Author: JayeL

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.

UCAB Small Front Pocket Tutorial pt.2

I know these tutorials are taking forever, but they also take a long time to write. Doing them in smaller chunks fits my schedule better. Hopefully, the smaller chunks makes the bag more doable as well.

Finished Small Interior Front Pocket
Finished Small Interior Front Pocket

Today we are going to make the Clippy Pockets (type 1) used on the sides of the small, interior pocket instead of using the badge holders. The other day, we made the center zipper section. These Clippy Pockets will be placed on either side of the center zipper section. The pleats hold your WonderClips. The Clippy Pocket is not part of Quiltessa Natalie’s original pattern.

You can find the original pincushion instructions, from which this tutorial evolved, in Love of Patchwork & Quilting, issue 39. It is available digitally in the Apple and Google Play stores. The same pincushion pattern is available in the book 50 Little Gifts** from Lucky Spool.

Additional Supplies:

Notes:

  • Use a quarter inch seam allowance
  • Pay attention to the flaps and pin them back if necessary so you don’t sew them down

Tutorial:

Side front interior pocket with clip holder
Side front interior pocket with clip holder

The front pockets needs two of these side pockets. They will go on each side of the center zipper/mesh pocket.

You can make four and put more Clippy Pockets on the back, if you want. We won’t do this in this tutorial, but it is an option.

You will need P4 and all the pieces for the Clippy Pocket, v.2.

The Clippy Pocket section is inserted on the bottom of pattern pg.13. I made the Clippy Pocket instead of vinyl badge holders.

UCAB: Pieces You need
UCAB: Pieces You need

Yes, I am using different fabrics. I am sure you can manage.

Directions:

1. Cut the following:

A – cut 1 -1 1/4”x5” for edge
B- cut 5 – 2”x4” for Clippy tabs/flaps
C – cut 5 – 1”x5” for between the flaps
D – cut 1 – 3 ¾”x5 for back
Shapeflex – cut 1 piece 19 ¾” x 3 ½”

  1. Sew flaps: fold B pieces RST and sew short sides. One long side will remain open
  2. Turn sewn B pieces right sides out
  3. Press B pieces. Fold will have a crisp seam. B pieces are now flaps
  4. Lay A piece right side up
  5.  
Layer and center a sewn B piece (flap) on top of the A piece
Layer and center a sewn B piece (flap) on top of the A piece

Layer and center a sewn B piece (flap) on top of the A piece

 

  1. Layer and center a sewn B piece (flap) on top of the A piece
    Layer and center a sewn B piece (flap) on top of the A piece

Layer a C piece on top of the A and B pieces WS up

  1.  

Sew 3 pieces together along the long side where the raw edge of the flap will be sewn shut

 

  1. Press Piece
    Press Piece

    Press C piece away from the other two pieces

  2.  
Layer another flap (B piece) on top of your sewn pieces
Layer another flap (B piece) on top of your sewn pieces

Layer another flap (B piece) on top of your sewn pieces

 

  1. Follow steps until you are out of flaps (B pieces) and C pieces

 

Finished top
20200113_162045-sm

You will end up with a piece comprised of strips and flaps that is approximately 3 ¾” x 5”. This piece looks like a ‘flap ladder’. The sides of this ‘flap ladder’ should reach the sides of your P4 strip

Press ShapeFlex to P4
Press ShapeFlex to P4

Press Shapflex on to your P4 piece

Layer your ‘flap ladder’ RST with piece D and sew along the short sides

  • Carefully press seams open without creasing piece D or the ‘Flap ladder’
Now you have a loop
Now you have a loop

Now you have a loop.

Turn your loop right sides out

Press flat

Place 2" from the bottom of P4
Place 2″ from the bottom of P4

Place your sewn piece 2” from the bottom of your P4 strip.

  • Pin in place with the raw edges at the side
  • Fit your machine with your matching or top stitching thread
  • Pin and sew across the bottom using matching or top stitching thread

Sew across the bottom. N.B. : I used a contrasting thread so you could see it. For my final bag, I will use a matching thread.

Finished Clippy Pocket ready to add to small front pocket
Finished Clippy Pocket ready to add to small front pocket
  1. Continue with the directions on the Ultimate Carry All Bag pattern, pg.14, starting with “then fold the pocket fabric in half…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next time we will work on the Exterior front pocket

Previous Tutorials:

 

 

 

 

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Got ’em!

My friend, Cyndi, sent me a text saying that the bookshelves were in at a local IKEA. I couldn’t get them delivered, so I had to arrange to go and pick them up. The packages were longer than my car so I had to borrow a van.

