Daisy Janie

before & after | Army jacket.

*color change is only b/c of camera operator goofiness.

The before pic before this before pic should really show my son on Halloween 2009, when he wore it as a zombie Army dude. We picked it out at an Army-Navy store, and I knew I'd be staking this one for my own eventually. 3 years later...

Sort of out of season for my northern hemisphere friends, given that summer is hot on our heels. But maybe some southern hemispherites can use it to adapt a lightweight, canvas jacket.

*sorry for blur. took this in March 2011 and never looked at it until the jacket was already in the 'after' stage! Damn camera operator!
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The jacket fit great across the back and in the shoulders, so I focused on taking in the sides and sleeves to give it a more feminine line.

• I took about an inch off of the width of the sleeves - straight marking, straight stitching. Kinda like debulking.
• I tapered the sides with a sort of hourglass-shaped stitchline that ran from the armhole to the bottom edge of the jacket.  
• I added a vent opening on both sides of the jacket. It's about 5-1/2" long. See below. (Thanks for the vent terminology Betz!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To create a vent opening like this one, carefully take out the seam stitching in the desired length. (You may want to add a reinforced stitch where your seamripping comes to an end.) Press the seams so they lay flat. Stitch down one side, pivot, make a stitch or two at the top of your opening, pivot and stitch down the other side of the slit to finish it.

I'll be repurposing an old jersey sheet for my next project!
What are you up to?

J picked out this Airborne patch when we bought the jacket. I left it on there - reminds me of him!

Lancaster Diamond Quiltalong - here we go! #scrappydiamonds

The Lancaster Diamond Quiltalong is on!

• Lancaster Diamond Flickr Group - post your blocks, introduce yourself
• twitter hashtag - #scrappydiamonds
• Pattern & acrylic template available at Ann Holte Quilting.
• Banners for your blog are at the bottom of this post. Please link to the flickr group.

This Quiltalong involves smallish, improvisational blocks, and it's a great way to use up some of your scraps and bits that you can't seem to throw away! There is no one way or wrong way to construct your diamonds! You can make as many or as few as you like - the layout lends itself well to this! Use as many or as few fabrics as you like, too! S'all good....

Post your diamond blocks to the flickr group as you go.

No timelines.
No deadlines.
Go at your own pace.

I plan to work on mine over the summer and see where I am around Sept. 1st.

The pattern Ann Holte created is based off of a sampler quilt made in Lancaster, PA around 1860. The diamonds in that pattern are created using a combination of scrap-piecing, composed patchwork, orphan blocks and unique applique.

Have fun!!
Jan

Below:
1/ The acrylic template used for cutting your diamonds and sashing pieces. 
2/ The project sheet included with the template.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Banners for you to use on your blogs or facebook page. Please link to the flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lancasterdiamondquiltalong/

150 x 200

200 x 267

300 x 390

quilt-along for Lancaster Diamond Quilt & Blocks 7-9 of 154.

Block 7 / 154

Quilt-Along ?
There is definitely some interest in a quilt-along for this scrappy pattern (Lancaster Diamond Sampler)! If you'd still like to get in on the action, I will move forward next week with setting up a flickr group for pics. It will be extremely "go-at-your-own-pace" and informal. I'm kind of looking at this as an intermittent summer project, hoping to have all my blocks sewn by mid-August and then putting together the quilt top before September rolls around. Great way to use up your scraps!

You can buy the pattern AND the acrylic template here. I used the the template to cut out these 3 diamonds, and it was a tremendous help!

Please confirm your interest via a comment below or email me at jan [at] daisyjanie [dot] com.

 

Block 8 / 154

Block 9 / 154

grommets make everything better.

Banged out a couple mending projects from the pile I shared recently. This top and a pair of pants that now has new buttons. I was bummed tho when I tried on the pants b/c they are much snugger than last year at this time! I guess when your buttons pop-off a pair of pants, it's a sign that you need to move the extra-sharp cheddar cheese and cashews from the bottom of your food pyramid.

See my notes below on this top...

The plunging vee-cut in the front of this top did absolutely nothing for me. It has a serged edge, so I didn't think simply stitching the vee together would look right. Grommets! Yay!

I added 5 grommets to both sides of the vee, using a fusible interfacing behind them to stablize the jersey fabric. With thick leather cord, I created a laced effect through the grommets. Added a couple beads that I had on-hand - the only ones with holes wide enough for the leather.

When I tried it on, there was a funny pucker at the bottom of the vee. I just added a dart to that spot - no more pucker.

The first time I installed the grommets, I didn't use interfacing. BIG mistake! I put it through the wash, and all the grommets popped out of their holes. Was kinda funny! I just unthreaded the leather, removed the failed grommets and re-did the whole thing after fusing the interfacing. S'all good now!

sewing | tech cover made from repurposed feedsack.

J and I whipped, whipped, whipped out this tech cover for M's birthday on Friday. In like 30 minutes, from choosing which feedsack to done! M's wallet is made from a repurposed moneybag by Rikkianne at chakrapennywhistle. In the spirit of black shoes / black belt or brown shoes / brown belt, now M's accessories coordinate! He's one hip dude ('coursin I already knew that...).

Here are some of the other feedsacks we considered. Love the Guaranteed Analysis above!

A few years ago, our block and the block behind us had a group garage sale. (We live in an old neighborhood, and all the garages are detached from the homes and accessible via a shared alley.) I wandered down the alley to say hi to my neighbors and see what other fun things they had for sale. This sweet, older woman, who lives behind us and whom I had never met, had her garage stacked top-to-bottom with bins of every kind of old linen, sheet or textile you could imagine! She sets up at antique shops and such. I had no clue! I bought these feedsacks from her, and I haven't seen her since. :(

Lancaster Diamond Sampler Quilt: Blocks 4 - 6 of 154

Great news about this pattern! I heard from the author this week, Ann Holte, and you can buy the pattern directly from her online. AND, she sells an acrylic diamond template!! I just bought one earlier this week. I don't know a lot about diamonds in quilting, but the pattern indicates the diamond's angles are not standard. Cutting will go much quicker and more accurately for me with the template! Lancaster Diamond Sampler Pattern & Diamond Template

Would you like to do a quilt-along with me using this pattern? I will be happy get flickr & twitter hashtag groups for everyone to follow along and post their work. I can set some weekly goals, too! This pattern can be easily adapted to different sizes, and it is super for using up your scraps! The author actually drew out every diamond in the original quilt, but you are free to do improv as I am! Anything goes!!! If you're interested, leave a comment or email me at the link in the navigation bar. I'd love to share this experience with you!

Block 4 / 154

Block 5 / 154

Block 6 / 154

mending pile.

I don't know which I like less: the fact that there's mending to be done or the fact that there's a pile of it. Ugh. Actually, I think the fact that I've spent good money on clothing I'm not able to wear is what really irks me. I had stashed these fixer-uppers in various places and didn't realize til today it was a full-on stack of stuff!

I need to fix wear-n-tear, improper fit from the start, and puffy sleeves. Yes, puffy sleeves get a mention allll their own! They like to stand out that way! (Just wait'll the next episode of Smash - my seamripper and I will begin the first step of dealing with them!)

Below:
This is the one that stumps me the most. These are sleeves to a sweatshirt - the circumference is 21"! The edges were simply turned under the width of 1/4" elastic, and they were way too short for me. I took out the stitch and elastic. I bought 1-1/4" width - now I have to figure out how to re-attach a new cuff with the wider elastic. - so that it will kinda blend. Any ideas?

a man bag? yeah, kinda.

To most, this Yellowstone bag would appear to be ideal for shopping. Yes? To my betrothed, who is kinda unconventional & easygoing and who chooses not to overthink things that don't need to be overthought, this Yellowstone bag is a gym bag. He doesn't use a gym bag like a traditional gym bag so zippers, pockets, mesh and other hooplah aren't necessary. I didn't want to inject myself into the casual relationship he has with whichever re-usable grocery bag is closest (yikes), but I really wanted to sew a more manly gym-grocery bag that he might or might not use depending on proximity. And so I did.

The "gymery bag" below is made with Daisy Janie's Pinstripe fabric, from the Shades of Grey organic fabric collection. Find a retailer here. Also available from Daisy Janie's retail shop.

For the exterior, I used 1 full-width piece of fabric, 22" in length. I cut 2 panels, 18"w by 22"h. You could use fat quarters if you don't mind turning the orientation vertically. With the remaining strips of fabric, I made the 2 straps. The interior is also made with 2 18" x 22" panels.

I used a basic box bottom tote design, with squares in each bottom corner marked at 3-3/4". 3" would have been plenty! Here's a tutorial for making the box bottom like I did, and here's another tutorial for a more elaborate bag using another box method.

Below:
The gymery bag is lined with organic cotton/hemp blend canvas. Not a fan of interfacings if I can avoid it.

Lancaster Diamond Sampler Quilt: Blocks 1-3 of 154.

When I went to the Art of the Quilt show a few weeks ago, I bought a book to support the Museum and the quilt endowment. The pattern shown here was a gift for my purchase. If you scroll to the bottom of my post, you'll see how many blocks of each shape are required. You'll see some crazy detail, too! There are block patterns for about 6 different diamonds included in the pattern, but they are very complex and the pieces are miniscule. I wouldn't have the time or patience to make those!

I'm going to put my own stamp on this quilt by using scrap fabrics from Daisy Janie's organic fabric collections: Geo Grand, Shades of Grey and Tilly. Each diamond will include a mix of each and will be improv. I think it'll have a very cool blend and balance of color by the time all is said and done! I look at bolts of all of my fabrics all day long as they're just out of view to my left on a shelf, and they started amalgamating in my head. I didn't design them to go together, per se, but they don't not go together b/c they all came from my design handand have an underlying similarity. This pattern will give them each an opportunity to push and pull from one another to make one big quilt! Yes, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts!! 

Block 1 / 154

Block 2 / 154

Block 3 / 154

Above:
This quilt requires 154 of the big diamonds, 172 small diamonds and 308 sashing parallelograms.

Below:
Sorry for the blurry image. Just wanted to give you an idea how tiny, detailed and pretty the pieces are in the quilt cover shot, circa 1860. These hand-pieced blocks are a combination of "scrap-piecing, composed patchwork, orphan blocks and unique applique." Truly amazing!

WIP | Garden Ladder quilting.

Above:
Garden Ladder lap quilt. Available as a free pdf download.
Shown in Tilly organic fabrics from Daisy Janie.
Quilting by Angela Walters - quilting is my therapy

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Although she is certainly not a circus act, I have a strong, silly compulsion to introduce the quilter who quilted this quilt by saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen! Children of all ages! Please welcome the spectacular, the amazing, the one and only... Angela Walters!" I'm sure she's blushing as she reads this, but if  you know Angela's work, you know I speak the truth!

I am consistently stunned to my very core by the ridiculous talent that I see in the quilting world! When my fabrics actually cross paths with some of that talent (as in this quilting), well, it's like getting double crumb-crumble on a warm coffee cake! Bonuuuuuus!

Be sure to check-out Angela's blog for quilting info, services and her new book - "Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters"

I still need to bind this quilt, and then I'll have a full reveal for you!