Tag: sewing

Looking Ahead

Oh boy, did we have a hectic August! It tends to be so every year, though, because both my husband and my son’s birthdays are in August… only 2 days apart! We also had a wedding out of town, which was great! And, unfortunately, I had to say good bye to a friend.

My coworker, Ricky Manginsay, passed away from cancer very young. I worked with him every day.. on our team we had our Director Rob Oliver, Ricky as the assistant director, and me as the lead Background artist. It was very emotional for everyone. I am happy to say that we have celebrated him as much as we can since he passed! And I took the opportunity to make something special for him (and his wife), and as a way for me to process/grieve. I’m only sorry I didn’t get to give it to him in person. He died the morning of the day I was to visit with a group of coworkers. I hope, with all my heart, that he may rest in peace and that his friends and family’s suffering is eased.

Sorry for the sad moment..there were a lot of great parts of August! Levi’s 4th birthday (puppy themed), the wedding of friends in Idaho, and how much family we got to spend time with thanks to 2 reunions!

Lets look ahead to the rest of the year! The SewMyStash Mini Quilt Swap is getting close to the ship deadline of Oct 3rd (international) and a final ship deadline of Oct 12th! Its been really fun to see what people have been making! I invite you to browse the hashtag on Instagram: #SewMyStashMiniQuiltSwap

As we have gotten closer to the end of the year, I have begun to panic about how much (read: little) I have sewn my stash. Not as much as I intended, I’m sorry to admit. Oh, I have sewn from stash, but I have not made time to sew my collections that I have been hoarding. And I am not sure how much I can honestly get done with only 3.5 months left in the year! Not to mention the holidays!

Instead, I think I will focus on something a little different, but is still stash sewing. This month I had joined blogger Emily Chapelle of So Damn Domestic in her “30 Day Countdown to Clutter-free” challenge. I am certainly not a hoarder, but I do find that I have copious amounts of clutter around my house. The past few weeks I have been working successfully at reducing this clutter, and would like to apply the concept to my stash. I have already gone through and very honestly destashed some fabric. After that, there was still a lot of “but I want to make something with that” going on in my head. So, I think I am going to focus on stash busting the fabrics I like, but don’t like for me…. how, you ask? Sewing for my Etsy shop! I’ve already used a charm pack to make a simple baby crib quilt that I whipped up in just a few hours! I plan to do the same with a few more too. And after that, I think I will pull out all my baby nursery fabrics and make bibs for the shop. And sew on and sew on!

I was kind of thinking about starting a SewMyStash Holiday bootcamp group…. what do you guys think? Something to motivate each other to sew up some stash for our shops and for handmade gifts!

Leasa

Tags Quilt, quilting, Review, sewing, SewMyStash2015, swap, vacation

Finished Projects SewMyStash

#SewMyStash2015: 6 month Checkup!

Post author By Leasa
Post date July 31, 2015
3 Comments on #SewMyStash2015: 6 month Checkup!

Hello sewers! Can you believe its July already!!?? Less than 6 months until Christmas! Ahhhh!!! Ok, lets focus on the now… how are you doing with sewing your stash!!?? Have you gotten some projects done? Have you filled your shop more? Selfish sewing? Gift sewing? If you are like me, you haven’t made NEARLY the dent you meant to…

I began the year vowing not to do any swaps for a while, and I am happy to say I kept that promise! Except for the one I am currently hosting.. but that one is for SewMyStash so it doesn’t count!

January & February: I participated in the Valentines weekend challenge and finished up the Downton Abby swap that I had previously signed up for! I also had the precuts party challenge but I didn’t get to participate. Instead, I wrote a quilt block pattern for my Modern Quilt Guild chapter, the LAMQG. I did use some stash! The pattern is on sale in my shop! (Marching On Pattern)

March: In March I was no so disciplined. I did a little selfish sewing by making some scout tee’s… but I think only 1 of those was from stash. In fact, I *may* have visited Michael Levine in Downtown on their 20% off all cotton sale day. Oh.. yeah I did. Evidence:

See that stack next to my husband with the Heather Ross?? That’s mine. Whoops. See! I am not perfect at all!

