I finished my large-ish EPP ball and really like the way it came out.
I fussy cut some favorite fabrics and then spent several hours during Craft Night and some guild meetings basting the fabrics and, then, sewing the ball together.
I used the last bits of my bag of fiberfill to stuff it. Normally I would add some Beanie Baby pellets to the stuff to give the ball some weight. However, I plan to give this ball to a 1 year old and I don’t want her breaking a lamp or giving one of her parents a black eye when she throws it.
EPP-Pentagon Ball
EPP-Pentagon Ball
I think these balls would be fun for people of any age, though the fun could get out of hand at a family event.
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I finished Rock Candy over the weekend, but still needed to do the binding. That is always a good hand task to work on at Craft Night, so I finished the binding on Monday night. This has been a banner week for finishes: Rock Candy plus 3 donation tops and backs.
Despite a lot of ripping, I finished the Mega Pinnie on Sunday in the mid-evening. I thought it would be a quicker project than it turned out to be :(. Now I am going to have to scramble for some content this week.
I am pleased with the way it came out, however, and think someone at the retreat will enjoy it.
When I was printing my last label, I had some extra space, so I decided to print the BAM logo on some fabric and use it for part of the Mega Pinnie. It will also be a souvenir for the Retreat. I adjusted the size of the pocket on that side so the words wouldn’t be covered up.
BAM 2020 Retreat Mega Pinnie – finished
I made the handle a little smaller than the pattern called for this time, so I had an extra piece. I decided to sew it in as a way to attach the Mega Pinnie to another bag or a place for clips. I didn’t think about putting a lobster clip on this time. I completely forgot!
I did make a super cute Mini Pinnie! I really like the fabrics and the way the Mini Pinnie came out. I think it is a cheerful addition. I also made the needle safe a little different this time. I sewed it to fabric RST, then turned the piece and top stitched. It worked ok.
BAM 2020 Retreat Mega Pinnie – finished
I forgot to top stitch the pockets, but that isn’t critical; it just makes the piece look a little nicer.
This is kind of large, but I think I might try and make one using charm squares. It would be smaller and might not work for some tools, but might be more convenient to transport.
After quilting the Jawbreaker pillow top, it didn’t take much time to make it into a pillow. Once again, I used the Spoonflower directions for inserting a zipper. These directions create some flaps to cover the zipper. I haven’t used this tutorial in awhile so there was some ripping and a tiny bit of cursing, but all-in-all, the directions were straightforward and easy to follow.
Jawbreaker cushion cover
I actually like this technique. The seam lines don’t take away from the overall effect like they do in half hexagons. I can’t think of what kind of project I would make with these in the future, but it is a future technique I would like to explore a little more. Perhaps a table runner?
I didn’t like cutting off perfectly good pieced elements, but that was the design so I followed it.
This post should have really been the first one I wrote about the Catch All Caddy class. I should have posted it before the Baseball Catch All Caddy post. I realized that my mom, to whom I planned to gift it, reads my blog and I wanted it to be a surprise.
Paint Tube Catch All Caddy
As mentioned in the Baseball Catch All Caddy, this was the project from my first Zoom class and I really liked the pattern. Lynette taught the class and she did a great job. I was impressed with her overhead camera set up (she used her iPad on a tripod). I need to figure out that kind of setup for when I teach. Things take time.
I used the color scheme of the original, because I really like that slate grey. I used a Cotton Couture solid from Michael Miller. It was easy to work with, though I didn’t like the fact that the holes where the basting stitches had been showed even after I took them out.
Instead of making a scrappy border for the pocket, I used one piece of fabric. It is the paint tube fabric that goes with the set of bags and holders I am making for my mom. I was actually glad to add this one to the group, because I am running out of useful bags to make for her. She really liked t he bag and thought she might use it to carry a project between her recliner and her sewing room
Paint Tube Catch All Caddy
The bag went together pretty easily, which was why I could make two in one day, though I did cut the fabric for this one the day before the class.
I kind of like the simplicity of the bag and the opportunity to highlight favorite fabrics or scraps on the pocket border. I was thinking that I could use ribbon as well. I have some of that Renaissance Ribbon and this project would be a good way to highlight some of it.
I had some trouble with the lining, but was able to fix it when I closed the turning hole. I don’t think Mom will mind.
I finished the Lucky Charm Pillow on Sunday after finishing the quilting on Saturday evening. I ended up using the directions for a zipper pouch and that worked pretty well. The corners by the zipper ends are a little funky, but it looks good.
Lucky Charm Pillow Finished
I was planning on just giving the cover to my niece, but my mom pointed out that she would probably never buy a pillow form for the cover, so I ordered a pillow form.
I am pretty pleased with the way this turned out. I think I will try the Spoonflower zipper closure directions next time as I think they were more appropriate for a pillow. There is another pillow in Journey2Nebula so I can try the directions when I get there.
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I had several face masks in process for a number of weeks. Since I decided to work on small projects, I decided that I would finish them.Finishing them also means I get them off my cutting table, so I can actually cut things out. (I can but half finished projects are definitely in my way).
Having run out of black thread was a problem, but otherwise, I got a number of them finished. The ones for the YM will be in the mail soon.
