A Few Projects Done

The other night, I was spending some time in my studio, having just finished putting some blocks together into a quilt (see elsewhere in the blog) when I looked over and saw the box of goodies that I had re-packed to take to the quilt qroup in January to for show and tell.  I needed to unpack and put away all the goodies and kind of clean things up a bit - I could use the tub for other stuff.   I pulled out the following items:  a pillow cover (partial in the picture), pin cushion and a journal with a cover.  I love all of these items, but the one I am going to talk about today is the journal cover.   I like everything about this cover from the bright colors to the hexies and even the journal itself without the cover - it's bright pink with paisleys all over it!  What is not to love. 

 

 

However, as I was sitting there, I thought it needed something else.  A monogram.  I took the cover off the journal and decided how large I wanted my "N" to be.  There was some bright green fabric laying right in front of me and I only needed a 5" square so I cut that out and drew an N on it.  Looks wonderful, but I really should have put some adhesive on the back - so I did that and then cut it out.  Still looking fabulous.  I positioned it, ironed it on and then thought, how am I going to sew this down with the flap there?  I should have thought of that first, but I knew I could do it.  I simply turned the flap to the outside - it would be really sad if I sewed that down and couldn't put my journal back together.  If I can ever get the picture to download to this site, I will share with you my finished journal.  Now it is perfect and just right for me.  I love it!!

 

 



One other thing I got finished was the quilt top below.  (I even have the back finished!! - that is a minor miracle for me.  LOL)  This was from a jelly roll - can't tell you the name of it because I forgot.  I pieced the blocks awhile back and they were laying around my studio and I decided to put them together.  Then I took the leftover strips and made a piano key border for the top and bottom.  It looked like it needed one more thing so I added a little border of just white all around and I love it!  I am calling it "Boys Blocks" and it will go to one of the boys in my family for graduation.  Sometime in the next 10 years we will have 8 boys graduating and I am going to need a few boys quilts and this one is perfect! 



 

Last, but not least, my second iron caddy.  I just thought I had worked out all the kinks with the first one, but nope, had similar problems putting this one together, too.  I may have to make a third one to see if I can perfect this pattern.  (don't put in your request - I won't be making one anytime soon if I do make one)  This one fits my iron that I use all the time at home and I am hoping it will fit my friend Glenda's iron since this will be going to her house soon. 

 

 

 



Iron Caddy and Quilted Bag

Found some pieces left over from the "Make New Friends" quilt and started piecing them together last Saturday at Bee Friends.  Last night I pulled them out and finished them off into a quilted bag.  I discovered and used a different fabric than what I used on the border of the quilt for the lining and handles on the bag.  Just plain straight stitching in a grid on the outside and a lovely bag is born. 

 

I have hidden away inside of this wonderful bag, the quilt top and leftover border fabric to maybe used on the back or in the binding.  This way it is all in one place and I know what the quilt is by the fabric on the bag.  This is about the 5th bag/quilt combo I have made and I love doing this.  It would make a great gift - if I ever gifted these quilts.  This one I do have plans for giving away once I get a back made, get it quilted and bound.  That my take awhile since I have started 4 other projects and am trying to wrap up and finish tops in progress - which this quilt top was one of the many unfinished tops hanging around my room.  I really am thinking about what I want to do for the back of this quilt, but I don't think I have any other fabrics that will go - yet!

 

This last Saturday at our Bee Friends meeting, Molly King, one of our fantastic members, taught us how to make an iron caddy.  I had previously about a year ago, cut out the rectangles and handle strips to make two caddies, but couldn't figure out all the folds, sewing lines, etc. from the pattern so they have been sitting nicely waiting for me to finally get back to it and figure it all out.  Thankfully, Molly did the figuring and deciphering of the pattern for me - she had a hard time, too, so it wasn't just me, thank goodness - last night along with the bag, I also finished this iron caddy.

 

 

It's for totting a hot iron and ironing - if you want, since it has Insulbright and the Teflon sheeting on the inside and lays flat when opened.  I had gotten the binding on earlier this week and put it all together and realized the buttons and loops were in the wrong places. Even though it didn't look that bad - just a little off kilter, I decided it would look so much better and I would know where to put the ones on another one, if I would just go ahead and fix it all now.  It wasn't hard to do, just time consuming.  I unstitched the parts of the binding necessary and moved the everything, stitched it back up, unstitched because I got part of the binding caught up, stitched it again, unstitched when another part of the binding got caught and finally got that one side all stitched back in place.   Then I went to the other side, since I learned my lesson,  I pinned down the binding to stitch the seam in place, so the second side went much smoother.  All that was left was moving the buttons to the right place.  This time I used a pink pearl cotton thread to sew the two buttons down and I liked it much better.  win, win!!  Now on to making one for my friend - who I had stolen the pattern from originally.  Thank you Molly for simplifying this pattern and making it understandable for everyone from the newbies to the oldies. 

 

Another quilter didn't think this fabric looked like me, but I think it looks exactly like me. It's a Barre J fabric that I picked up in a little town on the way to Austin.  I think it was Brady, but I am not sure if that is the correct town.  It's one of those places that I try to stop at every time I go through and I know exactly where the store is, but couldn't tell you the name of the place.  (they had even moved once and I found them again!) Anyway, her fabrics remind me of Philip Jacobs, Martha Negley and Kaffe Fassett fabrics and I love all of their styles.  (I love Brandon Mobley, too, but this doesn't look anything like his fabrics)