Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
I finally finished repairing my niece’s Tufted Tweets pillowcase! Hooray! It took me awhile to get to it (Pandora Charisma!), but now I just have to take it over to her. This has been hanging around since December 12-ish.
Not only was the cuff ripping off, but there was also a hole in the fabric, so I covered it with an appliqued heart. The heart was a quick and dirty job.
I am into sneak peeks lately! You got one the other day about this finished Pandora Charisma.
Yep!
Finished! Done! Complete!
I powered through a lot of the finishing steps, which were the hardest, on Friday so the bag could be done for the Month 1: UFO challenge reveal.
When I brought it to Sew Day, as mentioned, I wanted to add some additional rivets, but for all intents and purposes, it was done before I did that. I am pretty pleased with it, though I know there are things I could do better and want to do better.
I am really pleased with the back. I think it looks awesome and I can’t really believe that I made it using all the weird substrates.
The zippers look good, but I wasn’t happy with the way the teeth were so high up from the zipper tape (the teeth were not flush or flush-ish with the tape). Also, there was something strange about the zipper tape. I am going to use a different brand when I make this bag again, maybe Wawak or ByAnnie continuous zippers next time. Using the continuous zipper was good for small zipper areas like the back zipper shown on the photo, right. The teeth were too high, but I had to secure the zipper with fabric, so the stitches looked ok. In general, though the high teeth kept me from making nice straight stitches. It was good that I had enough continuous zipper yardage to have the same zipper tape on all of the many zippers required for this bag.
There are a lot of pockets and places to hold stuff in this bag. The front pocket is like a regular purse area. the main area has a mesh pocket, which will keep things safe but handy and a slip pocket. The leash is very useful for keys, but also for attaching anything you don’t want to lose. That leash could be made of ribbon, tiny webbing or leather.
The back pocket has a small tablet sleeve, which is padded to keep your Kindle, iPad or other type of tablet safe. The pocket opens a lot more narrowly, so you have to use that side for items that can be slipped in and out.
The most challenging part of this bag can be seen in the photo, left, and that is the binding. The final step, which, seriously, almost made me give up, is putting the bag together then binding the edges. It is really hard to shove so many layers under the needle and get it to look ok. I did one side of some of the bindings by hand, which was a big effort, but looked a lot better than my first binding by machine. My binding effort is not stellar, but I was able to finish.
I do want to make another. I plan to borrow my mom’s 1960s Emdeko machine, which is one of those all metal machines that can sew through anything. I also plan to go through the pattern while I have the bag at hand and decide which pockets I can sew in vinyl, which need more interfacing, etc, so I am more prepared next time. I also want to count up all the hardware I used so I have matching hardware when I make the next one.
I am really pleased that I finished it and plan to take some time to relax with some easy projects.
We had an amazing Sew Day over the weekend. At the peak, we had more than 30 people sewing and socializing. We get that many at our holiday party, but I am not sure we have ever had that many at a regular Sew Day. I knew we might have some new people, so we set up some extra tables in advance. We still didn’t have enough seats. I guess the message is that people need to show up on time if they want a seat. 😉
We had the 8YO son of our Founder join us. He is working with his mom to make a quilt for his bed. This means we are encouraging the younger generation to get into sewing. He was very focused!
We had another parent/’child’ team as well. Roberta is a new member who brought her daughter Michelle. They intend to work on projects together, which is a great way to get together.
I brought the Pandora Charisma, which needed a few more steps, some of which were riveting. Mary helped me use her rivet press to add a few more rivets to various places on the bag. I am super happy with the riveting.
News Flash: the Pandora Charisma is finished. People were really impressed. I just felt tired after struggling with it for so many weeks (which feels like years!).
SueS is having a problem with her hand, so I offered to cut some pieces out for her. She was very well organized, so the task was easy. She also stood with me and kept me on track, which was great. I brought a ruler that was the exact size of the pieces she needed, which made the task easier. All-in-all a good effort.
The UFO Challenge Team had a mini-show and tell where finished and in-progress #12 items were shown. Not everything got finished, but everyone was inspired to work on a project that had been sitting around for a long time.
They also drew the next number, #9 was selected. For me, that is an extra large project bag. I have the fabric quilted, but need to cut out the other pieces and put the whole thing together.
