Sister's Choice Quilts

Busy in the Sweat Shop

This week is just getting away from me already and it barely started!  Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day.  I did!  I missed the BOM Rehab Monday post yesterday.  So sorry!!  Maybe I can get two blocks made this week for next time.

My son in law opened up his new wine tasting shop and wanted a few boutique items to offer for sale along with his wines.  So, I have been occupied making sets of "mug rugs" or drinks coasters. 

My goal was not to purchase any new materials if I could help it, so I began shopping at home in my studio.  I discovered a project I had started sometime back, using a jelly roll of the cutest Deb Strain fabric called "Bistro".  I had lots of jelly roll strips left over, and they are perfect for making the six inch blocks I like for mug rugs.  Imagine my surprise to discover I had purchased about five yards of this cute back ground fabric with little coffee beans dancing all over it.  You cannot get Bistro anymore, but Deb Strain has another collection called "Java" which is quite similar.  Adorable fabric.

The quilt blocks I had already made, I sewed together in sets of four blocks to make little table toppers to go with the mug rugs.  As you can see, I am using my tried and true machine quilting method of following along a strip of blue painter's tape. I finished one with quilting and black binding, but can't show you a photo since I took it to the shop already.  The black binding really finishes the look off nicely.

I have doctor's appointments down in the Bay Area this week, so I may just stop at Marshall's and see if I can pick up a couple of polka dot coffee mugs and maybe a tea pot that would coordinate with these little mats.  Wouldn't it make a cute display?  The tea pot, mugs and my little table topper and mug rugs?

Evidently people like the mug rugs.  The sets I made last week nearly sold out over the weekend!  Maybe I am charging too little?  What do you think?  I was asking $20 for a set of four little patchwork coasters.

 

I Coulda Made a Quilt

I've been so crafty this week!  These are sixteen mug rugs I made for my son in law's new wine tasting room.  Not to be used by the guests, but to be sold in sets of four.  I plan to make lots more, and may do some sets of Drunkard's Path.  Which would either be funny or in bad taste...

It was my thought that the red, white and blue color scheme would be appropriate as we enter into the Patriotic Season.  I just chose random standard quilt block patterns and made them up in a six inch size.  I made a quilt sandwich with the block, batting and a backing and turned it inside out and whip stitched it closed.

In the background, you see the original mug rug that started it all.  It was a gift from my friend Thelma.  I loved it so, I have made lots more.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that.

The zippered bags have been multiplying as well.  Sorry for the glary picture.  It's late as I post this and lighting is bad.

Hope all you mothers out there have the best Mother's Day ever! 

 

Zippy Bag Bonanza

I've been making zippy bags galore of late, as you can see from my photo above.  I think my favorites are the little eyeglass cases!  I have also made cosmetics bags in two sizes, large and small.  What great gifts these will make!  Wouldn't a set of all three bags make a nice presentation?  If one purchases coordinating fabrics, it is easy to mix and match the prints and get all sorts of fun combinations that all work together.  I have been playing around with embellishments:  rick rack, buttons and yo yos.  I find the yo yos a bit tedious to make, but gosh, they sure are cute.

Thanks for all your comments, cautionary tales and sharing on the subject of being too revealing of personal information on a blog.   Honestly, I think I have heard enough warnings about the dangers of posting photos of children and personal information to deter me from ever doing so on my blog again!

My blog started out as a format for me to share my (not so interesting) life with my friends and family.  When I first started this blog five years ago, I knew I wanted to blog about quilting, decorating, books, entertaining, and family .  In the begining, the main people who read my blog were friends and family.  I did make new acquaintences through blogging, primarily women who also had quilting or decorating blogs, and I felt that over time, some became friends.  It has been my feeling that a few of you have become very good friends indeed.  The intention of the blog was to be a personal journal of the things that were important to me, and a record keeping system, if you will, of my projects and activities.

