Scrap Pencil Case

Ok.  First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the Messenger Bag love yesterday!  Wow.  You guys made me blush & tear up ... all at the same time.  A girl could get used to that kind of affirmation!  I'll try to not let it go to my head. ;) 

And I've heard the hue & cry for a pattern/tutorial.  Gee whiz!  I'm totally blown away.  This feels so nice to have people not only like what I made, but want to make one too.  I think I should wait and let my daughter "test drive" the bag for a bit ... see if any fatal design flaws show up.  I'll keep you posted.

Now I'm afraid that Messenger Bag is a hard act to follow.  Today's project isn't quite a spectacular, but I think just as cute. ;)

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I'm always surprised by what can be done with scraps. 

Explains why my scrap bin is overflowing ...

Here's what I managed to eke out from the Messenger Bag leftovers.

A coordinating pencil case!

Cute, eh?  She said she wanted to sleep with it. ;)  I think that means she likes it.

Even the zipper pull is a fabric scrap ... 3/8" x 6".  Little fingers really appreciate them.  FYI, 1/4" is just a bit too narrow.  It will rip apart.  Just sayin'.

I'll show you little sister's pencil case tomorrow.

PS:  Thank you :)

Back to School Messenger Bag

Here it is ... the messenger bag.

Happily I didn't have to resort to implicating an imaginary dog ...  ;). 

What do you think?

My daughter loves it.  I'm sorta impressed with it myself.

One fabric change and few additions were required since my last post. 

First, I talked her into going with the polka dot instead of the red tonal - I thought the dots would look just a bit softer.  Plus, dots are happy ... and little sister's backpack has them.  I like doing things like that. 

I needed more fabrics because the pocket on the back was an afterthought and I made the flap bigger than originally planned (better too big than too small) so we added the pretty scallop and flowers to the mix. 

She resisted the flowers a bit because she was trying so hard to achieve her idea of grown-up, but it was the last gray print in the bundle and she reeeeeeeally wanted to stick with the one color.  She's quite happy with it on the inside. ;)

And I forgot to show you the fabrics she chose for the inside lining ...

Aqua!

When I started making all the different components of the bag, I asked her how she wanted me to top-stitch each piece.  She asked what her choices were. 

"Well, my dear child.  That is an EXCELLENT question.  Let me show you what your mama can do NOW!"

One problem:  we both became crippled with indecision.  Who knew an FMQ repertoire could cause a problem?  haha

So, she went with a few different ones ...

Front

Back (with a little heart in the top right corner ... because I love her.)

A small monogram for the flap embellishment was all she wanted with the FMQ flowers.  And for the first time ever I tried my hand a raw-edge applique.  Turned out great!  Thank you Miss Amy for the inspiration ;)

I added a large pocket to the back and a handle for hanging on a hook.

I installed an easy-to-use zipper on the inside ... TWICE.  (Yep ... I knew y'all were waiting for my screw-up confessional.)  The first time it went in upside down.  It was late and I was tired so I didn't take a picture of it.  But here's the evidence. 

Second time ...

She INSISTED on a red zipper ... to go with all the little red accents on the bag.  She's so cute. 

I used two different fabrics for the zipper to "make do".  They are the leftovers from the front and back panels.  A little scrappy ... but not TOO scrappy.

And check out the shoulder pad!  Thanks for the suggestion, Kate. 

I made the entire bag with 10 fat quarters - no yardage - and only scraps for leftovers ...

Check back tomorrow to see what I did with them.

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along Week 14

Pink & Green

I remember when I was growing up my aunt told me a "rule" about fashion in the '70s - "pink with green should never be seen" - meaning these two colors didn't go together.

Whoever made that up was a very, VERY bad person.  I think this color combination is not only perfect, it's essential to life as we know it. 

#61 - Northern Lights

#58 Mother's Dream

Turns out third time really IS the charm for this block. 

Attempt #1 was 1/4" too small. 

I'm making my blocks 5" instead of 6-1/2" ... ;) 

Attempt #2 was 1/8" too small. 

I do like things perfect and all, but I don't normally go to this much trouble to MAKE things perfect.  The older I get, the easier it is to say "oh well".

#3 - juuuuuuuuuuust right. ;) 

Apparently late night sewing isn't always the smartest use of one's time ...

