Category Archives: Pattern review

December 26, 2012 · 6:53 PM

Patchwork Booties

These are fur lined slippers. The soles are suede (also lined with fur) and these booties could probably be worn outside but aren’t really made for that purpose. I found this pattern in the magazine 101 Patchwork Projects and Quilts that was published in 2011. However, I have also found this link to download the pattern and instructions from Quilting Arts TV.

2011 Magazine

I was going to make these for my youngest daughter last Christmas but never got around to it. I had all the materials and decided to make them this Christmas. After copying all the pattern pieces, the first step was to make a patchwork “rectangle” .

Lower boot pattern on patchwork

The upper boot (which ultimately will not show) is made out of muslin. The muslin is sewn onto the inside and outside lower boots and then the two sides are sewn together.

Muslin top sewn on to lower boot

The lining is fur/sherpa for the inside. This was the most difficult item to find but I finally did find something suitable at Joann Fabrics. I debated using something different that was softer, but I think this stiffer fur actually is best now that they are done.

Lining and boot sewn together at top

Once the lining is turned and pushed down inside the outside boot, this is what it looks like:

Lining pushed to the inside

The suede soles are from Boye and I bought mine on-line but they are available in different places like knitting stores. Attaching them was easier than I thought. The soles have pre-punched holes around the edge and it was just a matter of sewing them on by hand with embroidery floss (I used all 6 strands).

Soles sewn on with a back stitch

Here they are – all done!

The only comment I should make about the pattern which is not reflected in the pictures I took above is that there is a patchwork toe piece which is sewn in place after the inner and outer boot pieces are sewn together. This is the orange and brown fabric shown on the toe above. This covers up an awkward seam down the middle of the front of the boot, but it also covered up part of the patchwork that I had made in the first step. No big deal but if I had realized from the start that was going to be the case, I wouldn’t have put some of the prettier fabrics there because they just got covered up.

Trick or Treat! Bag

Trick or Treat!

Isn’t this adorable? I couldn’t resist the little monsters on this fabric. I’m trying to make a few items to sell in the “boutique” at my quilt guild’s show in mid-October. It will help the Needlechasers of Chevy Chase support their community service and educational programming for the next two years.

Detail of decorative machine stitching

The pattern that I used is “Nesting Fabric Bowls” by Nova Flitter of “a cuppa and a catch up“. It is a downloadable PDF pattern that costs $7.95, is worth every cent, and you can find it here.

This is a very simple pattern to make! What makes it so worth buying is that you get measurements to make all 6 sizes plus directions to customize a size and a huge variation of other design ideas. Do you want to make it out of one fabric, more than one, a directional fabric, with one handle, two handles? Do you want to make it a box instead? Do you want to add a pocket or grommets for hanging it?

Here is the first one I made. It is the 6 inch size.

6 inch fabric bowl

I made it out of linen, used pieced fabric strips for the feature fabric and did a running stitch with embroidery floss for an extra detail.

This one was made as a gift for my sister in law and brother who live on a lake in New Hampshire and feed us lobster every 4th of July.

I thought this was too small and too shallow to use for a trick or treat bag so I did use the directions for customizing a size for my halloween version.

6″ size vs. 7 ” size that is deeper

I am going to make a few more using these fabrics.

Fun halloween fabrics

The monsters and Candy Corns are “Eerie Alley” by Robert Kaufman.

The spiders are “Seen on Halloween” by Maywood Studio.

This ought to hold a lot of candy!

Here is what Nova writes on the pattern about selling items made from it: “I am happy for home-based businesses to sell items made using my pattern on a small scale. Credit must be given please to Nova Flitter of ‘a cuppa and a catch up’ http://www.acuppaandacatchup.com as the pattern designer, thank you. This License to sell does not extend to large scale commercial production. Please do not make copies of this pattern or distribute, thank you.”

I’ve been making several small items to sell to benefit my quilt guild and I really appreciate it when the designer of a pattern spells out exactly what is and is not allowed this way! Thanks Nova!

Linking to Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday. (even though it’s Wednesday!)

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Filed under Gifts, NeedleChasers of Chevy Chase, Pattern review, Uncategorized

Tagged as fabric bowl, halloween, halloween candy bag, halloween tote, nesting fabric bowls, trick or treat, trick or treat bag

July 8, 2012 · 4:22 PM

“Pockets to Go” by Terry Atkinson

Pockets to Go by Terry Atkinson

Aren’t these adorable? I made one and a friend made the other. The pattern is called “Pockets To Go” by Atkinson Designs. They are sewing supply organizers and can hold all sorts of supplies. I use mine all the time.

There are zippered pockets on two of the outer sides and handles on the other. It all goes together very cleverly.

Sewing caddy side view.

The side panels are cut for both the inside and outside. Pockets are added to all 4 inside panels. Zippered pockets are added to two of the outside panels.

The inside and outside panels are sewn together and the bottom added. The last step is to add binding around the top and before this is done, a panel of pel-tex is slipped in to give it sturdiness.

I gave the colorful one to my niece as a gift and made this linen one for myself. Another one of my nieces, who doesn’t sew, thought it looked great to use to hold makeup. Hmmm. . . . that’s a definite Christmas gift idea for this year! I have 4 nieces and 3 daughters who I would love to sew something for as a holiday gift.

Linen and polka dot cotton fabric

Another friend made the longer skinnier version to use in her car to hold things when she travels.

Long caddy

She made it out of travel fabric. Isn’t it great? I may have to do the same for my car.

I really love this pattern but I would like to point out a few things. There are a couple problems with the instructions which may or may not be a factor depending on your level of sewing expertise. You are instructed to make the inside pockets as shown “in Terry’s Tip on page 1” but Terry’s Tip is on page 4. The more confusing error is on sewing on the binding along the sides and bottom of the caddy. The directions and illustration had me trying to sew it on in such a way that I could not neatly cover the corner. Once I realized that it needs to be done exactly like a quilt binding and I could achieve this by starting it on the opposite side of the raw seams, I was able to do it perfectly.

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Filed under Gifts, Pattern review

Tagged as Atkinson Designs, fabric gift, gift, Pockets to Go, sewing caddy