Mustard Gals

At this year's Quilt Market in Houston, I walked past a group of three women, two of which were wearing mustard-colored items. Thinking, "Hmm...who are those hip ladies?"......I stopped, introduced myself, and soon learned it was none other than Iowa's own Michele Rosenboom (winner of the Printed Bolt's Repeat contest), and Ellen and Madeleine who run The Printed Bolt's contest. They were just so delightful to meet. Michele's work is beautiful and was featured in a gorgeous quilt made by Iowa's other darlings---Modern Quilt Relish.  
I bumped into Ellen a few more times over the weekend, and a month or so ago they asked me to be one of the judges for this year's contest on The Printed Bolt. (yay!) I am so excited.

Well, yesterday, the list of judges became public. So, I can actually talk about it now.
In the company of some really outstanding others, I am so so honored to take part in this project. I can't wait to see the entries and creative solutions. Check out the other judges below----whoa. right? :)

STANDARD SIZED CARD

Hey Hey folks...
I made a variation of the free card from the previous post. It's a standard sized one that folds. Check it out at the link below.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5cXJar8JCD1OGJ4UXBmNFlJYm8/edit

Enjoy!
xo
Greta

FREE HOLIDAY CARD DOWNLOAD

Hey Hey everyone! I decided to give a little freebie today!

Below is a link to a free card you can download and send to friends and family this holiday season.

It fits in a standard office envelope----3 5/8 x6 1/2 inches. Those are super cheap and I thought would be a good way to save some $$ this season! :)  I like to be a thrifty gal by using those, and I love to take a little time to decorate those little plain envelopes with hand drawn doodles. It's a fun touch in the world of mass manufactured cards. :)

The cards are one-sided, so you can write a little note on the back and send them off! They look great printed on some kind of cotton rag paper. I used Rives BFK and tore it down to size, but card stock or matte photo paper would certainly work well too if not better. You can leave a little deckled edge around them by tearing them out or cut them out neatly with scissors or an exacto. You'll get three to a page with Letter size paper.

INSTRUCTIONS: go to my website   http://gretasonge.com/home.html
At the top of the page go to the Navigation Section titled HOLIDAY DOWNLOAD
The PDF should automatically download to your computer.

Happy Holidays!
-Greta

One Yard Wonders -L'Artiste De La Mer

Next week, Spoonflower is hosting a contest in conjunction with the publishers of the One Yard Wonders books. This upcoming book is Little Wonders---projects for kid's items. The contest required us to use their pattern template for the shirt and to have a nautical design of some kind for a girl.

I sketched this out last week, and then eventually finished it today. I just love it. I've been drawing this little artiste for a while now. I'm glad she found a home. :)

Quilt Mock-Ups

As a person relatively new to sewing---I just started last year----I still have lots to learn. So, when designing fabric patterns, I have lots and lots of ideas of how to put them to use, but my sewing skills are a bit behind my brain in that department. I'm working on it, but as you out there know, it takes time to get the hang of quilting. It especially takes time to execute the ideas in your head!
So, today I worked on digital mockups of a possible upcoming line. I'll show details of the line when the release is a little closer, but I thought I'd share some of the quilt patterns I worked on today.
Some are definitely more successful than others, but man is it fun to imagine!

THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE

Mollie Makes Spoonflower contest

This week I decided to enter a Spoonflower contest that sounded like a great one!....Mollie Makes, a UK craft mag, is hosting a contest called Flights of Fancy. There was a restricted palette of some pretty scary colors (ha!)...but I managed to work with it and came up with this! Check it out and go vote if you have a moment! :)

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1571439

Tova Dress + My fabric + St.Paul trip

Well, I think I might have made a match that was just meant to be-----my fabric from the Here to There collection----and Jenny's fantabulous Tova Dress pattern!!! 
I made a shirt earlier in the month (see previous post), but definitely wanted to take on the dress. I had some grey fabric in my stash and paired it up with one of the coordinates from my collection.
I have to admit, that since seeing that coordinate pattern printed up, it's been screaming to become something in the apparel world. I think this is it!

Jenny's pattern is so versatile. It is this great silhouette with that lovely little placket up top that allows for so much creativity in matching up fabrics to use. In this case though, I decided to add a couple of my own touches to the dress. I had this lovely buttons floating around for a while now that needed a home........

And, I decided to add a belt to cinch it at the waist a bit. While, I love the dress without it, I think it fits my shape better with the belt....plus---I've never made a belt. So, that was a lot of fun to try! 

Also, last weekend I got the chance to go to Minneapolis to visit one of my favorite people, my darling friend Marie. We spent the weekend sampling lots of goodies from around Minneapolis/ St. Paul including more craft beers than I should admit. It was such a great weekend. Admittedly, I have only been to the area once, when on a synchronized swimming team trip---and I can only recall going to the Mall of America. Needless to say, a grown-up trip was long overdue! Not to mention, that hanging out with her, Laura, Tim, and John was just a blast. Hanging with that group of great friends never fails to be a good time filled with laughter, conversation, and fun. 

I may have crushed someone with a very large cherry. oops. 

Marie gags John with a spoon

Farmer's market goodies! 

yes. this was delicious! 

When you're in a town with outstanding espresso and beer---you sometimes have to have both at once.  

Succulents galore at the Walker outdoor area! whoa. 

A WEE BIT OF CATCHING UP TO DO!

Well, needless to say, it has been a while since my last post in August. A new full time job and the usual demands of life have been a bit of a hinderance in updating the blog. However, now that I am back...boy do I have things to share! :)
Let's break this up into a few categoires----

A VISIT FROM MOM------
My mom never liked sewing. In fact, when I started to sew just a year ago, I definitely started with some hesitation, remembering mom's frustration every time her Avocado Green Singer was brought out for occasional dress or pant hemming. So, when mom came to visit back in August, I decided what better way to bond than at a sewing class at Home Ec!!?? ha! She was totally game and had a great time. Codi guided her flawlessly through the whole process and she made a lovely little tote. It was so much fun to have her here and share that experience with her.

A proud mom and her tote

STRIKE OFFS!-----

Next up, is a very exciting thing indeed. The first round of strike offs have arrived from the mill. There's still a little adjusting to be done, but these are definitely sneak-peek worthy anyway! This is the Here To There Collection in the blue/brown colorway. I just love it! 

And, what may be the most exciting part.....

SEWING PROJECTS---------

Luckily, I have still managed to get some sewing of my own done. My recent project was the fabulous Tova top from Wiksten.  I have had the great pleasure to get to know Jenny of Wikstenmade over the last couple of months, and she is a complete delight as are her beautiful patterns for clothing. I decided to use a little mish-mash of fabrics from Marcus.  I just love the blend of the Civil War Era fabric with the modern prints. It is just a unique combo that I fell in love with.  The top was a little tricky in parts---not due to directions, but due to my lack of great sewing skills! I managed to fit it perfectly, and in the end decided to remove the collar I had sewn on. I liked the open neck. I plan on making another one soon. It is just such a great top to wear with jeans or leggings. 

Then, yesterday, I spent the evening at Home Ec again working on making a tote bag from the new strike offs. We are getting ready for the Quilt Market. So, a few great little examples of things sewn up from the collections is a must! 

A slightly traumatic moment--eek!

The outside of the bag is almost done----the rest will be completed next week

PREDICTABLE DISASTERS-----

As some of you creative types might know, sometimes the spaces we work in tend to get a bit disheveled. My lovely John, who is also creative, is MUCH MUCH neater than I. This was his humorous addition to my lingering disaster in the downstairs room. ha! 

Yes, that word bubble on the right says----"It destroyed everything!!" :)

FARMER'S MARKET FINDS-----

And, finally I saw these lovely oyster mushrooms at the Farmer's Market last Saturday. I just thought they were so stunning. Something about that blue tablecloth does them good too! :) This will definitely be inspiration for something in the near future! 

Marcus Debut

Hey Hey everyone!
The time has come....the fabrics have been released on Marcus' site! yea! Below is the current post on their blog.

Check out the blog here.  Check out my profile and the collections here.  And, check out the color cards....a bit bigger than the swatches on the site here. 
Shipping dates for the fabric may not be until January, but I'm hoping to be at the market in October with samples to show!

Fabric Scrap Animation

In the last weeks of summer, we hosted an animation camp at Iowa City's own Home Ec Workshop. It was so great! We used bits and pieces of the stash of scraps and remnants that the gals at the shop had on hand. With 3 elementary/middle school participants and three adults in tow, we created a simple story board to illustrate a basic truism...."A cat always lands on its feet."  We worked on it over the course of 5 days for a couple of hours a day. It was so so fun!!! And, the fabric scrap set makes for such a lovely aesthetic.

Check out the video on youtube here.

Kasia Skirt + Bronchitis!

Well, I can say that the only good thing to come out of this week of ridiculous sickness, as I battle some form of really lovely bronchitis, is that I finished another sewing project.
It's the Kasia skirt. This is a free, that's right FREE skirt pattern available on Burda Style's website. The link is this if you decide to make one! I highly recommend it. It was a little hard for this beginner sewing gal. I definitely took out more than a few stitches, but oh man, what a great skirt! The fit is PERFECT, it's stylish, and just so so cute. I'm so proud! It's my second garment from a pattern, and my first really successful one! ha!
I used some of the Oasis Canvas from Marcus, that has proved to be just such a great fabric for my last couple of projects. I just love it! What do you think!?

The main skirt panels ready to assemble

My first buttonholes! So proud 

Bunched little pockets added a fun detail

Zipper in place....a little jankety, but it get's hidden by the front panel....my little secret! :) 

...laying out a few options and deciding on what fabric to use with the buttons. I bought a handy dandy button making kit at Hobby Lobby, and just loved getting to make the perfect button for the skirt!

 The view from the front...high-waisted

I just love the final product! I may have to make a few variations of this.....maybe one for each day of the week....too much? ;)

Dress at last!.....and barstool makeover

I finally finished a project I've been working on for a bit now. I went to Home Ec  a few weeks ago, and fell in love with this Colette pattern. It is just such a great pattern and it has pockets! Who doesn't love a dress with pockets!?

So, I decided to mix and match a few fabrics from my stash, including this local fabric that I picked up in Hawaii back in March. I'm kind of a sucker for anything indigo and I just loved the faux needlework look of it all. I actually used the backside of the fabric because of the unique discoloration and irregularities in the dye. It looked a bit more handmade.

With that, I paired up some really fabulous fabric from Marcus. It's their Oasis Canvas.  It's organic cotton, and just so lovely to work with! Not to mention that the two blues, worked so well together for the bodice. I just love it! The Oasis Canvas has just enough stiffness to give it some body, but is so soft and perfect for clothing. I think the three of them look just great together.

The second project I tackled as of late was a barstool cover makeover......a much needed one! These things were just awful. I probably shouldn't post this because they are just that bad. ha!

 These are the before pics of the stools, in need of some love and attention. So, I took them apart, reused the original cushion, and recovered it with my coffee fabric. 
It was actually quite easy to do! I just traced the cushion, and added about three or four inches to the circumference of the circle on all sides. Then, it was basically as easy as making a little shower cap! I just sewed in the elastic, pinned the fabric to the 4 spots on top with some embroidery floss, and Voila!