Housedresses

I like to wear housedresses.

They are comfortable, cool, and if someone comes to the door (or I need to take out the trash!), they are modest and presentable. Don't get me wrong--if the house is cold in the winter, you will usually find me in sweatpants and a flannel shirt--but, since we heat our very small house with a large woodstove, my house is rarely cold!

Recently, I got an email about a bargain on a flat-fold bundle of quilter's calico from Marshall Dry Goods. At $1.95/yard, I decided the time had come to make some housedresses. 

Most of the pieces were about six yards in length, so I knew they would be adequate for the project. They are 100% cotton, which I wanted, and are fairly busy prints. Busy prints will show stains and mends less, and since I wear them for housework, yardwork, and cooking, this was a plus. They also remind me of the dresses my grandmother and great-grandmother wore. 😀

I used this pattern:

The design is loose and comfortable. It is an easy sewing project, and at less than $14.00 per dress, it was much less expensive than buying ready-made. I could also change the design to make it fit my own needs and wants.

I made the sleeves fuller and added more width to the skirt. I sewed in-seam pockets (reinforced so they can really be of use) rather than the outside patch pockets.

I love them! They are easy to wash and dry and are very comfortable to wear.

Apparently, I'm not the only person who enjoys wearing house dresses. There is a Facebook page for a small company called thisismyhousedress. Their designs look very much like mine.

You can learn about the history of the housedress at several different sites. This one has several pictures; this one has pictures of vintage sewing patterns; and this one has links to several different sites about the subject.

Happy Sewing! 😺

Log Cabin Finishes

I finally finished up my Log Cabin quilts. They are fun to make, and I have plans for more!

First, a very traditional brown/neutral one.

Brown Log Cabin 95" x 95"

Brown Log Cabin (center detail)

Brown Log Cabin (detail)

Brown Log Cabin (detail)

Brown Log Cabin (back and binding detail)

For this quilt I used 1.5" strips (finished at 1"). The center red square is a constant fabric which I also used as binding. The back is a brown paint stroke print with a center panel of fruit and foliage (you can just see it in the backing detail picture). I quilted it with straight lines.

The second is a curved Log Cabin in red and white.

Curved Log Cabin (67" x 88")

Curved Log Cabin (detail)

Curved Log Cabin (back and binding detail)

This one was made with 2.5" red (and white on red) strips and 1.5" white (and red on white) strips. The center is a constant, and I also used it for binding. The back is a red/white check. I started the light side of these blocks with plain white strips to make sure the contrast in the center was strong. Again, I quilted it with straight lines.

I enjoyed making both of these. The red (2.5") strips seemed very wide--I may adjust them a bit if I do another curved Log Cabin block. I really love the brown one--I think the colors turned out well.

I have another Log Cabin in progress. This one is in the Courthouse Steps variation, and it is VERY scrappy. I have plans for several more as well, so you will be seeing more Cabin construction from me!

Happy Quilting! 😸