Day #41 - Squeezing in a bit today

Good morning, all!

I was able to squeeze in a wee bit yesterday, between softball, hanging with our grandsons and helping my daughter out with her college recruiting process!

I finished and wrapped up what I've made for a swapping buddy.  My first real "swap" from a Yahoo group I am in. We had to take a springy design and make something with it.  I sure hope she likes purple!  :o) 

I took several designs I'd created while "playing" with my machine and bordered them with some purple dots.  The tote was still a bit narrow, so I took a wider pieces and attached it to both sides of the panel, creating a tube.  Then centered the designs and sewed the bottom.  The handles are repurposed purse handles... gotta love it!   It will go out in the mail to her today ~ hope she likes it!

Today is going to be a bit of organizing and then, well.... we'll see!  More softball this afternoon and evening, weather permitting.  NO PRECIP, PLEASE????

Have a great day!
Carrie

And the winner is....

...  Hayner! Congratulations, YOU WIN!!  Email me your mailing address and I will ship this out to you tomorrow!


carrie dot whittemore at gmail dot com
 
Thanks for stopping by!
Carrie

Day #40 - Needle case, pin cushion, lesson about buttons and pants for a sweetie!

Good morning!
The weather was a bit nasty yesterday and grounded a group of our high schoolers on their way to Spain at Logan for the night, so I've been reading on Facebook!  Be safe, guys!

I will start the post with a lesson. 

I had this adorable fabric with circles and hearts: perfect for the button idea I am playing with!  I ironed on interfacing, carefully cut out the circles, tucked them in the base, sealed them with the backs and made two more.  They looked adorable. THEN, I went to attach them to a card to post in my Etsy shop, since they are so sweet and realized my mistake: I didn't center the back and the loops in the back were ALL going in different directions!  No fixing that one...so I'll be using them for something else down the road...sigh...


Button back oopsie!

Let's move on.

I really liked the fabric, it's very sweet.  So, I decided there was just enough interfaced to make a needle holder/case/housekeeper.  Picked out a matching fabric.  Sewed the pieces together, rightsided out, pressed and top stitched.

I cut two pieced of felt to tuck inside and sewed them in and added a snap.  Still a bit plain, so I decorated it with coordinating ribbon.  Which slipped a bit, so I added some beads to "cover" my Oopsie (as I snapped my seam ripper in half trying to remove a button back....).  Came out cute!

Then I decided to play around with a pin cushion to coordinate (EVERYONE is getting a set for Christmas, so can play to my hearts content!)  I went with pletes.  Picked two coordinating fabrics, folded all six in half and sewed one on top of another.  I backed it, trimmed it, sewed it, flipped it, stuffed it, closed it and decorated it.  The hearts made it too heavy on one side and it kept tilting over, so, made ribbon loop so it hangs!  Ha!

Next project was something for my best buds daughter.  I wanted to make a dress for her, but I didn't like the feel of the material.  So, I went with pants (which is probably more practical...)  Cate is my "borrowed granddaughter" as I only have grandsons and her mom lets me make pretty, sweet things for her!!  Fills my "sweet" need!  Made up a pair of pants and embroidered a ladybug on the leg.  She likes ladybugs and butterflies. 

It took longer to stitch out the butterfly than make the pants!!

This is a dress I made for her a few months ago when I was having a "granddaughter attack"!!

Well, off to do a bit of housework as the cleaning fairy didn't make a stop here last night!
Have a GREAT day,
Carrie

Day #39 - Discovery of Digitizing Software and a bit of "surfing"

Happy Saturday!

Good morning, friends!

My creativity yesterday amounted to surfing the web, discovering some new things and dipping my toe into that ocean called "digitzing."

For starters, I ran across the absolutely wonderful blog called "May Your Bobbin Always be Full" by LuAnn Kessi.  She has a studio she calls "The Thread Shed."  How can you NOT read about someone like that? 

I think I ran across it because of a zippered bag tutorial that was mentioned in a group I belong to.  I will definitely be checking that out more, but I digress...

There was either a link or a picture, some such thing, that led me to her Challenge Quilt.  She blogs about process and was saying how she couldn't on this one as it had been a secret challenge, so, she'd put together a slide show showing how she did what she did.  I have just one word: AMAZING!  I want to be her when I grow up!  Oh...wait, she's probably young enough to be my daughter!!!  Sigh...

You HAVE to go take a look at what she created.  I heard this the other day: "It's simple, but it's not easy." in describing something entirely different.  That would describe LuAnn's quilt.  Take a peek!  I felt like I was getting a lesson in quilting with NO WORDS, just lovely music!

Stunning quilt designed by LuAnn Kessi
Visit her link above to see how she created it!

The second thing I did yesterday was to discover a digitizing software that I could afford = free!  I found the info via a fun place I "hang out" called StitchTalk - it's Facebook for people who use a needle!  The software is called Stitch Era Universal.  You have to download it from specific "dealers" and I found it to be a bit of a complicated download, but finally got it in place. 

I have been told that the learning curve for digitizing is steep.  Can you say: "Mount Everest"?  I found a couple of groups on Yahoo to get help, but am waiting on acceptance.  I started playing with it last night ... Bri said I taught myself to use Front Page and html, so this should be no different!  He has such faith in me!  I am NOT going to make it all I do, so that means it will take YEARS to learn, but hey, I'm up for it!

Off to work on a few projects today .... have a GREAT Saturday!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #38 - Final lil' bit o' scarf and the "Long Leather Coat" Story

Good morning, friends!

Well, I've finally hit the END of the scarf, at least for now ... though, their might be a piece or two used in a Bottled Rainbow! 

I tried a bit of "art," so to speak.   I took a circle of the scarf fabric and sewed on a frond (is that the right word) of the fern from the Timeless Treasures fabric I'd coordinated with this project.  Added a silver painted sand dollar, some scrapbooking flowers and then "went to town" with the beads.  (I've been REALLY wanting to work beading in lately, for some reason...)

Goregous sapphire beads...been dying to use!

After everything was sewed on, I cut a circle of felt and glued that on.  Once it dried, I attached a pin back to make it wear-able!

So, on to the FINAL project within this challenge!  When you only have tiny scraps left, you start to think..."Hmmm....what can I do with these?"  Then it hit me: buttons!  Have you ever heard the story called "The Long Leather Coat"?  A tailor starts the story with a long leather coat and ends it with a button, just enough to "to make a story."  It's PERFECT for this!!

I stepped out of my "rules" for the 365 Days, momentarily, as I've been trying NOT to buy anything new.  I stopped by a JoAnn's and snagged a package of 7/8" covered button forms (they were 50% off, thank goodness!) and gave it a whirl!

 One of the things I learned right off the bat was that cotton needs to be lined to make a good button!  The scarf fabric was thick enough (actually, was a bit of a challenge to fit into the mold, but scissors are a good thing!) on it's own.  Cotton, wasn't.  I'm not sure if you can see in this picture, but the metal shines through.

Notice the bottom right corner?

 I quickly grabbed some iron on interfacing and the very last bits of this gorgeous fabric and put them together.

You use the clear plastic ring as a guide to cut a piece of the fabric.  Center the ring on the bit you want to show on the button and then trim away!  I took just a wee bit more off, because of the interfacing, so it would fit in the mold and tuck in well.

Push the fabric into the mold, right side down, tuck the backing in, being sure all the fabric fits inside (my mistake on the first one as YOU CANNOT take it apart without ruining the back), press in the back and then use the blue plug to push it in.  POP!  and you have a button!  OMG...it is soooo addictive!!  You'll be seeing these in my Etsy shop!  

Here are the finished goodies from today!  Not only did I use up the scarf (for the most part...) but I have a new item for my shop!  How cool is that?

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and a lovely weekend!  I'll be back tomorrow!

Quilty hugs,

Carrie

Day #37 - Reuse/Recycle/Repurpose Challenge, Part 4

Good morning!
Believe it or not, I STILL have some pieces left to work with!! 

For starters, I did a bit of re-construction on the needle holder and I like it much better.  I trimmed off about 3/8" one end and sewed a piece of black over it.  Snipped off the ribbon on the other end and added a snap to close it.  Much easier to use, much tidier!

Then, I had a strip that still had the fringe, so... some of that gorgeous coordinating fabric and viola ~ a bookmark!  A girl can never have too many of those!

The last large piece became a glasses case!  It maybe too late to save the pair that float around in my purse, but I can PRETEND that it's a great idea ~ you know, no further scratches?  I trimmed up the last large piece of the scarf, backed it with iron on interfacing and found a coordinating fabric (the gorgeous blue is gone, sigh...).   I sewed a binding piece along the whole top edge and then stitched it on the machine.  The, I took a second piece of binding, sewed it on (right sides together), creating a corner at the bottom, and then handstitched it when that was done.  I am doing more and more handstitching...scary!  Lol!


Tomorrow will end this repurposing challenge and I am down to scraps! Bet you wonder what I've got up my sleeve? Muahaha!

Hmmm...the pieces are getting pretty small....

If you haven't entered in this week's drawing for the Patchwork book, threads and fabrics, stop on by to see the giveaway!

I hope everyone has a marvelous day!

Quilty hugs,

Carrie



(Somewhat) Wordless Wednesday, 4/13/11

I bought a box of spools on eBay that wouldn't go "on" my machine in anyway, shape or form.

Explained to hubby and gave him some thoughts...he went to the basement and came back with this!!

Have a GREAT day, everyone!
Hugs,
Carrie