Sew Sew Modern

So I finally decided on the pillow I was going to send to my partner and got it off in the mail last Friday.  I decided after stalking her blog, her Flickr photostream and her mosaic that she would be happier with a more colorful selection.  And so the plus pillow is heading her way.  Honestly, the more I look at this one the more I think that I'm going to have to create another one - this time for me.

I quilted it by outlining the pluses about 1/4 inch away from the edges. This was my first quilted project since Penelope came back from the doctor, and the tension is a lot tighter now.  It made quilting this a bit of a challenge at first.  (Guess it really was time for Penny to have a check-up!)

 The inner border is straight-line quilted and the outer border isn't quilted at all.  I like the different textures this gives the pillow and the way the straight lines cross in the corner. (OK, small amusements for small minds, but hey! - )

I made her a 1-Hour Fat Quarter Tote to go with it.  This one is a little quirky, fabric-wise, but I don't dislike it. 

I used some Heather Ross sock monkey fabric (from Hancock Fabrics last summer) for the main part of the bag, along with some pearl bracelets that I bought for something else and didn't use, and some random yellow with orange leaves that seemed to tie the two together.

I quilted it with some super-fast and easy loops, but they seemed to go well with the pearl bracelets.

So here's the little package that is winging its way to my partner.  I hope she likes it.

Modernista - For the Kitchen

For the past several months I have been involved with the Modernista Homemade swap as a mama.  It has been a lot of fun to see the fun things that folks have created.  We are taking the house a room at a time and creating wonderful items to brighten each other's lives.  What fun!

Our first adventure was into the sewing room, and sewing machine covers and mini quilts abounded.

I received such fun items from my partner, Whitney, an uber-talented sewist and one that I missed by moments, I am told, at my brief foray into Sewing Summit (I was the babysitter, remember...)

This time I got to assign the partners - all the partners, including mine.  Yeah, that means I know who my partner is, if I go back and look, but to be honest, I have forgotten.  It also means I got to pick the partner I sewed for, and I have to admit that when I saw that Cynthia wanted a casserole carrier, I picked her to sew for.  I had a dynamite idea that I wanted to see come to life.

Many years ago, my sister made me a casserole carrier along the lines of the one above.  She used double sided quilted fabric.  It has gone with me to every pot luck and compassionate service assignment for at least 25 years!  It has been well used and well loved. And still looks pretty good for all the wear it has received over the years (even if it does look a little 70's).

And so I set out to create my own.  I've made a few of these over the years, but they have all used the double-sided quilted fabric you can buy.   I wanted this one to be different.  It was also a good chance to use my EZ Dresden template.  I've been wanting to use it since the SLMQG issued their challenge last summer.  Alas, I'm too late for the prizes, but what the hey!  I used two layers of batting so it would be extra puffy and keep foods nice and toasty warm.  I also made it a little bigger than the original.  Sticking a 9x13 pan in mine is kind of a stretch.  Cynthia should have no problem fitting a large pan (round or oblong) into this carrier.

It was not a difficult project at all, and in fact, I had a lot of fun choosing fabrics to my partner's taste.  I probably would not have added the brown if she hadn't mentioned that it was one of "her colors", although I am really jazzed by the Pure (by Sweetwater for Moda) text fabric.  It was on sale when I was in Utah last time, and I bought a couple of yards of it.  You can probably expect to see it in quite a few projects until it is gone, which I know will make me sad.

I think I may make several of these casserole carriers for Christmas, and may even do a tutorial if anyone is interested.  They're pretty fun to make, and I really like the Dresden design.  I may even try a scrappy Dresden, if I do it again.  Or, create a patchwork block and then cut it to shape and size.  I think the variations are as endless as your imagination.

I also made her a variation of the 1-hour tote with Aneela's Crazy Scrappy Blocks for the pocket,  and no batting, so you can use it for a grocery tote.  I added a string and some velcro, so you can roll it up and tuck it in your purse so you always have a bag when you shop.  I must have a dozen fabric grocery totes, but somehow they never make it into the store with me.  I made some crochet dish cloths and decorated a dish towel and sent it off in the mail.