Bookshelves to be
Bookshelves to be

Now the boxes are laying on the floor of my workroom and DH is studying the instruction manual.

La Pass Rosette #1 Finished

La Passacaglia -Rosette #1
La Passacaglia -Rosette #1

I finally finished Rosette #1!!! I am pretty excited, though I’d be more excited if I could rest on my laurels a little bit before having to start Month #2. No rest, though, as I have to get going so as not to fall behind.

One thing I am excited about is that I am FINALLY making progress on La Pass. I have wanted to make this quilt for a long time and I am finally doing it. Working on it as a block of the month is a lot more doable for me than doing it on my own, which is strange. I am good at working on projects on my own, but this one defeated me.

I thought about putting this in my 26 Projects list, but it isn’t a finished quilt. I decided that I would add it to the small projects area so I could keep track of my progress.

On to Month #2!

Testing for La Pass Month 2

The other day I talked about working on Rosette #1 at Sew Day. Since the Month 2 kit and fabrics arrived, I have been thinking about how to arrange the fabrics and replace the cat fabric that is fussy cut into some pentagons.

I came home and did some testing for Month #2’s work, which involves adding on to Rosette #1.

Fussy Cutting Testing
Fussy Cutting Testing

I photocopied the cat fabric to see if I could work out a way to fussy cut it so I wouldn’t see the cat faces. I photocopied the fabric so I could play around with the designs and not mess up any of the actual fabric.

No matter what I do, a little part of the cat faces are in the picture. I would use the purple background, but I don’t have enough to just cut the background. I like the purple of the background of the cat fabrics, but Tula doesn’t seem to have that as a solid or as the background of any other fabrics

Testing the coneflowers
Testing the coneflowers

I also tried to see if some other fabrics would work. The Anna Maria coneflowers fit pretty perfectly into the acrylic template. These are my top choice right now. Lindsay pointed out that if I had other colorways of this fabric I could incorporate them into future parts of the quilt. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that, but it is a great idea.

Kaffe flower fabrics
Kaffe flower fabrics

My other idea is to use some of these Kaffe millefiori flowers. They are bright and cheerful, though not very fussy cut-able.

I still have to finish Rosette #1 before I have to decide, but that time will soon be upon me.

Finished: Fabric of the Year 2019

Fabric of the Year 2019 Finished
Fabric of the Year 2019 Finished

I finally finished FOTY 2019 in June, but I couldn’t get a picture taken because of everything going on here.

My pals helped me hold up the quilt at Sew Day. I am thrilled with how it came out. Adding the grey is definitely a different look than Fabric of the Year 2018 with the black squares. It also, obviously, has a different look than the previous years with no constant color.

Fabric of the Year 2019 back
Fabric of the Year 2019 back

I really like the tulip fabric on the back. I don’t use a lot of green, but that emerald – or near emerald color is very appealing. I also really like that print and would like to see the Kaffe Fassett Collective release it in different colorways.

September Sew Day

Sew Day Rosette #1 Workk
Sew Day Rosette #1 Work

Sew Day fell in the middle of Labor Day Weekend. I was happy to go. I didn’t take as many photos this time, because I was devoted to my La Pass Rosette #1.

I got a lot done, though not the whole thing. I am feeling some pressure, because I haven’t started Month #2’s work yet. Month #2 adds on to Rosette #1.

I found that I could walk around and sew, so I walked around with my sewing and talked to people. Lots of people were very interested in my project. Some had never seen EPP so complicated which was a surprise to me. I thought everyone knew Willyne Hammerstein‘s work. I also explained how the Block of the Month program worked.

It was interesting just doing handwork.

Sept. 2021 Sew Day
Sept. 2021 Sew Day

Everyone wore masks, which was great. It is fun to see everyone’s projects. Lindsay came and put together the top and back of a Buffalo Plaid quilt, then began working on her foundation piecing block of the month. She sews really fast. I am constantly amazed at her output.

Lynette's pouch
Lynette’s pouch

Lynette was there. She had a pouch that was an excellent example of what good fabric can do.

This is a fairly simple looking pouch pattern, like the Persimmon Pouch from Sew Sweetness. With the great Kaleidoscope fabric, it looks super impressive.

More donation quilts were exchanged.  There was a free table to which I contributed some fabric and things. it was good fun.

Ring Toss Sew Together Bag

Ring Toss Test Block
Ring Toss Test Block

Remember the Ring Toss block that I agonized over? I am pretty sure I told you I wasn’t going to make the quilt. The block, which I like has been hanging on my design wall since December of 2018. It occurred to me that it would make a great exterior for a Sew Together Bag.  I thought this was an especially good idea since I had no idea what colors the recipient likes.

