My Tinkering Bag

Earlier this year I started volunteering in a young women's sewing group. They're interested in basics like hemming, using different sewing machines and decor projects like cushions and curtains. I've had a lot of fun teaching them what I know and although I haven't made quilters of them yet - I've got the rest of the year to accomplish that!

What I've found most interesting so far has been seeing how they purchase fabrics (and what influences them to do so) and learning about what captivates their interests. I'm a quilter and am in somewhat of a quilting 'loop' so I'm fascinated to see first hand how new sewers are approaching 'sewing'. All of them are taking their sewing cues from Pinterest which I find really interesting. And through Pinterest they came across Craftsy and through Craftsy they each purchased a pattern for making a kind of utility bag. I've been teaching them how to follow patterns and make up these bags, but don't have a pattern myself. So, when making LE gets too much for my fingers, I've been playing around with my own version. I've been tinkering around with it for a few weeks now and am almost finished.

I'm working by eye, so mine isn't exactly 'right' but its perfect for me and I'm adjusting it to suit my 'portable' sewing needs as I've never found a carry along bag that does. Thinking about it, I don't know what took me so long to come up with the motivation to make my own! Finally I can make compartments with zips - plenty of zips!

Any opportunity to raid my stash is a good opportunity!

My tinkering bag needs a collapsible 'bin' that can safely hold threads and broken needles ( I am finding that many needles are breaking mid use and I really wonder what that is about? dropping quality?) before I can dispose of them safely. And of course, my lid is an impromptu pin cushion! You can never have too many pins when you're hand sewing!

Afterwards, it twists down nice and small for packing away.

Now I just have to create my outer cover and add some handles and probably a top zip too.Until now I've been using smaller bags kept in a larger bag and rummaging through them whenever I need to take my teaching tools anywhere - it's too messy. As for this new style, I hope to get it done today. I'm finding that I need to take me sewing around with me more and more and it's about time I had a tinkering bag all of my own!

FREE Pattern: Oma's Easter is launched

This year I've been thinking about Oma's Blues a lot. I have my blue stash at the ready and although I haven't started my own Oma yet, I'm getting such a kick from seeing everyone else makes theirs - its always on my mind!

Thanks so much to everyone who is sharing their progress and images over in the Yahoo Group, I really love seeing what you do and its almost as good as making my own - I get all the eye candy without any of the hard work. For the time being, anyway :)

You know I love to release an Easter project each year and this year is no different. I've designed an 18 x 14 inch wall hanging (mine will go on our kitchen door, its the perfect size) and I've styled it in Oma style to fit right in with Oma's Blues (when I eventually have my own hanging in our dining room). I love these two bunnies. There's a boy and a girl here meeting up over a delft inspired egg nestled beneath a folk heart. The cornices are a styled return to Oma and I like the delft-ish feel so much that I feel a cushion coming on....perhaps an early Christmas project? Time will tell...

I'm really happy to share my own Easter project with you again this year and can't wait to see how you make and style your own. 

I opted for blue and white as this is the stash I'm busting in 2015, but I couldn't help going wild with colour and here's my bright spring version:

This pattern is available for free over in my Facebook Bom Group and suits all applique styles. To be really fast, I'm thinking of making mine with fusible and will blog it during the week when I do, so stay tuned...

Oma's Blues is my current free BOM. You can download it for free over in the files area of my Facebook Oma's Blues BOM Group. Oma's Easter is the Oma's Blues Easter project for 2015 and will be available for free until Easter.

How I Make Ironing Matts

I thought everyone had an ironing matt?

I love being able to iron on the spot and I find that it makes workshops all the smoother when you aren't waiting for your turn at the ironing board. When I'm sewing at home, (if I have the space) these matts mean I can make an ironing station right next to my sewing machine so I don't have to go and use the ironing board in between stitching - great if you've got a WIP pile like mine.

