Polda Dots Baby Quilt

I picked up some white fabric a few weeks ago, and finally sashed together my polka dots baby quilt blocks. I used a cotton batting and a cute blue suns-and-moons flannel print for the back.

The batting only requires quilting every twelve inches, so I simply quilted around the blocks to allow the blocks to poof a little bit.

Just a small quilt, the perfect size for a stroller, or laying a newborn down for a nap.

FFFFFFlorence

The pattern for this bag, called The Florence, came with the pattern pieces and a 13 step assembly instructions including no pictures. Strangely it was printed on an 11x17 page, but was printed on only 1 of the 4 available sides. If you can’t guess a few choice words were uttered. It really could have used some pictures to help fill in the gaps. At times I felt like I was assembling complex Ikea furniture. If I had ever made a similar purse in the past it might have been ok, but between the handle ‘facings’ and how best to pin and sew the round bottom I definitely found myself wanting more.

I added a row of pockets to 1 side, 2 small pockets (perfect for a cell) and a spot for a pen. I used medium weight interface against the lining, and fuseable fleece on the bag fabric. The pattern didn't call to use the bag fabric for the top portion of the linner, but I like it better to see the same fabric when the exterior of the bag is just one fabric.

In general I like the finished product and will probably used the pattern again, but it really should have had some illustrations or pictures to help.

Getting back to it.

Despite my lack of posting since moving, I have been doing a little bit of sewing. I've made some curtains and worked on some small projects.

One of first projects was a grocery bag with a built in pouch, for compact storage. The bag is a fairly standard rectangular bag with 2 long handles, no interfacing, but derocartor weight fabric gives it a little weight and strength.

The pouch is fairly large, quite a bit bigger than I expected. It lays inside the bag and the main bag is reversed into the pouch which is also flipped inside out to house the bag.

I shall hopefully takes some more pictures soon and have another post or two before long.

Knitting Needle Organizer

One of my best friends LOVES to knit and recently asked to me to make her a needle organizer like she’s seen on etsy. So I looked through some different tutorials on the net and settle on a basic pattern with a top flap to keep the needles from falling out.



I had found 2 fat quarters on sale a while ago that are a modern floral on white, which I liked but wasn’t sure how to use, (white for bags scares me) which seemed perfect for this. I had another fat quarter of a black white and red floral motif that I think compliments nicely and used a scrap piece of black to go with the other two.


I found the project came together quickly; I was glad I read through a few different tutorials and took the best advice from each before I started. Had I thought it through a tiny bit more I might have sewed the ribbon right into the side seam, instead of adding it right at the end, but at the time I was focused on getting the main organizer as nice as it could be and wasn’t thinking about the ribbon yet. All the tutorials I find called for using a piece of batting, but I thought fusible fleece would be even better as it shouldn’t shift or bunch over time. My walking foot definitely came in handy sewing through 8 layers of fabric and the batting.



Hopefully if I my friend likes it and finds it useful I may make a few more as Christmas presents.

Baby Blocks 2 + Curtains?

My first bit of sewing in the new home was to finish up the simple baby blocks, so that I have all nine ready. Unfortunately I haven’t found a material to sash the blocks yet, so this project may get shelved for a while.

Yes they are a strange assortment of animals, from an ostrich to a whale wearing a sailor hat. But overall I think they make a cute assortment.

Curtains

Some time in the near future I’m going to have to make some curtains for my bedroom. The previous owners were just using shears, and I find way too much light is getting in. I went to a local textiles store yesterday and found a funky material on sale because of printing defects. Luckily they still had significant lengths in between the problem areas, so I was just able to get long enough pieces.

At first I wasn’t too sure of it being black, but I think I’m going to really like it. There were only 2 pieces of fabric long enough to make a pair of curtains, so I didn’t feel like I had time to think it over too much. Hopefully they'll be smashing.

A Whole Room Devoted to Sewing

Well and my wireless modem, that's where the cable is accessible.

After seriously hurting my back and being laid up for a few weeks, and then taking possession of my very first home I am finally ready to start sewing again. Not only that, I am very excited to have an entire room devoted to sewing. I've got separate spaces for sewing, ironing and cutting. Plus actual storage space that is not my bedroom floor. I've got a bookcase and a closet so all my patterns and interfacings can be organized and put away.

On a sad note, I have lost my consummate friend, Stretch. I snapped this pic of him sleeping next to me while I sewed a few months ago. ( Not lost as in died, he belongs to my best friend and former roommate, I had grown very accustomed to him hanging out with me :( )

In being forced to pack, move and unpack my things ( I should be honest I didn't actually pack all of it, with my back hurting, my friend helped me with some packing) I have realized just how much scrap material I am hanging onto for future applique projects. I even have scraps and fat quarters I've been saving for Christmas applique and other scraps for baby/children's applique. I really need to get down to some more sewing.

