Selvage Skirt, New Shipment of Bali Pops, & Some Origami Page Corners

Today I finished the little selvage skirt.  A length of Moda bias tape for the belt made a perfect finishing touch.  I think my little granddaughter will love it.

 

I also folded a couple of packs of these recycled origami book corners from glossy fabric catalog pages for my paper shop.  

Last, but not least, my U.P.S. man was so kind as to climb over 2 foot snowbanks to bring a new shipment of Bali Pops to my doorstep.  You can find all six color assortments in my fabric shop, and shipping is only 99¢ in the U.S.

I love Fridays!

Happy Sewing ♥

Any Sewing Tips You Would Like to Share?

I've been sewing away on a customer order. 

Another thing I'm working on is whittling down my scrap box.  Some scraps are being cut into 1 1/2 " strips for wrapping around cotton cording, some of the bigger pieces are being set aside for triangles for a 1,000 pyramid quilt in progress, and the smaller pieces will be die-cut into circles for yo-yos.  Waste not want not.

Recently I read a good sewing tip in the April issue of Better Homes & Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  Caroline Arkow from Tenino Washington keeps a Pineapple paper-piecing block going on her machine and, when sewing off her chain piecing, she adds a strip to the Pineapple block instead of onto a thread bunny. 

I decided to adjust her idea a little by joining scraps to make rows for a Chinese Coin Quilt at the end of my chain-stitching.  This way I will be using up some of my scraps, and conserving thread at the same time.

I would love to hear your favorite sewing tips, if you would be so kind as to share them.

Happy Sewing ♥

Homemade Pretzels 101

Today I made pretzels.  You know, the big ones like they sell in the mall covered in coarse salt.  I got the idea from another Thing-A-Day participant post.  They looked so yummy, I just had to try them.

It reminded me a little of the years when I baked bread from scratch every Saturday.  The process took all day.  I would tend to my bread dough in between other household chores, and taking care of my children.  The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown was my bread making bible.  As you can see from the shape it is in, it was well used, and well loved.

Good days and good memories.

So, the pretzels turned out great, and made the whole house smell wonderful to boot.  Next time I might try the cinnamon sugar ones, they are my favorites!

Thanks Joonbeam for the inspiration.  You can get the recipe, and read Joonbeam's post here.

Happy Sunday  ♥

Two New Monthly Fabric Clubs

Today I played with some Model Magic from Crayola in preparation for teaching childrens fellowship at church tomorrow.  I really like this product.  White is best, (although it comes in other colors) because then you can paint it to be whatever color you like.  It is super soft, moldable, cuttable, paintable, and it dries overnight into a very lightweight solid that doesn't crumble.  Perfect for doing simple projects like this with the children.  I always try and do a sample first to see how it is going to work.  These will have a magnet glued on the back after they dry.

 

 

 

In other news, I am excited about two new fabric clubs now available in my shop. 

Kona Cotton Club - 4 Month Membership

Each month for four months, you will receive three 1/3 yard cuts of various Kona cotton solids totaling 1 yard of fabric. No two fabrics will be the same.   I am continually getting in new colors of Kona, so you will not receive any duplicates. Of course if you especially like a particular color, you may order more yardage from my shop.

Batik Strip Club - 3 Month Membership

Batik lovers will enjoy this club. Each month for three months, you will receive 15 batik 2 1/2" strips totaling a little over a yard of fabric. You may get 2 of the same fabric over time, but never in the same monthly shipment. As with the Kona cotton, new batik shipments are continually coming in, so you will get a large selection of these gorgeous fabrics.

Shipping is included in the membership cost for both clubs.

Happy Sewing ♥

Two Birds, One Stone

You've heard the expression killing two birds with one stone, right?  Well today I accomplished my T-A-D goal, and participated in a charitable team activity at the same time.

 

The two pillowcases in the foreground will soon be shipped to Haiti as part of the National Million Pillowcase Challenge.   In addition, I am donating a yard of Keri Beyer's newest collection from The Bees & the Birds (gorgeous isn't it) to the Etsy Hearts for Haiti effort.  The pillowcases will be donated in the name of the person who buys the fabric.  See how neatly that all ties together -  two birds, one stone.

                                     Happy Sewing ♥

Quilter's Tweed

Through an innovative print process, Robert Kaufman has developed a rich tweed texture with an almost woven effect in a premium 100% cotton print.  These tweeds make great blenders, and are available in Tan and Grass Green in my shop.

 

Today's Thing-A-Day activity is cutting 2" strips for some quilt blocks in progress. White cotton strips do not make for a very exciting photograph, so I will spare you.

New Fabric Listings & A Bowl

So, the cording project decided to be a bowl.

 

I found the process enjoyable enough to try again someday, maybe with a pattern next time.  I just  felt my way along with this one.  Now it has a nice utilitarian purpose in my sewing room, holding  my extra yo-yos, cording, and beads.

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Some new fabrics arrived today, Sew Exciting!  

This bundle is called "Raspberry Jam," and looks yummy enough to eat!

I will also be listing some Dill Blossom 10" squares, and Quilter's Tweed, and some new fabrics from In the Beginning over the next few days.  Plus, right now, Domestic Shipping is FREE for orders of $30.  Check out my fabric shop for details.

Day 15 Thing-A-Day

This morning I added some rows to the batik cording project.  I still haven't decided whether it will be a bowl for thread, or a tote bag. 

Tonight I am cutting out a variety of fabrics for 100 quilt blocks for a custom shower curtain.

Lastly, I got a nice surprise via email this Monday morning.  Sharyn Sowell is sending a packet of her lovely letterpress greeting cards to me, and others, who responded to a post on her art blog.  I will be sure to post  a picture of the cards when they arrive.  In the meantime, you can visit her blog here.

What Shall it Be?

