Circle Quilts

Book used for the quilts

     We had a challenge last month in our ASG neighborhood group to do something with circles.   I had two quilts that I had started as class samples that I never finished.  I decided now was the time to finish them.

Cherry wall hanging

     The first is a wallhanging (shown here sideways) made using a cherry batik fabric.  Besides the circles I also cut out strips.  This technique looks really difficult but it isn't that hard.  When the book calls for just eight pins to hold the circle in place they are right.

Detail of borders

     For the borders I used two different widths of the cherry fabric separated by a 1/4" strip of black fabric.  I used a technique I learned in a class several years ago that involves using a larger strip and sewing the 1/4" seam allowance from the previous seam allowance to get the even 1/4" piece.

Circle of cherries label

     And of course I always add a label.  This embroidery design is from Embroidery Library.  I do a much better job of getting labels on my quilts than I do with the journaling of them.

Baby quilt

     The second one I finished was a baby quilt with the traditional pink and blue but a little black and lime green for interest.  It is hard to see but those colors are in the background fabric.  This one I just used a series of circles.  Since I am not very good at the quilting part I just did stitch in the ditch quilting on both of them.

Detail of mixed fabric binding

     I didn't have enough of the more pastel fabrics left to do the binding in just one color so I decided to use the blue, pink and stripe in alternating strips.  It makes for a fun look.

Circles of fun baby quilt label

     For the label I used my software to digitize five circles and use different fills for them to mimic the placement of the fabric circles on the front.

     It was fun to finish a couple of projects.  Now I have to think about the window treatments for our bathroom.  They are getting closer to finishing the remodel and I need to do my work.

Summer Winding Down

     All the summer camps are over.  The fall schedule is filled out.  Now just getting ready for all the girls (and one boy) to come the week after Labor Day.  The studio needs a good cleaning after camps but we are having our bathroom remodeled which is right above.  They have been accessing the plumbing from my studio so things are a mess.  Hopefully they will be done before classes start.

     We had a busy weekend.  On Friday night we drove up to Grafton, WI to check into our hotel before an early morning race Saturday.  On the way we stopped to pick up our race packets at Concordia University.  We had a lot of traffic on the way up and were about 5-10 minutes late.  Fortunately one of the volunteers was just leaving and she got us our race packets.  That was so nice of her.

     We got all checked in to our hotel and realized that the bag with all my cosmetics and jewelry was left at home.  We quickly went across the street to Target.  The pharmacy was closing but they did fill my prescription so I didn't have to miss a dose.  Big kudos to the staff at the Target pharmacy that Friday night.

     We grabbed a quick dinner at Noodles & Co. and then some sleep.  Up early to head back to Concordia for the duathlon.  It was a 2.2 mile run, 22 mile bike followed by the same 2.2 mile run but in the opposite direction.  The run included a switchback down to the lake and then a long ramp back up.  There was also some running on grassy paths.  A bit of a challenge.

     As I was in transition, my hubby came in and got out onto the bike portion before I did.  At that point I knew he was going to beat me because he is a much faster biker than I am.  He did beat me by about 4 minutes but I took third in my age group.  I was happy to do it in under 2 hours.

     Then it was back to the hotel to shower and get ready for my cousin's daughter's wedding.  They had the ceremony in a park overlooking Lake Michigan.  It was gorgeous.  After the ceremony we had some time to kill so we walked around a little, got something to eat and then went to the hotel where the reception was being held.  My other cousin had gotten a room there so we went up to her room and visited until it was time for the reception.  So nice to have time to chat and catch up.

     At the reception I visited with my cousins and danced with my hubby.  We had a great time. Then home to get some sleep and up for Mass the next morning.

     After church we had a 50 mile bike ride to do but first we had to re-assemble the bikes which were in the car from the race.  When we finally got back we looked at the clock and saw we were late for our daughter-in-law's 30th birthday party.  We quickly called our son to let him know and then fast showers and out the door.

