Scraps

Bare walls drive me nuts. However, I am not really great with home decor. I tend to find all of our furniture from craigslist, family members, or the side of the road (seriously, drives my husband nuts). Everything hanging on our walls is either art from my kids, my very talented friends, or family photos. My house will never be in Better Homes and Gardens.

So we have a dining room. I love having a dining room, we found an guy through friends that makes tables and benches out of scrap wood leftover from building homes, a china cabinet for almost nothing, and chairs from Goodwill. It is big enough for our whole family even when extended family visits. It is also where my amazing Girl Scout troop meets, the kids do art projects and general mayhem happens. The walls in the dining room are still bare. Like totally neekid.

At first I thought I would put a dry erase board in there, or cork squares to change things up, but I didn't want it to be too classroom like. So a few months ago my friend Dorothy gave me a bunch of really cool vintage embroidery hoops. All sizes. I knew they had to be in my house somewhere.

So today the kids and I went through my fabric scraps and started loading up the hoops. To keep the edges down, we used Elmer's school glue, just in case we wanted to take the fabric out and use it in another project. If you want yours to be permanent, you can use a glue gun or staples.

This project took us about an hour from hooping to hanging!

I think it fits our dining room really well, and the fabrics remind us of past sewing projects! Bonus, it was FREE.

I know a lot of us don't have the hoops hanging around, but they can often be found in thrift stores or grandma's attic!

Tennessee Row by Row

Many of us are excited for Summer, especially with travels! It gives us the opportunity to visit other quilt shops, and perhaps participate in the Row by Row Experience!

If you are coming through the Memphis area, please stop by Sew Memphis and pick up a copy of our free row by row pattern for the challenge! I love our pattern. The theme this year was water, and of course The Bluff City is right on the Mississippi River!

Our row features local fabric designer Jenean Morrison's latest fabric line, Star Landing. The pattern was inspired by the DeSoto bridge, the Mississippi River, and Memphis as the crossroads between the midwest and the south.

I love Memphis. I have met so many creative, fun people here. I have learned so much as a sewist, and have grown a ton as a quilter and designer.

Happy travels this summer, and don't forget to participate in the row by row experience!

Marcia Derse and Fall

There is something about fall that makes me gravitate to Marcia Derse fabrics. A few weeks ago I was in Sew Memphis for a visit and was talking with Mary Allison about christmas, inspiration and upcoming fabric lines. She asked if I could do a shop sample of the Kosmos quilt (free pattern here) using fabrics that would be a good fit for a Christmas kit. Together we chose Marcia Derse and a grey solid background.

Kosmos quilt using Marcia Derse fabric, before border was added

I LOVE how this came out. The stars just pop out of the background. The colors are so vibrant! The kit will be available this holiday season at Sew Memphis.

Of course I had to buy more Marcia Derse fabric with the intention of maybe designing a new bag pattern around the fabric, but when I got it home I knew I already had the perfect boho chic bag pattern for the fabric.

Koukla bag made from Macia Derse fabric

The Koukla Bag Pattern is perfect for Marcia Derse fabric! I love how this fabric changes the feel of the bag. All my samples before had used patchwork print fabric, but this gives it a more boho feel.

Happy Sewing!

Awareness Ribbon Wall Hanging

So October flew by so fast this was the first year ever we didn't sew anything for our Halloween costumes, just hit up the thrift stores. I also was a bad mom and really didn't get many pictures! It has been crazy! But on the good news front, I had my 6 months post surgery visit and am not only Melanoma NED, but also healing really well!

I have most of my range of motion back and can sew for about an hour at a time now! It is still tight and healing, but is healing really nicely!

Originally the margin was so wide I was going to need a skin graft. Skin grafts are tricky to begin with, and can be awful if they don't take. Along with the graft site itself, you also have a huge spot where they take skin from. I was totally freaked out when I was first told I had to have one, and asked my surgeon what we could do to not have a skin graft on my hand, since keeping a hand from moving is pretty impossible. He promised me he would try his best to stitch me up, and since I was chubby it just might work. So here is one instance where being full size helped me out a lot! He was able to stitch me up, and for that I am so grateful! He was also a top notch surgeon, and even though I pray I never have to see him as a doctor again, he did take time with me as a patient to explain everything and help quell my fears. Of course, I had to make something for his office.

All his wall art was Breast Cancer Awareness, so I had to add some Melanoma Awareness to his office! I made this using Quilters Cache Ribbon Quilt Block. It was super easy and quick to put together, and I think I need to make myself one for my sewing room.

Happy Sewing!

-p-

Easy applique embroidery project!

Sew... My 8 year old likes to hand stitch. I will admit I am not one for embroidery, but thanks to youtube she has learned a few tricks! This project started when we were at goodwill and found a never used, wrapped burlap canvas for $1. We bought it without knowing what we would do with it, but once we got it home, Rena decided it needed to be Mississippi art. So we went through my fabric scraps and this is what she came up with:

She picked orange to stitch around the edges, and made a little heart where our town is! How cool is that! It hangs in our breakfast nook. I love it. She carefully did a split stitch around the edge, but in enough to let the fabric fray a bit.

So a few days ago we were at Joann fabrics and they had Jute bags on sale. They are a pretty good size, and we picked up the last two because Rena wanted to slap some Mississippi on them! You can do any state you like, but the process is the same. Here is what we did with some tips.

First, find a reversed picture of what you want to add to your bag. 

Then, take a piece of wonder under and trace the pattern.  For the canvas we used fabric spray adhesive, but it didn't hold the edges down as well as needed, so this time we used wonder under! 

After tracing, cut about 1/2 inch from the outside of your pattern piece and lay sticky side down onto the wrong side of your fabric. Iron on. 

now, trim to size. The reason we do it this way is so the sticky stuff on wonder under is all the way to the edge of the fabric. Now, peel off the paper backing to expose the second sticky side. Position the applique onto your bag or canvas. 

Iron down very carefully. I used a medium heat setting, and you will get bumpies because Jute is bumpy. As long as the edges are down well, you will be OK.

You will need a needle with a large hole and one that is pretty thick. We found a nice size one in our craft needle pack. Do not split apart the embroidery thread, there are six strands, you can use all six. In fact, for a nice thick outline double that sucker up. There are a lot of stitch tutorials on youtube if you have not embroidered before. You can take this to your machine, but use a 90/14 needle and go slow. 

Ta-da! The bag is a pretty good size. Rena doesn't like the smell of jute, so she is saving this for her teacher next year!

Happy Sewing!

Family Sew Time

School is out. I am OK with this. I think. We are at the point where durihng the day we can all spend a bit of time in the sewing room. There are 3 machines, so no fighting over machine time. Vasi has a toybox in the room full of cars and legos. He also has the scrap bag to make "outfits for his monster trucks" while we sew.

This past weekend, Evie finished her third quilt.

She is 9. Sometimes she is so grown up I forget that. She is already 5'2". She's very mature for her age, thinks through things and loves reading and math. She even says her favorite part of quilting is doing the math. This quilt was no different. We were talking about modern quilts, looking at samples and techniques. Then we also looked at Modern Art, to talk about what modern can mean. We also have been working on color theory for the past few weeks. Altimately, she found her inspiration in the paintings of Mark Rothko. She remembers seeing his work at the Carnegie in Pittsburgh, and liked it because of the colors. I thought she would want to do large blocks of colors, but no, when we went to Sew Memphis for solids, she chose 4 shaded of pink. We bought a half yard of each, then sat down to start planning. We had 4 colors and she wanted large blocks, so this is what came out. She chose the grey border from my stash, to be a frame of sorts. This took her 2 days with my help. I still don't let her rotary cut. 

My 7 year old (8 next week!) worked on this

She had scrap fabric from my stash and we printed out a map of Mississippi for her to use as a pattern piece. The burlap is a burlap canvas we found at Walmart in clearance a while ago. She is my hand stitcher, she loves handwork and would rather make stuffies. She has started doing a split stitch around the border and wants to make a heart where our town is! 

I love my lazy days in the sewing room with the kids! Happy Sewing! 

The Midtown

It's here! My new PDF pattern is available on etsy and craftsy as a downloadable PDF file! This sample bag was made using Jenean Morrison's new fabric line Lovelorn. I am so in love with this collection!

The Midtown was inspired by working in Memphis Midtown at Sew Memphis, and just getting to hang out and shop. My little man is now potty trained, and after spending what feels like an eternity carrying large bags filled with diapers and pull ups and extra clothes and enough snacks to be stranded in Death Valley and not starve or dehydrate, I find myself in a position to just carry what I need, my wallet, my phone, sunglasses and a few small items. I also like to have my hands free, since little man is still 3 and sometimes likes to be chased! So here is my life right now. It's cute, it's hip, its a nice sized crossbody with a zippered pocket front and an open pocket in the back.

The inside boasts pockets along the back side and the two zippers are super easy to install!

