Schnibbles - FOUR CORNERS

I don't remember what month we finished this Schnibble but it is hanging in my daughter's room.  It is the SCHNIBBLES patterns a friend and I took classes for.  This pattern is called FOUR CORNERS.  I used a kid novelty print from MODA because it had owls in it!  10 Little Things is the title of the line. It is more of a boy print but we pulled out what we liked.  We bought an extra pack so we could use the prints we like.   :-)  My daughter's new room decorations are owls.  It looks cute in her room and adds some color. 

I hung this quilt on a curtain rod from her wall.  Mainly because she's 11 and I know her tastes will change... a lot!!!  :-)  I think when I hang one in my room, I'm going to try the same technique!  The clip hooks are going to work great!  Hope you have had some successful summer projects.  --QP

Meet Jimmy Scott & Leslie Fay

This little guy and gal have brought much fun for Sydneykatt & me.  We used to go out and hit the yard sales and thrift stores.  The two bears here cost us 50 cent total (and Sydneykatt's time in making them).  She used to make these bears alot and she made these for me.  Jimmy Scott (the guy in plaid) was a 25 cent vest.  The ears/paws are from the lining.  She really stretched the fabric on this one.  :-)  Leslie Fay is a 25 cent "Leslie Fay" brand polyester striped dress with a hat and accessories made from the ruffles on a lime green shirt we bought once upon a time.  We had a lot of fun at a Catholic Thrift Store she knew about.  We got great deals on their quarter rack! The vest and dress were two of those finds.   (By the Way... Jimmy Scott got his name from an old saying.... "My Name is Jimmy Scott, I'll take all you gimme' and all you got!!"  LOL)  I used to bring them on the 100 mile trip to her house to go with us as mascots!!  :-)  Miss those days.  Love ya Sydneykatt!!  --Quiltpecan

"Shirt Off My Bag" Tiny Tote Bag

This project comes from a book entitled, Fresh Fabric Treats.  I first saw this project on The Sunflower Patch's blog : )  I broke the 5th button when sewing on with machine, so, I used a larger button of the same kind : )  I made the handles a little longer, but, other than that, made it like the pattern : )  I would like to experiment with a larger size.  Thanks to the author of this neat craft, Monica Solorio-Snow!  Sydneykatt

Yes.... I got to SEW!

One more purse down and one more to go before the "orders" for these cute little purses are done. I am still loving this little purse pattern. I've made several so far and you can check previous posts if you want to see the others I've completed. (Just click on Purses and Totes on our home page.) I have some ideas for variations using the same premise but nothing to show yet. I did experiment the other day but it was a work in progress that I was making up as I went and I need to rethink. I'll get it. :-) Check back later for details.

This purse is for a gal about 6-7 years old. Colorful and cute. I'd carry it for myself!

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Enjoy the day. Hope you are enjoying the pretty days of spring and summer. Sometimes we get away from our sewing on those days.... I know I do. So many things to spend our time on both inside and outside the house. Spend your day doing whatever you love! --Quiltpecan

GIVEAWAY NOTICES:

Click here and check out a great giveaway!! Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting is giving away a neat OLFA circle cutter and some neat patterns. I hope you go check it out. There is a little over a week left to enter! Thanks Cheryl!!!

Secret Sister Surprise

Needed a quick gift to give at our Secret Sister REVEAL party.  I only found out about it a day before I needed it.  Luckily I had some UFO blocks in my sewing room.  So I sewed them together for this oversize Mug Rug.  I think it looks great and especially with the oversize MUG that I picked up at Goodwill.  Was able to make a neat gift for nearly nothing.  It is the thought that counts anyway, right?  :-) 

The blocks are the Bow Tie blocks that are done with 5 squares of fabric.  It is a neat little shortcut technique.  If you'd like to give it a try, SEW DIVA DIANE, has a nice tutorial. Click here to link up to her page.

Quiltpecan

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Well... I made myself go upstairs and do a little sewing on Monday.  Good news and bad news.  I did get to sew for about 2 hours.  Bad news.... my sewing room is over the garage and has it's own AC unit.  I think my AC needs serviced!!  I hope it's just in need of some freon and not replacement!!!!  Will call on that first thing tomorrow.  Gotta have air in these 90 degree temps of SPRING!!  Yes SPRING... it's gonna be a HOT summer!  :-)

Now.. back to the good news.... I got to sew!!!  Remember the OWL purse I made earlier.  Well... everyone loves it and I've had requests to make a few in other colors.  I had 3 to finish and got the main part finished today on the 3 purses.  I just have to layer with the batting and backing and assemble.  Here are the 3 semi finished products.



The first purse I made.  Still my fave b/c I LOVE the owls on it!



This is a funky print.  I tried finding something with peace signs but this caught my eye and seemed perfect for the little girl I'm giving it to.

This flower print is so cute & girly.  I think the little gal this is intended for will love it.

The main print on this bag is much prettier than it shows up in the picture.

Now, the UGLY part.... I need your help.  This purse when finished has bars that hold the purse onto the handle.  It is removable so that you can make different purses if you want.... or to take it off and launder it.  BUT here's my dilemma.  The ends need tightened periodically so that you don't LOSE the ends!!!  Here's the problem... even with tightening.... I lost one!!!!  and so did my niece who got the elephant purse.  :-(  I'm trying to get replacement end pieces but I'm not having much luck.  Short of super gluing the ends on, do you have suggestions as to how to keep the ends on??  I'd love for the purse body to be removable but if I have to super glue, I will......

Here's how the end pieces look.  Hard to see but the end is like a screw and the end is a decorative nut!  :-)  Ideas on how I can keep them from falling off (short of super glue.)

The purse handles opened up.  You can see the bars in the handle here.

 Hope this finds you doing well and enjoying whatever makes you happy.  :-)  Quiltpecan

Mug Rug Swap - Check it out!

Sydney and I have made our own mug rugs.  I have one at work that I made and I love it.  It's basically an over sized coaster.  On JoJo Mia's blog  (JoJoMia's Place - click here to go to her blog)  she has a link for a mug rug swap.  This swap is on another blog called Leona's Quilting Adventure. (Click here for Leona's blog and mug rug info)

Deadline to sign up for this swap is May 15th.  Deadline for mailing your mug rug is June 30th.  Try one for yourself, you may want to sign up.  You will be surprised by some quilter who will send you an awesome surprise mug rug!

One of my mug rug experiments.  Made it to match my mug!!  :-)  But they can be any design.  They are fun!!

Elephants for Emily

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! to my niece Emily who turns 12 today.  She is the first Grandbaby born to my Mom and Dad.  She was even born on their anniversary!!  How neat!! 

The purse in this post was made for my niece.  If you look in the purse/tote bag category, you will see an OWL purse I made for myself.  My daughter and nieces all loved it and wanted their own.  So for Emily's birthday, I made her this ELEPHANTthemed purse.  She has started collecting elephants and I found this fabric at a quilt shop Sydneykatt and I love to shop at!  Who wouldn't love this fabric??  It's pretty and the colors are great!

Last  year I started a new tradition for me and my nieces.  I take them out for a day of food and shopping for a birthday gift, just me and them.  The two of us, no one else.  Emily has been looking forward to this for months now.  I let them eat where they want and buy what they want.  Only difference this year, is I gave her a set amount of money and when it was gone, it was gone.  We went this past Saturday for our day out.  Of course we had a great time and she LOVED the gift.  I enjoy this day out as much as they do.

I think this purse and her spending cash made a great present.  What do you think??

Quiltpecan

My favorite side of the purse.  Love the green fabrics!

Reverse side.  Just love this elephant print.  Greens and pinks are so cool together.

I signed and dated it in another spot too but had to add the Happy Birthday!!

Oh.... forgot to tell you what her younger sister said.  (She is almost 6.)  When she saw her sister's purse she had the cutest look on her face and looking all pitiful.  Then she said, "My birthday is coming soon!"  With the "hint hint" look in her eyes.  She doesn't know but hers is almost done.  Will be posting soon.

 

Canine Carryall

My daughter has a tote bag similar to this one that we made one evening.  She carried it to school and now her friends want one of their own! :-)  It was a simple design.  I simply made two rectangles (you choose the design), added handles, quilted them, then sewed the two pieces together.  For the tote bag handles, I used an old canvas belt.  Cut off the buckle and cut in half for the straps.  The fabric for this quilted bag was dog themed.  (My daughter's friend loves dogs.)  I have one more bag to make for another of my daughter's close friends.  I will take pics and make a tutorial when I make it.  They are quick bags to make and I love the results.  Enjoy, Quiltpecan

Can you hear me now?

Another project I did as a beginning crafter/sewer/quilter.  My Dad worked for the phone company over 30 years.  Wanted to make him a neat gift one year.  Newlywed, no money, in college.... you know the story.  :-)  SO .... Sydneykatt to the rescue.  She helped me design this wallhanging.  Pre-cell phone days.  I always liked it and found it while cleaning at Mom and Dad's.  Hope you like it too.  Have an awesome weekend everyone.  --Quiltpecan

Home Sweet Home

My first ever wall hanging from approx 1993

When I was first learning to sew, I made this wall hanging and it hung in my first "home" outside of college dorms and shared apartments.  :-)  I didn't learn to sew until college.  I was a college freshman and wanted Red, White & Blue in my room because of the Persian Gulf War.  I couldn't find what I wanted so I made a 9 patch quilt.  That's how I started sewing.   I really enjoyed it.  The next year, I tried another quilt for my new dorm.  Then it just kept going and going!!  This small wall hanging was a favorite out of my beginning projects.  --Quiltpecan

Dresden Plate Pillow - Experiment : )

I made a large dresden plate and then a smaller dresden plate and then a yo-yo in the center.  I sewed all that onto one of two round pieces of fabric.  Sewed right sides together, left an opening, turned and experiment completed!  Sydneykatt

Some Bunny Loves You!

That SomeBUNNY is Sydneykatt and me!! 
Thanks for being a fan of our blog!!

I was spending some time this evening trying to clean my "catch all" room.  It's amazing the junk in there but have had fun recovering lost treasures.  One thing I found was this little rabbit pin I made back in 2002.  It is stuffed and is about 1 1/2 - 2 inches tall.  Think I may even make another this year.  I can tell my skills have improved in 8 years!!  LOL  Not sure where I got pattern from but it is a cute pin and found it just in time to put with my other Easter baubles!  :-) 
--Quiltpecan

Feathered Friends

Sydneykatt and I have always been good at "challenging" each other.  Years ago, we would send a fabric and see what you could make with it.  Well, at that time, this was an unusual fabric with Indian feathers and I couldn't imagine that she could make anything that would be appealing but she beat me on this one.  Below is the picture of the Indian Princess Door Hanger she made.  She took the fabric, an orange bead she had, some trim that looked like braid, and a stray silk flower leaf and made this cute cute cute little gal that I still have and display today.  Thanks Sydneykatt.... I still love it!!!  --Quiltpecan

PS:  Click on the picture to see it enlarged.  Learned this trick the other day. 

You can click again to enlarge one more time. 

Kelly's Pincushion

This "Kelly's Pincushion" is from a book entitled, Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, by Joelle Hoverson.  I love the book because of all the projects! She even has them "timed" like.....less-than-2-hour gifts, 2-4 hour gifts, 4-8 hour gifts, 8-12 hour gifts, and more-than-12 hour gifts!  (MAKE MINE-MORE THAN 12 HOUR GIFTS!) : )  Sydneykatt