Smitten With Spring

You know the best kind of sewing? Sewing for a little one... it's just the best! 

I have a new little niece, my brothers wee one. Her name is Spring. 

Meet my brother, and his daughter, Spring. He is such a proud Papa!

Photo snagged off my bro's Facebook page :)

And here is the wee one a bit closer...

Again, snagged from my bro's Facebook page..heh! 

Isn't she adorable?! I think so too!! 

She needed a quilt but I just didn't know what to make her.  You know, when you know you need/want to make a quilt but you just are not sure what you want to make?

Then as soon as I saw it I knew!! It was the one!! 

It's called Smitten and it is designed by my friend Rachel over at P. S. I Quilt. (I love that name....)!  

Here is the label I made for it...

I love the name.. "Smitten With Spring".... :) 

Here is the quilt...

Began quilt on March 28th, completed on March 29th! :) 

Pieced and quilted by me. 

Fabric : Pick A Bunch by Nancy Mims for Robert Kaufman

I {heart} this quilt.. a lot!

It was really easy to put together too! She uses Charm Squares but I just cut my own charms using Pick A Bunch by Nancy Mims for Robert Kaufman. I also only made mine a little smaller to be able to use it as a baby quilt.

If you love this pattern as much as I do, show Rachel some love and go grab it!! While you're at it, grab one of each of the others she has! Just click HERE to take you to her store! You can also get kits for her quilts over at Fat Quarter Shop!! Woo Hoo!

Get your credit cards out..heehee!! 

By the way, Rachel didn't ask me to gloat about her patterns. I just love them that much. :)

Much Love!!!

Blocktangles!

So...if you haven't seen it by now....

 

 

 WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN??!!

LOL...totally kidding!!

 

I only say that because I LOVE Fat Quarterly and I think everyone should get every copy so I'm a bit partial.

 

But this issue has one of my designs in it!!!! It's called Blocktangles! I love this quilt! It's a simple quilt using a bit of yardage and a jelly roll! 

If you are interested in this issue (Blocktangles included)... click HERE to take you there and get yourself all fixed up!! :D From there you can navigate to their subscription page, or you can just click HERE to go right to it and fill up that cart!

You won't regret it!! 

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #43

Hey, guess what?! I remembered that it was Tuesday today!!! Shocking, I know! Don't worry, I have a back up to remind me just in case I forget though... ;) 

Today's tidbit is something that I never would have thought of to do, but it's really a great tip!! Especially if you have a cutting table that is a bit low and your back hurts from cutting so much!

I received an email from Karen who shared this with me:

"I got a tip straight from the world of competitive barbecuing.   My father is on a competitive barbecue team.  Since him and his teammates are all on the tall side, their backs would start hurting as they had to stand hunched over to pull their pork butts.  They came up with an ingenious solution.  They now can raise up their table quickly when they need it, and put it back down when they don't.  How, you wonder?  Take 1 1/2 inch PVC pipes, cut into 12 inch lengths, cap one end, and put it onto your cutting table's legs.  I put the table up for marathon cutting sessions that used to leave my back in spasms.   If you don't want your table up, just remove the legs.

 

And, please excuse the stained carpet.  Our dog, the Village Idiot, chew up a lipstick under the table. The rest of the mess, well, its my sewing room.  It breeds creativity, right?"

 

Sorry Karen, I had to leave in the Village Idiot comment...it totally made me laugh!  :D  Thanks so much for sharing this tip!! 

 

Anyone else have a tip to share?! Just email me at karrielyne@gmail.com, and if you have one, include your blog address so I can link to you! :) 

 

Much Love!!!

iPad Pouch Tutorial

First line of business...HAPPY EASTER!!!! I hope all of you are having a grand day!

So it seems that you like tutorials, hm? Me thinks so. :) 

Upon popular request, here is the iPad Pouch/Case tutorial. This will fit the first generation iPad as well as the iPad 2. 

Fabric used in above photo: Front cover is Treasures & Tidbits by Piece O Cake and 

back cover is Pick A Bunch by Nancy Mims, both for Robert Kaufman.

Materials:

Zipper - 10" or longer

Scrap pieces of fabric 

Main fabric - I used Osnaburg

Lining fabric
Fusible batting

piecing and quilting thread

Cutting:

12 squares measuring 3.5" from scrap fabrics

2 pieces measuring 3.5" x 9.5" from the Main fabric

2 pieces measuring 2.5" x 9.5" from the Main fabric

2 pieces measuring 9.5" x 11.5" from the lining fabric

2 pieces measuring 9" x 11" from the fusible batting

Assembly:

1.  Using your print fabric squares measuring 3.5", sew 3 together in a horizontal row. Press your seams to one side. Make 4 of these. Then sew two rows together (with opposing seams so they nest) to create a patchwork of 6 squares (3 x 2). Repeat to make one more. 