I finished the latest Cotton Candy Pouch over the weekend. This is the one that Friend Julie cut out using her Cricut Maker. You last saw it as a bunch of pieces. I am always interested to see how strangely shaped pieces turn into something 3D. It was awesome to not have to cut anything but to have it all ready to go.
Zipper Beginning
One reason I keep making this pouch over and over is to perfect some of my skills, especially Veering the Zipper, which went much better this time. I was also able to get the beginning of the zipper even with each other. So progress.
Yes, I could have gotten the head closer, but that is a challenge for another day.
I also like the shape of this pouch a lot. I am going to try the sidewinder next. Bronwyn, one of the moderators of the Sew Sweetness FB group, had so much trouble with the Sidewinder that she threw out her first attempt. This scares me!
I forgot to use a deeper seam allowance for the lining :(, but c’est la vie. It is fine for this time. Another part to work on.
The Sidewinder is another part of Minikins Season 1. I have two dozen or so patterns from Minikins Season 1 & 2 to try, so I need to get busy! I am constantly wondering if Sara will come out with a Minikins Season 3? Yikes! I need to get busy.
The Red Text table runner is finished. I finished sewing on the binding on Monday during Craft Night. I had already machine sewed and the hand stitching went surprisingly fast.
As I mentioned, I machine quilted it over last weekend. I am pleased, even after several days of looking at it, about how it came out. I am also really pleased that it is done since the new project came out on Tuesday, the Lucky Charm pillow.
Red Text Table Runner quilting detail
I am more than a little thrilled that I finished the two table runners in time for the new project.
I took my first video/Zoom class on Saturday and I learned a lot. I had to come late as I had a presentation at 10, but worked ahead, so was almost at the point of the rest of the class when I joined in.
Baseball Catch All Caddy
After class, I decided to make another Catch All Caddy for my DH to put his stuff in. We both accumulate stuff on the dining room table. I made his first first, though I plan to make one for me, too, because I had baseball fabric out from my rummage through my backing fabrics a few weeks ago.
I did a couple of things different on this one. The pockets are made with tubes to so I left a little of the pocket fabric showing above the border fabric (dots). I thought that was an interesting idea and I wanted to try it.
I also used 40 weight thread for the top stitching. It goes through the machine with no problem and you can see it more than regular Aurifil. I don’t know if it is the right shape for DH to use, but we will see.
I finished the binding of the first Seaside Table Runner on Friday. I am pleased with the way it came out and pleased that it is finished.
I have wrapped it with a piece of fabric and a note, so it is ready whenever I feel like going out again.
This is the first project in the Journey2Nebula and I am on pace. I haven’t finished the second table runner yet, but stay tuned for that. I don’t want any of these small project languishing.
In the meantime, I am very pleased with this quilt. I really like that Block Party block. Aside from being super easy, I think it looks great as well. I’d like to make another quilt with this pattern and have an idea of who the recipient will be.
Plaid Block Party completed – back
My DH acted as quilt holder and didn’t quite have the wingspan to get it straight. I may not be able to get a better photo before I have to send it off to my cousin-nephew.
My goal was to use up my plaids, which, with the Plaid donation top, I have done. Yay!
I finished the third Windmill quilt over the weekend. I received three quilts back two weeks ago and I have slowly been working the bindings. Since we have been working on jigsaw puzzles int he evening, I haven’t had as much hand stitching time, so it took me longer than I anticipated.
I sent a photo to my mom and she is excited to receive it even though it is over 100 degrees at her house.
My blue scrap drawer is finally showing some signs of having some space available. I have been piecing blue scraps together, as I mentioned the other day, in between working on the Red Scribbles quilt. I finally had enough to make a journal cover, so I decided to stop and make a journal cover. I need a quick finish fix and there are more blue scraps for a Color Improv donation quilt.
Blue Improv Journal Cover – inside front cover
As also mentioned, I hadn’t thought of this as a journal cover, so the piecing is pretty random. I didn’t center any motifs for the front. This is for an older journal just to protect the pages, so it looks ok for that purpose.
As I did this piecing, I wanted to save any strips I found for more of the Color Strip donation blocks (quilts). I don’t know if I will find enough to make another quilt. If not, I can make a few blocks for the rainbow strip donation quilt I am planning.
Blue Improv Journal Cover – back
Though I am making space in the drawer there are still a lot of scraps. The scraps still fill the drawer, but are not crammed in. There is hope, in other words, that I will have enough strips for something else-blocks or a quilt.
I am trying to use scraps that are smaller than 4.5 inch strips, because of the possibility mentioned above. This means that there are a lot of small scraps becoming larger slabs until they end up as a journal cover. It feels good to see the blue drawer emptying out.
I forget how much I like some of the fabrics I have used until I see a scrap. I know I always say that there is always more fabric. I do get attached to fabrics I like and want to email the fabric companies too reprint them when I find a scrap and know it is out of print.
Blue Improv Journal Cover -top
I had a problem (or my own making) with this journal cover. It is slightly too large. By the time I noticed, I wasn’t about to rip everything out into order to trim it.
I thought the slab was the correct size, but I think I forgot to think about seam allowance for the last bit of piecing. Oh well. Things happen.
