Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Busy Sewing

Hi!

I'm busily sewing.  I have lots of projects to finish before Christmas, and I've been doing weekend craft fairs, too.  Some things I'm making just for the fairs, like the recent group of mug rugs aka snack mats.

Some are just 7 1/2" strips of width of fabric, layered and quilted, then cut into 4 sections and bound.
Easy, fast, and a great way to practice free-motion quilting and play with thread.  I used gold metallic thread on top; it just adds an extra sparkle.  What's a mug rug or snack mat?  Basically a mini place mat or jumbo coaster.  It's roomy enough for your beverage and snack, and is washable.  It protects the table, adds color and they are fun to make.
This is another style.  I made some small pinwheel blocks (each 1/4 of the block is a 2" half square triangle unit).  This one was a gift for my son.  Some can also be used as mouse pads.   Any novelty type fabric would be fun in these.  I made this one about 8 by 10", and have a second listed in my Etsy shop.   I think it would be a cute gift with a mug or gift card to your favorite beverage place.
 I've also been using scraps from other quilts and making doll bed size quilts.  This was from 2 1/2" strip sets that were sewn together.  I made 4 patch blocks and just sewed them together, added a border and quilted it.  It's pretty for a table topper, too.

This one was from 2" squares left from another project, too.  The customer requested purples and a doll size pillow to match.
Doesn't it look adorable on a bed from Dietrick Woodworking?  They're made to fit 18" dolls (American Girl or similar).  To see more of Jeremy's products, visit Dietrick Woodworking.

Just a side note, he also custom builds quilt racks.  I love the one he made for me.   He even put in hooks on the sides so I can hang my purses and aprons for shows.

I also finished a flannel baby quilt.  I had gotten the panel a few years ago, and added the Hourglass blocks on the side, and then it sat for a while.  I decided to get it finished and figured it needed more borders, so I added a pink flange border and then one in the blue stars.  It's quilted with stars and swirls around the sweet characters in the panel, and curves to accent the blocks.  I used a solid white flannel on the back, and the batting is 100% cotton, Katahdin Autumn by Bosal.  I had been given a trial package of it, and it's really nice to work with.  It quilted and washed beautifully.  I used Aurifil Mako 50wt cotton for the quilting in 2710, a soft blue.  I think it's so pretty!
The panel features a teddy bear reading to his friends.

And I've been working on a Frozen quilt!  I made blocks in various shades of the panel to surround it, and then added a border.  This is about 70 by 84".  I still need to quilt the white parts, but had fun quilting details of the Elsa and Anna characters in the panel.  I have 2 more panels like this, and one Olaf panel to make into quilts.  I'm going to offer them as custom options on my shop.  This is a gift for Jeremy's daughter, from him for Christmas.  I love the aqua blue backing I found.  It has snowflakes and a little glitter. The edge fabric has lots of glitter, too, and the white background fabric has tone on tone snowflakes.


Yes, it's bound and not completely quilted.  I wanted to bring it to the show I did at Msgr. McHugh's Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday, and show Jeremy.  I didn't want to display it without binding, though.  I didn't want the edge to get ruined.  This one used so many colors of Aurifil!  I changed threads about 16 times.  Some colors were just in 2 blocks.  I used 2588, Light Magenta, in the pink blocks, Anna's cloak, and the frame around the panel.  1243, Dusty Lavender, is in the 4 purple corner blocks.  2692, Black, is the bodice of Anna's dress, 2775, Steel Blue is her skirt, and 2330, Light Chestnut was used to accent her hair.  Elsa's dress is 2815, Teal, which is also in the bobbin and most of the background of the panel, with 2000, Light Sand, for her hair and around her face.  2510, Light Lilac, and 2710, Light Robins Egg, are in their matching blocks, and I used 40wt 4660, Pink Taffy, a variegated thread, in the outer border.  I still need to use 2024, White, in the white areas.  I'm so glad that I've been collecting Aurifil, and that the colors really add to this quilt.  I'm putting this aside for a few weeks, though.  Other things need to be finished first.

I have more to do, including a custom order, and some pies to bake.  Thanks for stopping to read!  If you want details on how to make a mug rug, just let me know.

I do hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving!  I'm thankful that you read my blog.

Maryellen

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Sew Simple Saturday

Sew and Sow Farm

Jan from Sew and Sow Farm is having a linky for Sew Simple Saturday.  She's doing it once a month. You should check it out!

I'm working on a second table runner with appliqued Hexies.  Jan actually picked me as a winner on a Facebook contest months ago, and I made this with the kit I won, a candy charm pack of April Showers by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.  I added cream centers and made the runner based on the tutorial that Jan showed, but mine is a little larger.  It's really cute!