What I never thought all that much about was how many people came to read my blog as time went on.  I get a fair number of "hits" and obviously have only become acquainted with those of you who take the time to comment.  With very few exceptions since 2007 when I started this blog, I have enjoyed positive, friendly, and informational comments from readers.  It is so easy to fall into the euphoric (but not so realistic) feeling that everyone is friendly and means well, since that is predominantly the feedback I get.

The thing that I hadn't really considered is the number of people who may be regular, sporadic, or random readers who never comment and may not at all fit into the category of "friend".  Several people pointed out that when you put something on the internet it can stay "out there" forever.  Also (and I don't know if this is true or not), I was told that some cameras have GPS information programed into them, and if a person knew how to decifer it, the actual location of where the photo was taken could be revealed!  One woman emailed me that information she shared on her personal blog was used by someone from a family member's past, whose current intentions were destructive.

So, after much consideration of all the interesting comments I got on this subject, I think it will be my practice in the future to be somewhat less revealing about my family members.  Not only does that seem prudent, it is their preference.

Don't worry though.  I will still be prattling on about my sewing (or lack of it) and continue to expound on many other subjects!  Thanks again for your candid comments on this subject.

Zippy Eyeglass Cases

In between minding a fussy baby, I have managed to get in some sewing time.  Thanks largely to the use of an electronic baby monitor that allows me to sew down in my studio and hear Evangeline if she stirs from her nap.  Great invention.  How did we ever manage without these devices that are available now?

My project du jour are these fun little eyeglass cases.  I had some whimsical Michael Miller fabric and decided to make some pairs of eyeglass cases and matching cosmetics bags.  They go together so fast, especially if I do an assembly line process.  Iron on the fusible batting, sew on the contrast strips, put in the zippers, top stitch, etc.

They hardly take any fabric (less than a fat eighth) and take no time at all to make.  Anyone getting Christmas gift ideas????  How would you like to make a dent in your gift giving (but not in your budget) and be done by the end of May?

Thanks to all of you who were so kind as to send Grandpa a get well card!  I plan to go visit him in the nursing home this weekend and will take all that have come thus far.  He is going to get such a kick out of receiving them from all over the country--and some from such far away places as Canada, New Zealand and England!

 

Hanging Out In the Studio

What a lovely day I had yesterday.  I hung out in my studio a good part of the day, puttering with this and that.  No deadlines, no pressures, just futzing with whatever my heart led me to do.

Since I am working on my Fig Tree Dresden Plates, I decided I needed a thread catcher to match my project.

I am kidding, sort of.  My other thread catcher lives up in the house next to my embroidery work, and I have been wanting one down in the studio next to my sewing machine.  I grabbed a layer cake of "Fresh Cotton" and pulled out two coordinating 10" squares and whipped up this little thread catcher in about 15 minutes.  Gosh those things are quick.  This time I left out the fusible interfacing, and to tell you the truth, it doesn't seem to make any difference if it is in there or not.  If you haven't gotten around to making one of these for every gal in your sewing group, you should consider it.  Here is a link to three tutorials, including mine.

I only constructed two more Dresden Plates, but sure do like looking at how cute they are.  These could become seriously addictive.  There are my Granny Squares smiling down at me from the design wall as well.  Those things make me happy!  Right now I am so in the mood for feminine, springy colors.

Oh, and here is an apparatus that I am currently enjoying very much.  It is a thread holder.

It was sent to me by a very thoughtful friend, and I have really been appreciating both its beauty and its functionality.  Here is another picture of it, without any thread strung through it.

This is made by Paul's Metal Petals.   The cone thread holder is such a stable way to hold your thread while you piece or machine quilt.  The thinner spindle on the right can be used to stack extra bobbins.  A very decorative and extremely practical addition to any sewing table!!

When Inspiration Fails, Start a New Project

Thanks for all the pep talks yesterday!  Determined to shake my fit of blahs, I ventured out to the local yarn shop for a pick-me-up.  Of course I saw something fun that I wanted to try!  Sometimes retail therapy is just what the doctor ordered.

The shop had a new assortment of novelty yarns and had them made up into fun scarves.  The one that appealed to me the most was so different.  To make the scarf, you needed circular needles, which I had never used.  Besides that, the yarn itself was akin to knitting with netting.

