I finally finished the Enlarged I Spy (AKA Blazing Star I Spy). It is too big for the Blazing Star templates, but I can always use it for a different set of templates or for something else. It won’t go to waste.
Blazing Star I Spy – back
I am pleased with how I matched the coneflowers on the top around the zipper. The process, in general, however, wasn’t as smooth as I would have guessed. I suppose I was distracted a bit. From what, I don’t know.
Blazing Star I Spy -zipper end detail
One thing I am determined to remember to do is to cut off the ends of the zippers and use zipper tabs. I really don’t know how I missed that bit of metal with my sewing machine needle. Sheer good luck.
You can also see, in this picture, that I used glitter vinyl. I love it!
My Dad’s birthday is today. I got him a gift card, which is boring. I also made him these trout pillowcases. As soon as I saw the fabric, I knew I had to make him something.
The main fabric is a recent Martha Negley. The red is the last of an old Robert Kaufman Reflections collection. I think it might
Friend Julie has been diligently handing me groups of blocks whenever I see her.
Here is the latest batch. While it may look paltry compared to my bonanza, keep in mind that she has been keeping up and I haven’t. She gives me a few at a time whereas I procrastinate by making bags. I tried to work on a block or two during my lunch hours and after work. That works pretty well when I have the colors already matched to the postcards.
Another Hackney is in the books. The Coneflower Hackney #2 is finished and the recipient should have received it by now.
Remember how I talked about DecorBond in my last post about this bag? You can see how great the top looks in the photo – flat and smooth. I love it! I am so pleased that it looks that good.
Coneflower #2 Hackney, Aug 2023 – front, top
It really surprises me how different a bag can look with different interfacing.
In this version, I sewed the top stitching, to close the turning gap on the inside, from the top. I wanted the top stitching to look good from the outside as well as close the gap. This is something I have trouble with repeatedly, so I did it slowly and with care. I think it looks good this time. Still not perfect, but I am getting there.
Coneflower #2 Hackney, Aug 2023 – end with handle
I think I have finally gotten the handle placement down. I think these bags are just way more useful with a handle. I wonder what inspired Sara to make this bag without a handle? I suppose it could be used in the bottom of a suitcase to corral all of those random items one needs on trips that aren’t clothes. Maybe the Minikins Season 3 video says something about that. I don’t really remember.
I have seen Gerre carrying hers by the handle to Sew Day, so I know the handle isn’t superfluous.
Coneflower #2 Hackney, Aug 2023 – inside
I had a little trouble with the back panel on this one, but the inside still looks good. I really like that bright white fabric.
I also remembered to put labels into the lining front panel this time.
I have made a number of these Hackneys and haven’t gotten one perfect yet. I really worry that I will never be able to make a perfect bag the first time through.
I am not finished with this pattern yet. I just cut one out for my Dad using the leftovers from his birthday pillowcases.
I dragged out the Pentagon Ball I have been taking on car rides so I could share it with you.
This one uses a lot of fabrics that could be considered novelty fabrics, though I would necessarily include most of them in that category. You can see that many are Tula fabrics. I also included a few others. I wanted the recipient to be able to identify items on the ball as well as roll it and toss it.
EPP To Go Bag (Enigma) with EPP Ball
Even sewed into cups (as shown), this project fits well into the Enigma bag. The fact that the pocket doesn’t go all the way to the bottom works in the 3D project’s favor. I can slip the ‘cups’ in on their sides and still zip the Enigma Bag. It won’t be the same once I start sewing the two halves together.
This project went too fast. I arrived at this point before I was ready as I don’t have any other handwork projects at the moment, which means nothing to do while I watch TV. I guess I have to get busy figuring out the border on La Pass.
I set myself a goal during the past two weekends of making progress on this quilt. I didn’t make much progress, but progress is progress.
First, I made this orange block. There is a little too much orange in it and I may change the centers of the mini-9 patches to something else. Maybe blue like in G2. We’ll see how I feel.
