from the blue chair

French Macaron Research

2016-11-16T14:03:00.001-07:00

It's not always about sewing around here. In fact it's rarely about sewing lately.

A few weeks ago I was sick in bed all Friday. Not horrible sick, just sick enough that when I tried to do things, all I wanted was to go back to bed. I got the kids off to school and went back to sleep until 11, but after that I was pretty bored. Sitting still drives me nuts!

For some reason I decided to watch YouTube videos on making French Macarons. I have always wanted to try making these perfectly, beautiful cookies, but have been too nervous to give it a go. I knew they were tricky, but after four hours of the University of YouTube under my belt, I felt pretty confident to finally try. Then I tried again, and again and again. Just yesterday I made a pretty fantastic batch and love them! These are lemon, and they are my favorite so far. I have been using this recipe from the Joy of Baking and it has worked well for me. This recipe uses the French meringue method and comes together pretty quickly.

There are so many different tricks and tips out there. I try something a bit different each time I make them. I'm still attempting to reach perfection--perfect feet, no hallow shells, and beautiful smooth tops! No one around me complains too much at my desire to keep trying to make these beautiful little cookies. I've been spreading the love with all my cookie attempts!

For my third try, I used the Italian meringue method. It's more work, takes longer and didn't seem to make that much difference in the end. The cookies did turn out pretty well, but might not be worth the extra work when the French method worked well too. They bake up really pretty and had perfect ruffled feet (the base of the cookie)! I'm still torn between which method I'll stick with.

My second try was a bit over-mixed and flat. These ones didn't raise as well as I would have liked. The dark chocolate ganache was yummy, but I felt it overpowered these cookies just a bit too much. I favor the creamy and fruity flavors much more in macarons.

My first attempt was under-mixed because I was so afraid of messing up the batter, and I didn't mix them for quite as long as I should have. They have rough tops and didn't spread at all. The batter was simply too thick. The filling so amazing though. It's just cream cheese mixed with good quality raspberry jam to taste. Such a perfect filling for these cookies!

It's been fun seeing progress as I experiment and figure out this new adventure. I'll be making more this weekend to send to my sister. What are your favorite flavors?

Waxed Canvas Bags

2016-10-04T09:43:00.001-06:00

I ventured into using waxed canvas recently. I've seen various bags on Instagram made with waxed canvas and have been meaning to try it out. In fact I purchased a swatch kit about two years ago from an Etsy shop, and it's taken me this long to finally commit and try it out.

The main project that started all of this was a new camera bag. I wanted a purse-like camera bag that wasn't obviously a camera bag. I wanted it just big enough to hold my camera and perhaps one additional lens. I opted to buy an insert from Amazon that would be transferable between purses, but I also wanted one tailored more toward ease of carrying. A messenger bag is perfect.

I started with my old Messenger Bag Tutorial from a few years back. I changed it up quite a bit as I wanted a contrasting base and wanted to change up the exterior pockets. I was no longer in love with how I designed them initially.

I made them higher than in the original design. Rather than adding piping, I simply rolled the lining to lay slightly higher than the exterior fabric before top-stitching. It saved so much time, but still has the appearance and contrast detail of piping.

The more you work with the waxed canvas, the more distressed it looks. This was exactly what I was going for with this bag.

The one thing I regret with this bag was the pockets. Because I made this bag with the intent of using the camera insert, I skimped a bit on pockets. I also didn't include a zipper pocket. I changed that on the next two bags I've made using this same design.

Here it is with the camera insert. It slips in easily with a few extra inches on the side for my wallet and other necessities.

When I placed my fabric order for my first bag, I didn't plan well on how much fabric I needed and ordered too much. What's a girl to do with too much fabric...well, make another bag of course! This bag is essentially just a very large pouch with handles. I used similar dimensions to a Trader Joes bag, but with a zipper across the top.

I also tried leather handles with rivets for the first time. I love, love, love the look of leather handles!

I opted not to put any pockets on this bag. It's meant to be a simple tote to keep in the car for library runs, or a small trip to the store.

Then I received a custom order and made another...

And then I received another custom order. I think this one is my favorite of the three!

Supply Sources:
Waxed Fabric: A.L. Frances Textiles
Rivets: Minkus Margo
Leather Handles: Local Tandy Leather

A new quilt on the wall

2016-04-25T13:30:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I wanted to start something new. I pulled out piles of fabric, put my design wall back up and started experimenting. I came up with this block which is similar to a geometric design I saw elsewhere. I used the Quick Curve Ruler to design and cut these blocks. I'm undecided as to how big it will be or if I'll incorporate any additional colors . We'll see where it goes!

Scraps Inc. Vol 2

2016-02-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is a new Scraps Inc. book! It was just released this week!

I had the opportunity to contribute to the first volume, and was thrilled when I was again asked to contribute to the second volume. Lucky Spool Media does a great job on their books, and it is always an pleasure to see my work next to projects by so many other amazing quilters. Volume 2 is even better than Volume 1!

