Excited for a New Week!

Granny D here.  It's Make It Monday and I thought I'd share what I have going on in my head this morning.  Of course, it'll take me all week to get these all completed but, oh, the fun of creating.  Right.

I finished this cute little patcwork bag Saturday.  It can be made out of a 10" square so that gives you an idea of the size.

And last night I cut out the little Flower Power bag you see in the picture next to it.  I like that funky little flower and all of the different colors together

Even though the possibilities are endless, I get tired of making the same old boxy totes sometimes.  So I found another bag that I like.  It's softer and rounder.  Instead of the corners, it has darts to shape the bottom corners.









And I think I'm going to try something different by using interfacing in the top part and batting in the bottom part just to add to that soft, feminine, curvy look.  The fabric you see here is curtain fabric from that earlier fabric haul I spoke about.  Once I get this perfected, I'll probably use a pretty floral or something a little more dramatic to make it look a bit dressier.







Since purses and bags are mostly rectangles, I like to make my own patterns.  I have a big roll of paper.  Not sure if it's butcher paper or not but it's flexible enough to pin to fabric.  Here's a messenger bag pattern I cut out last night.
As you can see, it's not complicated at all and I did a little something with the strap.  It's 4" wide but I went ahead and cut the pattern 36" long.  Then I marked off like 22" and 29", you know, different lengths you'd use for different projects so I don't have to keep cutting out strap patterns.  Same goes for pockets.


That about does it for today.  Do you have any tips or tricks for cutting out your own patterns?  We'd love to know.

A Snapping Good Time!

Granny D here.  In keeping with our daily themes (Today is 'Sew and Tell Sunday) I thought I'd put together a little tutorial on how to install magnetic snaps.  When making purses and bags, they are the BEST!  They're easy to install, not expensive and these little guys are strong!  Keep in mind, I'm no expert but this is such a simple addition that adds a special touch to your bags and purses.

You'll need 4 pieces for each installation.  Two flat washers, or back pieces, to stabilize the snap (I add fusible interfacing, too) and two outside pieces as shown here.  One has a little bump and one has a corresponding slot for it to fit in.









So, first, I prepare my fabric (in this case, the lining) by putting a square of fusible interfacing on the inside right in the center of the bag.  Then, I use the washer to mark my positioning and mark where the prongs should go through with a pen.   I usually drop it down about an inch from the top to allow for seams. 









Then I snip those open.  I try to make this hole as small as possible so that I almost have to force the prongs through.  Just to be on the safe side.











After that, I push the prongs through the holes I just made.  The snap will be on the outside of your project.












The washer goes in place next.














And then, I spread the prongs open to hold the snap in place.  Once I get them positioned, I try to push them completely flat on a hard surface.

Oh, and then you do the same thing for the other side, using the other half of the snap. 

It takes only a little practice, and you'll be a pro at this in no time.


And that's it.   I learned my lesson about putting them in first, even before I put the pockets on the lining.  Everything sticks to them, pins, scissors, etc. and they are constantly sticking to each other.  Well, they are magnets!  So I waited till the last minute this time and it worked so much better.

Next week, I'll share my thoughts on shaping your bags.  There are square bottoms and softer ones, each requiring a different technique.  Still, very simple, very doable, even for beginners.

Let us know if this was helpful or if there's some other fastener you've found that you just can't live without.

The Lowly Thimble

Granny D here.  Thimble is such a funny word.  It's origin is thought to come from the old English word thymel, meaning thumbstall. The official term for one who collects thimbles is “digitabulist.”



I have to admit that I have never used a thimble.  They always feel so heavy and awkward.  And they make my finger sweat.  But my grandmother used one while piecing her quilts or hemming a dress.  It always seemed to me to be on the wrong finger to me, not the middle one I use to push the needle through but the one beside it, next to her pinkie.  Yet, she never sat down to sew without her thimble, the working end pock marked and pitted.

While thinking about that today, I began to wonder about thimbles.  I know they've been around for centuries and have been made of many, many different materials like mother of pearl, sterling and plated silver, brass, bone, and even gold. There are porcelain thimbles, wooden thimbles, and thimbles made from carved stone. Among the most legendary are Fabergé thimbles from the 19th century. Some of these had polished agates or other types of semi-precious stones set in their tops. The sides of others were decorated with colorful enamel patterns or bands.

