I spent the first part of the quilt retreat (will write about the retreat in general, but want to talk about the projects first!) working on the Food quilt that will go to a friend of the Young Man’s.
We are friends with the parents also, and they are very interested in my quilts. It seems reasonable to make a graduation gift for their son.
I bought plenty of fabric when I purchased for the Young Man’s Food Quilt, so I have plenty of fabric. The fabric is hard to find near where I live, but I bought most of it in Lancaster County when I was there with my SIL. Food themed quilts are good for boys as they are sort of neutral, but not too girly for boys. Quilts can easily be kind of girly, especially for someone like me who loves pink. 😉
I did the same pattern, a Disappearing Nine Patch, though I arranged the blocks in a different way.
I wasn’t able to finish the top, because I forgot the black I want to use as an inner border. I did make 4 piano key borders to add once I put the black border on the piece.
This project has been hanging over my head so I am glad I have made significant progress on it. Hooray for retreats!
Last year, I thought about making pillowcases for all of the nieces and nephews. It didn’t get done. I didn’t do it. I made an effort, though. I pressed a bunch of Christmas fabric at some point and it has been hanging over a piece of furniture for months. For some reason, I decided to get those pieces of fabric out of my life. Well, not out of my life quite yet, but into a form where I can get them out of my life in December.
I made 7 pillowcases on Sunday. I don’t really like making pillowcases, but making them in batches is much better than one at a time. I get a feel for the cutting and once I deal with the cutting issues, the sewing is much, much easier. The sewing is actually really easy – 5 seams and the pillowcase is finished.
I was thinking of the pseudo-set of gifts I made after Christmas. We all have friends who are also makers and we know that they can make their own sewing related items. The reality is that they often don’t. It is fun to have a coordinating set of things to take along to retreats so others can admire them.
I thought you might find it useful to know the patterns I, either, use or would consider using. The point is not to use the patterns I use, but to make the gifts in whatever pattern YOU like. This is a gift idea.
Pincushion – Fig Tree Quilts Petit Gateau pincushion pattern. I like this pattern, because it makes sense and looks like a pincushion. I have made several and they go together very quickly. I use wool roving I buy at Beverly’s and some of the Beanie Baby plastic pellets to fill it. The pellets give the pincushion some heft. I don’t use walnut shells, because of food allergies. The only issue I ever have with this pattern is to find an appropriate button to put on top and bottom. Often I make these and don’t think ahead and then find myself wanting to finish, but have no appropriate buttons.
Needle case – many people don’t do handwork and so this is an inappropriate gift, but it is so cute! I got the pattern from the Spring 2013 issue of Modern Patchwork. It was designed by Rashida Coleman-Hale of IHeartLinen. I wasn’t able to find a pattern for it on her blog or the web. The pattern is in RCH’s book, Zakka Style, according to Frances Newcombe from Belly Buttons Boutique. You may be able to find I copy of that magazine on Etsy or eBay. I am sure there are other needlecase patterns out there.
Tissue case – This isn’t something that I would really use, though that might change. It is a nice stocking stuffer or small hostess gift. I got the idea to make them from Valerie over at Evening in the Garden blog. I made a few, which you can see in December gift posts. I used the YouTube tutorial that Valerie used.
Lanyard – these are great for guild meetings, but also for hanging scissor sheaths, keys, pens, etc. Think of a chatelaine’s key ring.
Scissor Sheath – as mentioned above, a scissor sheath can be added to the gift pile and adding a ribbon or fabric hanging loop on it enables the owner to hang it from a lanyard.
Project bag – Jeni Baker Drawstring bag (pattern to purchase). The pattern has multiple sizes. This is good to keep project supplies together. She also has a tutorial for one size – Example
Tote bag – There are lots of different tote bags that I have made. I really like the Jane Market Tote (pattern to purchase). I also like the Eco Market Tote from Favorite things (pattern to purchase). I haven’t made that bag in awhile, but I might make one again soon. Including a tote bag in your gift selection is a nice way to package all the gifts. You can choose a pattern that you like.
Journal/Sketchbook Cover – you can adjust the pattern to accommodate a number of sizes of journals. This pattern, as you have seen many times on this blog, is for a 6.5″x8″ Miquelrius journal.
Pencil roll – I love this pattern by Pink Chalk! It is so fun even if you are not pen hog like I am. I have made, perhaps, a dozen of them and I want everyone to love them. I always put a few pens in to give people an idea of what they are for. I reported on one of my pencil roll posts that this project took me about 3 hours to make.
An Alternative to the pencil roll is a tool holder. I haven’t actually made one of these yet, but I do like the pattern.
