Moving along

Here are some photo updates of where I am in my process of my final project.  I still have a ways to go, but I'm moving along:)

 

This is the fabric soaking in a soda ash solution, which is the chemical that helps the color absorb into the fabrics.  

This is my set up, lots of dye, some sponges, spray bottles, and extra towels and rags.  I must say I was lucky to score a good amount of wall space that I could pin up the fabric and plastic to.

Ready to dye!  That is a 12ft x 9ft plastic drop cloth on the wall behind the fabric, to give you an idea of how big the piece of fabric is.  They are about 10ft long and 3ft wide at the top and 9ft wide at the bottom.

 And this is what it looks like after its been dyed.  It doesn't look nearly as dark or saturated when its rinsed and dried, but it still looks just as vibrant!

After the dye soaked fabric sat overnight with an electric blanket on it, it was ready to rinse.  This is the Fibers studio at OCAC where they have ample sink space, it really did take 3 sinks for me to rinse these babies!

And this is the final product!  Don't forget, there are 3 other pieces with the same color sequence that were done as well, its only possible to take a photo of one at a time:)  They have all been sewn together to create a very large skirt like structure.

I have also been documenting my entire process with video, but will have to learn a bit more about video editing until I debut it here.  But I should be done with it soon!

Right now I am working on making pillows to go inside my super stellar fabric fort/canopy, and am having a lot of fun playing with different quilting techniques to make them.  It's a great way to be able to play with all these different techniques I have been dying to try all year.
Photos of the pillows are coming soon!

Super Cute 3hr Apron

So last week while baking some delicious desserty treats for some friends we were having over for dinner, I realized I needed an apron.  Even though through some sort of miracle I managed to keep my cute white shirt free of brownie and cookie debris, I really thought in the future I should play it safe and have an apron on hand.  It can be so heartbreaking to get a smudge, spot or spill on a favorite new top!

This weekend while perusing Joanns I just happened to find the perfect prints for my new apron, score!

So yesterday I found myself with a good 3 hour window of opportunity...Can I make an apron from scratch in only 3 hrs, just in time for dinner?   Hmmmmm.  This will take speed, ingenuity, and a little bit of cheating:)

Knowing that half of the "time battle" would be creating a pattern, I decided to cheat and freehand the shape directly onto the lining fabric...although I did use my dress form for a bit of help, I trued up the lines right onto the fabric and in about 20 minutes was ready to cut!  After a little bit of pressing:)

  (I used tailors chalk in blue for the rough design lines, then trued the lines and added seam allowance in red)

*Dont forget! - When creating your own patterns for a symmetrical design, you only need to create a pattern for one side of the garment, then place on the fold.  This saves time and ensures that each side of the finished product is prefectly symmetrical*

I liked the look of pockets, but I wasn't sure that I would be carrying around any cooking utensils in my apron, and figured the only thing they would carry would be food debris.  So to add a bit of color and complimenting designs I went with a simple patchwork-esque wide waist band that would become the tie in the back.  And then decided to incorporate one of the fabrics from the waistband into the neck straps.
After some simple math and about 30 minutes I was cut, pressed and ready to sew!

(The fabrics appear a little less vibrant as they are pinned with right sides together, ready to be sewn)

Another 1hr and 20 minutes later: after a bit of sewing (and miraculously no need for a seam ripper) everything was pressed and top-stitched.  After deciding on some buttons I was ready to add the finishing touches!

(yes thats a cracker on the left next to the scissors...I was hungry)

After adding the buttons to secure the straps, I decided to also add some cute embroidery stitches, the blanket stitch to be exact (thanks to my new book Sublime Stitching: Embroidered Effects by Jenny Hart) to the edges of the strap to help secure the edges and highlight the buttons.

And at last the Super Cute Apron was Complete, mission accomplished!

I really am in love with how it came out, and even more excited that I was able to make it from scratch in a small amount of time with no mistakes, this has to be a first!  Cant wait to make the inaugural meal with it tonight...hmmm speaking of, what should I make for dinner?
- Japanese Curry with rice and salad
- Chicken and Pineapple Teriyaki Sausages with rice, miz veg, hummus and pita
- Good 'ol Gourmet Hamburgers with baked potatoes, salad and mix veg

What do you think my inaugural meal should be? :)