Tree, Squirrel and Mushroom

I’ve wanted this fabric for awhile, and when I got an email saying it was on sale at Pink Chalk Fabrics, I decided it was a good enough deal that I needed two yards.  I figure at least some of it will be destined to be a lining on some bag.  Which bag, I have no idea.  But it seems to be a good fabric to line a bag.  She still has Japanese Imports for 20-50% off…but sadly this one seems to be gone now.  Oohhhh, but this one is cute!

We had our ups and downs with my grandma and her hospital visit this past week, but things finally seem to be on the upturn.  Until I broke my toe this morning.  It’s black and blue and hurts like the time I broke my pinky finger.  Ouch!  Needless to say, there has been zero crafting going on this week.  What little time I have found to do something has been spent working on computer projects…like the rugby strip blanket crochet pattern.  I’m nearly finished for those of you that have been so patiently waiting.  After that I'd like to get on to finishing up the other patterns I've put off, so that they are in my shop in time for holiday gift making.  I always have the best of intentions, now we’ll see if I can follow through.  Not having internet most of the day today helped me to stay focused on pattern writing, instead of aimless searching.

2009 Northwest Quilt Expo

The quilt expo has been going on here in Portland the last few days.  I almost didn’t make it with grandma’s unexpected visit to the hospital, but decided to go at the last minute anyways.  The ads were saying bigger and better than ever.  While it is always nice to go and see what is there, like last year, you can still see the pinch of the economy on the lack of vendors.  I remember when the space use to be filled to the brim, now they can’t even fill a hall.  But at least it makes for more room in the aisles, which is really nice when you have a stroller. 

I did find a new to me space this year, Galloping Pony Studio.  All of her product and patterns were of tiny quilt blocks.  I’ve always loved the very small quilt blocks and now after seeing some of the ways she used them I want to give it a try for myself. 

I didn’t walk away with very much, just a little bit of fabric and some charm squares for a steal.  But that’s really more than enough.  I’m excited to use the “cheater” prints I picked up on a project or two.  There were many beautiful, amazing and fun quilts and and if you head on over to my Flickr, you’ll see some of my favorites.

Camera On A Cord

I’ve been working on the tutorial for the Rugby Blanket…it’s turning into a bigger project that I originally anticipated.  This is going to shape up to be more of an eBook than a pattern, I think.  I’m thinking along the lines of an eBook for those beginners out there that would like more information on the stitches, getting started and some other trips and tricks and then just a pattern for those that know what their doing and just want the steps.  I like options.  I’m almost done with the photos, having my camera on a tripod and plugged directly to the computer helps.  I get to see the photo instantly and decide if I want to take another photo or not.  It gets a little cumbersome at times, but I think it’s worth the effort.  Once those are finished there is still formatting and writing directions, so it will still be a while before I'm finished.  My grandma had an unexpected ER visit last night and then surgery to repair a hole in her stomach.  I imagine that will slow things down a bit around here for a few days, but I am hoping to make progress on that as well as other projects.   If I could just get a squirmy kid to leave my mouse alone…

Made :: Shopping Bag

You know those projects where you just can’t do anything right?  This was that project for me.  It is a simple bag to make and probably one of the best patterns I've seen in a long time and yet I still managed to make it difficult!

I originally found some fabric before vacation and immediately thought of the Jane Market Bag pattern by Posy Gets Cozy’s Alicia Paulson.  So I bought the pattern after purchasing said fabric, but didn’t get to make it before we left town.  So, while out of town, I found a different fabric (the ones used here) and thought about this bag pattern again.  With a quick trip to Cool Cottons upon my return for handle and lining fabrics, I was set to go. 

Then my first mistake, I cut my squares out of my lining wrong.  Bummer.  So I had to use another fabric.  Which I'm kind of bummed about.  The fabric I originally had for the inside was a great red to match the red flowers of the exterior fabric. 

