The Sewing Mom

Thirteen steps I took to create this quilt top:

1.  Choose fabrics, 1 “focus” fabric that will be used in between the pieced strips, 5 coordinating fabrics to use for pieced strips and 1 background fabric.
2. Cut all pieces except focus fabric and store in labeled baggies.
3. Draw diagonal lines on 18 background squares and 36 color squares for use on bow ties and flying geese.
4. Stitch together piano keys (2nd multi-colored row in picture)
5. Stitch together the confetti stripe.  The directions say to stitch to long rows and then seam them together.  I chose to piece together smaller blocks and then piece the blocks together.  The end result is the same, but I found it easier to match the seams.  (4th multi-colored strip in photo)
6. Piece and stitch together the 9-patch blocks.  This was done by first piecing strips together and then cutting them in to 2 1/2 inch segments.   3 of the smaller segments were then pieced together to form each block.  (top multi-colored strip in photo)
7. Using the squares that have diagonal lines on the (drawn earlier) piece together the bow tie blocks.  Piece each block together.  (bottom multi-colored strip in photo)
8. using rectangles and squares, piece together the flying geese.  This was probably the most interesting because it requires using squares to make triangles.  I did enjoy this one the most.
9. Stitch all of the geese together making sure not to cut off their noses.   (middle mult-colored row in photo)
10. measure all multi-colored rows and add or take away to make them the same length.  I did add one piano key.  Pressing the rest made them all pretty equal.
11. Cut focus fabric to same length as all multi-colored strips
12. Cut 6 strips of focus fabric to be 6 1/2″ x width of fabric (determined in previous step)
13. Sew alternating strips together to get a finished quilt top.

Tags: quilting, sewing, Thursday Thirteen

I have been attending a beginning piecing class at a local quilt shop and this is some of my work so far. The top row is called piano keys, the middle is 4 square and the bottom is 9 patch (I think). I have another strip (bow ties) and another to finish (flying geese) before my final class this Sunday. On Sunday we will be putting all the strips together, along with our primary fabric and I can’t wait to see the final product, my first quilt top!

Tags: fabric, quilting, sewing

This is almost wordless, but not quite. I pieced together this twin size quilt top using The Hungry Caterpillar fabric based on the book from Eric Carle. I received the backing fabric in the mail yesterday and I believe that my mom has agreed to hand quilt this for me. When finished, it will be a gift to my granddaughter.

Tags: Eric Carle, fabric, Hungry Caterpillar, quilting, sewing

My tackle is much less sophisticated than Jen’s who is the guest tackler this week at 5 Minutes For Mom this week. Please do go check out her incredible pie crust making with step by step instructions that make me feel that even I could make a pie crust from scratch!As for my tackle, I have a to do list that I really need to get done today, so here it is.

1. Load sewing machine with cotton thread and wind a couple of spare bobbins.  Install a new sewing needle.
2. Pack sewing machine and all necessary fabrics and supplies and load into car.
3. Attend Beginning Piecing class #2.
4. Email Band Director
5. Call telephone company
6. pay a few bills
7. order checks

Now, I’m sure there are a few other items that should be on the list, but I seem to be having memory issues lately!  In case you didn’t see my fabrics in my earlier post, these are the fabrics I’m working with to make my quilt.  Last week, we spent the class cutting all the pieces, so we will begin sewing today.

Tags: fabrics, quilting, tackle it Tuesday

I purchased this fabric last week for a quilt I am going to be making in a class I signed up for. The class is a beginning piecing class. While I have pieced together fabrics for tote bags and purses, I’ve not done anything larger than that. I also haven’t worked much with triangles or smaller pieces, so I thought I could learn a lot from the class.

Today was the first of four sessions. I will go once a week. Today we simply cut all the pieces and it took almost 3 hours to do that. This was a good process for me because I’m not good at laying the fabric out and cutting. I feel like I’ve all ready learned some helpful techniques that I can use.

Tags: fabric, piecing, quilting

I really enjoy this little bag. It’s called a lunch bag because of it’s size, 11″h x 10″w x 4″d. It’s great for carrying smaller amounts, such as a lunch or snack. I made this by cutting strips of fabric and sewing them together to create the front. The back and lining are each made from one piece of fabric. All of it is layered together and then quilted. I use a polyester batting in the bag and handles for added support and comfort. The bag is washable on gentle cycle.

I am selling this bag for $18 plus shipping.

