Bias Tape Basics Tutorial

Today my tutorial is featured on Sew Mama Sew!  Check it out here.

Checking In - A Bullet Post

* Hello there!

* Not much going on here on the stitchy side of things.  Other things, yes!

*  We went camping last week.

*  This week we went to the waterslides.  Gord is painting our bedroom (he's off this week).  I know he doesn't like it but he's still doing it and I am so excited to get the purple paint off of my bedrooms wall!

*  We got a new new nephew yesterday!  He's healthy and cute and we are so thankful he's finally here (10 days late!)

*  It's our mom's birthday tomorrow.  Happy Birthday Mom!

Just because a post without a photo is so boring.  This was taken in July.

*  Kids will be back to school in less than 2 weeks.  Mixed feelings on that one.  Some days I'll have only 1 at home. 

*  I am looking forward to getting my house back in order.

*  We've been enjoying fresh vegetables from our garden.  And cut flowers.  We are really hoping our tomato crop works out.  Our growing season isn't super long and if it gets wet then we get blight.  If the weather holds we'll have a good harvest!  So exciting because this is the first time we grew them from seed.  I'll probably blog about tomatoes again.  Hope you don't mind.

*  Our computer is broken.  I'm on Gord's laptop.  Really hoping it gets fixed today as I am working on a tutorial that needs to be published next week. 

*  Getting itchy for some sewing time.  I have lots of ideas.  Also need to make a quilt for my bed (I have everything and a plan, just need time to execute the quilt.)

*  Loving our nice but not hot weather right now.

*  Went fabric shopping with a friend for a special quilt we are making.  Fun to buy fabric I otherwise probably wouldn't buy.  It's going to be nice.

*  Better go work on that tutorial (the parts I can work on anyway.)

*  Thanks for reading!  I hope you are enjoying the last bits of summer too!

Nothing like a little pressure...

...to get some sewing done!

Last night was a double bridal shower here and I thought it would be nice to make an apron for each bride.  I based them on this tutorial but did the waistband and straps double sided so there weren't any raw edges on the inside.

Umm..yea...ignore the awkward arms!  I don't know how to pose :-p)

 

They turned out great and the red/blue one matches the kitchen stuff her sister made for her.  Next time though, I'm just going to head to my local quilt shop when I'm making a gift.  Fabricland just doesn't cut it when it comes to modern fabric and I can't say I love the look of them.

In the middle of making these aprons I made a purse for a birthday gift for one of my daughter's friends.  One of those "oops, I forgot about that party I guess I have to make something" moments!  Oddly enough it's orange and I made it before Alisa posted about her bag!  Strange how those things happen sometimes :-)

I totally forgot to take a picture in my rush so I got the mom to take a pic with her phone at the party.  She must've thought I was a nut!

Orange

I'm getting pretty original with my post titles, aren't I?  I made time to sew myself a bag and even take photos of it.  But thinking?  Now that's asking a bit too much.

My bag was getting pretty ragged at the bottom so it was time for a new one.  I have a bunch of bag patterns I'd love to try out but I don't have a whole bunch of time right now, so I went with something simple but sturdy.

The outside and the inside are lined with canvas (though it's not a super heavy canvas) so it makes for a nice sturdy bag.  The handles are actually covered nylon webbing so they are also very sturdy.

The handles are really a happy mistake.  I cut some things wrong so I didn't have enough of just one fabric.  I cut the gray fabric a bit wider than the orange making for a 'faux piping'.  I like it!

Used some of my new cotton ribbon from Pink Chalk Fabrics.  So glad it matched so well.

One of my zippers.  I like the orange pocket on the gray.

All in all I like how it turned out.  It fits lots of stuff and it's sturdy.  And I love the colour!

Tetris Quilt-Along Week 3

Melissa over at Happy Quilting is hosting a Tetris Quilt-Along.  I really liked the idea and wanted to join in but summer is so busy I wasn't sure I could swing it.  When Benjamin saw what I was thinking of doing he volunteered to do most of it for me.  He helped draw it out (you really do have to play Tetris with this quilt-along), picked out the fabrics and ironed them.  I cut the fabric, he arranged it according to the plan and stitched the entire block himself!  He's having fun and keeping busy.  (And I'm just glad he's keeping busy!)

It's not perfect but it's a together project that we are having fun with.  This is week 3's block but we need to play catch up and finish week 1 & 2 yet.

We are doing one thing different than the quilt-along calls for and that is that we are using 3" squares rather than 5".  It'll work out to be a baby-size quilt.

Sophie's very own purse!

Sophie's been using the older girls hand me down purses and I thought it was time for her to have her own. She is very happy!!

I used my Frenchy Bag pattern but didn't add the pockets so it was pretty quick.  The main fabric is a piece of Sarah Jane I picked up in BC.

Do you think she'll sit quieter in church now? 

I don't :-p