I normally don't do a lot of hand sewing.  My hand falls asleep.  But doing the hexies was fun.  I used a dot of washable glue to hold the shapes to the papers, then thread basted the edges around.  My friend uses paperclips, instead of glue.   I used Aurifil 50wt for joining the pieces, and then for the applique and quilting.  I worked on this during craft shows where I was vending,  (and told many that you can sew anywhere)  and at Dr's appointments.  The last of the hexies were sewn together just after cataract surgery follow-up visits.  

It was so much fun I purchased a second mini charm pack and the border fabric, this time using Mistletoe Lane, by Bunny Hill for Moda.  It's a cute mix of winter fun, like skating and trees and plaids and stripes, in pink, brown, cream, green and red.  I got the red plaid for the edges of this one, and the stripe for binding.  I hope to have the top finished this week.  This time, I used all the squares, putting the lightest cream/tan prints in the centers.  Again, this was completed during craft shows and Dr. visits.  I felt productive while waiting for customers or the Dr.  It starts lots of fun conversations, too. 


I also purchased a regular size charm pack of this collection, and plan a pieced runner.  I think it would be cute as accessories in the same room, same colors, but different looks.  I'll share that when I decide how I want to piece it.  But that'll be done on machine.  

I'll need to get another mini charm pack soon.  Hexies are just too cute and fun! 

So, check out Jan's posts, follow her blog, and visit some of the others who linked.  You may just enjoy yourself!  

Thanks for visiting! 

Maryellen

Monday, November 2, 2015

Flying Geese and Corn Mazes

Hi!
I do hope you've taken time to enjoy some Fall activities!
I suggested a name for Mazeilla's 2015 maze, and the theme was Transportation.  My suggestion was "Are we there yet?" and it won on the Facebook contest, so I got 2 free tickets to the 11 acre maze.  I thought my suggestion was fun, because the phrase is a common thing that kids say when travelling, and something you would say if you were lost in a maze.  I'd never done a maze before, and my son and I decided to go.  I'd actually met the Klingle family years ago, when I made costumes for Mary Poppins at Holy Family church.

Since most of my weekends have been occupied by craft shows, it wasn't until Halloween that Matt and I could go.  We had a gorgeous day, and lots of fun.  Mazeilla has a passport, and within the maze, near each vehicle, is a hole punch.  When you find all the vehicles, you've conquered the maze.  Matt and I found a few of the punches easily, but couldn't find 3.  Although we had an idea of what the maze looked like from above, it wasn't until Matt realized he was walking the zig-zag of the Hot Air Balloon that he figured the direction of the photo, and from there we were able to find the last 3 easily.  What made me laugh was we were told to get lost and Matt and I both have a really good sense of direction.  So even if we couldn't find the punches, we knew which way was "out" of the maze.  That was kind of funny.
 I got to pet a llama.  Look at those eye lashes!! 

 Yes, my son is tall, but not quite tall enough to see over the corn, lol.  Gorgeous sky behind him, though.
It was the perfect day for a wagon ride to the maze and other activities, and to visit the farm stand.  I got some apples for a pie for Thanksgiving.  

I also worked to finish the table runner from the You Can Quilt  blog hop.  I made the 3 blocks from the Flying Geese chapter, and decided to make a runner using fabrics from the Coral Reef collection from Island Batik.  Have I mentioned that the colors and fabrics are so pretty?  


I quilted it with Aurifil Mako 50wt cotton in 1243, Dusty Lavender, in the middle shade of purple, 4225, Eggplant, in the darker purple and border, and  3840, French Lilac, a really pretty variegated thread, in the lighter areas, including the background.  Dusty Lavender was in the bobbin for all, because I used Gilded Greenery in Pansy Purple by Blank textiles for the backing.  I did custom quilting on my Viking Sapphire, to accent the shapes of the blocks.  I did a pebble filled center with an outer ring of feathers in the center of the Sawtooth Star block (center of runner) and curves, swirls and loops in the rest of the blocks, with feathers in the sashing and borders.  After 3 bobbins used in quilting, there was very little lint in the bobbin case.  I love that Aurifil hardly ever breaks and is good for my machine, and the colors are really gorgeous with Island Batik fabrics.  


 Blocks are "Breaking Out, Sawtooth Star and Double Star". 


I used 2 1/2" strips for the sashing/inner border, and 4 1/2' wide strips for the outer border.  The finished runner measures 25 by 53" and is available in my Etsy shop, Here.  

Thanks for visiting!  
Maryellen