and I'm back...

Yes, it's been awhile. Let's just pretend that it hasn't been almost 5 months (!) since I blogged, and that I did the all-important 2013 recap, posted pics of everything I sewed, told you about my fabulous retreat at Loon Lake in November, and all of that. Truth is that it's just been very busy. With 4 busy kids, moving, and just living life, it's been hard to keep up here.

But I have been sewing. My latest finish was a wall hanging version of Ingrid. Seen in baby form here. It's a quilt that I love to make every time.

 

I've also wanted to learn how to make boxed pouches for a long time, so when Bonnie of Pink Stitches posted this tutorial on her blog a couple of weeks ago, I gave it a try. I loved it! So much easier than I thought it would be.

So there we go! Hopefully I'll be back more often. (And with photos taken with a real camera, that are not grainy and taken off of Instagram. Sorry about that.) I've missed this place.

Patchwork, Please Sew Along: Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag

I'm so excited to have you here for the Patchwork, Please Sew Along! Ayumi is such a sweet friend and an amazing creator. I don't think you'll find anyone nicer in the sewing world. I was thrilled when I learned she was writing this book. 

My project is the Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag. I wanted to give this one a try because I love the drawstring cover. I like to load my shopping bags up, and it's always maddening when they tip over in the car and everything spills out! 

One change I made was to not use oilcloth or laminated fabric for the interior. I did buy a vinyl tablecloth to try, but it was not the kind that Ayumi intended-- it was so icky to use in the end. I couldn't find laminates locally that I liked, so I used quilting cotton that I backed with my favorite interfacing, Pellon SF101, to give it more structure. 

I think the trickiest part of the bag is sewing the base pieces of the lining and the exterior to the sides of the bag. A tip: Put a dot 1/4" from each corner on the wrong side of your base pieces. When you sew up each side of the base, just line those dots up with the seam on your side pieces and sew between those points only, backstitching to lock your stitches. (And if you do end up with bunchy corners, no one is going to notice but you.) 

One more thing-- the lining and exterior cutting measurements are the same. I wasn't thinking of this at the time, but because the top edge of the exterior is folded down a total of 1.5" to enclose the lining and cover, the lining is too big. It's not a huge deal, but it would fit a lot better if either the interior height was decreased by 1.5" or the exterior height increased by 1.5".

I have 5 Aurifil sample packs, mini fabric packs and stickers from Form & Fabric, and an interfacing charm pack from Pellon to give away. (Sorry, U.S. addresses only due to shipping costs. Although if you're not in the U.S., you can always gift these to a friend who is!) Just comment below! I'll pick winners on Friday. 

And you're sewing along with us, this week you can also win a 1/2 yard bundle of Essex linens from Robert Kaufman and a $20 gift certificate to Pink Chalk Fabric by linking up your shopping bag at Deb's blog! 

Make sure to visit the other participants in the Sew Along to see each project in the book:

June 3: Penny | Sew Take a Hike :: Bell Pepper Coasters 

June 10: Maureen | MC Handmade :: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Towels 

June 17: Anna | Noodlehead :: Lettered Tea Cozy and Teabag Pouch 

June 24: Angela | Cut to Pieces :: The Polka-Dot-Cafe Apron 

July 1: Lynne | Lily’s Quilts :: Diamond Patchwork Placemat 

July 8: Lindsey | LRstitched :: Yum-Yum Apple Bib 

July 15: Sukie | Don’t Ya Know :: Dino-Mite Hat 

July 22: Jennifer | Ellison Lane :: Books-for-Baby Quilt 

July 29: Krista | Poppyprint :: My Scrappy Box 

August 5: Kerry | Very Kerry Berry :: Swedish Bloom-Time Lap Quilt 

August 12: Tamiko | Patchwork Notes :: You’ve-Got-Mail-Wall Pocket 

August 19: Monica | Happy Zombie :: Happy Hexagon Trivet 

August 26: Krista | Spotted Stone Studio :: Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag

September 2: Lori | Bee in My Bonnet :: Triangle Patchwork Box Pouch

September 9: Amy | During Quiet TIme :: Vintage Pencil Case

September 16: Svetlana | SOTAK Handmade :: I-Love-My-Ipad Quilted Cover

September 23: Amber | One Shabby Chick :: Handy Market Tote

September 30: Deb | A Quilter’s Table :: Sweet Trips Embroidery Pouch

October 7: Leila | Where the Orchids Grow :: Prettified Pincushion

And thank you so much for our sponsors for the Sew Along!

Purse Palooza 2012

Announcing Purse Palooza 2012!!

Get ready for this fun event! I will be guest posting in June over at Sew Sweetness to get you sewing a purse for the summer! I'll be reviewing Amanda's Knitting Bag by The Sometimes Crafter.




