Winners: Curved Seams Challenge!

We spent the month of January working on projects that include curved flat seams.  And we spent the month of February voting on our favorite projects.  Please visit the voting page and check out the finished projects. You'll see that choosing a favorite was very difficult considering the high quality of the entries.

I'd like to take a minute to thank all the participants who make these challenges so darn fun.  Everyone has always been such a good sport and so open to new concepts and techniques.  Everyone has been so forgiving of my screw-ups and patient when I'm not able to stay right on top of things.  You all inspire me so much and make this whole sewing/blogging experience more rewarding than I ever imagined.

Thank you!!!!

Without further ado, let's hear a round of applause for the entry that received the most votes:

Pam from Threading My Way made a dress featuring  wavy curved seams in the skirt.
She blogged about it HERE.
Congrats on winning the gold badge.
Your bragging rights are fully instated! 

<div align="center"> <a href="http://ricochetandaway.blogspot.com/2013/02/winners-curved-seams-challenge.html" title="Congrats on winning the GOLD!"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomg9IbQmLnJoZBbSHQxHNuQZA1CwjbuaK1IdKb6QD2LN3gR2KyCSMrJmTC66Rd4m6GF0bdZp6zMR_WBzl7nX5BFJAStKdSTNRNRi_8GrwN8vack8uZMDiWiNFcfNw8k-mFz2zfBAVH1s/s1600/gold.jpg" alt="Congrats on winning the GOLD!" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The silver badge goes to:

Fiona from Celtic Thistle Stitches completed a two-sided tablecloth.
I attempted to brighten/lighten this photo, so the colors aren't true--apologies!
See the original photos in Fiona's blog post HERE.
Congrats on winning the silver badge.
Feel free to brag away!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://ricochetandaway.blogspot.com/2013/02/winners-curved-seams-challenge.html" title="Congrats on winning the SILVER!"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLCfYMm2Hz_916ydRnbpbnTWssd46OE7YmtzKDr1mB2LTQzPSQ9cqUZMZ_nz0QcDPC-xKIPMrV29ryci41nCGVsEneTUZ5dcyvAgExwzRED3Rgrog6w_5vtcxm2VwTvbzTwwRO52V6Lo/s1600/bluebuttonsilver+winner.jpg" alt="Congrats on winning the SILVER!" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And our bronze badge goes to:

Caroline at Artfully Caroline was able to finish 2 curved seams projects.  She blogged about them HERE.
The first project was this pretty pillow using the drunkard's path quilt block.  
Congrats on winning the bronze badge.
Bragging rights are yours!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://ricochetandaway.blogspot.com/2013/02/winners-curved-seams-challenge.html" title="Congrats on winning the BRONZE!"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxudKjvkPOO1YdgKZwycTLpzNUePGfv2sXAnjFNZIQ9vAMphXOWpw9qCEZNG0ilpmVlgOKoakJ9ozasd-_sRQuJzGzXdBZ0XGph1K3ZX4ofUqt3dy5ws8OQ46TqDpoOsy_dzq-rxNHVmk/s1600/bluebuttonbronze+winner.jpg" alt="Congrats on winning the BRONZE!" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

If you're interested in honing your sewing skills, meeting crafty folks from all over the world, and/or trying sewing new, please consider joining March's challenge:

Happy crafting big hugs from Montana,

Before you click away, I'd like to invite you to join in my current sewing/craft challenge.  

Fab Folds Challenge Winners Announced!

Remember waaaaaay back in September when we were working on pleats, pintucks, and smocking?  I know, it seems like forever ago to me as well!  Anyway, the waiting is over.  After a whole month of voting, the poll results are in.  Please visit THIS POST to review the challenge guidelines and THIS POST to see all the challenge entries.  

The projects receiving the most votes are:

Marisa from Passion et Courture created this striking smocked pillow.

She started used canadian smocking which is kind of cool since she's from Montreal!

The fabric had a subtle stripe or plaid that created really cool ombre effect when smocked.

Please check out her blog where she shows you how she made tons of great projects.

Marisa blogged about her pillow HERE.

Congrats Marisa!  

Here's your shiny badge:

<div align="center"> <a href="http://ricochetandaway.blogspot.com/2012/08/fab-folds-sewing-challenge-september.html" title="Congrats!"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9PfOuYV7iX3_8eaDMNNh1LiGPyh_zMUqLB5PxMy0gOWeayDEttBGI1EJ44vtXkDETWpyAa7bUe277_DZU9jH8zLXC8TFf4piIl2xfdwXWQ9fvc9uXm4VSnlTYu2rk0e-DDq9m_vBbmo/s1600/badge+gold+marisa.jpg" alt="Congrats!" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Your bragging rights are fully activated!

Bella from Nisabell Necessary made this incredible smocked book cover.

She pulled out all the stops when it came to adding details.

The intricate smocking is decorated with tiny beaded flowers--what dedication!

Please visit her blog and check out her fabulous tutorials.

Bella posted about her book cover HERE and HERE.

Congrats Bella!

Here's your shiny new badge:

<div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC71WJBI1v2elXep6PYX0120T2dCjMeQawbS9LpGIbsD6L9PIG5f4GFsFsmiG4pBZIOO3dxx3o_r8TxOx6nKBXHCLq31vuIPba8_PjpADPI7Ej4Hzunt9xRqnLymA50We2_aCmMkpaJh4/s1600/folds+challenge+button.jpg" title="Congrats!"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqlh1L5qXKe3yoi4KmHPBSyG43yiacxmIAKi4vg2etf7PfwY0QPCidBnFDAyUfe6v6VHErnblPVWauqe-SH9GLTKeoc3fts-jmBCQOrwPbxX42_mCKlvQqAk6xvA_5ch1ZuluEAv0_4g/s1600/badge+silver+Bella.jpg" alt="Congrats!" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Your bragging rights are fully activated!

