Quilted Sweater/Best/Worse & What did I learn? project...

Shar and others who wish to make one..I'll try and do regular posting to guide you through..should someone wish the actual cut-out portion of the jacket, let me know and I can mail it to you...Hope you enjoy!

It's really pretty, Betty!

Sizes Small Medium Large

bust measurement 32-34" 38-42" 44-48"
finished bust measurement 44" 48" 52"
length at centre back 25 1/2" 27 1/2" 27 1/2"
sleeve length to underarm 18" 18" 19"
all measurements are approximately and length can be adjusted prior to cutting out pattern...

Materials Required...
1 1/4 yard of solid color 1
1 1/4 yard of small print (2)
1 1/4 yard of coordinating print (3)
2 1/2 yards of solid print (matching color of sleeves/bands) (4)

I often pick up more print material and exchange it for the 1 1/4 yard of solid..you must however purchase the 2 1/2 yards of solid print...it's your preference...you do not want to put print material in inside lining as when all the machine quilting is done, and the design work, it's much more appealing...

Thread that coordinates in color but not lining color..you want to see the stitching inside of the jacket...

Knitting "4" ply worsted weight. I used Patons 'Canadiana' found at Michaels as it washes and dries and seems to keep shape for years...
You can use Bernat Berella also or type that gives you the gauge..

I use a pair of 3 3/4mm (american size 5) and a pair of 4 1/2 (american size 7) or whateve gives you the proper tension...(as below)

i.e. 20 sts and 26 ros + 4 inches with larger needles in stocking stitch
small (3 balls) medium (4 balls) large (4 balls)

2 pkgs of metal..do it yourself "cover it" buttons

Thanks betty.....I will follow these right down to the letter. Cannot wait.
am waiting with baited breath for the sleeves, etc to arrive, then will decide on the quilted area. what a fun project it will be!
Thank you so much.

Knitting Instructions:

Sleeves (make 2 alike)

With smaller needles cast on sm. 41 med. 43 lg. 45 stitches

1st row (right side): K1 *P1.K1.* to end of row..
2nd row P1 *K1.P1.* to end of row..

Repeat these 2 rows (K1P1 ribbing for 3" ending on a 2nd row and increasing 12 stitches evenly across last row until you have:

sm.53 med.55 lg. 57 stitches

Change to larger needles and proceed in s tocking stitch increasing 1 stitch each end of needle on every 6th row until you have the following:

sm77 med 81 lg. 85

continue working 1 row of knit, 1 row of purl until it measures:

sm 18 med 18 lg. 19

With right side facing you start casting off to form top...

Cast off 8 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows. Decrease 1 st. at each end of needle on every 2nd row until you have:

sm17 med 19 lg.19

Cast off...


Neckband:

With smaller needles cast on:

sm 117 med 123 lg. 129

Work 1/2" in (K1P1) then K1P1 twice then K1 - slip stitch over K1 slip stitch over) to form button hole then continue knitting making sure when you start that you are knitting/purling the correct stitches...
Next row K1P1 until you come to the button hole area and add 2 stitches and continue in K1P1 fashion until you have 1 1/2 inches in (K1P1) ribbing ending with a purl row...cast off in ribbing...

Waistband:

With smaller needles cast on

sm 231 med.265 lg. 299

Work 1/2" in (K1P1) then K1P1 twice then K1 - slip stitch over K1 slip stitch over) to form button hole then continue knitting making sure when you start that you are knitting/purling the correct stitches...
Next row K1P1 until you come to the button hole area and add 2 stitches and continue in K1P1 fashion until you have 3 inches in (K1P1) ribbing as given for sleeve ending with the purl row..cast of in ribbing

You are welcome Shar..think it might be easier to follow the photo's and instructions that I will post...am working on sweater as we speak..

I am in awe of folks who can knit, sew, quilt, crochet, etc. Being left-handed, somewhat vision-impaired, and poorly coordinated, I have to concentrate so hard on what I am doing with my hands that it takes forever to make any progress. I was thrown out of sewing class at school for taking too long to finish my projects - the teacher assumed that I had been "goofing around" when in fact I had just been trying to get it perfect! My mother showed me how to knit after I got married and I wanted to save money by making my own clothes, and it took me nine months to knit the pieces of a cardigan that when sewed together turned out to be two sizes too big. I pretty much gave up after that, apart from occasional mending, but have yet to discover how to avoid getting knots in my sewing thread. My husband sews his own shirt buttons back on! Bettypauze, I think you are amazing.

