Finishing Touch

There is a lot of really interesting history about labeling quilts. This is something I've never done - I know I should, but my quilts have all been gifts and I'm never finished early enough to get on a label. I was about to send off the diamond quilt when I remembered these posts by Marisa.



Since I had to get this quilt packaged and in the mail today to be on time for the baby shower, I stayed up late last night to get this on there. I stabilized the fabric with Heat-n-bond, waiting to peel off the paper backing until after I was done writing. Supposedly the Heat-n-bond is washable, but I did decorative handstitching around the edge anyway.



I used a pigma pen like Marisa recommended and did really like it. It has a soft tip, and I wonder how it will wear after writing on relatively rough fabric, but for now it is fantastic. If you're a quilter, do you always label your quilts? I think I will from now on!

52 Nights Update - Night 17 - I got right to work painting when I got home and finished the nook - pictures as soon as I hang a few things on the walls. Then I made dinner (since it was after 8pm it was tempting to skip this and just eat junk, but I behaved!), and decided to do the quilt label. Handstitching did allow for a little TV time, perfect to relax after a busy evening!

Labels: 52 nights, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 9:40 AM | |

Recessed Zipper How-To

I've had a few questions about how to install a recessed zipper closure on a handbag. This has to be the longest tutorial written in the history of tutorials! I did my best to explain, but please let me know if anything is unclear.



You Will Need:

- (1) 14" zipper
- (2) 15.5" x 2.5" inside upper fabric
- (2) 15.5" x 16" inside lower fabric (I demonstrate using my own pattern, feel free to experiment!)
- (2) 15.5" x 18.25" outer fabric (or your own pattern)

* If you use your own tote pattern, be sure to alter your lining pattern to account for the extra fabric above the zipper - you want your outer and inner pieces to match after you install the zipper. I'll address this a little more later.
* I interface all my fabric for sturdiness and I've found it also keeps the lining fabric from creeping up while you're trying to close the zipper. It's really up to your personal preference, though.

1. Take one 15.5" x 2.5" piece of fabric. Pin the zipper as shown, zipper pull facing down, centered based on the zipper, not the webbing.



2. Sew using your zipper foot and 1/4" seam allowance. When you get close to the zipper pull, leave the needle down and raise the machine foot, pivoting the fabric so you can move the pull to the other side of the needle. Finish sewing.






Lift the presser foot and pull the zipper to the other side of the foot. May take some wiggling.




Back stitch at the beginning and end, by the zipper stops.

3. Take one 15.5" x 16" inside fabric and place the zipper face down on the top edge, sandwiching the zipper between two layers of fabric.





4. Sew as in Step 2, following your first sewn line as close as possible.





5. Repeat with the other pieces of inside fabric (see photos). Be sure the small lining pieces are on the same side of the zipper.


Center the 2nd top strip along the zipper and sew.




Place last bare side of zipper face down on last lining piece and sew.



6. Your lining is finished. Now is a good time to check if the lining and outer pieces are the same size. Trim if needed.



7. Unzip the zipper about halfway. Match one outer piece to the inner piece, right sides together, along the 15.5" edge. This is when you'd insert your straps if you want them at the top of the bag - mine are attached in a lower seam. Sew with 1/2" seam allowance, backstitching at beginning and end to secure.







8. Repeat Step 7 with the other outer piece.




You should be getting an idea of your finished bag!

9. Now it's time to finish the bag. Open the zipper almost all the way (so you'll be able to turn your bag right side out). Match the outer pieces, right sides together, and pin.



10. Match the lining pieces, right sides together, and pin.



11. Starting in the middle of an edge on the outer pieces, sew one direction as close as you can get to the zipper, backstitching to secure.


Fold the zipper towards you to help get the needle closer to the zipper.


You can see I don't always get super close to the zipper - it won't matter!

12. Go back to where you started in Step 11, and sew the other direction, overlapping your first stitches for a few inches. Sew as close as you can get to the zipper, backstitching to secure.



13. Repeat Step 11 with the inner pieces.

14. Repeat Step 12, except leave ~6" open to turn your bag right side out. Back stitch each side of this opening to it won't rip when you're shoving the bag through while turning.



15. Your bag should be sewn completely except for your opening in the lining.

16. Using pinking shears, trim the seams where the outer meets the lining to reduce bulk at these intersections.



17. Pull the bag right side out.







18. Close the opening in the lining, either by hand-stitching or carefully sewing with your machine.





19. Top stitch if desired.





20. Admire your bag!







I hope that made sense! It took a lot of photos and explanation, but it's basically like a glorified zipper pouch. Please let me know if anything is unclear - or if you figure out an easier way to do something!

