I started Sidewalk #4. As you can see from the photo, I am using my design floor. The design walls are full. I can’t take Country Revival/The Sad Quilt off the large design wall until I get more sewn.
Sidewalk is too big for the small design wall so design floor it is. Not my preference, but needs must. Too many projects on the go, so I needed to get one of them off my list.
I have been randomly sewing Half 16 Patch blocks to the white background pieces as leaders and enders, so I have a small start. I have a lot to do, however. The Community quilt team for the guild really needs backs, so that is an extra step. I know I normally do it, but was considering being lazy this time. More fabric used, however.
I finished another one of the Patchwork Palooza blocks that I skipped. This one is called “Light Keeper” by the project designer.
I might have used lavender instead of the blue, but I like it. As mentioned, I am concerned I will run short of the lavender. I didn’t decide not to use the lavender because of that, but I need to make sure I don’t make decisions like that. If I do run out of the lavender, I can either buy more or consider it a design challenge.
Julie’s block looks great and very different from mine. That is the thing I love about block projects.
Yay! I finished the Multi-Pocket Organizer for my handbag! That is the intention anyway. More and more I have been thinking of sending this to a friend. It isn’t that I don’t like and don’t think it will be useful, but it is telling me it wants to go to my friend. We’ll see. I can always make another even with the same, or similar fabrics.
Above is the front of the organizer. It has a divided slip pocket that can be useful for pens or other item you need quickly.
Multi-Pocket Organizer #2: back
The back of the bag has an interior zipper pocket.
I used the Heather Bailey flower fabric as the exterior. If you look at the front and the back, you will see that I used the exterior fabric for the slip pocket. I was trying to give the most space to the large print. The Tula dot print on the front is sort of like a tone-on-tone and I thought it would work under the slip pocket. I am not sure I was successful. The only thing I don’t like about the heather Bailey fabric are the flies. I didn’t notice them until I cut out the pieces. If they were bees it would be different.
Multi-Pocket Organizer #2: divider pocket open
Inside are a lot of pockets. The first one I made, according to the directions, after assembling the exterior was the divider pocket. In the photo, left, it is wide open. The inside is made from one of the Tula neon fabrics. The taupe/grey (?) background was a bold choice for me, but I wanted to use the fabric and it went with the dots I used on the exterior.
The ruffly pockets are sewn to the lining and made with elastic. I was looking for a tool I have, the Clover Clip & Glide Bodkin**, which is great for slipping something like elastic through a channel, but couldn’t find it. I am sure it will turn up when I don’t need it.
Multi-Pocket Organizer #2: interior
The photo, right, shows the inside with the divider pocket mostly closed and a bit of the exterior. I used the exterior fabric on the divider zipper pocket, though lining fabric would work as well.
One thing I learned is to make the handles and zipper tabs out of the exterior fabric. They would blend in better.
This is a good project and it doesn’t take very long to make. Again, the pattern is from Sotak Handmade.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I have been working diligently on the Black Improv. Surprisingly it is getting quite large. Not king-sized or anything, but large for one of my donation quilts.
After having this piece languish for a long time, I thought it would be a chose to finish it. Even though I am not finished yet, I am having fun working on it. So many stripes!!
I am using the strips I cut for color strip blocks to make the quilt bigger and to make the piecing a little easier. I know I will make more black scraps at some point, so why not?
At the widest and tallest points in the photo above, the piece is 38w x 35l. It is getting to be the size I like giving to the Community Giving project.
Once I cut out the pieces I messed around with them to see how they would look with the colors in different places. First, was the suggested layout.
The basis is, basically, a standard Monkey Wrench, also called Churn Dash. It is enhanced with a square in a square in the center. Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilts** calls this construction an ‘Unequal Nine Patch’. That is a category in her book.
In Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, this block is a slightly simplified version of Triangles and Stripes from Ladies Art Company, 1897. See page 85 for other names and references.
Light Keeper alternate
Anyway, I thought the layout above looked good. The Churn Dash part (dotted strips and triangles) looked good. However, since I had the pieces, I wanted to see how it would look with blue in the center.
I think it also looks good, but has more of a circular effect. Maybe I need to do both?
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I am still working through my Half Hexie Star strips, though I am almost out of lights, so I’ll have to cut a strip to make some backgrounds.
I have about 32 of these so far.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I wanted the darker pink on the outside of the star points, but got the pieces mixed up. I am not super fond of all of the medium pink and might make this block again so I can change the center. We’ll see once I have caught up with the blocks I missed.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
**N.B.: Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Carrie is always trying something new and I love to see what she is working on. We went out to lunch the other week and she gave me a lovely pouch and some fabric.
One of the best parts is that we dissect whatever pouch or bag she has made. In this case, she told me about the video she used and I told her about the Sew Sweetness Live Show Bag Lab where Sara showed how to finish a zipper. This finish is used in her Dogwood Pouches pattern. We always have a great time talking about bags. I feel like it is ridiculous, but I enjoy the exercise so much. Perhaps it is part of the mental challenge of making bags?
The fabric came from the recent fabric sale that SCVQA held. It was so nice her to think of me.
I have mentioned several times that Carrie took a beginning quilt class and followed up with the design class from me during the Pandemic. She has become a fearless bag maker and it makes me very proud.
After finishing the first Multi-Pocket Organizer, I wanted to make another. Over the weekend, using some of my favorite fabrics, I cut one out for me. Finding out that it would fit and work well in my handbag helped me decide to take the plunge. Yes, I need to get working on Christmas gifts, but occasionally, I need a break.
I cut everything out and used some bits of fusible fleece to interface certain parts (as indicated in the pattern). I wanted to use up pieces I had laying around and making something for myself was a good use of them. If it didn’t work, I wouldn’t give a substandard bag to someone else.
Multi-Pocket Organizer #2 front pocket
After the cutting, it took me a few days to get back to it, but then I was able to make the front pocket. It took me two tries, but after following the directions (rather than remembering), it worked out fine.
As you can see, I cut out the corners despite my session with Lynette on anchoring the lining. I have an idea for anchoring the lining on this bag and will try it. Boxing or not boxing the corners makes no difference in my idea. Stay tuned for more on whether it worked.
I made Block 10 almost as soon as I received it last week. I am trying hard to keep up.
The Patchwork Palooza project calls this block Turn, Turn, Turn. It is, however, a classic Dutchman’s Puzzle. This is one of the blocks I use when I teach my Sampler class. It is a great block and using the 4-at-a-time method for making the Flying Geese makes it easy to put together. I pressed some seams open in order to lessen the bulk. I haven’t done that before, but might make it a habit.
To trim, I used the Wing Clipper ruler by Studio 180 Designs**. You can easily use any ruler as long as you are careful. As you know, I love that ruler and the lines on it make lining up the ruler to trim super easy.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I haven’t made much progress on this piece, but I haven’t given on it either. After I posted about the most recent Color Improv finishes, I got some nice feedback and decided to get back to this piece.
I had a couple of the strip blocks and I decided to add them to the piece so as to make it larger sooner.
I quickly completed Cosmic Crazy over the weekend so it would be ready when I went to Sew Day. I didn’t know how much time I would have to sew after my mom’s surgery.
I didn’t have the kind of gold fabric I was imagining, so I used this yellow with red dots. I hope that it isn’t too ugly.
Cosmic Crazy Back
I used some greens as the back and am calling this one done. Not a great work, but someone will like it. At least that is what I am telling myself.
We all get excited about quiltmaking and want instant success. A lot of the current patterns are set up for that. I wholeheartedly agree that making a quilt or two out of the gate can set someone up as a life long quiltmaker.
Limiting yourself to patterns only limits your own creativity.
Sampler
At some point, however, we want to go beyond making patterns. This is when making a sampler quilt or taking a sampler quilt class can add to your skills in a positive way.
A sampler is a quilt made from different blocks. The blocks can be anything, but in a good class each block represents a different skill. As you work through each block you add new skills to your quiltmaking toolbox. Once you have learned the basics, you have the skills to make your own designs, make quilts you see or make changes to patterns with confidence.
Handbag Sampler – all the blocks
Even if you have been making quilts for awhile a sampler class can help you learn about block grids, resizing blocks and choosing better methods of construction. You also get a sense of when to press open and when to press to the side.
Making a sampler is also fun. You don’t get stuck making the same units over and over. Each block or section has something new. You can place fabrics in different places and get a break from chain piecing the same units.
Finished: Star Sampler
Samplers can have themes as well. Star Samplers, like the one I made, are very popular. Samplers with curved blocks or using a certain specialty ruler can also be great learning experiences.
Look into a sampler class as your next workshop. You can also contact me about teaching in person (locally) or via Zoom.
My Mom has been using it for a few days and she loves it. I am so relieved. I won’t tell her about the trials and tribulations.
It is a good thing I didn’t add that mesh pocket I discussed in the progress post! This was a challenging bag to put together. The final seam, as mentioned, was more than a bear.
Pearce back
I like the features that Sara added, such as the vertical pocket in the back.
I was able to use a leftover piece of zipper that I had laying around, thus the odd red zipper. Hopefully, it will add a visual cue to where my mom puts stuff. She uses that pocket for her glasses as it is too small for her phone.
Pearce large pocket
I am running out of the Paint Tube fabric, so I had to find some other fabric that would coordinate. The dots are leftovers from a dress I had made for Politcal Wifery. It worked pretty well, I think. No complaints anyway.
The bag has two pockets. I added vertical credit card slots to both. I am glad I did and I would do it again. She uses the large pocket for her phone as well as various cards.
Pearce small front pocket
The small pocket is accessible, too. I think she uses this for her insurance card, driver’s license, etc.
I am pleased that she likes it. I feel like I should make another one, but am reluctant to take on that bear of a curve again.
