Monday, April 29, 2019

Tulip Purse

I recently made this Tulip Purse (a pattern from Anything But Boring) using a fabric that looks like denim blue jeans with crystal bling. I added some real crystal bling to the bag too. This is called a 2-hour bag, but it takes longer than 2 hours to make from cutting out to sewing; at least it did for me.  I used foam stabilizer in my bag instead of batting or fleece, which gives the bag more structure and stands up better. I made the large size (there are several sizes in the pattern). I added a magnetic snap closure to the bag instead of a loop and button closure or flap as was in the pattern. I also added a zippered pocket on the back of the bag.

This bag sold at the outdoor quilt show my quilt group had yesterday. I brought quilts and bags to sell there and I did sell some things, mostly my bags, but a few smaller quilts too. No table runners though and I thought those would be something that would sell. I never know what will sell. Maybe the runners will sell on Etsy or at the November show I do. I will be adding some things to Etsy now that the show is over.


The straps and binding of the pocket is a faux cork material.

I added some crystal bling to the front at the edge of the pocket and in a few other places on top of the printed fabric bling.

Back of purse with a zippered pocket.

Front has a slip pocket.

This bag opens wide for easy access.
Inside is a slip pocket.
I divided the slip pocket on the left side to hold a pen.
This bag has SOLD.
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Wednesday, April 24, 2019

3 Table Runners for Be a Diamond Blog Hop

It's my day to share my creations for the Be a Diamond Blog Hop. Thanks to Carol, of Just Let me Quilt for hostessing this blog hop. Carol is definitely a sparkly diamond herself! And don't forget that Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend!



I had a few ideas for this hop, so I starting making one runner and then another and another. Each is different in size and colors and design. It is good to get a few runners made and perfect timing for my guild's quilt annual outdoor quilt show this Sunday. I will be hanging these runners there and with any luck I might sell one or more.

The first runner was actually the second runner I made. I had a small amount of the text fabric that was a recipe for Cowboy Chili (which is what I call this runner). I wanted to make something simple, so chose the square-in-a-square quilt block. Then I added half-square triangles in the border. I knew it needed a little something else and so I appliqued a cowboy in silhouette and of course what does every cowboy need (besides a horse), is a cowgirl. So here is my Cowboy Chili Table Runner:


Cowboy silhouette applique.

Cowgirl silhouette applique.

Red checkered backing fabric.


Cowboy Chili ingredients.

The next table runner was the first runner I made for this hop. I had a Boondoggle Ruler that I had for years and wanted to use it and this blog hop was the perfect motivation that I needed to try out this ruler. I sewed strings together and cut the diamonds out using the ruler. It was easy enough to use the ruler this way. There are lots of patterns that can be made using this ruler too (just click this link). I have a bag pattern for using this ruler, so that might be something else to make later.






Next up is the last runner I made, called Mosaic and it's a free pdf pattern. The pattern is for a quilt that measures 90" x 99", so I decided to make a small section for a runner. BUT I made a big goof! I didn't even notice it until I was taking these photos!!! I followed the single row diagram on the pattern, which would be fine if I was making a larger quilt with several rows, HOWEVER, for a runner I should have added one more row on the top!!! I point out my mistake to warn any of you in case you want to make a runner like this (only without the mistake I made). It made the runner slightly off balance. Oh well, it's a learning experience, right? It still looks nice and how many would have really noticed my mistake if I didn't point it out to you? Come on be honest. 

Made with all scraps of blues and white.

I used a walking foot and quilted large swirling waves.

The back of the runner is batik print.

Here are the other participants on the blog hop. Be sure and hop on over to see their creations for more inspiration!

April 22~







April 23~











April 24~











April 25~








April 26~










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Monday, April 22, 2019

Leatherbound: Fine Handmade Leather Goods

Hello Friends. I wanted to share something with you today and that is my son's business, called Leatherbound. My son, Silas started a business last year making items using leather. He hand stitches it all and does an excellent job! Yes I know I am his mother and of course I am biased, but I have seen his work in person and you would be hard pressed to tell if it was hand or machine stitched! A machine might be in his future, but for now it's all hand stitched! I am proud of him of course as any mother would be, but mainly because he is a good person with a caring heart. What more could a mother ask for?
Minimalist Wallet


Funny that he ended up making mostly wallets. I wonder if I had any influence on him at all? While he chose to work with real leather (there are many kinds of leather out there, but Silas uses the best quality) I prefer to use cotton fabric. I found out a lot of interesting things about leather from him and before you buy a handmade leather item anywhere, you might want to read his article explaining about how to buy a leather wallet that will last a long time. In this posting Silas explains what to look for when buying a good quality wallet. Also read Leather Buying Guide, which explains the different types of leather and the process that leather goes through. He doesn't buy leather from tanneries that use harmful chemicals, he uses vegetable tanned leather. The quality of his leather is heads and tails different from most leather I have ever seen or touched.
Minimalist Bifold Wallet
Inside the Minimalist Bifold Wallet

In this blog posting Silas shows the tools he uses to make a minimalist wallet. He also writes another posting about making a bifold. He sells watch bands and field notebook covers and pen cases too.
Pen Case

Field Notebook Cover.
Inside Field Notebook Cover.

