Travel Handmade for Little Girls - Vintage Dottie and Butterick Dufflebag

[sew] tired.

But its a satisfied kind of tired that comes from staying up late to sew.

This is the Swoon Patterns Dottie Vintage Handbag. Except my daughter saw it over my shoulder when I was surfing Pinterest, and knew it was meant to be a dolly suitcase. And she begged a little.

She picked the fabric from the stash and I away I went. The pattern has a lot of prep work but once you start sewing it goes fast. I pre-quilted the exterior quilting cotton and backed it with denim to give the bag extra structure (in addition to the lining. You can't see the denim, its just a backing on the quilting on the inside). The pattern calls for craft foam for stability, but I didn't bother since I used the quilted fabric/denim combo. Much easier I think than fiddling with craft foam/gluing it along the edges, etc.

I love love love the method for zipper installation in this pattern because the end result is so professional. Its a little different than I'm used to, because the bag uses a drop-in lining. To get a feel for what I'm talking about, Swoon patterns has a tutorial for a drop-in lining that also shows their method of zipper installation. Check out the tutorial right here.  

The pattern calls for piping, which I think makes the bag. Swoon Patterns has a tutorial for making piping on their website. I found in my stash, a Nancy Zieman product that is a fusible cording to make piping - you wrap your bias strip around it and just iron in place - instant piping. Normally to make piping, you buy cording and sew the bias strips around the cording to enclose it. I love this fusible option, its speedy. Or buy pre-made piping, even speedier.

Alexa is so happy with the little travel bag. It packs in a lot of doll clothes and seems to be the perfect size. 

In other little girl news, the duffle bag:

A couple years ago, I made a dufflebag for Alexa from a Butterick 5581 pattern. I purchased fabric to make one for each of the little girls. With our trip south coming up fast, Maria was asking for her duffle bag in time to travel. 

As with Alexa's duffle bag, I pre-quilted the canvas exterior with cross-hatching but this time used a cotton drill as a backing (again, this is in addition to a lining).  I did not quilt the side panels, but used interfacing with Pellon to give it some stiffness.  I also loosely quilted the lining fabric but didn't use a backing on it - just the lining fabric and batting underneath. This has given the bag a really nice structure.

This pattern calls for a drop-in lining that is hand sewn to the zipper - but feel free to go ahead and machine-sew it down along the zipper topstitching. The lining also didn't fit very well into both the duffles I made, so I'm not sure if its human error (probably!) or just poor pattern drafting??

Maria is really REALLY thrilled with the duffle bag and its the perfect size for a little girl. 

How about you, what are you sewing? 

xo

live.faith.homeschool.[sew].

live.

So, I've had a nice break from blogging, since January in fact. In the past few months several friends and family have asked about it, and my short answer is that January is generally a dismal month and I needed to focus on homeschooling and just get through. Then, I began to question the value of a blog in my life. It does become its own living and breathing entity, in a way, and one more thing to keep on top of. Yet, it is rewarding to keep an online journal, to look back and remember and reflect. 

Mom says she and Dad look forward to my posts because she loves to see pictures of the kids and also enjoys the sewing posts. When you live far away, its nice to feel a part of the life of your grandchildren; a blog is a medium to connect. I began blogging as a way to document our journey for my own family, while being an encouragement in the areas of homeschooling, living your faith, and pursuing your hobbies.  I really, really want it to be that. 

So I begin again. Though likely not as frequent posting as before. Come along anyway?


faith.

We've been watching several DVDs of the lives of different saints.  This was our latest and can be found here.   It's a little bit scary and not for the younger viewing audience; there are portrayals of St.Pio being tempted by the devil and its intense. But some interesting facts about St. Pio? He could tell you your sins before you even confessed them. He spent 18 hours a day in the confessional and had throngs of people lining up waiting to see him. He was tireless. He founded a hospital for the relief of the suffering, which stands today and remains an important centre for medical research and patient care.  Most notably though, are the miracles, which I leave for you to discover yourself. The movie is worth a watch.

homeschool.

