Practical Sewing

I haven't been blogging much. I have been sewing instead! Actually, I am awaiting a battery for my camera. (That explains the iPad pictures.)

Anyhow, my sewing space was once our tiny dining room. Hence the decor. Soon however, we will be installing new flooring and I will try to ditch the wall paper.

It is starting to really get to me how cluttered it is becoming. While I work on a project, the fabric on the shelf calls to me to play with it instead. Though I enjoy seeing all the pretties, they are wrecking my focus. So, here is my solution.

I made a pretty yellow curtain with a calico print I bought over ten years ago. Stash busted. Anyhow, this room is going to go in a different direction. Just don't expect it to happen fast, nothing here ever does!

On another practical note, we are running low on cloth napkins. Some have become mildewed when wet washcloths were thrown in the laundry. (Not Me from Family Circus lives in my house!). Really, they had lived a long life, and I can't complain.  So I dove into stash and found some fabric that I love, but it was languishing with no future purpose. Last night I put it out of its misery.

;0)

The old stitch and flip with some decorative stitching, and I have four more napkins to add to the basket.

Love the mismatched reverse side. I really don't put out matching napkins anyway. They all just go into the napkin basket for a life of utility. It is fun though, because some of us have our favorites.

I have my Mondo Bag finished, and couldn't wait to use it, so I have been hauling it everywhere! Really hoping that my camera battery comes soon!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday, so you can use the button on the side bar to see some more lovelies.

Blessings,

KT

Friday Coaster Finish

Well, almost. Going to be gone most of Friday, so I wanted to get this up early. I will try to update, but just as sure as I promise, the day will be nuts-o!

All but the purple coasters are finished. My hope is to do them Friday evening. Just stitch & flip, quilting & closing left. Then I will have four cute sets of six rainbow coasters. My plan was that people only had to remember their color to know which glass or cup was theirs!

One set is for a secret Potholders Pass Partner, the other three sets will be tucked away for various Christmas gifts.

Above is what is left on my cutting table. The purple bin is full of ROY G. BIV strips that should join nicely with some scrap gray and sewing themed scraps for some mug rug love. Yup, I am thinking Christmas goodies! And just so you know I am honest, I was going to make myself a set of rainbow coasters. That is what the blocks on the right are. At the last minute I chose to save them back for a wall hanging.

The little white milk glass cradle is holding some small scraps for a ticker tape quilt. Maybe also a Christmas gift!

Am I the only one that loves seeing the colors in my little trash bin? Having a hard time throwing such sun-shiny goodness away!

Also, many appologies for the terrible pictures.  (Not that mine are ever that great anyhow!)  But my computer is still in rehab.  Ipod blogging...

I will link this to Sew & Tell in the morning. Be sure to visit all the other lovely finishes by using the updated button on the side bar.  Amylouwho has had some trouble with her domain.   Everyone please be sure to update her links to keep up with the fabulousness on her blog.

Blessings,

KT

Just a Start

Have a feeling that the cutting out part takes the longest.

Washed and ready to iron and cut.  Exterior fabrics were a great deal.  Interior fabrics are stash.

Thought that I would cut out what I could while waiting on a good deal on interfacing.  I need a ton!

Happy Saturday!  (We are off to go roller skating!)

Blessings,

KT

What I've been doing.

Been doing a little nest fluffing.  Got out these vintage linens and cleaned them.

Thought that these looked good on my mantle. 

This one settled on the end table.  Not sure which Grandma any of these came from.  Two Great-grandmas, and one Grandma did these kinds of things, and I have stuff from them all.  I am the one in the family who was crafty, so I was blessed to be gifted them! 

I've only gotten about half-way through this thing...man it just goes on forever!

Rewarded myself for making it to the half-way mark by making a spring purse that I NEEDED!  I saw this made up in an LQS.  When I checked out, the lady helping me had made the sample.  She said it was so easy, and she had made a bunch because everybody loved them...

Atkinson Designs Tag Along Tote

The clerk was right...easy peasy.  Sewn up in a couple hours, using only 3 fat quarters, scrap batting and a zipper.  My stuff is already stashed in there.

