by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 4, 2014
I do not know the last time I felt this excited to show you a project! I’m so proud of this quilt and I love how it turned out. I love the photo shoot, and I love the fabric… it has been an all around amazing journey! When I first saw the Charlie Harper collection I knew I wanted to use it for something, so when Esmari from Warp & Weft gave me a chance to use it for a Sewing Society post I was thrilled! I’m going to post a simple tutorial for this quilt separately today, since the post is getting quite long and photo heavy! So here is the background on it… (**Update: the tutorial for the quilt is posted here.)
I love Charlie Harper’s art, and the outdoor nature of them was perfect for something picnic-related. I tried to come up with something other than a picnic quilt, but in the end I failed to think of something I would rather make – and I’m so glad I didn’t! I wanted the quilt to look modern, but typical, all the way down to it being hand-tied. My quilt is neither difficult or complex or even many pieces – is is, however, my 2nd “real” quilt finish and I’m quite enjoying my foray into the world of HST’s and OBW’s.
I figured, since I was not likely inventing a super-complicated quilt for a tutorial the first go around, that I would add in some fun applique. I am so IN LOVE with my ants! Ants and picnics just go together – and I am super-excited to have created my family’s picnic quilt for many years to come. I have made many clothing projects, for my kids and for myself… and for my husband… nothing compares to the feeling I got finishing this quilt. The sense of heirloom and keeping someone dry and/or warm with it. The happiness, many picnics and fun memories I want to create around our future adventures with the quilt.
I used the fat quarter Charlie Harper bundle from Warp & Weft plus some of my randomly stashed solids and solid red, binding and backing from my local big-box fabric store. I would have been more adventurous on the backing – but it’s going to mostly be on the ground, so a dark wobbly stripe it was plus a little piecing with a bit of extra fabric.
The binding is the most perfect wobbly criss-cross fabric and I took some inspiration from the striped bindings I’ve seen from some of the other Sewing Society members lately. I’m super happy with it and the fact that it looks hand-drawn is just a further nod to the Charlie Harper artwork.
I decided that machine quilting the whole quilt was a bit adventurous, so I tied it with embroidery floss instead. Much “safer” and faster! I did want to make sure it had some machine quilting, though, since I love how it looks – so I stitched straight-ish lines around the border. I figured out later that I think I would have been fine to quilt the whole thing, since it probably would have folded up small enough to fit in my machine. Ah well – next time! The quilt finishes at around 70″ square. Lots of room to fit our family of four.
I also toyed with the idea of making the backing waterproof. In the end I decided that I wanted it to be available to use as a quilt, not just for sitting on. I’ve had too many picnics growing up where the cold weather caused one or more of us to huddle under the picnic quilt for warmth. A waterproof quilt would not be cuddly! I think instead I will carry an inexpensive vinyl tablecloth around to put underneath the quilt, if it is needed, to keep us (and the quilt) dry.
I’m off to finish writing and posting the tutorial before cleaning my house for tonight’s sewcial. I love my monthly get-togethers, even if I don’t get much done for all of the sewing-talk!
What do you think? I’d love to hear about your quilting adventures. Have you made a favorite picnic quilt?
** Please note: This is a sponsored post and some of the fabric was provided to me at no cost by Warp & Weft. However, as always, all opinions are my own and I will never promote something to you that I do not love myself. **
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 30, 2014
I’m so excited – today is the day we reveal the projects from the Frolic with Fabric Spot Challenge! These four ladies have made some amazing projects using Fabric Spot’s Frolic collection. The entire collection is 20% off until midnight tonight (June 30, 2014) if you want some!
Each challenger received 1 of 4 bundles of organic Frolic fabric. Two challengers got pink bundles, and two received the blue colour-way in the mail. The challenge was to make something using the fat quarters received, within the 3 week timeline. You can find out more about the challenge in this post, and here as well.
I have only been able to choose 2 photos of each project to feature here, so please click on the links and photos to see and find out more about their projects. It was so hard to choose, these four sewists have put so much work into this challenge! Without further ado, here they are…. (in alphabetical order!)
