KoolBeenz

Fab Fabric Friday - Week 17 - Lemon Grove

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I personally am not fond of black fabrics but thought this collection looked great! I think it's a really nice combination of black, aqua & yellow. It's called Lemon Grove and it's by Alice Kennedy for Timeless Treasures. Kim & the staff at Fat Quarter Shop do a wonderful job cutting up fabrics into Fat Quarters so that we can buy complete collection bundles. They have a blog called the Jolly Jabber that is full of info and is very active.

Stay tuned to next week's Give-Away where Fat Quarter Shop is going to make 3 lucky winners smile, not just 1!

For this collection I see a quilt, tote bags, shopping bags, sewing machine cover, some fabric accents for tea towels or guest towels, a shower curtain.

Have a Great Weekend!

Designer Fat Quarter Swaps - Stay Tuned

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:18:00 +0000

This is just to let you know that Fat Quarter Swaps specifically for Designer Fabrics are coming in the future. These will be in addition to the Rainbow FQ Swaps, which we are about to finish our 1st one. FQ Swaps are great for those of us that love to work with larger pieces of fabric.

So look for our first Designer Swap in the near future! There will be a button on my right sidebar for yall to grab and help spread the word.

Give-Away #25 - Leila & Ben Sweet Little Dress Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:26:00 +0000

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Do you have a little girl or know a little girl who is "Girlie" that you like to sew for? This would be perfect. It can be made to fit like a shirt or a dress. It fits 12 months to 5T. I'm giving away 1 pattern for every 100 entries.

To enter, all you have to do is tell us what color thread is on your sewing machine right now! Easy Peasy.

This giveaway runs from (Sat) 1/7 @ 12am EST - (Fri) 1/13 @ 12am EST. Winners will be chosen at random using Random.org & will be notified by email. Duplicate entries will be deleted.

1st Rainbow FQ Swap underway & Slightly New Look on Blog

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:50:00 +0000

Today I received some fabric from a participant of our very 1st Rainbow FQ Swap. I must say that these ladies are choosing some really great fabrics! We got 9 ladies signed up so we went ahead and decided to run with it. Some of the choices have been uploaded to our Flickr Group for the Rainbow Swaps. I will upload choices shipped directly from the fabric shop. The next round will probably be for a Designer Fabric Collection. I will speak with the current participants to get some ideas of collections.

I decided to add a section of buttons to advertise what fabric shops are being ordered from for our FQ Swaps. So I cleaned up the GiveAway sponsors section a bit in order to make room for the FQ Swap Suppliers. Instead of a single row of big buttons, it's now in blocks of (4) 125x125 buttons. All the graphics are still clear and easy to read, just slightly smaller.

I like the way this looks so much better. I don't know why I didn't do that sooner!? Have a great weekend Yall!

Free Motion Quilting Challenge - My Practice Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:52:00 +0000

Like many of you, I am signed up with 3 FMQ challenges right now as I am determined & focused on getting better with my quilting.

The year long challenge @ Sew Cal Gal

The January Focus on Free Motion @ Sew Inspired Blog

The Year long Free Motion Quilt-a-Long @ The Free Motion Quilting Project

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So my first homework assignment this month was to do leaves on one of my 18x18 practice sandwiches. I find that white thread on solid black fabric shows up best. Last night I checked all 3 websites to see what the first assignment was: Leaves @ Sew Cal Gal. I watched the video a couple of times (AT ABOUT 3AM) to get a good feel for the stitch. I didn't even practice on paper, I jumped right into actually doing it. Like literally after I watched the video. This was my first time ever doing this stitch. As you can see from the top row, I stayed in a straight line to get a feel for it and it ended up looking like a strand of lights! I do plan to practice some more before I submit my homework. But I think I did pretty good with it. The arrows point to where I got stuck.