My quilt in this book is Confetti!

Photography by Nydia Kehnle

My goal with this quilt was to put together a project that appeared random with an improv feel, but with the order of a reproducible pattern. As per my usual style, I stayed away from crazy scrappy and went with orderly scrappy. I love a scrappy project with a color palette. The color ideas for this quilt hit me one day while I was cleaning out my purse. I have a navy purse with tan straps and gold hardware, a bright pink wallet, mint green water bottle and pink lip gloss. They were all sitting there and together it was perfect! I adore the gold accents in this quilt. Luckily for me, the metallic fabric craze was really getting going about the time I made this quilt for the book. The selection of metallics is even better now. It adds such a fun twist to any quilt to incorporate these fabrics.

Photography by Nydia Kehnle

Through Tuesday, February 16 Scraps Inc. Vol 2 is 30% off (use code Scrap30)!

Giveaway!
I have one copy of the book to giveaway courtesy of Lucky Spool Media! Head on over to my Instagram account today and leave a comment to win! The winner will be announced Tuesday, February 16th!

If you haven't seen the other stops on the blog tour this week, check out the other contributors posts! You also have so many additional chances to win a copy of the book through their blogs as well! Feel free to enter each time. We all have a copy to give away!

Monday, February 8 Amy Smart, Diary of a Quilter Nydia Kehnle, Nydia Kehnle Design + Photography
Tuesday, February 9 Amy Friend, During Quiet Time Alexandra Ledgerwood, Teaginny Designs
Wednesday, February 10 April Rosenthal, April Rosenthal - The {Studio} Blog Dorie Schwarz, Tumbling Blocks
Thursday, February 11 Erin Harris, House on Hill Road Janice Ryan, Better Off Thread
Friday, February 12 John Adams, Quilt Dad Kari Vojtechovsky, Craft Happy
Saturday, February 13 Katie Blakesley, Swim Bike Quilt Kati Spencer, From the Blue Chair
Sunday, February 14 Melissa Lunden, Lunden Designs Allison Harris, Cluck Cluck Sew Sherri McConnell, A Quilting Life

Katie Jump Rope-- My love affair with a fabric line

2015-12-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Is there one particular line of fabric that you have always adored? For me it was Katie Jump Rope. Unfortunately, it came out about a year before I started quilting. I was able to get my hands a few prints before it was entirely gone, but I have never been willing to pay the exorbitant mark ups. I would use the few pieces I have sparingly, scattered through various projects, but always horded them a bit.

When it was announced that there were be a Katie Jump Rope reprint, I was instantly on board. Although, when I actually had the chance to buy it I wasn't sure I was still in love with it. Do you ever have that experience--you desperately want something until you can have it, and then you aren't so sure? Considering I haven't been sewing nearly as much lately, I really thought this purchase through. Do I really want it? I asked myself this question so many times. I have tried to be much less frivolous with my fabric purchases--only buying something if I have a specific need for a project.

When Pink Castle Fabrics had 20% everything the weekend after Thanksgiving, I decided to splurge. I've liked this line for eight years and have loved pretty much every project I've ever seen made with it.

It arrived today! It's really pretty. I'm glad I splurged.

The only thing I'm sad about is the fact that they took away some of the really great colored prints prints. I think the reprint is a bit too heavy on the brown. I intended to make a quilt with only the KJR prints, but I'll likely incorporate some other DS prints into the mix to add more color. I feel like it especially needs more red and orange.

I still have about a FQ of this print from the original line which will certainly work it's way into my quilt. This was one of my absolute favorite red prints ever. I'm sad this one didn't make the cut for the reprint.

I've missed sewing, and it's fun to be back with a project! I've decided to make this lovely stack of fabrics into a quilt using the Shimmer pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew. I think it will be the perfect compliment for these prints!

Precision

2015-09-22T11:35:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while I crave the precision of paper piecing. It's fun to work on a project like this (at least for a little while). I felt this way a while back and started a new project. I had a bin full of scraps from a previous project that needed used.

I opted for a pattern that has been floating around Instagram a bit. This is a variation on Grandma's Surprise from Then and Now Quilts by Joyce Giezler. This little guy is just 18" finished. I recently completed the quilting and am currently considering a binding. I'll likely go with navy to frame it.

Mini quilts are a great way to try out a new technique or get something out of your system. I personally wouldn't ever want to paper piece an entire quilt, but I love it for small projects. It would never finish a whole paper-pieced quilt. This mini alone took me a couple months to actually complete. Now that I've done a little paper piecing, I'm ready to get back into a project that's more satisfying for me and a little less rigid.

New Pouches!

2015-09-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

Just a few new pouches!

I made these framed clutches using Diane Stanley's (random thoughts...do or di) pattern. I went a little light on the interfacing. Next time I'll certainly use something with more body.

These are both made with velveteen from Anna Maria Horner. It is perfect for these clutches.

