tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57455333616509316242024-03-12T20:06:41.701-04:00The Sewing ChickA blog about modern quilting and sewing.Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-39849111924589471282015-04-14T20:20:00.002-04:002015-04-14T20:38:21.517-04:00Come on Over and See My New Blog Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-crXoSSa8fV0/VS2y5NObm3I/AAAAAAAAG4w/4YOWEwOpVg0/s1600/newaddress.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-crXoSSa8fV0/VS2y5NObm3I/AAAAAAAAG4w/4YOWEwOpVg0/s1600/newaddress.png" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am now happily blogging over at TheSewingChick.com with a swanky WordPress blog. Come on over and see and tell me what you think!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-32972019351961634932015-04-06T12:57:00.003-04:002015-04-06T12:57:46.970-04:00Moving to WordPress - part 3{<span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://thesewingchick.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-decision-to-move-to-wordpress.html">read part 1</a></span>}<br />
{<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://thesewingchick.blogspot.com/2015/03/moving-to-wordpress-part-2.html">read part 2</a></span>}<br />
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I did it! I imported my blog content to the new WordPress blog and it was actually easy and painless using the import tool. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bWsevta2Pak/VSK6Jy-bPFI/AAAAAAAAG4U/MRpJQGkyO7Q/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bWsevta2Pak/VSK6Jy-bPFI/AAAAAAAAG4U/MRpJQGkyO7Q/s1600/Capture.JPG" /></a>Before I did it, I deleted some of my earliest posts - let's face it, they weren't that good - and any drafts that I wrote but were never published. The import tool transfers all content, images and comments, as well as the labels I assigned to my posts. It turned the labels into categories, which I didn't want, so I used a category to tag converter which changed them to tags. I then deleted the ones that I no longer want and deleted all the categories. I want to keep the category list to a minimum, so I created new ones like, Quilts, Totes & Bags, Tutorials, Work in Progress. I am still trying to figure out exactly how to use the tags and categories, but I think that the tags are used like labels are in Blogger - they are for searching for a specific topic or post. The categories can also be used for searching, but also enable me to group my posts for inclusion in a page or photo gallery.<br />
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Some of the spacing is a little weird in some of the posts. I like negative space between photos and text and I get that just by hitting the enter key, but that disappeared in the imported posts. I don't know why and even when I tried to fix it by typing in blank lines, it didn't always work.<br />
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I didn't need to resize any pictures. I usually use the extra-large option in Blogger images which is 640 pixels wide; my new blog has 800 pixels of text space, so everything fit.<br />
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The next step is to rebuild my pages. The import tool doesn't transfer additional pages, such as an About page, Tutorials, Project Gallery, so I have to recreate those. I am working on that now, and it is actually pretty fun, and I am finding WordPress to be easy to use.<br />
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Want a sneaky-peek? I am going for a clean, uncluttered look that will allow the photos to be the focus.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mtlpZb52ZEo/VSK4CkGw1CI/AAAAAAAAG4M/_9XkZv_M-dE/s1600/02edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mtlpZb52ZEo/VSK4CkGw1CI/AAAAAAAAG4M/_9XkZv_M-dE/s1600/02edit.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am off to do some actual sewing - hope you are creating something pretty this week!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-39316550819432782802015-03-28T11:01:00.000-04:002015-03-28T11:02:39.526-04:00Jumbler Quilt - Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tp6yO9Lx7dI/VRa5aZrzrcI/AAAAAAAAG24/nsflBBy4LkQ/s1600/34edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern scrappy quilt by the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tp6yO9Lx7dI/VRa5aZrzrcI/AAAAAAAAG24/nsflBBy4LkQ/s1600/34edit.jpg" height="546" title="jumbler-quilt-top-only-full-view.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This quilt looks like it was randomly pieced, but there is a method here that makes the sewing easy and fun! The trick is to have a variety of fabrics and a good balance of colors and values - I think it looks best with a majority of low volume or light values with the medium and dark values providing interesting contrast.<br />
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It is a great stash buster and fat quarter friendly quilt.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Choosing fabrics: </b></span><br />
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I counted and these are approximations, but follow these guidelines for a similar looking quilt. I used about 30 different fabrics, some more than once. 50% of my pieces are light value, 30% medium value and 20% dark value.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Blocks:</b></span><br />
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Cut a 6" x 21" strip of six different fabrics. The length doesn't have to be exact, just cut a piece off a fat quarter or cut a strip of yardage and cut in half at the fold line.<br />
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Stack them on top of each other with all sides even. The order doesn't matter - they will be re-arranged. Using a ruler and a rotary cutter, trim the left edge to ensure all layers are straight. Then move ruler to the right 3"- 4" and cut at an angle.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ9KP1uGXFs/VRRdfuIHfeI/AAAAAAAAG1U/mqeTFs4ovA0/s1600/14edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ9KP1uGXFs/VRRdfuIHfeI/AAAAAAAAG1U/mqeTFs4ovA0/s1600/14edit.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
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Move the ruler to the right a few inches and make another cut. Change the angle for variety. There is no right or wrong way here!!<br />
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Continue moving to the right and making cuts until you are at the end. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE AT LEAST SIX PIECES CUT, more is ok but don't do less. I like to cut off about 1/2" from the end to ensure the edges are straight.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UNdNsXSd83Y/VRRe_YKzckI/AAAAAAAAG1g/Z8JuSNNqlLw/s1600/15edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UNdNsXSd83Y/VRRe_YKzckI/AAAAAAAAG1g/Z8JuSNNqlLw/s1600/15edit.jpg" height="310" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now to re-arrange. Separate the piles a little so you have space to work. The first pile will stay as it is. Take the top piece of the second pile and put it on the bottom of the pile.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HAWz6HVNztw/VRRgZGJwcLI/AAAAAAAAG1o/eOxj7rzq0dg/s1600/18edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HAWz6HVNztw/VRRgZGJwcLI/AAAAAAAAG1o/eOxj7rzq0dg/s1600/18edit.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
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Take the top two pieces in the third pile and put them on the bottom of the pile.<br />
Take the top three pieces in pile four and put them in the bottom of the pile.<br />
Take the top four pieces in pile five and put them on the bottom of the pile.<br />
Take the top five pieces in pile six and put them on the bottom of the pile.<br />
If you have a 7th pile, leave it as is.<br />
If you have an 8th pile, start the process over and put the top piece on the bottom.<br />
Continue in the same manner for any remaining piles.<br />
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Now you have your piles with the pieces jumbled. The cuts are the same and your edges will line up perfectly when you sew the pieces together.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtWNZ4NxLM8/VRRnUhWWBtI/AAAAAAAAG2A/CmkiO5wYnTU/s1600/21edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtWNZ4NxLM8/VRRnUhWWBtI/AAAAAAAAG2A/CmkiO5wYnTU/s1600/21edit.jpg" height="296" width="640" /></a></div>
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Moving from left to right, take the top piece from each pile, stack them with #1 on top. I like to take them to the machine and put the top piece on the left of my needle and the rest on the right. Sew them together by flipping the right piece on top of the left. This makes sure I don't mess up the order!!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qroeajVrV68/VRRnaE5DXAI/AAAAAAAAG2I/GWjzv0szJ3o/s1600/23edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qroeajVrV68/VRRnaE5DXAI/AAAAAAAAG2I/GWjzv0szJ3o/s1600/23edit.jpg" height="366" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stitch with a 1/4" seam and offset the pieces a bit so that the seam hits at the point of the notch created. The more of an angle you have, the more they will need to be offset.<br />
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Sew each piece in succession until the row is complete. Don't worry if your edge isn't perfectly straight, because now you are going to trim it down to 5 1/2". Trim the first edge at about 1/4" and then the other edge. Be sure not to trim off too much with your first cut so that you have enough to get a straight edge with the second edge.<br />
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Continue with the remainder of the stacks of pieces, taking the top of each pile and sewing together in a row. There will be six "blocks" when you are finished.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C88POK8nElg/VRRq_7ZK6LI/AAAAAAAAG2k/FyyFrUbU0_c/s1600/028edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C88POK8nElg/VRRq_7ZK6LI/AAAAAAAAG2k/FyyFrUbU0_c/s1600/028edit.jpg" height="374" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sample quilt is made of 36 blocks, so I repeated the whole process five more times. I used some of the fabrics more than once, but for the most part, I used different fabrics in each set.<br />
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You may notice that the blocks are not all the same length. The number of seams will affect this. Not to worry, just trim them to the same size or add narrow strips to the ends to lengthen. This is a free form quilt - no rules!!<br />
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Now lay out your blocks in a way that pleases you. The sample quilt is 3 blocks across and 12 blocks down. I used one block from each set to create two rows of the quilt, and did this six times. It gave me a balanced layout and ensured there wouldn't be too many of the same fabrics next to each other.<br />
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Once you are satisfied with the layout, sew the blocks together into rows. Then sew the rows together - I like to sew them into pairs first, then sew the pairs into fours, and finally sew the fours into eight and twelve.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JEm3kdf01so/VRa_l5X6VaI/AAAAAAAAG3I/rVReDNp48lQ/s1600/02edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern scrappy quilt navy and green by the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JEm3kdf01so/VRa_l5X6VaI/AAAAAAAAG3I/rVReDNp48lQ/s1600/02edit.jpg" height="390" title="jumbler-quilt-close-up.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also like the arrangement done vertically. I used too many directional prints to make this work, but maybe next time! I would also like to try wider cut strips and skinnier pieces. It is a very versatile method, limited only by your imagination.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exjnK8G6jCM/VRbAIDVjW8I/AAAAAAAAG3Q/yK8uPBHyJXU/s1600/03edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern scrappy quilt navy and green by the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exjnK8G6jCM/VRbAIDVjW8I/AAAAAAAAG3Q/yK8uPBHyJXU/s1600/03edit.jpg" height="424" title="jumbler-quilt-vertical-jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and give it a try!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-78193271115742841722015-03-20T16:22:00.000-04:002015-03-20T16:22:27.636-04:00In Progress - Fabric Play<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBHftvY075E/VQxvotWB0uI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/iFN_5Vgg4zA/s1600/06edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBHftvY075E/VQxvotWB0uI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/iFN_5Vgg4zA/s1600/06edit.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have fabrics in my stash that I bought because I thought they were pretty, only to find that I had no idea how to use them. It is usually the medium to large scale florals that have many different colors in the print. The one on the right in the above picture is a good example of this.<br />
