This is a bag that I started at the same time I started the Innocent Crush version. The point I was at in sewing this bag together was cutting the lining and sewing.
After finishing the top for Stars for San Bruno #3, I was ready for some smaller projects. I think I mentioned that in a previous post. I decided that I didn’t have that much work to do on it and I should just get it off the to do list.
Amazingly, this bag went together much easier than the Innocent Crush version. The part I didn’t like was the corner directions. Very messy. I don’t know that I will make this bag again, but if I do I will round the corners a bit more, so that the corners will be a bit neater.
I am not sure I will make these bags again. I might, but I have made enough to last me a lifetime. I have taken making more than one from the same pattern to new heights of crazy.
Orange Jane Market Tote
The funny thing about making the same pattern over and over is that I get used to making it. For this version, I cut the pieces out at the last BAMQG meeting. Cutting is a good thing for me to do at the meetings.
On Sunday I spent the day finishing up some smaller projects. I didn’t want to start another project just yet and I had some blocks to make and bags to finish.
This bag was one of them. I bought the fabric to make a bag, but I think I bought it to make the Eco Market tote. Somehow I never got around to it, but I thought it would be good Jane Market tote. I think it turned out well.
One of the annoying things about the pattern is that I always forget to cut some part of this pattern out. This time it was the lining. This is such a pain and totally my fault.
2011 Jane Market Totes
These are all the totes that I have made this year. Lots of nice fabric, don’t you think?
Actually, I might make one more. I have a lot of miscellaneous parts from various bags that didn’t work out for some reason and I might just put them all together in a mish mash kind of bag. We’ll see.
I am on the last section of my current journal and know I will be needing a new journal soon. I have gotten used to using journal covers and thought it was time to make a new one. I have been using the Innocent Crush cover since I made it. Even though I have made others, none of them have felt the way the Innocent Crush journal cover feels.
Finished Fall Journal
Still, I enjoy using journal covers and I want to perfect the process, so I made a new one.
I am pleased with the fabrics I used – all scraps and bits from other projects, though the letters and numbers were a perk from Bear Patch Quilting in Minnesota.
I am glad I was able to use the Belle Fleur fabric, but I am a little annoyed that the piecing all ended up the back. I might switch the cover around so that the piecing is on the front even though that will mean that the letters are upside down. I might not care, but we will see.
Yes, I knew while I was working on this that I should be working on the Stars for San Bruno #3 quilt. I haven’t been in a really great mood, so I haven’t wanted to work on it, since I don’t want to infuse it with bad energy. I may have to eat more chocolate.
Finished Journal
I decided to photograph this end up from above so you could all see the front and back.
I have heard mention of ‘lifestyle’ photographs that seem to be popular on blogs right now. I don’t have a photograph studio, so this was the best option I could think of at the time.
Bear Patch Quilting gave out small pieces of fabric (about 10″x10″), which is where I got the letters and numbers and fabrics. Apparently, they give them out to everyone who purchases something in the store. I think they were called Bear Paws. I was allowed to choose the fabric I wanted from a box they kept under the counter. I asked what kind of fabrics they used and the owner said that they cut from current fabrics.
Using Wonder Clips
One thing that worked out really well was the Wonder Clips. Again, I bought these in Minnesota. I had been wanting to try them for binding. I was tempted to buy the large size package, but decided to try the small one first. Good thing, because they worked fine for binding but not for my process. I already poke myself plenty with the needle and the clips stuck out too much for comfortable stitching.
I had a brain wave, however to use them to sew the journal cover together and that worked great! Using straight pins works ok, but it hard to insert them into the fabric when the cover is on the journal, but not sewn. I need to have the cover around the journal so that I get the fit right. The clips worked really well, because they didn’t interfere with the journal. I loved them for this purpose!
There is a link to the journal cover directions from the tutorials page on the toolbar (just under the AQ banner) above. You will see the submenus if you put your mouse over AQ Info. I welcome your suggestions on making this tutorial better.