Carla – Carla’s Creations &
I decided to make my girls book/stuffies totes for the summer as they are forever wanting to bring this and that with them when we’re out and about. Well, usually their things end up in my bag! lol! Now they have their own quilted tote to fill with all their treasures when we’re out! I did some simple quilting and went with a single strap for their bags as I find most kids have trouble keeping both straps on their shoulders. Plus… this way their animals can see where we’re going too. 😉 I used all of the prints in this great collection on both bags, then they both chose their favourite prints for the inside of the bag & the strap! (link to her project here)
Cyndi – The Nosy Pepper & on Facebook
“For this challenge, I knew I wanted to make a diaper bag, but also that I would have to think on a smaller scale to make it work, so I used the Brook Field Pattern by Sew Sweetness. To go with the bag, I made a ‘wet bag’ that I appliqued an elephant on and used iron on vinyl to make the bag waterproof. I also made a whale softie in the elephant print, I had never made a stuffed animal before and luckily it was a lot easier than I thought! Since I knew I wanted to use as much of the fabric as possible, I made a couple of fabric trays to use up the scraps … in a blooming onion style crazy quilting block for the inside of the large fabric.” (link to her project here)
Laura – Seams Sew Laura
“I was so excited to win this bundle of beautiful organic cotton. The print with the elephants and whales and the very name of the fabric “Frolic” inspired me to make a swimming bag and wet bag for this project.
When I was a kid, I had one of these swimming bags with a round bottom and adjustable strap and a drawstring closure. For this project I wanted to make something similar but with a zipper closure. A while ago, someone sent me a picture of a similar bag sold by an Australian company and I used their product dimensions to make my pattern. I added a front zippered pocket and a waterproof lining, which is actually a waterproof tablecloth I found at my local grocery store. The bag is big enough to hold one of my signature hooded towels 🙂 and the wet bag and there is still room for more. My 5 year old daughter declared it a winner because it’s easy to open and she likes the pocket that can hold her “stuff”.” (link to her project here)
Sarah – The Crazy Tailor
“I’ve always loved the look of a hexagon-block quilt, but they’ve always seemed so complicated and time-consuming. I decided that a doll quilt was the way to get my feet wet with non-square blocks! I did a little reading on the various ways of piecing hexagons, and went with machine sewing versus the more common English Paper Piecing. They aren’t as hard as they look after all 🙂 I did some hand quilting (I’m breaking out of my machine-quilting rut…still rusty though!) and highlighted a few of the animals on the fabric. J and E love to find the turquoise whale or the yellow elephant! The quilt is already getting lots of use keeping zebras warm, and as a blanket for many tea parties. Thanks for including me in this challenge!” (link to her project here)
WOW! Just wow…. what an amazing collection of projects. And each is unique – hooray. Just think what you could do with it! A big thank-you goes out to Karen from Fabric Spot for providing this amazing challenge. It’s been so much fun to see what everyone has made!
If you have made any projects using the Frolic collection we’d love to see them! Please leave a comment with a link below so we can check them out. (And don’t forget to get some Frolic if you haven’t yet!)
** This is a sponsored post and the fabric and challenge idea was provided by Fabric Spot. As always, all opinions are my own and I will not promote a business that I do not love myself!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 26, 2014
Wow! We’ve had an amazing run of giveaways and discounts lately. So much thanks goes out to the super-amazing Thread Riding Hood sponsors! (right over there, see them… yup – over on the right sidebar there… !)
Today we’re announcing the winner of the Double Decker Fabric “Mixed Bag” Bundle. Dorienne (Double Decker Fabric’s owner) kindly offered it up for grabs last week and the winner is….
#191 Megan M. who said “Nice fabrics! I love the origami!”
So true… I love the origami too! So much, in fact, that I used Dorienne’s 15% off discount code to get some of my own! My order arrived in my mail box after a few short days, and Dorienne was kind enough to throw in some surprises for me as well. (Hooray!) My girls are over the moon excited about the Unicorn and Rainbow fabric. I’ve got an idea of how to split it up so they can both have something from it.
PS – Don’t miss out on the 15% discount. It ends June 30th – that’s this coming Monday! Use the code “Summer15” to get the discount.
PPS – Don’t you just love the little labels?! They are the Sweetwater Handmade with Love panels, and Dorienne sells panels of those as well.