2.  Sew a main fabric piece measuring 3.5" x 9.5" to the top of each of these patchwork pieces. Press. 

3.  Sew a main fabric piece measuring 2.5" x 9.5" to the bottom of each of these patchwork pieces. Press.

4.  You now have a front and a back piece that look like this. 

5.  At the top of each of your pieces, fold over a 1/4" and press. 

6.  Add your fusible batting according to the manufacturers directions. Center and place this just below your 1/4" fold over to reduce bulk. Do this to both the front and back piece. 

7.  Quilt as desired. 

8.  Lay your lining piece, right side up, and place your zipper along the top edge. The ENTIRE zipper should be on the fabric (meaning if you flipped over your piece, you would NOT see the zipper). Match the edge of your zipper to the edge of your fabric and pin on the bottom half of the zipper to hold it in place.  

9.  If you have a zipper that is longer than your 9.5" edge of your lining piece, shorten your zipper according to the directions on the package OR you can use my tutorial in PDF format HERE.  Use the above photo as reference as to how your zipper should lay. The left side where the zipper pull is, should hang over the edge just a bit, and on the right side, even less hangover. 

10.  Lay your front piece on top of the part of the zipper that you did not pin down. This piece should be right side up, and the fold face down along the zipper. Pin in place. 

11.  Sew 1/8" away from the folded edge of the front piece through all layers (lining, zipper, front piece) using your zipper foot.  

12.  Remove your pins and fold the lining piece back so that it is under the front piece. 

13.  Take your second piece of lining, right side up, and lay your zipper piece on top of that, line up the top edge along the zipper. Lay your back piece right side up, 1/4” folded edge face down along zipper edge. Pin in place and sew 1/8” from zipper using zipper foot. 

14.  Remove your pins and fold the lining piece back so that it is under the front piece. 

15.  You should now have a front piece with a lining piece on one side of the zipper, and a back piece and lining piece on the other side of the zipper.

This is what the outside should look like.

This is what the "inside" should look like.

16.  Put the two lining pieces together, right sides together, and repeat for the front and back pieces, right sides together. Pin in place all around the perimeter. Also, if you use patchwork and stitching on the outer pieces, be sure to match these up, front and back.

Also, be sure your zipper is OPEN at least half way so when it comes time to turning your pouch right sides out, it will be possible. :)

17. Sew 3/8” all around the edge, leaving an opening at the bottom of the lining so you can turn it right sides out. Make sure to back stitch at your start and stopping points for stability.

Note: When you sew over your zipper, the zipper should fold basically in half towards the front/back pieces. See the below photo for reference. Also, make sure you stitch back and forth a few times over the zipper for stability. 

18.  Turn your pouch right sides out, sew up the opening in the lining and admire your cute little iPad case. :) 

Feel free to upload pictures of the pouches you have made from my tutorial to my Flickr Pool HERE. 

Now mind you, this is just a starting point. Using these same steps, you can change up your measurements to make whatever size you need! For the iPad, the total outer and inner measurements were 9.5" x 11.5". Change up the patchwork or just use solid pieces. Or, change the size to 7" x 10.5" and make yourself a Kindle pouch like this...

The possibilities are endless!!

Much Love!!!

...and the winner is...

I just want to say, I had so much fun reading all of your funnies!!! I literally laughed myself into tears one night!! Thank you!!! :D 

Thanks to Mr. Random Number Generator we have a winner!!! 

The lucky person to receive the 3 charm packs is....

Deb, please contact me at karrielyne@gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll get them right out to you! 

Congratulations!

Much Love!!!

Giveaway!!!

I promised a giveaway!! 

Today is the day! I know it was supposed to be yesterday...oops! 

The goods:: (sponsored by Robert Kaufman)

Three charm packs of Treasures & Tidbits, which you cannot get until July 2011!!!

You know what these would be perfect for?! My Charm Pack Quilt Along....heehee! ;)

Ok...here are the deets!

I won't make you blog about this and I won't make you tweet about it, just leave me ONE comment and tell me something funny! Could be a joke, something your kid said, anything you want, just make us laugh! :D

Please make sure you are not a no-reply blogger, or if you are, please leave some way for me to contact you with your winnings!! 

I will choose one winner, with the help of Mr. Random Number Generator, on Thursday at 9 pm CST.

