First of May

I cannot believe it is already May 4.   Experienced our first real signs of Spring yesterday with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the area.  Severe weather arrived much later in the Spring this year than usual so I am hoping that means we will have a much shorter severe weather season.  

I opted to plant my flower containers 2 weeks earlier this year.  I know everyone keeps saying you could still have a frost before May 15 but based on the future weather forecast and the fact that I can move my pots to a covered porch or cover them I thought I would risk it.

This pic on the left is my little reading nook.  You can find me there most weekday afternoons reading a book whole waiting for my son's bus to deliver him home.  It will really look beautiful in a few weeks once the plants start to grow larger.

FINISHES

I have had a few finishes as sadly I have not been very good at blogging this past year.  Very few of these have I done any finish work on.  I will get that done sooner than later.  I did, however, take advantage of Vonna's (thetwistedstitcher) finishing service on a couple of the projects.  I cannot tell you have pleased I am with the results.  I definitely will be giving her some future business.

Prairie Schooler - Barnyard Christmas Ornaments

Lizzie Kate - Let There be Peace

Subrosa - Autumn Bouquet

I actually framed this one and maybe someday I will find that photo.

Brook Nolan - Grumpy Cat

I finished it this way.

Bent Creek - The First Fall of Snow

Heartstring Samplery - F is for Friend

Prairie Schooler - Santa Ornaments

Lizzie Kate - Rudy the Reindeer Stocking

I sent them to Vonna The Twisted Stitcher and she did a beautiful finishing job.

Backing on same items.

Not forgotten Farm - The Giving Sisters

Lizzie Kate - Tiny Tidings XXII

Plum Street Samplers - Bovina

I think there are a couple more finishes since I last posted my stitching but I will have to think about what they are.  I do anticipate framing some of these for my Iowa State Fair entries this year.  I have not yet decided which ones as I am still stitching on a few things and there are only so many classes to enter into.

WIPS/NEW STARTS

I have several new starts and WIPS.  Here are a sampling of what I am working on mostly at this time.  

I know everyone is doing Stitch Maynia right now.  I just don't have the time to start 18 new things in May but I do anticipate pull out a few WIPS and also starting 2 or 3 small stitches.

Mirabilia - Gathering Eggs

Silver Creek Samplers - My Christmas List

Love, love, love stitching this one.

Little House Needleworks - Battle Hymn of the Republic

Bent Creek - Trick or Treat Row

Hoping all is well in your world - happy stitching.

PICTORIAL FOR PROJECT BAG

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and 2018 is starting out well.  This is a family photo taken on the 23rd of December.  The family owned coffee shop we frequent had Santa in for pictures with everyone as a charity fund raiser.  Yes, I know Santa is not in this photo (we did get one) but we took advantage of the setting before he arrived for a family photo.  He left the sleigh and reindeer at home and zoomed in on his motorcycle.  

I let my blog go by the wayside last year.  Lots of things happening and then I think how am I going to fit months and months of what has been happening into a first post.  Well, I finally decided I didn't have to play catch up.  I decided it was okay to take up like old friends and just go on from today.  Here and there I will add highlights from the past year.

As promised in my video tutorial on the project bag, I am going to do a pictorial with more detail.  Either I don't know enough about video to get it to load or I need to find a different online format that will allow uploading a 20 minute video tutorial.  I suppose Youtube might be an option but I have not used Youtube to do anything but watch Flosstube.

Lor's Project Bag

SUPPLY LIST FOR LOR'S PROJECT BAG

1 18" zipper

Cut 1 16" x 16" piece of fabric (inside back visible through vinyl)

Cut 2 4 1/2" x 16" strips (used at the top with zipper)

Cut 2 5 1/2" x 16" (used at the bottom and will be gusseted)

Cut 1 8 1/2" x 16" fabric complimentary to strips (outside back)

Cut 1 8 1/2" x 16" vinyl (front)  I went to the fabric store and took the time to read what each type of vinyl's recommended use.  I used a medium weight vinyl.  