I've been itching to use some of my selvages I've been saving for years. I finally pulled out some of my Cotton & Steel pieces and made this wide open pouch.

I sewed the selvages to cotton duck. The base is navy linen with some metallic accent stitching.

It goes perfectly with my new Super Tote!

A New Super Tote

2015-09-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

I caved about a month ago and started a new Super Tote. I wasn't intending to to make a new bag, but I really wanted to give it another go. I don't use it all the time, but it's a great large back for certain occasions.

It was also a bit of a test run for my new machine. Because I used quilting cotton on the exterior, this bag has layers and layers of interfacing. My machine handled it like a champ! I again used faux leather on the gusset and strap. This certainly complicated things a bit, but I love the functionality of this material. It's easy to wipe clean and holds up so well.

One of my greatest frustrations with the first bag I made were the interior pockets. I followed the pattern and disliked how they came out. They are puffy pockets with elastic at the top (similar to those in many diaper bags). It wasn't functional for me. I found all they did was hide the bottom of the bag and make it difficult to find anything. They also got in the way when I attempted to put larger items like a binder or my laptop in the bag. This time around I chose simple panel pockets and cut them the same shape as the lining pieces. They are approximately the same height as the pattern pockets. I like these pockets so much better! I sewed dividers in each panel to fit my personal needs--pens, lip gloss, phone. etc.

I used all Cotton & Steel fabrics, with the exception of the lining. I've found I prefer a simple, light colored lining fabric for large bags. It's hard enough to find things in a deep bag, but it's even harder against a busy, dark background fabric. Everything seems camouflaged. I used Essex linen in flax for this lining.

I added a couple pops of color inside like this green zipper and green key fob (neither of which are included in the original pattern, but I find them completely necessary).

The evening I was working on the front pocket snap, I realized my stash of magnetic snaps was depleted. Luckily, I had one pink one left from a previous project. I wouldn't normally have chosen this, but it really worked out perfectly!

I was working only with fabric and materials I already had on hand to make this bag. I had exactly 1/2 yard of the outer viewfinder fabric. I would have preferred extra fabric to match the fabric pattern better. Next time I will order extra to allow for this.

Love it! It's already been used multiple times.

A new sewing machine!

2015-08-31T20:04:00.000-06:00

I bought a new machine! After the disaster with my old machine, I finally invested in a new one. I debated and held out as long as I could, but even though I'm sewing less, I really couldn't be without a functional machine.

Here is my new machine:

This is my tiny little sewing space where my machine lives. It's nothing fancy or perfectly decorated, but my kiddos do create all sorts of drawings and switch out my artwork every now and then.

I was looking for some fairly specific items with the new machine. When I purchased my previous machine, I had only been quilting for about six months. I knew I wanted to stick with quilting for a while and wanted something that would make this hobby easier, but I didn't really understand exactly what I wanted or needed from a sewing machine. After six years of quilting, I'm much more clear about what I need and what I don't need.

I needed it to be fast. I can fmq fairly fast. I was constantly frustrated with my last machine because I could quilt faster than it could.
I wanted it to be sturdy and solid.
I didn't care about a computerized machine.
I didn't want any fancy stitches. On my old machine I only used straight stitch and zig-zag. Fancy stitches aren't my style.
I needed it to be able to handle heavy fabrics.
I needed it to quilt well.

I knew I wanted a straight-stitch machine. I still have my very first machine, and while small, it is a great back-up for zig-zag when I need it. I also have a serger for finishing edges when needed. I knew a straight-stitch would meet my sewing needs 95% of the time. Because I have these other two back-up machines, I knew they would fill that extra 5% when a straight-stitch wasn't adequate.

I narrowed my search to the Juki 2010Q and the Brother 1500S. They are essentially the same machine. They look nearly identical, and I've been told by a couple people in the industry that many of their parts are manufactured in the exact same place. There are two main differences. the Juki has speed control while the Brother does not, and the Juki costs an extra $400 coming in at around $1000. The Juki definitely has a following and everyone swears by theirs. The Brother obviously sells fewer machines as there is less of a following, but everyone I know who has one loves it. I ultimately went with the Brother. Basically, speed control wasn't a deal breaker, and it wasn't worth $400 to me. Price was a big factor for me this time around because prior to a small person pushing my old sewing machine off my desk and breaking it, I wasn't planning for this purchase.

After sewing on my machine for a couple months, I love it. It's fast, sturdy, sews through leather an vinyl without any problem at all, and it quilts wonderfully. The tension tends to be a bit finicky. I'm constantly having to adjust it, and this has taken some getting used to since my last machine was fully computerized and did all the thinking for me.

I love the pressure foot adjustment. I didn't have this option on my last machine, and it's wonderful to be able to adjust how fabric feeds with this feature.

I also really like the pin feeding system. Basically, a pin pops up from the bottom while sewing to help heavier fabrics like leather and velvet through the machine.

