Tag: Quilt Blog

What’s in Your “To Go” Bag?

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Mine is filled with everything I need for my hexie project!

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Here’s what’ in my bag:  a hexie flower in progress, hexie templates, fabric covered hexies,  hexies in the process of being covered with fabric, a small pouch, thimbles, two colors of silk thread, straight pins, safety scissors, and my needle case (missing from the picture…oops!)

This colorful “To Go” bag is really a  ‘free with purchase’ make-up bag.  The larger bag has a handle for easy carry and better yet, a zipper for no spillage.  The smaller pouch is the perfect size to hold hexie templates, it zips up and fits neatly in the larger bag.

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Let’s talk about traveling with scissors!  These babies belonged to my son when he was about 6 years old and I dug them out of the crayon box he no longer used…can you imagine going to high school without a crayon box?!  These scissors have made it through airport security many times and with the blunt ends, I don’t have to worry about them poking through my fabric when they get jostled around.

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I’ll be traveling again soon so I took some time to re-stock my “To Go” bag which is always packed in my carry on bag.  I often meet other quilters who stop and talk when they see me hand stitching my hexies.  It’s fun to hear about what other quilters are working on.

So….what’s in your “To Go” bag?  Let us know!

 

 

Richly Repurposed II

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Today I want to show you how my husband (RK) repurposed an old drying rack from our family farm.  This rack was originally a tri-fold and wet clothes were draped over the rungs to dry.  In the snowy, cold winters of New York State, clothes couldn’t be hung outside on a clothesline so this drying rack would be positioned near a wood stove for a “quick dry”.  DSCN6049

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Two racks of the tri-fold had broken rungs, so RK took the rack that had intact rungs and attached it to the wall with some of the broken pieces and parts.  He attached it behind the door so it is out of sight but useful.  I hang/drape fabrics for current projects, quilts that need bindings, etc.

 

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I’ve also repurposed a clear, lucite cookbook holder my son gave me for Christmas one year.  It worked great in the kitchen but it works even better in my sewing room!  It’s on my cutting table so I can easily see the cutting instructions for my quilts.

Like my lamp?  I had so many old buttons that they filled a large pickle jar.  I added a screw top lamp piece and a plain white lamp shade.  I decided to cute up the lamp shade with some polka dot fabric that was cut on the bias.

Finally, let’s talk about pins!  I found these cute shallow bowls at a garage sale and use them to store my pins.  Because they are shallow, it is easy for me to reach in and quickly grab a pin.

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Why two bowls you ask?  The bowl with the most pins is on my cutting table where I do 99.99% of my pinning.  The one with just a few pins is on my sewing table and I can easily toss the pins in this shallow bowl as I am sewing.

What do you use for pins?  Are you a pin cushion quilter?  It’s always fun to hear about  “pin protocol” from others, let us know!

Richly Repurposed

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I’ve been cleaning up my sewing room, you know how it is after a big project!  I had stuff everywhere and couldn’t find anything anywhere!  As I was getting re-organized, I realized how many things I’ve repurposed in my sewing space.

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The blue organizer above was made by my uncle many years ago.  He and my aunt loved to camp and he made this to use as a tote for napkins and silverware.  I put magazines where the napkins would go and the all important TV remote in one of the silverware slots.  He painted this a lovely shade of blue and I’ll keep it the same color in his memory.

The above flower vase was a left over from our son’s wedding last month.  I liked the shape and it had a shabby chic look so I added a few silk flowers for some bold color.  There’s Norma, my Bearded Collie sewing buddy!  She was napping and then had to see what I was up to.  She’s kind of a nib nose, which is why I love her!

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Another item I’ve repurposed is an old rug beater.  I was at a tag sale with mom (who is a pro at tag sales, by the way) and we saw this in the rafters of the garage.  This cost me a grand total of $2.00 and serves as a mini inspiration board.  I use clothespins to attach thing to the wires.  My son made the clothespin with the two hearts on it…I think he was in first grade when he made it for a Mother’s Day gift!

 

 

 

I’m a big copy cat of Sandy even though she is my little sister!  She has a big white bowl in her sewing room where she keeps all her pins.  I thought her idea was clever and was looking for a bowl like hers.  Guess what she found for me at a tag sale?  This bowl has a worn blue edge that adds charm and I use it on my sewing table for leaders and enders.

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I was antiquing with a friend and happened upon the sugar mold pictured below.  I liked the green color and I liked how some of the paint was worn. There were four sugar slots and I originally planned to use it as a candle holder.

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BUT, you guessed it!  I decided it was the perfect organizer for pens, pencils, bias bars, chop sticks and all the other miscellaneous tools a quilter needs.  I keep it on a shelf near my cutting table and it’s so handy to have everything at my fingertips!

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I’ve got more repurposed items in my sewing room to write about and can’t wait to show you!  Let us know what you’ve repurposed in your sewing space!

Idling

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The last couple of weeks have been a whirl-wind. I’ve had a few wee medical issues and Cindy’s son got married. I promise not to show you my scars, but I can’t resist bragging about my sweet nephew and his lovely new bride:

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Mr. and Mrs. TRH. They are adorbs!

So amongst all the festivities and the bandage changes and Netflix marathons, our quilting time has been spent catching up on a lot of binding work and even more brainstorming sessions about upcoming projects. Soon we will unveil some exciting new patterns that will give you options for quilt-gifting during all kinds of special life moments.

This weekend was the first chance I had to go garage/tag/estate saling in quite some time. After I finished my laundry quilt, it inspired me to look for other unique fabrics and needle arts that can be incorporated into quilting projects.

Our oldest sister is visiting the farm for the summer and I introduced her to one of my favorite trash/treasure shops. This funky place has a special room dedicated to crafts and all kinds of needle arts. The room is stuffed with a huge stash of books and patterns and treasures and big sis became a big fan (she’s a knitter, so she was no competition — unlike some people we know).

So bright and early Saturday morning I found two completed cross stitch pieces that I think would make a special accessory in a toddler room. Feast your eyes on these sweet babies with massive up-cycle potential:

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This little spring-like scene makes me so happy!

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The original needle is still embedded in the fabric. The extra threads are neatly organized with the original instructions.

The panels are dated 1975. I can’t believe how long ago that was — and I remember it like it was yesterday!  Each panel is 11.5×8 inches. And, despite my poor photography skills, both have similar eggshell white backgrounds. During our Saturday saling adventure I also found an old crib sheet made of 100%  Portuguese cotton in a red gingham. Maybe I can find a way to include that fabric in my project.

I’m taking suggestions: what would you create with these fab finds?