Sometimes you just need easy

After 2 long weeks or work, a busy weekend including a visit from one of my best friends and my birthday I’ve done nothing in 2 weeks. Not only that I feel too sleepy to think about anything and so I finally decided maybe I would just start something really simple if I didn’t have the mental capacity to do anything at all tricky. Thus I began to put together a few cutesy blocks for a baby quilt. I’ve seen this sort of simple baby quilt a few different places including very modern examples at http://www.madebyalissa.com/.

I dug through my fabric stashes and found some cute animals and began piece the blocks. When I started I intended to use various leftovers for the outer parts of the blocks, but after doing four I’ve now realized that I have a polka dot theme going. I actually have 2 more fabrics with little dots on them one blue and one brown, so I’ll have to decide whether I stay with an all polka dot theme, or do half and half.

Time for a new direction

I love (and hate) getting to start new projects. I finished the full joys of winter quilt top, unfortunately I didn't take a photo of it before taking it to my parents place, where my mother hijacked it. I brought it over to square on her big cutting table, but she claimed it absolutely had to be steam ironed before we could square it and so I had to leave it there.

So today I got to start looking at some new fabrics and supplies I bought on the weekend, and dig into my bag fabric stash and start thinking about some fun smaller projects. I love all the possibilities but I think I worry that I'll 'waste' some fabric that later on I'll find the perfect project for. The modern Asian Toile above is one that I love but can never bring myself to use.

Some cool, environment minded fabric designs that I found this weekend which to me begged to be turned into some grocery/market bags.

A little bit of Amy. These are both home decor weight fabrics, which I thought would be nice for certain styles of bags.
Some new and old fabrics in contention for the next bags. A couple I also think would make beautiful cushions, and the brown and tan fabrics I think would lend themselves well to quilts. Decisions decisions. Hence the love-hate relationship.

Battik Beauty

I finally finished hand stitching the binding of this quilt last week. I had assembled the top by early August, but between finding a backing and then actually getting around to quilting it was quite the delay. I stippled in cordinating colours the half blocks because I really wanted the fun fabrics to stand out. I can't wait for summer when it will be easier to take nice pictures of bigger quilts.


I found this pattern in a quilting magazine, it uses 16 fat quarters and 2 coordinating fabrics, plus the border, I thought it was simple yet effective. I could fit a queen bed, but my intention in making it was just to have a fun quilt to through on when watching a movie or reading. I backed it with fleece for soft comfort.

Complete Colapse of My Sewing World

Literally! So this winter I've had no choice but to sew in my bedroom. I have one desk in a corner where I'm ironing, sewing and cutting. The surface is a desk top sitting on top of 2 saw horses, and apparently between the vibration of sewing and constantly shifting thing about I had unsettled what had become a delicate balance. So yesterday while attempting to make a small cut, I felt the world shift below me and watched (as what appeared to be in slow motion) my entire desk fell apart. I grabbed the iron before that did any damage, and luckily I had set the sewing machine on the ground to make room for cutting. It still made a pretty big mess, pins and supplies everywhere. Note to self: check table legs for stability every once in awhile.

Despite this I have finally started to make real progress assembling the quilt top. This is about 2/3 of the top. It definetly needs a good passing of the iron.I’m hoping that in the next couple of days, at most, I’ll finish the top and can sneak in a few small projects before I continue working on this project.




Here’s the dark one you can’t see very well in the larger photo

Little Distraction

So I gave myself a quick break from assembling the joys of winter quilt top and I started to use up some leftover scraps of fabrics to make bibs. I have a friend who's due late March, having a girl (obvious from the fabric choice).
I followed a pattern out of a book of baby projects, but I find myself a little perplexed. Does the neck whole not look a little small, can a baby's neck really be that tiny. I haven't been around as many babies lately as when I was younger but I don't remember them being that tiny. Unfortunately I can't exactly walk up to a stranger with a baby and measure their neck. It’s attached through Velcro, so there is a little wiggle room, but I'm not convinced it will be enough.
Maybe I'll try to seek out some other patterns and compare.

Progress ... SLOW but steady

It hasn't been as easy as I would have liked thus far, a few pieces are a little askew and so it’s definitely taking time to get this quilt together. This is the first 'section' that I have assembled. I still have the appliquéd stars to make but most of the smaller pieced bits are now together. Hopefully I will find a little more time this week and weekend to get this project moving along. I have one grouping that needs some serious stitch ripping and re-adjustment or its just not going to look right in the end.