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I want to use them. I need to use them. So I thought, why not use it as a feature fabric and add some coordinates and lots of low volume? I started pulling fabrics, sticking to navy, aqua, and various greens. These are not fabrics that I ever would have thought went with the floral, but somehow, they worked because of the colors.<br />
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Then I started cutting and piecing in a sort of random, sort of planned method - 18" x 6" sections of 6 fabrics each. The angles are cut free form, creating wedges and rectangles.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ehx9yGbq6k/VQxz-j2Lc5I/AAAAAAAAG0c/UfuZw9AWMe4/s1600/03edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ehx9yGbq6k/VQxz-j2Lc5I/AAAAAAAAG0c/UfuZw9AWMe4/s1600/03edit.jpg" height="446" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is such a freeing way to piece fabrics. No specific pattern or shapes lets the fabric do the talking and there is no right or wrong way to do it. The only goal is to get a balanced layout of darks and lights. I am having so much fun, I am going to do a tutorial so everyone can give it a try!!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWlyGYBwvKc/VQyARXwpzUI/AAAAAAAAG0s/pMF206hhReY/s1600/09edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWlyGYBwvKc/VQyARXwpzUI/AAAAAAAAG0s/pMF206hhReY/s1600/09edit.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
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More soon!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-60714268653114738262015-03-19T17:12:00.004-04:002015-03-19T17:12:55.141-04:00Moving to WordPress - part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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{Read part one <a href="http://thesewingchick.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-decision-to-move-to-wordpress.html">here</a>}</div>
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After securing a host and buying my domain name, the next step in the process of moving my blog to WordPress is to install a theme. A theme is basically the template files that determine the graphic design and layout of your blog. There are free ones available but they are fairly plain so I went looking for a theme that would work well with a sewing blog. There are so many available for sale on the internet that to save time, I went to Etsy. Prices ranged from $20 to $55, and believe me, I spent a lot of time looking at them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxakwjVm6tI/VQs2BEVmS7I/AAAAAAAAGz8/2DUu-6k0X8U/s1600/Capture3_19b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxakwjVm6tI/VQs2BEVmS7I/AAAAAAAAGz8/2DUu-6k0X8U/s1600/Capture3_19b.JPG" height="66" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Search for WordPress themes on Etsy</td></tr>
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It helped that I had an idea in my mind of what I wanted - a full-width layout with a static Home page, a Post page, a Tutorials page, and a Gallery page. I also wanted to have the flexibility to add other pages in the future, such as a shop or pattern page. There are many features that can be added with plugins, so it was the basic layout that I paid the most attention to. It was not an easy decision for me - I tend to be rather detail oriented, and most of the pre-designed themes were limiting for colors, font styles and font sizes.<br />
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I lucked out a bit because my daughter works for a digital marketing company and she suggested the Divi theme from <a href="http://elegantthemes.com/">Elegant Themes</a>. It has a page builder feature that lets you click and drag different modules to build your own pages - no CSS knowledge required - and because she has access to the themes, she installed it at no cost to me!<br />
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It is important to note that you are not married to the theme you choose. It its easy to change it from within the Dashboard, and free plugins can give you all kinds of extra features. I just wanted to get it right from the get go and not have to do a lot of changes once it goes live.<br />
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The downside of the Divi theme is that building your own pages takes time, and there is definitely a learning curve involved as I am totally new to WordPress. So I have spent the last two weeks working on it, sometimes obsessively, trying to get it to look just right. Overall, I have enjoyed the process, although there have been times when I have been so frustrated that I nearly threw my laptop across the room! Thank goodness for Google which can solve just about any problem.<br />
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The next step is the one that scares me the most, importing my blog content to the new one. I am hoping that it all works and I won't have to go in and re-size a bunch of pictures or redo old posts. I will also have to rebuild the Tutorials and the Quilt Gallery since the import will only transfer post pages and not the other pages.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JbNGG0u4i6U/VQs1MxbMRhI/AAAAAAAAGz0/2uBBVjWNd0k/s1600/Capture3_19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JbNGG0u4i6U/VQs1MxbMRhI/AAAAAAAAGz0/2uBBVjWNd0k/s1600/Capture3_19.JPG" height="131" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am planning on having this all finished in April to coincide with my three-year blog anniversary!<br />
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Thanks for visiting and Happy Sewing (and blogging),<br />
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-45605443238001411912015-03-17T10:04:00.001-04:002015-03-17T10:04:23.451-04:00Giveaway Winner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eLxsevck7zQ/VQgUzd7hcQI/AAAAAAAAGyM/esu6jg9-byQ/s1600/Winner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eLxsevck7zQ/VQgUzd7hcQI/AAAAAAAAGyM/esu6jg9-byQ/s1600/Winner.png" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thank you so much to everyone that entered the giveaway for the fat quarter bundle of RJR Cotton Supreme solids. The Random number generator has spoken, and the winner is Joy Cochran!</div>
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Isn't it fun to win something?!!</div>
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I have e-mailed you for your address, the bundle will be sent from RJR Fabrics directly.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtauXQwoW9Y/VQg0Em7QnAI/AAAAAAAAGzA/rTruc-ErNUo/s1600/2015.03.13%2B5A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtauXQwoW9Y/VQg0Em7QnAI/AAAAAAAAGzA/rTruc-ErNUo/s1600/2015.03.13%2B5A.jpg" height="320" width="307" /></a></div>
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Have a great week and Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-10305140612926120312015-03-13T00:14:00.001-04:002015-03-17T14:11:04.529-04:00What Shade Are You? Blog Hop and Giveaway<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">How To Add Solids to Your Quilts</b><br />
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Lately, I have been thinking about solids and if I should use more of them in my quilts. So, when RJR fabrics invited me to participate in their What Shade Are You? Blog Hop, I jumped at the chance to explore the option.<br />
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Many fabric manufacturers make it so convenient to buy complete collections with their offers of precuts and bundles. I am more than happy to take them up on that offer, especially when stacked up neatly and tied with a bow! But then I feel compelled to use the entire line in one quilt, which can lead to a busy mix of prints. A great way to calm the chaos is to add solid fabrics.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GpFmqof4bRQ/VP88axTrLeI/AAAAAAAAGwY/EmBHsFJnF1U/s1600/015edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GpFmqof4bRQ/VP88axTrLeI/AAAAAAAAGwY/EmBHsFJnF1U/s1600/015edit.jpg" height="400" width="365" /></a><br />
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How do you know which ones to add? Using this bundle of fabrics, I wanted to keep the solids "calm" so that the blues, aquas, cream and greens would be the focus and the red and yellow would serve as the pops of color. The Cotton Supreme solids from RJR Fabrics are wonderful, with a high quality weave and a lovely, soft feel. With over 175 colors to choose from, I was sure that I would be able to find what I was looking for.<br />
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I used the stripe as my starting point because it has a good mix of the colors and I knew that I would use it for the binding, When adding solids, they don't have to match exactly, going a bit lighter or darker adds more interest, but do keep them in the same tone (the amount of gray in the colors). If I had thrown red and/or yellow into the mix, it would have defeated the purpose of adding the solids in the first place, which was to calm things down.<br />
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The cream and gray are neutrals, and adding neutrals is always a good idea. There are a lot of colors in the prints so I chose six blues/greens and two neutrals for a good representation of them. Sometimes, you just have to play and edit to get this right. It is ideal to keep the proportions of solids and prints in check - the solids should complement the prints, not overpower them.<br />
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Here they are all together:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jx9vlJ0-KBU/VP9lSZIgD-I/AAAAAAAAGw0/b642Sv7Xj94/s1600/019edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jx9vlJ0-KBU/VP9lSZIgD-I/AAAAAAAAGw0/b642Sv7Xj94/s1600/019edit.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is the resulting quilt top:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtF40cAEQak/VQGiRH9f8TI/AAAAAAAAGxg/4OPCQ5tnMtA/s1600/quilt%2Bfor%2BRJR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bright summery handmade quilt top with stars the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtF40cAEQak/VQGiRH9f8TI/AAAAAAAAGxg/4OPCQ5tnMtA/s1600/quilt%2Bfor%2BRJR.jpg" height="640" title="stars-quilt-sidewalks-and-cotton-supreme.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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The question of how much solid fabric to add is kind of a matter of personal preference and the look you are wanting to achieve. I like when things work out in even numbers, so with 30 blocks to make, I decided on a 2:1 ratio of prints to solids for the background squares - 20 print backgrounds and 10 solid ones. I used this same ratio for the center blocks and the star points. Having three different elements to each block also meant that I would be assured of having one solid fabric in every block (because the solids are 1/3 of the fabrics).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpKWFEKj7hw/VP9oAt16bFI/AAAAAAAAGxI/28iWhdKc7hg/s1600/048edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpKWFEKj7hw/VP9oAt16bFI/AAAAAAAAGxI/28iWhdKc7hg/s1600/048edit.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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When it came time to lay the blocks out, I did my best to keep like colors, prints and backgrounds separate from each other, but it proved to be impossible! I would move one which then meant I had to move another one and then another! So in the end, I have some solid backgrounds next to each other and some prints diagonal from each other, but I had to stop moving them around at some point or I'd go mad!!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k4kdBxPTzpg/VQGnNZ4-amI/AAAAAAAAGx4/bPp7mV4dzVc/s1600/058edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k4kdBxPTzpg/VQGnNZ4-amI/AAAAAAAAGx4/bPp7mV4dzVc/s1600/058edit.jpg" height="394" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used a great <a href="http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2011/06/tutorial-july-star-blocks.html">tutorial</a> for the star blocks from Alison Harris of <a href="http://www.cluckclucksew.com/">Cluck Cluck Sew</a>. I trimmed by blocks to 10 1/2" which made for easy assembly of the rows and final quilt top. The overall size is 50" x 60", a perfect sofa snuggle quilt or a generous kids quilt.<br />
