Kids Clothing Week Challenge 2011

I am going to participate in the Kids Clothing Week Challenge. Are you? I may not be able to keep to the one hour a day part, due to full time job and full time 2 year old grandson, but I will try.

Does Spring make you want to sew clothes, like it does me?

They may not count, but I am already ahead on sewing for Tyler with these. Not to worry, though. I have fire truck print pants, a giraffe print hat, and many more to come, so this will be fun! FYI: I use a toddler costume pants pattern for these elastic waist pants, and quilter's cotton prints. Each pair take less than half an hour.

Join in! You can find the information here: http://www.elsiemarley.com/kids-clothes-week-spring-2011.html

You can be as fancy or simple as you want. It can be a back pack, a crayon caddy, an appliqued tshirt, pillowcase dress, hooded towel, whatever, as long as it is for a child. And if it is for charity, even better!

And if you don't have kids to sew for, but are in the mood to make yourself a new top, check this out: http://www.made-by-rae.com/2011/04/its-time-for-spring-top-sewalong.html 

Quilt Tops Done and Blog Clothing Weeks

Have you heard about Kids Clothes Week? I have been making pajama pants for Tyler, as I stated on an earlier post. I have added Teeny Tiny Zoo pj pants in chocolate and some clown fish fabric pj pants to his wardrobe, but of course they are in the wash and not photographed so I can't show you them, can I? There is the set I made a few weeks back with Heather Ross' seahorse fabric and a plain white tshirt. Hopefully you read that post and visited Hawthorne Threads shop for some great fabrics! I also made a pair from an aliens in outer space print on black, shown here.

I have been a busy girl, but a bit behind for sharing on Spring Top Week, which ended 2 weeks ago. Nevertheless, I was inspired to take one of my skirt fabrics and make a cute top. Cool and colorful and easy. I am glad I read the pattern reviews first because they helped a lot (the back is too wide, so make it narrower by at least 1 size or your bra straps will be showing!) New Look 6891 is the one I used for it, but mine is shorter than their version. I will be looking up pattern reviews from now on when I sew clothing.

Many miles have been put on my 2 machines lately. I finished up several UFOs, made a very cute Whirly Wheels Baby quilt (from Moda Bakeshop) that will be a QOV  and it is made with Moda's Cherish Nature. Jelly roll plus a little yardage and you can make this in one day! I have quite a stack for the long arm quilter.

I don't do the quilting myself. I would need a class, which isn't possible here. It would be great to someday have the confidence and talent to make it from start to finish, but for now I leave my quilts in the hands of practiced and talented long-armers I know.

This is my version of "Orange Crush," the Quiltville.com mystery quilt of about 2 years ago. Bonnie's version has an elaborate border, which I am not going to do. I think I may add a simple solid border to this and call it a day. I used so many bright scraps here that I am naming mine "Key West Crush." I put it in a box when I had all the rows together because I just wasn't sure I liked it at all. Now I love it. It has been properly aged.

Last but not least is my expanded version of "Off the Grid" from Quilt Dad and the Moda Bakeshop. I added a 4th row to his version so it will cover more at Christmas when it adorns the sofa. Also, I omitted the rows of honeybun strips between the blocks. It took 2 packs of Glace charm squares and a Glace honeybun to make it. Really easy.

I should get all of the above quilt tops (plus one more I am not showing yet) back from the quilter by the end of Summer. I want to beat the holiday quilting rush.