It is with a heavy heart I give up my "baby bag" days, knowing that he is our last baby. This style of bag is one I would have loved in my 20s, and have found a new appreciation for it in my 40s!

The above sample actually was for Jenean, it was just sew pretty I had to use it for all the pictures in the pattern!  I can't wait to see what others do with this pattern! I have already made one for myself, of course I used my stash of Star Trek fabric.

So if you see this bag in midtown Memphis, stop and say hi!

 

So Proud of my Evie!

My 8 year old has been sewing for a while, and has made plenty stuffies and pillows and little things. We started working on her quilt about a year ago, taking 6 by 6 squares from my scrap stash and piecing them together. It was hard for her at first to keep a straight 1/4 inch seam, so a few of the blocks are wonky, but after working on it for a while she got the hang of it!

She finished the piecing a few weeks ago, and we took it to Teresa Pino at Quilts to a T studio. Teresa quilted Evie's quilt for 2 weeks allowance! It was so sweet. We also owe Teresa gratitude for giving Evie a sewing machine last year for Christmas! It has been the machine she sewed her quilt top with.

Evie was so serious picking out her quilting design and thread, deciding on big loopy heart shaped leaves and lime green thread!

She signed her work order and then waited... sometimes not so patiently...

Then ta-da! It came out beautifully! It did take us a while to bind the quilt, but now she has it in her room! She brings it out to watch TV with. We are so proud of her and she is so proud of her accomplishment! Go Evie!

Happy Sewing! 

Adjustable Strap bag pattern

I feel as if I am neglecting blogging :( School has started, my little man is now 19 months and into EVERYTHING, and I spend my free time in the sewing room.

This is my new bag... a cross body adjustable strap bag big enough for a day out with little man.

I made the front pocket a zippered pocket.

I put an elastic pocket on the side

Plus the strap is adjustable!

I wrote out the pattern for this bag and it is now for sale on etsy as the Cross Body Bag.

I found the fabric for this bag at a cool local sew shop, Sew Memphis.  They have a great selection of fabrics, and wonderful classes. Speaking of classes, I will be teaching there! Check out my classes coming up:

Fat Quarter Frenzy! a beginners class

Disguise Yourself Workshop -Halloween accessories for kids!

Childrens Quilting

at heart I am a teacher, and love sharing my passion for sewing with others! I hope you can join me!

-p-

Easy scrap baby quilt

If you are like me, you keep leftover fabric from each project. I take my scraps and cut them into 2.5 inch strips and 6.5 inch squares, since I use those most in kid quilts. Yesterday I grabbed a bunch of the strips and about an hour later I had one of these baby quilts (36 by 36).

It was super easy. I just randomly took 3 strips and sewed them together. After I had 8 sets of 3 I trimmed them to 6.5 inch squares. I took those squares and placed them in a rail fence pattern, putting them together to make 2 sets of 12.5 inch blocks. If you look close, there are 2 types of blocks. I layer these out in 3 rows of 3 alternating blocks. Easy Peasy!

 

Happy sewing!

 

Baby things!

I am preparing for my sister in laws baby shower in a few weeks, so things are a bit crazy! I love planning parties and will post pictures, but I am a bit of a perfectionist and try to do everything either handmade or bought from an artisan. I ordered the invitations from Hootsie on etsy, who does beautiful things with paper! A friend is making fancy cookies for favors! Now I just have to find game prizes and games!

Along with planning, I have just finished the gift, a Hawaiian themed diaper bag! 

I am working on the little accessories to go in the bag. The pattern I have used before, it's the Go Mama! Diaper Bag Pattern I found on etsy. LOVE this pattern. 

I have also been sewing for a few friends here with new ones, and tried my hand at these easy peasy little onesie dresses!

All they are is an extra long skirt (I did 3-6 month onesie and used a 22 inch strip for the skirt) sewn around the onesie. I stretched the onesie as I sewed, then added the little appliqué from the scrap fabric!

Happy sewing!

Clothes for a little southern gentleman

One big difference I have noticed living down here is that parents take care in dressing their children (and themselves). A lot of what is typical southern would be considered too cutesy farther north, where moms would chose keens over mary janes, and headbands over hairbows. I have to admit, I love a lot of what is considered cutesy in children's clothes. I love smocking. I had never really seen it until we moved here, and I have dedicated HOURS of my life learning how to smock, and more productive hours shopping the consignment stores for smocked outfits! 

