This week is for the “Stitching Grandma” to do things for the grand daughter. I am looking forward to being with my grandchildren for 2 weeks and celebrating a birthday party. Oh, to be 5 again!!! My middle grandchild has outgrown her favorite nightgown, so I have made two new ones to take along in my suitcase. I found an EASY pattern and would recommend it to anyone who is “not” a garment sewer! (Quilts I get, garments and patterns I struggle with!)
EASY pattern
I made 2 with short sleeves; and think I will do one more with long sleeves. Once I determine this is something they like, I have some beautiful flannel that will make a nice winter nightgown. The first fabric I chose was Strawberry Shortcake. I remember my daughters playing with those little figures for hours and hours as children. In fact, there were Strawberry Shortcake curtains in their bedroom, along with a matching bedspread. I think I gave those curtains away to a neighbor with a little girl when my girls were teenagers! (I wonder if they even remember!! 🙂 ) So, I indulged my fond memories when I picked this fabric for my granddaughter.
Strawberry Shortcake!
The next fabric reminds me of Jelly Beans. I bought it around Easter, so maybe that is why! Pattern and both fabrics came from Wal-Mart. I pre-washed to check for color bleeds and shrinkage…..and boy do I have a story about that!!! I had bought some turquoise HELLO KITTY print when I bought the jelly bean and strawberry shortcake. Silly me, I threw all 3 pieces of fabric in together to wash, with a color catcher. The turquoise bled, and bled and bled. I had to rewash the Strawberry Shortcake and Jelly bean with a color catcher and got the turquoise out of them. Then I washed the turquoise at least 6 times, color catchers; vinegar, etc. It just continued to bleed. I have NEVER returned fabric before, but that 2 yard cut I took back to Wal-Mart with the 12 color catchers in varying shades of turquoise….and they gave me my money back. So, no Hello Kitty for my Granddaughter, sorry to say! Lesson: ALWAYS pre wash! (I used to only do that for cottons & flannel for garments…now I prewash everything for quilting!)
Jelly beans
I made a couple of other things…..a pink satin mattress for the doll cradle; and a doll quilt. Now I just need to get busy and sand and stain the doll cradle. I think I will work on that today! A dear friend of ours made the cradle for the grandchildren. He is 85 and still has such great craftsmenship. I must pack it up and ship it before the trip. A bit big for the luggage!!
Satin mattress and quilt
The quilt was made using those “mis-fit” pieces from the Grand Illusion Mystery quilt!! I had fun playing with it. I found enough fabric left to match the quilt back my granddaughter will be getting! I did “matchstick” quilting in varying widths on it. I also bound it using my leftover binding from other projects; using my favorite technique “Susie’s Magic Binding” (tutorial link: http://www.52quilts.com/2012/05/tuesday-tutorial-susies-magic-binding.html ) from 52 Quilts in 52Weeks blog. If you zoom in on the mini-quilt, you will see it is also scrappy…had to join to similar leftover bits of binding to go around this mini.
I had a little more sewing time yesterday, so I made a pillow case to go with the big quilt. You might remember that quilt I wrote about here – https://stitchinggrandma.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/ready-to-quilt/ No, it isn’t finished…It needs binding and a label and that is on my list…….before my trip! (Wonder if I should make a doll matching pillow case???)
Anyway; so much fun, and some other projects still on my list before my trip 1 week from today!
Pillow case to match my granddaughters Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt
Sewing time….what are you working on today???
Stitching Grandma 