I Finally Have Time

April 23, 2012 · 5:32 PM

Stamping on fabric. What do you use?

I’m sewing my way through the book Zakka Style by Rashida Coleman-Hale. This week’s project is a small sewing kit with pincushion. This is a quick and easy project to make up and I used several stamps to personalize mine.

Project 4: Zakka Sewing Kit

Outside of kit

I would like to do more stamping but have had trouble finding the right supplies for fabric. I would love to know what other sewers have had success with. In particular I would like to know which products give a detailed imprint and are also permanent and washable. I’ve been using clear stamps mounted on an acrylic block. These stamps are fairly shallow. A rubber stamp would probably be easier to use, but I love the variety of these clear stamps.

The large owls on the pockets of my sewing kit were done using a liquid acrylic called NEO OPAQUE by Jacguard that I bought at my local art supplies store. I bought a glass artist’s palette to pour a bit of the ink on to and then a brayer to smooth it out. I tried both touching the stamp to the ink and also using the brayer to ink the stamp. Both ways worked “just okay” – especially on the textured fabric that I’m using.

NEO OPAQUE by Jacguard

After doing a bit of research on the web, I ordered some different products made by VersaCraft. I bought an ink pad (which is smaller than I thought it would be when I mail ordered it – don’t you hate that?), some ink to reink the pad, and a dual tipped marker. I used these to stamp my name on the kit and the small owl on the pincushion. I was glad that I had bought the marker because I was able (with the small tip) to darken the areas that needed it – and they did need it.

Versa Craft products

I did heat set all of the images I stamped, but since this project will probably never be washed, I don’t really know if it is permanent.

What products do YOU recommend?

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April 19, 2012 · 11:40 PM

Studio Gatz – handcrafted gifts and more!

Check out Studio Gatz. My daughter, Sandy, just opened this online store and it has some wonderful handcrafted items including cards, pillows, glassware and dishtowels. She is also mixing in some vintage items. If you need a special gift, this is the perfect place to look.

Studio Gatz – Vintage Finds & Classic Designs

I was the pillow maker this past week. These pillows are made out of linen or other textured fabrics. I covered the cording and added it to the edges (I was told the pillows HAD to have this). Most have a hidden zipper in the back with a decorative fabric strip doing the hiding. Sandy wasn’t sure she would like the look of this but we both loved it once I did the first one.

Linen Hexagon Pillow – Front

Linen Hexagon Pillow – Back

I used this tutorial from Sew Mama Sew to insert the zipper. It made the zipper a breeze and so beautiful. I think the back looks just as good as the front. Don’t you?

Back of pillow – hidden zipper

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Tagged as linen, pillows, Studio Gatz, zipper

April 18, 2012 · 12:21 AM

Zakka Style Project 3: Zakka Pincushion

This is week 3 of the Zakka Style Sew Along. This week’s project is a pretty straight forward pincushion. Here is the example from the book:

Here is the pincushion I made:

Zakka Pincushion front

Zakka Pincushion back

I made the following changes from the directions in the book:

1. Size – mine is a bit smaller.

2. I used sand instead of polyester fiberfill inside. I like the feel of sand and supposedly it keeps your pins sharp! This did make attaching the buttons on the front and back to one another kind of funky because the “fill” does not stay in one place.

3. I free motion stitched a design on fabric rather than stamping.

It’s cute but not as cute as the chicken pincushions I made a few weeks ago!

Cluck! Cluck!

Don’t you agree?

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April 14, 2012 · 5:27 PM

Zakka Style Project 2: The House Pouch

This is week two of the Zakka Style Sew Along. Project 2 was a lot quicker and easier to sew than the Project 1 tote. It was very fun to make and I plan to use it to keep sewing tools in.

Here are all the pieces laid out. The house and roof have fusible interfacing on the wrong side. I used fusible web on the fabric for the door and windows. Roof, door and windows were cut out using the templates from the book Zakka Style.

Next step was to add all the “house” details including flower garden.

The house and roof were sewn together and then the lace edging was sewn on. Lining was cut (bright pink in my pictures) and the zipper is installed by placing it in between the lining and house tops. I used this video tutorial which I found the link to among the Flickr group comments. This is a GREAT way to put a zipper into the top of a pouch! I have done many and this looks the very best.

Sew zipper to top and lining on both sides.

House pieces and lining pieces right sides together

Once zipper is attached, arrange pieces as above and sew around all edges except for the bottom of the lining. You MUST leave a space free to turn the pouch right side out and you MUST leave the zipper part way open to do this as well.

All done!

Project #2 complete. 22 more to go! Next week: Zakka Pincushion. It won’t be as cute as my chickens!

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Tagged as house pouch, zakka style, zakka style sew along

April 12, 2012 · 3:34 PM

Chicken Pincushions

Aren’t these the cutest pincushions ever? I bought the pattern years ago at Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH. At the time I thought it would be a great gift for my sister who has chickens on her “farm”.

