Saturday, February 25, 2012

Paper Piecing Practice



This is where it starts.


With a pattern specially designed for
paper piecing printed on paper
also specially designed for paper piecing.

And this is where it ends.


There are a few steps (really a lot) in between. This might be boring
but I'm gonna do a quick run-through of the process
because I took 45 photos.

First I have to make some templates for the innies and outies
(some people call them concave and convex, but I can never remember which is which)

To do this I use a heavy template plastic to which I have glued the printed
copies of the pieces and then I pretty much cut (exactly) on
the lines.


Now, I cut pieces of fabric that are a little larger than
the amount needed to cover the area of the pattern.
See my cute little scrap bag with the elephants? I got this fabric (and most of the fabric
for this project) in a mystery scrap pack I ordered from
Hawthorne Threads. 
The mailman brought me three more yards of the elephants today.  (Hint:
buy stock in Hawthorne Threads.   My new favorite go to
shop for on-line purchases which I can coordinate with fabrics from my local quilt shop.)


Next the pieces are pinned to the paper, stitched on the lines, flipped and ironed.
Man, I am starting to bore my self with this post. 


sew, sew, sew


Basically, you just keep doing it till it looks like this.


 Then like this. 


 

Then like this.

Here is where the templates come in to cut the innies and outies. 
(spell check thinks they are inners and outers???)



cut,cut, cut


 Sew it all together, and you have this.


Even a caveman could do it.





Wednesday, February 22, 2012

another birthday

Well, how else would you follow up a
Valentine's Day sew-in
than with a birthday sew-in.


And, in honor of the special occasion,
 here is Patty wearing her
birthday bonnet which is ( you guessed it)



 another reversible bag.



I know this is a little confusing and, no, we are
not celebrating the birth of the
baby Jesus, again, so soon.


But I have had this HUGE roll of
wrapping paper for years and the more I use
the more I have left on the roll.


The roll is now taking up half a closet.
I really can't explain the ribbon other than it matched.

but "Wait" you say "who's birthday is it??? (and why do you still have your
reindeer napkins out?)


It is Debbie's birthday (Friday)
(and  you never know when Santa
will drop in).


ooh


aaah



Perfect!
!
Happy Birthday, Debbie,
from
the Master Sheamshtress!








Wednesday, February 15, 2012

We heart sewing


The bag camp graduates returned to the
to the PeacedGoods Studio
to make more bags for friends and selves.

Being Valentine's Day and all,
I couldn't have them back without a little
surprise and a little chocolate.


The surprise pincushions were made by yours truly.


Can you pick out the chocolate???


And what is this?  Looks like Debbie and her new little
Janome.

and hocus pocus


another reversible bag.

I can't believe I left Patty out of the pictures.  I was busy sewing
and she was busy cutting (her fabric and herself)
and by the time the camera came out, she was a bloody mess.

And who wants to see that?

The third little pincushion was a gift to my step-daughter, who sells little hand stitched
items on Etsy, but couldn't find the time to
make a pincushion for herself.
Enjoy, Megan!




Sunday, February 5, 2012

Bag Camp

My knitting pals wanted me to share my recipe for making
those cute little project bags I've been making
to sell in my Etsy shop.
So, yesterday I held the first ever
Bag Camp at the PeacedGoods Studio Camp Grounds.

The campers are from left to right
Patty and Debbie.
Aren't they adorable?  It's always a good idea to have
photogenic campers if you are going to get out the cannon.

Look how hard they are working
Patty showing off her skills as a contortionist cutter.
Next she shows off her foraging skills.

"Oh, look, I found the chips!"

Back to work.
Debbie asks "What would Patty do?"
Patty is thinking about it.



 
 Again, "What would Patty do?"

Concentration and hard work pay off.


Side one of Debby's bag,


 side two of Debby's bag.
Side one of Patty's bag


Side two of Patty's bag.

No Bag Camp would be complete without
a butt shot.


Jugs

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

I worked really hard, today

Well,
there was this great idea to make a little bit
larger project bag.
It turned into a large project, itself.
And ended up being
more like a project
box.



The idea of a bigger bag was not mine, and was not a bad idea.
The idea of the stabilizer was mine, and that was a bad idea.
It is a big bag gone bad.

BIG BAD BAG

And, as if that was not enough,
I took advantage of the sunny afternoon
to go outside and take some pictures
to post on Etsy.
About sixty of them.

About fifty of them had my feet in them.

CRAP, CRAP, CRAP

CROP, CROP, CROP

No feet, now.


Just bags.  Small, sweet bags.