Overall I'm completely happy with my new machine. It is a pain to pull out another machine when a straight-stitch won't do, but generally it meets my needs perfectly. I'm a bit sad I didn't realize what I needed when I bought my "nicer" machine six years ago. It was nearly triple the price and had so many extras I never used. Hopefully, this one sticks around for many years.

Vignette Quilt

2015-07-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

A couple months ago I received a fun package from Laura Gunn of her new fabric line, Vignette. This line has several large scale prints which threw me a bit. I don't often work with large scale prints, and I didn't want to cut them too small to lose the designs. I finally opted to upsize a single block. This simple HST block, LynneBobSquarePants, from Lily's Quilts was perfect!

I made the blocks as large as possible with the fabric I had. These blocks are 9" finished. The competed quilt is 54" square.

I used the leftover fabric on the back in what has become a very standard back for my quilts. I love using up the excess fabric and find this a simple, quick pattern to effectively use it.

I quilted it in a simple loopy design.

Maker Plus Quilt

2015-07-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

I adore the Maker line from Art Gallery. I only had fat eighths of the prints. Originally, I intended to make a small baby quilt with the fabrics I had on hand, but decided it needed to be bigger. I filled in the additional space with various Art Gallery Pure Elements. These solids coordinate perfectly with the prints.

The finished blocks are 3" square. The finished quilt size is 57" x 72" (19 blocks x 24 blocks).

I used a boxy quilting design on this quilt. It is backed with a piece of gray minky I've been holding onto for a while. It was perfect for the back of this project. I love how the quilting shows up on the back.

I really love this one! Once it is washed it will be a perfectly snuggly quilt.

MIchael Miller Challenge Quilt...Finally

2015-07-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

I finally finished this quilt! It has been in the works since last summer when I started working on it for the Michael Miller Challenge through MQG. I wasn't in love with it the entire time I was making it, which explains why it took me so long. This is one of the problems I have with challenges. Sometimes the fabrics and colors just aren't me. Although, now that it's finished I'm quite happy with it how it came together.

I quilted this project several months ago, and it took me until just last week to finally bind it. I love the quilting on this one, although, don't look too close! This arch design is hard to execute smoothly on a standard machine.

I'm still unsure of how this embroidery pattern will wear over time, but I love this addition to the design. It's something unique that I've never attempted before.

I originally intended to back this quilt with minky, but ultimately opted to back it with a Target sheet I've had in my stash for a long time. I also pieced together a few sections of the leftover fabric. I really didn't want any of this left. These prints are not ones I see myself using again. Making quilt backs like this are my favorite because it uses up the leftovers in a constructive way without wasting anything or increasing my stash size.

I bound it with a sketch print in orange. I was leaning toward aqua, but with the backing of the same color, decided to frame it with something that would provide more contrast.

The final size is 60" x 72", which I think is the perfect throw size.

The No-Good, Very Bad Sewing Month

2015-06-22T15:29:00.000-06:00

Remember how I'm a quilting blogger? Yeah, I forgot too...

June has actually been quite a rough sewing month around here. I forgot how little I accomplish in my life when my kiddos are home all day from school. When they sleep I have been working on a quilt and pattern that will be coming out next spring. I'm so excited about this one! I can't wait to share it down the road. This means that I have very little else to share lately. All my excess time and energy (of which there has been little), has been devoted to this quilt.

On to the "No Good, Very Bad Sewing Month":

First there was this:

My daughter was working on a bead bracelet at my sewing desk (alone and without asking permission to be in my sewing room). A bead rolled innocently under my sewing machine. To get it out she started to push my machine. She kept pushing and it eventually fell off the desk. See that little crack in the touchscreen in the bottom right corner? That little crack has made it next to impossible to use my machine. The touch screen no longer works. With the touch screen dead, I can't adjust any settings on my machine. Nearly everything is controlled by that screen (tension, feed dogs, needle position, stitch length, stitch design, etc). I can't change anything. I've decided it's not worth repairing, so now I'm in the market for a new machine. It's been so discouraging to lose my machine mid-project. It does start up into a basic straight stitch that I use for piecing, so I was luckily able to finish piecing my current project. The tension goes crazy when I sew fast and there are some other issues internally, but I babied it along to make it through this quilt.

Then there was this:

Make sure you watch where your rotary cutter is headed! I looked up at my son when he asked me a question and my cutter jumped the ruler edge and left a nice little slice in my finger. Luckily it has healed up nicely. I pulled out my own stitches the other evening and am glad to have them out.

In some ways I feel like the universe has been trying to tell me something. I haven't been motivated to sew much in recent months. Sometimes I miss it, but sometimes I feel like I need to stop sewing. I've debated if I should just move on and not replace my machine. I have my small starter machine that works fine for little projects and repairs, but would drive me bonkers to use on a quilt or large project. In the end I know I can't let it go completely. I need to replace my machine.

