Sewing - a fabric pencil case and coordinating book mark

Wanting to send a small gift to my grand daughter for her birthday I decided to make her something.  After a perusal of the options I decided on a pencil case and book mark. I found the heavyweight black fabric in my stash and then remembered that I had sorted through some very nice fabric scraps with black backgrounds a while back.  These floral strips were just the right colour to coordinate with the zipper I had chosen so I used them to accent the pencil case and the bookmark.  It took longer to decide on the project than it did to actually make it.  It was a fun little project and I hope she will find them useful.  Her large gift is one she is sharing with her siblings and because her brothers had their birthdays in February she already knows what it is.   This will be nice little surprise for her!! 

Therese

Sewing - a new little pincushion for my sewing machine

I have made myself a new little pincushion and attached it to my sewing machine!! This is the best thing!!  I never have a place to put pins when I am removing them from the project I am sewing. I have used a free standing pin cushion which eventually falls on the floor which makes it inconvenient.  On one of my recent forays on the internet I found this idea  - a pincushion for your sewing machine - what a brilliant solution.  There are all kinds of inspiration once you start looking.  I decided to make one that fit around the main body of my sewing machine. It allows me access to all of the buttons and knobs and is still very much right where I need it to be.  The fabric I used is from one of my favorite shirts which I wore until the collar became ragged.   I cut off the front button hole band and then created a little pincushion from the bottom portion of the front from which I cut off the band.  I stitched the two sides together and then turned it inside out and folded over a quarter inch on one end, inserted one of the band and stitched them together.  Next, I cut a piece of cereal cardboard for the backer of my pincushion so I don't scratch my machine when I am inserting pins and inserted it into the other end of my pincushion. Next, I stuff it full of polyester batting then folded in another quarter inch on the open end, inserted the other end of the band (I tested it first to ensure the length was correct) into the the opening and stitched it in place.  I passed the band under the needle and then easily maneuvered the pincushion band over the rest of my machine and settled it nicely round the main section.  It fits perfectly and will certainly come in handy on my next project.  I really love that fabric too!! 

As I was cleaning up I remembered I once had a pair of scissors attached to my desk so I would always have a pair when I was cutting threads while I was sewing so I dug into my bin for ties/shoelaces and found this nice cord which I hitched to my scissors and then to the pincushion band which will keep them nice and close when I am sewing.  They will not be falling on the floor anymore!!!  I just remembered that my daughter gave me a really nice pair of scissors which I have stored away because I was not wanting them falling on the floor so I think I will be digging those out and putting them on the end of my cord!!!  Very happy with my new pincushion!!! 

Handmade thread holders

I have been saving some ruined sign holders (election leftovers) for this purpose.  I finally got to making them up!!  Thanks to DH's extensive wood scrap bin we have some very nice mahogany bases 5" x 5" with three drilled holes on the diagonal. He routed the edges and sanded them all down very nicely.
I cut the rods I needed from the sign uprights - 1.5" for the bobbin holder, 6.5" for the spool holder and about 12" for thread holder AFTER I formed the eye at the top.  I used the vise and a hacksaw to cut the pieces and used a file to remove the burrs.  There are two because my sister is getting one for Christmas from me!

Therese

Fabric pouch made for dishes for one person

 In anticipation of bringing our own dishes to our family reunion this year I worked on making carriers for them this weekend.  I had thought I would make them square but when I got started it seemed that round would work better so they are round.  I made one for me and one for DH.  I used polyester/cotton upholstery samples and included some mesh in order to allow the dishes to dry if they are stored away wet or damp.  I included a zipper just above the middle making sure it was going to be wide enough to insert my plate.  I cut the back 12.25" and then used the scrap to create the top of my front and inserted a zipper.  I thought the zipper in the mesh might not work quite as well.  I added the mesh and trimmed it to be the same as the back.  I used the small scraps to make a hanger and positioned it at the top and then with right side facing each other I stitched all the way around double stitching where the holder was.  I turned it inside out and ironed it flat ensuring that the seam created a nice edge.  I added two lines of stitching - one about 1/8" from the outside edge and one about 1/4" from the outside edge.  Worked out really well!!!!!! I stitched a napkin from fabric and added it to my carrier.  It works well to wrap the utensils in the napkin which prevents the tines of the fork from poking out of the mesh!!
All the girls at Guide camp have to bring dishes to camp which they use for all of their meals.  It produces so much less garbage and each girl is responsible for her dishes and for washing them after every meal.  It creates an awareness of environmental responsibility as well a personal responsibility for their own "stuff".  We are encouraging everyone coming to the reunion to bring their own dishes in order to drastically reduce the amount of garbage we will be producing.     Therese