You could also add a Sidekick from Jinny Beyer’s store. It is good for handwork and I could have used it on my trip this past weekend. I have the pattern, but haven’t made it yet.
You can also think up themes and find patterns that fit the theme. For example:
I received two, yes TWO, Fat Quarter Shop gift certificates for my birthday. I spent about two weeks looking at all the stuff I could buy and ended up with these options.
The color card is a color card of American Made Brands solids. You just never know when you will need to buy some. 😉
The striped fabric below it is actually not a striped fabric, but a carefully folded fat quarter pack of American Made Brands solids. This goes well with the ones my mom gave me for Christmas.
The flannels on the bottom are for some receiving blankets for a friend who is having a baby in May. Plenty of time, right? (HA! Famous last words!)
The rest are stash fabrics. I am starting to contemplate a quilt for my aunt. She loves purple and those violets would be nice for her. I’ll use the dots for the EPP Stars.
Thanks to my sis and TFQ for providing such great gifts!
As I said the other day, it is the practice of the group to make bags as thank yous for the BAMQG officers. I made all, but one of the bags for the main officers.
I really enjoyed last year at BAMQG. I thought Kelly started off strong and had some good challenges. Remember the Kelly Bag? I want to do that practice again and her technique of making a bag out of the practice really makes me want to do it. There is nothing like having a bunch of ugly muslin 12″ squares laying around to put the best of us off FMQ practice.
I got some Cotton + Steel and thought I would use some of it for her back along with the egg fabric I don’t remember the name of and some Bonnie and Camille on the inside and for the tie.
Claire’s Bag
Claire’s bag is much more lively. She is such a little dynamo that I wanted some cheerful fabric. Making her bag coincided with me rummaging through my multicolor fabric bin.
I really should do a review of the pattern. I made these from the Jeni Baker Drawstring Bag pattern, which is so popular now. They are relatively fast to make. We’ll see if I do a review.
This is a good project for other guilds as thank yous, because if you can get people to make the bags everyone else only had to bring a few small gifts. I never liked the idea of getting blocks as a thank you. Yes, you get a little of each person, but you have to deal with another UFO and their foibles in sewing. JMO YMMV, of course.
As you may remember, it is the practice of the BAMQG members to make bags for the officers. This year I made two bags for two of the officers and two for the Charity Girls. The Charity Girls are not on the list, but Michelle and Peggy did such a fantastic job this year that I couldn’t resist.
“Fantastic Job” does not even begin to describe how inspired I have been to make donation quilts. I have been contemplating how I felt in 2014 about making donation quilts, which you can read all about if you want to go back through the year, but I can’t really wrap my head around it. Yes, it was an opportunity to sew. Yes, it was an opportunity to work with others either like Gerre and I did or by handing in a quilt top and having someone else quilt it. Those descriptions sound so selfish. Clearly making these quilts was not about me. It was about making something for someone who needed a bit of comfort. Sadly, I think, if I am honest, the why goes back to me. I enjoy making the donation quilts. I enjoy working with others. I enjoy handing off tops for someone else to quilt. I I I.
2015 Bag for Michelle
Regardless of my selfishness in doing good, I thought the Charity Girls did an awesome job and I wanted them to feel the love, thus the bags.
One of the things I made, as I mentioned were tissue covers. I took some of the Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 fabric I had leftover from the first Stepping Stones quilt and made some small things out of it. I just got a bug in my ear to use that fabric again. Not sure why.
I have a few more packs of tissues to fill some covers, so I may make a few more. We’ll see.
I really cannot help spreading the usefulness that these receiving blankets bring with them. Also, I feel a bit for Ruth and her family. Her baby was born a month early, The Y.M. was born 3.5 weeks early with jaundice and little under weight, so I understand a bit of what she is going through. Of course, every mother’s experience is different and every child is an individual.
I like giving these as gifts, as I may have said as they are extremely useful as:
playmats
layering for warmth
sunshade
Superman cape
Sheik headress
sarong/skirt
I just did a decorative stitch; I didn’t do any stitch lettering this time. By the time you read this I will have already sent them off.
I didn’t make a lot of gifts this year despite my best intentions, but I did make a few things for Friend Julie. I bought some purple chair fabric and just started making a set of things for her. I didn’t really plan to, it just happened. it was fun to try and figure out how place the fabric on the projects so the chairs stood out.
First, I made the tissue holder. Actually, I made two others as tests before I made this one, but it was the first gift that I made for her. I took a look at the tutorial that Valerie uses and tried it myself. Easy peasy! Bonus: I had some tissue packs with which to fill it.