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Right before I watched the leaf video, I read a blog post at Free Motion Quilting Project (3rd graphic above) where Leah talked about whether or not to drop the feed dogs. I was intrigued to learn that there is such a thing as FMQ with the dogs UP! Yes UP! So I thought that I would try it since I have been having a hard time with my FMQ, the tension, the major eyelashes on the back and such. Leah also said that she always sets her length at 0. Which the below quilt lady didn't tell me. I also set my width at 0. Just wanted to make sure that everything was at 0.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I went to a local quilt shop to buy a darning/FMQ foot. The lady (OWNER) showed me how to use it and told me to always keep my dogs down when doing FMQ. She also told me to keep my top tension set at 2. Needless to say when I got home and "quilted" my twin's throw quilt...............when I got done..........there were eyelashes all over the back! So I googled it and that is not a "wanted" part of quilting. After that quilt I was very hesitant to try FMQ anytime soon. Then these above 3 challenges came into play and I jumped at the chance and signed up/pledged.

So anyway, the first couple of leaves were set on top tension 5, eyelashes. Then I tried top tension 6, smaller eyelashes. Then I bumped it up to 7, the stitches were really nice. I wanted to see what would happen at 8, which is where I stayed for the rest of the practice sandwich.

I hope this helps somebody, especially a newbie. What I plan to do with my sandwiches when we are done is bind them and give them to a shelter/rescue group for their cages/carriers.

Featured Quilter - Colors Quilts Crafts Blog

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000

I was just looking through the linked up projects at WIP (Work in Progress Wednesdays) @ Freshly Pieced when I came across this quilt. It's made by Shannon @ ColorsQuiltsCrafts Blog and I so had to share for those that might not have come across her blog. She made it for a quilt show.

First off, I am so attracted to bright colors. 2nd, I thought this was totally unique and way kool. There truly are some great quilt artists out there!

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday - #3 & Crazy Sewing Moments

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:57:00 +0000

If yall remember from a recent post, I won 4 fat quarters of California Dreamin' at Sew Mama Sews Giveaway Week. Well, Rebecca at Sew Festive Handmade blog sent me a 5th FQ of a funky matching green fabric. I didn't take a picture of it before I started cutting it up but you see lots of it below if you keep reading.

I had never seen this fabric line before and if I did, I must have overlooked it. But once I got it in the mail today and had the fabrics in my hand, they look gorgeous! So much better in person than in the picture above! I couldn't wait to start working with these fabrics. I will most likely sew with this fabric collection again, using the entire line.

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So, my twin thought I should make a pillow cover with the fabrics. I ENDED UP MAKING 5 OF THEM!! My thought was that when I make the actual pillow covers, I would use a solid back, a different color for each one.

ANYONE ELSE LIKE THE LOOK OF THE CORNERS WHEN YOU SEW 2 TRIANGLES TOGETHER?

FOR THE PILLOW FRONT DIRECTLY ABOVE, I STARTED WITH A 5" CENTER, THEN JUST CUT STRIPS AS I WENT TO GET THE STRIP LENGTHS RIGHT WITHOUT PRE-THINKING THE WHOLE THING.

THIS BLOCK WAS MY FAVORITE TO MAKE OF THE 5 I MADE TONIGHT.

SINCE THE SCRAPS ALL HAD STRAIGHT EDGES, I WONDERED IF THEY WOULD FIT TOGETHER TO MAKE ANOTHER BLOCK.

SO OFF TO MAKE ANOTHER PILLOW FRONT.

THIS ONE I'M GONNA KEEP AND MIGHT TURN IT INTO A SMALL WALL HANGING.

THIS TINY BLOCK IS IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.

MOST LIKELY I WILL PUT A SOLID BORDER ON EACH PILLOW FRONT.

NOW, I HAD 3 CRAZY/ODD MOMENTS HAPPEN WHEN I WAS SEWING;

1) I was sewing and my machine was not doing anything. I was like, "What is wrong with this thing?" I checked all the settings. Pressed the foot again and nothing. Then realized my stupid self was pressing my house slipper instead of the foot press! Has this happened to any of yall?

2) I was ripping a seam and almost put the seam ripper in my ponytail like how we do with pens and pencils. I caught myself but can you imagine how much hair I would have cut if I hadn't?

3) When I made my absolute last stitch on #5, my bobbin was empty! I actually thought that was cool. I had just enough bobbin thread to finish without switching it out.