I will close comments on Thursday April 21st at 8pm CST soooo....as a tribute to Jerry McGuire...

SHOW ME THE FUNNY!!! HEH!

Much Love!!!

You Can't Have One With Out the Ooooother!

You sang the title too, right? Yeah, I know you did. That's why I love y'all! Cuz you're dorks just like me! Hahahah!  :)

 

I've had my iPad for a few weeks now and he's been a bit nekked. Don't giggle. This is serious stuff! ;) 

 

Well, I took care of that a couple of days ago. 

I've been playing around with a new fabric line called Pick A Bunch by Nancy Mims for Robert Kaufman. How many favourites can we have again? I have a lot it seems. This would be one of them! 

 

 

This line is one of the organic lines and it is a dream to work with!! I can't wait to make a quilt out of it!

The case itself was something that was very easy to put together, zipper included! Although, I may have found another addiction...small cases with zippers! You can pop one of these babies out in under an hour!!! SEE!  I need more zippers! Anyone know a good place on line to get these things in multi-color in bulk?! Be warned...you may see lots of zippy little things over the near future. :) 

 

See!! I told you!! I couldn't make just one! Although, the second one I made is from another Robert Kaufman line called Treasures and Tidbits by Piece 'O Cake! Ohh laa laa is all I can say! Someone told me that working with this fabric is like working with a box of crayons! How right she was! Funny too, cuz I was that kid that HAD to have the biggest box of crayons EVERY YEAR!!! I don't know how anyone got along with those boxes that only had 16! **GASP**

Here's a sneak peek of some more of this line....it doesn't actually come out until July 2011. 

You're probably saying how mean I am about now. Like how could I show you delicious fabric that you can't even get yet. It's ok....I'm doing a give away to make up for it. :) Check back tomorrow for all the deets!! :D 

Oh...one more thing...Anyone interested in me doing a tutorial for the iPad2 case? It's really simple and you can actually use it for the iPad(1) as well. Or whatever you want to use it for. I'm pretty sure it would be multi-functional! 

 

Have a fabulous weekend!!! 

Much Love!!!

Did Someone Say Pillow?

Seriously, all of you sure know how to make a girl feel good!! So many of you commented on my post yesterday about my first publication and I just wanted to thank you all!!!! Your support and kind words mean more to me than I could ever put into words! Thank you!

Do you remember this pillow that I showed a while back?

Well...how do you like this one?

Fabric is Innocent Crush by AMH and Kona Solids by Robert Kaufman

You like??!! WooHoo!!! 

Guess what? Ohhhhhh....you're good!!

Yep! I have a tutorial for you! I'm guest blogging over at Stash Manicure again so if you're interested, click HERE for my tutorial! There is also a PDF at the end of it so you can save it for later if you want. Not that you don't want to wait...I mean...It will only take you a couple hours. *wink wink*

Notice any resemblance to the quilt from Stitch? Heehee....I made these with the intention of them matching my daughters quilt! She loves these too.  Even takes them with her when she stays at a friends house! Biggest compliment EVER! :D

Much Love!!!

Dare To Be Different

Ok. 

Wait.

Just a second.

You might want to sit down for this.

Wait.

No. 

Maybe I need to sit down for this.

**breathes in a paper bag**

You see, there is this magazine that I {heart} a lot. 

There is one more reason that I {{heart}} this magazine a lot....

Ready? 

Um..if I pass out, please throw cold water on my face and make sure I still have a pulse, ok? ;)

Page 68. That one there on the left. In the purples and grays and red....

It's MINE!!!! 

My very first magazine publication and I am SOOOO FREAKING EXCITED!!!!! You couldn't tell right? I mean, I think I hide my feelings pretty well, yes? ;)

I know it's a simple quilt but my style is simple. Usually. The thing that I adore most about this quilt is the meaning behind it. 

The story behind Dare To Be Different ::: "I designed this quilt with my daughter in mind. She is 12 and being in middle school, it's so much easier to follow the crowd instead of doing your own thing. As a parent, I've always tried to teach her to follow her own path, to be a leader, to make her own choices.  For the most part, she has and I am so proud of her for that. I wanted to make her a quilt that portrayed this message. One where I knew that every time she looked at it, she'd remember what I taught her and take that with her always. Hence the one red block. This one block reminds her to "Dare To Be Different". :)"

I can't wait until this quilt comes home to her. It is one that will always be treasured, not only by me, but by my daughter as well! 

Here are a few shots I took before I sent her off..

Notice the "lump"? Top right corner...

Notice what that "lump" really was?  (lower left corner...that would be Sunny!) LOL!