Now, let's go fabric shopping!!!

edit:  I linked up with Fabric Tuesday, be sure to use the button on the left to visit all the other finishes!

What have you all been up to?

Blessings,

KT

Wahoo!!!!!!!!

Warning:  the following post is cinnamon laden!!

After charging my batteries with this breakfast, I just had to share a smidgen of my Christmas break with you all.  (Recipe here!)

I won these lovely prizes from Rachel at Chickadee Creations as part of the Sew Mama Sew giveaway day.  Speaking of giveaways, I will be having one soon to de-stash and celebrate my 150th post.  (I am somewhere near 145 now.)

This was part of my gift from Dee.  I think the title of this one is "Thinking of You", which makes it perfect to remember our vacation this past summer.  Also in the picture are the 3-D glasses from seeing the new Narnia movie.  Two thumbs up by the way, but only because I have only two thumbs.  ;0)

Made this for Mom, and gave it to her in one of the grocery bags that I made.  She likes it, and this is a photo of where it currently lives.  Made a couple of hand towels to match, but in the Christmas rush, forgot to take pictures of all the gifts I made... bad, bad quilty blogger!!

Blessings for the New Year!!

KT

Spinning Wheel...

got to go 'round.

Pinwheel party is caught up!!!

Do any of you use starch?  I am used to using super duper spray starch.  I use it with every seam.  By the time I am done with a block, it is quite stiff.  It always lies flat though!!!  It is awesome when working with bias, really decreases the stretch effect.  Recently someone posted about using Downy Wrinkle Releaser on wrinkled fabrics before you cut.  Love that too!!  Treasure is less than thrilled that I use aerosol starch almost every day.  (Please don't tell him about my hairspray!)  To honor him, I bought some starch alternative at my LQS.  I should have read the bottle better first!!!  Well girls, it leaves me...limp.  There is no shape preservation here!  It does do what it says on the bottle, which is the same stuff Downy Wrinkle Releaser does for half the price.  At over $7 a bottle, I had higher expectations I guess.  Oh, and they only had lavender scent, which I strongly dislike.  It makes me think of bug spray!!!

Does anyone have a non-aerosol solution to keep my blocks stiff and in shape?  Please share!!!

Edited to add---To prevent the spray starch from clogging my iron, I press the block, spray the back, then press the front!  Thanks Lesly!  And both Leslie and Lesly guessed it, I am not a fan of Mary Ellen's Best Press.

Blessings,

KT

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

Well, I'm a ding-bat.

Well, I am almost done with the quilting of the signature quilt.  So last night I went looking for the grape juice purple that I saved back for the binding.  It wasn't where I put it, or so I thought.

Do you see it?

I do!!!  No, I didn't think about it as I cut it out, or as I sewed it.  I love purple, and I love little Haitian girls (I would bring one home to keep if I could).  All I thought was how pretty a little dark skinned girl was going to look in that purple.  Well, she will!!

One definition of sacrifice:  "a giving up, destroying, permitting injury to, or forgoing of some valued thing for the sake of something of greater value or having a more pleasing claim."

Mine was inadvertent, at first.  Now I can give it up wholeheartedly.  Tomorrow I can laugh about it!! ;0)  Today I have to go to Jo Ann's!!

These fabrics are interviewing for a position on my pinwheel quilt along.  Sorry that the picture is so yellow, didn't realize it until now.  (I edited it to be more like the true colors if you check out my photostream.)  I think that the one to the left will be the binding.  Going to order some kona for the background.  Not telling what color!  Okay, so I spilt the beans when posting the edited picture!

Package from FedEx came!!  Yay!!!  Not telling!!

Thinking about doing the purple charm chain letter, 'cause you know how I love purple.  As I was looking for the binding fabric I realized that I really don't have much of it!!  Before I sign up, is anyone else interested?  I would need to send my squares to four others willing to do the chain!  I don't want to sign up if no one else is interested.  No pressure.  (I love purple!)

Blessings,

KT

Becoming.....

there has been a lot of it going on here.

