Let the Christmas Making Begin!

Are you gearing up for some holiday sewing? Or maybe you have already been a busy little elf, sewing away before all the hustle and bustle begins.

 

Well, I have been doing a little holiday and 'special' day sewing

I would love to share with you. Because if you are like me, you can always use some good ideas for holiday gifting!

 

 

I made another lunch bag from Ayumi's great tutorial! This one is, obviously, a robot bag for a robot lovin' little guy! The robot was not a simple make...I used a paper foundation template from the Electric Quilt Program. Tiiiiiny pieces!

I thought this would be cute to carry his lego's, crayons or matchbox cars. But then I thought how special this bag would be filled with cookies or a candle and yummy lotions to give as a hostess gift or for a friend! If you have a sewing friend you could trade the robot panel for something sewing related and fill it with great notions! So there you go, its all sorted out! 

You can find the tutorial on Ayumi's Pink Penguin blog.

 

Next, I would like to share with you a quick, but sweet project. I made a little EPP pouch for a sewing friend. 

 

    

Simply cover a wallet style pouch with yo-yo's! What could be more sweet! And add a couple of pockets to hold hexie papers, wonder clips, a glue pen and some scissors! Perfect for small on-the-go projects!

 

    

 

I love this retro Yuwa fabric we have in the shop! It's great for fussy cutting too!

 

And last, but not least, you may want to pop over to the Sunny Day Supply blog and follow along as we make the Sunny Day Stocking! I am pretty smitten with this stocking...and so happy to be able to share it with everyone!

 

   

 

 Just head over to www.sunnydayfabric.com and click on the 'blog' tab! And if you haven't visited the shop yet, you might like to look around at all the fabulous fabrics and notions we have! So many great things for your stitchy friends!

 

happy Tuesday!

mary 

Lunch, Anyone?

After seeing a few adorable lunch bags floating around IG...I decided to it was time to try it out!

This super cute lunch bag is a free tutorial available on Ayumi's blog, Pink Penguin. 

 

 

It was so easy to make and just perfect for the fun Japanese fabrics from the shop. 

 

The bag has a drawstring interior...

 

 

I just love it! I plan to make a few more to give as Christmas gifts with cookies or treats tucked inside!

 

happy Tuesday!

mary  



A Winner and a Winning Sewing Machine Cover

Gill Watson! You are a winner! You won the e-version of Sweet Tweets! Congratulations :) I sent you an email.

 

 

A few weeks ago, I decided to tackle a sewing machine cover for my Janome 6600. I was still using the vinyl cover that came with the machine. But when a terrific load of Yuwa fabric was dropped on our shop...I just knew it was time!

 

 

This fabric, in particular, was the one that got my wheels spinning!

 

So without a pattern...just a good foundation of bag and box making...I set forth to create....

the EPIC SEWING MACHINE COVER!!!!

 

 

  I truly cobbled this together! Honestly, it was whack and hack!

 

I added a long pocket (divided) made of Hexies! Some of my favorite pieces fussy cut and some of the sweet hexies Susi sent to me!

 

 

I added a smaller hexie pocket on the reverse side...and some pieced letters...as well as bits of some of my favorite fabrics ;)

 

 

On both ends, I added tall pockets for rulers and tall things! Notice the fussy cutting! Hahahaha!

 

It was fun putting it together and really not difficult. I do find that if I am attempting something from scratch...oversize the pieces when possible. It's like your hair, you can always cut more off...it's difficult to put it back together. 

 

happy Monday!

mary 

 



Sweet Tweets!

When Erin Cox of Why Not Sew? asked me to participate in her book blog hop....of course, I said YES!

 

I have known Erin for years and have long admired her adorable projects! Writing a book and sharing her ideas seemed like a natural next step. And, boy, I am so glad she took that step!

 

   

Sweet Tweets guides you through using raw edge applique and a technique called sketch applique to create sweet projects.

 

Erin includes tips on preparing the applique, which foot to use for sketching, and oodles of projects to make!

 

  

 

But you aren't limited to just the projects in the book. This book is a great jumping off point for using the templates and techniques to create your own sketch applique project!

And that is exactly what I did!

 

 

 

I used Erin's delightful birds and heart template and did a little sketching....

 

to make a pretty 'tweet' pencil pouch for a special little girl!

 

  

I added a fun yarn fringe pull!  I can't wait to give it to her!

Erin is having a big giveaway on the last day of the blog hop so be sure to head over here 

on Saturday September 26th!

 

If you would like to win your own e version of Sweet Tweets...leave a comment here! I will choose a winner on Saturday September 27th at 10 pm EDT. Good luck!

 

Have a 'tweet' day!

mary   

 

 

  

Spring Fever!

Some time ago, I purchased Jen Kingwell's book, Quilt Lovely.

What a fitting title!

Everything in the book is LOVELY! I couldn't decide what to start first...until I saw Spring Fever at Minneapolis Quilt Market.

 

I saw Spring Fever in person and fell in love with the butterflies and flowers...and that scalloped border!

 

 

In between a gazillion other projects and family obligations - did I mention we have a newly engaged daughter - I have been plugging away at the blocks...

 

I enjoy working on it because it is a combination of machine piecing and hand applique. That works so well for me right now. I can piece with the machine and take the hand stitching with me as I go! Perfect!

 

 

I decided the new Heather Ross line Tiger Lily would be perfect for this quilt pattern. We received our selection of Tiger Lily in the shop - and if you are itching to pick some up...we have it at a great price! Personally, I would love to stash tons of this line, but as of now, it is not being reprinted...and there are only a couple of prints available from the manufacturer.... **insert sad face**

 

     

 

 

 But since I can't just work on one project at a time....I picked up the Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt....oh my! What a lovely book!

More on that next time! 

xo mary

 

Mollie Makes!!!

I was beyond giddy to be asked by Mollie Makes to contribute instructions for my clammy pouch. I am sure you have seen this zippy case in many of my pictures here and on IG. This little pouch is very near and dear to my heart because it includes bits of my very favorite fabrics!

 

 

You will find the instructions in Mollie Makes Issue 57 which went on sale in the UK this week! I suspect it will be in the US in a few weeks.

 

You can bet I will be hunting down a few copies! 

 

 

I love working with hand applique projects and the clamshell shape is one of my favorites. Plus the extra-special wonderful thing is...the size of your pouch can be easily adjusted...make it larger or make it smaller!

 

I made another using many of the fabrics from our Sunny Day Supply shop and a wee bit of fabric from my sweet friend Janelle! She knows me so well :)

 

 

     And Tiger Lily (which we have in the shop at a GREAT price!) is perfect for this little project!

 

 

Have a lovely Monday! I will be back soon to share with you my progress on the Spring Fever blocks!

 

xo mary   

Susi...

 I mentioned in my last post that I had a little swap with Susi!

If you follow Instagram you will know Susi as Lillaluise.

I was delighted when Susi suggested we might have fun with a little hexie swap!

Well, I know I made out like a bandit in this fun little swap!

Susi sent the most amazing pieced one inch hexies...pieced! I am impressed!

  

And an amazing drawstring bag...

 And fabric and fun kitties and horses!

and there was candy, but I took care of that right away!

Thank you so much, Susi! It was sweet of you to suggest a little hexie swap and then to spoil me so was above and beyond! 

I have already used a few hexies Susi sent in a special project...

    

Thank you again, Susi!

xo mary

Whoa, July!

Well July showed me who was boss! 

We had tons of rain...so walking the dog was a real treat!

We had a wedding in the family! My niece, Katie, was married! 

 

It was a beautiful wedding! We love weddings!

The rehearsal dinner was held in an Aviation Museum...very fun for the pilot-husbands!

    Between weddings and dogs...I have been stitching away on my Spring Fever Quilt...

 And I managed a little swap with Susi from Germany! 

Here is what I sent Susi!

 I wish I could say I have been traveling and having a great time, but we have a grandma to take to the grocery and doctors appointments...so its a bit difficult to go away for very long.

That's okay...I enjoy all the vacation photos posted on IG! I am keeping a list of all the places I want to visit :) hehe!
Hope you are having a wonderful summer!
mary   
 

Time for an Ark?

I feel for all the folks in California suffering from lack of rain...if there was a way for me to send you a bit of our weather, I would! We have had soooo much rain! Hardly a dry day and many days with drenching, soaking rains! 

You would think all this rain means lots of sewing time. But for me it just means I have to find creative ways to keep a dog busy! But I have had time to do a bit of sewing...

 

I have been working on a little fun swap....

And I have been playing with a few of the new fabrics we received in the shop....

 

 I love this Yuwa 50's Tape Measure print. Not only is the print fun with great pops of color, but the hand of this fabric is yummy! 

Also, we got a few of the new Suzy Ultman Message In A Bottle prints. Suzy is a local designer and I adore her whimsical designs.

Again...I felt the need to just stitch...no pattern just a little improvisational stitching!

    

Plus,  how fun are these Jelly Clips!

It seems so appropriate to be working with nautical prints given our wet weather! 

Have a great weekend!

mary

Time for Some Hand Stitching....

Life gets so busy at times and summer time always seems to be one of the busiest...

with sewing happening in just small bursts, it seems quite logical that hand stitching is my choice in busy times. 

I don't have a dedicated sewing space....still sew in the kitchen. So it is a chore to pull out or search out the fabrics I want. And now that we have a four legged eating machine....all of my fabrics are hidden in plastic containers that serve as a deterrent to jumping on the living room furniture! 

 Spring Fever by Jen Kingwell, has really tugged at my heart strings. I have completed about 4 butterfly blocks (8 more to go), but I decided to work on a couple of the flower basket blocks.

  

Nice easy shapes...

A fun busy summer time project...

The fabulous string art spool is from my dear friend Rachel at Family Ever After! The string art was made by Samantha at Strings By Samantha! Isn't is great?

I also decided to join in on the Sweetly Stitched Sew Along....It is a Sew Along organized by @ohhowsweetco and @sameliasmum on IG. The sew along is devoted to Amy Sinibaldi's book Sweetly Stitched Handmades.

     For the first round I made the Mouse House Doll Quilt...

It was a fun and fast make! I hand quilted it with Valdani Perle Cotton and used wool batting and nani Iro double gauze for the backing. Yummy!

This was gifted to the sweet little girl who lives next door to me.

 

Behind the house doors are fabrics with pictures....Amy's uses mouse fabrics. I used dogs, cats, etc.

If you haven't tried double gauze as a backing...you need to give it a shot. It is amazing and amazing to hand quilt. I love the double gauze paired with wool batting.

Now to choose a project for the next round! Yay!

Happy Thursday!

mary

What Have I done????

Some time after I lost my pup, Flanders, I started thinking about having another dog. I missed the companionship and the joy a dog brings to the house. My daughters wanted a dog as well and scoured the shelters looking for the right dog.

Then we found him...OY! His name is Finley or Fin or, sometimes, What-the-heck-dog! 

He was so calm in the shelter....while all of the other dogs went bizerk as a visitor passed, he sat quietly....with those big brown eyes. 

It was all a ruse...he knew when he saw me coming down the hall, there is an easy target. It was just a matter of reeling me in and life would be golden!

Finley is a 2 year old Treeing Walker Coonhound. And full of energy! I would say a less than perfect match for a mid-fifties gal who likes to sit and stare at fabric and sew.

The good news is, I am walking at least an hour a day with him and my daughter is running with him everyday. He is charming. Really...he is so stinking cute at times. And he sleeps like a champ and no accidents in the house. It is just the boundless amount of energy he has. I am hoping a lot of this has to do with his age. So if any of you have experience with TWC or hounds in general I would love to hear positive suggestions. The vet already put the fear of God into me, which didn't make me very happy. I need positive suggestions...not scare tactics. He is a rescue...had a bad life before and is now having to learn rules. We are in this for the duration! LOL!

Also, that is why the blog has been so quiet...it takes tons of work to get this boy to act like a domesticated animal...hehe...and after that I am pooped. So please forgive me for being absent.

I have managed to get a few things sewn....

A cute basket block for Carla - she had May in our Mid Century Modern Bee.

         

I have done a few baskets before and I love Gwen Marstons technique for making Improv Baskets! Full of whimsy!

May brought Spring Quilt Market! Quilt Market is a trade show and my sister and I attend to choose fabulous fabrics for Sunny Day Supply.

This year, I tried to be a bit more bold and meet a few folks behind the names I recognize.

I was thrilled....totally thrilled to meet Carolyn Forster! 

       

A while ago, I did a book review for Carolyn! I admire her work and I can tell she must be a wonderful teacher. Best of all, she is just super nice! A warm delightful person! I knew she would be after all the terrific things I heard about her from Nicky at Mrs. Sew and Sow.

  

Quilt Market was good and we will have some great new fabrics arriving this summer.

I also began working on a Jen Kingwell quilt from her new book Quilt Lovely. It is the Spring Fever quilt. I saw it in her booth at market. Loved it, of course! But then, I loved everything about her booth!

I purchased a bundle, the last bundle, of Tiger Lily at the Sample Spree (we have this collection coming to our shop). I thought so many of these prints are perfect for the butterflies and background sections of Spring Fever! And I love how beautifully it coordinates with the Lighthearted fabric from Ayumi! And, yes, we did get a restock of the Lighthearted fabric in the shop! Yay!

 For the top right block, I used nani Iro double gauze for the background.

     

I love that I can do a little machine piecing for this block and then finish up with some hand applique. It works well with my current schedule.

I have also been playing around with some hexies for a fun little swap! 

Thanks for hanging in there with me through transitions...whew! I know it will get better...the only way to go is up from here! LOL!

Have a great weekend!

mary