ACCUQUILT BLOG HOP

Lots of fun things going on.

Sew Cal shows how to make a laptop cover with her accuquilt today.

Andrea's Nest will be posting today as well.

Hope you join me tomorrow for my day as well as Sew Cindy

See you then!

CLEANING HOUSE

Have you ever cleaned house and no one notices?

Well...I am cleaning my blog....I wanted to make a book out of it but it was toooo expensive so I am getting rid of alot of giveaways post I did and the likes...and yes, this post will go away too. Maybe if I cut back the book will be in my price range!

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo EXCUSSSSSSEEEEEEE ME!!! While I clean house!!

FAT QUARTER MINI OVEN MITT - Tutorial

Two Oven mitts made from a fat quarter....

I had my husband scan a pattern for you but I can not open it. If you would like a pattern, I will be happy to email it to you. My day went so fast trying to figure out this pattern....it was mid morning when I started and the next thing I knew my husband was coming through the door.

You will place the mitt pattern on the fold as well as the pocket, both pieces are the same but as you will note the pocket is just shorter.

Here is a picture of what the pocket looks like after cutting on fold (the mitt will look the same but bigger) You will want four of each, the mitt and pockets. Then you will fold the pocket in half....this is actually what the pattern of the pocket would look like before putting on the fold.

Put a pocket on each end...be sure they are centered correctly or you will have a lopsided pocket (don't ask me how I know......hummmm)

Then I like to use the hair bobs (pony tail holders) for the loop to hang it on.

Then I sandwich the mit by putting insul brite on the bottom, then the two mitts right sides together with the pockets and hair bob in the middle. You want to leave an opening between one side of the pockets, from pocket to pocket so you can turn it. Be sure to backstitch at the pockets.

Here it is looking nicely hanging on the hook!

So this is what is left of a fat quarter, probably enough to make a loop if you want to use the fabric instead of the hair bobs. You will see later that I shortened my pattern so you will now have more scraps to get your loops from if that is what you want. So...I decided to make another one but this time with longer pockets and I didn't like where the loop was so I put it in the middle.

I also forgot to tell you to sew about a 2 inch line right in the middle between the pockets. I love the deep pockets but I still don't like the loop in the middle...and I decided to shorten the mitts and sooooooo

Here are my final measurements: I went and took a picture of the pattern after my husband left for work today so you would have a better understanding...if you still want a pattern, just email me.

Mitt

5" wide

2 1/2 inches in length

draw an arc at the top - from the bottom of the fold line to the top of the arc it is 4 inches.

The pocket is the same but 1/2 inch shorter than the mitt (you may want to shorten them for a bigger side hole to pull the mitt rightside out. I will confess that I like the deeper pocket but it is really hard to pull this mitt through).

I love it!!! I also put the hair bob across the pocket but in this case it is across the back but you can flip it over. This way it is not in the way, for some reason it was bothering me flopping to the top or side. I like this much better. No flopping or distraction......

So I made three more....these are fast and fun (after getting the pattern the way I wanted).... Thinking about making potholders to match and maybe a towel. The sky is the limit.

I close the hole with a blind stitch....you can sew it shut on the machine. I did this on the first one but didn't like the looks of it.

Now, I did not come up with this idea, I saw it at a store in Hawaii but it did not have a loop to hang the mitts with. You can get you a little magnet with a hook and hang these on the side of your microwave. How cute would that look?

Hodge Podge Post

Yesterday was Wednesday, my day for being with the 12 and 13 years olds. They came to my house and tie dyed tee shirts and.....

did this....




Here is the back. This is for a handicapped woman in our ward as a gift for when she comes and teaches them about art.

They got kinda creative with the back.



The hands stand for the Young Women Values.....each color represents a value - Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good works, Integrity, Virtue, Faith, and Divine Nature. Pretty sure they had a good time.

Here are a few more Be Attitude blocks....my ant needs legs...



Of course, my girl needs a face and some more blanket stitching but almost done!



On a side note, I did call Janome and talked to their customer service today. She said that the throat plate is an added feature and could possibly be damaged by a needle. I told her about my finding from others and on my yahoo group. She said that she has not had any complaints about the Horizon. Hummmmmm She said to take it to the dealer and see what happens from there. She was not with me when it broke so she does not know. Well....I tried to tell her that I have never had to take a machine to the shop after 4 months.... Well....we will just wait and see. No warranty on the throat plate....

THIS IS NOT GOOD!!

There is always a first.....

I had a not so expensive singer sewing machine (was a great machine by the way in the 70's)

I got a real expensive singer sewing machine in the 80'.

An inexpensive Janome in the 90's

A nice Bernina in the 2000

A Pfaff in the 2000

A Horizon (Janome) just the end of last year and out of all of these I have never had to take them to be serviced. Except for this Horizon......I have only had it about four months and now it has to go to the shop.



I figure if I can tell you the good about a product, I can tell you the bad.

A few weeks ago, I broke a needle and it broke the throat plate....the one feature I loved, where you can sew a straight stitch or a ziz zag by the press of a button...the plate slides to a pin hole or opens to a bigger hole....well...that went by the way side.

Last night while working on this.... (sitting in UFO pile for months now)

and finishing this.....

My needle broke again, this time breaking the feed dogs...if you go up and see the three holes in the middle of the two long holes....it is missing some teeth.

I can not tell you how many needles I have broken over the years of dress sewing and quilting and never....I mean never have I had this happen. Needles to say, I am not a happy camper. Do I still love this machine....

YES.....

but it this happens again, it is going away, it is not worth the hassel and frustration let alone expense. I have not gotten an embroidery machine because I don't want the added expense....am I grippy today.....

YES....

This is all I could think about while trying to sleep.....

WALKING DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH A FEW QUILTS ( re edited after memory came too)

Well...the quilts you saw below did come in that order but I forgot...totally forgot that before the three quilts...I was given fabric scraps in Mississippi and so I put together a few tops from those scraps...just randomly placed...and hand quilted them. Then I made two quilt tops from Red, white and blue fabric (maybe that is why I have two service men)...anyways, it was nothing great, just blocks and I hand quilted them, one was a single bed and one was a queen size one. The last son got two pieces of fabric with batting in the middle, and I hand quilted that. A few years later I took on the task below...sheweeeee I was unhappy that I didn't remember this but now I do and want to set it right. So...my youngest son was one at the time and I made his quilt in Florida, he knew it was his quilt and sometimes would come and lay his head on the quilt while I was quilting it.

So when we moved to Missouri a while later, I made this quilt you see below. From fabric scraps, walmart sheet and batting from a comforter. I drew out the design on paper and put one block together to make sure it would work. I then made a bed ruffle and shams out of bule sheets to match.

This next quilt I hand quilted. I made this for my oldest son for Christmas while he was serving a 2 year mission for our church. He complained of being cold....and I sure hate to be cold so I whippped this up for him.

I found this patten in a quilt magazine that was given to me and made this for my second son for his graduation. If you look real close, you will see the foooooo pahhhh..... my sons pointed this out to me after I had it quilted....look real close....the cl is cut off on class... They got a big kick out of it and to this day will not let me forget this. here is the back... This quilt is big enough to drape across my kingsized bed....so I am guessing it will fit a double or queen bed. The red one was just for a single bed since he did not have much room in his suitcase for much. When I made the red quilt for my son was when I started to really get interested in quilting. When we moved to Texas was when I became obsessed with fabrics, magazines and the likes....and have not looked back since. I have been sewing as long as I can remember. I guess you can say my first quilt was born 21 years ago...funny how the mind slips. But....to be honest....I really did not get into quilting until a few years before we moved to Texas and that was when the red and yellow quilts were born, so it is a Class of 2000 quilt, put a few years on that and I give myself about 14 years of quilting. I did make several quilts and sold them in Missouri.

As my children got older it became easier to lose myself in quilting. I did not know much about quilting and probably still don't, there is alot to learn but where is the joy in it all if you stop learning? And talk about this dumbing down theroy that is going around.....who cares!!! Just do what you like and use the fabrics you like....I enjoy seeing it all and I get inspired from all of you.

"Tour Ireland"

I was over at Canton Village Quilt Works one day and they were having a book tour and well....I was the lucky winner of this book by Pat Sloan. Pat is so amazing because she emailed me herself, along with Jackie to tell me that I won her book....one would think she was too busy for small stuff like that. . . .

Then there is Jackie of Canton Village Quilt works....she has her own quilts being published....it would be awesome if you went over and wished her success. . . .


This runner is "The luck of the Irish"

I liked this quilt not only for the design but for the name "Sheep's feet"....

Thanks so much Pat and Jackie for this wonderful book! You can find both ladies at the highlighted areas above, just click and you are there.