Cynthia has already received it, and said she liked it.

I guess I can call that a successful swap.

Can't wait to see what my partner has made for me. 

Paved With Good Intentions - Starting Over

I had such high hopes for the month of August.  I planned to make myself accountable and work on THE LIST of WIPs sitting in the sewing room to make room for some new projects.  Well, naturally, things did not go according to plan.  As usual.

I was fairly productive.  I participated in the Think Christmas Blog Hop and made a quilt....

I did manage to get two tote bags out of the WIP pile...

I made 4 Swoon blocks....

I played along in the Bowls With Borders blog hop and I made two wall hangings...

I finished my Covered Journal for my partner in Super Swaps...

And a name tag for my partner in the RATZ swap....

I made my swap items for my partner in the Scrappy Bits swap...

And chose the fabric I'm going to send along...

And even made some more hexies for my GMFG quilt.

But I didn't touch THE LIST.

1.  Jelly roll quilt - top is finished; needs to be sandwiched, quilted and bound
2.  Fairy Tale Friends - ditto
3.  3x6 Bee Blocks - I have accumulated enough blocks to make this quilt!
4.  Citrus Quilt - I have 10 of the 12 blocks I need, so the plan is to make 2 more blocks, then sandwich, quilt and bind
5.  Granny Squares Quilt - I have 12 of 18 blocks I need, so I'll make 6 more blocks, then sandwich, quilt and bind (SQB for short!)
6.  String Blocks Quilt -  I have 40 string blocks, so that should be plenty, , so make the top, then SQB
7.  Bow Tie Quilt - I have 80 bow ties, again, plenty, so make the top, then SQB
8.  Bento Block Quilt - I have 40 bento quarters, again plenty, so make the top and SQB
9.  Breath of Avignon Quilt - I'll have to see where I am with this one, but I think I can get it done as well.

Not.  One.  Single.  Finish.

I guess the good thing about lists is that this is MY list, and I can do it or not do it as I choose.  So, all those things will remain on the list.  For now.  Maybe I'll do better in September.

Maybe.

Meanwhile,  I have to go make a dress.

It's not on THE LIST either.

But despite progress on the list, I'm linking up with Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day.  Won't you join me?

First Finishes for August!

If you saw my post from August 1st, you will know that I have proclaimed August to be Finish It month. Well, here it is the 13th already and until now I didn't have a thing to check off my list.  I still don't, really, since these bags weren't on the list, but they WERE languishing in the WIP pile, and they are now finished, so I'm going to count them.  It is, after all, my list, and I can count them if I want to, right? 

My list, my rules!

I found several pieces of decor weight remnants at JoAnn's and brought them home.  I thought they were pretty fabrics (although you would never see them on a chair at my house...  pillows?  maybe.)  Anyway, I brought them home and then one night after work they were staring at me and just screamed to be made into bags.  So I got busy and cut them out.  I even made two of them and sent them on to new homes.

But the other two were just moping there in the WIP basket all this time.  So finally, I sat down yesterday and finished them up.

It's really not difficult when the pieces are already cut.  It's just a matter of getting them out and doing it, isn't it?  They are a variation of my One Hour FQ Tote, so they don't even take that long to make.  My One Hour FQ Tote pattern is really my go-to pattern for tote bags.  It's easy, it goes together quickly, and I always like the results.

So I don't have an immediate need for these bags.  The first two were sent out with swap items, and I may do that with these.  My friend Krista suggested that I put them in my Etsy shop and see what happens. 

What do you think?

Going Berserk for Bags

I've been on a bit of a bag kick lately.  Bags are really not on my list of things that need to be done, but that's how I've spent the last couple of evenings.  So far, I've completed two bags and have two more ready to sew.

