Sewing/Quilting

A List to Cross Things Off

October 10, 2014 by Tsoniki 1 Comment

Ah lists. So many of us love making – and then crossing things off of – lists. I have always loved lists, and I love it even more that I passed that along to my kids. When they were little they would write lists and bring them to show me. I still make lists, and I don’t always rewrite after I cross things off.

And what a rough week! I had lists on Monday and Tuesday but little got done due to no energy thanks to being sick. But I am glad I realized that the fourth quarter Finish Along over at The Littlest Thistle is open for signing up. I have four things I’m going to work on this quarter – and I am excited to finish everything.

First up – the advent calendar kit I started. I need to finish the little puffy ornaments and complete the calendar itself. This is for a gift and first on my list to finish so I can mail it. Mail to the US hasn’t been taking too long, but I’m sure the closer we get to the holiday season that will change a little. I love advent calendars (check out my advent calendar pinterest board!) and want to make a couple more over the next couple of months.

Next – a baby quilt.This one is for a friend here, she is due at the beginning of the year, maybe February. She’s a nice young woman and really is the friend of a close friend here. I am happy to be able to finish and give her a quilt for her new baby. I am planning on using the Dot to Dot Quilting class quilt patterns for these blocks since there is so much space. I like this pattern, and I really like how I arranged the layout. It’s the Sea of Squares pattern, which I found as a quilt along over at Christa Quilts, and the fabric is Ty Pennington’s Impressions fabric line. I am a huge fan of quilt alongs, even if I tend to find them after the fact. I like having patterns broken down into steps like this, something I always do anyway, which is how I end up with so many projects in various stages in my sewing room. The top is done and I have backing fabric already picked out and ready to go, so just need to baste, quilt, and bind it.

Third – a starquilt for my Dad. A Lonestar quilt actually, but I have always known this type of quilt to be a starquilt. I cut the strips a while back and really wanted to give this to my Dad when he visits, though I’m not sure when that will be. The hardest…maybe I should say most frustrating part…of a starquilt is the square corners and edge triangles. Doing the math to figure out the size is always a bit challenging, and definitely something I do two or three times. That saying “measure twice, cut once,” well that was made for starquilts. Hahaha This is my most ambitious on the list because all I have so far are the strips sewn together! Technically this is a started project, but whew, that’s just the first step.

one strip set for starquilt — One strip set for starquilt

Fourth – oh another baby quilt! This one is a bit over due and I feel bad about that. I hate to tell someone that I want to make a quilt for them and not deliver. Or not deliver “on time” – whatever on time is. This one is from City Stitches baby quilt a month club and it was really so super fast to put together. I want to make like seven more of these. And yes, that’s a white background for a baby quilt. I hope it gets drooled on and food smeared into it and drawn on when the baby gets to have fat chunky crayons. The top is done so I need to baste, quilt, and bind. Oh and ship!

I think four is a good number to start. I do have a lot of free time to sew but for some reason this fall I’ve been sick more than usual, I think the change in the weather affected me more than I figured it would and I’m looking to boost my immune system now. I don’t want to spend the entire cold season sick or not feeling fully well! I probably also need a good day of resting because I just feel so not energetic.

And so, what are you working on?

(Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links, this means I may profit when you take action on my recommendations!)

Do You Have a Favorite Craftsy Class?

October 7, 2014 by Tsoniki Leave a Comment

I have signed up for a lot of Craftsy classes. It is just too easy – video access to some great designers, sewists, quilters, and so much more. But when we moved overseas I had a hard time accessing the videos because of internet issues. The apartment we are in was built in the rush to build the city back up from it’s almost completely destruction during World War II, and so I am fairly sure the building is made of concrete infused with something that makes wifi turn and run the other way. Okay, it’s not that bad in all of the rooms, but it’s really not great. We recently bought a wifi booster so I am hoping I can watch videos in my sewing room. Unfortunately for me, it’s just about the farthest away from the router one can get in the apartment.

Anyway, the most recent class I’ve been watching is the Dot to Dot Quilting Class by Angela Walters. I have a handful of quilts that I need to finish and I really want to expand my quilting. So far I do a lot of straight lines, and that’s fine of course, but I would love to do something just a little more. I love this class because Angela shows you how to quilt without having to mark your quilt. I admit it’s the marking of quilts that holds me back from extensive quilting. I like simple designs and I want my quilts to look awesome with those designs. I can’t wait to baste a couple of baby quilts and practice!

Which Craftsy classes have you taken? Do you have a favorite?

(Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links, this means I may profit when you take action on my recommendations!)

I Joined A Bee!

October 5, 2014 by Tsoniki 1 Comment

Yay I was able to join a bee! I am glad I found this since living overseas makes it a little difficult because of the mail. I am now a member of the Euro Siblings Together Bee. I met Betty at the Fat Quarter Retreat this past summer and she asked if I was interested in joining. I’ve only learned what Siblings Together is at the retreat – a place for siblings to be together when they are separated. I’ve been told that the children that attend pick a quilt for their sibling, that they each pick for the other.

