My sister’s birthday was this week. It was a big birthday with a zero. So I decided to make her a special card. I had a peculiar feeling that she would like this quilt block. And she did.
The mini block is foundation pieced and mounted in a tri-fold card with a square opening.
by Nancy
I’m finding that doing little projects is giving me great satisfaction at the moment! There’s something to be said for a little not-so-delayed gratification every once in a while. This cute little zipper pouch was one of those quick little projects, and I’m thrilled with the results. It comes from Fat Quarter Fonts. It involves a zipper, which I was a little nervous about attempting, but since it’s just a little project, I figured it was a good place to give a zipper a try. And it wasn’t bad! I’m still not quite sure I fully understand my zipper foot and when to use which side of it, but the zipper is in and it works. I am immensely pleased with this little bag. And it got me thinking about another little project to try…
P.S. Only the zipper was purchased for this project.
by Cathy
It’s spring break here (and it’s really spring break, with the weather we’ve been having) and I took a day off to do some stuff with current and possible future preschools. In between, I made something!
It’s a rather small Jordy Bag, with a single button closure and the worst buttonhole known to humankind (but it’s still a functional buttonhole). Here it is with its intended cargo:
It was really easy, setting aside the part where it took me three tries to get the handles attached correctly. (One of those was completely my fault for not following the directions; the other could have been made clearer in the directions.) It was also my first experience with interfacing, which didn’t adhere as securely as I might have hoped. It was iron-on, non-sticky interfacing, and I’m thinking I may not have had my iron hot enough? I followed the directions to set it on the wool setting with steam, but maybe I should have done something differently?
Anyway, it was fun, and now I want to make another, larger one, possibly for me. 🙂
by Nancy
I had so much fun making my needle case that I decided to make another one, with a few upgrades. First, I decided to piece the outside using some of my bright scraps:
Then, I decided to forgo the two decorative pockets in favor of a single, functional pocket. And I opted for felt instead of flannel for the lining. Since felt is a little thicker and stiffer than flannel, I didn’t put any batting in between the outer striped fabric and the inner felt. Here is the result:
I think it’s fabulous! It’s amazing what a sense of accomplishment I’ve gotten from such a little thing!
P.S. No purchases were made for this project (or for the first needle case). 🙂
by Nancy
There’s nothing like a visit to a quilt show for sewing inspiration. Since I’ve finished my current assignment for the secret Crackpot Quilt Project, I don’t have anything specific that I’m piecing right now. Of course, I could work on one of the Unfinished Objects in the basement. Actually, with Marty’s help last weekend, I did! I’m finishing up some hand sewing on it and then I’ll be ready to show it off here.
So, I felt like starting a very small new project – something that would provide fairly immediate gratification. I remembered a cute little needle case in my book 5-10-15+ Fat Quarters that I’ve been wanting to make, and that seemed like the perfect thing. Here is how it looks on the outside:
And on the inside:
The pockets are more decorative than functional. The inside is flannel, and there’s a thin layer of batting in between it and the flower fabric. I’m quite pleased with the result of my efforts!
by Nancy
Marty and I were able to go to the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show this past weekend. We had a great time and were remarkably restrained at the vendors’ booths. Here are two of my favorite quilts from the show:
