Oh, How I Love the Machine!

Instead of making stuffed animals with my remaining scraps, I decided to make a small wall-hanging and try out some new techniques at the same time. It was a good decision because I managed to use up just about every last scrap from the pink quilting project. It was if I had designed the project for that very purpose, but let me assure you that I did not. This was a pure make-it-up-as-you-go-along project and I was just very, very lucky.

This was my very first attempt at machine applique. Prior to this project, all of my applique has been done by hand because it looks that much better. I hate raw-edge applique and satin-stitch applique. So, I compromised and basted the flower by hand just as if I was going to also be sewing it on by hand. Then I attached it onto the fabric using some basting spray I got from a quilter on Freecycle (which is fabulous - go check it out!). Finally, I did some straightstitch machine applique along the edges and called it a day.

The other technique I wanted to try out was attaching the binding by machine. Binding is another part of the quilt I do at least partly by hand. Again, I do this because it looks better. However, since it is so very time consuming I thought I'd at least try to see what happens when I attach it by machine. Of course, I didn't bother to look up how you might do that and once more applied the make-it-up-as-you-go-along method. It actually came out looking not so bad - much better than I expected. Still, I'm not sure if I'm willing to switch over to the machine-binding side of the tracks. I suppose it will only get better with practice, though. Binding is the part of my quilts that is changing and improving the most as I continue to learn. And it's probably the part that people notice the least.

I thought it was interesting to note that the only parts of this quilt that are sewn by hand are on the back where, presumably, no one will see them. The hanging sleeve was tacked down by hand and the label is hand appliqued. If I really wanted to I could figure out a method for attaching those by machine too, but there is something nice about having a hand project to work on. I actually kind of missed working on the binding.

New Design

My mother-in-law requested that I make her a case for her eyeglasses. I had never made a case for anything before, but I was up to the challenge! I designed a case by measuring my glasses and came out with a very nice, but slim, quilted case. So, I redesigned and came up with a slightly wider version: good for fat, grandma glasses. Not that my mother-in-law has fat, grandma glasses. I'm not sure what her glasses look like, really. They're reading glasses and I don't see them very often.

I must say that I'm really loving these small projects I can finish in an evening or two. It feels so good to have something to show every day, not too mention using up all those fabric and batting scraps. With quilts, it just takes so long. But I still have love for the quilts - never fear. There will be more quilts to come...

Too Much Excess!

I finished my first custom quilt! I really like the way the quilting came out. The flowers are very cute and the color thread I used really makes them stand out. The thing I like the least is the picture - I just wasn't able to get a very good shot. The yellows don't blend into the background at all, but it seems like they do in the picture.

After I finished the quilt I discovered that I had estimated my fabric yardage a bit on the plus side (better than not having enough!). I didn't want to put the extra fabric in my stash because the stash is just too out of control at the moment and these pinks don't go very well with my other fabrics. I figured I had to use them now or condemn them to years and years in the stash. I just love small, scrappy projects so this was lots and lots of fun.

First up is this patchwork purse. I've been seeing these scrappy purses all over blogland and have been dying to try one of my own. These scraps presented the perfect opportunity to try it out. It came out rather larger than I intended - it's more of a totebag than a purse, really. Next time I make one, I will adjust the pattern so it is smaller and I will use fabrics with more interest.

I also made this oven mitt. Yesterday, I received a yard of Insul-Bright that I had ordered in the mail. Right there on the package were instructions for how to make an oven mitt. Brilliant! This was a quick project, but it gave me lots of problems. I had to resew the area around the thumb three times. I just couldn't get it to turn out right and it was really frustrating. I think that what happened was that the angle between the thumb and the rest of the hand was just too small and it couldn't handle turning inside-out. I remade the pattern template to account for this and to also make the main hand section a little bigger. It may be a while before I make another one, but I know I will eventually and I want to get it right.

Also, I may have gotten the pattern from Insul-Bright but this oven mitt was totally inspired by these fabulous scrappy mitts from Pink Chalk Studio.

I haven't used up all my scraps yet, but I only have the pinks left with a tiny bit of the green and yellow. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. Maybe a little stuffie? Or a couple of little stuffies?? ;)

The Blog is Moving!!!