 Here's how Purse Palooza works:

1. Every weekday in June, there will be 2 amazing guest bloggers scheduled to share with you a purse sewing pattern review. The review will contain detailed information about what they thought about the sewing pattern, modifications they made, what kind of interfacing they used, and more! Get inspired!

2. Even more exciting...THERE WILL BE A GIVEAWAY EVERY WEEKDAY IN JUNE! That's right, 20 GIVEAWAYS! Your Giveaway Fairy Godmother is Kim from My Go-Go Life - she has some unbelievable giveaways planned!

3. At the end of the event, you will get a chance to show off your purse in order to win some amazing prizes!

Sew Sweetness free tutorial: Caliti Convertible Clutch

Pattern Review Schedule

June 4 - Sara @ Sewsweetness (tutorial: bag interfacing)
              Kim @ My Go-Go Life (Urban Jungle Bag)

June 5 - Meg @ Fashioned by Meg (Anna Maria Horner Art Student Tote)
              Lindsay @ Lindsay Sews (Posie Rosie Little Things Jane Market Bag)

June 6 - Kaelin @ The Plaid Scottie (Oliver + S Day in the Park Backpack)
              Colleen @ The Busy Bean (something from Amy Butler's Style Stitches book)

June 7 - Bree @ My Crafty Crap (Jenna Lou Designs Mabel Bag)
              Ayumi @ Pink Penguin (Signature Bag from Kumiko Fujita)

June 8 - Tamiko @ Patchwork Notes (Hexagon Patchwork Bag from Playful Patchwork)
              Jessica @ A Little Gray (Pat Bravo Verona Bag)

June 11 - Jessica @ Sew Crafty Jess (Amy Butler Spice Market Tote)
                Amy @ amylouwho? (V. and Co. Favorite Bag)

June 12 - Sara @ The Pretty Pickle (Charlie's Aunt Casablanca Clutch)
               Lindsey @ LRStitched (Noodlehead Envelope Clutch)

June 13 - Erin @ 2 More Seconds (Keyka Lou Bucket Bag)
               Caroline @ Sew Can She (V. and Co. Carry All Tote)

June 14 - Ali @ a squared w (bag from I Like Orange Too)
               Rachael @ Imagine Gnats (Jen Giddens Pocket Tote)

June 15 - Holly @ Bijou Lovely (Noodlehead Go Anywhere Bag)
               Katie @ There and Back (Sweet Pea Pocket Purse)

June 18 - Monique @ Sew Fun by Monique (Millie's Market Tote from Happy Home by Jennifer Paganelli)
               Katie @ Swim, Bike, Quilt! (Green Bee Scoop Tote)

June 19 - Jennie @ Clover and Violet (Lunch Bag from Pink Penguin)
               Joanna @ Shape Moth (Emmaline Bag)

June 20 - Jen @ Bettycrockerass (While Baby Naps Metal Clutch)
               Krista @ The Spotted Stone (The Sometimes Crafter Amanda's Knitting Bag)

June 21 - Katy @ The Littlest Thistle (Noodlehead 2-4-1 Tote)
               Terri @ Sew-Fantastic (In Color Order Lined Drawstring Bag)

June 22 - Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy (Amy Butler Weekender Bag)
               Sarah @ Fairy Face Designs (bag from the Bag Making Bible)

June 25 - Amy @ Sukie Don't You Know Who I Am? (Amy Butler Sophia Bag)
                Heather @ {House} of a la Mode (Retro Mama Granny Bag)

June 26 - Julianna @ Jednoiglec (Charlie's Aunt Kitchen Garden Bag)
               Jeni @ In Color Order (Bari J. State Street Tote)

June 27 - Kerry @ Very Kerry Berry (bag from Suzuko Koseki)
               Michelle @ I Like Orange Too (Left Bank Granny Bag)

June 28 - Kay Whitt @ Sew Serendipity Studio (tutorial: adjustable strap with metal slider)
               Amy Barickman @ Indygo Junction (tutorial: installing grommets/magnetic snaps)

June 29 - Melissa @ Bittersweet Designs (Bella Nonna Boutique Shoulder Bag)

Sew Sweetness free tutorial: The Underwater Stripes Bag

Contest Rules

1. Check out all the purse pattern reviews throughout the month and get inspired to sew up a purse of your own!

2. Join the Purse Palooza 2012 Flickr Group.

3. Link up your completed purse to the Flickr Group BETWEEN JUNE 4th and JULY 11th. Your purse must be created and photographed between those dates; purses made prior to June 4, 2012 will be disqualified. The purse may be of your own design, or made from a sewing pattern.

4. You may link up to 2 views of the same purse. More than 2 photos of the same purse will be removed from the group.

5. There is no limit to how many purses you may enter, as long as they were made between June 4th and July 11th, 2012.

Sew Sweetness free tutorial: The Urban Jungle Bag

 

 

The Prizes

First off, there will be a team of lovely judges that will choose 1st through 6th place. ALSO, 3 randomly chosen winners will be picked out of EVERYONE who completes a bag! Some great chances to win!!

