Well, it's quilting time.

It's been a long drought of new posts and such. That's completely my fault. I was in a very long and dusty creative block. Then, my sister had her baby. And it was QUILTIN' TIME! Thank you dear sweet Sullivan, you helped me out of my slump.

Here's some of the work I did that helped me back into the sewing creative groove.

These were leftover fabrics from another project I had done years earlier.

Another zig zag pattern? Yes I think so.

I made this design wall out of a 8'x4' piece of wall insulation foam board.
Wrapped in a piece of batting and then flannel, I never have to get on the floor to lay
out a quilt again!! Genius. It just lays agains the all, and is super lightweight.

Final idea approved my myself and my sister, and my mom.

I pieced it together, and then just did a basic stitch in the ditch to quilt it on my machine. 

Note my children's artwork and notes adorn my design wall.
I can use straight pins in it as a bulletin board as well.
I always have those around.

The backing had a little piece work in it. I rarely have enough fabric for the backing, and I love pieced backs. It's like two quilts in one!

 My dear little niece, Sullivan.

Thanks to Tery Wiemers for the
embroidery machine help.

My sister Sully is a teacher at a local high school and she helped me to get this embroidered with her name and date of birth. Big Thanks to Terry Wiemers the fashion design and sewing teacher who let me use the embroidery machine and worked it for us.

Actually I must thank Sully, without her I wouldn't have done this at all. Like I said, I was in a creative slump. Sort of. My sister was having a baby in May and was planning on name her Sullivan. So my older sister the original Sullivan, Sully to all of us, insisted we do a project together for our new baby Sully.

Sully: "Ruthie, we need to do a project for baby Sully. And by us I mean, that we brainstorm a project, and that you do it for me."

Ruth: "That definitely sounds like one of our projects."

Now Sully, is and was an artist and art teacher, and Home Ec teacher. And this was apparent even when we were children. She taught me art, and how to make taffy, and how to make candles, how to silk paint, and read me stories, and created treasure hunts and musicals that are lovingly recorded on video for all of our combined amusement and horror. For birthday presents, she would give me "gifts" that were more like projects. Like blank paper and water colors, or gave me an assignment that I would sometimes finish. Once I became a full fledged member of the BFA club, (bachelor of fine arts) we would work on projects together. And by together I mean, she would start one and I would finish it. She has been one of the most ardent supporters of EVERYTHING I do. Well, especially quilts. So after much brainstorming of ideas for little Sully, we decided to do a quilt. Mostly I decided because Sully and I couldn't agree. Maybe this was her plan all along. Hmnn, she's a mastermind older sister right?

So thanks big Sully, and little Sully, and Gracie for conspiring to help me get some fun work done.

Thanks and thanks again.

Ruthie

DIY maternity nursing shirt

I have been on the prowl for an easy shirt to wear for nursing. Most of them come with a higher price tag and if I'm going to be covered in spit up and milk stains, I just don't want to invest in something expensive. So I looked online for DIY nursing shirts and didn't come out with much that I liked. I mean, I don't plan on wearing them out much, but I have to look "decent" if I do go out in one. So I grabbed a 4 pack of XL men's Hane's T-shirts and started draping on my size 12 dressform. Unfortunately for me, I am no longer a size 12, I  am much larger due to my need to consume all the food I see, and having been pregnant about 4 months ago, it's just going to stay that way for.....hmn, eternity I guess.

I came up with a process to make a presentable t-shirt cheaply, that works as a nursing top.
You will need a t-shirt that's too big for you, a sewing maching (I used a serger) and scissors.

First start with your XL men's t-shirt. Or if you are a smaller person, a smaller shirt. But we will be taking in a bit so guesstimate. My measurements are:
Bust: 38"
Waist: 33"
Hips: 39"
When finished my shirt has a good 4" ease for comfort. I had made one tighter, but didn't like that you could see my doughboy tummy.

XL Men's T-shirt, nice and roomy

I measured 3" down from the armpit seam

Cut 3" down from armpit seam

Cut down center front

Fold over sides of cut center front and make a diagonal line

Cut along the diagonal line and make a V

Overlap the two center front corners

My overlap was 8", you can try on the shirt and find the most comfortable overlap for yourself

Pin your overlap

Baste or serve the overlap only

Keep the overlap pinned even after sewing-cut open the center back-straight down the middle

Take the bottom half of the shirt and cut a straight line

pin the top of the overlapped shirt, and the bottom

Serge a straight line attaching the two pieces

There will be extra fabric at the center back, you can cut it to match the center back top and then ease it to 0" for a A shape, or cut straight down for a fitted shape.

Serge or sew the center back seam. Before you sew, try it on and pin the fit you want then mark. This is what the back should look like.

This is the front of the shirt inside out, with my son, because he desperately wanted to be in the picture.

This is the finished shirt, I took in a bit more ease for the picture, I wear mine larger than shown. No need to hem the neckline, it's a jersey so it just rolls nicely, and no frays.

Pull one part to the side and easy nursing, just remember, this is a jersey fabric, it will stretch so the neckline will get looser each time you nurse until you wash it again. So if you want to reinforce it with an elastic that would help.

Hope this works for anyone wanting an easy and cheap solution for a nursing Tshirt.

I'm wearing the one I made in the photo's right now.

Salut....