April: I did better with the bag challenge. I made a Caravan Tote in preparation for our vacation in May. I used 75% stash and I just LOVE it!

May: Vacation!!!!!!! Mostly. But I also decided to write the pattern for the “It’s A Small World” inspired mini quilt that I made for the Disney Mini Quilt Swap…. and boy did that consume all my time! I’m happy to say I got it done, but it was a month of keeping me from sewing my stash… sigh. There were a handful of fabrics I needed to buy for my color samples so it wasn’t as stash busting as I would’ve liked. I’m very proud of it and will be writing a blog post about it soon! (The Small World Mini pattern)

I came back from The Netherlands with an exciting amount of Dutch heritage fabric and wanted to get started right away. This quilt is 100% NOT stash! But I am ok with that. I want this quilt to be exactly what I want it to be without compromise since it kind of commemorates our trip. It is coming out perfectly!

June & July: In June I totally dropped the ball! I was headed back to work from hiatus (I work in animated television) and my sewing time was zapped. So lets just quietly skip over June without another mention… ok cool.

July I tried to spark the “Holiday in July” movement but with little success. I just don’t have much enthusiasm for Christmas crafting yet. I LOVE me some holiday time, especially the decor… but I just didn’t get in the groove.

I took a Carolyn Friedlander class at my local quilt shop for the Park Pillow. I am excited that I added needle-turn applique to my sewing skills. And the fabrics were from stash 🙂

The LAMQG hosted a bag swap amongst our members this past month and I was able to create a Library Tote all from stash and the 2 bits of fabric my partner supplied.

And, lastly, I did launch my first swap! The SewMyStash Mini Quilt Swap! It felt like the right time to get the mojo flowing more. Its been… an adventure.. so far but I have some awesome swap mama’s (helpers) and I think its going well so far! The deadline is October so I am pretty sure it’s going to keep me busy. Here is my progress so far:

As I reflect on the year so far, I have not touched my hoarded fabric collections which was the reason I started SewMyStash2015 in the first place! I’m trying to be realistic about what is do-able over the remaining 6 months. I will be happy if I can complete these things:

Dutch Swoon Quilt Top
2 Halloween Pillow Covers- from stash
Christmas Tree Skirt- from stash
Start secret sewing- from stash
Another Small World Mini- from stash
Small sewings for my shop- from stash

That might be ambitious. Heads up… I think there will definitely be a SewMyStash2016 😉

*************GIVEAWAY!!!**********************

Post your favorite finish (from stash) so far this year in the linky below! I want to congratulate you all on any stash finishes! Only 1 entry per person. This time I will chose 3 random winners! Giveaway Items will be announced next week! You have until August 16th to enter!

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Tags fabric, Quilt, quilting, Review, sewing, SewMyStash2015

SewMyStash

SewMyStash2015: Mini Quilt Swap!

Post author By Leasa
Post date July 11, 2015
18 Comments on SewMyStash2015: Mini Quilt Swap!

Welcome to the SewMyStash Mini Quilt Swap! Below you will find the details and rules for this swap. It is open to international sewers as well as domestic! The ship deadline for international is October 3rd and final deadline is October 12th. My intention is for all packages to be received by the end of October. Since this is mostly stash sewing, everyone should be able to get started right away and finish easily within the deadline. There is no specific theme, you may request anything from your partner, including holiday related! The link to the google form is at the bottom of this post! Happy quilting!