While I am sad I won’t have this block to look at, I am pretty pleased with how it came out as a Sew Together Bag.

 

I wish I had thought of how the bag would look from the top. I added grey around the block to make it large enough for the exterior. The viewer can’t see the Ring Toss block from the top. Mostly you see the grey. I think it is fine, since I mostly look at mine from the side or end.

Ring Toss STB open
Ring Toss STB open

This bag has similar insides to the Leaf STB, the Puffin STB and the Brocade Peony STB. I chose different colors for the zippers, needle holder and pincushion so they are different from the other bags.

I meant to hand this off to my DH to deliver at a Native Sons event, but I forgot until he was already gone, so I’ll have to mail it.

 

Finished: Frolic!

Frolic! Finished
Frolic! Finished

I finally got a picture of the finished Frolic! Some guild friends helped me hold up all the large quilts. Thanks to Tim, Mary, Amy, Marty and everyone who helped.

Colleen did a great job quilting it, as usual. She didn’t quilt it for a long time to help me manage my cash flow, which is part of the reason it took so long to finish. I think the part I like best is the border. It went together so easily and I still marvel at that. The quilt is great and I do like the colors, but those half blocks bug me.

Frolic! Finished back
Frolic! Finished back

I used some big background prints on the back, as usual. I added a white background print to fill out the rest of the back. I had it laying around and it worked. No Philip Jacobs on this back.

UCAB Progress

Brocade Peony UCAB Exterior
Brocade Peony UCAB Exterior

I made some progress last weekend on the Ultimate Carry All Bag. Shocking, I know. I was spurred on by finishing the STBs, not having my design walls available and by talking with Lynette at Sew Day. Mostly, I am also determined to get this *&^% project off my to do list.

As you might remember, I am making one as a gift. That one is farther along, because all the pieces are cut. I have been cutting the pieces as I go along for this one and I didn’t cut the pieces for the zipper yet.

Sometime ago, I decided to use some fake leather I bought for the bottom, so I want able to use that piece to put the exterior together.

I am still trying to decide whether I will put an ironing pad in this one. I am not sure I will use it, but it seems like a good thing to have anyway.

Puffin STB

Puffin Sew Together Bag
Puffin Sew Together Bag

I made this Sew Together Bag as a gift. I want to send it off now, but am trying to wait until Christmas.

The outside is a Charlie Harper print made from Barkcloth. I have never used Barkcloth before and it was fine. I interfaced it with SF101 and didn’t have any problem with the looseness of the weave. I am not sure how it will be if I cut squares and try to use them in a Fabric of the Year quilt. I only bought it to make this bag because my friend loved it. Ordinarily I wouldn’t have bought it.

I really struggled with what to put with it for the binding. I don’t think the turquoise is perfect, but I think it looks pretty good. Black was my other choice, but I think with the grey background and the black on the puffins the whole project could have easily gone towards depressing. I chose the turquoise binding to make it super cheerful.

Puffin STB interior
Puffin STB interior

I fussy cut some more puffins for the mini pincushion. I think they look really cute.

You can see similar interior fabrics to my Brocade Peony / La Pass Sew Together Bag. Same fabrics- different order.

I haven’t talked much about zippers as I have spoken about these projects. Each bag requires 4 zippers. I chose, mostly, different colors for each zipper to make the bags more visually interesting. I also think that zippers are another visual cue to where the maker put a tool or supply. I kind of wish I has used another orange zipper on this bag, but I think it looks good as is.

Recent New Fabrics

There is no way I am going to make anywhere near my 100 yard goal this year. As it stands, I’ll be happy to be in the black by December 31.

True Colors & Coneflowers
True Colors & Coneflowers

Last month, I talked about cutting the La Pass pieces wrong. That was my excuse for getting some of the Tula Pink True Colors. I needed a little more of the dahlia (lower left corner), but decided to get some of the others as well. I know they will show up in La Pass as we expand out into the other rosettes.

You see the coneflowers as well, I know. I couldn’t not buy more. I may use a little of in La Pass, but I also want to make more I Spy Pouches from it.

Curiouser & Curiouser + Peacocks
Curiouser & Curiouser + Peacocks

I also bought some of the dripping roses. I saw an Inside Outside Pouch by Aneela Hoey that someone made with the dripping roses. I only had an FQ and that wasn’t enough to cut the two main pieces of the pattern. I cut something else, but that wasn’t what I wanted, so I bought these fabrics and will cut out that pattern soon. I will use it for the thread I am using for La Pass.

The black and white are just extras for the project and I wanted more of the peacocks so I could sub in that fabric when I didn’t like some of the others. My sewing life seems to be all about La Passacaglia right now.

