Life in the Scrapatch

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Tweet ... tweet ... tweet ...

A new blog hop from Sew We Quilt Sign up @ I Piece 2 Mary I have a book I am really looking forward to sewing for this one ...

I have had this pattern book for some time

paper pieced birds

Katniss says, "I like Birds! Let's sew!" :) Pat

Friday, March 22, 2013

TGIR5FF

Mystery Quilt In Progress

Butterfly says, "What are you doing?"

Butterfly says, "Nothing interrupts this important cat nap."

More Randomness Here

More Feline Fun Here

TGIR5F!

@ A Rural Journal

also ...

TGIFF!

Also linking up to my quilty kitties favorite linky party ...

Feline Friday

... which now makes this post

TGIR5FF

Enjoy!

;)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Colorful (and Tasty) Random Thursday

? No Sashing Posts ?

More pretty fabric randomness

I need help deciding the setting for these pretties

Above I am "auditioning" "no sashing posts"
to see the pattern and other options ...

Please Click Here

to offer a welcomed opinion ... TIA!

... Delicious Randomness ...

I still buy my milk in glass bottles with a deposit return from a local dairy.

Irish Soda Bread

Let's Dish Recipe Here

The Bread Baker

Tasty!

My hubby and I had this for lunch with homemade Chicken Soup.

It was good.

I made it exactly as directed as I always do with new recipes.

I almost added caraway seed which I usually use in Irish Soda Bread.

Next time I will tinker with the recipe.

I may add the caraway and raisins

or I may experiment with other herbs like rosemary.

I will bake it in a covered casserole dish.

It will become my random quick bread recipe.

<3

I am randomly linking up again with

Cindy's is my Favorite Blog Post of the Day!
(for all blog posts ... not just this linky party)

Check it out ... and all the other fun randomness

and

:-)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

ALYOF Mid Month Progress Report

My ALYOF March Goal:

~~Piece this Top~~

[Edit: When I took this out and started really looking at how much I had done ... and how much more I have to do ... and the fact that I have not even made a decision about the fabric for the sashing posts, I have had to face the reality of the fact that this goal is unrealistic. My goal now is just to make a decision about the sashing posts and to make progress on this top. I was no where near being ready to piece the top. In fact, I have several steps that need completing.]

These fabrics were first seen on my blog Here

Then they were seen Here

Then they disappeared and became a mysterious UFO

flying around my sewing room and disrupting the force.

For my

ALYOF March Goal I want to ~~complete~~ make progress on this top!

Here is the long story ...

This quilt started as a mystery last fall. I opted to go scrappy and use some Kona Solid 10" swap squares in my stash with gray yardage. I like my colors and fabrics but at I got to a place where I started struggling with how my scrappy fabrics were working in this pattern so I put it to one side to "think about it" and the next thing I knew, other projects kept lining up ahead of it. I really want to finish this quilt.

Since the mystery weekend is long over, I have looked at the whole top.

The pattern is called
Someday
and can be found
@ Quiltwoman

I am back at the place where I left off!

No closer to making a decision!

All my HST are sewn.

I have started to add the medium gray solid sashing.

I need to make a decision about the small square posts in the sashing.

Here are my options ...

(1) light gray posts

(2) rusty red posts

(3) scrappy posts

Black posts are not an option. I have already ruled that out.
I tried it and it did not like the effect at all.

I am planning to eliminate the narrow inner border in the pattern and add only a wide medium gray plain border.

I will probably also bind it in the medium gray.

I am also linking up with

and with

If you would like to help me decide, all feedback is welcome.

:) TIA! :)

Stitching Up Baby!

A "Stitch Me Up" Baby Bib ! for the

Stitch Me Up Blog Hop

When I signed up for this hop and the Stitch Me Up Packet arrived in my email, I was overwhelmed by the possibilities. The many free patterns are all so beautiful! I am sure you will be seeing much more intricate projects for this hop. There are flowers and gardens and houses and adorable wee tots. I chose one of the simpler patterns. The geometric shapes in this pattern by Bee Tree Designs appealed to me.

When it came time to chose a project, I decided that the simple pattern was very "primary" and that it would be wonderful for a baby or toddler.

What to make???

A Baby Bib!

I drew up a pattern ...

I wanted to keep the same lines as the Elements design so I used these to decide on my shape for the bib. I drew this directly onto the paper side of piece of freezer paper, so I would be able to iron the pattern right to the fabric. I used my ruler for the straight lines and drew around the bottom of an empty thread spool for the curves. At one point I realized my initial pattern had to neck opening too small, so I recut the opening larger. These photos were taken before I realized this design flaw and recut.

pattern details

cut

front
This is when I realized the neck opening was cut too small.

batting

It is snowing here again!

back
with enlarged neck opening

pin and machine stitch

This is an experiment and my own method.

I pinned the copy of the pattern design right to my top
with the batting only underneath.

Katniss helps thread and set up and check my machine

Katniss checks my machine settings

These are my standard settings.

After experimenting, I reset the stitch smaller to 2.0

to make it easier to remove the paper.

Katniss helps me matching the thread colors.
I started with my thin white piecing thread then I switched to red top thread as I knew I was planning to embroider with red perle cotton.

remove paper ... use tweezers if needed to get tiny bits

easy stem stitch right over the machine stitches

This hand stitching over machine stitching was an experiment and I will definitely do it again. I used larger stitches on my machine like basting at first. Then I set it to a smaller stitch. The smaller stitch covers easier and also makes it easiest to remove the paper. I also tried both white and red thread since my top color was red. The red was easier to cover, but one color would not work for embroidery with multiple colors. Next time I will match my machine color thread to the background fabric and set it to a small stitch length.

front and back

sandwich with right sides together

detail of the back of my hand stitching shows on the batting

machine stitch through all layers around the edge

Note: Remember to leave a 2-3 inch opening on one side to turn your bib right side out

crimp edges 1/4" away from seam

turn right sides out

I use a bone tool with rounded edges to smooth out the seams.

hand stitch opening closed

press bib and top-stitch 1/4 inch around the edge

machine stitch the velcro closure

Here is the finished Baby Bib!

This Baby Bib is destined to be included in a package that

I will be donating to the next ...

More Info Here

I first learned of this drive from a blog hopper, KaHolly,

and I feel this is a very worthy cause.

Just thinking about the young mothers of our service families who may be far away from home and getting ready to have a baby, sends me to my sewing machine.

I hope you will consider contributing in some way to this effort.

Giveaway Time!

Make Your Own Baby Bib Kit Giveaway!

[This Giveaway is now Closed ]

Cat not included ... again ... ;)

Pattern, back, batting, front ... when my model gets off of the red fabric, I will cut this piece, too. I will also enclose the velcro closure and a twist of red perle cotton to complete your own baby bib.

For a chance to win, please leave my quilty kitties and I one comment. We love comments!

You do not need to be a follower to win.

I will send this Baby Bib Kit anywhere in the world.

Winner will be chosen at random.

Please be sure that I have a way to contact you by email to tell you that you have won and to get your mailing address. If you are a no reply blogger, I will pick another random winner.

For a 2nd chance to win be a follower and leave me a second comment telling me you are.

This giveaway will close at Midnight EDT on March 29th.

A winner will be announced and emailed on March 30th.

Best of luck!

Please visit all the other lovely bloggers posting today ...

WEDNESDAY March 20th

Karen@That Other Blog

Susan @That Other Blog

Sowing Stitches

Life in the Scrapatch (you are here!)

Cherry Blossom Quilting Studio