It has been an extra busy few days.  My husband and I had the joy of babysitting while my daughter and son-in-law were celebrating their 7th anniversary away. It was wonderful and sweet, but tiring.  And I did no crafting at all.

So, I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of  crafting a Thing-A-Day now that we are back home.  Not sure, though, what I want to tackle next.  There are some quilting commitments waiting.  I also just rediscovered a punch needle project started months back but not completed.  And I am ready to proceed on the yo-yo vest and selvage skirt, having tried them on my little model over the weekend.

Hmmm, what shall it be.....

 

P.S. - Happy Valentine's Day ♥

Just Because I Want To

My favorite part of the Thing-A-Day Challenge is the "permission" it gives me to craft just because I feel like it, and not because I should.  It gives me the freedom to try new things without feeling like I might be wasting my time.

Of course the projects I "should" be working on are still there.  And I have been working on them as well.  But crafting just for the sheer enjoyment of it is exhilarating!

Today's project is simply clothesline, thread, and batik strips from a bali pop cut in half lengthwise.  I am wrapping the cording as I sew with the cotton strips, and zigzagging the covered cording on my sewing machine.  Years ago I made a set of chair pads with braided fabric.  This process is similar, but much faster.  This started out to be the first of a set of chair pads.  I am not sure if that is how it will end up, but I am enjoying the process.

P.S. - I saw baskets at a quilt retreat made with much thicker cotton cording.  If anyone knows where I can find that cording, please let me know.

A Tribute to my Husband

Today my crafty activity was scanning old pictures (taken before the digital era) of my husband and me, and making an 8 x 8  photo book online to celebrate our 24 years together.  The book is all pictures, except for a quote on the Title Page from The Little Prince:

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

I am always making scrapbooks and online books for our family.  This is the first just of him and me.

It won't be back in time for Valentine's Day, but our Anniversary is coming up, so if I can restrain myself, I will give it to him then.

 

3 Little Bisquits

Didn't have a lot of time for crafting today, but I did play with my Clover Biscuit maker.  Years ago I made a couple of biscuit quilts, but didn't have these little tools to help.

Have I mentioned that I love my crafting tools?

Also finished and listed this bag in my kimbuktu shop.

Matchbook Notepads

Today I made little matchbook notepads with leftover paper from a custom order. 

 

I really like when I can use leftovers.

Coloring Book Cards

Today I colored a page from a quilt coloring book that my daughter-in-law gave me for Christmas.  Then I scanned it, shrunk it down to card size, printed it on glossy photo paper, and made some greeting cards and coordinating envelopes.

The cards are for my two children who were married in a double wedding on Valentine's Day a few years back.  So these will be Valentine/Anniversary cards.  I'm happy with the way they turned out.

P.S. -  I got my mini moo cards in the mail, aren't they cute!  

A Sloper and Yo-Yo Vest

sloper [n]: a basic pattern that follows the natural lines and represents the basic dimensions of a figure, from which all styles are based on. Also called basic pattern, block pattern, or foundation pattern.

That's the new term I learned today while searching for a free pattern to use as a base for the yo-yo vest I am working on for my littlest granddaughter.  I started the vest awhile ago, but wasn't sure if the shape of it was going to work.  I found a pattern (sloper) online.  Then I  drew a rough sketch on a brown paper bag I had cut open.  I tweaked the pattern until it looked right.  Next I lay out the yo-yo's on top of the pattern and started stitching them together.

I think it will go well with the selvage skirt also in the works.

Sure hope it fits!

Something Old is New Again

Today's endeavor was inspired by an online friend Tiffany Teske, you can check out her blog, Art, Food, and Motherhood, here.  Tiffany has been recycling, upcycling, reclaiming, making do, whatever you want to call it, in a wonderfully artistic way.

These candlesticks were given to us by someone from our church who was cleaning out the guest house during a remodeling project.  They sat on top of my refrigerator for six months, until today when I decided to see if I could salvage them.

Here is what they looked like before.

Armed with a hair dryer, plastic spoon, some very hot water, and gentle use of a Mr. Clean pad, I turned them into this.

 

(Don't worry, I cleaned the other one too)

An engraving on the bottom says that they are silver plated, not sterling, but I think they are beautiful just the same.  And it feels really good to reclaim something this useful which was on its way to the garbage.

Thanks Tiffany!

Selvage Fabric

Today I made some selvage fabric.  This is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  I feel thrifty and creative at the same time.

My plan is to sew this into a little skirt for my youngest granddaughter, who is such a girly-girl. I have a few other ideas for selvage fabric too, so I'm sure there will be more.  This was sew much fun to make!

Many wonderful ideas and projects made with selvages are available on this  Selvage Blog.

A Couple of Bags & Some New Fabrics

Today I worked on a couple of bags with fabric from Moda's Panache line.  One is for my daughter-in-law (she wants to use it to hold her knitting), and one is to list in my kimbuktu shop.

The green wooden beads in the header are great,  I've used them in a number of different bags.

Oh, and I photographed some new fabrics that came in, an eggshell Kona, and an orange Millefiore from Kaffe Fassett.  I think they look good with the Del Hi fabric by Valori Wells.

A Little Thread Catcher

I've been wanting to make one of these for awhile.  My daughter won one at the last quilt retreat we attended, and I have wanted one ever since.  The ThingADay Challenge gave just the impetus I needed to get it started.  I want to add some kind of pincushion thing as a weight to hang it from my sewing table.  But this will do for today. 

The coolest part is that I originally had the pockets on the inside and wasn't satisfied with the way they were sagging open.  My husband took one look at it and said, "that design doesn't make sense, your tools are going to get all thready.  Why don't you turn it inside out?"

I like the way it looks much better this way, and turning it solved the saggy pocket problem too.  I love my husband ♥