One Week, One Thing - August 20

Have you heard the old adage, "Man plans and God laughs"?  That would be me last week.  I had GRAND sewing plans, but regular life and unwanted interruptions decided to intervene.

My ONE THING for this week was to plan a project using the Quilt Across Texas panel (since this event begins September 1, I needed to do something quick!).  I did get a couple of borders around the panel yesterday afternoon, but I forgot to take a picture of it.  I WILL get it quilted and bound this week!

Most of my spare time (which was usually sometime after 8 or 8:30 pm and completely exhausted) was spent basting 3/8" hexagons for Audrey's art project which is due next Monday.

It wouldn't have been so bad, but she ran out of a color and then changed her mind on some colors, so we ended up doing things over again several times.  I think she may have learned a "planning" lesson on this one!  Since the piece has to be finished this week, I'll be sure to snap a photo of it before it leaves the house.

My plans for this coming week include:  finishing the Quilt Across Texas panel quilt, finishing up my swap blocks due September 1, and starting September's Marti & Me project.  I know I'll get at least ONE of those things done!

Thursday Tidbit - Sewing with Laminated Cottons

Did you know that we now sell Laminated Cottons?  What are laminated cottons?  They are regular quilt-shop quality fashion prints that have a vinyl coating applied to them.

What are they used for?  They are great for anything that you want to have a mild waterproof element - such as tote bags, cosmetic bags, raincoats, baby bibs, and some even put it on the back of picnic quilts so that the damp ground won't spoil your picnic.  The tote bag you see in the photo is very simple:  1/2 yard of laminated cotton for the outside, 1/2 yard of regular cotton for the inside, and 1 yard of webbing for the handles.  The pattern is The Vinyl and More Bag by Pieced Tree.

Is laminated cotton hard to sew with?  Not really.  There are a few adjustments you'll want to make.  First, you don't want to use pins with laminated cotton.  Once you poke a hole with a pin, it's there forever.  I suggest using Clover Wonder Clips when working with laminates.  You can use a vinyl or teflon foot to prevent sticking, or you can place a piece of transparent tape on the bottom of your sewing foot.  Of course, you'll need to poke or cut out the area where the needle goes through the foot!.


Photo courtesy of www.futuregirl.com

There's also a comprehensive guide to working with laminates by Sew4Home on the web.  You may find it very helpful!

Photo courtesy of www.sew4home.com

The bottom line is that laminated cottons are nothing to be feared!  Enjoy adding a little bit of "shiny" to your next project!

One Week, One Thing - August 13

Well, I accomplished more than I thought I would this past week.

I did quilt and bind the Marti & Me sample for August.

I also finished, quilted and bound my clamshell mini quilt.  This will be offered as a kit/project of the month either late this year or early next year.  There will be 6 quilts in the series.

Quilt Across Texas will kick off September 1 and we received our fabric last week.  I made a set of placemats using a Twice the Charm design roll.  I will offer a free pattern with the purchase of the roll of fabrics.

We also have a zippered pouch swap this week, and here is my offering using Tula Pinks "The Birds & The Bees' fabric.  The box is bigger than I thought it would be, but hopefully somebody will like it!

The front - Fussy Cut English Paper Piecing

The back - Fun squirrels!

I'm also still helping Audrey baste hexagons for her "brain".  She has 2 weeks to get it finished!

This next week I need to figure out what to make with the Quilt Across Texas panel.....