Here are a few interesting facts about thimbles that may surprise you.

• Nearly 30 lots of Meissen porcelain thimbles fetched a total of $189,813 during the Ann Blakeslee Black Collection of Thimbles, Needlework Tools and Vertu auction presented by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers on May 21, 2014. A Meissen porcelain thimble, circa 1730, with a landscape scene painted on the band, sold for five times its low estimate, finishing at $20,000.
• The Thimble Collectors International (TCI) group formed in 1978, and lists more than 35 regional clubs in the U.S., Australia and Europe.
• Examples of the precursor to the thimble date back 10,000 years, with metal thimbles coming into use outside of the U.S. as early as 1150. The first American thimble factories opened in the 1830s with Ketcham and McDougall of New York paving the way, followed closely behind by Simons Bros. in Philadelphia in 1839 — a company still manufacturing thimbles today.
• In the past, thimbles were popular advertising vehicles, especially in American culture.
• The Fingerhut Thimble Museum in Creglingen, Germany, is reportedly the world’s only museum devoted entirely to thimbles. It opened in 1982 with some 800 exhibits. Today the museum showcases more than 4,000 exhibits from around the world.

To read more about interesting thimble facts, go to http://www.antiquetrader.com/antiques/antiques-americana/ten-things-didnt-know-thimbles/

For more information on thimbles and to see some truly beautiful works of art, check out http://www.thimbleselect.com/learn.

I'm sad to say that I don't have even one of my grandmother's thimbles but I wish I did. Do you use a thimble? t would be interesting to know just how many people still use thimbles.

Fabric Fabric Fabric

Nanners here! In case you are getting lost, there are three of us - my mom (GrannyD) is the oldest of us, I (Nanners) am her daughter, and Peach (my daughter) is the youngest in her mid-twenties.

What started out as mild interest has become...something more. Something that has taken over my world. I see fabric everywhere. I mean everywhere. I was looking at a t-shirt at Walmart the other day and wondering how many five-inch squares I could get out of the fabric. It's getting to be ridiculous.

This is the fabric I started with:

The 5" squares at the top are four packs of Crafty's charm squares (from this line and this one). I love this fabric - it's so dramatic. I'm still trying to decide what to do with it. The bright, big squares below are a monster pack of fat quarters that GrannyD bought me as a surprise. (*These are affiliate links to Amazon, btw.) Ohmigosh, the colors are so gorgeous!

So I started making this:

All you experienced quilters out there - I know some of the points aren't perfect, don't point (heh) out my flaws here. I do enough of that myself. The point (heh) is, I'm having so much fun! (OK, I'll stop.) Now I'm finding fabric everywhere - the Salvation Army, Walmart discount aisles...I even found plastic totes full of someone's scraps at the Goodwill store yesterday for eight bucks. I was so excited! I had to find shelves to store it all neatly!

How did your stash get started? What made you stop and think, "Hey, I could make a quilt?" We love stories around here, so tell us yours in the comments!

The Knitting Begins (Well...Toddles)

So, there I was, wandering around the Salvation Army.

My mom (Nanners) wanted to come and look at some of the fabric options, because she had just started quilting. I came along because I needed to go to the grocery store anyway. Tater Tot and Small Fry were wandering around looking at all of the cool things, trying to figure out why they weren't allowed to touch any of it.

I moved a little ways away from my mom, following Tater Tot to another section of toys. I glanced down and low and behold! There are crochet needles, and that's when I decide. Standing there staring at a shelf full of yarn, and a couple pairs of crochet needs, I made up my mind. I am going to learn to crochet.

I pay for all my goods (and a few toys for Tater Tot and Small Fry) and run my other errands. I get home and I am really excited to learn this new craft. I'm looking at crochet videos, and starting to notice something...

All of these crochet needles...have a hook on the ends. I don't have hooks on the end of my needles. They are straight and all kinds of pointy.

*sigh* I have knitting needles. Is that better, or is it worse?

So, I start looking at knitting videos instead, and this doesn't look too bad. So I have decided to start knitting!

Here are my needles & some yarn!