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I would love for you to add some solid fabrics to your next project, and RJR has graciously offered a fat quarter bundle of the colors I used to give away to one of my readers.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">THE ENTRIES ARE CLOSED AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THANK YOU!!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OAk4rRPUCoM/VQGj60ShL6I/AAAAAAAAGxs/PQj0j4IOfAc/s1600/2015.03.13%2B5A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OAk4rRPUCoM/VQGj60ShL6I/AAAAAAAAGxs/PQj0j4IOfAc/s1600/2015.03.13%2B5A.jpg" height="400" width="383" /></a></div>
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The color numbers included are: 090, 264, 242, 294, 169, 342, 228 and 155.<br />
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To win , you can enter up to <b>three</b> times by:<br />
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1. Leave me a comment on this post, maybe say what you would use the fabrics for.<br />
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2. Like<a href="https://www.facebook.com/rjr.fabrics"> RJR Fabrics on Facebook</a> and leave me a second comment telling me you did.<br />
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3. Follow <a href="https://instagram.com/rjrfabrics/">RJR Fabrics on Instagram</a> and leave me an additional comment telling me you did.<br />
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<b>::: U.S. and Canada entries only please and no P.O. boxes :::</b><br />
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I will leave entries open until Monday, March 16th and then choose a winner with Mr. Random. Good luck!!<br />
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Thanks for visiting and Happy Sewing, <br />
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Tessa Marie <br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com200tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-45758084236875818152015-03-06T13:46:00.000-05:002015-03-06T13:46:02.029-05:00The Decision to Move to Wordpress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends! I am well aware that there has not been much to post about lately! The whirlwind excitement of Quilt Con took me a week to recover from and I am working on a project this week that I can't share yet, so I thought this would be a good time to blog about my decision to move to WordPress.<br />
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I have been thinking about this for months now and have turned it over in my mind for what is probably too many times. But ultimately, I decided to move because WordPress offers so many options to customize my blog. It seems that there are more sewing and quilting blogs than ever (which is great!!), and hopefully customizing mine will make it stand out from the rest a little. Also, with WordPress, I will own the site, as opposed to Blogger being owned by Google. Of course, this comes with a price. Blogger is free and while there <i>is</i> a free version of WordPress, it offers very little in terms of options and isn't worth making the move.<br />
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As I go through the process, I will share with you in case you were thinking of making the move, too. There are tons of articles written by tech savvy people about how to do it, but I thought actually hearing the voice of a regular blogger (with limited tech skills) may be helpful. Each step I go through will be a separate post with the tag "moving to wordpress".<br />
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So once the decision is made, Step One was to purchase my domain name. I debated changing the name, but decided to stay with The Sewing Chick and fortunately thesewingchick dot com was available. Registering the name with a hosting site (instead of with WordPress) gave me tons (really, tons!) more options for making the site unique and I chose Blue Host. There are different plans and pricing, and I selected what I think is a good middle of the road option - their plus plan for 24 months - for $6.95 per month. The website says as low as $5.95 per month, but that is for 36 months and I think three years is just too far out! Who knows what I might be doing in three years! The plus plan includes a bunch of extras like one year of free domain registration. What I didn't realize until I hit the purchase button was that, although they show you the per month price, you have to pay for it up front!! So, multiply 24 times $6.95 and add the second year of domain registration plus two years of privacy protection, and I paid a little over $200 for the two year period!! That's a heck of a lot more than free, so I really hope it is worth it!<br />
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I already had WordPress installed on my computer (in fact, I own thesewingchick.wordpress.com), so the next step, which I am still working out, is to choose a theme for the site. I really hope I can get that finalized soon and then I'll post about it! Stay tuned! If you have any questions for me, I will be glad to answer them the best I can, base on my experience. I am not an expert in this area!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HvuOWhY3sS4/VPnwVXAHiPI/AAAAAAAAGvM/GHUyPwkEY-0/s1600/022edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HvuOWhY3sS4/VPnwVXAHiPI/AAAAAAAAGvM/GHUyPwkEY-0/s1600/022edit.jpg" height="640" width="329" /></a><br />
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And because, I have to include a quilty picture, I love these blocks I just did for the Trust Circle of do Good Stitches.<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/30622969@N06/"> Erica</a> gave us the exact layout and the colors to use, so the design credit is all hers! The blocks are 12" when finished, making all those HST's just 2"!<br />
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The fabrics are Kona Cotton in white, fog, aqua and Mediterranean. When she gets all the blocks, there will be 24 of them, making a beautiful quilt that looks like waves on the sea.<br />
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Have a super weekend!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-79774586803062684592015-02-12T12:19:00.001-05:002015-02-13T10:17:34.828-05:00The Austin BagAs a fairly new member of the <a href="http://www.themodernquiltguild.com/">Modern Quilt Guild</a> and with my first Quilt Con just a week away, I need an ultra-cool, modern bag to disguise the fact that I am really not that modern! Despite being neither pink nor flowery (told you I'm not modern), I am a big fan of <a href="http://carolynfriedlander.com/">Carolyn Friedlander</a> prints and had two mini charm packs on hand that I thought would be perfect for this project.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59j-5f_3Tso/VNzCu0w_0XI/AAAAAAAAGr0/nx9Raw2ri8I/s1600/Austinbag01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern patchwork tote bag doe fabric the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59j-5f_3Tso/VNzCu0w_0XI/AAAAAAAAGr0/nx9Raw2ri8I/s1600/Austinbag01.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Limited by the amount of 2 1/2" squares I had, I designed this bag with a patchwork pocket panel that goes all the way around the outside. It is stitched down at the corners, creating four separate pockets. After taking these pictures, though, I might stitch down the middle of one of the side pockets to make two smaller pockets, one will be just right for my phone.<br />
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The "leather" accents add a richness as well as a professional touch. I used an upholstery vinyl from JoAnn Fabrics that looks and feels like the real thing, even on the back. This enabled me to have the raw edges exposed, reducing bulk in the seams. To top stitch, I used a jeans needle (size 100 and very sharp) and it sewed through four thicknesses like butter.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-afoMU8ILw3A/VNzK3Lz5wZI/AAAAAAAAGsM/yTnrh3LbB-Y/s1600/Austinbag_leatherdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-afoMU8ILw3A/VNzK3Lz5wZI/AAAAAAAAGsM/yTnrh3LbB-Y/s1600/Austinbag_leatherdetail.jpg" /></a></div>
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To attach the strap, I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Realeather-Crafts-Rivet-Setter-Nickel/dp/B00DG8VYG2/ref=sr_1_11?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1423758595&sr=1-11&keywords=rivet+setter+kit">this rivet setting kit</a> from the craft store. I've never done this before, but there was no way my machine was going to sew through eight layers of faux leather so I thought I would give it a try. It was super easy and worked great, although I am pretty sure that I hammered the heck out of the rivets a little more than necessary!<br />
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Isn't the lining fabric sweet? It was also found at JoAnn Fabrics, in with the regular quilting cottons which I usually bypass, but those sweet yellow flowers grabbed my attention and when I felt the softness, I was pleasantly surprised and bought two yards! I might be going back to buy the rest of the bolt!<br />
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I wanted the bag to have a "slouchy" feel so just used one layer of fusible fleece as a stabilizer. I quilted through the fabric and the fleece and added the lining separately. The patchwork is quilted by stitching on both sides of the seams, and the bag body is quilted with straight lines at about 1 cm intervals (the edge of my presser foot).<br />
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Making a bag without a pattern was not without it's uh-oh moments. Like when I was so eager to find out if the bag and pocket panel would fit together that I sewed the side seams before installing the zipper. And I wasn't sure how the whole bag, lining, zipper thing would work so I tried it a different way on either side of the zipper. Fortunately the difference is only visible on the inside!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4EoOlFIVvQ/VNzPxddODcI/AAAAAAAAGso/K9F6ooc1hK8/s1600/Austinbag_strapdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4EoOlFIVvQ/VNzPxddODcI/AAAAAAAAGso/K9F6ooc1hK8/s1600/Austinbag_strapdetail.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Additional bag details:</u></b></div>
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dimensions - about 16" x 12" x 6" (base is 13" x 6")</div>
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fabric - Robert Kaufman yarn dyed linen in "flax"</div>
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one mini charm pack Carolyn Friedlander "Doe"</div>
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one mini charm pack Carolyn Friedlander Robert Kaufman favorites</div>
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yellow flower, Heather Tozzi for GCD Studios, David Textiles</div>
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Stabilizer - Pellon Thermolam TP971F</div>
