New Bag!

This weekend looked like this at my house:

So we did a lot of this:

and this:

And I made this (photo taken today, after snow melt):

I embroidered the front piece which doubles as a pocket

It also has two pockets inside.  One is a regular pocket and the other is a zippered pocket.  I love the way the zipper looks, not to mention the awesome fabric!

You can find the pattern here.
Happy crafting!

Teal We Meet Again Swap

I signed up for a block swap this week.  The theme is crosses in teal, red and white.  They are 10.5" (squared up), and I am planning on making a quilt from them.  My plan is to swap 25 blocks and make an additional 24 blocks so the colors meld well together. 

These are my favorite blocks so far, and I still have 15 left to make.  They are going quickly because they are so easy and fun to make!  If you are interested in seeing the tutorial for the blocks, look here.

Rainbow Geese

I started this flying geese block for a new grocery tote this week.  I love working with rainbows! The dimensions are a little bit big for a regular tote, so I thought it would be perfect for a grocery tote...lots of room for fresh fruits and veggies.  This weekend will be full of working on the quilt back for the blue boy I've been working on.  I have also been drafting up another tree project.  Happy Friday!

Quilt Tag

 This week I have been working on a hand sewn quilt tag for a Christmas quilt I've been working on.  The colors on the front of the quilt are blue with the same creamy off-white I used in the patch.

My vision was a tree with initials carved into them.  I added a bird in the leaves for fun :)

 Now I can't wait to finish the front so I can put it all together!

Fabric Cowl

I found some time yesterday to do a little sewing, and with all the cool weather in Colorado recently, I decided to make a comfy fabric cowl.  A cowl is a scarf that has no end and is typically knit.  I chose linen and jersey materials to make it extra slouchy. 

The materials used were:

· 2 yards of jersey fabric   
(I chose purple)

· 2 yards of loose weave fabric
(I chose blue stripped linen)

· Coordinating thread

· Basic sewing supplies:

             Scissors
             Fabric Tape Measure
             Pins

First, measure from the back of your neck down to your waist, in my case this was a total of 31” on one side.  Doubled this number  to represent the full size of the fabric tube - 62” for me.  Next, cut the linen 62” x 10” wide.  Then layer the linen on top of the jersey to cut  because the jersey can stretch when cutting, and you want to pieces that are the same size:

 

Next, cut the jersey fabric to the same size as the linen on top:

 

Then, sew both long sides and one short side, with the stripped fabric on top, so you can follow a stripe to keep the lines straight:

When finished three sides, turn the tube inside out and push the corners out to a point. Next, fold the raw edges of the last short side under, to create a nice finish.  Put the finished short end of the tube in the unfinished short end and pin, then sew along this edge, making sure to go through all layers of fabric. 

 

When done, it should look like this:

 

When you are done, put  the cowl around your neck with seam in the back then wrap around your neck one more time.  Now you have a beautiful, handmade fabric cowl! 

summer time blues

This summer was not only super busy, but also too short!  I feel like it should be spring time still.  This summer I got quite a bit of sewing done.  I made some birthday presents:

Such as... this paper pieced bag: 

And this apron:

I managed to push out this last minute gem in about 24 hours:

Along with embroidery work on the back (my best so far)...

And I have managed to start planning for Christmas.  This guy is going to be a king sized quilt for friends in Alaska.  It has a cool blue, watery feel to the fabrics and design.  I am excited to see the final outcome.

bag lady

This fourth of July weekend while many were off hiking, biking, swimming, BBQ-ing, and having a fun time, I was stuck at home waiting for the plumber.  This means that I did get some quality sewing time in.  I worked on this garment bag to take with my on a trip in July. 

Backside:

Front:

It folds up into a bag so you can carry it over your shoulder.  I plan on using this as my purse and a small carry on bag with everything else in it. 

I also spent time making this bag:

It has two pockets inside and I just love the fabric!

sewing machine cover

I started a cover for my sewing machine last week and...

I finished on this little beauty yesterday afternoon.  I only had to add the binding, but I decided to use some of my new free motion skills to embellish a bit and I wrote my name!

I also did a little work on the back

I made ties for the sides, and don't plan on using them too much because my machine is always in use! 

I love it! When I walk by my sewing room it makes me smile a little bit (and want to sew, even if it is the middle of the night) :)

move in free motion for me

When I tell people I am an unpaid intern they usually ask me where I am going to school and what class this internship is for.  Well, it's not really that easy.  I propositioned the ladies at Wooden Spools in Denver one day when I was shopping.  Will work for fabric.  And how sweet it is!  So yesterday I was pushed into the free motion class (to fill up the last space....maybe).  As apprehensive as I felt, I went for it. 

This is my first little sampler.  The stars and hearts were the first thing we did - and it was hard!  Then we did the echo...also hard.  I was a little bit better at the meandering and loops and found those more fun.  

I can even write my name...sort of.  Some of my favorites Were wood grain:

And although I didn't think I really got it, the bouncing bananas came out okay:

I also really enjoyed the pebbles:

Overall, it was a fun class and I learned a lot.  Now it's time to practice!

baby quilt

I finished the top of my first baby quilt this past weekend.  I really love the colors and the layout of the quilt as a whole.  I borrowed the pattern from  Oh Frasson!  It is super easy and requires only 5" x 5" squares.  Half of the fun of making this quilt was putting the wholes and halves together.

I wasn't totally sold on the blue, but when I dragged my bf to the quilt store (yes, against his will), he picked it out to go with the other colors I had.  I loved the pink and purple zebra stripe and whales so much, I am putting it in my next baby quilt too!