Warm Cool Quilt Top - Finished!

I finished my quilt top yesterday, as part of the Warm Cool Quilt Along over at In Color Order. I had some triangles left over from another project, so I didn't even have to cut any fabric out (lucky me). The fabrics are Amy Butler Soul Blossoms (with a few extra pink fabrics thrown in). I made the 'Baby' sized quilt. I did have enough fabrics to make the 'Mini', which is the next size up, but I had many more 'cool' colored (green, blue) triangles than 'warm' colored triangles (orange, red, pink), so I stuck with this size.

The quilt top took me 3 hours to make. If I would have had to cut triangles, it would probably take a couple hours longer. My triangles were slightly bigger (4.5") than the quilt along instructions called for (3"), so my quilt top is about 34"x34" as opposed to the 20"x20" in the instructions.

This was a very well-organized sew along...there were tons of helpful posts along the way, and the diagrams to sew up the quilts were really awesome!

I'm going to spray baste and quilt it tonight, and I was wondering...what can I use this for? I was thinking either a wall hanging or maybe an area rug or kitchen floor mat? What can I put on the bottom to make it non-slip?

Tutorial Thursday: Fabric Beaded Headband

This week's free tutorial find is a really cool fabric hair accessory! I can't wait to make this headband, the triple-version looks really neat; I'm just contemplating which fabric to use!! Check out the tutorial here at Jamie Christina!

So many projects...so little time. :-)

SEW ALONG! Two Peas Madison Bag

Come make a bag with me!! We'll be working with the Madison Bag sewing pattern by Two Peas in a Pod Designs, starting now!!


Discounts - The pattern, as well as fabric needed to make the bag, is available at a generous discount of 20% off from Quilt Home! The discount is intended for supplies for this sew along *only*, and is not intended to be distributed or shared.

Here are the fabric requirements needed to make the Madison Bag. Remember, Quilt Home offers free shipping for orders of $50 or more!

To receive the code, just drop me a line at: sara@sewsweetness.com
I will send it right over and you can get to work on your most difficult task: choosing your fabrics! :-)


Support - I've created a Flickr Group for the sew along. Feel free to join up, post pictures of the fabric you are planning on working with, as well as any questions along the way! We're here to help each other get to the finished bag! You can also check out my review of the Madison Bag!

The Prizes - There will be a linky party here on July 29th (it's a Friday) for you to post your finished bag! I will have random drawings for prizes out of everyone who participates in the linky party. There will be prize packs from Two Peas in a Pod Designs!

I hope you will participate! :-)

Also, don't forget to come back in August for the Amy Butler pattern sew along...check my Summer Sew Along Calendar for more sew along fun!

Madison Bag

I made this Madison Bag by Two Peas in a Pod Designs. It is for a sew along that I am hosting, for the same bag (click here to join in on the Madison Bag Sew Along!). It is a pieced bag, with a magnetic snap and a flap closure. The completed bag is around 10" tall by 14" wide, without the strap.

Fabric - For this bag, I used prints from Heather Ross's Far Far Away lines. The pattern requires 4 fat quarters for the exterior, although I used scraps. I strategically cut them so that the prints would be toward the bottom of the panels; this is so that the flap would not cover the little characters. Also, I used 1/2 yard of fabric for the exterior and 1/8 yard for the straps. Fusible fleece is the interfacing named in the pattern, although I didn't have any, so I used fusible woven interfacing (and my flap is batting quilted to the lining fabric).

The darts on my bag exterior

Pattern Pieces - There are several paper pattern pieces to cut out. Three of the pieces are for the exterior, to create the patchwork effect. When you arrive at cutting the interfacing pieces, instead of using a pattern piece, you'll just be using the sewn exterior panels to trace over your interfacing. Additionally, the strap is made with rectangular measurements.

My quilted lining flap

Illustrations/Instructions - The illustrations are well-written and the photographs are large and very clear. There were a couple parts that I thought could be elaborated on, but if you have made a bag before, you should be fine.

When I inserted the snap into the flap, I placed the center of the snap at approximately 1-1/2" from the finished edge of the flap. I didn't insert the snap into the exterior of the bag until I had sewn it all together, right after I turned it right side out through a hole in the lining. I pulled my flap down and positioned it where I would like the flap to close on the bag, and made a mark there with my fabric marker. Then I cut slits for the magnetic snap and installed it (I always like to use a piece of Peltex, or 2 pieces of fleece, approximately 1.5" square; this gives the metal snap something to hold onto, so it doesn't wear away at your exterior fabric. You can see the interfaced side of my bag, and the piece of Peltex through the snap, in the picture below).

When I proceeded to sew the darts into the exterior of the bag, the pattern calls for you to sew the exterior front and back panels together first, and then sew the darts, seams from the front and back touching. I tried sewing like this the first time around, and probably due to user error, I got several pointy edges in my fabric (see photo below). So I ripped the seams and first sewed the darts together for each individual piece (bring the raw edges of the 'V' together, then sew a 1/4" seam down that edge), then I sewed the front of the exterior to the back of the exterior, right sides together. It gave me a more smooth corner. I'd done this with the Keyka Lou Curvy Clutch that I made last year.

For my flap, in place of rick rack or other embellishment, I decided to applique a little pink frog fabric into the upper right-hand corner of the flap. I'm not really sure how I feel about this...I probably should have just left it off.

I cut about 12" off my strap after trying it on, because the bag ended up hanging past my butt. The pattern designer does note the drop of the bag in the pattern, and suggests you trim the strap to fit your preference. I would definitely make sure you like the length of it, right after you attach it to the exterior of the bag.

Conclusion -This sewing pattern would be suitable for a confident beginner or intermediate sewer. When my husband saw this bag, he said that he didn't like the fabrics that I used, and I almost fainted (I guess I can't really explain to him the significance of Heather Ross prints, lol). This bag would make a cute small purse, or a great bag for a little girl.

P.S. I'm linking up to Sew Modern Monday, Fabric Tuesday, and Sew and Tell Friday!

Ava Bag Sew Along - 2 Days to Go!

Sneak peak of my Madison Bag...sew along starting Monday!

Just a reminder, the Ava Bag Sew Along ends this Friday! Don't forget to come back and link up your completed bags!

This sew along has been pretty quiet...I know a lot of you are on, or about to start, vacations. I hope you will join the Madison Bag sew along, starting Monday. I just finished my Madison Bag last night, and I'll be posting my review later today. Or, check out my Summer Sew Along Calendar for other sew alongs you can join!

The Colette Diaries

Colette 'Eclair Dress', and rockin' some handmade bags!

So I've decided to embark on a pretty ambitious project. My goal is to make all of the Colette Patterns, from easiest to hardest. I made the Eclair Dress earlier this year, and the instructions and design are just phenomenal.

The designer of these patterns, Sarai Mitnick, has provided me with her list in order of difficulty. I am giving myself a 6-week window to make each pattern. During that time, I will break up my progress into 5 chunks; once a week for 5 weeks, I will post in photographs and written play-by-play how I tackle each particular pattern. The 6th week will be my "finish" post, complete with a review of the sewing pattern.

I am not going to run this as a sew along because I think sewing such a huge wardrobe is a massive undertaking in itself. However, Sarai has graciously offered a discount on her patterns, one at the beginning of each 6-week session, in case you want to follow along. I'll leave an open-ended linky in my 6th week finishing post, for you to post your finished clothing (since the linky will be open-ended, you can link it up whenever you happen to finish, even if it's months later).

Just a little side note...I know that sometimes sewing clothing can get expensive. I am planning on using thrifted linens (curtains, bed sheets) on several of these projects. Most of these pieces I've procured for less than $2.

Below you can find the master schedule of the order in which I will be sewing these up. If you want to follow along at home, feel free to bookmark this page, as I will be updating this to include the links of each project's post, right here!!

1. Ginger (July 18)
     {Week 1}     {Week 2}     {Week 3}     {Week 4}     {Week 5}
2. Crepe (August 29)
3. Sencha (October 10)
4. Violet (November 21)
5. Macaron (January 2, 2012)
6. Parfait (February 13, 2012)
7. Eclair (March 26, 2012)
8. Rooibos (May 7, 2012)
9. Cinnamon (June 18, 2012)
10. Nutmeg (July 30, 2012)
11. Chantilly (September 10, 2012)
12. Beignet (October 22, 2012)
13. Ceylon (December 3, 2012)
14. Oolong (January 14, 2013)
15. Negroni (February 25, 2013)
16. Lady Grey (April 8, 2013)

Catch-All Bag

I have had this free tutorial project on my Pinterest for a few weeks now, but it was definitely near the top of my list! This tutorial is on Sewing Steph; I saw it on Craft Gossip.  I made mine as a sort of cosmetic bag, but I don't have nearly this much make-up, so it'll probably store some sort of sewing gadgets...maybe my assorted feet (walking foot, ruffler foot, etc.)?

Catch-All Bags from the pattern instructions

Fabric - This pattern requires 3 fat quarters, 2 for the outside of the bag and 1 for the lining. You'll also need 1/2 yard of stabilizer, but I sort of improvised (more on that later). A 10" zipper and materials for the strap round out the materials.

Pattern Pieces - There are only 2 pattern pieces for this project, but you'll need to measure out your main pattern piece using your ruler. There is also a pattern piece for the zipper ends. I had to spend a couple extra minutes making my main piece larger because the seam allowance is not included; rather than keep adding that extra 1/2" throughout as I'm cutting the fabric, as the pattern designer did, I just added the allowance when I cut my pattern piece out in the first place. I was curious why she didn't just add the allowance in, in her original measurements, but I realize some people are used to having to add the allowance (for Japanese sewing patterns, for instance).

Illustrations/Instructions - I feel like these instructions were spot-on. I thought it was really cool how everything is assembled in sandwich layers, if that makes sense, so that you're able to get all the fabrics put together around the zipper. Since this is a boxy bag, the ends need to be connected to form the 'box'.

Instead of the interfacing for the main fabric (I used a Joel Dewberry damask), I quilted it to a piece of Warm and Natural batting using a diamond pattern. It took me almost 2 hours to do those two little pieces of fabric, but I think the results are worth it. The quilting gives the main fabric a bit of punch. For the bottom of the outside of the bag, I used fusible Peltex interfacing. While it does help the bag stand up by itself, I'm not sure I'd use this again, as it made the bag extremely difficult to turn at the end. Some ideas only sound good in my head and not in real life, lol!

Instead of the handles (I didn't want mine to look too much like a little purse), I made a handle on one end. I sewed a 9"x4" piece of fabric, right sides together, and then turned it. I basted on onto the side panels of one end of the main fabric, and then as I was assembling the bag, the handle was sewn in permanently. I really like this side handle, it gives the bag a new look.

Other than the handle and interfacings, I didn't make any other changes. I think this is a really great pattern. Although, I'm going to be honest and admit that in one of the last steps (when you're sewing it into a box), I had to rip all of the seams, twice...it was after midnight and I was in a hurry to finish. Because this pattern uses so many sandwich layers sewn together, you'll really want to read the instructions and study the pictures several times.

Conclusion - I love this pattern, and this bag would make a great gift. It really is beautiful. Just because of all the sandwich layers, which can be tricky, I would recommend this for an intermediate sewer. I would probably make this again.

P.S. Linking up to Sew Modern Monday and Fabric Tuesday!

I'm on Craft Gossip!

Today, I am featured on Craft Gossip for my Dirty Bubble Zippered Pouch! I love Craft Gossip...I get their daily e-mails with lots of fun craft-related free project tutorials. What a treasure-trove of things to make, not only sewing related, but everything across the board!

Anyway, this kind of stuff puts me over the moon...I never would have thought something like this would be interesting enough of a project, lol!!

Tutorial: Dirty Bubble Zippered Pouch

I decided to sew up this little zippered pouch, featuring circles and applique. The finished size of this cute little pouch is approximately 9.5" wide by 5.5" tall. If you have never done any applique or sewn in a zipper, this tutorial would be a great introduction to those techniques!

I've decided to start calling my tutorials after the first thing that pops into my head while I'm making them; if you've ever seen Spongebob Squarepants, you might recall that one of the nemesis of Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy is the Dirty Bubble. If you've never seen the show, you probably think I'm crazy, lol.

Please check out my other Sewing Tutorials! If you have any questions about this tutorial while you're working on it, feel free to post on my Flickr Group. I'd also love it if you'd post pictures of your finished projects there, too!

PLEASE PRE-WASH AND IRON ALL FABRICS.

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE BEGINNING.

SUPPLIES

- 1 fat quarter for the exterior fabric
- 1 fat quarter for the lining fabric
- piece of batting approximately 10" x 12"
- assorted fabric scraps
- 10" zipper
- coordinating thread
- glue stick
- circle rotary cutter (optional)
- ruler
- invisible marking pen or fabric chalk

Helpful Hint: You can always use a larger zipper and trim it down. I used Warm and Natural batting for this project, but if your main fabric is white or light-colored, you might want to try Warm and Bright, or Soft and Bright (made by the Warm Company).


STEP 1 ~ CUT OUT YOUR FABRIC

From the Exterior Fabric
1a. Cut 2 pieces each 6" tall x 10" wide. These will be your Exterior Panels.

1b. Cut 2 pieces each 2.5" x 2.5"


From the Lining Fabric
1c. Cut 2 pieces each 6" tall x 10" wide. These will be your Lining Panels.

From the Batting
1d. Cut 2 pieces each 6" tall x 10" wide. 

ALL SEAMS ARE 1/2"

STEP 2 ~ PREPARE THE EXTERIOR 

2a. With a ruler and marking pen, make a 1" margin going all the way around your Exterior Panel. Repeat for the other Exterior Panel.

