A Finish

I was scrolling back through some previous posts and I realize something. It seems that I often talk about things that I am starting, but not so much about when I finish them.

for instance I may have mentioned one time that I got some fabric to make a bag.  

well I did actually make the bag. And so I want to show it to you.

I used a pattern by Abbey lane called the Beatle Bag

i'm not sure why it has that name. I thought maybe it was because it looks like a beetle, but it is not spelled that way so I don't know.

The pattern included the plastic inserts. 

 One of the reasons I procrastinated in  making the bag is I wasn't sure how these things were inserted. However I just followed the instructions and sure enough it all worked out fine.

there are several pockets to put things in, and they are see through, which is great.  they are very sturdy, so I think they'll be durable.  

I am using it as a travel case for my english paper piecing project.  

each of the large blocks has its own pocket and I am using one for the equipment such as scissors and needles and thread, and glue stick for basting. also, one section to store receipts!

I have photos on my ipad to refer to for the pattern placement, like this, 

and like this....

there is a pocket on each side of the cover, but I havent used those.  they are the right size to store a rotary cutter. 

this is it rolled up and fastened

All in all, I am pretty happy with it!   

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  Don't you love summer? 

Eclectic Elements

Eclectic Elements is the name of a fabric collection designed by Tim Holtz.  

He is a very popular designer in the scrapbooking world who has made a very successful transition into fabric. 

We have carried lots of his fabrics from eclectic elements for the last year or so, but now he's got eclectic elements 2.. and we just received some of these!

to add to these..

( I think we are still waiting for a few reorders, like the amazing map fabric and the musical notes)

I have really been intrigued by his designs, but I haven't sewn anything with them yet. that is all going to change now. I have been thinking to myself what sort of design would these fabrics lend themselves to. I think that if I blend in some neutrals like beige, brown and charcoal then the fabrics will have a chance to shine.  

I made a little inspirational mosaic to keep track of some ideas that I've seen online.

however, in addition to a quilt, I've been thinking they would make an amazing slouchy bag to carry around. also, maybe an apron. 

  I think the main thing is to just start playing with some cutting and sewing sample blocks things to get used to how some of the prints act alone and in combination with the others.

so far, I can tell you that they have some great fussy cutting potential!  

Millefiore assembly is starting....

I had the rosettes for my millefiori quilt stuck to my design wall. The problem was that every time I entered the room it's sucked me in and I would become engrossed by that project.

  I realized that I had to get this monster off of my wall. So a couple of nights ago I started to assemble the separate elements into one piece. This means I had to commit to a layout

after a little bit more tweaking, this is what I have finally settled upon.

I knew that it would take a long time for me to assemble this by hand stitching, so I used the machine. I had come across a wonderful tutorial by Carole Carr, which you can find here, and had practiced it a little bit, and had quite like the results. It is particularly useful on those long edges. It uses a teeny tiny zigzag stitch and monofilament thread on top with regular piecing thread in the Bobbin.  I had used this similar technique years ago to appliqué stems in a flower border. Very similar technique.  I tried assembling the smaller elements in the individual hexagons using this technique as well, and that worked okay too, except that I was more limited in how the seam allowances were directed on the back of the work.  so, I have settled upon hand stitching the hexies, and machine piecing the larger units.  

this shows the back as I was starting to piece together and take out the extra papers where the edges of the rosettes now are joined

I was quite surprised at how many papers I removed!  this photo doesn't really give a good indication, because I think by the time I had assembled the top section of the quilt, I had a few hundred papers that I had removed.  The only ones remaining are those in the outside perimeter.

so, there it is, the top section, all together.  It is now neatly folded up and tucked out of sight.

the part remaining on my wall is the bottom section, about a third of the quilt,

sorry about some of the photos being a bit blurry- I've been using my ipad to take all my photos lately and the lighting isn't that great in my room either.

I drew a red line on my plan to tell me what is already done, and what I have yet to do.

So, that is that for a while.  I have lots of stitching yet to do, but after making a concerted effort on this quilt for the past few weeks, I think I will now have a bit of time to work on some other projects as well.....  
By the way, Has anyone else who is doing this quilt thought about how to do the quilting on it later? 

Millefiore moving along...

for the past few weeks I have been mostly working away on my Millefiore Quilt, 

this is what I've got up on my design wall, 

I wandered away from the original plan, as set out by Katja, since I wanted to make the rosettes more fully round in places, 

then, I modified it again, making it more rectangular and filling in background spaces with a blue diamond pattern,

the rosettes are quite a lot of fun, and I've even designed a few of my own, which makes me even more impressed by all the wonderful designs Katja has done!

someone asked about the way I made the paper templates.  The advantage of making them yourself is that you can modify designs and make new shapes. Plus, you could make as many or as few as you need. 

so this is how I do it, it is actually very simple.

