SueS asked me to make scissor cozies, as mentioned. I forgot to post about Maria’s. I made one for her before. I didn’t have the same fabric, so I picked out some coordinating fabric, so the two would go together.
Maria’s Scissor Cozy #2 – interior
I am really pleased with the interior of this one. It came together very well and the stripes look nice.
I closed the bottom with a machine stitch. The handstitching looks better, but I didn’t want to spend the time
I started another 2-in-1 Case almost immediately after finishing the first one. As mentioned, this is an easy bag and I wanted to get it right. This one looks a lot better and is more functional.
I was pleased with the fuchsia binding. I thought it was a less distracting choice than the black and white, though I do like a good black and white stripe.
I made certain to the get the closure in the right place. I used a slight different process to sew it on. I put the female half of the snap in then, before sewing the tab to the back, I snapped it together. This helped me align the tab with the female part of the snap on the front. Then I pinned the tab to the back and sewed it down. Somehow the measurements in the pattern didn’t work for me.
2-in-1 Case #2- open – in process
I used the same fabric for the inside as I did in #1. It’s a nice bright white. I am pretty sure I bought it with Amanda when we were out shopping in Portland one time.
I used longer zippers as well- 9 inch instead of 8inch, as the pattern suggests. I had to be careful not to hit the metal parts, but the zipper was fully enclosed in the tabs and the binding, which looks better. I will probably use a longer zipper next time and cut off the excess. It seems like a waste, but then I won’t have to worry about that metal zipper end. Hitting with a needle is no picnic.
Almost done then I send it off to be wrapped for the guild door prize.
This project started off so well and wasn’t difficult. There was one crucial line missing from the directions that threw me off.
That line was “Remember, this needs to open like a book”.
It is perfectly usable. It would work very well for someone who was left handed. As you can see the opening is on the left. If the directions had said “Remember, this needs to open like a book”, I think I would have been able to better picture the directions in my mind. Instead there were a lot of words describing flipping the exterior in different ways, which was confusing.
2-in-1 Case #1 interior
Also, I used a snap instead of the magnetic clasp called for, which I know had an effect.
I also added a piece of foam in addition to the fusible batting. I like the heft. I might try two layers of fusible batting next time. Yes, there will be a next time. I think this is a useful pouch/booklet, but also not difficult, so it is a good item for a door prize.
Despite the problems, I found this a fairly easy project. It also gave me practice in using my Snap Setter. I always wonder what my DH thinks I am doing when he hears me pounding away. I am always amazed that the tool doesn’t break.
I made significant progress over the weekend on this donation top, as I worked on Who Am I?. Leaders and enders saves the day!
I have been sewing these blocks, but it takes time to build up the strips. It seems like I had so few blocks for so long and then all of a sudden a bunch of them came together over the weekend. I finally feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The blocks aren’t all straight strip blocks even though that was my original intention. There are chunks in some of them, because I couldn’t bear to toss strips I had trimmed. There are no rules, but I have been making a straight strip quilt first, then sometimes a block quilt made with chunks and then, finally, an improv quilt. Of course, it all depends on how many scraps I have.
Pink color strip #11
Pink color strip #12
Pink color strip #13
Pink color strip #16
While listening to an International Women’s Day seminar, I went through my scrap bin and pulled out more strips. This type of organization will help me make blocks faster. As a bonus, having busy hands, I was better able to pay attention to the online seminar.
I finished another old project. As mentioned, I started this project in 2015, so it is only eight years old. Still, old enough to get on my nerves.
Someone compared my dislike of UFOs to someone I really don’t like who has no UFOs. That annoyed me, because I don’t think I am like her at all. I just don’t find that **my** projects improve by sitting around. I can’t imagine never having any UFOs, but I think they will be projects for which I have cut fabric, but not started sewing. Once I start sewing, it is pretty easy to continue.
Finished: BAMQG IRR (back)
I zoomed through the binding on this quilt. Using good fabric really helps. I was pleased I remembered not to use a batik in the binding! I didn’t expect to finish it so quickly, but it went really fast.
The recent Sew Day was a Community Sew Day. Most quilts were finished, but a few were taken home to finish. We think there were about 8 total.
Four Completed I Spy Tops
SueS brought the leftover squares from her I Spy quilt project and most people worked on putting them together to make some community quilts. The quilts really turned out well. The solid sashing and borders really highlighted the variety of fabrics.
Amy’s Pink Community I Spy top
Amy chose a variety of pink, or pink tending fabrics and used a dark pink for the border of her quilt top.
She told me she wanted to make something pink and girly. I would say she succeeded.
We all contributed to SueS’s stash of squares. I think the raspberry fabric in the center of Amy’s quilt is one that I donated.
Yellow Community I Spy top
This yellow top was the first one finished. I think Peggy sewed it, but I am not sure.
I think the blue number fabric in row 4, column 2 is a fabric that I provided as well. It is nice to see my fabrics show up in other people’s work.