P.S. This is the bag for the winner of my Relay for Life raffle - it'll go in the mail soon, Megan, I hope you like it!

Labels: bags, how-to's, sewing

posted by Sarah at 10:04 AM | |

Coming Up!

Due to popular demand I'm busy working on a tutorial for a recessed zipper like this and this.



Rather than writing more here I'm going to get back to work on the tutorial! I'll post it tomorrow if all goes well.

52 Nights Update - Night 16 started off well with some sewing and a trip to the gym, made dinner... Then we finished Season 3 of Lost instead of more productivity. Oh well!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, sewing, wip

posted by Sarah at 6:20 PM | |

Big Undertaking

When I started my master quilt, I did so knowing it was going to be a challenge. I'd never made a king-size quilt before, never used the true quilt sandwich method, never had to baste anything so large.


Drawing lines for quilting with a little help from Hitch.

Luckily I have an awesome mother-in-law who is always excited to help.


Our innovative smooth and pin work positions.

She borrowed a million safety pins and a cool pin-closing tool from a quilter friend and came over today to help me work.


Nifty safety pin closer thingy to save our fingers.

She's teaching me the tricks she's learned - start in the middle, don't baste the whole quilt at once so you can resmooth after doing a section of the quilting, roll tightly so it fits in your machine... I'd be struggling so much more without her help!

It is still a huge project, but just working with someone else makes it so much better!

Labels: OPAM, quilting, sewing, wip

posted by Sarah at 11:07 PM | |

Getting Back Into It

Thanks for all your comments on my lost mojo. I'm feeling much better, and got some much needed crafty time in this evening...



Working on a tote for my cousin.



Planning two necklaces for special orders.



Figuring out how to make my master quilt the right size.

It was very... restoring... to have some time in my craft room. I definitely get fidgety when I'm away too long!

Labels: jewelry, quilting, sewing, wip

posted by Sarah at 9:54 PM | |

The Power of the Interweb

The fact that I have a blog, a flickr account, a really long blogroll over there on the side, etc, should be evidence enough that I love the internet. But I am sometimes still surprised by the things that can come about from it!



I got an email towards the end of April from Amy in Kansas - she found my blog while searching for Relay for Life information, and sweetly requested a tote for their Survivor Dinner. They have a dinner to honor cancer survivors, and at the end of the evening they raffle off prizes for the survivors, and she wanted one of the prizes to be a tote of mine!



I was so honored to be asked, and so happy she found me. It's very nice to hope something I made is brightening the evening of someone who has battled cancer! Maybe that's why I chose the sunny colors?



52 Nights Update - Night 14 was back on track! I skipped the gym (busted my toe this weekend in my soccer game so no running, etc) but did everything else on my "to do" list. It was a good night!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, me, sewing

posted by Sarah at 1:25 PM | |

Deadline Schmedline

A little peek of what I worked on this weekend...



This is not my master bed quilt. Yes, it is June, so I missed my OPAM deadline. I never would have gotten as far as I did without the OPAM motivation, so thanks Tara! Hopefully I'll get back to it soon, though the quilting is still a little daunting and I discovered today I didn't get enough material for the backing. Things don't always go well on the first try!

Even though I didn't make it for May, I'm going to try again in June. For June, my OPAM project is get our office nook in order - "before" picture forthcoming when I have some daylight.

Also, I was super excited to be blog browsing this weekend and see this on whipup...



My tea towel apron, so cool! Thanks, Nicole!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Labels: me, OPAM, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 9:45 PM | |

Diamonds for Kali

This little baby blanket has been in my head for a long time.



I picked up the fabrics when I saw the Alexander Henry numbers print at JoAnns, it was just too cute to resist.



Then I saw the Zig Zag quilt at the purl bee but wanted to do a little twist on it.



Diamonds! It is quilted to fleece because I still love that so much. I'll add a few goodies to the package and then send it on its way to LA in plenty of time for the June baby shower. So good to have this finished!

Labels: quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 8:02 PM | |

Fab Burpies

I really love these fabric-ended burprags, so I took some pics last time I made them in case anyone else wants to try.



I like this method because it's really quick and doesn't use a ton of material or Heat-n-Bond while still looking really nice. I usually make 6 or more at a time since it's easy to stack up the fabric when cutting!

You Will Need:
- tri-fold cloth diapers
    (I use the Gerber brand from Target which are 14" wide)
- 11" x 14" piece of decorative fabric per diaper
    (Adjust the 14" dimension to match the width of your diaper)
- 4 pieces of Heat-n-Bond approx. 1 1/2" x 5" per diaper
    (another type of double sided fusible interfacing would work too)



1. Iron diaper and decorative fabric to remove wrinkles.



2. Press in ~1/2" on both 14" edges and then press to form a crease down the center of the 14" length.



3. Following the Heat-n-Bond directions, use two small pieces and press the rough side to each short edge of the decorative fabric.



4. Remove the paper backing from the Heat-n-Bond and position the fabric across the bottom of the diaper as shown. Your Heat-n-Bond pieces should be facing the diaper. Press to attach.



5. Flip the diaper over and apply the remaining Heat-n-Bond pieces to the exposed wrong side of the decorative fabric.



6. Being sure to match the folded edges, fold the decorative fabric up to wrap the end of the diaper and press to attach.



7. Starting at one corner, zig zag stitch the three loose sides of the decorative fabric. Since you lined up the folded edges in step 6, the zig zag stitch should catch the decorative fabric on both sides of the diaper.





8. Step back and admire your handiwork!



Since these rags are often tossed over the shoulder for holding and burping, having the pretty fabric at the bottom looks really nice!

These wash up really well and seem to be holding their own after frequent use. I hope this made sense and you enjoy!

Labels: how-to's, sewing

posted by Sarah at 6:07 PM | |

New Tote!

I was supposed to get the batting for my master quilt delivered Friday, but through a (very frustrating) miscommunication with DHL, it's not coming until Tuesday. So instead of nothing but quilting this weekend, I'm finishing up a few other projects.



I'm a little worried that I won't make my May deadline on my master quilt, but I'm staying optimistic. I'm so anxious to see how it comes out that I'm motivated to work "long hours" on it!





This bag is a familiar design, with a few tweaks - hidden zipper rather than right up at top, and a new pocket method.



I love this bag to death, but it's a gift, so I'll have to be sending it on its way. Which enforces my desire to make myself one soon! Thank goodness for three day weekends. I'm going no tech (if I can) the rest of the day and tomorrow, so wish me luck and see you on Tuesday!

Labels: bags, OPAM, sewing

posted by Sarah at 11:06 AM | |

Checking Things Off

Thanks to everyone who signed up for RME with my referral! I reinvested in crafty folks by going on a little etsy spree.

Going with my new motto "finished is better than perfect" I have been trying to check a few things off my list!


Starting a very belated baby gift.


Getting the master quilt and new quilt tops finished.

And can I just share something with you guys? There are limited folks in my life that will appreciate this:





Can you see that? Angled piecing, without cutting off any corners! There's a reason I don't attempt fancy blocks, as much as I would love to try Amanda Jean's star quilt-along - I usually chop the tips off of any points I try to piece. So, yay! I'm excited!!

It feels really good to get to some long-awaited projects! Hopefully I'll actually have some finished projects to share soon rather than all these works in progress...

Labels: bags, OPAM, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 4:41 PM | |

Need Practice

For Mother's Day I made my mom and sister matching pouches for their Christmas totes. Mom needed a larger one and Katy wanted a coin purse sized one.



You can't see it in the photo, but the small one is pretty crummy. I definitely need practice with zippers. Luckily she still likes it! She's so sweet and enthusiastic about receiving all my imperfect prototypes.

Labels: bags, family, sewing

posted by Sarah at 6:56 AM | |

Activity Totes

A coworker of mine heads to Russia soon to pick up his new son. I wanted to make a little gift for the occasion and thought it might be fun for his little guy to have a little bag of goodies for the plane ride home.



I made a simple tote with a fold over closure, and filled it with goodies for the long plane ride.



I made a slightly different version with a flap/magnet closure to send for my cousin's older son when I get my act together and send a gift for her new baby. I'm not 100% thrilled with either of these - I was going for easy construction for me, and easy "operation" for the kids. I need to figure out what to modify before I try a third bag...

Labels: bags, sewing

posted by Sarah at 8:41 PM | |

One Project a Month

One of my favorite photoblogs is that of Tara Whitney. She is so creative, and everything of hers is always so colorful and cheerful.

She suggested a challenge - One Project a Month or "OPAM". I take this to mean a bigger, on your list forever, type project. And I have a long list of them.



I am going to jump on the bandwagon. We're still in the middle of the floor project, but to count that, I'd have to ignore the fact that I haven't really helped with it much. Thank goodness for my father-in-law! So my May OPAM is the quilt for our master bed. We have gorgeous bedroom furniture, and no bedspread because I keep meaning to make a quilt!


