Those annoying no-sew days

Three things to be happy about:
(1) a sweet treat
(2) Monday mornings
(3) the end of a storm

Boy oh boy did it storm last night!  But I think it's all gone now; we have a lot of leaves in the street but no limbs or branches -  at least not on my street.

I think I found a new definition for "no-sew" days -- they're not only days when you don't sew, but days when you DO sew but nothing goes right.  It's like your mojo deserted you, so if I have one it sure as heck wasn't working yesterday!

I made another "potato chip" bag yesterday, but this time I wanted to make it larger so I added two inches to all the measurements.

I also increased the size of the boxed corners by 1/2", that was okay but I should have realized that it added a whole inch to the overall size of the boxed corners.

Well, I learned a few things that I'll do differently next time.  For example, it's okay to increase the corners but I should leave the pockets the same size. 

You can't see it, but the front pocket goes down a bit too far, affecting the shape of the bottom.  And the width sorta wraps around the sides a bit.  The pockets don't really need to be larger than the pattern calls for.

Actually everything else looks okay though. 

The flap looks larger than the purse but it's the same size as the front and back, so it's those pesky pockets that jigged the deal.

So now I have two purses! 

Wish I had reversed the fabrics, and used that darker Alexander Henry fabric for the flap though...

Oh well, there's always another bag waiting to be made!

Have a great Monday, sew forth and sew on til later ...

It's in the bag!

Three things to be happy about:
(1) skipping with a grade-schooler
(2) new software
(3) Happy Socks

What a difference "sleeping on it" makes!

Yesterday I was all a-fuddle over the placement of the pocket on this little popcorn purse.

But when I woke up and looked at the pattern again, I realized - I had the pocket upside down!

After that it was all clear sailing...

There are two pockets on the inside and two on the outside.

I used the same fabric for the lining, straps and front pocket.

It turned out really cute, maybe I'll go make another one!


Enjoy your Saturday, sew forth and sew on...

More fabrics, little project

Three things to be happy about:
(1) crossing your ankles
(2) soft lighting
(3) sleeping in

Here are some black fabrics I bought on the Lancaster shopping trip last week.

Some interesting prints are in there, including violins, mustache trimming tools and music notes.  You probably can't see it, but the piece with the gold rings says "with this ring" - cute!

I decided to take a small detour and make a small purse that's supposed to be super easy, using these fabrics. 

The Potato Chip Bag is said to be so easy and addictive you can't make just one, but ...

... I got all the way to attaching the outside pocket, and somehow my mind just wouldn't grab ahold of what I was supposed to do!

When I get past this point I'll have a cute bag.

Or maybe if my friend Felicia will hold my hand, I might even have two or three!



Sew forth and sew on ..

Just a bit more

Three things to be happy about:
(1) a pencil sketch
(2) fall foliage
(3) collections

Have you tried organic apple cider vinegar with "the Mother?"

A few months ago when two friends were raving about it for controlling blood pressure, I picked up a bottle.

It not only helps lower my blood pressure, but I lost a few pounds too!

Then I picked up another bottle...

Then I discovered it comes in a flavored drink ...

Then I started making my own flavored drinks: 1/4 cup apple juice; 2 tsp vinegar; a little sweetener; 1-3/4 cups water - good stuff!

Then yesterday at Walmart I discovered it comes in a little "go" size, I coulda used this on my trip to Reno last June.

I finished a few more of the little wonky churn dash blocks...

I now have a total of 28 done.

How many do I need?  Not sure yet, it depends on the setting!

When I started making these I thought of a flush, side-by-side setting, but now I'm exploring other options.

Stay tuned!



Sew forth and sew on ...

Lancaster shopping trip

Three things to be happy about:
(1) baked pork chops
(2) gingerbread men people
(3) pumpkin butter

(I think somebody's a little hungry!)

Friday I went on the annual bus trip to Lancaster, PA - you couldn't have asked for a better day!  The weather was mild, even early morning and late evening.

Last year I got a pint of pumpkin butter from the Kitchen Kettle Village and it was really delicious!  This year I brought home two pints, LOL.

I also got an "oops" bag of broken gingerbread people.  If they're broken it's half the calories, right??

My goal this year was to get lots of white-and-black, to beef up the variety in the churn dash blocks I'm working on.  I usually load up on neutrals because no matter what other colors Bonnie Hunter uses in her mystery quilt, neutrals will play a definite role.  But I have plenty already, so I didn't let myself get tempted in that direction.

But there was plenty of the white-and-black to tempt me!  I limited the amounts to 1/4 yard pieces, unless they had a 1/2 yard minimum as Burkholder's did.

I like words, so I had to get some of those, plus a newsprint piece.  That winter themed piece at the upper right was so pretty I that I broke my self-imposed rule and got a whole yard!

I got a fat quarter of mustaches ... the print is sorta big and I wasn't sure how well it would work with the 6" churn dash blocks.  Same goes for the ampersands in the top picture.

For the most part the prints were either small or teeny, always a good choice!

I made blocks from two of the iffy pieces to see if they play well ...

I think I'll save the mustaches and the ampersands for another project, they sort of overpower the block.  Since I pieced them I'll use em though.

And did you notice I had to sneak in a coupla red pieces?  They were so pretty I "had" to get some!


And so another trip goes down in history, leaving me with deep satisfaction with the fabrics I got, and fond memories of all the ones I left behind!  Sew forth and sew on til later...

Silent Sunday - 10/22

Today's post is brought to you by the number 1022...

which also happens to be my house number.

Have a great Sunday!

