Shoot for the Stars

It's hard to believe but this is probably my last year making teachers' gifts.  Dex is graduating from elementary school and at the Jr. High and High School with multiple teachers it isn't done as much.   One of Dex's favorite units this year was on astronomy.  Talking about it reminded me of these adorable embroidered constellations by Miniature Rhino and I was off a running...

I did get off to a rocky start with this idea...  I initially planned to use Dritz transfer paper but none of the colors made visible marks on this Ebony Carolina Chambray.  Next I tried using a light box and chalk pencil but now I couldn't see the dots thru the dark fabric.  I thought about making a plastic template but wasn't wild about having to punch out all those stars...

A few people suggested I change course but this is the fun part so after brainstorming awhile I came up with the idea of printing the pattern on these Wash-Away fusible applique sheets.  Since the design was simple I just fused the reversed version of the pattern to my fabric and worked from the back.  I find these sheets a bit too thick for quilting but this was perfect and saved me the step of adding fusible after I finished the embroidery.

After my success embroidering my old school cursive pencil bags with Aurifil 12 wt. I knew it would be perfect for this project also.  I love the sheen it has and it's so much easier to work with than multiple strands of floss.  With a plan in place I grabbed a glass of wine and kicked back for a relaxing afternoon of stitching in the sun:-)

Once I finished my stitching I loosely followed the pattern for my Patchwork iPad cover but sized it down a bit to fit the latest form factor.  For the back and flap I upcycled an old wool dress that's a bit too short for my current style and for the lining I had to use some precious Lizzy House Constellations.  She's a really special teacher:-)

I used this as an opportunity to try the new Pellon Flex Foam Fusible in place of the fusible fleece.  It bonds like a dream and is amazingly easy to sew thru.  My only complaints are I can't stack multiple layers to cut and it's very difficult to pull thru a small hole if you are using a pattern that births your bag.  It definitely provides a bit more protection for your electronics so I think I'll keep using it and switch to using a bound edge.

It's a bittersweet ending but I'm sure I'll find new excuses to make stuff;-)  What's your go to handmade gift?

The New Girl

Normally this time of year I'd be frantically making teacher gifts but this year Dex's teacher is expecting so we organized an end of year baby shower for her.  The kids each decorated a onesie and contributed a gift.

Still an excuse to go handmade:-)  I'd gotten so many positive comments on my Oh, Baby Wet Bag I decided to make another one, this time with a science theme.

This Joel Dewberry Heirloom laminate coordinated perfectly with the Good Chemistry print and I found the perfect zipper in the stash of ZipIt prize pack I scored on retreat.

And I threw in some coordinating burp cloths because let's face it, you can never have too many burp cloths.  We can't wait to meet the new girl!

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

Tote-ally Gift Worthy

After making 3 box bags I was done so I switched over to tote bags for Dex's teachers.  These are based on Noodlehead's Summer Madras Tote pattern.  These stitched up quickly and were a welcome change after all the fiddling and fuss with the box bags.  Anna's patterns are always well thought out and a pleasure to make!

Dex's lead teacher is a total science geek so I thought these Science Fair fabrics by Robert Kaufman would be perfect.  

 The lining is Mod Geek by Sarah Johnston and the trim is Netorious Black by Cotton + Steel.

For the class assistant I went with It's a Plus from Rashida Coleman Hale's Koi collection and Shot Cotton (tobacco?) for the lining and handles.  I love this one so much I may have to make another one for myself...  because I so need another tote bag;-)  And with that my holiday gift making is done!  Are you a last minute holiday maker?

Goldilocks and the 3 Box Bags

I think it's so special to give handmade gifts for the holidays.  A lot of people will advise you to pick your holiday gift for the year and then churn them out assembly line style.  I know from past experience that I'll lose my mind if I have to make too many of the same thing (14 napkins, what was I thinking!?!) so this year I came up with a couple of different ideas.  First up I wanted to make knitting bags for the Elementary and Jr. High librarians I volunteer with.  I decided to go with box bags.

There are a ton of tutorials for making box bags out there but these are a mash up of the awesome tutorials by Kelby Sews and Pink Stitches.  For my first one I used some Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush with Sky Grunge for the lining.  I lined both the exterior and lining fabrics with Shape-Flex SF101 and added a layer of duck in the middle.  This one was way too soft and the handle was too short.

For the next one I tried some helpful tips from The Plaid Scottie for adding zipper tabs and stitching the ends together before finishing.  The exterior and lining are Cotton + Steel.  This time I lengthened the handle to 8 1/2" but now it was too long;-(  I lined the exterior with Decor Bond (Pellon 809) and the lining with Shape-Flex.  The texture of this one is better but still too soft.

For the final one I used this adorable Knitty Sheep print with Tula Pink Acacia Pixel Dot for the lining.  This time I tried Fusible Fleece on the exterior and Shape-Flex on the lining.  I like the look of this best but it still would probably be better with some duck inside.  I did add Shape-Flex to the handle and it was just right.

I have so much respect for my friend Caro who makes and sells these as Splityarn.  I never did find the perfect combination of interfacings to give it the body I wanted and overall I found these rather fiddly and annoying to make.  If I get inspired again I'll try making one using Oh, Fransson!'s quilt as you go panels but next year I'll be thinking outside the box;-)  Are you making hand made holiday gifts this year?

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

Thank You, Teachers!!!

I was inspired to make pencil cases this year after seeing Allison's adorable pencil case for Stephanie but after my son and I got to talking about the trials of handwriting this year and I had to go with some old school cursive.

I've been a tad overambitious with the teacher gifts in the past so I was a little worried about doing all that handwork. I had to make 5 of these but they worked up quickly and it was actually really relaxing.  It was also fun to practice some of the embroidery stitches I learned from the fabulous Kate.  I used a backstitch for the blue lines, a running stitch for the pink lines, and a stem stitch for the writing.

I also used this as an excuse to indulge my latest obsession, Aurifil 12 weight.  The colors are beautiful, it doesn't twist up while you're stitching, and it has a beautiful sheen.  I'm already planning my next hand quilting project so I can get more;-)

The pouches themselves are based on Noodlehead's Gathered Clutch, obviously without gathering the front panel.  I loved how easy the zipper installation was for my Neptune version and I know from experience they are the perfect size for holding pencils.

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts and Sewjo Saturday at My Go-Go Life.

Gifted

Every year I try to make homemade holiday gifts.  This year I made cloth napkin sets using my Self Binding Napkin tutorial.  They're perfect for fat quarters and stitch up really quickly!  Even so, I cut it pretty close and whipped up the last batch minutes before we had to leave for the airport.  

I picked up this awesome Echino bundle to make napkins for my sister-in-law at the fabulous Sew Fresh Fabrics.  I was worried the prints might be a bit juvenile but since it's handmade, Japanese, and eco-conscious it should meet all the Brooklyn hipster criteria plus she has a thing for penguins.

For Dex's teacher I made another set using these adorable Ann Kelle Jingle prints.  Maybe it's me who has a thing for penguins;-)

I almost can't bear to part with these ones.  I just LOVE this Winter's Lane collection by Kate & Birdie Paper Co.  The colors are gorgeous and the prints are just precious.  I'm so glad I still have some left... maybe something for me next Christmas;-)

Last but not least, here's Audrey modeling the apron I made for my mother-in-law.

I channeled my inner Scarlet O'Hara and made it using her old curtains from our camp after I finally redecorated this summer.

I loosely followed this awesome Classic Apron tutorial from Michael Miller.  Since I wanted to keep the ruffle I just finished the bottom edge of the reverse side and then stitched around the remaining three sides as directed.  She was thrilled and I didn't have to feel guilty about throwing away fabric.

Now I can relax and enjoy vacationing with my family this Christmastime...  with a little yarn to keep my fingers busy;-)

Christy's Garden: Watch Them Grow!

I'm so excited to finally be able to share this quilt.  I absolutely love, love, love it!!!  I made this quilt with Audrey's sixth grade class for the fabulous teacher they've had the last two years.  I've been quilting fast and furious to finish it up in time for graduation.  Note to self: Keep It Simple when you're on a deadline.

I did blog about making this quilt back in the spring but I was reminded by Audrey, "this is supposed to be a surprise and you just don't know who's reading your blog!" so I've been keeping it under wraps.  The kids did an amazing job making the flowers and some of the other class Moms pitched in to help with sewing them together.

Once I'd sewn all the flowers together into a bouquet I used spray baste to stick them to the background and then basted that into a quilt sandwich.  I stitched in the ditch around each flower and it's center so I didn't have to applique the flowers to the background.

For the background I did my favorite "happy paisley" FMQ.  It's based on the amazing Angela's paisley design but with some hearts and flowers thrown in for good measure.  All the good karma and positive energy from the kids must have helped...  I managed to narrowly avoid my usual emergency thread run;-)

I loved seeing the kids find their name on the finished quilt.  They were so pleased with the result, I hope I've inspired the next generation of quilters:-)

Quilt Stats:

Finished quilt is 53" x 65"
Pattern: Based on Hexy MF by the fabulous Katy of I'm a Ginger Monkey
Fabrics: Avignon by Emily Taylor and stash.
Background: Happy-Go-Lucky by Bonnie & Camille
Batting: Quilter's Dream Orient
Thread: Aurifil 2600

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

Warm & Cozy

As I've mentioned we always try to make handmade teacher gifts.  My original plan was to make holiday napkins but as the days got busier I realized making 16 napkins (a set of 4 for each teacher) wasn't going to happen.  On to Plan B...

Holiday cup cozies!  These are so quick and easy to make and great for keeping track of your drink.  Last summer Marden's had Insul-Bright on sale for $2.99 a yard. 2 yards sounded reasonable... I think I have enough to make 500 more cozies;-)

Inspired by the hot cocoa print, I made these with some Basic Grey Figgy Pudding scraps.

And I just LOVE these Jingle penguins by the adorable Ann Kelle.

Truth be told, I have a drinking problem... I never go anywhere without a travel cup of tea. Hot or iced, I've got a cup for that and of course they all need cozies.  These were so cute I had to make a few extras for me.  Why not, I've got the supplies;-) 

Check out all the other fun stuff going on this week at Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

To Infinity and Beyond

We're very big on handmade gifts around here and this year Audrey wanted to make infinity scarves for her teachers.  How could I say no, even when she snagged the last of my Coral Loulouthi Velveteen? 

She also managed to find this coral Carolina Chambray in my stash.  I can't believe how perfectly these go together!

For the second one she used some of the new Robert Kaufman corduroy paired with Kiwi voile.  It's a great weight, a little more drape than the velveteen but still warm enough for winter.

There are a million tutorials out there to make your own, these are loosely based on Anna Maria Horner's Figuring the 8.  I'm still not ready to turn her loose with the rotary cutter but she did all the pinning and sewing herself.

I was hoping she'd make one for me also but no such luck;-)  I had to make this one for myself, this time Marine Loulouthi Velveteen and some slubbed silk.  These are so quick and easy I have no doubt we'll be making more!!!

Linking up to the always spectacular Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts