Santa Sack Swap 2016 finishes with a bang!!!

Here is the hoard of gifts I received from my swap partner, Dee.  We had agreed to do a pillow case instead of a bag and I love mine.  It has tiny little Santa's everywhere.  These sat under my tree teasing me everyday until I opened them on Christmas morning.  I almost opened one or two early but stopped myself every time.

Then on Christmas morning I began opening them and watched all the colorful surprises come forth.
I can't wait to share them with you all.

First let's start with the Christmas wallhanging/tablerunner.  Isn't it stunning? Look at all beautiful fabrics she used along with the great quilting. 

Second comes the fabulous Halloween table runner. This picture does not do it justice.  It is a great combination of fabrics that I have never seen before.  I will look forward to displaying this every Halloween.  As many of you already know Halloween is my favorite Holiday.  

Being a lover of all things froggy Dee made sure that I received froggy things.  Like this adorable mini quilt.  It is sooooooo cute!!!  I just love it and am looking for the right place to display it.

Speaking of frogs, get a gander at this one.  Bet you can't guess what it is besides a frog. Nope it's not the pin catcher the honeycomb is. Plus the honeycomb attaches by magnets to your person. I'm always leaving pins and needles in my clothes from using them as pincushions.  What a great way to take care of your pins and needles.  Ok do you give up?  The frog is a tape measure.  See his eye that has a shadow.  You just pull that a measure anything.  Too cute!!!  Plus look at the great pair of scissors with the scissor keeper Dee made. Not in this picture is a great seam ripper. I am a very happy swapper.   Thank you, Dee.   I love everything, you are a great partner!!!!

Here is an overall picture of everything I received:

Keep on Quilting,

Santa Sack Swap

It's that time of year again!!!  Time to start thinking of Christmas.  If you want to join into a fun Christmas swap this is the one to join.  You have 2 days left to join.  This is an open swap, therefore you know who you partner is.  You are her partner and she is yours. You have to make several items for your swap partner but you have six months to complete them.  This kind of swap helps open up those creative juices.  If you want a challenge this is a great way to meet those needs.

Just click on the above picture and it will take you to the website where you just leave a message under the post for the 2016 swap to join in the fun.

I know it has been a while since my last post and I promise to try harder to post more often.  I have been doing a lot of fun things and just haven't been in the right mind set to remember to take pictures and post.  Working on that!!!

Merry Christmas in June!!!!

I love Cheetos!!!!

Ever since I found this post on Punkin Patterns blog I've been saving my Cheetos bags.  I really, really wanted to make myself a Cheetos tote.  Then while working on some my knitted beaded bags I realized I needed a tote just for them.  I couldn't wait for my iron on vinyl to arrive. 

As in all things I do, I couldn't stop at just one.  So I used the smaller bags to make pouches to hold my knitting away from other supplies.  The longer pouch is for the knitting needles and knitting while other odds and ends go into the Dumpling Bag.  They were a lot of fun to make and a great hit at my quilt guild meeting.   

If you decide to make yourself a pouch or bag be very careful you get the sewing done right the first time.  The vinyl doesn't hold up to unsewing and resewing.   It also gets very crinkled when turning inside out.  I fixed small tears with packing tape.     

I can't wait to do an M&M's with almonds purse.  It'll be so cute. Of course I will use the family size bags to make the purse and I will design it so that it won't need to be turned inside out if possible.

Cheetos up your life!!!

Friday Night Sew-in & My Bookcover

This year I've decided to join Sugarlane Quilts' Friday Night Sew-in.  Quilter's around the world join together to sew on the third Friday of the month and then share their work on their blogs. Click on the name and find out what everyone else did last Friday.

Here's what I worked on.  It's another UFO.

While I'm designing or sewing I use a 5 subject spiral notebook to jot down my notes and measurements.  I title the page so that all my notes for that object will be together.  That way I can't lose my notes if I just jotted them down on single pieces of paper.  I learned this trick in my other life in an accounting office.  Anyway for all these years my notebook has been naked.  I've always wanted to dress it up but never took the time.  

While going through my UFO's I found this pink and blue arch that I made in another paper piecing class.  This class was held like 14 years ago.  LOL  I never made the finished block just completed the arch.  So again I put two things I wanted to do together and killed two birds as they say.

I started with the arch and picked some fabrics I thought would do nicely.  Here is a picture of how I work when doing unstructured work. 

The white fabric sewing below the strata is the base that everything will be sewn to to get the strata stability and is cut to the size needed to cover my notebook.

The three elements of surface design are: Simplicity; Exaggeration; and Repetition.  So I added more arches in different sized to repeat that element and exaggerate it.  I love checker board piecing so I added some checker board in different sizes and colors.  This meets all three elements of design.  It is also repeated in the checker board green fabric.  Lastly I added more dark blue bias strips to repeat that color. I top stitched everything down to the base to secure it, cut all the jagged edges and then quilted it

Here is the completed book cover piecing after quilting was added:

Here it is with the ends folded over to make it a book cover and binding added to finish it.

Here is what the back looks like after it is on the notebook.

Creating is Fun!!

Finishing UFO's continues into 2015

About 18 years ago paper piecing was a new concept.  There were no patterns to buy just a concept

of making your own pattern to paper piece.  While living in the Front Range area of Colorado a group of ladies would get together informally every two weeks or so.   This depended on what was going on in the quilting world.  When there wasn't that much to do we would get together to learn a new technique offered by one of the ladies.  

Well, on one occasion we met and one of the ladies taught us how to draw a Mariners compass and then paper piece it.  Back then we used tissue paper to draw the pattern on.  Tissue paper is really easy to tear off but don't make a mistake because it will tear apart while ripping out your stitching. I wish I had remembered to take a picture before I tore it out.  I wasn't thinking on posting this at that time just on finally using the compass.  Isn't it great how far we have come in 18 years.  Now you would never know that paper piecing is still in it's infancy.  

So I made this compass and it's been tossing around my studio for 18 years.  I knew I didn't want to make a quilt out of it.  The fabrics are all long gone.  What to do, What to do?  Well I do have a 16" pillow form and this compass is 12".  What a great idea.  In the picture above I was auditioning fabrics to complete the pillow.  I found this older batik I thought would make the compass zing.

I then sewed it to the compass using a freezer paper method.  This consists of cutting out a 12" circle from freezer paper.  Throwing the circle away and keeping the background with a 12" hole.  Then iron the freezer paper to the wrong side of the background fabric. Cut out the center circle again leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.  Clip the curves and then turn under the seam allowance toward the back and press very firmly, until the seam allowance stays in place.  Tear off the freezer paper and viola' you have the background with a perfect 12" circle hole.  I placed this over the compass and centered it as best I could.  I kept it in place by glue basting it to the compass.  You could either top stitch it in place or open up the seam allowance and sew on the crease made earlier by pressing.  I chose to just top stitch.  Then I put a fusible interfacing on the back of this little block and cut it into a 16 1/2" circle and made a pillow.

Here is the finished pillow:

Another UFO bites the dust!

   

Friday night with Friends for 2015

It's time again to join up and sew together on Friday nights.  It's held the first Friday of every month and last Friday was the first Friday of 2015.  I'm late posting but late is better then never.  Right?  Just click on the logo above and go and see what everyone else did last Friday night.

Here is what I worked on last Friday all day and into the night.  

Front

I started this vest many years ago (so this counts as a finished UFO also, Whoopie!!) I had all the pieces cut out, the piecing and applique done.  I never finished it because it no longer fit.  I had gained too much weight.  Then last year I discovered it wasn't weight but bloat.  I had a serious yeast problem that I've spent months getting under control.  Part of getting control was to loose 6" off my waist as the websites said would happen.  Boy, do I feel better and am hoping that was part of my allergy problem for the last few years.  

Back

Back Close Up

Anyway I can now fit into my quilted clothing again and have started wearing all my old pieces.  Then I found this unfinished vest.  I still have one other unfinished clothing project that is beaded to death and that's why it's not finished.  It's next after I finish a project I inherited from my mother. My sister gave me this:

She told me it was Mom's and that Mom was going to make a jacket from it.  It's more than enough for a jacket and by the way.  You do not make quilt tops and then cut out a jacket.  That would mean that you have grain lines going all different which ways and it would start to sag.  

All quilted clothing is done on a base.  This is usually muslin and you sew and flip as much as possible to the base to keep the fabrics stationary.   It works in quilting because the quilt is sandwiched and quilted.  Most quilted clothing is not quilted.  I for one do not need batting, I run too hot and it would make me larger.  I also like lined clothing.  Enough of the rant!  I have already started this jacket for me and will have to do a lot of machine embroidery to keep it stationary.  I will post here when done. 

Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas 2014

It's Christmas Eve and I'm all ready for Santa.  I have the cookies made and Hot Chocolate warmed up.  My stocking isn't hung but it's waiting right next to Santa's treat.  The turkey is thawing and I've already started on the basics for Christmas dinner.  I decided that pumpkin pie could wait until New Years.  Living alone I don't need all those sweets.  

I want to wish all my followers a very Merry Christmas so I have created my own Christmas card just for you:

Merry Christmas to all and may Santa bring all your wishes for the new year.

Christmas Stocking Challenge Winner!!!!

It's official!!!  My Christmas stocking Noel took 4th place in the Nancy Zieman Christmas Stocking Challenge.  I want to thank everyone that took the time to vote for me.  As far as I'm concerned I received the best prize.  Seven fat quarters from Riley Blake Designs from the Christmas Collection.

Here is the bundle that arrived last evening.  But wait you can't really see the fabrics so here's a better view:

I just love them!!!! 

My Santa with his frog stocking took 6th place just 4 votes short of winning 5th place.  But that's ok I didn't do the challenge for the prizes I did it for the challenge.  I just love a design challenge.  Plus both stockings were ideas I've had for a long time.  This gave me the inspiration to actually do them to a finished project.      I love dead lines too!!!!  That's why I started this blog, to have dead lines to help me finish my work.  It's helped tremendously,  I've gotten more work done since I've started this blog then ever before.  

I'm now working on a few ideas for Christmas mini's.  I won't get them done before Christmas so I'll probably show them to you next year.  I'm also still trying to finish some older projects that have been sitting around.  I need to sit down and decide per month what I should work on and try to get it all done.    Maybe having specific deadlines will help me finish most of it.  Of course I keep getting interrupted by new ideas.  New Ideas tend to take over and yet they don't always get finished either.  It's a struggle I've always had. Oh well back to work.  I'm about to finish two mini quilts that I shared here two years ago.  Finally!!!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Potholder Kitchen Set

This is my post for 

FriDaY NighT with FRienDs hosted by Gone Stitchin'.  It's a fun way to spend the first Friday night of each month.  I don't always remember to register but I do sew almost every Friday.  

While I was visiting my son and his wife this Thanksgiving, I noticed that they didn't own any potholders.  I also noticed that their new dishes matched a chicken fabric I bought several years ago and couldn't find a use for it.  That started it all. 

I knew I wanted to do the oblong potholders I designed several years ago but I wanted to add to them for a full set of potholders.  I searched the web and found this site that had a tutorial for Hexagon Potholders.  Since they have a slightly oriental decor I thought they would be perfect. They went together fast and easy.  Here they are after the first round is sewn on. 

Then here they are after the second round and before cut into Hexies.

After the hexie's were completed then I cut them into finished hexie shape.  Then layered the backing, cotton Batting and Insul-Fleece by Pellon, pinning it temporarily. It is recommend by the manufacturer to put the cotton batting between thefabric that will touch the heated object and the Insul-Fleece.  I then turned this layered section over and placed the hexies right sides together with the backing fabric.  Sewed around the edges with the usual 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a 1" opening for turning.  After sewing was finished I cut around the hexies through all layers. Turned them right side out pressed  and topstitched them closed.  Then quilted in the ditch throughout the trivet. This is the final product. Too cute!!!!

I then started with the Oblong Potholders.  They are still available as a free download at Pellon Projects.  I did change how I quilted the fabric. Instead of doing several small sandwiches I made one big one.  It's still small enough to handle easily with a regular sewing machine.  

Here's the finished Oblong Potholders:

I almost finished here, then thought about the Pot Handle Holders I would love to own myself.  I again did a web search and found several ways to make them after measuring your own pans.  I wanted something more universal.  So into the kitchen I went to look at my cast iron pans and my other cooking pans.  I saw that there are some pots with short handles and some with long.  You know what that means.  I needed to make one of each.  I had extra quilted fabric left over from the Oblong Potholders so I used that to make these.  They slip easily onto the pot handles.  This is a very easy way to pick up a hot pot without the usual slipping with a flat pot holder.

Again I almost stopped here.  Then I thought that my Oblong Potholders are great for on the stove and some baking but not so great for large oven roasters or oblong cake dishes.  I hate oven mitts that are two mitts with a long length between the mitts.  It limits the user to size of pots/pans that can be used.  I also can't see the use for the middle section.  So I designed some Oven Mitts that are similar but separate.

I wanted them to be different for the others I had already made but of the same fabrics.  So I started with layering the cotton batting and Insul-fleece over the backing fabric with the ride side down down. For ease of handling I pinned this layer section on the corners.  I cut several widths of the fabrics I had already used and sewing them with a sew and flip method.  This allowed me to quilt as I went along.

I used the finished quilted fabric to cut out the oven mitt pattern. I finished them with binding as with the Oblong Potholders.

Here is the finished product.  I can't wait to make my own to try them out.

Happy Holiday Cooking,

Christmas Stocking Challenge

I was busy with my many designs and making my annual Christmas Ornaments for my family when a friend called me about a last minute challenge.  You all know I can't resist a design challenge.  I dropped everything and started on the above stocking named of course, "Noel".   It is something that I have had in my mind for several years.  Almost 20 to be precise.  In fact I was having trouble working on it at first as I wanted it to be elegant and usually I do cute and/or humorous.  I think I created elegant.  What do you think?  Here is a closeup of the thread work done on the poinsettia petals:

Here is my second entry (we could have up to three entries).  It is named, "Santa's Delivery".  See I couldn't resist cute and humorous.  I just took a Santa I already designed and made him longer and added a stuffed frog.  Why a frog? some of you may ask.  Because I'm a froggy person not a teddy person.  So some lucky child will receive a stuffed frog and not a teddy.  he he he 

The rules were simple.  Just pick a stocking pattern from the Pellon site or the Baby Lock site and go for it. They are all pictured on Nancy Zieman's Blog and that is where you go to vote.  Voting started today and will continue unit the 8th.  Please take the time to go to this link to vote : http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/sewing-2/christmas-stocking-sewing-challengevoting-begins/

Please go and vote