We are getting ready for Christmas at our house.

Opening a present every night, one of our Christmas books or movies all wrapped up to be new again.

Decorating a gingerbread house.

Making lots of yummy treats to deliver to neighbors.

Sewing up a new table runner.

And a Christmas bunting to help out with displaying our Christmas cards.

And sewing gifts. Most of which I can’t show yet or it will ruin Christmas surprises. But I did already give this iPad cover to my wonderful mother-in-law.

And delivered these aprons to a friend. She was in possession of all of the vintage sheets her family grew up with. We I made aprons from them, six for the girls and one for the boy (his is not pink). That’s what she is giving them all for Christmas. Love the idea and how they turned out.

What are you making for Christmas this year? I had to scratch some things off my list because I didn’t start soon enough. But I’m really happy with the things that stayed on the list.

One of my friends who responded is Lisa, who writes about finding joy in life, even through trials. Right now she’s working on this little project:

Here’s what I came up with to bring a little more joy in her life:

I sketched out a little design, traced it onto the fabric, colored it and quilted it. I gave it to her last week when we got together with some friends. I think she really liked it.

If you’re ever in need of a little pick-me-up, head over to Lisa’s blog and let yourself find a little more joy in life.

{In case you’re wondering, I’ve given two of my gifts, plus a little extra one, now I’ve just got three more to go by the end of the year.}

Sister really makes me laugh. A lot. She is (aside from my husband) my very best friend. Just to give you an idea of how awesome she is, I recently asked her for some Mod Podge and the conversation went like this:

(I was supposed to leave out the part about her room being messy, but she has a good excuse. She just bought the house my mother grew up in and is fixing it up, so her life is in turmoil right now. Soon I can share vicarious house fixer-upper posts with you.) Anyway, if you laughed at the Remains of the Day lunchbox, you and I and sister can be really good friends (especially if you can quote other lines from the movie it’s from). Now, to turn it over to Steph for a project so easy, even she can do it. {I will fill in blanks where needed, noted with brackets.}

Up in heaven, when standing in line for various traits and talents for this earthly sojourn, I obviously missed the line for ‘sewing and crafting’. I stood twice in the line for ‘anxiety’, ‘germ-a-phobe’, and ‘OCD’, but the ‘sewing and crafting’ talent line eluded me. Incidentally I did swing by the ‘funny’ line three times, and ‘humility’ four. The sewing talent in our family stays with Mom and Bean, alas. Years ago a friend of mine helped me make a pair of denim pants into a super cute skirt. It lasted about 5 washes before it started falling apart. I told Bean I wanted to make another, always willing to learn, and asked her to help me figure it out. Please note, sewing actually gives me anxiety. Lines are not always straight, which is hard for the old OCD to handle. I am in awe of you people. You know, you people who not only can sew, but enjoy doing it.

It only took 5 months for our schedules to match up to play, and I travelled down to Egypt where Bean lives on a Sunday afternoon to make our pant skirts. Here is the tutorial on how to do it. Bean will magically fill in the details here on her blog in words that you fancy sewerers (it’s a word, look it up!) will understand. I, on the other hand, will fill in the rest of us uncrafty folk in simple terms!!

You know that pair of pants you LOVE and so you wear as often as you can? That pair that suddenly have holes in the bum, knee, or other places? That pair you hold on to and just cannot make yourself throw away, but are beyond repair? Grab those pants, and we are going to refurbish them into a seriously kickin skirt. The pair I chose to play with this time are relatively new. But I also miss the line in heaven for a woman’s bum, and apparently stood in the line for men’s bummies. I have a big, flat, man-
butt. (Too much information?) So this particular pair of pants hang down in the back and are seriously unattractive.

Step 1 – Choose your pants.

Step 2 – Choose a kicking music playlist that is peppy and includes “The Fresh Prince of Bell Air.” {It also includes some punk rock Christmas, a little ABBA, Broadway, and random songs that just make me happy. The playlist is called “Colleen Random.”}

Step 3 – Go shopping in your sister’s amazing basement stash of fabric. What? Your sister does not have stash of fabric? Mine does. They have these stores, where you can go and buy fabric, they are called fabric stores. Do not be intimidated. When choosing fabric for your skirt I suggest a plain pattern that will match cute fun top; OR a fun fabric that will match your plain top.

Step 4 – Turn on kicking music playlist.

Step 5 – Cut out the inseam of the pants. There is something about a notch in the remaining pant fabric that Bean will have to tell you about. I was lost. {After you cut up the inseam, just cut along the front and back seam about 2″. This will give your fabric room to overlap and not get all bunchy.}

Step 6 – Cut the bottom off your pants for a shorter skirt, or leave it long for ankle length. I like to fray the bottom so I cut off the seam.

Step 7 – Cut a triangle in the fabric you will be filling in your pants with. {To determine the size of the triangle, measure the length of the inseam and determine how much flare you want in your finished skirt. Cut two pieces of fabric the inseam length x amount needed for flare. Mine (for a short skirt) was cut at 14″ x 14″. Stephanie’s was 25″ x 19″. Find the center of the top and cut an angle from the bottom corners to the center top.}

Step 8 – Sew it all together. Please note that if you stick your tongue out at the side of your mouth, sewing is easier.

{Here’s where I step in with a few sub-steps to the “sew it all together” part.}

8a. Overlap the two inches you cut up the front and back seams, and sew (using a topstitch) together.

8b. Take one of your triangles and pin it to your former inseam, rights sides together, in the front of your skirt. Sew together, repeat with the other side, and then repeat with the back. Serge the edges to finish, or finish with a zig zag stitch.

8c. Topstitch. You can skip this but eventually your fabric will do that wavy thing where your seam doesn’t really know which way to go and it looks funny. So don’t skip this.

8d. Finish the bottom by sewing a zig zag stitch around the whole thing. This will let it fray a little, but not too much. Or you could do a proper hem by turning it under 1/4″ and then again, pressing, and sewing.

8 easy steps to making a super cute skirt out of the pants you love and cannot stomach throwing away. If you have holes that need patching, it would be super easy to add a patch with the fabric you have chosen to fill in the legs with.

{I hope this made sense. We did this quite a while ago, and I’m just now getting it on the blog! Let me know if anything is unclear, like why on earth a Remains of the Day lunchbox would be funny, or why such a thing even exists.}

I love it. It was (in theory) a really quick top to whip up. As long as you don’t count the months and months it sat in between steps. I used two layer cakes of Pure, by Sweetwater, and created really big disappearing nine patch blocks.

Now I just have to make sure it doesn’t take me another 10 months to quilt it. I’m not really sure how I want to do it. Obviously straight lines would be easiest, since I can use David Bowie for that, but I kind of think I’d like to do something different. Maybe it’s time to call my aunt who has not one, but two quilting machines in her home. Who knew? I’d love to learn how to use them and explore the creative options that gives me since fitting this size quilt into my home machine is really not an option.

Oh, and the back is almost pieced. I had enough squares left (the ones that I cut to the wrong size and was going to have to adjust anyway) to do one strip across the back, with a cream solid on top and bottom. Now, any quilting ideas for me?

Of course, I finished it at about midnight-thirty this morning, so I couldn’t really go out and take great pictures. But sitting here staring at it, I had to snap a little something to share. I will do a real photo shoot hopefully tomorrow and get it listed in the shop, which needs some major updating.

Now, it’s all about finding a name for her… any ideas?

I made place mats for my friend, and didn’t take any pics before I gave them to her.

I have caught up on all my bee blocks, and I do have pictures that I will try to remember to actually pull off the camera. Here are a few I snapped with my iPhone.

I sent off my scrappy mug rug to Molly.

I have started cutting my fenced in fabrics. And I picked an awesome solid to go with them. I think I’m going to cheat on the backs of these quilts. In her book, Elizabeth has pieced backs for all of the fronts. I’m going to try using just fabrics I have for these quilts, so it may be sheets with a small pieced element for the backing on all of these. I think I like that better anyway, since I’ll be honest and say I’m not in love with any of the backs (though most of them are just big pieces sewn together).

I’m working on some new purse designs. I’m really excited about them.

And, since I don’t have enough on my plate, I’ve decided to jump in and join a quilt-a-long.

The double wedding ring quilt is probably my very favorite traditional pattern. It’s my “goal quilt” the one I have been building my skills up to make. I may not stay on schedule. In fact, I can guarantee I won’t. But I’ve got to start somewhere, right? So I’m gathering inspiration, deciding on colors, and getting very excited.

1. Great Grandma’s Quilt — White Double Wedding Ring, 2. Double Wedding Ring Quilt.. quilted!, 3. Double Wedding Ring Row, 4. Double Wedding Ring, 5. Double Wedding Ring, 6. gorgeous vintage quilt – double wedding ring – 1950′s, 7. Anyone have any idea about old quilts?, 8. Double Wedding Ring Quilt – Basted, 9. Double Wedding Ring Quilt: FINISHED!

And in a final note, if you’re looking for something to do tonight, Sunday or Tuesday (June 16, 19, or 21) go see this!

Seriously awesome. If you like musical theatre. Or Neil Patrick Harris. Or Steven Colbert. Or Patti LuPone. Or all of the above. It played for four days in New York, and is showing for only four days in theatres across the country. I saw it last night with my sister. A.MAZ.ING. It is so good you will cry. (Not that it’s a sad show, just that it is that good.)

