Is anyone going to International Quilt Festival in Houston this year? I told you before that I got into the Paula Nadelstern class and I am very excited to go! Today I finally made my reservations so I am all set. I will be there October 10 - 17 and staying in the Galleria area. I worked everything out to get my hotel, flight and car for less than $1000 and my hotel room has a kitchenette. Yippee!
That's what I did right after work and then I finally got to fixing my nephew's pants and quilt. He needed a new zipper in the pants. I should have just bought him new pants. Replacing jeans zippers is a total pain! The quilt I didn't mind. It's one my Mom made for him. For a few years we made A LOT of quilts using the reversible technique where you quilt the blocks and then put it all together with narrow sashing. Sometimes we hand stitch the last seam and sometimes we topstitch.
Lesson: When making a reversible quilt that you hope will be absolutely loved, don't hand-stitch that last seam. Machine sew the whole thing! His quilt is as good as new and now it is in the wash. I don't think he's laundered in in quite a while.........maybe I will wash it twice!
Now I can finally get back to the tshirt quilt and get the borders put on this weekend!
Remember this pretty pink ribbon from my gift yesterday? I pulled it out today to give to Kim because she called dibs last night in the comments. Then I started looking at it. It is made of two pieces of bias tape and they are stacked folded sides together. First they are stitched together with two rows of straight stitching on each edge. Then the scalloped edge is stitched. Now where have we seen that technique demonstrated lately? Summerset is doing a very fancy version in her trim on Garden Path. Check out her post for July 9.
..and now I get to end my day with 3 1/5 hours of PROJECT RUNWAY!
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Mending is not fun. I can't believe you replaced a zip!
I'm insanely jealous of the Houston visit.
Posted by: tracey petersen | August 20, 2009 at 09:38 PM
Replacing zippers in pants is the worst mending job in the world! People who ask you to do that have no idea how difficult it is. I agree, it would have been easier to buy him some new pants. Lol.
Posted by: joyce | August 21, 2009 at 07:37 AM
LOL, hmmm, yes I think I have seen those machine shell tucks somewhere. Interesting to see them in a different setting.
Posted by: Summerset | August 21, 2009 at 08:13 AM
My son brought out one of the quilts I made him recently. As I was stuffing it into the washing machine I said, "I could have sworn I used white fabric on these squares." He chuckled and said, "that's why I am bringing it here to wash it!" The white squares were a nice light shade of beige. I told him, "It wouldn't hurt to bring it a little more often; then, I'll know it gets washed!" I later found out it was his favorite camping quilt. Probably won't be any heirloom quilts made for him! (but I am glad he uses the quilts I make for him.)
Posted by: Debra | August 21, 2009 at 08:55 AM
Haha - I love that snippet about the jeans zipper. When you are back from your class and all motivated and excited about what you learn, would you mind if I drop off my pair of perfectly good jeans that just needs its zipper replaced? ;) Just jokes...
You must be a popular aunt among your nieces and nephews for mending their clothes.
Posted by: Ivory Spring | August 22, 2009 at 10:37 PM