Pillowcases

October 2010

Service Project


Wow. My girls and I have finished our pillowcases for Con-Kerr Cancer.We will deliver them shortly  to Cozy Quilt Shop in El Cajon. This is the shop that had a fabric sale that made it possible for us to each make 10 pillowcases. Thank you Thank you! My girls were hesitant at first but then they got into a groove.We cut our selected fabric together because I felt this is were the accuracy begins and makes for a nice finished pillowcase. I was able to practice french seams and my girls practiced sewing. One of my daughters exclaimed that she can sew a pillowcase in 30 minutes (not including the cutting, ironing or pinning). Their confidence is rising and hopefully they have a skill that will help them in the future. Not only will the recipient get a pillowcase but we got alot out of participating in the challenge.

Our first three pillowcases

The stack continues to grow!

Kate hard at work

Soley hard at work...pinning?

All the pillowcases completed and ready to deliver

The girls deliver the pillowcases to the Cozy Quilt Shop

I believe that we will remember this time that we spent making pillowcases for someone in need and also allowed us to spend time together.

 I just read that the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge will be over as of December so if anyone out there in blog-land were thinking of participating...get to cutting, pinning and sewing!

Happy Giving!
Ileen

Things I Have Learned

Tuesday October 5th 2010

I have learned so many techniques while sewing the Ice Cream Social dress by Oliver & S.  This was my first attempt using french seams and they turned out great. It makes a nice finished look without the need of a serger. My daughters and I are currently using the french seams for our pillowcase we are making for Con-kerr Cancer.

Not feeling confident in making button holes or sewing in a zipper, I liked the button loop enclosure on the back of the dress. I have incorparated that technique in the latest dress I sewed from the French book, 'Intemporels pour Enfants' by Astrid Le Provost. (I will post those pictures tomorrow.)

My littlest daughter wears the dress often. It washes and wears nicely.

While reading  the Oliver & S blog the other day, I noticed she composed a sewing syllabus outlining her patterns from beginner to advanced. Since her patterns feel like a individual sewing class, I think this is a great way to improve my sewing skills. Look for her posting on Sept 9th 2010, you'll see her list there.

As I people watch or rather clothing watch, I am starting to notice how garments are made and can guesstimate how skirts, blouses and dresses might be assembled. There is a definite order to the process. One day I would like to understand pattern making or try my hand at making patterns from my favorite pieces of clothing.

But mostly, I feel great to have completed another project and to have it turn out so nicely! Maybe I am getting over some of the anxiety I feel with starting a new project.

So my daughters and I are nearly finished sewing the pillowcases. We each have 4 to go. We have watched the stack of fabric turn into pillowcases. We all are wondering where they will go and to whom will enjoy them. This is a great first project for teenagers as well as adults.

I have not forgotten my Honu (turtle) Quilt but I think I must put it on hold because I just realized that Christmas is coming.

 I am rethinking my list or at least the order in which I will make each item. I have the Jump Rope dress cut and ready to stitch as well as the T-shirt Quilt that was due to be completed in September. So thank goodness I had made my youngest daughter an 'Alice in Wonderland' dress for her birthday party. As I was sewing the dress I was thinking how crazy I was for making the dress just for a party. Then it occurred to me that she could be Alice for Halloween....Yea! The holiday madness is upon us.

Happy Fall

 Ileen

Wave of whimsy

Saturday October 2nd 2010

So one of the many things I like to do/make is bread. Yeast had befuddled me and the resulting breads I made were better door stops than edible, fluffy, tasty loaves. A friend started a bread making class and I thought after all these years I was unteachable. But now I have had many successes. I began, after understanding some basic bread guidelines taught in the classes, using the recipes in Cooks Illustrated. Our family favorite is the Anadama Bread. Then I ventured to The King Arthur Bread Book. And my most recent favorites are both The Bread Bible by Beth Hensberger and The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. For french toast or a yummy white bread, Ms Beranbaum's challah is our 'go to' recipe. While in a used book store with my daughters, I happened upon A Bread for all Seasons by Beth Hensberger. It is an interesting way to present bread recipes. It gives me something to look forward to each season.

A couple of things that I do every time I make bread is I leave a little flour out to produce a more moist loaf of bread and I always wrap the baked loaves in cotton toweling while they cool. This allows for the heat to escape while not drying out the loaf. My husband gave me a Shun serrated knife for Christmas...glides right through a cooled loaf of bread!

Orange Raisin Bagel bread from Beth Hensberger's A Bread For all Seasons July

White potato Oatmeal Bread, September, also from the same book. I also wanted to make the Italian Whole-Wheat Walnut-Raisin bread, also in the section for September, but I think I will just have to move along.

For October I will have to try either the Fresh Apple-Walnut Bread or the Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread. My family is sometimes frustrated that I don't make more sandwich breads but I love to make different kinds...it keeps me interested in the process.

So today we are continuing sewing our pillowcases for Con-Kerr Cancer Pillowcase challenge. I also need to spend some time on the T-shirt quilt. I purchased the backing yesterday. A blue minky fabric. I am going to catch up on all my projects....wishful thinking perhaps.

PS. I am new to blogging and the formating is driving me crazy.  As I am typing and editing it looks one way then when I go to preview it looks somewhat different. So many apologies. I am in the process of trying to figure it out....

Happy October

Ileen