Five Friday Favorites: Organization

So...let's be honest.  This hobby of ours can get out of control pretty quickly.  We have fabric, projects, tools, pre-cuts, scraps, patterns, rulers, notions, magazines, threads.... How do we contain the chaos??  Today I'm sharing five tools I use to keep somewhat organized.  And I'd love to hear your favorite ways to stay organized!

#1: My WIPs clipboard

 A couple of years ago I made this clipboard to help control all of the loose papers floating around.  Over time, it became the home for my WIP lists.  I keep this in my sewing space and it helps me keep track of the status of each of my projects.  

The clipboard is just a plain brown clipboard from any ol' office supply store.  I found some fun scrapbook paper, cut them to size and modge podged them on.  Much prettier!

Last year my friend Holly gave me the coolest WIP list to use.  Her husband (the talented artist behind Stately Type) designed it for her and I thought it was SO helpful!  I used it, and filled it up.  Quickly.  He's designed a whole new set of them for this year and you can find them here.  They're available to purchase as an instant download - super handy.  Go check them out!  There are three different sheets:  WIPs to Finish, My Fabric Stash, and Quilts to Make (a wish-list of sorts.)  

#2:  Pattern Binder

Yep this is super fancy, high-tech and state of the art.  Not really.  It's a $3 binder from Target.  In it, I keep several things.  I keep those free patterns / tutorials from blogs and websites.  They stay in here while I'm working on the project.  Then they get filed into a permanent file.  While in this notebook, they're handy and easy to refer to.  

I also keep my new patterns that I've sketched up but need to be tested and worked on.  I also have a section where I keep info for upcoming sew-a-longs, or quilt block swaps that I'm a part of.  

Pretty much any info that is needed for my current and near-future projects.   This notebook is kept in a convenient spot on a shelf.  You can see it on the bottom shelf in the photo below.

#3:  Pattern & Manual Organizers

I have four of these white cardboard magazine files.  At least they're made for magazines.  But that's not what I do with them.  I store quilt patterns in two of them.  All of my sewing machine manuals are in another.  Another keeps miscelaneous papers.  They hide a lot of visual clutter.  I love that.  

#4:  Project Bins

I have just a couple of these bins that I keep to-go projects in.  They're about 13" x 13", so they're perfect for those 12" blocks that are waiting to be made into a quilt top.  There are some different variations of these bins, but I love the ones with handles - so much easier to transport.  When I go to sew with friends I load one of these bins up with everything I'll need - my pinbowl, rotary cutter, small cutting mat and the fabric I'll need for the day.  You can find them at JoAnn (wait for a sale or use your coupon) and here on Amazon.  

#5:  Todoist

Lastly, is my favorite app / website, called Todoist.  I keep my to-do lists (family, sewing, church, etc) there and I can access them from either my phone or the computer.  I love that I can break down a larger project - say for spring cleaning the house, or writing a new pattern - into smaller, more approachable tasks.  And I can put things into categories such as "sewing & piecing" and "family errands."  I check my todoist first thing in the morning to get an idea of what needs to be tackled that day.  

So there's my top 5 tools for organizing.  What are yours?  I'm always on the lookout for great ideas! 

Pixelated Hearts

A couple of weeks ago I shared a link to a pixelated heart project - and now I've finally made my own!  You can find the original tutorial here on the Sew Mama Sew blog.

But since mine is a little different from the original tutorial I thought I'd show you how I made mine.  First of all, I didn't have any of that nifty pre-printed grid interfacing.  If you have it, that's great.  If not, it is easy to make your own!  I used the lightest weight fusible interfacing that I had.  

Decide how big you want to cut your squares (mine were 1.5").  Lay the interfacing over your cutting mat and using the lines on your mat and a ruler, just trace the grid.  You'll want to trace onto the smooth (non-fusible) side!  I used any ol' pen I had laying around.  

If you want to make a different sized mini, here's the math for you!

Now that you have figured out what size to make, and how many fabric squares you'll need, time to start cutting!  Cut the fabric squares the SAME SIZE as the grid you traced onto the interfacing. 

I went with a blue/green/aqua combo so it could stay on my wall all year 'round.  You'll need the most of the low-volume (or background) squares.  I did end up removing the outer row of background squares so I only needed 50.  And I tried to use each print only once, but I think a couple of duplicates slipped in there.

Use the diagram above to lay out your fabric squares in the shape of a heart.  Now just follow the original tutorial (here) to fuse everything down and then to sew your rows and columns together!

I quilted mine with some simple straight lines- nice and fast!  My new pixelated heart is up on my mini wall!  And my collection is growing - slowly.  What mini should I make next?  Do you have a favorite?