You end up with a frothy loopy scarf that knits up super fast.  Once you get the knack of knitting the weird yarn.  The yarn is Triana by Katia.  One skein will make up a scarf and was $14.99 at the shop where I bought it.

I got this far just knitting during the commercials during American Idol last night!

Granny Panties Anyone?

Yes, I admit it, I gained a few pounds over the holidays.  Now that my underwear doesn't fit, I had to make myself a pair of granny panties....

No, I'm kidding!  About making the granny panties anyway!

What you see above is not a gigantic pair of panties.  It is a grocery cart seat/restaurant high chair cover.  It is meant to cover the surface of the cart or chair so that no part of your baby comes in contact with the germy surface of the seat or cart handles.

Here's how it looks on the cart.

Another view.

And with a baby in it. 

That baby can chew away on the handle of the cart and not pick up any stranger's cooties.  You can toss the cover in your washing machine and dryer as often as you want to keep it pristine and santitized.  It will last as long as your child can fit in a grocery cart child seat.  The polar fleece makes it super soft and squishy for the baby to sit on and the coordinating fabric is cool against the baby's skin and as darn cute as you want it to be.  I went with a princess theme for obvious reasons.

Here is a link to the pdf I discovered that details all the instructions:

http://www.sewingchickstudio.com/ShoppingCartCover.pdf

Really clear instructions and super photographs!  You can't go wrong.  Here's what you need to make one of these covers:

1 1/4 yds polar fleece
1 1/4 yds coordinating fabric
2 yds 3/4" wide elastic  (I used less- maybe 1 3/4 yds)
wide bias tape for leg holes

You can add a safety belt if you wish.

It was truly easy to construct, and mine was finished in about 2 1/2 hours.  I can't believe how crafty I have been lately!  I should relax and get back to quilting.  Enough already.

 

 

 

Boxy Bags

I am in love with this new zipper bag!  It's cute little boxy shape is perfect for just about anything:  cosmetics, iPods and assorted cords, baby pacifiers, pill bottles--your imagination is the limit to the usefulness of these little bags!

I found a tutorial I really liked on the It's a Pretty Modern Life blog.  This is an awesome blog, full of fantastic ideas for projects.  (Check out her iPod clutch tutorial).

The instructions for this boxy bag were easy to follow, and there is even an Italian translation if you need one!  I like my zipped bags to be both fully lined and to have some sort of interfacing.  These instructions include those requirements.

So, over the weekend, while the "kids" were out hiking in Calaveras Big Trees park, I stitched up a few.  One for Sara and one for Mary Ann.  They make up quite fast, especially after you make the first one and get past the learning curve.  In fact, they are so darn wonderful, I decided Ahren needed one too...  Can't leave the guys out, can I?  Guess which one is his.

 

 

Make a Thread Catcher in Less Than 30 Minutes

Lisa Bongean's Thread Catcher

This is Lisa Bongean's triangular thread catcher.  If you don't recognize her name, Lisa is the force behind Primitive Gatherings, one of the best quilt shops in the country.  She also has a blog, so be sure to check it out.

So, last week, I was blog hopping around, and saw that Paulette of Sweet P Quilting and Creations had made one of these little things, and I thought it was adorable.  In my mind, I was thinking "what a great gift this would make".  Everyone needs a little container to hold their snipped threads so they don't end up as dust bunnies on the floor.  This takes up no space on your sewing table, and folds flat as a pancake if you want to keep it in your On The Go sewing kit.

I started googling around to see if I could find a tutorial on how to make these, and stumbled upon Lisa's.  If you click on this link, you can download the pdf instructions for yourself!  Paulette used the instructions found on Needling Things to make hers.

All you need to get started is a couple of layer cake squares (or two ten inch squares of coordinating fabrics), some fusible interfacing (I used Pellon), and three cute buttons.  Here is a photo journey of my experience in making one.

I printed out the instructions from Lisa's pdf, which includes a pattern for the triangles.  The fabric I used was two layer cake squares of a recent Kansas Troubles collection.  Lisa's version has rounded corners.  I chose to make mine pointy.

