UFOs!

The lap quilt

Whilst cleaning out my sewing closet I came upon a fair number of UFOs (UnFinishedObjects for anyone new to the sewing community)    The first is the oldest and dates the from the summer I worked at G-Street fabrics.  (Fun times - but holy crap it was hard not to go home with EVERYTHING.  We'd get in these shipments, and I'd have to become familiar with them, and there was this whole section of batiks....   ::drools::  I made good use of the employee discount)   Anyhow, I worked in the quilting cottons sections, and saw LOTS of quilts - fancy ones, plain ones, wacked out pretzel and mummy ones** you name it, I saw it.   One day a woman came in with a picture of a quilt and wanted to know how to make it.   It wasn't detailed enough to show the seams, and I didn't know all the patterns off hand, but I know enough geometry and whatnot to figure out how to duplicate it - anyhow it stuck in my head and became a favorite.   (Later that day I found out it is called 'Card Trick')    I ended up making it with four of my favorites - an odd combination perhaps, but I like them.  I'm not so sure about the border - actually I am, I don't like it, I'm not really sure what motivated it, but I'm going to need to take it off and finish it off with something else instead.  (My only other quilt)

when I first started craving red

This dress is actually about 95% percent done - it needs a little bit of work at the hem and the shoulder straps adjusted slightly -- but I just don't like it.  (are we seeing a theme with my UFOs?)  Its one of the other views from Butterick 5350 - but unlike the red polka-dot dress it has it pleats at the top.  In theory I thought this would be cute, but it ended up flattening me out in a awkward way.   I don't think its well suited to the busty set.   Anyhow, its been waiting for attention for well over a year now - but there is hope!  Once I realized how unhappy I was with the bodice I got another yard of the red (from a store in a different state no less) so when I get around to it I can fix it.  But I already have a red dress I prefer, plus this new polka dot one, so there isn't much impetus.

I think the muslin was nicer fabric....

Here we have Butterick 5428 - jacket and lining,  fit and ready - but once again I was not happy.   In this case it was the fabric rather than the pattern - its this odd synthetic that had an interesting sheen on the bolt (and was $1 a yard at Jomar) but when in jacket form it looks like one of those horrible cheap suits that melt when the weather is warm.   For whatever reason I'm currently imagining it looking lovely in a springy wool - somewhat more odd as I rarely allow that particular fiber to touch my skin, least I itch like mad.

There are a number of others, but I think they will wait for another day in the hazy someday.

heh-- I have the exact same expression in both pictures.  Lets call it 'Blue Steel'

**  Not long after I started I made friends with one of the other clerks and she was telling me weird customer stories, and mentioned a lady who came in to make a quilt for a grieving friend.   She chose a green with pretzels and another with golden mummies and some sort of bright blue.   My friend thought it was hilarious - I thought it was even more so, because I knew the lady was my mom and that I had made most of the picks.  (Mom - send me a picture, the world needs to see the glory)