ruffle wreath

**The Brown Needle is now Sewlio. As of 5/1/13, all new blog posts can be found at www.sewliodesigns.com . Hope to see you there!**


It is spring break here, and a busy one at that, but I did finally find time today to finish a quick project. My poor front door has been naked since Christmas. I think this orange and gray ruffled wreath is prefect for spring, even if the weather still says it's winter!

 

 

I made this wreath with a foam wreath form that I wrapped heavily with gray yarn. For the ruffles, I chose an orange print fabric and a coordinating orange solid. I cut the print 6" wide by 42" long and the solid is 4" wide by 42" long. I put a 1/4" hem down both sides of each fabric strip, although I think cutting the strips with pinking shears, would be just as cute and much quicker. I sewed with a long stitch down the center of each strip and then gathered the strips. I gathered the print to go around the wreath 3 times, which was about 18" and the solid to go around the wreath twice, which was 12". I secured the back with safety pins just in case I because I will get tired of the orange and want to change it. I used a little of the print fabric to make a hanger for the wreath and to attach the letter.

 

About the letter... when my kids saw me get out the paint, they thought that today was craft painting day... so my "quick" project quickly turned into an afternoon of paint and cleaning. It never seems to be a "quick" project when the kids are on spring break!

makeup pouch

I made this sweet little makeup pouch this week. It was a quick project- I love those. It's so satisfying to be able to begin and finish a project in just a couple of hours. This one is going to my mom. I bought her some eyeliner (long story) that I need to send through the mail and I thought she needed a new makeup pouch to go with it. And her birthday is this month, so she deserves a little spoiling!

t-shirt quilt and tutorial

A couple of months ago, I was asked to make a t-shirt quilt. I've heard many quilters grumble about t-shirt quilts over the years, and although I wasn't entirely convinced that this project would be fun or creative, I knew it would be a challenge. I'm a sucker for a good challenge, and I knew that this quilt would be special, so I said yes.

This quilt is made of about 28 t-shirts that were collected over the years by a youth pastor. His ministry in the church was going to be changing, so his wife thought this would be a perfect time to make a quilt out of his youth group t-shirts. I was happy to be a part of such a fun project!

We decided to make a 2-sided quilt. I chose white sashing to make each block stand out. I wanted to frame each shirt instead of  just piecing them all together on one side. I didn't want any of the shirts to get "lost" in the overall quilt. Since this quilt was going to be more of a display piece instead of a used quilt, I was comfortable making the sashing white. I love how the blocks stand out.

Each side of the quilt have the same dimensions. Now, if you have ever worked with t-shirt material, then you know how difficult it could have been to get this all to line up. Once I put the interfacing on, everything lined up perfectly. I couldn't have asked for it to line up better. It was super easy. Honest.

All of the blocks measured 14 inches square. Most of the blocks are made from one t-shirt, a few of them are made from two, and two of them are made from multiple t-shirts or parts of the other t-shirts. (see the photo below) The pieced blocks are my favorite.

I quilted this with straight line quilting on the sashing only. The quilt was heavy enough with out batting because I had t-shirts on both sides, so I chose not to use any. This made lining up the front and back so much easier.

In case you're curious, here's my process:

1.  Measure the image portion on all the t-shirts and decide on a block size that will fit your largest image.

2.  Generously cut out your t-shirts. I chose 14 inch blocks, so I needed a 15 inch block, unsewn. I cut my t-shirts to a minimum of 18 inches to ensure that I had enough to work with.

3.  Fuse iron on interfacing to the back of each block. I used Pellon JAS. The t-shirt material is stretchier in one direction than the other. The interfacing is also stretchy in one direction and not the other. Fuse the interfacing and t-shirt in opposite directions, so that the final result will be a non-stretchy block.

4.  Piece together your pieced blocks using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

5.  Trim down your blocks to your unfinished size. Keep in mind that you will be using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Mine were 15 inches square.

6.  Fuse interfacing to sashing material. I used a white t-shirt material, so interfacing was necessary. Remember to fuse the stretch directions opposite. Cut out your sashing. I cut 4-inch strips as I wanted 3-inch sashing.