Purple Chair Needlecase
Next was a needle case. I *think* Julie does some hand work, but I don’t really know, I am embarrassed to say. Now she is encouraged to do so because she has a needle case. 😉 If she is not a handworker, then perhaps I should start a campaign of buying Perl Cotton for her? 😉 With my luck, she will couch it to something on the machine.
Before she opened it, she didn’t know what it was. I think she was confused because I re-used some Recchiuti ribbon. I was pleased with the way the case looks tied up with the ribbon.
I made some changes to the pattern. Are you surprised? Instead of sewing two pieces of quilting cotton together to make the needle portion of the needlecase, I cut and sewed one square of felt to hold the needles.
Purple Chair Needlecase – open
I also used felt for one side of the baby pincushion. I can’t quite seem to get the pincushion to finish straight, but I’ll keep working on that.
Awhile ago I bought the Jeni Baker drawstring bag pattern that has been so popular among the modern quilters. On her blog, In Color Order (I wish I had thought of that name!!!), is a tutorial for one size of the bag. Anyway, I made several over the holidays and I decided at the very last minute, e.g. two hours before we were meeting (sigh!), to make her one to hold all of the goodies. When I say last minute, I mean last minute. DH had to lace the string into the holes while we drove. I didn’t even have a chance to take a phone, but Julie was kind enough to send me a couple.
Purple Chair Bag – closedPurple Chair Bag – open
The inside is grey.
I have a few other ideas for purple chair (and purple Pearl bracelets) fabrics accessories.
I went to Stone Mountain and Daughter, a fabric store in Berkeley, a few weeks ago looking for some fabric for pants. I didn’t find the pants fabric I wanted, but they had a nice selection of flannel at a good price, so I bought some pieces to make receiving blankets for a friend’s daughter who had a baby a few months ago.
I know the colors are not totally matchy matchy, but I liked something about the combination.
Decorative Stitching
I like making receiving blankets for gifts, but they are still a pain to make so I used some large and loose decorative stitches. I am pleased with how they look and will send them off soon.
I have made progress on choosing fabrics for the music quilt. I bought some fabrics at Houston and then I received a huge box of music fabrics from Mrs. K. What a bonanza!
The fabrics on the left are the fabrics I bought at Houston for the quilt. The fabrics on the left are music fabrics that Mrs. K sent me.
I still don’t have a pattern. I did another Missouri Star disappearing pattern that might work. We’ll have to see.
This seems like progress, but it is extremely painful.
I finally got my act together and sent off the latest niece-phews quilts to the intended recipients. The Disappearing Pinwheel and the Wonky Nine Patch headed off about a week ago to two brothers, the youngest of my nephews. I was thrilled to finally get them out of the house. All reports were that the boys liked them. The boys liking them is the most important part. Truly. An added bonus.
Finished: Wonky 9 Patch
The orange of the Wonky Nine Patch was a bold choice. I made it, because when I started the quilt, Aidan told me, in an offhand way, he really liked orange. It stuck in my head and when I saw Kathleen’s quilt, it all jelled in my head. I was a little nervous about the orange, because some of the prints were tending towards the girly side. Also, boys, and kids in general, change their mind as often as they change their underwear…almost.
I didn’t say anything to anyone (Shhhh! Don’t tell!) and nobody has said anything to me. Aidan’s mom said the colors were perfect and I am so glad.
I have to say, again, probably, that I love that blue batik. It isn’t turquoise, but it also isn’t really in the navy family. It is a great water blue. If I see it again, I’ll buy 10 yards. That is probably too much, but I’ll have enough.
Disappearing Pinwheel Finished
Pierce, the youngest of all of my nieces and nephews, got the Disappearing Pinwheel. I was concerned, again that it would be too girly, but the grey makes it boyish.
Looking at it again really makes me like the layout. If only I had thought to switch a pinwheel block with one of the Disappearing Pinwheel blocks, that would have added interest.
I have a loose project making quilts for all of my nieces and nephews. So far I have made 7 quilts for 7 youngsters. I have 8 more to make. As you know, I make them when I feel like making one or when I get inspired to make a quilt and then don’t know who should get it. I started out with the idea that I would give each niece or nephew a quilt when they graduated from college, but that didn’t quite work with my creative process. Some of the younger kids may end up with two quilts – an additional quilt when they get to college. We’ll see.
We got an email just before school let out saying that one of the Band moms had breast cancer and she was being treated quite aggressively.
We got an update at Band Camp and I decided to ask for one of the quilts made by the BAMQG Charity Project. Michelle and I met on Friday and she gave me this quilt for the Band Mom.
I can’t decide if it is a star or some kind of ring quilt. I forget the name of the design. It is very scrappy and cheerful and I think will make the Band Mom feel better.
Star Donation Quilt Back
I sewed a small label on to the back for historic purposes.
