Katie's Birthday Quilt

After Christmas Katie was sitting on my bed with me having girl chat and she threw back the bed spread.  It has a very soft satin back.  She said, "Grandma! This is so soft, do you have any more of this material for a quilt for me?" I told her I didn't but then hit on a perfect present.

She loves Tinker Bell and her friends, so I decided to make her own "Pixie Hollow" scene.

close up of flowers

top half of quilt

Rosetta by purple foxglove flowers

flowers made w/ 1/8" wide ribbon

flowers made w/ 2 1/2" side ribbon

bottom half of quilt

This was a lot of fun to do.  It was fun to figure out how to make the flowers.  I have done silk ribbon embroidery, but have wanted to learn how to do it using the sewing machine. This gave me a good chance to practice.  I did have to use satin ribbon, but it was fun twisting it for vines and leaves.
The appliques were made using fabrics and free hand machine sewing for the added features.  The eyes and mouth were pretty tough.  All the shadow lines and texture lines are triple sewn so they won't come out.
All in all, I am pretty pleased with the final product.
(She is getting it early, since I am taking it to her soon.)

Ottoman

Jessica let me have a copy of Better Homes and Gardens. In it was this ottoman.  I liked it so much I decided to make one.  I built a frame. Round top and bottom with 8, 2x4 side supports. I wrapped the frame with plastic wrap (18" wide) to keep the stuffing to the edges.
I made a 20" round by 4" thick pillow for the top and put the frame inside, then stuffed fiberfill all around the edges tightly.  Then a double thick round of quilt batting on the bottom.
The bottom cover is a round piece attached 6" and the rest is 2 zippers that face each other.  
I liked it so well that I made on for my dad.  It was much easier to cut the frame for his. I went to Highland where my band saw still lives and used it.
I used a circular saw down here. Lots more time and cuts to chip away and finally get 2 rounds.  I used left over melamine from my sewing table project.

Ribbon flowers

Dax, Katie, Kael, Dace

 At Christmas, some of the kidlettes came to visit me. (Their parents came too of course.)
Katie was sitting on my bed and we were having girl chat, when she threw back the bedspread. The back of it is charmeuse satin. It is very soft and cozy.
She said, "Oh Grandma, do you have any more of this material.  I want a blanket for my bed like this."

I don't have any more of it, but it gave me a great idea for her birthday in April. (More about that later)
So as part of the prize, I am making flowers out of satin ribbon.

7" piece of 2 1/2" ribbon

gathered and sinched tight

3 petals

 Flower Bud.  Take 3 pieces of 2 1/2" wide ribbon and hand gather in 1/4" long stitches curving up the side, across the top and curve the remaining side.

Pull the gathers tight and back-stitch to hold in place.


When you have 3 petals done, position them to look like a bud. Stitch through the bottoms to connect together. I also wrapped the doubled thread around the entire thing 2 or 3 times and back-stitch to secure.

                                                                                                                                     



When the bud is finished, I cover the ends with green ribbon to make the sepals and finish it off.


You can also do 2 colored petals and 2 green petals to make a bud just    starting to open.
I have been making lots of flowers for this prize. I is turning out even better than I imagined.

Rip-Fence

I have been building quite a few items.  I got myself a Kreg Jig.  Cannot even begin to tell you how much I love it.  Love the Screws!  They make such a nice tight fit.  Best tool I have ever bought.  It has made it so I can build lots of things I have wanted to.

Using Melamine can be tricky.  You get a really nice easy to clean surface, but your clamps slip.  Since I don't have a table saw and my other saws haven't made the move yet, I only have a circular saw.  I is a great one though.  To cut a nice 90 angle, you really need a table saw, but I had to use what I have.
I drew the line with my square, then cut a rubber glove to put under my "fence".

My saws table is 5" from the cut line, so using my quilting rulers, I found the 5" mark and clamped my "fence" (another ruler) to the stock.  My saw will only allow a max on 1/4" high because of the motor.  This ruler is perfect. Only 1/8" thick.  The rubber kept the fence from sliding so that all my cut came out close to perfect.

http://www.thinkinginshapes.com/2011/10/dream-studio.html You can see pictures here of shelves I built for Lynette.  She wanted to mount some "L" brackets on the walls and just put boards there.  I knew we could do better and then when she moves she can take them with her.  I did this for her Birthday in Nov.
We may have to do another section as she is collecting more fabric.

I liked these so well I may do the same thing if I ever get my own sewing room again.

Sloppy Couch

 We have had this sloppy couch that is annoying. When we got it, it looked firm, but within a short year, it was all slouchy and uncomfortable.


I have kept saying we need to do something about it, so I finally did.

Each back section can flip up and has a zipper on the bottom. I pulled out each of the "pillows" and was so disappointed at how skimpily they filled them. 
Where's the quality?   




                                                                                                                        
                                                           I slashed the side open and stuffed them tight. (There were actually a couple that were too tight)  

When I got them done, I put the pillows back in and zipped it back up.  You can see in the picture the difference between the one in the center the the 2 on either side. What a difference on my back!