We have moved

We have moved....

You will find use at

Quilter in The Gap

New location - Need your help

Hey y'all I am going to be quick and to the point...

Remember I told you I was working on getting my blog & website ready to host my own podcast? Well thanks to the spectacular Jennie (she has two blogs: Clover & Violet and Click. Snap. Swoosh. Laugh) and I do mean SERIOUSLY A.MA.ZING!!!! I am ready to make the switch.

Here is where you come in. The transition may be seamless but from my understanding you may need to resubscribe because of some crazy thing Google did. I don't understand the technical part of it, I just know that I  need you to go to my new location: Quilter in The Gap and click on this:

 and I will continue to show up in your reader. I don't want to lose any of y'all.

At a later date I will tell ya how to resubscribe to my podcast but for now this is how to resubscribe to my blog and all the FAL fun.

OH and if my links don't work....well...I (we) are working on that too so please be patient.

The Unthinkable

On Wednesday (yesterday) I did what some may say is WRONG...... PERVERSE..... UNTHINKABLE.... IMPLAUSIBLE....YEP...I did it....I hit the "mark all as read" button on my Google Reader. I know, I know it should never be done! I missed so much! Gossip never to share! Information missed! Posts gone unread! What am I to do?

Oh wait I know the answer to that one.....NOTHING!!!  I will be just fine! I just don't have the time to catch up. So, please if there is something uber important I have missed please let me know. In the mean time I am spending my time getting my website ready for podcasting. I am trying really hard not to spend so much money on it. Katie has been kind enough to send me some tips and she made it sound soooo simple....yeah, okay! It might be simple but oh the time!!!!


Just know this y'all ..... you might have to subscribe AGAIN.... I am so very sorry!!!! It was just getting toooooo expensive. There is fabric that needs bought ya know!


Guess what I will be doing in only 7 days? Callee will be coming over to play for 5 days!!!!! Oh yes ....5 days of shear blisssssss....I get to play with the most beautiful girl in the world (at least in my opinion). I know you guys are probably tired of seeing pictures of her but I can't help myself!!!

ok...later y'all!!!

2nd Quarter Winners

I love this part of the FAL....announcing the winners. You can bet one thing though....next quarter there will be NO needle turn kit up for grabs...lol! This prize went through every single individual (and was rejected by everyone) before it landed on the winner. I may or may not have guilted the winner into keeping the prize.
If you see a giveaway coming up on her blog very soon don't be surprised. **evil giggles**

I have some great sponsors and this quarter there are many great prizes!! I have emails all set to send out. You, the winners, have 48 hours to email me to ensure you (a) want these prizes - unlike my amazing quilt kit **snickers** and (b) I have the right email address for you so make sure you send me an email from the email address you want the sponsors to contact you on.

Ok...enough of that let's get to the FUN:

$10.00 Gift Certificate from Quilt N Bee

goes to...

Shevvy of Shevvy, Quilting in London who made this....

Check out the quilting on this!!! Amazing right?

$75 Gift Certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop

goes to .....

Diane of From Blank Pages who finished this....

Just in case anyone is wondering....I would seriously accept this as bribery!!!!

Pattern & Charm Pack from Clover & Violet

goes to....

M-R of Quilt Matters who finished this....

I love how organic this is...I am not normally this "granola" but I adore this!!!!

$25 Gift Certificate to Sew Lux Fabric & Gifts

goes to....

Sarah of Narcoleptic in a Cupboard who finished this....

which happens to be one of my all time favorite quilts ever!!!!

I am not sure what to say except.....A.MA.ZING!!!!!

Poor Susan of Canadian Abroad is stuck with the Needle Turn Quilt Kit! Susan finished this...

So colorful...she says it will cover the ugliest couch ever but I bet mine will give it a run for her money!!!

The FMF Bundle from Swell Cloth goes to ME 

no wait....that's not right .....

but you can't blame a girl for trying...it actually goes to....

Shanley of OCQ who finished this...

She didn't share a picture of the full quilt but you can see her great quilting!

An  Aurifil Thread Card & Sample Pack

goes to...

Ella (who finished 11 projects in all) of Throw a Wrench in the Works finished this....

This is a gorgeous table runner! I love the randomness of it! 

Was I wrong? Are these not some great prizes? I really hope y'all will take a minute to stop by our sponsors pages and at least say thank you...maybe even spend a buck or two! This year-long event wouldn't be the same without them! Oh, and I have heard talk of y'all wanting this to continue into 2013. This only way that will happen is if the sponsors think you are supporting them!!!!!!

I would love to have more sponsors too....maybe you can start asking around!

Pre-Third Quarter Linky Party

Can you believe we are half way through 2012 already? I am amazed by this!!! In all reality we should be thinking about what we want to complete for Christmas presents this year. And I kinda am....well, at least I am thinking about it.

