the Idea of Project Templates

When a sewer makes something, they decide, either consciously or sub-consciously, on two main courses of action.
1.  they decide on the surface design, the pattern to create to decorate an object
2.  they also choose an object to create, such as a table-runner, or a tote bag,

Sometimes, one consideration or the other is the driving force, and the other consideration is not given much thought.
This is something that I have often done.  I get an idea for a quilt pattern, and just want to start cutting and sewing fabric.  so I just jump into the project, and spend about 5 minutes on thinking about whether it is going to be a lap quilt, a baby quilt or a table runner.

Most typically, I get inspired by seeing a quilt, or a photo of a quilt, and think to myself, "oh, I want to make one of those too!" I don't  think of the fact that I already have a huge stack of quilts already.
I am learning to slow down and ask myself "so what is it about this quilt, or this pattern that makes me excited?  is it the colors or the fabrics that are shown?  is it the piecing design?  is it the size or shape of the project?  is it that I need a ...... right now, and this one is pretty? maybe I can be inspired by what I like about the design, and make something smaller than a whole quilt with the idea.  Because a quilt is a big project! and sometimes we have a lot of ideas on the list that we want to try!

So, I made a list of possible projects.  

Project
Table runners
quilts
mini quilts and wall hangings
postcards and artist trading cards
framed quilt piece
Accessories   
key fob
bracelet or cuff
belt
cell phone case
eyeglass case
For baby
tag blanket
receiving blanket
baby bibs   
growth chart
Apparel:
slippers
hats
aprons
for the Home
pillowcase
pillowcover
Containers
drawstring bag
simple tote bag
fabric basket
zippered clutch
other bags
Zakka
book cover
fabric book
pincushions
stuffies (stuffed toys)
faux taxidermy
bunting/garlands

I think I will make a binder where I have a go-to favorite pattern for many of these projects all at hand.  

Key ring

I experimented with makinf a few key rings this week. A while ago I made two of the rectangular wristlet type, using the hardware from Dritz, 

I used some ribbon that I had on hand that was an inch wide, just the right size to fit the clamp.

I also had some narrower ribbon and some large split rings on hand, 

so I made this other style...

the. decorative part is made from two layers of felt, with a fabric hexagon topstitched on to one of the layers of felt, (before it is assembled)

This shows how I made the connector part, 

I just topstitched the ribbon on to some wool felt, trimmed it so that the edges were neat, and then folded it around a ring and stitched throught the layers close to the metal.

the two on the left I used for the key rings below, and the one with the longer ribbon part I just left as is.

I finished them off with some simple embroidered embellishments.  I made some others that aren't embroidered yet, but they are nice to work on in the evening while we are watching t.v.-- currently we are going through the British series, Inspector Lewis.

I guess that I will be ready for Christmas with a bunch of stocking stuffers on hand.

put a frame on it

this is my motto for today: "put a frame on it".

earlier this spring, I acquired this lovely frame at a garage sale for one dollar. I like the black painted wood even though, or perhaps because, it is a little bit beaten up.  I also find the gold accents quite delightful. They appeal to the magpie part of me that likes shiny details.

when I decided to try the techique of embroidering on to a motif printed on fabric, I decided that this project would finish up in this particular frame.

The Tim Holtz fabric that I chose had three large butterflies printed on it. So I made sure that when I cut the piece of fabric these butterflies would be centered within the intended frame. Also, I cut the fabric pieces large enough so that it could be mounted within the frame.

I have spent several happy hours embellishing these butterflies. I used a combination of machine free motion thread painting, together with some simple hand embroidery stitches.  The machine stitched areas are quite flat, while the hand embroidered sections are more dimensional and raised.

I had put a backing of fusible fleece behind the fabric, and although I started out by embroidering within a hoop, I soon found that this stabilizer on the back was enough to keep the thread from puckering the fabric,

this morning, I started to do some free motion quilting In the background around the butterflies.

then I decided that the whole thing would be improved if I added a little frame in the stitching.  upon reflection, I like the idea of adding frames, or borders and I think it will be fun to hand embroider a few more,

if one frame is good then several frames must be better, right,?

Time for a Selvedge Edge Project!

I like to save the selvages off the sides of fabrics. I just throw them into a box and forget about them usually.  from time to time I think to myself "It would be fun to make something out of those".

I have also had it in my head for a while now to try this design with strip piecing or string piecing, 

it is a project from this book:

I just dumped on my selvages out onto the table, and pulled out the blue and gray ones.

Initially I was thinking a table runner so I made one diamond with two ends.

with selvages, you just overlap them onto a foundation made of paper or muslin and topstitch the finished edge down.I cut out a diamond that is about 14 inches across and 26 inches long. I should've made it from two equilateral triangles, but that detail escaped me at the time. it is been hot here lately and my brain isn't working at top capacity.  

nevertheless, I just stitched them down onto my paper making sure to leave lots for the seam allowance. 

Before I cut the shapes to size, I decided to stay stitch around the paper shape to keep the stitching from unravelling as I go.

the paper founations I made were the actual finished size, so when I trimmed theem I added the seam allowance.

Again in retrospect, I think I might have been a good idea to make it a little wider than a quarter inch.

once I put them up on my design wall, the shapes looked a little forlorn. So of course I had to make more pieces. 

So long to the table runner idea. Hello new quilt project.

so now I am this far. I have also been to the store to get a couple meters of gray fabric to use for the alternate triangles..... 

I used up all my blue and grey selvages.

Have a good day. 

Inspiration and Exploration

(today I have quite a philosophical essay about a direction I want to take for our Block of the Month program for the autumn.  Sorry about no photos....)

I had a good time putting together the pattern for the Row by Row experience. 
At the same time that I was doing that, I was mulling over the Saturday Surprise Sampler Program at the store that runs from September to June.   We've done that for 12 years now, and we need to have a change.
I noticed that I was quite enjoying the process of designing the row for the shop hop, and started to ask myself how I could repeat that process.   Although I don't want to duplicate the idea of making a row quilt on a monthly basis, I do like the idea of creating a slightly bigger project.  That is, the project kit would be larger than just one 12 inch block, and come out only once a month instead of once every two weeks.   Also, the projects would not be cumulative, combining into a big quilt at the end, but rather, each project could be complete on its own.    Ergo, Project of the month, or PROM.  

The wheels in my mind keep turning however, and I want to tie the series of projects together somehow, to add more meaning to it, not to just create a series of projects, willy nilly. 
 I came up with the idea of exploring the whole concept and process of Inspiration.  I hope to do  two things each month.

1.  Choose a source of inspiration and explore ideas that could arise out of it.   Share those possibilities through a store display and blog posts, hopefully leading to others considering how they could use that inspiration source as well.
2.  Provide a project in kit form, based on that source of inspiration.  The person who sews the pattern might finish it as an item such as a tablerunner, or it could be a starting point for a whole different project.  

Along the way, I hope to delve more deeply into the process of how we get inspired, and how we can take the inspiration we feel and translate it into actual finished projects.
A lot of the time when I get ideas of what I'd like to make, they just fizzle out.  I'd like to be more able to harness that interest in an idea and direct it into my sewing.

so, I would like to invite you to join me on this voyage of exploration !