Meet Bertha from Three Times the Charm!

Whew - my Pinterest Party gifts are all complete!! With that said I got to do some quick sewing this weekend. Here is what I was working on :)
 

Here the table topper is before being all sewn together.

The pattern that I used was named 'Bertha' in the "3 Times the Charm!" book. While shop-hopping this summer I picked up two kits for the 'Greta' quilt - oops. Thankfully the 'Greta' takes a lot more fabric than the 'Bertha' so i have plenty of fabric for the top AND enough to make up the backing. This will end up being a wedding gift for a special person :)

If you haven't seen this book before it is really great. All seven patterns are shown in three different color ways which I think is really helpful! This was a quick pattern to cut and the quilt will end up being about 24x27 inches which would be great for a table topper or a doll quilt. I think you could also use this as a cute wall hanging.

Here is the table topper with all blocks sewn together and with borders attached.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and have a good start on your Christmas gifts!

Angela S.

Barbados Bag - Finished!

I picked up the kit for my latest bag from Heirloom Creations before I left for vacation in October. I finally got it finished up now -- eek! Oh well, better later than never. This bag provided me with a much needed break this weekend since I was working on Pinterest Party gifts again. 

Heirloom Creations is doing a 'Bag of the Month' type of things these days so they had kits and patterns all ready to go. Here is a link to their article for the October bag of the month. As you can see mine should have flowers on the outside pocket but I didn't like that fabric as much so I made that the 'main body' of the bag. 

The pattern for the bag is from Pink Sand Beach Designs and I have to tell you it was a little confusing! I think my issue was that I had cut out my fabric a few weeks ago and then didn't get back to it today so i had to keep measuring my pieces to see if they were the front, the back, a pocket or a lining. Next time I make the bag I will be labeling my pieces :) 

The inner pocket of the bag is bag enough to fit my iPad with room to spare! The top of the bag has a zipper closure and there is also a zippered pocket of the front(my cell phone is peeking out). On both sides of the bag there are open pockets and there is a set of pockets inside the bag as well. 

I wore the bag out and about today while running errands and the length of the strap is perfect even while wearing a winter coat. In the summer this bag may look a little long on me but that can easily be adjusted next time I use the pattern.

I made a little trip out of town this weekend and FINALLY visited the Dell Rapids quilt shop, Always Your Design. I have seen this shop at a few quilt shows so it was nice to finally get there in person. My husband helped me pick out this great cat fabric. 

I have no idea what I am going to make with this but it was just too cute to pass up! 

I have got to get back to those Pinterest gifts now but I'll check in again soon!

Happy quilting!

Angela S.

Pinterest Party Sneak Peak and other Ramblings

So I have finally figured out what I am making for the Pinterest Party that I am going to! Here is a sneak peak of the fabrics that I am using.

Ohhhh aren't they just awesome! When I bought them I still had no clue what I was making so I just picked up two yards of each. I found both of them at the Fabric Bin in Aberdeen, SD. If you have not been there I highly suggest checking them out. I lived in Aberdeen for nearly 8 years and didn't step foot in the store until after I moved away - sad. Anyway they have TONS of great fabric and loads of samples. They also have a Facebook special every Friday. I happened to shop on a Friday and the special was $1.50 off each yard of bolted fabric - woohoo!

The plan is that I will start/finish cutting up my fabric this weekend and hopefully get a few things sewn since I have a 3-day weekend.

Tomorrow night it is time for my guild meeting and I just finished up the blocks for that. We made the Patience Block this month - pretty!! The guild provided the leaf fabric and I used some Kansas Troubles fabric that I thought went well with it. 

This was an easy block to make and ended up being 12 inches. The last few we have made have all been smaller so its nice to get something this big for once. I think these blocks would be nice to make with leftover fabric and place on the back of a quilt. 

Well enough for now! Wish me luck with the Pinterest Party and I hope to have a few more things posted soon :)

Angela S.

