Why wait?

Do you ever, inexplicably, put off finishing a project, and when you get back to it, you can't imagine why you didn't just finish before?  That was me today, finally putting the borders on this pieced Dresden.  I already had the pieced border pieced - why didn't I finish this before?  I bet it took less than half an hour!

This will be my next hand quilting project.  I want to use a variegated crochet thread and do some big stitch quilting on the black.  Should be quick and easy.  Unless, of course, I put it down again...

Oh, and my Ohio Star selvedge quilt?  Scrapped!  Instead, I made the two Ohio Star blocks into an over-the-shoulder tote bag, and was happy to have finished in time for the Challenge Quilt reveal at the guild meeting today.  Oh, what beauties people made!

A day of sewing at The Stitchin' Post!

Not every day at the shop** brings in lots of money, but every day is fun!  Yesterday, one of my new friends came over to sew with me at the shop.  We both have sets of interchangeable knitting needles that came in awful plastic cases, and we are making fabric cases for them, mostly following the guidance of this tutorial.  However, those of you who know me know that I never work on just one project at a time!  While my friend was meticulously cutting her fabric (she's new to rotary cutters), I worked on making a class sample for the SEW Cool After School Program.

I'm so thrilled with the way my tote bag turned out!  Doesn't it just scream, "SPRING!"  We just finished a project with boxed corners, so I boxed these corners, too, so they'd get more practice.  The appliqued "e" (for Erin!) is so we can cover buttonhole/blanket stitch on the machine.  We've used the technique for making the straps and the loop closure many times before, so that's just more practice.  And by golly, before they leave me, they're going to know how to sew on a button by hand!

This bag is reinforced with fusible fleece to give it body.  I LOVE using fusible fleece!

Inside, we go over how to make a lined pocket.  They were pretty excited when they saw the sample yesterday, and set to work selecting their fabrics.  The only drawback to starting a new project with 7 kids is the way the shop looks when they are done selecting fabrics...

Here they are with the Dopp Kits they finished yesterday (one girl was out sick).  This project featured inserting zippers, as well as an introduction to boxing corners.  Let's just say that the seam rippers got LOTS of use!  But they all finished and were tickled with the result, so what more can I ask for?

The Dopp Kits are lined, have structure from the fusible fleece we used, and include a zipper and a tab at each end of the zipper

My other sewing project yesterday was for my Guild challenge quilt.  We got the assignment months ago, but I just started this week because I wasn't inspired until now.  Even now, I'm not sure my vision is going to pan out.  We have to make a quilt using Ohio Star, and it can't be more than 144" in circumference. 

 I've been wanting to work more with selvages, so that was my starting place.  In my head, it would be cool if I spelled out Ohio Star with selvage blocks, using two Ohio Stars for the "O"s.  Like I said, I'm not sure if my vision will work, though; not sure if the stars will actually read as Os.  If I have to explain the quilt to people, what's the point.  We'll see.  And we'll see, soon, too, because the challenge quilt is due at the next meeting the second week of April!

Now, I must be off to visit the quilt shop in town.  She just moved locations and re-opened this week, and I've been dying to see the changes.  Plus, I have a Sip & Stitch Wine Tote Workshop this Friday night at the shop, and while I have lots of wine themed fabrics to make the totes, I don't have many coordinating fabrics for the participants to use for the linings and bindings.  Should be fun, though!  I'm providing the materials and hors d'oeurves, and the students are bringing their own wine.  Have I mentioned yet that I LOVE my new job???

This wine tote is for my sister.  I used this chicken fabric to make double potholders for her for Christmas - I love this fabric!  She's coming down from NH at the end of the month, and I plan to give it to her with a FULL bottle of wine in it! I modified this tutorial for my workshop.

This is my class sample.  Again, the fabrics scream SPRING to me.  The idea behind the Wine Tote is that you can safely and stylishly carry your wine to your next dinner party, picnic or BYOB restaurant.  I doubt you'll be surprised to learn that I used Fusible Fleece in the construction of these totes.  :)  I've gone through an entire bolt in the last few months!

**The Shop refers to The Stitchin' Post, LLC, the business I started in August 2013 when I quit my job in college admissions (which I loved) to pursue my passion for quilting.  I've since discovered a love for knitting and crochet - I learned how to knit and crochet at classes at my own shop - so my quilting time has been curtailed a bit.  If you are ever driving through SW Virginia, I do hope you'll stop in to say hello. (like Doreen and Becky did - so cool!!!)  And if you use Facebook, my shop page is where most of my online presence is these days.  I don't find as much time to blog, but I do find time to post on the shop FB page every day.
www.stitchinpostva.com
www.facebook.com/stitchinpostva

It's in the bag!

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I didn't give my twin sister a birthday present this year.  Bad twin, I know.  My intentions were good, but we all know about that road.  Here's what happened:

Back in September in the after school program at my shop, we were making small drawstring tote bags from denim and scrap fabric based on this Lunch Tote tutorial.  I really liked the one I made as a class sample, and was thinking that I'd give it to my sister as a project bag for her knitting for her birthday.  But then I noticed that one seam wasn't quite perfect, and it wasn't one that would be easy to just re-do.  In disgust with myself, I banished the bag to the armoire in my shop.  Every time I opened the cabinet door, though, I saw the bag - a constant reminder of my failure, a project that defeated me.

That just won't do.  Aren't you supposed to start the new year fresh?  I couldn't start the new year with that project hanging over my head. (ahem, ignore the 4,327 other UFOs I have going at present...)  So today, I pulled it out, made a fabric yo-yo, covered the yo-yo with a button I'd been holding onto for just the right occasion, and VOILA!

I love the bag all over again!  There is a drawstring top to keep her projects in,

but also to allow her to use the bag like a yarn bowl. (For those of you who don't knit or crochet, when you pull on your yarn, the ball of yarn likes to roll around, escape, if you will.  Think of that song, "On top of spaghetti" - but substitute the yarn ball for the meatball.  A yarn bowl keeps the yarn in one place, allowing you to pull the yarn as needed without having to chase the ball.)

I bought her a skein of hand-dyed yarn, a set of handmade stitch markers and two hat patterns to go in the bag, all from my shop.  I hope she likes it!  (yeah, I know Christmas is over, but she's spending the holidays in Puerto Rico, so she doesn't know that her gift hasn't arrived yet)

I hope your holidays have been merry and bright!

Erin