Michael Miller challenge block

A couple of months ago, the Portland Modern Quilt Guild was lucky enough to have Kathy Miller of Michael Miller fabrics come to speak at our meeting. Not only did she give everyone a color card for the new Cotton Couture solids but she also hinted at an upcoming challenge.

Then last month, every member received 8 fat eighths to design a 15.5" x 18.5" block. Kathy will choose something like 16 of them to be made into a quilt for the Michael Miller booth at Quilt Market.

Here's what I came up with:

Not to sound all commercially and everything, but these are really lovely solids to work with. The are so soft and have a very nice drape. I could see them being used for apparel as well as quilting.

I've seen a few other blocks from this challenge popping up and they're really fun. Can't wait to see which ones will be chosen!

Swoon

Yep. I was bit by the Swoon bug.

I even joined the Swoon-along over on flickr.

But then I had doubts.

I couldn't decide on a color palette or fabrics.

I couldn't decide where this quilt was going to live.

And mostly, I wasn't sure where I was going to find the time to make a gazillion half-square triangles and flying geese.

I was on the verge of giving up when I realized - hey, I can make just one block! The blocks are enormous (24.5" square) and one will make a lovely wall hanging.

Whew! It was so liberating to let myself off the hook for the whole quilt. And I really enjoyed making this one block using some of my very favorite fabrics. You see that sewing machine in the center block? Love it!

And I love this lady peeking out in her coral dress - so fashionable!

So glad I listened to my gut and went with one block instead of a whole quilt. Someday, I'll probably tackle the larger project but for now, this is perfect. I'm going to look for other ways to simplify and/or minimize larger projects that keep getting put on the back burner.

Best Mail Day Ever

So SO happy to open my mailbox today and find a package from Ayumi's etsy shop. I ordered these because I have been coveting them for so long. They are even more beautiful in person.

I'm super excited to add these to some projects I have swirling around in my brain. If you covet these the way I did, be sure to grab some from her shop before they're all gone!

Gratitude

I am in constant amazement. Really.

Every. Single. Day.

Here's one of the current reasons:

A dry field trip to the farm and pumpkin patch with Miss B's preschool class. Good times! Huge difference from last year (when we did NOT wear our boots) and the fields were nothing but a big ole mud slick.

Another reason I'm feeling the love:

I recently grabbed up some sweet fabric from Ashley's destash and asked about any FMF scrap packs she might have. I'm trying to put together a small and simple quilt using some of the coveted fabric as a fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation. She was so gracious and kind and she sent me these gorgeous pieces. I never cease to be amazed at the kindness within the sewing/quilting/crafting community.

And the crazy amazing cherry on top of everything?

I am now the grateful and awestruck owner of this amazing book.

After posting about my search for Patchwork Patterns 318, I was sent a few leads on getting a copy. None of them panned out. The book was either already sold or waaaaay out of my price range. I kept looking but must admit that my search became somewhat half-hearted.

About two months later, I got an email from Stephanie, who read my blog post and was about to list her copy on etsy. I was headed out to Camp JAM and asked if she could wait to list it until I got back from camp because if I could afford, I would take it!

Well, imagine my surprise when I returned from camp to find an email from Stephanie, telling me about her grandmother's lifelong love of sewing and how she'd had to stop when her arthritis became too painful. Stephanie wanted to give me this book. And I promptly burst into tears.

I mean, really? We hear all the time from so many places what a messed up world we live in. I'm telling you - this world is great! People are amazing! There is goodness all around.

So I sit here. Filled with gratitude for family and friends and strangers who have become special people in my life. Life is wonder-full.

And yes, I know I used the word "amazing" a lot in this post. What can I say? It is what it is.

Halloween Snack Mats!

Unable to attend Sewing Summit last weekend, I consoled myself by making some Halloween snack mats and placemats.

Here are the six snack mats.

These were super fun to make and I absolutely LOVE the Cosmo Cricket Halloween fabric (purchased at the Fabric Depot outdoor sale for you locals).

And can I just say that I am officially hooked on straight line quilting. The texture is so great and it's a perfect no-brainer for small projects like this when I can just zone out at the machine.