Tags: fabric charms, lunch bag, quilting, sewing

I went into my sewing room this morning for the first time in several weeks.  For 2 of those weeks, I was away from home and this past week, I’ve been attempting to get caught up on other household chores before going back to my sewing.

I need to organize my projects in an orderly fashion.  I think I will put them in order of which ones I want to work on first.

I’ve decided that I have one tote bag project to create and then I think I may step back from the bag sewing for a little while.  I have several other projects that I’m itching to work on.  One of those is my block of the month quilt.  I have completed 1 block of the 6 I currently have and am almost done with the second.  I have 2 more blocks to pick up at the quilt store, so I believe that gives me 6 that I need to do and then I will be caught up.

While I was on vacation I purchased the fabric and pattern to make a wall hanging.  It is quilted and has applique, but I think it’s a project I can do.  My aunt and mom helped me choose all of the fabrics at a quilt shop in Bull’s Gap, Tennessee.  We had fun doing that together!

I also have a Christmas quilt that involves machine embroidery.  That will be the first time I’ve ever done a project like that and I’m looking forward to it.  The quilt is a snowy white and the embroidery is all done in red.  I can’t wait to get started!

I have a couple of other small quilt project waiting as well.  Boy, for a non-quilter, I have an awful lot of quilt projects lined up waiting to be done!

What are you working on?

Tags: block of the month, fabric, machine embroidery, quilting, sewing

I am very excited, I stopped in at the Viking Sewing center today and found out that they’re having a great class coming up in August.  They have a guest instructor coming (I can’t recall her name) and it’s a full day class.  I signed up!

For $40 I get a full day of sewing, all supplies included.  I also get to use one of the stores high end embroidery machines to make my project.  Lunch is also included.  The project will be to create a small lap quilt that includes machine embroidery and the binding.  I’m really looking forward to it.

I’m a beginning quilter, so this class will be fun for me.  I just hope I can keep up!

Tags: machine embroidery, quilting, sewing

Okay, it only took me two weeks, but I’ve completed this project and I have to say, I’m very happy with it. The only reason it took me so long was that I kept procrastinating when it came to the quilting part of it. You see, I’m a sewer, but I’m not a fan of quilting, at least not when I’m the one that has to do it. I love quilts, and my mom is an expert quilter.  I’m just not comfortable with. And, because I expect all of my bags to end up perfectly, quilting can be frustrating for me. I just haven’t done enough of it to be good at it.

However, in the end, and with a lot of moral support from my mom, the quilting came out just fine. I love this bag!

This is a “medium” sized tote, approximately 8″x10″x13″. The entire bag is made from 100% quilters cotton, except for the backing of the main tote fabric which is a muslin. The muslin was only used as a quilt backing and is not visible in the bag as it is covered by the interior lining. This bag is padded with an all natural cotton batting. The larger pockets are supported with a fusible interfacing, as are the straps.

This bag is so nice and roomy inside. Besides the two exterior pockets, it also has 4 interior pockets. It is deep and wide and will carry many, many things. It’s even large enough for a laptop. I’ve added a magnetic snap closure to the top for security.

Due to the amount of fabric (almost 4 yards) and the time involved (even ignoring my procrastination), I will have to charge $48 for this beautiful tote bag.

Tags: cotton, fabric tote, quilting, sewing, tote bag

I am very pleased with myself. I have only ever made one quilt before in my life and it was a very simple baby quilt that I made last summer under the very watchful eye of my mom, an expert quilter. While I’ve never made any other quilts, I do love them and my house is full of them, all made by the hands of my mom or sister.

I do however shop at quilt shops. I love their fabrics and some shops also carry a few other items such as fabric bag patterns, something I do make. Recently, while at my local quilt shop buying fabric to craft more bags from, I saw a quilt that I adored hanging on their wall. It was comprised of 12 different quilt blocks surrounded by a border and was called the “Be Attitudes” quilt. The shop was offering it as a quilt block of the month club and I just couldn’t resist.

The blocks themselves are fairly simple, crafted from rectangles, all with straight seams, no curves. So, yesterday, I sewed my first block together.

I then cut out the pieces to create the snowman applique and placed it on top of the block.

This morning, I used a machine button stitch to stitch around each piece to give it a hand sewn look. I still have more applique to add and there is some embroidery to do on this block before it’s done. I was just so excited about it that I wanted to share!

Tags: block of the month, fabrics, quilting