Kate's Big Day

Happy Monday!  I have another finished quilt from 2015 to share today.  This was made using the Kate's Big Day quilt pattern by Bonnie Olaveson (Cotton Way patterns).  I first blogged about this quilt here - a year and a half ago- yikes!

I have to say that before this quilt I was pretty intimidated by sewing curves.  And I'm not really sure why.  Now that I think about it, back in high school I sewed plenty of curves.  I made some of my own clothes and dresses and every time I sewed a sleeve I was sewing a curve.  Why didn't that occur to me when I sat down to start this big project?  Anyway, I quickly learned that curves are nothing to be afraid of.  

Now I'm not saying that all of my piecing was perfect.  Not by a long shot.  But I got better as I went, and learned some tricks along the way.  And I did it!

The quilting was done by Kaylene Parry (@quilterlove66 on instagram) - and I absolutely love it!  Towards the end of last year I was overwhelmed by the amount of work I had so I decided to have Kaylene quilt two quilts for me and I'm so glad I did.  I think this one would still be waiting in the "to-be-quilted" pile otherwise!  

Five Friday Favorites: Sewing Room Inspiration

I love seeing where other people create.  So this week's Five Friday Favorites include 5 sewing room photos that I find inspiring.

First I have to say that I'm hoping to keep things real here.  Let's be honest.  We'd all love a magazine-cover-worthy sewing space.  But we can't all have that.  We find a spot in our home that we can carve out for ourselves.  And then we make it pretty.  And pretty functional too, right?

For many years I shared a room (small!) with the family computer.  And before that, my sewing space was in the closet of the spare bedroom.  I built myself a special table that would fit inside and allow the closet doors to close, but tall enough for me to sew at.  It worked.  I made the best of what I had.  It was similar to this, although waaay less cute.

photo from DIY by Design

I'm lucky enough to have a room now, but I don't think there's a week that goes by that I don't appreciate the fact that I can make a big creative mess, close the door and come back days later and pick up right where I left off.

So here are my 5 favorite sewing room inspirations!  Hopefully you can find a bit of inspiration as well, and make your own space into something that inspires YOU.



#1:  Tasha Noel

photo cred Tasha Noel

Here's why I chose this one.  It's gorgeous, yes.  But what I hope to bring to my own space is the brightness, the airy curtains, and how she displays her non-quilt items along the top of her shelves.  Clever!   You can see more of Tasha's room here on her blog.


#2:  Buttons and Butterflies

photo from Instagram @buttonsandbutterflies

Yes I grabbed this from Instagram.  It's a great way to find inspiration in all forms.  Heidi (blog: Buttons and Butterflies) recently moved and even more recently remodeled her quilting space.  All of the photos I've seen of her studio are gorgeous, but what draws me to this photo is how she uses those large jars to store pretty items.  This would work for your washi tape collection, ribbons, buttons, colorful zippers....   You can see more of Heidi's space here on her IG account (along with her beautiful quilts!)


#3:  Everyday Celebrations

photo from Instagram @everydaycelebrations

 
Another screen shot grabbed from Instagram (I'm there a lot).  What inspires me about LeAnne's photo is the color of her table!  Why don't I think to paint a table??  Painting furniture is just really not in my skill set.  But I love how her table brings brightness and charm to her space.  And I'm also inspired by her wall of mini quilts.  I'm trying to add to my mini wall (slowly but surely!)  Follow LeAnne on IG (everydaycelebrations) or here on her blog. 


#4:  Hyacinth Quilt Designs

photo from http://hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com/

I chose this photo as one of my inspirations because of Cindy's pressing station.  How nice would it be to have a longer and wider space to press all of those quilt tops?  And I love that her pressing station has added storage space.  Bonus!  You can see more of Cindy's sewing room on her blog here.  And follow Cindy on Instagram @clammon.

#5:  Angie Brandl

photo from Instagram @angbrandl

 
I recently found Angie on Instagram and I don't know much about her.  But this photo of her fabric shelves is AH-MAZ-ING!  I'm including it here on my list because of her organization!  She's wraps her fabric around foam core boards that have been cut down to the same size.  Really clever.  It would take me forever to do this, and I don't have space for these shelves, but this has inspired me to take a second look at how I organize (and store) my fabric.

So there you go!  Just a handful of the sewing room photos that inspire me.

You can see more sewing room photos that inspire me here on my Pinterest board.  What are you inspired by?  What would you like to add to, or change about your sewing space?

Rainbow Dash quilt + giveaway winner

I'm sharing another finished quilt from 2015 today.  Towards the end of the year I worked really hard to get a lot of my WIPs (works in progress) all finished up.  This was one quilt top that was done earlier in the year, but it sat in my "to-quilt" pile for a long time as I decided how to quilt it.  