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Thread - Coats & Clark machine quilting cotton, "temple gold"</div>
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trim - JoAnn Fabrics Upholstery vinyl, "Cordova chocolate"</div>
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zipper - Coats & Clark 18" purse zipper, "dogwood"</div>
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hardware - antique square ring, Everything Mary</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f-TQNqDoIwM/VNzXzpdK3fI/AAAAAAAAGs4/4FPpKc2qij4/s1600/Austinbag02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern patchwork tote bag doe fabric the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f-TQNqDoIwM/VNzXzpdK3fI/AAAAAAAAGs4/4FPpKc2qij4/s1600/Austinbag02.jpg" height="295" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am so pleased with how this bag turned out that I think it would make a great pattern. Since I've worked out the what-not-to-do and the proportions, it is " just" a matter of writing up the instructions and creating some diagrams. Hopefully soon!!<br />
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Linking up with these great linky parties:<br />
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<a href="http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/">My Quilting Infatuation</a> - Needle & Thread Thursday<br />
Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish It Up Friday<br />
<a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a Fabric Addict</a> - Can I Get a Whoop Whoop<br />
T.G.I.F.F. - this week at <a href="http://quiltmatters.blogspot.ca/2015/02/tgiff-night-flight.html">Quilt Matters</a><br />
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Happy Sewing,<br />
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Tessa Marie <br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-85579528454729251212015-01-30T12:54:00.001-05:002015-02-12T12:26:01.684-05:00Out To Sea Baby Quilt - Quilted and Bound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N31fkAh5-dE/VMu76tTbibI/AAAAAAAAGps/ssdIvlu8IsA/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N31fkAh5-dE/VMu76tTbibI/AAAAAAAAGps/ssdIvlu8IsA/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt01.jpg" /></a></div>
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Ahoy Mateys and Happy Friday!! I have another finish this week to share with you!! The personality of these prints basically required a baby/toddler quilt and the simple patchwork design of this quilt allowed for Sarah Jane's adorable pirate themed prints to shine.<br />
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I used this larger map print on the back along with some more sailboats and a couple of the prints from the front.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3kswkH3eAXc/VMvKLyTnIqI/AAAAAAAAGqo/bkrR4yTyM1I/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3kswkH3eAXc/VMvKLyTnIqI/AAAAAAAAGqo/bkrR4yTyM1I/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt.jpg" /></a></div>
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The quilting is just wavy lines spaced about and inch and a half apart. It was easy to keep them on line - I did one through each seam line and one in between the seams of the four patch squares.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGOVi1aBT_k/VMu-GOFYoZI/AAAAAAAAGp8/1opSbGl6s_Q/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGOVi1aBT_k/VMu-GOFYoZI/AAAAAAAAGp8/1opSbGl6s_Q/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt02.jpg" /></a></div>
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The binding is a stripe from the collection and because of the scale, I took the time to match up the stripe when sewing the binding strips together. Can you see the seam? I have a tutorial on how to do that <a href="http://thesewingchick.blogspot.com/2012/09/mini-tutorial-sewing-striped-bindings.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGsoFz2OXw8/VMu-jLwXyqI/AAAAAAAAGqE/bmCsd946oCE/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt03bindingdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGsoFz2OXw8/VMu-jLwXyqI/AAAAAAAAGqE/bmCsd946oCE/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt03bindingdetail.jpg" /></a></div>
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I did not use a pattern for this quilt. I knew that I wanted this design and planned the size of the squares based on the scale of the prints - 6" large squares and 3" smaller squares. Usually, I prefer an odd number for the number of blocks in a row or in a column, but this one just worked out better as a 6 x 8 - I think that 36 x 48 is a perfect baby size! <br />
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I chose to use all the same print in the four patches - the ivory with ships wheels - to give some repetition to the quilt. When using a bunch of prints, that gives a calmness and order to the design. This also enabled me to strip piece - I needed 24 four patch squares which meant 48 sets of the ivory print and another fabric. I had 6 different fabrics, therefore 8 of each one. The squares are 3 1/2" unfinished, so 8 x 3 1/2 = 28". I cut 30" strips so I would have a little extra, stitched them in pairs and then sub cut into 3 1/2". Phew!! Who knew quilting was so complicated!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IYpempalin0/VMvBawowkjI/AAAAAAAAGqQ/iGxRv5M5kXU/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IYpempalin0/VMvBawowkjI/AAAAAAAAGqQ/iGxRv5M5kXU/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt05.jpg" /></a></div>
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One last look...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OkhQ4sComIk/VMvBdxGGweI/AAAAAAAAGqY/4N3mvQtNGTk/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OkhQ4sComIk/VMvBdxGGweI/AAAAAAAAGqY/4N3mvQtNGTk/s1600/OutToSeaBabyQuilt04.jpg" /></a></div>
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Additional details -<br />
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Fabric is all Out to Sea by Sarah Jane Studios for Michael Miller Fabrics<br />
Batting - Warm and White 100% cotton<br />
Pieced with Aurifil 50wt. 100% cotton<br />
Quilted on a Babylock Tiara with Superior Masterpiece polyester thread<br />
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This quilt is for sale and will be in my Etsy shop eventually. Yep, still procrastinating. I am hung up on designing a label to put on my quilts. I can't decide if I want it to say my name or The Sewing Chick! Opinions appreciated!! (Let's see who is still reading ;-)<br />
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Linking up with these amazing bloggers:<br />
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Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts for<a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-mish-mash-of-finishes.html"> Finish it Up Friday</a><br />
Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2015/01/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-interlocking-stars.html">Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?</a><br />
Caroline at Sew Can She for<a href="http://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2015/1/30/show-off-saturday-progress-on-my-amy-butler-quilt"> Show Off Saturday</a><br />
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Happy Sewing,
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<br />
Tessa Marie
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<br />
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-80567401805512282952015-01-28T09:52:00.000-05:002015-01-28T09:52:29.798-05:00Out to Sea Baby Quilt -- In Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aepgUKd_rUE/VMhbOWTmzrI/AAAAAAAAGo8/PmITXSujrmY/s1600/017edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aepgUKd_rUE/VMhbOWTmzrI/AAAAAAAAGo8/PmITXSujrmY/s1600/017edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aepgUKd_rUE/VMhbOWTmzrI/AAAAAAAAGo8/PmITXSujrmY/s1600/017edit.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aepgUKd_rUE/VMhbOWTmzrI/AAAAAAAAGo8/PmITXSujrmY/s1600/017edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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Over the past couple of years, I have been growing my fabric stash. It is a common trait of quilters, old and new alike, to buy fabric because it is pretty with no regard for what I am going to make with it, if anything at all. But now I look at all those piles of fabric and think, gosh, there's a lot of money tied up in there, maybe I need to use it up...</div>
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So I have made it one of my goals for the year to use what I have and limit further purchasing of more fabric. Not a bad thing when I get to sew up such cute fabrics as these Sarah Jane Out to Sea prints. I have decided on a simple alternating 4-patch and square layout that allows me to fussy cut some of the larger feature fabrics.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OgkDulkAZo/VMhasKHhwII/AAAAAAAAGo0/s6qgL6hawtc/s1600/05edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OgkDulkAZo/VMhasKHhwII/AAAAAAAAGo0/s6qgL6hawtc/s1600/05edit.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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The top went together really quickly and I have begun to quilt it on the Princess (my Babylock Tiara) with free motion wavy lines to mimic real waves!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H3Cs1f2ae2s/VMhhDujuVII/AAAAAAAAGpM/ZCpdg_Ce--A/s1600/012edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H3Cs1f2ae2s/VMhhDujuVII/AAAAAAAAGpM/ZCpdg_Ce--A/s1600/012edit.jpg" height="502" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1iYkDU9Npc/VMhiXMXQDiI/AAAAAAAAGpc/onafK4zLXpw/s1600/07edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1iYkDU9Npc/VMhiXMXQDiI/AAAAAAAAGpc/onafK4zLXpw/s1600/07edit.jpg" height="640" width="522" /></a></div>
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This might even be finished by the weekend!! Linking up with Lee at <a href="http://freshlypieced.com/">Freshly Pieced for Work in Progress Wednesday. </a>How about you? What are you working on this week? I hope it's something good!!</div>
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-13451224270036665112015-01-23T17:12:00.000-05:002015-01-24T10:16:04.803-05:00A Finished Quilt <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mX112sFxa1M/VMLBdxC4VwI/AAAAAAAAGns/I4phyHegPlA/s1600/happygolucky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="colorful modern patchwork handmade quilt by the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mX112sFxa1M/VMLBdxC4VwI/AAAAAAAAGns/I4phyHegPlA/s1600/happygolucky.png" height="624" title="happy-go-lucky-quilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have learned a valuable lesson from finishing this quilt. So often, I am all about the fabric. I love fabric. No, I loooooove!!!! fabric. My quilts tend to feature the colors and patterns of favorite fabrics, and I consider the quilting to be secondary, you know, just a way to keep the layers together. But this quilt has taught me that the quilting design can make a huge difference in how I feel about the finished piece.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjnN7WjrKlk/VMKBivz25qI/AAAAAAAAGnE/2dabZs84aYM/s1600/43edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjnN7WjrKlk/VMKBivz25qI/AAAAAAAAGnE/2dabZs84aYM/s1600/43edit.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
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I liked the Bonnie and Camille Happy Go Lucky fabric. I liked the simple pattern of alternating 9 patch and snowball blocks. I liked the Moda Bella Aqua solid. I just didn't like them all together. But the quilting in the centers of the snowballs made them pop and now I love this quilt.<br />
