Side tracked!

I spent the entire afternoon and evening prepping stuff for the QUILTSocial blog. Oh yes - I was focused. The only problem was - I kept finding stuff that I could use as samples and then I decided that I MUST finish those things!!!!  Well the sewing machine was set up, I wanted to try different things so why not!!!

So I did manage to get a LOT of little things done that have been hanging around for YEARS!!!!!   Oh yes - I was on a roll. I can't share all of it with you at this point, but I will show you some of the end pictures and then the technique stuff will come during the first week of January.

Had to go back to Fabricland - I can't even remember why now, but while I was there I managed to get some fleece (on SALE for $5 a meter) for the backing of that plaid pieced quilt I sewed up the other day.

The pieced plaid throw with the blue/red backing

Then I managed to get the binding sewn on one of the quilts that needed binding. Like I said - you are going to see all kinds of detail about these projects in January!!   Why???   Because of the features on this sewing machine made all of these projects so EASY!!!!

Binding on the community projects quilt and this one is ready to go!!!!  I have several people (HI Ruth!) who bind these quilts for me. I like to quilt - they like to bind. Works out perfectly. 

I am mostly a woven fabric kind of girl, but I have dabbled in knits from time to time. I think my lack of knowledge about sewing with knits has scared me away. However after sewing up that fleece quilt top - I thought - let's see what else this sewing machine can do.  I remembered a T-shirt that needed the sleeves cut off - I don't like long sleeves yet I wanted to keep the T-shirt.

And very quickly - I had my short sleeved T-shirt!!!!   So EASY with that sewing machine!!!!!

Well - my brain is going into overload at this point and I remember a T-shirt that I was going to make for M - YEARS and YEARS ago.  It was all cut out and ready to sew and then something stopped me. Again - probably frightened of the knit fabric.

Here is the project box (I knew exactly where it was!!!)

The pattern - oh so cute!!!!!  Well - I could make it and donate the darn T-shirt, but at least it would be out of my house!!!!

Oh what lovely pins I used back then!!!!!

 The pattern had a weird neck - you interfaced it and then used snaps for a closure on the neck, so I started to do that.

Interfacing the neckline

 The T-shirt also had a pocket on it and while I did the pocket - I wasn't super happy with it.  How the heck do you top stitch on a knit?????   Well I decided to can both the pocket and the snaps on the neckline. Basically I didn't read the pattern and did my own thing. So what else is new????

And as I got sewing - I thought - OH CRAP - this T-shirt will fit her. So she tried it on and of course - I had to tuck in the waist for her!!!   (god forbid that we wear a loose baggy T-shirt!!!)  And I finished it including ribbing (which I had) for the neck.  It is actually quite cute!!!!   We are going to do something else to the T-shirt but you will have to wait for that!!!!

The LONG OVER DUE T-shirt

Wow - sewing that T-shirt was a snap, but I really must figure out how to do top stitching on knits. Well if I want to continue to sew knits!!!!   But I sewed everything -  the hem, the ribbed neckline and the piecing on the sewing machine and it was clean and EASY EASY EASY.

Little Sammy came to visit. Boy  - she is picky - I have to have the dog bed right beside me or she isn't happy!!!!

Little Sammy sleeping!!!!!!!  OK - pretending to sleep. That dog NEVER sleeps. She is always on high alert!!!!

Well since I was on a roll with the knits - I decided to trim up those other wonky fleece squares and I sewed those together as well.

Another wonky pieced fleece quilt top. This one is about 50 inches square. I would like it a bit bigger and after the holidays, I will go through my fleece stash and see what I find

The little bit on the left is all that remains from those two big piles of fleece that Elaine gave me, the new fleece quilt top in the middle and the backing (also on sale at Fabricland)

Wow  - I worked until bedtime!!!!  I was tired but happy!!!!!  I also worked on my MUST finish by Christmas projects and I think I have about two more hours and all three of the remaining URGENT stuff will be done!!!!!

The only urgent thing left is to get the QUILTSocial blog up to date.  I am about three days behind schedule (not for publishing since that will happen in January), but for editing. I took TONS of pictures yesterday and they are all edited this morning and ready to upload as soon as I sign off here.

So on that note - I must go and get that done. It is Christmas Eve, yet it doesn't feel like that!!!   We have embroidery club this morning. I insisted so that I could ensure that I would finish my last block of the Christmas quilt. Oh yes - I have a brilliant idea for that. I may be here by myself - but that is OK!!!!

Have a great Christmas Eve day!!!   Stay safe and dry!

Ciao!!!!!!!