We are having a super-great year! Our year is loosely planned and I hope to share some of the highlights with you. I say loosely since  I've found that, for me, an extremely detailed and highly structured plan is not worth all the effort it takes. I've given away entire summers of my life making detailed plans, in 15-minute increments, with specific pages of specific books to read for each specific subject and you get the idea.  Highly highly structured and the content completely planned by moi. But we always diverge from the plan (shocking!). Something better and more interesting always springs up for us, or on the contrary one of my kids end up hating a particular aspect of the plan. Instead, I love the freedom to run, to follow tangents of interest, to see an opportunity to inspire my child and let a talent or gift reveal itself.  

So these days, I loosely plan the bones and overall structure of our year, but not the minutia.  I plan reading lists and resources; I have a general idea of the topics I want us to explore either as a family or for a particular child, and gather materials to have on hand.  I also take a good hard look at what our fall rhythm is going to look like and see which pockets of time will work best for family learning time and individual studies.

Then I sit back and say to my husband, "How the heck am I going to fit it all in??" Its a question I often ponder over a good glass of red. Or white. Or rose. But usually red.

I do find it all a push and pull. I'm in the headspace of high school and preschool and elementary school all at the same time.  Its challenging and I know you homeschoolers relate! For us, the key is to keep in mind the big picture: its not about the content or curriculum, not really. Its not about filling a bucket (my child) with facts and minutia. That is not why we homeschool. Rather, its about filling a heart with ideas, dreams, inspiration, love and compassion. Its about filling a child with the confidence to accomplish whatever goals are set out, and the skills necessary to push ahead. Its about the journey and relationships, fostering true love of learning, living our faith, character development, and exposure to great literature and great ideas no matter how young or how old. Yeah, that.


[sew].

Friends. I've got big plans that will probably never get done but oh how I love having those plans. Over the past few months I've dabbled in sewing bags and zip-pouches and wristlets, a few things for the girls,  and a couple of skirts for me. I'm hoping to share with you a really interesting wrap skirt from one of the Japanese patterns books - the books which I have a love-hate relationship with but continue to pour over just the same. So look for that.

The other exciting news is that my friend and I are going to have a little Christmas sale of our sewing treasures. Kind of like an open house. We both absolutely love to sew and are having fun making and creating. Sure, we are busy mommas and people ask us where we find the time but quite frankly, a person makes time for what is important to them. This is important to us. It is helping us to push our sewing skills, set goals and see them through. And on that note, we are heading out of town soon for a long weekend on a sewing retreat! The word excitement doesn't quite cut it. Ha!

Jane Market Bag - shabby style

Christmas Table Runner - quilted and ready to bind

Michelle Patterns Grocery Bag - love these!! Fast and easy sew!!

Oliver and S Class Picnic blouse- she loves the owls!

   Well dear homeschoolers and sewing partners-in-crime, that's a wrap for today! Thanks for stopping by and I sure hope to be back soon.

xoxo

Giant Hexie Quilt - Done and Gone

[sew].

Sewing till all hours of the night before you leave to Grandma's house for Christmas is fruitful. For my sister. Who ended up with this gift I like to call "Friday Night on the Farm in Saskatchewan in the Middle of Winter when your Husband is Away." Its a hexie quilt, a collection of romantic comedies on DVD, and a bottle of Baileys. 

Am I right?

I removed the borders.  I originally added them to make the quilt bigger since my first run didn't seem big enough for even a lap quilt. But, I didn't want to go through the work of ripping out half-hexies along the bottom and adding a couple of rows. All those zig-zags and pivoting made me a little dizzy. So, borders it was.

While the borders were ok (better in real life compared to photos posted), they just weren't doing it for me and I decided to lengthen the quilt the proper way. Late in the game considering I only had a few hours, but oh well!!

I did some simple quilting, as suggested in Karen's Giant Hexie Quilt pattern, outlining the hexies about an inch away from the edge. My word, it is VERY exciting seeing a quilt come out of its first wash and dry after being quilted and bound. The quilt rumples up and gets really cozy I tell you.

By far the best surprise for me was the backing because I fell in love with it. I had some of this Anna Maria Horner Night Garden in my stash - and saw that it was going to work colour-wise. But wow, when its quilted up? Wow. Let's just say I've ordered a LOT of it in this colorway (and in the pink because that looked delicious also) because its really rather stunning when quilted.  And exotic-looking. I like stunning and exotic looking, so I might just become more of an AMH fan. At any rate, I had just over a yard of it, so I had to creatively piece it with my Outfoxed Circles to come up with a full backing. 

I really loved making this quilt and loved giving it away, especially to my sister who totally appreciates this sort of thing! The hardest part was committing to fabric choices on the front, and to be clear I pretty much imitated Karen's gray/teal/yellow combination, throwing in a pop of red. I think it works ....

Happy New Year everyone xoxo. Hope to talk a lot more sewing with you very very soon :).

Edited to link up with Elizabeth at needle and thREAD.   And on that note, I suppose I forgot to mention what I'm reading ... I've got a few things on the go as usual, but one that has me glued to my handy dandy kindle is A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS and Dangerous Days at Sea by Rich Phillips.  Because I went to see the movie Captain Phillips the other night and it was amazing. The book is equally so.

Ok and that's really all for now my dear friends!!

Hexie Progress

[sew hexie quilt].

I've been playing with this. I'm not sure I love the colors yet, its not quite what I was going for, but then again, its experience.

The giant hexie pattern is from Blueberry Park. I really really love her samples, one in the teal/gray combo, and another in a beautiful coral/aqua colorway. The only modification to the pattern is I didn't do half-hexies sewn back together. I used her Y-seam tutorial and it worked perfectly. MUCH faster than half-hexies I *think.* 

I am in love with hexies.

In love.

OK, on to reading. I have been digging into Ann Voskamp's Advent book, The Greatest Gift.  Its good; her writing style is unique, and I find it interesting to read it through my Catholic eyes. Enjoying it very much.

I'll be back later to link with Elizabeth if she posts a needle and thREAD. Otherwise, my dear sewing friends, I will see you after Christmas!

And here is that link.

Shopgirl Apron and Zakka Organizer

[sew a gift].

Had some fun making the Shopgirl Apron, well, just making aprons in general. Though they can be a bit time-consuming if you like to customize. In this case, I changed up the pockets from two side pockets to one centre front, added a ruffle, and quilted it with a cross-hatch pattern. I really like to quilt the apron if its reversible because I'm afraid once you wash it things will separate and get all wrinkly. The quilting helps stabilize and give it structure. And make it pretty. Even though you can't really see it here. Trust me though, the quilting is very pretty.  And, I didn't even model it because then I would get attached to it and this one is not for me. 

Another not-for-me project, the Zakka zip organizer from the book Zakka Style. It ended up being a disappointment. It looks soooo cute. However, the zipper is not very functional; its a bit stiff but I could have lived with that. The problem is that it seems so tight at the open end when you try to close it. VERY cumbersome. I must have installed it too tightly. But, alas, my friend Anne is willing to bear the burden of the zipper in the name of lovely fabric and cuteness. Works for me! 

