some pretty things
Remember this laptop cover?
Well, initially I had the genius idea of making it long enough to hold my battery pack and networking cords too.
Um, no.
So before the Summit, I trimmed off the bottom (which I'd already stitched closed) and restitched the laptop cover to the proper length. Since the bottom bit was already interfaced with fleeced and lined, it wanted to become a zip pouch. Like so.
Isn't it cute? My brain was still in slow-mo yesterday when I added the zipper. It took me f.o.r.e.v.e.r to remember how to do it. I think the looooong, padded shape will be cool for holding scissors and crochet hooks. Score.
Hello messy colorful space. So glad to be home!
My second pretty thing is taken from the pages of Suzuko Koseki's Playful Patchwork
, which is a book full of intricate flower blocks all hand pieced. Yes, hand pieced only.
I wanna work on my curves, so I set out to make the charming snowdrop block on the book's cover using one of my new text prints (cream with black letters) stashed from Fat Quarter Shop. I love them all, but that slanted print on brown called Red Cardinal is my all-around favorite. I'm thinking to mix it with Miscellany in a patchwork skirt. Maybe.
Anyhoo, the templates in Playful Patchwork do not include seam allowances. Why? Why? WHY?
At The Sewing Summit, Amanda Sasikirana pointed out that I could have used the double pencil trick (where you use a rubberband to attach two pencils - the width of a pencil is 1/4 inch!) to trace the curved seam allowance. But, I didn't think of that so I only eyeballed it...
and cut the curves with the fabric folded in half so that they would at least be symmetrical.
I pieced my block at the machine, curves and all. Without pins. I really don't know what I'm doing, but pins seemed to just get in the way. My first snowdrop shape was like pulling teeth. Liam said he didn't think that was the kind of thing one should sew. "Too hard," he said. But when it was finally done I was so happy with the cute, curvy shape that I persevered.
And so... ta da! A finished 10" block, only about 4 hours of work? (Yes, we're crazy.) I'm thinking to feature this in a table runner with improv piecing to match my curtains. Fingers crossed anyways!
Well, initially I had the genius idea of making it long enough to hold my battery pack and networking cords too.
Um, no.
So before the Summit, I trimmed off the bottom (which I'd already stitched closed) and restitched the laptop cover to the proper length. Since the bottom bit was already interfaced with fleeced and lined, it wanted to become a zip pouch. Like so.
Isn't it cute? My brain was still in slow-mo yesterday when I added the zipper. It took me f.o.r.e.v.e.r to remember how to do it. I think the looooong, padded shape will be cool for holding scissors and crochet hooks. Score.
Hello messy colorful space. So glad to be home!
My second pretty thing is taken from the pages of Suzuko Koseki's Playful Patchwork
, which is a book full of intricate flower blocks all hand pieced. Yes, hand pieced only. I wanna work on my curves, so I set out to make the charming snowdrop block on the book's cover using one of my new text prints (cream with black letters) stashed from Fat Quarter Shop. I love them all, but that slanted print on brown called Red Cardinal is my all-around favorite. I'm thinking to mix it with Miscellany in a patchwork skirt. Maybe.
Anyhoo, the templates in Playful Patchwork
do not include seam allowances. Why? Why? WHY?At The Sewing Summit, Amanda Sasikirana pointed out that I could have used the double pencil trick (where you use a rubberband to attach two pencils - the width of a pencil is 1/4 inch!) to trace the curved seam allowance. But, I didn't think of that so I only eyeballed it...
and cut the curves with the fabric folded in half so that they would at least be symmetrical.
I pieced my block at the machine, curves and all. Without pins. I really don't know what I'm doing, but pins seemed to just get in the way. My first snowdrop shape was like pulling teeth. Liam said he didn't think that was the kind of thing one should sew. "Too hard," he said. But when it was finally done I was so happy with the cute, curvy shape that I persevered.
And so... ta da! A finished 10" block, only about 4 hours of work? (Yes, we're crazy.) I'm thinking to feature this in a table runner with improv piecing to match my curtains. Fingers crossed anyways!