Gift Post #3: Sew Together Bag

Watercolor Box Sew Together Bag
Watercolor Box Sew Together Bag

I made this Sew Together Bag for my mom. I like the way it turned out, but had some issues making it.

This is a challenging pattern. The combination of the zippers and the layers which need to be sewn together combine to make this project a challenge.

The first problem I had was with the directions. Because cutting is a good activity when I am away from my workroom, I decided to cut out the bag when I went to Reno to visit Kathleen. First, I read through the directions. The first page talks about “embellishments.” When I think of embellishments, I think of beads, buttons, charms, stitching. I think these things are included in what the directions are getting at, but I think the designer really meant special piecing and quilting.

I wanted to quilt this piece a little to give the outside some heft, but the directions were very unclear on whether I was supposed to quilt the exterior and the batting or add a backing/lining piece and quilt through the three layers as I would a quilt. I ended up making a two layer sandwich (no backing) and quilting that. The piece ended up too small and I am not sure whether I quilted too much or whether I cut the piece too small. I’ll have to check and see if I cut it wrong when I made the next one.

Pocket Panel with attached Side Panels
Pocket Panel with attached Side Panels

I thought I would be defeated by this pattern when I got to the pocket panel. I had no idea what the designer was trying to say when she said to put the four pocket pieces together. The section isn’t difficult to actually do, but explaining how to do it is difficult and I could not understand the pattern. I looked at the Sew-a-Long blog post describing this step and that helped a lot. This is the hardest step IMO.

After doing the pocket panel, the thickness began to kick in and wreak havoc with my attempts to make the piece look professional. I think someone with a Juki or other pseudo-industrial machine may have an easier time.

Matching Colors, Ordering Thread
Matching Colors, Ordering Thread

I was stymied for a bit because I didn’t have the correct colored thread. I wanted the thread for the binding to match the binding. I ordered from Red Rock Threads and had the thread in a few days. Hooray for great customer service and fast shipping.

Once I had the thread, I was able to finish the bag. It was slow going, but I did it.

Wonderclips holding it all together
Wonderclips holding it all together

WonderClips are not mentioned on the supply list, but I found them to be invaluable when holding the piece together to sew on the binding.

Matching Thread
Matching Thread

I really could not have gotten through this pattern without the archived sew-a-long directions and all of the photos showed in the Quilt Barn blog. Click on the link, print the blog posts and keep them with your pattern.

Mom and her STB
Mom and her STB

Mom really liked the bag, for which I was very grateful.

She opened it on Christmas and filled it up with her small gifts and stocking stuffers to transport home.

Filled STB
Filled STB

I did struggle with the construction, but felt confident enough to make a second bag, which I have started and am a step plus some thread weaving in from finishing. I just bought zippers to make two more.

 

FOTY 2015 Cutting Progress

FOTY 2015 - late December 2015
FOTY 2015 – late December 2015

I have a lot of fabric to press and cut, especially since I washed several yards the other day. I am determined to get busy on FOTY 2015 early in the year. It won’t be until at least February as I won’t be able to sew on most weekends in January. That means no sewing. I wonder what I will write about?

I digress.

I want to do FOTY 2015 early in the year so there is less overlap with FOTY 2016. I am not sure how that will go as this is all the progress I have made since  the November 16 post. I should go and count my patches to see how many I had. I really don’t want a repeat of cutting down all the patches like I did for FOTY 2014.

Paris One Hour Baskets – Gift Post #2

Paris One Hour Baskets
Paris One Hour Baskets

My sister left a comment on the post back in August after I made and wrote about the blue batik One Hour Basket. She wanted one. She offered to send fabric, but there is no fabric shortage here. Her comment gave me an idea for a Christmas gift.

During my travels back from taking the Y.M. to college I bought a couple of yards of Paris fabric with this project in mind. I sat down and made the baskets over Labor Day weekend while I recovered from food poisoning and DH was at the Native Sons. I really hadn’t been doing much sewing, so it killed me not to be able to post these right away, but I know my sister visits my blog, so I had to resist.

I used a slightly larger seam allowance for the interiors just to see if the interiors wouldn’t be so baggy. This worked and the interiors were slightly less baggy than my previous attempts, which was nice.

Paris One Hour Baskets detail
Paris One Hour Baskets detail

I also used different colored threads in the top and the bobbin to match the fabrics when I top stitched the top of the basket. I was pretty proud of myself for that!