I hadn’t made one up until a week ago. Once I made one, I couldn’t stop! I kept wondering how another one in a different fabric would look! The pattern is called Little Banty Chick Pincushion. It is by Susa Glen at the ArtFabric Studio. Notice how these have “painted fingernails!” (Actually just a red bead at the end of all the yellow beads).

I filled these with sand but I’m going to try walnut shells (thanks Anne!) in the next one I make. They are ground up and have the same texture as sand but not quite as fine. It seems as though there will be less chance of it “leaking” out of the seems – although this has not been a problem with the sand. There is a little bit of polyfil stuffing in the head as no matter how tight I fill them, the head always ends up empty.

They sew up very quickly. You catch the beak and the tail into the few body seams. They are filled with sand before the beads are added to make the feet, comb and wattle. I had a lot of fun making them and can’t wait to make some more!

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April 8, 2012 · 3:48 PM

Zakka Style Zig Zag Tote

Here is my tote and I love it! I wanted a large tote and I might have made it too large (18″ x 15″ x 8″). Is that possible? It can’t be too big, can it? I guess I’ll find out when I take it on my next flight and try to fit it under the seat in front of me.

Those zig zags were tricky! I decided to do something different on the other side. I looked through the book Modern Blocks which is another stash book by c & t publishing. A lot of different blocks caught my eye, but I decided on BINARY which is the 8th of 99 blocks in the book.

I did a few straight lines of quilting across the design which really show up in this picture but are not nearly so evident in “real life.” I also quilted around each of those colored squares and rectangles which does not show at all.

I got this done in time to link it up with the other quilters who are sewing along and hoping to win some great fat quarters this week. Tomorrow begins another project and it’s one of my favorites from the book Zakka Style. Please come back and see my version of “The House Pouch”. Amy from During Quiet Time is going to hostess this project this week. Check her blog tomorrow morning.

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Tagged as binary, Modern Blocks, zakka, zakka style, zakka style sew along, zigzag tote

April 5, 2012 · 10:17 PM

Project 1 – Zig Zag tote

This is week one of the Zakka Style sew along and the first project in the book is this Zig Zag tote:

I love the zig zag detail which is created using quarter square triangles. However, I have enough bags that are roughly this size and I could use a larger bag. I am, therefore, going to use the zig zag detail and make up a larger bag which will have a zippered top. My fabric selection is below. The large grey piece is linen which will be the main part of the bag. I think I will be able to have 3 zig zags (or is that 2 zigs and 1 zag?)

I started by cutting 4 1/4″ strips and then cutting them into 4 1/4″ squares. The squares were then cut on the diagonal in both directions to make quarter square triangles.

Here are 2 finished strips and that’s as far as I got today.

Check back in a few days to (hopefully!) see the finished bag!

Today is my 30th wedding anniversary

I got married 30 years ago today and see those 5 bridesmaid dresses and 1 flower girl dress? I made them! Wow, have styles changed. Just the fact that we all wore long sleeves seems odd now. The dresses are all out of date but the important thing is that the marriage is still going strong. Part of the reason for that is because he encourages my creative pursuits.

Check back soon to see my Zakka project in progress – but I had to take a time out today to remember my wedding and making those dresses. My apologies to the groomsmen who I cut out of the picture!

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Tagged as flower girl dress, wedding

April 2, 2012 · 8:48 AM

Zakka Style Sew along starts today

In February when I was visiting family in NH, I stopped by one of my very favorite quilt stores, Quilted Threads in Henniker, and bought some fabric and the book “Zakka Style” by Rashida Coleman-Hale.

The following day I saw that my niece had the book as well. The two of us are so excited now about the sew along that is being hosted by Lindsey of LR Stitched and Amy of Skie. It starts today and will continue through Monday September 10th with a new project introduced each Monday. A different blogger will highlight a project each week and share about it. The projects are going to start at the beginning of the book and go through each of the 24 projects. Fun, fun, fun!

Project 1 – Zig Zag Tote. I’m starting today. Are you?

I finally have time . . . to start a blog!

I’ve been admiring all the quilting blogs that are currently out there. So much inspiration! My time has been spent doing lot’s of things over the years. I’m a mother to three daughters who are now all in their 20s. My career was as a registered nurse and I was fortunate enough to be able to work part time instead of full time while my girls were growing up. Those were busy years! Marriage, work, church, dance lessons (my girls, not me), Girl Scouts, volleyball, band, and a lovable golden retriever thrown into the mix.

Somehow I have always found time to sew. Why? Because I have three daughters! My sister has two daughters and my brother has one (and one son – the only male cousin). I learned to sew in home economics in 7th grade and have always loved to make things. I learned to smock when my oldest daughter was a baby. My girls and nieces grew up in smocked dresses (as did their dolls). Or at least wore them until about the age of 8 or 9 when they no longer wanted them. I even learned how to do french hand sewing by machine (talk about an oxymoron) so they also had fancy lace dresses for special occasions.

Smocked Easter dresses

I found the time to sew back then, in between everything else that was going on. But I never really felt as though I had time. Dare I risk jinxing myself now? Because I feel as though I finally have time . . .