These have become 5 more skirts for Haiti.  I will try to send them out tomorrow Randi!  Yep, that gift is for you, Dee, but you have to come get it!!

These Wildwood strips are becoming these...

four patches which will one day live on a quilt with the siggy baby stars.

These siggy babies are becoming shining stars.  These though are temporary.  What matters most are the babies that are becoming eternal shining stars.  That is the best becoming.  Definitely.

Blessings,

KT

Skirts for Haiti

Over at  i have to say, Randi is organizing production of skirts for young girls.  I am planning to make a couple simple skirts from scraps and stash.  Randi has a couple tutorials linked to her sight.  For more info, please click on the above link.  I am planning to make at least a couple. 

I have this book, and plan to use it to make drawstring skirts.  That way they will fit!

I am hoping that more will sign up at Randi's.

Blessings to you all, and especially for Haiti.

KT

Sew & Tell

I finished this top!  I got a picture of the whole thing, but since it is a signature quilt I decided not to use it in order to protect the names of the families in our Bible group.  There are lots of minors involved.  I did decide to show you all a picture of a block full of verses picked out for the recipient.  I will talk with his family after it is gifted about sharing more of his story.

Here you can see what the border looks like.  I am planning to use white thread to stitch on the white, but have not decided what thread to use on the border.  The back will be this white sheet from Target, with a few scraps of the purples from the top.  I am afraid that white will be too stark on the boarder.  Purple will be stark on the back.  Not excited about using clear thread.  Any ideas would be welcome!!

Siggy blocks and potholders are going out in the mail today!  Yay!!!!  Nothing more than a sneak peek until the gift is given on those potholders!!  Then I will post them here, and on the flickr group.

On a final note, the giveaway deadline is 9 p.m. EST tonight!  It has blessed me greatly to know that I am not alone in being a little...scattered.  Today while finishing the boarder, I sewed for nearly a yard before realizing that the bobbin had run out.  Good thing that so many of you have mentioned doing the same thing, I didn't feel a bit bad!  If you have a moment, read down through the comments here on my giveaway post, I have been truly blessed by all you great ladies have shared.  It has made a week of struggling much easier to bear.  (And given me several cases of the giggles too!)  I started out trying to answer all of the comments, but soon became overwhelmed.  I have an old, slow computer.  Please all know that you have made this a wonderful experience, and you have given more than I can give back.

Please click on the Sew & Tell Friday button on the side bar to visit more wonderful ladies, and wonderful finishes!

Blessings back at you all!

KT

Meet Bess

We met this weekend and she has come home with me to stay.  She is much more mature than I.  I like her that way!  Treasure gave her to me on a recent trip to antique shop.  I had been looking for one.  Many that I find do not stand.

Bess is a "Perfection Ironing Board".  See her Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval?  I will attest, she "stands absolutely rigid"

She only cost $10, and she had more surface area than my boring old board!

Since she was bare, I had to clothe her.  I had been saving this fabric for just such a time.  It is purple!!!!!

Here she is with Ro.  They make a great team.  They are getting ready to tackle pressing binding for my Potholder Pass Potholders.  Can't show those till they are gifted!

Still haven't found that SD card.  It is a small thing, but field trip and Christmas pictures were on there that had not been downloaded.  Lesson learned.  Could you all say a little prayer that it shows up?

Blessings,

KT

Babies!!!!!

Only three more sets of Siggys left!  The milk glass cradle is a Goodwill find that for $1.99, made my week.  I have a thing for milk glass anyway.  Perfect.  Siggy babies are resting comfortably.  Below are the last three prints left.  Couldn't resist adding a couple more fabrics to the set after I came up with an idea for the babies (Nods to amandajean of crazymomquilts).  That's all that I am saying about that!

I am in the process of getting all the signatures for this quilt!  I need to square these babies.  Who would have ever thought that I would get sick of babies?  These may go into the "stash" as my mind is not enthralled with them like it is the Wildwood babies.  We quilters can be fickle.

Here are the babies all tucked in.

Is it weird to think that this is pretty?  I am always a little sad to throw this away.