I can't believe I'm showing my messy bedroom!

I've gone around in circles and been paralyzed with all the pattern options, but one quilt has stuck in my head for months, so I'm just going to start cutting. As Fiona quoted from one of her comments, finished is better than perfect. I think I need to make that my new motto! I'm a little nervous about making this goal, since I have a sudden onslaught of handbags to make for folks, but I think I can still do it.

Feel free to join in! Leave Tara a comment so she feels the love.

Labels: OPAM, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 10:49 PM | |

Very Special Order

A few weeks ago I got a very special call from my grandma - she wanted to buy a purse and necklace from me! I insisted on making them as a gift, she insisted on being a customer, we still need to reach a compromise.



I got everything for this bag cut and almost ready to assemble during a no-tech night, which made me feel quite productive!



Her only request was that everything be colorful! The bag is similar to the last auction bag except it has an outside pocket for her handicap tag and it closes with a magnetic snap instead of a zipper.

It is SO much fun to make projects with a specific person in mind. I still have to finish the necklace, then I'll get everything in the mail soon, Grandma, I promise!

52 Nights Update - Night 8 showed that my productivity is related to how busy I am at work... I had a long day yesterday, and ended up taking a nap after work! I never do that!! But I redeemed myself by helping on the floor project, making dinner, and editing photos from a fun "session" I had on Sunday. I don't count using the computer for "to do" items like that as breaking the rules, since my intent is to get more done. So, overall, yay!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, family, sewing

posted by Sarah at 6:54 PM | |

Natural Combination

I can't believe it's already April - it's almost time for the church auction! I agreed to donate two bags this year, this one and this one:





After all the zipper totes I've been making, and the pleated bags, it was only natural I'd combine the two! Amazingly enough, there are only a few tweaks I'd make if I did this style again.

Relay for Life Drawing - I reached my goal!! Thanks so much to everyone who contributed. I passed my fundraising goal, and as a team we raised over $11,000 for cancer research and as an event, we raised over $800,000! I'll do the drawing tonight and notify the winner. Thanks again!



52 Nights Update - Night 7 was fantastic! The weather here is amazing, blue skies, sunny, bright so late, and in the 60's in the evening. I got out last night and washed my new car (!!!), went for a run, then cooked peanut chicken with pineapple salsa before working on a very special project... I can't recommend strongly enough stepping away from technology for a night! I love it!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, me, sewing

posted by Sarah at 9:23 AM | |

52 Nights Update & Burprag Variation #3

So last night was technically Night 5 of my 52 nights. I feel a little like I cheated for nights 3 & 4 since I was on vacation, but last night was back to the real intent of the project! Our internet is still out, so that wasn't a temptation, but we still have a lot of catching up to do on our Tivo, and I didn't get sucked in! Instead I did some chores, and got a very good start on a project, all before some friends came by to visit after dinner! Success!

I also wanted to share some new burprags. I wanted to use fabric again, and I considered doing a strip down the middle like I've seen (here for example) but decided to do something a little different.



A strip of fabric folded around the bottom... Probably not totally original, but enough to break it up a little!

Another fun idea - I save everything, including those long skinny strips that result when I straighten a long edge of fabric, so I used one to tie this bundle of rags.



Recycling and cute packaging, all in one!

Labels: 52 nights, sewing

posted by Sarah at 9:56 AM | |

Night 2 and The Mommy Bag

So I kind of cheated for my 2nd unplugged night - I slept through it, since I was still recovering from the flu. I got home from work, took a three hour nap, got up for a tiny dinner, and was back in bed around 9:30. Maybe I'll have to have a secondary unplugged night to make up for it...

Now I just have to share my latest project - I finished this a week or so ago but had to wait for daylight to take some pictures. Jeanine, one of my best friends from high school, is due with her first baby in just a few weeks - official due date is March 20. In honor of her impending bundle of joy, I put together a Mommy Bag for her!



I'd call it a diaper bag, but I figure she has one of those already, and my sister insists she uses about five bags to get all her things everywhere now that she has Charlie... So it's a mommy bag!



On the outside there's a small front pocket lined with ribbon, and a large back pocket with a magnetic snap.



On the inside there's a large divided pocket, an elastic-edged bottle pocket, a key clip, and a pacifier holder.



The whole thing closes with a zipper and is very large. Here, I'll model -



I didn't quilt it like my other totes this style because this one is so big, it would have taken forever. I did interface the outer fabric and lining, so it holds its shape very well. I filled it with usefull goodies like wipes and diapers and made a little matching pouch for small things.