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 10, 2014
Today I get to introduce you to the ninth Canadian Online Fabric Store in our series – Country Clothesline! I found Sylvia’s shop at the Toronto Creativ Festival this spring and I’m really excited that she agreed to be featured here. Sylvia is even giving away some country fabric goodness (scroll down for the giveaway if you can’t wait!).
When my friends and I spotted Sylvia’s booth at the show we immediately went over to check it out. I have not seen a store online as yet with her style of selection. She has fine-tuned country goodness using vintage and modern florals down to perfection! If you love the new trendy florals or are always collecting vintage sheets at the thrift store you are in for a treat. Her stock even has a few very modern surprises if you take a look for them! As a bonus, Sylvia is lovely as well and it was so nice to get to meet her.
I asked Sylvia to write up a little bit about herself and her shop and here is what she had to say:
“I love flowers – roses, lilacs, daisies, simple wildflowers…
I have been quilting for years and had trouble finding a good selection of the fresh, country inspired floral fabrics that I love. So seeing a niche in the marketplace and with my years of experience in retail, hospitality and customer service I’ve created Country Clothesline. I want to offer quilters and sewers this unique Collection of floraly, vintagy, countryish, cute, pretty and just plain fun fabrics for their personal sewing and quilting projects. I don’t buy full lines of fabric from my suppliers but prefer to just choose the fabrics that really speak to me. That is also how I decide on the fabrics I use when I am making a quilt or a pillowcase – the ones that feel right together end up together. I truly hope that the Country Clothesline Collection of fabrics will speak to all the creative sewers out there and you’ll love these fabrics as much as I do!”
I love meeting the online shop owners, even if it is only over the interweb. I find it is really fun to know what they are like and how it reflects in their online store front. I asked Sylvia a few questions to find out a bit more.
Thread Riding Hood: What inspired you to start Country Clothesline?
Sylvia: The inspiration behind Country Clothesline really comes from our little farmhouse in Prince Edward County where the constant breeze makes all that I hang on our clothesline dance in the sun overlooking the green fields. So simple, yet so beautiful 🙂
Thread Riding Hood: What is your favorite type of sewing project?
Sylvia: My favourite sewing project is when I have the time to sit down and do the hand-quilting on a gift that I am making for someone special. I love the effect of a quilt that has been hand-quilted. These quilts just feel different, softer, cozier, each stitch really is an extension of the quilter. Here is a close up of one of the squares from a charm quilt I made for my daughter for her 13th birthday – it is hand-quilted with various size hearts. (certainly not perfect stitching – but full of love nonetheless)
Thread Riding Hood: What is something coming up in the near future that you are especially excited about?
Sylvia: As far as what I am excited about in the near future for Country Clothesline, to be honest, because the business is so new, I just really want to improve upon what I have so far. With each customer interaction I learn a little more about how to provide better service, how to make the website work for my customer better, etc. And on top of that I am excited to be adding some quilt and pillowcase kits and some exciting patterns to the store as well. Lots to do and lots to look forward to!
Doesn’t it sound amazing?! I think I need to find myself a clothesline and a breeze. Not to mention a country farmhouse… though I suppose a pretty floral quilt will do! Sylvia has more than enough options to select from! Here are a few of my favorites…
So, you want to get some of this lovely fabric for yourself?! Sylvia is giving away a lovely 6 fat quarter bundle of 100% quilting cotton in reds and pinks! This “Dots & Checks” bundle is made from quality quilting fabrics by Riley Blake and Freespirit. Sylvia writes, “Some images that this group evokes for me are: picnics, farmhouse tablecloths, little girls dresses and elements of a country patchwork quilt.” I couldn’t agree more!
This giveaway is open to everyone, internationally from today until midnight on Monday evening, June 16th. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, just use your name and email address!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now that you have met Sylvia and signed up for the giveaway, head on over to visit Country Clothesline! I’ve selected a few more gorgeous florals from her shop for you to start with…
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 5, 2014
I’m excited to introduce a new shop to you today! Boho Fabric Trim hails from Dallas, Texas where they sell the most lovely ikat and gorgeous hand printed fabric in their Etsy shop. They have just recently begun sponsoring Thread Riding Hood, so you can find their link right on the side bar!
I got to hear a bit about how this shop came about and it’s inspiring! Mili (the owner) and her mother Maya work together to curate and create the collection both locally and internationally.
