Bigger on the inside

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who's time on television, so for us Whovians, this is a rather big deal.  If you have not been converted to our ways yet, I suggest that you check out the modern Doctor Who episodes (starting with the ninth Doctor, which will appear to be the first episode of the series) on Netflix.  You have to promise to try at least a few episodes, because it can take a few to find your bearings and grow attached.  The classic DW episodes may be a bit difficult for some people to get in to because of the outdated technical aspects, but they are still great stories!

Naturally, there are lots of Doctor Who patterns floating around right now.  I have completed my quilt top for the Doctor Who Stitch-Along hosted by Fandom In Stitches, which I will show after it has been completed, and I have lots more wibbly wobbly, timey wimey projects in the works.

Right now, Whims and Fancies and Trillium Design, two fabulous blogs in their own right, are partnering to offer a Doctor Who Along.  At the end of the journey, there will be 20 large blocks to put toward a quilt.  What I love about their designs is that there are pieces from both the classic and modern era.  With so much on my plate, I wasn't originally planning on joining in on the fun, but then I came across some Robert Kaufman Van Gogh-inspired fabric, and it reminded me of one of my favorite episodes.  So I had to do the first block, and now I am starting on the Time Lord block, so I may as well just go ahead and do the whole quilt.  ;)


My completed TARDIS block.

I used more leftovers from my TARDIS dress and my sister's TARDIS apron to piece this.  There is an awful lot of this blue floating around in the sewing room.  I was worried the two colors would look wrong together, and when I first started piecing it, it did look totally off.  But when I pulled the whole block together, I liked the effect.  I have to say that even though the pattern is written perfectly and is very easy to do, I was piecing my entire block together when I realized that I had left the bottom row of the lighter blue off on two pieces.  I didn't want to redo them, which I should have, so I worked my way backwards, ripping out the seams as little as possible until I could work that in there.  So my whole block ended up a little wonky, but I am going to pretend it doesn't bother me and move on with my quilt.  :)

My other TARDIS-inspired project is this purse, made from the free tutorial and pattern by Sarah over at Sew What Sherlock.  I have been wanting a new purse for a long time, and I knew I wanted it to be Doctor Who themed.  But I didn't want something that all the "normal" people around town would raise their eyebrows at.  I found the TARDIS harlequin pattern at Spoonflower, and I loved the mix of a traditional print and colors with my favorite fandom.



My brand new purse.  The brilliant thing about being able to sew is that you are not limited to what the stores carry!

I had a bit of a nail biting moment when it came to choosing the lining.  I could not find a matching navy broadcloth, and that's my favorite lining to work with so I wanted to stick with it.  White was out of the question and red was a little too Fourth of July, so I finally decided to use a black.  This was a difficult decision for me because I grew up with the understanding that there are some things you just don't do.  You don't mix black and brown, you don't mix metals, you don't mix prints, and you DON'T wear navy and black together.  Of course, now all the fashion shows tell me I am outdated and all the old rules have gone out the window.  I found that hard to believe.  But once I had it all together, I actually found that I loved the black with it.  It made the bag a little more serious and made the trim pop.


I am in love with this purse.  Even though it contains both navy and black.  :)

Sarah calls this the "perfect pleated purse," and I am inclined to agree.  I love the shape, and the size is perfect for carrying my wallet, keys, phone, diapers and wipes, a book, water bottle ... whatever I need!  I made two of them (the problem with the pre-Christmas season is that I can't show half the projects I make), and it was my first time inserting a zippered pocket or magnet closure.  Both of them were a breeze, though, so I know I will use the techniques in future projects.  I was afraid the harlequin pattern would be difficult to work with, but it actually helped me line things up easier.  The lining inside the pocket even looks like a mirror image.  I did a little fussy cutting on the strap to make sure I had a row of TARDISs (TARDISES?  TARDI?  What is the plural for a TARDIS?) featured in the center.



A magnet clasp and a zippered pocket?  I got a little cocky on this bag.  ;)

I am making a little matching key fob to go with it thanks to a free tutorial I found.  But that still leaves me with a half yard of this delightful fabric.  What on Earth should I make with it?