There are going to be some MAJOR moving about the house this quarter (I will explain further in a different post) so I am not sure what will get done but it never hurts to be ambitious. It actually serves y'all well since you can win prizes.

So, this quarter I want to:

1. Finish Black Monkey...funny this has been on my list every quarter. I have decided I want to give it to my ad for his birthday 7/30. I am so very close. It is in two pieces (it was done QAYG fashion) and then the binding and done!! See...

Black Monkey

2. Finish a certain swap for someone special (private swap). Pieces are cut just need to sew them together. A different part of the swap is already finished. (pictures forthcoming)
3. Finish a few pieces of clothing for Callee I have cut out. (pictures forthcoming)

I think that is fairly ambitious at this point considering all that will be on my plate soon. Oh and the fact that I plan on restarting my podcast in August!Isn't that exciting! It sure is for me....but more on all this exciting news very soon...for now, y'all need to get busy posting your lists for the Third Quarter... Are you ready?

Oh and one more thing...give me a couple of days and I will announce the winners of the giveaways for the Second Quarter!

Skirt Bag Tutorial

Looking for the Post 2nd Quarter Linky Party? You can find it here.

Let me tell you a little story about how this tutorial came to be...but first you have to promise not to think less of me. Back in January Kat posted her list for the 1st Quarter of the FAL. Being the nosey person great blogger friend that I am, I was reading her post and about to encourage her to finish her items when it hit me that her skirt bags would make a great tutorial for one of my quarters. OK, I admit I was a bit short on Guest Posters at the time but that just means I am desperate resourceful. Actually, what this means is that Kat is so wonderful that she agreed to be here and write the tutorial for these bags. What is even more wonderful about this tutorial is that just 2 weeks ago they weren't done and still on her FAL list. I see Kat and I work the same way....at the last minute better under pressure.

Seriously, Kat does some amazing work. Check out all the amazing things she has for sale in her store....seriously gorgeous. Well, I will quit babbling now Kat! The floor is all yours!!!

-----------------------------

 Thanks Rhonda for those kind words *wipes tear* and thank you for asking me to be a guest blogger here. You are indeed correct, I do procastinate *ahem* work better under pressure (so much so that I finished this bag 2 nights ago!). I tend to get distracted by shiny things and fast cars :-)

Anyway onto the tutorial. Here is what we are going to make:

What you need:

• A skirt
• Fabric for lining – approx. 0.5 – 1 metre
• Fabric for inside pocket – 7” by 7”  x 2 (or larger as preferred)
• Fabric for handles or webbing
• Interfacing

Preparation:

• If the skirt has a zip closure, close zip fully and then stitch just under the zipper. Backstitch and repeat a few times just to keep the zip up.
• If there is a button closure on the inside, remove and stitch closed. However, if there is a button on the outside you may want to keep it for decoration which will be fine as long as it won’t get in the way of your top-stitching seam.

• Use a 3/8” seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

1. Take your lining fabric and fold (bear in mind if your fabric has a directional pattern). Lay your skirt on top of the fabric. Cut around the shape of the skirt adding approx. 3/8”. You should now have 2 pieces for your bag lining.


N.B.: Place the skirt on the lining fabric before doing any sewing. I simply forgot to take a picture before sewing. Ooooppss!!




2. Turn skirt inside out and lay it flat so seams are at the side.
3. Pin bottom of skirt together and sew.





4. Match the bottom seam to the side seam and pin.
5. For smaller bags measure in 1” from the end and mark with a line. For larger bags measure 2” in. This is to add depth to the bag so please adjust the amount you measure in if you feel the depth created is too big/small for the skirt.





6. Sew along this line using an over-locking stitch if available or sew over the same line 2 or 3 times for strength.
7. Trim corner once happy.

Making the Pocket

8. Take the 2 pieces for the pocket and place right sides together.
9. Sew all the way around leaving a small opening for turning. Trim corners. Pull pocket right side out through the opening and press.





10.  Top stitch along the top of the pocket. I like to do 2 lines to distinguish the top from the stitching at the sides.
11.  Place pocket on lining where you desire. I find the centre of the bag widthways and then place about a third of the way down.
12. Pin down and sew (backstitching at the tops of the pocket), ensuring to sew closed the turning gap on your way round. As you can see in the photo I have customised the pocket to be bigger and include a phone pocket simply by adding another line of stitching.

Constructing the Bag Lining

13. Interface both your lining pieces as required.
14. Place lining pieces right sides together and pin.





15. Stitch at side seam. Repeat on the other side seam.
16. Now stitch along the bottom seam.
17.  At this point we want to see that the lining piece will accurately fit inside the skirt and make adjustments to side seam if necessary. To do this, Fold over the top of the lining piece and place inside the skirt, wrong sides facing. Match up the side seams on the skirt and the lining and pin on each side. Pull taut and make sure that the lining matches the skirt all the way round without any chance of the lining bunching or overlapping. If there is an overlap, stitch further in on the side seams to make the lining fit perfectly within the skirt.