]]> http://www.thebusybean.com/2011/06/bits-pieces-2/feed/ 3 http://www.thebusybean.com/2011/04/approaching-the-finish/ http://www.thebusybean.com/2011/04/approaching-the-finish/#comments Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:35:45 +0000 Colleen http://www.thebusybean.com/?p=1004 I’m getting close. So close. I was really considering sending this quilt out to a long-arm quilter, but I just wanted to finish it myself. I decided to go with simple, straight-ish lines. I didn’t want anything to detract from the billions of petals… really with the patterned fabric and the flowers I just didn’t want to overwhelm anything.

And there’s just something so great about the massive pile of fabric on the sewing table as I try to maneuver the quilt through the machine that makes me happy.  I picked up some binding fabric last night and I’m ready to stitch it on.

It’s good to know already that she likes it, since she wanted to sit on it yesterday as I was quilting and it hung on the floor. That was after she figured out it was too big to be her “pretty pretty dress.” That’s up on Friday, since I’ve only got a few days to get the girls’ Easter dresses done.

This is the story of how I decided to make her a quilt for her big girl bed in her new room she will get for her birthday. It started out with me ordering a fat quarter bundle of It’s a Hoot by MoMo because it matched the colors I wanted to paint her room so wonderfully.

Then came the part where I needed to pick a quilt pattern. I fell in love with this one by Thimbleblossoms. I used another of Camille Roskelly’s patterns for the first quilt I ever made, so I decided to try another one. The instructions are clear, the first one was so easy, I thought, now that I ‘m more experienced, this one will not be too hard. I’ve played with half square triangles before.

However, the pattern is for a 68″x77″ quilt. I did some quick calculations and figured out how to turn it into a twin size. For the original size, I would need to cut out 84 half square triangles. For a twin size, I just had to add one row, so another 16 hst’s. Not too bad. The petals, a little more labor intensive. Original pattern called for 144 traced onto fusible web, then cut the centers out (to reduce bulk), iron onto the fabric and cut out of fabric. Still, just make that 192 for the twin size instead of the original 144.

Then came our decision to not buy a new bed for Lottie. Instead, we would just put her in the full sized bed we have in storage, and use her room for guests if anyone came to stay. I had already cut a lot of petals and half square triangles. No going back. Just do a little more math… and that’s how I ended up cutting out 144 half square triangles, tracing a petal onto fusible web 256 times, cutting out the centers, ironing them on the fabric, and cutting them out one more time. All petals cut by hand. That’s 768 times cutting this petal shape. I should have thought of that when I thought “gee, 144 petals isn’t that bad!”

I’m so close. I ran out of cream fabric, so I need to get more to finish the last 24 half square triangles, but I’m ready to start pressing my petals onto the half square triangles and get sewing this thing together! And it only took me a month and a half to get those cut by hand.

I’m really starting to see the reason everyone loves their AccuQuilt cutters… I just have to keep looking at that adorable face up there to remind myself she’s worth it!

So, what big projects are you working on?

I had the idea one night to add some napkin rings to the place mats I made for my partner in the Spicing Up The Kitchen Swap. I was throwing ideas around in my head until this one popped in. I think they turned out fabulous, so I thought I’d share with you how to make them!

They are pretty simple, but pack a big punch. And all you need is a few strips of fabric, felt, 1″ webbing, a sewing machine and a glue gun.

Start by cutting your fabric strips. Instructions here will make six napkin rings (to go with the six place mats I already made). Cut one strip 2.5″ x width of fabric. This will be to cover your webbing and make the actual ring. Cut three strips 1.5″ x width of fabric, then cut those in half. These will be the strips you use to make your flowers.

With right sides together, sew your 2.5″ strip of fabric down the long side to create a tube.

Press your seam open. {And please ignore my horrible burned ironing board cover}

Turn your tube right side out. You can use a safety pin, or find yourself these nifty tube turners. There’s a tube that you slide inside your fabric tube, and a stick you use to push the fabric through. Honestly, it changed my sewing life when I found them in the notions isle at the fabric store.

Now, you’re going to cut that tube into 7″ segments. You also need to cut your webbing into 6″ segments.

Next, turn one end of each 7″ fabric tube under and press, so you get a nice finished end. You can just leave the other one as it is. {Also, please ignore my pink fingernails. Who puts a permanent ink stamp in the end of a child’s Valentine’s Day treat? I had to dig out the stamp pad so I didn’t get red M&M stamps all over my house.}

Now slide one 7″ fabric tube over each of your 6″ webbing pieces, bunching it up in the middle so you’ve got webbing exposed on both ends.

Now, probably the hardest part of the whole thing, depending on how you are at sewing at awkward angles. Take the two exposed webbing ends, and sew them together. Use a zig-zag stitch. Trust me on this one, I did a straight stitch, and had to go back later and zig-zag it.