Craftsy BOM Update

So I have finally finished the April blocks for Craftsy's BOM class. Whew! I don't know why but the hexagons just seemed like to much work. But I'm finally over it and here they are!

 

I think both blocks are going to have some updates made before they actually make it into the quilt but at least now they are 'finished' enough for me.

Along with these blocks I also started working on the July blocks -- Dresden plates ooooohhh!!

 I really like the way this turned out. I tried not to think about the colors too much and just used 20 different fabrics from the fat quarter bundle that I started with. The next Dresden plate is going to be a more modern look and I should have that one done shortly :)

Once July is done I will be working on the August, September and October blocks. My goal is to have the entire top done by the end of November so that I can get it in to my quilter before the end of the year. 

The gal that is putting on the class put up pictures of her finished quilt and I can't wait to see mine all done up as well!

Have a great week!

Angela S.

Our first snowfall and other randoms

Hi All!!

Just an update that I am working mostly on Christmas gifts right now so there are not a lot of pictures to show since I don't want to ruin the surprise for people :) In between those projects I am working on a purse for myself and I will try to get that finished up and posted soon.  

In other news -- my sewing room is being rearranged and we had our first snowfall this morning! Crazy on both accounts! I will have pictures of the new sewing arrangement once I get the room put together in a reasonable fashion :)

I hope you all have a great weekend snuggled up with hot cocoa!

Angela  

Sewing for a cause!

This past Saturday I was invited by my friend Gerri Lynn to come and sew up some make-up bags with her. The bags that she was sewing are for the annual 'Make-A-Difference Day' event that Heirloom Creations hosts at their store. 

The past few years I have not made any bags but I did go to the store to help fill the bags up. The bags are filled with travel-size shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, deodorant and a comb. Here we are filling up the bags last year! For the 10th annual event Heirloom Creations provided 1,250 of these make-up bags to Children's Inn and other charities in the community. It's a really exciting day at the store...mostly because the young Girl Scouts are there helping fill the bags and then also because we are trying to beat our total from the year before :)

Charity Gift Bag Event - 2011

I wasn't sure how much help I was really going to be to Gerri Lynn and her friends but I figured I would just be sewing at home anyway so why not go hang out with some other gals. We had an awesome day of sewing....mostly because we were fueled by some great food! Gerri Lynn and her husband Ken had a system worked out so that while he was cutting fabric, she was putting in zippers and I was sewing. Our other friend Deb was either putting in zippers or sewing the side seams of the bags with me depending on how far behind I was getting :) 

Sewing and chatting away!

All in all we finished 270 of these bags! With the three of us sewing and Ken cutting it took about 7 hours but that's also accounting for my wonderful caramel roll breakfast and then our wild rice soup lunch mmmm mmmm good. Just imagine what a larger group of ladies could do! Also Deb and I were just using sewing machines and I would imagine that a serger would make quick work of those bags.

  

270 bags ready to be filled

If you would like to help fill the bags this year the event will be on Saturday, October 27th from 10am until the 'fillings' run out! Check out the Heirloom Creations link below for more information: 

11th Annual Make-A-Difference Day – Charity Gift Bags

If you would like to help actually make the bags for the next Make-A-Difference Day event here is a link with the bag instructions:

Charity Gift Bag Sewing Instructions

These bags are such a nice size that you probably even have scraps that you could put together to finish a couple of them. Donations of the bags and 'fillings' are accepted throughout the year. 

 

If this isn't something that interests you - no biggie!
BUT
I have to tell you that sitting and sewing with friends is an awesome way to spend time
no matter what you are making :)

 

Happy quilting!

Angela  

Pinterest Party

Best idea ever!!

