project in the works........zipper wallet

I have been looking for a wallet for some time, the one I have I like the design but have found it to be very heavy in my purse and it all adds up to neck pain for me while shopping so I decided to sew one out of my favorite fabrics in my stash, so its "free"  with the exception of the PDF pattern that I purchased here from a fellow etsian.

No I didn't have to buy a pattern but I just wanted all the thinking to be already done for me this time. The pattern designer had a great idea of buying home dec fabric swatches to make the wallet,  this way you get a group of coordinating fabrics and just the right amount, plus I've seen them at joanns for .99
So here is my first days work:

I am loving how its turning out!   Now I am waiting on my zippers and lobster clasp to come in the mail so I can finish.   

Supply buying tip:

I like to buy my hardware on esty. There is a great selection and they have items that are hard to find in the fabric store also at better prices.   I bought 5 zippers with a cute pull for $5.  and a set of clasps for $3.   I know that would have been per item in the store.

I will post my new wallet hopefully by the end of the week!

UPDATE:   Well I would have been done sooner but when I finished and went to put my cards in I discovered that I didnt sew the bottoms of the pockets in the first step and had to take the whole thing apart!!!!! ewwww!   I just got around to finishing it and I had a bit of trouble with the zipper and the binding, which is rare for me because those are two things I love to do.    I am really picky when it comes to detail stitching and small details that this pattern did not walk you through so for my pickyness I am not 100% in love with the end result, but it is still pretty and functional.

plus quilt quilted....but not finished

 The plus quilt is quilted and bound, so it may look finished, but...... I still have plans for it to be made into a zip up picnic blanket

I chose the backing fabric from this adorable set of novelty prints, its called Sherbet Pips- play dot by Angela Hoey for Moda Fabrics...look at the coordinates, they are so cute!

I chose to add left over squares into the binding to keep with the scrappy look of the quilt

I plan on writing a tutorial on the steps taken to turn any quilt into a zipper tote picnic blanket....

coming soon!

finished quilting and binding

this was my first large scale free motion machine quilt project since I got my new Bernina last year.  I learned a few things along the way, but over all I love the finished product and it just fueled my desire to continue and quilt some more.....so we'll see whats up next, I am thinking something with the scraps I already have in the stash since the beautiful backing fabric from this quilt broke the fabric allowance for a bit, but well worth it!
Since the almond trees are so pretty the quilt wanted its photo shoot outside so here it is.

jewelry clutch

It always seems like when I start packing for a trip I realize I need a new bag, a make up brush roll, an 

organizer for carrying accessories......

so while I should be cleaning the house or prepping something for the trip I start to sew, it never fails!

This is just how I work!

So searching for a tutorial that looks efficient and fast that I don't have to think or and customize very much, this is what I found.  I wanted to use a shiny satin on the inside and  my fabric was only 11" wide and I only had 9" zippers so I did make my clutch a bit narrower than the tute but its not crucial.

I keep fusible fleece on hand (buy at Joanns when interfacing are 50% off and stock up) I also keep a yard or so of vinyl for such projects and buy zippers in bulk from this shop on etsy because I always need a zipper.

OK So my photos are not great with the reflection of the vinyl but you get the jist...

so, make one for a Christmas gift this year!

tuttie tute: easy bike seat cover tutorial

I am a lover of all vintage things, but if they have a family history I love them even more. I have had my Nana's old Schwinn Suburban Bike from the 60's for about 17 years, I started riding it when I was pregnant with my first born because it sat up straight and my mt. bike was no longer comfy for my growing belly.  Well it has gone in and out of storage and I rode it here and there.  I now love this bike even more since my Nana recently shared with me how it was the first bike she ever bought with her very first paycheck as a working mom, well now I have to restore it! So I dusted it off, polished the rims and handle bars rubbed all the rust off with WD40 and sent the wheels in for an overhaul.  I was searching for vintage parts and came across some cute bike seats, then I saw bike seat covers in fun decorative prints, well ......need I say more? 

Here is my tute for making an easy bike seat:

1- choose fabric
    I am using Joel Dewberry Ginseng dec weight fabric because my bike is sparkly brown and this matches perfect.  Some people out there in blog land were using oilcloth, which is a great idea and waterproof, but it hardly rains where I live and I didn't think it necessary for me.

2- trace bike seat onto tissue paper with sharpie

                                      

3- add 5/8" freehand around your outline then fold in half to get a symmetrical pattern and cut out

4-cut out fabric and fusible fleece for added padding

5-I also decided to quilt a 2" diamond pattern at this point this is optional but adds a nice touch, plus I just love my walking foot and enjoy little details

6- take a measurement around the outer edge of seat top, and decide how wide you need the sides to be, because this is an old bike seat and not very pretty I wanted my sides to cover the springs on the back and go around the entire seat so I made my sides 5" wide, this also allowed for my seam and for custom trimming later.  Then I clipped the edges for easy curves.

