Sewing....and unsewing

I have gotten a little bit of sewing done since the blog hop and yesterday's scheduled post.

I did the ipad/tablet stand for Jane on Monday afternoon and the wonder wallet on Monday evening while Skyler and Oscar took turns hiding under the skirt on the sewing/pressing table.  I've done enough of those that I didn't even look at the directions to sew it---and then forgot about the stitching you do to join the 3rd and 4th pockets and form a coin area.  I got it done but after the fact.  OOPS!

Yesterday I got a little ahead of my self and reverted back to the sewing room re-do projects.  I want a gingham chicken pin cushion.  Those tablet stands sort of look like chickensand no doubt, that is why I had the bug.   I want it to be as big as the one I have been using, that Veronica sent me (empty for mailing) when my beloved one died.  I asked her if she knew what size she had cut the initial squares.  Too much water over the dam and she doubted she could find her notes about the pattern changes.

SOOO I gutted an extra one I had.  Looked like the squares were 4 1/2 inches on it, but it was much smaller.  I'll go with squares cut 7 1/2" and then 5" and 6" for the tail feathers prairie points, 2" for the comb prairie points and a hair smaller for the beak square.  I cut it all out last night and sat down to sew this afternoon.  I looked at a few websites.  Even watched the You Tube video from Missouri Quilt Company. She shows a bigger one but does not say how big to cut them, just two equal sized squares.

I called this post "sewing and unsewing" so you KNOW I messed up, right?

OOPS!!  This one has his beak scraping the ground!  It is also a good bit bigger than the one I was trying to make.  That one measures about 5 inches across the backside while mine measures 7 inches.  I'm guessing if I started with 7 1/2 inch squares then 6 inches might have been the better choice.  BUT that part doesn't bother me near as much as the mess I made.  Obviously I chose the wrong side of the three sides to sew before you match up that seam with the prairie pointed end.  Not only did I have to remove that seam but I had basted the tail feathers in so they would not slip.    I had to take the seam out on the 3rd side too since I had to be sure to leave an opening to turn it and fill it!  I had interfaced it as well with medium weight fusible interfacing making it a little harder to remove the old lines of thread.

BUT I am back on track.  It is fixed. I think it will be cute and it matches the curtain and table skirt deal.   I want to use bean bag pellets in this one as I love those in the existing pinnie  (and the one that expired )but will need to make a store run tomorrow.    I need to go anyway for several zippers for another project I have in mind.  I have a kit from Connecting Threads for the Zip Zip Bags and of course, that is just the fabric for two bags and the pattern.  Zippers and d-rings not included.  I possibly need cording for the pacie clips I told you about..  I have something that I could use but it feels like of plastic-y and is glittery;  I am concerned about the suitability should Lily start chewing on it.

See that little babies head peeking out on the computer screen?  Hooded ruffled girly towel from Stitched by Crystal..  Think Lily needs one of them too?

Well, you know where to find me---at the machine or cutting table.  I would like to work on the Koin Keeper yet this evening---now that I have chickens under control!!

Snap Happier and accessories

I spent a good part of Wednesday sewing accessories to go with my new Snap Happier purse.  Of course, I have pictures to share! Lots of them, LOL.   I thought was done last evening but by 8:30 this morning I had whipped up a Wonder Wallet, just in case something else I tried does not work out as I hope.  Before I put the fabric up, I thought "why not?"

The overview, glamour shot.  Left upper, Wonder Wallet.  Left lower, banking envelope rendered in cloth.  Center zip bag.  Right upper, Koin Keeper wallet from This & That.  Purse:  Snap Happier purse  (pattern also has a larger tote version)  At center, a zipped pouch that finished at about 6 inches square.   Would you believe me if I told you that I used up practically the all the cute Michael Miller "Michelle Meow" fabric?  Just scraps left.

I started off yesterday morning thinking zipped pouch.  After all, I had picked up two pink 7 inch zippers along with the longer tan one used to make an interior zipped pocket for the purse.  Might as well, right?   This way I could re-purpose the "wrong" bag exterior too.

I didn't have directions, flying by the seat of my pants.  However, something must have stuck with me from all those Atkinson Designs tagalong totes I have made or maybe it was how you do the zippers in a Lazy Girl Design purse.  Who knows?    Basically I knew what it should look like when it was done----the teeth of the zipper tape encased in the main fabric and lining.  I over cut the lining and the old bag bits were backed with fusible fleece. 

Trimmed down and ready to apply the backing.

 All finished!

Next, I was going to move on to a wallet of some sort, thinking the Koin Keeper and/or Wonder Wallet.  Then it came to me.  Bank envelope!  DJ always gives me cash for the groceries and in a bank envelope.  How about one in cloth??  Two layers of fabric right sides together.  Might work----do it like faced appliqued shapes?

Stitching around my template  er, bank envelope opened up

 Turned, loaded---one end has velcro and the other is partially fused with stitch witchery.  Coins go in that flap behind the currency.  My guess is that your bank uses roughly the same thing in your drive up area??

But I also added a little velcro bit to the folded edge so the same velcro loop would close the deal if it were folded.  My plan is to try it and see how it works for the grocery monies.

