Home EC Class: Project 11

Zippered Pencil Case

**If you noticed that I skipped project 10, I commend you on your keen observation!  :)  Project 10 was for hemming jeans and while I'm still in the present state of pregnancy (not to mention 7 weeks away from delivery!), I will be avoiding those projects that have anything to do with clothing until after the baby comes.  UPDATE: posted here.  **

Lessons learned:
   installing a zipper
   lining a pouch

closed...

open...

I was really looking forward to this project -- I think knowing how to sew in a zipper will come in quite handy.  I enjoyed this project, though, I did get a little frustrated about how my particular pouch wasn't quite so square (or rectangular, in this case) when I got finished, and also in trying to sew the other side of the zipper (with the particular instructions we were given), but everything turned out relatively okay in the end.

I think the old saying, "Practice makes perfect." will apply tremendously here.  :)

Home EC Class: Project 9

Reversible Bib

Lessons learned:
   piecing fabric
   using (or making) a template
   using double fold bias tape to finish edges

the front...

the back...

You would think that I'd be really excited about this project for the simple fact that I'm going to have a baby in 2 months, right?  Well, I was.  Until I got into it.

This project has actually turned out to be my least favorite so far.  Hard to believe I know, but there are several different reasons why that is:

1) I made my own template from a bib we already had in our baby's closet and though that wasn't so bad, I think it may have turned out a little small (and I know he IS going to start out pretty small, but I'm just sayin'.)

2) I made the straps too short -- they're supposed to be long enough to tie in a bow behind the baby's head.  As it is, I'm going to have to put some velcro on the very ends of the straps and even THAT may cause minor suffocation after a time.

3) The quilting didn't turn out near as well on this project as it did on the potholders.  Not sure if it's the fact that I used felt instead of batting for the padding, that I had striped material that wasn't all that even, that it wasn't a square piece of fabric that I was sewing on or that I sewed my quilting lines a little closer together this go-round so there were more of them, but whatever it was had me rushing through just to be DONE with this project.

4) The bias tape didn't go around my bib quite as smoothly has I thought it would or should and I don't know if that was because my bib was more squared than the bib in the instructions but I did my best with it.  It doesn't look too bad in the photos, but there a couple of quirky places if you look closely.

I really don't want to finish this post on a negative note so I will say that, though I'm glad to be past this project and not sure I'll attempt another bib, I did learn how to piece fabrics together and that wasn't too bad and also, even if the bib turns out too small for him, I can always turn it into a sign to hang on his doorknob or something.

Home EC Class: Project 8

Curtains (Grommeted)

Lessons learned:
   lining up a pattern
   double hemming
   spacing & installing large grommets

one panel, for our kitchen window...

I am SO EXCITED about how this project came out!  The grommets were so easy to put in (just snap in place after cutting out the circle -- no tools required).  I sewed just one long panel (instead of 2 like the instructions suggested) just because I was only doing a valance and I saw no reason to do 2 panels.  And I.am.in.love. with this fabric that I picked up at Hancock Fabrics!  It's a little pricey (but I did purchase it at 40% off :) but matches my dishes perfectly and I'm so pleased with how it looks.  It surprises me every time I walk into the kitchen.  In a fabulous way.  :)

I have a patio door to the right of these photos that I'm already calculating yardage for...

Home EC Class: Project 7

Quilted Potholders

Lessons learned:
   batting
   closing in a double-sided square
   blanket stitch

The tutorial for this project only instructed us to sew the parallel lines (shown on the printed side), called "quilting", I think.  And that was okay.  However, I saw another classmated do the square "spiral" design on theirs (in the collection of flickr photos we have access to) and I thought it was pretty neat-looking so I decided to give it a try on my 2nd one.

I like the look of the parallel lines and it was easier than I thought it would be to get them relatively straight but my beginning and ending w/backstitching turned out kind of messy (you can kind of see that in the 2nd photo above).  But I really like how the spiral turned out and it was much faster than the parallel lines because I didn't have to remove my needle until I got to the center/end.  The only thing that didn't turn out was that when I got to the center, on the backside (the printed side of that one)...oh, my stitching was horrendous.  I'm wondering if it was because the batting inside was just really thick there at the end.  Not sure, but I've decided to just use the orange side of that one, and the printed side of the other one.  :)

These potholders match the napkins that I made for Project 1 and just on a side note, we had dinner guests last night and I busted out my napkins for them.  First time in use -- I was so proud!  :)