My new blog site is finally ready and I'm in the process of making the move! The new site is http://www.kcquilts.com/blog/ and I have already published my first post there. After about a week or two all of my archives from here will be copied over to the new blog. I'm just not sure if they will also remain here or if Blogger will immediately delete this site. So... I will be in this weird transition state for a while to make sure that everyone who checks this blog finds out about the move in time.

Please change any bookmarks, links, and/or blog subscriptions you might have. Thanks!!

First Post

This is the first post on my new blog server and with the new format. In a week or two, all my archives from the old site will move on over here and this will no longer be the first post, which will probably be confusing. Heck, I'm kind of confused about it myself.

I really don't want to lose all of the nice and friendly people who read my blog, so please make sure you change any bookmarks or blog subscriptions you may have. I'd really appreciate it.


I want to test out how pictures look in the new blog format, so I uploaded this picture of a quilt I made for my son before he was born. The animals are all appliqued by hand. Some of them I copied from animals on Carter's baby clothing, some I modified from Carter's, and some I made up myself. All the animal blocks have hand embroidery to some extent. I love this quilt to itty bitty pieces and had so much fun making it. I'm a little bit ashamed to admit that it is hanging on my son's wall and has never actually been used, since I'm such a big advocate for using quilts for their intended purpose instead of just displaying them. I make myself feel better by reminding myself that babies shouldn't have blankets or quilts in their crib with them until they are at least one year old anyway. Then I'll take the quilt off the wall. Maybe ;).

Pretty in Pink

Yesterday Simon finally decided to take a nap (as opposed to passing out in his high chair or on the floor), so I was able to get some work done on the custom baby quilt I'm making. I'm not usually a fan of pink, but I was giving the instructions that I should be able to stand back to look at the quilt and see mostly pink. More specifically, "dusty pinks". I'm really enjoying the way it's turning out. It's pink, but in a sweet (rather than sickening) way. It's pretty in a way that will suit a little girl , or even an older girl, beyond the baby years.

Since this is a custom job, and not one I'm making to give away, I've found that I'm taking a lot more care in making it. I finished piecing the top last night and discovered that I had put one of the blocks in backwards! My first instinct was to just leave it and call it a humility block. Most people wouldn't even notice it unless they were looking at it closely. Then I stopped deluding myself and admitted that most people would notice the block and, furthermore, would have no idea what a humility block was in the first place. Thankfully, the block in question was in a corner and easily accessible.


It was my first time taking apart a finished quilt top and then putting it back together. I was afraid that I might make a royal mess of it, but it turned out just fine. Sometimes I just don't know what I'd do without my trusty seam-ripper!

Decisions

Last weekend I went to church at the parish closest to my house (not where I usually go) and saw an interesting notice in the weekly bulletin. Apparently, their parish school hosts a craft fair every November and they are still looking for people to occupy booths. It's not free, but about half the cost of other local craft fairs. My first reaction upon seeing the add was, "No way!" But then I started thinking about it: how I would set up a booth, the scrapbook I would make of my work to display, all of the crafts I would make to sell, and especially the advertising I would get for my custom work. The only problem is that I have serious doubts about my ability to create enough inventory by November. Unless Simon starts sleeping on a consistent basis, I just don't have the time to produce enough things to sell. This week I haven't been able to do anything!

My husband's office building allows family members of people who work there to display and sell handmade items for free outside of their cafeteria during lunchtime. This is probably something that is more ideal for my purposes. I can have just a few things to display right around Christmas time and hope that some people are desperate for gifts. The only problem is that the people at a craft fair are looking to buy crafts (not to mention, looking to support their church) while the people at the office building are just looking to eat lunch.

I've also thought about opening an Etsy shop. With Etsy you can add stock as you create it, which is great for someone who doesn't already have a large inventory. The problem there is getting people to find your Etsy shop and then want to buy things from it.

So, I'm torn. Do I commit to the craft fair and hope I have enough things to sell and won't be totally embarrassed? If I knew someone who would want to share a booth with me that would be helpful, but I don't. If I commit, would that be just the push I need to start making things at a faster pace? Or will it just make me freak out from now until November 18th? I suppose there's only one way to find out.

Back in The Groove

The blogging groove, that is. After a week in West Virginia, I am glad to be back home. Saturday evening I finished cleaning my sewing room and I am ridiculously excited about how neat and organized it is. I still have no pictures. I should fix that. It's not much to look at, really, but it's so nice to have it done. Now I just have to work at keeping it clean. Details.