See, it’s not really hard (none of this project is), it’s just a little awkward.

Then sew down the raw fabric edge to your webbing. It doesn’t matter where it is, it doesn’t have to be right next to your webbing seam, we just want to hold it in place so it’s easier to slide your turned-under edge over it.

See that straight stitch on the webbing there? That should be a zig-zag!

Once your raw ends are tacked down, start sliding your fabric around so the edge you turned under and made all pretty will cover that raw edge.

Then topstitch around both sides. You don’t need to worry about sewing that pretty edge across the ring, once you topstitch the edges, it will hold it in place just fine.

Now set your rings aside for a minute while we make our rolled fabric flowers.

Fold each 1.5″ strip in half, wrong sides together, down the long side. Starting at one end, start twisting your fabric strip. {You can be glad you just have to twist, not figure out a way to twist it and hold it while taking a picture with your other hand.}

Don’t try to twist the whole length of it, just do enough to get started rolling it. Now, start rolling your twisted fabric like a snail shell. Once you get a little bit rolled, maybe just a turn and a half or two, pause and put a drop of glue between the rounds to help hold it together.

Just keep twisting and rolling, putting a little drop of glue about every round. When you’ve rolled up the whole length of fabric, turn it over to the back a glue like a crazy person. You want to make sure you catch each round, and especially the outside all the way around.

Turn it over and stick it down onto your piece of felt. Give the glue a chance to set up, then cut the felt around your rolled fabric flower. Glue a flower to each of your rings, covering your seam where the fabric ends meet.

And just like that, in under an hour (even less if you’re not stopping to take care of your two adorable toddlers) you’ve got a set of custom napkin rings to complete your table setting!

I hope you make some gorgeous rings for your table. I may make myself some, and actually get fabric napkins to use them with! One day I’ll have a fancy dinner party… right?

If you make anything with my tutorials, I’d love to see a picture. You can send them to me, or upload them to my flickr group.

I’m linking up to a few parties with this. Check out the buttons over there on the left side of my page. You will get lost scrolling through the beautiful items everyone is making!

And a little tutorial for you!

What you need to make four placemats:
One Charm Pack
3/4 yards of coordinating fabric for front
1 yard backing fabric
1 yard fleece (for batting)
1/2 yard binding fabric

Cut your backing fabric and your fleece into 19″x13″ pieces, four of each.

Cut your binding fabric into 1.5″ strips

Now for the tops, start by cutting 25 charm squares into 1.5″ strips, or just cut 76 1.5″x5″ pieces of patterned fabric. Cut your coordinating front fabric (I used white to really make the colors pop) into 19 1.5″ strips. From each strip, cross-cut four pieces in varying lengths from 3″ – 5″ and four 6″ pieces. It’s not too scientific. Really, nothing I do is! Here’s how I did it:

When your strips are all lined up, just pull a few ends down at random, line your ruler up with the three inch mark from the shortest piece. Cut across all of your strips. The, leaving the ruler where it is (if you’re using a 6″ ruler) cut across the top of the ruler too. This will give you two random pieces and two 6″ pieces from each strip. Then, pull the longest ones down at random and do it again.

Sew your random white pieces end to end with your charm strips. Then sew your 6″ strips to the other end of your charm strips. Press all seams to the patterned fabric. Now you get the fun part: playing with the layout of your strips.

Lay them out in sets of 19, lining up the ends of your random white pieces along the bottom, so all of the 6″ pieces are at the top. This will give you the staggered look of your patterned pieces along the center. Now for the quilting.

Lay out your backing piece, patterned side down. Place your fleece on top of it. Now, lay out your center strip face up down the center of your placemat, on top of the batting (fleece).

Now, lay the next piece on top of the center strip, this one facing down. Sew along the side using a 1/4″ seam. Use your walking foot if you have one! Repeat with the strip on the other side of center. Then, press your two side strips open. Keep repeating this, sewing the next strip face down on top of the strip that is now face up.

Once you have all of your strips sewn down, it’s time to trim up the edges.

And bind! I’m not typing up a binding tutorial, because I don’t think I could explain it just right. Instead, I will direct you to Elizabeth Hartman’s tutorial, which is the one I used when binding finally clicked for me!

And you have your finished placemat.

I made a few of these for my partner, then started playing around with the pieces. Use your same strips and start playing with layout and you might come up with this

Or my favorite:

Tie them up with a pretty bow, and you have a perfect gift… anyone you know have a new home? Make them something to celebrate their new space!

Oh, and in case of spaghetti, might I suggest a busy backing fabric… still cute, but not “marinara on white fabric” scary.

If you end up making placemats, or anything from my tutorials, I’d love to see them on my Flickr Group!