A 100 Day Project made into two textile books;a Make Nine finish

A revisit to my 100 Day Project from 2023 resulted in a two-volume set of stitched and collaged textile books. I learned the slot-and-tab binding technique through this year’s 100 Day Stitch Book project, and decided to use it to compile the individual stitched and collaged compositions from 2023 into a finished piece—a book. Learning from the experience with the 100 Day Stitch Book, the assembly for these two books was smooth and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.

100 Day Project 2023.
Volume I (left) and Volume II of stitch and fabric collaged compositions.

The new books required covers

With 18 compositions to work into a textile book (a lot of pages that would make a very thick book!), I decided to divide the compositions into two volumes. This made the assembly more manageable and allowed the compositions to relax and expand on the pages.

Making two books/volumes required making two [new] book covers. With these newly stitched covers, I was able to document the name of the project. This is the cover for Volume I (a 12-page book + cover) …

Cover for Volume I. Measurements: 9.75” x 9”

… and this cover is for Volume II (an 8-page book + cover).

Cover for Volume II. Measurements: 9.75” x 9”

In my group of stitched compositions, I had one partially finished page. I decided to finish it so there would be less blank pages. This made a total of 19 compositions divided into two books.

• Volume I: 12-page book with 11 stitched compositions.
• Volume II: 8-page book with 8 stitched compositions.
• Front and back covers are in addition to the inside pages.

A partially completed page from 2023 was finished in 2025 and added to the book.

The inside compositions/pages were all 9” square. The front and back covers, as well as the inside front and inside back covers, were cut slightly wider, at 9.75” x 9”, to accommodate the spines. 

View of the book spines.

View of the front and back covers that wrap around to create the spine.

Discoveries, notes, and tips

To make note of a few things for future slot-and-tab books:

• All the pages are yarn-dyed fabrics [from Diamond Textiles] which are a dream for hand stitching.
• The surged edges of the book’s pages helped when turning the signature right-side-out.

Sewing past the corners on each side.

• When sewing the signatures, I sewed off the edges at the corners (rather than pivoting and turning). The stitch line was used as the guide for turning the corners right-side-out.
• I love the stitching on the backs (wrong sides) as much as the stitching on the fronts! So, I took photos of the compositions (fronts and backs) before assembling the signatures. 

Back sides of two of the stitched compositions.

• The paper folding dummies were extremely necessary as the slot-and-tab assembly does not follow the conventional pagination scheme for book signatures. 
• I’m thinking about adding a pocket in one of the books to hold the paper dummies.

Paper folding dummies for pagination.

Four-page signatures.

Here are a few of my favorite page spreads.

Page spread. 100 Days of Stitch and Fabric Collage, 2023. 

Page spread. 100 Days of Stitch and Fabric Collage, 2023. 

Page spread. 100 Days of Stitch and Fabric Collage, 2023. 

The left page on the spread (below) was the newest composition that was started in 2023 but completed this year.

The additional, new composition is on the left.

A Make Nine 2025 Finish

These textile books are fulfilling one of the UFO prompts for Make Nine 2025.

Make Nine 2025 “UFO” prompt.

Make Nine 2025 tracker. June 1, 2025.

The last page of Volume II.

I’m happy to have these stitched compositions from my 100 Day Project from 2023 in book form. And I do see more slot-and-tab textile books in my future.

The One-Day Wiksten top

Last weekend was my birthday. I decided to forego paperwork and blogging to enjoy the pleasant September weather, go out to lunch at a favorite downtown trattoria, and do some “me-sewing.” The result was a new, one-day Wiksten top.

Wiksten top made with yarn dyed wovens [Diamond Textiles] and scrappy triangles.

Wearing my new Wiksten top.

Reusing a pattern

I’ve used the Wiksten pattern two or three times before, so the pattern pieces were already modified and fitted to me. For this new version, I made two other changes to my existing (modified) pattern pieces: lowering the front neckline slightly so it would more easily slip over my head, and adding an inch to the length.

Lengthened bodice pattern piece.

Fabrics and pattern hacks

I had some light colored yarn dyed wovens [by Diamond Textiles] that were already pre-washed and suited for a casual summer top. I mixed two dobby wovens that had inherent texture and I believe I used the “wrong” side of the check fabric because I thought it was more interesting. That is one of the beauties of yarn dyed wovens—you can choose the “right side” or the “other right side” of the fabric for your project.

A handful of  HSTs [half square triangles] were picked from my scrap box and strip pieced. This patchwork strip was inserted into the bodice front—to add a bit of color.

Patchwork insert on the bodice front.