Later in the day, I also started cutting out the Tadpole pouches. Now that I am done with the Pandora Charisma, I am going to work on some easier projects. While I was doing that Tim was working on one of his Jittery Wings quilts.
The picture shows the start of it and it just got better the more he put up on the wall.
Mary decided a few weeks ago to create a design wall that we could put up and take down. She came with a big piece of Velcro and installed it. The next step is making a piece of felt big enough to cover the space. We only had a small piece of felt, but Tim agreed to make a larger one. It will be great and the location is awesome: right next to some large windows.
I raced around so didn’t get time to catch up with many people, but I chatted to some and that was great.
No, I am not in Portland at the moment.
I never got around to talking about Sewcial Studies after I returned from Portland in the Fall.
I went with Cheryl and Amanda. Sewcial Studies is in Milwaukie on a cute little street with a variety of shops including a chocolatier and a bookstore.
Sewcial Studies, a very small store, describes itself as an ‘art and craft’ store. While we were there, a woman was learning how to make a shirt, or some kind of garment.
One side of the store (shown, left) houses supplies you can buy: fabric, notions, etc. The collection of items isn’t large, but everything is high quality and a little unique. The red table in the center of the photo really intrigued me. I couldn’t help but think it looked like a billiard table.
On the other side of the store is the class/lessons/sewing side. I didn’t take a good picture of the whole side, but you get an idea of what it looks like. There were 3-4 tables with sewing machines where people could sew. I was intrigued to see different brands, models and vintages of machines. While having the same machines would be good for troubleshooting, getting used high quality machines might be more cost effective.
I really wanted to buy these pattern weights even though I didn’t need them. They were so cool looking and would have been great for shapes I needed to cut using a paper pattern.
They were on the pricey side, though, and I decided not to spend so much on an impulse buy. I don’t see them on their website so either they are too pricey to mail or I missed my chance.
One cool service they have are Open Sews. The charge is only $10/hour and they happen everyday the shop is open. You get to use their tools, machines, and get help if you should need it.
The coolest thing in the shop was their rivet press. I know I am obsessed with rivet presses right now, but this one was super cool the way it was embedded (inserted?) into an old sewing machine cabinet. OMG! Such a great idea. Also, the turquoise ‘plate’ is awesome.
I don’t think the sewing cabinet top opens anymore, but it would be great if the rivet press could be stored inside the cabinet as well. I think the height prevents it.
I wasn’t as focused on the store as I normally am, but I still saw enough to know that I like it. It is also a GREAT idea! I love the idea of dropping into to sew with others when it fits into your schedule.
Let me know if you go visit.
Tel:(503) 303-9143
suzanne@sewcialstudies.com
10835 SE Main Street
Milwaukie, OR 97222
Store Hours:
Sunday 12-5pm
Monday 10am-6pm
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday-Saturday 10am – 6pm
I was fortunate to get a number of fabulous gifts for my birthday, which was in January.
Julie topped up my fabric supply with some mini Pearl bracelets plus a couple of other pieces (far right) that were used as wrapping. I have an idea for the teal Art Gallery Round Elements.
There were other gifts as well. I can always use cards (also from Julie) as I send a lot of them out to friends. Mary gave me a couple of packs of continuous zipper tape while Tim found a wild button pouch that is super unique.
You know I like paper folding. The origami paper might help me finish the Mette Rings I started as a Fair entry last year (?)
Recently, I received a lovely bunch of gifts from Carrie, both Christmas and birthday at the same time as we haven’t been able to get together. Carrie has been experimenting with Kraftex and I am always excited to see what she has made. I was fortunate enough to receive a pouch (upper right) and a business card holder. I have also been reading about Kraftex in the book she gave me and am planning a journal cover or two.
I bullied, a little, Carrie into making journal covers for composition books as raffle prizes. I wanted people to have something to make notes on at guild meetings. I was the fortunate recipient of a composition book and cover, too!
I received a few other things, which was very nice. The best was the calls, cards, and messages from far flung friends and family. Thank you!
I worked really hard on Wednesday to get this project to this state. The process went a lot better than I expected. I have to finish it today to make the UFO Challenge deadline. Fingers crossed, but I am patting myself on the back for getting this far.
The photo shows two sections and two zipper gussets sewn together. There is still quite a bit of assembly required, but I was excited when I saw how the bag looked.
