Not So Fancy Nancy

Teacups, a Twirl Skirt and a Clean Shelf

On my last day of freedom when the crew was gone I went to my LQS for a free-choice class. Christine, the teacher, had shown her interpretation of Kaffe's Cups at the workshop in January and her finished quilt now hangs at the store. I really like the changes she made to the pattern from the book, and while I don't intend to make exactly the same quilt, mine will be closer to hers than the book's version.

Applique and decorative stitching were mysteries to me, so I was happy to get some pointers for this first foray. It was a treat to examine the quilt with her and talk one on one about the choices she made to give it more movement and pop. I rarely take classes, but this was relaxing and rewarding. I left the store for a long lunch with an old friend who just happened to be driving through town that day, so I didn't get loads done, but I'm happy to work on my own now.

There are a variety of ways to transfer the pattern from the book to the applique sheet. Because I'm insanely frugal when it comes to this kind of thing (more $ for fabric), I can't just run the Steam-A-Seam through a copier. Instead I traced each piece onto the sheet using the space as efficiently as possible - you get three times the pieces to a page this way. I followed Christine's instructions to cut each piece out, then stick it to the back of the fabric and cut again. Fiddly work, but so much like collage and paper piecing from my stamping and scrapbooking side that I fell right into that trance - kind of relaxing actually. There's just one thing I will definitely do differently on the remaining cups:  I'll rough-cut each piece, stick it to the fabric, then fine cut it just once. It will save time, and more importantly, I hope it will reduce fraying at the edges, which I've found doesn't get completely fixed by the embroidery.

I've always thought the blanket stitch look cool, but didn't know how easy it is. Like knitting, the trick is not in making the stitch but getting it even. Here's my first, slightly wonky attempt:

Here's my second one in progress:

So much better. Going to retire that first one from the quilt and make it into a tea cozy or something.

Found embroidery is excellent pool-side handwork. It's been too hot and sticky for knitting with this air blowing up from Baja, but this was light and portable. Just load up four or five needles with floss and go. Rowan's River in Kidsilk Haze is five rows from finished, but I can't bring myself to handle mohair when it's over 80 degrees.

Ta DA! My first sewn clothing ... The Twirl Skirt:

 

Took a break from quilting to whip up this skirt. The little imp would not let me get a good still photo, but she wore it all day, so I know she likes it.

Followed the instructions originally posted by 3 Peas (now blogless, but you can find photos on Flickr) and now on Kuky Idea's blog. I went looking for them and found the old link broken. Was so happy to find that Kuky had gotten permission to post them. Got smart and printed them this time!

I followed the instructions, but next time I will do a better job with making the gathers and finishing the inside seams. Looks good from the outside, so I'm happy this time. Should have thought to look at my resources first, before I got frustrated. Found these books used and they're great. Not a thing wrong with the tutorial, but I'm so new to clothes sewing that the more detailed info in the books helped a lot.

Started cutting a new quilt for Ems yesterday. This pattern has nice written text, but I'm so visual it's better for me to work off a diagram. I colored it in to show which fabric cuts match, not to indicate color.

The fabric shelf got a good straightening yesterday so I could pull this pastel fabric and some dark colors for a gift quilt. Timing was perfect because Sew Mama Sew's blog asked people to comment on how they organize their sewing spaces. Like most people I make use of plastic tubs, but I thought I'd show my recent additions. This over the door shoe organizer is the cheap one from Target. PERFECT. I love it - I open the door and can find things in an instant! The front room across from the living room is my craft room, so I claimed the coat closet as mine too. Because it's the first room you see when you walk in the house I try to keep it somewhat organized.

This 12-year-old cheap shelf from Crate and Barrel keeps my fabric in sight, but in a corner and out of sunlight. I found that when I stored it in bins I didn't create as often, fast or fully (always missed options and half the time didn't feel like dragging it all out). Last month I brought home groceries from Costco in these very strong trays and realized they were great for holding projects and large scraps. I do my cutting and layouts in the dining room, so I have to carry works in progress back and forth and these make it easy to transport. Since it's out of sight of the doorway I usually just shove em on top of the fabric, but they can be tucked away if needed.

