Thursday, June 21, 2012

Seam Ripper, My New Friend

My seam ripper and I are becoming better acquainted.  I am experimenting with some more modern/freestyle patchwork, and mini quilts.  I have TONS of scraps and it seems a shame to let them just sit idle when they could be something cute...

My new friend

I began by sewing a few pieces together, cutting so edges were even and I could add more.  then surrounded the patched piece with white Kona cotton.  I am falling in love with solids, slowly.  They have always seemed so plain, but, when you add the quilting lines it suddenly has dimension and texture.  Rather a fun exercise.

After taking off the first binding...

Really loved the quilting process

I got all the way to the binding...which is where the problems began.  I did not want to hand sew the binding.   I was trying to be smart and sew the binding on the back bring it around front and sew down with the machine.  Reading some tutorials I thought I would do a half (1/2) inch seam, which meant there was not really enough binding to bring around to the front.  Well,  my bright idea was to cut off a quarter of an inch and then there would be more to bring around...HELLO WHERE IS YOUR BRAIN????  This meant that I also cut the corners, rendering them useless...

The finished product

The squiggly line of quilting was another bright idea that I decided not to follow through on, but did not take it out


My inclination at that point was to throw the whole thing away.  But, after I calmed down I decided to take the binding off and start over.  This time I read carefully this tutorial on Red Pepper Quilts.  Luckily I had enough of the scraps to make a binding, this time using a quarter inch seam and sewing onto the front and then sewing with the machine.  It WORKED!!!!

The bits of binding I had left from what I had removed I sewed together with some added bits and I have another small quilt, or mug rug.


still needs a binding...will do it right the first time!!!!


Despite the issues it was a fun exercise.  I think I will list these in my Etsy Shop if you are interested.

Have a whole dryer full of fabric to fold.  Won't be ironing today...93 degrees.  Nice in my bedroom with the AC on!!!!  I suppose I could bring in the ironing board...hmmm

Have a great weekend!!

Cindy

Linked up at:



Canoe Ridge Creations




Friday, June 15, 2012

Not much sewing going on here

It seems ages since I have sewed.  We have traveled so much since the end of April, I  repainted the guest bathroom, am training for a Triathlon, taking care of a house, cooking...you know the list...

Progress is being made in the bathroom.  Going from this: the blue and green picked, years ago, by a middle-school aged daughter who shall remain nameless...





To this:  still a ways to go, light fixtures still to be hung, they can go either up or down and hubby was not sure what I wanted, and I was not home.



The color is a light gray that looks gray on some walls, and pinkish gray on the other walls...That is the way of paint and light I guess.

We celebrated Alissa's 25th birthday last Saturday!  My baby is a quarter of a century old, how did that happen??  I am not that old...



Today I made banana bread from a recipe that Sarah, my oldest daughter adapted, you can find the full recipe at her blog, Run Far Girl.  Turned out yummy.




I am headed to my sewing room to do some fun sewing!!  You should check out the Etsy shop if you have not lately.  I lowered some prices... and am thinking of having a sale...stay tuned.

I am also seriously considering moving this blog to Word Press.  I have my other blog, Trigrandmatry there and really like the format...so stay tuned.   I will let you know.

Have a fantastic weekend!
Cindy