Those little side trips

Three things to be happy about:
(1) flavored water
(2) a morning walk
(3) trying a new pattern

As I've been going through my fabric inventory I keep wanting to organize (once again!) my strip bins.  The worst, most tangled one is my 1-1/2" strips, how do they keep getting tangled??

Meanwhile I ran across an old McCall's (December 2006) with a pattern that appealed to me, double nine patches in a square-in-a-square setting.  Each little nine patch has dark fabric in the corner and middle positions.

The instructions say *gasp*

"...from assorted prints cut a total of 1,250 squares 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" ... stitch 9 assorted 1-1/2" squares together to make a nine patch"  

Say whaaaaat?

Well, I have a better idea!

This is where those tangled 1-1/2" strips come in.

Sew much ugly fabric in that strip bin!

I stitched light and dark strips into pairs...

Strip pairs became light/dark/light and dark/light/dark trios.

Then I cross cut the trios into 1-1/2" threesies...

Sewing those threesies together to make the nine patches will eliminate a lot of piecing time.

And, it will use up just a few of the tangled strips in my 1-1/2" strip bin!

Sew much easier, yes?


Well, today's the day I've been waiting for since last October - the annual Milltown Quilters shopping trip to Lancaster, PA!  Since the weather is supposed to be nice with no rain in the forecast,  I know our good time will be even better!

That's it for now, sew forth and sew on til later

That little house quilt, again

Three things to be happy about:
(1) remembering when
(2) mailing labels
(3) learning a new tip

I like finding new tips!  Now, I'm not particularly a gadget person but I do like running across handy tips in unexpected places!  For example, I was watching a YouTube video the other night sponsored by Jordan Fabrics, and I saw the neatest thing - Matt placed an 8-lb barbell on his ruler while he cut a batik WOF.  My ruler always wants to shift just as I reach the far end of a long cut, probably because of the way I lean over it.  What a great idea to keep rulers from shifting!

Here's another money-saving tip (spend that money on fabric instead!):

I own a pair of quilting gloves that I got at a quilt shop, but I'm pretty sure I got these gloves at the Dollar Tree in the tool section. 

What's in a name anyway?

Whatever.

The houses are quilted! 


This little bit of of ugly was used for the binding (Why did I even buy this fabric???)

Who'd have thought it would actually look this good?  But agsinst the ugly blue Christmas fabric I used for the backing (see it here), not so much.  Does it match the front?  Nuh-uh.  Does it matter to me?  Nope!

You know what really matters?  Another quilt got added to the "done" pile!  Finished is better than majoring on the minor, right?

Just to move it along and because I didn't want to think about it, I quilted it with a simple wavy line, edge to edge - it looks good enough I think.

Have a great Thursday (where did the week go?); sew forth and sew on til later!

That little house quilt

Three things to be happy about:
(1) a denim jacket
(2) a new resource
(3) WALL-E

Watching WALL-E as I'm preparing this post, that's the cutest movie ever!

For the past couple days I've been trundling through my fabric inventory, deciding how to use what, and where to place it in the meantime.  That's not a small task, I tell you what!

Decided to put a border on that little house quilt so I can finish it ...

yuck, too dark!

 Needs to be brighter

A bit too Halloween-y.

For some reason brown is sticking in my head

Too dark though

This one??

Good choice!

I think that shade of brown sets off the many colors of the houses, and it works well with the black sashing.

Also, the little poke-y dots echo the happy theme of the houses.



That's it for now, sew forth and sew on til later

A bit of eye candy

Three things to be happy about:
(1) a detailed list
(2) recyclable bags
(3) quilt magazines

This weekend was one of those no-sew weekends, you know what I mean?  Sometimes you gotta take a break, and I broke towards a quilt show in Kensington, Md sponsored by the Bethesda Quilters.  As I wandered through the show, a few pieces caught my eye...

Love this string quilt - most of these 6" blocks included selvedges!

I've been automatically saving the selvedges from my fabrics for a long time but I've never thought of including them in a string block. 

This is a striking modern piece, look at how the border treatment echoes the central piece!

Could it be that wee bit of red that caught my eye??

Now, it's interesting that this particular quilt would be in this show on the very day I was wondering how to best use the large  number of large prints in my fabric inventory!

This is a great idea - one middle piece surrounded by smaller pieces of the same fabric!

close up!

And what is a quilt show without at least one New York beauty-type quilt!

I like the maker's choice of color in this one, and that border fabric is just perfect.  I wish I knew where she got it!

I still have a lot of pieced blocks languishing in a box ... someplace ...

and books ...

Did I really need more books?

At 50 cents each - well duh!!



Have a great Monday, sew forth and sew on!

Silent Sunday

Let's dance!

Three things to be happy about:
(1) desktop PC
(2) your birthstone
(3) chewy ginger candy

I'd better not be too happy about chewy ginger candy lest I pull my crown out!  Just saying...

How do you "really" know a quilt is done?  You add the label, of course!

This label is actually for the service quilt I finished that's due this month, but I'm happy to say I also finished piecing Dancing in the Moonlight!

I considered adding another row at the top and bottom, but I think this is enough...

I was running into s-t-r-e-t-c-h problems on those long edges!  I don't know which is better to use for these units - the companion angle or the Accuquilt QST die.

Whatever.

But I always have fun looking at the little helpers that pop up in scrap quilts, helping to give personality and individuality to the piece ...

Christmas lights and skeletons ... frogs and angels and paw prints and lobsters ...

They all applaud as they add their silent support!

Shall we dance...

 Sew forth and sew on ...