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From now on, I will consider how I am going to do the quilting at the design phase of quilt making and not merely as an afterthought. I will, I swear!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sMo4zRBZTro/VMLByAHh9jI/AAAAAAAAGn0/RNQ6xOmfsD4/s1600/1262edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sMo4zRBZTro/VMLByAHh9jI/AAAAAAAAGn0/RNQ6xOmfsD4/s1600/1262edit.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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The backing is a pretty aqua and white Ta Dot from Michael Miller and the binding is from the Marmalade collection, also by Bonnie and Camille.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WuV5lDBbxKs/VMLB4kASTfI/AAAAAAAAGoE/wRHQ-_z3W-g/s1600/37edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WuV5lDBbxKs/VMLB4kASTfI/AAAAAAAAGoE/wRHQ-_z3W-g/s1600/37edit.jpg" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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I didn't use a pattern - I had a layer cake of the B&C fabric so that dictated the size of the blocks. I cut each 10" square into 2.5" strips and pieced the 9 patches from those. The remaining 2.5" strips were subcut into 2.5" squares for the corners of the snowball blocks. There are similar patterns on the market, including <a href="http://thimbleblossoms.bigcartel.com/product/double-take-pattern-159-pdf-pattern">this</a> one.<br />
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The finished quilt is 42" square, a nice baby or toddler size.<br />
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This quilt will be for sale in my Etsy shop as soon as I get that up and running, which is one of my goals for 2015. Well, okay, it was one of my goals for 2104, but didn't happen. The idea of selling my work scares me, but I can't keep piling up quilts in my house forever!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FdXy8WmF4OE/VMLB4lrp38I/AAAAAAAAGoA/OuvwFGac4Yk/s1600/41edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FdXy8WmF4OE/VMLB4lrp38I/AAAAAAAAGoA/OuvwFGac4Yk/s1600/41edit.jpg" height="490" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dqb67IDUaYY/VMLB5H4mOmI/AAAAAAAAGoI/9r5l0aL1KuQ/s1600/45edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dqb67IDUaYY/VMLB5H4mOmI/AAAAAAAAGoI/9r5l0aL1KuQ/s1600/45edit.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9YEyY7J1gt8/VMLB5SOgP0I/AAAAAAAAGoM/FODx_qdu1_I/s1600/iPadphoto2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9YEyY7J1gt8/VMLB5SOgP0I/AAAAAAAAGoM/FODx_qdu1_I/s1600/iPadphoto2.jpg" height="498" width="640" /></a></div>
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Linking up today with Amanda over at <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> and Sarah at <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a Fabric Addict.</a><br />
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Have a super weekend and Happy Sewing,
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<br />
Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-61436457233161143002015-01-14T18:10:00.001-05:002015-01-14T22:02:14.998-05:00One Less<div style="text-align: center;">
That's one less quilt top waiting to be quilted because I spent yesterday doing this.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DkfOeWRv2eo/VLbvPFUi96I/AAAAAAAAGmI/p5kB7GGv1ds/s1600/09edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DkfOeWRv2eo/VLbvPFUi96I/AAAAAAAAGmI/p5kB7GGv1ds/s1600/09edit.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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It is a goal of mine for 2015 to improve my free motion quilting skills and get to a point where I can do it without being terrified! This quilt top was made in the summer of 2013 and to be honest, I didn't really like it that much since I thought the aqua was the wrong color choice. Then, the other day, I saw those aqua snowballs as the perfect place to practice a free motion motif. Now, I like it!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2sXG2KsPAwM/VLbvO1UVgTI/AAAAAAAAGmE/Zb-64w1fYn0/s1600/011edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2sXG2KsPAwM/VLbvO1UVgTI/AAAAAAAAGmE/Zb-64w1fYn0/s1600/011edit.jpg" height="634" width="640" /></a></div>
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I worked back and forth across the rows and created this flower/tree thing by stitching the center first and then three rows of "petals". I stitched out at the bottom and then moved to the neighboring 9-patch with a meandering stitch or stipple. It went amazingly quickly and I am fairly pleased with the result. Yes, I photographed one of the better attempts - they didn't all turn out perfectly which I remind myself is okay!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iw2lRWjWrIs/VLb2PhfNFwI/AAAAAAAAGms/ukmvHIXwrHY/s1600/016edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iw2lRWjWrIs/VLb2PhfNFwI/AAAAAAAAGms/ukmvHIXwrHY/s1600/016edit.jpg" height="622" width="640" /></a></div>
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The back is an aqua and white polka dot and I have just enough of this red and cream stripe from Bonnie and Camille's Marmalade line to use for the binding. It is the same soft red as in the Happy Go Lucky fabric of the quilt. I love that the different collections play so well together!</div>
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So I am feeling a little more confident, but need to keep the momentum going or else I'll lose it again.<br />
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What are your quilting goals for this year? Are you wanting to learn something new or improve on an existing skill? Whatever it is, I say go for it, be easy on yourself and enjoy the journey!!<br />
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Check out these link ups:<br />
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<a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/2015/01/wip-wednesday-kaleidoscopic.html">Freshly Pieced, W.I.P. Wednesday</a><br />
<a href="http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/2015/01/lets-link-up.html">My Quilt Infatuation, Needle and Thread Thursday</a><br />
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Happy Sewing,
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<br />
Tessa Marie
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<br />
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-25351790321693307372015-01-12T10:19:00.003-05:002015-01-12T10:19:51.729-05:00Pattern WinnerHappy Monday!! Thank you to all who entered the pattern giveaway! The winner of the Eye Candy Quilt pattern by May Chappell Design is Sarah! Congratulations! Lee will contact you via email with the pattern.<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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<br />
Tessa Marie
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<br />
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-21012835979450583182015-01-07T15:28:00.000-05:002015-01-07T15:28:07.738-05:00Things I Know and a Pattern GiveawayCreativity. If there is one thing I have learned since I began this quilting and blogging journey, it is that the more you use your creativity, the more you have. It grows and flourishes and you find inspiration everywhere. The converse is also true - the less you use your creativity, the less you have. It stagnates, and if left too long, begins to stink!<br />
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Like a muscle that has been sedentary, it is hard to use it again. You have to start slow and build it back up. I was so engulfed in the holiday goings-on and having my family around that I didn't sew for weeks, even after the decorations came down and the kids were back in school. The creative juices ran dry.<br />
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So to ease back into the sewing mode, I started by working on something that was already in progress. I visited with my friend Lee of May Chappell Design and she showed me her new pattern, Eye Candy. It was just what I was looking for to use with a bundle of fabric I had from Art Gallery - Frances Newcombe's Cherie.<br />
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Most of the fabrics are large in scale and I didn't want to cut them up into small pieces. These 8" squares allow you to see just how pretty these fabrics are! There are a couple of Oval Elements in there too and also a Priory Square print. The background is a Cotton and Steel basic.<br />
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I love French inspired fabrics, the aqua with the roses is of course my favorite. Joie de Vivre literally means the joy of living. I am guessing it is the French equivalent of YOLO.<br />
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I can feel the creative urge beginning to strengthen and it feels good! I hope not to stay away so long this time - making something pretty soothes my soul!! And speaking of soothing the soul, I would like to recommend a blog post. I don't usually get too personal or preachy here as this is a sewing blog and I don't really have the voice for it anyway. But if you are like me and are desperate to slow down time as life seems to rush past, read <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2015/01/how-to-mine-your-2015-for-unexpected-diamonds-and-a-giveaway-for-dslr-camera/">this</a>. Ann is a gifted writer and is a friend of Kara Tippetts, another beautiful soul whose story I have been following on her blog, <a href="http://http%3B//mundanefaithfulness.com">Mundane Faithfulness</a>. Both are good for the soul.<br />
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Lee has just added this pattern to her <a href="http://www.maychappell.com/">website</a>, you can find it <a href="http://www.maychappell.com/eye-candy-quilt/">here</a>. All her patterns are currently on sale for just $6!! But even better, she has kindly offered a PDF version of this pattern to one of my readers. Just leave me a comment saying you would like the pattern and I will choose one on Saturday evening (I know some of you catch up on blog reading on the weekends - or is that just me?). Please be sure that I have your email address to send the pattern to.<br />
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And hey, it's Wednesday, so I am linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/2015/01/wip-wednesday-aaaand-were-back.html">Freshly Pieced</a>. I just know I can get some inspiration over there!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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<br />
Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-47772677053868256832014-12-07T15:14:00.000-05:002014-12-07T17:45:27.828-05:00Merry Mug Rug Blog Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A small project like a mug rug is a great opportunity to try a new technique. When Jennifer at Ellison Lane asked me to participate in her holiday mug rug hop, I knew it would be the perfect time to try free motion embroidery with applique.<br />
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I was inspired by Poppy Treffrey's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Freehand-Machine-Embroidery-Learning-machine/dp/1446301869/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y">Freehand Machine Embroidery</a>, and the beautiful creations from my Flickr friend, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53856688@N07/">Jackie</a> {chloeandme}. It would probably have been a good idea to practice a little before making the mug rug, but instead I just jumped right in and started.<br />
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I began with some Essex yarn-dyed linen in flax and some sweet Liberty of London fabrics. I bought the prints in a sixteenth-yard piece bundle from <a href="http://www.duckadilly.com/">this shop</a>. These bundles are a great way to get an affordable assortment of these pricey prints.<br />
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To make the pattern pieces, I doodled the trees which was easy, but for the car, I found an image online and then traced over it on my iPad. Because Liberty is lightweight, I used fusible web, traced the pieces on the paper backing (in reverse!) and cut them out. I drew in the hills and laid out the paper pattern pieces for placement.<br />
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Ignore the words, I had the crazy notion that I could free motion them, but they are so small that I decided against it. If I had more time, I would have stitched them by hand.<br />
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This kind of embroidery is done in layers, with the background areas done first and then adding each piece toward the foreground. I spray basted my quilt batting to the linen and stitched the hills first. I chose to go back and forth three times for the look I wanted.<br />
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Then I added the trees, one layer at a time starting with the bottom. The best tip I think I can give you is to not get stressed over every stitch. As I started this, I thought to myself, "oh my, this is terrible!" But as I added each layer and the piece began to take shape, each stitch becomes less important and the overall feel of my work began to come forward. This is supposed to be free-form and imperfect, that adds to the charm! Mine certainly could be better, and with practice, I will do a better job of the stitches being more on top of each other.<br />
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The car was added next, stitching around the outer edge. Then I drew in the details with a Frixion pen and stitched over the lines.<br />
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Then the presents were added and finally the free motion bow on the top!<br />
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A couple of fun button wheels finish the car!<br />
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The mug rug is finished by trimming the embroidered piece to size and layering it with a backing fabric - I used red and white ticking, an absolute favorite of mine. Baste around the edge and add a pretty binding.<br />
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There is no official mug rug standard size, make it whatever size you want. This is a generous 8" x 11 1/2", big enough for a big mug of cocoa and a cookie. Or two.<br />
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I hope this inspires you to try free motion embroidery and applique, it takes a bit of practice, but if you can free motion quilt, you can do this.<br />
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Thank you to Jennifer for inviting me to be a part of her Merry Mug Rug series. Be sure to visit <a href="http://ellisonlane.com/">her blog</a> for a great giveaway for a $30 gift certificate to Southern Fabric and to see a list of the other participating bloggers.<br />
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Happy Sewing and Happy Holidays,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-20985748749379347912014-11-28T10:46:00.001-05:002014-11-28T17:55:28.357-05:00A Finished Quilt - Low Volume and Vintage Roses<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aujy1Mm9TP4/VHd1zDdIiZI/AAAAAAAAGg8/XjOcaHNeUOY/s1600/0022edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern handmade quilt plus block the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aujy1Mm9TP4/VHd1zDdIiZI/AAAAAAAAGg8/XjOcaHNeUOY/s1600/0022edit.jpg" height="540" title="plus-quilt-roses-low-volume.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy Friday friends!! This quilt top didn't have to sit around too long waiting to be quilted - a testament to how much I love it. The soft, vintage roses against the low volume background and a simple design that features the fabrics are the definition of pretty in my book!<br />
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Each block measures 11 1/2", you can see the dimensions of the cut pieces in <a href="http://thesewingchick.blogspot.com/2014/10/shuffling-along.html">this post</a>, <span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">{EDIT - SOME PEOPLE WERE HAVING TROUBLE VIEWING THE DIAGRAM SO I HAVE ADDED IT TO THE END OF THIS POST}</span> (resulting in an overall finish of 58" square, big enough for snuggling under on the couch (or standing on a deck staring out at the water, whatever).<br />
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A coordinating rose backing and an allover medium stipple quilting design complete the soft look and add texture.<br />
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I used a text print for the binding, and machine stitched it in place.<br />
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I tried a slightly different method this time, a big deal for me since I am a card carrying member of the binding police (not really, but I am a little fussy about binding). Tina at OneLittlePooh (also know as Emily Ann's Kloset on Etsy and Instagram) has a great tutorial, <a href="http://www.onelittlepooh.net/quilting/binding-a-quilt-simple-sweet/">here</a>. Where I usually stitch my binding in the ditch on the front, Tina stitches hers along the edge of the binding on the back. Using the previous stitching line as a guide, I was able to still get the stitches "in the ditch" or pretty darn close on the front. It went much faster and I am satisfied with the result. I was careful not to get any stitches too close where they would end up on the front binding. This picture shows a close up of the back binding on the left and the front on the right.<br />
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I really enjoyed making this quilt! A lesson learned in sew what you love - not what is "in" or what other people are doing or what you think you should be doing, but what really makes you happy!!<br />
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<b><u><i>Quilt Summary:</i></u></b><br />
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finished size - 58" square<br />
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fabrics - October Sky by Verna Mosquera, Hand Drawn Garden by Anna Maria Horner for crosses, an assortment of low volume and text prints, too many to list for background; Annette Tatum's Bouquet for the backing; Frances Newcombe's Cherie text print for the binding.<br />
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batting - Warm & White 100% cotton<br />
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thread - Aurifil cotton 50wt.<br />
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My girl has become quite the assistant to me - holding up quilts and modeling them, so I leave you with this...<br />
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Linking up with <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday</a> and <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a Fabric Addict</a>.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">EDIT - HERE'S THE DIAGRAM: Thank you to Kristy Daum for providing it.</span><br />
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<img alt="Low Volume Oakshott Plus Block by AdrianneNZ" src="https://ec.yimg.com/ec?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8243%2F8614556860_66153a762a_m.jpg&t=1412209459&sig=dbdktpn62au7SEw8F5klLQ--~B" /><br />
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Happy Sewing,<br />
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-81059068052430643952014-11-20T14:22:00.000-05:002014-11-20T14:41:29.241-05:00Alison Glass Celestial Gift Along Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxBrGs2QgEk/VG4uHxVlqgI/AAAAAAAAGeE/AQTUBzVZXAM/s1600/007edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="holiday apron alison glass fabric and celestial the sewing chick blog" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxBrGs2QgEk/VG4uHxVlqgI/AAAAAAAAGeE/AQTUBzVZXAM/s1600/007edit.jpg" height="640" title="Celestial-apron-alison-glass-fabric.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
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Pattern and fabric designer, <a href="http://alisonglass.com/">Alison Glass</a> invited me to participate in her new Celestial quilt pattern <a href="http://alisonglass.com/blog/2014/11/celestial-pattern-gift-along-link-win/">Gift Along</a>. Her task for us is to demonstrate how versatile the pattern can be by using the paper pieced blocks in smaller, gift items. So, if you thought that quilt blocks are just for quilts, think again!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mONJ6bPrsv8/VG4vDQwDWZI/AAAAAAAAGeM/qS24IKK9Kwg/s1600/celestialFRONT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mONJ6bPrsv8/VG4vDQwDWZI/AAAAAAAAGeM/qS24IKK9Kwg/s1600/celestialFRONT.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
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Celestial includes six different star blocks that can be used in a myriad of different ways. I have chosen to use two of them to turn an ordinary apron into a festive holiday hostess gift.</div>
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I used an assortment of Alison Glass fabrics in deep raspberry and lime green, a modern alternative to traditional Christmas red and green, and added a white on gray dot for the base fabric.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TZoH9ir0sU/VG1dF6exT5I/AAAAAAAAGdQ/ptV7hTMAiyk/s1600/apron1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="holiday apron celestial pattern alison glass fabric the sewing chick blog" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9TZoH9ir0sU/VG1dF6exT5I/AAAAAAAAGdQ/ptV7hTMAiyk/s1600/apron1.jpg" height="640" title="celestial-apron-alison-glass-fabric-front.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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The 8-inch star "C" block brightens up the square bib...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ldWmkRIoWl4/VG1f6ekz68I/AAAAAAAAGdc/71Tgj1F8zpY/s1600/apron2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ldWmkRIoWl4/VG1f6ekz68I/AAAAAAAAGdc/71Tgj1F8zpY/s1600/apron2.jpg" height="640" width="620" /></a></div>
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And dancing across the bottom, a band of seven of the 4" star "A" blocks...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nST0osWgiKU/VG49GLjfnxI/AAAAAAAAGfM/hCyadg-3pTk/s1600/03edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nST0osWgiKU/VG49GLjfnxI/AAAAAAAAGfM/hCyadg-3pTk/s1600/03edit.jpg" height="339" width="640" /></a></div>
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Any apron pattern with a square bib will work for this project. I didn't use a pattern, just took some measurements and started cutting! These are the sizes for the pieces I cut if you need a starting point, but I strongly suggest you cut them according to your own body measurements. You can see the apron is a little loose on my smaller, slimmer daughter in the first picture.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EM7BBXYIChU/VG489l2n01I/AAAAAAAAGfE/omlwXiNhjJE/s1600/09edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EM7BBXYIChU/VG489l2n01I/AAAAAAAAGfE/omlwXiNhjJE/s1600/09edit.jpg" height="640" width="514" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ini__08UYaQ/VG42-jkiBwI/AAAAAAAAGes/PdOpZWWMms0/s1600/014edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ini__08UYaQ/VG42-jkiBwI/AAAAAAAAGes/PdOpZWWMms0/s1600/014edit.jpg" height="451" width="640" /></a></div>
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The bib is lined with a piece cut 12 1/2" x 14"<br />
The star band at the bottom is lined with a piece cut 32 1/2" x 4 1/2"<br />
Waistband, cut two pieces that are 3 1/2" x 17"<br />
Side ties, cut four pieces that are 4 1/2" x 21"<br />
Neck loop, 3" x 20" (mine came out a little long, adjust as needed)<br />
Skirt 32 1/2" x 13"<br />
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Seam allowances around the blocks are 1/4", all other seam allowances are 1/2"<br />
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This inside photo shows the lined areas. Serge or use an overlock stitch on the skirt band seams.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzDmdf2v_oo/VG4yiMum4uI/AAAAAAAAGeY/1bUgGzg6YAg/s1600/008edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzDmdf2v_oo/VG4yiMum4uI/AAAAAAAAGeY/1bUgGzg6YAg/s1600/008edit.jpg" height="640" width="504" /></a></div>
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Side tie, detail of center pleat:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8c4IGFOfI0/VG4zgWtiZXI/AAAAAAAAGeg/jyqgfKSBpQg/s1600/013edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m8c4IGFOfI0/VG4zgWtiZXI/AAAAAAAAGeg/jyqgfKSBpQg/s1600/013edit.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope you like this project and are inspired to make one of your own using the Celestial pattern. Alison is generously hosting a<a href="http://alisonglass.com/blog/2014/11/celestial-pattern-gift-along-link-win/"> link up on her blog</a> where one lucky winner will get a signed copy of her new book, Alison Glass Applique and a $25 gift certificate to her shop. You can make a featured project or come up with one of your own. If you need some additional inspiration, see what these clever bloggers will be making over the next two weeks:<br />
