News and To-Dos

The holidays are over and we are all back into a normal routine over here.  My sewing area ended up in disaster after the flurry of gift-making last month, so I spent the afternoon yesterday organizing my fabric stash and finding the surface of my desk.

I have decided to turn my focus this month from making things for others to purchase to making things for myself and my family and friends.  I have quite a few projects that I have been putting off, and now's the time to get them done.

Back to my trusty to-do board I went.  I love having this right next to my sewing desk, reminding me of my ideas.

This is my favorite to-do...

I know...that doesn't really sound like it's for me--but it is!  I love Sew Sweetness, and Sara comes up with some awesome ideas.  Plus I get to pull from my stash.  AND involves using this fabric, yay!

And that's all I can say about that until the pattern is released.

Now for the news bit:

I am also participating in Handmade for Newtown, an online auction by imagine gnats and casa crafty of handmade items and craft/sewing supplies to benefit the Newtown Parent Connection.  I'm donating my very favorite project that I have yet to part with: my linen and cotton nesting bowls!  I'll let you know when the auction is live.

Cathedral WIndow Quilt Along, Block 1

Now that I have gotten in the groove of having the kids back in school and the hubby away, it's time to start working on some projects for myself.  I have a rough plan in mind for a new quilt for my bed based on the Uneven Coins block in the book Block Party. I have a whole stack of Indie, plus yards of navy solid to use with it.  I just need to make myself cut into it and get started.

I spotted this Cathedral Window quilt-a-long last week and thought maybe I'd use it to make some pillows to go with my quilt.  I like "a-longs" because I usually learn new techniques and make something I otherwise wouldn't.  Today was Block 1, a layered cathedral window from Sara at Sew Sweetness.  I love her choice of fabrics, as usual.  I also really like the look of the finished block.  But when I realized how much fabric goes into one 12" block (almost half a yard, really), I put away my special quilt stash and pulled out some things from the back of my fabric drawer to use first.  I paid attention to my print directions and order of assembly to make the design of the block stand out more than it does in Sara's scrappy version.  I really like the end result.  However, there are 5 layers of fabric in most spots on the block. That means you sew through 10 layers to join the four squares together.  I felt like I should have pulled out my walking foot.  I can't imagine making a quilt using this block.  It would be very heavy.  It would make a great pillow, though, which is what mine may become.  Eventually.

I'm looking forward to the next block on Thursday, and will probably use the same fabrics as long as I have enough of them.  In the end maybe I'll go back and choose my favorite blocks to go with my quilt.   That I still need to start.  Hmph.

Quilt Top Complete!

I have made several quilts in the past, but this is the first one that I have attempted without the use of a specific pattern.  I like following patterns and having things turn out exactly how they are "supposed" to, so improving a quilt is very much out of my comfort zone.

I started with the New York Beauty quilt-a-long at Sew Sweetness, but I only made the blocks that I liked the look of.  I ended up with 15 blocks.  Then I decided to try some scrappy improv chevrons.  I followed these directions at Six White Horses, but I cut all of my wedges at the same angle, because I wanted them to go well with the precise points on the New York Beauty blocks, and attached them all together in a long strip. I cut the strip lengthwise and made two chevron stripes on either side of my New York Beauty blocks.  I saved the scraps from my chevrons and sewed them all together, then chopped them up again and mixed in some solid gray to create a fun scrappy border.

Not having a plan was really difficult for me, but really fun at the same time.  My daughter loves the result and has claimed this quilt for her bed.  Now I need to quilt it!  I think I may try to do it myself, since it's a twin size.

Art Student Tote

When I saw the pattern review of the Art Student Tote on Sew Sweetness' Purse Palooza, I finally found the pattern I had been searching for.  I had been on the lookout for a pattern that would be suitable as a diaper bag for my cousin, and this looked to fit the bill without looking too "diaper bag-ish."  I love how it came out.  But it is HUGE. I will definitely hold anything a baby could ever need while out and about.  But big bags are so IN!

Now for my modifications:

-I shortened up the straps by about 8 inches total.
-I added a 6-inch top-zip panel, similar to the extension panel in the pattern view B but much smaller.
-I added a removable, adjustable cross-body strap, since it's really frustrating to have a bag keep falling off your shoulder while carrying a baby.
-I used fusible fleece rather than interfacing on the outer panels.
-I used Decor Bond on the inside pockets since they will be getting a ton of use.

Fabrics from Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House

D-ring adjustable side strap detail

Top zip panel will tuck down inside when unzipped if needed.

Hanging by the cross-body strap

Awesome zipper detail on the outside pockets

I just love these prints!

Thanks to a reader's comment, I realized that I didn't include any photos of the inside.  It is a bit tough to photograph because it's so big, but here's a peek.  There are 8 pockets inside, large enough to hold a travel baby wipes container, diapers, bottles, etc.  They are interfaced with Decor Bond to make them extra sturdy.

