Tabbie's Sewing

I was quilting my Craftsy BOM when my granddaughter texted and asked me if I could help her make a wallet.  Of course, I said yes and did what I could to prepare for the next day.  In my previous post I added a picture of the bag we made and the outside of her wallet (here).   Here is the inside of her wallet.  It's not perfect, the pattern was not well written and had no pictures at all, so there was a lot of figuring out and a couple of mistakes that we had to get creative with, but all in all, it was a success.  She loves her bag and her wallet and thought that it was fun. 

While we were at Joann's buying zippers, interfacings and such she decided that she would like to make a Christmas gift for her friend.  Her friend likes camo and the Georgia Bulldogs, so I suggested a fleece throw.   That appealed to her so we looked at fabrics and while we were looking for fabric for the binding, she changed her mind and decided she'd like to make a quilt instead, like the one her mother had made for her husband.  Same pattern, but big difference, he's a Florida Gator fan, a big rival of the Bulldogs.   She had two days off, the first day was wallet and bag and the second day was quilt.  She still has one border to add and binding to prepare, and I have a label to add to a sheet that we chose for the back, and then we'll be able to baste.  I'm hoping her next day off that we will get to that point and then I'll quilt it for her, she'll come back and attach the binding, a wash and a dry and her friend will be opening her Bulldog quilt in the middle of some die hard Gator fans on Christmas. 

Easy Street - Part 2

I have some extras, good thing as a few are pretty darn wonky.  This picture is more true to the colors than the one below, for some reason it is very washed out.   I still have to cut my rectangles, and then this step will be in the bag (or box in my case). 

Not sure why this is so washed out, I tried it with and without the flash.  Without is better, but not good.  If this was true to colors, it would be a very pale quilt.  

12/03 Monday
Wow, my granddaughter came over today for me to help her with a bag and a wallet, and so I didn't get a very early start to add to Bonnie's step 2 Easy Street Linky, and I'm number 143.  When I went to look I was so happy to actually have one of my quilts on Bonnie's blog.   Sharyn, from KalamaQuilts Annual Quiltville Mystery had mentioned on Quiltvillechat that I had done several of Bonnie's quilts and it started a discussion of who had done the most.  I was far from winning, but it did get my quilt pictured.  
The picture above is the bag that I mostly made, and the wallet that my granddaughter, Tabbie mostly made.  tomorrow she's coming back and I'm helping her with a Georgia Bulldog quilt she's making.  It's such fun to sew with the girls in the family, a real treat.
Oops, my original intention was to direct you to Bonnie's linky, but I got so excited telling about my granddaughter and my quilt that I forgot.  Here it it.  

Year of the Bags

I think this has been the year of the bags.  I see that except for two they are all my old stand-by no pattern bags, but for different people mostly, and in lots of different fabrics, including cotton, velveteen, lamé and Ikea upholstery fabric.   I'd say 15 bags in a pretty good amount.  Sandra's Fire bag was a collaboration between my daughter and I. 

One Down Two To Go

It's blue like a river and shiny in spots like sunshine, I think it has the right name, and it's done, almost done.  Some ladies say it isn't done, done until it has a label and it doesn't have one of those yet. 

Pieced flannel back.  I had to use what I had, so there is some orange and purple in there, too.

While I was quilting the blue one, I kept thinking I liked it best, but now, here it is with its sister and  I'm back to wishy-washy.  I'm planning to give one away as a Christmas gift and I want to keep my favorite, what to do, what to do. 

Thread Review

I'm about 1/4 finished quilting my Roll Roll Sunshine Rivers (RRCB) and I'm liking it so far.  I love Aurifil thread for it's thinness (I hate when the bobbin runs out), but the price is something that I don't love so much.  I thought I'd try some of the Essential Pro from Connecting threads, it is very thin and a fraction of the cost.  I don't have a longarm, I have a Juki, which many people use on a frame, so I thought it was worth a try.   I resisted, mostly because I have bought into the 'everything cotton' camp, but I got to thinking that I used to use whatever, and I haven't noticed any undue deteriorations.  Sooo, this is my first try and no problems so far (knock on wood), and a bonus, less lint.  The essential pro is 3315 yards for $5.99, and the cheapest that I've found Aurifil is 1422 yards for about $8.28.   I think Connecting Threads has a new believer.   Also, I love the King Tut for the top thread, again very expensive.  I tried the Coats and Clark machine quilting cotton thread from Joanns with a coupon, very much cheaper, and I also haven't found any problems with it.   Quilting is a fairly expensive hobby (obsession) and I think that this is one way to make it a little more affordable.  For me anyway. 
Don't you think the shiny blue border looks like sunshine on water. 
PS  It just occurred to me, I wonder how it would be in the bobbin for piecing.   I don't have any illusions that my quilts have to last for generations.  I make pretty simple quilts for the most part and not with exquisite quilting, etc., just nice not masterpieces.  If the bobbin thread took a year or two off their life, I don't have a problem with that.   If in future generations a museum is opened for quilts with 'mediocre meandering', I'm sure there will still be one or two they can use, lol.   