Sewing project - upcycled beach cover up!!

I made up this beach cover up for my grand daughter who is going to a Guide camp out east this summer.  Her Mom thought a beach cover up would be a good idea, bought several coordinating t-shirts at the thrift store and provided the instruction in the way of a library book with ideas for teen sewing projects.  I was more than willing to do the sewing.  I combined two t-shirts to make the cover up using a more lightweight pink one I had on hand from a garage sale for the bottom.  It was more comparable in weight and fabric which will mean that they should dry at about the same rate when it gets wet.
I cut the sleeves off the navy one and simply turned over the edge and used pink thread and a triple zig zag stitch to finish it off.  I left the navy one as it was and cut the pink one long enough to make the cover up just above the knee on me so it will be a little shorter on my grand daughter as she is grown a lot this year.  Once I cut the pink t shirt I ran a basting stitch along the cut edge, gathered it just enough to fit in the bottom of the navy one and folded the seam allowance over on the stitching line.  I pinned the fold to the inside of the navy one to line up with the stitching on the hem.  I used the same triple zigzag stitch using pink thread to sew the two together which put the decorative stitch just nicely within the two lines of stitching on the hem of the navy shirt.  It helps to make it look like it was originally all one piece and coordinates with the stitching on the arm holes.  I cut a strip off of the remaining piece of the pink shirt to make a tie knotting each end and fringing the ends.  I dug through my stash and found a piece of trim that coordinated so I made two loops and hand stitched them to the cover up on either side of the middle just a bit lower than the natural waist line so that there would be a bit of extra on the top when it gathered.  I embellished the loops with pink buttons.  These will be easy to move should they not be in the right place as I did not have my grand daughter around to try it on when I was sewing!!  I am sure it will do the trick for her trip and will be a good thing to have for the summer when they got to the beach.        Therese

I have been sewing mobius infinity scarves!!

 My sister was wearing an infinity scarf she had sewn up a few weeks ago at my Dad's birthday and so we visually dissected it to see what might be necessary to make one.  We decided that 60" x 18" of fabric would do and it just needed to drape nicely to create the cowl effect that makes this accessory work so well.  I did some internet research and found a few tutorials.  I made mobius infinity scarves - they have a twist in them that makes them sit more nicely around your neck.  I dug some fancy fabric from my stash and made up a few!!!  They are quick and easy and can be made of very thin fabric or heavier as long as it drapes nicely.  I have a few last minute Christmas gifts!!!           Therese

Birdie fabric postcard for a birthday swap

Another fabric postcard for a birthday swap on one of my groups.   I started with a piece of this fabric collage background which I created a while back.  I added batting and then some crazy quilt hand stitching on all of the lines between the different fabrics.  I then cut a paisley shape out of light blue fabric and stitched it into place with my sewing machine going around several times to give the bird some definition and once in the middle to create the wing.  I added a beak using a small triangle of heat & bonded black fabric.  I hand stitched the eye, the legs and feet and the frilly tail feathers in black.  It needed something to help define the ground so I added some turquoise flowers with green stems and yellow centers.  That worked!!  I stitched on a black border with zigzag, added a white anf pink floral backer and stitched it into place with straight stitch all the way around.  Next, I  folded over the black border and adhered to the backer with fusible web.  I restitched the border with straight stitch really close to the outside edge to finish it off.  Pretty happy with how it turned out though it is a bit busier than I thought it would be when I started!!
Therese

Bottle cap pin cushion

My needles have been living with my straight pins and today I decided to give them a new home.  I created this little bottle cap pin cushion for them.  I started with a yellow lid from a salad dressing bottle and cut a circle three times the width out of stretchy blue fabric.  I handstitched all the way round the edge of the circle and created a little cup which I filled with fiberfill.  Once it was full enough I tied off my ends.  I dug through my button collection and found this beautiful white rose button which I sewed into the middle of my little ball tugging it nice and tight before I tied off my threads.  I stuffed the little ball into the bottle cap and I was done!  I new home for my needles!!  The straight pins will live in the red one and the needles in the blue one!!

