Remember that full plate I have for the month of May? Well it has all been pushed way back to the back-burner since my last post, as a nasty stomach bug made its way through our family like a tidal wave. My daughter and I got it first, 48 hours later my youngest two children got it, and as a nasty sneak attack after we all thought we were in the clear, 72 hours later, my husband got it. All creating, sewing, blogging time has been fully replaced by sickness, recovery, tending sick beloveds, and cleaning/laundry catch up. My husband is still recovering today, and the deep cleaning continues. Needless to say, I don’t have much to show!
Since May is flying by, though, and I wanted to check in, I thought now would be a perfect time to share the patterns I’ve been purchasing for the May is for Makers initiative started by Lindsey at LR Stitched.
I kicked off the month by buying the Rebel Quilt pattern by Libs Elliott. Ever since my husband first started “following” my quilting and getting more into the quilting world, Libs Elliott has been his favorite designer. I can’t even tell you how many times he has tagged me on Instagram on a post (that I had already liked, by the way) just to make sure I saw the awesomeness. Since I have yet to make a quilt for him, we decided that the Rebel Quilt would be perfect. He selected a color palette of red, black, grey, white, and a bit of turquoise (yay!), and I’m itching to get started. This is going to be SO much fun to see come together! All in good time, of course.
The second week I bought the Terrazzo Quilt pattern by Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced. This is one of those quilts I loved the moment I saw it, but have not yet had the right opportunity to make one. Recently Fat Quarter Shop asked if I would want to make a quilt using both of their Alison Glass Sun Prints bundles and blog about it if they sent me the fabric, and this quilt pattern popped to mind. Yes and yes!! I plan to create this quilt in the coming months; an all time favorite pattern with my all time favorite fabrics–I’m in love already and I haven’t even cut the first piece!
For the third week, I’m sharing a pattern I bought *just* before May began, but I’m counting it anyway. Stitchy Pie is a sweet needle organizer pattern recently released by Lucy at Charm About You. I had just been thinking about how I needed some system for keeping all of my hand stitching needles organized and in one place (it’s never fun when I can’t find my self-threading needles and it’s thread burying time), and this pattern popped up in my Instagram feed. I plan to make mine…. wait, can you guess?…. out of an Alison Glass Art Theory panel! I will never tire of Alison Glass fabric projects! I don’t know when the time will present itself, but when it does, I’m excited to make this handy little project.
I have not yet decided what patterns I’ll be purchasing for the last two weeks of May. Do you have any suggestions? Any innovative projects that you find yourself returning to again and again? I’m soooo close to crossing into the black hole (so it feels) of garment sewing, and I want to begin with a simple cotton tank. Do any of you garment sewists have suggestions? Thank you in advance, and I hope you’ve been having fun with May is for Makers, too!
Back to cleaning up and possibly sewing for just a tiny bit, since Finn is napping. Here’s to good health, sunny skies, and speedy and efficient catch-up!
Night Quilter 
Where has Stitchy Pie been all my life? 😍 Loving all of these patterns.
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I hope you all are feeling better! I’m getting close to trying garment sewing as well, and the first one I’m seriously considering is the Akita blouse by Seamwork (link: https://www.seamwork.com/catalog/akita) and I was introduced to it by Meredith at Oliva Jane Handcrafted (http://oliviajanehandcrafted.com/blog/?p=6476; she’s made & posted two!). I haven’t bought the pattern (*yet*) but it seems to be a good starting garment and Meredith made a simple yardage-saving change to the pattern that I will likely follow. Good luck!
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Kitty, I love all of these. I may have to hop over to Freshly Pieced and check out Terrazzo.
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Terrazzo has been on my wish list for some time now too! That’s going to look amazing with the Alison Glass prints.
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Those patterns are gorgeous. I find that I like in a family that like symmetry whereas I am much more engaged by something a bit off balance. Your patterns fill the bill. Gorgeous – I hope you all feel better soon – such a miserable family bonding experience fighting for bathroom space…. I remember it well.
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I hope your family has a wealth of good health for the next few months. ❤
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I also chose a stitchy pie as one of the indie patterns under the May is for Makers initiative. It’s such a sweet and clever design and having made one it is a quick and easy make. Your other pattern purchases will take a bit longer…..
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I hope everyone is on the mend now. Yuck. Poor you.
Great patterns – I love them all. I have only made a few clothing items – I started last year trying to make one a month. The first I made was the wicksten tank which was nice and easy. If you can follow instructions you’ll be right sewing clothes – just take it slow. The things that seemed intimidating to me were never actually as hard as I imagined. Just don’t forget what you are doing and see everything with a quarter inch seam. Now that is annoying!
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Oh, Kitty! Sounds like a hell of a week! I hope everyone is feeling up to scratch again soon. As for your pattern choices, lovely! My MQG is considering a Libs Eliot workshop in the near future, so I’m very intrigued by the Rebel pattern. I’ve been sticking to small projects for my May is for Makers choices – both in the interest of time and cost!
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Sorry about the stomach bug (yuck) and all of the related laundry and other household stuff. And the care.
Love your choices of patterns. I’m attending a Libs Elliot workshop at the end of June, and hope she’ll have that pattern there for sale. Doing another workshop at the beginning of June with Victoria Findlay Wolfe and want her wedding ring templates as well. Maybe I’ll save a few pennies on postage. And how nice of FQS to provide you with a bundle of Alison Glass. I’m very very jealous!
Hope the rest of the month goes better for you and yours.
Brenda
bwiseman@neb.rr.com 402-486-3220
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Wow! Two great classes on your agenda!
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Sounds like a rough week or so for the Wilkins’. I hope you are all rested and well now. That is no fun at all. Take care!
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So many great plans! Have fun cutting and sewing. How about the Colette Sorbetto top as a first foray into garment sewing – it’s a free pattern so probably doesn’t work as a May is For Makers pattern though!
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Seconding the Colette Sorbetto for a first garment project, maybe followed by the Wiksten Tank or Grainline’s Little Pocket tank? If you’d like a teensy hint for making your first top, try to choose an apparel fabric (like linen, lawn or voile) instead of quilting cotton-it’ll give you a much more satisfying result.
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OOoh ~ you’ve got some fun stuff in the que! 🙂 I love that your husband tags you on instagram. so sweet.
It’s not a tank, but if you wear dresses, I highly recommend trying kitschy coo’s Lady Skater Dress. It’s so comfy and quite flattering for most figures. I had to tweak my pattern a little to get it to fit me perfectly, but honestly, I am *super* picky. (I actually just made another one less than 2 weeks ago. I think, not counting tops I’ve made by lengthening the bodice portion, that was maybe my 6th one?)
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If you don’t have it already, i also recommend the Makers Tote by Noodlehead. A couple of tricky spots, but a really nice bag. As to clothing, pick a style that you know you will wear. Personally i wear a lot of knits 😉 but i haven’t been making clothes lately.
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Well, that stomach bug didn’t stop just on the US side, but somehow made it’s way across the pond… uugggh! Luckily, I was the only one who got it, but I got it good.
Tja, it would seem that poor, helpless husband’s are left no choice whether to follow along with our quilting or not. One day at the lunch table my husbad asked me… “so, after you make the quilt sandwich, then you can start quilting with your walking foot?” I guess that’s what happens when you leave your reading material in the bathroom ; ) He almost made a few ladies fall over in the fabric store when he was able to point out Amy Buter fabric without being given any hints.
Your second quilt will be amazing with the AG fabrics… looking forward to seeing this one in the making! (am I just a bit biased?)
Garment sewing? Ugghhh… I actually ended making a cute jacket pattern after years and years of not having done any garment sewing. Let’s just say I remember now why I only quilt.
Good luck with your last two patterns!
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