Although the length of this post kind of exhausts me, the project came together in a weekend, a lot faster than I thought it would! Now it's all wrapped and in the post, I hope she likes it!

P.S. - If anyone's interested, Michelle is hosting an embroidered button swap! It's animal-themed and should be a lot of fun, I joined and can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Labels: 52 nights, bags, sewing, swaps

posted by Sarah at 9:50 AM | |

Snuggly Tutorial

I'm sure you're tired of hearing me go on about all the baby presents I have to make lately. Truly I love it! It's fun coming up with new things to make, or turning to old stand-bys. The last time I made a ribbon snuggly I took some pictures in case anyone is interested in what I've found works best for me...

1. Cut two pieces of fabric ~10x10" or 12x12" - size isn't critical as long as they're the same! I usually use cotton or flannel on once side and fleece on the other.



2. Cut a bunch of pieces of ribbon 4" long - try to vary the width and texture. I never throw away ribbon scraps now! Lay out around your fabric square as you go so you know how many to cut.



3. Fold the pieces of ribbon in half and pin to the right side of the cotton fabric, loops facing in. Try to space out evenly.



4. Baste the ribbons, using 1/4" seam allowance, pulling out the pins as you go.



5. Place the backing fabric face down on your cotton fabric, sandwiching the ribbons. Feel with your fingers to make sure there are no folded ribbons. Sew around the edge with slightly greater than a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a ~4" gap to turn.

6. Turn right side out, poke out the corners with a knitting needle or chopstick, and topstitch around the whole edge. Be sure to close up the gap you left for turning.



The best part about this is it takes about 30 minutes once you get the hang of it!

Labels: how-to's, sewing

posted by Sarah at 7:04 AM | |

Night 1 - and Purse 2!

Last night was my first "unplugged" night and it was fantastic. P and I worked on the floors, then I made some dinner, and spent the rest of the evening taking care of things that have been on my list for ages. The coolest side effect was that P got into it, too, and I hadn't even told him what I was doing. Since I was being productive, he decided to give the dog a haircut and take care of a couple other things. I consider Night 1 a success!

I also wanted to share auction purse #2. I changed up the design a little bit and am so pleased:



The pleats are slightly different and the overall bag feels softer. I continued the same color fabric over to the inside, too, and I think this makes it look more finished.



The patch pocket might be my favorite yet! I always have trouble attaching them well, and this came out very neat. I also did a lot of top-stitching, which helps the overall look, I think.



And of course I have a pile of fabrics waiting to be more bags... It's fun to be back into bags, but the grass is always greener and I'm getting the quilt bug again!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, sewing

posted by Sarah at 8:20 AM | |

A Spot of Color

Happy Leap Day everyone! My sister sent me a link a while back to this craft room/office, with the awesome ribbon wall. I thought it was a great way to display ribbon scraps, so I made a small version:





The little clothespins will be decorated some day, and the pushpins are my new obsession:



I am in love with these fabric buttons! What an awesome way to display little scraps I love. Since I can't think of a project for the buttons right now, I pulled of the hooks on the back and glued on a thumbtack for my bulletin board.



These are addicting!

Labels: craft room, sewing

posted by Sarah at 5:55 PM | |

One of Many

It's auction time again! It seems like it comes so fast... There's one at work early next month and one in April at church. I love being able to make something to donate, in fact I went a little overboard this year! I started out with a new purse design:



It's not quite what I pictured and I've already worked out some improvements. This one has two pleats in the outside, a solid interior with a patch pocket. I used the blanket stitch on my machine to attach the pocket...



It also has a flap on the outside to close it with a magnetic snap.



These smaller handbags come together so much faster than those big quilted totes, the last bags I made. I feel so productive! I highly recommend tackling some big, time-consuming projects if you want a project like this to seem super quick.

Labels: bags, sewing

posted by Sarah at 5:48 PM | |

Simple Tea Towel Apron

So many people mentioned having beautiful tea towels they couldn't bear to use when I posted the Tea Towel Tote how-to, so I thought you might also be interested in my super easy tea towel apron. This is even easier than the tote, and takes about 15 minutes.

Click any picture to make it larger.

Supplies
1 tea towel
2.5-3 yds ribbon*

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm using these super cute Valentine towels I found on clearance last year.



First, fold your tea towel in half lengthwise, right sides together. If you have a border that you want to be along the bottom of your apron, make sure it's where my red border is.



Find the center of your ribbon and align it with the center of the towel's folded edge. Pin ribbon along folded edge, through ribbon and both layers of the towel.