Back To School Prep

Five years ago when my oldest daughter started Kindergarten, I made her a backpack for school.  (Sorry, no picture ... it was salvaged for parts a few years ago.)  It was the prettiest backpack ever.  I vowed to myself that my girls were going to have brand new handmade backpacks every September for the rest of their lives. ;) 

So far, I've kept that promise.  But I'm about to break it.

I had a weird moment of weakness this summer when we were shopping for school clothes and I saw this ...

I thought it was perfect for my little one! 

I dunno.  Something about the pink & happy polka dots.  And the navy.  I couldn't even believe the words coming out of my mouth as I asked her if she'd like it for school.  She said yes.  I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

So right now I'm sorta sad that I broke my informal promise to make two new backpacks every year (until they flat out refuse to take ANYTHING homemade to school because "that is SO NOT COOL ... no one ELSE does, MOM!")  (Ouch! Stick a knife in my heart already!)  But I'm also sorta relieved that I only have to make one this year.

So.  My Grade 5er decided she needs something more sophisticated this year ... because she's not a little kid anymore - she's TEN.  So she's requested a messenger bag. 

Ok.  I can do that.

I also gave her freedom to pick anything (well, ALMOST anything) from my stash.  She went straight for these ...

The grays from Bonnie & Camille's new "Ruby" line.  She thinks this is a very grown up color.  I agree.

(I know!  She isn't a pink girl like her mom.  I'm slowly coming to terms with that ... although sometimes I wonder if she was accidentally switched in the hospital.)

I don't have any yardage - just these FQs.  So it will look sorta patchy.  But not TOO patchy (so I've been directed).

She also wants just a little bit of decoration on the flap.  We're thinking about either applique or embroidery in red.  Perhaps a monogram.  Or a heart.  Or flowers.  Or a combination.  Or something else we haven't thought of yet.  I'm workin' without a net here ... or a pattern. 

I've actually never made a messenger bag before.  This is my rough sketch which has been approved by my client.

I can hardly wait to get sewing.  I hope it turns out!  I'll show it to you when it's done ... if it looks good.  If not, then I'll lie and tell you the dog ate it. 

'Cept we don't have a dog ...

Project Simplify - Day 57

Thank you SO MUCH for all the FMQ love yesterday!  Still on cloud nine over here. :)

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Oh how I love scrappy binding. 

I had the forethought to reserve one strip from each cream print in the bundle.

Graying hair doesn't ALWAYS win ... ;)

Project Simplify - Day 56

I DID IT!!!!!!!  I really did!  I officially declare myself an FMQer.  For real!  Oh I'm SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS!!!!!   My cross-hatch handcuffs are gone forever.

Let me show you my flowers.

Here are some of my hits,

and my personal favorite,

And some misses, of course.  Must show the misses ...

How cruel is it that the high contrast fabrics make a slightly bad flower looks colossally hideous?  Chalk it up to Murphy's Law, I guess!

(Oh, and I don't even want to KNOW what you gutter-minded peeps from yesterday see in this picture below ... )  tee hee

But by the end there were hardly any misses at all!  Oh, except for this ... grrr ...

Never mind.  Nothing is going to spoil my mood. 

I think all that practice with Stones really helped me improve my control.  Although I think Stones is actually harder than Flowers!  Go figure. :)

I sure have come a long way from this back in March (geez, five months ago!).  I remember how embarrassed I was to show you this ...

And how hilarious I thought this was in June ...

When I remember all the fear, practicing, trials & errors and a few (ok, maybe several) bad words that went into reaching my goal of learning FMQing, I'm kinda sorta proud of myself.  Oh, who am I kidding.  False modesty can be so unattractive.  I'M AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahaha!

I'm starting to wonder why I took a few decades to get here.  But I made it!  And it feels SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

I'm so hap, hap, happy!!!  I just want to hug everyone.   So if you're reading this, consider yourself virtually hugged! :)

Seriously.  I think forcing myself to do this in front of an "audience" made all the difference.  I shamed myself into not quitting - which I'm SURE I would have done ... again ... if I hadn't commited to this publicly.

So thanks.

Really.

Yay me! :)

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along Week 13

Pink, Green & Yellow

#48 - Homeward Bound

I know, I know, the gingham is touching itself again.  It bugs me a little bit here, but not as much as this block.  I'll keep this around as a reminder to not do it again ;).