I love this and am happy to participate. I didn’t volunteer to be in charge of a month just yet, but we’ll see what the future brings!

The block that Betty requested this month is a quick one. I picked these blues and light fabrics, and it came together quickly.

Fresh Sewing Day

October 1, 2014 by Tsoniki Leave a Comment

I think this is my first time posting for Fresh Sewing Day, hosted over at Lily Quilts and I wanted to highlight a couple of projects. The first is a St. Louis Sixteen that I made using solids, Denyse Schmidt, Ana Maria Horner, and Alison Glass fabrics. I have the first two rows completed and will have the top done in the next few days. I have a handful of quilts at this end stage and I’m excited to complete them!

Next up is my Tula Pink Color Blocks quilt! This is section number thirteen in the quilt and I have two more sections to go before I’m finished with the top. I’ve had this one partially complete for a while now, getting the last few solids were a little bit of an issue and this blue is actually a substitute. It goes with the fabric perfect though so I’m very happy with it!

Finishing up quilt tops makes me feel a twinge of sadness that I live overseas (I said just a twinge!) and it is so expensive to mail to the US, and then have the completed quilt mailed back to me. Hhmm, I am expanding my network of people I know here, maybe there is a long arm quilter in France somewhere.

Hexie Sewing Machine Cover

September 23, 2014 by Tsoniki 1 Comment

I haven’t forgotten about my hexies from last week – all three panels are sewn together, the inside hexagon papers have been removed, and I am buying zippers today. I think I will make extra large boxy bags. I like being able to give the teachers something they will use. JW has two teachers (that I know about) so hopefully they like the colors.

But I also got out these hexies to finish.

It only took me a few seconds to realize I had a panel almost large enough to make a sewing machine cover (you can see the panel – it’s the top right of the layout, the hexies with no basting thread). A quick measurement and laying out of the rest of the hexagons and yep, it will work! So far I’ve finished three of the four additional bottom rows, and after I sew them together I’ll finish the few side columns. I have a lot of 30’s/reproduction/I’m not sure what these are actually called fabrics and still need to pick the backing and binding. Oops, just realized I also need to pick something to put the hexies down on, I have no interest in figuring out that crazy binding.

Linking up with Show and Tell Tuesday

A Long Time Coming Hexies

September 17, 2014 by Tsoniki 8 Comments

After a quick scroll on instagram, I discovered that I started sewing these hexagons waaaaay back when we lived in San Diego. By my calculations (and thanks to instagram saying how many weeks ago something was posted), I first started sewing them two years ago. Two years! Ah well, at least now they have a purpose.

I pulled out all the hexagons – made with Lucy’s Crab Shack and coordinating solids – and made larger panels. These have evolved in their plans – I started the hexies with no pattern in mind, then I thought placemats would look nice when we were living in San Diego and again farther north in Monterey (the fabric does have a beachy/live by the water feeling). After a bit, and nothing coming of the hexagons, I thought mug rugs would look good, I could give them as gifts! But they stayed sewn together and just waited for what they were to become.

And the other day I stumbled upon this extra large box bag post! Inspiration! I turned what would have been six placemats (or mug rugs) (or anything else really) and turned them into the beginnings of three box bags.

These are large panels so they could also be oversized tote bags. I decided to make them for Christmas gifts for JW’s teachers. I don’t want to scramble in December because I forgot, and I like to take advantage of inspiration hitting at the right time. I have three panels, two of the same size and one just a little smaller, and I will probably have to add a little border. I don’t have big enough zippers right now, so I’ll have to also figure the final size after I buy zippers.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday.

Toes In The Sand

September 3, 2014 by Tsoniki 6 Comments

Whew, a block of the month is both fun and can cause impatience. I work hard to be patient so that second part wasn’t so bad, until I got to the “oh I’m almost done!” part. Then I felt like time slowed to a crawl. And I didn’t want to make the template for the half triangles (seen in the bottom and left side of the picture below) and I luckily have a triangle ruler that helped me get the job done.

When I first started this project, I did the blocks not too long after I received them in the mail. I saved the scraps and extra pieces along with each block, planning on using them in the backing. I clipped the block numbers to the blocks using the ever so useful clover wonder clips.

I had a moment of panic when I was sorting the blocks. I found fabric that had the block number attached to it, rather than the number attached to a block.

Considering I am ready (meaning all the stuff is sewn or cut) to lay the blocks out and get to sewing, you can imagine the sigh of relief I breathed once I found the blocks that were missing a number! The next step is to decide on a layout. Well, not really a layout, but just the order of sewing these. My kit came with a suggested layout – the blocks are all numbered and they have a paper that shows where to put which number. But I’m not sure how I feel about that, I like to change up patterns so I’ll probably do the same to this one. I’m excited to finish this, and even more excited to try new free motion quilting designs.