Mira from Sewing the Littleheart Collection made a tunic with leggings.
She managed to successfully include pintucks, pleats, and smocking all in one outfit!
All those techniques were perfectly executed (in knits no less!) and smartly placed--great  job!
Please check out Mira's blog packed with lots of handy tutorials.
Mira shows you how to recreate this outfit HERE.

Congrats Mira!

Here's your shiny new badge:

<div align="center"> <a href="http://ricochetandaway.blogspot.com/2012/08/fab-folds-sewing-challenge-september.html" title="Congrats!"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57F02VqUWiLFC6xtCi9XRqlNHUvqqx-djrCx3C-b4ec4GADD_Y3UM3WD3XGJ_fWGGSAZ_hUi6FCMQt8LoLYVuplNQboJSYntqkOTT2FsKgNEKXBQXn1K2pBrMCMNPyjXuIZrfEItcHO0/s1600/badge+bronze+mira.jpg" alt="Congrats!" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Your bragging rights are fully activated!

These challenges are so rewarding for me as a hostess and a participant.  I love getting to know all of you and being inspired by your creativity.  I am constantly amazed at how different all the final entries are.  Congrats to all the participants!  It's not easy being presented with both a challenge and a deadline, but you all finished with style and class.  Thanks for all the effort you made to support each other and this challenge.  I hope we'll have this connection for a long, long time.  I look forward to hopefully working with you again in the future!  BIG HUGS!!!!

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,

You can always click on my Challenge button in the menu bar to visit current and past challenges.

My Typography Challenge Entry

 Here we are in mid-March and I am done with my Typography Challenge project!  These pillows are going to be a wedding present for some dear friends.  I think the text is hilarious to me and oh so true!

I used reverse applique to make the letters.  I made a little reverse applique tutorial HERE.

I bordered the edges with thin strip of patchwork.  

The back sides are quilted patchwork.  I blogged about the patchwork HERE.

The Typography Challenge ends on March 31st.  If you would like to review the challenge guidelines and submit a project of your own check out the challenge homepage.  We have an inspirational pinterest board that all the participants have been working on as well.

I would love to hear you comments regarding these pillows and/or the Typography Challenge.  We have a super creative group of participants this time and an intriguing challenge so I'm really excited to see what everyone will come up with.

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,

A Tudor Rose to Remember

Quite a while ago I typed up a little post about some Tudor Rose purses I had made.  The original pattern came from a now defunct website called SavvySeams.com.  I did not draft this pattern, but I love it so very much.  It should not be lost to the world.  What remains of SavvySeams.com can be seen through a web archive service.  If you look HERE you'll see what remains of the original pattern and may notice that many of the photos are gone.  There is a printable text-only document still avaible HERE.  The PDF file for the pattern pieces is HERE.

I've re-vamped the tutorial in hopes in an effort to preserve the pattern.  You can find my tutorial for making the flower portion of the bag HERE.  The original pattern calls for a flower on each side of the bag.  That's a lot of work and the resulting bag is rather small and flat and heavy.  I suggest you use only one flower and combine it with your favorite tote bag pattern.  I've made several Tudor Rose purses and would be happy to help you in attaching the flower to a purse.  Just drop me an email (ricochethandbags(at)hotmail(dot)com) or leave a comment.  I think the flower looks stunning when sewn to the outside of a bag, but it would also make a show-stopping addition to a decorative pillow.

If you'd like to learn more about Tudor Roses, I've written a brief history about the iconic flower and created a little gallery of historical and modern references for you.  Please check it out HERE.

I'm working on making a few Tutor Rose purses and thought that I might share the flower-making process with you.

Here's a little gallery of the latest Tutor Rose I made:

Do you see how nice it would look on a pillow?

Here are some close-ups.  

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,

Patchwork Pillows

Hello friends!  I'm slowly but surely crossing things off of my sewing to-do list.  These two patchwork pillows are Christmas presents for my mom.  She loves the colors of autumn, so I'm hoping she'll be pleased with these.

My previous project involving patchwork was my entry for the Solids-Only Tote Challenge.  You can check it out here.  For the tote, I learned my lesson about mixing types and thicknesses of fabrics.  It can be done, but it's a headache!  I decided to give myself a break and chose only regular cotton calicoes and prints from my stash.  For the backs I used a soft micro-suede in a light brown color.

I was able to recycle some things as well.  The striped fabric came from an old sheet set and the micro-suede came from a bed skirt.  The batik-ish print with the ankhs has been both pillow covers and curtains in previous lives.  It's kind of funny to see the ankhs on pillows once again.  ;-)

The photos above show my pillow using the "log cabin" style of patchwork.  In this version I made 3 inch wide strips of varying lengths and sewed them together into one very long strip.  I started with a single square of fabric and sewed the edge (not the end) of the strip to the square.  I trimmed the strip off even with the square's sides and rotated the square counterclockwise.  I repeated this process over and over until I had a 22 inch square of patchwork.  The result is a vary random pattern of blocks.

If you are totally new to the log cabin process, take one minute and look at this log cabin tutorial.  The step-by-step photos will have you nodding your head in comprehension in no time!

Instead of using batting, I used a section of an old fleece blanket and quilted it all together with a gold heavy-duty thread.  The fleece gave the patchwork the support it needed without the poofy-puffy effect that batting produces.

The pillow in the photos above is a variation of the log cabin method.  I learned how to accomplish it from this great tutorial by Aneela from Comfort Stitching.  Aneela calls it the "crazy scrappy block".  The result is very vortex-like spiral.  I'm very pleased with the look of this one.

Well, that's all for now.  Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!

Happy crafting and bug hugs from Montana,