I did not work on Community quilts today. I have the Pink Color Strip quilt in process and I needed to cut out pieces to make door prizes. If I had been thinking ahead, I could have worked with Mary, but I have been too busy at work to organize my sewing life very well.
The Door Prize team decided that we would make small, but more interesting pouches and organizers such as those in Aneela Hoey’s Stitched Sewing Organizers** book. I reviewed this book soon after I received it.
Two in One Case cut
In getting ready for Sew Day, I looked through the book and decided to make the Two in One Case as a door prize. I don’t think I have made anything from this book, though I have made Aneela Hoey patterns such as the Inside Outside pouch, the Boxy Clear Pouch and the Speedy Pouches.
Aside from some strange language for the tab, cutting this project out was pretty easy. There aren’t a lot of pieces so it looks like it will go together quickly.
I thought of making the Fold-up Sewing Folio, but it was a lot more complicated, so I thought I would start with this one.
I need to work on some other projects, but I think I should be able to finish this pouch soon and get it off to Carrie in time for the April meeting.
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This quilt came back to the guild last week at the meeting. This is the quilt I made from the trimmings off the Orange You Glad blocks. I couldn’t find a post about it, though I am sure I must have taken photos when I finished it, though maybe not.
Anyway, I don’t know who quilted it, but they did a great job. Roz bound the edges and it looks great. I love a striped binding.
This is another quilt that I had returned to me for finishing. This has been a long time in coming. The start of the project was in 2015! I know Rhonda, who was also in my group, was working on hers recently as well.
I probably won’t keep this one, but for the moment I don’t have a recipient. I’ll need to check my Niece-phews list and see if it would be appropriate for anyone on it. I have an idea, but would need to make another for a sibling.
BAMQG IRR back
I remember my excitement at using the Queen Street fabric in this quilt. I think the solid turquoise dominates more that Queen Street, though the Philip Jacobs shell fabric is no slouch either.
Queen Street really shines on the back. You can see all the prints, but they aren’t highlighted by piecing.
I haven’t had much time to sew lately- just a few minutes here and there. Still, I finished the grey Color Strip blocks and made a couple of pink blocks for the latest Color Strip donation quilt.
I wanted to show you more of the details of the scissor cozies I made last month at the request of SueS. I wrote a little about the reasons and showed all of the cozies together in a previous post.
Cyndi’s Scissor Cozy
First, I wanted Cyndi’s to match the Oslo tote I made her in a swap a year or so ago. I rummaged around and found some similar fabric.
I couldn’t remember if I added a D-ring to the Oslo tote and I didn’t see one in the photos on the post about that bag. Too bad, but I am sure she can find something on which to clip it.
Cyndi’s scissor cozy – Wunderlabel
Next, I wanted to use my Wunderlabels, so I got those out and figured out placement.
As an aside, I really like those Wunderlabels. They are elegant and as long as I remember to sew one on, they work great. I am pretty sure I will buy more when I run out.
Cyndi’s scissor cozy – Advent label
Third, I wanted to use the Advent labels as well. Pouches are the perfect project for these fun labels and I think the recipients would appreciate them.
I did a lot of prep, which you know I think seems like a waste of time. The day I worked on these, however, I tried to have a different attitude. I tried to think of the prep as another step in getting the pouch finished. I finished sewing that day in a much better mood and feeling like I had accomplished something rather than being frustrated that I hadn’t accomplished enough.
The cozies in general came out very well and I am pleased.
Not the 31 donation blocks I would have liked to make, but a fair number. Yes, I have added to the number of pink blocks for the next Color Strip donation quilt, which I talked about a few days ago. Stay tuned for more on that piece as it develops.
SueS asked me to make scissor cozies, as mentioned. I decided to make her one as well. She has done a lot of work int he past couple of months with a couple of extra projects in the works.
The annoying thing was pulling fabrics, but once that was done, it was just as easy to make 3 as it was to make two.
Sue’s Scissor Cozy – inside
I wasn’t sure what color to make so went with a blue, which I, then, cut wrong and didn’t have enough yardage to cut another piece. I chose the above Allison Glass fabric and was more careful about cutting. I also chose a light blue/turquoise inside. I liked the fabric, though I probably should have gone with a white as I can see dark corners in the piece already.
You can see my Wunderlabel on the inside right side of the pouch.
Sue’s Scissor Cozy -label
I also used one of the Advent labels to add a little fun tot he piece. I really chose the label because of the color. It matches. Maybe next time I’ll think about the message as well.
SueS asked me to make scissor cozies for a couple of the officers. She bought them scissors and had them engraved. The two really went above and beyond during COVID. They entered a difficult situation, before COVID, and stepped up magnificently.
This is a Sotak Handmade pattern. Again, I watched a little of the video, but mostly read the directions and my notes on the directions. I made some additional notes to make these easier next time. I have to print some photos to keep with the directions.
I’ll write more about the specifics of each cozy later.