6.  Sew it all together. (I'm assuming you already have the basic idea of how to put a quilt top together.)

If you are going to have a one sided quilt, then you can add your batting and backing, baste, quilt and bind. If you have a two-sided quilt, like mine, then this is how I finished mine:

7. Place the front and back of the quilt right sides together. Pin the edges, making sure that the blocks are lining up. You should have no problem with this if your cuts are precise and you fused your interfacing opposite the stretch of the t-shirts.

8. Sew all the way around the quilt with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, leaving a 12 inch opening for turning. Trim corners and turn right side out.

9. Line up the front and back of the quilt and pin baste. Sew around the perimeter of the quilt 1/4 inch from the edge, this will close the hole you used for turning.

10. Quilt the rest of the quilt according to your preference and you are done!

emmaline bag

**The Brown Needle is now Sewlio. As of 5/1/13, all new blog posts can be found at www.sewliodesigns.com . Hope to see you there!**


Things have been a little quiet on my blog lately. My family has been on vacation- enjoying our super hot summer. While I haven't slowed down much on my sewing, It has taken me a while to find the time to sit down and finally write posts about my projects. This is just the first of many blog posts, I hope.

This is my new bag. Can I say that I just LOVE it? I do. I really, really love it. I love the colors and the fabrics, but what I really love is the bag itself. I have been carrying it for a little over a week. The linen is starting to get that worn, broken in look... and I'm loving it even more. Here's what else I love about it:

I like the size of this bag. It seems so much bigger than I thought it would be. It is approximately 15"x 4" wide and 9" deep. I like that it is long and wide and just deep enough. It is not so deep that there is a cavernous pit that is so deep and dark that you can't see the bottom. My stuff doesn't get lost in this bag and it is still super roomy!

When I need do dig for something, the sides of this bag sit up and open like a big bowl. I barely have to dig. I can usually see everything. I believe this is due to the pleats on both the front and back and the way the bottom gusset is designed.  I also added light weight fusible interfacing to mi lining. I hate lining that doesn't stay put. I think it really helps the "findability" of my things and helps the bag to hold it's shape while keeping the lining in place as well. The way this bag sits open does make the magnetic snap closure completely necessary, so don't skip it!

I love the pockets I placed in my bag. The pattern provides information on how to insert a zipper pocket and regular pockets, but leaves the option open for size and placement. I like that. I like that there was permission to do as I please, but still have guidance. I am a rule follower by nature. If there were pocket patterns and placement lines, you can bet that mine would be just like the pattern stated. This pattern gave me permission to do what I wanted. So I did.

I love the pockets in my Vera Bradley Tote. The overall style of my tote, however, is not good for an everyday handbag- it has that deep, dark, cavernous problem. I decided to make my pockets like those in my tote. They are a little shorter in width to fit the bag, but other than that, I made the dimensions the same. I added a medium weight fusible interfacing to the pocket and added a strip of single fold binding with the linen to the top. I don't like floppy pockets. This did the trick. These pockets are nice and sturdy.

I really have no complaints about this pattern. It is excellently written and there are so many helpful photos along the way. The pattern is thorough. It tells you to pay close attention where you should and leaves nothing out in the details. It is quite easy to follow, unless you tend towards skimming, as I do. Then you might find a little trouble. There are quite a few important details in this one! Even so, these details do not mean that this is a difficult pattern. You just need to pay attention. It took me three afternoons to finish this bag. I could have easily done it in one, but there's this thing called life... and kids. :)

Oh, and to put it to the seam ripper test. I didn't have to rip out even one seam. Now that's a well written pattern!

I only have a couple things that you might want to think about if you are planning on making this bag. First, the straps that are sewn to the base of this bag are made from a different cut and different size strip than the straps on the top of the bag. If you are planning on using a patterned fabric for the straps that you will want to try and match up, cut your top and bottom straps the same way, making each side from the same strip of fabric rather than making the tops and bottoms from a different cut. Use the size recommended for the top straps. I really don't think the extra bulk of fabric would affect the outcome of the shell of this bag. Save yourself the headache. I certainly didn't think this out ahead of time!

