Friday, April 30, 2010

Doo-doo list finishes!!!!

First off, a big WAHOOOOOO for Amylouwho who had her baby, and as we speak is probably giving sweet baby kisses!!!

Made sweet girly skirts using this tutorial.  The larger one turned out great, but I must have measured wrong for the smaller one.  I don't like how short it is.  Alright for now, but it will naver last through the summer.

 

Also finished these!  They have languished on "the pile" for a month.  You can't tell from the bad lighting, but the front one is a sweet green with pink flowers, and the second is antique with tiny blue rose buds.  I am old fashioned about some things, and love nightgowns, but not knit ones.

Be sure to visit the other finishes at Amylouwho's by clicking on the button on my side bar!!

Blessings,

KT

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Ah Hex!


I joined another quilt along.  See my sidebar.  Practiced with scraps.  Don't know wether to use Verna or Hunky Dory.  May have started a scrap project...accidentally.  (Sorry Dee.)

Blessings,

KT

Monday, April 26, 2010

Home Again!!!

Beautiful art, museum, Paducah sites, restaurants...
pinned, Eleanor Burns, WWII quilts...
Hancock's of Paduah, Verna, Amy Butler...
Tanya Whelan...
Sandi Henderson...
Quilt-In-A Day, Paganelli!!!!
Unpacking, fondling sorting, storing, grocery shopping, and routine reclaiming!!!

I will try to give more details in a couple days, once the dust has settled!

Blessings,

KT

Friday, April 16, 2010

ER/LQS Visit

Got up early to finish two bags for Sew & Tell.  Joy started knocking, coughing on lint.  Got out my vacuum and gave her a good cleaning.  I replaced her needle.  As I was threading her I learned an important lesson.  Never, no not ever, should you bump into your pedal when your needle threader is down!  Especially when you are going to Paducah next week!!!!!!!!  911!!!!!  911!!!!

Called the ER LQS that I got her at.  They got me in today!!  Needle threader is no longer jammed in the way!!!!!  No needle threader until after Paducah, but at least I won't be sewing on our Hello Kitty Janome!!!!
I was sewing these to use as shopping bags in Paducah!!!! Dee gave me the toile. It has children playing on it. About fell off my chair when I saw Amy's toile bag today! LOL!!

I was saving this fabric to make a Lucille bag from the tutorial that Penny posted over at sewtakeahike.
Thanks Penny!!

I did lengthen the straps to make a shoulder bag.  Turned and flipped (the bag, not myself) instead of making binding.  Added ric-rac just 'cause.


Inside I added a divided pocket for my cell phone and a change purse.  You just need those things when you are fabric shopping.  (You can still see the marking line for the divided pocket...oops!)

Also, I finished a tutorial this week for old fashioned pillowcases just to say thanks to all those who took the time to offer advice for my quilt border.  Please show me your pictures if you decide to make some!!

Be sure to visit all the other sew and tell participants by clicking on the button on my side bar!!

Blessings,

KT

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

KT's Old Fashioned Pillowcase Tutorial: The four feet, thirteen step dance!

I hope you dance!!!!

Oh, and this is my entry into the Bronte along!  I finished Jane Eyre, and watched the movie to boot.  These pillowcases make me think of how much more attention was given to trimming things to be beautiful.  Click on the button on my side bar to see what this is all about!

So many people took time to give good advice about the border of Rainy Days and Mondays, that I thought I'd say thank you with a little tutorial!  (If you are dying to see what I have done to that border, there are pictures in a set on my photostream.  Click on the link to my photostream on the side bar.)

First, the drama behind the scenes.  I love...my pillow!  Maybe that is shameful for a grown woman, but I vow to always tell the truth to you all. ;0)  When we go somewhere overnight, this is how my pillow looks.   Last fall we went on vacation to Gulf Shores, and while getting ready, I noticed that my travel pillowcase was getting tiny holes.  I left it in my normal white case...disaster!!!  My pillow now resides in a condo in Alabama!!  (This wouldn't be a problem if I were still there too.)  These pillowcases came from my mother, so I called her.  Turns out these babies were made by a great-aunt almost 50 years ago!!!  They have a right to be holey.  As I looked closely at them, I decided she was a smart cookie!

Here is what you need to make your own:
One yard of fabric  (I used gingham in honor of my aunt, the black can't be left behind!)
1 1/2 yards of trim pictured below (I don't know what it is called!)

