The road less traveled by...

100% cotton is my friend. It's easy to work with, makes nice sharp creases, and just does what it's told. It doesn't really stretch, it doesn't slide, and it doesn't misbehave.

Unfortunately, it's other types of fabrics that seem to call my name.

I decided to re-do the tote that I had switched the measurements around on before. I had wanted to make something that was out of a fashion fabric instead of a quilting fabric and it was equally rewarding as it was challenging. I've had it in my closet for so long, never having the nerve to cut into it. I bring it out from time to time to touch it and think of all the things I could do with it. But then it laughs at me and I get intimidated by it and put it away. It's thin, slippery, and a bit stretchy. It's very hard to cut or iron straight. It's flowy and soft... wait... someone please tell me why I chose this fabric???

Um, hello? Because it's gorgeous! :)

I used the free Pink October pattern from www.mamaspocketbook.com. I omitted the pocket (i was afraid it would take away from the fabric, but I'm wishing I had left it) and I added a magnetic snap closure (my first try!). It has an interfaced lining and I also adhered a stiff felt-type interfacing to the outer fabric to give it some body. The handles were quite a challenge. I also put the felt stuff in the middle of the handles but getting them straight and even wasn't easy. At any rate, I am proud of myself for standing up to the challenge and breaking out of my comfort zone. It was worth it.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference"

...Robert Frost

A Real Mama's Purse: Thank you, Kaylee and Isabella, for the most adorable purse I'll ever make.

When Kaylee was 2 years old and Isabella was 1 we bought the cutest little corduroy dress that had a patchwork look and over-all type straps. I've held onto it waiting to find something to do with it and tonight it found it's new place. I sewed up the bottom, sewed box corners and top stitched around the sides and along the bottom edges. It has to be the cutest thing I've ever made and probably will ever make. (I know that this is only true because I have loved this little dress for so long). :)

It stands up by itself while it has stuff in it, but it's not that stiff since I didn't open it to add interfacing. I did cover a piece of cardboard to put in the bottom to make the bottom stiff. It works great. I love the zipper on the side, (it's definitely just for looks, but still a cute little thing) and the buttons and tags. It's obviously just a hand held purse, but I'm considering lengthening the straps. For now it's just perfect the way it is.

Here's the dress before:

Front

Back




**And here it is: A Real Mama's Purse**

Turtle! Turtle!

This turtle is a version of my heating pad cozies. It's not quite right yet but it works. Initially I had made one out of muslin and simply traced the shell design (and terrible face). Then I made this colorful one and appliquéd the shell design on. I had thought I would just sort of tack the shell on along the sides, but I couldn't get it to lay right. I've got to work with the stuffing to get the right amount so it's stiff but pliable. Because I couldn't get it to tack down well and still look good, I decided to just sew the shell onto the body all the way around.

The legs and tail are just right, but I'm still having trouble getting the head to be where I want it. It's supposed to be closer to the body, but when it comes time to sew it on there is so much bulk around my sewing foot that it inevitably scooches out and ends up being too far out, making it a little more floppy than I had hoped.

For this one I just sewed on some little white rosettes for eyes, but I also have some buttons that look like eyes that I'll use on the real thing.

It will take a few more tries before I get it just right.... although, I am supposed to have a finished product ready by Wednesday for a co-worker. I'm a little nervous to cut into the fabric he chose... I just hope that it turns out alright. *crossing my fingers!!*

It isn't meant to stand up, but I thought it was nifty that it does. There is a pocket on the belly that holds a rice filled heating pad. The turtle is completely machine washable too, which is the big plus. It sure would be easier to make a simpler version that is "stuffed" with the rice, but you can't wash it. This is much better. :)

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Prototype #2: Modeled by Isabella

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Prototype #1: The Muslin Turtle

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Warning!
The following photo may be unsuitable for younger viewers.
Viewer discretion is advised.

**TURTLE TORTURE**

**Just kidding, no turtles were harmed in the making of this cozy**

A Special Order Tote

I suppose lately I've been doing much more sewing than quilting. I gave the "Fancy Schmancy Totey-Bag" to a co-worker who oooh'd and aaahh'd over it. She has been so happy with it that she called me this morning to ask me to make a bag for her mother. On my way home from work I stopped at the fabric store and picked up some 50% off poinsettia fabric and some heavy interfacing. She requested that it be a little taller and a little wider than the bag she has (naturally) so I took a good while trying to decide what size to make it. I settled on 16 wide x 18 high pieces (before sewing) with 2 1/2" boxed corners. I had made the handle waaaaay too long and had to take it apart to fix it cutting out 16 inches of handle... lol yeah I guess I went a little overkill to begin with.

I used a medium weight interfacing which makes it pretty durable. I didn't interface the handles, but I am wishing I had, they are a little twisty when it's in my hands. Oh well, live and lern. I mean learn. ;) I topstitched around the bottom to give it more standing power. I chose to leave the sides alone, I like the half-tote-half-grocery-bag look it has.