La Passacaglia Month 2

La Pass Month 2
La Pass Month 2

The new kit for the second rosette came the other day. It has been just about a month since I received the first month’s kit.

Right is what came in this month’s kit. No acrylic templates this time. Apparently, we use the same ones we used last month: more skinny diamonds and pentagons.

This group of fabrics is not my favorite. Those light purples look wimpy to me My general rule, following my friend Lindsay’s good sense, is that I will replace as little as possible. She allows herself to replace one fabric per month. I am trying to stick to that since I bought the ‘papers and fabric’ option.

I definitely will not be using the cats. I am also not a superfan of the ‘Drink Me’ print, though some of the motifs are ok. I need to study the plan and see if I will replace it with something else.

I am going to see about fussy cutting the cat fabric so the cat faces do not show like I did with the panda print. I am thinking of using the same Anna Maria Horner coneflowers I used in the I Spy pouches. That doesn’t have as much green and yellow as the cat fabric.

The issue is that if I don’t want to use the fabric provided then what will I use?

Brocade Peony / La Pass STB

La Pass Tool Storage Area
La Pass Tool Storage Area

It might seem ridiculous to make another Sew Together bag for my latest project. I have plenty of fabric and I know how to make these bags, so that is not the issue. The issue is that have been using the area under my computer stand to store various supplies and tools. This does not make the project very portable. It does make it convenient to grab some pieces and sew when I have a work meeting.

Brocade Peony (La Pass) Sew Together Bag
Brocade Peony (La Pass) Sew Together Bag

I have been using my embroidery Sew Together Bag for this project, but I want to be able to take the pieces around and I need my embroidery STB to stay with my embroidery. I was also making some gift STBs so I thought I might as well make one for myself.

This might be a stopgap until I can make the A Place for Everything Bag that will be really useful for this project. I talked about it briefly in a Various & Sundry post. I have been collecting supplies and I think I would rather just toss the Sew Together Bag in the A Place for Everything Bag when I go somewhere. I am used to using Sew Together Bags for handwork and don’t want to try to learn new habits. At the moment. I just want to sew.

Brocade Peony (La Pass) Sew Together Bag - exterior
Brocade Peony (La Pass) Sew Together Bag – exterior

As you can see, this bag uses one Philip Jacobs recent prints. He recolored the Brocade Peony print and I thought it would be good to showcase a couple of the blooms on this bag.

I also used the striped binding, which is a favorite trick for adding interest to a bag. If I were making this bag again, I might use pink on the side bindings and reserve the stripe for the top zipper only. I don’t think the stripes as I have used them are too much, but they are verging on too much. I keep thinking of the striped stockings the witch wore in the Wizard of Oz movie. In general, I am happy with the exterior of this bag.

Brocade Peony / La Pass STB - interior 1
Brocade Peony / La Pass STB – interior 1

As you saw in another post, the white insides are mostly the same for the four most recent bags. It was easy to cut the whites all at once. I did put the whites in different places on the different bags, but I used, mostly, the same prints. I did run out of a few, so there are a few differences.

As I have said before, I like light interiors so I can see my tools and supplies.

Brocade Peony / La Pass STB - interior 2
Brocade Peony / La Pass STB – interior 2

I did vary the fabric in some of the pockets according to tastes of the recipient.

For mine I used a lot of pink and that great Anna Maria Horner print with the emerald green that I got in the Modern Quilter’s Box from Modern Handmade last year. I am not a huge fan of green, but something about that fabric is perfect. I also used it for a Retreat Pouch.

Brocade Peony / La Pass STB zipper tab detail
Brocade Peony / La Pass STB zipper tab detail

And look at this fantastic zipper tab. I carefully cut the fabric to match and used the directions I posted the other day for securing the zipper tab. I am really pleased with how it came out.

Now I just have to fill it with my supplies and tools for my La Pass project.

Remember September 11

What Comes Next, 2001-2002
What Comes Next, 2001-2002

I thought about not writing this post this year. Then I thought about the recent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and all the changes that have taken place in the Middle East since 9/11. My quilt ‘What Comes Next’ still reflects my vision of the future.

In a New York Times article I saw this week, the photo says “more of the same” to me. Members of the Taliban leadership sit in a room in the home of the former Afghan intelligence chief in Kabul. They are all men. They have guns in a room that looks like it once was a place where people sat and talked before a fancy dinner.

I don’t see anyone doing anything different. People fight each other for power. They destroy everything and then try to govern the rubble. Families are broken apart; cities are ruined and so many people have died since 2001. I don’t see the point anymore. Did we get justice for those on the planes?