These turned out well. I sent them off and with any luck, Lil Sissy had them in her hot little hands for Christmas.

I refuse to make promises about next year or commit to making 12 of anything right at the moment. If I were in that kind of mood, I would consider this project for those types of gifts.

I have some strips leftover from this project and was wondering what to do with them. It turns out Lil Sissy also wants a Sew Together Bag. I suppose that would be a good use of the strips.

Creative Prompt #343: Christmas

Nota Bene: For those of you who don’t celebrate, I apologize. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Please select your own word and post a link to your response. I appreciate your understanding.

Noel

Nativity

Xmas

Yule

Christmas tree

Holiday music

ornaments

lights

music

family traditions

gifts

“Do They Know It’s Christmas,” a charity single released by Bob Geldof’s Band Aid 30

Advent calendar

Family gatherings

cards

greetings

A Charlie Brown Christmas Movie

cookies

Christmas Eve

artificial Christmas trees

gingerbread house

Christmas decorations

Christmas cheer

Merry Christmas

A Christmas Story (1983 movie)

 

Definition: “Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English: Cr?stesmæsse, meaning “Christ‘s Mass“) is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ,[7][8] observed most commonly on December 25[4][9][10] as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.[2][11][12] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night;[13] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave.[14] Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world’s nations,[15][16][17] is celebrated culturally by a large number of non-Christian people,[1][18][19] and is an integral part of the holiday season.

The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.[20] Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music and caroling, lighting a Christingle, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.[21] Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

While the month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25,[22] a date later adopted in the East,[23][24] although some churches celebrate on the December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which, in the Gregorian calendar, currently corresponds to January 7, the day after the Western Christian Church celebrates the Epiphany. The date of Christmas may have initially been chosen to correspond with the day exactly nine months after the day on which early Christians believed that Jesus was conceived,[25] or with one or more ancient polytheistic festivals that occurred near southern solstice (i.e., the Roman winter solstice);[26][27] a further solar connection has been suggested because of a biblical verse[a] identifying Jesus as the “Sun of righteousness”.[25][28][29]” (Wikipedia)

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #CPP

Flying Geese Swap Update

Flying Geese Swap - mid December 2015
Flying Geese Swap – mid December 2015

I have been making and receiving Flying Geese all along. I finally decided to do an update as the group was getting kind of large and was taking up space on my design wall. Also, the last update I did was on November 14 and that seems like a long time ago.

If I did the math correctly (50 weeks x 4 geese each week), I have at least 200 right now. It doesn’t seem like enough, though. I think I must have more. I am kind of amazed at how easy it is to make these blocks and to have them add up in number. I really want to sew up all the patches I have cut. I am trying to restrain myself.

Some of these TFQ won’t recognize, because I haven’t send them off yet.  They were part of the Wacky Weekend Work I did. Flying Geese make good leaders and enders.

Wacky Weekend Work

Wacky probably isn’t a good way to describe the sewing I did over the weekend, but the alliteration is good. I was working on finishing things and didn’t work on one particular project. I worked on many. I finished two Christmas gift projects (look for posts next week) and was doing some making that was for finishing up projects.

It sounds boring, but it was really good for me. I felt like I was clearing the decks and really getting projects off my list and making space in my head for new projects. Or other projects to finish.

The Great Unwashed - washed
The Great Unwashed – washed

First, I washed a bunch of fabric. I wanted some of it for some squares and additions to projects, so I washed two loads. See that Philip Jacobs print? Don’t you love it? 😉

One load I washed was lights so I could cut some squares for a couple of projects. As a result, I was able to add to my collection of squares and rectangles for FOTY 2015, the Stepping Stones project and add some fabrics to the most recent Carpenter’s Wheel block.

Carpenter's Wheel #7
Carpenter’s Wheel #7

The Carpenter’s Wheel block has been sitting on the design wall half assembled for awhile. I now have enough pieces to start sewing it together, but I am not 100% sure I like that orange center. I am afraid it looks like a big hole.

I made the binding for the Black and Red Improv quilt. I will send that off to Colleen so she can apply it to the quilt when she returns from her holiday travels. That was a huge load off my mind.

I also made several pairs of Flying Geese units for the swap with TFQ. I needed to beef up my supply, though I am afraid I have too many pieces and parts and the swap will end before I run through them.

All in all, I think Sunday was exceptionally productive. I felt good to be sewing.

More Improv Round Robin

I had two recent opportunities, the IRR post and the BAMQG Meeting post, to talk about my round robin piece, which is still circulating, and missed both of them.

Jaye's IRR - December 2015
Jaye’s IRR – December 2015

I was able to glimpse the work done on my piece at the meeting last week. I think my piece is looking spectacular. There is a lot of interest because of the improvisational piecing. There is also cohesion because of the limited palette of fabrics.

I am so thrilled that some of that Philip Jacobs (or perhaps Martha Negley??) fabric was added (shells at the top). I love the boldness of it. I would like to take a better look at it as I see some other fabrics tucked into that top section.

As I said before, the pieces are getting quite large and mine is no exception. I think it is probably NICU size right now, or slightly larger. I want it to be larger, but may have to add bits of my own at the end. People from other groups are still working on it, which is great.

BAMQG Meeting Last Sat

We had a Winter Extravaganza-palooza last Saturday. We had a regular meeting (see the notes on the BAMQG blog) and then we had food laden party. Part of the party was that the swappers exchanged gifts. I talked about that in the BBE post. A lot of people made bags as gifts. There was an exceptional amount of good work.

There were a lot of good show and tell as well. I didn’t have anything finished, so I only showed the BBE.

Claire's Vintage Quilt
Claire’s Vintage Quilt

Claire showed an amazing vintage quilt. It gave me an opportunity to voice a design thought I have been mulling over.

This pattern in this vintage quilt looks like a Sawtooth Star to me. I have been thinking that taking some of the Postage Stamp donation blocks and adding Flying Geese to each side would make an interesting star.

I mentioned it to the Charity Girls, Peggy and Michelle, and they loved the idea. I am going to see how it would work using my Wing Clipper.

Exciting color choices
Exciting color choices

I really liked some of the color combinations of this quilt. They were really bold and exciting. I have to remember to think about it when I am choosing fabrics. I just don’t think about it.

The blue and the dark salmon (pinky red??) are a really excellent combination! I want to make something with that color combo!

The quilt is in horrendous condition and I am not sure it can be saved. The design inspiration CAN be saved, though.

Amanda's Love Quilt
Amanda’s Love Quilt

Amanda finally finished her Love Quilt. At least, I called it a love quilt. She made it for friends who had a wedding anniversary. It is her own design and I have seen her working on it for a few years. I am sure others would love to make this and think she should create a pattern.

CC's Fireworks
CC’s Fireworks

CC made a really interesting quilt that looked like fireworks or something exploding to me. In a good way, of course.

There was too much going on to really relay it all. You should come to a meeting. The first one is free.

Improv Round Robin Again

Angela's IRR - Before
Angela’s IRR – Before

At the meeting the other day, everyone doing the IRR challenge got together and we swapped pieces. We changed things up and I now have Angela’s IRR piece. We were not originally in the same group. Her group was small and everyone had worked on all of the pieces at least once. I didn’t have one to work on so I volunteered to work on Angela’s.

The pieces are getting quite large. I quickly put a signature strip on the side and then started thinking about what I could add that would look great. I liked the castle fabric, but wasn’t sure about just putting in a big strip of towers.

The diamond motifs caught my attention and I started working on adding free form diamonds.

Free Form Diamonds in Process
Free Form Diamonds in Process

I have a hard time being completely free form/improv-y, but I did my best. I tried to make the diamonds not in alignment. I didn’t like the way they looked. I sewed the diamonds to backgrounds and played around with them a bit.

I looked at the piece and saw that dark grey kite fabric. I played around with that fabric and came up with a kind of checkerboard effect.

Finished Angela's Piece
Finished Angela’s Piece

I like the way it turned out. I think the dark fabric adds a bit of a frame to the piece and sets off the diamonds as well. I also like the visuality of the dark fabric going around the corner.

Angela's Finished Piece
Angela’s Finished Piece

Creative Prompt #342: Gondola

Definition: “noun ; noun: gondola; plural noun: gondolas ; a light flat-bottomed boat used on Venetian canals, having a high point at each end and worked by one oar at the stern.” (Google search results)

History of Gondolas – Rick Steves

Definition: “The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. The rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, is used in a sculling manner, also acting as the rudder.[1] For centuries the gondola was the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. It is propelled by a gondolier. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over the Grand Canal. They are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held amongst gondoliers. Their primary role today, however, is to carry tourists on rides at fixed rates.[2]” (Wikipedia)

a cabin on a suspended ski lift.

an open railroad freight car.

Gondola Servizio: Authentic Venetian gondola tours on Lake Merritt in Oakland, California at the Lake Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill.