If you are in the area please check out the Pinterest Party that Heirloom Creations is hosting on December 4th. There is sure to be lots of food and lots of fun! Bring anywhere from 6-20 gifts and get that many back :) 

Heirloom Creations - Pinterest Party Info

If you have any great ideas that you have found on pinterest please let me know! I am still looking around for ideas. I have a few things in mind but I'm just not ready to commit yet. I also would like to try and use up fabric I already have and that mainly means my Farmer John fruits and veggies fat quarters. I am thinking that I will only make 6 gifts since I'm not exactly sure who I would give them all to...or maybe I will just keep them all!

While I don't know what I am making, I DO know how i am wrapping the gifts up. Check this out:

Gift bags from newspaper 

I am thinking I will use the funny papers instead of the actual newspaper though because that's how my grandma used to wrap our gifts :)

This colder weather sure makes it easier to think about the upcoming holiday season!

Have a great week!

Angela  


  

Back in action!

Sorry all - I took a vacation from work, blogging and my normal life in general for a bit there :) Here are a few of the things I have been working on. 

This fun hexagon quilt is actually going to be my new shower curtain. I am so excited that I am putting my 'Hometown' fabric to use. The rows on the left have been pieced together but the rows on the right have not been. Working with fabric on the bias is not my favorite but I think I am really going to like the finished project. The pattern is from Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott. This particular pattern is called Hexagon Hiphop. 

The above little wine bag was so fun to make. I especially love the cork fabric that I used as a lining. I know that the One Yard Wonders book has been out for quite some time now but I just picked it up recently. This was my first project from the book but it certainly won't be the last. I'm really interested in the pattern for the tabletop ironing board as well as some of the garment items such as the bedtime shorts. 

In other news around here....I get to see Darlene Zimmerman tomorrow evening! She will be speaking at my guild and then teaching a class the next day. I am really excited to see what topics she will be speaking on.

I will post an update on how things went :) In the meantime, have a great rest of the week!

Angela

A new purse and some baby books

Lazy Girl has done it again. Well actually this is an older pattern but still. I love their stuff. This was a super easy bag to make and they make zippers feel like they are not even work - mostly because they aren't. I picked up the cat fabric on my Minnesota Shop Hop Bus Tour. The pattern only takes 2 fat quarters, some batting and a zipper so its really easy to pick out cordinating pieces.

The books were all picked up from my Minnesota Shop Hop Bus Tour as well. The Little Golden book came from the shop in Worthington and the other two came from the shop in Windom. This will be the last of my baby books for awhile now i think :)

Hope you are all having a great week and hopefully your Friday goes quick!

Angela

English Paper Piecing Tutorial -- No Handwork!!

As part of my stash busting September I am working on my Craftsy BOM project. And I got stumped. I do not like handwork and don't want to do it. So I have figured out a way to skip the handwork and still get the look of English Paper Piecing. So here we go with my first tutorial!


I am working with 2" hexagons so keep in mind that this may not work as well for small pieces...but it is working for this size.   

 

Start with a piece of fabric that is slightly bigger than your template. Either pin or use glue stick to keep the fabric and the template together.

From here trim the fabric to roughly a quarter inch around the template. I go with a little more just for fun. 

Now get out those handy dandy Wonder Clips!! With 'regular' English paper piecing you would fold over the edges and baste around this hexagon...thats too much work. Instead fold over the fabric and place a Wonder Clip at each point. 

 

You will end up with some crazy looking thing like this. Place it on your ironing board and spray with starch of some sort. 

Then begin pressing.  Go around the flat sides of the hexagon first.

 

Now start removing the Wonder Clips and press down all of the points.

Flip the hexagon over spray with starch and press again. Wait to remove the pins and templates until JUST before you are going to sew the pieces together. 

Pins and templates have been removed and we are ready to sew!

Use a small zig-zag stitch that will catch both pieces of fabric. 
 

All sewn together - how cute!

And a close-up of the threads that bind them.
 

 Just keep on putting single hexagons together until you end up with a long chain. You will then be able to set them together side by side and use the same zig-zag stitch :)

 

 The final product -- hurrah!

 

I hope this helps others out there that don't like handwork but still like hexies!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Angela