It is always hard for me to imagine the size, shape and elements of a bag when I only see it on paper. Seeing it put together is awesome.
There is one small (thin) section (photo, right). This is good for a tablet plus pens and other things. The pocket on the right is a really good idea. There is an internal zipper pocket with the divided slip pocket on top.
As I saw the finished parts, I started to mark pockets that could be made from vinyl in future versions. Vinyl would make the bag thicker, but would also conserve focus fabric, if necessary.
I will add another section that folds down diagonally on the left. That section is larger (fatter) than the one described above, so the user can put things that are more 3D (wallet, water bottle, etc) inside. It’s not huge, but large enough to use as a handbag.
I really had to watch the video in order to get to this point. Making sure the sections/pieces are oriented in the correct direction is super important and the pattern alone wasn’t doing the job. It really makes me appreciate the way Sara and Danny of Sew Sweetness mark their videos to coincide with the steps in the pattern.
The same section can be viewed from the top so you can see how big it is.
That pocket with the lamps and the poodles could definitely be vinyl. It would have to bind the top with doublefold elastic and then I could see the fabric behind it as well as what was in the pocket. Alternatively, I would use a solid or tone-on-tone for the back panel piece and a focus fabric for the pocket. There is a lot going on in that section, which could be toned down a bit. 😉
Slowly, but surely Lupine is growing.
In between trying to finish the Pandora Charisma and working on other bits and bobs, I am sewing blocks together as well. I have about 5 more of each of the blocks to make before I can start on the border.
This is a really dramatic color scheme and I LOVE it.
You got a sneak peek the other day that I had finished this quilt. I plan to enter it into the Fair, so I need to start working on a sleeve. I could have made it when I made the binding and prepared the quilt for longarming, but I didn’t think of it so here we are.
My quilt holder is my youngest nephew. He spends at least once a week with me doing yard work, though the day I took this picture his duties expanded to quilt holding. This was his first outing as quilt holder and he is as tall as the YM or DH, but you can see the quilt pretty well.
I used much of the leftover fabric for the back, which I really like.
I made good progress over the weekend on my ongoing project. I finished all the ‘panels’. After all the work, they are combined into the 3 panels: front, middle and back, which are 2-sided.
With the panels done, I can now start assembling the bag. The first thing was to make the zipper gussets. I started over the weekend, but then, almost immediately, had to rivet the D-rings. I haven’t done much with rivets in the past, but I think that this bag will get harder usage and my machine is struggling, so off I went to MaryC’s again for more rivets.
The zipper gusset is one of the largest I have made. Fortunately I had enough of zipper by the yard (from my various purchases at Sewlarium) to use for all of the small and long zippers.
I am excited I am nearing the end.
You got a sneak peek of Gelato #2 the other day. I showed that I had finished this quilt in the January 26 Projects list.
This was a great quilt to finish, because I’ll be really happy to see how the recipient likes it.
I think I am calling this quilt Gelato, because of the style in which I pieced the first one, but more because of the name of the fabric I used for the first quilt.
The back is pretty wild, but I also like how cheerful it is. This is what happens when I pull out all of my backing fabrics and pull out ones I haven’t seen in awhile.
I’ll be sending it off to it’s new home soon.
I know many of you sincerely dislike January, but I LOVE it! It is my birthday month, which is awesome. More importantly, however, it feels fresh and new and full of possibilities. Thus, today, February 1, is the end of January for another year and one of the saddest days of the year for me. People have told me to buck up followed by their stories about Fabulous February. I haven’t been able to shake off the sadness of no more January for another year. Thus, I wanted to do something fun and cheerful.
After finishing the binding on Triumphant, I felt the lack of a hand project. I need another big EPP project, but haven’t committed to one yet. I need to finish La Passacaglia, but am at a point where I need to fish or cut bait on an idea. As a result I started another EPP ball. These are pretty fast to make, which isn’t great for my hand sewing needs. It is however, keeping my hands away from an addictive game on my phone.
I pulled a few 5 inch squares from my 5 inch square bin and began sewing. 5 inch squares are one of the sizes I cut when I am scrap processing.
I don’t have a baby to whom to give this one, but I am sure one will show up in my life.
None at this time.
WIPs are projects on which I am working. This means that I am past the cutting out of pieces stage, some sewing has taken place.
