Sweet Treat Bag

Another small project completed! This Sweet Treat Bag was the project that Katie taught at last week's Daiwabo Club at Bigsby's. I think it's the first project that I have actually completed from the club (mostly I go to collect fabric, I think), but it was too darling not to work on it!

The project is based on a free pattern distributed by Moda. Katie's modifications included using only a half-length strip set and an uncut piece of fabric to make up the other side of the strip set (which becomes the interior of the bag anyways) and sewing an actual buttonhole closure rather than a decorative button plus Velcro as the real securing measure. I thought that both of those modifications worked pretty well.

However, I made a few further modifications, largely centering on what I thought was an overuse of stabilizer. There is a layer fusible batting applied to the pieced half of the bag, which I think gives it a nice weight. But there was a second layer of stabilizer that gave it way too much "crunch," in my opinion. So while I'd originally sewn it in, I pretty much ripped that half out wherever I could. I don't think it will matter as the whole purse is lined and is stabilized everywhere via the batting.

This was another quick, easy pattern that may find its way out again, come time to work on holiday gifts. And I did get to learn something new on my machine in making this project - how to make buttonholes! I must admit, however, that the instructions in the sewing machine book made little sense to me and it was mostly by trial and error (thank goodness I practiced first!) that I got it right. I also again used that lovely button sew-on program!

Novantique

I took a bit of a break from my work on Suffragette to machine quilt a small project that I blogged about some time ago. I needed a break from sewing flying geese (not only are there plenty on the center of Suffragette, there are also more in the borders!), and I also hoped to have something to work on in the car when we drove to Ohio to visit my family over the 4th (bindings are perfect for this).

This small piece had been sitting and calling my name for some time. I finished piecing it quite a while back (it was a WIP here) and then debated about what exactly I wanted to do in terms of quilting. Took it to my last Daiwabo Club meeting at Bigsby's and I think it's probably good that I did. Normally, I just would have quilted this with some sort of all-over design our a stipple/meander, but was encouraged to try something more individually block based.

Staff there directed me to the book Skillbuilder Mastery for Quilting by Machine by Renae Allen. It's mean to go along with a practice quilting panel (and a CD that I don't have), but where this book is good is that it shows you quilting patterns that might be appropriate for particular block layouts (e.g. stars, those based on a 9-patch grid, triangles, etc.) and shows you a few blocks quilted with those designs. It also provides blank templates so you can draw out your design for quilting once you've sized the block appropriately. Once again, I must say that I am thankful that I can handle some basic math, as I had to downsize these pretty significantly to fit the small blocks of this quilt. Here's my drawing of the pattern I quilted in each of the blocks and the setting triangles.

I used Golden Threads paper and got smart this time and needle punched the extra papers so I didn't have to draw out the designs over and over. This worked fairly well, although there was definitely some issue getting all of the paper out of some of the smaller areas between sewing lines. This is where ingenuity came into play and I discovered that the lint roller is helpful in picking up some of the tiny bits of excess that get all over the place!

I used a variegated thread on the top that I purchased for a class with Ann Fahl in May and which just happened to be the perfect color complement to this project. And I'd also purchased for that class some Bottom Line that was just right in terms of blending with the backing fabric (I left the spools at home, otherwise I'd let you know exactly what I used). Seeing as I hadn't really planned to quilt this when I did and of course wanted to start right away, I feel very fortunate that I was able to make do with what I happened to have around home and that I didn't feel like I had to compromise in using what I had. Here's a view of part of the back of the quilt, which shows off the quilting pretty well.

I don't think I ever mentioned what this was based on. It's the pattern Novantique, a Schnibbles pattern by Carrie L. Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. (which doesn't appear to have its own website). The pattern was designed to use charm packs, but I made my own charms out of my growing stash of Daiwabo fabrics. I ordered the pattern at some point a while back from the Fat Quarter Shop. I must say that I am more than happy with how this turned out!

Serenity Circles

I took some time out of reunion planning tonight and finished sewing down the binding on this quilt for Ben's Grandma (Gram). He's headed to New Hampshire this weekend for his high school reunion (15... ha ha ha!) and will head to the Cape for a few days, where he'll see her and give this to her as a belated Mother's Day gift. (Mom Sweetser: if you read this, mum's the word for a few more days!)

I was inspired to make this quilt after seeing a sample at Bigsby's Sewing Center, where I've been going to the Daiwabo Club and building up quite a stash of these subtle fabrics. The quilt is made from the Serenity Circles pattern by Elisa's Backporch. The pattern calls for her 7" Crazy Curves Template, but I modified the pattern (inspired by the model at Bigsby's) by using a smaller template from the Strips'n Curves Template Set, which made a 6-inch block. (Plus I already had this template set... because I have a Strips'n Curves work-in-progress that may get finished some day.)

I shared a photo of this and another Daiwabo work-in-progress (that is still a WIP) a while back before I'd had it quilted. Once again, Sandi quilted this for me and did a beautiful job. Finished size of the quilt is 48x60. I like it so much that I hate to part with it, but I know it's going to a loving home. Enjoy, Gram!

Daiwabo Works in Progress

I thought I'd share a couple of works in progress, both featuring yummy Daiwabo taupes that I've largely purchased at Bigsby's Sewing Center in Brookfield. This first project (with curved piecing) is all pieced and sewn together, but I'm not ready to do a full reveal yet because I want to have it quilted first. The second is a work-in-progress with some borders remaining to put on. I'll share both again when they're finished.

Enjoy!