I have been in the cue at the public library for this book since summer. I mean, its that popular. Anything Zakka is hugely popular it seems, but, I did not love this pattern and instructions. I love the idea of the zipper organizer though, and I think next time (if there is a next time), I'll add a gusset, yes? And bookmark Krista's tips because she has made several.


on the handy dandy kindle
So I'm slowly working my way through Breath of Peace which Elizabeth recommended a few weeks ago. I'm finding it a bit painful to read because the newlyweds are bickering all. the. time.  So far. I think it was described as "affectionate discontent". I have witnessed such. Its not pleasant and it definitely makes me treasure my own marriage relationship because I think the ping-pong-bickering can creep in if we're not careful. 

and not on the kindle

My sweet friend (shall we call her Ms. Smith?) dropped this by today, wrapped in Advent lavender and accompanied by a Tim's French Vanilla cappuccino ... just because. 

Its a good time of year to let your friends know they matter. 

I'll be back later to link up with Elizabeth for needle and thREAD, so until then, xoxo.

And here's that link to Elizabeth's needle and thREAD.

Patchwork Aprons and other lovelies

[sew].

A few very quick takes for you, my dear sewing friends, of the progress of Christmas gifts. I am very committed to use my love of sewing as a way to bless others. I want to give gifts from my heart and the best way to do that is to give gifts from my hands. Because the two are inseparable. So here are a couple of aprons ... with more aprons to come ... this one is my own concoction and its basically a rectangle for the skirt and a rectangle for the bib with a wide band in the middle.  I love it. I'm not sure I can give it away ...

It's reversible. Which is a good thing because I don't really want to wipe grease or grime on this side.  But the other side is my beloved Amy Butler, so its really a bit of a lose-lose situation ...

Haha! The ruffle is NOT reversible I just noticed! Whoops! I love it anyway. And by the way, the tie? Its extra-long; three widths of fabric in length so I can tie a pretty bow; and interfaced to give it some structure. I think the fact that this apron is lined, quilted and has an interfaced waistband/tie means it will hold up to the wash. Because I do have a store-bought apron that's cute, but it comes out of the wash looking like a wrung-out rag and I really don't have a lot of time for ironing.  

This half-apron was fun. Its loosely based on Jona's Apron-in-an-hour though not quite as wide. I used 10" pre-cut squares to make a four-patch, lined it and quilted it for extra structure. The tie is not as long as the first apron, only two widths of fabric, but it does the trick. 

And here's the reverse:

A half-apron is perhaps not as practical if you're standing over a sputtering stove, but gosh, it sure brightens up an old t-shirt and a pair of jeans, no?

My daughter snapped this of the apron in action. I had to take it for a test-drive, even if it will be a gift. Like, maybe :)

The other sewing goodies which I'm really very excited about come from Michelle Patterns; the Card Wallet. I don't know about you but it seems every store I shop at has a courtesy card of sorts. There's Costco, Hallmark, Paradise Cafe (when I'm in the U.S.), Indigo, Shoppers, Winners ... yeesh the list goes on. I mean, not all of them fit in the wallet for one thing, and not all of them are used frequently at all. Yet, you might want to keep them with you just in case. So, its very clear my friends, we all need a Card Wallet. Its an extra little lovely in your purse that you can easily find. I think they are awesome! I have one for low-use cards and one for library cards. The rest are for gifts!

I'm quite excited about giving these handmade treats to my friends and family, but I must admit there is a part of me that hopes/worries whether they will actually like it ... not everyone is into quilty-sewy-fabric-y-mugruggy-type stuff like me. But you know what? The joy is in the giving so I'm just going for it.

That's all I can show you right now, heh heh! On our sewing retreat last weekend my friends and I burned the midnight oil and made a tremendous amount of gifts - like pajama pants, quilts (yes I said quilts!), pioneer bonnets, infinity scarves, mug rugs, play-capes, aprons - I mean we really made the most of our time away. It was so much fun.

thREAD.
I am happy to report I finished Jeckyl and Hyde and ... I did NOT like the ending!!! I was actually a bit stunned that the end was actually the end! I thought for sure that Hyde wasn't really dead and would reappear for a final battle, perhaps against Utterson. But alas. Dead. (Spoiler. I'm sorry).  I now have just barely started to read the book Elizabeth recommended here, Breath of Peace. 

