Some Guest Posting - Hexagons and Elementary Fabric

Maybe you've noticed already...

I've been doing a bit of guest posting

over at Bear Creek Quilting Company blog!

I just finished a 3-part blog series,

using a fat quarter bundle of Elementary

by Sweetwater for Moda.

I had been drooling over this line of fabric

since the first time I saw it...

it must be because we have so many teachers in my extended family!

In Part 1

I test-drove a new-to-me specialty ruler,

called the Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool.

I can only begin to describe how FUN this tool is to use.

You can make such a variety of hexagons,

each one using similar simple steps.

There's a video here, that I referred to for lots of ideas.
Sometimes the simplest designs are really stunning.

These hexagons are a lot like snowflakes...
each one unique, and also beautiful.

{Oooooh! I just inspired myself...I think I'll have to try making some in wintery fabrics!}

In Part 2

those hexagons were put to use

when I created Textagon Mug Rugs.

Each of these would make a great gift

for a teacher or a student,

don't you think???

For Part 3

I decided to design a Library Book Bag,

featuring hexagon blocks on the front and the back.

Like it???

You can follow the tutorial to make your own

Library Book Bag.

I've got some leftovers from my fat quarter bundle,
just begging to be made into gifts
for teachers and students.

Stop back soon to see what I'm going to make
with this A+ Elementary fabric. 

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Swap Sent and Revealed - Need a Little Needle Book

At long last, it's time to share

what I made for my partner in the 

Need a Little Needle Book swap!

{Visit our Flickr page here to see more needle books from the swap!}

As the Swap Mama for our exchange,

I had the luxury of selecting the person

who would create a needle book for me,

and also the one who would receive my creation.

I chose to send my needle book to

the lovely and talented Gail.

Having just met Gail,

all I knew about her was 

that she enjoys happy bright colors.

That led me to pull these fabrics,

and I named my project the

Bright Idea Needle Book.

{I hope it will inspire happiness and creativity for Gail!}

I could not resist using the tutorial by Nana Company

to create this little needle book.

I see more of these in my future,

because they are pure FUN to create!

I used my mini design boards

to lay out the squares for the back,

plus a strip of squares for the front panel.

I added a ric rac edging, and I really think

it adds sweetness and fun to the finished needle keep.

Want to see the back?
I love it as much as the front...

yep, I need to make another one,

with the patchwork on the FRONT.

And now let's look inside...

this time I chose some turquoise wool felt

for the interior pages.

I used more ric rac - in golden yellow.

I found some lovely lace,

and I added a bit of butterfly...

always a bright idea!

So once that little needle book

was finished,

I decided to create a matching pincushion!

I used a favorite pattern

that I posted about here,

purchased from Details by Des on Etsy.

Can you just imagine how squeezy this pinnie is?

One of the reasons I chose to make 

this style of pinnie was that I got to use...

more ric rac!!!

See those covered buttons, too?

They are another favorite design detail of mine.

I made a couple of extra covered buttons

to send along...

So that's what I made for my swap partner...

stop by again soon to find out

what I received!

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Sewing Baskets for Quilty Fun

I'm having a blast with the Quilty Fun sew along!

This week we're making Sewing Basket blocks.

These were sew easy to put together...

I think I spent less than an hour making mine.

I kind of named my blocks to myself, based on the fabrics...

this one is Bake Sale.

Then there's my Flower Sugar basket.

And finally the Vintage Modern one.

I used my Angler 2 tool to make this project so easy.

It saves a lot of marking

and adds more accuracy to my stitching.

Once I was done sewing the baskets,

I had a little stack of triangular trimmings

that just seemed a bit too big to throw away.

I decided to draw a line about 1/4" away from

the trimmed edge, at a 45 degree angle.

I stitched all of the little pairs together...

then pressed them open and trimmed them

to exactly 1 1/4" squares.

{I wonder what I'm going to do with these?}

I think I'll try to make more of those teeny little

half-square triangles, whenever I'm trimming

more blocks for the Quilty Fun projects,

and see what I can make from them later.

While I was photographing my blocks,

I discovered WHAT FUN it is to use Instagram!!!

I'm always a little bit late to the party,

but if you'd like to follow me,

my Instagram name is eamylove.

Hope to see you there!

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Sewing Notebook - Across the Pond Sew Along

Here in Pennsylvania,

the sun is finally coming out,

so I took advantage of it to show some photos

of my brand-new sewing notebook!

{It's my project for this month's Across the Pond Sew Along!}

 

Those are my pretty white Easter tulips...

oh, look, they need some more water!

As I was saying...

this month we are making journal covers,

so I decided to create a Sewing Notebook

from a composition book.

There are so many great tutorials out there,

and you can find more links for them,

plus inspiring photos

when you visit Susie's Sunroom...

and Amanda The Patchsmith.

I was almost paralyzed with indecision...

which tutorial or pattern should I use,

and which fabrics should I pick?

I recently received a very sweet gift...a fat quarter bundle 

of Boho Girl, in blues and greens!

I had my heart set on using those for my journal cover.

Normally these cool colors are calming and soothing...

but in this case, the prints are full of movement and energizing.

{A perfect combination for a sewing journal, right?}

For my pattern,

I could no longer resist purchasing

The Notebook Slipcover by Gingercake Patterns.

{Within minutes of buying the PDF, I was on my way to making my cover...woo-hoo!}

Gingercake Pattern for The Notebook Slipcover, from the Gingercake Patterns and Designs website

And only about an hour or so later,

I had my first notebook cover!!!

{I made mine very simple, without the flap or button closure.}

I love the way this pattern

lets you use several coordinating prints,

so you don't have to choose just one favorite!

I made the little pockets for the interior.

The topstitching detail is easy and pretty.

Now, I must admit something about that pattern 

didn't make sense to me while I was sewing.

This morning

I decided to email Virginia {Gingercake, herself}

to ask her my question.

Near the end of the pattern,

the measurement for the seam that holds

all of the layers together

was much larger than I thought it should be,

and my little notebook had too much wiggle room.

{It was an easy fix...I just stitched it around again,

with a narrower seam, and it fit perfectly.}

Virginia got right back to me and explained

that the seam was made bigger,

so that a binder or heavier notebook

would have room for the thicker sturdy covers.

{Makes sense...I'll have to make a note of that, in my Sewing Notebook.}

And then...as I was downloading these photos from the pattern site...

I had an epiphany...I completely forgot to do that

final topstitching through all of the layers!!!

That would make it look even more tailored and professional.

{See what I mean?}

I guess I was just so excited to finish it...that I didn't finish it!

You know what that means...

I'm gonna have to make more of these!

If you make one...or more...please show us what you've created

in the Across the Pond Flickr Group!

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