I’ll show you mine…

So I’ve decided that Friday will now be known as “Finish it up Friday”.  Anyone that knows me knows I will procrastinate about everything!!  So I need deadlines for everything!!  With this in mind I thought I’d make my deadline Friday of each week where I must show you mine…something I’ve finished.  Now don’t get all crazy on me, they may only be the tops that are done but hey it’s something…right?!  And if you’re so inclined you could show me yours.

So this is what I started with and I thought they were quite lovely.

Following the pattern I cut them into BIG squares and put them up on my “design” wall (aka flannel backed vinyl tablecloth)… well, not all that exciting is it.

OK now cut those squares into more squares and sew them into four patches…yup, still not excited.

Then take your handy dandy template and cut these four patches according to directions…well maybe it’s growing on me.

Being very careful not to screw mess up your design, sew the four patches together in diagonal rows…I see possibilities ahead.

Until it looks like this…perhaps when the border is on I’ll really like it.

Again following the directions baste and square the edges…it sure has changed in size.

Add borders according to pattern…NOW THIS I LOVE!!   Japanese Jigsaw pattern by Brookshier Designs…very nice indeed.

 

So if you follow us on Facebook you can scoot on over there and show me yours!

Hmmmm what will I finish for next week??

Oh so easy…

As I said in my last post, I’ve recently discovered how easy it is to make lined valances…how come no one told me!! So yesterday between meetings with sales reps I made another one for the living room…but of course I forgot my camera at home!  When I got home I whipped (and I mean whipped) up the second one and took photos to share with anyone that doesn’t know how easy they are to make (like me two months ago).

First you need to measure the width of the window and decide the length you want the curtain to be.  The picture in my last post was a “typical” window (kitchen) which measured 39” and the curtain I had there was 18” long…I went with that.  Now the next part is personal preference…I like a full curtain so I went with around 2 1/2 times the width of the window for fabric.  So I had 2 1/2 yards of curtain fabric and  2 1/2 yards of lining fabric which gave me two windows.  If you only have one window get half the length, cut it on the fold and sew together on the short ends to make one long piece.

Now cut both fabrics on the fold.  Measure down the length of the outer curtain fabric, add 1/2” for seams (in my case 18 1/2”) and cut.  I now had a piece of fabric 18 1/2” x roughly 90”.  I left the lining fabric as it was…did not cut it down to the 18 1/2”.


Layer the two pieces right sides together and pin along the long edges…this keeps it from slipping.  Sew 1/4” seams on the long edges only.

 
Now trim the lining fabric even with the outer fabric and square off the ends.
Next, press the seams open…this will make it so much easier to press when you turn the curtain right side out.  But before you turn it you may want to press the short ends.  My friend Janet gave me this great tip.

Using a reference line on an index card (or in my case a recipe card) press the raw edge down (about 1/2”).  This helped to keep my ends pretty consistent when I needed to sew this edge (thanks Janet!).  Now turn the curtain right side out and press the long edges nice and flat so the lining fabric doesn’t show from the front (pressing the seams open really helps here).
The next step is to mark the lines for the rod pocket.  I wanted a 2” header and the rod was 1”…so I drew a line 2” from the top and 1 1/2” below that for the rod (add a 1/2” to the rod measurement) miracle chalk crayon works very nicely for marking.  Sew on the two lines back stitching at the start and finish of each (again I pinned to keep the two fabrics from shifting).

Finally top stitch the short ends leaving the rod pocket open…in other words from the top to the first line and then the second line to the bottom.  I did back stitch these as well.  Give the curtain a final press (this gets the miracle chalk lines out), hang and enjoy your new found talent!!


Okay the kitchen is done…living room almost…next the bedroom or sewing room or office…………………

How come no one told me…

…how easy it is to make lined valances!!!  I have wanted new curtains for just about every room in my house.  Thought about making them…tried to make an unlined valance…not so good.  Then I stumbled upon a pattern that made it sound easy.  When I tried it, it was okay but then two friends gave me a few suggestions and now I’m amazed at how simple and fast they go together!

 

So of course I will be re-curtaining (new word) my whole house.  When I make the next one I’ll be sure to take photos to share…you too can make lined valances.

The Pops are here!!

Not the Boston Pops, though that would be rather cool…the new Bali Pops have finally arrived and the new “flavors” are really, well, yummy. So there I was yesterday, minding my own business when this rather large box appeared at our back door delivered by UPS Santa and his helper elf (yes, they have helpers this time of year). Now if I’d thought fast enough I would have taken my camera out and snapped a photo, but I was too excited and ripped right into that big box which contain 12 smaller boxes…which I ripped into as well…what a mess, but a colorful mess. Okay, so then I spy yet another box…this one is from Timeless Treasures. I had a feeling I knew what was in that box too so of course I ripped into it!! More batik strips!! Tonga Treats in six fabulous color groups…happiness is!

When I get to the shop today I promise to snap a picture of the rather pretty (if I do say so) display and post it here for you, unless of course you beat me there first and see it for yourself.

We have a special guest coming in November!

Mark your calendars…for November 20, 2010, 11:00-1:00pm.  We are very excited to have Marci Baker from “Not Your Grandmother’s Tumbling Blocks” fame stopping by the shop.  She has a new book out “ABC 3-D” which many of you have seen and admired.  From this book and others she has published, Marci will show you just how easy her method is for constructing these quilts.  She also promises to have many of her samples to share.

               You may remember my sample from years ago…love, love, love this quilt!              

Now I’ve started another one (Honeycomb Waffle, Too) from the new book, so I better get moving if it’s going to be ready for Marci’s visit!!

The simple 9-patch is good!

Wow….has it been almost 5 months since I posted anything?  Where did the summer go…oh let me guess between two very special wedding quilts, preparing for the Shop Hop, weeding, raking up acorns…again and again, still loving my new clothesline and trying to keep up with our “celebrate summer 9-patch challenge” it simply evaporated!!

So now the newlyweds are honeymooning, the Shop Hop is a happy memory, the weeds are pretty much dead, raking is still ahead…again, and I still love my clothesline!  So I thought it about time I show off those terrific quilts from the 9-patch challenge!!

 

View Full Album

 

What will next summer bring?

 

until next time……………..

It was on my to do list…really!

At the beginning of 2010 I started a monthly quarterly to do list instead of making those new year resolutions that I never seem to remember.  Some really exciting things on my list:

• thin out cookbooks (like I really use them)
• clean out under the kitchen sink (does Murphy’s Oil Soap go bad…it has a Bradlees sticker on it)
• strip wallpaper in kitchen and paint
• make new curtains for the kitchen
• clean out my clothes closet…way too many sweaters which are not conducive to hot flashes!
• organize quilt closet…and quilt piles…and more quilt piles

Apparently I was sitting in the kitchen when I started this list…anyway, last week when I was asked “So how many quilts have you made?” I decided it was time to skip right to “organize quilt closet” and at least I would have an idea of how many I still have!

So I took everything out of the closet (did I mention it’s a rather large closet) as well as all those various piles…in the bedroom…sewing room…and separated them:

• top quilted and bound
• top quilted not bound
• top only

Next step, since I have this terrific new clothesline, I began to hang the quilted and bound ones out 3 at a time, took a picture, hauled them back in and organized them further:

• ones for that “just right” special gift
• ones I really use
• ones I can’t possibly part with…ever
• ones perfect for our QFC program
• ones that need to be washed

Two hours later…I was tired…and not finished!!  So now I have a mostly organized quilt life, but I haven’t counted yet…that will come later, much later :)

Here is just the tip of my iceberg……………

How goes your iceberg??