The next thing I would do different is that I would add interfacing to the straps. The straps are essentially 4 pieces of fabric thick made specifically for the added bulk, but I used quilting weight cotton and I think my straps are just a little on the flimsy side. A bag this size needs just a little more substance for the strap.

I would also lengthen my straps, just a bit. That's my fault for not measuring accurately. This bag goes over my shoulder, but it takes my free hand to get it there. It doesn't easily swing up to my shoulder.

The last thing I would do differently if I made this bag again is that I would read the directions more closely. I struggled putting on the magnetic snap closures because I failed to pay more attention to the instruction when placing my pockets. My pockets were too high for the snap to be placed according to directions. I was able to work it out by moving the snap a little higher. It worked out just fine, even if there are a couple of extra holes in my lining!

My favorite part of this bag is how the bottom gusset looks. I know. That's the part you don't really see. I just love how it turned out. I like the pleats and the top stitching. It's' pretty.

I hope you enjoyed my "tour" of my new bag. I linked it up to Purse Palooza on Flickr. The fabric on the shell is Robert Kaufman's Essex Linen in Natural and Robert Kaufman's Metro Circles in Navy. The lining is Lotta Jansdotter's Echo Moira in Orange. I found the rectangular rings locally.
The pattern is from www.emmalinebags.com 

Pinspiration

It's no secret. I like Pinterest. I more than like Pinterest. I look through Pinterest when I should be doing other things. Like cleaning up after myself, cooking dinner for my family.... you get the picture. There are just so many goodies on there! So many beautiful things to distract me... and it's always there... Maybe I should have labeled this post "Pintervention."

On to the point of this post. I thought I'd share a Pinterest find that is inspiring me this week:


{Image from here}


What's not to love about this painted pillow? Chevrons, fresh colors, oh my! I've done a little fabric painting in the past. It really was quite simple. I'm imagining something like this for my living room, perhaps with some added quilting detail.... hmmmm 

His/Hers Shower Curtain

**The Brown Needle is now Sewlio. As of 5/1/13, all new blog posts can be found at www.sewliodesigns.com . Hope to see you there!**

 

 

We recently did a "gut" remodel of the kid's bathroom. When it came time to decorate it, my son voted for a "blue bathroom" and my daughter wanted pink. I wanted a 'modern' graphic shower curtain to make the small space pop. This is what I came up with.

How To:

You will need: an old shower curtain or liner, fabric for the curtain, sewing machine, fabric paint, small paint brushes, freezer paper and an iron.

I used the old shower curtain as a template for the size and placement of the button holes. I bought 96" wide white muslin for the curtain. The curtain measures 72" x 72". I sewed all hems and then sewed button holes in the top to hang it with. For the his/hers decoration, I found the symbols online, re-sized them in Photoshop and printed them out. Then I traced them onto freezer paper and cut them out to make my stencil. I went through about 4 stencils, each with 2 of each symbol alternating and placed 3 inches apart.

To paint, first I ironed the freezer paper stencil (waxy side down) to the curtain. Then I painted the stencil and let it dry. Once dry, I removed the stencil and then repeated the whole process over again! 

Once the whole thing was finished and dry, I ironed it with spray starch and then sprayed it with a couple of coats of scotch guard. (My toilet is right next to my shower curtain and I have a 5 year-old little boy... no further explanation required!)

This project took a few days to complete but was well worth it! Don't forget to clean your iron when you are finished. Some of that paint will melt onto the iron and then onto your clothes!



{This tutorial is linked to here}

$3 Baskets

I got these baskets a couple of years ago for $2 a piece at a local discount store and they've been holding all the girlie bows and hair ties in the kids bathroom ever since. We recently remodeled the bathroom and I just thought these were a little too boring for my new space.  I liked that the liner material was a durable canvas and they fit my shelf perfectly,  so I decided to spray paint them white and sew a couple of strips of fun fabric I had in my stash to perk them up. They're not so boring anymore!

I'd love to show you a picture of them where they belong, but bathroom pics are just awful! No sunlight, a tiny space and compact fluorescents make for some seriously bad pics! After $2 a piece for the baskets and a $2 can of spray paint, these were only $3 each!