Block Three & Four

Yes, I am still working through the Clover & Violet Quilt & Stitch Along. I am very behind, but trying not to stress over it. Recently, I spent a week in Lake Tahoe with my kids and my parents and I was able to complete Block #3 and Block #4. I began working on Block #5, but it is not quite finished yet.

Block #3 took me a long time to complete. Most of the designs in the stitch along are quite simple and require simple stitches that don't take a lot of time. For block #3, I decided on a leaf stitch for each of the petals and it was really time consuming. The end result, however, was really gorgeous.

Block #4 was a simple dragon fly. This one took about 2 hours to complete since I used a satin stitch for the body and a back stitch for the wings. I was worried about it looking to plain, but I really like the end result. Some of the other blocks are much more colorful and intricate, so this will stand out nicely among the rest.

Hoping to move along more quickly now, although I don't think I will catch up to the rest of the group. While trying to prep for a craft fair and take care of three kids, I will just do the best I can!

Handbag Fun

Lately I have been pumping out handbags like crazy. I am prepping for the craft fair that I don't even know if we are accepted to yet. But, better I have a whole bunch of items now, than to be accepted and not have anything. I figure I will just have a lot of new items to add to my Etsy shop if we don't get accepted.

One of my newest items is the Six Pocket Tote. I have been thinking about this kind of bag for a while and finally got around to experimenting with the pattern. This is such a great bag! It has so much room and many uses. Boasting six large pockets on the outside for quick access to all those necessary items. It also has one small pocket on the inside for keys, cell phone or something you don't want on the outside. The roomy inside can hold just about anything you need for the gym, dance class or plenty of kid items for that busy mom. I plan on getting quite a few more of these listed, so stay tuned! Meanwhile, you can check out the listing for the one I have available: Six Pocket Tote.

Another item I have been working on, are little drawstring totes. A fun little bag to grab a few items and go. I have a friend who crochets and she calls these project bags. They are great for carrying around your knitting or crochet project. Right now, I only have one size measuring 10"H x 9.5"W x 4"D, but will be experimenting with some different sizes soon!

Custom Gypsy Bandana Quilt - Final

Last month I posted about the custom quilt order I received. You can read it here. Well, it has been completed and sent off to the client. The quilt turned out completely gorgeous! The Gypsy Bandana line from Michael Miller is a beautiful line of fabrics and the lime green and pink versions are such eye candy.

The quilt is done in a simple patch style with framed squares and large squares. A white fabric is used in the sashing, backing and binding to showcase the colors of the fabrics and really make them pop. I pieced the backing with squares of the same fabric and used a super soft white flannel. It is free motion quilted in a large looping pattern.

This quilt is a gift for the clients daughter who is expecting her first baby soon. I shipped the quilt out on Monday afternoon and the client received it today. I received a glowing email from her expressing her thanks and how much she loved the quilt. It truly made me smile inside and out knowing that I made someone happy with something I created for them.

Fabric Headband Tutorial

I recently came across a few headband tutorials on Pinterest and I found each one to be not very good. Either the pattern was weird, the instructions were off or the sewing in the photographs was really horrible. I thought I could do a better job, so I went to my studio and quickly sketched out a pattern and some notes. My first head band came out really well and the next thing I knew I was pumping out quite a few of them. They take very little fabric, so they are a great thing to make with all those leftover scraps from my quilts and handbags.

Now I have some great headbands to go with all kinds of outfits! And they are going to make a nice little item to sell at a craft fair!

So here is my version of a headband tutorial. Let's hope you find it better than some others you may have come across!

Supplies

1 - 5" piece of 1/4" elastic

1 - 15-1/2 x 4-1/2" piece of fabric

1 - 11" x 1-1/2" piece of fabric

Coordinating thread

1. Press both pieces of fabric in half, right sides together. 

2. Stitch the long ends together, leaving the bottom ends open for turning. Use 1/4" seams on larger band and 1/8" seams on smaller band.

3. On large band only, press open the seams flat.

4. Turn both bands right side out. I do this using a safety pin on one end then feed it through. There are special tools out there for this, but I find a safety pin to be just as effective.

5. Once turned, press both pieces flat. On the larger band, make sure the seam is running down the middle. This defines your underside and helps center the elastic strap in the later steps. At this point I also pink the raw edges. I hate fraying fabric.

6. Now run a top stitch around the entire large band. I run mine about 1/4" from the edge. This also helps me secure my label to the underside. At this point, do not worry about the raw edges on the ends, they will be taken care of on the last step!

7. Next, feed your elastic through the small band. Again, I use a safety pin on the end. Feed it in just enough so the end without the pin aligns with the fabric. Sew two or three stitches forward and back to secure one end of the elastic.

8. Once the elastic has been pulled through, remove safety pin and secure with 2 or 3 stitches as you did on the other end. I then tug on both ends to even out the scrunching of the fabric. Your finished small band should look like this.

9. Ok, we are almost done. Now we attach the small band to the large one. On the large band, working with the backside facing up, fold over one end about 1/4". Press if you need to. I usually don't.

10. Take the small band and lay it on the folded raw edge, taking care to center on the seam line. Fold one corner of the large band over the small band, then fold the remaining corner over. This is usually too thick to pin, so I just hold it with my finger to stitch it.

11. I set my machine on the slowest setting and stitch closed. Because of the thickness, it will sometimes get stuck under the presser foot and feed dogs. I use my fingers to help push it through. Be careful not to sew your finger tip!! I stitch it back and forth about three times to be sure it is secure. If you would prefer to hand stitch or use a zig zag stitch, I am sure that would be fine too. Repeat with the other end.
 

And here you go! An adorable new headband. You could make one for every outfit! Enjoy.

New Logo

I think this is it! After many attempts at a new logo, I think I have finally nailed it. Believe it or not, back in the day, I used to be a graphic designer. I am fully convinced I have lost my touch, which is why I found it so hard to come up with something new for myself. I have posted up 3 different logos over the past 3-4 months. Third time is the charm, right? I think this one will stick! Let me know what you think!

Scrap Projects

Two things I am constantly doing is browsing sewing blogs and trying to figure out what to do with all my scrap fabric. Yes, I could put together some mismatched crazy quilt, but that really isn't my style. So, thanks to Pinterest, my favorite place to pin sewing ideas, I came across some headband tutorials today. I read through three of them and they were horrible. The patterns were not very good and the quality of sewing shown in the photos, was just as bad. One of them had the raw elastic showing on the bottom, yuck. I have this thing with raw edges and seams showing, it doesn't make for a quality product.

As I studied some of the patterns, I realized what a super easy project this was and how little fabric it was going to take. My own pattern popped into my head and I ran out to my studio to write down my notes.

I have so much great fabric leftover from my handbags and quilts, this is going to be the perfect way to make use of it. I busted out this cutie in about 20 minutes. I even covered the elastic, so the design looks cohesive.

 

The other great thing is they are one size fits all. This adorable headband fit both my 5 year old daughter and myself! These are going to be a great little item to have at the craft fair and fun giveaways in my shop! Stay tuned for the tutorial...

Custom Gypsy Bandana Quilt

I get very excited when someone orders a custom quilt from me! I love opportunities to bring someone's vision to life. Especially with something as unique and long lasting as a quilt.

Last week a customer reached out, inquiring about a quilt I had done that was for sale in my shop (Gypsy Bandana Patch Quilt). She wanted the same style and same fabric line, but in different colors. I nearly jumped out of my chair when I read the email! Michael Miller's Gypsy Bandana line of fabric has got to be my most favorite right now. I stumbled upon it a a quilting show a while ago and fell in love. I bought a bunch of fat quarters knowing already what style I had in store for that fabric.

The simple patch and framed squares with the accenting white really showcases the bold colors and patterns of this particular line of fabric. I have done two quilts in this style so far and they seem to get a lot of recognition on my site.

So here I go with my third version of this quilt. The customer requested the pink and lime green fabric in this line. It is going to be a special gift for her grand baby who is due to arrive in October. I received some of the fabric today and already have the squares cut and ready to go. I am awaiting the arrival of the white fabric, batting and backing. This quilt is going to be GORGEOUS!!