I do very little to monetize my blog anymore. I'll be raising funds for a new machine in a few other ways.

On the Design Wall

2015-04-24T09:55:00.000-06:00

I haven't shared the contents of my design wall for a long time. This one is almost done! After finishing my Sparkle Punch quilt I decided to pull out a WIP that has been sitting in a box for a while. I started this project more than a year ago for the Michael Miller Challenge through the Modern Quilt Guild. Obviously, I didn't finish in time. I wasn't really that interested in the competition this time. I just wanted to make something with equilateral triangles. I have to finish piecing the top three rows, and then I'm done! I will likely piece a simple back for this one. I want to use up all my leftovers and will incorporate them into the design.

The whole quilt was based around this embroidery project. I needed a summer roadtrip project last year and started this. I traced the design from the large scale print from this line. I chose matching colors and just started stitching. I debated actually including it in the quilt, but knew it would just get put in a box otherwise, so it is placed in the bottom right corner where I often place something unique in my quilt designs.

So close!

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Sparkle Punch Quilt

2015-03-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

I finished a quilt! This is a big deal since I haven't finished a quilt since December (which my sister assures me still exceeds normal for the rest of the population. She likes to remind me that I'm a tad bit crazy sometimes).

I created this quilt basically using the Sparkle Punch quilt tutorial on Oh Fransson. (I am not linking directly to the posts about this quilt-along because, honestly, I can't find them. This site is under construction, and some content is currently unavailable. I will update links when available). This tutorial requires the squares to be 3 1/2" cut. I chose to make mine 4" cut since that works better with fat quarters. I adjusted the number of stars for the quilt based on the backing I planned to use. I wanted to back this one with minky. I was able to get 17 x 22 finished squares in for the piece of minky I had.

All fabrics used in this quilt are from Cotton & Steel. I love the colors of their basics lines and find myself using them in place of solids. The stars have just enough pattern to be interesting without being overwhelming. I also mixed in just a few of my favorite prints from various lines.

I used this bright plum print from the Mochi line for my binding. I really like how the small circle groups look when wrapped around as the binding.

I used a swirl design for my quilting. The quilting tended to be a bit more frustrating with this quilt. I think a combination of the minky plus the metallic print I used for the background fabric made for an unhappy sewing machine. I had tension issues that were difficult to correct and lots of thread breakage. I was glad when I finished this one up, but I do love how the quilting looks, especially on the back.

The final size is 60" x 77". Just right for wrapping up in on the couch!

Photo lightened to show detail.

One more Sew Together Bag

2015-02-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are yet again! I've made so many of these, I could almost make them in my sleep!

I changed up my normal interfacing combination for this guy. The green fabric is a home dec weight. With the heavier fabric, I tried using less interfacing. I opted to only interface the outer bag cover with two layers of shapeflex. I didn't use any other interfacing. With the home dec fabric, this made for a really nice bag weight. The bag is soft, but holds it's shape well. In the past I have used CraftFuse which makes for a stiffer bag. The CraftFuse still seems to be the best option for quilting cotton.

I love the metal zipper. They are becoming my new favorite. I use 20" zippers on these bags rather than the 18" called for in the pattern. I think they are easier to work with, and I like that it allows the bag to open slightly larger.

This bag has been gifted, and I'm once again done with these bags for a very long time...

Minnie Skirts

2015-02-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

We went to Disneyland! We've been talking about it for a year, and finally decided to go in January. Originally we intended to go the last week of January, but opted to move our trip up a couple weeks for multiple reasons. Because of this I had exactly five days to prepare for our trip once we actually decided and made hotel reservations. Of course in those five days I had to fit in Minnie skirts!

I used the Circle Skirt tutorial from Made. After cutting my red print fabric, I used the same pattern to cut four circles of tulle as an underskirt for each dress. This is what gave the skirts a great poof-factor. My girls loved twirling in them. When cutting the tulle, I eyeballed it at about 1 1/2" longer than the pattern because I wanted it to peek out from under the red fabric. After washing the tulle scrunched up a bit as you can see in the picture above, but still works and peeks out a bit when worn.

I tried out my new rolled-hem foot. It worked like a charm! I still need a bit more practice as I noticed a few spots I didn't turn under completely and unraveled a bit when washed, but overall it went great.

Success! They wore them and loved them! Definitely worth the effort before heading south to the "Happiest Place On Earth".

Edgar Owl

2015-02-09T05:00:00.001-07:00

Meet Edgar Owl:

Around Christmastime I splurged on several new patterns I've been interested in sewing.

I'm excited to get started on these this year, but one just couldn't wait. I started seeing Edgar Owl and Poe popping up on Instagram during Quilt Market weekend, and I needed to make one of those owl pincushions right away! I am not fascinated with owls. I don't particularly love small, fussy sewing. I don't even use pincushions. I've always used a magnetic one. I prefer the method of simply tossing my pins in the direction of the pin holder and allowing it to "catch" them. That's the beauty of the magnetic pin holder. I really have no desire to take the time while sewing to carefully push pins back into a pin cushion--especially when it has eyeballs. You really just can't stick pins in this guy's head!

Despite all of this, I still needed to make Edgar Owl. I have no explanation as to why.

I started working on this guy the day the pattern arrived in my little mail box. And he is so darn cute and so worth all that fussy sewing. He serves absolutely no purpose in my sewing room beyond taking real estate on my shelf, but I allow him to stay because he makes me smile.

I pulled various prints from my DS stash for this guy. It honestly took me longer to decide on fabrics than it did to sew him. I think I'm out of practice when it comes to pulling fabrics!

Seriously, aren't his feet the best! I think they are pretty stinkin cute!

Edgar really needs a sibling...

Edgar is stuffed with a combination of some random cotton-poly stuffing blend I had laying around and lizard litter. That's right. Edgar is full of lizard litter. I can't even remember where I heard about using it, but it's works great and gives him extra weight, plus provides extra resistance to pins (that is if pins were ever to be shoved into his cute little head).

So go make Edgar or Poe! You won't be disappointed! He is adorable and grumpy all at the same time. I've made nearly all of Heather Bailey's pincushions over the years (again, why?? since I don't use pincushions). Her patterns are fantastic, and I always walk away with an adorable little creature or fruit, and the tiny seams actually match up! That is saying quite a lot because 3D sewing projects and I don't always get along.

New Doll Beds

2015-02-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

The big Christmas present for my daughters were American Girl dolls. We've done the $20 Target dolls, and I finally decided it was time to upgrade to nicer dolls. Initially, I had grand ambitions of sewing the dolls clothing and matching pjs for my daughters and the dolls, as well as making beds, quilts and new duvet covers or quilts for my girls. As Christmas loomed closer, the list kept getting cut shorter. I learned I really dislike sewing doll clothes so I purchased a few sets of clothes on a great after-Thanksgiving sale. I also knew I didn't have time to sew new bedding for my daughters, so that was checked off the list. Next, the matching PJs got booted from the list. I could either enjoy Christmas or make a pair of pajamas for my daughters that neither girl actually needed.

Finally, I settled on only creating a beds and bedding for the dolls. It was a doable goal in the time I had. I loved this project as well as the outcome!

I started out with two plain wood Ikea doll beds. These beds are a fantastic deal. They are sturdy, plain wood that is easy to finish as desired, and they are cheap! I love Ikea! I spray painted the beds white which was fairly painful. Because it's unfortunately winter here, I couldn't really do this outside, which meant I was painting in our garage. On top of that I didn't want the girls to see so I could just do a few coats each night. A job that couldn't have been done in an afternoon if I were doing it outside dragged into more than a week for the painting.

I couldn't find any great tutorials for the bedding so I had to figure it all out on my own. The little pillow cases are my very favorite. I simply used the standard burrito method for the pillow case only in miniature. All of my fabrics came from the Michael Miller Glitz line. It's so adorably girly. I used the blush colorway for one bed set and the confection colorway for the other. There is only a slight difference between the two.

I also made a fun ruffled throw pillow for each bed. These little details are what made this whole project so much fun for me. Each quilt is reversible with the chevron print on one side and the large dot print on the other.

Each bed has a tulle bedskirt which was a bit of a nightmare, but I got better after three of these. (I also made a third bedding set in the mist colorway for my niece).

Each bed has a foam mattress. I used 1" foam from JoAnn. I originally planned to make fitted sheets, but opted to make a full cover for the mattress. This part was a bit tricky and took a little trial and error with the boxed corners, but I'm so glad I fully enclosed the mattress--no little brothers can pick apart the foam and make green foam confetti.

I used my Silhouette to cut out the gold vinyl decals with the dolls' names as well as the accent shapes.

Both dolls sleep pretty comfortably now days!

My First Super Tote

2015-02-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

I made a Super Tote a while back, and I love it! It's a bit on the large side, but I've been using it for my purse the past month. I do enjoy having everything I need while we're out.

I've been experimenting with new fabric options lately. I added faux leather to the sides and handles of this guy. While it was a bit of a pain to work with, I really like the structure and stability it adds to the bag. The other fabrics I used are all from Cotton & Steel. I also used Essex linen for the neutral. The lion print is a heavier weight which I loved sewing with.

I made several small changes as I created this bag. The first was adding this pocket panel to the front pocket. I simply cut a shorter piece the same size as the side section and added the divisions. It makes the front pocket much more functional. I do plan to make another Super Tote in the nearish future. I will likely add side pockets to both the front and back for more small storage. Because I only had 1/2 yard of the lion print, I opted to line this pocket with linen I already hand on hand rather than purchase additional fabric. It worked great, especially considering the linen lining isn't even visible when the pocket is closed.

The biggest pro/con with this bag is that it's deep--a little too deep, although I'm not sure I would change it. That's why I consider it both a pro and a con. It fits a lot of stuff, but things get lost in there.

