Tag: Group project

More Raffle Gifts

I have the best raffle team ever! At the meeting last Saturday, a couple of them came through with MORE gifts. These raffle baskets are going to be the best ever.

Cheri's Raffle Gifts
Cheri’s Raffle Gifts

Cheri started in on some bags and coasters. I need a bunch of those little bags for stocking stuffer gifts! 😉

She tried out a few things and found they took too long, so she is trying some different patterns. Cheri only made them for a couple of months with the first pattern. AFter she decides on a new pattern she will work on the rest of the months. We have time.

 

SueG's boxy bags
SueG’s boxy bags

Sue G also made some small boxy bags. Aren’t they adorable?

She made three or four. I forgot to take photos when I brought them home. Since I organized everything, I don’t want to undo all that hard work. I’ll get some photos when I stock the bags.

Carrie the Raffle Queen

Carrie's raffle prize work
Carrie’s raffle prize work

Carrie, a self-described inexperienced sewist, made the most amazing group of gifts for next year’s raffle baskets.

One of the reasons I love my guild is that people step up when you ask them to help. Carrie just decided she was going to make some items and did it! I was not expecting this many gifts

This is an amazingly generous group of gifts. It means that each basket will have a book, a group of the items pictured above, a cord holder, some fabric, an organizer, scissors or clips and a small item like a threader or finger light. I think this is a good amount of stuff.

Carrie's raffle prize work-detail
Carrie’s raffle prize work-detail

I think I will have to get busy and make pouches in which to put the various items!

I might even be inspired enough to make Jane Market Totes in which to put the items. Then, again, maybe not. I have a lot of shopping bags.

White Donation Strip Quilt Progresses

White Strip Donation Quilts - November 2019
White Strip Donation Quilts – November 2019

It is a slow process, but I am making progress. I have all the sashing cut and placed. I have also started to sew the sashing to the blocks.

It is hard to see because of the color, but I think you can make out the blocks.

 

UCAB Pockets

Lynette and I met about the BAM Bag-a-Long  at Sew Day the other day. We went over the sketches she made for cutting and she also made a test pocket.

It turns out, from the test, that we need to make sure the participants buy the zipper sizes that are given in the pattern. The way Natalie finishes the zippers is a lot easier with zipper tape than it is with zipper teeth. This thought/method of making is contrary to the way most bag patterns are written.

UCAB test pocket
UCAB test pocket

It was interesting to see the large pocket finished, because you can see the flange (look for the WonderClips) in a big way. It is very clear that there is a different construction going on to finish the secondary pockets and keep them away from the edges.

Lynette said that it made the directions a little difficult to understand. Still, the thought of keeping the bulk away from the edges is a good one.

The bottom of the pocket also has a pleat so that larger non-flat items can be included.

I plan to make a sample of the small front pocket so I can test out making a WonderClip holder. I hope to get it done by the next meeting.

Resources

  • Purchase the pattern and sew with us-N.B.: we will not be providing step by instructions, but will be posting here with tips and tricks
  • Tour of the bag -Instagram
  • Bag-a-Long project post – 9/27/2019
  • Thoughts behind the bag – 8/7/2019
  • Free video instructions
    • UCAB episode 1 : preparing for sewing pockets
    • UCAB episode 2 : sewing pockets, discusses thickness of pockets
    • UCAB episode 3 :badge holder pocket technique
    • UCAB episode 4 : Large pocket, installing zipper
    • UCAB episode 5 : installing a swivel hook, front and back of bag, front and back pockets
    • UCAB episode 6 : insert pockets into side panels
    • UCAB episode 7 : very brief video showing how the piece looks after installing the pockets in the side panels
    • UCAB episode 8 :Brief video showing the finished bag. No sewing.

Bat Table Runner

Fat Quarter Shop Subscription Box
Fat Quarter Shop Subscription Box

At Sew Day the other day, Amy showed me the most recent Fat Quarter shop box to which she subscribes.

For some crazy reason, I offered to make the table runner for her – just the piecing not the quilting. I know I have plenty of projects, but Amy is such a nice person and I knew she would never get it sewed together. I thought I could do it pretty quickly and she might be able to use it this Hallowe’en.

I am interested in trying that binding bat. I have the Fons & Porter binding ruler and it is a real pain to use, as I have said. The AllPeopleQuilt video is what I have been using recently and it is much easier to understand.

Bat Tablerunner pieces cut
Bat Tablerunner pieces cut

I was able to cut out all the pieces on Sunday. The annoying thing is that some of the fabrics are directional, so I have to be careful how I cut and use them.

I started piecing the little stars and that is taking forever. Once I finish those, I should be able to speed along.

A Couple of Donation Blocks

Zipper Pouch Day Donation Block
Zipper Pouch Day Donation Block

I took some packs of leaders and enders at Sew Day. I wanted to make a couple of blocks in between sewing the zipper pouches. I used the packs that Peggy always has available.