7-Attach side piece stretching and curving around the seat top, I decided to stitch in the same manner that I do binding, starting about 1-2" from the beginning,  this is the binding tute that changed my binding life :) Follow this and it will open up a whole new world of binding.  I know this sounds crazy but really binding is amazing! hehehe, its the simple things that make me sooo happy.

ok back to the project

8- sides are attached and now its time to check the fit

yeah! it fits!!!!! I was totally winging it so I did not know what it would look like.

9- trim around the edges that are too long, my seat has a narrow front but needed more coverage around the back for the springs, so eyeball this step and cut half of the side then fold in half to get the other side so they match up

10- finishing it off: 2 ways this can be done.  Create a casing and add a drawstring (which I think might have been a better choice ) but I'm lazy and had tons of FOE on hand to I used it!

FOE (fold over elastic) in case you don't know is a wonderful elastic product that has many uses, skirt waistbands, ironing board covers, to name a few of the uses I have experience with but it was originally purchased by a friend who had an ambitious diaper cover project in mind and bought like a million yards of it, so I ended up with some.  Which I love.  So you place half on the back and fabric in the middle pull and sew at the same time, I do not use pins for this, though some may want to.  I also use an elastic stitch on my machine that runs a straight stitch in a zigzag pattern

I wanted the fit to be a little more snug so I decided to add a elastic strap in addition, this is why I thought the drawstring might actually work better.

this worked out too though

now I cant wait to see it on my bike and try it out. Waiting on the tires...thanks to my hubby who installed them and adjusted my brakes to make sure everything was put back properly after I disassembled it :-)

my next bike accessory project will be a basket liner.......so excited!!!



baby quilt

I love the chance to make baby gifts, and its even more fun when the person you are making a gift for LOVES color.  This is a simple strip quilt, I made strips the width of the fabric by 2,3,or 5.  It sews up fast. 
                                        
Then I used It's a Hoot by Momo on the back

I quilted around the bird and the hills on the front and in the ditch on the other strips

I bound the quilt with Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow Acorn Chain in Pond, love this fabric, it goes with so many prints.  One of those complimentary fabrics you can never have enough of.

obsessed with granite and vintage yellow

I always loved Joel Dewberry's Aviary, I did not buy enough of it and now it is hard to find, but I was very happy when I saw he has a new Aviary2 out!  Actually I saw it at my favorite local fabric shop.  I did not know what I was going to make but just knew that I had to have some of this new fabric. This is the line, from my favorite online fabric source.  I have ordered some other fabrics from this line also, pictures to follow when I complete those projects.
I chose Ironwork in Granite and Lodge Lattice in Vintage Yellow, then I found this great hat pattern that fits EVERYONE! Now I love hats and actually like to make them but when I saw that this pattern would fit my toddler boys, my daughter, myself and could be used to make baby gifts....I was sold. So as usual when I buy new fabric it does not sit for long.  The hat pattern was easy to follow and I enjoyed making it.  I probably spent 3 hours total so this will definately be a keeper. The flower is detatchable, I have not decided if the flower is for me yet though.....

tuttie tute:: two handed oven mit

This two handed oven mit hangs on the oven door ready to use, its pretty, practical, fast  and easy....so whats stopping you from sewing?

step 1. CUT
 2- 8"x24" main fabric (the stripes)
 1- 8"x24" insulbright (heat reflective batting)
4- 8"x8" for pockets (2 for outer 2 for lining)
2- 8"x8" fusible fleece
2- 3"x8" decorative band (dots)
binding I cut my binding 3" wide (you can use store bought but why?)

step 2. CURVE
find a plate and cut your curves

step 3. POCKETS
starting with the bottom layer
lining wrong side up
fusible fleece
outer fabric right side up
(you can fuse in this step if you choose to use fusible fleece any batting works fine)

quilt a pattern or around the fabric design

pin and stitch decorative band right sides together to straight edge of pocket 1/4" seam

press upward

press raw edge to seam and then fold the folded edge of to your stitch line and pin

stitch in the ditch from the front


step 4. quilting

layer the large pieces
outer wrong side up
insulbright
outer right side up

pin and machine quilt


step5.  attach pockets

pin pockets right side out to right side of main
stitch around pocket outer edge

step 6. BINDING

pin binding to BACK all the way around leaving about 4-5" open - stitch 1/4"
bring the left overs to the middle and finger press, pin and pull out to stitch binding seam
trim excess then stitch to mit
that might be confusing so check out molly's sketchbook on where i learned this revolutionary binding process (scroll down to "finish binding ends")

this is how it looks after the binding seam

after stitched down

now press binding to seam and turn to the front

pin and top stitch 1/8"
by stitching the binding to the back it allows you to top stitch on the front so you are sure to catch all the layers, sometimes when top stitching binding on the back side to the front suffers.

hope you get many tasty thing out of the oven with your mit

fabrics I used:
Joel Dewberry Aviary  - Broad Strip in green and Rose Damask in green
to dot is a scrap from an old project I don't know the name sorry :-(