#4 - Basket Weave

I was very deliberate about my fabric placement for this block.  Depending on how many fabrics are used and where they are positioned, sometimes I can see a ... well ... a notorious WWII symbol.  Once I see it, I can't NOT see it.  So I didn't follow the layout as in the book.

I think this layout has a more pinwheel-y, windmill-y look.  Pinwheels & windmills are friendly, right?  I mean, how can you not like them?  (Don Quixote doesn't count.  He's banana-nuts-crazy.  Oh, and plus he isn't real.) 

How to FMQ Flowers

Want to know how to do this to your quilts?

I used a pencil on paper because it's easier to photograph.  But the motion is the same with a sewing machine.

and so on, and so on, and so on.

Hope this helps!

Project Simplify - Day 55

Okay.

Do you ever avoid doing something because you'd prefer to live with the fantasy that you COULD do it, rather than ruin that possibility by trying and failing? 

I do. 

A lot. 

In my mind I'm super awesome at a lot of things I've never tried.

So I'm a little nervous here.  This is my last chance to FMQ with Project Simplify and I so badly want to conquer Flowers like I conquered Stones. 

My last attempt wasn't very good.

But I've been practicing a bit more and got some advice from Camille on technique.

A little funny, my daughter's friend was wearing this dress the other day. 

Here goes ... !

The Cost of Vanity ...

is measured in fabric? 

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Have you ever gone on an extended vacation for oh, I dunno, let's just throw a number out there ... say, 43 days ... for example.  But you forgot to pack this seemingly insignificant little device that lives quietly in your medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

After about a week, you realize this beauty accessory was left behind and the internal argument begins.  See, you've bought cheap tweezers in the past and over the years you've established a general policy, that for such things, either invest in the good stuff or don't bother. 

But good tweezers are about $10.  And you go through life comparing the price of just about every non-essential purchase to the cost of fabric - in this case, 3 or 4 fat quarters.  You reason that you already have a perfectly good pair at home.  Why buy another pair and be stuck with two?  Because graying hair aside, there is NO WAY you're EVER going to forget to pack them again.  What a waste of ... fabric, right? 

So I pose the question to all you hard core fabric lovers:  would YOU be prepared to spend most of your vacation looking like the love child of hers

and his

for the sake of fabric?

Now I'm not admitting anything here, but let's just say my husband values personality over looks.  ;)

Project Simplify - Day 5

What would a Project Simplify quilt be without a little ooopsies, hmmm?  I feel I have a reputation to uphold now.  ;)

The top row here isn't lined up properly.  (Does this picture make anyone else think of Tetris?)

Please note, this will NOT happen to you if you follow the directions in the book.   This happened to me because I only cut full blocks (no partials) 'cause I didn't know how many I'd need. 

No biggie.  It usually only takes one screw up to remind me to be more careful.  USUALLY, just one ... but not ALWAYS ... my graying hair isn't just for show ... it's Mother Nature's way of warning all innocent by-standers that my faculties just aren't what they used to be!  (Guess I should apologize for messin' with all you unsuspecting victims by using hair color, eh?)

At least I caught this one before I finished the entire seam.

I could have avoided this problem by cutting off all the long bits along the quilt sides AFTER I laid out the quilt but BEFORE I sewed the rows together ... 

... but I didn't have that stroke of genius until just now.  (Sigh)  Might as well blame my hair for that too.

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along Week 12

Green.

#30 - End of Day

This block feels a little heavy to me.  I think I might change out one of the corner triangles to white.   I'll see what it looks like with more blocks ...

#81 - Snowball

Kermit the Frog said it wasn't easy being green.

Yeah, he's right.  But it's totally easy being pink!  ;)

Project Simplify - Day 53

Three rows down,

uh,

lots more to go ...  (sigh).

Sometimes it's just better to focus on what you've got done ... not what you have left to do ...  ;)

Project Simplify - Day 52

Has this ever happened to you where you lay out all the blocks for the quilt, think you're done and then find a few more blocks that you accidentally laid down nearby - and promptly forgot about - and then you have spend like another 20 minutes re-jigging your layout?  You know, because you have all these weird rules about the same color and the same print not being allowed to touch each other?

No?  That doesn't happen to you?

Yeah, me either ... I was just wondering ... ;)

Project Simplify - Day 51

I have this thing (yes, another quilting foible) where I like directional prints to be going the same way (usually, not always ... I'm getting better about this).

See what I mean?  This kinda drives me a little nuts.  It just looks ... wrong.

