Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Toes and Totes



Just let me say, if anyone would have told me I would be posting a picture of my toes on the internet I would have considered them just a step away from the "loony bin". Well, call me "loony" because here goes.

For several months now, my dear DIL, Lialani has been giving me pedicures. She had noticed my complaints about my back and hip when I tried to do this for myself and after turning her help down many times, I finally gave in.
Is that not just the sweetest thing?  I have always had trouble with ingrown nails (I know, more information than you need to know), but since she has been taking care of them they have been healthy and I think even pretty.
Just wanted to say thanks, Lialani for being such a dear DIL and for touching them up today so they would look nice for my trip to KY next week.

Okay, on to the Totes part of this post.
Several weeks ago, my friend Gail sent me a link to a post where they had used placemats from the Dollar Tree to make a tote. It was flat, had no pockets and didn't even have cute strapping. Very functional, but not very cute. I just can't not do cute so I saw something I could add a little to and make it even more functioal and cute.
 I went to my first Dollar Tree while on our antiquing trip to Remnants of the Past. Then I have hit every one in my path since.  I could make dozens of these.  They are lined and I found them in an assortment of colors with stripes, plaids, (and some recently that Gail found with stars and stripes)
This is what you will need to make a Placemat Tote Bag.

3 placemats
2 1/2 yds of straping
General sewing supplies
Size 16 Denim needle for your machine
Plastic Canvas to stabilize bottom of tote (Used for crosstitch. I got mine at Walmart)
Scrap piece of white fabric to cover plastic canvas

This is the way I cut one of the place mats for pockets. The other two are used for the front and back and require no cutting.

The top two are 8 1/2 inches X 8 1/2 inches and are for the outside pockets. The bottom two are just what's left and I put them on the inside. The middle strip I used  but didn't get a picture of what I did, so for now just set it aside. I cut these this way to take advantage of the hemmed part which will be the tops of the pockets.

The inside pockets have to be hemmed on two sides. Just turn under 1/4th inch and baste. They have to be sewn on first and placed in the middle and 4 inches from top of  wrong side of placemat.

The top and one side already have a hem because of the way I had you cut them.
Now sew around the sides and bottom, leaving the top open to form a pocket.


Do this on the wrong side of both placemats. The stitching on the right side will be covered with the outside pockets and strapping.

On the right side of the placemat, the stripes run horizontal. The pocket stripes will be vertical. Place the pocket in the middle and all the way to the bottom of the placemat. The top and one side of the pocket will be hemmed and the raw edge will be at the bottom. Sew down both sides and across the bottom, leaving top open to form pocket. Repeat on the other placemat.


Cut the strap piece in half so you have two pieces 45" long
Place the strap over the pocket so it is half on the pocket and half on the placemat.

Pin the strap onto both sides of pocket and the placemat as shown below.

Sew down both sides of strap.

Sew across the top and backstitch back across to give extra stability.

This is what the inside and the outside should look like.


Place both  placemats right sides together, pin, and sew around both sides and the bottom.
You could leave it like this and it is a flat tote. But I like to do one more step to give my tote a bottom.

This is a little hard to explain, but here goes. To shape a flat bottom, match bottom seam to side seam at the corner making a flat triangle. ( pull seams apart first) Mark a line 2" from the point. Pin and sew on line. Repeat for the other side.

This is what your tote should look like inside out, upside down (that reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book)

Measure the length and width of the bottom of your purse from the inside. That is the size you will cut the Plastic canvas. Cut a piece of white fabric the length and width plus 1/2" more each way.  Sew a seam down the length, press open and sew accross bottom. Turn right side out and slip over plastic canvas piece. Slip stitch  the top opening closed.

Turn your tote right side out, place your bottom in and you are finished.

Even though I taught sewing and quilting classes for years, this is the first time I have taught this way.
Please let me know here if you have a question. It might be a question someone else needs answered too. I apologize for some of the pictures,  but I am still learning.




Talk to Self.....

Every once in a while, I just get so far behind in the everyday responsibilities of life that I get a little overwhelmed and can't seem to get anything done.  I'm sure all of you have had this happen to you too.  I kind of had to step back and analyze what was going on.  It didn't help that I was gone 3 weekends out of 5.  Of course those trips were completely necessary.  First was the trip to the coast with my friends to the Barn Sale and beyond.  Then a weekend with a friend to Clovis  to take a two day painting technique class. ( I haven't even had time to share that trip with you, but will soon). Then of course my recent Quilt Shop Hop.
But, as I'm trying to figure out where my time goes, I have to admit, I have been spending a lot of time doing something that had been on the back burner for several years because of family business responsibilities.  I have been starting and ending my day in my studio creating.  I love to sew. It's that simple.  I love to sew.
But.....and this is a big but....those are not the only culprits and I know you all know where I am going here.  Just about a year ago, I discovered blogs.  One of the first blogs was my friend Suzanne's .  I was hooked from day one. Not only did reading it reconnect me with an old friend, but also with inspiration for my love of sewing and then ultimately with a new passion.....blogging. First it just lead to reading blogs.  All kinds of blogs, but mainly decorating and sewing.  Then in October of last year, I felt the need to start my own blog.
I have loved this new adventure and it has lead me to so much new knowledge about all kinds of fun things and a shared interest with lots of the nicest people.  I have developed new friendships with so many of you from all over the United States.  So don't get me wrong, I won't give up my new found "addiction". I just turned off the computer for a few days and guess what...I got so much done. 
Like everything else I need to learn moderation here too.  Notice I said "need" to learn not "learned".
No pictures today, just a little talk to my self and tomorrow night I will post the instructions for making those Dollar Tree Placemat Totes I promised.  I also will be catching up on all your blogs and will be back in my studio making a dress for a friend's granddaughter and finishing a purse for my granddaughter to give to her teacher and so on and so on until I get so far behind again.......

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Longest Day (Part II)

Leaving the cherry stand behind we started the loooong drive to Oakhurst.  It was beautiful country, but we were on a mission. It was already 1:30 and we still had 5 shops to go. Oakhurst is a gateway to Yosemite National Park with a woodsy feel and the Bear Paw Quilts shop front said it all.

Inside was full of fabric, models and displays, with the theme being evident.

When Linda saw their Shop Hop quilt setting, she thought that was the way she wanted to do hers. It was set on point with a scalloped border.

But they didn't have any patterns left. Oh well, we still have 4 more shops to find the perfect quilt setting.

Off to Fresno now....opps a few miles out of town and I discover I don't have my camera....back to Bear Paw Quilts to find it.....Yeah it's there.....we are further behind in our schedule.
We decide to stop for gas before we headed out again.
When was the last time someone came out to pump gas for you and wash your windshield.  Well at the Chevron in Oakhurst they do.
Linda went in to look up a name in the phone book of someone who she used to know in Oakhurst. While she was there, I looked across the street at this:

I commented to the "gas station guy" what a lovely cemetary and church it was and he said, "Yeah, the church used to be across the crick and they had moved it up on that hill and restored it. The rest of the trip, when we talked about Oakhurst, we called our gas station man Crick.
Yes, we drove up close to get a better picture...after all we had a church thing going here.
This told the story of the church and the restoration dates.

Isn't this so "cute" for lack of a better word. See the lamps
and the little wrought iron fence?

This memorial next to it had a flag flying from the pole.
I loved the detail of the wrought iron fence


Okay, off to Fresno and Clovis. It would have been closer to go to Fresno first, but we took a wrong turn and ended up in Clovis. (more delays to our time line)
I am familiar with Quilters Paradise and visit it at least once a year when our group goes to the street fair in October. But today it was all dressed up for company.

When we saw their quilt we knew this was the setting we wanted for ours,
except we will put the heart in the center. 

All the shops had a drawing for their basket and we entered them all.
The basked is huge and full of good sewing and quilting supplies.

With not much time to think about food, we were so excited to see this.
That bowl of ice was full of the best fruit cups with a cute little umbrella. We literally slurped them down. And cookies too.....what can I say? A girl cannot live on cherries alone.

Even though, we have a ways to go, this next pictures sums it up.


We left Clovis and headed to Cottage Quilts in Fresno.
It was a pleasant surprise. Cottage described it perfectly from the front door and throughout the store.

I loved this bench.

And this one too. What a great way to show off  fabric collections.

Theirs was a really whimsical quilt setting.


On the road again to Visalia. By now it is close to 7:00 so we called Thimble Town to ask directions and if they would still be open. Yes, they  were still open, but it was closing time.

They were out of blocks, but we got the pattern and took a picture of the quilt.


