A few summer projects

I haven’t been doing much, but my sewing machine has seen a little bit of action in the last few weeks.  My oldest daughter wanted a new purse, so while we were in Utah I picked up some fabric she loved.  (It had to be purple with writing.)  I couldn’t find exactly what she wanted, but I came close.

I used the pattern “Nan’s Bag” as requested by my daughter because she loves the tie at the top, the magnetic closure, and all the pockets inside.  (Three on one side and one on the other.)

It’s pretty simple, but she loves it.  Yeah! (Picking out something for a picky teenage girl that she actually likes is a little hard to accomplish.)

Next up is yet another self binding baby blanket.  I know, this is my third one in as many months, but they are so easy to make and turn out soooo very cute and cuddly.

I didn’t take a whole blanket picture, just a close up of the cute nursery rhyme toile fabric.  I bought it years and years ago for my youngest daughter and never used it.  Oh well. It’ll make the perfect present for another beautiful, baby girl.

Now, I’m off to start on my next two projects.  A jelly bean print skirt and a big minky blanket just for me! 

Stormy

The coolest lightning storm…

Here in Texas, most of our rain comes during monsoon season in July and August.  This year has been an especially cool season with lots and lots of rain and thunderstorms. (Almost every night!)  I took this picture two nights ago from the balcony on the back of my house. 

I LOVE summer thunderstorms so very much…..

Stormy

Another baptism quilt

We have been gone/going (crazy) for awhile.  It took us a week to get ready to go on vacation.  Then two and a half fun filled, busy, crazy weeks in Utah. Then another week and a half to come home and get adjusted to real life again. Hence, the really long sewing break. 

But, yesterday I got in my sewing groove again and quilted an entire quilt, added binding and cut another half of a quilt out.  Yeah!  My little boy (not so little anymore) was baptized with his cousin while we were in Utah.  And, I make each of my kids a quilt as a present to help them celebrate their wonderful decision.  Since, I just finished making him a pirate quilt a few months ago, I wanted to go with fabrics that were a little more grown up, but an eight year old would love.  Hence the skateboarding and mountain biking fabric…..

I used a simple “Turning Twenty” pattern to show off the bigger print fabrics.  The piecing took one afternoon.  Super easy.

The backing fabric is every bit as exciting as the front and as an added bonus, I quilted fun words that describe my little monkey into the quilt.  Like: awesome, hiking, football, crazy, cool, fishing….. you get the idea.

I think he likes it!

Stormy

Summer Purse

Every year I think I’m going to get lots of sewing done in the summer because the older kids are around to help with the younger kids.  Hah!  One day I’ll learn….  Anyway, while my oldest two girls were away at camp this week, I did get a little bit of sewing done during ‘movie time’.

I made a couple of these cute little purses using the Pick a Pocket Purse pattern (say that 10 times fast) found over at AllPeopleQuilt.com. They were super easy to make and turned out pretty cute.  The only change I made was to add some thick interfacing to the straps to make them a little more stiff. 

I’m just loving these one day projects!

Stormy

Charlie Brown baby blanket

It’s the end of the school year and everything is crazy!  There are awards assemblies, graduations, concerts, parties, activities, finals…… The list goes on.  It’s extra nice for the teachers because they get a break for awhile AND all the end of year teacher presents that come piling in.

Daughter 3 is graduating from 4th grade this year and she had an awesome teacher.  She was also daughter 2’s 4th grade teacher.  Anyway, this teacher is having her second baby next month and we are so excited for her!  As a ‘thank you so much’ and ‘welcome new baby’ present, I decided to make her a self binding baby blanket.  I found the cutest ‘Peanuts’ fabric because this teacher happens to love the Charlie Brown characters and has posters of them hanging all over her classroom.   I chose Minky in Linus colored blue, so her little boy can have his very own blanket.

This is the second self binding baby blanket I have made recently.  The first is posted here, along with all the instructions needed to make your own.

It’s so bright, cheery and super cuddly. 

I normally don’t use character prints, but this one is so cute.  Can’t you just see a little baby boy all cuddled up in it?

I didn’t use any quilt batting, so it’s light weight, which makes it much more usable in these hot Texas summers.

Now, I can’t wait to give it to her!

Stormy

Hexis and Stars Quilt Tutorial

The last quilt I made I used the half hexi ruler.  I loved how easily the quilt came together and it got me thinking.  So, I started doodling and came up with this simple quilt.  I love star quilts and hexagon quilts.  This is a great combination of both.

Before starting, you will need a 60 degree triangle ruler that can cut 6 inch triangles. I bought mine online, because I don’t live near a quilt store…sad. But, you should be able to pick one up from any quilt shop or fabric/craft store. (My ruler can be used to cut triangles from 3 inches to 9 inches.)

FABRIC NEEDED:  I used the fabric Odds and Ends from Cosmo Cricket

8 – 1/3 yd cuts of varying fabrics

1 1/3 yd solid colored fabric

1/2 yd for binding

4 yds for backing

CUTTING

Cut your 8 various fabrics into (2) 6in. x WOF strips.

Cut your solid fabric into (7) 6in. x WOF strips.

STEP 1

As shown, use your triangle ruler to cut the 6 inch patterned, fabric strips into  60 degree triangles.  (You will get 9 triangles from each strip and 18 triangles from each fabric.)

There will be a total of 144 patterned triangles.

Follow the same method and cut 56 triangles form your solid strips.

STEP 2

Lay out your triangles to form the hexagons and stars.  Move your fabrics around to get a pleasing color arrangement.  Now, start sewing the rows together.

STEP 3

I stacked all the triangles from one row together.  The top triangle from the left and the bottom triangle, the right.

Sew your first set of triangles together making sure to not stretch the fabric, since they are cut on the bias.  Once sewn, finger press and go on to the next triangle.

Keep sewing until you finish the entire row.  Press.  Continue sewing until all the rows are sewn together.  Press alternating rows in opposite directions.

STEP 4

Matching seams, sew all the rows together.  Press seams.

STEP 5

Trim off the points on the sides of your quilt top, making sure to leave a 1/4 in. seam allowance along the edges.

And, your quilt top is finished!  Here are a few more pictures of my finished quilt.

I tried a new quilting pattern this time and I think it turned out really cute.  Swirls are my new favorite!

(I love it when the fabric designers print a bias stripe so I don’t have to make bias binding!)

Stormy

A history quilt

My second daughter loves her crafts. Yeah!  So, for one of her school projects, she chose to make a historical quilt.  She designed, drew, and stitched five squares representing the different aspects of her research project.  Then, she picked out fabric representing the time period and we created a quilt!  She sat in my sewing room and worked on other parts of her project while I helped her with the layout and some of the pressing and sewing.  And, we chatted….. It was fun spending time together doing something we are both interested in.  We finished about 11:30 last night and I got about 20 hugs out of it.  Good times!

The garden square and train square are her favorite.

She even made a label for the back and a pocket to put her ‘brochure’ in.

Stormy