Sunday, February 14, 2016

I Make No Excuses.

I'm not going to make any excuses for this latest purchase.  I cannot deny that I love Anna Maria Horner fabric.  I did what I did, and I can live with that!!

  

Look at these!  Could you pass them up?  Filigree was one of my favorite tone on tone designs from years ago...years!  When I saw AMH had a new batch, a new color combination, I knew it would make it to me.  The hardest part was deciding on either fat quarters, 1/2 yard or full yard bundles!  I landed in the middle, half yard it is!

Westwood Acres splashed it across their newsletter...it caught my eye...I bit!  With no regrets, no guilt.  


I had to pull out the old line and compare it with the new...I likey like!  Plus, I have a half baked plan in mind!  


BTW...do you know how hard it is to type with your index finger bandaged up after an encounter with a rotary blade?  No matter how dull you think your rotary blade is...it isn't! This short post took way too much time!  

LINKING:

Friday, February 12, 2016

Craftsy Sweetens Up My Life

How much do you love Craftsy?  I see a lot of hands raised!  From classes, to patterns, to supplies and much, much more...Craftsy has become a part of many of our Quilting lives...they truly have Sweetened my quilting life!




When I was approached about joining a Craftsy Blog Hop, it didn't take but a second to say yes!  Thank you Julie @Pink Doxies and Sandra @mmm! Quilts  for including me in this fun Blog Hop!  There will be many reviews happening this week, lots of giveaways and of course, maybe meet a new blogger you may not be familiar with!  Total WIN WIN, don't you think?

As an added bonus:  all classes reviewed on the blog hop will be 50% off!  Sweet!   

So, let's get to it!  Let's talk Craftsy!!



I do a lot of tiny piecing.  Whether it's improv or paper piecing, they both have one thing in common...lots and lots of seams and rotary cutting!  

There has to be a better way, a perfect solution, a time saver (and knee saver), effectively efficient!  And I found it!  A Steam Fast Mini Iron and a Folding Cutting/Pressing Mat.


Steam Fast Mini Iron
~ and ~

Omnigrid Foldaway Cutting and Ironing Mat


First, let's talk about the iron.  You wouldn't think such a tiny thing would be so mighty!  Oh, but it is!  It's light weight (under 1 pound), has a long cord (always welcome) and heats up in under a minute.  My seams and wrinkles are no match for this 'hot & steamy' travel iron.

When finger pressing is not enough, I find myself repeatedly getting up and walking to the iron board...over and over and over and over!  All for one little pressed seam!  Crazy!  



I don't have the ideal sewing space, so having my 'station' compact and efficient is very important.  I need things at my fingertips and this set-up has been a life saver!  



Small projects such as this paper pieced star, involves numerous seams.  You can see how crisp and clean the seams are.  Honestly, I was so impressed with this little iron from the start. I wasn't sure it would live up to my standards, but it has and then some.  




There is no denying the crispness of the press!  In case you are still unsure, check out the back seams!


You can choose to use the iron with steam or without and while there isn't a 'burst' of steam button, it isn't needed at all!  The steam and the heat is enough for perfectly pressed seams every time. 

The proof is in the pudding, as they say!


What about the Folding Cutting/Pressing Mat?  You can see from the previous pictures that it has all the bells and whistles needed for cutting.  The trademark yellow lines, 45 degree lines, and of course...inches!  If you don't need both sides simply fold one side under the other! With three (3) sizes available, you can pick the size that is right for you and your space.


While making this paper pieced rainbow star, it was a breeze to stand up from my machine and trim each seam.  Slice, dice and press!  


This has been the perfect set-up for me at home, but it doesn't end there!  These are the perfect travel companions!  Small and compact!  Take them to your Guild meetings, sewing with friends or on a quilting retreat!  I'm happy to say both of these will be going o their first retreat next weekend!  Yes!!

All of my opinions are my own, I'm not affiliated, sponsored or being compensated for this rave review!  I couldn't be happier with both of these items.  Each one is available at Craftsy and as always, Craftsy has screamin' deals!  

I hope this was helpful to you.  Before I buy anything it's important to know what I'm getting and have some honest feedback!

I know you are ready for the giveaway part!  Yes you are!  

Craftsy is offering three (3) great prizes!
Amy Gibson Crown Jewels Kit,       Color Theory 6" Strips,     Color Theory 10" Square
Click Here To Enter The Giveaway!
Enter until Sunday, February 21, 2016, at 11:59 pm MST.  The winners will be announced Feb. 22 


Please do check out the other Blogs participating in 'Craftsy Sweetens Up My Life' Blog Hop!   

BLOG HOP SCHEDULE:

Wednesday 10 February
Judy @ Quilt Paradigm
Helen 
@ Midget Gem Quilts

Thursday 11 February
Cindy 
@ Stitchin At Home 
Vicky 
@ Vicki's Crafts and Quilting

Friday 12 February
Zenia 
@ A Quilted Passion 
Jayne 
@ Twiggy and Opal

Saturday 13 February
Tish 
@ Tish's Adventures in Wonderland
Anja 
@ Anja Quilts

Sunday 14 February
Beth 
@ Cooking Up Quilts
Preeti 
@ Sew Preeti Quilts

Monday 15 February
Julie 
@ Pink Doxies
Sandra 
@ Musings of a Menopausal Melon

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Hanging Organizer ~ Tutorial

With a New Year, organizing always is at the top of my list!  Limited on space, I use the inside of my closet door as a 'catch all' for all that is important to me.  


 

From patterns, charts, notes and stuff...it accumulates rather quickly and becomes an unsightly mess!

My solution:  A Hanging Organizer.  Not just any organizer.  One that will take care of the inside of the door issue, but also for the tools and things I use every day.

From this:


To this:



Double pockets!  Fabric on the inside, clear vinyl on the outside!  I couldn't be happier with how this one turned out!  

If you are interested in making one similar to this, I have a tutorial on Fort Worth Fabric Studio Blog today!


I would love to see your version of this Hanging Organizer!  

Fort Worth Fabric Studio
LINKING:

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

My Obsession With VInyl

Somethings grab you and won't let go...dare I say like a 'hand on the throat'?  I've had a slight attraction, more like a fatal attraction, to clear vinyl.  More specifically, WIP Bags.  My first go around with them was pleasant, almost perfect.  (Clear Vinyl WIP Bags)  Yet, there was a desire to see if I could improve them.  

Like an old dog with a bone, the desire to make the WIP Bags better or more to my satisfaction, held on.  What could I do differently?  My main issue was how the binding frayed at the zipper.  It did fray, it did get messy and it did interfere with the the zipper. While watching an episode of 'Project Runway', I noticed how a designer (not the first) installed the zipper to the outside of the fabric.  Wasn't that interesting?!   Could I do that and would it work?  The zipper wasn't the issue actually, the raw edge was.  




When I saw these lace zippers from Fort Worth Fabric Studio, I thought it could be the perfect solution!

Would just a zipper across the vinyl hold up?  I tried it, and while I think it would stand the test of numerous zipper opening and closings, I wasn't convinced.



I decided to try a fabric casing, There wouldn't be any exposed fabric edges, which of course would eliminate fraying.

I took a 2" piece of fabric, folded and pressed it, and folded the edges to the center to make a casing.  



I placed the vinyl inside and stitched close to the edge. The result was perfect!  Yay!  No raw edges!


With the zipper pinned on the top of the casing, I stitched close to the zipper teeth and close to the outside of the zipper edge.  It was not going anywhere and you can barely see the thread!  

I like the lace zipper 'twist' and the fact that I don't have to tuck and hide it inside the fabric.


Here is the back of the zipper.  With the raw edge of the fabric safely and securely hidden, there won't be any interference with zipping and unzipping.



Next time I may use a wider casing so it shows more.

I still feel like there is more I could do with these WIP Bags, but I'll give it a rest for a while!  

There will be more lace zippers in my future!  



The Clear Vinyl WIP Bag was not my idea.  I came across it on 'Crazy Mom Quilts'.  I 
bought the pattern and promptly made a stack.  I'm happy with them, but I was inspired to change it up.  

I won't take credit for the design, but happily thank Amanda Jean for inspiring me to explore other options.


Check out:
Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Tomorrow I'll have a new tutorial featured...another clear vinyl project!!

LINKING: