Happy Weekend Everyone! Hope you've had a great week! I know the weekends around here are usually pretty quiet, so how about we mix things up with a weekend giveaway?
I have a full fat quarter bundle of Floressence by Art Gallery In-House Studio for you! We chatted a bit about this line on Wednesday, it is such a fun mix of florals and geometrics.
It doesn't come out until next month, so this is your chance to get it a bit early! :)
To enter, just leave a comment! For a second entry, head on over to the Art Gallery Fabrics website, and poke around at all the new collections coming out. Leave a second comment letting me know your favorite!
Giveaway will close on Wednesday, October 3rd at 5pm CST. All entries welcome! Make sure to include your email if it's not in your profile!
Good luck!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Favorites
1. rainbow scraps quilt, 2. blocks, 3. Untitled, 4. Indie Vibrations Quilt, 5. ferris wheel III, 6. 2012 - 09 - 04 - Orange Peel Quilt 2, 7. Children at Play, 8. DUDQS front, 9. x&+ 2
Double favorites today! I've also chosen a few of my favorite projects from the In Color Order Flickr Group! Man it was hard to narrow it down to nine! I'm going to try to do this more often! :)
1. triangle log cabin, 2. Drawstring Bag, 3. BOM catch-up, 4. Drawstring bags a la @jenib320 for Avery and her friends to take to knitting class today!, 5. The brightest thing in my garden, 6. tiny lined drawstring bags, 7. Vintage Star, 8. P1010263, 9. Untitled
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Happy Friday!
Double favorites today! I've also chosen a few of my favorite projects from the In Color Order Flickr Group! Man it was hard to narrow it down to nine! I'm going to try to do this more often! :)
1. triangle log cabin, 2. Drawstring Bag, 3. BOM catch-up, 4. Drawstring bags a la @jenib320 for Avery and her friends to take to knitting class today!, 5. The brightest thing in my garden, 6. tiny lined drawstring bags, 7. Vintage Star, 8. P1010263, 9. Untitled
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday
Happy Wednesday! I'm going to try to keep things short and sweet today, since it's late!
I finished up my Enchanted Bow Skirt today! I ended up going with a coral/red fabric for the sash, since I plan on wearing it with a mustard cardigan! I love this pattern, it just turns out so cute! It's a free pattern by Karyn, you can find it on her blog, here. Both fabrics are from Rhapsodia by Art Gallery Fabrics!
Christina reviewed this awesome travel sewing kit pattern for Travel Handmade last week and I knew I had to make it to take with me to Sewing Summit! I whipped it up right away using a print from Lilly Belle by Bari J and my current favorite Pure Element, Mauvelous! It fits all my little sewing tools! You can find the pattern here.
Super happy mail arrived this week! Strike-offs of Color Me Retro! :)
Another happy stack of fabric! The new collection from the Art Gallery In-House Studio team, Floressence! I love the mix of geometrics and florals, so fun!
This Saturday, The Sewcial Lounge is celebrating it's first birthday with a party! Join us from 10am-5pm! I'll be setting up a table (along with others too!) with lots of vintage sheet goodies and maybe even a few handmade items! Either way, there will be cupcakes and prizes! I hope you'll stop by if you're local to Madison!
George bun!
Today I love the..
Smell of: Dinner
Sound of: Keane
Taste of: Laffy Taffy
Sight of: George
Feel of: Relaxing
Good Things about Today:
- Fun quilt guild meeting!
- Happy mail!
- Cleaned up the sewing room a bit
- Got a few things done!
I finished up my Enchanted Bow Skirt today! I ended up going with a coral/red fabric for the sash, since I plan on wearing it with a mustard cardigan! I love this pattern, it just turns out so cute! It's a free pattern by Karyn, you can find it on her blog, here. Both fabrics are from Rhapsodia by Art Gallery Fabrics!