2b. Take 1 Exterior Panel. Using your rotary circle cutter, cut random-sized circles within your margins. My circles ranged from 1/2" to 2-1/4" in size. I cut them in a pleasing pattern. Make sure that they are spaced at least 1/2" apart. Repeat for the other Exterior Panel.

Helpful Hint: The reason you remove circles from your Exterior Panel and then replace them with circles from your Scrap Fabric (instead of just placing Scrap Fabric circles on top of the Exterior Panel) is that sometimes darker or printed Exterior Fabrics will show through your Scrap circles. In my case, the gray probably would have darkened my Scrap circle fabrics (especially the white portions). If you are using a white Exterior Fabric, feel free to omit Step 2b, and in Step 2d instead glue the circles on top of your Exterior Fabric. Make sense?

Helpful Hint: If you don't have a rotary cutter, use some objects from around the house to trace and cut your circles from. My rotary cutter doesn't make those itty-bitty circles, so I traced around the cap from my rotary cutter. Buttons would also be great to trace around...I'm sure we all have tons of various-sized buttons.

2c. With the exterior fabric scraps you had left over from Step 2b, use those circles to cut out your fabric scraps, however, make sure to trace and cut your Fabric Scrap circles 1/4" larger than your exterior fabric circles (they don't have to be exactly perfect circles).

2d. Put a small bit of the glue stick around the very outer edge (about 1/4") of the Fabric Scrap circles. Center the Fabric Scrap circles under their corresponding hole in the Exterior Fabric and put gentle pressure on it to make them stick. Repeat for all Fabric Scrap circles.

2e. Take 1 of the completed Exterior Panels. Apply glue with your glue stick to the entire wrong side, and glue the wrong side to 1 piece of batting. Repeat with the other Exterior Panel and remaining piece of batting.

2f. With your machine set at a small, tight zig-zag stitch (I have mine set at 3.0mm and 1.0mm; you might want to test it on a small fabric scrap first), zig-zag VERY SLOWLY around each circle. Take your time and be patient to get a nice-looking circle. Make sure your stitch is grabbing both the Exterior Fabric and the Fabric Scrap pieces. I used pink and blue coordinating threads for my pink and blue scrap circles. Repeat with the other Exterior piece.


STEP 3 ~ INSTALL THE ZIPPER

3a. Take the two 2.5" squares that you cut from the exterior fabric. Press both in half.

3b. Lay your zipper flat, right side facing you. Pin 1 of the pressed squares on top of the right end of the zipper, about 1/2" from the end. The folded edge of the square should be toward the center of the zipper. Pin. Sew 1/8" away from the folded edge of the fabric square.

Trim so that your fabric is even with the edge of the zipper. Repeat for the other fabric square and the left end of the zipper.

3c. Place 1 of your Exterior Panels, right side facing you. Place your Zipper Unit, wrong side facing you, at the top of the Exterior Piece. The horizontal edge of the zipper should be even with the raw edge of the top of your Exterior Piece. Pin. With your zipper foot on, sew along the pinned edge.

3d. Take 1 Lining Panel, right side facing you. Take the Exterior Panel that you sewed in Step 3c, and place it wrong side facing you, on top of the Lining Panel. The top edge of the Lining Panel should be even with the top zipper edge of the Exterior Panel. Pin. Sew on top of the stitching that attached the zipper onto the Exterior Panel. Flip the Exterior Panel over so that the wrong side of the Exterior Panel is touching the wrong side of the Lining Panel. Press.

3e. Repeat Steps 3c. and 3d. to attach the zipper to the remaining Exterior Panel and the remaining Lining Panel.

3f. Separate so that there is an Exterior Panel/Lining on either side of the zipper. Topstitch 1/8" on both sides of the zipper.


STEP 4 ~ COMPLETE THE POUCH

4a. Unzip your zipper halfway. Separate the panels again so that both Exterior Panels are right sides facing, and both Lining Panels are right sides facing. Pin each around the 3 sides (the zipper side can remain unpinned).

4b. Sew around the 3 sides of the Exterior Panel that you pinned in Step 3g., pivoting when you reach the corners. Repeat for the 3 sides of the Lining Panel, however, leave a 4" opening in the longest edge of the Lining Panel (this will leave room for you to turn the pouch right-sides out). Press seams and clip corners.

4c. Pull the pouch right sides out through the opening that you left in the Lining Panel. Push the corners out with a turning tool or the cap of a thin marker.

4d. Press the raw edges of the opening you left in the Lining Panel under about 1/2". Either handstitch or topstitch the opening closed.

AND YOU'RE DONE!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I hope you've enjoyed sewing up this little bag! Please let me know what you thought about the pattern! :-)