Scrappy Celebration, E8
I really like this block. I think I might have made all of them the pattern calls for, but I really like it. I may have to make more. I kept looking at D6 and wanting to make the same block with the center and corner fabrics reversed. I really like that violet and the emerald green. I don’t use a lot of green in my quilts, so that is odd. I might like this block, because I get to use big amounts of that Shaggy Chrysanthemum print. That is definitely a favorite even thought those autumn colors aren’t my normal colors.
Scrappy Celebration, E5
Scrappy Celebration, D3
Scrappy Celebration, G6
Yes, I am making the blocks that are the easiest to get as many of them done as possible. Then I get mad at myself for being ridiculous and make a block with a lot of pieces. None of these blocks are difficult; some of them just have a lot of pieces.
Scrappy Celebration – August 2023
In total, I made 5 blocks. I am now up to 28/56 total. I have enough blocks completed to make a good sized lap quilt, which is what I will do if (when) I run out of background fabric.
I took a break from making bags, Metro Twist and Scrappy Celebration to make some progress. Thus, I made some good progress over the weekend on making Pantone blocks.
Pantone Mutt & Jeff Left
I had already chosen quite a few fabrics, which made the task easier. Foundation piecing, not my strength, gave me pains on the first block.
The background of this fabric, a Martha Negley fruit and floral print from a few years ago, was the right hue for Pantone 4545 (not all the colors have names. Some only have numbers, which is a little annoying). I only had a half yard of this fabric and these fruit and florals don’t always have a lot of background. In this case, I only had a few bits to work with.
Martha Negley Fruit & Floral for Pantone 4545
Of course, I cut a piece that was the wrong shape (remember: foundation piecing needs backwards and upside down pieces), so I had to Swiss cheese cut the last bit of background. Sigh. Fortunately, I don’t have enough of this to use for a back or a bag, so it really shouldn’t matter. Still it is painful to see one of these prints with a hunk out of the middle. Fortunately, this project (and Friend Julie) are worth it.
As an aside, you know how Tula Pink is doing Deja Vu prints? I wish Free Spirit would do them for Martha Negley as well. Maybe I should start fan club for Martha? I love those fruit and veg prints.
Half Night & Noon
One Peaky Left
One Peaky Right
Center Diamond
Center Diamond
Storm Corner
Storm Corner
Storm Corner
I went to town making blocks. I got into a rhythm that was only interrupted by not having selected anymore fabric. I thought I made a wider variety, but, looking at them like this, apparently not.
Storm Corner in Pantone 3985
I was planning to make Flying Geese for Pantone 3985, a kind of olive green, but ran out of fabric. When I selected the fabric, I didn’t realize I only had about half of a fat quarter, so mid-block, I pivoted and made another Storm Center, which would work with the size triangles I had already cut.
I needed a template, so I cut the Pirate Black Storm Corner so I could use the triangles as a template, thus I ended up with four of these. In the grand scheme of the whole quilt it will be ok. It just looks a little odd now.
Pantone colors left to make
I suppose I shouldn’t have called this “August Progress” as it assumes I won’t make any additional progress, though I hope I do. I still have a number of colors to match and turn into blocks. Note they are all kind of dull, though looking at them like this reminds me they are not all beige.
I am also happy I made some good progress as I was feeling quite guilty at my tardiness. The hardest part of this project is selecting the fabrics. Aside from hauling the fabric bins down from the top of the fabric closet, the inks on the postcards seem to be different from the dyes used in fabric. I know that is true, however the actual hues and shades seem to be really different.
The Coneflower #2 Hackney is going very well. I think this one is coming out the best of all of them. I think the DecorBond** I added really helped a lot.
I only just added the DecorBond after making so many Hackneys, because I was confused by the directions. I read them as Decovil 526** OR DecorBond. I tend not to watch the entire videos that come with the Sew Sweetness patterns, but I probably should! They are super helpful and would probably answer the Decovil 526** OR DecorBond question.