Vents were put in at the side seams—an easy detail to add to this top. The neck facing was cut from a cotton print which made this a fun, scrappy make. The sleeves were hemmed by hand. The 3/4” bottom hem was sewn by machine. The hem stitches are camouflaged by the woven fabric.

Wiksten top flat view.

The Wiksten is a fast make. Even with my modifications, I finished this version in a day. The original pattern has options for a shift dress, a longer 3/4 sleeve, a gathered back version with a yoke, and pockets. It’s a good base pattern for hacks. It has a boxy, casual look but I read a hack where someone has added darts. 

Another Wiksten has been added to my wardrobe! One day under the needle… and the next day ready to wear.

On the deck outside my studio wearing my one-day Wiksten.

Kalamkari Jacket: my last Make Nine 2020 finish

The last Make Nine 2020 project squeaked in with four days to spare in this Make Nine year. This is my kalamkari jacket.

Kalamkari Jacket. Hand stamped with vegetable dyes on cotton fabric.
Fabric from Diamond Textiles.

I have been savoring this kalamkari yardage from Diamond Textiles for some time, so included it in my Make Nine list for this year. My appreciation of the kalamkari technique deepened after taking a virtual workshop through Selvedge magazine this year. 

In the photo below, the individual block print designs can be seen. Each block is stamped by hand and is skillfully registered with the each image across the fabric. 

Kalamkari jacket, front view.

Matching the designs

Because the pattern in this fabric is prominent, it took extra time and thought when laying out the pattern pieces for the jacket. The design needed to line up across the front as well as at the side seams. (There were also a few re-sews at the top and hemline to make the pattern match.)

Kalamkari jacket front.

Kalamkari jacket back.

The collar pieces were also cut with the print design in mind. Here is a back view of the collar. 

Kalamkari jacket back collar view.

Hand finishing

I do enjoy the hand work involved with garment making. For my "quilted" jackets, I leave about an inch of the lining extending out at the fronts and back side seams to cover the raw seam allowances once the side seams are sewn. 

When cutting out the pattern pieces, the lining extends out at the side seams.

After the pieces are sewn, the lining is lapped over the raw seam allowances and hand stitched down. This is done on the side seams and the sleeves.

Enclosing raw seam allowances of the sleeves.

At the shoulder seams, I insert a binding strip.

A 2.5" strip of lining fabric is cut for binding the shoulder seams.

The binding strip is hand sewn over the raw seam allowances after the seam is sewn.

Hand stitching the shoulder seam bindings.

A bias strip covers the raw edges at the sleeve hems. Sometimes I use a contrasting fabric for this detail—to make it show. However, I opted not to introduce another (commercial) fabric into this garment.

Bias binding at the sleeve cuffs.

The button loops are of the same kalamkari fabric and the buttons are sewn on by hand. 

Buttons and corresponding button loop closures.

The inside collar, front facings and bottom hem are sewn by hand.

Jacket lining.

The fussier aspects in the making of this jacket were worth the extra time and effort. Don't ya think?

Kalamkari Jacket. Make Nine 2020 finish.

That's it for Make Nine 2020! 

I checked all the boxes... and colored in all the worksheet diagrams.

My Make Nine worksheet for 2020. All items complete.

Here is the 2020 recap:

• Wild Card: Odette knit top 
• Kalamkari Jacket (this blog post)
• Wild Card: Bristol knit top—a new pattern for me 
• Pillowcases: one set for Valentine's Day and another using a double border print fabric
• Knitting project: Improv Garter Stitch Wrap, a stash buster yarn project
• Rayon project: the MixIt Top with a new fabric substrate
• Yarn project: slip stitch colorwork knit dish towel
• UFO finish: Kantha stitched zipper pouch. Two UFOs were combined to create this useful zipper bag.
• Charity: 12 kitty quilts made that supported the Chattanooga Cat Clinic and the Pet Placement Center.

My Make Nine completed projects for 2020.

Make Nine 2021

I've been contemplating and planning for Make Nine 2021. I will be taking the Challenge again next year. Here is a link with more details, helpful hints on choosing your list and a printable worksheet. Anyone else want to join me?

Stitching Success Tracker: December status

December. The last month of the year... and a status update of my 2020 Stitching Success Tracker.

2020 Stitching Success Tracker: December status.

November hexagons
On the EPP [English paper piecing] front, 15 hexagon blocks were (surprisingly) completed in November. Four had a patriotic theme for the 2020 election and one commemorating Thanksgiving. 

I picked up several fat quarters on my travels and am still enjoying "selective cutting" motifs for various shaped pieces. This project is one that was resurrected during the quarantine shut-down—when many of us makers were seeking something soothing, creative and distracting from world events happening around us.

