I have been wondering about what would happen if I applied Odicoat to a finished bag. I haven’t been brave enough to try it on a bag I have made. After returning from my trip, I decided to try it on the bag I used as a handbag.
I am pretty pleased with how it came out. This bag is made from some kind of canvas. It is a very heavy fabric.
I applied the Odicoat to the bottom of the bag only. It turned out that the bottom became stiffer. It’s also slightly sticky or, maybe, just not smooth.
I have heard that Odicoat shrinks up fabric. I didn’t see that in this bag. Still, the Odicoat will keep the bottom of this bag clean.
I also don’t think this is a great example of what can happen with regular quilting cotton.
Restocking supplies is a nice way of saying I bought some fabric and a few other things.
Square in a Square book and ruler
First, was the Square in a Square ruler and book. I thought I talked about this book in a post about a guild meeting, but I can’t find the post now. I thought I had this ruler, but, again, I looked in my ruler storage area and didn’t find it.
The presentation was a monumental sales pitch, but I liked the idea of just using strips and squares to make square in a square blocks. I want to make the YM a quilt with his Boy Scout patches and the square in a square blocks will work really well to contain those patches.
Amethyst Bag elastic
Elastic from PennySupplies
Next, I needed some clips and elastic for the Amethyst Project Bag. I found some sites on Etsy where I got some nice 1″ elastic. White and black elastic seem like they belong in underwear not in bags made from Tula Pink fabric. The elastic in the photo above (left) uses the perfect colors for the Amethyst Project Bag. I couldn’t believe my luck. That is not a color combination I would normally select, but it goes perfectly with the Ka-Bloom fabric from Tula Pink’s Moon Garden line.
Various buckles
I looked for different colored parachute clips and ended up getting two different kinds from Amazon. One is just white plastic, which is what I used for the Amethyst Project Bag. The other is metal and came nicely packaged. They are however a little hard to open, so I may have to use them as decorative buckles, not buckles I need to use frequently. I would get too annoyed.
The Dritz Iron off** is THE BEST. It works quickly and well for cleaning your iron.
The other elastic came in great colors (photo right), but isn’t quite as stretchy as the elastic referenced above. Still, I am sure I’ll be able to use it.
Sew Hungry Hippie (April 2023)
I needed to replenish my stock of vinyl. I have been going through it at an alarming rate, especially because I have been making so many I Spy pouches.
I decided to get some of the Tula Pink tent stripes to use in Stay Tuned. Whenever I place an order with Sew Hungry Hippie, I also get some of the Riley Blake black and white stripes (photo above). They are great for bindings and I go through a lot of it. Especially lately, I have been using quite a bit of it for bag bindings.
I decided to level up to get free shipping and bought some more glitter webbing. I plan to use the blue for another Essential Tote. I don’t know what I’ll use the black for, but probably another Essential Tote. I am determined to change my machine needles more often, thus the needles.
Material Girl fabrics (April 2023)
I want to make some pillowcases for my Dad for Father’s Day, so I went looking for fish fabric. He is a passionate fisherman. I was pleased to find that Martha Negley has put vegetables aside and has a recent collection with a fish print.
I couldn’t stay away from some additional Philip Jacob prints. I don’t have plans for most of them, but I keep thinking about a new version of “He Tried to Make It Up to Her.” The Philip Jacobs fabrics would be perfect for some of the broderie perse on that style of quilt.
**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Friend Julie posted about her Wunderlabels. I received mine as well. I bought a small number to see if I use them. I have been lazy about using the labels I print out. Maybe these will be easier to use.
Wunderlabels
I am pretty pleased with the quality. There isn’t much one can include in the little space, but I decided that simplicity was key.
Putting the blog on them will help researchers and historians in the future when they want to identify my bags and smaller projects. LOL!!!
Wunderlabels
I also like the quality. They look pretty well made. I’ll have to sew one into a bag soon, so see what I think for real.
A local quilt shop is closing. Always bad news. Friend Julie contacted me to tell me that the shop had 60″ wide Soft & Stable for a discount. I had her buy5 yards for me. I didn’t realize, in physical space, how much that would be.
The roll is large – 60 inches tall LOL! Now it is sitting in different places around my workroom. I am going to need a supply closet, separate from the fabric closet if I am not careful. I bought a bolt of Pellon foam* recently and haven’t even cracked it open.
The wider foam is much easier to use. I can use less of the yardage, because I can take advantage of the width.
Foam and fabric ready to quilt
I took some quilts to Colleen the other day and included two lengths of foam and fabric ready to be quilted. One sticking point for me, especially with ByAnnie patterns is quilting the foam before I can even get started on the project. I really don’t like quilting and quilting the Tarts has cemented my resolve not to quilt any project soon.
Before I was even ready to make a date with Colleen, I asked her if she could quilt foam. She had never tried it on her machine. She was kind enough to get some Soft & Stable and quilt a sample. She told me she could and showed me the sample when I saw her. I told her I had opened up a whole new line of quilting for her!