I have noticed some of  the other little southern gentlemen wearing outfits with their name embroidered on them, or a cute matching applique on the front. I started shopping around for them, and came to realize these adorable outfits start at about $35! Simple pants and a top! Sew.....

 I decided to make a few new outfits for Bubba. This one is my favorite, he wore it today! It was really hard getting the polo shirt in the embroidery hoop, but well worth it! The other outfits I chose tanks to go with, since it gets so hot here!

I even started to make bucket hats to match each one! Not that a toddler will keep a hat on his head!

. I found a free pant pattern online, along with the bucket hat pattern. All the fabric came from the scrap bin at Joann Fabrics. The shirts were from Walmart. It was hard to embroider  on the polo shirt, but I love how it came out! We went out today and I had a few moms ask where I found his outfit. I spent a grand total of about $15 and 3 hours of work for all three outfits!


I think I am going to make him a few john johns next!

Toddler Diaper Bag

Yeah!!! So this is my new diaper bag. I needed something bigger than a purse, but smaller than the massive diaper bag I had. I wanted sippy cup pockets on the side, and love the curved pockets on a lot of bags now, so this is what I came up with! It is my first design that is more complicated. I think I am going to try it out for a few days then maybe make the top band a little smaller.

I am so excited that this came out! a few weeks ago it was a sketch, then I calculated how big and came up with a rough pattern, then double checked the math on it, then yesterday I just jumped in! The back has a zippered pocket.

If I like it, I will add a tutorial in a few days!!! If not, back to the drawing board...

OK, so I looked at this bag and changed a few things up, this is the new version

The only difference is the band is only 2 inches instead of 4!

Christmas hats!

Sew December is always crazy! I have been mostly working with Evie on sewing, so my things have gone on the back burner. I did make a few hats for presents, and did these for my cousins....

I wanted to see if I could embroider on fleece. Not to hard, but just like applique on fleece, you have to use a bit of stabalizer. I also used a 90/14 needle. Hope they like them!

I realized I didn't post anything about my My Little Pony Hats.

This is the one that came out nice. It took me a few tries to applique fleece. I found I had to use 2 layers of stabalizer and  not forget the wonder under!

I also had to make Vasili a stocking this year, I chose rocketships!

Evie helped me make the tree skirt. She is loving sewing. We are currently working on a quilt.

Happy Sewing!!!

E is sewing!

My 7 year old has been learning to sew for a while, and these past two Saturdays has taken the kids sewing classes at Joann Fabrics! It was nice, it gave her a chance to learn from someone else for a bit, and she had time to sew where we weren't being interrupted by everything else that goes on in our house! Her first class, she made a pillowcase and this week she made pajama pants!

Her teacher was a member of the quilt guild, and taught her how to do a french seam for the pillow case. She has already started her list of things she wants to make.... I think I might have to buy her her own sewing machine!

She also started her first quilt... well, helped me get this one together for her student teacher, who is having a baby. the class is having a baby shower for her this week, and E really wanted to make a quilt for her. She picked all the fabric and helped piece most of the blocks.

All the pieces are from the stash I keep of 6.5 inch blocks leftover from other projects. I was impressed how good she is at keeping a straight seam!

This week we have a doll for her to make, and she has all the other scraps that she wants to use to make a lap quilt for herself! I love that she has chosen sewing as a hobby, it is nice to share it with her! I hope S decides to try it in a year or two also!

Happy Sewing!

Cowboy booties!!!

A few weeks back the quilt guild had a retreat I was able to go to, and there I found some great deals from Blackberry Patch Quilt Shop. It is a great online shop, but since she lives nearby she came to the retreat! She had Curby Closet's cowboy booties pattern on sale, and they were so cute I couldn't pass it up! She also had some great Fat Quarters for 1.25, which is always worth checking out!!!

Pointy toed boots!!

Round toed boots!

I loved this patten! It was easy and fun! I made these 2 pairs for baby gifts, and hope to have time to make a few more soon! 

Speaking of shopping, I have found out that Fabric Designer Tanya Whelan  is coming out with her book in time for Christmas! I am so excited! I first discovered her patterns and fabrics in an issue of Quilts and More, where she had a ruffled skirt pattern for little girls. I made several for Evie and Rena when they were younger! I had to search down her fabric, which is manufactured by Free Spirit. 

 

Anyway, her book can be previewed on Amazon and on Barnes and Noble website.Sew What You Love looks amazing, she is giving us little peeks at projects on her blog. Check out the bag on the cover ...

 

 

I already told Kevin he is buying me the book for Christmas :) I think the bag on the cover will be my first project!