We were so disappointed we didn't get to the last store in Hanford, but felt a lot better after we found a place to have dinner and then headed home.
I had to babysit on Sunday, but my sweet friend went to Hanford the next day by herself and got the last block and the last stamp on our passport.
She took pictures, for my story here.
Here's the shop in Hanford.

and their quilt.
We have all of our blocks and tomorrow we go to Strawberry Patches to a Sit and Stitch class and start our quilt. I will show our progress. We are both commited to finishing our patriotic quilt.  Linda's grandsons have served in the armed forces and have been to Irac and Afghanistan. Her's will be a tribute to them. Here are the blocks we collected,


and all our goodie bags that contained lots of candy, fat quarters, kits, pen, bumper sticker, fan, ruler, hand sanitizer, and nail file. Even with all the goodies, the prizes, the blocks, the food, getting to see all those quilt stores, lots of California countryside, and so many sweet quilt store ladies, the best part of the whole experience  was time spent with a good friend.
Linda, I love you and treasure our friendship more than I can say.
Now we have to get busy and quilt.
                      

The Longest Day (part 1)

Last Saturday, my friend Linda and I started out at 6:00am fully commited to visiting the other nine Quilt Shops on the Hop. We drove straight through to Ceres, Ca. with only one quick stop (those of you of a certain age will understand what that stop was for). We arrived at Fields of Fabric just after they opened at 9:00am and there was already a line out the door. It was a cute little house with small rooms and due to the number of shopping ladies and the lack of good light, I only got these pictures.

Here's Linda in front of the shop


This is their version of the quilt.


As we were waiting in line to pay for our blocks,  I spotted this fabric and even though I knew I couldn't buy somthing at each shop except the block, I couldn't resist this cute fabric with baby sayings on it.
Soon, you will see it as cute little baby bibs and burp cloths for my baby Emmy. (No Jane, I didn't get anything made from this yet, but notice I said "soon" LOL)

You can click on the picture to enlarge so you can read all the cute little baby words.

We had decided to start at the fartherest site north and work our way back down the state.
Turlock wasn't far away.

They had a great front window display area and took advantage of it with quilts and antiques. Even though it is really difficult to get a good picture through a glass window, you get the idea.

Their Quilt

Thought I would explain about the quilt. Each store did a block for each of the 13 store's quilts, so each store has a finished quilt with one each of the store's blocks. Each store chose how best to put it together and sold the pattern for setting the quilt.
I will show you tomorrow which quilt Linda and I chose for our setting method. We have the 13 block patterns and fabric and will start on Friday at Strawberry Patches during a Sit and Stitch class.

This is the owner of Cloth and Quilts. She was really sweet and I wish I had written down her name.

She had her cute daughters helping with giving out the goodie bags and signing people up for the prize basket they had at each store. (There was more than one reason to try to make each store....you should have seen these more than generous baskets.)

Keeping with our commitment to visit all the stores in one day, we headed out of Turlock towards Hilmar, when our car just pulled over and stopped as we saw
this

and this

they were setting up tables like
this

It says Boutique Crawl. There was a stretch limo and carloads of ladies just like we were experiencing on the Shop Hop. How cute, an organized tour for Antique hunting.  We know about antique hunting.  We just took that wonderful weekend trip to the coast a few weeks ago. So I am afraid we slipped and fell off the "Shop Hop" wagon and spent some of our precious time browsing these stores.
Okay sheepishly, we looked at each other and agreed we needed to get on with the Quilt Shop Hop and leave the cute Antique stores for another day.

After getting directions to Hilmar (wherever the heck that is) we were off  and running again.  On the way out of Turlock I saw a couple of quaint churches before I thought about my camera. (Kinda have a church theme going here ) Here's one I caught out the window as we were turning a corner.
 

Sew Central Quiltworks in Hilmar.
These are petunias and they were huge and so pretty.

This store is a Gammill quiliting machine dealer and their emphasis was largely on machines.
This is their quilt. The center of the quilt was machine quilted, but you had to be up close to see that.


Leaving Hilmar and heading to Oakhurst, we could tell by the map, it was quite a ways and we  were feeling a little "faint" from all this shopping.  This sign caused our car to pull over and stop again.

Here I am.

We asked prices and each bought a small container to eat  in the car and as Linda collects Cherries to display and decorate with, we asked the price of a box (empty).  It was really a cute box. The lady at the stand kept saying $30.00.
We kept asking the price of an empty one (do you think she thought we were a  little strange?) She finally "got" it and said $2.00. Linda was pleased with that. Can you tell?


So off to Oakhurst with cherries to sustain us.  We thought we would never get there, but we did and tomorrow night I will post the other half of our "Longest Day".  I know these posts are long, but I just didn't want to leave anything out.  I have a cute story to tell about Oakhurst.