All for now. Be back later to link up with Elizabeth and needle and thREAD. xo

And here is that link! Enjoy!!

Christmas Mug Rug Blitz!

[sew].

Mug Rugs are a great gift. Bigger than a coaster, smaller than a placemat, perfect for a drink and a treat. So very much fun and quick to sew!

Pinwheel Christmas Mug Rug: Sew Charm Squares into Half-Square Triangles

I have two friends who sew with me, and I think they're converted - they recently took the plunge into patchwork and made mug rugs. Really, mug rugs are the perfect introduction to quilting - its a small project but you get practice with rotary cutting, 1/4" seaming, proper pressing, making a quilt sandwich, quilting it, then binding it. Of course, we use the cheater binding where the backing flips over to become your binding. Much easier for this type of project. 

Strip-Pieced Christmas Tree Mug Rug

These make great gifts and many of my friends and family are going to receive one! Add a mug, some tea or hot chocolate, a couple of candy-canes or cookies, and voila. Handmade goodness.

It's as simple as piecing together squares and rectangles in a way that's pleasing to your eye (and uses up your scraps!). We trimmed our piecework to a 5x10" rectangle, then quilted it. I really love this size - I learned this method from taking Andrea's Sewing Summit class, and you can find her tutorial right here, cheater binding and all. Easy peasy. And did I mention fun?

More Christmas Mug Rug Madness

My sewing friends and I are doing some really heavy duty Christmas sewing together this weekend (an annual event we hope), and to kick-start our fiesta we have decided to have a mug rug exchange among us (also an annual event we hope!). 

What can I say, we are desperate housewives.

This is as wild as I get with mug rugs. I actually prefer the straight-line quilting, I think its more modern and fresh. 

Want to know what else is on my sewing list for gifting?

Well, I hope to make some Prairie Bonnets for the little girls - they love all things Little House and these look quick and easy:

Bonnets from My Cotton Creations

I also hope to dabble in an apron or two. I've purchased and downloaded Jona's pattern - the Shopgirl Apron. There are actually a ton of free tutorials and apron patterns available online but I liked the curved lines of this, its reversible, and she has a killer method of making bias tape from half a yard of fabric - she sews a Mobius Strip! You know I like math, right?

I also printed out the free tutorial for her sweet little One-Hour Christmas Apron - I will probably do some fun patchwork and maybe add a box-pleat or ruffle along the bottom edge. Isn't it cute? Thank you Jona!

I think this version is pretty special also. Love all the patchwork in this Everyday Hostess apron:

Hmmm, what else will I be making for gifts? Probably won't have time for much more, but I'd really like to try these fabric "paper" dolls from The Prudent Homemaker.  I sure love what she did with them, my little girls would be over the moon with these! 

And maybe a baby doll carrier if I get really ambitious using Sewbossi's free tutorial. Isn't it sweet?

So I've probably gotten carried away but better to have plans and dreams than to not. Did I mention an unfinished rag quilt that's been cut and ready to sew for a dear son of mine? And a Snowfling Mittens kit that just arrived from Tanis Fiber Arts? Yeah, there's that too. I'll bring it along in case my sewing machine breaks down. You never know, and I like to be prepared.

And finally, I've made some slow progress on a plaid Hollyburn, which mostly involved very calculated cutting. Which kind of exhausted me and I put it away for a bit.

Well hey, its on to reading. My son's current classic is Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and while I think most people know the story or have seen a movie version, I have never actually read the book. But I am certainly enjoying it now on the handy dandy kindle. Its an easy read, not too long (I'm over half-way and I've only put in a few hours), and its so intriguing!! Loving it, loving it.

Looks sinister, huh? It is.

And that's a wrap my dear sewing and reading friends. I'll be back later to link up with Elizabeth for needle and thREAD. In the meantime, two words.

Mug Rug.

And here is that needle and thREAD link.

xo