Therese

A little sewing project!

I have been practicing my sewing skills!!  I used to do much more sewing when my children were home.  I made this little zippered pack for my grand daughter for her birthday.  It was fun to add some decorative stitching and work out a way to add a lining.  The belt is way too long but I thought more was better in case she decides to wear it over her shoulder instead of around her waist.

Therese

Gray and rust felted wool cuff

 I have joined a swap on one of my groups where we are swapping little gifts for Christmas.  I have decided to make cuffs for the participants so needless to say these are only appearing here after they have been opened for Christmas by those who received them.

I started with felted wool scraps that my daughter gave me after she was finished her large projects like table runners and teapot cozies.  I started with gray wool (1 1/2" x 8 1/4") for this one and did buttonhole stitch all the way around using dark gray thread.  I added the rust fiber using my sewing machine in free form arrangement.  I die cut a little row of ovals out of dark red felted wool using a large Sizzix border die.  I pinned it in place over the fiber and sewed my embellishments in place through all the layers.

The little circles are plastic and the others are a combination of gold sequins and black seed beads.  After sewing the embellishments in place I went back adding a stitch between each little oval using the same black thread.  Finally, I added two black beads on the end that combined with the long length of fiber creates an adjustable closure for this cuff.
I am enjoying making cuffs. You can check here, here and here for some I have made recently.  I did several others over the summer unfortunately I did not get photos of those.

Therese

Brown paper packages tied with string

 Hey!  Just here to share a really easy gift wrapping idea - brown paper tied with string!!
The brown paper showed up yesterday in a package that was delivered to the house!!  A long length of brown paper perforated every foot or so which I thought could easily be repurposed for decorative paper but later in the day I thought "I need a very simple wrapper for this gift" and remembered the brown paper.  I ripped off one length, folded it in half, ironed it flat and used my sewing machine with green thread to seal up both sides using a zig zag stitch!!  I tied it closed with some red cotton string!!  Too easy!!!!
Hope you holiday prep is going well.  The gifts are now wrapped and will go under the tree once we set up the tree - probably on the weekend!

Therese

Leafy wrist cuff

 Played with felt last week and came up with this leafy cuff for my daughter using scraps she donated to me.  I have limited colours but thought I could make a leaf cuff work.  I chose scraps that were big enough to cut with the TH Tattered Leaves die and cut 12 leaves.  I used wool thread which I obtained at a local thrift shop  - also limited colours.  I found some to coordinate with all of my leaves and did the button hole stitch around all of them hiding my ends in the felt.  I wanted to add a bit of colour so used gold thread in my sewing machine

and added the veining in each leaf. Now came the fun part - layering them to create a pleasing arrangement.  Once I liked the placement, I pinned them to each other to maintain their order and stitched them together.  I used regular sewing thread and hand stitched each leaf to the one below it where they overlapped.  I used very small stitches and did not go all the way through the felt so the underside looks as nice as the front.  I added two little black snaps as a closure which could be moved if it didn't fit perfectly.  As it was, it was just right and she liked it!!

Therese

Card with watercolour background

I found this watercolour background in a box on my desk and decided to turn it into a card!!  I had created it in the process of finding ways of creating fast and easy crafts do with my grandchildren using markers, coffee filters and a spray bottle.  This was a piece of white cardstock I used to print off of a coffee filter that was saturated with water and colour.
I added half of a paper doily.  The other half was included in the making of this card.  I added a piece of coordinating vintage seam binding and decided to sew it to the layer capturing the doily in between.  I glued this layer to a blue card front, added a watercoloured birdhouse image (Beccy's Place) and a double layered printed greeting.
I created the corners on my birdhouse image using a half inch circle punch.  I turned the punch over so I could see the paper, inserted the corner until it was a quarter of the circle and punched it.  Nicely done!! I like using my tools in different ways.
I am really liking these handmade backgrounds!!!

