Hand sewing the hanging sleeve

This quilt came back from the long-armer at Busy Lady Quilt Shop. It's been trimmed, a flat piped binding attached, and this week's task is to sew down the hanging sleeve (rod pocket).

Quilted top. Fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia and Northcott Fabrics.

The focal fabrics in the patchwork are from a package of 10" squares from M&S Textiles Australia, the appliquéd circles are from a fat quarter package from M&S Textiles and the background is Stonehenge from Northcott Fabrics.  

Appliquéd circles in a contrasting color.

In observance of time, I made a flat piped binding and attached it by machine. I let Jennifer at Busy Lady Quilt Shop choose the quilting pattern and I really like how the red quilting thread (her idea) accents the red piping. I also think the oval, swirly, boomerang-like quilting pattern is a great complement to the fabric prints.

Flat piped binding attached by machine.

The quilt backing is pieced. With the trimmings from squaring up the quilt, I was able to cut a hanging sleeve and align the color blocking with the pieced backing.

A pieced hanging sleeve blends in with the pieced backing.

Now, on to the hand sewing...

Hanging sleeve pinned on the back.

I think one or two TV programs will suffice for this sleeve.

Wrapping up the 100 Days 100 Blocks 2021 project

The 100 Days 100 Blocks Kinship sampler sew-along is approaching the finish line—next Friday, October 8. Over the last three months, I've been piecing the sampler blocks in batches, using fabrics from several of the fabric companies I rep. Here's a look at the journey...

Blocks from the 2021 100 Days 100 Blocks sew-along.
Fabrics from Dashwood Studio and Simply Primitive batiks from Batik Textiles.

Australian Aboriginal designs

In July, I started the 100 Days 100 Blocks program with Australian aboriginal prints from M&S Textiles Australia. The bold colors and aboriginal designs offer a lot of interest and movement. These prints definitely keep the eyes moving across the fabric. Several of the blocks have made it into the center section of a new quilt top.

Progress on the center section of a quilt top.

Felicity Fabrics bridges traditional and modern styles

The next batch of blocks features prints from the Nightfall Floral collection and basics from Felicity Fabrics. The prints from Felicity are ideal for patchwork—smaller scale prints in contemporary color schemes that maintain their presence even when cut into smaller units. The Felicity basics are familiar, tried-and-true designs that support and coordinate with a range of focal prints.

Fabrics from Felicity Fabrics.

A contemporary European flair from Dashwood Studio 

Next up is a batch of blocks made with fabrics from the UK company, Dashwood Studio. These fabrics are relatively new to US quilt shops. The prints have a continental, contemporary feel and the Twist basic line has a random seed pattern that offers subtle movement with an easy flow.

Blocks made with fabric collections by Dashwood Studio.

Aviary, Hedgerow, Habitat and Twist fabric lines from Dashwood Studio.

Mixing in primitive style batiks from Batik Textiles

The last batch of blocks incorporates prints from Dashwood Studio with the Simply Primitive batik collection from Batik Textiles. These unique batiks have a minimalist design style and a dusty, darker color palette—quite unlike what usually comes to mind when people mention "batik." The sparse designs of the batiks provide a contrast with the more detailed cotton print deisgns from Dashwood Studio. The darker colors shift the focus to the brighter prints and offer a richness and sophistication to the patchwork blocks. 

Simply Primitive batiks mixed with prints from Dashwood Studio.

I'm having a particularly good time choosing and coordinating the colors and textures of the batiks with the Dashwood Studio Habitat collection. 

The Habitat collection features animals from all parts of the world.

This is my fourth year participating in the 100 Days 100 Blocks project. It's always a fun project and it keeps one's patchwork skills finely tuned!

Ask your local quilt shop [YLQS] for these fabric lines and start your own sampler block project.

The Tablecloth Jacket: the epitome of repurposing

One of the September Textile Love 2021 prompts, "Repurpose," reminded me of a jacket I made in a 2015 workshop with Angelika Werth. The workshop was called Garments: Deconstruction / Reconstruction. And this piece is the epitome of repurposing!

The Tablecloth Jacket, from a 2015 workshop with Angelika Werth.

If you hadn't read the title of this blog post, would you have known this jacket was created from a large, oval tablecloth and a pair of embroidered capri pants? I bet not. But it was!

The Tablecloth Jacket, back view.

Inside/Outside

Oh, I wish I had a photo of the tablecloth before it was "repurposed." A photo would make this easier to describe. Anyway...