I used my basic bag pattern from my One Hour FQ Tote Tutorial but used 1/2 yard pieces of fabric for the bag and the lining instead of the FQs.  The fabric is home dec weight and was on the remnant table at Jo-Ann's.  If you haven't been to Jo-Ann's this week, all their remnants (which are always half off) are half off again, so these bags maybe cost $2.50 to $3.00 each.

This one is red, white, and blue in honor of Independence Day.  I used a scrap of Kona Red for the insert.  The lining (I should have taken a picture of the inside, but I was afraid I'd be late to work) was a piece of DS Quilts Daisy Mae in red. 

I really like this fresh blue.  Not quite over-the-top 4th of July, but it gets the message across I think.

Here's the second finished bag.  Recognize the insert?  I thought you would.  You can't really see the outside pocket on this one, but it's there.  I love the size of these pockets - they hold my iphone and keys perfectly.  I really like this color combination too.  Kinda beachy, don't you think?

This remnant was slightly larger than the other one, so I had enough fabric for the pockets and the handles from this main piece.  It's a bit more subdued than the Independence Day tote.

The lining (you can just see a hint of it in the photo, right?) is a scrap from BD#1's scrap bag.  I love it when she gives me her scraps.  I find them very useful.  A couple of months ago she gave me a small paper bag full of scraps.  This particular scrap was about 1-1/2 yards long and about 22" wide, or a 1-1/2 yard piece split down the middle.  Not sure what she used it for, but I'm grateful for the donation.  Another piece from that same bag of donations was the back of my Outfoxed quilt.  You can't argue with that!

Far Far Away Fairy Tale Tote

A couple of weeks ago, some of you may have participated in my 200-ish giveaway.  I picked out a few things from my studio that I thought someone might enjoy, added the incentive of a special hand-crafted item made especially for them, and let Mr. Random pick the winner.

Mr. Random picked SewLindaAnn.  Linda responded right away (literally within minutes!), saying, in part, "Thank you so much for letting me know I'm the lucky girl who won your giveaway! I'd love to receive one of your 1-hour totes. A couple of the most recent fave colors are gray, orange, yellow, the blues and greens of the sea"

 I had super good intentions to get sewing right away, but it took me a little while to decide what to do.  Then, I was sitting in my sewing space this weekend, and all of a sudden, I spied a cute FQ bundle of Heather Ross' Far Far Away III just sitting there.  Frankly, I (too often almost always) buy fabric just because I fall in love with it without the first clue of what I will do with it.  This was no exception.

It was almost perfect.

Gray?  Check.

Orange?  Check.

Green?  Check.

To-die-for cute?  Check.

See?  Perfect!

And just to show how versatile the 1 Hour FQ tote pattern is, I decided to jazz it up a bit with a little ruffly goodness on the pocket. 

First, I cut a strip of fabric for the binding 9" long by 2" wide and sewed the right side of the binding piece to the wrong side of the pocket. 

Then, I cut the ruffle 2-1/2" wide by about 15" long, gathered it to fit, and sewed it on the front of the pocket. 

Finally, I folded the binding piece over the ruffle/pocket seam allowance and topstitched it close to the edge. 

I love the guitars.

I kinda like the tote too.

Actually, I wanted to keep the tote, but since I was so tardy getting it made and in the mail, I gave myself a good talking-to and stuck it in the package with the rest of the goodies. 

Luckily, I still have some darling pieces of this FQ bundle left, so maybe I'll make another one.

Meanwhile, if you want to make your own cute little Fairy Tale Tote, FQ bundles of Heather's Far Far Away III are $20 off at Westwood Acres until Friday. 

SewLindaAnn, your package is in the mail.  Hope you like it!

1 Hour Fat Quarter Tote - A Tutorial

The 1 Hour Fat Quarter Tote in Pink Dazzle by Adorn It

This is a tutorial for an oh-so-quick tote bag which is made entirely from fat quarters and can be made - from start to finish - in approximately 1 hour. It has convenient pockets on the outside and holds a ton of stuff.  I'm planning on making several for Christmas gifts this year.  How about you?