Therese

Tree Fabric Collage - How to

I created this fabric collage of a tree and thought I would provide a bit of information for anyone who might be inspired to make one themselves.

I started with a floral bed sheet!!!  I cut two 9" squares from it and then cut a piece of batting just slightly smaller.

I laid the fabric on a piece of plastic and applied acrylic paint colour washes in blues and greens to create a landscape back ground for my tree.  Once the fabric was dry I used a hot iron to heat set the paint.  I do not expect this piece will ever be washed but I thought it would be best to do it anyway.  I painted both pieces similarly though there is only one in the photo.

 I found a piece of brown fabric in my stash and cut out a tree trunk, pinned it to my front piece and used my sewing machine with brown thread to sew it in place.

 Next, I dug out scraps of green and brown fabric and cut out, by hand, LOTS of leaves - really just pointy ended ovals about 1.5" long.  I used a glue stick - yes the kind you use for paper - to glue all the leaves in place making sure that I distributed the different colours through out the tree.

Once they were all in place I used my sewing machine with green thread and sewed down the center of each leaf to securely attach them all to my fabric.  Next, I created the little quilt by placing my back over my tree with the right side facing down and positioned my batting over that.  I sewed around the perimeter using a half inch seam allowance and left a 2.5" opening in the seam. I then turned it right sides out and pressed it.  I hand stitched the opening closed and then top stitched about 1/8" all the way around the edge of the piece in green thread.
I began the process of adding stitching and beads with the trunk and then did all the leaves.  I used what I had in my stash of beads - mostly round seed beads and a few longer thin ones.  I mixed the colours and tried to coordinate them with the leaf colour.  I used brown, green and blue embroidery floss to stitch on my beads.

You can check out the final project here.   It was a really fun project and I expect I will be making a few more!!  If you are inspired I hope you will give it a go!!

Therese

Fabric collage - a beautiful tree!

 On AFTCM, I joined a fabric collage swap!!  I was very excited about the possibilities because I have been enjoying making these little quilties inspired by Teesha Moore and a bigger piece just seemed like it would be more fun!!!  It is 8" x 8" and features hand painted fabric, fabric leaves, floss and beads!!!  I sewed the foundation together and then embellished it by adding hand stitching and beads.  Here are some close ups of the beading!!

I download some embroidery stitching instructions off the internet which was very helpful in figuring out how to get the beads on as I was stitching.  It was totally fun and I love how it turned out!!  I believe there will be a few more of these stitched projects in my future.
Check out my next post to see how I created this piece!!

Therese

Beach Bag Tote

This is the last sewn item I am making for fundraising at an event I am attending this summer!!
The colourful fabric is a batik print created by my brother while he attended art school and has been in my sister's stash for years.  She brought it out earlier this year and challenged me to make something out of it!!  It is beautiful and I wanted to highlight the batik as much as possible!!  I stamped the light fabric to add colour and texture to it so it would coordinate more closely with the batik.  It seemed a better fit when they were lined up on my cutting table but all in all I am pretty happy with how it turned out!!  The bag is lined with the same fabric as the handles and has a zipper at the top!!

Therese

Fabric journal - part one

A few months back I decided I would make a journal with my little quilts as a fundraising prize for an event I am attending this summer!  I have been making the little quilts for quite a while and have a bit of a collection.  I decided that I would make a hand quilted cover that would accommodate a composition book.  The books are readily available and are a consistent size so replacing the book would be easy once it was full.  

I took out my stash of little quilts and started laying them on the composition book in an effort to work out a layout that would be suitable for two covers.  Here are the ones I chose for the front and back covers.  

Once I had chosen the ones I wanted I reviewed Teesha Moore's video to see what she did next.  She added her stitching to the surface of the little quilts next so that is what I did.  It was fun to use different colours of thread and add all kinds of stitching to them.  It really added a lot of texture!

