pockets...

Whoopsie! :-/ I forgot to snap a photo of my pocket corners before I sewed them down. But they did turn out nice and square. ;-) LOL I see I need to trim some threads, but you can kinda get the idea here... any guesses as to what this wild piece is going to be??? :-)

Stay tuned! ;-)

Happy stitchin'!

Remember my Autumn String Blocks?

The are now a quilt top. :-)

Yay! :-) The greens aren't as pale or blue as they appear in the photo, I'm not sure why they turned out that way. It is approx 60 inches square. Any ideas on how to quilt it? And remember, I can't do fancy stuff. :-)) .....yet! ;-)

Having a quiet day here. Until next time~

Happy Stitchin'!!

My Plexi Table & Other Stuff

For 'the demanding doll' (LOL are you really? :-)) ) ~ I'm not sure you will be able to see my table very well~ it is clear plexiglass. I'm sure my Dad used some kind of special saw, but I don't know what. He did sand the sides so they are nice and smooth. And he sank the screws for the dowel legs so that they are just a bit below flush with the table~ nothing catches on them! ;-) It is aprox 24 x 24 inches and he measured my sewing machine to get the cut-out to fit perfectly. Do I have the best Dad?! :-)

Bingo-Bonnie~~ I already showed my challenge quilt last Friday. :-)) And no, you probably won't see circles from me next year~ that would make it too easy to guess me! ;-))

Today I have been working on some pockets for a project and as I was sewing, I got to wondering~ when y'all make pockets, do you pivot directly at the corner, or do you take one stitch diagonally? I've always taken the diagonal stitch and it sure makes the corner turn out nice and square! These pockets are lined with fusible fleece, so the diagonal stitch will really help! I'll turn them all tonight when I'm in my chair with my feet in the air. :-)) So I will show you the square corners tomorrow. ;-) Until then~

Happy stitchin'!

Trying again~~ ;-)

Ok, Bingo~Bonnie, I'll try again~ :-) This is just an easy way to sew or quilt a circle.

♥The thumbtack is point up and stuck thru a piece of masking tape~ a piece big enough to keep the tack adhered securely to your sewing table.... if your machine isn't flush with your table, or you don't have a little plexiglass table, I'm thinking you could put the tack on your sewing machine throat. **In the photo it is stuck to my plexiglass table** But I stuck myself plenty of times with it off to the left side, so I can only imagine what it would be like having it on the inside. :-o

♥ Choose a special stitch~ this is a great way to use some of those stitches that come with your machines that you never ever use! :-)

♥Then I put my quilt sandwich on top of the tack. You do have to fiddle it a little bit so you aren't breaking threads in your fabric. I don't think this would be easy to do with a batik, but my black and whites were loosely woven enough that I could sneak it between the fibers.

♥ As you sew, the feed dogs of your machine will draw the fabric and it will pivot on the tack all by itself. Just keep a steady pace and before long you will have sewn the circle. :-)

♥The distance from the tack to the needle is half the size your circle will be~ good ol' high school geometry. ;-)

If you try it, please let me know! :-)

Happy stitchin'!!

Today's Fun~

How about this?! 2 posts in one day!! :-)) Although it does feel like its been a day since I posted! LOL that is what rising before the sun does for ya!

Today I was working on a piece for a tote and decided to try machine quilting circles with a tack. :-) Have you heard of that? I can't remember where I saw it, but it is easy! I have a nifty little pexiglass table for my sewing machine that my Dad made for me. (thanks Daddy-o! :-)) So I used a piece of masking tape to hold the tack in place, and then put my quilt sandwich down on top of it. I used a fancy stitch on my sewing machine and it just sewed the circle for me! :-) Slick as can be! My sewing is a little off because I was trying to hurry the sewing a little too much, and I did get stuck on a few of those seams, but all-in-all I don't think it looks too bad. I know I'll be playing with this technique more. ;-) You can click the photo's for a little bigger view....

Until next time~

Happy stitchin'!!

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing!

I was cleaning off my ironing board and found I had a few more Ocean Wave blocks cut out. So I sat down and finished them! :-) Today I am taking a little break from the projects and playing with a little side project and then I'll get back to the strings. ;-) Wish me luck!

Happy Stitchin'!

Quiltathon Weekend...

Do good intentions count??? :-)))

Just look what I had to deal with!~ gorgeous weather!

Aren't the trees pretty? Of course, I had to go for a few long walks! ;-)

And then I managed to settle down and sew for a bit. I got my BOM ready for next month, and I made these 2 pillowcases for my DD and her roommate. Then I pulled out my strings for string blocks and proceeded to make a mess. No I am not showing you that! :-)) But maybe I'll have a little peek of what I am working on tomorrow. Until then,

Happy Stitchin'!