The Details:

It must be a mini quilt ranging from 12″x 12″ to 24″x 24″
It needs to be 75% stash at least! Really try hard for this, guys! Its the honor system, but its also the fun/point of this swap!
Lets try to keep the extra goodies to yardage or scraps from your stash or other little things! No need to go on a shopping spree. You are welcome to use more stash to make something small, of course!
We will be using the #SewMyStashMiniQuiltSwap hashtag as well as hashtags for swap mamas (example: #LeasasStashSewers)
Be aware that people will be pulling fabrics from their stash for you! I recommend being generous with your info on the sign up form and with your posted mosaic.
Know that this swap is open to all skill levels, but we will be attempting to pair people up who would fit well together.
This is a SECRET swap
The swap is limited to 350 participants

Rules:

You MUST have a public and active Instagram account!
You MUST post a mosaic of inspiration for your partner within 1 week of partner assignment
You MUST check in with your swap mama at the halfway point of September 1st. You need to have started by then!
International shipping deadline is October 3rd
Final deadline is October 12th
You MUST notify your swap mama when you send and receive
You MUST properly thank your partner for their hard work!

Swap Mamas:

@crazydutchbirdquilts @jaclynb @london_and_granger @megsincali @sewhoitytoity @wolfykisses @projectleasa

SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!

Leasa

Tags fabric, Instagram, Quilt, quilting, sewing, SewMyStash2015

SewMyStash

SewMyStash2015: Holiday in July!

Post author By Leasa
Post date July 2, 2015
3 Comments on SewMyStash2015: Holiday in July!

Only 6 more months until Christmas!!! Yay!! The concept of “Christmas in July” is not a new one, especially in the crafting/sewing world. I love Christmas time and really wanted to get SewMyStash2015 involved in this concept, though I did alter it slightly so that its more friendly to those who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanza and the Winter Solstice.

This challenge will be about using up those holiday fabrics, or making those holiday themed patterns as well as handmade gifts to give! Rules below!

Anything holiday! Fabric, pattern, gifts for others… make anything you want!
75% stash, approximately
Every finished item is an entry to the giveaway (multiple small items count as one. like stocking stuffers of ornaments, etc)
Completed (basically) by July 31st (Harry Potter’s birthday!… ahem)
Spread the word! I’m not going to require that you post or blog about it, but if you get a chance, spread the word! Its always more fun the more people doing it!

That’s it! All you have to do now is decide what to make! I’m hoping to use ALL of my Cherry Christmas fabric by Aneela Hoey.

I would really love to make a tree skirt using this free pattern from Amy Butler. I want to try and include my wedding veil as trim! Its the only piece from my wedding day that I kept and I have been trying to think of what to do with it for years. I hope it works out! **Side note: I love the way this blogger used pre-quilted fabric from Jo Anns instead of wool!

(image from Amy Butler Design)

I also would love to make a Christmas quilt. I recently saw some patchwork that looked like a bunch of little wreaths! Seems simple enough to get done in a realistic time frame and is a good way to showcase my adorable fabric! I cant resist Amy Smart’s little trees either! Squeeeeeee!

And 2 star pillow covers… if I can swing it! Hmm… this challenge might have to extend into August, lol!

What do YOU want to make!!?? P.S.- I have a blog post for quilted stockings that I wrote 2 years ago if you need one. It’s a tutorial/tips but looking back I think I would do a quilt-as-you-go method 🙂

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Get working! And check back soon for the giveaway items announcement!

Leasa

Tags christmas, Holiday, Instagram, Quilt, quilting, sewing, SewMyStash2015

Finished Projects

Harry Potter or Die

If you don’t know already, I am a big Harry Potter fan! I mean… I was trying to convince my husband to consider the name Sirius for our son! No joke. He became Levi, obviously, but I have already stated if the next child is a boy, Sirius just might be his middle name 😉

So, when I caught wind of a Hogwarts handmade swap on Instagram I had to join!

The partner I got answered her questionnaire pretty thoroughly. From it, I could tell she liked the creatures of the wizzarding world and identified mostly with Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. She requested either a mini quilt or something she could wear like a bag or a scarf. I always love fan gear that is subtle and clever, as opposed to overly marketed looking. The clever things you can sport and enjoy on a regular day, not just at a theme park.

I had seen this amazing bag pattern from Elizabeth Hartman called the Perfect Quilted Tote. The scrappy nature of it really caught my creative eye.