Sew along the top and bottom of the ribbon, through the ribbon and both layers of towel, top stitching when you stop and start for security.



Fold the top layer of towel up to meet the ribbon. Pin just the folded top layer, along the edges and at two spots to make dividers - this is your apron pocket.



Sew just through the pocket layers, at the edges and your pocket divisions, backstitching at the openings for security.



You're done!



Model your apron in your grubby PJ's and share it with the internet:



* This is why I make the ribbon so long - I wrap the ties back around to the front and tie them under the pocket, so the apron doesn't move around much while I'm wearing it.



Now make another one because that was so stinkin' easy!



Hope you enjoy!!

Labels: how-to's, sewing

posted by Sarah at 6:16 PM | |

HAD to try something new...

I still have five (5!!) baby presents on my list, so I had to try something new. Instead of ribbon or fabric strips on these burp rags, I did a wide binding.



I really love the results but it took quite a while! I also realized these might not hold up as well to frequent washing. So it's already back to the ribbon...

Labels: sewing

posted by Sarah at 6:58 AM | |

I Need Practice...

I tried my hand at a self-designed softie for my nephew for Christmas and it's clear I need some practice. This is supposed to look like a monkey with grabbable legs for little hands, but I'm told the ears look more like wings, and the legs got squished together when I stuffed him, and why doesn't he have arms?



Luckily, four-month-olds aren't too picky! He's soft and squishy and that's what matters!

And now to what you probably came for.... There were 19 comments (an all-time high!) on my tea towel post, but my sister opted out, so:



Congratulations, Fiona! Send me your snail mail address and I'll get your goodies in the mail... Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who commented, it was fun to see who reads but stays quiet and it also made me really appreciate my regular commenters - like Fiona!

Labels: sewing

posted by Sarah at 11:11 AM | |

Last Quilted Tote

Here is the last of the Christmas quilted totes... This one was for my mother-in-law, and might be my favorite! I had lots of practice by the time I did hers - I did hers last since she was out of town for Christmas. I stocked up on a few varieties of the vintage trim so I was able to use it on hers. The lining is light teal - I think I like using solid colored lining, it makes it look a little more professional.



I don't have a picture of it, but I actually figured out the blanket stitch on my sewing machine to sew in the interior pocket. I might have to make this standard practice, I love how it looks.

I do have some pieces cut and waiting to make one of these for myself, but the fast-approaching church auction might take precedence, we'll see!

Don't forget to sign up for the Tea Towel Tote Giveaway! I'll do the drawing on Monday....

Labels: bags, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 8:48 AM | |

Tea Towel Tote Tutorial - And a Giveaway!

I geeked out a little with alliteration in the title - in truth it's a stretch to call this a tutorial... Anyway, I made up a few more tea towel totes this weekend and remembered to take pictures along the way, in case anyone is interested in a quick project to make a great, useful bag.

Tea Towel Tote Tutorial
You will need:
- tea towel
- (2) 5"x22" strap fabric
- (2) 5"x22" interfacing



1. Make the straps...
Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the strap fabric. Press in 1/4" on each end. Press in half and then press each side to the middle line. Iron in half again. Top stitch the length of the strap on both sides. (Basically this is the same as in these directions.) Set aside.







2. Make the bag...
Fold the tea towel in half, right sides together. Sew up each side. Box the corners but don't cut off the excess. Fold up the sewn corners and stitch several times across the tip to hold in place.









3. Attach the strap...
Apparently diagonal lines are the strongest!





It seems like I could have made the directions a little simpler because this is such an easy project, but I do have a problem with overexplaining!

Also! Since this happens to be my 400th post, leave a comment and I'll do a drawing for one of these bags, and fill it with some fun goodies! I know there are some lurkers out there, now's the time to introduce yourself! I'll do the drawing on Monday... Just a way to say thanks for those of you that make this crafty community such a fun place!

Labels: bags, how-to's, sewing

posted by Sarah at 6:51 PM | |

More Bags - Mom & Sis

Don't worry, I'll get through all the Christmas presents I made eventually! I almost forgot to take pictures of these totes for my mom and sister, because I was finishing them so close to the deadline. I practically wrapped my sister's as we walked out the door to go to her house on Christmas day...

For my mom, a rich, pretty Asian print with cranes, one of her favorite birds. I didn't think I had any ribbon that would match but I liked this stripe with it so well!





For my sister, lime green (her favorite color) with pretty willow trees and turquoise spots. I thought to put on a little zipper pull when I got to making hers.