Then I thought maybe the DecorBond would be a good addition, so I tried it. Fortunately, I had a small amount in my bag of interfacing. It was a great addition that made the top really flat and not wobbly. It wasnt’ bad to sew through either. It didn’t add a lot of bulk to the seam allowances.
As you can see from the photo, I have a bit of finishing to do before I can send this bag off to its new owner.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
In 2020 I made one of these balls and decided that I would make two more for a new-ish grandniece and a new-ish grand-nephew.
#2 is in my Enigma Bag and I take it with me when we drive places. That one is almost done and I’ll try to get a good photo to share with you.
This one uses fabrics that I didn’t use for the Half Hexie Star. I cut a lot of strips for the half hexie pieces and then didn’t use them all. They were available and I couldn’t think of a reason not to use them.
The Half Hexie Star top is done, as mentioned, but I need to figure out how to work with the edges. They still have the papers in, but Colleen can’t quilt it with the papers in, so I need to figure out what to do. I also need to make the back and the binding. Maybe I’ll do that today?
I’ll have to get some more fiberfill** at some point.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I realized, after posting yesterday’s ‘in the wild‘ post, that I had never posted about the project bag I made for Gerre.
I made this one at the same time I made one for myself, Mom and Julie.
Despite my concerns about the size, both Gerre and Julie said they really love these project bags. Using mine for the Metro Twist has been really useful. I said I would try making the larger size and let them know how it turned out.
I have mentioned Gerre using the bags I make her in one or two posts. I always find it nice when people are actually able to use the bags I make. Sew Day was an ‘in the wild’ bonanza!
Sugar Skull bags in the wild
Julie and Gerre , as you have read,were both there and are both regular recipients of some of the bags I make. Gerre had three bags there screaming with Sugar Skulls.
They look really nice all together and the stripes and dots are good compliments tot he Sugar Skulls
Gerre and Julie both said they love the ByAnnie project bag, which you know I was a little annoyed with,but only because of the size. The large didn’t seem very large to me.
I actually found my project bag** useful for the Metro Twist pieces and patterns. There is something good about it. Both Gerre and Julie said that they could use many others. They thought a row of them hanging up in their workrooms would look really nice. Maybe I will make them each another for a gift. We’ll see. I do want to try making the larger size (extra large) as well.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Peggy was very kind about the Ends Quilts I handed in last Saturday instead of working on the log cabin project she planned for Community Sew Day.
She, Julie and LeeAnn worked on it at Sew Day. I know Anna made a few blocks in advance that were incorporated into the quilt. I don’t think it was a very popular project. Maria, who made the suggestion, was in Portugal!
August 2023 BAM Sew Day Log Cabin
Anyway, regardless of the popularity of the project, one complete top was finished plus the three I handed in makes 4 total quilts for the day. Not great, but not terrible either.
The log cabin quilt is pretty colorful and scrappy.
I am finally attempting to enlarge an I Spy pouch. I decided that last week, one evening after work, was the day to do it.
Blazing Star I Spy in process
Sara’s directions work well regardless of the size. Sizes are always the challenge. I used the widths, but extended the lengths to accommodate the Blazing Star bagacrylic templates.
True Colors Wildflower
I learned a lot. One thing is to cut the back and lining back after you have put the front together. Normally, having everything cut and fused is a good thing, but in this case, I made so many cutting mistakes that I ran out of lining fabric.
On my next enlarged I Spy, I will put the sides and the vinyl together, then cut the top and bottom, install the zipper, then cut the back and lining back. I don’t know enough about enlarging bags to do anything different.
I had a stack of fabric from a recent purchase sitting on my sewing table. As I sewed, I would look over at it and at one point, I realized that I had a nice group of fabric for a quilt or bag.
I am not sure what to make and am pretty sure I would need to add some additional fabrics, but maybe not. It looks pretty good as is.