“Our shop began as an idea to get mother & daughter closer together — a creative journey where my mother and I could connect and deepen our bond through something creative, productive and have memories that would last more than a lifetime. Hopefully, this will be our legacy.” ~ Mili
The more I find out about the shop, the more I know these ladies are not just selling fabric. They are hand crafting textiles as fabric artists. The thought of the time spent handloom weaving, block printing and hand screen printing. Goodness, they even do things I have to look up in Wikipedia – kantha, kalamkari, pintaks (which I can’t even find!). They add beading and more!
Modern Boho Phoenix |
Ikat Mango Yellow |
Silk Ikat Red Orange |
When Mili contacted me a few months ago I immediately fell in love with so many of her fabrics! The photos in this post were so hard to choose. The style and the ikat goodness are very much what I am looking for right now. They are perfect for throw pillows, re-upholstering that favorite chair that you’ve had for years, or use it to finish off your windows with the most perfect curtains! Maybe even a Camber Dress or Top for yourself?
Mili has let me know that the Boho Fabric Trimshop is offering special introductory discounts – just for you. You’ve always wanted to sew with a piece of hand crafted art – now you can! (Honestly, even if it is a special birthday gift to yourself.) If not for pillows or curtains, these can be stretched onto frames and used as artwork for your home. That would look amazing!
Hand Woven Ikat Blue Chevron |
Modern Boho Empire |
Hand Woven Ikat Charcoal Grey |
Head on over to Boho Fabric Trim and check out what she has in stock. You will not be disappointed! I’ll let Mili have the last word: “My ‘Kufri Life’ can be described as having these elements in my life – creativity, connecting with family and making new friends and exploring this great big world… I have always had a serious case of the wanderlust! It’s been amazing connecting with my mother through this new adventure… I can’t wait to see where we land next!”
by Sherri Sylvester | May 29, 2014
When I got the Merchant and Mills Camber Set pattern from Warp & Weft I felt a little like a kid in a candy shop. Then she let me use her Essex Linen to make it. Then I realized the Sajou ribbon she gave me last year matched it… then I kind of geeked out a little and stared of into space and thought about how amazingly fortunate I am to be able to work with all of these beautiful things!
I loved working with the Essex Linen. It washed up wonderfully and wrinkles just the right amount for a linen (and for non-ironing me!). I sound a bit like a fabric snob when I talk about how well it ironed – but it’s true! It presses beautifully, the wrinkles just ease right out with a bit of steam. I have read online that it does tend to fray easily, so I made sure to finish all of my seams with a zig-zag stitch. It would be simple to french seam any future Cambers, but I wasn’t sure if it would leave too much bulk at the side seam? Of course, if you have a serger that would be simplest option for finishing the seams.
The Sajou ribbon… what can I say? The name of the one I used is “Semis Gris” and Sajou ribbon is woven near Saint-Etienne in France. What more could a fabric geek want?! I decided to machine stitch it on either side, after taking a deep breath of course. I am happy to say that I even still have half of my ribbon left for another project! You can get your own from Warp & Weft – she has a great ribbon collection, and she even has Sajou lace in stock!
The pattern itself is beautifully designed, of course! And the instructions are well thought out and illustrated. The part I liked the most were the easy “snipped in” notches that match up and mark the seam allowances at all of the corners. They make fitting all of the pattern pieces together a lot easier. The instructions themselves are not super-detailed, but if you have made anything with sleeves before you will be fine. Actually, there are only 5 pattern pieces to make either the dress or the top. They are pretty simple to put together, and if you have sewn a Camber before it is a super-fast project.
I love this pattern and it is beautifully drafted. If you have sewn apparel before the care taken in drafting it is evident in the lines and how the pieces connect together. The front of the dress curves less at the hips than the back piece, creating a more fitted shape, while still allowing it to be worn without any closures. The lovely snipped notches I was talking about mark the approximate waist and hip locations so it is not hard to stitch the side seams properly, even with the extra curves.