Waskawee witto wabbits!! :D

Stitch is on sale now. I got my copy at Borders or you can click HERE to purchase it from them directly.

Ok...now that I've let the cat out of the bag...or rather, out from under the quilt (heehee) I can breathe again, even though I'm still really excited and I might not come down for a spell. :D 

Much Love!!!

S.O.S.

I am beginning to think that I may need help. 

Normally, I don't buy fabric that doesn't already have a purpose. Meaning, if I don't have a project to make with it at time of purchase, I don't get it. Weird, right? 

Don't get me wrong. I admire, truly admire and drool over anyone that has a stash of gorgeous fabrics of all styles and colors. I've just never worked toward one of my own because, well, mainly because I thought I might get overwhelmed and feel I HAD to use them up to justify my spending and I'd never have enough time in a day to do that. Say it with me... LAME-O! Hahaha!!

All in all I still do feel that way. I hate the thought of spending all that money for it to just sit there and not get used and possibly someday get put in the "what on earth was I thinking pile" some day! If I love it, I get it and use it. 

Until lately....I've been bad. 

Remember when I bought this? 

Yeah, I still have no idea what to make with it. Although a few of them are worked into a tutorial that will be coming soon. :D

But that's not why I've been bad.....

This is why...

Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2. I saw it and then the next thing I knew I was scouring Etsy for the full fat quarter bundle. It somehow ended up in my cart and then paid for with Pay Pal and then in my mail box.

Um. How did that just happen? Again?! No plans. Just had to have it! I mean LOOK at it! Purples, and yellows, and oranges, and greens, and browns, and teals....*faints*!

I guess that's why...{{sheepish grin}}! So many fun yummy lines out there that get gobbled up and when I decide I need them for a project, I can't get them. Not anymore, apparently. I guess my subconscious has taken over so that it won't happen anymore. That's believable, right? ;)

To the drawing board I go.....

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #42

Hello again my friends! 

Today's tidbit is a quick one. One we've probably all learned from experience, but still try to test the waters. 

You are probably wondering "what on Earth is that woman talking about?" right?

Well....what I mean is that when you find something you really like and you have no reason to change it, don't. 

Example: 

Sitting atop my next MBS quilt made of Sherbet Pips!! :D

Thread. I've used a good plenty of different kinds, but my all time favourite is Aurifil 50wt cotton thread. It's a dream to work with. It's smooth. It leaves less lint in your machine, which by the way, makes your machine literally go "ahhhhhhhhhh...". ;) 

In case you are wondering #1, I get mine at Red Rock Threads!  It is $8.95 per spool but it's only $4 shipping no matter how much you get! The shipping is super fast too! Gotta love that! Stock up! ( I was not asked to promote this shop, its just who I use and like. )

In case you were wondering #2, my favourite colour in Aurifil is the Light Gray #2600. I do all my piecing with this and a lot of my quilting too because it nearly becomes invisible, even on white fabric! (Again, I was not asked to promote Aurifil, it's just what I love!)

So why is this my tidbit for today? Not to talk you into switching to Aurifil (even though it is really really really great thread) but just to tell you to stick with what you love and you know works. There is nothing worse than telling yourself that you are going to try something new just because it's cheaper. Then after fighting with breaks and knots and re-calibrating your machine just to find out you hate it and you have to go spend the money on the thread you really like and you *really* wasted the money on the crappy thread anyway. {{takes really big breath and ends rant}}... LOL!

Notice the bit on re-calibrating your machine? Yes, you do need, or may need, to do this if you change your thread. So all that work you did to get your 1/4" seam perfect....yep, you need to start over if you choose a different type/weight thread. Why? Well, because if you have a different weight thread, thinner or thicker, like it or not, it affects your seam allowance. That little bit could change your block size by 1/4" - 1/2". Ugh.....See what I mean? It's just not worth it. :)

Moral of this story is to stick with what you like, and if you must change to a better thread, don't forget to test your 1/4" seam allowance again so when you start piecing, you won't have to rip it all out! Especially if you are mid-project. :) 

Much Love!!!

Friday's Feature....on Saturday :P

So I'm a bit late but that's ok. I am still going to share another awesome tutorial with you from a fellow Creative Designer! 

Do you have little ones that have those Nintendo gadgets called DSi's? Well that is what this tutorial is for! It's the cutest little purse to carry the DSi in! 

Lookie!

This is brought to you by Stephanie who blogs over at Peas In A Pod.  Go check out her tutorial on The Quilted Fish so you can make this purse for your little one! 

Much Love!!!