Christina reviewed this awesome travel sewing kit pattern for Travel Handmade last week and I knew I had to make it to take with me to Sewing Summit! I whipped it up right away using a print from Lilly Belle by Bari J and my current favorite Pure Element, Mauvelous! It fits all my little sewing tools! You can find the pattern here.
Super happy mail arrived this week! Strike-offs of Color Me Retro! :)
Another happy stack of fabric! The new collection from the Art Gallery In-House Studio team, Floressence! I love the mix of geometrics and florals, so fun!
This Saturday, The Sewcial Lounge is celebrating it's first birthday with a party! Join us from 10am-5pm! I'll be setting up a table (along with others too!) with lots of vintage sheet goodies and maybe even a few handmade items! Either way, there will be cupcakes and prizes! I hope you'll stop by if you're local to Madison!
George bun!
Today I love the..
Smell of: Dinner
Sound of: Keane
Taste of: Laffy Taffy
Sight of: George
Feel of: Relaxing
Good Things about Today:
- Fun quilt guild meeting!
- Happy mail!
- Cleaned up the sewing room a bit
- Got a few things done!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
This Weekend
Happy Sunday! I've been busy at the sewing machine this weekend! I'm so glad you all enjoyed Friday's striped drawstring bag tutorial! I can't wait to see your bags! :)
It's that time again! Anna of Noodle Head just came out with a new bag pattern, the Sidekick Tote! I had to make it right away! It was absolutely perfect timing, I was just itching for a new bag in Fall colors! This bag is quite mature looking compared to my last few bags, which were very patchwork-y. I do love patchwork, but it's nice to have something a bit more sophisticated every once and a while too!
I used some chambray leftover from my first Tova, some delicious prints from Rock n' Romance by Pat Bravo and Pure Element solids in White Linen and Honey!
I love, love, love the way this bag turned out. I'm so proud of it! One of my favorite things about Anna's patterns is I always learn something new. With this bag I learned to do a recessed zipper, a bias bound front pocket, and a fancy adjustable strap! It came together quickly and easily, a great pattern! Thanks as always, Anna! :)
You can find the Sidekick Tote Pattern on Anna's blog, here.
I was feeling the need for a quick, just-because project this weekend (and I was procrastinating), so I finally pulled out Zakka Style by Rashida Coleman-Hale to make this awesome sewing kit! The sewing kit pattern was designed by Theresia Cookson, and it's great! It came together super quick, and it's so cute! Perfect for Traveling Handmade to Sewing Summit!
For my kit I used prints from Rock n' Romance and Summerlove by Pat Bravo, and some scraps of linen from my stash!
I spent a good few hours on Saturday cleaning off my laptop's desktop, and came across these photos that I never shared! I was so honored and excited to have my Patchwork Picnic Quilt featuring Pat Bravo's Summerlove collection in the 16th issue of Mollie Makes!
I love this magazine, and I had a major geek-out seeing my name in it! The fact that one of their taglines is "Making | Thrifting | Collecting | Crafting"? It's like they knew exactly what I like!
Today's major project has been quilting. I'm working on the quilting for my final Sewing Summit project! After doing lots of free-motion quilting in the last few months, I needed a bit of break, so I decided to try something new! With the help of Blooming Poppies' great post, I'm quilting concentric circles! They're pretty organic, but that's okay, I'm loving how it's turning out so far. And thankfully they look much better from further away, haha!
George!
I'm happy to announce two great new sponsors to In Color Order! Welcome to Lola Pink Fabrics and Tactile Fabrics! Lola Pink Fabrics has a great variety of modern fabrics, and Tactile Fabrics specializes in premium and organic quilting cottons! Thanks for supporting my sponsors!
Today I love the..
Smell of: Fresh air
Sound of: Harry Potter 5 audio book
Taste of: Roasted pumpkin seeds
Sight of: Clear skies
Feel of: Wool socks
Good Things about Today:
- Productive day
- Happy George!
- Been keeping the apartment pretty clean
It's that time again! Anna of Noodle Head just came out with a new bag pattern, the Sidekick Tote! I had to make it right away! It was absolutely perfect timing, I was just itching for a new bag in Fall colors! This bag is quite mature looking compared to my last few bags, which were very patchwork-y. I do love patchwork, but it's nice to have something a bit more sophisticated every once and a while too!
I used some chambray leftover from my first Tova, some delicious prints from Rock n' Romance by Pat Bravo and Pure Element solids in White Linen and Honey!
I love, love, love the way this bag turned out. I'm so proud of it! One of my favorite things about Anna's patterns is I always learn something new. With this bag I learned to do a recessed zipper, a bias bound front pocket, and a fancy adjustable strap! It came together quickly and easily, a great pattern! Thanks as always, Anna! :)
You can find the Sidekick Tote Pattern on Anna's blog, here.
I was feeling the need for a quick, just-because project this weekend (and I was procrastinating), so I finally pulled out Zakka Style by Rashida Coleman-Hale to make this awesome sewing kit! The sewing kit pattern was designed by Theresia Cookson, and it's great! It came together super quick, and it's so cute! Perfect for Traveling Handmade to Sewing Summit!
For my kit I used prints from Rock n' Romance and Summerlove by Pat Bravo, and some scraps of linen from my stash!
I spent a good few hours on Saturday cleaning off my laptop's desktop, and came across these photos that I never shared! I was so honored and excited to have my Patchwork Picnic Quilt featuring Pat Bravo's Summerlove collection in the 16th issue of Mollie Makes!
I love this magazine, and I had a major geek-out seeing my name in it! The fact that one of their taglines is "Making | Thrifting | Collecting | Crafting"? It's like they knew exactly what I like!
Today's major project has been quilting. I'm working on the quilting for my final Sewing Summit project! After doing lots of free-motion quilting in the last few months, I needed a bit of break, so I decided to try something new! With the help of Blooming Poppies' great post, I'm quilting concentric circles! They're pretty organic, but that's okay, I'm loving how it's turning out so far. And thankfully they look much better from further away, haha!
George!
I'm happy to announce two great new sponsors to In Color Order! Welcome to Lola Pink Fabrics and Tactile Fabrics! Lola Pink Fabrics has a great variety of modern fabrics, and Tactile Fabrics specializes in premium and organic quilting cottons! Thanks for supporting my sponsors!
Today I love the..
Smell of: Fresh air
Sound of: Harry Potter 5 audio book
Taste of: Roasted pumpkin seeds
Sight of: Clear skies
Feel of: Wool socks
Good Things about Today:
- Productive day
- Happy George!
- Been keeping the apartment pretty clean
Friday, September 21, 2012
Striped Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Happy Friday! Today we're going to be taking my Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial and customizing it with stripes in three ways!
*For additional sizes and custom sizing check out the pattern versionhere.
The following mini tutorials will be done using the Everything size (same as the tutorial size). Basically we are taking the Exterior Main pieces and adding patchwork to them. There are so many possibilities, you could do squares, rectangles, even a quilt block if you wanted! I'm going to show you how to make the three bags above, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, and diagonal stripes. So, let's go!
Sewing Level: Intermediate
First and foremost, the pieces we're going to be creating are 10.5" wide by 9" tall. When I'm adding piecing, I like to interface my pieces for extra support. I used Pellon SF101 Woven interfacing for all these bags (only applied to the Exterior Main pieces).
Vertical Stripes
For vertical stripes, we need to cut strips that are as tall as the piece we need, so 9".
Cut (14) 2"x9" strips from various fabrics
Separate your strips into two piles, one for each side of your bag. Stitch together 7 strips along the long edges using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open. Repeat for the second piece. Trim both pieces to 10.5"x9". Apply interfacing. Finish bag according to the tutorial.
*For other size bags, cut strips as tall as your Exterior Main pieces.
Horizontal Stripes
For horizontal stripes, we need to cut strips that are as wide as the piece we need, so 10.5".