Another addition I made was adding a zipper pocket inside. I always add these to my bags whether they have them in the pattern or not. It's a perfect pocket for small papers, receipts, bandaids, etc.

Finally, I added a keyfob. Because this bag is so deep, keys easily get lost. It's a simple addition that makes a huge difference. I made the strap long enough to allow the keys to rest on the bottom of the bag, but still allowing them to be easily fished out.

In my next bag, I will change the inside pockets. I'm not a huge fan of the poofy ones included in the pattern. I may keep the pockets on one side to corral things such as snacks, but will definitely remove at least one side pocket and replace with a panel pocket with slots. It's much more functional for my needs.

I adore the piping detail at the top of the side pocket.

I figured since I was writing this post and taking pictures of this bag, it was time to clean it out. This is what is currently in my purse. It holds a lot!

Definitely a keeper!

Details:
Pattern: Super Tote from Noodlehead (Anna Graham)
Fabrics: Cotton & Steel, Essex Linen, Faux Leather

2014 in Review

2015-02-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

I always like to look back and see what I've accomplished over the past year. Sure it's February, and I'm finally getting around to this, but better late than never...

As with pretty much of the rest of the blogging world, I've slowed down this past year. Partly because I'm struggling finding the time to sit down and write up posts, and partly because my motivation for this blog has changed. I've been thinking a lot lately about where I want to go with this project and what I want it to become (or not become). Reevaluation is always a good thing.

My quilts for the year:

InLinkz.com

Many of my quilts were smaller baby quilts, which was at times a nice change. It's fun to finish a project more quickly. Although I did make two of my very favorite quilts ever this year: The Metro Twist Quilt and my Woven quilt for Scraps Inc.

In addition to quilts, I created many small projects this past year. I made more Sew Together Bags than I can remember as well as many other bags and some clothing for my kiddos. These smaller projects were much more realistic for my time available this year and still offered me the chance to sew and create something fun.

InLinkz.com

I really thought I accomplished very little over the past year. Reviewing these past posts was a great exercise for me to help me remember all projects I made in 2014. The majority of these items have been gifted and live in new homes now, which makes me happy. It was a good year. I'm excited to see what 2015 will bring!

Sewtopia Projects: Baby Quilts

2014-12-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I pulled out two partially finished baby quilts that have been sitting in boxes for too long. I took them to Sewtopia with the intent to piece the tops and clear out a couple WIPs. There was no final destination for these, and now that they are finished, they are sitting in a pile. They aren't the most impressive quilts I've ever made, but there is something very enjoyable about finishing WIPs that have been sitting around.

I made this hexagon baby quilt from my sample pieces I used when teaching hexagons at Sewing Summit a couple of years ago. They have been sitting in a box since that time. I've almost thrown them away or destashed them several times. After much debate I finally decided to piece them into a small quilt. I cut additional white hexagons and added the border to increase the size.

The backing is pieced rows of the remaining fabrics.

I piece my hexagon quilts slightly different from the way I've seen it taught elsewhere. I have tutorials sharing my process: Hexagons Part 1, Hexagons Part 2

I quilted it with an all-over loopy design. I quilted it a bit heavy in order to tack down all the seams. The finished size is about 38" x 40".

This pinwheel quilt is the second half of my Vintage Star baby quilt. Because I wanted each triangle of the previous quilt different, I was left with 16 remaining triangles to use in a new project. This quilt design was the result of a mistake. I intended to make a second vintage star quilt, but sewed all my color triangles to white fabric without thinking of the actual design. Rather than unpicking, I decided to go with a pinwheel. I actually love that they are different now. Wouldn't they be perfect for a set of twins? Identical fabric, with a different arrangement works perfectly.

I also quilted this project with an all-over loopy design, but on a far larger scale. Because this quilt has fewer seams, I simply needed to keep the quilt together. I prefer less quilting on baby quilts. They seem too stiff with dense quilting.

The colors for the quilt were chosen from this flannel I used for the backing. It's been put away for a while and needed to be used.

The finished size is 38" x 38".

Sewtopia Projects: Bags

2014-12-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sewtopia was a month ago, and I'm finally getting around to posting about my projects I worked on and completed while there. I particularly enjoyed Sewtopia because there was very little structure. I was able to have huge blocks of time to just sew--something I get so rarely. I was thrilled with how much I got done. I finished piecing three quilt tops and completed four bags. I've already shared my Metro Twist quilt. Today I'm sharing pictures of my completed bags.

My Sewtopia accomplishments:

First off I made a clutch purse. I made one at Sewing Summit a few years ago, but wanted to try it again. I used an 3" x 8" frame and followed the pattern by Diane from Random Thoughts...do or die. Although I knew I could probably wing this one and figure out the sizing, I opted for a pattern. It's really nice having someone else take the guess work out of a project like this. I love how it turned out. I used Velveteen from Anna Maria Horner. It makes is so classy. I'll be making more.