During a show-and-tell session during the workshop, my classmates suggested I use the "wrong side" of the tablecloth—the faded denim side—for the outside of the jacket. The dark blue inside of the jacket was actually the "right side" of the tablecloth. Don't ask how many times I "unstitched" a seam by adhering to the sewing adage of "with right sides together..."! In this project, the "right side" was not necessarily always the right side.

The "wrong side" of the tablecloth is the outside of the jacket.
The design in the darker blue is actually the "right side" of the tablecloth.

Capri pants = jacket sleeves

The next "repurposed" element was an embroidered pair of capri pants. The pants were deconstructed and turned into the jacket's sleeves. The color of the pants as well as the floral embroidery were a perfect complement to the tablecloth!

Decorative embroidery on the capri pants.

The vent at the lower edge was a delightful "bonus" detail! 

The deconstructed pants turned into the jacket sleeves.

Jacket details

Looking at the back of the jacket, note the decorative braid-like pattern up the center back. The braid pattern was made from two rope designs that were running lengthwise at the 1/3 and 2/3 points of the tablecloth. The center section of the tablecloth had no design. I cut the center away and pieced the ropes to run up the center back—making it a braid.

Center back braid design and hand stitching at the shoulder seams.

Below is the inside of the jacket showing the center back. The raw edges of seam allowances at the center back are covered with a silk bias strip (cut from a silk blouse/dress). The little bows are a sweet detail and the color was perfect.

Bias trim covers the center back seam allowances.

The armhole raw edges and side seams are also covered with a silk bias strip.

Other construction details as well as serendipitous design elements include an open "gusset" at the underarm. You would only notice this if the arm was lifted... and you knew to look.

Underarm open gusset.

The pant leg sleeves were attached to the bodice with decorative stitching.

Open underarm and hand stitched seam.

The floral filigree design on front lapels is asymmetrical. One lapel is pieced on the diagonal.

Asymmetrical designs on the jacket lapels.

The lapels actually use the "right side" of the tablecloth—the darker blue—as the "right side" of the lapel. It makes a nice contrast and creates a long vertical line in the garment.

The dark blue lapel is a nice contrast to the bodice and sleeves.
It visually creates a long vertical line on the body.

I can't believe how the capri pant legs were the perfect length for the sleeves!

Capri pants = jacket sleeves! The perfect sleeve length.

Resources

The pattern I used as a basis for the body was the Santa Cruz Jacket/Vest pattern from the ReVisions collection by Diane Ericson. I did make a muslin for fit before cutting into the tablecloth.

The tablecloth and capri pants were acquired at a local resale shop. The silk bias strips were created from a silk dress that one of the class participants did not want.

My deconstructed/reconstructed Tablecloth Jacket, completed in 2015.

So, there you have it! My deconstructed/reconstructed Tablecloth Jacket. Simply serendipitous and totally repurposed!

Angelika Werth was a generous instructor with a wealth of knowledge and experience. My classmates were encouraging and supportive. It was a success all around!

September Textile Love... and other sew-alongs

The 2021 September Textile Love Challenge [#septtextilelove], hosted by Seam Collective has started! This is my third year participating.

Day Four prompt: Method/technique—bobbin work.

Responding to daily prompts

2021 September Textile Love daily prompts.

The daily prompts for September Textile Love are thoughtful... and the interpretations by the participating fiber artists are even better! I've been introduced to textile artists from all over the world and their work through this challenge.

As I search for appropriate photos to post, it's making me analyze my pieces in more depth. I have to formulate descriptions and express—in words—my thoughts about the work and/or the process. This is not that easy, but I know it's a good practice. 

I hope to learn a lot from reading the posts by the other participants. 

100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge

I've also kept up with the 100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge. Today's block is number 67 and I'm on my third fabric line. Here are blocks using M&S Textiles Australia.

100 Days 100 Blocks with Australian aboriginal fabrics from M&S Textiles.

... and the center section of a quilt top is pieced.

Center section using nine blocks from the Kinship Sampler pattern.

Below is a potential layout for the Felicity Fabrics blocks.

Auditioning a layout for my Felicity Fabrics blocks.

The Dashwood Studio blocks are the latest addition to the program.

Blocks from 100 Days 100 Blocks made with Dashwood Studio fabrics.

Other Challenges I'm involved in

I continue to work on my Make Nine projects for 2021 and practice daily stitching using my Stitching Success Tracker. 

There's lots of stitching and talking about stitching going down this month. What's your plate overflowing with?