I still have UFOs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled, it hasn’t been worked on in awhile or it is waiting its turn to be worked on. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.
I am annoyed that some of these are still UFOs. This is the year to fish or cut bait: some of these will be tossed.
Thank you for reading!
Something changed. I am not sure what. Understanding? Small success? I don’t know, but something clicked into place and I am back on track to make progress on the Pandora Charisma.
First, I have been reading the pattern and watching the video to help move me along. This should be the magic combination, but the video’s sound wasn’t working so I had to read the closed captioning. First world problem, I know, but something was missing. It could be the way I learn.
The other day, the video’s sound magically started working! This was so helpful.
I have been using the Diamond quilted vinyl from Sewfisticated and I am pleased with the overall look of the back panel. I was concerned with the white and the black combo when I put on the bottom D-rings, but the connector at the top made the whole thing look good.
Next, I was confused about the interfacing. Decovil was one of the options. The designer provides several different options, which is awesome, but also confusing. The presenter on the video talked a little about the stick-on Sewfisticated interfacing. I have some and decided to try it. Magical! I don’t have to iron it or sew it on, which is important for the exterior I am using, which cannot be ironed.
Also, I bought a Teflon foot for my machine, which really works well.
Finally, seeing what the presenter did with the D-rings (mine are triangles on white strips in the above photo) and using the Teflon foot made the sewing so much easier.
So, I think I am back on track. Fingers crossed! I have 8 days to go before the UFO challenge deadline. Will I make it?
Admin
I updated the HRT Resources list based on something I read on Bonnie Hunter’s blog and also based on the paper at Boerma’s I talk about below.
Projects, Classes, Patterns, Techniques & Tutorials
LillyElla has some great free tutorials including a Mini Maker Station, a fabric basket, the Undercover Maker Mat as well as the Hold Tite Folio.
Jeff Rutherford shared a couple of cool looking quilt patterns / older QAL projects in a post. The first is Between the Lines. This is a modern row quilt and he obliges by showing us his progress. He also shares Sugaridoo, another older Bernina QAL that is also a row quilt. Since this is old and you don’t have to wait for the next week’s pattern, check the overall page for all the patterns and information.
Mel Beach has a free downloadable bingo board for you to gamify your creative goals for 2026
The Retreat Bag Pattern by Emmaline Designs has been updated and the updated pattern is on their site. I have made this bag a few times and think the updates look interesting.
Libs Elliot is teaching Chaos with a Twist and there are only 2 more days to sign up.
I searched Potato Chip quilts after my post the other day and came up with this great version. The post talks about what potato chip quilts are, how to make them, etc. I like how the example starts with a larger square and then, essentially, sashes it with the potato chip patches.
Tools, Books, Fabric, Notions, Services & Supplies
I found a wide selection of toweling on the Fabric Essentials website. I like toweling for gifts. Who doesn’t need a good tea towel? Fabric Essentials also has an interesting selection of books, including one of my favorites, Around the Block**. I haven’t seen this book for sale in ages.
My friend Laura has an Etsy Shop. Who knew? Check out her collages.
Tula Pink’s Prince Charming Deja Vu is now available for pre-order. This line is not one that I will buy on pre-order. I’ll wait to see it in stores. I really wish Free Spirit would do a Deja Vu line for Martha Negley. I love her vegetable prints.I have some with a purple background. I should make a bag out of it so I can enjoy it regularly.
As mentioned, I bought a couple of yards of fabric from Melody Miller’s Carousel collection from Bloomerie Fabrics.
I saw this HRT paper at Boerma’s when I was looking to use my birthday coupon. I had never heard of that particular paper before, but thought it was really interesting. The foundation paper is also a great way to bust your stash.
I also saw the Quilt Genius Design Tool Kit at Boersma’s. I am a huge advocate of designing your own quilts and this kit looks like a good way to get started. They also have the graph paper as a stand-alone option.
My sister asked me if I used a binding gadget/foot like in this video to bind my quilts. I have tried it, but don’t use it regularly. You?
**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 website.
I spent most of the day on Sunday making blocks for the Lupine quilt instead of working on the Pandora Charisma. The white strips blocks have been on my mind and I wanted to sew some sashing on to them, so I worked on the Lupine blocks and made the white strip blocks my leaders and enders.
I am quite ready to sew this quilt together. Though I am nearing the end of block making I still have some to sew.