1st Prize

* $50 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop  * 3-pack of books from Martingale Publishing * $50 gift certificate to Zipit * $70 Pellon gift pack * fat quarter bundle and sewing pattern from Art Gallery Fabrics

2nd Prize

* fat quarter bundle and sewing pattern from Art Gallery Fabrics * 3-pack of books from Martingale Publishing * fabric bundle from Sew Fresh Fabrics * $30 gift certificate to Spoonflower

3rd Prize

* fat quarter bundle from Art Gallery Fabrics * 2-pack of books from Lark Crafts Publishing * $20 gift certificate to The Quilted Castle

4th Prize

* fat quarter bundle from Art Gallery Fabrics

3 Randomly Chosen Winners



$20 gift certificate to Pink Chalk Fabrics

The Sponsors

Thank you to all of the lovely and extremely generous sponsors!

Art Gallery Fabrics // Artsy Crafty Babe // Noodlehead // Izzy and Ivy // Serendipity Studio // Martingale & Co. Publishing // Betz White // Sis Boom // Atkinson Designs // Mommy's Thimble // Lila Tueller // Sew Fresh Fabrics // Bari J. // C&T Publishing // Keyka Lou // Clover and Violet // Indygo Junction // Marie-Madeline Studio // Pellon // Pink Chalk Fabrics // Lark Crafts Publishing // The Quilted Castle // Fat Quarter Shop // Craft Apple // iThinkSew // Emmaline Bags // Bag Purse Frames // Zipit // Oliver + S // Ellen Medlock Studio // Charlie's Aunt Patterns // Spoonflower

Grab a button, and let's get this party started!

<center><a href="http://www.sewsweetness.com/2012/05/purse-palooza-2012.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sew Sweetness" src="http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab257/bluemerleboutique/resizedpursebutton.jpg"/></a></center>

my friends are pattern geniuses

My friend Amy at During Quiet Time has been wowing me for ages with her impeccable quilting and hand-printed fabrics. Have you seen her latest Catherineholm-inspired tea towels? Amazing. And now she's entered into the world of pattern design with her Ruched Happy Bag pattern and the just-released Vintage Collection Tea Kettle quilt block pattern, which I had the pleasure of sewing up last night.

I'm a complete newbie to paper-piecing. Well, I did make a circle of geese block once upon a time, but that was a hot mess. Amy's pattern is so clear though that I was able to draw from my basic knowledge of how to place the fabrics and sew with a very teeny stitch length and complete my kettle with no issues. (Well, with no issues regarding the pattern. I was not so precise with my sewing so my block ended up a bit wonky. Next time I'll follow the rules better for perfect results.) A beginner could do a bit of googling to learn the basics of paper piecing too and complete this as a first pattern no problem. I plan to quilt my block up into a little mini over the next few days so I can practice Amy's cool steam technique. If you want to know more about Amy and her crafting, you can read more about her here on a recent feature at Noodlehead.

Coincidentally, Anna at Noodlehead created the pattern for the 241 tote bag, which I sewed up times two last week for friends.

I made one from some circle-print japanese fabric (just like the first 241 tote I sewed up) and paired it with Cloud9 leaf fabric and some natural Essex linen blend.

The second is made from my all-time favorite Japanese grey woven fabric, some aqua Moda crossweave, and Cake Rock Beach dots. I lined it with another great Cloud9 fabric, Clearing.

The red tote is going to my friend Tregei in Montana, and the blue one is going to my friend Bridget as a consolation bag. Not because the 241 tote isn't awesome, which it is, but because Bridget asked me to sew her up a new purse nearly a year ago and I still haven't done it. If anyone knows of a really great pattern for a fairly roomy, no-fuss purse/tote with a zippered closure, please pass it on. Because draft after draft of my own attempts show that I need to leave pattern designing up to my friends. Thank you Amy and Anna for doing it right!

a quick bag

And an even quicker post. It's hard to sit inside at the computer when it's 75 degrees (in May!!!) and looks like this outside:

I've had this awesome printed panel from Amy for months. Even though she includes a pattern with it for making the cutest mini quilt, I always thought that I'd like it on a tote bag. But I never got around to making it. After I saw this bag yesterday, I had no more excuses!

Following the ever popular Jane Market Bag pattern, I grabbed fabrics from my stash and got to work this morning while the kids slept in. An hour and a half later, I had a bag.

I've also got a little helper who is popping a new tooth/getting over a cold and cranky as ever. The only thing that he wants to do is be held or play outside on the deck. So off we go.

Have a great weekend! I hope it's full of sunshine and fun.