Watch strap

Bifold wallet
Silas uses a variety of leathers, colors of leather and thread colors too.
Long wallet with a zipper pocket.

I hope that if you are ever in the need for a quality made leather item, that you will visit Leatherbound and tell my son that his mother sent you, lol!!! Shipping is FREE worldwide.

Leatherbound on Instagram
Leatherbound Blog
Leatherbound Shop
Leatherbound on Etsy
Leatherbound Facebook

I am not an affiliate of my son's business. I am just a mother wanting her son to do well and succeed with whatever he wants to do, but most importantly I want him to live a happy life whatever he might do.
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Friday, April 19, 2019

Fabric Postcards for Wish Upon a Card Challenge & Fundraiser

I made a couple of postcards for the Wish Upon a Card Challenge, which is one of the challenges happening during at the annual Sisters, Oregon Outdoor Quilt Show in July. To be entered into the challenge part of the postcard, I requested some of the fabric to be sent to me and had to have my postcards sent back to Sisters, Oregon by April 15 in order to be judged. I haven't heard anything, so I doubt my 2 postcards won anything. It was a challenge using these fabrics for me, because I prefer more vibrant colors. These fabrics reminded me of men's boxer short fabrics, lol!!! And boxer shorts aren't that exciting either, lol!

I received 4 pieces of fabric (donated by Robert Kaufman fabrics from designer Carolyn Friedlander's Harriet Collection), which were cut 5" x less than 6" and a bit uneven at that; so I wasn't able to use the fabric as a background fabric without either piecing the fabric or as in the first postcard, I had to sew on a ribbon to the side to bring it up to 6". The fabrics I received were 2 of the light colored checkered fabrics and 2 different blue striped fabrics. Not very exciting fabrics in my opinion, but that is where the challenge comes into play I suppose. For the first postcard, I used a checked fabric as the background to teapot and the next postcard I pieced all the 4 fabrics to create a background fabric for the cat applique.

The 3 best postcards will be framed and auctioned at the quilt show. High Desert Frameworks (Bend, Oregon) donates the frames and frames them.  The other postcards will be sold too. They encourage you to make postcards of your own too, that do not need to be part of the challenge or even have the challenge fabric at all, because they sell these cards at the quilt show too and the money benefits the production of the free quilt show as well as the Sister's High School Visual Arts Scholarship Fund..


Teapot postcard.

These two postcards I used the challenge fabric in the background.

Fat cat.

I sent this postcard plus another 3 postcards I had made a few years ago, along with the 2 challenge postcards off to Sisters, Oregon for them to sell.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Llama Print Yarn Bag

I made this yarn bag as requested by a friend of mine. I quilted the fabric to foam stabilizer and added a front slip pocket and a back zippered pocket. Inside is a slip pocket divided in the middle with a pen pocket. I also added purse feet on the bottom to help keep it cleaner, (along with more foam to make it sturdier). I enlarged this bag and made several of my own changes, using Very Shannon's Reversible Box Tote as a starting point for the bag shape. This fabric matches the tool bag I made for her a couple of years ago (see lat photo).

Yarn Bag in llama print with mint colored background.
Back of the bag has a zippered pocket.
Skein of yarn charm on the zipper pull I made.




Inside slip pocket divided with a pen pocket.

4 purse feet on the bottom of the bag along with extra foam for sturdiness.

Front outside divided slip pocket.
This is that notions tool bag with 3 inside zippered pockets that I made my friend a couple of years ago and that now matches the new yarn bag I just made for her.

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Sunday, April 7, 2019

Large Oriole Bag

I made this Large Oriole Bag (a Sew Sweetness free pattern) late last year. Sara shows you how to sew this bag in her video, so it is easy to follow along. Videos are great for beginner bag makers, but for me they slow me down. I so much prefer a pdf pattern that I can skip ahead, and go at my own pace, make my own changes and not be put to sleep by watching a video. Don't get me wrong, videos are great and Sara and others make great videos, but for some reason watching them makes me want to take a nap. It's not that they are not informative or are boring, no not at all, but maybe because I already know how to sew bags and don't need a lesson in how to do every step, so for me a pdf instruction is all I need. But if you a video class kind of gal or guy, then by all means do what works for you. 

Back to the bag here. The pdf template has both a small and large size. The large is a bit larger than I had expected it to be, but still it's a nice size if you have a bit more to carry. The cross body adjustable strap makes it nice to wear across your body or shorten it to wear as a shoulder bag. You can close the bag with a magnetic snap or turn lock closure. I chose a magnetic snap for this bag.

A variegated stripe print I chose for the bag and strap and a gecko print for the flap.

Sewing darts give the bag front and back some depth.

This is the back of the bag.

Gecko print flap and my handmade label.

A bright happy yellow gingham for the lining with a slip pocket. Pretty roomy inside too.  Because of the sewn darts in this bag, it made it a bit harder to make some changes, like adding a zippered pocket inside or outside. I could have added a zipper pocket vertically, but then I wasn't sure if that would be very convenient to use?


Later this month I will be selling bags at my quilt group's annual outdoor quilt show in the park and this will be one of the bags I will have to sell there.
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