I just go to a site called incompetech.com which is a free graph paper generator. You can print off graph paper of equilateral triangles in any size.  Choose the .5 inch size. then, print off a stack of this paper on to 67 lb cover stock.  (. Some people may need to turn off the option in Adobe's Acrobat reader "shrink to fit" which may resize the grid slightly to fit your printer's printable area.). 

 then, it is easy to just cut the shapes you need, 

i keep all my previous shapes organized in a booklet that has clear plastic pockets, 

this is the start of the rosette for May!

(You can see earlier posts about his project by scrolling back)

Row by Row Experience

This year we will be participating in a very large shop hop activity!  We haven't done one one of these before, so it will be interesting to see how it works.  
I have heard from shop owners who have participated in it, that it is a lot of fun for all who participate. 
The organizers have a pretty clear set of rules for both the shop owners and for the participants, -(- all the info is below, ). I'll write more posts about it down the road, 

but, today my task is to figure out a pattern to give out at our shop!

I have been keeping this project in my mind for several weeks now, and thinking of various possibilities....  the theme is "water".   so, I got out my pencil crayons and graph paper, and a bunch of blue fabrics... maybe inspiration will strike!

this is the info for the participant copied right from their site, ....

I'm a quilter, how can I participate in the Row by Row Experience?
It's easy! Simply visit any participating quilt shop during the summer and ask for their free pattern for a row in a quilt. The 2015 theme is Row by Row H20, and each shop is working with the water theme in their row. The shops are happy to give you the pattern at no cost, limit one per person, walk-in customers only.
The shops are all over the U. S. and into Canada. How can I get the row patterns from quilt shops that are far away from me?
You can't. The shops are offering the pattern only to customers who walk in the door. Please don't ask them to email or mail their row patterns.
Can I make copies of the patterns I collect?
Absolutely not!! That's a big no-no! The patterns are copyright property of the designers.
So, is this a shop hop?
Kinda. But there are no fees and no passports.
Are there prizes? Can I win something?
Yes! With the Row by Row Experience you win a prize for sewing! Complete a quilt using at least 8 different rows from 8 different 2015 participating shops. Be the first to bring it into a shop and you win a stash of 25 fat quarters. (That's 6-1/4 yards of fabric!) Win a bonus prize for using that store's row in your quilt.
What do you consider "complete" when it comes to my quilt.
Quilted, bound, labeled.
What pattern do I use for my quilt?
You decide. Stack your rows, arrange around a center medallion, make them horizontal, vertical, upside down, on the front, on the back, whatever! You are the designer. Be creative and have fun, but be sure to use 8 different 2015 rows from 8 different 2015 shops.
Can I win in more than one shop?
Sorry, Charlie. One prize per quilter. You can make several quilts and show them off in several shops, but you may only claim one prize. Your quilt will be photographed for Facebook and everyone will see it, so play fair!
How do I know which shops are participating?
Check the website: www.rowbyrowexperience.com. Click the state you are traveling in to see the listing of shops. A Google map and a downloadable list will be available before summer.
Are all of the shops open for the same hours?
No. It would be too difficult to organize this for the whole summer. Be sure to check the shops' websites or call ahead when planning your route to verify their hours.
Can I see pictures of the rows?
Yes! Each area has a Facebook page and the shops will post photos of their rows when they are ready to show. You can "like" your area's page and any you plan to visit, but you don't have to be a member of Facebook to see the photos. The Facebook page links are on the website.
What are the exact dates of the event?
You have from June 21 through September 8, 2015 to collect the free patterns. You have until October 31, 2015 to submit a quilt for a prize.
Anything else I should know?
Lots! Each shop is participating in the Row by Row Experience in their own way. You will be able to buy kits for the rows you love and see demos for new quilting products when you visit many of the shops. Many others are carrying the FabricPlates from Zebra Patterns and the coordinating Row by Row H20 fabrics from Timeless Treasures.

and for the shops, their resposibilities are ....

1. exist as an independent brick and mortar quilt shop and be open for regular summer hours.
2. Design a quilt row following the Row by Row Experience design guidelines and produce a pattern 
for the row.*
3. Email photo of completed row to your area coordinator or post it on your area Facebook page.
4. Provide one copy of the pattern for free to anyone who enters your store and requests it from June 21 through Sept. 8, 2015. Patterns and kits may not be distributed online, by mail, or at venues outside the store during this time period, such as shows or events.
5. Not distribute patterns and kits in any way during quilting challenge period Sept. 9 through Oct. 31, 2015. Patterns and kits may be sold in any way after Oct. 31, 2015.
6. Advertise the Row by Row Experience in your newsletter and other media outlets.
7. Award a bundle of 25 fat quarters to the first customer who brings in a completed (quilted, bound, labeled) row quilt using patterns from at least 8 different shops. Award a bonus prize of your 
choice if the finished quilt includes your row. Challenge expires October 31, 2015.