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Alyssa from <a href="http://pileofabric.com/blogs/modern-quilting" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #17786e; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Pile O’ Fabric</a></div>
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Megan from <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #17786e; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Quilt Story</a></div>
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Nicole from <a href="http://snipssnippets.blogspot.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #17786e; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Snips Snippets</a></div>
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Nicole from <a href="http://modernhandcraft.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #17786e; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Modern Handcraft </a></div>
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Brooke from <a href="http://www.brookesellmann.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #17786e; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Silly Mama Quilts</a></div>
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If you are on Instagram, post what you are making (in progress) and tag #celestialgiftalong for the chance to win a weekly pattern draw.<br />
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You have until December 10th to link up your project, good luck and let's get sewing!!<br />
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Happy Holidays, <br />
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Tessa Marie <br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-19609958439711934772014-11-13T11:14:00.005-05:002014-11-13T11:14:58.048-05:00Windmill border and a mini tutorialToday I am sharing the border I added to my friend Melissa's Medallion quilt.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bB7E3qLaTw/VGTRX0rdhOI/AAAAAAAAGb4/hd_f_ggpcV4/s1600/071edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bB7E3qLaTw/VGTRX0rdhOI/AAAAAAAAGb4/hd_f_ggpcV4/s640/071edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hardest part with these travelling quilts is deciding what to add, especially as they grow and the borders get longer (best to do the more intricate borders in the first few rounds). I felt that this quilt has lots of pointy-ness going on already so it needed something with square corners.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-peMRZM8LKWg/VGTRigxZD7I/AAAAAAAAGcA/qDt-vvG92CA/s1600/059edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-peMRZM8LKWg/VGTRigxZD7I/AAAAAAAAGcA/qDt-vvG92CA/s640/059edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These little windmills measure 4" square when finished and are so quick and easy - here is a picture tutorial on how to make them.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5jGHQb4EOs/VGTWtIXBjII/AAAAAAAAGc4/1_0yoSjgLcA/s1600/windmill.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5jGHQb4EOs/VGTWtIXBjII/AAAAAAAAGc4/1_0yoSjgLcA/s320/windmill.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XGnBboNWA2A/VGTRwDxYxrI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/JI7ypn86a1I/s1600/step1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XGnBboNWA2A/VGTRwDxYxrI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/JI7ypn86a1I/s640/step1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGwEcMc092M/VGTRwH6WvtI/AAAAAAAAGcM/jvIjHdu9r3w/s1600/step3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGwEcMc092M/VGTRwH6WvtI/AAAAAAAAGcM/jvIjHdu9r3w/s640/step3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcC_5CrhD68/VGTRwQKlOmI/AAAAAAAAGcc/XPzEd_qqIqA/s1600/step4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcC_5CrhD68/VGTRwQKlOmI/AAAAAAAAGcc/XPzEd_qqIqA/s640/step4.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
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Easy-peasy, right?<br />
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Sometimes, because these quilts are made up as they go along, the measurements don't quite jive with each other. I had to piece in about 3/4" on each end to make it all fit. It looks a little funky upclose, but from a distance, you can hardly see it - squint your eyes! Thankfully, Melissa is a super sweet and easy going and I doubt she will mind.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7rPiJwXFr9U/VGTXY2UaDFI/AAAAAAAAGdA/jW20k09ACMw/s1600/070edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7rPiJwXFr9U/VGTXY2UaDFI/AAAAAAAAGdA/jW20k09ACMw/s640/070edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I will be handing this quilt over to the next stitcher this weekend as we all get together for a fun sewing retreat in the mountains - better bring my woolies!<br />
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Linking up at <a href="http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/">My Quilt Infatuation</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/p/needle-and-thread-thursday.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Needle and Thread Thursday" border="0" src="http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y450/kellydyoung/NTTButton1_zps9633aaf2.png" /> </a><br />
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Happy Sewing, <br />
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Tessa Marie <br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-28681281128804123542014-11-04T12:17:00.000-05:002014-11-04T20:39:39.574-05:00Woodsy BlocksI am a member of the Trust Circle of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/dogoodstitches/">do.Good Stitches</a>, a Flickr charity quilt group founded by Rachel Hauser of <a href="http://www.stitchedincolor.com/">Stitched in Color</a>. We have a great group of talented and generous women and I feel blessed to be a part of it. Our task for October was to create two blocks with an outdoor theme using browns, blues and greens. Naturally the more freedom I am given with a design, the longer it takes me to decide what to do, so I waited for inspiration to strike. It didn't. I had to force it when October 31st came and went! Using the blocks already posted on Flickr as inspiration, I chose a literal and a figurative interpretation of the instructions.<br />
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The literal - this cute paper pieced owl, pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BubbleStitch?page=2">Bubblestitch on Etsy</a>. I printed the pattern at 80% so the owl wouldn't be too big and added a border to bring the block size up to the required 12 1/2". I used green prints from the stash and a midnight blue for the background because owls are nocturnal, ya know?!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrE6ErOCN64/VFkEQvuv9XI/AAAAAAAAGbI/V1fRrfY2JPo/s1600/058edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrE6ErOCN64/VFkEQvuv9XI/AAAAAAAAGbI/V1fRrfY2JPo/s1600/058edit.jpg" height="608" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have a love it/hate it thing going on with paper piecing. Love the results, hate picking out all the paper and the mess that it makes. This pattern has some teeny-tiny pieces - look at the darling little toes!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULP5laYnyR0/VFkEkBCDylI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/I4KQB6-bmN0/s1600/056edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULP5laYnyR0/VFkEkBCDylI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/I4KQB6-bmN0/s1600/056edit.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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The figurative - a bear paw block. I chose some navy prints from my stash, not that I had that many, and was pretty darn excited when I found a fat quarter of the Indian Summer (Sarah Watson for Art Gallery Fabrics) animal print to use as the background.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sy6DZqhgLo8/VFkE-Smu_XI/AAAAAAAAGbY/QcKI84jYZoc/s1600/055edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sy6DZqhgLo8/VFkE-Smu_XI/AAAAAAAAGbY/QcKI84jYZoc/s1600/055edit.jpg" height="614" width="640" /></a></div>
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Such a great low volume background fabric - don't you just love the little faces looking out at you!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WyEdokovBSk/VFkFdwVVFRI/AAAAAAAAGbg/FKK774fmqXg/s1600/053edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WyEdokovBSk/VFkFdwVVFRI/AAAAAAAAGbg/FKK774fmqXg/s1600/053edit.jpg" height="483" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can see the other blocks from the Trust Circle by visiting the Flickr group page, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/1815949@N21/pool/">here</a>. Did I mention this is an amazing group of ladies? I have been with the group for two years as a stitcher and have agreed to be a quilter for next year. I am looking forward to taking my turn at making a quilt to donate to our group's charity, My Very Own Blanket.<br />
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Thanks for visiting and Happy Sewing,<br />
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Tessa Marie<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-16449459302971092732014-10-28T11:54:00.002-04:002014-10-29T12:58:43.357-04:00A Finished Quilt - Kites<div style="text-align: center;">
My talented and amazing friend, Lee Monroe of <a href="http://www.maychappell.com/">May Chappell Designs</a> was preparing for her first quilt market selling her patterns when she got the call for jury duty. She told them she was preparing for market, but they were clearly unaware of the amount of work that goes into it and put her on the jury anyway! So I offered to help with some of the sewing and made up this baby quilt using one of her new patterns.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qsTvtsvMgc/VE0o48_rmuI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/OPPs4779rpc/s1600/010edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern handcrafted baby quilt by tessa marie walker" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qsTvtsvMgc/VE0o48_rmuI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/OPPs4779rpc/s1600/010edit.jpg" height="428" title="modern-baby-quilt-kites-pattern.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lee pre-cut the pieces for me with her Accu-Quilt which really saved me time so I could get right to the sewing. The Accu-Quilt cuts the notches out of the points so there is no guessing when lining up the pieces. I love that!! And pressing the seams open helped when matching up all the points.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yM2jffOD99I/VE-7CBmKUDI/AAAAAAAAGa4/LHfSsKUeLPo/s1600/049edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yM2jffOD99I/VE-7CBmKUDI/AAAAAAAAGa4/LHfSsKUeLPo/s1600/049edit.jpg" height="253" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wanted the quilt to have lots of texture so I quilted straight lines with a walking foot within the prints and then filled in the background areas with a back and forth continuous line.<br />
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The prints are an assortment from Lee's amazing stash - some Tula Pink, Kate Spain, Jeni Baker, and Heather Ross. They are paired up with a yummy green Moda Bella solid in Pistachio. The back is a fancy goldfish print to keep the quilt fun!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YD64f5vnPP0/VE-yUpZpxaI/AAAAAAAAGag/Qgy5de2xYow/s1600/006edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YD64f5vnPP0/VE-yUpZpxaI/AAAAAAAAGag/Qgy5de2xYow/s1600/006edit.jpg" height="640" width="500" /></a></div>
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I used the same green cotton for the binding which allows the prints to take center stage. If you look closely, you can see that I hand stitched the binding down! Yep, I did it just for Lee, who prefers a hand sewn binding!!</div>