1 1/2 yards of gathered eyelet lace, at least 2 1/2 inch wide
1 1/2 yards of grossgrain ribbon, width to lace through your above trim
applique foot
1/4 inch seam foot
rolled hem foot
blind hem foot


1.  I evened up the cut edges of my yard of fabric, and trimmed to 30" in length because that works for my standard size pillow.  Be sure to leave width, from salvage to salvage, alone!!


2.  Using your blind hem foot, adjust it so that the needle comes down in the perfect spot on the trim.  Sew the trim to the top of the lace.  NO I DON'T PIN!!!!!


3.  Using my rolled hem foot, I roll one of the cut edges.  Be sure the RIGHT SIDE IS UP if it make a difference in your fabric.  This will make sense later!!

4.  Apply your trimmed lace to the rolled hem.

Here is a picture with me holding the edge of the lace back so that you can see how the wrong side of the lace lines up with the rolled hem (right side of the fabric).
Here it is pinned into place.

5.  The blind hem foot should already be adjusted to the same spot.  Stitch that down to the fabric on the same stitch line.


6.  Switch to the applique foot, and sew along the top edge of the trim.  (I just love that little red arrow!!)

7.  Now, to sew the seams, we are going to make a french seam!!!  Use that 1/4" foot and fold the case WRONG SIDES TOGETHER, RIGHT SIDES OUT.  This will seam weird, you are going to have to trust me.  The only place that I pinned was around the bulky lace.  Sew side and bottom together.


8.  Clip that corner.  Then trim your sewn edges to a generous 1/8th inch.


I used shears for the bulky lace.



And my zippy rotary cutter and ruler for fabric edges.  (Sorry for the blurry picture, it is getting late)


10.  Turn WRONG SIDE OUT and press those seams open.  Note how nicely the funky edges are all enclosed!


11.  Still using the 1/4" foot, stitch along side and bottom again, enclosing raw edges!!!!  Turn right side out, told you it would work!!!  Almost done!!


12.  Lace the ribbon starting in the middle of the front, and in the second hole of one of those two-hole sets.  You will just have to improvise a little at the seam.  It will be fine, really!

13.  Tie a bow.  Tack down the center.  Treat the edges of the ribbon with fray check, or a match if you are steadier than me!!

There you have it, old fashioned pillowcases,  speedy quick.  Mine are done just in time.  Treasure and I are GOING TO PADUCAH next week,  I don't want to loose my pillow again!! 

Please comment on this post if you have any questions or need any clarifications.  I would love to see your pillowcases!!!

Blessings,

KT

Saturday, April 10, 2010

A Late Posted Friday Finish!!

Got it all together!!  It should measure about 81" by 81".  But I think it needs a border.
Was going to use this, but now that it is all together, I think it needs more color, don't you?

 
Thinking maybe these in some sort of scrappy border.  Also, I don't know how I feel about a square quilt!   (I have never seen a square bed!)  What do you girls think? 

Sorry that this is posted so late, we were out of town Friday and Saturday, and there was no internet connection.

Be sure to check out all the other fun Friday finishes by clicking on the button on the side bar!  Enjoy!

Blessings,
KT

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Friday, April 2, 2010

And it was only Thursday!!!

I just wanted to let you all know that my nightgowns didn't get done.  Well, if you got to go sew with you bestest bud, would you choose jammies, or quilty goodness?  I have no remorse.

The day was perfect!!  Well, except for her dog eating the chocolate chip cookies I made!  Good thing Lady is good otherwise, I can understand a weakness for homemade cookies!


I worked on pinwheel blocks.



This one didn't get finished until I got home, I had trouble...



...with an anemic pinwheel.



Anemic , but sweet, and it told me that it wanted to live with Dee.  I hope it tells her that it wants to live in this quilt.   Scrappy wonderfulness!!  See those baby HSTs on the lower left, those are from my scrap bag.  I love that my stuff ends up in Dee's quilt!  I am trying to convince her that those scraps want to come back to live with me!!  She isn't believing me :o(



Here is Dee's...ahem...palette.  Why does it give me thrills to see that some of those are my scraps?  I could stare at that quilt for hours.



She was working in green and blue.



I finished my last 9 star borders!!  My quilt was born at Dee's!



Dee finished the binding.  I tried not to drool on my quilt blocks.



Oh, and I finished this Wednesday.  Free motion practice has become a blanket for Project Linus.  Two layers of flannel, one layer of that cute block fabric, finished off with red satin binding.  Yes, that was March's offering completed on the last day of March.  I hope to do better in April.

Don't for get to click on the Sew & Tell button on my sidebar to visit all the other finishes!

Blessings,

KT