Trace outline of pattern pieces of required size onto tissue paper (or paper of choice)..wash, dry and iron fabrics to pre-shrink (not required for batting).

Lining: From solid fabric #4 cut out one back on fold of fabric and 2 fronts. Lay fabric back and front pieces wrong side up, lay batting on top of the fabric pieces...all work will be done on the batting side...

SEMINOLE STRIP....

cut 4" of each print and solid color..will be used later..now cut all material in 1 1/2 inches wide...strips are cut on selvage edge to selvage edge..i.e. the 45" width...unless otherwise instructed...

Sew strips together lengthwise into a strip pieced fabric...you can alternate your material to best suit your likes...

Above are all the strips cut from the material in 1 1/2" strips...

Now I chose the following placement of these strips...

Welcome June...this strip quilting (straight machine sewing) is truly an easy method...as for knots in thread..I sometimes run it across a candle or bees wax..that usually does the trick..thank you for the compliment but really it's a process not talent...hope you enjoy watching it come together...

I love strip quilting, and have made many bed covers using this method. sometimes I get creative and change the size of the strips, though, then cut the finished product in squares, changing the squares around makes it much like the old "crazy quilts" that folks used to make out of necessity. Have some that my grandmothers made during WWII.
Love the colors you are using, Betty.

Well here you are an old pro and I'm sending step by step photo's....
You'll be ok then, I'm not to worry..lol...

Will continue though, perhaps someone may want to make one for those soon to be fall days...

With a 1/4" seam allowance, sew 7 strips together...you will need a total of 3

Will make life a lot easier to have matt and cutter in order to have precise 1 1/2 " cut strips..these can be purchased at any material store..Joanne's Fabrics/Michaels etc. or perhaps you have some laying around...

Now comes the sewing of each strip...always move the upper block 1 section down..if you look at the photo you will see how they eventually line up and make an entire strip...

Now that I've sewn all the strips together to form the quilted block design..(now that was easy wasn't it?) I have my back ready..remember you will be sewing on the batting...

I put pins to attach both the cotton and the batting...I then folded in half and pressed with iron so I could clearly see my center line..I then took a pencil and marked the center and then formed a 1" border across the back just above the armpit area...hope it is dark enough for you to see...

Now I take my strip and cut 2 pieces - peaks will almost touch center line on both right and left side....then I cut an angle piece and positioned the middle diamond block center of middle line...now I'm ready for strip quilting...

Starting with color of choice..I always choose a solid strip, place on each side of the 'pieced' section,(remember you are trying to start in that 1" portion that we marked off) sew, iron open and then continue in same manner until both sides are covered...

This message was edited Aug 19, 2007 6:00 PM

Both sides have strips...

Now following same process and same color theme do the upper section...you must leave enough that once the strip is opened it will be in the 1" are and also longer at the neckline....

now you just have the strips which will cover raw edges to do...

Now you trim off excess of strips..to form the actual back ..

Now you take a 3 or 4" strip of black, pin it to the diamond shape..- approx 1/4" further in from the 'v' points...

sew and iron open folding the material so that you form an edge which will be sewn again 1/4" wider than the 'v' points....

Now I didn't like how wide I had made the inner band in black so I took another strip made hems on each side and attached it with a decorative stitch..really I could have left it just black..normally do..

If you look closely you will see I've added 'decorative' stitching on each side, but regular straight sewing is find..when I'm completely done the 3 pieces, I will do decorative stitching in the center of each solid strip...of course each decorative stitch is showing inside and makes it a pretty appearance with no effort at all....

Now if you look at top part of back you will notice I've pinned a piece about 2 or 3" wide to the upper part of the diamond shape making sure I'm beyond the 'v' points...I sew, iron open, fold in about 1" enough to cover raw edge of bottom work and do decorative stitching to close this strip...do it on both sides of the strip..

finished back....

Now for the fronts..basically done the same way!...Just reverse the process....

Now I've had this material for over 3 years, also enough to make 3 others with knitting all done...what I didn't do, was purchase enough of one of the plain material so I'll probably improvise...yuk...

Sleeves, neck and waistband will be done in black..thought I had an entire set of black, but no..so guess what I'll be doing this week...lol...

Betty, making crazy quilts and making this beautiful quilted sweater are two different things......I need all the instructions I can get. Yours will be beautiful, and I am excited to begin on mine.
Thank you so much for myself and for all those who are interested....your instructions are wonderful!!!
hugs to you, my friend.