PISSY for short......

Kathy Mack from Pink Chalk Fabrics posted the following on her blog, and boy did I identify.  I quote:

"Let me just say I’ve had one of those weeks months. I’m not sleeping well either just to make it extra special for all the loving souls I’m blessed to be surrounded by each day.

After a little research I discovered I’m suffering from Periodic Inadequacy Syndrome Series Y (PISSY for short). An extremely common ailment amongst craft bloggers. It’s characterized by a feeling of inadequacy and envy brought on by reading too many blogs about too many perfect lives lived by people creating too many perfect projects in their too perfect houses. It often appears in conjunction with delusions that one should be Twittering, Facebooking, blogging, Flickring,  producing a YouTube Video, Digging, and LinkedIning all at the same time or else they’re just not doing everything they should to make their craft business a success.  I’ve got a very bad case.  The antidote is e-mail and phone communication with people smarter than yourself. " 

Now, in my case, it was a short conversation with Sandy.  Which prompted an "aha" moment of realization that I am not a victim of too much to do.   I am a victim of myself who really needs to make sure everyone thinks I am perfect when I really know I am not.   See....now I can feel inadequate and have good reason!

Sew Spoiled Weekender Tote Sew Along Week 1

fabric choices,
originally uploaded by SquareBag.

Week 1 - The fabric choices.

I have chosen two Amy Butler prints and a creamy linen-cotton blend solid. No sure what will go where yet, but I like the combination.  This is a large tote bag, so the creme, orange, taupe, brown etc should be great.
Check back next week for our progress.  If you want to see progress of all of us in the group just go to our Sew Spoiled Weekender Tote Project flickr page.  The group numbers 42, so it will be fun.

Travel Tote Sew Along

Travel tote outside,
originally uploaded by Sew Spoiled.

I have joined this flickr sew-along hosted by Sew Spoiled. I like the bag and will have fun making it . Here is the timeline:

Here is the Time line...
Gather Fabric and supplies- - - - - - April 17- May 1
Cut out the pieces - - - - - - - - - - - - -May 2- May 8
Outer Shell Pleats - - - - - - - - - - - - -May 9- May 15
Straps and finish Outer Shell- - - - - -May 16- May 22
Pockets and Magnet Clasp - - - - - - May 23- May 29
Lining and Finish the Tote- - - - - - - May 30- June 5T
take a photo or two each week of my progress!
Post questions here on on Leah's blog at www.sewspoiled.blogspot.com

If you want to join in....click the link under the photo...go to Flickr and get started!

Pleated Pink Wonders!

Pleated Pink Wonders!,
originally uploaded by aggieray46.

from Linda at AggieRay.....I want this fabric, this pattern....that not possible I want this bag...NOW. This is my favorite creation from my friend.

Hexies In The Guest Room....

Same fabrics on the pillow as were used in the quilt.  I must have known that there would be a use for those scraps someday.  

My fiber artist blog friends have been posting photos and projects of the most creative uses of fabric and arrangements for making hexies.....very old technique with a very modern touch.  I love it....

More on the hexies....a little tutorial

I put some photos of making my hexagons up on Flickr and got a question or two on using the plastic template.  


I  have used both the English paper-piecing method and  the plastic or mylar foundation piecIng.  I  bought  a ton of them back in the day and launched an ambitious Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top using them..the idea being that you could leave them in the hexies, sew them together to make one 18 hexie block,  press (mylar is heat resistant) then pop them all out.  Start again.  I liked it since there were no basting stitches to remove and no paper to take out. However, I ran out of patience and dumped the whole project some years back.


Then, when Heather  from A La Mode Fabric sends an email asking me to join the hexie group. I found about three or four of them left in my junk.  I wanted to make the pillow that Ashley made.  So I used just one of the plastic joberdoos as follows:  

Do a running stitch around the edge of the fabric. Pull the thread to gather and tie off.  Press using warm iron with a spritz of starch...allow to cool and then pop out the plastic.  Repeat.

Making these little guys is addictive...plus you can put fabric scraps, needle, thread scissors and your template in a zip-lock and drop it in your bag.  Portable hand work is a good thing!

Personally, I would never do it this way for a quilt.  But I wanted a whole bunch of  hexies to put on my pillow.  

Copying Ashley's pillow design, I made my own from scraps from a repro fabric quilt I made. I had an 18" pillow form, so cut a piece of Kona White 20" square, another of batting and two pieces about 20 by 12 for the envelope back. Spray basted the top to the batting and quilted using inspiration courtesy of CharminI 

have a Janome, and it comes with a blind-hem foot. I moved the needle posittion all the way to the left and sort of improvised a 1/8" foot. I sewed all the hexies down with 1/8" allowance all around.  

Made bias binding....put that on and added the backing and voila!  This was fun, fun, fun!


p.s.  I love the way the hexies are all organized in the upper right, then they start escaping and tumbling down.....the symbolism is not lost on me ;)


BTW, all the talented ladies whose work I admire and have mentioned here are listed in my blogroll..over in the right column.  

originally uploaded by SquareBag.

I ordered Laurie's Donkeys in Wellies  and a few fats of  some of the others at: www.etsy.com/shop/scarletfig

She says : "The fabric here in my store is all Limited Release. That means I produce it myself in small quantities and it’s only sold here in my store. My Limited Release fabrics are digitally printed usingwww.Spoonflower.com";

Head on over before all these fabulous designs are gone.

Next month her line "Tufted Tweets", her first collection of fabric for Robert Kaufman, will be available through fabric retailers in May 2010!  Hopefully through her shop????

I will be first in line!

Flapper Purse

Flapper Purse,
originally uploaded by SquareBag.

Purse is based on a pattern by Lisa Gay, Aivilo Charlotte Designs

This is an incredibly versatile pattern. Make it once to get the hang of construction, then add whatever strikes your fancy.  I quilted the flap, changed up the flap shape, and am now on my third bag.

Now that I have learned to put zippers in bags.....I want zippers in all of them.  This bag just listed in my Etsy shop SquareBag Shoppe

Hexies.....

Film In The Fridge is making hexagons....hexies.  She made a ton of them,  gave some away then came up with this idea!

Photo:http://www.filminthefridge.com/2010/04/01/i-made-pillows/

Then I got an invite to join a Flickr Group called Handsome Hexies  (a group where you post photos and exchange information about the adorable hexie and what you can do with them).   Before accepting,  I went digging around my sewing room for a old project I had started but gave up on.   There they were..... a ton of templates and reproduction fabric left over from a whirlygig quilt that is in our guest room.  Okeydokey....I am good to go!  I join the group.  My project will be to make a couple of pillows like Ashely did to go with the quilt.  My guest room will look pretty spiffy!  

    

Sampaquita Quilts

I found this lady's quilt on flikr...and simply stared.   

It pops, the colors are so clean and movement of the design is lovely.  She appliqued the elements onto the quilt by machine after she quilted it and used thread the same color as the fabric.  The back of the quilt is a knock-out....

Go take a look, and don't miss the photostream she has on Flickr .   Of course I went  to her blog 
and on to her Etsy shop for more eye candy.

Thank you flikr and etsy friends...

Thank you to Alice and crazyhousequilts from Etsy and Flickr for identifying the fabrics I want so much, but only saved the photo.....what a wonderful group of folks.  Thank you both.

Help, please...

Does anyone know what fabric line (s) these swatch photos belong to, or where i can find them?
I was going through my usual haunts looking for fabrics and saved these to my iPod.  Now i can't remember where I found them....Many thanks for your help....I feel like an idiot.