Easy Quilting Project: Make a Wall Pocket from One Block

I have been working hard on rearranging my sewing room and making a lot of improvements.  I keep sitting down to make a post, looking at my photos, and thinking of another improvement to implement.  I have a lot of new ideas to show you soon.  For now, here is one little project I whipped up for my sewing room.  I used a UFO block that was never going to be a quilt.  I had planned to make a throw pillow cover from this block, but have since decided that we have more than enough throw pillows around here!

I always have a lot of garment pattern pieces tacked on my bulletin board, and this leaves no room for the other stuff I want to tack up.  So I used this orphan quilt block and made a big wall pocket for holding whatever garment pattern pieces I am working with.  I wrote a tutorial, too; here is the link to this easy quilting project.  Please stop by and read my tutorial at AC!

Happy Sewing!

Lessons Learned 2010 and Plans for 2011

This has become an occasional blog.  I read another blogger write (in a BlogFrog Forum) that making apologies for not blogging on your blog is a no-no.

But I was doing some backing up and noticed how very many times I sign off a post with a promise to blog something soon, without coming through on that promise.  I am a free spirit, and my muse is as well, so I have learned it is better to go with the flow than to make too many rigid plans for what to make and when!  I am going to try not to tell in advance what is upcoming here so that I do not disappoint anyone if things don't go as planned.

A huge reason I haven't blogged so many things I have made, is because of my (lack of) photography skills.  I made many things for my first craft show, and also for gifts this year, and also garments as well, that I did not blog because my photos are awful.

(McCall's 5987.  Super easy to sew, and inexpensive if made from fleece, you can make this coat in under 2 hours.  This was the first coat I made, and despite how it looks in this photo, it is NOT pink at all!  I made a red one for mom but forgot to take a photo of that one.  I would like to sew another, in navy...maybe there will be a better post on that coat!

Here is the even easier easy jacket from Chic and Simple Sewing.  The contrast on this "print" isn't as strong as it looks here.  But I am still thinking of overdying this in another blue):

I have learned I know little about taking photos, and I plan to remedy this in 2011.  I know 3 skilled photographers in real life, and I plan to ask for their help.  In the meantime, I may show some awful photos of some awesome easy things for you to make.

Baby Color Book, front and back covers, made for a boy.
And here are the front and back covers of one I made for a girl:

I took these pictures in such a hurry that I forgot to tie the bows.  I know that this is my problem with photography- not having the patience to slow down and take lots of time on each shot.  I tend to move quickly and so photography skills do not come natural for me.

 
I started this blog to learn.  I have learned an incredible lot, especially regarding SEO.  I found out that writing on the computer can put me into that same productive state of "flow" that makes me love sewing.  I have also discovered that this is an easy way to make money, and unlike sewing, writing leaves no mess to clean up!  Because I am accepting other writing assignments, I have not had time to allocate for blogging.  Here's an example I can share, a piece I wrote for Yahoo! movies about the costumes in Tron: Legacy.  I have several more pieces upcoming at Yahoo movies.  I am also working on my first book, and I hope to have positive news on that to share in 2011.

So I am likely to continue being an occasional blogger.  But this blog will continue.  I will try not to make any promises for what is upcoming, but instead post what and when I can.  I will say I have noticed there is more sewing than growing here (at least in regards to plants, vegetables, and food), and I would like to post more of that.  I suspect this blog will always be mostly about sewing, however!

Closing with another bad picture of a GOOD thing.   I have been cleaning and tidying up loose ends yesterday and today.   I feel so happy to be closing out the year with a cleaned sewing room (and bedroom, closets, and house).  I am spending the rest of this afternoon finishing unfinished projects, like that flowered nightgown, which turned out too big and needs work before I will wear it.

2010 was an amazing year.  Thank you to all my bloggy friends who helped make it so sweet.  I hope 2011 will be an even better year for everyone.  Happy New Year!

(and Happy Sewing, always).

Easy Gift to Sew: Prudent Baby's Fat Quarter Apron

I have had such fun making these Fat Quarter Aprons (tutorial at Prudent Baby).  This is definitely one of the easiest and most fun tutorials I have come across this year.   This project would make a great gift for domestic types on your list. 

Here is the first one I made:

I did one thing different from the tutorial, which is use the entire fat quarter for the skirt of the apron, and use the contrasting fabric to make the waist band at the top.  Instead of using ready made trim, I used the contrasting fabric to make a ruffle.  I finished the ruffle in contrasting (dark green) wooly nylon thread with a serger rolled hem.  Here is a closer picture of the green rolled hem:

I REALLY love this apron!  It reminds me of bubbles and makes me want to wash dishes!

Then I made another one, too, from fabric I have been saving for just the right project.   I had a lot of fun with the applique on this; I will be doing lots more applique, I think.  I used wonder under and then sewed the edges using a satin stitch, except for the butterfly (fussy cut from a scrap of fabric), which I sewed using invisible nylon thread:

There is a slideshow at Prudent Baby with 100 different photos of aprons made by many talented people; you should check out for some serious inspiration for all kinds of different ways to make these unique.

I can't believe I didn't see any examples made for men.  I have an idea to use masculine fabric (without the ruffle) and applique "DAD" on one side.

You could make one with a pocket and slide in a new wooden spoon.  Or maybe make a matching set for a mother and daughter (or sisters).  Or make one (or more) reversible. There are myriad ways to make this a great gift!  Have fun with it!

Happy Sewing

I am linking this here:

Thanks to a beautiful blogger.... and a personal post

I need to post a big Thank You to Donna at Comin Home blog.  On Tuesday, I read this beautiful post she wrote about something that I had never before seen as beautiful before....paying bills.

Mr. Green has asked me to take care of this for us, and I have not been being near as responsible about it as I should.  I have always felt overwhelmed by paperwork and have not been on top of this chore, to say the least.
I had some current bills in my purse, some in a pile, and I (LUCKILY) discovered today in doing this task an important bill well past due in my car!  Not to mention receipts galore filling my purses and scattered all about and a checkbook that had no idea what was going on with the receipts

This morning, Donna laid out instructions for getting started with a system and inspired me to tackle this problem today.  And now ya'll just look at my desk:

I certainly didn't take a photo of before, but it was covered completely in clutter and piles of paperwork and other things.  And now, look in the basket:

This basket holds bills due (only one because I took care of  most of them today), a calendar, the checkbook, and a small notebook for my budget.   This is so simple; I love it!

 When I saw this suggestion this morning, I said "Oh NO I don't want to do this today!"  But it didn't take very long and felt SO lovely to have done that THIS happened, too:

I can't begin to estimate how many tiny and various things, along with fabric heaps and unfinished objects were piled on this poor table and it makes me so happy to see it clean!  I can't wait to sew!

I really appreciate Donna's positivity and inspiration she shares by blogging.  I have not been blogging much at all for too long now, and neither have I been sewing.  For most of the summer I have been feeling ill and have been deep in a depressive funk.  It started with this oil spill crapola, but it has obviously been exacerbated by my reading blogs with people sharing their negative opinions about the news and our world.   I am not reading negative blogs any morning again and instead will have a cup of tea with Donna at Comin' Home!

Tomorrow I am going to follow her lead again in my bedroom, which is such a beautiful place but marred badly right now by a mess spilling from my closet.  Donna posted earlier this week showing the great job she did on her master bedroom!

I will be back here soon (and back on our topics!).  Peace and happiness and health to you and yours!