I've decided to shake it up a bit. I hope you've enjoyed viewing my projects and I've enjoyed making them and sharing with you.  Maybe I even spurred a little inspiration into one of your projects.  I will continue to share but I'm going to start sharing some of my favorite sewing tools, tips and techniques with you.  

First up - organizing your fabric stash!  How many of you have lots of fabric and it's in plastic bins or drawers and maybe - just maybe it's sorted by color.  How many times have you turned that bin upside down to find that perfect shade that of course is on the bottom of the bin. I wanted a better way - an easier way to see all - well almost all my stash.  

I found this idea of creating "mini" bolts.  I used heavy duty cardboard like those used for backers for collectible comics and magazines.  Mine are about 8" x 12" but similar sizes will work.  Lay the fabric on a table and fold the folded edge to the selvage edge.  Your fabric is now four layers thick instead of two. Starting at one end, lay the cardboard on the edge of the fabric and start rolling it onto the cardboard just as you would on to a bolt.  I fold the end on a diagonal and use a long pin to secure.  Make sure you tuck the end of the pin into the fabric so you don't catch it on the bolt next to it.   You could also use those clicky hair clips or even large paper clips. I've put several yards on one card.  

Arranging them on a shelf as shown in the picture below saved me a lot of shelf space with half full bins.  I need to find a closed cupboard or set of drawers so that they will  no get fade lines. 

Arrange them according to a color wheel or color spectrum.  

How time is flying by.  My last post was October 30 and here it is January already!  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are  all behind us for another year.  The hustle and the bustle are over and we are back to our normal routine.  Even though I have not posted, I have been sewing - not as much- but I'm keeping up.  I'll show you a few things I have been working on. 

I found this fabulous pin whale corduroy and just had to make this beautiful little jumper for my granddaughter:

 Is this not the most precious photo. We had an unusually warm day in November and this was taken at Onondaga Lake Park.  This is Kira and Evie.  Evie's Mom and my daughter have been friends since they were about five years old and now they each have daughters to continue that relationship - BFF.  This beautiful moment was of course followed by Kira putting Evie in a head lock and taking her down followed by much crying!   Oh well, at least we got this shot!

Kira's jumper was so cute, I thought Evie needed one too.  This is green pin whale cord with an applied red and white ribbon. Her Mom was so happy because they had a family Christmas party coming up which was a perfect occasion to wear it.  Isn't she adorable!?

We found this felt Christmas tree on Pinterst and thought it was the perfect thing to keep little hands off the real tree.  It's like a felt board and they can move the ornaments around where ever they like.  It is held to the wall with 3M removalbe fasterners.  They had so much fun!

Another project one of the ladies found.  Felt hair clips all done in the embroidery hoop.  Aren't they cute.  They were found at
http://www.digistitches.com/

Here's another travel roll, cosmetic organizer that I made for a friend for a Christmas present.  She loves dragon flies so I embroidered them on the front of the inside pocket.  I love this fabric!

I'm still working on some of the Party with Patrick and Quilting Celebrations designs from Patrick Lose.   This Snowman is a small banner which coordinates nicely with the table runner I previously posted.  I LOVE the pillows with the ribbons all tied up like a Christmas package. - I in fact made three sets for gifts. Another small banner is the New Years Eve one with bright colors.   And finally - catching up - Valentine placements

My How you Grew!

How cute is this!?  This is a panel that I found at the Quilt show in Virginia.  It is a growth chart to hang on the wall at the correct height and using a fabric marker, you can record the child's height as they grow.  Love it!

Also found at the Quilt show - and yes - Kira was the winner at this show - I found these panels to make fabric Golden Books. The inside of the book even has the same design as the real books.  Coordinating fabric can be purchased if you choose to use the panels to make a quilt.

Kristin found the panel for this ABC book in Charlotte.  It is a nice soft flannel.  So cute. Kira loves it!

Breast Cancer Purse Notebook

Just a nice little notebook for my purse.  It seems like I'm always looking for a piece of paper in my purse.  Not anymore!

Kira's Halloween Shirts

Opps - one more Halloween item.  I forgot about this one because I did it a few months ago.  At the quilt show last year I bought this design from Charming Station Embroidery.  It's a neat technique using a sheet of Mylar film under the emboridery to give the shiny effect.  The onesie has the pumpkin and a sweatshirt  with a pumpkin on the front and a silly candy corn line up across the back.

Let it Snow

  On my trip to the quilt show in Virginia, I found this embroidery pattern by Cindy Losekamp.  I bought a ladies Hanes sweatshirt at Walmart for $6.00 and cut it apart to use the fabric to make the new shirt with a Kwik Sew pattern.  I learned to do the coolest things.  I have 5D Software which is a compliment to my Pfaff machine.  In that software, you can put designs together, cut pieces out, move them around.  One of the things you can do is take a picture of the garment, upload that photo and place the design precisely where you want it.  When it is just how you want it, save the design to the USB stick, plug it into the embroidery machine and stitch away.
Kira loves it so much she hugged the snowman!