Cut 2 2 1/2" x 3" fabric (will become zipper tabs)

Cut 1 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" fusible fleece

Cut 2 4 1/2" x 16" iron on craft pellon

Cut 2 5 1/2" x 16" iron on craft pellon

Cut 1 8 1/2" x 16" iron on craft pellon

Again on the craft pellon I chose a medium weight.  Enough to give the bag some form but not too stiff.

1.  Cut out all of the fabric, vinyl, iron on fleece and pellon.

2.   Iron the fleece to the 16"x16" fabric.

3.  Iron the pellon to the 4 1/2" x16", the 5 1/2" x 16" and 8 1/2" x 16" pieces of fabric.

Next take the 2 1/2" x 3" pieces and iron them.  Iron the piece in half.  Iron each side to the middle.    Fold in half and iron.  These are the tabs for the zipper.

Next I lay the 8 1/2" x 16" piece wrong sides together in the middle of the 16" x 16" piece of fabric.  Next you place the 4 1/2" piece (top) rights sides together on the

 8 1/2" x 16" piece of fabric.  Sew from edge to edge.  This will quilt the piece all the way through.  You will then press this piece and top stitch along the seam you just sewed.  I place the left edge of my presser foot along that seam so you are sewing about an 1/8 of an inch from it.   Next you will do the same with the 5 1/2" piece (bottom).

After sewing these pieces together I do take to my cutting board and square up the sides.  I use my sewn seams as my straight line to even out the edges.

Your next step is to sew the 4 1/2" x 16" strips to the 8 1/2" by 16" vinyl piece just as you did before including pressing (being careful not to touch the iron to the vinyl) and top stitching.

Now it is time to sew the tabs the zipper.  Cut the end of the zipper off that has the staple.  Place the end in your tab piece and sew back and forth across 3 times to secure.  Cut the excess fabric off to the zipper's edge. 

Next lay the zipper down on your top edge of fabric and measure in 1/2".  Making sure the zipper pull is on the correct side of where you are going to cut - cut the excess off.  You will then place into the other tab you have ready and sew it 3 times as well.

Now it is time to attach the zipper.  Lay the zipper face down on the right side of your fabric making sure it is on the 4 1/2" strip.  I used the clips to hold everything in place as you do not want to put pins through the vinyl.  You will sew close to the edge of the zipper and fabric making sure you catch all layers.  Once you sew press the seam and top stitch this piece as well.   Now it is time to attach zipper to the vinyl piece again making sure you place face down on the right side on the 4 1/2" strip.  You will again press and top stitch.

Now making sure the zipper is open sew the remaining 3 sides closed.

 To make the gusseted bottom you fold the corner seams together (5 1/2" strip end) until you feel them match up.  Once you have them matched - measure up 1 1/2" and sew all the way across making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end.  Once sewn you clip the excess fabric to the right of the seam (toward the corner).  Do the same to the second corner.

At this point all you have left to do is turn the back right side out.  I use my point turner on the corners by my zipper to get them out to a nice point.

I look forward to seeing some of the project bags you all making using my design.

Have a great day!

Project Bag Tutorial

It has been quite some time since I last posted.  Lots has been happening in our household since June.  I am happy to report things are finally starting to slow down a bit (health issues being resolved for my son) and have found some time recently for stitching and sewing.  

LOR'S PROJECT BAG

I have been noticing on Instagram a lot of project bags with a clear vinyl front to where you could see your items.  I decided I would like one for myself but as usual I wanted something a bit different from what i was seeing.  I really wanted my bag to have a gusseted bottom.  

A week ago I decided to take my knowledge of the construction of various bags I have made in the past and set about to design just what I wanted.  This photo is of my third version and by far the best as I added a medium weight iron on craft pellon to several pieces.  It is so much better I wanted to throw out the first 2 versions where I was working out my design.

