10 Things I Learned Sewing the Marrakesh Overnighter Bag

Southwest Summer Tote, 17" x 14" x 7.5"

 Marrakesh Overnighter, found in The Better Maker, by Nicole Mallalieu

I began making the Marrakesh Overnighter, having had some experience making zip-pouches, bags, & such. I was looking to step-up my skills and get comfortable using hardware (for that PRO finish!).
Now I can say I have successfully installed metal feet, hidden magnet closures, handles with rings and tabs, an adjustable shoulder strap, and a large zippered pocket inside! New skills gained.

 And ten things learned:

1. One step at a time. For me, bag-making is step, by step, by step, and on. When I enter my sewing room to work on it, I select one step and tackle it.

2. Purchase a pattern or a book? Books, in general, tend to offer more patterns, inspiration, and instruction than individual patterns. Better Bagmaker has all of the above! As a beginner, I found I had to pour over each of the technical aspects, of each step, which had me jumping all over the book.  How nice to gain enough experience to complete one of the patterns from it's instructions, without having to see three different pages at the same time. That kind of experience would also provide the confidence for the third thing I learned while making the Marrakesh Overnighter...

3. Beef it up! Have the confidence to make changes you know you want. There were things I wanted to alter but did not: wider straps, larger rings, beefier magnets, or rather, a gusseted zipper enclosing the top! Another advantage to the book is to have instructions for features like this so that your bag really can be your own.

4. 1/4" fusible tape! Following advice in the book, (and because I just happened to have a roll), I used 1/4" iron-on adhesive tape to install the pocket assembly to the zipper. Iron the paper-backed adhesive to the finished facing unit, peel the paper off, and press it onto the zipper before top-stitching. This method was a dandy, and left me feeling quite justified in stashing things.
Things like 1/4" adhesive tape.

5. Use glue if it helps. There was no mention of this in the book, but I used a glue-stick a few times as well. A dab will hold a seam allowance open before seams are joined. It would probably work well for the zipper facing too, if you happen to have run out of 1/4" adhesive tape...

6. Those dots you mark from the pattern sheet may not line up the way they used to, even if they are still in the center of that panel. Next time, I may try to figure out the best snap location by hanging the bag, to see how the sides come together. Mine works well enough, but it is slightly off - 1/4" or so and it would feel more natural.

7. What I learned when I had to un-install my magnets:
Make sure to buy them BEEFY, haha!
It was disappointing to pick the bag up by the handles, after installing the first set of magnets, and watch the bag just open right up! I had purchased the correct diameter, but a thin model.
Well, they were easy enough to remove.
Which led me to thinking..

8. Upcycle! Watch for used hardware that is re-usable! As affordable as Bagmaker Supply really is, free cant be beat! Maybe you can rescue a magnet from a worn purse! I found three purses with pink price tags at my local thrift last week, .99 cents each! I salvaged rings, swivel hooks, and..
Magnets! Straight away, I checked the prong size to the slits previously cut, and they fit!

9. Interfacing know-how. Non-woven interface stretches much more in one direction than it does in the other. It occurs to me now that that may be odd, the fact that I just learned this while making the bag. Perhaps this is common knowledge? I am aware the width of quilting fabric has more give than the length, and I consider it when cutting borders, and interface is certainly not a new product to me, I just never pulled on it.

Ignorance is bliss, and my sewing space is a happy one, haha!
In the future, I will reach for woven interface to create strong tabs and things that should not stretch.

10. About that base. I will probably cover a removable base for this tote. My book suggested template plastic because it can be stitched, yet still be manipulated, and even washed. I cant give a fair review of this method since the template plastic I had on hand had been rolled for year's. Combined with stiff interfacing, quilted batting, and lining with interfacing, it is quite stable. Still, it is a large bag and I think I will like the structure inside with a nice, flat bottom.

It is not too late to hop over and join Jan at Sew and Sow Farm!

Kite Tails Quilt Block Tutorial

Each month, I am making two blocks from my scraps, in the colorway of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

The blocks are similar to a traditional pattern called Kite Tails.
To create one 12" block:
Start by selecting FIVE background fabrics (or one!). Trim each to 3.5" wide x 19".
Select FIVE print fabrics. Trim each of these to 1.5" wide x 19".

Lay them out in an order that pleases.  
(Note: The second colored strip will end up being in the center, running diagonally across the block)

Using a 1/4" seam allowance, join all the rows to create one rectangle, approx. 19" x  21" wide.
Press the seam toward the skinny, colored strips.

Align the pieced unit on your cutting mat, and cross-cut Twelve(12) 1.5" wide strips.

Starting from the bottom of the 12 strips, slide them to the right, so that they stagger.
(My pink strip was short, please pretend there are two full squares of pink are present at the top-left!)

It'll look like this:

A note about block direction: So far, I am making all my blocks the same direction, sliding the strips to the right as I go up. I may switch later in the year, to make half of my blocks slide to the left)

OK, next we need to "square it up", to prepare the strips for piecing.
I think of this as a vertical 'datum line' that needs to be created,
The line will run vertically up, from the left edge of the second print (this print will be the bottom-left corner of the block)

My method to create this line is to remove the stitching from the that first seam, on the bottom row.
Seams will need to be removed every third row, running vertically from there.

 

Once these are removed, the second and third strips can be cut with a rotary cutter.

BTW, use a seam ripper very carefully for these.
So as not to distort the pieces, I cut several stitches from one side,
then remove the thread from the other.

Create a vertical line on the right side as well, removing stitches and cutting each strip, upward from the left-edge of the fourth colored square.

Next, use the pieces that have been removed to fill in and complete the rows, until your strips line up on the vertical edges.

Once you have them all laid out, go ahead and join them together!
Match and nest the corners as you sew the rows together.
I use a smaller stitch size here because I'll be pressing these final seams open.

Oh My, look at all those leftovers!

Ta-Da!

Using leftovers to make borders as I go:

I had thought I would create a way to make the block that did not create so much waste, but instead I am using the leftovers to make blocks that I plan to use in the quilt layout - probably the border...

Line up the leftovers and cut them apart through their centers.

Use your seam ripper to remove any background pieces that are too small, and sort all the pieces into stacks so you can complete as many units as possible.

For now, I am joining these together in groups of eight, the perfect length for a block when these are set on point.

Want to add a heart to your blocks?

Just replace one square with a piece 2.5" by 1.5".!

So Cute!

Did I mention I LOVE making these blocks!
Every month, I look forward to the new color announcement so I can reveal more of this quilt!

 

Until April, they are safely stowed..

 Sew Simple Saturday is a great place to share tips and tutorials!

The linkup is hosted by Jan at Sew and Sow Farm, on the first Saturday of each month!

Jan is launching a Little Dresses for Africa SewAlong,
with a tutorial and more information posted today!

Sew Simple Saturday & OMG, an Announcement!

Quick storage tip this morning, to share over at Jan's Sew Simple Saturday!

I have noticed the new product for storing bobbins together with their proper spools, and it does look pretty cool..
Amazon sells them for nearly a buck apiece...

Why not save a buck when pipe cleaners can be used for this task! I stocked up on extra bobbins through eBay, and I can keep threads together with multiple bobbins, all with one pipe cleaner!

I still keep a lot of thread on the rack my DH made for me, and it has nice long nails that allow bobbins to be kept with many of my spools.

Some spools are too big for this though, and since acquiring a second machine, a lot of my spools have two different bobbins. Now I keep many of my quilting threads in drawers near my Juki:)

Share your Nifty tip or tutorial by linking up this weekend over at Sew and Sow Farm - You will be entered for the chance to win several prizes!! Jan has shared a cute tutorial for a knitting needle case!

Quick announcement:

I have not stopped thinking about the loss of ALYoF's since first reading about it several days ago! Seriously, I have been grieving!!
Sooo,

I am working this weekend to launch OMG: One Monthly Goal. It will follow a very similar format!

This morning I created my first-ever button!
You can grab it from my sidebar if you like!
I have also created an OMG page for my top tab-bar, and once I have that all written up I will create the first post, a giveaway for the first month, and inLinks...
I am so excited!!

And one more tip!

I found a great little site for making the button with the html code. Check out The Grab Button Builder if you are interested!

A Mini Christmas Tree Skirt or Quilted Candle Mat

It's Sew Simple Saturday - December Edition!

I made another Mini Christmas Tree Skirt, this time taking pictures along the way. A fun use for border fabrics, or striped fabrics! It fits well under a small tree, or as a candle mat.
Two or three together would be lovely for a table setting..

The first time I made this block, I cut my own template and made little marks so that I was able to line up the template and exact six matching triangles.

Since then I have acquired a sixty degree acrylic template. Now I can simply line up the line markings so each triangle is identical.

Cut six triangles. Size doesn't matter as long as they are all the same. Going for simple, I cut mine the same size as the 6" template.
Sew three together, set aside, and repeat.

Finger-press the seams in opposite directions for each half-hexie.
Before sewing the two halves together, connect the center points with a pin.

Line up the edges and sew.

Clip the center seam, almost to the center point and fan your seams so they will lay flat.
Press.

To add a border:
Cut six strips, each a few inches longer than the width of one triangle. The width you cut your border strips is up to you! Mine are 1.5" x 9".
Attach the first strip to one side and trim.

Repeat five more times.

I stopped here, but of course you could add more borders if you are looking for a larger finish.

Sandwich top with backing and batting, and quilt as desired.

I cut binding fabric 2 1/8" wide for this fabric, and needed 56". Attach using your preferred method. If you have never bound hexie-corners, you may find it easier than expected! Just stop each side the usual 1/4" from edge, and adjust/finesse the miter after wrapping the binding over the edge.

The Figgy Pudding fabric remains one of my favorite out-of-print lines.
The first mini tree skirt I made was with an orphan block leftover from my Figgy Swirl quilt in 2012.

I began making this quilt without a plan, then designed the borders after completing the large blocks. I suppose it could be called improv...
I sold it to a buyer in Eastern Canada and kind of regret it(!)
Well, Now I would like to make another and pattern it. I am not sure what the best software is for writing patterns, but I know I do not own it. Any suggestions?

Visit Sew and Sow Farm for inspiration this weekend, and if you have a tip or tutorial be sure and link up! Last month, I won a Fat Quarter Shop gift certificate! Perfect timing for all their fab-sales too - what a beautiful bundle I received! 

Milk, Sugar, & Flour by Elea Lutz

Kitchen Towel Hanger Tutorial

My mom and I enjoy exchanging dish towels at Christmastime. This year I am planning to do a little embroidery work on regular flour sack type towels for her & I thought I may be able to dress them up a bit by creating a hanger for them.

I actually made these in October when I saw the new Linkup Party for sharing tips and tutorials, a monthly linkup hosted by Sew and Sow Farms, however, I ran into a few flaws as I created them and therefore missed the Inaugural Linkup.
They were set aside until the last minute of course, and this morning I spent some time coming up with a technique that will hang well:

Materials:

* 2 pieces fabric cut 5.5" square
* 1" x 6" fabric to make piping
* 2" x 10" fabric to make ruffle (prepare ruffle by folding in half lengthwise, press ends in 1/4", gather to approximately 4.5", and baste.
* 6" x 1/2" wide elastic
* 5.5" square batting
* 6" piece ricrac or ribbon for hanger
* 4>5" square white tagboard (I used the cardboard from a cheap fat quarter)

Start by gathering materials, and completing any custom work you would like to add. Embroidery would be nice! I added the applique berry and ricrac to one, then made piping and ruffles for the other two.

After basting the piping, then the ruffle, I folded and pinned the corners of the ruffles in before sandwiching.

Layer the front and back pieces, right sides together, setting the elastic between, horizontally, about 1 1/2 to 2" from the top. Set the batting on top of those and pin or clip the sandwich together.

 Sew 1/4" in, around the sides and bottom, leaving the top edge open. Clip corners, and I like to finger press the top edge at this point, before turning right side out.

 Turn right side out, with the elastic landing on the backside, and tidy the corners.

Slip the cardboard in the top opening

 Pin or clip the top edge, inserting the hanger in the middle.

Stitch across the top, very close to the edge.

Top stitch all edges if desired!
I only did this on one of mine..

Backside..

This last photo shows how flimsy these were the first run through, before I added the cardboard. My fix really worked, in that it has kept them from bowing when the towel is hung, however this means they can only be spot-washed. Using heavy interfacing may be a good option!

Wish I had had time to finish some embroidery work!

Linking up with Sew Simple Saturday!
Next month I plan to do a Christmas project:)