Despite the beautiful drafting I am not going to tell you that the road to a well-fitted Camber Set is super easy. Of course, you can stitch up the size closest to your measurements and I’m sure it will look beautiful. But if you’d like to tailor it more to your exact shape it is going to require a muslin or two. I made the mistake of trying to size my first muslin without having attached the sleeves. The fit completely changes once the sleeves are attached. The second muslin I made worked out much more easily – especially since I had realized at this point that my shoulders are 2 pattern sizes larger than the rest of me. I knew I had broad shoulders, but wow – two sizes is broader than I thought. No wonder ready-to-wear shoulders never fit!
The only thing I think I may still change in a future Camber is to take in the back with darts, or some shirring. Depending on your body shape, there is a lot of fabric in the centre back area. Though adding any more shape may mean inserting a zipper. I will be adding some shirring/elastic to the back of one of my wearable muslins and will report back!
Like I usually do, I read other pattern reviews online and get some hints as to how I should proceed with any possible alterations. I found a few great tips from Cheeky Cha Cha and a good review from Roobeedoo. I thought I’d throw my two cents in – so here is my list of helpful hints & fitting tips when making the Camber.
Helpful Hints:
- Trace your pattern pieces – don’t cut them out! You can never go back, and what a shame it would be to lose that amazingly drafted sizing. I like to use freezer paper since it is really durable and still easy to see through for tracing.
- When making the muslin – don’t back-stitch. This may seem like common knowledge, but I spent more time taking out my back-stitches than I would have liked!
- Use deep pins – by that I mean, make sure you pin well into the 5/8″ (1.5 cm) seam allowance. I’m so used to a 1/4″ or 3/8″ seam allowance that I pinned for a shallow seam allowance and had to re-pin (especially when setting in the sleeves) several times.
- When Merchant and Mills says “jump” you ask “how high”! They didn’t get this big without a reason – since the instructions are well-written but sparse, each one counts. Don’t skip out! For example, sew up the side seams and then set in the sleeve. Trying to set in the sleeve before sewing up the sides works for some patterns, but these sleeves are very well drafted and therefore much easier to set in at the end.
Fitting Tips:
- The Camber is a loose fit. I made the mistake of trying to fit it too tightly, so it loses the ability to fit over your head without an added side zipper.
- I found the length quite long, though I am average height at 5′ 4″. I took off quite a bit of length and made a double 1″ hem at the bottom. Check the length before you cut your fabric and you can save yourself quite a bit of yardage.
- Since I have broad shoulders, I cut the arm scythe and shoulder at a size 12, and the side seams and sleeve side seams at a size 8 (like the rest of the dress). I was concerned this would not give me enough space in the sleeve, but it worked out well. It is actually quite easy to move in this dress, due to the great sleeve fit. I read that apparently the closer the underarm seam is to your actual underarm the better the fit.
- I found since I have a smaller bust measurement that the front of the dress was too wide. I narrowed the entire front of the dress by 1 1/4″ by placing it 5/8″ over the fold when cutting (tip found here). It fits much better, though it also makes the neckline smaller, so I had re-drew it 5/8″ wider in the front and the back neckline to make up for it.
- I also adjusted the shoulder, according to Aunty ChaCha. I took 5/8″ off the top of the front shoulder seam and putting it on the back shoulder seam. This also extends the top of the sleeve, where it is eased in, creating a wider shoulder. I found this really helpful in creating a better fit for my larger shoulders.
- The last thing I did, and this made a big difference, was to move the point of the bust dart up. I left the base of the dart in place, and moved the point up about an inch. This really helped to remove excess fabric that was at the top of the bodice, as well as make the bodice fit better. I found that without this dart movement, the top of the dress was fairly shapeless.
I hope this helps! I also hope I have not scared you away from trying the pattern. It truly is beautiful, just read through comments from other bloggers online! Or google “camber set” to find images. This is one of the first woven fabric garments I have made where I really am proud of the work I did to make it fit properly. Using a pattern and making it fit your body are two different things and I would encourage you to try some alterations and spend the extra time with a muslin or two. It is worth the extra time. If you are lucky you will be able to create a wearable muslin along the way!
I have Esmari to thank for letting me work through this process. I love my Camber Dress and will wear it often. You can get the Camber Set pattern, beautiful Essex Linen (in more than 10 colours!) and amazing Sajou products from her shop. Until next time!
** Please note: This is a sponsored post and the fabric and pattern were provided to me at no cost by Warp & Weft. However, as always, all opinions are my own and I will never promote something to you that I do not love myself. **
