Fabric Christmas Postcard

Is this too late in the year to begin your Christmas projects?  Probably.

I set the challenge down to my friend Ronda a few weeks back.  That challenge is to exchange quilted/appliqued Christmas cards.

I, of course, had to give it to her first before I blogged about it.  I don't usually exchange cards until after December 1, but, I had to break my own rules this year.  What's life if you can't break a rule or two now and then?

I got the inspiration from Pinterest.  I must apologise, I have modified someone else's design slightly, but I can not acknowledge them as I have not saved their idea as a pin.  If someone finds it, let me know and I will acknowledge this person.

Let us start with the finished product:

While I prefer everything to be properly finished I chose a design that, was not.  It was more naive in finish.

You will need:

Visofix
Phellon (or fusible batting)
Cotton fabric (in red, white and green)
2 buttons

These are so easy to make.  Here's how it was done:

1     Cut out two 6" x 4" rectangles for each postcard that you wish to make.
2     Cut out two pieces of stiff interfacing - 6" x 4" - attach one piece to the wrong side of the pieces          that you cut out in point 1 above.
3     Fuse Visofix to each of the red, green and white fabrics.
4     I then used my Sizzix cutter to cut a 3" red circle and a 3" white circle.
5     With the white circle I cut these freehand through the middle to make the shape shown in the              picture above. I also freehand cut the leaves.
6     Remove the backing from the Visofix and iron down onto the backing fabric, as shown in the              picture below:

7     Cut out one piece of phellon (or you could spray glue attach a piece of batting) - 6" x 4" for each        card. Attach to the rear of the front piece with the applique and sandwich the three layers                    together holding together with pins or clips.
8     I then free motioned quilted the three layers together around the plum puddings.

9     Then, using one of the embroidery motifs on my machine, found a motif resembling snow flakes        and placed these randomly above the plum puddings and the leaves, also freemotion around the          perimeter of the card.
10   Hand sew the two buttons at the base of the two leaves,

And there we have it, I finally made eight of these cards.

This will become a yearly tradition.

Give it a try, they're quite easy to make.

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra

PS and Merry Christmas to one and all.

Wonky star patchwork

It's been a busy time.  Finally, I'm seeing some relief in sight, and after weeks of not even remotely touching my sewing machine, and hurting my back; finally my machine and I are reunited.

Three fabrics sitting in a bag for weeks, with an intended recipient ... a deadline is drawing near.

I like this design, I have used it before.  What I like about it is that it doesn't really matter where you place the fabric for the triangles, so no stress in matching up the blocks.

I used this design previously to make a cushion cover:

I need to finish the piecing for the quilt as it has to go to Ronda to be quilted when I'm done.

Looking forward to seeing it when it's completely done.

Happy sewing everyone.. yes, I'm still here!

Sandra

Keep yourself decent....

My experience with wrap around dresses is that they fly open in the wind.  Not good, they always fly open at the wrong moment. You may recall I made two of these dresses from Ottobre Design in a previous post, I also needed to make one because my Japanese voile dress was quite see through:

Also, in a recent post I made my go to pattern Simplicity 2371, which also was made of voile, so a half slip was necessary.

I had purchased some stretch silk some time ago for this very purpose from Rathdowne Fabrics. 

Making a half slip is very easy, and no pattern is required.  I have purposely made this slip to sit around 5 cm (2") above my knee.  I don't usually wear my dresses or skirts above my knees, so this suits me.

To make this half slip, I did the following:

1     I measured my hip measurement and added 3 cm ease plus 2 cm seam allowance
2     I decided what my length should be and added 5 cm to this length (2.5 cm for the hem and 2.5            cm for casing for elastic (just remember that the finished length needs to be shorter than your              finished dress)
3     I used the french seam technique to finish the side seams

       (a)   Place right sides of the fabric together (at the seam)
       (b)   Sew a 2/8" seam, trim to 1/8"
       (c)   Press seam
       (d)   Fold the fabric (right sides together)
       (e)   Sew a 3/8" seam
       (f)   Press
5     On the top end, turn over and press 2.5 cm, sew into place and leave an opening to insert elastic,          secure elastic and sew up the opening
6     Turn in side seams and hem and sew around this edge
7     Attach lace (since my fabric was a stretch silk I used a stretch lace) around the hem of the slip.