18.  Repeat steps 4-7 on the lining pieces.
19.  Fold down approx. 1/2” around the top of the lining so that wrong sides are facing and press.

Bag straps

If you are using webbing for the handles/ strap you can skip the following steps.

Again, depending on the size of your skirt you can either have a single strap running side to side or as 2 handles sitting together. They are constructed in the same way.

The amount of fabric you require will depend on how thick you wish the strap to be and how long you want it.  Here is a guide:

For a 1” strap cut 4” wide

For a 1.5” strap cut 6” wide

For a 2” strap cut 8” wide

20.  If using quilting cotton you may want to interface the fabric.
21.  Take the fabric for the strap, fold it in half lengthways and press.
22.  Open and take one edge and fold towards the centre mark and press. Repeat for other edge.





23.  Now fold again at centre line and all edges should be tucked in. Press again to ensure strap is straight.
24.  Topstitch along open edge first and then the other.

Constructing the Bag

This part of the pattern goes slightly against convention if you have used other patterns. The reason for this is because the top of a skirt is already a clean top-stitched seam and has a nice edge and also to reduce bulk when sewing.

25.  Pin your strap to the wrong side of the bag, i.e. inside the skirt, as shown below.





26. Place lining inside the bag outer matching the pressed line with the top of the skirt and pin.





27.  Top stitch around the entire bag and backstitch once over each end of the strap to add strength. Take care at this point as depending on the type of skirt you have used the top-stitching can be quite hard going.

Pretty isn't it?

Now this is the first tutorial I have ever put together so if I have missed something out or something isn't clear please contact me and I will see if I can help.

I would love to see if you attempt a lovely skirt bag of your own!


In case you were wondering, Rhonda says the Pre 3rd Quarter Link Party that will start right here on July 8th and run for 7 days. If you don't get your list in on during this time you won't qualify for the amazing 3rd quarter prizes!!! Be sure to get ready!!!

Doll sleeping bag tutorial

Looking for the Post 2nd Quarter Linky Party? You can find it here.

Hey y'all....today we have the pleasure of having Connie over for a visit! She quilts by the River (not to be confused with The Gap). Her blog is so much fun...if you have never been over to the River, you really should! Not only will you find great project to inspire you, some beautiful/handsome grandkids, and the many post Connie has her hands in, but you will also find a Linky Party there every Tuesday! Seriously....no way to get board around Connie's place!!

A while back I seen these adorable sleeping bags Connie was making and knew I needed to make a couple for Callee (have you ever seen a picture of her? I know, now is not the time....but soon) when she is a little older and plays with babies more. So, I asked Connie to publish a tutorial here. She is ever so kind and was willing to do so! Thanks Connie...glad you are here!

Pin It

I made another little sleeping bag and have the tutorial for you.

 The first thing I did was getting into my batting scraps and piece some together using a zig-zag stitch. This is a great way to use up your scraps.

Read the directions and then if you have a bigger doll just adjust the size. The easiest way is to lay a piece of fabric over your doll and see how much fabric is taken up by the girth of the doll.

This sleeping bag was done with just plain pieces of fabric instead of the strip piecing. If you strip piece just do your pieces the sizes shown.

Front, batting and backing

• Cut a 8 by 12 inch piece of each
• Cut a 5 1/2 x 9 inch piece of each - this is bigger so you can put a tuck in it to make more room for the doll
• Quilt as desired, I just did a straight stitch about a inch apart
• Cut a piece of binding 2 1/2 inches by 9 inches and sew to the top of the quilted front piece - fold over and top stitch (sorry I forgot to take a picture of this)

 Now put a pin in the center of the front and back, then pin the sides.

 Make 2 little tucks so that the bottom lies flat.

Stitch to hold in place.

 Cut a piece of binding 2 1/2 inches long and sew to the back side. Then fold over to the front and top stitch.

 Here is what it looks like so far.

Now fold the top down about 3 inches to form the pillow

Put some stuffing in it and top stitch on the binding to enclose the stuffing.

Your finished sleeping bag!

 This size holds a Beanie Baby too.

Or a cute little bear!

I thought I would show a couple pictures of the strip piecing. I just added strips at a angle to cover the backing and batting and then trimmed it to the size I wanted.

When I made the first one I just turned down the top a 1/4 inch, top stitched it, folded it down 3 inches and stuffed some batting in.

 Then I pinned on the top piece and put binding around 3 sides.

 I didn't like the way I finished my binding on the ends so decided to change the way I bound the whole thing.

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and make some for the little ones! You could adjust the size for a bigger doll.

Be sure and stop by Quilting by the River where I have lots of other tutorials to share with you.

Oh, and Rhonda says the Pre 3rd Quarter Link Party that will start right here on July 8th and run for 7 days. If you don't get your list in on during this time you won't qualify for the amazing 3rd quarter prizes!!! Be sure to get ready!!!