Then I moved on to pocket tissue holders.  This will sound gross but who has not been caught in a public restroom that has no toilet paper, someone stole it or there is inattentive staff.   Carrying this is a must!

I messed up the first attempt---tab too short, cats upside down, trimmed off too much, didn't need to double seam the side seams----well, take my word for it just wrong.  This was much better!  Hooray for Google for finding the inspiration for this one.  Love the trim and button idea.  Inspiration site:  http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2008/06/make-kleenex-holder.html

After supper,  I moved on to the Koin Keeper wallet.  I have not made one of these before so it was slow going but I like the end result.  Three card pockets on the left though that top one is blending in with the background fabric.  There is a zipped pocket for coins on the right plus those sections were sort of free floating so it forms a pocket behind them.  I would NOT try to top stitch those edges though---rough sledding though I had switched to my older Singer as it handles more layers better.  (Brother gets pissy about just 4 layers sometimes).

All closed up

My only gripe would be that they tell you to stop and start at an inopportune spot.   It made getting the seam allowances tucked back in a little more difficult.  My new best friend, Mr. Glue Stick, to the rescue till I could seam it.  I used that thing a lot on all this recent sewing, that and the Frixion pen.  

Which brings up to this morning----Wonder Wallet and sewing before I even had breakfast!  I have made quite a few of these in the recent past, like ones to match each of my Tagalong totes and the Carol's convertible.  Still, it is like a review each time.  I interface all the pieces but trim cut the folded sections at least 1/4 inch all around using the folded pocket measurement.  The pattern says just the cover piece and even then optionally.  It gives the pockets a bit more body.  Pam got me started on that

Interior, it lays flat, trust me!

Folded up, exterior   (I had to seam the fabric to get this squeezed out.)

Pam also got me started with adding a bit of elastic to what will be come the top flap.  With as much wear as these things get Velcro would wear out though I could add a pretty button or a flower if I want!  I might, I might not, LOL.

So there you have it----I am done with this little endeavor and ready to move into my summery purse.  I think I will take the rest of the day off some sewing, clean out the machines before I get ready for the next project, put away any fusibles and fabrics.  Most importantly, vacuum up the floor in here!  I have picked up the biggest messes and thread nests already as I worked.   I have cat who will eat string in a heartbeat!  

Next up, my projects for HO HO HO blog hop.  Carol our head cheerleader gave us a tenative schedule and I'm up on August 2nd.  That will be here before you know it!   THX for stopping by!

piddling

I have been falling down on the "goals"/day's plans the last couple of days---mostly piddling.

I had gone out to see one of my quilting/FB pals on Thursday morning and enjoyed both the drive over (through the back of the old Fort McClellan) AND the visit. In spite of her only being a week postop at that point we went upstairs to see her wonderful sewing space that her husband had carved out of some of the attic space! What I wouldn't give to have cupboards and a walk in storage closet! Bev showed me some of the things she was working on. She also knew that I was looking to put a flower or something on my completed purse/backpack. She lent me her little yo-yo maker for that basket block embellishment.

Now, I have never used my extra large Clover yo-yo maker yet though I have had thoughts of slowly making some over time.  A recent quilting magazine showed a quilt from Terry Atkinson, one of my all time fav designers, with rows of yo yo's on a teal background.  I even have a small heart yo-yo that came in the 1st place prize basket for the quilt show in TN but never had it out of the package yet.  But I have some things that need the embellishment, all the sudden!

Bev had recently shown us how to do a dimensional flower and I thought that was what I was going to do.  Then she started sending me links to video's on how to use the Clover deal.   Oh oh!  I was primed to follow along now.   One video hooked 6 yo-yo's or as she called them, Suffolk puffs,  together to form a flower that was adorable!

I would settle for just getting ONE made properly!  The first attempt I cut the seam allowance too small and my stitching was not holding it down enough.  2nd attempt, I actually sewed it to the base following the wrong holes around the edge.  3rd time was a charm.

After all that messing around, I wondered if doing the covered button was going to be as big an adventure.   Nothing to worry about there with those little pushers and holders.  Since I can see some sheen with the camera flash behind the fabric, I wonder if I should have interfaced it or something???    The picture shows the finished product.  The purple matches the interior of the purse and the zipped pocket linings.

Looking at the fabric leftovers from the purse, I still had interfaced pieces and searched around for my wonder wallet pattern.  I have another wallet pattern around here somewhere but could not lay hands on it---that led to a notebook search later but it still has not turned up leading me to think I may have loaned it out???  While I listened to the Cardinal-Pirates game last night I whipped this up.  Pam makes hers with the elastic band around them rather than velcro and a button so I did the same using hers for an example but not before basting the elastic down in the wrong spot, LOL.   I do carry two wonder wallets though as I keep the grocery money separately in the 2nd.  It will help that they look totally different.

Two things though----I need to get some 1/4 inch elastic the next time at the store and I hate decor-bond.  Not only was it hard to get to adhere to the fabric (which I had pre-washed for a change) but it is too heavy and too stiff.  Heavy weight interfacing will do for me but not decor-bond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's plan:  Cher's FAB challenge using the Sister's panel seen in this post .  We are meeting next Saturday to sew on this so I really, really need to cut out my stuff to kit it up for sewing day.  I think Cher okay'd some preliminary sewing too but that won't happen till I cut!  I have a small errand to run and then I AM cutting and kitting.  Enough of this goofing around, LOL.

another finish............

but I swear it is the last one unless I want to make some as gifts. I will make that qualifying statement. 5 Tag Along Totes for me should be enough, LOL.

I had been eyeing some of this purple fabric on the shelf for some time. I had used it on a donation quilt from abandoned blocks some time ago and had plenty of it. Well, yesterday afternoon I cut into it when I thought I found some compatible fabric in the stash. The green bits are the backing on my bargello quilt and I used more for an inner pocket. The lavender (lilac?) small print was in my 30's repro's batch.

Initially I thought that the large print would be the purse cover but at the last minute I changed my mind---like, right after I quilted the body of the purse and made the angled cut from it to form the pocket liner. I cut a few different pieces for binding and straps and off I went. Most of it was done by bedtime last night. I just had to finish putting in the zipper placket, attach the straps and the edge finish.

Pam uses an elastic band sewn to the cover of the wallet and I DID try that on one of mine. The subsequent one I sewed to the wrong side---scrap that idea. I found some buttons from my stash that went with the last two anyway and this is a good place to use them. I sewed it on "backwards" on the purple WW because I like the color best from this side

I was asked by a commenter about the pattern source when I posted #4 Tag Along Tote. I was negligent in not reposting the links, I'm sorry about that but the commenter is also on "no-reply blogger status" so I could not answer them directly. Atkinson Designs Tag Along Tote and Lazy Girl Designs Wonder Wallet will get you to the pattern sites.

While I am still on this subject:

About two weeks ago I was at the local Dollar General getting some grocery items. The clerk asked me what I was making and at first, I was a little puzzled till it occured to me she wondered what I was doing with the food items on my list. I explained my odd look to her question by relating that I had been sewing like crazy lately and the purse and wallet I was using that day were some of my creations. The two women behind me in line naturally heard all this and I got "how much would you charge for one of those?" and "I'd like to have something like that for my (fill-in-the-blank). HUH???? For the 2nd time in two minutes I was startled. But my response was something to the effect of " I donate quilts to kids but I don't do things to sell". What I really meant was "lady, you wouldn't want to pay for my time, let alone materials".

As I continued on to my next stop, I thought about what I had already put into my project ---about a total of a yard of fabric at up to 10 bucks, batting scraps, zipper about 2 bucks, thread. It takes me the better part of a day to sew it up. Oh, don't even go there!! Later when I got home I saw that the patterns are copyright protected. I would not have allowed to make either of them for re-sale in the first place. NOT that I wanted to. Some will allow you to make up to a certain number but that is not what was on the pattern jacket. So if I am asked again, I have the ready answer-- I can't and I won't but I can tell you where to find the patterns so you can make your own. Bet you anything they wouldn't want one near as bad!

So what is next? Well, I have some friendship blocks to work on for the Fab Retreat but I think I will wait on that till I get back from a weekend trip to IL. Most of my family will be "home" for Christmas in July though DJ is not going with me. I am driving up to TN to my brother's home and then on up to IL with him, his daughter and foster daughter. Departure plans are a little up in the air right now so I need to pack for 5-6 days. I did 4 loads of laundry this morning so could start packing that suitcase.

Today's goal is to cut out my version of "Strip Twist" The pattern is from G. E. Quilt Designs and I bought it and the fabrics from Connecting Threads as a kit. (See below) This is the project we chose for the FAB retreat--well, to be honest, I don't know if we chose, or I chose. They put me in charge of that and the friendship block part but 3 of us signed off on it so that's a quorum if there are 5, right? Since I am mailing my clothes and such onto Pam's house ahead of the trip, I want to pack up my kit with that stuff. (I plan to travel light with one carry on since I have two connecting flights to get to her place)

I don't think I am going to do my version like she shows in the pattern though I admit the piecing idea is rather clever. I want all the light parts the same and the centers a uniform color so I got a little extra yardage for the quilt. However many blocks I can squeeze out is how big the quilt will be. I love this fabric line--kind of a fall thing going with plaids, dandelion seeds, falling leaves, leaf strips, circles and fronds, acorns and leaves and wind and leaves. Should be fun however I make it as I will be sewing with my buds.

Tomorrow one of the Belles is riding up to Boaz with me to deliver the commissioned t-shirt tops and Lois has one of her own to take to Susan. I imagine we will go to Mill Street Deli (a reuben is calling my name, LOL--they make a good one!) I also plan to take my Viking in for servicing while we are up that way.

So a bit of running around and being out of pocket is coming up for me. I doubt I will post again till after my trip. Let me wish my US readers a safe 4th of July and the Canadian ones, a happy Canada Day! Anyone else, have a great day in whatever you chose to do..........

done!

2 finishes in one day--that has to be a record! Tag Along Tote and matching Wonder Wallet.

No more sewing from this girl today..............