I can’t tell you how many times I had to used the seam ripper.  Not because of anything to do with the pattern.  It was purely me.  I just don’t know what my deal was.  But it’s done and I love it and it holds a ton of groceries.  I can’t recommend this pattern enough.  VERY well done, easy to follow and not once did I say to myself “I would do it differently” which was such a refreshing experience.

Exterior Fabric :: “Mona Floral” by Alexander Henry and “Spots” by Kaffe Fassett
Interior Fabric :: “Prarie Blossoms” by Alexander Henry
Handles :: “Cozy Cotton Dot” by Robert Kauffman

New Book :: Bend The Rules With Fabric

This is probably not a book I would have normally bought.  I don’t seem to buy many craft books (other than the occasional Japanese one) anymore.  But after sitting and listening to Amy Karol talk about it last night, I knew half way through, that this book would be coming home with me.  Initially when I was flipping through it I thought that it was a very well done book, with great photos (this is important to me in a book) and some nice ideas…but not really a book for me.  Then when she started to talk about the reason she wrote this book, for it to be a way to make mistakes in crafting work for you, I found myself smiling.  We’ve all been there.  When she started to talk about all the different techniques that she used to create each of the projects, I realized this book was more about what can be done to fabric, not what to make with it.  There were at least half a dozen ideas in here that I've been meaning to try for a few years, but haven’t gotten around to.  I knew that with Amy’s way of teaching (easy, no nonsense, practical) that it would be a great resources.  So after her talk I grabbed a copy and stood in line to have it signed.  Of course she’s as lovely in person as she is on her blog.

Incase You Might Wonder…

You know where I’ll be if it’s still quiet around here the rest of the week. 

We made it home safe and sound last night.  To rain.  That’s the Pacific NW for you!

A Few Things of Interest

So what you can’t really see here, is that this is sitting on my lap in the car…while we were moving.  I needed to cut a little piece and, well, did what I had to to make that happen.  While I haven’t really worked on this project anymore, I did work on the hand sewing project I cut for the California trip last month.  I’m about half way through the mini quilt blocks – I can’t wait to show you! 

There is a poll up on the Flea Market Fancy Freaks blog, and Penny needs your input!  Hurry over and give your two cents.  She has it on good authority that this info will help the cause…  And make sure to sign your name to the “petition” while you’re there.

Fancy Peacock is hosting a fun swap with A Wednesday Afternoon and I wanted to make sure to mention it to you.  The idea is to make a swap gift using one of the many free tutorials out there that you’ve been dying to try, but haven’t made the time for.  Now's your chance to give yourself a push to try it and make a new friend along the way.  If this sounds interesting to you, hurry over to this post and read more.  I think it would be great to read everyone's blogs after the swap to see how the tutorials went and to find all of the hidden gems of tutorials out there.

We are on the final leg of our journey.  I think we have one more night on the road and a long day tomorrow to make it home.  I know I've had enough of the car with Brice.  Seriously, I can only listen to the movie Cars so many times a day.  But hey, whatever keeps him happy!  Today we will be making a few quilt shop stops.  I’m looking forward to sharing my finds.

And We’ve Only Started

 The Stitchin Post | BJ’s Quilt Basket | Sew Many Quilts | The Quilt Shack

Tutorial :: Patchwork Kindle Case

My mom received a Kindle for her fake birthday a couple weeks ago and she volunteered me to make her a protective case for it. She decided she wanted me to use her Flea Market Fancy. No problem! So I got busy thinking of an idea and drafting it out. It is super simple and easy to put together and a great way to protect the screen of your Kindle while stowed away in a purse or backpack. Oh, and it’s pretty, too! Don’t have a Kindle, you say…well, it would make a nice little case for other items as well.

Directions

First you will need to decide if you want to have your exterior be a solid piece of fabric, or something patchwork as I've done here. If you decide to do patchwork, the following is dimensions and basic directions.

Patchwork Piece Assembly
1. Cut out 35 pieces of fabric approximately 2-5/8” square.
2. Lay out your pieces 5 squares across by 7 squares down.
3. Sew together your squares by rows.
4. Sew together your 7 rows to form your patchwork piece.