One last design for Halloween this year.  These are both designs from Quilting Celebrations magazine.  Now on to Christmas sewing.  It's not that far away!

Smocked Jumper

I'm so pleased with this little jumper for my Granddaughter.  This is the first smocked project I have made, outside of a class,  with my Amanda Jane Pleater.  I probably shouldn't have used pinwale corduroy for my first pleating project.  It's a little harder to pleat because of the weight of the fabric.  But, if I can do cord then there's no stopping me. The smocking was done in the hoop on my Pfaff Creative Sensation with a design I purchased from Elizabeth's Embroidery Designs. http://elizabethsembroideries.com/         I have taken a couple classes with Deb Yedziniak on pleating and smocking.  If you want to learn this art, Deb's the one to teach you.  She is a wonderful teacher and  does amazing work.  She knows all the ins and outs of it and created the smocking stitching for the Viking and Pfaff line of machines.  She's a Viking and a Martha Pullen educator and her web site is  http://www.designsbythread.com/     The pictures on the right show the pleater set up, the fabric pleated coming off the pleater,  and the bodice with the design embroidered                           Thanks Deb and Elizabeth for being so creative!

 

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo

 Once again this year I traveled to Northern Virginia to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo at the Dulles Expo Center in Sterling, Virgina.  My sister Anne and my friend Glenda went with me and my daughter Kris came up from Charlotte, NC to join the fun.  There were lots of venders selling and demonstrating so many interesting products and projects.   I purchased a few things  and got some good ideas.  We had a great time.  On the way there Thursday, we stopped at Wilson's Quilt Shop in Hagerstown, MD and did they have beautiful quilts.  Oh my.  Then it was on to one of my favorite shops - Web Fabrics in Purcelleville, VA..  Friday we spent all day at the show with a stop at G Street  Fabrics in Centreville, VA. before heading back to the hotel.  Saturday was kind of a free day and after a stop at the Jinny Beyer Studio in Great Falls, Va. for Glenda it was off to the Metro and a ride into Washington D.C. for the day.  Anne and Glenda have never been to D.C. so it was fun to show them around the museums and monuments.   Kris' friend from college was in the area and joined us for the afternoon. 

I made this wonderful travel bag from a pattern by Amy Butler and the matching travel roll for the trip.  The bag came home full of fabric and goodies from the trip.

Here we are in Washington, D.C. in front of "my" monument - The Washington Monument.  I call it "my" monument because the first time my daughter took us to DC it was the first thing I saw when we came up from the Metro.  I was so taken that it was real - not just a picture in a book or on TV, that I actually stood there and cried.  And my kids were like - jeeze Mom - but it was a special moment for me.   Ever since when we go to DC I have to see it.  After reading the history of it, I wanted to see the plagues on the interior walls and not just the glimpse from the glass doors in the elevator.  But alas, the stairs are no longer allowed to be used.   But, my wish was to come true!  The second time we visited, we were all -l-l-l the way at the top of the monument when sirens started blaring.  Over the intercom came "Please go to the stairway. Do not go to the elevator"   They told us it was a false alarm, a malfunction but we would have to walk down, to take our time.  YES!!!  Everyone was very calm since  this was after 911 after all.   And my daughter and I took our time.  We took pictures all the way down and we were the last ones out of the building.   Would I do it again?  Maybe not. My legs were like rubber when I reached the ground level.  It is 500 feet to the top or 50 stories and 896 stairs!  But, I did it!!   Now the monument is closed due to cracks from the earthquake last year.  I hope it can be repaired so I can go to the top again! We also visited the WW II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, National Museum of American History - I won't go on about the Flag right now and saw the dinosaurs and the Hope Diamond and the Museum of Natural History.  That pretty much filled the day! That's Glenda, my sister Anne and myself in front of the monument.   Kristin's friend Taber and my daughter Kristin in the middle on right.   Did you know that all the monuments and Smitsonian Museums are FREE!!! You should go!

I'm still  stitching away on the Patrick Lose designs when I don't have another project on the machine.  I love this Apple and Pear design for fall. 

This beautiful Fall table runner was in the Quilting Celebrations magazine by Patrick Lose that I bought last year.  It sucked me into his designs and have doing them every since.   Most are quick and easy and make nice gifts.  I never got to this one last year but am sure glad I just made it.   I love it.

Another nice Fall table mat.

And onto Halloween decorations. More from Quilting Celebrations and Party with Patrick.  Love them!  And cousin Kathy - watch your mailbox next week so you'll stop whining!

Thanksgiving - we can't forget Thanksgiving - that's the holiday between Halloween and Christmas.  It seems to get lost somehow.  I can remember as a kid how we enjoyed Thanksgiving as a kid with all the family gathering at our house for a feast.  I think there was about 25 of us with all the aunts and uncles and cousins.  And of course, there was the kids table cause we couldn't all fit around the big table.  I remember there was a time that Mom would put a table leaf  between two chairs to fit some of us little ones at the big table.

