Fiber Babble: The Hurrier I Go

The Hurrier I Go

July 30, 2010

"Come on in." 'Fiddlers' by Ed McBain ♦♦♦◊◊

Holy smokes, do I have a lot of pictures! This might be a 2-parter, but let's just jump in and see how it goes, okay?

eta: You know what? I've been typing and inserting pictures for two hours now and I'm not done. This puppy's sooooo gonna be broken up into more than one post. My butt's going numb. I've got other stuff to do today!!

First off, eons ago my friend Quilton asked if the shop had bright batiks. The answer is "no". We have earthy batiks (and not very many of them). But we do have these fabrics that might do what you wanted to do; they're "just" quilter's cotton.

:sigh: Sorry it took so long to let you know!

And hey! Here's the bag from the {Make} A Bag Sew Along! This is the one I was telling you about that I really, really tried to follow directions and got all the way to Step 7 before going off on my own. I've been using this almost daily for the last couple of weeks; there's been a lot of totin' going on around here!

How about an inside shot? You gotcha some pockets, some cute lining fabric... So you see the fabric selvage in there? That's not lazy sewing; I'd just put the remaining lining fabric IN the bag before the picture. It's not actually sewn into the bag.

This is the bag that is currently benefiting from having the purse organizer in it - the pens, my camera and memory stick that's been accompanying me to work each day have their own little spot and they don't get clunked around in the bottom when I set the tote down.

(I did take an action shot including the organizer, but it's on my cellphone and the picture stinks.)

And, can you believe it? I've also done the second project in the {Make} A Bag Sew Along - a makeup bag! Okay, it probably won't hold makeup for me, but it's a cute little lined bag with a really nice zipper installation and I like it.

Um. I didn't follow the directions completely on this one, either. Again, the directions are fine. Perfectly fine. NO problems at all and you really should go over and play along. The only thing I did differently was to seam my lining before inserting it so there is no seam allowance inside the little bag, but they're all hidden between lining and outer bag. I don't know for sure what I'll be carrying in the bag, but I remember that in previous little bags something always spilled or shedded or something - there'd be the equivalent of "Purse Belly Button Lint" in the corners in no time. Hence the hidden seams. Easier to clean out.

Here's a block I did for the shop's monthly Block Challenge. 'Way back when, I explained about the challenge - short version is make a block, put your name in the drawing, win everyone else's blocks.

The block is Florida Star from Quilter's Cache. I found that I had to trial and error the printing sizes on the paper foundation piecing patterns. I'm sure it's my printer, but I ended up printing at different percent enlargements, measuring each pattern (there were 2) to make sure they were 4" finished and totally ignoring the "This square should print to 1 inch" box. It never did - at least not at the same time my patterns printed to 4½" unfinished size. BTW - one pattern was enlarged to 101%, the other to 103%. Go figure.

Doncha love technology? But I did learn an important lesson about "assuming" about the sizes on patterns.

I really like this fabric line (12 Days of Christmas, I think from Henry Glass) so for only the 2nd time since I've started working there I'm tossing my name into the hat.

This, however, might be a sign that I shouldn't try to get greedy. It's supposedly the second entry into the challenge drawing. Not happening.

This derned block took over 4 hours of my life yesterday. Templates. Bias. Set-in seams. None of those things are unmanageable but apparently the combination and the alignment of the stars and moon and planets yesterday conspired to make this only an exercise in patience and a reminder that not every endeavour can be successful. The circles show where I just flat out did NOT match points. By the time I realized it wasn't gonna happen, I'd literally been un-sewing longer than I'd been sewing. The starch (oh, you bet I starched the soup outta these pieces at the first sign of impending rippage) was starting to lightly brown from all the ironing/re-ironing I was doing.

It was/is not a pretty sight.

Now that I type this out, I'm realizing that part of my problem (aside from the celestial conspiracy against me) MIGHT have had to do with the % at which I did or didn't change the print size of the pattern. I didn't muck with this one like I did the previous one.

Ahhh, I feel so complete now that I've learned yet another life lesson.

And I'm including this picture just because it made me smile. A lot.

A book I received from a Paperback Swap member. I don't even remember which one or how long ago. The package just made me happy.

Labels: babble, quilting, sewing

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5 Comments:

At 7/30/2010 2:48 PM,

Crispy Babbled Back:

The block is soooo pretty!! I thought that the Quilter Cache patterns were in PDF format, sure would have been easier for you!!

Love the bag too, I put finger wipes in my makeup bag....this gal wears NO makeup :0)

Crispy

At 7/31/2010 6:38 PM,

Barb Babbled Back:

Just love thet bags...and blocks...

At 7/31/2010 7:04 PM,

Gimpy Cat Babbled Back:

Love your block, was worth the effort you put into it, its beautiful and the fabrics are really nice, clean crisp colours. Good luck in the comp!

I like your bag too, cute inside and the makeup purse, I wouldnt have makeup to put in one either but I use one for hand sewing projects in the car!!

You parcel is neat, a paperback book in brown paper and real stamps - like it used to be. Gee, guess it would be a dud now with kindles, what do you send a voucher telling the recipent you bought them an e-book? Just not the same!

At 8/01/2010 9:20 AM,

Calico_Chris Babbled Back:

All great projects, I enjoyed seeing them...at least someone is sewing!! My sewing machine is getting dusty.

At 8/01/2010 1:47 PM,

quilton Babbled Back:

Okay, here we go. I love the bag, I love the fabric. I bought the exact same for a jacket, had exra of course and made two bags out of it. Still have some so I'm looking for more projects.
Now about that fabric. We have to talk, Miss Fiber, we definitely have to talk!