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So now my UFOs total 27!

2012 UFO Challenge @ Patchwork Times - my list

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:47:00 +0000

Judy at Patchwork Times Blog is hosting a 12 month challenge where you finish up projects and get them marked off your UFO list. Participants create a blog post of 12 UFO's they want to finish in 2012 and link them up to Patchwork's Blog. Each month Judy will draw a number and that is the project we will finish that month. Click the link above or the image below for more information on how to sign up.

I have more than 12 UFO's, 22 to be exact!!!! I'm doing 2 UFO challenges this year so each month I plan to finish atleast the 1 but maybe an additional one. I have this many UFO's because when I first started quilting all I wanted to do was make quilt tops. For the first few months all I made were basic squares. Then I gradually got into other shapes.

My 1st Quarter UFO's to finish (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:03:00 +0000

Rhonda at Quilter in the Gap Blog is hosting a quarterly project where you finish up projects and can win some really cool prizes. Click the link above or the image below for more information on how to sign up.

So this is my post of projects I plan to finish in this 1st quarter. All of these will be toddler size.

5th Addition to my Sewing Machine Family

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:55:00 +0000

A White Sewing Machine model 568 from early 1960s! I got it last night through my local FreeCycle group! WHAT A WAY TO START 2012! I found these pictures online to show what mine looks like because I have yet to take pictures. This sucker is one of 3 extremely heavy machines in my arsenal, weighing a whopping 36 lbs by itself with no cabinet!

This baby is ALL METAL, no plastic parts whatsoever! It's only meant to do straight and zigzag stitches. I am liking the Retro look of it.

Top 5 Referrers for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Since everyone else is posting a recap of 2011 and being that I don't have much sewing to show for it, I thought I would list the top referrers. Bacisly these are how many click-thrus that occurred this past year. Thank you for your continued following and for sharing my blog with your readers.

(1) SEW MAMA SEW GIVEAWAY DAY - 1,201
(2) SEWMANYWAYS.BLOGSPOT.COM - 422
(3) STRAYSTITCHES1.BLOGSPOT.COM -292
(4) MACDONALDSPATCH.BLOGSPOT.COM - 167
(5) STITCHINGUPASTORM.BLOGSPOT.COM - 150

Prizes I won for the SMS Giveaway Week & Quilter's Gallery Blog Hop (Dec 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I was totally shocked to learn that I won 3 prizes for these giveaways! I wanted to share them with yall.

A Set of 4 Fat Quarters of California Dreamin' by Jenean Morrison @ Sew Festive Handmade Blog. Rebecca is a quilter and she's only 20! Plus she recently finished her first craft show!

My twin thinks that a pillow cover would be great to make with these fabrics. I agree.

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10" Companion Angle & 6.5" Easy Angle rulers @ MyChellem Blog. I am keeping the Companion Angle but am going to giveaway the Easy Angle on my blog soon.

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A Double Zipper Sling Bag @ Lani5287 Create Blog. It's very pretty and has a really long strap that can be tied at any length or cut and sewn. I plan to give this away on my blog soon.

Fab Fabric Friday - Week 16 - Fanciful Flight

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:01:00 +0000

This week I thought I would go with something bright and whimsical. I came across this fabric collection and am really diggin' it. These fabrics come in FQ bundles and yardage. If this collection doesn't suit your tastes, Fat Quarter Shop has way more to choose from, really something for everyone and every kind of project. Fat Quarter Shop is one of the Fabric Meccas of the online shopping world & they sell Yardage, Fat Quarter Bundles, Fat Eighth Bundles, Jelly Rolls, Charms Packs & Layer Cakes. But they don't sell just fabric! They sell patterns and some supplies as well. They have a few hundred patterns to choose from and half of them are in the form of a downloadable PDF for those that can't wait for shipping and want to get started right away.

SO ONTO THE FABRIC LINEUP! Click the image to see all of the fabrics upclose.