One length (shown above) will be for a project with a drop-in lining, maybe the Sew Sweetness Chickadee backpack. the other length has a lining as well as an exterior and it will be for a ByAnnie bag. I have made most of the patterns I have except the Case in Point pattern. I am still searching for the perfect bag in which I can store my tools in for travel. I am also wondering if, I have a length of pre-quilted fabric, the process of working with a ByAnnie pattern will be easier and quicker.
*N.B. Pellon foam** is ok. It works just fine. It is a smidge less stiff than Soft & Stable. It is also only 20″ wide, so there is a lot of seaming pieces together for larger projects.
**Obviously, you should shop at local fabric stores, knitting shops, independent booksellers or quilt shops. However, if you can’t, please know that I use affiliate links. I may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I do not recommend items I don’t like. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Pink Door was having a sale. I took the opportunity to pick up a few things I needed for my La Pass project, few gifts and some things I had been eyeing for awhile.
The idea was that you place your order and they hold it until the sale is over then send it. That meant that I received a giant box of quilt gifts right before Christmas. Some of the items were gifts. I’ll have to save a couple, because the box didn’t arrive in time. It is okay, because I forgot that I bought them for the recipients!
Marti Michell Magic Mirror
One of the things I bought, which was not on my mind, was the Marti Michell Magic Mirror**. Total impulse buy, but I think I can use it when I am selecting fabric for fussy cutting for my La Pass project. I could have really used this when I made the Peacock. It is a recommended tool for One Block Wonder quilts.
I also bought more glue pens – not the refills, but the actual pens. I have one, but wanted one for my travel bag and one on my cutting table as well. I got a lot of refills with the pens, so I am in good shape there.
Pink Door purchase
I am excited about also excited about the long handbag zippers that were on sale. I am sure I can use them for future bags. I got some mesh that will go with the fabrics I use for Mom’s bags.
As you can see I also got some fabric and some Tula Project pouches. It was fun to be able to shop for what I wanted for once.
**I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Awhile ago I bought some sparkly vinyl from Sew Hungry Hippie. Vinyl can be so boring. I thought a little sparkle would spark (HA!) a pouch up.
Sparkly Vinyl
I have never paid much attention to the thickness of vinyl. Patterns do say to get a certain gauge, but I tend to use what I have on hand.
I had the opportunity to cut out some Inside Outside pouches the other day and decided to use this vinyl. When I unrolled it to cut my pieces, I found that it was a lot thinner than the vinyl I am used to using.
It doesn’t seem to be inferior in any way to the vinyl I have on hand. It is also easier to sew through.
Sparkly vinyl in a project
I think it looks pretty good so far; not too much. Stay tuned for the finished result of my efforts.
Decovil is described very well in a video by Sara Lawson. It is flexible, but also strong. This is the first project in which I have used it.
I like the way it makes the bag feel. It is also thick, which means that keeping it out of the seam allowances is important to me. In the photo above, you can see the beige layer on the top. You can see how it is much smaller than the the other layers. That is the Decovil. It is probably a little smaller than it needed to be, but it will work.
Sometimes I print out 2-3 templates and cut one for interfacing, which is smaller then the others. Most of the time I guess.
Note:
Decovil Light = 525
Decovil Heavy =526
I’d love to hear your experiences with Decovil.
**I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I received the most recent Quilty Box a few days ago.
I like the boxes – the actual cardboard container – since they are great for mailing things.
I like receiving good mail.
This is, however, the last one I will receive. I decided not to renew for all reasons I talked about in the post about Quilty Box n.1 and Quilty Box n.2. Also, the fabric was cut to make a certain project and that didn’t work for me.
Quilty Box n.3 contents
This one had Sew Tites and I can always use Sew Tites!
I also liked the charm pack. I really need to find a scrap project that uses 5 inch squares. I have tons in addition to all of the charm packs I have collected.
I am on month 2 of my 3 month Quilty Box subscription. Victoria Findlay Wolfe provided this month’s project – a lozenge quilt. I didn’t really get to enjoy this one yet, because of the Workroom Refresh.
Quilty Box n.2 open
I was still excited to receive the box. Everything is such a wreck at our house that a little treat was a good thing. This time I didn’t know what would be in it, so it was a complete surprise. The picture (right) is exactly what I saw when I opened the box. They wrapped it pretty nicely, if simply.
The booklet has a couple of projects inside as well as a Q&A with Victoria Findlay Wolfe.
Quilty Box n.2 contents
Quilty Box n.2 contents
I didn’t know what to expect in this box. There was another label, some mini fabric bolt cards, a seam ripper, a spool of Aurifil, acrylic templates for the quilt and the booklet. The seam ripper is a serious Havel one. I’ll put it in my La Passacaglia kit.
Astrid Fabrics
I like the fabric. The amounts were better this time. I got 1/3 yard cuts and can make the quilt pictured on the front of the booklet, if I add some background.
