Another non-quilt made in an afternoon

So when I was looking for the wallet ideas yesterday, I came across a 6 pocket bag made via the straps and the side seams. The last two days have increased my top stitching confidence quite a bit. This was also the first time I made fabric straps - which I made longer than called for so that they could go over my shoulder. I've had the star fabric in my stash for a while, it was nice to have three coordinating cuts to use in this project. The tutorial can be found here: Pick-A-Pocket.

 Making the straps - lots of ironing. 

 One side of the bag with straps sewn on making the first of the pockets. 

 Bag is done, 6 total pockets going around the outside made from the side seams and the straps. 

 Standing up against the batting.  It's not visible, but there's top stictching around the top of the bag 1/8" below the top where the lining folds back over itself

Boxed corners. 

No pattern, half hour wallet project

I have never particularly liked any of the wallets I've had over the years. Not enough card pockets or not the right kind of card pockets, etc. Today I decided that I would make a wallet. I've had the fabric that I used for this for quite awhile. I'd been saving it for the perfect project, but I'm not sure what that is, and this seemed as good a time as any to pull 8"x13" from each full yard cut. 

That said, I like this, but it's still not quite right. I need to made it with a second level of card pockets and a little longer than the 13" rectangle to accomodate that - the original sizing came from the Crazy Mom Quilts Checkbook Tutorial. 

Because these were just quilting cottons, I added fusible fleece to the back of the lining fabric to give it a little more strength. And now, the pictures. I didn't take any while I was making it - in total it only took about half an hour. 

 Folded and closed. I ironed the fold, but for future ones, I think a magnetic snap will be in order. 

 Open, you can see the three card slots I made and the other side for cash. 

This one lets you see that the lining is the inverse of the outside - white with red polka dots. 

Forced perspective is my friend

I'm a modern quilter, but that doesn't mean that classic patterns don't interest me. Tumbling blocks is one of the more traditional patterns that exists creating forced perspective based on color choices with light, medium, and dark. A year ago, my mother got me the book ABC 3-D: Tumbling Blocks Made Easy. From there, did I start with one of the simble tumbling block quilts? No, of course not, I chose the one that was the most exciting for me - a forced perspective 3-D cube.

I chose opposites on the color wheel lime green and lilac as my base colors. I started with the medium values for each and then chose the lights and darks on either side. I bought all these fabrics last December while in Atlanta as my favorite quilt shop. 

I tell you all thise because I cut the strips for the final triangles yesterday - if you look in the lower section of the picture you will see the triangles that create the illusion. I also have 6"xWoF left from each color, so don't be surprised if some Chevron blocks pop up from this color set when I feel like doing something that I can complete in one sitting. 

School starts again today

Yeah - school starts for me. Unlike most of the bloggers I follow who relish this time because the kids are back to school, I am the one going back. Today, along with everyone else graduating in December or May has to go to a "Financial Empowerment Seminar".  This is meant for the first time undergrads who have always lived in the dorms or with their parents. Those of us who are in the Dix Scholars program (24 or older/already have a bachelor's degree) still have to go despite already managing our own finances. I think it's hilarious that one of the women in my program who is 40+, has 9 kids, and has been running her household for many, many years still has to go to this. I also have a meeting with the Asst. Dean of Students who works with the Dix population to try to get all future Dix student exempt since it's a waste of a couple hours.

So to deal with my frustration, this morning I made another chevron block. I think this might become my go to scrappy project since each angled piece is 3.5"x1.5". I've been doing unified color schemes, but it could be made quite scrappy just by alternating warm and cool colors.

Clearly this needs a little bit of ironing before it's joined with anything, but perhaps by the end of the semester I'll have a 12-16 of these blocks made in frustration from school things. And I have many scraps and color schemes from which to pull.

First time for everything

This is my first quilt where I'm not defaulting to Stitch in the Ditch for all the quilting. I'm outlining the accent squares, and I think I'm going to do a second ring of stiches inside the first.  The backing fabric is very busy and the quilting doesn't particularly show up there, but that's not such a big deal. So far, I like how it's coming on the front. I've done about half of the first round of rings so far. I'll finish the rest tomorrow then make the decision about doing the second set or doing another form to go through the middles of the blocks.

I'm waiting until I have the space (and really the money) to get a quilting frame to do the big all over patterns at home.

Sharp Chevrons (and why paper piecing is the greatest)

The first quilt I ever made was paper pieced. It holds the place of honor as being what is over the back of my couch. It's been on clear display everywhere I've lived since I graduated from college (a whopping 3 years). Suffice it to say, I like the precision that paper piecing gives. The sharp, crisp lines just make everything right. The only part that's meh is pulling the paper out of the seams once the block is done. I could do without that part of it.

My first quilt - It's a Jinny Beyer pattern but clearly not her fabric. 

This afternoon, I decided to make a tester Sharp Chevrons block before cutting into the real fabric that I purchased specifically for it. Also, It's Moving Day in Boston - I've heard various different statistics, but  approximately 75% of the Boston rental market is based on the Sept 1 lease date due to the 250,000+ college students in the city. This means the city is a mess with moving trucks and cars. I used this as a reason to stay in and piece (as if I really needed an excuse). That said about not going out, this morning I did 5.5 miles on a loop that took me all along the sidewalks full of Allston Chrismas (when all the furniture that is left behind on the curb by outgoing tentants creates a free for all).

I like this color scheme, it's fun, and it happened because the these fat quarters were on the top of a pile. But it's not what the full project will be. I might turn this into a bag - I got fusible fleece recently to make bags that have some structure.  

Busting through the scrap pile

I made a couple of full sized scrappy square blocks, and I'm having a lot of fun with them. I can also see myself making a top at some point using an actual color family making it coordinated and having all the sashing match. For these blocks, the centers are 8 little blocks long which turns them into 5.5" blocks. Then a 1/4" white, 1/4" color, and the white triangle. I'm pleased with how well the thin strips are turning out without paper piecing. This is a project that will grow over time - I expect I'll end up making a few blocks each week-ish, depending on what else I've got going on, or if I just want to sit down and sew for half an hour.

I've also now gotten an ironing pad which is set up next to my sewing machine which means I'm pressing all my seams open rather than finger pressing them to one side. Still have a few that are flipping back on the underside, but it's much smoother.