I used grey Essex linen for the lining.

And then there were yet more Sew Together Bags. Several months back I wasn't in the mood for sewing and instead took that time to cut out nine Sew Together Bags. It was a perfect project to take to the retreat! I had all the pieces prepped and ready to go. All the pieces, even the zippers, were together and ready in a Ziploc bag together. I grabbed three and completed each of them. It took all the stress out of holiday teacher gifts this year.

My son's teacher loves pink. I hope this isn't too pink! This fabric is very bright.

Teacher gifts--checked off the list!

The Woven quilt from Scraps Inc.

2014-11-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have a design that forms in your head over years and finally comes out even better than you'd hoped. That is the case with this quilt:

Photo Credit: Lucky Spool Media, Photographer Lauren Hunt

I had the chance to contribute this pattern to the newly-released Scraps Inc., published by Lucky Spool Media. This is a really great book! (I promise I'm not just saying that!) I was thrilled to be included in this project with so many amazing quilters. The great part about compilation books is the variety of designs. Everyone contributed such great projects. There are several I want to make.

Photo Credit: Lucky Spool Media

This quilt was so much fun to create. I sketched out this design a few years ago and hadn't found the right opportunity to make it. It works perfectly for scraps or that stack of fat quarters you don't know what to do with. Several years ago I made a table runner with the same concept of this quilt. I've always wanted to turn this design into a full quilt.

Photo Credit: Lucky Spool Media

The quilting was done by my wonderfully-talented friend, Barbie Mills at The Quilting Mill. Barbie does beautiful long-arm work, and I am thrilled with the results on this project.

Photo Credit: Lucky Spool Media, Photographer Lauren Hunt

Photo Credit: Lucky Spool Media

I love this one a lot, although I'm debating on starting a new version--maybe mixing up the design a bit or using only solids. I love the strip blocks. They are perfect for scraps.

This book is out just in time for the holidays and would be a perfect gift for your favorite quilter. Until December 1 you can purchase the book at 30% off the original retail price. Use the coupon code "SCRAP30" at checkout for the discount.

Check out other page shots from Scraps Inc. over on the Lucky Spool website.

The Metro Twist Quilt

2014-11-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I finished!

I have been working on this project for a while. It wasn't one I felt the need to rush through. I had all the curved pieces sewn and trimmed when I headed to Sewtopia two weeks ago. I just needed to piece it all together. I was able to finish the quilt top while at the retreat and get it basted. I chose to bring it home to quilt rather than attempting it there. We didn't have enough table space to deal with a quilt this size. I prefer to quilt on my kitchen table giving myself the whole table to hold the weight of the quilt. So during the week following Sewtopia I slowly worked on quilting this guy. I was able to get it bound this past weekend and can't wait to show it off tonight at MQG!

I used the Quick Curves Ruler and Metro Twist pattern (both from Sew Kind of Wonderful). The original pattern is for a quilt 40" x 55", but mine kept growing until I ran out of fabric. The final size of my quilt is 60" x 77" which is great for a throw.

I used a FQ bundle of Field Day from Alison Glass. I have come to adore Alison's fabric because of the richness and saturation of her colors. I am not a purple person, but I couldn't help but use her large scale purple print from this line for the back. I had excess from the backing and chose to cut that up for one additional row. The purple row doesn't excessively stand out. I love how it's difference is relatively subtle. The background is made up of a mix of low volume prints from my stash. I chose only very simple ones as I didn't want them to compete too much with the Field Day fabric. I love the end result. I feel it provides texture without distraction.

The backing print is pretty amazing. This print is the reason I bought this line in the first place. Because my quilt kept growing my backing was too short. Luckily a friend at Sewtopia had a bolt of yarn-dyed Essex in black on hand and I was able to lengthen it without too much trouble.

The quilting was a challenge. I wanted to do something custom, but considering I do this on my standard machine, I struggled a bit. I am starting to get frustrated with my quilting ability because I want to do more yet feel very constrained by using a domestic machine. I need to start renting time on a longarm and give it a try.

I matched my seam for the backing. I glue basted the sections to match everything up before stitching. It's a fantastic method. I'm a convert!

Have a great Thursday!!

Woven	Metro Twist Quilt	Autumn Improv	Hexagon Baby Quilt
The Fox Quilt	Vintage Star Sampler Baby Quilt	Pinwheel Baby Quilt	Vintage Star Baby Quilt
Wee Wander Star Quilt	Botanics Mini Quilt	The App Quilt	Whirlpool Quilt
Stripes

Sewtopia Bags	241 Tote	Wide Open Pouches	Geranium Dress
Embroidered 241 Tote	Even More Sew Together Bags	Patchwork Jane Market Bag	Sew Together Bags
FMF Sew Together Bags	My first Sew Together Bag	Sewing Jane Market Bags	Another Messenger Bag