Ahhh, this is soooo much better!

Mixed up directions used to ALWAYS bother me (please note that they only seem to bother me on MY OWN quilts.  For some reason, they don't have the same effect on me if I didn't make the quilt - go figure).  

But when my love affair with Japanese quilt books & magazines started, I noticed that Japanese quilters didn't seem to pay attention at all to that sort if thing.  They are interested letting direction just happen naturally (randomly) to create movement & tension and visual interest.  They don't seem to get all uptight about the "matchy matchy poo poo" stuff!

So now I try to not let it bother me as much.  There were a few stripes in the last quilt and I deliberately ignored them and let the laws of randomness rule.

But for this quilt, I kinda want everything to line up.  So I'm gonna make them.  Because I can. ;)

Do you care about print direction in your quilts? 

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along Week 11

Blue & Green.

#2 - Autumn Tints

Despite the lack of pink in this block, I really like it.

#7 - Birds in the Air

And I am just so absolutely crazy in love with the teeny tiny little dots in the fabric below ... I don't know why ... I never use dots ... doesn't make any sense to me ... really ... !  ;)

Tooth Fairy - Mystery Solved

Dear Holy Cow Fabulously Lovely Readers Who So Awesomely Responded To Our Request For Help,

I am pleased to introduce to you my very first guest blogger - my 8 year old daugher who was the subject of Tooth Fairy Tale.  She'd like to share a few words with you ...

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Well i read all of your comments.thank you so much for answreing my questyen. Now i know that i am not the only one. Wow! Tooth Fairy Glitter. That is way cool and seeing your money jar lose some money and get some money now that is way way way cool!

I should look for Fairy Glitter.

Oh! I don't know if my mom all ready posted this but i knew that the money was not the tooth Fairy's money because i am not sure if she left me with coins or bills any ways one of the coins had four yellow dots on it and when i saw it i remembred that night when my dad was showing me a famous girl from the olimpics [Cindy Klassen] and i asked my dad if he could show me the new remembrince day coin that he all ready showed me and my dad asked if i could show mom the girl on the coin and the remembrince day coin and i was bored and i saw a yellow super endelebul never com off in till you are dead and maybe even later markers/sharpe

[Translation:  Super-Indelible-Never-Come-Off-Until-You're-Dead-And-Maybe-Even-Later Marker ... a funny from Purple, Green & Yellow, a family favorite book by Canadian author Robert Munch.]

and so i was holding the remembrince day coin in my hand and i put four yellow dots around the flower i know it was weird but i did it and that is how i knew that the tooth fairy took my perents money not her own.

Well that is the time i knew that she barroed the money :) Well keep reading my mom's blog!! ;)

best wishes to everybody,

H.C

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Thank you sweetheart for your wonderful post!  And to you, dear audience, thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us solve the mystery. 

Now I'm going to dig into the now infamous loose change dish to pay her freelance fee ... that girl drives a hard bargain! :)

Tooth Fairy Tale

Dear parents of children who are visited by the Tooth Fairy.  The following story is a faithful account of what happened to my 8 year old this weekend.

She woke up Sunday morning and checked her Tooth Fairy pillow for the money she was expecting for the tooth she'd lost the night before.  She was a little disappointed to discover that the Tooth Fairy hadn't come.  But the Tooth Fairy has forgotten before and always shows up the next night.

Well, this time, my daughter returned to her room after watching some Sunday morning tv and discovered the Tooth Fairy had come while she was downstairs!  Wow!  We figure she was just running late.

But as my daughter was inspecting her payment, she suddenly announced that it WASN'T the Tooth Fairy who'd left the money.  The money was mine ...

You see, the Tooth Fairy left 8 quarters ($2).  One quarter was very special.  The Canadian Mint often produces limited edition coins and this one happened to be for Rememberance Day (I know November 11th is a special day in many countries) and it has a very distinct red poppy on one side of the coin.

Now it just so happens that my daughter had recently drawn faint yellow dots on this very coin and then returned it to the little spare change dish I keep near by.  She showed me the dots. 

You can imagine my surprise! 

The only thing we can figure is that the Tooth Fairy had run out of money for the night and had to borrow some from me. 

My daughter and I would like to know if this has ever happened to you.  She has read this story to verify it's accuracy and is looking forward to reading comments that will help us solve this mystery.

Many thanks for your input!

Project Simplify - Day 50

Ok everyone.  Are you ready for the last Project Simplify quilt?  I'm not.  I mean, I've been looking forward to making this quilt since I got the book and I'm excited to make it.  But I'm totally sad that it's the last one.  (Sigh.)

This quilt is called Dream Big.  I admit that when I started this blog on Valentine's Day of this year, I had no idea I'd be here right now with you.  And I had NO CLUE I'd have quilted my way through Camille's book and found so many of you to keep me company, encourage me, give me helpful bits of advice and just make me feel like I bring something worthwhile to this every-growing and fabulous on-line community. 

I'd been dreaming of having a quilt/craft blog for a full year before I finally turned it into a reality and just did it already!  I'm so happy I did.  This creative outlet has been satisfying for me in many ways.  The most important for me I think is that I've found a way to share my passion with others who "get it". 

See, when I talk to my non-crafty friends or the moms at my girls' school about my passion for sewing and how I spend my time, they look at me like I'm off my bleepin' rocker.  They don't understand why on earth I'd rather cut up fabric than shop for shoes.  Or how much fun it is for me to sew a bajillion little pieces of fabric together for hours on end instead of going out for coffee.  The polite ones pretend that it sounds cool.  Some are even genuinely impessed when they see something I've made.  But others just look at me wide-eyed as I describe my latest project, shake their heads and say, "You're crazy!" 

Yes, to each her own, I suppose.

But here, I feel at home with you.  I know I'm really just sitting in front of my computer, typing away.  But when I see you visiting me and leaving comments, I feel appreciated and welcomed.  I know time is valuable, and that you choose to visit ME and spend some of YOUR time HERE means the world to me.  So thank you.  Thank you very much. 

Ok, whoa!  Where did all that come from?  I wasn't expecting to say all that, but when I started thinking about my dreams ... 

Now, where was I?  Oh yes.  When I first came up with the idea for Project Simplify, I was so excited, but at the same time totally nervous that Camille might not like my idea.  I mean, she didn't know me from a hole in the wall.  I hadn't been blogging for very long at all and she didn't know what kind of quilter I was and how I would talk about her book.  It was a generous leap of faith on her part to give me her approval (and I wouldn't have done this project without it!)  It was a very big dream for me.  And, well, I guess you know how it turned out.   Thanks, C!

Fabric.  Hmmm, what to use, what to use.  Well, I've had this little Fat Eighth bundle in my stash since Quilt Market in Houston 2010. 

What's a Fat Eighth?  Good question.  It's half of a Fat Quarter!  These ones are 9" x 22". 

(Oh, please note, the pattern in the book does NOT call for Fat Eights.  I'm gonna have to do some fancy cutting and stuff here.)

This bundle has a great mix of pretty colors.  My favorite is the blue (I know!  I didn't say pink!)  The pink is my second favorite.  But that sky blue is just so clear and fresh and ... pretty!

Now in the interest of full disclosure, I am letting you know now that I'm not putting a border on this quilt.  I don't have any Buttercup yardage at all - just these precuts - and I'm not supposed to be buying any fabric for this project, remember? ;)   So I'm going to try a bit of an experiment.  I'm pretty sure this bundle has more yardage than what the pattern requires for the pieced part of the quilt.  So I'm just going to cut my Fat Eighths into as many blocks as I can and then build the quilt as big as possible.  Let's see what happens!

Project Simplify - Day 49

Another one done.  And she is a beauty, for sure.  I think the most "traditional" looking quilt of Project Simplify to date.

A name didn't come very easily though, so we "brainstormed" a bit.  I was trying to get my little helper to go for "Christmas Bows" (because the fabric is Christmasy and the basic block in this quilt is called "Bowtie") but she didn't like it. 

To her, the strongest visual elements in the quilt are the cream circles.  In fact, she was very excited as we were laying out the quilt when she discovered that as the blocks were placed together, secondary circles were formed.  She just got such a kick out of that!

So we ended up calling it "Christmas Shortbread".  'Cause the color of the circles kinda remind us of the color of shortbread cookies.  Love it. 

Shortbread is the only Christmas baking I can do that's a tradition from my mom because my little one was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when she was just two years old and must follow a very strict gluten-free diet.  Shortbread cookies - it just so happens - are wicked awesome melt-in-your-mouth when made with rice flour.

Next week ... the very last chapter!