A funny story about my sister's bag - I had the fabric cuts for this tote all planned to minimize waste, and when I got to her fabric I realized the planned cuts made the pattern go the wrong way. So I re-figured the best way to fit in the pieces, made the cuts, only to realize I'd envisioned it wrong and the fabric would have been fine originally. So now I had a bunch of sideways trees ready to become a bag. I finally accepted that it would bother me too much, chopped up the pieces, added in some of the leftovers, and sewed it all back up with right-side-up trees. Kind of proves my tendency to overthink things, maybe!

Labels: bags, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 10:48 PM | |

Quick Fix - Lavender Birdie

Every year my mom gets a bird of some sort in her stocking. My sister and I wanted to keep up that tradition, so I decided to make one of the sweet birdies from Last Minute Patchwork Gifts.



I left off the loop that makes it an ornament, and I filled it with a little flax for weight and lavender for fragrance so it can be a little drawer sachet.



I need some practice, especially sewing curves, but the birdie went together so fast and I think he's awfully cute!

Labels: quick fix, sewing

posted by Sarah at 10:16 PM | |

Biggest Bag Project Yet...

Happy 2008 everyone! I'm skipping the "2007 in review" post and jumping feet first into the new year. I always start the new year with so much energy and this year is no different... Let's hope I can hang on to it for at least a few months!

So the advantage of an extended blogging break, especially as I geared up for Christmas, is a lot of Christmas gift-making to share! This year I decided to make my female family members Vera Bradley inspired quilted totes. I really LOVE how they came out but since I had to have exactly the right fabric for each person, that meant quilting it all myself. Which took a long time for each bag!



This is the first one I made, for my sister-in-law. I loved it enough to know it was worth the time to make the next three. There's a zipper across the top:



And a small outside pocket edged with coordinating ribbon:



It's very roomy, about 14" across, 16" tall, and 4" deep at the bottom, with a divided pocket on the inside.

I have fabric on hand for a bag like this for myself but I think I need a little sewing break before I get started on it - and I think my machine deserves a tune up after all that quilting!

Labels: bags, quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 7:28 PM | |

Baby Gift Central

So are you sick of the baby presents yet? This was for a baby whose mommy is a quilter, so I tried to switch it up a little. Instead of a blankie, I did a tag blankie. I know! Can you handle the variety??






(Yes, same rattle, but it's so cute!)

I actually really love the onesies, a butterfly and heart that coordinate with the tag blankie. We got to meet the recipient this weekend and she is such a sweetie. Two weeks old, already 22" but still just over 7lbs. So long and skinny! Just adorable.

Labels: sewing

posted by Sarah at 8:45 AM | |

Something's Finished!

It feels so good to have something done... A blankie, toy, and matching onesies for our friends' new son Luke Henry. He's about a month old now, but luckily I got bigger onesies, so hopefully they still fit!





Next up, something for someone over one year old! In her 20's, in fact! I can't wait...

And now, even though it's not even 10pm, I'm going to bed. Darn daylight savings!

Labels: sewing

posted by Sarah at 9:55 PM | |

Updates!

Well, as many of you guessed, we did find a good home for Hitch... ours! Yes, we're keeping him. We are now proud parents to a dog, three cats, and a gerbil. Yikes. But how can you give away a kitty this sweet?





As promised, I managed to photograph my new fabric...







Three Prints Charming choices, five Chocolate Lollipop, and two new Heather Ross prints. All fabrics I've been drooling over. All from eQuilter, I'm always so impressed with their selection and speedy delivery!

I think since I haven't had time to do much real sewing I shop to hold myself over. Kind of a dangerous habit, but this was with birthday money, so it's excused. I do have some hard and fast crafting time "scheduled" over the next few days, so finished projects to come, I promise!!

Labels: me, sewing

posted by Sarah at 9:48 AM | |

See, Another Baby Gift!!

I think all I "need" to make right now are baby presents. Oops, I take that back, two wedding presents are on my radar as well. But mostly baby presents! For a shower I went to last weekend I seriously ran out of time (a.k.a. procrastinated) so I wanted to do something pretty quick. Enter the flannel blankie/book combo!



I love how easy these blankies go together, just two pieces of fabric right sides together, sew the edge, flip right side out, and top stitch! I love this Peter Rabbit fabric I got at equilter and I picked up two Beatrix Potter books to go with it. I had a little extra time so I made some coordinating burp cloths, too.



