Category Archives: sewing

studio shuffle

studio shuffle

I’m not generally much of a rearranger unless a space in our home really isn’t working anymore. This was the case with my home office/studio. This is a small space (about 100 square feet). It served as a sewing room, computer room, ceramics room and craft room. There wasn’t enough room for all that.

So I boxed up the sewing supplies. I don’t sew as much as I used to, but I don’t plan on quitting altogether. So I tried to organize my fabric and notions in a way that will make it easy for me to get to them when I want them. For me, this meant lots of small, transparent, organized bins — no digging through giant boxes. Yes, I know you are supposed to protect your fabric from light, but if I used opaque bins, I’d forget about the stuff and I may as well just donate the whole lot.

Here is the whole of my sewing/knitting/crocheting/beading/embroidering supplies, minus the sewing machine, thread rack and handwork basket. I have no idea where these are going, but they can’t stay here. Oh, and that dog crate is going, too.

And here is how the studio looks at the moment. You know those number puzzles where you shuffle the little tiles around? That’s what it feels like I have been doing all week: shuffling piles. Everything is getting rearranged. My wheel will no longer be next to a window, requiring me to wipe all the nooks and crannies of the woodwork every time I throw pots! And I’ll no longer be standing between my light source and the wheel, creating annoying shadows over my work. (I work mostly at night.) Exciting stuff.

flock of triangles

flock of triangles

It took me about 20 months, but I made another quilt! 20 months is actually an accomplishment, considering it took me 2.5 years to finish my last one. I am not what you would call a real quilter. I am just someone who likes pattern, color and design, and likes to make things for her children on occasion. This quilt was for my middle daughter. I will make one more for my youngest daughter, and that will likely be it until I’m expecting grandbabies. (if those grandbabies are lucky)

This is the Flock of Triangles quilt from “Denyse Schmidt Quilts.” It is also traditionally known as a flying geese quilt. I made this in a larger size than the one in the Denyse Schmidt book, so that required some math, which I apparently didn’t do correctly because the quilt was smaller than I had intended. Hence the yellow border. But I actually like the border quite a lot. This ended up somewhere between a twin and a full, but it will probably live on twin beds for most of its functional life, so that works.

This was my first try with a walking foot. I know I should have practiced on a pillow or something, but I just wanted to get this done, so I forged ahead. It is so not perfect in any way, shape or form. I quilted in a chevron pattern, which involved a lot of struggles with the quilt in my little machine, twisting and turning. I broke numerous needles. My tension kept getting messed up. It was not pretty. But it’s done.

For the back, I just made one long string of patchwork and cut it into rows. Charlotte prefers the back to the front. She’s crazy. But, hey, it’s her quilt. She’s been waiting so long for this. She is so happy every night when I tuck her into bed with this quilt. It makes me happy, too.

the pseudo-disney lunchbox

the pseudo-disney lunchbox

This summer we took my older two daughters and our niece to see “Brave.” They all loved it (and so did I — how nice not to see yet another princess-y princess). So when school was starting my girls asked for Merida lunch boxes. Unfortunately Disney puts yucky PVC all over their lunch boxes. But I couldn’t talk the girls out of Merida. So we compromised: Lands’ End ick-free lunch boxes (with coupon!) and half a yard of Merida fabric. I ironed on some interfacing that I already had and cut out patches that I edged with bias tape (another stash supply), and then hand-stitched them onto the bags. It was pretty easy, and the girls are happy. Win win.

I hear this laminated cotton is food-safe, so I may make some sandwich wraps and baggies, too. You know, in my loads of spare time.

today

today

I’m having a little trouble getting back into blogging when nothing all that interesting is going on. So today I just took photos. Yesterday was all dead car batteries, toddler tantrums, headaches and sunburn. Today was better. Today was …

one of my pots full of hydrangea blossoms rescued by Chris after one of the girls went after the bushes …
 a completed quilt back, folded next to my newly serviced sewing machine (what a difference) …

and hair long enough for a new haircut.

Tomorrow will be cake-baking, gift-wrapping and teriyaki chicken. (Chris’s birthday!)