(OK, in the interest of full disclosure - I just made another one and it was an hour and a half from cutting to the last stitch, including time to wind the bobbin, so sewing time was - well - not much more than one hour.) 

Supplies: 
5 fat quarters
batting equal to 2-1/2 fat quarters (scraps work great!)
cutting mat and rotary cutter
general sewing supplies such as sewing machine, thread, iron, etc.


 Before you start:


This tutorial assumes that quarters are generally 18 x 22 inches, give or take.   If yours are a different size, you may have to adjust the size of your bag slightly.  This will mostly involve adjusting the lining pieces to make sure the lining fits the outside of your bag.  This pattern is very forgiving, and will accommodate a lot of variation, as long as you keep your tape measure handy when you are ready to insert the lining.

You may wish to square up your fat quarters before you begin.

You may find it helpful to press your FQs before you start.

Be sure to cut off all selvages.

All seam allowances are 1/2" unless otherwise mentioned.

The amount of quilting you do will partially determine how much time this project takes.  I do not quilt these bags heavily; I just do enough quilting to enhance the design and hold the layers together.

Wind several bobbins before you start so you don't have to stop to wind the bobbin.

RST = Right Sides Together

Cutting:

FQ #1 (sides)

Lay your FQ on your cutting mat horizontally.  Cut in half.  You should now have two pieces approximately 11" x 18".

Cut each piece in half again, making 4 pieces approximately 5-1/2" by 18".

Set aside.

FQ #2 (center)

Lay your fabric on your cutting mat horizontally.  Cut two pieces 9" wide.  You should also have a 2" piece left over (not shown).

Set aside. 

FQ #3 (pockets and handles)

Lay your fabric on your cutting mat horizontally.  Cut a piece 9" wide.  Cut this piece in half vertically.  You should now have 2 pieces 9 x 9 inches.

From the other piece, which should be approximately 13" by 18", cut two pieces 3-1/2" wide by 18" long.  You will have a piece approximately 4" wide x 18" long left over. 

Set aside.

FQs #4 and 5 (lining and handles)

From each FQ -

Lay your FQ horizontally on the cutting mat.  Cut one 3-1/2" by 18" piece. 

Set the rest aside until you are ready to insert the lining.

Batting
Cut a piece of batting to fit each of the 4 pieces of FQ#1, the 2 pieces of FQ#2, and two of the handle pieces from FQ#3.


The Outside of the Tote:

Step 1:  Quilting

Match your 4 pieces of FQ#1, the 2 pieces of FQ#2 and 2 of the 3-1/2" by 18" pieces with their batting counterparts and quilt as desired.  I do not do much quilting here - just enough to hold the fabric to the batting and give it some strength. 

Step 2:  Pockets

Take one of the 9" by 9" pieces of FQ#3 and fold one edge over 1/2".  Press.  Fold it over again and press.  

 

Stitch close to the edge.

Fold the opposite edge over 1/2 inch and press. (Hint:  Do all the pressing all at once to save time moving back and forth to the ironing board.)

Lay the pocket piece on top of one of the quilted 9" by 18" pieces of FQ#2.  Place the single fold edge 2-1/2 inches from the edge of the quilted piece and pin in place.  

Stitch close to the edge.  Stitch again exactly on top of the previous stitching for strength.  You may wish to stitch up the sides close to the edge to hold your pocket in place.  (Hint:  Use your machine's thread cutter rather than reaching for the scissors to cut your threads - it's lots faster.)

On the other 9" by 9" piece of FQ#3, fold one edge over 1/2" and press.  Fold it over again and stitch close to the edge.

Fold the opposite edge over 1/2" and press.

With a water soluble or chalk marker, draw a line down the middle of this piece from the stitched edge to the folded edge.