My mother-in-law calls these "church burpies" since they're pretty. And I've heard such rave reviews about these crinkly rattly car seat/stroller toys I had to throw one in, too:



Still on my baby list: two baby girls, two baby boys, and one boy or girl (unknown!). Maybe I'll have to stop posting all these baby presents... You're going to get bored!

Labels: sewing

posted by Sarah at 3:21 PM | |

So Many Babies!

It seems like every weekend these days I have another baby shower to go to or a new baby to visit. Last weekend it was a second shower for my sister, and though she protested, I insisted on bringing another gift. I have to start early spoiling my new niece/nephew, after all!

I started out keeping it pretty simple - some useful things from her registry, etc. But then I saw this adorable Halloween hat/onesie at Target and couldn't resist:



Then I decided to embellish a couple onesies with leftover fabric from the baby quilt.



Finally, I decided to try out a tag blankie, since I've heard so often how much babies love them. And of course it had to match the blankie.



So I maybe ended up going a little overboard. But it's fun to have a chance to try all these baby gift ideas I've been saving! Pictures from yet another baby shower coming soon...

Labels: quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 10:37 AM | |

Etsy Birthday Spree

My sister's birthday was way back in June, but since we had a few other things going on at the time, a gift for her managed to slip by me. I couldn't leave it that way! So I did something very fun - went on a little Etsy shopping spree!


Earrings from pleasebloom


Necklace from littleput


Cards from Satsuma Press

And of course I had to contribute something of my own, so I finally got around to doing her tea towel tote!



I use mine so much - I took it to England and used it to take snacks and my book to the park, or swing by the market, and if I have a lot of extra things to take to work it is the perfect size. Hopefully she'll enjoy all the little gifts!

Labels: bags, jewelry, sewing

posted by Sarah at 4:37 PM | |

Shower Favors

Since I didn't get a chance to do handmade invitations for my sister's shower (yay, eVite!), my co-host suggested I make a little favor for the guests. I went around and around on what to make because I have bookmarked so many good ideas! I finally chose fabric clip frames I first saw at Two Straight Lines.



After assembly-lining the fabric background, I printed out a little note to put in the frame.



I stacked them up in a cute basket and was ready to go!



These went together really quickly, and everyone seemed to love them!

Labels: sewing

posted by Sarah at 2:21 PM | |

Monkeys and Buses and Gnomes!

I finished the baby blanket for my sister's shower just in the nick of time - literally! I was wrapping it and signing the card as they pulled in the driveway. I couldn't be happier with it, though! I wanted to keep it for myself!



I fussy cut sock monkey fabric, and Heather Ross camper vans and gnomes. The overall design was definitely inspired by this quilt at Hillary's.



I saved a little time using the flag trick I saw on Lady Havertine. I sewed the fussy cut pieces to one long white piece before cutting it apart, and strip-pieced the other fabrics before cutting to the right size.



I used fleece on the back for extra cuddliness, of course! And I added some of my favorite books to complete the gift.



I think the mom- and dad-to-be are pleased, and my sister promises she'll try to influence this quilt into "blankie" status!

Labels: quilting, sewing

posted by Sarah at 2:30 PM | |

Treasure Box

At my mom's house the other day she pulled out this box.



First, it's labeled in my dad's handwriting, which automatically makes it a treasure. I never realized how precious some things would become. Of course, what's inside is pretty great, too:



It's totally full of antique lace and trims. I started to spread it all out for a photo, but there is just too much!



I have been told to actually put this to use so it doesn't waste away in a box, and I do have a couple ideas for it, but it's going to be so hard to cut it up!! Probably my favorite item in the whole amazing collection is this vintage onyx trim:



As much as I really want to re-purpose it into jewelry, it's going to take a very special idea to convince me to break those threads.



What a treasure! I need to make at least something from it right away - my mom's birthday is coming up in October, after all!

Labels: family, misc, sewing

posted by Sarah at 8:12 PM | |

Making Progress

I have been very slow to decorate our house. I just can't make myself do it all at once, I have to wait until I happen to see something I absolutely love. When we bought our couches they came with pillows I wasn't too fond of:



There's nothing wrong with them, just colorless, and I knew all along I wanted to remake them. So when I saw some gorgeous placemats at Pier One I knew they should be my new pillows!





I had to chop them up to get them the right shape, so I "embellished" the pillows with some contrasting grosgrain ribbon to cover the seam.



I reused the fabric from the back of the original pillows since it matches the couches.



I also reused the stuffing from the original pillow, making a pillow form out of an old sheet. And since I made these as covers for the form, I can take them off and wash them if they get too icky. It's nice to have a house project checked off my list and to have a new spot of color in our living room!

Labels: sewing