Placemats with Zippered Pocket

 I made this pair of placemats for a prize at our family event. 

I chose a piece of cotton I purchased at the GA fabric sale a couple of weeks ago (pink floral with a black background).  I made that the front.  I chose a piece of black polka dot poly cotton for the back.  

I cut the back and flannel backing 12 " T x 17" W. 

The front I pieced because my cotton was not long enough.  I added a piece of raspberry polyester knit on the left and side of the zipper.  The solid color helps to direct the user to the zippered pocket on the left.  I added raspberry colored tabs on each end of the zipper to fill in the gaps. 

I added two 12" ties on the opposite side which will keep it closed when rolled up.

Once I had pieced my front with the zipper and the raspberry piece I placed right sides together onto the backer and sewed all the way around leaving a gap to turn it right side out.

I ironed it and then did a top stitch all the way around closing the gap I had left. 

I then made 2 seams across the height of the placement. 1 to define the pocket and another just to keep the backer, flannel and cotton together.

The pocket can hold utensils and a napkin, markers, crayons, or other crafty things.

The fabric is completely washable. The color helps to hide the dirt. 

When going on a picnic at a park it gives you a clean place to eat no matter the condition of the table.

Slow Stitching - Door Decor - Bethlehem Star

 I made a Christmas piece for my door.  It features the Bethlehem Star.   I chose a dark blue background fabric with a flannel foundation layer. Cut 6x8 inches. The star was cut with the Sizzix Star and Starburst die from white felt. It was stitched along each of the points with white thread.  The stars around were stitched with white thread as well. I tried to have a variety of sizes. 

I used some eyelet lace and other lace to create the hills around the town.  I put the building in the v shape where the hills met. I hand cut the buildings from grey felt and added yellow windows. I did highlight the building in white to help them stand out a bit more. 

Again, the backer fabric was dark blue cut to 8x10 inches. Folded to the front and folded again and top stitched to create the frame.  I added a hanger on the back of twill tape which I attached by hand.

Sewing Project - Bread Bags

I decided to make myself some bread bags to bring home my Country Grain loaves from COBS because the plastic bags are stacking up.

I chose 100% cotton fabric in yellows, greys and white. This was a large piece of fabric that I have used for many projects.

I used the COBS plastic bag as a template - 18.5 inches tall x 11.5 inches W.

I wanted the seams finished on the inside and a generous gusset at the top so the measures were generous.

The first one I did was put together with out too much attention to measures of the beginning piece of fabric.

The second one was too large and had to be reduced to match the first one.  

The measurements of the fabric would be 26.00 wide to be folded in half and 20.00 inches tall with 1.5 inches for the gusset at the top.

I chose cotton twill tape for the string in the gusset.  

I added a buttonhole on the front of the gusset on the front of the back before I sewed down the gusset. 

A large safety pin to pull the twill tape through.

I added a tab of yellow cotton to the ends of the tape to give me purchase to pull the bag closed.

I then boiled them in tea for about 10 minutes to even out  the colors.   Once rinsed they were dried.

I added a "My Bag" tag to these bags and they are included in on my "My Bag Line" page.

I then chose to add some slow stitching to the front of the bags onto the light square.  There are 5 circles in different colors where the top was outline stitch and the bottom was the running stitch.

I don't know what the staff at COBS will think of the idea but we shall see.

For information on the line. 

Sewing Project - Chair Pads

 
The wood table chairs are now more comfortable.  I made chair pads for the dining table chairs this morning.

I used some blue mustard fabric I picked up for free a while back.  Nice floral pattern.  The back side of the pads are the mustard linen fabric I had in my stash.

The seats measure 15.25" across at the front and 13" at the back so there is plenty of each fabric.

I had checked out foam rolls at a fabric store at the beginning of the month and the price was $39 but not enough to make all of the pads.

I continued my research.  

I purchased a 1.5" memory top mattress topper for the foam in the pad. They were on sale recently for $50 which is more than enough to make them all with leftovers.  

The triangular shape of the seats will allow me to make good use of the foam and fabric by rotating the pattern.  The funky textures will be put to the underside which will work out alright.

There were some decisions to be made:

1. Zipper closure so I can wash them?  Where does it go? How long does it have to be? Do I have 4 in the right color and length?  Don't have what I need to proceed this morning. Next!

2. Fold over flap at the back.  This makes them not reversible and I would need to velcro the flap to keep it closed.  The math is a bit more complicated. Next!

3. Sew the foam in and see how it goes.  This is the fastest and easiest option. Yes!

The foam was thin enough to cut with scissors but not my fabric ones.  I just traced the shape with a marker.  I rotated the shape so that I could use the cut side for the next one.  Very efficient use of the material.

I cut 4 of these one for each chair.

I placed the printed fabric over the solid fabric and pinned the pattern in place.  I had to add a 1/2 inch seam allowance then a full inch for the foam pad.

I started sewing along the back towards the corner, back stitched the corners and ended just after the last corner leaving most of the back open so I could insert the foam.

The foam is very sticky so it was a bit of a challenge to get it in place but it should help it stay in the envelope.

The twill tape ties were about 15 inches folded in half.  I placed them so they would be aligned with the inside corner of the chair back.  Using twill tape meant I did not have to make ties which made the project move along.  

I pinned the back opening closed and as I went along I placed the folded tie aligned along the pinned seams edge.  

Then, I just sewed the closure seam which also tacked down the ties.  Did some back stitching  where the ties were for added strength. 

It took about 3 hours to make four pads so I am happy with that.

Here's is one on the chair and it looks great.

I have managed to keep my plants on the balcony alive so a small pansy bouquet on the table and I am set to host company!

Sewing Project - Wine Bottle Bag - Batik Phoenix

Another wine bag today. 

This is batik fabric from a shirt. I used one of the sleeves which featured a phoenix bird motif so I cut the fabric to ensure the birds were on the front.

I was short on the length so I added a strip of black on the bottom. I also added a twill tape accent at the top edge.

It was quilted to the flannel with the same wavy stitch as before.

The lining is beautifully soft yellow cotton fabric.

The handle is double sided with black on top and yellow lining fabric on the underside.

I had decided to place the "My Bag" tag along the top of these wine bags just left of the handle.

This is my current model of tag and stitching them with white thread is working well.

Looking forward to making a few more of these bags. I am finally able to sew them with out mistakes but designing accents is taking time out of the sewing process.

For information on "My Bag" line:

Art Portfolio Carry Bag

As I de-clutter I am finding pieces of art so I decided that I needed a place for those to be stored all in one place. I decided a bag to hold a mat board sandwich would work. I have a piece of mat board 32"W x 25"T.  After checking the pieces of leftover fabric stash, I had a navy piece that would work with the mat board.  When we emptied Mom and Dad's apartment a piece of batik fabric that was made by my brother in art school was returned to me so I decided that would be appropriate for this project.  I chose a couple of other colors to complement the bag.

I needed sturdy material for the handles so I chose polyester twill tape in an warm white color.  They will run the full height of the bag to distribute the weight.

I wanted a flap over the top because I did not have a zipper long enough to close the top.  By adding a piece of teal which matched the batik that worked well.

I added the piece then worked out the flap and where the bottom would be.  The bottom was just a folded edge and I thought it needed to be reinforced so I sewed a narrow strip of the navy along the bottom. I also sewed box corners to allow for the depth of my mat board sandwich.

The mat board sandwich will be 2 pieces of similar sized mat board stuck together at the bottom with duct tape. 

I will leave about an inch of tape between the 2 to allow the sandwich to grow.

It is quite big but I thought I would maximize the use of the fabric and board I had.  Maybe I am destined to do a large art piece.  The sunrise piece is quite large.

The batik piece on the front serves as a pocket.  You can see a pad of drawing paper peeking out of it in this picture.

It is quite large and should fit any type of paper pad I need should I eventually take to a class.

A button on the pocket keeps its contents in place. A twill tape loop slips over the large purple button.

All the stress point have been reinforced.

Now I needed to keep the top closed and I decided that I would use a couple of pieces of velcro 3 inches wide near the handles.  The pieces were sewn on to the front and the closing top flap.

Now, I had stitching  showing on my flap so I placed a strip of batik fabric across the flap to look pretty and cover the stitching.

Next,  I needed a visual reminder as to where the velcro was and a grabbing point to pull on the flap.  

I added 2 short loops of the same twill tape I used for the handles.

I think this bag will work well to store my art pieces and allow me to find them when I am needing one of them.

I need another piece of mat board before I can assemble my sandwich.

Happy with this project. 

Sewing Project - Tea Towels

I have been working on a sewing project.

I decided to make some beautiful tea towels this year.  I was fortunate to find several pieces of wonderful 100% cotton fabric this fall.  I wanted something with a bit of weight and texture.

These measure finished 20 x 28 inches.   With 3/8 inch fold over hems all the way around.

The Fleur de Lis pattern is wonderful, the botanical pattern gives a nice touch, and the ribbed texture will provide drying excellence.

Each of the towels got a twill tape corner loop for hanging and mitered corners. Super happy with these.   It was a real pleasure to work with 100% cotton.  It ironed beautifully. 

Birthday Gift - Blue and white dinnerware

 My niece and god-daughter is celebrating a birthday and I will be able to see this year!

There is a large box of wonderful stuff ready for her.  

She already knows what is inside so it's okay that it has been identified.

She has just moved into a new house and is working on getting the kids back to school and unpacking and setting up the house.  

I have had this Blue Nordic by Johnson Brothers dinnerware for several years but was not using it to it's full potential.  I want to downsize and when I found out she would love it, it was an easy choice.

I'm not sure she has the piece of furniture in the dining room yet. These good dishes will likely be in their place for Christmas dinner.

I am sure she will enjoy it!

The set includes enough of the pieces for 6 place settings.  The pieces are dinner plates, salad/dessert plates, cereal bowls, soup bowls, and teacup and saucer. They are a family of four so there is enough for one set of grandparents.

The extra pieces include the teapot, cream and sugar and a large serving platter.

I am super happy to have this set going to a good home.

I bought most of it at a thrift store.  I collected tea cups and saucers along the way.  I found the platter at a second hand store. 

I wanted her to have a surprise as well so I made her a linen tea towel and a pale green linen fabric.

My sister and I had a conversation about using linen for bath towels the other day and I managed to find her some linen/cotton fabric she will be trying out. I do have a couple linen tea towels.

This is a perfect color for my niece.  I had a piece just the right size.  Finished size 18 x 27 inches.  I added a hanging loop in one corner and made mitered corners.  On hindsight, maybe the loop should have gone in the middle.

During my visit this summer, she expressed wanting a special silver spoon for a lovely container.

She had a small spoon from Air Canada in the other dish and wanted another.  (Remember when airlines actually used real cultery with their in flight meals?) How things have changed but I digress.

I'm not sure what the chances are of finding another Air Canada spoon but this one is quite similar and can work as a stand in until the better one shows up.

Tied it onto the tea towel with the same twill tape.

Special Birthday Card

My first card made with Stampin Up supplies since the major clear out of card making supplies in my craft space.

The card stock is Certainly Celery topped with a piece of Porcelain Prints DSP. 

I added twill ribbon in the same shade.  I added a short piece of Not Quite Navy tied in a knot.

I punched a couple of Five Petals punchies in those 2 colors. I added a small So Saffron flower in the center all held in place with a mini brad.  I adhered the flower to card front with 3D foam tape.  

The greeting is a color printed circle punchie with a NQN backer.

Sewing Project - Face Mask Two

I made my self a second face mask for going out on grocery shopping trips.

I chose the same Egyptian 100% cotton fabric for the front with a high thread count.

I used twill tape for the ties which was wider than the bias tape I used on the first one.

I created the 2 side pieces from the same fabric which covers the raw edges once the pleats had been sewed down.

On this one I created a channel in the center on the inside where the nose is to insert a plastic tin tie so I can form the mask to my face.  This helps to ensure the mask is tight and my glasses don't fog up.

I sewed the channel to the 2 inside layers before I added the twill tape across to top of the mask.  This makes so the zigzag seam does not show up on the front. I used the same fabric as the front. The tie is removed when washing the mask after every use.

These are the ties I have used.  They go on a bag a the top then you roll the bag down and fold over the ends over the fold to keep the bag closed.  It allows keeping the product fresh while accessing what you need. 

Mine came when I bought loose tea and were used with plasticized paper bags. It is 1/4 in wide, it moulds nicely to the nose and stiff enough to be removed.

I skipped the flannelette layer on this mask but created a pocket on the inside where a filter could be inserted.  I used the same tone on tone caramel fabric on the inside.  I cut the pieces the same size as the front, laid them onto each other, placed a seam to the right and left of the center leaving the center open.  Once I ironed the layers up and down to expose the slit I top stitched the edges.  The slit is in one of the folds so it will stay closed fairly easily.

I am not sure what I will use for a filter.


With the highest quality fabric I had at my disposal and within the guidelines recommended I have 3 layers of cotton on each mask. 

I am ready when I head out for groceries. 

Exchange Cards - Red Prima Flowers

I made a couple of cards for my card exchange partners this month.

I started with these red shimmery Prima Handmade Paper flowers which I discovered when I was decluttering a stash of supplies.  Brand new boxes just sitting there!

I chose this striped paper to highlight the deep red stripe and mounted it to pea green textured card stock.

I added a length of ivory twill tape across the bottom and the ends taped to the back.  The designer paper was then adhered to the card front.  The accent is a small gold sequin, a red silk, a pink organza and a shimmery red handmade paper all held together with a gold mini brad.  The accent was adhered to the card front with a large Zot.

The card on the right was made with the same supplies but why make them both the same?

This one is portrait orientation.  I adhered the flower accent in the top left corner.  I cut a piece of twill tape, flagged the ends then adhered it to the card front.  The greeting was color printed and cut with the Stampin Up Decorative Label punch.  It was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Mailing cards today.

Sewing Project - Bags for Frames

I made bags to carry my framed photography when I go to a show. 

I found the idea posted by Roger Hicks - tips for putting on a photo show.

The frames are expensive and I cannot risk damaging them during transport.
The frames are 12x12 inches so I had chose this cotton left over from this apron I had made earlier.  There was enough to make two bags for the 4 frames I have.

I placed the fold at the bottom.  Sewed my side seams then turned it right side out and sewed the edges again.  This stiffens the sides.


The way the bags are designed so there is a central separator which allows you to put 2 frames in each bag - one on each side of the separator.  I decided to use pieces of an old heavy cotton bedspread as the separator which provide some cushion to the fronts of the frames.

I added twill tape handles white on one and red on the other.  The connections are well reinforced.

The frames hold 8x8 photos which are at the printers so I headed off to pick those up and make my decision about which are going into the show.

Card Club - March - Easter Flowers

Some folks still send Easter cards so I put this one together with gorgeous paper by Anna Griffin.

I cut the designer paper to 4 x 5.25 inches. 

I wrapped a piece of ivory twill tape across the bottom third of the paper and taped the ends to the back. 

I adhered this layer to the card front of a purple card.

I color printed the purple greetings on ivory card stock.  The tulip is clip art from CLKER. The greeting was cut with the Stampin Up Deco Labels Framelits Die. The greeting is adhered aligned over the twill tape using 3D foam tape.

Each person receives a birthday greeting in case they do not send Easter greetings.

Wedding Anniversary - 40th

I made this card for my sister and brother-in-law who are celebrating 40 years of marriage at the end of the month.

I started with a Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler card.  I punched the 2 hearts from deep red glitter card stock.  I color printed the greeting onto a piece of Whisper White which was just under 3" wide.  I adhered the 2 hearts above the greeting with Zots. I ripped the bottom edge of the greeting layer. I layered it onto a piece of Basic Black and did the same to it's bottom edge. I placed 2 pieces of white twill ribbon on the diagonal to the upper right hand corner and adhered them to the card front.  The first one has a small fold in it.  I trimmed the ends with scissors. I then layered the heart layer onto the card front leaving a small border top and right hand side. 

Submitting the the following challenges:

Fab Friday #89 - Sketch

Card - Sympathy

I made a few cards for family who are attending my Uncle Joe's funeral today.
I started with a grey card and added a designer paper in grey and ivory florals.  I added a length of ivory twill tape about 1" below the top and tape the ends to the back.  I stamped the sentiment with a Stampendous stamp in Sahara Sand on ivory.  I used a corner punch then rubbed the edges with the same ink pad. Sentiment mounted with 3D foam tape.

 These cards start with a
deep muted grape color card stock.  I added a vellum layer cut to leave a small border.  I added a square of designer paper which I warmed up with a bit of Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Stain to go with the ivory greeting I had in my stash.  I added a SU Five Petal Punch in ivory rubbed with a purple ink pad.  I added silk flower flower with a deep purple brad holding all pieces in place.  I added the sentiment with 3D foam tape.  It was color printed and punched with the SU Decorative Label punch.