 

Daughter and I Finished Her Bag

Not very good pictures I'm afraid, taken with my iphone in poor lighting.  The handles are orange, and the bag is denim.  It's very cushy. 

The front zipper pocket lining.

We added this pocket, it's big enough for regular sheets of paper and is open.  I had cut one out for my bag too, but got carried away with the directions and forgot to add it to mine.  It isn't in the directions. 

All the linings are different as we were using leftovers from Gator quilts, but they are all very Gatory, and I think they give it character.   Even the pulls have Gators on them.  I got the bag started and my daughter finished it. 

Filling in the Time and Catching Up

I got up early this morning, as usual, and started off by getting my daughter's Kindle Fire bag up to this point.  It's pretty close to finished probably only another hour or so, but I needed the D rings to go further and my daughter has those.  She's coming after work and hopefully, she will be using it tomorrow.   Hope the picture doesn't make anyone dizzy, I flipped it.

Yesterday, I basted the bottom quilt, my RRSR (RRCB) and the top quilt, Maddox's baby quilt, and after I got as far as I could on the bag this morning I started basting the middle one, my Craftsy BOM.  Now, to clean, oil and change the needle in my Juki, and wind about 100 bobbins (a slight exaggeration) and I'll be set to do some meandering.  When I was almost done I had to stop and take DH to the heart doctor.  He didn't seem to have any real answers, I hate when Dr's ask me what is wrong, but his loop recorder showed that he had had several episodes of atrial fibrillation in the past 2 weeks, so within a month he should be having his ablation.  Meanwhile, on Dec. 10th he'll have surgery for a skin cancer on top of his head.  I know it could be worse, but he doesn't seem to catch too many breaks these days.   I sure hope this helps and he gets some verve back in his life.
When I refrerred to filling in the time, I mean until Friday when clue no. 2 of East Street is out.  I think I'll be ready.

Ipad Bag from Craftsy Pattern

My daughter and I were going to make these together, but she keeps having things come up so I decided to do mine and then help her with hers.  More Ikea fabric, my embroidery isn't showing up so well, but I guess that's ok.  If I am out it probably isn't the best to advertise that there's an ipad in there.  I meant to add pockets but got following directions and then it was too late.  I do have the one big pocket on the front, and it is huge.   It is very cushy too as there is a layer of batting. 

The inside is all fully lined, as is the pocket and as you can see it's very roomy.  Room for papers etc, if necessary.  All in all, it's a success.

A Little Bit of Christmas Sewing

My youngest granddaughter is getting a Kindle Fire for Christmas from my daughter and her husband so I found a good deal on a cover from ShopNBC and I made her this bag this morning to carry it in.  It is quilted and fully lined with 2 pockets inside and 2 outside.  Hope she likes it.  She's 9 so I was hoping that this Ikea fabric is young but not too young.  You can see the green striped pocket lining showing through, the inside is lined in the same fabric and the inside pockets are lined with the Ikea fabric. 

And Finished Step One "Easy Street"

About 200 of the little rascals.  My Ivory solid is Fairy Frost.  I told my husband that Fairy Frost makes me smile and he said I should put little bits of it all around the house.  I don't think I'll do that, but I feel happy when I even run across a piece in my scraps.  I like things that shine.  (Remember the monkey in my previous post.)  I didn't pick the ivory to use in my quilt because I agonized over the very best colors I could pick.  No, I saw Fairy Frost on clearance at Hancock's of Paducah and I couldn't help myself, I had to have it.  
 Easy Street is finished until next Friday, hopefully by then I'll have a finish or two to report and maybe an ipad or kindle bag, too.  It's amazing how much more you can do when you're retired, and how much more that could be done if I put the pedal to the metal.  I'm also good at taking breaks.  
There are a multitude of us working on "Easy Street" to see some of the progress go here to Bonnie's blog Quiltville's Quips and Snips.