And so begins the Christmas sewing.  This wonderful snowman table runner was a fun project from the monthly collection and is sparkled with heat set rhinestones. Thanks Nadine for the sparkle!

You all know that since my daughters have gone that I took over the large bedroom upstairs for a sewing room.  What to do when my granddaughter is sleeping?    I couldn't bear to get rid of this old Singer treadle machine and cabinet that I learned to sew on.  After all, it belonged to my Great Grandmother Sarah and she supported herself and two young children as a dressmaker in the very early 1900's.  Imagine making all those intricate floor length dresses on a treadle machine!  Anyway so  I brought down my non embroidery machine and set it on the cabinet.  Shades of Yesteryear just like when I was a kid sewing in the dining room in front of the windows.  So now when Kira is snoozing - I can be a stitching!

What's next - well - I've been taking lessons on pleating and machine smocking and I have a beautiful little jumper in pinwhale corduroy for Kira with a smocked yoke.  Watch for it!

I received the ultimate compliment from my daughter Erin.  She was shopping and was at a Vera Bradley store and sent me a message that although Vera's bags were nice, she liked my better!! Woo hoo!!!! But, she continued,  Vera has one thing on me and attached a picture of flip flops in the Vera matching fabric designs.  WELL - move over Vera!!  Not to be outdone by Vera, I was shopping in Buffalo and found this pattern.  Now, Erin has matching flip flops for the bag I made her shown in a previous post.  They were really easy!   You need to purchase a pair of thong flip flops and cut off the straps for the base, but save the plugs.  Trace the flips flops, and using layers of fabric, interfacing and peltex you create the top, add a binding and a strip for the ties.  Then it is glued to the rubber base.  So cool.  She may never wear them, BUT watch out Vera!

The girls asked me to make them a  roll to hold all their toiletries when they are traveling.  I came up with this design to hold small bottles of shampoo, etc., the size that can be taken on an airplane.  Using two coordinating fabrics, I sandwiched them with Sew soft batting and quilted them together.  I cut lengths of vinyl and attached binding strips to them and then sewed them to zippers.  They were stitched to the main fabric on the binding strip above the zipper to separate each pocket.  The bottom pocket was made by cutting the fabric a couple inches wider than the main piece and boxing the corners and stitching it on.  The  entire outer edge is finished with a binding strip. The blue one has part of a coat hanger inserted and the beige one has a large metal ring on a tab to allow these to be hung on the back of the bathroom door in a hotel.  Just add your items, roll them up and tie them with a bow and you're ready to travel.  Kris wanted a smaller one but you could make them any size, make the pockets any size and even divide the small pockets for a jewelry roll.   So many different things you could use if for.  Get your imagination going.

It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks trying to get ready for the first family reunion of the Reagan Family.   Being the "family historian", I had to get my files together and tried to fill in some missing links.   We had a wonderful dinner at the Brae Loch restaurant in Cazenovia  followed on Sunday with a BBQ at my brothers.  My sister in law made this outstanding sign to put at the road side for the BBQ.  Nice job Loy!   I embroidered these canvas bags with our family crest for everyone as a memento of the weekend.

For our vacation this year, our family traveled to Virigina Beach, Va. and then to Charlotte, N.C..  We had a great time and I was able to stop at a few fabric shops along the way.  I had been told about Mary Jo's Cloth Store in Gastonia, N.C.  http://maryjos.com/  but never expected what I found.  It is enormous and has every type of fabric you can image.  It was quite an overload to the mind.  Which section to go to first.  What to buy, what not to buy.  How much to buy, where am I going to put it. Oh my!   Can't wait to go back with projects in mind.  Not far down the road is  Long Creek Mills  http://www.longcreekmills.com/location.html which has thousands of cones of embroidery thread at VERY reasonable prices.  Another place for me to get in trouble.   I also stopped at a nice little quilt shop near Kristin in Charlotte  Qbee Quilts and bought a few things there. 

We had a great time at the beach with a room with balcony on the beach front.  The kids swam all day and played in the sand. 

We visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. and what a beautiful and enormous estate.  

This is an e-reader cover and eyeglass case to match the professional tote that I made for my sister which is shown below.

 And yet another bag for Erin with matching wallet, sun glass case and change/card holder.  Erin gave me the ultimate compliment.  She was at a Vera Bradley store and sent me a text that said "I like yours better"!!

Did a little sewing for my little cutie granddaughter Kira.  These are both Kwik Sew patterns and the fabric was purchased at Calico Gals in Lyncourt.
She's so precious - always on the "go".

AND - I finally made something for myself!   It's a beautiful laptop bag.  The pattern is from Indygo Junction and the fabric was purchased at Cazenovia Fabrics.