My daughter's school is having a fashion show and silent auction fundraiser later this month. I was asked to make "something" for the auction. This is what I came up with...
...an apron/potholder/tea towel/dish cloth set.
For the apron, I used Butterick 4945. Usually, aprons are good beginner projects and I think they are pretty simple. Not so with this apron. I was looking forward to just cutting out a pattern with no alterations and then just sewing it up following the directions without too much thinking.
For the most part, the no alterations thing worked. The only thing I changed was the waist ties. The ties in the pattern were a single layer and rather wide. It seemed to me that they would be hard to get to look good when tied on a person. So, I made them double layer and narrower.
I should have thought through the directions instead of blindly following them. The apron turned out okay, but it could have been simplified. The lower band is faced. The upper band is a facing turned to the right side. I think the lower band should have been done the same way. It's hard to see in the picture, but the curved sides are a sewn-on band with a facing. The instructions would have you slipstitch all these facings. I stitched in the ditch (perhaps a little too confident from my quilt binding experience) and they turned out okay.
I really had my doubts about this potholder, but now that it's done, I really like it. It's 8.5" square. I used part of a very thick bath towel and two pieces of batting (one on each side of the towel) for the filler.
The front is quilted to one of the layers of batting. I didn't even try quilting through the towel. The back is just plain.
The tea towel is a piece of bleached muslin that I hemmed. The patchwork band is 3" high with pieces of varying widths (scraps from the potholder).
I've used this dish cloth pattern before. This is a self-striping yarn and it turns out that the length of the "stripes" was exactly the same as the length of the circle segments. I didn't really notice that until three segments were finished and then I didn't want to go back and rip it out to get it started at the right spot. So, one corner of each segment is the wrong color. Oh, well.
I don't have piles of money to give to the school, but I do have piles of fabric. Hopefully, this turns into some money for the school. I'd like to do more, but some other projects have come my way, so I may not get to it before the date of the auction.
Next Up: Dolls. Not my thing. But, it's for money, so I'm giving it a try.
...an apron/potholder/tea towel/dish cloth set.
For the apron, I used Butterick 4945. Usually, aprons are good beginner projects and I think they are pretty simple. Not so with this apron. I was looking forward to just cutting out a pattern with no alterations and then just sewing it up following the directions without too much thinking.
For the most part, the no alterations thing worked. The only thing I changed was the waist ties. The ties in the pattern were a single layer and rather wide. It seemed to me that they would be hard to get to look good when tied on a person. So, I made them double layer and narrower.
I should have thought through the directions instead of blindly following them. The apron turned out okay, but it could have been simplified. The lower band is faced. The upper band is a facing turned to the right side. I think the lower band should have been done the same way. It's hard to see in the picture, but the curved sides are a sewn-on band with a facing. The instructions would have you slipstitch all these facings. I stitched in the ditch (perhaps a little too confident from my quilt binding experience) and they turned out okay.
I really had my doubts about this potholder, but now that it's done, I really like it. It's 8.5" square. I used part of a very thick bath towel and two pieces of batting (one on each side of the towel) for the filler.
The tea towel is a piece of bleached muslin that I hemmed. The patchwork band is 3" high with pieces of varying widths (scraps from the potholder).
I've used this dish cloth pattern before. This is a self-striping yarn and it turns out that the length of the "stripes" was exactly the same as the length of the circle segments. I didn't really notice that until three segments were finished and then I didn't want to go back and rip it out to get it started at the right spot. So, one corner of each segment is the wrong color. Oh, well.
Next Up: Dolls. Not my thing. But, it's for money, so I'm giving it a try.
Very nice set for the auction. You did a great job, someone will be very lucky to be the high bidder on this.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors you used in this set. Soothing and cheerful! I think there will be a very happy winner out there too!
ReplyDeleteWell as they say the most precious thing you can give is your time, and hope your time turns into dollars for them. Amazing set. Truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful set, the colors/print are cheerful and I think it will do very well at the auction. I'd bid on it :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a very generous contribution as far as your time and the set itself. I'm sure it will be appreciated.
I would also bid on it--probably raise Ann's bid :)Very nice work.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! You have a knack with colors and fabrics!
ReplyDeletePatterns can be confusing at times, at the start of each class I teach I go over the pattern language with my students and give them examples of instructions that are not so clear, even for patterns that are marked "Easy" can be frustrating. That's what I tell my students but I follow my own intuition on how I think the project should go together. You made a good decision and your project is beautiful! Good luck with the dolls.
ReplyDeleteI started this apron as a gift for each of my 3 daughters for Christmas. It was so difficult I could not finish it. I got to the point of the side bands.
ReplyDeleteI have taught myself so I dont really know all of the terms and techniques, but I can usually figure patterns out.
Is there somewhere I can get help with finishing this project?
My daughters were very surprised I couldn't finish because I made their dog matching Christmas pajamas from pattern I enlarged on my on with graph paper.
😃