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The pdf pattern will be available in November - for FREE! Follow Lee at maychappell.com or @maychappell on Instagram and Twitter to get the details on how to download it. </div>
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Linking up today with <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2014/10/whimsy-house-and-fabric-tuesday.html">Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday</a>.<br />
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Thank you to Lee for entrusting me with this quilt!!<br />
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Happy Sewing,<br />
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-232318986183744362014-10-21T14:42:00.001-04:002014-10-21T21:46:04.119-04:00A Halloween{ish} Pillow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTGmiXpSn0g/VEalAvDDgfI/AAAAAAAAGZI/EcMpyLz0zUI/s1600/45edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="modern scrappy halloween patchwork pillow by the sewing chick" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTGmiXpSn0g/VEalAvDDgfI/AAAAAAAAGZI/EcMpyLz0zUI/s1600/45edit.jpg" height="390" title="halloween-patchwork-pillow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had some orange and black strips left over from a jelly roll of Denyse Schmidt Florence that were just crying out to be made into a pillow. I am not a big October 31st decorator, but for just a little touch of Halloween, they were perfect.<br />
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I added some black and white dots and a few other stash fabrics along with black yarn-dyed Essex linen for a fun pillow for this time of year that doesn't scream Halloween!<br />
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I cut the strips into 2 1/2" squares and then sewed three squares together. The original plan was for square patchwork, but I forgot how much trouble these strips had been in <a href="http://thesewingchick.blogspot.com/2013/11/florence-16-patch.html">this quilt</a>. The strips are not all 2 1/2" - combine that with the wide pinked edges and getting a consistent quarter inch seam was a real challenge. So instead, I trimmed the sections of three squares to varying widths and then stitched them together to create the patchwork.<br />
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I actually like it better this way. The variation is more interesting and allows the eye to move around over the pillow. To echo the uneven patchwork, I quilted straight lines that are unevenly spaced. I love the texture it creates!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HRRvkNNleaY/VEcLguQIjOI/AAAAAAAAGZk/TmT_rR5KmlI/s1600/40edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HRRvkNNleaY/VEcLguQIjOI/AAAAAAAAGZk/TmT_rR5KmlI/s1600/40edit.jpg" height="450" width="640" /></a></div>
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The binding is scrappy, made form more of the leftover strips. And to continue the waste-not-want-not theme, the back is a piece of gray canvas that was leftover from another project. The zipper is hidden behind a contrast orange flap. I used my favorite pillow zipper tutorial, see it <a href="http://www.sewmamasew.com/2011/02/add-a-zipper-to-your-pillow/">here</a>.<br />
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The finished size is 16" x 26" allowing me to re-use an existing pillow form.</div>
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Linking up today with<a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2014/10/fabric-tuesday-come-link-up_21.html"> Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tuHL4p13dm8/VEanmN1avuI/AAAAAAAAGZU/UXAYDWac_BM/s1600/halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tuHL4p13dm8/VEanmN1avuI/AAAAAAAAGZU/UXAYDWac_BM/s1600/halloween.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
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and Happy Sewing, </div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Tessa Marie </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-81955669914498063072014-10-06T09:21:00.003-04:002014-10-06T09:21:54.745-04:00Around the World Blog Hop<br />
I was tagged by <a href="http://materialgirlquilts.wordpress.com/">Amanda at Material Girl Quilts</a> to take a turn on the Around the World Blog Hop. Although I have never met Amanda is person, I consider her a friend as she has been kind, supportive and encouraging to me since I started my quilting and blogging journey. She is also a talented quilter, so be sure to drop by her blog and say hello.<br />
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On to the questions:<br />
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#1 - Where do I live? I live on the west coast of Florida on the border between Sarasota and Bradenton. The hot summers can be unbearable, but the warm winters make up for it and the beaches are beautiful. I don't get down there nearly enough!!<br />
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#2 - What am I working on now? I have several quilts in the process of being pieced and too many that have completed tops and need to be quilted. I have to admit that my free motion quilting skills are not yet where I would like them to be and that is making me hesitate to quilt them. Which makes no sense because I am only going to improve if I practice.<br />
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#3 - How does my work differ from others in its genre? One of the marvelous things about quilting is the endless possibilities there are due to the choices in fabric, methods of quilting, techniques and embellishments. I think that is these choices that make my work unique, as it does for all quilters. I like an eclectic mix of modern, vintage, bright, soft, low volume, neutrals, floral and geometric fabrics so it is easy to have a look that is all my own.<br />
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#4 - Why do I create what I do? It is a difficult question to answer because I create simply because I must for my own joy (and sanity). I have always been creative and am definitely happiest when working with fabric and thread. Quilting is my current passion, but I also make bags, pillows, and occasionally still make garments.<br />
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#5 - How does my creative process work? For me, it usually begins with the fabric, whether just one fabulous print or an entire collection. I rarely have the entire project planned out in advance, just a general idea and a pile of fabric. I begin small and play with the fabric and watch it grow. Yes, I make mistakes and sometimes things don't work out the way I envisioned, but that is part of the process. I have had to teach myself that not only is it okay to fail, but it is an essential part of the learning process.<br />
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I am tagging my online and real life friend, <a href="http://stitchingandbacon.blogspot.com/">Sarah of Stitching and Bacon</a>. She has a great sense of color and style and makes the coolest quilts! She also has a great sense of humor that comes through in her blog posts and I always enjoy reading about what she has been up to.<br />
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Happy Sewing,<br />
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-73425664641123892582014-10-02T11:12:00.001-04:002014-10-02T11:17:44.366-04:00In Progress - Low Volume and Vintage Rose Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week, I asked for your opinions on the layout of this quilt. Thank you so much to all of you that responded, I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the comments. As you can see, I decided to line up the blocks so that the crosses are even. Many of you agreed that the background appears less busy and distracting to the crosses.</div>
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Most of the prints are Verna Mosquera October Skies. These aren't colors I would normally choose, but I just love them! They make me want to put on a pair of cowboy boots and a long skirt and move to the Texas Hill Country!! The low volume prints are a mixture of stash fabrics, many from a charm swap I did a while ago.<br />
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While I do like the scrappy low volume background, I would like to make the quilt again with a single background fabric and offset the blocks.<br />
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The blocks measure 12" unfinished and I used the following dimensions. Thank you to <a href="http://stlouisfolkvictorian.blogspot.com/">Kristy Daum</a> <br />
who provided the diagram to our Trust Circle of do.Good Stitches. It was our September block.<br />
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<img alt="Low Volume Oakshott Plus Block by AdrianneNZ" src="https://ec.yimg.com/ec?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8243%2F8614556860_66153a762a_m.jpg&t=1412209459&sig=dbdktpn62au7SEw8F5klLQ--~B" /><br />
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This block is so versatile, you can make it in any size you would like, just by adjusting the size of the squares and rectangles. I have seen plus blocks made in all sizes and shapes.<br />
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I hope to get this basted and quilted this weekend!!<br />
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Linking up with:<br />
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<a href="http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/p/needle-and-thread-thursday.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Needle and Thread Thursday" border="0" src="http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y450/kellydyoung/NTTButton1_zps9633aaf2.png" /> </a><br />
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Happy Sewing,<br />
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Tessa Marie <br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5745533361650931624.post-44367506088631335272014-09-26T13:21:00.001-04:002014-09-26T13:21:16.726-04:00Deciding on a Layout<br />
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I am posting this today to share some insight into my quilt making process, and perhaps to give you a little something to think about.<br />
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As I was sewing these blocks, I was certain that I would lay them out in an offset arrangement as in the second photo above. I generally prefer this type of layout as the eye moves all over the quilt instead of following a straight line.<br />
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After sewing the columns together, I put them up on the design wall so that the crosses lined up in rows as in the first photo. (Thinking that I would tell you all why I didn't make the quilt this way!)<br />
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What I discovered was that while I like the crosses offset, the low volume squares look better lined up. They disappear more into the background and don't fight for your attention like I think they do when misaligned.<br />
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Of course, this quilt will probably be scrunched up on a sofa or the end of a bed so it doesn't really matter, but now I can't decide which layout to choose.<br />
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So, I am asking the audience with this one. Would you choose the first option or the second one. Or do you think it doesn't matter and I am only going to drive myself crazy with over-thinking!!<br />
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Thanks for your input!<br />
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Happy Sewing,
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Tessa Marie
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4328193" title="Follow The Sewing Chick on Bloglovin"><img alt="Follow on Bloglovin" border="0" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=4328193" /></a>Tessa @ TheSewingChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14939073066799859104noreply@blogger.com44