I went to my stash first, looking for whimsy, which I have a lot of thanks to the gorgeous prints of Heather Ross.

I decided to add some Lizzy House and Cotton and Steel to the pulls. Lizzy House is whimsical too and Cotton & Steel has a great line out right now with perfect colors and an even more perfect mix of whimsical lions and more graphic/clean prints to balance the bag and make it more modern with a hint of hipster.

I really loved where this was going, but I knew I needed a little bit of Harry Potter to ground it to that world. Official licensed fabric is often less-than-amazing, so I went to the best place for unique designs: Spoonflower!

How great are those glasses/scars!? And that repeating print of Harry Potter book covers are just amazing! I was also excited to find great prints of owls, phoenix feathers, and centaurs! You can’t buy those in a store!

And, it started coming together just divinely! I used Photoshop to get a rough idea of how these fabrics felt together.

I declare right here and now… I LOVE the quilt-as-you-go technique!

One side finished!

Next side!

And here is the outside of the bag, assembled.

Next up, the bag lining.

I lined the pocket with skulls because, as Sirius says “we all have both light and dark inside of us”. I know, nerdy. But cool, right!?

And the finished bag!

I ordered this little leather tag from a shop on Etsy. I wanted the bag to feel like it was purchased in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.

I loved this bag so much that I cut the main bag pieces again to make one for myself!

Want to see what I got?? I was given an awesome Sew Together bag in various Hogwarts colors, an awesome needlepoint, and many goodies including a pink wand! Ahhhh!

That night, I tried to turn my son into a tea cozy 😛

Leasa

Tags bag, handmade, harry potter, purse, sewing, swap

Finished Projects

Potty-Friendly Pants

Post author By Leasa
Post date December 23, 2014

Potty training… the word and world I had been dreading since Levi was approaching 2 years old. Everything made it sound like such a drag… and all the different methods even more so. Because of Levi’s developmental delay, I resolved myself to accepting that it may not happen until closer to 4, but I vowed I would not force it! To my great pleasure, he potty learned about 2 weeks before turning 3 years old with little effort! Hooray! But I quickly noticed that he didn’t really have the wardrobe to support potty learning. Girls have cute leggings at their disposal, and they are perfect for any and all occasions. But for some reason, the majority of boy’s bottoms have buttons and zippers. There are a few elastic jeans happening over at Target, but they leave much to be desired and would leave us with only a variety of 2 pants styles to choose from. Not to mention, the elastic was still a little stiff for a kiddo still mastering the pulling up and down. So… mama decided to make some.

I decided I wanted to buy a pattern. Something pre-tested and perfected because I didn’t want to waste time with the trial and error of my own pattern or some freebie blog tutorial (no diss on those, many are great!). Well, it didn’t take long for me to learn that no pattern was likely to be perfect. I had chosen the “Kids Shorts” pattern by Dana of DanaMadeIt because it came with a variety of shorts styles, though I really only wanted to bother with basic for now. I adapted her pattern slightly. I chose the 5Y pattern pieces because there didn’t seem to be enough room in the butt for the 3Y or 4Y (I learned how to fix that later). I cut the length to the 4Y and used the 2Y waistband elastic size. Levi is narrow with no pudgy belly, very straight, and a bubble butt. I wish I could describe myself the same way! Ha!

With only a little bit of trial and error, I found the combo that worked out. It was interesting to look for fabrics well suited for clothing as opposed to quilts but I really enjoyed it! Check them out! Most of the fabrics purchased from Sew Modern, my fave local quilt shop.

And some candid shots of days when he wore them 🙂

^those are one of my favorites. I took care to cut them so the row of castles would line the hem.

As cooler temps rolled in, I knew the boy would need pants too! This time I used a free pattern for pants also from Dana of DanaMadeIt but I looked up how to give more room in the butt instead of doing so much altering. I found a great “cheat sheet” so to speak on making adjustments to patterns (here). It worked perfectly! Check out the pants!

I will start with my all-time favorite pair!

I’ve taken far fewer modeling-type shots of the pants… we needed to start using them right away!

I’ve got a few more to make from fabric I just bought this weekend. In the Spring, I will probably convert them to shorts! I really love them and I get so many compliments on the style of his pants! Its really fun to add edge and interest to his wardrobe. Boys clothes usually look so plain or too dressy like Sunday-best. Many have asked if I make and sell them! I am considering it…. but I would need to draft my own pattern pieces for other sizes. But, maybe someday someone will write a blog post about my pattern and how they too had to alter it some 😛

Leasa

Fabrics used: Lizzy House. Robert Kaufman’s Essex, Chambray and Flannel. Cotton and Steel. Art Gallery Fabrics.

Tags sewing

Finished Projects

Schnitzel & Boo Mini #3- Angel Mini

Post author By Leasa
Post date October 6, 2014

Hi friends! I was scrolling through my Flickr feed and realized I never took the time to share with you a project I completed in 1 week! After having so much fun with Schnitzel & Boo’s mini quilt swaps (see the Flickr photo stream here)… and being blessed with great minis that came my way…. I decided to volunteer to be an Angel in this swap! An Angel is someone who agrees to take on another partner without something in return. These new partners had partners of their own at some point but, as happens in all swaps, their partner had to drop out for some reason. Without Angels, that person will have made their item for THEIR person, but would never receive one.

I knew I was going to need to whip up something great and fast, and package a lot of goodies for it! Luckily, I was paired with someone whose taste was similar to mine so I was able to pull right from my stash instead of ordering new stuff! I also had a Red Letter Day pattern by Thimble Blossom that I won from Westwood Acres a few months ago that I was DYING to try out! And the pattern for 1 block was the perfect size for a mini quilt! The pattern was well written and so easy to put together… I should make things from patterns more often. LOL

I chose fabrics from Art Gallery (arguably my favorite fabric manufacturer) using mostly Bonnie Christine’s Sweet as Honey and Leah Duncan’s Tule and Meadows collections and a little bit of Heather Ross‘ Briar Rose. I kept it simple with straight line quilting, but decided on a super cute pieced back. I picked up some goodies from the Daiso store (Japanese dollar store) and I made this awesome pin cushion mason jar after spotting it on Pinterest.

I just love doing these minis!! Every time I do one, I keep wanting to make the same thing for myself! Someday I will. Enjoy the photos!

I really enjoyed the whole, fast, process of this mini and the results have my head swimming thinking about the next time I put these fabric beauties to use!

Happy sewing!

Leasa

Tags fabric, Instagram, Quilt, quilting, sewing, swap

How-To or Review

#TheGreatFabricDestash

Post author By Leasa
Post date January 30, 2014

A few weeks ago, Blogger Erin from Two More Seconds had the brilliant idea of doing an Instagram wide fabric destash sale! How does it work? Using the hashtag #thegreatfabricdestash! If you are not really familiar with hashtags, the basic idea is that it’s a way to filter. Posters use hastags to categorize their content and people can click or touch (from their mobile devices) on the link and see all posts from anyone who included the hashtag. With that in mind, users posted photos on Instagram of the fabric they want to sell, and include the hashtag, filtering all the fabric for sale for users to browse! You simply leave your email address connected to your Paypal account to claim the fabric and the seller sends you an invoice via Paypal. Days later, you are snuggling your purchases!

Here is a good sampling of what it looks like when you go to the hashtag:

I sold a few things myself on the destash and was able to use it to get some hard to find and out of print fabric from favorite designers like Heather Ross and Aneela Hoey. You have to be quick, though! People were snatching things up in a blink! Here are the few I purchased!

Looooooove those little puppies!!

And I was sooooo excited to score these Heather Ross Horses on green! I was really fast with the typing! LOL

Don’t I look happy??

The best thing is…. its STILL GOING! Yeah! Erin decided to keep it as a permanent place where people can keep selling and buying destashed fabric! So head on over and get something on a great deal!

Leasa

Tags fabric, quilting, Review, sewing