Finally. another reason to eat your oatmeal. My favorite new storage ... a cutting can. Don't know why this took me so long, but now I love it. The can's sturdy, wide-mouthed enough to hold the blades and shallow enough to see what's what.

My family knows upon threat of death that no tool in this can may be used without permission and never on paper. This segregation is necessary because everyone goes to my craft room when they need a tool. Mom's the man.

Finished! Farmer's Market Quilt from the Kaffe Fasset workshop

I LOVE this fabric for binding. Love love love. It a Carla Miller Feather print cut on the straight. You can still get it at Glorious Color. The pattern runs about 1" wide and starts at the edge, so it's easy to fussy cut the strips. One yard will yield 360" - enough to bind a good sized quilt. I like machine finishing the binding when I can make the seams fit in with the quilting. I also sometimes like a wider binding on the back - whatever feels right.

More on the quilt below, but before I forget ... if you're sewing bags or just thinking about it, you MUST check out what's happening over at Sew Mama Sew's shop and her blog. The bag contest entries are here (special thanks to Julia, who alerted me to this). Oh my! Loads and loads of ideas here with great links. Inspiration galore. And she saved me! Check out the Interfacing Guide. I was thinking about discussing interfacing, but the folks at Amy Butler did 10X the job. Interfacing counts - it's a must for giving body to lighter weight quilting fabrics for making bags.

So, where have I been lately? Well, home of course. But that's not all bad. What can one do when one's husband and children leave the house for seven wonderful, delightful, relaxing days? Hmmmm...

1) Go to Balboa Park to savor a latte and knit while waiting for the museums to open. Wave at children playing on the Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture, happy not to be the one managing the snake slide. Wander the Mingei International Museum and dream of being this creative in one's nineties. Yes Eva Zeisel was in her 90's when she designed this set and oversaw the production! She's now over 100 and still working. She describes her life's work as "The playful search for beauty." A true inspiration.

2) Browse a quilt store until they start to think "Is she still here?" Fight off the disturbing jolt around 1 PM that continues about every 1/2 hour throughout the afternoon that screams "You're late! It's time to pick up the kids!" (Took me two days to loose that sensation.) Fabric for my ironic apron (my DH laughed out loud when he saw this), flouncy skirts for my youngest and other projects to come.

3) Drop by the Japanese marketplace and actually look at the craft books (each one must be pulled out and examined, nigh impossible with nagging children and husband in attendance). These bowls were 3/$10. It's a wonder I get anything done with all my helpers around here.

4) Order Thai takeout, and while it's being prepared, pop into a yarn store and indulge in Berroco's Ultra Alpaca and booklet 262 Yin and Yang . Sadly, the swatch is 18/4" rather than the 20/4 called for in the patterns, so no fast cast on for me. I've got several yarns knitting up at 20/4 and loads of patterns calling for 18/4, so things will work out.

And that was only the first day!

Before you think my at-home holiday was all so glamorous, I'll continue with my week. The next day I got the carpet cleaned and no one walked on it for the prescribed three hours. The day after had my hair cut and colored - 1st time ever for a pro color! To round out the fun, the day after that had the car serviced. Not sexy, but easy when you're not entertaining kids and there's a coffee shop next door. After the tires were rotated I went to Target (by myself -- be still my heart). Does my self-indulgent craziness know no bounds?

What can I say, I have been with my kids all day everyday since mid-June and will be again until mid-August -- doing these chores alone was fantastic. I lived on blueberries, left over takeout and Fig and Anise bread from Bread & Cie drizzled with raw honey bought roadside from a 78-year-old man who swears that bee stings stave off arthritis. Was reading recently that eating raw, local honey may help fight against pollen allergies. Tasty medicine.

I front-loaded my to-do list for good reason. At 11:50 PM on Friday I drove over to the book store, got my ticket, then disappeared into the craft section to peruse the latest releases while waiting. For those of you learning to sew, I recommend Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol, the blogger who writes at Angry Chicken. It's fun, approachable and the beginning sections are very well done and informative. The projects are hip, cute and doable.

Home just after 1 AM, I cracked the cover and read the first two chapters of Harry Potter (no photo, you know what it looks like by now), then put it aside because I didn't have to stay up all night. I had Saturday to indulge. My Saturday. It's been over 10 years since I've been able to give myself over to a book like that. Standard MO when I was single, but impossible with family. Read, eat, sew on this quilt, walk the dog, nap, repeat, with the emphasis on read. Didn't change out of jammies except to walk the dog (I'm not that eccentric yet). Finished it exactly 24 hours later and had a little cry for the end of a era. My DD is immersed in it now and pops up every few hours to discuss plot lines.

I know some people don't get it, especially why some of us adults care so much, but it's been fun. Such anticipation for a book is wonderful. I read the first, second and third HP books aloud to my daughter 3X each (really) and the forth book once. Hours upon hours we read those books, sometimes until I was hoarse. After Goblet of Fire she'd matured enough to read them on her own, but I've stayed with her so we can talk about it and because I've come to love these characters. We've gone to the release parties. R was Harry Potter for Halloween three years running. I made an "H" sweater that she wore almost daily through kindergarten. We've spent this summer discussing the various plot lines and guessing outcomes. How often do you get to really share a ten-year-old's passion? I just can't muster it for Legos, Littlest Pet Shop, WebKins or Nintindo DS.

It started five years ago this week when my husband picked up a paperback copy of HP 1 to read aloud on a very long driving trip. We were all immediately hooked. R was still four (almost five) so up to that point the books we'd been reading were typical of the age and not terribly engaging to us adults, especially after the tenth read. I can now do many kid's picture books in my sleep, which I must admit helps when I'm tired while reading to youngest. I remember so clearly driving by Las Vegas with all its over the top glitziness and I stopped Harry's story to ask R if she wanted to look at the skyline. She barely glanced out the window and said "No no, don't stop reading. I don't care about that." My child indeed.

With my HP fix out of the way it was time to quilt. Another jammie day and it was finished.

Pattern from Kaffe Fassett's Kaleidoscope of Quilts. All fabric by Westminster's various designers. This is the pattern we worked with in the workshop I took in January with Kaffe and Brandon. I have another one in the works in pastels.

I cut the pattern short in length because I wanted a throw to brighten up the courtyard. I like the way the colors pop in outdoor light.

It's perfect for hiding (that's August above and Raven below, plus the human child playing at being a cat).

And lounging.

OK, one more binding shot, just because it amuses me.

It's always so nice to finish something. Maybe I should try it more often eh?

Very Easy Tote Bag Tutorial

I've been promising a bag tutorial. Sorry that it's taken me so long. Knitting next time.

Beach/Pool/Farmer's Market Bag

Here are the steps for the most basic of bags. From here modifications are yours to make - have fun. Follow these concepts and you'll be improvising in no time. This all assumes you know how to sew, have basic tools and know how to use them and have made a few things or quilted. If not, I suggest starting with any of the beginners books out right now. Now is a great time to learn sewing.

I made this bag in a morning. The pieces were cut and the pocket made the day before, but the rest was sewn over a few hours with all the typical breaks. It really is an afternoon project. I use these same techniques on my fancier totes, but with more details and fabric piecing.

This whole thing cost less than $10, probably closer to $5. Bought the 100% cotton decor fabric at JoAnn's for 50% off. The lightweight natural cotton lining was incredibly inexpensive (less than $2/yd). I used 100% cotton thread in a neutral color and a patch of iron-on stabilizer behind the pocket. A scrap of batting from a quilt project runs inside of the shoulder strap. The web handles were an odd bit from a sale bin at JoAnn's.

Instructions

Finished bag size (all measurements in inches): 18w x 16h x 7d  -- This is a big bag. There are four beach towels in the bag in the photos above. For a small bag follow all the instructions below, just change the body dimensions to suit.

The long strap is about 2.5 wide and is designed to cross over the body, but it turned out just a touch too long for me (I'm 5'2"). When I get the chance I'll nip it down. Shoulder straps would be shorter. Consider the strap width and style you prefer and run a tape measure over your shoulder and over some bags you have to get a good measurement.