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The first thing always on my list to make is a quilt. This would be great for a child's quilt with some throw pillows and a matching pillow case. Room accessories for a baby would be cute. How about a spring dress for the girls? Cute huh? The more solid fabrics in the collection could really go with anything.

What would yall make?

Make Image Transparent - Need Help!

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:52:00 +0000

I need a black and white image to be made transparent on the white part. Can someone help me with that? I have Publisher 2010 but the transparent button is not working.

Can Rotary Cutters Tell Time?

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:15:00 +0000

This one can! I was at a local quilt shop and when I was checking out I happened to see this cute rotary cutter clock behind the counter. I asked if I could take a picture. I wasn't able to get any info on it because they were busy, but it's about 12 inches long and about 3 inches wide. I thought it would be perfect to post on my blog. It would be totally cute if someone were to make a bigger one. It's made from wood, so if anyone is handy with cutting wood, this would be the perfect gift for yourself or the sewer in your life

Newest Addition to my Sewing Machine Family

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:37:00 +0000

I am part of a local FreeCycle group from which I have gotten some nice stuff. I was totally excited to get this vintage sewing machine, still working and it was totally FREE. If you don't know what FreeCycling is...............it's a network of people, usually within a county or metro area that offer stuff that they no longer want or need. Some of the stuff is new, most gently used, some broken, etc. I usually go for the new or gently new stuff. I have offered some things to the group as well. If there is something that you want or need you can send a 'WANTED" email to the group to see if anyone has it. You can find anything and everything offered to the group (electronics, appliances, furniture, pet stuff, plants, jewelry, perfume, clothes, shoes, bedding, curtains, home decor, etc).

There are over 5,000 FreeCycle groups all around the globe. Click the image below to see if there is one in your area. If there isn't, you can start one yourself or with a group of friends/relatives.

Anyway, onto my new baby.

A VINTAGE SEWING MACHINE IN A CABINET! I plugged it in, turned it on, pretended to stitch a couple of stitches. It works. I just don't know what all the dials are for and certainly don't know how to thread it or setup the bobbin thread. IF YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE KINDS OF MACHINES, I AM ALL EARS! I don't plan to use it. Will be more for decoration since I have wanted a sewing machine cabinet for a while now.

BELOW ARE UPCLOSE PICTURES OF THE ENTIRE THING

BELOW ARE THE "DECORATIVE STITCH CARTRIDGES", WHICH I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. EACH CARTRIDGE HAS 2 STITCHES, ONE ON EACH SIDE.

BELOW IS MY "BLUE EYED BEAUTY" EEVEE BEING NOSY AS USUAL

Fat Quarter Shop Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle Competition

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Laura from Quokka Quilts is having a competition on her blog where you put together your "own" fat quarter bundle using fabrics from the Fat Quarter Shop and then make up a Swanky or Kool looking mosaic, blog about it & get into a drawing to win your fabric choices! You would think that you would win a Fat Quarter bundle. NOPE! NO SIREE BOB! But a HALF YARD of each of your fabrics! How generous is that of Kim at the Fat Quarter Shop!?

Below is my custom bundle... titled, "More Sherbert Please!" I love sherbert colors (pink, orange, yellow & green). They just seem so fresh, crisp & kool to my eyes. Yes, I always spell Kool with a K. If I won this bundle, I would make a quilt of course. I would probably put it on my wall so that it's always in sight.

I doubt I will win the judges over, but it's always fun to put fabrics together.

#1 - Crazy For Dots & Stripes II Pink and Orange Dots on White Yardage SKU# 8172-9
#2 - Oval Elements Green Apple Yardage SKU# OE-902
#3 - Heart Garden Pink Daisy Tiling Yardage SKU# 11910-121
#4 - Meet Me At Sunset Pink Paisley Yardage SKU# STELLA-13-PINK
#5 - Me and My Sister Favorites Pink Swirls Yardage SKU# 22045-36
#6 - Me and My Sister Favorites Yellow Rick Rack Yardage SKU# 22073-35
#7 - Ooh La La Yellow Petite Fleurs Yardage SKU# DC5204-YELL-D
#8 - Orange Crush Punch Hexagon Geo Yardage SKU# C8967-PUNCH
#9 - Orange Crush Punch Small Stripe Yardage SKU# C8973-PUNCH
#10 - Pinfeathers Pink Birds of a Feather Yardage SKU# 4545-21
#11 - Remix Bright Fun Dots Yardage SKU# 10396-195
#12 - Power Pop Strawberry Pinkerton Yardage SKU# PWJM057-STRAW
#13 - Kona Cotton Canary Yardage SKU# K001-26
#14 - Kona Cotton Chartreuse Yardage SKU# K001-1072
#15 - Kona Cotton Orange Yardage SKU# K001-1265