Yes, I should have been working on the Stars for San Bruno #3 quilt, but I didn’t. these bags were cut out and I just wanted to get them out of my hair. I believe that these are the last two Jane Market Totes I need for Christmas. I counted three times as I was rearranging bags to take this photo and came up with the right number. I have to check with DH to make sure I know about everyone who needs one.
If these are the last ones, I would just like to point out that it isn’t even December much less the 24th of December and this part of the gift giving process is done!
I feel like these came out the best of all of the bags. I put some fusible interfacing on the bottom of the bag (after I cut out the corners) and that gave them a little more shape.
I have been thinking (and, perhaps, also talking about) making a cover for my sewing machine for a long time. Last Friday was the day! I took one extra day off work and made the long weekend really long. I got a ton done and was able to rest a bit. I didn’t feel so exhausted when I went back to work.
I buy some large pieces of fabric if I think I will make a bag from the fabric. I don’t like piecing together bits and pieces to make a bag. The Philip Jacobs Japanese Chrysanthemum print I used was one such piece. I was going to make a bag, but I really like it and thought I wouldn’t mind looking at it all the time as a sewing machine cover.
I used a pattern from Strawberry Patches. I had a hard time understanding the pattern, so I also printed the post where she talked about making the cozy and showed pictures. The pattern is fine; my brain just didn’t understand how to make the thing without pictures. I do appreciate people posting tutorials like this, which is part of the reason I post tutorials, too. Have you see the AQ Tutorials? Someday I’ll optimize them for printing.
Side View
The pattern provides measurements for some Bernina machines, but also tells the maker how to measure your own machine, which is what I did. The one thing I should have done is compared the measurements for the lining and the outside. The author suggests that you do those measurements separately, but I think they need to be similar in size. Mine were similar, but not exactly the same and I found the outside was larger once I was ready to sew the lining to the outside. I put some tucks in it, which I wouldn’t do for a gift, but I consider it a lesson for the future.
I am not sure why the author had pockets on the pattern, but I put them in. The Michael Miller turquoise dot makes me happy. Now I can keep the dust off my machine.
August 1 marks the beginning of the long slow slide to Christmas for me. I know you are running away and screaming ACK! when you hear that (except for those of you who don’t celebrate and are just sitting back and laughing right now), but it is true. I am working away on gifts for Christmas after learning that it is much better to get them done early rather than staying up until the crack of dawn on the 23rd. I am not as organized as Quiltin’ Jenny, but I am getting better!
I finished two more of the Jane Market Totes over the long weekend. I made some progress while my main machine was in the shop since it doesn’t matter much about consistent seam allowances (between machines) on these bags.
JMT #6JMT #7
I know they look the same. I used all the same fabrics for the outsides, but they really are two different bags. I have 4 more to make. I inadvertently counted Grama’s Birthday gift as one of the Christmas gifts. Oops!
I also remembered to box the corners on these, which I am really happy about. Not sure why I had the mental block on that, but, perhaps it is over?
I started the purple wallet before Christmas last year to give as a gift, but never finished it. I finally got another package of snaps and finished it. I am a little short on handwork right now, so it made sense. It will be a gift, but for whom, I don’t know.
The Skull wallet goes with the Jane Market Tote bag I gave to Lil Sissy. Poor girl. I gave her her gifts over a month rather than all at once, nicely wrapped on the day. All I can say is that I hope the dribs and drabs method made the day last longer.
Skull Wallet Open
That is not one of my new, cool Photoshop Elements backgrounds. That is trying to get rid of the background and running out of time to figure out what I was doing wrong. It looks pretty cool, I think. I tried to center some interesting motifs on the inside, so when she opened it, she would see some skeletons. Hope she likes it.
By the way, this pattern is good for bus passes! I saw one made with a loop and clip on it, which I thought was a good modification.
Last year on my trip down to Long Beach, one of the many fabric stops we made was at Hart’s Fabrics in Santa Cruz. In case, I didn’t mention it back then, it is a great store. Great service, lots and LOTS of great fabric, indie patterns, notions, laminated cottons, embellishments, everything a girl could want.