Use a .5" seam allowance for all seams unless otherwise indicated.

Note: You can piece the outside however you like as long as the totals always add up. Remember to factor in the seam allowances whenever you make cuts. Don't stress minor mishaps. No one will know if the whole thing is 1/2" less than you planned - just recalculate and move forward.

Cut the Fabric:

Decor fabric 25 x 40

Lining 25 x 40

Decor fabric 4X the desired width of the strap (e.g., 10 wide for a 2.5 strap) and 2 - 4 inches longer than desired final length

Batting just a little shy of the final width of the strap (e.g. a smidge under 2.5") and same length or a smidge longer (you'll trim this later)

Make the Strap:

Fold the decor strip in half.

Open, fold each edge to the middle crease, then fold in half again (now 2.5 wide).

Iron to set creases.

Open the strip and lay the batting along one side of the center crease, then fold as above.

Pin down the center.

Sew close to the edge (a fat 1/8) along the open side first, then turn and sew the same seam width on the opposite edge.

Remove the pins and sew two channels down the strap, one on each side of the center. This will keep the strap from crunching and bunching. There are some close up photos of the strap further down.

Trim the ends. If making two straps, trim them to exactly the same length.

This photo is from another bag, but you get the idea.

Make and attach any pockets:

Sorry, but I'm skipping these instructions. Just make a patch and sew it on. You can see my inside pocket on the lining here. Just be sure that the edges of the pocket will not cross into the bottom or sides of the bag after it's sewn.

Make the Body and Lining (same instructions):

Fold fabric in half, right sides together, to create a 25 x 20 rectangle.

Pin along the sides.

Sew a seam from the fold to the raw edges on each side. Sewing from the fold allows any variances so push out the ends.

Keeping the pieces inside out, make the corners as follows (see photos below): Create a triangle at each bottom corner with the side seam centered on top. I love my large Olfa mat for this.

Cut so that the .5" seam will create the desired bottom width. Check this very carefully before cutting. In this photo I'm measuring the 7" seam. You might want to mark this with a pencil for sewing. Then I moved the ruler .5" up to create the .5'" allowance. Check again before cutting to be sure the side seam is straight on the mat and under the ruler lines and that the triangle edges are aligned.

 

Iron the side seams open and pin if desired.

Sew. Repeat on each bottom side of the bag and lining.

This is what your pieces should look like at this point.

Attach the Strap(s):

Important Note:  I attached the side straps first and regretted that. When using center and side straps, attach the center ones first so the side seams will lie flat as you're trying to find center. I'm showing it here in the order I did it so the photos make sense. Obviously it's possible, but it makes centering the straps much more challenging.

Turn the bag right side out.

Place the strap(s) as desired with about 1" above the raw edge of the bag. For this bag I'm centering each strap end on a side seams (see photo). Be sure not to twist the strap.

Pin and sew only across the width of the strap a touch less than .5" from the top of the body. This is just to anchor the strap to the body for the final steps. Check the placement and test the length (better than I did).

For center handles, find the center of each side of the bag and attach the handles as above. I used webbing for this bag, but if you're making fabric shoulder straps you would attach them this same way. Align the straps very carefully. Check the centering, width between and total length very carefully. Check, pin, check, pin again.

Finish the bag:

Place the lining, still wrong side out, over the bag and pin along the top edges for a .5" seam around the top. The straps should be between the bag and the lining, which are now right sides together. A bit of fiddling is required at this point to get all the seams aligned. Align the side seams and then check the handles again to be sure they're even and going straight down into the bag. The more careful you are at this point, the better your bag will look. Take your time. This is a chance to correct any minor inconsistencies.

Sew around the top edges leaving a 4 - 5" opening. I generally leave this opening near a side seam, but not on the seam or a strap. Be sure to back tack at each end because this seam will be stressed in the next step.

Reach in the opening and pull the outside of the bag through the opening. Work slowly and try not to stress the top seam. This is a bit fiddly, so don't get frustrated. You'll figure it out as you go in one of those ah-ha moments. As you finish the lining will flip into its proper place inside of the bag.

Tuck the raw edges of the opening .5" between the layers even with the seam.