I don't really know what to call them - ironing boards, mobile ironing matts, table top ironing protectors? I thought everyone had these (apart from new quilters in workshops) so I was surprised that any of you were interested in seeing more of mine. Basically they allow me to iron on a table without the heat transferring through to the table or surface below. The matt is usable on both sides if you use a firm canvas fabric on the bottom layer. It's such a handy thing to have and it makes any area a perfect ironing spot!

Materials:
Teflon pressing sheet
Double layered 100% wool batting (I've used Matilda's Own)
Canvas (or thick cotton). I used fusible canvas - it's usually used on men's shirt collars, this fabric is extra strong and has the added bonus of having a fusible side. This is what I used. You could use canvas instead which I do recommend.
Liquid stitch glue

I press the canvas to 1 layer of the wool batting. This canvas is my underside. Then, I apply liquid stitch glue to the batting and position another later of batting on top of that ( a double later of wool batting). Using glue simply prevents it all from shifting around. Next I lightly add some glue on the top of the batting sandwich and add the Teflon fabric - this is the top non stick surface. Teflon fabric does not have a fusible layer and this is why I glued it down lightly to the batting, then ironed it into position. Once set, I stitch my 'sandwich' together. On the top edge only with a simple straight stitch. I also add a hanging loop for easy storage. I have not over locked the edges simply because I don't want any indents showing through if I iron something delicate.

With my left over fabric, I also made an additional seam presser which is simply rolled up wool batting enclosed in the Teflon fabric - super handy. Mine is inches long by 2 inch wide and I find it super versatile.

This is the Teflon fabric, I purchased mine from a specialty store about 10 years ago now.

This is the bottom layer side. I ironed my stiff fusible cotton to the batting, this is the underside

Now I glue to top of the batting (the cotton is the bottom) and add another later of wool batting

Lastly I add my Teflon top layer of fabric. The Teflon fabric I have is not fusible, so I need the glue to keep it all neatly in place.

Then I simply ironed it all down firmly before simply stitching it together at the edge seam.

 with my leftover Teflon fabric, I made a roll for ironing seams 

 and added a loop for easy hanging

You can purchase Teflon fabric at some specialty fabric stores, and this is what I did. The only online seller offering Teflon that I have been able to find is Valerie Hearder who is in Canada. Here is a link to her supply shop area. 

If you make this ironing matt, please test it before using it on your table surface. If you need to, you can increase the wool batting layer. And if you're really worried about a table surface you can opt for a wad of newspaper to go underneath your matt when using it. Personally I have found this version to work perfectly for me and protect all the table surfaces it has been used on - but I can't guarantee any one else s experience owing to variations on fabrics and battings, so please test first.

What do you think? Do you have one? 

How did you make yours?

WOW: Making Iron Table Covers

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday

I've somehow found myself volunteering twice a week. Both for very good purposes and so rewarding but somehow always overlapping with my suddenly regular art workshops. Just when I thought I would stop workshops for a year or two, I've found myself booked week after week. It always strikes me as strange how that happens!

Anyhow, along the way of my workshops and classes I've somehow 'lost' 20x workshop tabletop iron covers. I make these so students can iron right at their table and I used to have 30 but have found myself with just 10. Where have I misplaced my missing 20 x ? Who knows. Lucky I checked before packing my car the night before a class because this means I have enough time to make up some extra today in preparation for my upcoming workshops, including AQC in April. That's less than a month away now. How exciting! I can't wait to be in a LE mood all over again. I'm really looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm with a whole new set of people!

What's Your WOW?

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FREE BOM: Oma's Blues Part 3 is Launched

Luckily I looked at my phone today as it reminded me today was the 15th! Yes, it seems I lost track of time. Where is March getting to so quickly? I can't believe it's already time for Part 3 of Oma's Blues ( I feel like I just launched it last week) and now its already time for Part 3 and according to my quilting schedule, time for me to release my Easter 2015 project too!

Phew! What a week its going to be. Can't wait to show you more on Monday...or perhaps Tuesday...let's see what I can manage!

This month we are working on the star - tulip-house-apple and heart charms. I love all the charms and I'm really excited to see how you make them all with your own style and flourishes. 

Oma's Blues is my free current BOM. It's available to members of my Yahoo BOM Group. To read more about this design, check out my 'Oma's Blues Page' at the top of this blog, We are now up to Part 3. It's not too late to join in - all parts are still available for you to download for free.

The Joy of Volunteering

2015 is turning out to be one of those years. In a good way. A good and very busy way. At times I don't know whether I'm coming or going and catching up on missed calls and emails makes me wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just unplug my phone? March has come in a whirlwind and I keep pinching myself when I consider that AQC really is just around the corner now.

Yesterday I started volunteering sewing skills at a local school. It's been many years since I taught young children to sew and the the enthusiasm and determination they showed was really contagious. I just loved it. I've also started volunteering in a local women's group - just essential sewing and pattern skills right now, but you never know, I might make some quilters out of them yet!

Aren't these just great?! Such an achievement for beginners- these kids just loved making their own felt critters and really focused on stitching all the way around these shapes, I'm so proud of them.And I'm really impressed with their positive attitude too. Both the girls and boys really did so well. Just being around them recharged my battery. 

These days, in order to volunteer in a school setting you need a special working with children safety check. Here is a lone photo of me helping one of the children along, I had a little queue at my 'station' here but for privacy reasons, I've cropped them all out as I don't want to possibly  upset anyone or infringe on their privacy rights. When my own children were young it was normal to take photos of them with and around teachers and strangers in settings such as this one. My own caution reminds me just how much the world has changed since my own children were young and, most dramatically, since I was a child myself. I understand completely why these measures are in place now and I am in no way criticizing them -in fact I recognize that they are sorely needed. It's just that this recognition makes me feel a bit sad for society. Still, I do believe in doing what you can and it's been a real treat for me to share my passion for sewing skills with young people. 

And that's got me thinking about how to keep them engaged in sewing in a relevant and fun way. When I learnt to sew, it was all hard work and repetition but children are much too savvy for any of that these days! Luckily my DD who is a teacher now, is full of resources and has even set me up with a children's sewing inspirations Pinterest board. All I have to do now is work out how to import it into my own Pinning stream! So far I'm feeling the enthusiasm and just need to find some plastic sheets with perforation holes at a good price. I got really lucky with these felt critter packs - they were on sale at Spotlight and the special was that you when you buy 2x you get 1 x for free. A nice perk when you're stocking up for classes like this one. 

Goodness, its been such a long time since I received thank you letters. I think the last one must have been when my eldest DD was a Girl Guide.

Today I'm re-washing Lily Rose so that I can move on to quilting it next week. I've done a lot of reading up on dye running and think it's going to be fine. I'll let you know how it works out when I pull it out of my machine and can see the results for myself!

Over the weekend I hope to put down some serious hours for my LE2 hand sewing and when my hands can take no more and need some stretching, I'll be working on my workshop booklets and getting them ready for binding.

Oh March, slow down!

WOW: Hand Sewing My Heart Out!

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I feel like my feet are barely touching the ground at the moment! Luckily I have a list and schedule otherwise I'd completely lose track of what I need to do. I'm offline most of the time now and am only checking my emails every few days. Drastic steps for busy times!

Here I am working on my LE2 compass: I'be been working on various elements over the last few months (its all in the preparation) and now I'm just sewing it all down. I say 'just', but being a perfectionist means hundreds of hours and beautiful workmanship - otherwise, what's the point? My LE2 is an heirloom just as significant as my original LE and I know it will be in my family for generations, so every stitch matters to me, even with looming deadlines.

Are you coming to AQC? Are you in my LE2 class? If any of you are still on the fence, there are a few spots left so it's not too late. As for me, it's more hand sewing today, I've got deadlines to keep!

What's Your WOW ?

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