Cut (12) 2"x10.5" strips from various fabrics
Separate your stripes into two piles, one for each side of your bag. Stitch together 6 strips along the long edges using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open. Repeat for the second piece. Trim both pieces to 10.5"x9". Apply interfacing. Finish bag according to the tutorial.
*For other size bags, cut strips as wide as your Exterior Main pieces.
Diagonal Stripes
For diagonal stripes, we'll be using a foundation paper piecing method.
- Approx 20 strips of various lengths
- 2 pieces of scrapbook paper (12"x12")
Cut a variety of strips, a few should be at least 12" long. You can choose to cut them all the same width (Ex: 2"), or different widths like mine!
Trim a piece of scrapbook paper down to 9"x10.5". Decide on a center strip for your piece.
1. Using a tiny bit of glue from a glue stick, attach the strip, right sides up, centered on the diagonal of your paper. (You may choose not to place it on the exact diagonal like me, I wanted mine to be a bit wonky!)
2. Grab your next strip, and place it on your center strip, right sides together. You always want to make sure your strip is a bit longer than the paper so that you have some overhang!
3. Turn your stitch length down (I think I turned mine to about 1.5), and stitch along the edge of your strips using a 1/4" seam allowance. You're stitching them right to the paper!
4. Open your strips up and press with an iron (no steam!), or your fingers.
5. Grab another strip and repeat the process.
6. Do this until you've covered that entire half of the paper.
7. Now flip your work around and do the same to fill up the other half of your paper.
8. Once your paper is covered entirely, press well and flip it over.
9. Using the paper as a guide, cut away the excess fabric.
10. Finally, tear off the paper carefully from the back starting at a corner. Press well. Repeat for the second piece!
11. Apply interfacing. Finish bag according to the tutorial.
Enjoy your super cute bags!
Looking for more ways to customize your bags? Check out my new Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern! Take your lined drawstring bags to the next level with a wide range of variations! Dress up your bags with patchwork and quilt blocks or keep it simple with an easy going bag. Learn how to center a design on the front, make a drawstring backpack and more!
Find the original pattern here: Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Find the expansion pattern here: Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern
Happy Sewing!
*For additional sizes and custom sizing check out the pattern versionhere.
The following mini tutorials will be done using the Everything size (same as the tutorial size). Basically we are taking the Exterior Main pieces and adding patchwork to them. There are so many possibilities, you could do squares, rectangles, even a quilt block if you wanted! I'm going to show you how to make the three bags above, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, and diagonal stripes. So, let's go!
Sewing Level: Intermediate
First and foremost, the pieces we're going to be creating are 10.5" wide by 9" tall. When I'm adding piecing, I like to interface my pieces for extra support. I used Pellon SF101 Woven interfacing for all these bags (only applied to the Exterior Main pieces).
Vertical Stripes
For vertical stripes, we need to cut strips that are as tall as the piece we need, so 9".
Cut (14) 2"x9" strips from various fabrics
Separate your strips into two piles, one for each side of your bag. Stitch together 7 strips along the long edges using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open. Repeat for the second piece. Trim both pieces to 10.5"x9". Apply interfacing. Finish bag according to the tutorial.
*For other size bags, cut strips as tall as your Exterior Main pieces.
Horizontal Stripes
For horizontal stripes, we need to cut strips that are as wide as the piece we need, so 10.5".
Cut (12) 2"x10.5" strips from various fabrics
Separate your stripes into two piles, one for each side of your bag. Stitch together 6 strips along the long edges using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open. Repeat for the second piece. Trim both pieces to 10.5"x9". Apply interfacing. Finish bag according to the tutorial.
*For other size bags, cut strips as wide as your Exterior Main pieces.
Diagonal Stripes
For diagonal stripes, we'll be using a foundation paper piecing method.
- Approx 20 strips of various lengths
- 2 pieces of scrapbook paper (12"x12")
Cut a variety of strips, a few should be at least 12" long. You can choose to cut them all the same width (Ex: 2"), or different widths like mine!
Trim a piece of scrapbook paper down to 9"x10.5". Decide on a center strip for your piece.