15 hexagons finished in November.

Ten hexies were finished in October.

10 hexagons finished in October.

Make Nine 2020
My Improv Garter Stitch Wrap was finished in November—a project I'm still thrilled about and wear most every day. This project was Finish #8 of 9.

Make Nine 2020 status.

I've started on the ninth item on my Make Nine list—a jacket using a kalamkari fabric from Diamond Textiles.

Pattern piece layout for a kalamkari jacket.

I love this piece of fabric! The colors and design are classic. It's hand block printed with natural dyes and it reflects the culture of this technique and the long, rich history of textiles. After taking a kalamkari workshop offered by Selvedge magazine, I have a new appreciation and admiration for this printing process.

 

Kalamkari textile workshop with Kirit Chitara at the Selvedge World Fair

The world gets smaller every day! This is especially true now, with the aid of technology. 

Through the dedication, hard work and forethought of Polly Leonard and the team at Selvedge Magazine, paired with Zoom technology, I was able to attend the Selvedge World Fair 2020—A Celebration of Cloth, Culture and Creativity—to take a virtual workshop with Kirit Chitara on kalamkari painting. It was amazing and eye-opening, to say the least.

Issue 93 of Selvedge magazine and page spread featuring kalamkari textiles.

Kalamkari textiles

I was introduced to kalamkari textiles by Rohni Sandhu, the owner of Diamond Textiles. Diamond Textiles is a fabric company that specializes in authentic world textiles... not reproductions that are printed on a base fabric to "look like" various woven, dyed or printed techniques like ikat, serape and kalamkari. 

One of my Make Nine 2020 projects is to make something with yardage I have of this beautiful textile. The kalamkari prints [from Diamond Textiles] that I have (shown below) are block printed by hand with natural dyes. 

Hand block printed kalamkari cotton fabrics from Diamond Textiles.
Natural dyes: madder and indigo.

The virtual kalamkari workshop with Kirit Chitara—an artisan from India whose family has carried on this tradition for eight generations—focused on the Mata-ni-Pachedi hand painting kalamkari process. With the assistance of an interpreter, Kirit explained the history of this 800 year-old art and the meaning behind the images of the mother goddess, animals and flora depicted in the scenes. 

Kirit paints the colors by hand using a sharpened bamboo stick.

Generations of kalamkari artisans
Starting when he was a young boy of 5, Kirit learned how to draw the images by watching his grandfather and father. The workshop participants watched Kirit create an entire scene (with pen and paper, for ease in capturing on video) before our eyes. There was no sketch, tracing or pencil guidelines that he followed. Starting with the mother goddess, then adding mountains, water, sea creatures, animals and other figures... the drawing was a total stream-of-consciousness from the story in his mind through his hands to the ink on paper.

The start of the drawing.

Progress on drawing the goddess.

Natural dyes

The colors in the images and the background of these textiles are created with natural dyes—madder, indigo, turmeric, iron, pomegranate, etc. The drawing, painting, mordenting, dyeing and washing processes are extensive. Depending on size, a piece can take anywhere from 1-1/2 to 8 months to complete. 

Various seeds, roots and minerals used for natural dyes.

Questions from worldwide participants

People from all over the world attended this workshop. Selvedge, the host of the event, is based in London, England. Judging from the various accents of the attendees, people from several countries and continents were able to attend virtually. 

When asked, Kirit replied that his favorite parts of the process was coming up with the narrative and doing the drawings. He also enjoys adding the details to the images. He said, "the filling-in process is tedious," at which we all chuckled. When asked if women did any of the painting or drawing of the kalamkari, he responded that the women do the more tedious parts—like the filling-in of outlined areas and backgrounds.

Kirit Chitara, kalamkari artisan from Gujarat India,
at the virtual workshop.

Kirit showed several of his kalamkari textiles (like the one below) during the workshop. Pieces made by Kirit and other textile artisans participating in the Selvedge World Fair can be seen and purchased on the Selvedge website. The kalamkari items start on page 12.

Close-up of one of the kalamkari textiles made by Kirit Chitara.

Kudos and thank you to the Selvedge magazine team for coordinating and hosting this virtual event! The lectures, workshops, show-and-tell sessions, and the streaming video at the weaving village were full of information about textiles, culture and the creative artisans and entrepreneurial businesses involved with preserving, sustaining, supporting and sharing these textile traditions.

With a 6:45am login, a freshly brewed cup of coffee in hand, I was able to participate in this amazing, worldwide textile extravaganza in my own home in the US. It doesn't get any better than that!