While there, I saw some skull fabric that was sort of a canvas or home dec fabric, but smooth and not really heavy. I thought I might have trouble sewing it, but the print was so great I knew my sister would love a bag made from it. I intended to make it for Christmas, as her birthday had passed by the time I got home from the trip. Didn’t do it. The fabric sat and stared at me.
Skull Jane Market Tote - detail
Sharona, owner of New Pieces and solver of all problems point out the skull toile to me when I was in the shop a few weeks ago. Suddenly this project came together. I made the bag in a few hours. Now I just have to grab Lil Sissy so I can give it to her.
I find this to be an odd quilt. It was a fun challenge to put together, but it looks so out of place with all of my other quilts. I like it, but don’t know what to do with it.
Nota Bene: my quilt hanger said that this is about the largest quilt he can hold for me. I suggested he train The Young Man and they work in tandem for larger quilts.
On Friday, I made the sleeve for this and the Zig Zaggy quilt. As a result I can say that this quilt is completely finished! Hooray!
Making the sleeves is another one of those tasks that I don’t like that much. I have to say, though, that using Robbi Joy Eklow’s directions from her book Free Expression. It may seem like a lot of fabric, but I love the way these sleeves look: professional and finished.
The BAMQG Board got charm packs from Robert Kaufman.
You might remember this bag from the end of 2010. I finished it, but wasn’t really happy with the way it came out. For some reason, I couldn’t move on from it, so a few months ago, I ripped out the straps and then left it to languish. Yesterday evening, I redid the button loop and redid some of the top stitching. Then today, I finished the top stitching and sewed on a different button. It isn’t perfect, but I am much happier with the result. Before I was a little embarrassed that I had made the bag and now I don’t mind saying that I made it.
After finishing Stars for San Bruno #2, I feel like I have a little bit of brainspace. I feel like I can do a few small finishing projects. I need to piece some batting. I need to make a binding. I need to make sure the back for SfSB#2 is large enough (mom made it before she went on vacation and before I had finished the top), etc. There are those things that I would assign to an assistant, if I were a fancy enough quiltmaker to have an assistant. Since I don’t, I’ll just do it since I am in the right frame of mind.
Yes, I really did it! I made the first quilt in this series and it is finished. I have brought it around to CQFA and BAMQG and shown the contributors in those groups. I want as many people as possible who contributed blocks to see it before I give it to DH’s cousin.
Now I have to call the cousins and arrange to bring the quilt. I am nervous, since I don’t know them that well. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Nota bene: the Block-a-long will return next week.
Yes, Fabric of the Year 2010 is finished. I took it to the photographer today so that it can be professionally photographed before it goes to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles Show. This is not a great picture, because the quilt is too large for my quilt holder (DH) to hold it out straight. I will replace it when the professional photos come back.
These pillows have been languishing in my fabric closet for so long they weren’t even on my WIP list. They were yelling at me very loudly on Saturday after I finished the Teacher Pillows. I was inclined to work on them since they were taking up valuable floor space in my fabric closet.
The class I took at the Sewing Workshop was called Simply Pillows and Linda Lee taught the class. I took the class in 1999. Most people didn’t piece their pillows, but since I was enamored with quiltmaking I decided to piece my pillows. We learned to do piping and the striped piping on the pillow above was already done when I took the pieces out of the bag on the weekend. I had to sew one seam and I was done. It is pathetic that I let this project languish for so long.
Actually, I was kind of surprised that I took the class in 1999, because I thought for sure I had taken it when I lived closer, but the dates are in my handwriting on the folder. Very strange.
Simply Pillows Class Project #2
The hourglass pillow did not finish as intended. I put on some piping, which was in the bag of supplies. I found out that the back wouldn’t fit, because, apparently, I needed to trim the front of the pillow before adding the piping. I took off the piping and just sewed the back to the front and called it done.
