Saturday 1 February 2014

3 down, 17 to go

I used another pattern from Little Things to Sew to bump up my count in Lightning McStitch's Cover to Cover challenge


Bartacks and Singletrack : want to go all the way with me?


These are the messy kid bibs

Two messy kids bibs but only one with messy binding

I made the one with the giant pea on the front first.  Having learnt a new skill last week - the highly technical process of printing an image onto transfer paper and then ironing that image onto fabric - I wanted to do it again (and again, again and again.  Let's be honest, given half a chance I would probably put transfer paper images on everything I could find right now…. just like when we were kids, one of my brothers would write his full name anywhere he found a blank space.  Never mind if he didn't actually own the things he wrote on).

I spent hours searching the Internet for a suitable vegetable image and eventually found the pea on Clipart ETC.  I was also going to print out some lettering saying "eat your veges" but then realised there could be an awkward "You-say-tomato,-I-say-tomahto" moment i.e. veges or veggies?  Anyway, my husband called the whole thing off and I was left with just the pea




I used purchased bias binding and almost tossed - or composted - the bib before I had finished because I didn't like how the binding was sitting.  I persevered, figuring that someone might find the bib useful even it isn't perfect.



Of course, I had to have another go at this pattern and do a better job.   Today I made the second bib using some J Wecker-Frisch Patches & Rhymes fabric I had left over from a quilt I made for my friends' first child.  He is now eight!



This time, I didn't cut out the pocket and I made self-fabric binding.  I applied the binding differently to the instructions: sewing it first to the front, folding it to the back and then stitching it down.  I cheated a little by using fabric glue to stick the binding to the back.  I felt like a naughty contestant on Project Runway and kept hearing Michael Kors and Nina Garcia castigating me for using unconventional sewing techniques!

back of bib glued down before stitching 


I stitched-in-the-ditch on the front catching the binding on the back.


This worked a treat and I will do my binding this way next time.  It looks so neat and there are no wrinkles!

Despite the problems with the binding I really enjoyed making these bibs.  Half the fun was in applying the iron-on vinyl.   Who would have thought that something so simple could make me happy?  That and transfer paper could keep me amused for hours.  In fact, I almost started on the bento box carrier today because I had an idea for embellishing the lining that combined both of these… And then I thought I could make the most elaborate play town and puppet theatre…

So, I've ticked off my third pattern from the book.  I made the first bucket hats in 2012, and the back pack last year which means that at the rate I am going I reckon I could get this challenge sorted in another 17 years.  This turtle probably needs to go a bit faster if it wants to be in with half a chance.  However,  I could always do a Bradbury









2 comments:

  1. Ha ha! Our greatest sporting moment right there!
    I'm a big fan of sticking bias binding down. I use quilters edge iron on stuff but glue would probably be much cheaper!
    You are so right about iron on vinyl, it is ridiculously fun. (for something that is really no more exciting than putting Contakt on your school books)
    Great bibs.

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  2. Nice work. I have made these bibs with contrasting fabric on both sides, and they can then be reversible. I think you might be unnecessarily concerned about the binding on the pea bib, and the "eat your veges" would have been fun. What does your husband know?

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