Vest Side Two and the Grande Finale
First, I want to thank everyone who sent me such nice encouraging notes re starting my blog. I so appreciate the time you took to write and all your kinds words. Now, on to the second vest side….
With one vest side completed, I was anxious to get the other side completed so I could finish the vest and choose the buttons. You see, I always wait until the vests are done to go into my button box and choose the buttons. While I was in Colorado, there was also a wonderful button vendor and I stocked up on some awesome buttons that I couldn’t wait to use. Sometimes it is the little things, literally, that get us motivated.
So, off to choose fabrics for the second vest side. I already decided it was going to be black with lots of vivid colors. Perhaps I was going through color withdrawal after working on the shades of gray vest. I had this awesome large scale floral fabric with a black background so it was simple to choose companion fabrics featured in the focus fabric and a variety of textured blacks. The paper-pieced block was going to be a rectangular flower block from the new book. I positioned the fabrics to see how they looked together. Plenty of colors for my taste and perfect for lots of different blouses. It was now time to cut the strips and make the paper-pieced block.
Once this task was completed, I positioned the block and the strips on the vest front foundation in the way I intended to sew them to play with the possibilities. I wanted more black than floral on the patchwork front so I used thin floral strips and wider black strips.
This vest side worked up quickly and I was pleased with the results. The brighter fabrics were used at the top of the colorful strip and the darker fabrics at the lower portion. The thin vertical floral strips incorporated this fabric in the patchwork side, but ever so slightly. I used a black tone-on-tone stripe for the back of the vest. I like to use stripes for the vest backs…again, it is that optical looking thin thing again.
Now I am heading down the homestretch. All that is left to do is join the two sides, flip, press, insert that cute little back elastic, join the side seams, and finally….yes finally, choose the buttons. I chose these really glitzy square silver buttons for the gray side and fairly simple golden buttons that looked woven for the floral side.
Yes, all is well with the world. Ooooh, I have a trip this week and I can bring my new vest to wear….oh, it would look great with my teal blouse on the floral side or maybe the bright pink or that even the summer green shell….run upstairs and check out the teal blouse, the pink blouse and the green shell and…the gray side would look awesome with a white blouse, light blue blouse or even black. Check out the white and blue blouses. Wow, both sides look great with my black blouse….Yes, that is it, the black blouse! Black is such a great travel color…it doesn’t show any spots.
Until next time, may all your points be perfect,
Carol
July 7th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Guess this is take two :). Carol, I think your vest is absolutely yummy! Leave it to you to come up with something so beautiful. Course, it’s no surprise as you come up with some of the nicest patterns and most beautiful projects. Glad to see you on a blog! Looking forward to seeing more of your WOP (works in progress) throughout the year. All the best to you and yours and may you enjoy all the very best life has to offer. – Terri Drake, Ossineke, MI
July 7th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Carol.. your vest is stunning. You are a sewing demon! it is amazing what we quilters can squeeze into a little, itty, bitty time. Excellent show..
July 7th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Your vest is beautiful! Good luck with the blog. I’m sure you’ll love it!
July 7th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Absolutely beautiful!!! Now I am chomping at the bit for the new book so I can make a few for me.
Hope you are having a wonderful day.
Julie in FL
July 8th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Wow, what an awesome vest! I am so glad you have started this blog, Carol. You are so inspiring and motivating. Thank you for this opportunity to learn from you and to enjoy the fellowship of other quilters.
July 8th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
WOW! Two completely differnt vest in one vest. How cool is that? I love it. Love your blog too, Carol. Love the way you are showing off your blocks for Simply Sensational 9 patch stars.
Thank you for all you do.
Kela
July 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
This is just gorgeous!!!