Denim Quilt Progress and a Wipey Case Cover

Since Monday all I have got done on my denim quilt is to cut out the squares.  What really took forever was cutting the denim into squares.  The batting and flannel was a piece of cake. 

The clothespins are clipped onto units of 10.  It makes it soo much easier to keep track of where I'm at when cutting up the fabric. Don't be fooled though, I really have no clue how this blanket is going to come together.  I'm just winging it.

Since Maddy was born I have lost wipes cases like crazy.  Up until yesterday I have been carrying around a full size wipes box in the diaper bag because I lost my last one.  So when I went to Walmart yesterday and bought another wipes case I thought I would do the "popular" thing and hot glue batting and fabric onto it, maybe that way I will keep track of it better.  Ok, maybe the logic isn't all there, but it's worth a shot. Only problem is I put a little too much hot glue onto the part where it hinges open, so it only opens at a 45 degree angle.  Whoops.

The Market Skirt

I had fun making this Market Skirt for Macey.  The tutorial at MADE is really easy to follow.  She looked soo cute in it on Sunday.  Unfortunatly I didn't get a picture of her in it before church, because, as usual we were rushed.  And then when we got home from church she was way overdue for a nap and wouldn't smile for anything. I want to make a few more.  Next time I will make the middle panel a little bit longer and try a yellow or blue seersucker fabric.  That would be cute.

Now onto my next project: a denim quilt for camping and picnics. 

 I'm soo excited for summer!

Mastering My Machine

That's the name of the sewing machine class I am taking.  After I bought my machine the lady at the store said that they offer free classes on how to use your machine.  I signed up thinking that since I bought a more basic model that I wouldn't really have that much to learn and that the class was probably for the more fancy models.  Boy was I wrong!  Yesterday was class number two out of seven and I have already learned so much more than what I could have ever learned on my own.  In the class it's mostly more "mature" women with machines that cost more than my car.  But there is one other girl that is about the same age as me and she has a machine that's close to my model. The older women in the class just upgraded their machines and it is their first time taking a Bernina class.  They have commented more than once that they wish they would have taken this class when they bought their first Berninas, they didn't know they could do so much.  So the way the class works is we get a workbook at the beginning of each class and a glue stick.  As we go through the book the teacher hands out the squares of material that we will need for each page. 

This is one of my favorite ones so far. We learned how to sew a stretchy seam on knit fabric with a special stich that the machine does.

This is another one of my favorites.  We learned how to make a shelled edge of tricot fabric. The same presser foot that makes the shelled edge on slippery fabric can also do a rolled hem on cotton.  How cool is that? I know!

This is my favorite presser foot! It has a bar the guides the fabric on the right so you line the fabric up on the inside of it and you get a perfect 1/4th inch seam every time.  My machine also does a quilters backstich  which really isn't a backstich, it's 6 tiny little close together stiches, so that there isn't bulk in the seam when you press it open. The machine does soo many cool and useful things that my old one didn't.  I am loving taking this class!

Check Book Cover

I saw this tutorial over at Crazy Mom Quilts awhile back and didn't think much of it,

(because my husband did the finances at the time.)  But now that the bill paying duty has been passed off to me I decided I needed to make some cute check book covers.  It will take the pain out of paying the bills, right?

Linking to:

'Smores - With an Extra Chocolaty Twist

I got this idea from a Family Fun magazine while waiting for one of our many doctor check-ups.  So, first you roast the 'mallow.  I can't say that without thinking of The Sandlot.  Anybody else love that movie? You're killing me smalls.  Ok, back to the 'smores.   After you roast the marshmellow you dip it in the chocolate syrup.  Mmmmm.  Then you dip it in the crushed up graham crackers.

 Oooh chocolatey! Then you put it on a graham cracker square, top it with Hershey chocolate bars and put another cracker square on top of that. 

Oooey, gooey and soo delicious! I ate more of these than I would care to admit.

Dish Mat Tutorial

Oh how I love to make these dish mats! This is my last post about them, I promise! This is a simplified version of the dish mat tutorial on Fly Through Our Window.  When I looked at the dimensions of her mat it was HUGE! I guess you would want a big one if you are doing all your dishes by hand, but I just want a smaller one to put sippy cups on after they get out of the dishwasher. 

So, step number one: cut a piece of terry cloth 21"x16"

Cut three strips of fabric 5.5"x16

 Cut two strips of coorinating fabric 3.5"x16

Sew it all together.

Iron your seams so the the two smaller pieces are pressed towards the three larger pieces.  This makes it look like they are inset. Next you are going to put the right side of your pieced fabric to the right side of your terry cloth and with a half inch seam sew around the edge.  Be sure and leave an opening big enough to pull it right side out. Pull it right side out and then hand stich the small opening shut.

Now your are going to topstich with a triple stich (I'm soo happy my new sewing machine does a triple stich!!) a fourth inch seam on your three larger panels.  You can do a regular stich, but the triple stich gives it a little more substance.  Once you do those six lines you are going to do a half inch top stich around the edge of the mat to give it a more finished look.  And your done! Soo easy and way cuter than an old dish towel on the side of your sink!

I had the best Mothers Day yesterday! I love being a mom to my two little girls! I hope everyone else had a wonderful Mothers Day as well!

Linking to:

 

 

Dish Soap & Drying Mat

I love putting dish soap in an olive oil bottle.  It makes the kitchen sink look a lot prettier than it would having a plastic bottle sitting there.  My little sister was over here last week and thought it was such a cute idea.  So when I was racking my brains trying to figure out what to get her for a college graduation present I remembered that she loved my olive oil dish soap dispenser.  I know your thinking that that's a lame present to give for a graduation, but I know my sister will love it.  Her husband does all the cooking and she does the dishes so I also made her a girly dish drying mat.  I'm thinking maybe next week I'll do a tutorial on the dish mat if anyone is interested. They are super easy and look soo much cuter than putting a dish towel on the counter top.  I need to make a few more for me and for my mom.  I promised to make her one months ago and I still haven't done it yet.

Soo cute!

Linking to:

Camping Stools - Girl Style

My dad gave me these old camping stools.  You're jealous, I know. So I girlied them up with the girliest canvas I could find at Joanns.  I should have taken a picture of me sewing the fabric onto the frames.  It was pretty darn tricky! I sewed a pocket on the side of one of the stools for Maceys' "treasures."  I was thinking it will be the perfect place for 'smores supplies or a nature notebook or something like that, but I'm sure she will just put "pwitty wocks" and things in it.  And of course, AFTER I sewed the fabric to the frame I realized I probably should have spray painted the metal white.  That would've looked way cute.  Oh well, Macey likes it, and maybe in a few years Maddy will like her stool too. 

Who says camping equipment has to be manly looking?