Monthly Archives: February 2010

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Episode 39 – 1 Year Anniversary

February 28, 2010 in Podcasts

February 28, 2010 ~ This week marks the 1 year anniversary of the Sew Stitch Create Podcast.  Today I discussed the origins of the podcast, where I plan to go with it, as well as the projects I completed over this past year.  In the next few days I will create a page showing you how to start your own podcast.

There are currently two contests going on.

  1. Send me a picture of you making continuous bias tape to be entered to win a bias tape maker.  The deadline is 6pm EST March 1st.
  2. Leave a comment, leave a voicemail, or send me a picture to highlight to be entered to win a tool holder.  The deadline is March 8th.

I thought this quilt was appropriate to share this week, since so many of you are knee deep in snow.  Emily made this quilt as a gift for her daughter.  It is the only quilt she has ever sent out to be quilted and she did it to surprise her daughter.  I think it is adorable.  It is machine appliqued.  Thank you for sharing Emily.

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Fabric Design

February 25, 2010 in This n' That

I have known about Spoonflower for a while, but didn’t really have any interest in making my own fabric design.  Truthfully, I don’t know where to begin or what to create.  But tonight I had an “aha” moment.  Morgan and I were looking at a pattern for a fabric egg (more on this soon) and she said she wanted one with her name on it.

A H A!!!!

I can make the fabric with her name on it.  Thanks to Darla for passing on the info about Wordle. I used this as inspiration to create my design.

This is what I made very quickly.  It needs more work.  I will probably add her middle name “Athena” in it as well.  Plus I will need to make some Dustin Fabric.

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Socks are finished!

February 24, 2010 in Knitting

OK – the picture may make them look good, but they are not without their flaws.  The right one is too big and so when I made the left one, I did the instep shorter; fits perfectly.  On the left one, I forgot to do the decreases when I was stitching the instep, so I did several rows of decreases right before the toe; you really can’t notice this problem.  I need more practice on picking up my gusset stitches when turning the heel.  I tried two different methods and neither one looks perfect; but they worked.

Don’t you love how the strips match!  FYI – I used one ball of yarn and just a tiny bit from my second ball.  If I didn’t make the right one too big, one ball would have worked.

I enjoyed making the socks, but I am done for now.  My next knitting project will be something different.

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First Socks

February 24, 2010 in Completed Projects, Knitting

Pattern: Basic Ribbed Socks by Kate Atherley

Purpose: wear them

Dates: September 2009 to February 2010

 

These were my first try at making socks and my second knitting project.  I was also my first time using dpns.  Luckily, I didn’t know that socks are hard for beginners.  I picked up the yarn at Hobby Lobby and got the pattern off of Ravelry.  Because I didn’t know any better, I found the process easy.  Now, socks are one of my favorite things to knit.

I when I made these, my job was in a cold environment.  I wore them at least once a week until they were worn through.  They kept my feet toasty.

 

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Giveaway

February 23, 2010 in This n' That

Enter to win this cute little tool holder. There are many ways your name can be entered, and entered multiple times:

1. For each comment you leave between now and March 7th.
2. For emailing me a picture to feature on the podcast.
3. For calling me and leaving a voice mail

A random winner will be drawn on March 8th.

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Episode 38 ~ Local Quilt Show

February 21, 2010 in Podcasts

February 21, 2010 ~ Lots of eye candy this week! We talked about the Quilt Show held by a local guild.

Thank you to everyone visited the website and left comments.  I heard from Vanessa, Toni, Lisa, Gidget, Patricia, Samanta, nancy, and Jandi.

Melanie sent us a great picture of a wall hanging she gave as a secret santa gift this past Christmas.  I love the color choices.  The pattern came fro www.freepatterns.com.  I love the 3D flowers and her machine quilting.  Leave a comment and let Melanie know what you think.

Belleview Busy Bee Quilter’s Guild Show

I picked up some fat quarters and a wool applique project.

Affairs of the Heart by Lee Ward; hand appliqued and hand quilted

Mary’s Basket by Ruth Sibley; hand appliqued and hand quilted; pattern from Mary Sorenson’s basket class.