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF MY BUNDLE!

Give-Away #24 - Winner of the $25 shoppe credit

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

We have some MAJOR Fabric Lovers in the blogosphere. Below are the entry results:

With the $25 shoppe credit, how many of you would buy:

FABRIC - 79

PATTERNS - 5

ONTO THE WINNER!

David said... 190: I am trying to win this for my wife. I just bought her a sewing machine and she would love some patterns. Thank you. dvdgossett915@gmail.com; December 19, 2011 7:46 PM
: Congrats David! I will be emailing you shortly to put you in touch with the gals at The Fat Quarter Shop to set up the shoppe credit.

Fab Fabric Friday - Week 15 - No Dot About It

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:58:00 +0000

I'm in a Polka Dot kind of mood. I love polka dots and stripes, especially bright colored and funky ones. I was totally shocked that when I typed in Dots on the Fat Quarter Shop's website, THERE ARE 31 PAGES OF THEM! So of course I can't list all of them here, but here are some of my favorite dot fabrics they carry. Their dot fabrics come in all forms: FQ Bundles, yardage and more. There truly is something for any project you have in mind..............Teeny Dots, Medium Dots, Large Dots, Randomly placed Dots, Lined up Dots, Clustered Dots, All kind of Dots!

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I see lots of purses, tote bags, oven mitts, sun hats, sun dresses, chair cushions, guest room chair slip covers, curtains and pillows for a girls room, floor cushions for a boys room. Polka Dots really are versatile.

What would yall make?

I Want to Follow your RSS Feed, But.........................

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:05:00 +0000

When I come across a cool blog I want to start following, I follow via GFC and then look for the RSS Feed logo/button to follow that way as well. Sometimes I don't see the blog's RSS Feed subscribe button. So what do I do? I use Mozilla Firefox and am able to click on "Bookmarks" then 2 lines down I see "Subscribe to this Feed". This is how I get around someone not advertising an RSS Feed on their blog.

I hope this helps anyone out there having the same problem.

Diamond in a Square Block - How I do it + calculations (tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:38:00 +0000

I know many of you have seen the blocks with a Diamond on point in the middle. Some people make the block using HST with the diamond being all the same color, as shown below:

Then there is the way of sewing small triangles in the corners of a square, as seen below. This way is simple but I find that it decreases the size of the inner circle and wastes the white triangle corners for this block. You can always use the blocks for another project.

I sew with LOTS of Fat Quarters because they are smaller and easier to work with. Plus they give me lots of variety of fabric for my money. For this type of block, I like to highlight the inner squared area as much as possible. So I figured with every FQ I could get (2) full blocks with very little left over, maximizing the fabric. Out of each FQ you would cut (2) 8.5" squares which will be the inside square (Diamond) and you would cut (4) 6.5" squares to be used for accent triangle corners on random blocks. Each of these finished blocks should yield an 11" block. This method is great for if you have a large print fabric that you don't want to cut up the picture. YOU WILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY FQ'S YOU WILL NEED FOR YOUR PARTICULAR FINISHED QUILT SIZE.

1) For each 11" finished block you will need (1) 8.5" square and (2) 6.5" squares

2) Cut each of your 6.5" squares in half

3) After you have cut up all the squares and triangles that you will need, this is when you will figure out the design placement as you normally do

4) Sew your triangles to the flat sides of your squares

5) Trim each block to 11". Your inner squares should NOT come all the way to the edge, they should sit inside the edge like a picture frame. YOU WILL SEE THAT FOR MY #6 PICTURE I MADE THAT MISTAKE OF CUTTING TO THE EDGE. This is where you should do as I say, not as I did! SMILE! This was a practice square for demo purposes only anyway.

6) Refigure out your design placement to include sashing and borders if you want a larger quilt. You can also incorporate some solid fabric into some of the blocks. I have seen some quilts with alternating solid blocks and Square in a Diamond blocks. You can do whatever you like.

You can do opposite triangles like shown above, or you can use 4 different triangles for each block which I think would look really cool.

From my calculations, if you want to make a larger or smaller block, the smaller squares should be cut 2" smaller than the larger inside blocks. For the blocks I made, to figure out what total size block I would get I added the 8 + half of the 6 which is 3. So 8 + 3 = 11. So for say an 8" total block, you will need a 6.5" larger square & (2) 4.5" smaller squares for the triangle corners...................6 + half of the 4 which is 2 = 8.

Does this make sense? If you have any questions please let me know.

Give-Away #23 - Who wants to WIN a $25 shoppe credit?

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:55:00 +0000

THIS GIVE-AWAY IS CLOSED

Fat Quarter Shop is this week's sponsor and they are giving away a $25 shoppe credit. You can get anything in the store: Fat Quarter bundles, Jelly Rolls, Yardage, Patterns, etc. They have so much to choose from! Kim & the gals at Fat Quarter Shop are really nice and easy to communicate with.

WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS:

Who doesn't love a chance to win some FREE Fabric or Patterns? 9 Chances to Win! Here's what you do:

#1 IS REQUIRED. #2 - #9 ARE JUST EXTRA ENTRIES. "FOLLOWING" OR "LIKING" IS ONLY IF YOU WANT TO.

Please leave a separate comment for each of the below. It's easier to keep track of the entries that way.

This give-away will run for a work week from (Mon) 12-19 thru (Fri) 12-23 @ midnight EST. I will use Random.org to choose the winner & will announce the winner on (Sat) 12-24! I hope that the winner will take pictures & show off their prize on their blog! SMILE :)!

Post a comment on if you would use this shoppe credit to buy fabric or patterns
Become a KoolBeenz follower via Google Friend Connect or RSS Feed, comment that you now follow or already do
"like" Fat Quarter Shop on FaceBook, comment that you did or already did
Add my Blog Button to your blog's sidebar or anywhere else, comment that you did or already did
Blog the Give-Away, comment that you did
Spread the word on your FaceBook wall, comment that you did
Become a Jolly Jabber blog follower, comment that you now follow or already do
Tweet the Give-Away, comment that you did
If you would like to be added to KoolBeenz' Give-Away email list to be notified of future give-aways, please say, "Add me" & enter your email address. If you already receive the emails, let me know. You will receive emails ONLY about give-aways, nothing more, I promise.

Let the Commenting Begin!

My New Sewing Machine Cover

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:21:00 +0000

I have been meaning to make a cover for my sewing machine for some time now but always kept forgetting. Last night I was in the mood to sew and asked myself, "What can I sew?" So I decided to give a machine cover a go. I used this very easy pattern from Spool Sewing Blog and made an adjustment according to the size of my machine. At first I was going to do a scrappy cover, then remembered I had some Chili Pepper fabric left over from 2004! Yes, I have held onto it for that long waiting to turn it into something really cool! And this was it. Cutting, quilting, piecing and binding did take me a few hours. The pattern calls for a single layer of fabric for the cover but I wanted a quilted cover. I like how the pattern is roomy, not snug. I really like how it turned out. One thing marked off my to do list!

For the quilting, I decided since there were lots of straight lines in the fabric, I would just mimmick them, as seen below. I don't know if you can see the zigzag lines I sewed in the middle of the zigzags.