These are destined for my two kids and four of their bestest friends to celebrate the holiday season.

Once I get the binding done on the placemats, I'll show them to you. Have you started any fall crafting?

Angel swap revealed

Remember way back when ... I was an angel in the Spicing Up the Kitchen Swap over on flickr.

Well, my partner received her package so I can finally reveal the full contents!

I made a table runner, hotpad, and potholder.

I was able to use one of my favorite Suzuko Koseki prints and the wonderful seed catalog print from Annie's Farm Stand by Lakehouse.

The potholder was really fun to quilt with all those diagonals making little diamonds.

And the hotpad was made of tiny patchwork of some beloved scraps. I've really enjoyed making hotpads like this to use on our dining table. I make them a bit larger than a potholder and don't include a hanging loop so it lies perfectly flat on the table.

So, some simple and fun projects. I'm happy to say that my partner likes them!

There are a lot more projects in the to-do pile but I'm lacking the time to tackle them at the moment. Hopefully, an upcoming all-day sew with the Portland Modern Quilt Guild will give me the chance to get a few things completed.

Stylish sandwiches

In an effort to be a little more green when it comes to lunches I've been making some stylin' sandwich wraps!

They have the kid seal of approval (especially since I let them choose some of their own exterior fabrics) and the mom seal of approval because they can be machine washed and dried.

And they're cute. Always a plus for me.

Some of them have little twill pull tabs at the opening flap but they weren't really necessary so I didn't put them on all of them.

The lining is nylon (no vinyl!). And I love that the whole thing can open up flat to make a nice little placemat/eating area.

People have been asking so I thought I'd let you know that these are available in the shop!

Fall bag

Over the weekend, I whipped up the 241 Tote from Noodlehead.

I used some of my prized Echino and paired it with duck cloth solids. The strap is made from a long strip of the Echino and backed with the burgundy duck cloth.

I really like this bag! The pattern is clear and straightforward though I would definitely recommend reading it all the way through before starting. Anna offers some alternate ways of assembly that I think make a lot of sense and would be my preferred way to put the bag together. Also, um, read the directions about the seam allowance. I would have saved myself a LOT of frustration if I had realized the seam allowance was 3/8" and not the 5/8" I thought I read at first. Oh well, it just gives me a chance to make another one, right?

This one may or may not end up in the shop. I haven't quite decided and still need to finish hand stitching the lining closed.

Swap Angel

I just sent off my very first angel package for a swap! It hasn't arrived yet at it's destination so I'll just post this little peek.

Swaps can be fun or horrible or anywhere in between. They can also be a little bit tricky because you are relying on people's honesty and integrity to follow through with their commitment. We all know that life has a way of being unpredictable and deadlines can be missed. As long as everyone communicates well, things usually work out just fine.

But every once in a while, someone is a flake and doesn't send anything out to their partner. That's when whoever is organizing the swap asks for "angels." An angel is someone who sends out a swap package without getting anything in return. I've never needed an angel in any of the swaps I've done and this was the first time I've ever been asked to be an angel for someone else.

It was really fun to put this little package together! I made a table runner, a hot pad, and a potholder since this was a "Spicing Up the Kitchen" swap. I hope they are well-received.

Do you participate in swaps? Have you ever needed or been an angel?

Tutorial: Bento Lunch Bag

Thanks for the interest in a tutorial! Here's how I made the bento lunch bags.

First, gather your materials. I used a home dec weight material for the exterior and a quilting weight cotton for the interior. For the drawstring cover I used linen.

From your exterior fabric cut two panels 12" x 13"

from your interior fabric cut two panels 12" x 13"

From your drawstring cover fabric cut two panels 6.5" x 13" (or one panel 6.5" x 25")

From fusible fleece cut two panels 11" x 12"

1" cotton webbing - 24"

Other supplies:

one cord lock

one yard of cording

thread

iron

sewing machine

Note: all seams are 1/2" unless otherwise noted.

If you've never used a cord lock before, they look like this:

Cut a 2.5" square from the bottom corners of your exterior, interior, and fusible fleece panels. This will make it easier to do your boxed corners later.

Fuse the fleece to the exterior fabric, centering the fleece like this:

Sew the side seams and bottom seam.

Then box the corners by bringing the bottom seam up to meet the side seam. Stitch across the edge. Repeat for other side.

You should end up with something like this:

Press seams open. Turn exterior right side out, gently poking the corners out using the pointy device of your choice. I use an old knitting needle.

Repeat for interior, but keep interior wrong side out. Now you should have this:

Set the interior and exterior aside.

Take your drawstring cover panels and sew along the short side. Of course, this is when I realized that this could be done with one piece measuring 6.5" x 25" so feel free to do that if you prefer. (Note: To prevent fraying, serge or zig zag along the short sides and top edge.)

Press center seam open.

Fold top edge down 1/2" and press well.

Fold cover panel in half, right sides together. Stitch along seam, stopping just below the folded down top edge.

When you're done, the edge should look like this:

Open the top edge and fold in one corner to the pressed line like this:

Then fold back down along the pressed edge like this:

Pin in place and repeat on other side.

Stitch around the top, creating a casing for your drawstring. Press side seam open.

Next, cut your cotton webbing into two 12" lengths.

Find the top center of your exterior. Place handles 1-1/4" to each side of the center and pin in place. Be careful to not twist your handle.

Repeat for other side.

Place the interior inside the exterior of your bag (wrong sides together) and pin in place (matching side seams).

Then take your drawstring cover and place it outside the exterior and handles (right sides together) and pin in place.

Sew around the top of the bag securing the lining, exterior, handles, and cover.

Tuck the cover inside the bag and neatly press the top edge.

Topstitch around the top edge of the bag, about 1/4" from the edge. The place a second line of topstitching about 1/2" in from the first. This will give your bag a nice finished look.

If you look in the bag, you'll also see that the second line of topstitching will conceal the raw edges inside your lunch bag!

Thread your cording through the casing and secure in the cord lock to finish your bag. (If you need detailed instructions about how to do this, check out my reversible drawstring bag tutorial.)

And there you have it! A fantastic new lunch bag!

If you have any questions, just ask. And if you make one, I'd love to know about it.

Happy Crafting!

A bee block for Annabel

For her month's theme in Cocorico, Annabel wanted blocks made with an orchard theme. After thinking about the theme for awhile and coming up with a couple of different possibilities, I settled on making a bee.

I love bees. I also have an allergic reaction to their sting so I have to be careful! But I really think they're amazing - their highly organized social structure and their efficiency at caring for their hive, working together, and making delicious honey. Of course, they also play a very important part in the life of an orchard because they pollinate the tree blossoms to help make yummy fruit for us to enjoy.

My inspiration illustration is above right. From that picture I made a larger more simplified drawing of the bee on graph paper. Once I worked on the drawing for awhile,I realized a few things:

If I tried to paper piece the legs I would probably go insane.

I needed to slightly shorten the body of the bee so it would look less like a wasp.

This was going to be hard.

Thanks to a PMQG all day sew, I had a lot of uninterrupted time to work on this block and this is what I have so far! Instead of piecing in the legs I'll be thread sketching them with black thread. And I'll embroider the antennae on as well. I'm completely nervous that I'll screw this part up and ruin the work I've already done!

This is just a more detailed look at the bee. There are a few "oops" moments but overall I'm really happy with how this block turned out. I'm especially fond of the beehive print on the bee's body!

Annabel wants to make placemats with her blocks, so I hope no one minds eating their meal with a giant insect on their mat!

Getting ready for school

Got some snack and sandwich bags made the other day, in preparation for the upcoming school year. I can't believe our summer break is coming to an end!

For construction, I use this awesome (and funny) tutorial. I cut the snack bags at 6.5" x 13" and the sandwich bags at 7.5" x 15". In the past I've made them from a single layer of cotton fabric, a double layer of cotton fabric (one for the outer bag and one for the lining), with and without velcro closures. This time I made them without velcro and the lining is nylon.