Purse Palooza Entry #1: Chevron Pleated tote

Sew Sweetness is running a purse-making contest this month called Purse Palooza.  I plan on having a few entries.  Here is my first!  It's a pleated tote based on this pattern at U-Handbag.  I followed the basic pattern but made my tote slightly narrower (because that's all I had enough fabric for!).  I also added two inside slip pockets and a magnetic snap. The straps were also my own design and attach with nickel D-rings.  It is super roomy and very stylish!  The pleats let the red peek out just enough to not be overpowering, and the whole effect is very summery.

The dimensions are:
13" tall
10" wide at top
16" wide at bottom
3.5" deep at bottom
9" strap drop
Made with home-decor weight fabric and a cotton lining.  Fully interfaced with Decor Bond.

I think this will eventually end up in my Etsy shop, unless someone claims it here or on Facebook first!

Recent Projects

I am SO behind on my sew-a-longs! Between gifts and custom orders, I have fallen behind on personal projects again.

 But I've made several fun things lately! I found this cute tutorial a few weeks ago for a kid's sling-style bag. It was meant as a fat quarter project, but I made a couple of alterations to the tutorial directions. Well, really, I made several! The tutorial wasn't all that clear, especially for those who may not be familiar with sewing bags. I used canvas for the bag body since the inside is not lined. I also made the accent fabric on the outside a larger width to show off more of my chosen print. I used cotton webbing for the strap, and on this version I even sewed some cute red trim down the center. I made two of these prior to this one that have the outside zip pocket. The tutorial is not clear on how to make this part look nice, and the original pocket size given is about the size of a Matchbox car. I am happy with the end size of my zip pockets, but in order to make the zipper part look nice you really need prior zip pocket experience!

As soon as I finished up that bag as a birthday gift for our cute next-door neighbor, I got a call about making some of my boxy vinyl-lined cosmetics bags. Twenty six, to be exact! Since the timeframe was too short for me to get more supplies, I ended up making 12. They went to our local Nordic ski club instructors as thank-you gifts for their season of teaching. It's so fun to make things for local people, and even more so when they are the ones who taught my family to ski this winter! The organizer thought these bags would be perfect to hold ski goggles and wax, since they are lined with vinyl. Great idea!

 I am also caught up with Mother's Day gifts, but they remain a secret until next weekend. I have internet-savvy moms and grandmas...wouldn't want to ruin any surprises! This weeks's plan is to finish up my very first international order (to be sent to Australia!) and then begin again on my New York Beauty blocks. I'm sure I'll add some other things in there as well. I have joked about it before, but I really do have sewing ADD! I can't work on one thing for very long without getting bored, so I always have several small projects going at once.

This week's sew-alongs

I am all settled into my new sewing area, which I LOVE.  I can't believe how handy the little drawers and compartments in the desk have turned out to be.  My machine also sews much nicer on the very solid desk surface.  After sorting through my mountains of fabric and notions and organizing it all into its new home, I managed to squeeze in both sew-along projects this week between sewing up custom orders.

Here's my New York Beauty block.  That's right, just one block.  I have a second in progress but need to start it over because I don't like my fabric combo for the center piece.

This week's Zakka Style project is a pin cushion.  I actually need a new one, so it came at a perfect time.  The whole thing took about 20 minutes, and it's simple yet cute and functional.  I didn't do last week's project because I just didn't have the time.  Plus it was a zip pouch, and those who know me know that I have about fifty of them already.

Up next I'm going to try these really cute sling-style backpacks for my kids.  We have lots of adventures coming up this summer (visit my other blog for more on that) and they need something functional and durable to carry their stuff around in.

Sew-Alongs: Getting Things Done

Pleated Clutches, from a pattern by Keyka Lou, headed to a local boutique

I have spent the past few weeks sewing up orders for others.  I enjoy sending my goods out to those who love them, but I am so looking forward to starting on some things for myself this week. Since I do better with smaller projects (I have a bit of sewing ADD), I decided to join a couple of sew-a-longs that have recently caught my eye.

First up is the Zakka Style sew-a-long, hosted by LRstitched.  The book we will be sewing through is compiled by Rashida Coleman-Hale, designer of the Washi line of fabric that I have been holding on to, waiting for just the right project to come along.  I think this fits perfectly!  The sew-a-long starts tomorrow with a zig-zag tote bag...which also seems to fit nicely with my theme of chevrons lately.  Staying true to my usual re-design-it-myself style, I plan to take the basic idea of the tote and turn it into a slightly different shape that looks more like a handbag.

I have also been eyeing the New York Beauty quilt-a-long hosted over at Sew Sweetness.  My bed is screaming for a new quilt, and I have been hoping to try a more modern style of quilting than I have done in the past.  I ordered some charcoal Kona cotton to use with these Poetica by Jane Dixon half-yards, and plan to make 4 of each New York Beauty block.  I'm going to assemble them in a very non-traditional, meandering sort of way with lots of negative space.  Or so I think, anyway.  We shall see.  I'm 4 weeks behind on the blocks, so I need to get started as soon as my solid arrives.

My bed's new quilt...eventually

Of course, I also have a few more custom orders to make up this week as well.  I have put a hold on taking new custom orders on my Etsy shop until mid-April.  I may add a few things to my shop in the meantime, but I am focusing mainly on things to keep this month.