I definitely am not a professional seamstress but am not afraid to try and make what I want.  I know there are many other ways to make this bag and I may not do everything the way a professional would but this bag fit my needs and I can make one in less than 2 hours so works for me. 

Here is the supply list and video tutorial for my bag.  

SUPPLY LIST FOR LOR'S PROJECT BAG

1 18" zipper

Cut 1 16" x 16" piece of fabric (inside back visible through vinyl)

Cut 2 4 1/2" x 16" strips (used at the top with zipper)

Cut 2 5 1/2" x 16" (used at the bottom and will be gusseted)

Cut 1 8 1/2" x 16" fabric complimentary to strips (outside back)

Cut 1 8 1/2" x 16" vinyl (front)  I went to the fabric store and took the time to read what each type of vinyl's recommended use.  I used a medium weight vinyl.  

Cut 2 2 1/2" x 3" fabric (will become zipper tabs)

Cut 1 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" fusible fleece

Cut 2 4 1/2" x 16" iron on craft pellon

Cut 2 5 1/2" x 16" iron on craft pellon

Cut 1 8 1/2" x 16" iron on craft pellon

Again on the craft pellon I chose a medium weight.  Enough to give the bag some form but not too stiff.

I had to really condense this video down in order for it to load.  I will post a picture tutorial with directions at a later time.

I will post again soon with some stitchy updates.

A Year - My How Time Flies!

I can't believe an entire year has passed since I have found time to make a blog entry.  In all honesty it was a busy year and there are numerous things to share.  I think the longer you wait the more difficult it is to decide what to post and how much.

I have decided to start with the opportunity I had to fulfill a lifelong dream of riding in a hot air balloon in August.

I was driving to the gym one morning at the beginning of the Indianola Hot Air Balloon Classic here in Iowa.  This was the morning where they take off from a location and fly over the metro Des Moines area.  A balloon flew right over top of me at a low height and I snapped a shot and posted on my Facebook page that someday I hoped to get a ride in a balloon some day.  I should tell you that I do have a healthy fear of heights.

A couple days later my husband surprises me with having scheduled my flight in a Hot Air Balloon at the Indianola Balloon Classic.  I was supposed to take off early in the morning but as is usual in Iowa in August there were nasty thunderstorms in the area.  I was rescheduled for an evening flight a couple of days later (which just happened to be a couple days after the deadly balloon accident in another state).

I have to say I was both exhilarated and scared to death at the same time.  Luckily I met a kindred spirit - in other words someone else who was as exhilarated and scared as I was.  Both of my guy had followed me down in a separate vehicle (in the end this was good).

Due to winds we ended up driving South and East of the balloon field to take off.  Let me tell you it was a truly hot and humid day and no air conditioning in the van.  I think we sweated off 10 pounds by the time they got permission to use a farmer's field to take off.

It was the most amazing experience!  The flight up is such a gentle and quiet ride that you are thousands of feet in the air and you don't even realize it.  My fear of heights didn't even enter into the equation once you got started on the journey.  The views from up above were breathtaking.  I was so lucky to get a flight that when we got to the balloon field we were up so high and so much traffic below we went right on past the field and found another location to land.  Our 45 minute flight ended up being 1 1/2 hours long with a touchdown as the sun was setting in the West.

I was amazed at how quickly the balloons are inflated and gobsmacked at how fast they are deflated and packed up.

It was truly an amazing experience and I can't wait to take a flight again this summer.

I took my DSLR camera and got a ton of amazing photos.  I hope you enjoy the few I've chosen to post.

This is Gina (my kindred fear of height) waiting while the balloon is getting set out for inflation.  You can see my flat hair - super humid and hot.

This is my balloon being inflated.

It was super hot underneath the burners.

Cool to be in that  position to see straight up into the balloon.

This is the balloon field from our high vantage point.

Luckily I knew were my husband and son were sitting so I have a photo of them from above.

The balloons below were so colorful.

Passing over a pasture of horses after we passed the balloon field.

This inquisitive cows came over the hill to watch the packing up of the balloon.