As you did with your other pocket, place the pocket piece on the 9" by 18" quilted piece of FQ#2 and pin in place 2-1/2" above the edge of the quilted piece.  Stitch close to the single fold edge.  Stitch again exactly on top of the previous stitching for strength.  You may wish to stitch the sides close to the edge to hold it in place.

Now, stitch down the line you drew in the center of the pocket.  Stitch again exactly on top of the first stitching for strength.

Step 3:  Outer panels

Place a quilted 5-1/2" by 18" FQ #1 piece RST along both sides of the center pocket panel you just created in Step 2 and sew.  Repeat for the other center pocket panel.  You should now have 2 pieces that look like this:

Your outer panels are finished!

Now, place the two outer panels RST and sew the side seams. 

Stitch the bottom edge together.  Stitch again exactly on top of the previous stitching for strength.  (HINT:  when stitching twice, don't lift the needle - turn the fabric around and just sew in the opposite direction.)

 Snip the corners to reduce bulk and fold the seams in opposite directions.

Match the bottom seam to the side seam, forming a point, as shown.  I roll the seams between my fingers until they match exactly.  Pin along the seam line to hold it in place.

Measure up 1-3/4" from the point and draw a straight line across the corner.  (I forgot to take a picture of this process on the outside panel, but the process is the same for the lining, so this photo will have to do.)  Stitch along this line.  Repeat for the other corner.

Your bag should now have a bottom and corners that look like this.

Step 4:  Handles

Take one of the 3-1/2" x 18" quilted pieces and match it with one of the 3-1/2" x 18" unquilted pieces.  Sew lengthwise down both sides.

Turn right side out.  This piece was wide enough that I didn't need a safety pin or tool to turn it.

Press flat.  Repeat for other handle.

Top stitch both sides of each handle 1/4" from the edge to prevent the handle fabrics from twisting in use.

With the quilted side down, center the handle over the center panel seam on the outside of your bag.  (I do this by folding the handle piece in half and placing the fold over the seam line - thus, no need to measure!)  Pin in place.  Pin the other side of that handle piece to the other center panel seam on the same side of your bag. 

Stitch handle to bag with a 1/4" seam.  Stitch again for security.  Repeat for all four handle ends.

Step 5:  Lining

Measure the outer bag from side seam to side seam.  Add 1 inch.  If necessary cut each of your lining pieces to that width.  Set any left over scraps aside.

Sew the sides and bottom of the lining as you did for the outside of your tote using 1/2" seams. 

Snip the corners and fold the seams opposite directions.  Match the side seam to the bottom seam and pin together.

Measure up from the point 1-3/4" and draw a line across the point.  Stitch on the line.  Your bag lining should now have a corner that exactly matches the outside of your bag. 

If you wish to press your seams, now is the time.

Step 6:  Finishing

With the bag lining wrong side out and the bag right side out, place the bag inside the lining matching the side seams.  Pin the bag and the lining together at the side seams.

Pin around the raw edge from the inner corner of one handle all the way around to the inner corner of the same handle on the opposite side of the bag. 

Using a 1/2" seam, stitch the bag to the lining from the inner corner of one handle all the way around to the inner corner of the same handle on the opposite side of the bag.  Leave the area between the  two edges of the handle open for turning.

Reach inside the bag through the open area and pull the bag right side out.  Stuff the lining down inside the bag.  Press.  Turn the raw edge under and pin the open area closed.

Beginning at one side seam, top stitch all the way around the bag close to the edge.

Beginning at the same side seam, top stitch all the way around the bag again 1/4" from the first stitching.  (Hint:  Don't pull the fabric out from under the needle or cut your threads, just move the fabric over 1/4" and do the second stitching, then cut your threads all at once.)

Congratulations!  Your bag is finished.  I guarantee you it took me a lot longer to write this tutorial than it did to make the bag.  I have tried to document the process accurately, but if you notice any errors, or if something isn't clear or doesn't make sense, please let me know.

 

Thanks for following along with me.  I hope you enjoy it.  If you make one, please let me know.  I'd love to see photos.