Friday Night Sew-In (FNSI) #3 - Several Christmas Blocks & To Open Seams or Not

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:13:00 +0000

Last night was a Friday Night Sew-In for Handmade by Heidi. Being that I'm a night owl, I decided to go ahead and take the pictures and do the blog post for what I worked on. I had a bunch of scraps and did 2 sessions of sewing. The first session I didn't precut any pieces I just started randomly putting pieces together. Some of the blocks I didn't take any pictures of because they are "Basic & Blah". All of the ones from my 2nd sewing session were pre-thought out, drawing pictures including measurements on paper. The first picture were my scraps that I put in piles according to shape and size.

TO OPEN SEAMS OR NOT?

When I started quilting I ironed all my seams open. Then I saw a video by the Missouri Star Quilt Company showing Jenny ironing all her seams to the dark fabric. That does save time but I find that my blocks and quilt tops lay flatter when the seams are open. So now I am back to ironing them open, though it takes a little bit longer but I think the results look better. There are different personal preferences in quilting like Prewash your fabrics or NOT? Do you Iron your Seams Open or NOT? Do you use binding that is pieced together on the bias or pieced together on a straight seam? Cotton or Polyester Thread? Polyester or Cotton Batting? This list goes on and on.

1ST SESSION INCLUDING MY FIRST EVER LOG CABIN BLOCKS:

2ND SESSION INCLUDING A FUN BRICK BLOCK. I TRIMMED ALL BLOCKS TO 10" EXCEPT THE BRICK, FORGOT TO DO THAT ONE:

Winners of the Sew Mama Sew GiveAway Day (Dec 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (@pril) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:22:00 +0000

WOW! I am totally blown away! 897 TOTAL COMMENTS! I didn't expect such a big response to my prizes! Thank you to everyone that entered. This was my first time participating in the Sew Mama Sew GiveAway Day. I look forward to their next GiveAway Day in the Spring. I just love giving goodies away! I also got like 10 new followers, without even asking or mentioning it. One blog gave away a duplicate prize for every so many entries. I think that's a great idea and plan to do that next time.

The Fat Quarter Bundle sponsored by Stitchin Stash got 301 Entries

The Fiskars 45mm Titanium Rotary Cutter got 357 Entries

The Sis Boom Sophie Tunic Pattern got 109 Entries

The Sis Boom Patricia Tunic Pattern got 130 Entries

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NOW ONTO THE WINNERS!

For the Sis Boom Sophie Tunic Pattern:

Tara, comment #8 - Overcast, it may rain here in my part of So.Cal. Great pattern I have my own Sophie I would love this pattern for her!

Susan, comment #24 - Oooh, I could make one for a new baby, and a kindergartner and an 8 year old! That would be so much fun! Thanks for a great offer. It's 48 and cloudy right now. And dark, so it feels lots colder! But the Christmas tree lights are warming things up nicely!

Kristie, comment #61 - It's cold, dark and cloudy in Seattle tonight. I love this pattern. We're taking our first trip to Hawaii and our first real vacation since our kids were born this January. I'd love to make the tunic for my daughter to bring.

For the Sis Boom Patricia Tunic Pattern:

Lynne, comment #9 - Oh... I've been admiring this pattern for some time now, wondering if I have the sewing skills (and body type!) to pull it off? High school? Let's see... Basketball, student council, newspaper, yearbook, JETS, Science Club, Drama Club, Swing Choir, Spring Musical... Man, I really WAS a dork! :P Thanks for the chance to participate. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Melinda, comment #46 - Choir geek! I was in a small singing group of girls called the Melodears (how geeky!) and I was in FBLA!

Holly U, comment #113 - I was in the flag corps, captain my senior year with two of my dear friends as lieutenants. Great fun! Thanks for the giveaway, I've eyed this pattern for ages!

For the Fiskars 45mm Titanium Rotary Cutter:

Dee, comment #141 - I would love to try this cutter. Quilting 15 years or so.

For the 6 piece Fat Quarter Bundle sponsored by Stitchin Stash:

Mika, comment #89 - I love PIE!

CONGRATS EVERYONE! I WILL BE EMAILING YALL SHORTLY! STAY TUNED FOR THE SPRING SEW MAMA SEW GIVEAWAY DAY WHERE I WILL HAVE MORE GREAT PRIZES UP FOR GRABS!