Iron all around the top edge and pin if you need.

Sew a narrow seam (a fat 1/8") around the entire top, closing the opening. I usually sew a second seam between .5 and 1" down from the top to reinforce the top and capture the strap ends (now between the layers) at a lower point.

Congratulations. You've made a bag.

Have a great weekend everyone.

PS:  When I first published this I used indented bullet points for the instructions. It looked great on the editing screen, but published as centered text. I tried overriding it with left align HTML codes, but it didn't take. It reads OK on Firefox, but not IE. Not worth futzing with so I just removed the codes, but I'm sorry it doesn't read easier.

Amy Butler Tote and helpful cats

Finished this tote bag late today and I like really it. This just became my new purse.

I think these early Amy Butler Charm strips and dots go well with her much newer graphic floral even though not one of the colors actually match. I like the cool tones they all have. Added the dark ribbon to ground it and was pleased to find it actually makes the flower centers pop and conveniently keeps your eye from noticing the color mismatch.

The ribbon was originally wrapped around a gift box from a long-ago boutique purchase. Squirreled it away thinking it would come in handy some day. One can't keep everything (or at least probably shouldn't), but just jump over and take a look at Julia's great new bag and you'll forever hang on to extra Elk hide. Don't have elk hide in your stash? Must be a Texan thing. Julia's been a sewing fiend lately, so be sure to scroll down and check out the clothes she's making.

Many of you have asked, so I've been trying to figure out ways to explain how I make these bags. As I've said before, I really do just whack them together. No pattern. No plan.

Each starts with a rough idea built around the individual fabrics, and is open to modification as I cut. For example, on this one I decided on making it just four inches deep, about half as much as previous totes. Also included a reinforced double pocket up high on the inside for my cell phone and keys, which always ended up lost in the bottom of my other bags. Inevitably I'd pull out a maxi pad with my phone in front of people.

I've also been thinking about having the stripes at the bottom and top and decided it looked right on this one. The strips top the inside lining too, and I'm delighted to say they all line up around that top edge. Can you say obsessive?

For me a project like this is a new puzzle, which is how I like it. It's fun to let it take shape as I work. To be honest, it's not been particularly relaxing to think about how to explain the process. I keep veering toward writing a full pattern, but I just don't want to. First, because I do it differently each time, but also because writing instructions is just too darned close to work. When I worked for money I wrote user manuals and in-house technical documentation for FDA controlled medical devices. I get focused and it's got to be perfect. Every parameter explained. Every path on the flowchart followed. It's made me a little crazy these past few days just thinking about it.

I'd much rather just pour a glass of red and admire my matched stripes.

But I promised, so I have taken some photos I'll share next time so you can see the steps. What I will share are construction techniques that I like, products I use and the general process.

This morning I had three tote bags on the table, but I couldn't get to them due to Mr. August. That's Raven back there on my little padded board. In a head slapping moment I now realize why I had to pick her silky black fur off my projects all day as I was ironing.

You can see by the ears he's only faking. But he didn't intend to budge.

Finally got him to move, only to return to the room to find him repositioned on a different project.

Oh, I want to show you that artwork on the sideboard and another. Still need to take them for proper framing, but for now they're propped in the dining room.

View from a Plane Window by R, age seven. The quilter in me LOVES this one.

Adobe by R, age nine.

She brought this one home roughly folded and stuffed in the bottom of her backpack with all the other flotsam and jetsam from her desk on the last day of school. She didn't like it because she didn't have time to add the roof and the perspective lines aren't perfect. I got out a stack of modern art books to show her that was just fine. This so much better in person because the think pastels create the effect of heavy paint - it has great texture. Right now it's just placed in this frame - matting this one for depth will be good for it.

Jumping into the deep end of Fair Isle

A lot of knitting & sewing bloggers have written some thoughtful posts lately about both the joys of this virtual community and the ugly behaviors that seem to inevitably pollute human endeavors (refer to any Utopian community every attempted). I've thought about adding my voice to both subjects, but have decided simply to say thanks to you for your kindness and utmost civility. I've never had a sour comment and those I do receive quite honestly make my day.