The pattern for this quilt is called "Dashing" and it can be found in the Vintage Vibe book written by Amber Johnson (blog: A Little Bit Biased).  For her book, Amber made a black and white version of Dashing which is classic and gorgeous.  I love black and white quilts!

Waaay back in last January I pulled this stack of rainbow scraps and decided to make a colorful version of Dashing.

The quilt top itself didn't take me too long to finish, but I was so worried about ruining the quilt with the actual quilting.  I was way over thinking it.   

I fretted, and thought, and planned, and worried and then I had an epiphany.  I realized that the quilt is just for ME, and I don't require it to be perfect.  A finished quilt is better than s folded up quilt top sitting on a shelf.  I saw this as a great opportunity to work on my ruler work on the long arm.  I decided to quilt a different design in the center of each of those squares.  This quilt had so much negative space to play in!  I have to admit, the first border and the first row are a little rough.  I made mistakes.  Many.  But I learned so much!  And there are parts of the quilting that I absolutely love.  The best part is that it's done, and is being used.  

So there you have it!  My Rainbow Dash quilt.  Now before I go, I want to let you know who won the giveaway from the other day:

KathleenD!  Congratulations Kathleen - I'll be sending you an email so check your in box.  And thank you to the rest of you for entering.  I read each and every one of your comments and I appreciate you all!  

Happy sewing!

Five Friday Favorites: Favorite Valentine's Day Projects

We are on week 2 of Five Friday Favorites!  This week I'm sharing my 5 favorite Valentiny-ish tutorials.  I know the big day is still a month away, but I figure if I start now, I might just get some of these done! 

#1:  Heart quilt (uses charm squares!)

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use charm squares (5" squares), and this one is pretty clever.  The tutorial uses layer cake squares (10" squares) and cuts them down into 4 charm squares.  But how fun would it be to use all charm squares and make the hearts scrappy?

Below is the video tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co:  

  

And I love this non-Valentiny version made by Christie Hurst.

[Photo from Missouri Quilt Co Blog]

#2: Pixelated Heart Mini Quilt 

A local quilt group I attend (as often as I'm able!) made these cute pixelated heart mini quilts last year.  I had to miss that month's meeting, and since then I've been wanting to make my own.  Amber (Gigi's Thimble patterns, A Little Bit Biased Blog) blogged about hers last March.  I love that she used non-Valentines colors on hers. If/when I do get around to making one, I think I'll do the same! 

[photo from Amber's blog post] 

#3:  Sweetheart Zip Pouch

Each year by the time I finish helping my kids work on their valentines, it's too late for me to work on any for me.  I really intend every year to make a couple of thoughtful, handmade gifts to give to a friend or two - just to show my appreciation for their friendship.  Really.  Adults deserve valentines too, right?  Well, I'm hoping to make a couple of these sweet zip pouches this year!  You can find the tutorial here from the super-talented Melissa (polkadotchair.com)

[photo from Polkadotchair.com]

#4:  Valentine Pillow

With my house being filled with boys, I don't tend to use a lot of pinks and frills in our decor.  So this Valentine Pillow would work out nicely on our sofa.  I made this one last year as a tutorial for Thermoweb, and I have it on display now but it's a bit lonely.  I think this cute heart bunting pillow would go nicely with it!  Tutorial by Amy Smart (diaryofaquilter.com)

[photo from diaryofaquilter.com]

#5:  Valentine Free Printable

Now I know this doesn't really count as a "project" but honestly sometimes I just need a quick way to spruce up a space.  Swapping out a photo for a cute printable like this one is right up my alley.  Follow this link to find the link to the free printable on homeschoolencouragement.com. 

[photo from homeschoolencouragement.com]

So there's my top 5!  I had a hard time choosing just 5 for this week.  I have my other favorites saved here on a Valentine's Day Pinterest board.  What did we ever do before Pinterest??

Little Miss Sunshine

Over the past couple of weeks while the weather has been cold and gray, I've been sewing with some delightfully sunny fabrics!  These prints are from an upcoming line from Moda called Little Miss Sunshine.  It was designed by Vanessa Goertzen and will be in stores in April.

The block pattern I've been using is in the most recent issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks.  It's block #1184 called Electric Avenue and it's designed by Jessi Kurtz.

There were several blocks in the magazine that caught my eye, but I've been on the lookout for the perfect way to use these Little Miss Sunshine fabrics and this block was IT.  I love how the prints play together in a scrappy way when they're cut up into smaller pieces.

Here's what one block looks like-

And with some jelly roll strips, some math, and a little bit of strip piecing, I was able to whip up  a bunch of blocks in no time.  Well, I watched a couple episodes of the X Files, and some Downton Abbey, so it did take me several hours ;)

This quilt used 30 blocks and right now measures about 60" x 72".  I like this throw size so I think I'll stop here and quilt it.   

This layout was the first one I tried - and I DO like it - but I now wish I would have played around with the blocks to see what other fun arrangements I could have come up with.  Oh well!  

You can see more of Little Miss Sunshine here and here, and you can read more about the Electric Avenue quilt block here.

Moroccan Tile Quilt + Giveaway

One of my favorite finishes from 2015 is this Moroccan Tile quilt using the Oh Clementine! Fabric by Allison Harris (Cluck Cluck Sew).

The Oh Clementine fabric was one that I fell in love with, and searched for the perfect project to use it in.  The cheery color combo just makes me so happy!

The Moroccan Tile quilt pattern is from the book Fabulously Fast Quilts by my friend, Amy Smart.  

This book has some great quilts in it - all of which really are fast to make because Amy shows you shortcuts and tricks to speed up the piecing process.  The Moroccan Tile quilt (on the cover) is by far my favorite quilt in the book.  For some reason lately I've just really been in love with quilts that are on point!

Amy has generously given a copy of her book for me to give away to one of my readers!  To enter the giveaway leave a comment below before midnight on Sunday, January 17th.  I'll announce the winner on Monday, Jan 18th.  

Giveaway has ended - thank you

Happy stitching everyone!  

Five Friday Favorites: Quilting Tips and Tricks

Today I'm introducing something new called Five Friday Favorites. 

Each Friday in 2016  I'll be sharing some of my favorite things.  Each week will have a different theme.  I've already brainstormed the list - it was surprisingly easy to come up with 52 different themes....and to be honest, I'm really excited about sharing some of them.

For this first week of my Five Friday Favorites, I'm sharing five of  my favorite quilting tips and tricks.  These are all things that I use and love.  And these are in no particular order -

#1:  Yardage Cheat Sheet

I keep one of these handy charts on my desk next to my computer, and another on a cork board by my cutting area.  I refer to them often, especially when I'm shopping for fabric for another quilt.  In fact, I think I'll print one more to keep in my wallet so I'll have one with me at the store!

The charts that I've been using for years are so boring and plain, so I decided to make some prettier ones for you all.  There are 8 different designs (4 on a page).  You can download and print them from here, or just click on the one  you want to print, right click to save to your computer.  Then find the saved file and print from there.  (Please only use these for your personal use.)

#2:  Machingers / Quilting Gloves

I love my Machingers gloves.  They do a great job of gripping the fabric when I'm free motion quilting (FMQ), and it eases the strain on my forearm muscles.  I also use Machingers when I'm stitching the binding on a quilt - I keep just the left hand glove on so it can more easily manipulate the huge quilt.  I know there are other glove options out there - in fact a friend of mine just uses (clean & unused) gardening gloves.  Any glove that fits snugly and has some sort of grippy texture on the fingers will work!   You can read more about quilting gloves here, and here.



#3:  Really Fast HSTs with a Seam Guide Template

Several months ago I bought this Quilt In A Day Sew Straight template, unsure of just how much I'd actually use it.  But after the first time using it on a huge stack of half square triangles, I'm sold!  It was fabulous to not have to sit and mark each HST with a pencil- so much faster with the seam guide!  The template is quick and easy to install on your machine (comes with instructions and little sticky dots.)  The template can be easily removed and stored away if you don't want to keep it on all the time.  The package also has full color photos showing all of the different ways you can use this seam guide - super handy!


#4:  Glue Basting

Glue basting has been around for awhile now, but I didn't give it a try until recently.  People glue baste all kinds of things in the quilting world.  But my favorite right now is to glue baste my binding.  I've also been doing more of it with one of the English Paper Piecing (EPP) projects I've been working on.  You can read more about glue basting a binding here on the Craftsy blog, here on Diary of a Quilter, and here on Purple Daisies Quilting, and watch a youtube tutorial of it here.


#5: Storing Quilt Bindings

I like to make my quilt bindings right after I get the quilt top completed.  Sometimes that means that the binding sits and waits for quite awhile before being sewn on to the quilt.  I used to roll my bindings up and stack them on a shelf all pretty like.  It looked nice, but took awhile to roll, and also took up valuable shelf space.  So instead, I installed a hanging rod in my closet and I now just loop the binding over a hanger and there it stays until needed.  It's out of the way, but still in plain sight so the binding is easy to find.

So there you go!  Five of my current favorite sewing tricks and tips.  Hope you have a great weekend, and I'll be back on Monday with a giveaway of one of my favorite quilt books!