I bought this fabulous alphabet fabric at the quilt shop I visited in West Virginia and have already started cutting it up. I'm going to put different colored borders around each letter and carefully piece them onto a background fabric - color to be determined. It will be a challenge to piece - lots of measuring and graph paper! It also won't be done for quite a while. This one is an intentional UFO.


The letters are all different colors - the letters in my name just happen to all be blue. I was having a hard time figuring out a word with each letter used only once to use in a picture. It seems to obvious now.

I've changed a few things around on the sidebar. You can see some new Flickr groups I've joined and some minor changes to my profile. I'm very excited about the Year of Color group started by Amy over at Happythings. I now have some additional incentive to actually break open that instruction manual for my new camera. I've been meaning to do it for quite some time, but the time never seems to present itself.


Speaking of time, I'm probably not going to have a lot of time to sew this week. I'm trying to teach Simon to fall asleep on his own, which is involving lots of crying on his part and attention on my part. I feel awful letting him cry, but he was crying when I was holding him and rocking him to sleep as well. Basically, he's crying either way. It's no fun.

Davis, WV

I am stuck in Davis, WV this week. It's basically a ski resort town, but I don't ski and it's July. There's not much to do here except hike and relax. The only problem is that it's hard to relax while keeping an eye on a nine-month old.

Anyway, I looked up quilt shops in West Virginia and the nearest one was over an hour away: the Elkins Sewing Center. Actually, the nearest anything is over an hour away. I went to the shop anyway, and was so glad I did! I found fabrics for a quilt I need to make this month for a friend. I've been looking for just the right fabrics for the past several weeks and had been unsuccessful.

I do not have the capabilities of posting pictures here, but I most likely will when I get back. Back to relaxing I go...

Friday Update

I have two projects that I'm currently working on that I have to finish today. First up is a minimoopy bunny for the baby shower this weekend. It's so close to being done that I can taste it!


Next is a zippered pouch that I'm making for myself. I figured that it was about time I stopped using ziplock bags to pack things when I go away. I'm going to pack in style, baby! I've have this fabric for several years. I always thought it was very nice, but totally impractical for a quilt. And it may be impractical for a quilt, but it's perfect for a zippered pouch!

Three Quilted Bags

These bags are my latest creation/obsession. I made the blue and orange one a few weeks ago for myself because I decided that I wanted a new purse - one that was both pretty and functional (i.e. has a pocket for my cell phone so I can answer it before it kicks over to voicemail!). After making it and using it for a while, I decided that I could make it better and set about writing directions for a quilted bag pattern that had dimensions I liked better. Specifically, I wanted it to hold a few more things and I wanted the straps long enough so that I could carry the purse on my shoulder.

There's another reason I kept making bags, totally unrelated to the fact that I wanted to improve the design of the purse itself. I have so many fabric scraps and love the idea of using them all. I keep thinking of fabulous color combinations that I can create and my fingers are just itching to make them happen. I want to make a bag that is mostly white with hints of pink, but that one will have to wait until various other projects are completed. I wish I had the idea for that one before I made this bright colored one. I love bright, rainbow colors and have lots of scraps as a result. I thought that making a purse out of them would be fabulous, but it's actually a little loud for my taste. I think I need to work on being subtle ;).

I'm entering these bags in the July Whiplash competition under the "skill" category. The craft I am particularly skilled at is quilting, and these bags certainly reflect that. For each bag, I first had to create a quilt before turning those quilts into bags. I pieced many different scraps together into one large piece of fabric, basted it onto some quilt batting, and then quilted a design on it with my sewing machine. Each bag has its own, unique quilting design.


I wanted to give the blue and orange bag a modern feel, so I quilted a series of circles and triangles onto it at uneven intervals. The green bag made me thing of spring, so I quilted a flower and leaf pattern on it. I had a really hard time coming up with an idea for the rainbow bag and finally settled on the sun, because you need the sun to make a rainbow.

I'm still using the blue and orange bag as my purse (when I'm not using a diaper bag!) - I always keep the first of anything I make. That way, I don't have to admit to my mistakes to anyone other than myself ;). My mother-in-law has already fallen in love with the green bag and offered to buy it from me. I, of course, can't take money from her so I guess it's going to be a gift. That leaves the rainbow bag as the only purse without a home. In the meantime, I think I'll hang it in my sewing room so I can admire it on a daily basis.