The Gondola Company in Coronado offers romantic Venetian gondola rides on San Diego bay, California.

No trip to Venice — or The Venetian — would be complete without a graceful and romantic glide down the Grand Canal in an authentic Venetian gondola.

Gondola Joe’s Coffee Shop and Cafe

Gondola Paradiso, the only place in Ventura County where you can take a Venetian gondola cruise.

Gondolas West’s nature over noise, glide along the waterways of the scenic New River and the beautiful canals of Fort Lauderdale in our silent electric boat.

LaGondola Spaghetti House

The Sea to Sky Gondola is your doorway to year-round outdoor adventure including, hiking, interpretive walks, panoramic views, viewing platforms and the 9000 

 

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #CPP

Tuffet #2 Finished

Tuffet #2 Finished
Tuffet #2 Finished

I went to class on Monday with Robin and finished my Tuffet. As I said the other day, I worked on making the cover at home by myself. I couldn’t do the other parts so off to the finishing class I went.

I had forgotten to do the drawstring, so I took my machine and did that part in class. It was fine and I helped another student who was on that step in class as well.

Tuffet #2 bottom
Tuffet #2 bottom

Robin had carpet tacks, or, probably, furniture tacks, this time and many of the people in the class used them to put down the bottom cover of the Tuffet. I did mine the same way I did the last one, which was to hand sew down the grey over the drawn up cover.

We also had a problem with my feet. I wanted the same feet as Tuffet #1. I put 3 feet on and found that the fourth was not the same style. Someone out there has a Tuffet with my last foot. I switched out the feet for a different kind. The new feet are the same color as those on Tuffet #1. No big deal.

The class was pretty full with 4 other people there, two of whom were making 2 Tuffets each! Two of the women making 2 Tuffets and one other woman were all making Tuffets for their children. I am not making one for the YM until he gets his own apartment and then we will see. He will have to ask VERY nicely.

As usual, as soon as I saw the other Tuffets, I wanted those instead of my own. Everyone else said how bright and cheerful mine was.

I love the Kaffe Tuffet. LOVE it! Click on the photo and make it bigger so you can see how fantastic it is. I love the colors – they are bright and cheerful. I also love the juxtaposition of the fabric pattern motifs.

One thing that was different in this class is one student used one fabric per foundation (Katrina’s Tuffet, bottom right), which is a great way to showcase the fabric and makes the Tuffet-making go a lot faster.

Robin is still awesome and if you have a chance to take her class, you MUST! I had a great time chatting with her. I want to help her spread the Tuffet love throughout the world.

Various & Sundry #15 – Pre-Christmas

Housekeeping
I updated the tutorials page to include the Wine Bottle Gift Bag guidelines. These make great gifts. I may make these guidelines into more of a tutorial, but for the moment, what you see is what you get.

Fabric

Portuguese fabric
Portuguese fabric

I received some Portuguese fabric from a friend. They were in a fabric shop in Portugal on vacation and thought of me. Isn’t that sweet? The lengths are quite large and may be suitable for a very elegant dress.

Exhibitions and Events
The QuiltCon cancellation fee is changing at the end of this month. Through Dec. 31, there is a 50% cancellation fee, but after Jan. 1, no refunds will be available. View the full cancellation policy here.

Alex Anderson will be teaching a 3 Day block class at Alden Lane Nursery January 16-18, 2016, 9am-4pm. Sign up by calling 925-447-0280 and asking for Cyndee, Becky or Ruth.

Patterns & Tutorials
Bonnie Hunter has her 2015 Mystery Quilt well underway. Find Part 1, posted on Black Friday. Part 2 was posted the week of 12/1. Please note that if you are reading this after 2016, the patterns have been removed from the Quiltville site.

I am making a Sew Together Bag and someone pointed me to the Quilt Barn Sew-a-Long. the tutorials were posted last year, but the pictures and tips are a great addition to the pattern. You do need the pattern to use the Sew-a-Long tutorial.

Yes, you still have time to make a Christmas table runner. Charlotte posted a lovely pattern she designed in just my colors. It is so fresh and pretty!

I never heard of Taylor Hackbarth, but I love the design of his wine tote. It would be great for a housewarming gift or a hostess gift. You could put other bottles of tasty treats in it besides wine, too. You will need the pattern as well as the blog post. His blog bio states that he has a goal of making his own clothes and that the blog was started to document that process. I saw a sew-a-long for a backpack on the blog, but no posts about clothes. I didn’t read the entire blog.