Here it is in all it's poinsettia glory. I really like it, it's a good size for a shopping tote.

Fancy Schmancy Totey-Bag

Just made this tonight. It's supposed to be 15'' wide and 12'' high... but I messed up and reversed it, so it's 12'' wide and 15'' high. *sigh*

I also messed up the topstitching when I was closing the top where I turned the bag right-side out. I veered a little and my seam isn't straight... but oh well. Still, it's pretty. I have more of this fabric so perhaps I'll make another one and get it right.

Cell Phone Case

I wanted to make a test mini-tote bag to see if I could put outside and inside pockets onto a tote bag. The test came out so cute and I've decided to turn it into a cell phone case.

Fabric Grocery Bags

Here's the fabric grocery bag I made over the weekend. Serita on the About.com Quilting forum posted it. It's from the tutorial found here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=79062.0;all

(Thank you Serita!)

It was a fun and easy pattern. I plan on making my own pattern for a tote with inside pockets and embellishments on the outside soon.

Quilted Cozies

I've always enjoyed making microwavable heating pads with a rice filling. They are sooo cozy and being reusable without having to worry about unplugging or turning something off makes them so convenient. I used to make them in just a plain fabric pouch, no cover.. but realized that they get dirty and aren't washable.

I wanted to see what a quilted cover would look like so I made a type of pillowcase pouch and quilted with some decorative stitching. It fits a rice pad inside made from muslin. The rice pad can be taken out and the cover is completely machine washable. I want to find a good way to close the cover but for now it's just open, but the rice pad doesn't fall out. I am thinking of using very flat buttons with tab closures or a zipper, but I want to make sure that it's not uncomfortable if you're laying on it. For now, the pillowcase idea works great.

The one shown here is the medium size, 10''x10''. It is unscented but I have made some with lavender buds as well. I plan on getting some essential oils and such to make some true aromatherapy heating pads. I have made these with half rice and half flax seed. The rice holds the heat very well and the flax seed provides the softness and flexibility to make the perfect cozy heating pad.

I'm calling them Quilted Cozies. I plan on selling them as I've already had some interest in them. :)

A Surprise at Joanns

I went to Joanns to buy the green satiny fat quarter bundle I've seen there for the longest time. I bought the other ones (pink and brown) nearly two years ago and the green, to my surprise, has been there all this time all by itself. It was still marked $9.99 but I didn't care, I wanted them for my next string piecing project.

When I got to the sales counter it wouldn't ring up. The clerk entered the code and after no success asked for help. The manager came over with a spool of ribbon and said, "Well, it's going to be $2.99" and promptly scanned the UPC. Much to my surprise and delight, the ribbon was on sale, and I paid just $1.97 for 4 satiny, beautiful fat quarters. =D

The Godfather of Prairie Points

I was making my prairie points and taking pictures of them (I take pictures of everything, it's a habit) over the weekend. Meanwhile my husband was watching "The Godfather". I had to chuckle as I looked at the picture that came out.

(Look in the background)

String Pieced Quilt Finished

I finished this on Sunday night but I haven't had a chance to post it. I'm really happy with how it came out, although it is looking slightly more gold than I planned (maybe my hubby was right about the black/gold border!)

I decided last minute that I didn't like the fabric I chose for the backing, it was just kinda boring; and I didn't like the way my quilting stitches came out... so I improvised and made a faux backing. Instead of hand stitching the backing down after sewing on the prairie points, I cut away some of the real backing and then just made a new one and hand sewed it around the edges. I'm so much happier with it now.

I took it to work with me and my boss kind of decided that it needed to stay there for a week. :)

Anyway, here it is.

String Pieced Top Finished

I *love* this quilt! I just finished the top and have it tacked down and ready to begin quilting or tieing, I'm not sure yet what I will do. I cannot machine quilt yet and I'm afraid to try and hand quilt it... I don't have the confidence yet. I'm thinking of tieing it with invisible thread and then hiding the ends on the inside.

It was pieced onto a muslin foundation and the backing is another satin fabric that a co-worker, Shu Yi, brought me from China. I wasn't going to add batting because of the muslin foundation, but I realized that the borders wouldn't have any thing in between them and the backing, so I added the batting anyway. It should make for a fairly heavy small quilt. The borders are a black fabric with gold roses. My husband wrinkled his nose at me when I told him I was going to use it but now he agrees that it was the right fit. Funny enough, I used this fabric for the lining of a tote that I made for Shu Yi last year.

I'm thrilled with this quilt and I just can't even believe how fancy it looks. Now I'm not afraid of the satin type fabrics I ooh and ahh over. I have a place for them now and they better watch out! (click picture for details).

More Strings

I made two more string blocks last night. I really love the way they look. I started having a hard time sewing a straight line and keeping everything flat.. but it was 2:30 am so I figured I better stop and pick it up after I gave my brain a rest. My favorite is the first block on the left, the size of the strips are perfect. I threw all my strips in a box and I close my eyes, reach in and grab one and don't argue with myself about using it or not, unless it's a duplicate I've decided I have to use it. With that said, I think it's funny how some of the strips ended up in the same spots in each block. Makes it look like I did it on purpose. (Click to see a larger picture of the details).

