Author: keepitthimble

National Sewing Month!!

In case you missed the press release, September is National Sewing Month!  I guess this is a good time to celebrate sewing since summer is over, the kids are back in school, and you have more time to sew (plus you have to start working on your Christmas gifts).

To celebrate national sewing month, I am going to finish a few projects that have been sitting around for awhile.  I have a list of UFOs that keeps getting longer and longer and it’s time to take them more seriously! So in addition to the pattern design I am supposed to be doing, I am also trying to find some time for “fun” sewing.

What are your plans for National Sewing Month?  This is the perfect time to introduce a friend or relative to sewing – we need more converts!  This is also a great time to splurge on that fancy new machine you need (notice I said “need” not “want”).

Also, check out the Moda Country Fair blog hop.  It started yesterday and features projects from some of my favorite designers.  It’s a lot of fun to visit all these blogs and get some new project to eventually put into your UFO pile.

Class Information – Carry All Project Tote

The first draft of Carry All Project Tote pattern is almost completed.  A few testers are lined up, so they will help me fine tune the directions.  I am teaching a class on this tote at the Whistle Stop Quilt Shop in Cary, NC on September 10.

Carry All Project Tote

Please call or visit the shop if you want to sign up.  You should be able to finish the project in class (if you do your homework beforehand!).  The shop has the supply list and the homework assignment:

  • Carry All Project Tote Class
  • Saturday, Sept 10, 9am – 1pm
  • Class Fee:  $25
  • Whistle Stop Quilt Shop, 919-387-7400
  • 3434 Kildaire Farm Rd, Suite 136, Cary, NC 27518

Mini Tutorial – Stuffed Apple for Teacher

My son wants to be a mad scientist when he grows up (see Exhibit A):

Mad Scientist

Today, he took a big step towards this lofty goal – starting Kindergarten!  He wanted to bring an apple to his new teacher (where do kids get these ideas – TV?), so I figured a stuffed one is the way to go.

Basically (for sewing purposes), an apple looks like a tomato expect that it is taller.  I made up a template that looked like an oval that came to a point at each end.  The size was about 2″ x 5″.  I cut out five (5) of these ovals from quilter’s cotton (although you could also use wool), sewed them together, and left one side open for turning.

Stuffed Apple for Teacher

Turn the piece inside out, stuff, and then hand sew opening closed.  Get a small button for the bottom of the apple.  Next, take an upholstery needle and thread with strong twine (I used linen thread).  Poke the needle down into the center of top and come out through one of the button holes on the bottom. Poke the needle back into another button hole, come out through the top, and then pull tight.  Do this 2 more time so that you can create a nice dimple in the top and bottom of the apple.  Don’t cut the thread.

Next, cut out two leaves from felt and sew to the top of the apple.  You can use the same thread you used for making the dimples.  Tie off thread and cut off excess.  Get a black pipe cleaner and cut it about 3″ long.  Near the base of the leaves, poke a very small hole with scissors and insert the stem.  You can use a dab of glue to hold into place.  Voila – an apple for the teacher that will never spoil.

Keep it Thimble!

Pattern Design – Phase One

So far, so good.  I have the first part of the pattern written which include the yardage and the directions for cutting the fabric.  Honestly, this part is probably the most difficult for me to write because it’s tricky to figure out how much fabric to tell people to get.

If you estimate too low (ie, just barely enough) there is a chance that someone makes a cutting error, doesn’t have enough for the project, and has to go back to store for more.  If you estimate too much, someone will spend more then they need on the fabric and have a lot of scraps left over!  I personally don’t mind having leftovers, but in this economy, I know I try to save money where I can :).

Carry All Project Tote - Sample

My pattern lists the sizes for each piece, but in addition it will also include cutting instructions so that people can cut out the pieces the most efficient way possible.  I always appreciate patterns who have provide specific guidelines on how to actually cut the yardage into pieces.  Sometimes I follow them, and sometimes I don’t, but it’s nice to have them.

Labels for the pattern pieces are also included so that there is any easy way to track all the pieces.  Each piece is assigned a specific number and you will cut out the labels and pin them to the appropriate pattern piece.  The directions will reference the piece number on the labels to (hopefully) eliminate any confusion with the actual pattern.

What do you think about these pattern features?  Is there anything else I should also include?

Keep it thimble!

Gone Pattern Designin’

There’s good news and bad news.  The good news is that I have found a mentor to help me get my pattern design business off the ground.  She has given me a lot of ideas and information about how to do this and I am well on my way to getting my creations designed and ready for prime time.

"Bed" in the Sewing Room

The bad news is that in order to do focus on pattern design, I will be taking a brief vacation from my blog.  I won’t be doing a lot of posts for the next 1 -2 months or so, but I will be posting photos here and there of what I am doing so you know that I am working hard.