Ironed on my fusible interfacing.

Make a little sandwich with the two triangles RIGHT sides together.  Use the pattern to mark with pins the places for stitching and not stitching.

Sew around the triangle sandwich, leaving a space between your pins to turn it inside out.

Snip off the little points at the triangle tips.  Turn piece inside out, poke out the triangle tips so they are sharp, and press.

Nice.  You could top stitch all around the triangle at this point, which I think I will do next time.

Mark in 2 1/2" from each triangle tip and mark with a pin.

Fold the piece over, and pin two opposing ends of the triangle together at that 2 1/2" mark.  You are going to stitch from the fold on the left to the pin.

Do this on all three sides of the triangle.  In the photo below, I have done two of the three sides, and the third is pinned, ready to be stitched.  I used a light colored thread so you could see it.  In real life, I would try to match the outside fabric so the stitching would be less obvious.

Here's my last side to be stitched.

Woohoo, almost done.  In the photo above, I am pressing down the triangle points, but I am not sure it is strictly necessary.

I used perle cotton thread to attach these cute little "findings" to each side, for the purpose of decoration as well as securing the triangle flaps down.  Just stick the needle down and up again and tie a knot to secure.  It's ok if the little snipped tie ends show.  In my photos the opening looks small, but trust  me, it is plenty big enough for dropping your little threads and fabric snips into.

Can't you just see making a gazillion of these for all the girls in your sewing group, or for goodies to give out at a retreat?

Oh, and they fold flat too, for travelling:

Photo from Needling Things

Check out the tutorial at Needling Things as well.  I see she topstitched her edges for a nice finished look.  Next time...

Thank you so much to Paulette who showed this on her blog and gave me the idea to look for a pattern!

 

 

 

 

Freezer Paper and a Cautionary Tale

After cutting out your applique pieces from the freezer paper, the next step is to iron them onto the wrong side of your fabric, waxy side to the fabric.  The light coating of wax melts just enough to adhere the freezer paper to the fabric.  You will be using the freezer paper as a template.  Cut out your shape, leaving a scant quarter inch seam allowance as you see in my photo above.  I clipped the edges of the seam allowance every inch or so all around.  Not right down to the freezer paper, only about half way.

We are going to apply starch to the seam allowance and iron it down all around the edge of the freezer paper template.

But before we do that, here is a question for you applique pros out there:  I have seen instructions that call for ironing the freezer paper to the RIGHT side of the fabric and pressing the seam allowance under.  How does that work?  It seems like you lose the effect of the freezer paper being a template that way.  I would love to know if any of you do it that way and why you like it.  Here are pictures of the freezer paper ironed to the right side of the fabric.  What advantage is that?  I don't get it.  I really want to understand this--someone explain it, please?

 
Moving on.

Here I am painting the starch onto the seam allowance of my applique piece.  I am not left handed, but had to do it that way since I am holding my camera with my right hand!

Next, iron your seam allowance down over the edge of the freezer paper. 

See that cute teensy iron?  I bought it specifically to use for applique.  It is super hot and so small that you can iron down the most microscopic pieces.  Clover Mini Iron II.

But, there was a problem I want to tell you about.

It is a great little tool, and I was ironing away at my seam allowances, happy as can be.  The tool comes with a little rest stand that you can lay the hot iron on when you need to set it down.  The stand has a plastic base and a little metal piece that sticks up to hold the hot part of the iron.  I set the hot iron on it and went back to get my next applique piece.  This is what I found when I came back.

The iron had rolled over slightly and the hot part came in contact with the plastic base of the rest stand.  The plastic melted all over the iron.  I could not get it off while it was all hot and melty, and when it dried the iron was now coated in plastic.  It was ruined after I had only used it for about fifteen minutes!  Talk about a poor design.  So now I am back to using my big iron to iron down all my little seam allowances.

I will probably buy another little iron, but will never use the little rest stand that comes with it.  Maybe another brand will have a better design.  Any suggestions?