the new book by Sarah Fielke and Amy Lobsiger is FILLED from cover to cover with so many great minis that it was so hard to choose which one to make for my partner!  The one thing I did know...without a doubt...when I found out who my partner was...it had to be Denyse Schmidt fabrics! Nothing says happy retro fun like DS fabrics :o)  

These are the fabrics I pulled 

and the blocks so far :o)  When I am done cooking some sweet potato casserole and snapping some beans, I will be working on the adorable fussy cut heart blocks with Heather Ross ( not really WITH HR but with her fabrics)!




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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Box pleated skirt

My focus has been completely on finishing quilt tops for the past few months.  I had the big red one and two others that I cannot share yet ( they are so cute and those I will be super happy to share!).  When the red dust had settled, I cleaned up ALL the bits and pieces that had been trailed completely throughout the house and decided I needed to make something different.  Something not a quilt.


( this is the only finish photo, Katy was NOT in the mood for taking pics)


I really adore clothes that are well fitted and flattering and can be found surfing the internet looking at ( mostly) vintage clothing for all of the features that I drool over.  My friend Brooke ( apriltwoeighty) is in LA interning with Luke and has been posting about her adventures that happened to include a box pleated skirt!  WHAT!?!  I LOVE box pleated skirts and immediately asked whet pattern she used!  She used the Merrick's Art tutorial .  It is very basic and has all the ideas that are needed to make the skirt.  So, using this tutorial I dove right in!

This is what I learned on the first go round...the pleats are what fabric is showing not what is hidden in the back ( face palm).  This skirt had 4in pleats not 2.5in pleats.


The finished skirt was perfection in the front...

However the back was as wonky as Weeble!


and I did not follow the recommended waistband sizing so I ended up with WAY too big a waist...


That's okay...this was my "trial" skirt and even though all of my sewing was perfect ( of course) I was okay with trying from scratch again.

So off I went to find what other tutorials were out there that explained a little more in depth on how to make this skirt for all different sizes and I found this youtube video Pleated Skirt Tutorial by Sara which has a more in depth explanation and some math to help make a pattern for more than one size but this can be a little tricky too using the math given in the video.  I had Katy's help me with some of the numbers and we came up with something that I felt comfortable going in and attempting.

The second skirt I used 2.5 in pleats.  I left about 1in on each end for the zipper.  Somehow, it did not work out...grrrrrr...when I placed the waistband on the skirt it was way too short.  There was no way it was going to work.  I walked away and made dinner for the people of the house and gave myself a little break to think on what my next step would be.

When I went back to the drawing board ( my cutting mat) I noticed the angled guidelines!  I was doing a happy dance!  I centred the waistband, pinned it down and then trimmed the excess fabric from either side.  I had to insecure the pleat to either side of the trimmed fabric but it was doable!


I ended up with aligned back pleats!!! WOO HOO!

I will be making more of these skirts.  They are super fast once you have the basics down and are very comfortable ( the most important part).
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Saturday, November 22, 2014

The best I can do at 22 ( up cycled log cabin quilt)

I finished the red quilt top and was so excited to be completed ( I was happy dancing all over the place) until it came time to take photos!  Some crazy Polar Vortex with cold temperatures has taken over my neck of the woods ( thank goodness I am not in Buffalo!  If you are,please stay safe and warm!).  Going out in 22 degree temps is not my thing.  So, I had to figure out how to take semi decent photos inside...HA!  It has been a learning experience.  I learned that my windows are filthy and I spent some time cleaning them, I learned that printer paper and tape are the PERFECT size to cover the tiny windows at the top on the opposite side of the room to block the light from hitting the bottom of the quilt, I learned that photographing a red quilt and trying to get the true colors is IMPOSSIBLE and I learned ( which I knew since we moved in over five years ago) I HATE the color of this room!

Please forgive the less than perfect shots I have taken,  this is the best I can do at 22...degrees...








My hope is to have the entered and up for display during Quiltcon.  Luke will make this quilt of humble beginnings come to life!  
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!


After some long hours of cutting strips on Saturday, some serious sewing on Sunday and Monday and one very very good family, I was able to finish all the blocks!  I added to my design wall ( meaning the flannel and batting I have duct taped and staple gunned to the wall) and I was able to fit ALL the blocks in one spot!  I still have to sew all the rows together but I was just over the moon thrilled that I was able to pick up and vacuum up all of the bits and pieces of red that had taken over three of the rooms downstairs.  I will need to make some minor adjustments to the blocks and then tackle the task of joining the blocks and rows.  





When I am finished this will be headed off to see Luke Haynes.  This quilt is a collaboration that I had asked Luke about last December.  It took me some time to wrap my head around where to start since I had never taken on a project anything like this one.  Luke has been very patient and encouraging along the way.

The suggestion to make this from upcycled clothing was all Luke.  Truth be told that is one of the reasons it took so long for me to start.  The task of finding red clothing that is not knit is very daunting.  Quilting with anything but cotton was completely foreign.  In August I took the plunge of finding some garments I thought I could work with and not cry.  When I had built up some courage I branched out even more!  There are no knits in this quilt but there is just about everything else.  The textures are gorgeous.  The slight differences make a visual difference that is quite stunning.  Katy says it is intense!  I have to agree.

If you want to make a quilt from upcycled garments I can recommend Luke's tutorial on We All Sew called  Deconstruct a Shirt with Luke Haynes.  I did not use a rotary cutter but ripped the garments    ( very very messy) but the great tutorial is a great jumping off point if you don't know where or how to start.



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Saturday, November 15, 2014

Still in progress...sigh...

I am still plugging away at the quilt of red.




I feel like I should have been completed by now and am honestly a little embarrassed that I am not.  I grossly underestimated the time that it would take me to deconstruct the garments needed and I REALLY underestimated how many clothing items I would need.  But here I am again plugging away in hopes to be completed sometime next week.


I will need to add a section onto the design wall today to accommodate another column on the left and need three more rows added onto the bottom.  One hundred sixty nine blocks total.  I will also have a HUGE MESS to tidy up when I am finished.  Many thanks to a very tolerant family and to all of my sweet friends that have been tolerating all of my overgramming and giving me likes and support with this project!  I have been learning so much with all of the different fabrics.  In the end I know this will all be well worth the effort and time spent.

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