But for all those of you who were concerned about there being no faces, as you can see they now have faces. All twelve blocks have faces, the snowmen have button noses in the shapes of carrots. Thanks to my mom and sister who helped me with the faces.

Night Train

Disclaimer - I have an affinity for baby quilts. I have tons of patterns for baby quilts that I would like to make. This is a paper pieced pattern which I really enjoyed. I generally like the look appliqued baby quilts better because the patterns are rounder/cuter but I really like this one, thought it was really sweet and fun.
Paper piecing is very accurate and easy once you get the hang of it, I couldn't believe how perfectly the little stop lights came out. I actually know someone who paper pieces most of their pieced blocks, and in all honestly I've certainly given it some thought now and again.

Frosty Babies

I am lucky enough to have 2 best friends. One of my best friends lives in California despite having grown up in Ottawa. To remind her of one of the things she loves most about home I decided to make her a snowman lap quilt. The pattern is from Brandywine designs, I hand appliqued the snowpeople, and then put it together by machine, and machine quilted the blocks.
The quilt has worn very well, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that things will continue that way.

Sorry, this picture was obviously taken without the help of sunlight.

If you like this pattern you should definitely checkout Brandywine Designs, they have a lot of patterns I love.

Sunshine & Shadows

I made this quilt last summer as a house warming gift for my best friend. It was my first full sized pieced quilt. Its made of a simple block , where the block is rotated through the 4 different orientations. I was drawn to the repeating diamond pattern created within the pattern. To quilt it I simply stitched in the ditch.

This quilt was a a bit of a lesson for me in colour choices, given that half the quilt is made up of neutral beiges I didn't realize that the finished product would be quite so bright

I made the half triangles with the help of a paper template called "Thangles". It really made things go a lot faster to not have to measure or mark any of these pieces. Simply sew on the dotted line.

Meet Rucinda

Thinking my bestfriend might like Amy Butler's Birdie sling, I showed her the pattern only to have her say that not only did she love the pattern but loved the fabrics featured in the pictures. So while not original, I made this bag as one of her Christmas presents. Shown in the right, Miss Rucinda was testing the bag out for us.

(For some strange reason Rucinda is obsessed with fabric and constantly wants to touch every piece of it that's not tucked away.)

If I were making this bag for me, I would reduce the width of the straps where the strap meets the bag, I find the opening left on the sides is a little on the small side. Other than that I really like the bag, the lining is interfaced with fuseable fleece, and the outside with a heavier weight fuseable interfacing. In addition to the pockets inside I added a strap with a hook for keys.

This is the last of the Christmas bags. Although in reality Birthday bags are probably right around the corner.

Christmas Bags

Being fairly new at bag making, I decided to play around with a few different types of interfacing and stiffeners while making a few Christmas gifts. I made 3 simple totes, to test different results.


For the above bag I used both a fuseable interfacing and a fuseable fleece attached to the outer fabric, first fusing the interfacing then the fleece. It turned out quilt nicely especially for this type of bag without any folds or pleating in the exterior.


This one I made interfacing the lining, and doing nothing to the exterior. It only works because the bag is so simple, and isn't that large. I like the idea in principle because I thought the bag would wrinkle/crease less and be easier to wash.

This over sized (quite over sized) tote I made using only fuseable fleece, but inserted a piece of timtexesque material in the bottom to provide more structure and stability.

I figure its important to experiment with some of the different products out there to see what works for my various needs.

Joys of Winter - Sneak Peak

This is my main ongoing project at the moment, which still has quite a bit of work left. I received as a gift last year the complete kit to make the block of the month quilt, Joys of Winter.

So far, I have completed all 12 applique blocks. They didn't have faces on them yet when I grabbed these photos, but have no fear, they're all in the process of getting faces.Then next will be the significant amount of patchwork to complete the spaces between the blocks.

This was my first attempt at satin stitching, and while its not perfect I'm pretty happy with the results. The tight corners left me with some bunching and a few stars that aren't exactly symmetrical, but overall I'm pretty satisfied. Its definitely WAY faster than hand applique.

First Post

Welcome to my first post!

I thought I would start my blog highlight some of the projects I've completed in the recent past.





I made this handbag as a gift from the Amy Butler pattern - Frechy Bag. It was quite easy to follow the pattern, Amy Butler does a great job of including lots of diagrams, with step by step instructions.



It was actually my first time using sew in interfacing, and I was quite doubtful that the bag would hold its shape well with the exterior having some weight to it, but I was really pleased in the end. I used a magnetic snap closure and included 1 pocket, which is more of a divider than a pocket as it is quite large and sewed in with the layers of the bag, as apposed to being sewn directly to one side of the bag.





The only thing I might consider doing differently in the future would be the pockets, especially if I made the shoulder sized bag.