I don’t need everything in this box, but the overall contents were better. I think I just want to open mail and dream about the contents. I am pretty sure I don’t want to organize it, find a home for it or put it all away.
I subscribed for 3 months to Quilty Box. Anna Maria Horner’s Bright Eyes fabric line was included in this first box. I wanted to subscribe because of the AMH fabrics. I didn’t buy any Bright Eyes when I was in Oregon & Washington, so getting some in the mail was good.
Quilty Box open
I was excited to receive the box. I didn’t know exactly what was in it. The picture (right) is exactly what I saw when I opened the box. They wrapped it pretty nicely, if simply.
The booklet has a couple of projects inside as well as a Q&A with Anna Maria Horner.
Quilty Box items
Quilty Box items
The fabric, of course, was the main attraction. There were, however, other items in the box as well. The items included a label, a spool of thread, and a needle threader.
Quilty Box Fabrics
I liked the fabric, but I didn’t really like the amounts. They provide the amounts needed to make the quilt on the front of the booklet. I would have liked some more of the poppy fabric and less of the plaid. I have no plans to make the quilt top, so I started using the fabric already.
I know I seem like I am never happy with these boxes. I guess I just need to shop for myself!
I need another EPP Project (or any project???) like I need another hole in my head, but I am still very tempted. My friend, Lindsay, is working on Smitten and I love to see the progress she is making. Of course, she takes it with her places and works out in by bits while she is out. I never really go anywhere where that would work. I have the half-hexie project I haven’t worked on in months. Also, I have La Passacaglia papers and templates waiting for me to make into something.
It would be stupid to spend money on this new temptation, but I am still tempted.
Peek-a-Boo fabric by Amy Bradley Designs, Pattern #13012
I am working on the Frolic! quilt, as you have seen and, of course, I have run out of fabric. This blue dotted fabric is an older fabric called Peek-a-Boo by Amy Bradley Designs for Moda Pattern #13012. I always try to think of running out of fabric as a design challenge. Thus, I have a relatively suitable substitute waiting in the wings, but would really prefer just a little more of this fabric. If you have any you are willing to sell or trade, please get in touch. I would really appreciate your help. Thanks!
Some time ago, I bought a big bag of Soft & Stable from MassDrop. Recently I checked the bag where I keep it and found only small bits and pieces left. I needed some for the Chubby Charmers I talked about Saturday and Sunday. I thought about zigzagging the pieces together, but wasn’t committed.
Saturday, however, I decided to do a little. It was an oddly satisfying project. I zigzagged smaller pieces together. Not shreds (I’m not as crazy as I seem sometimes), but pieces that would fit together and make a good sized piece. Now I have two pieces I can use for the Chubby Charmers.
Leftover Soft & Stable 2
This is the last of a 3 yard x58″ wide piece and I want more. I bought a smaller package a week or so ago and it was just enough for one of the Chubby Charmers. I like having plenty on hand, though and that package was just too small. The 3 yard x58″ wide Soft & Stable ‘drop’ is not available on MassDrop right now. You can request it using the special link.
Now I have to get back to real work and quilt those Chubby Charmers.
No, my birthday is not in February, but I didn’t have a chance to show off my gifts until now. I am not trying to make anyone jealous.
It was a pretty big quilty birthday, which is not always the case. I got a new cutting mat. I have smaller cutting mats that go with me when I travel or participate in Sew Day. The mat I use in my workroom, however, is the one I got when I started making quilts more than 30 years ago! It was time for an upgrade and I am using and loving the new one. It does make a difference.
I received some new Tula dots. I’ll have to figure out something fabulous to make with them.
Charm square project tote
I also got a number of new project totes, which is great! I really like putting my projects in totes and keeping everything together. This little tote (right) fits charm squares. Not sure how I will use it, but will figure something out.
I haven’t tried everything out, but am slowly working my way through all the new stuff. I am so fortunate to have such great friends. It was so nice get things related to my passion.
On a whim, I pre-ordered some Chroma FQs from Hawthorne Threads. I wanted to use some of the pieces for the Triple Star and I had some time to cut at the end of June.
They were expected at the end of June, which was perfect timing. Sadly, the fabric didn’t arrive until nearly the end of July.
Poor Hawthorne Threads. They were beside themselves and incredibly apologetic. Good thing I had plenty to do.
Some of the colors are great, but I don’t like that mustard yellow or the super icky green. I am an icky green girl, but that is a little too icky for me. the blues are the nicest followed by some of the pinks and lavenders. I already started cutting and the fabric is batik-esque and VERY thin.
Aurifil 28 wt.
I also started machine quilting with the 28 weight Aurifil thread. I liked it and decided to use it for the art quilt. I bought a few spools in colors I needed from Red Rock Threads*. What a great place! I ordered the thread in the evening one day and two days later it was on my dining room table. I didn’t even pay for expedited shipping. Their site isn’t super fancy, but it works well, is easy to understand and they ship fast. I can’t ask for more than that.