This is the first time I have made the postage stamp blocks in awhile and it was kind of fun, though my fabric placement was a bit off.

Donation block from Sew Day
Donation block from Sew Day

Three Strip Donation Quilts

I wanted to look at these three quilts together. I can’t actually see them since I don’t have them anymore. I am interested in the differences in these tops as well as the similarities.

These tops display one reason why I love quiltmaking so much. Essentially, these are the same pattern. They, however, look very different. They don’t look so different that you can’t tell they are the same pattern, but they still look different enough for the viewer not to be bored.

 

Red Strip Donation Blocks

Yes! It’s all about red lately!

Red Strip Donation Blocks
Red Strip Donation Blocks

I finally finished all of the blocks for the second Red Strip Donation Top. As mentioned before, not all of these scraps were strips, like in the Green Strip Donation Top. There are a lot of chunks. Perhaps I should call it the Red Chunk Donation top? That would differentiate it from the first one.

One of the things I like about working on a design wall is that I see different things after I put the blocks (or pieces) up. In this case, I saw that the quilt looked pretty good with thin white strips in between the blocks. I may cut strips and try that as a layout. I’d use cornerstones as well. More scraps to use up.

The quilt won’t end up as large as the Green Strip, the Purple Strip or the first Red Strip Donation quilts, but it will still be big enough for something. The layout will be a little different than the first red version.

New Red Donation Quilt

New Red Donation blocks
New Red Donation blocks

I am nearly finished with the first Red Strip Donation Quilt, but started blocks for a new one anyway. I am still trying to use up red scraps.

I have pretty much decimated my stash of red strips, which is why the new blocks won’t all be made from strips as the others have been. I also find that there is also no point in doing something I have already done. I know I make the same patterns over and over, but somehow I feel like this change is needed.

Red Strip Top – Ready Set

Red Strip Donation Blocks - ready to set
Red Strip Donation Blocks – ready to set

I worked very hard on the red strip blocks and have as many as I need for a quilt. They are on the wall and ready to set.

I am pleased with how they look and am thinking of setting them with aqua or turquoise.  I have also started in on making some new blocks for the Red Strip n.2. As I said before, there is no appreciable diminishment of red scraps.

The meeting in on Saturday and I may be able to finish the top by then. We’ll see.

Bonnie & Camille Donation Top/Back (Ends n.8)

Sewing on Tim's machine
Sewing on Tim’s machine

I spent the day sewing with Tim yesterday. I went over to his house, so he wouldn’t have to crate his dogs all day.

I didn’t bring my machine, which was really nice! Tim has a couple of machines, one similar to my Janome 6600 and I used that one all day. He worked on an old Kenmore – not THAT old, maybe early 2000s. Despite the sort of tight space, we worked together very well.

 

Ends n.8 - Bonnie & Camille
Ends n.8 – Bonnie & Camille

I had some Bonnie & Camille ‘ends’ from the Stepping Stones n.2 quilt, I think, that were bugging me, so I took them plus my Bonnie & Camille fabric and made that my project. I brought other projects as well so I would have enough to work on, but only got this piece done.

Ends n.8 (Bonnie & Camille)
Ends n.8 (Bonnie & Camille)

Tim said he would quilt it and wanted me to make a back. He prefers plain backs, so looked for some wideback fabric in his collection before we decided I should make the back.

In the course of assembling all the supplies for this quilt, I realized how much Bonnie & Camille fabric I have. I am pretty much done with it, so if you want yardage or charm packs of some of the older collections, let me know and I’ll tell you what I have. Contact information is on the About page.

New Red Strip Donation Quilt

Red Strip Donation Blocks
Red Strip Donation Blocks

So, this is the third in my strip quilt donation series after the Green Strip and the Purple Strip. Apparently, I am creating a series, though I am really just cleaning out my scrap drawers.

I worked on this Sunday as leaders and enders as I worked on the Fabric of the Year 2017 top. I made good progress on both. I am about 4 blocks away from having enough blocks to finish up this top. The sad part is that there is no appreciable lessening of my red scrap drawer.

I also forgot to take photos of the blocks as I finished them, so now I need to go back and figure out which ones are new.

 

Purple Improv Donation Top Finished

After many hours of sewing and listening to audiobooks on Sunday, I finished the Purple Improv top. I have been enjoying it on my design wall for a few days, because I couldn’t make the back right away.

Finished: Improv Donation Top
Finished: Improv Donation Top

There are a lot of small pieces in this quilt. As much as I could, I pressed the seams open to reduce bulk. This caused some issues with sewing. As I trimmed shards, I gained holes and had to be careful to make sure they were fixed before I moved on. I think I like the medallion style of the Green Thing better. I saw improv-ish quilt blocks by @saija_elina and thought, perhaps I would use that idea for another one of these scrap busters. I am not sure I want to make blocks, however.

I am not a huge fan of the T motif that ended up on the quilt, but c’est la vie. That is improv and that is what happens. Perhaps someone with a name that starts with a T will become the owner?