Lots of Sewing Going On

It's been so nice to be able to get some of the accumulated sewing done these last couple of weeks (well when I haven't been running out to the doctor or dentist at any rate!).    I've had a lot of people ask what types of sewing that I've been doing for the gal I've been sewing for the last couple of years.

And thought I'd show pics of what I've been working on for her this summer.    The first pic at the right shows one of the scrub tops that I've made the last couple of weeks.   She ends up supplying the main fabric, and then I end up adding the black on the sides (and in this case the pockets.  The 2nd picture is an example of one of the muu-muu style tops that she likes to wear.   The ones that I finished up this time were a mixed bag of having enough fabric from her to get them made, and having to add fabric to get what she ordered done.

The picture to the left shows the stack of 14 scrub tops/blouses/dresses that I have finished off these two weeks.   The stack is approximately 15 inches tall as the garments are folded.  The box with everything in it and any extra fabric from them weighs about 13 pounds.   Needless to say, it is being shipped back parcel post and not priority mail!   I still have almost 50 more garments to go yet before I finish off all the fabric that I have from her at this point (well if my spreadsheet is correct at any rate).   And if past history is anything to go by, I'm sure there will be a box of new fabric coming back my way from her because I know she hasn't stopped buying more fabric.

The main other project that I've been working on this week, has been to start my challenge quilt for the annual art challenge that I take a part in.   The theme this year is "Who am I?" or something close to that.

To make this quilt, I started by making quilted strips of fabric using two different batiks.  The fabric that looks white in the picture is actually a white background with light teal green dots on it.   Once the strips were completed, I then wove them together .   After pinning them to strips of stabilizer to hold them together I then added the fabric for the borders.   Still to do is to insert batting into the borders and quilt them, and then bind.   Final step will be to add embellishments (buttons, beads, silk flowers) to hold the woven strips in place and then write all of the words that i want to put in the piece on the light colored sections.   Haven't decided what fabric I'll use to bind it in, but I've got enough of all three of the ones that I've used in the piece.

The description that I've written for this piece and that will be printed in the show program is below:

Materials: Commercial batiks, buttons, beads, embellishments. Raw-edged strips of batiks have been quilted and woven together to form the center of the quilt, with a quilted border holding them together. The strips are not backed with any other fabric so that the viewer can see through the spaces in between them. The raw edges and spaces in between the strips, and the knots on the back of the quilt represent the times in my life when things have been difficult, the colors in the fabrics and the embellishments show the beauty found in my life. The overall composition shows the beauty that God has brought to my life. The words written on the strips are ones that I or friends have used to describe me.

Gratitudes:
1. Time to sew and success in getting things finished!
2. Good news so far from doc appts.