Nuetral Petunia Yellow Brick Road by Peggy Erlich.  See the couching she did as a border.

Vintage Memories by Othie Lingle; machine pieced and hand appliques; pattern from Bed & Breakfast quilts

Four Patch Stacked Posies by Norma Walters.  Check out the squares she made from the border motif.

Cathy’s Quilt, Flowers & Butterflies by Rachel Fink; love this house.

Scraps Reorganized by Martha Adsit

Bits & Pieces by Laura Etzler.

Cabin in the Woods and More Cabin in the Woods by Othie Lingle

Quiet Village/Tuscany by Mildred Grey; hand appliqued and quilted.  Check out the folded fabric technique and the french knot flowers.

Mark’s Armadillo by Charlotte Undercoffer.  All hand painted.

Tinker Memory Quilt by Lea Marty

Contest this week

Drawing will be held March 8th.  Earn an entry for leaving a comment on any post between now and March 7th.  Multiple comments will earn you multiple entries.  Earn an entry for sending me a picture to feature in the podcast. Lastly, earn an entry for leaving me a voice mail!

Good luck!

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Sew In Results

February 20, 2010 in Quilting

Last night I participated in a Friday Night Sew in organized by “Handemade by Heidi”.

I worked on my Gator Quilt in the Garden Maze Paper Piecing pattern.  I finished 2 1/2 strips.  I have 2 1/2 strips left to go on the paper piecing strips.

Thank you Heidi for putting this together.  It really made me get to work, instead of slacking around watching TV.

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Friday Night Sew In!

February 19, 2010 in This n' That

Tonight I am participating in a Friday Night Sew in. I have my comfy clothes on and a fresh cup of coffee; Morgan is at grandma’s, Dustin in hiding out in his room and Rick is on the Xbox. I have the living room to myself.

Join me! Check out the details at http://www.handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com.

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Do You Save Your Selvages?

February 18, 2010 in This n' That

On a recent blog hopping journey I came across several blogs on how to make quilts with your selvages.  Check this out.  www.selvageblog.blogspot.com  They made skirts, dresses and upholstered furniture with it too! It is wild how the manufacturers markings become part of the design.

The look of the selvage made fabric is very interesting.  I like it, but it raises a lot more questions.  What does it feel like?  Is it stiff? How does wash? How long does it take to make?  How wide are the selvage pieces.

I am very curious.  I think that I will start saving my selvages and try it out.

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Using a Bias Tape Maker

February 16, 2010 in Tutorials

This week’s podcast was about making your own bias tape.  Today I will show you how to use the Clover Bias Tape Maker.  You can win one of these, by sending me a picture of you making a continuous bias strip (see yesterday’s post for directions).  The drawing will be held on March 1st, so get me your pictures before then.

On the podcast I mentioned a great video I found on folding the fabric to make your bias strips.  Here it is.


Fast Tube by Casper

How to use the bias tape maker.

  Read the instruction on your bias tape maker.  Find out the maximum width your strip can be to fit into the tool.  These tools come in a variety of sizes from 1/4″ and larger.  The one I am using is a 3/4″ one.

   This is what it looks like from the end.  See the grove that the fabric will go into; a kind of “U” shape.

   Stuff the fabric in, right side down into the bias tape maker.  You may have to push, use a stilleto or pin in the top groove to move it or to pull it out the end.  I used a long pin to dig it out the other side.  This part is a bit difficult, but once you get it through, the device slides effortlessly along the tape.

  See how it comes out all ready folded?!  Wonderful.  Slide it out a little and pin the end to the ironing board to secure it.

 Pull the bias maker along the strip and press the folded fabric coming out.  Remember to go slowly to give the iron time to properly press.

   You can turn the iron to put as much surface space as possible on the strip.  But do not line up the tip of the iron with the center line.  I found that it “unfolded” the strip slightly.

  Of set the tip of the iron.  You get as much surface space but still maintain the fold.

  I found that if you lifted up the bias tape maker off the ironing board slightly it created a better fold coming out.

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