I was a little worried about slipperiness when sewing with the nylon but it was no big deal. I'm hoping that making this change to the lining will help keep more moisture in things like bread, which could sometimes start to get a little bit dry. I love that they can still be tossed into the washing machine and the nylon should help keep the food fresher longer.

After giving these a test drive this afternoon, I'm very pleased with the results and will definitely be making more. Next on the agenda - making lunch bags for the kids!

How about you - have you started on any back-to-school projects?

Sweet Harmony

I did it! I finally completed the Sweet Harmony Handbag from Amy Butler. Intimidated is the best word to describe how I felt about taking on this project. Let's face it, I had heard from more than one person that Amy Butler patterns are complex and sometimes difficult. But now that it's done, I'm so glad I forged ahead and tackled this pattern!

In keeping with the Amy Butler theme, I thought it appropriate to use some of her fabric. I chose Wallflower in cherry and Full Moon Polka Dots, also in cherry. The piping is kona cotton in coral. The pattern doesn't call for using two different prints like this on the main bag and exterior pockets but I really wanted to combine these two fabrics and I'm very pleased with the result.

Here's a peek at the inside. The lining is a kona cotton in cream? ivory? Honestly, I don't remember! There are two interior pocket variations so I did one of each. In the photo above you can see the two open pockets and in the photo below you can see the zippered pocket.

You can also see the two magnetic snaps as well as the small cell phone pocket in the exterior pocket at the lower right of the photo above. This purse is nice and roomy without being a big slouchy bag, which I like. It's a bit more tailored than what I usually make or carry, but I like to change things up a bit every now and then. Plus, who doesn't love a good red bag?!

I'm not going to lie - this took me quite awhile to make. Part of that had to do with making a brand-new-to-me pattern. I know I was being very methodical and thorough because I was nervous about making mistakes. And by doing the exterior in two different fabrics, I had to be sure I adjusted my cutting to accommodate that change. That said, the most time-consuming part was definitely the cutting and preparation of the fabric (trimming and applying interfacing and fleece). Once all that prep work was done the actual assembly wasn't hard and didn't take long at all. Oh, except for adding the zipper pocket. For some reason my brain just seized up and I couldn't figure out the instructions. Until, of course, I did and then felt like a dork for not understanding them sooner.

So there you have it. I'll probably busy myself with a few simpler projects now and enjoy my new handbag!

Babies

Specifically - girl babies.

A friend of mine is expecting her third child in a few months. It will be her first girl!

A little sewing was in order!

I made a good size baby blanket with a lovely Tanya Whelan rose print and backed with minky - yum! This was the first time I made bias binding for a large-ish prject. Most of the time I just cut my binding straight. But I really wanted to make the corners of this little blanket to be curved so the binding had to be on the bias. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

The minky was a little bit slippery to work with but I just basted the heck out of it and all was fine.

I also made a little tag lovey with a pretty flannel print and a scrap of the super soft minky. The tags are made from grosgrain ribbon, rick rac and twill tape.

Yay for girl babies!

Paper Piecing is a Puzzle

As you already know, I am a huuuuuge fan of the mad piecing skills of the ladies over in the Ringo Pie group on flickr. I stalk the group and am completely amazed at everything they do.

Recently, I was invited to participate in cocorico, another paper piecing bee and I am both excited and nervous!

You see, while I am a huge fan of this type of patchwork, I haven't really done any of it myself. The only paper piecing I've done is the circle of geese block and it was really hard to wrap my brain around the whole concept.

But I accepted the invitation because I am so completely inspired by the other members and don't want to miss this chance to learn more and push myself to develop this skill.

July and August are practice months so I decided to jump right in and draft my very first piecing pattern all by myself - a dragonfly!

Let me tell you, when I finished this block I felt like a total rock star! Something really clicked while working on the pattern and sewing it up wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. There are some little oops places but nothing too bad for a first try. The hardest part for me was definitely figuring out the pattern. I think looking at it and figuring out the puzzle of how to piece it really helped my brain understand this technique in a new way.

There is still an amazing amount to learn but I'm excited to see how this bee develops over the next year.

Do you do paper piecing? Any tips or tricks?