     We had a nice time there visiting with more family.  Our son had sent blank puzzle pieces out to friends and relatives.  We were to write on them and send them back.  When Kate opened up the box with the pieces and started reading them she was crying.  What a thoughtful way to show his wife how much he and everyone else loves her.

     Unfortunately all my photos are on my new phone and I don't know how to get them off yet.  Love the new technology but it is frustrating at times.

Out to Lunch Camp

First day

     Last camp of the summer was last week.  On one hand I am glad because it is exhausting but on the other hand I miss the girls and their lively chatter.  I had camp for 5 different weeks this summer so it was a quite busy summer for me.

   

Christine and her lunchbag

     The first thing we made was an insulated lunchbag.  I did the rotary cutting for the girls to allow them more time for sewing.  They had fun quilting the insulated lining to their outer fabric.  This was a new technique for them.

Emma and her lunchbag

     Then we used some Wonder Clips to hold the thick layers together, another new tool for them.  They also made buttonholes with the sewing machine and most of them used the machine to stitch on their buttons.  

Bella and her lunchbag

    

 Another first was using some ultrahold fusible web to make free-standing appliqués for their lunchbags. 

     Next up were the sandwich wrappers.  They are lined with vinyl which is not as easy fabric to sew.  We used some strips of pattern paper between the vinyl and the feed-dogs of the machine and that really helped.  The girls were quite skeptical of sewing through paper but when they saw how well it worked they were convinced.

     Next up were their can or water bottle wraps.  Bella and Emma choose to make theirs for a full size water bottle.  We used my water bottle as a guide.  Christine chose to make hers to fit a bottle of water. I had some bottles and we measured that for her wrap.  Bella chose a solid color fabric for both the inside and outside so we added an appliqué from her cupcake fabric.

Completed projects

     The last thing the girls worked on were their coin purses.  Christine finished hers and actually started on a second one.  Emma stayed a little late and with a little help from me got hers finished.  Bella and Greta will finish theirs when they come back for classes in the fall.

     We had a couple of minor mishaps to start camp.  One girl thought it was only a one day camp and missed the first two days.  Another girl didn't realize she needed a bunch of supplies but we got that figured out also.

     Another fun and productive camp done.  Starting already to plan next year's camps.  There will be a purse camp as per request from the girls.  I am starting to collect ideas for the purses.

Summer Cotton Fun Camp

Ellen and her skirt

     Last week was Summer Cotton Fun camp.  I had four girls and we made several items from cotton fabrics for the girls to wear as an outfit.  I found them on Pinterest and have them pinned to my board.  It has been great fun finding things that I think the girls will enjoy sewing.

Hayley and her skirt

  

     The first thing we made was a fun ruffled skirt.  None of the girls had done gathering before so this was a great learning opportunity for them.  A few mishaps with threads breaking or coming out but they all turned out great.

Katie and her skirt

     Next was a headband.  We did some trying on of the sample I had made and then we adjusted the length of elastic so they each fit perfectly.

Ellen and her headband

Hayley and her headband

     Next up was a reversible bucket purse with a detachable flower.  Because we were ahead of schedule I decided to let the girls monogram their purses.  They chose the style of letter, serif or sans serif from the built in fonts and then the color thread.  I also let them choose where they wanted the letter to be positioned.  They had a blast watching the machine stitch their initial.

Reversible bucket purses

     Wednesday evening I went onto Pinterest again to find another project that they could make using the materials they already had.  I found a cute wrist pouch.  The girls chose zippers from my stash and then we went to work on the pouches.  Not having made it myself we had a couple of mishaps putting it together but nothing that a seam ripper couldn't fix.  

Hayley and her wrist pouch

Katie's wrist pouch

Cara and Ellen's wrist pouches

     It was so much fun having Cara, Ellen, Hayley and Katie in class.  They are all great girls hard workers and so very talented.