My son recently built a “bed” for me in my sewing room closet since I spend so much time in there.  He got all the blankets out of the linen closet and then added all his stuffed animals (so I have some company) to create this little nest.  He likes going in there at the end of the day to take a break and enjoy looking at my fabric (a real chip off the old block 😉 ).

I’m excited about this new direction and looking forward to showing off what I’ve accomplished.

Keep it thimble!

It’s a Scorcher!

Whew, we are in the midst of a heatwave right now in NC and it’s hard to stay cool.  I’ve been busy getting ready for the garage sale this week – I expect a healthy turn out!  It feels good to get rid of some of this stuff – when the fabric is piled around you it is hard to think.

A sampling of my wares

I am also working hard on writing up my tote pattern.  I hope to get this ready by the end of August.  Not much else to report right now, but I did find a great new blog run by Jen Lopez of “Sew Fun” that has a lot of great sewing advice.  One of her recent blog posts discussed what to do with your stash when you have your house on the market.  Check her out!

Keep it Thimble!

Carry All Project Tote

Sew many things, sew little time! Sorry, it just had to be said – there are a lot of things going on in the next few months and I need to be better about managing my sewing and designing time.  This is the year I really want to take a step forward with turning Keep It Thimble into something more than a blog – and I working over the past few months on some things that are helping in that regard.

One thing I am planning is to have three of my patterns written, tested, and published before the end of this year.   The first pattern is called “Carry All Project Tote”.  This is a working title, so if you have any title suggestions, please send them my way!

Carry All Project Tote

This tote was inspired by the popular L.L Bean tote bags, but with a twist (of course).  My version features two exterior pockets, one in front of the other, and it also has a bit of the lining that peeks out on the top to form a nice contrasting edge.  Another nice feature is that this tote is very sturdy and stiff so you can easily reach inside to get things without the bag flopping over.  The dimensions are the perfect size for a few books, sewing supplies, and other project needs.  It would also make an ideal library tote.

The pattern will be written up by the end of July and then it will be tested in August/September and ready for purchase in October – if all goes well.    That may be an optimistic schedule, but I have to start somewhere don’t I?

In other news, the group involved in the Porch Sale had a meeting yesterday.  We have expanded to about 17 vendors and should have a nice variety of things to offer.  Mark your calendars for Oct 14th and 15th.

Keep it Thimble!

Tomato Penny Rug

Tomatoes always remind me of summer time and sewing!  I’m sure you can remember your grandmother’s well-worn tomato pincushions.  My friend Liberty Rose loves tomatoes pin cushions so much, she made this delightful pattern for a tomato penny rug.

Tomato Penny Rug

I started this project last summer and it is listed as one of the UFOs to finish for this year.  It can now be crossed off the list.  Right now it is sitting on top of the antique spool chest in my sewing room!  This is the fifth penny rug I’ve made in the past few years.  These little projects are fun to make because you can easily carry a few pennies around in your purse and stitch on them when you can.  Pennies are also fun because there is so much you can do with this as far as embellishments and embroidery!

I have a few ideas for my own penny rug designs based on Liberty Rose’s basic template (with her permission of course). I plan to get the patterns finished up by the end of the year as part of the pattern line I am creating.

Also, I have decided on the date for the quilter’s yard sale – July 23rd from 8am – 12pm.  If you want to do some virtual shopping, just let me know.  For those of you in the area, stop by (email me offline for my address).

Keep it Thimble!

Crow Pillow

Renee Plains is one of my favorite designers and I have been meaning to make a project from her “Bird In the Hand” book.   This little pillow attracted me because it was small and featured needle-turn applique – a technique I’ve been wanting to try for awhile.

Crow Pillow

The original project features the word “Bird” across the top, but I change mine to say “Crow.”  I also made the linen square in the bottom left larger and embroidered the word “buttons” – I thought this added a nice touch.  Finally, I added a few french knots on the strawberry so it looked like it had seeds (the lighting is not so great so it is hard to see the berry agains the red background).

Sharon at Liberty Rose was kind enough to show me the basics of needle-turn applique, and it is really isn’t as difficult as it seems.  I do agree it will take some practice to get good at it so that my appliques look nice and have tiny stitches.  However, if I can learn how to do it well, it will save me a lot of time!  I have done both the templar/starch method (tutorial by Suppose Quilt Boutique) and freezer paper method (tutorial by the Golden Thimble) and find these both to be time consuming since a lot of time is spent “prepping” the shapes before they are sewn onto the background.

Both of these methods are easier for newbies to use since they eliminate a lot of the guess work of how much of the edge you need to turn under before you sew.  One reason why I really enjoy wool applique is because you can just cut and stitch – no extra steps to get the shapes ready – so projects can go pretty quickly.

Also, I have been doing a major clean out of my sewing room and will be having a crafter’s/quilter’s yard sale in a few weeks.  I plan to sell off part of my stash and other miscellaneous crafting supplies that I haven’t used for at least a year.  If you are interested in finding out the details, please email me (email link in the upper right of my blog).

Keep it Thimble!