Zippered Bag

I don’t often need a full-size diaper bag anymore, so today I sewed up a couple of zippered bags just the right size for one or two diapers and a travel-size wipes container. I’m keeping one bag for Emily’s use, and putting the second in my Etsy store. Now I keep thinking of all kinds of things I could store in these little bags.... Maybe I need to go sew a few more!

Ruth

Edit: Yes, I did sew a few more--all with coordinating fabric I won as a door prize at the last quilt guild meeting I attended. These are so much fun!

Pretty Heart Pillows

Don't you just love my new pillows? I adore old granny-type pillows, and have amassed quite a collection for my bed. These heart shaped pillows are made from an old vintage bedspread and I think they are so sweet! I made 3 of them, one for me and two for my shop!

Cheers!
Jessica

A Quilt for a Bride

My big project for this summer was this quilt for my soon-to-be sister-in-law...I've been dying to show it to you all, but I had to wait till after her shower. I didn't want to run the risk of her seeing it here first. =)

The pattern is from Nancy Zieman's book 10, 20, 30 Minutes to Quilt. It was really quite an easy pattern that used strip piecing techniques. I did however add several additional rows of blocks and an extra border because I thought 40" by 40" (the finished size from the pattern) was too small for a throw quilt. I machine quilted it with a free-hand stipple pattern with a variegated thread. This was my first big quilt to stipple, and boy was it a challenge! I've only stippled baby size quilts like this before, and the smaller sizes are a lot easier!

Cheers!
Jessica

New felt pincushions

A few little fun things I've been working on....I so enjoy working with felt!

Cheers!
Jessica

Simple Pleasures

Today I sewed the buttons on the Pure and Simple Cardigan sweater, and I can cross another UFO off my list. The sweater is the perfect amount of "too big" for Emily---it will fit just right this fall when the weather gets cooler.

My sewing room is upstairs, and it is too hot to be up there for long periods. Today I have enjoyed being outside where a breeze is blowing. The tiger lilies were calling my name again today, so I cut enough for a nice bouquet. They look so pretty on my dining room table! I smile everytime I walk by. Ah, the simple pleasures of life....

Ruth

I Opened an Etsy Store!

I first read about Etsy from Annie, (either on her blog or on an email list) and I immediately signed up. That was in August 2006. This week, Jessica and I were talking about Etsy and once again I was inspired to get started with Etsy. Today I listed 6 items, and hopefully they will sell. Thank you, Jessica, for motivating me on with this. I hope you get your store up and running soon. Yes, Jessica is going to open an Etsy store, too! I'm excited to see where this all goes, if anywhere. Take a look if you wish: www.sewchic.etsy.com.

Thrift Store Treasure

I found this beautiful smocked dress at a thrift store about 3 months ago. I was excited at my find. Just think of all the hours that somebody spent in smocking and putting the dress together, and to think that I only spent $1.95 for the dress--I tell you, I almost felt guilty at paying such a low price for such an heirloom.

This dress has many special details in addition to the smocking: a sweet embroidered flower at each arm cuff, piping in the collar, a big sash, and a tiny little button with loop closure at the top neckline. You can't see all this in the pictures, but it's these little details that appeal to me. And of course Emily is a doll in the dress.

The only thing I could find "wrong" with the dress was that the hem was coming undone. That didn't take long to remedy (well, it took me 3 months to get to it) with the blind hemmer foot of my sewing machine. I used to be afraid of the blind hem foot, but after a lot of practice, it is now one of my favorite sewing accessories.

Notice the tiger lilies in the pictures. These bright flowers are in full bloom right now and I have been enjoying their beauty. Jessica, when it's the right time, you are welcome to dig up some bulbs for your yard.

blessings,
Ruth

It's Time!

It's that time already---time to get Emily potty trained. I dug out all the old training pants and plastic pants from days gone by, used by all 6 of my previous babies. Ugh! I really dislike those plastic pants! So, I decided to sew some waterproof panties. This past week I did some experimenting with patterns. The first is a morph of the free Easterbunz and the Goodness Gracious patterns. The second and third pants are two different versions of the Potty Dance Pants pattern. I'm not sure that I like any of these and may try to come up with my own pattern. Actually, I am hoping that Emily will get potty trained quickly, and then I won't have to fuss with any of this.


In a diaper-making mood, I also decided to make some gift diapers for a friend who recently had a baby. She uses cloth diapers and mentioned to me that she needed more and wished she could afford pocket diapers. Since I so happen to love the Chloe Toes pattern, I decided to make my friend some diapers. The rose-colored PUL (outer fabric) and the mauve microfleece (inner fabric) came from a nice lady who offered the fabric on freecycle. She also gave me a large bag full of hemp scraps, and that's what I've used for soakers in the training pants and for the stuffers of the pocket diapers. What was exciting about all this--in addition to the fact that I got some great fabric--is that this lady also loves to knit. She hand-dyes yarn and showed me all sorts of luscious goodies at her home. What fun!

Okay, I'm outta here....
Ruth

Redwork and Bluework

One of my favorite pastimes is embroidery. I discovered redwork embroidery about 8 years ago and fell in love with it. I embroidered 2 of these glass towels about 6 years ago, and just this past week I finished 2 more while watching the 5 hour version of Pride and Prejudice.

For an extra touch, I crocheted an edging along the bottom of the redwork towels, using a number 10 steel crochet hook (tiny!) and pearl cotton thread. I have the thought of making a few of these towels into pillows. Hmmm... any other good ideas of what I can do with the towels? Of course, I could use them to dry glasses. :-)

Redwork was popular in the 1800's and it has seen a revival in the past 10 years or so. I have found many free redwork patterns online, and there are several yahoo discussion groups for redwork. A redwork primer can be found here. I recently read somewhere that Bluework was popular from about 1910 to 1930, and of course I had to embroider something, anything, in blue thread. I like it almost as much as I like the redwork.

Ruth