Handcrafting as a form of meditation has also been widely discussed and I completely agree. Working with your hands allows you to turn off the voices and be in the moment. I prefer to be alone when I knit, sew, scrap or garden, so I've never been much for in-store knitting, classes, scrapbooking crops, etc. What I do love is to occasionally lift my head and find like-minded, creative people so we can share our energy. Blogging is is perfect for this.

There's no room for voices when knitting this.

Since becoming a knitter I've been determined to make a Starmore pattern. Alice and Jade have carved out their own niche in the knitting world and kept their patterns and yarns under their control. The yarn is exquisite and the patterns endlessly intriguing. I've occasionally visited Virtual Yarns to dream, but never made the leap to ordering. Clara Parkes rhapsodizing about their yarn in Knitter's Review put me in the mind to order. What put me over the edge was this Rheingold Wrap in the Dunkeld colorway.

I've never done Fair Isle knitting and I don't know how to knit continental. I bought a Philosopher's Wool kit a while back, but couldn't get even near the gauge for the single-colored edge, so I put it away. I didn't want to try to rework the pattern sizing while mastering stranded knitting. I didn't want to fail miserably. I needed a project that let me learn the technique without worries about fit and garment construction. And there it was ... the Rheingold Wrap. The colors are exquisite. The pattern is pure art. I ordered.

Like lacework, colorwork patterns can be very intimidating when you start. I knew I needed to pull a Ted Turner on this one or I'd never get the nerve to cast on.

Word of warning here. Scanning and colorizing is an amazing time-suck. One of those things that takes three seconds to come up with and three hours to complete. A scan renders the drawing, but it doesn't create discrete units and layers like a design program. I won't bore you with details; let's just say about halfway through I questioned my sanity. I was working at night, so it turns out a couple of colors are way off, but my husband looked at me like I was (more) insane when I said I wanted to change it, so I refrained. That took great self-control and it still bugs me, but I'm trying to be strong.

It worked though. With the enlarged and colorized chart I can see the way the colorwork flows and make out the pattern clearly. It has not escaped my notice that this is probably not a beginner's design. While there are only two colors per line, the patterning is not always symmetrical nor highly repetitive. The flowing lines give it great beauty, but play havoc with efforts to memorize the pattern. I am a knitting masochist.

Like any good masochist, I enjoyed the pain. This was fun!

Following the instructions for making a swatch, I used double point needles (3.23 mm) and broke the yarn at the end of each row. Found a half knot secured the beginnings just fine, but the ends needed a square knot to keep the final stitches of the active row in place. That's why the edges are so lumpy.

I used the instructions from the Philosopher's Wool book to learn two-handed knitting. There is also a free streaming video on the Philosopher's Wool site demonstrating the technique. These two pages in the book make it worth the price for me. The drawings are clear and the instructions very detailed.

They're right. About fifteen minutes to learn and a swatch to master. This is a version of what Brandon was teaching in that workshop I took back in January, but I had trouble getting it then. I guess it's percolated enough, because it really took this time. The bottom line is that when you're working with two colors of yarn it's worth using both hands. The biggest hurdle is getting whichever hand you don't usually use to learn the other method. Still don't think I'll become a continental knitter, but I can do it now. Irony is that I'm left handed - you'd think it would feel great, but not yet.

Seems I'm a bit tight with stranded knitting as my gauge swatch was one stitch too many, but that may be a factor of the DP's and losing the flow at the end of every row. Still, I think I may knit on the inside when I do the actual piece in the round so that the strands have the outside track and gain some built-in looseness. I'm still deciding how long I want to let my floats get. I experimented on this swatch and let them go as long as four stitches on some rows. I think three will be my sweet spot. Guess I just need to jump in now and CO.

Dogs don't need hobbies. They are zen masters.

The old bumper sticker Dog is my Co-pilot makes so much more sense when you've got one riding shotgun. She is my Ambassadress of Happiness in traffic. People break into the biggest grins when they look over an see her face. Tried to get a nice face shot for you, but every time I said her name she'd bounce over and try to lick me and the camera lens. Gotta love that labbish enthusiasm.