**Note** Pay attention to your pressing and make sure to press your seams in opposite directions between each row so you can better match up your seams when sewing your rows together. See example of how you will match your seams here.

Next you will want to lay your fabric or patchwork piece onto some batting and quilt it as desired. For this piece I just sewed along both sides of all the seams in both directions. Trim to 15”x10”. Now you’re ready to assemble.

Kindle Case Assembly

1. Cut out your lining piece 15”x10” and lay right sides together with your quilted exterior piece.
2. Print and cut out the flap template and lay at one end of your fabric, making sure bottom edge of curve comes to edge of fabric. Pin in place.
3. Trim around curved edge and remove template.
4. Pin around entire piece, leaving a gap in the pins where you will turn the piece right side out after sewing. Sew around entire piece, backstitching at either side of opening.

5. Clip your corners at a 45 degree angle and then clip away the sides a little, as shown. This will make for a little less bulky corner.
6. Clip your curved seam, notching little triangle out around it, as shown. This also makes for a less bulky seam.

7. Press back your seam allowance at the opening and turn right side out.

8. Press the piece, making sure to round out your curve and bring out your points on the corners.

9. Top stitch two parallel lines along the straight edge of your piece. Mine are approximately 1/8” and 1/4” from the edge.

10. With lining fabric facing up, fold up bottom straight edge 4-3/4” and pin in place on the sides.

11. Using the diagram above, beginning on the right side just above the straight edge, edge stitch a scant 1/8” around the parameter of your case, including the bottom. When you arrive at the right side of the straight edge, backstitch neatly a few times to make this extra secure. After arriving back at where you started, backstitch neatly a few times.

Here’s a view of what the bottom will look like when you stitch across it.

12. Grab a self-adhesive Velcro dot set and put into place. Now you can stop here or continue on for one more step to make it extra secure.

I noticed after I was done that the edges could still easily come up and let stray items fall inside and potentially scratch the screen, and since my mom would be storing this in her purse, I wanted to make sure it was extra secure. So I did one more step to help keep the flap down.

13. With flap closed, pin down sides to keep securely in place, and then stitch and backstitch a few times at each side, making sure not to stitch past the straight edge on the inside. Stitch just to the straight edge and then begin you backstitch.

Now the sides stay down, helping to keep any excess dirt away from your Kindle.

To get your Kindle out quick and easy you just tilt back on those sewn corners and it’s easy as pie.

Front View

Back View

Side View – not too bulky!

For those of you lucky enough to have Kindle’s, I hope you find this tutorial useful. And for those of you without Kindles, I hope you’ll share with us what you use this little case for. As always, I'd love it if you shared your creations made from this pattern in my Flickr Group.

Updated :: Sorry about that, forgot the flap template link. It is linked above as well as right here. If the link gets too busy, it might be down for a little while, but if you check back it will be there again after I'm forgiven for all the traffic that gets sent to the link. I’m trying to find a better way to upload documents for all of you that doesn’t have bandwidth issues, but is still free.

Finished Dimensions: 9-1/4" x 5-3/4". The Kindle that goes inside of it is 8" x 5-1/4" and is 5/8" thick. This is a snug fit for this Kindle, as you can see in the photos!

Teasers

Tomorrow begins our annual road trip…and I have lots to do.  Just an FYI, my Etsy shop will remain open while I'm gone, but I wont be able to ship until I return, which will be around September 20th (give or take a few days).  Except for patterns…pattern’s I can email from the road.

My Favorite One Yet

 

Each time I make this bag I like it even more.  This one is my favorite yet.  I’ve been experimenting with different interfacings, and the one I happened to use on this one is just perfect.  Don’t ask me what it is, because I can’t find the paper for it and have had it for awhile.  But next time I’m out and about, I'm going to pick up some more.  This one has a home already, I hope it’s just as expected!