I just have to wrap the quilt and will give it to the band director soon.
I have a new baby niece named Lauren Elizabeth. I hope she likes pink because I have a lot of pink ideas. 😉
My mom is also thrilled to have another grandbaby. My Young Man is leaving for college too soon so Lauren will be a good distraction for her.
Last weekend I made receiving blankets, my gift of choice for newborns.
I bought the pink and turquoise tone-on-tone at Always Quilting a month or so ago. I thought I would find some other flannels to go with them. As I perused the wares at Hawthorne Threads, I saw the Pretty Potent prints in flannel and that large dot. Perfect!
While I was hemming the edges I listened to an interview with Anna Maria Horner on Modern Sewciety (Episode 37, I think) where she talks about her inspiration for Pretty Potent. I was thrilled to know her inspiration for the fabric with which I was working.
Receiving Blankets in Blue
I really like the Coneflower (Echinacea) print. I think it is a little hard to use in quilts, but it is perfect for this receiving blanket.
I have the card written and just need to wrap the gift and send it off.
A few weeks ago I posted a pillowcase tutorial that used some sort of Christmas fabric. I think that I really want to make pillowcases for my nieces and nephews. For those that are married, I will make one for the spouse and children as well. I thought I mentioned it, but don’t see the words on my blog. It may have been that I was thinking about it since I made the three pillowcases for the littlest nephews last year.
I have a bunch of Christmas fabric that I bought on sale for gift bags. I never made those gift bags as I really have enough and am happy with the ones I have. The fabric was languishing (read taking up precious space and getting on my nerves) in one of my drawers. I finally decided that I would actually make pillowcases for pre-Christmas gifts for the nieces and nephews so they could enjoy the holiday season while they sleep.
This means the following: <Quilt Math ALERT: Breathe deeply and don’t panic>
13 nieces and nephews
+1 great niece
+1 great nephew
+1 niece spouse
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16 total pillowcases
-3 pillowcases already made for nephews last year
______________________________________
13 total to make by Thanksgiving*
-2 already made this year (see this post (-; )
______________________________________
11 pillowcases to make by Thanksgiving
I will make as many as I can and I will start from the top down so kids in the same family or household all get the pillowcases at the same time if I can’t finish them by Thanksgiving. I feel a little bad that the littlest nephews won’t get them with their cousins, but since I plan on sending them early (so the cases can be enjoyed during the season) rather than giving them out at christmas, they really won’t know. I am pretty sure the 3rd and 5th graders don’t read this blog.
I washed all of the Christmas fabric for the pillowcases and decided to press it as I made the cases. If you have read the gift bag tutorial, you know that I don’t wash fabric I use for gift bags as I like the sizing to give the bags a bit of body and they will probably never be washed, so I don’t take the time. There is minimal pressing so I don’t break out from pressing the unwashed fabric.
Although I haven’t used up all the fabric I have, I had to buy some fun, modern Christmas fabric on sale after Grand Parlor because I loved the color. I think I bought enough for 4 pillowcases, but can’t remember.
Christmas Pillowcases
Last week, I finished up the two pillowcases I started the week before I went to Vancouver.
The main body of the pillowcases is the Christmas fabric and the cuff is some fabric that looks like crumpled paper that I got in the mid 1990s. I remember getting that fabric from Lisa Call, who bought a bunch of it in several different colorways and distributed it to those who ordered and paid. I was really excited about the fabric, then never did much with this particular colorway. I used the turquoise and rose colors in various projects. Green has never been a favorite of mine, but the fabric worked very well with the Christmas fabric. (Aside: use your beloved fabric before it ends up as the cuffs of pillowcases!)
I decided I didn’t want to bother with the trim. I don’t really like the way it has come out on the ones I have made. I also think it is an extra bit of annoyance when I am trying to plow through a project. I might feel differently on future pillowcases, but for now that is the word.
I do want to try piping again and if I can perfect my piping technique, then that might look lovely. On the other hand, piping might just make ugly lines on the nieces and nephews faces when they sleep. For now, I will leave it.
I might even get the packs ready to send to people, so there isn’t a lot of packing up required. That might be a little creepy organized even for me. We will have to see.
It is kind of fun to have a project like this. I don’t think I have had one since I made the card holders. I feel like I am spreading the quilt/fabric love when I make useful stuff that non-quilt people won’t wonder too much about. Who knows? They all might think I am insane regardless.
*Thanksgiving is kind of my unofficial cutoff time for sewing projects like this. I go later sometimes, but really try to have big projects done by Thanksgiving so that I am not sewing at the last minute. A lot of my spare time after Thanksgiving is taken up by writing cards.