Bento Box

I won this pattern and fabric at a raffle fundraiser for the adoption agency I work for last year. I've finally washed the FQs and plan on cutting soon. I'm looking forward to it. The fabric are all Asian prints and really beautiful. Thanks Denise! :)

Bug Jar Swap

I've joined a Bug Jar swap with the girls on About.com. But I didn't join the bug category. ;)

I joined fruits and veggies and novelty. I found cherries and am looking forward to see how they look in their jars. I also found strawberries, but I didn't buy them because I'm not sure if strawberries can be "jarred". I am feeling stumped about what I'll find for the novelty category, but I think it will be fun to find the perfect fabric.

I'm really excited, this is my first quilting swap! :)

More current projects

So now I'm working on a quilt for my youngest daughter, Isabella. It's just plain squares with appliquéd hearts. I did a machine buttonhole stitch around the inner heart, and a hand sewn running stitch around the outer. Since I'm not working from a pattern I'm at a bit of a roadblock with this one for now. It takes me time to figure out what I will do next.


I also found an old UFO from a lonng time ago. I had sewn these fabrics together with the intention of making a rail fence lap quilt, but then I decided to cut the blocks in half and move them around to make a different design. I came to another road block when I realized that my points weren't matching up in the middle. I stuffed it all away and never thought about it again until now. I think it's time to resurrect these blocks because I *really* love the fabrics.

New String Blocks

I'll get right to it: I've fallen in love with string piecing. Here's a picture of the blocks I made tonight to test it out. The first is a small 4 inch block and the second is a 10 inch block. I love it! I've had these fabrics around for a long time but never used them because they were just too hard to work with. But sewing them onto a foundation piece (I'm using 99cent muslin) is proving to work perfectly. I can't wait to get this finished and up on my wall.

Update: Dresden Plate

Tonight I finished all the cutting on the Dresden Plate blades. I wanted to see what one plate would look like so I sewed one and I'm so happy with it! My husband says the blades look like little neck ties. They are so cute.


I can't wait to get this all finished. It's very easy, but just many small steps and slightly time consuming. It's great that all the blades are cut because I can work on it when I just want to be at my sewing machine without thinking much.

I've wanted to do a Dresden Plate for a long time... I'm really really happy to finally be doing it.

I have 380 blades left to sew and then 19 plates left to complete. Once I'm done with all that I can cut my blocks and start the appliqué. I think I will do a small button hole stitch to attach the plates to the blocks.

Coat of Many Colors

I was reminded tonight of the song "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton. I'm not a big DP fan, but I do remember my mom having her greatest hits on cassette and listening to it often and this was one of my favorites. It's just a really sweet song.

My next project: Dresden Plate

I've decided that I want to make a Dresden Plate quilt for my queen size bed. I had tossed around the ideas of a Log Cabin but I just keep being drawn to the Dresden Plate pattern. I'm doing the Egg Money Quilts pattern with 20 blades to each plate. The cool thing is: I'm using only 10 fat quarters for all 400 blades. I measured and drafted everything and decided I could get 40 blades to 1 FQ. And one plate of 20 blades will only have 2 of each fabric. Yada yada yada, I'm going on and on with all the hodge podge in my brain, but it helps me to get it out so I can remember my methods later.

I had bought a few FQs about a year ago (everything was about a year ago since it's been about that long that I've been sewing) that I just really loved and was saving them for the perfect pattern. I think the Dresden Plate is what I was waiting for.

Tonight I am cutting the blades, a time consuming but simple task. I can't believe that when I'm finished I'll have 400+ of them! Perhaps I wont get all of them cut tonight, but definitely by the beginning of the weekend.

Kaylee's New Quilt (Finally!)

On Monday night my daughter was trying to find something that started with the letter Q or R for sharing day at school. She walked through the house sounding it out and said, "Qu-Qu-Quilt! I can take a quilt to school!"

Right away I was feeling guilty for not having finished her quilt from a year ago. I had been putting it off because I wasn't working from a pattern, a year ago I wasn't cutting so carefully, and the whole top was just a little off. I had basted it a couple of times with the pieced backing I made but always ended up taking it apart because I was just too afraid that there would be puckers if I quilted it.


I decided I had waited long enough and at 7pm started on finishing her quilt. After basting, tieing (to resolve the feared puckering problem), and trimming the edges it was finally ready for binding. I made my own binding and hand sewed it on. Finally at 1:30am I was finished and just SO happy that it was done. It was so much easier than I had imagined it to be!

In the morning my daughter was very happy to have it and as we were driving to school she said, "I bet I'm the only one that will be sharing a quilt today!" She was proud to show it, and I was happy that she was showing her class the quilt her mama made for her.


After a year and a half in the making, I can check this UFO off my list.

And there's just something so appealing to me about a folded quilt.