Articles, Magazines & Books

I know that magazines and books ARE media, but I wanted to separate out the print publications for videos, movies and such.

The Modern Quilt Studio will have a new issue of Quilts Illustrated soon. Order on their website. You can also get collections of previous issues.

Charlotte of the Slightly Mad Quilt Lady blog and podcast fame has written an article about the Dear Jane phenomenon and related projects such as Tula Pink’s City Sampler and the Farmer Wife books. I agree with many of the things she says, though she doesn’t mention the social aspect of working on these types of large projects.

For those of you who never heard of or saw the Esprit quilt collection, the name Doug Tompkins will mean nothing to you. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place (San Francisco) at the right time (late 1980s, early 1990s) and be heavily influenced by the Esprit collection. “He was instrumental in disseminating the idea that Amish quilts are art objects of the highest caliber.” The collection was eventually sold when the owners went their separate ways and that was a sad day; the end of an era. Doug Tompkins was killed in a kayaking accident recently. You can read more in an article by Janneken Smucker, which talks about Esprit, Doug Tompkins’ aesthetic and principles as well as the quilts of the Esprit Collection.

There was an article recently posted on the Right Sides Together blog about the Modern Quilt Police. I was shocked when I read it because I had the impression that avoiding the regular Quilt Police was one of the things that started the Modern Quilt Guild.

Websites & Blogs
Pink Chalk Fabrics domain name, social media properties etc are for sale. Do you want to continue the journey?

Media

The Modern Quilt Studio (Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr) has a new YouTube channel. Free subscriptions are available using the normal method for subscribing to YouTube channels.

Other

What it costs to make a quilt
What it costs to make a quilt

Samantha Hostutler posted this image on FB (not sure if the FB link will work for you, but you might take a look in the Quilting FB Group if you want to see the image in the wild) after a friend of hers saw it at a quilt show. While I think hourly rates are low, I think it gives a nice outline of what it costs to make a quilt.

Best Bag Ever

Best Bag Ever Front
Best Bag Ever Front

There are a couple of reasons why this is the best bag ever.

First, I needed a bag which I could use to transport my June Tailor board. If it wasn’t written on my to do list, it was on my mental to do list. Since I took the Dale Fleming class and needed to buy the June Tailor board for it, I have wanted a bag that could accommodate that board. I just never could get to making one.

Next, I didn’t have to make it. This was my BAMQG swap gift. I couldn’t believe someone would make me such a large and wonderful gift. I really was shocked. Amanda made this bag in colors that I really like.  The pocket on the outside will accommodate my Omnigrid 24″ ruler. The outside side pockets will accommodate other rulers and supplies as well.

BBE Inside Pockets
BBE Inside Pockets

Third, she also added useful pockets on the inside for 6″ and 4″ rulers. Amanda included a cutting mat and the small square rulers. Not only is this gift really useful, but Amanda was really generous in the additional bits she included.

Finally, I get to cross something off my to do list. Whether it was on the list or not.

BBE Back
BBE Back

Tuffet #2

Tuffet Pieces
Tuffet Pieces

I am heading to another Tuffet class today. I have spent the past few days putting another Tuffet cover together.

I know I have too many projects on my plate right at the moment. Miss Lottie told me that she spent 25 minutes each working on a variety of projects on which she needed to make progress. I decided to do something similar and worked on a bag at the same time I was working on the Tuffet. I alternated the projects. It didn’t work perfectly, but I made progress on both, which is all that I cared about.

When I decided to make another Tuffet, I decided I would make the cover, etc on my own and only take the second part of the Tuffet class. Being ready for the class meant making the whole Tuffet cover myself, which meant I had to do it. I made the foundations and cut all of the strips, but then I just let the piece languish until almost the last minute and I really couldn’t leave it anymore. Once I really got down to it, I was able to make good progress.

Tuffet halves
Tuffet halves

I wanted the Tuffet I made before and this new Tuffet to look similar since they will be in the same room. I used some of the same fabrics, but exchanged others. I am not sure that I like the combination 100% and think that I will use no more than two of the same fabric strips if I do make another one. I am going to finish it, because I am sure it will be fine and now that the whole cover is together I think it looks ok.

I think, because of the difficulty of the fabric choices, there are more Tuffets in my future. However, how many Tuffets does one family need? I may have to buy more armchairs so I have an excuse to make more Tuffets.