Category Archive: Sewing
Sometimes, one just needs to play, so today, I did a bit of basket play. I cut out pieces of fabric 5″ square and make a tiny basket. I made the seams 1″ on each side. This one measures finished nearly 3″ across without finishing off the inside seams and about 2.5″ high.
Then I cut off the sides I had sewn and enclosed them in a seam. This then measures only 2″ across and is still 2.5″ high. I pinned the sides down so you could see how it would look with a button. But It is kind of cute with the sides up. I will be making various sizes of these throughout the year to use for gift giving. I can imagine one with home made spa ingredients, one with a recipe and ingredients. These will be fun to think up and give.Fabric basket
Today I made a fabric basket using Connie’s tutorial (blog: Free motion by the River) which is here. I have also added my own photos so you can see a different look. Above is my finished basket.
I started with two 17″ pieces of fabric, right sides together and a piece of batting on the bottom. I sewed a 1/4″ seam around them, leaving about 3″ to turn them right sides out.
I used a chopstick to poke the corners out and then just sewed across the opening, before quilting the piece.
After quilting I put right sides together (the inside of the basket is what you see). Then on the diagonal I marked 3″ from each side and sewed this line.
I refolded the basket so those two seams are together, marked the other two and sewed them.
With all 4 seams sewn, I turned the basket right sides down and using a button stitch, stitched the flaps out. The buttons are just decoration and have no weight on them. The measurement for this basket is 7 x 7 x 4.3″
I will be making more of these for gifts in various sizes. They are so handy and easy to make.
Teddy bear blanket
This teddy bear blanket is the largest left over piece from the quilt I made using some of these parts as blocks. And it must have a satin binding to be a proper baby blanket. It is 44 x 44, so will be useful for some time. Instead of quilting, I bar tacked where she will be put the ties as she wanted a tied blanket, but I don’t know what color, so she gets to do that part.
Turkeys and ducks
The ducks are finished and the turkeys started. These are essentially small quilts and the binding is put on the same way as a large quilt, which takes a bit of time.
The garlic is planted and the plants that can’t survive a freeze have been moved. We’re expecting our first freeze tonight and as usual, it barely got done. It’s amazing how deadlines help push one to get things done.
Tomorrow is the dentist and the next day is the optometrist. And another week will be gone, and we will have arrived at week’s end. How does this happen so fast?
Potholders and gardening
Potholders: Working slowly, but steadily, these are now ready for the Insulbrite backing, and binding.
The quilting machine has been updated with a new computer which I now get to relearn how to use. The older computer is no longer supported, so there really wasn’t an option if I wanted to use the computer aspect of it.
We also have been putting some time into readying the hoop house for winter. We will let it rest this winter as there isn’t time for everything. So the last of the tomatoes (I think) came in, the kale will stay where it is, in the back and I’ll plant the garlic yet this month. The citrus, we will move to a warmer place.
Potholder sewing has started
I’ve decided that 20 of the potholders will be embroidered and the rest will be pieced. So for the pieced ones, the fabrics have been selected are now cut out. The potholder sewing has started! I’m sure with the other things needing my attention, this will take most of the month. Bias binding is slow for me and many of them will have that.
Potholders
I have a few of these buckets of scraps sorted very generally by color, which means yellow, cream, orange are in the same bucket. There are still some scraps that need to be gone through and put in the proper places.
I also have need to make about 50 potholders for requests and gifts, some by mid November. Time flies this time of year, so this morning, I started this project. I found some ideas and started tackling the choices of fabrics, including looking through those not yet in their proper places.
This pumpkin potholder takes 19 pieces of fabric plus the bias binding. That does not count the backing, batting, or Insulite, which I will cut later as needed. So even though potholders are small, they can take up much time in selection and sewing, as they really are mini quilts.
I cut out enough fabrics for a total of 10 potholders (not all the same). Then it was stall cleaning time if I wanted to get it done before the rains started. After 3 hours of stall cleaning, I was out of energy. Therefore nothing has been sewn. However, I may choose and cut out all the pieces and then have a sewing marathon.
Shopping at JoAnn’s
I went shopping at JoAnn’s today for some Insulbrite to reflect heat for these potholders in the making. Shopping at JoAnn’s can be a huge mistake. I have plenty of quilting fabric, so that didn’t grab my attention, but just look!!!!
Can you tell how plushy and inviting these fabrics on either side of the white are. They insisted on coming home with me. They weren’t inexpensive, but they were 1/2 off. Does that count? I would have loved a blanket out of such soft squishiness, but didn’t go that far. Instead, I bought enough of each for a mobius scarf, but oh, I would have loved to have purchased more and just wrapped up in it. (They really are gray as that was the only color they had, though black and even a brown would have tried to come home, had it been there.
After that expensive stop that should have cost less that $10, we went to Costco and yes, that costs more than $10 as well. But mostly because we bought 200 forever stamps before the next 5 cent increase. We haven’t purchased stamps in maybe 3 years and I was surprised to find they are now 50 cents. So these stamps should get us through until they will prohibitive.
Moving boys, hoop house update, quinoa casserole
The young boys are moved away from their sisters and mothers. One here seems to think the trip was just too hot and tiring. They and their mothers have “baa-ed back and forth all day about how evil we were to separate them. Such is life on a farm
The hoop house has been overrun with growth plus the fact that I haven’t had time for it for over a week. After a number of foods were nearly done, I poked some “delicate” squash plants along one side. Well that’s what the label on the plants at the store said. They are not Delicata, but they are squash and at least one pumpkin. They are threatening to take over the entire place. It’s near enough to the end of the season, I won’t pull them, but neither will I believe labels next year. Squash plants are now forever banned from inside the hoop house. They are just too happy in there.
This morning I picked tomatoes, onions, parsley, cantaloupe, cucumbers, red and orange peppers from the hoop house. Now they all have to be dealt with.
Then I picked some overripe apples as I’m out of applesauce and it makes a great sweetener in baked goods. I was able to can 10 pints. I picked a lot more apples – or rather shook them out of trees. I’m not sure how ripe they are. I’ll test them tomorrow.
While the apples were processing, I cooked some quinoa in broth. In another pan, I sautéed onions and added broccoli until just cooked but still green. Then I made a cheese sauce. I mixed it all together, reserving half the cheese sauce, put it in a greased casserole dish, topped it with the rest of the cheese and that will be our casserole for the weekend.
Machine repair #1