1. Using a tiny bit of glue from a glue stick, attach the strip, right sides up, centered on the diagonal of your paper. (You may choose not to place it on the exact diagonal like me, I wanted mine to be a bit wonky!)
2. Grab your next strip, and place it on your center strip, right sides together. You always want to make sure your strip is a bit longer than the paper so that you have some overhang!
3. Turn your stitch length down (I think I turned mine to about 1.5), and stitch along the edge of your strips using a 1/4" seam allowance. You're stitching them right to the paper!
4. Open your strips up and press with an iron (no steam!), or your fingers.
5. Grab another strip and repeat the process.
6. Do this until you've covered that entire half of the paper.
7. Now flip your work around and do the same to fill up the other half of your paper.
8. Once your paper is covered entirely, press well and flip it over.
9. Using the paper as a guide, cut away the excess fabric.
10. Finally, tear off the paper carefully from the back starting at a corner. Press well. Repeat for the second piece!
11. Apply interfacing. Finish bag according to the tutorial.
Enjoy your super cute bags!
Looking for more ways to customize your bags? Check out my new Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern! Take your lined drawstring bags to the next level with a wide range of variations! Dress up your bags with patchwork and quilt blocks or keep it simple with an easy going bag. Learn how to center a design on the front, make a drawstring backpack and more!
Find the original pattern here: Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Find the expansion pattern here: Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern
Happy Sewing!
Favorites
1. PP flowers on Kona snow, 2. trust circle of do. good stitches {log cabin}, 3. Deco Shimmer Block Tester, if you make 4 of them..., 4. rock & romance skull quilt, 5. grey gingham patchwork quilt., 6. Kaleidoscope Quilt, 7. Chocolate and Stripes, 8. Frankie Quilt, 9. Bed
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Happy Friday!
Every week I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please email me and I'll remove it!
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Side Braid Quilt Pattern
Today I have my newest pattern, the Side Braid Quilt Pattern, ready for you! Yay, I actually finished it on time! Sometimes self-imposed deadlines really do work. Thanks for your patience, I'm really happy with how these two quilts turned out!
In this pattern you'll find instructions for both quilts. They are constructed in the same way, one uses large rectangles, Big Braid, and the other uses rectangles that are half the size, Mini Braid! My favorite thing about this pattern is how easy it comes together. You get a look similar to a traditional braid quilt, but the construction is much simpler!
Find the pattern in my shop here: Side Braid Quilt Pattern
The nice thing is, they require the same amount of fabric and end up the same size! Each quilt requires 20 fat quarters (or quarter yard cuts) and 1.5 yards of solid background fabric! They are healthy throw quilts, at 60"x78"!
I've included piece totals for both quilts so that you can easily cut from your scraps! The Mini Braid would be especially good for scrap quilting!
Big Braid
The Big Braid comes together seriously quickly! I comfortably cut and pieced the top within 24 hours. Great for last minute gifts, and definitely do-able for comfortable beginners. My quilt was made using Indie by Pat Bravo* along with White Linen Pure Elements Solid* by Art Gallery Fabrics.
It's backed in a mustard gold vintage sheet, it just happened to be a perfect match, and I only just thrifted it last month! I used Hidden Treasures in Gem from Indie* for the binding.
Mini Braid
The Mini Braid was a lot of fun to put together. I started with a stack of Bespoken* by Art Gallery and added prints from Modernology*, Coquette*, Poetica*, and both Oval Elements* and Nature Elements*. I used Mystic Grey Pure Elements Solid*, a lovely soft gray.
It's backed with another vintage sheet, this time in pink and orange. For binding I used Lemonade Pure Elements Solid*. I love the pop of bright green, it looks great with the backing too!
So, there we have it! I hope you enjoy these quilts and the pattern!
Find the pattern in my shop here: Side Braid Quilt Pattern
Happy Wednesday!
*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Color Me Retro Strikeoffs + Story
EEEEEEKKKK!! I am freaking out right now guys! Because strikeoffs of my first fabric collection, Color Me Retro for Art Gallery Fabrics, are on their way to me! I cannot wait! I am going to need to camp out by the mailbox!
I couldn't wait to share photos of the collection!
AHHH! That's my name up there ^^!
I wanted to take the time to talk a bit about my inspiration for this collection! When I was first starting to think about the direction for my first collection, I literally went on an inspiration scavenger hunt around our apartment and around town. I spend a lot of my time thrifting. Simply because I love the thrill of the hunt, and I also thrift for my vintage sheet business. I first started thrifting when I was trying to furnish my first apartment. I got hooked almost immediately! Shortly after I started thrifting, I found my first piece of vintage Pyrex. A few years later, I found my first Dansk Kobenstyle enamelware pot. Now, thrifting and collecting is still a big part of my life. I never go more than a week without going out to at least a few stores, poking around for my next big find!
So, it hit me pretty quickly that my biggest inspiration is my mid-century modern collections. Pyrex casseroles and bowls from the 60s and Scandinavian enamelware from the 50s. I visited my local library and scoured through every book I could find on Scandinavian and mid-century modern style. I combed the local antique malls hunting for inspiration (and goodies of course!). Thankfully, I have substantial collections, so there was really no lack of inspiration!
I'm not sure I could tell you why I'm so attracted to mid-century modern design. I just love the clean, bold designs, bright pops of color and smooth shapes. I think the seed started way back in 2006 when my favorite band, Keane, came out with their second album, Under the Iron Sea. The artwork was done by an up and coming Finnish artist, Sanna Annukka and I fell in love. I still have a giant poster hanging in our bedroom with the artwork, so I can see it everyday. So, that's how I discovered Scandinavian and mid-century modern design!
I used a lot of my favorite things about mid-century modern design and translated it into my fabric collection. The prints are graphic, a lot of clean lines and shapes. The colors are totally classic retro colors. Was very inspired by my enamelware when it came down to colors.
Wow, I got really chatty! How about more fabric pictures?!
I cannot wait to start sewing with them and sharing all the possibilities with you! I'll be sharing Color Me Retro at Fall Quilt Market next month! Also, if you're coming to Sewing Summit, I'll bring some there for you to see! It will be hitting stores in February! :)
Okay, off to plan some projects! See you soon!
I couldn't wait to share photos of the collection!
AHHH! That's my name up there ^^!
I wanted to take the time to talk a bit about my inspiration for this collection! When I was first starting to think about the direction for my first collection, I literally went on an inspiration scavenger hunt around our apartment and around town. I spend a lot of my time thrifting. Simply because I love the thrill of the hunt, and I also thrift for my vintage sheet business. I first started thrifting when I was trying to furnish my first apartment. I got hooked almost immediately! Shortly after I started thrifting, I found my first piece of vintage Pyrex. A few years later, I found my first Dansk Kobenstyle enamelware pot. Now, thrifting and collecting is still a big part of my life. I never go more than a week without going out to at least a few stores, poking around for my next big find!
So, it hit me pretty quickly that my biggest inspiration is my mid-century modern collections. Pyrex casseroles and bowls from the 60s and Scandinavian enamelware from the 50s. I visited my local library and scoured through every book I could find on Scandinavian and mid-century modern style. I combed the local antique malls hunting for inspiration (and goodies of course!). Thankfully, I have substantial collections, so there was really no lack of inspiration!
I used a lot of my favorite things about mid-century modern design and translated it into my fabric collection. The prints are graphic, a lot of clean lines and shapes. The colors are totally classic retro colors. Was very inspired by my enamelware when it came down to colors.
Wow, I got really chatty! How about more fabric pictures?!
I cannot wait to start sewing with them and sharing all the possibilities with you! I'll be sharing Color Me Retro at Fall Quilt Market next month! Also, if you're coming to Sewing Summit, I'll bring some there for you to see! It will be hitting stores in February! :)
Okay, off to plan some projects! See you soon!