Here is what they looked like once I had finished adding the stitching to all of the pieces I had chosen. 

You will notice that there have been some changes from the original layout.  I found that some did not 

fit together as well as I had originally thought they would and others did not provide quite as much area as

I had thought they would so I made a few changes.  Here is a close up of the stitching I added.  I just worked with the design of the fabric and made a LOT of little stitches.  You can use any embroidery stitches you like so I added some french knots to the middle of the flowers and to some of the dots in the fabric.

Once all of the quilts had been stitched it was time to sew them to each other.  I originally just butted the two quilts to each other and did an over hand stitch to bind them to each other.  After having finished about half of the one cover I found that this method allowed the pieces to overlap and I was losing area which meant that the cover was going to be too small!!  Needless to say, I had to rework the layout and change up my little quilts to bigger ones.  So, I also had to go back and add stitching to the ones I had substituted in.  It took a little longer than I had expected but I have a few that are already stitched that are ready to be included in another project.  So, to prevent my pieces from overlapping I started using a figure eight stitch instead and that worked much better.   With that little problem solved I proceeded to finish up both of my covers.  Below you can see how they looked once I had finished sewing the covers.
These journal covers have a LOT of texture.  The seams are bumpy and colourful.  Check the photo above for a close up of the seams and how the overhand stitch tends to make the pieces overlap.  

So that was the process of getting the covers made.  It was relatively easy to sew them to each other.  I added some inside flaps to keep the fabric cover on the composition book and a closure.  Check my next posting to see the finished journal.  

Therese

Quilted Christmas cards

Another set of Christmas cards I made when my sister was visiting!!  I was thinking Christmas trees when I came up with this cutting design but did not fully appreciate that more balance was needed between the two colours for all of the green ones to look like trees though it was serendipity that the blue ones looked like mountains and that worked just as well with my design.  I layered two different blue decorative papers and two different green decorative papers over each other (4" x 5.25"), held them together with bull clips on the edges and started making cuts - seven in all - using my paper cutter.  This is called "Stack and Whack" in the quilting world. With all the pieces in stacks I started creating individual layers - like a puzzle - using the different coloured layers. Once I had pieced together the four layers I glued them to red quarter sheets of cardstock by putting just a small amount of glue in the middle of each of the pieces and then used my sewing machine with white thread to sew all of them to the red layers.  I also sewed around the outside edge.  Glue and sewing needles do not mix well which is why I only glued the pieces in the centers to avoid having to stitch through glue. I found the laser printed greetings in my stash, layered them to red and then to my decorative stitched layers.  I trimmed the red edges close and then glued the mountain ones to blue cardstock and the tree ones to green card fronts.  I have another stack of decorative papers which I will cut with a different pattern to give me four more cards.
This design works well with 12x12 decorative papers because you are cutting your layers to 4 inches. Really love the graphic quality of these cards!!

Therese

Coordinating cards

These two were spin offs from the others.  The left hand one features a quilted background using scraps of embossed blue cardstock which I quilted using a zig zag stitch on my sewing machine.  I sewed on a fabric strip including 5 little strips running perpendicularly.  I tied knots in the little stripes which added lots of texture and made a very nice accent for my card.  All it needed was a little greeting to finish it off.  The card on the left features a stamped and embossed butterfly image, a stitched fabric strip, a hand cut border punched accent with a ribbon and a greeting.
Have really enjoyed my couple of days of card making and look forward to finding the rest of my supplies and giving them homes!!

Therese

Thank you cards with butterflies!

I was on a roll so kept at it!!  For these two I used butterflies from my stash embellished with ink and glitter.  I embossed both backgrounds, added a bordered strip of white cardstock to which I added a strip of fabric.  On the right hand side I wove the fabric strip into the slots I had created using the slot border punch by Fiskars - really like the look.  On the left hand card I sewed on the fabric strip using my sewing machine and white thread.  Glued the elements to the card fronts and added punched greetings.
I love adding stitching to my cards and find it really easy to use my regular sewing machine.  I have a thin needle that I use exclusively for sewing paper because paper dulls needles very quickly.

Therese