If my instructions don't make sense to you, here's a visual one from Craftsy.

Had I made the slip at a length below my knee I would have had to leave the side seam open at either one or both side seams.  This opening would give you room to move freely.

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra



  

So Sew Easy Boxy Bag

I decided to purchase this pattern, it was only a few dollars to download off the So-Sew-Easy.com website.  I weighed up the pros and cons of drafting myself, and decided that it would cost me more time to develop the pattern and test it and then produce it.  Plus, the patterns from this web site, whether you purchase them or are for free are as they suggest, so easy to sew.

Boxy bag

Boxy bag and tiny bags

Tiny bags

The red one is for me (finally made a decision about what fabric to use for me).  I'm always misplacing my keys, so this is their new home in my handbag.

If you are after free patterns and ones that fit (the clothing patterns) and other items such as these try out the patterns on this website.

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra

My go to pattern .... Simplicity2371

I've come to the conclusion that I do have a go to sewing pattern, It's Simplicity 2371. Why? I like wearing the dress with or without the tie around the waist.  It's comfortable on a hot summers day and, it is easy to make.

Whilst ploughing through the bargain table at Spotlight I came across this cotton voile:

I loved the colours and pattern on it, but, there was so little on the bolt that I hoped that I could make a dress out of it.

I laid the pattern out and found that I had just enough to make the dress (or tunic as it's referred to on the pattern). Phew, at least I got that much out of it.

The only alteration I made to this top is to raise the slit in the front by 2.5 cm (1").

Added bonus, the bird in the pattern is centered in the front (I'd like to say that I planned it that way, but, I'd be lying).

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra

Quilt gifts

Ok, I know, I said I would spend the six months until the end of the year pattern drafting for my own clothing.

Can I help it if people are having babies, retiring or are leaving their employment and we'd like to congratulate them?

I had finished the top to this quilt some time ago Fishing quilt for the man who likes fishing it was always intended for the person who will receive it now, I was just waiting for the opportunity to come up.

Whilst basting the quilt I was looking for a backing fabric, I had some wool flannel that was wide enough for the backing.  I did have batting as the second layer.

As you know by now, I am trying my hand in free motion quilting, I think this looks OK (I have high expectations of myself).  I started by marking the quilt, and then decided I was wasting too much time doing this, so I proceeded to free motion quilt (in the true sense of the words).  Brave, wasn't I?

Backing this quilt with the flannel has made it a heavy quilt. Probably knee size is the biggest I would make if the quilt is this heavy in the future.

This quilt is for a gentleman who we know that has very little spare time, but, enjoys fishing.  It was difficult to find fabric dealing with fishes, that I found tasteful.  I fussy cut the pieces and used a fat quarter pack of green progression colours to complete the blocks.



This next quilt is one that I made for a friend who is a hairdresser and refuses to take any money.  Although I have offered to pay for haircuts, she refuses to take payment. So I decided I would use the same design that I used in the three shirts quilt to complete this:

I call this, "Same, same, but different", note the red,block in the bottom corner, I ran out of the red fabric!  Oh well, as Tim Gunn would say, "make it work".  I like it.  I am retiring this quilt design now and moving onto another.

Babies?  Seems like the rush is on again at work and Ronda and I are busily working away at making baby quilts.  I do the patchwork and Ronda does the quilting.  Here are some of our latest creations:

There are more quilts to be done, stay tuned for pictures of these.

We (teachers) are on two weeks of holidays now, time for my sewing machine and I to become more familiar with each other.

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra

Sometimes when your friends convince you to do something, it actually turns out to be a good thing...

Some months ago my friend Ronda spoke to me about a quilt challenge.  What attracted to me was two things:  $10 to be paid for fabric that must be used in the quilt, and the quilt would be auctioned of and the funds used for this organisation to help the intellectually disabled.

As mentioned in a previous post, I came up with the idea of the butterfly patchwork block.  I almost didn't finish the quilt as I didn't feel that if I quilted it that it would be up to scratch.

I asked my friend Ronda who works with me if she wanted to quilt it and then we could submit it as a joint entry.  I'm glad I did.  Our past collaborations have always had successful outcomes.  So, the quilt made it to the  Minda Quilt Challenge and it got shown at the Australian Machine Quilting Festival in Adelaide!  (Ronda got second prize for the circular quilt).

Look what I received in the mail today:

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra