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.

Wayback Wednesday - Tomato, tomahto...

It is the lowly tomato - sweet summer fruit that always makes us smile.

Except that it apparently has a superpower.

(No, it's not voodoo.)

Once upon a time, there was a belief that a tomato, if left on the mantel piece, was said to ward off evil spirits in the home. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm imagining a tomato rotting in the heat of the living room and melting all over the fireplace. Ick.

But that wasn't the only problem - back in the day, tomatoes weren't all that easy to come by, and when you did get your hands on one, you probably ate it immediately. So all in all...that was a really stupid superstition.

To combat the problem of tomatoes bearing heat bubbles and the teeth marks of hungry children, people started making their tomatoes out of paper and fabric. That was a pretty good idea, and then somewhere along the line they decided that sticking their pins into the tomatoes was a good way to keep from stepping on them. (Or maybe the pins were to keep the children from eating them anyway. Kids aren't choosy - they'll eat anything). 

There doesn't seem to be much detail about who came up with that idea originally, but it makes sense. If an evil spirit comes to your house, just stab him with your pins. Apparently they hate that.

Finished Product

Granny D here.  Remember all those piece parts I showed you on Monday?  We're calling that Make It Monday, by the way.  Well, all of those parts finally became something special today.

Since these will soon be showing up in our eBay store, I thought you might like to see how one is made.  I'm going to take you kind of step by step as to how I put it together.  As you see each step, feel free to let me know if you think something can be done quicker or easier.  I'm no expert, believe me.
First things first. 
I make the straps, the button flap and the pockets first.

Then I sew the pockets to the lining and put the lining together.  And this time I remembered to leave the 3" to 4" hole in the bottom so I can turn it later.  Sheesh!  I always forget that.  Thank goodness for seam rippers.

After that I start working on the outside of the bag.  I use fusible batting to make it soft and then quilt it just a little.  Then I sew on the straps and the flap.  You'll notice I changed the flap.  When I got ready to sew it on, it was just too wide.  So I just made another one.







Now comes the fun part.  I turn the lining inside out and tuck the bag, right side out into the lining.  Got it.  I just have to keep telling myself right sides together, right sides together...  You get the picture









Then, it's just a matter of sewing around the top of the bag, making sure everything is straight and even and those straps stay out of the way.  I turn it through that little hole I left in the bottom of the lining.  And then, whew, remembered to sew the hole up once I'm sure everything is cool.  Lastly, sew a button on the front to secure the bag somewhat.

And, there you have it.  A patriotic tote, that's roomy enough for just about whatever you might need.  Plus, it has plenty of pockets to help keep things organized.  What do you think?

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.

Make It Monday - Patriotic Tote Bag

Granny D here.  I love, love, love making tote bags and purses.  You'll see some that I made in our eBay store soon.  But I thought it would be fun to show all of the piece parts that go into making one of these totes.  They're really simple, and I can't tell you about the pattern except that it's just ideas I've pulled from here and there and perfected after trial and error.  You know, I'd make one and then decide the straps were too short.  So, I'd adjust.  Then I'd decide it needed more pockets so I'd add those to the next one.  Sometimes I'll sew a piece of ribbon on the inside with a D ring attached so your keys will be available and not get buried in the bottom of the bag.  I use interfacing and batting to make them sturdy and yet soft.

So, here goes.

This first picture is the pieces of the outside of the bag, the pretty stuff everyone sees.  I love patriotic themes and colors, especially for summer and thought this would be fun.  So the front is pieced from a jolly bar (5"X10") pieces and 5" squares.  The back is just solid denim (Remember those curtains I posted about a little while back.  Yeah, it's a curtain but the denim is just heavy enough without being too much.)  The straps are from the same denim and that red dotted piece will be the flap that comes over the top to button the bag closed.  I'll probably use a silver button.

 The second picture is the lining.  It's a nice cotton fabric we found at a really good price.  It's a pretty navy (the pics don't do it justice) that pairs well with the denim and the outside of the bag.  The smaller rectangle near the top and to the right is a small pocket.  The piece to the left is another larger pocket that will run the full width of the bag, sewn in about 3 4" sections.  I think with this one, I'll sew a smaller section in the smaller pocket to hold a pen.  That would be handy.

And here are all the parts together, ready to sew.  You can see that it's really just rectangles of different sizes, doing different jobs to make this patriotic tote.  I've already filled a bobbin and threaded the machine with navy thread.  I can't wait to get started on this one.

What is your favorite thing to sew?  If you haven't tried making a tote like this, do it.  It's not really difficult at all and I like that they are practical and pretty at the same time.

Geometry and Quilts and Birthdays

I'm new to the whole quilting thing, and someday I'll post my first finished quilt - affectionately known at my house as "The Worst Quilt In The World". I can say that I learned A LOT making it, and I can't wait to finish piecing the two(!) I've got stacked in my sewing room right now.

But for now, I thought I'd share something pretty cool. At least, I think it's pretty cool. I hope you do, too. It's this:

I like to design quilts almost as much as I like making them. The color choices, patterns, and shapes are like puzzle pieces in my head, and I love love love that the possibilities are so endless. I started out doodling on graph paper, but this weekend I found myself with time to kill and no graph paper. I did have my laptop, however, and a free program called GIMP. It's neat, but there's a heck of a learning curve. I know just enough to do a few things, and I'm nowhere near as proficient as some other folks.

Anyways, I decided to play around and try to come up with a quilt design template. That's that thing up there. I count each block as a 5" square, just because my brain likes that number. That makes every numbered row a 10" block, perfect for charm packs and layer cake...packs? Stacks? Slices? I dunno, but you get my drift.

Why was I doing all this, you ask? Well, the Big Man's birthday is coming up, and I had a few ideas for a quilt. Unfortunately, I need to see geometry with my eyes. It won't work in my head. The circles roll away, the triangles are all sharp and pointy, and the squares fall flat. It gets dangerous in there. So I either doodle the patterns, or in this case, use that graph up there.



For the birthday guy, I chopped that thing up there in half and used this:

to make this:

The man loves peppermint candy. 

I numbered the rows differently and played around with it, and it was a lot of fun. However, I still love my graph paper and pens, so I'll probably print these things out and use them in the real world. The basic "peppermint" block wasn't my idea, but the placement was all my own (I think). Pay no attention to the numbers at the bottom - that's my own weird system of figuring out what fabric I'll need.

Feel free to use anything on this page. Just right click and save any of the images you like. Print 'em, play with 'em, have a ball.

Which do you like better: pen and paper, or software?

A Table Fable

Granny D here.  Next to my fabric stash (and it is a STASH as you'll see in the pics below) is my beloved sewing table.  I used the dining room table for a while with my sewing machine sitting on one end.  You can get away with that when you live alone.  I've even cut out things on the bed which is dangerous.
 But, oh, let me tell you the story of my table.
I came home from work one evening only to find this...well, this monstrosity sitting in my back yard.  It was a table, at least that's what it appeared to be, probably 8 feet long, about 40 inches wide.  It looked like it weighed a ton and I found out later it felt like it did, too.  The top was covered in old curling, peeling linoleum with rusting metal trim around the edges.  Some of the pieces looked dangerously sharp.  The wooden legs were peeling and the drawer handles were all rusty.
I stood there on that late summer evening and thought, "Why does everyone bring me their junk?"
About that time, the friend that 'donated' the table drove up, held up both hands in surrender and said, "Wait, let me tell you about this table."
Against my better judgement, I waited.
The table currently gracing my yard was built in 1953 specifically for the ladies at Verona United Methodist Church (Verona, VA) to use to make their famous apple dumplings.  It was made a little short just to fit these busy little ladies and it was in use up until about 1980 which was when my friend's father bought it from the church to use in his workshop.  It was so short, he had to put bricks underneath the legs to bring it up to the right height. In 2008 he decided he didn't want it any longer and it ended up in my friend's barn.  It got in the way there and they just moved it outside where it sat out in the weather for two years prior to being given to me. 

While he talked, I walked around the table, this time really looking at it.  And I saw something...something beautiful. 

 Instead of an old table, I saw what a beautiful lady she could be.  She had 6 nicely sized drawers, 6 outlets which were still wired and three pull out cutting boards.  And a full shelf underneath.  Whoever engineered that table, knew that when a woman's working, either making apple dumplings or sewing, she needs everything right at her fingertips.
"So why did you bring it to me?" I asked.
He shrugged, "You like to sew.  I thought it would be a great sewing table."

Turns out, he was right.  I peeled off the ugly linoleum.  The top was trashed but I could fix that.  The rest of the table was sturdy and just needed a lot of TLC.  And paint.  I scraped and cleaned and scrubbed and then realized, it was too long to fit down my basement steps.  Another friend came up with a plan for that.  We cut that table into two pieces, created an L-shaped table and he removed a drawer and made a place for my sewing machine to fit right in.  We covered the top with really good plywood and trimmed it out neatly..  I painted and painted and painted. And now, it is the most beautiful table in the world.  Since I'm short, it fits me just like the apple dumpling ladies back in 1953. 
Ah, but it's not just a sewing table.  It's more of a magical place that sparks my creative fire.
I've neglected my sewing and my table for the past few years. But now that retirement is right around the corner, I can slow down and think about sewing again.  Do you have  a special place where you can just let your creativity run wild?  We'd love to hear about it.

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!

My First Fabric Haul

Diana here (aka GrannyD)

For about a dozen years, I worked at Lowe's Home Improvement Center here in town.  I managed the Paint and Home Decor Departments (paint, blinds, wallpaper, curtains, you get the picture).  So, one day I came around the corner and saw several vendors pushing two carts full of, well, sample curtains.  Turns out the Spring line was being put up and these were no longer needed.  I stopped dead in my tracks and, I swear to you, the spirit of my grandmother took over.
"Where are you going with all that?" I asked, trying to act like it really didn't matter.
"The trash," one of the vendor's answered.
I stood there for a moment and then shook my head.  "Um, no.  No, I don't think so."
"What would you like for us to do with them, then?" he asked.
"Why not just leave them here and let me take care of it?" I responded, still trying to keep my distance.
They looked at each other and shrugged.  "Whatever you say."

I hid those carts full of curtains (fabric) as well as I could until my shift was over all the time wondering what had possessed me.  I hadn't sewn a stitch since my girls were little.  And I certainly didn't have time to sew now.  But I knew I could not let that fabric (curtains) go to waste.
When my shift was over, I found as many boxes as I could, folded the curtains into them and took them home.  Where they sat.
For a couple of weeks.
Maybe a month.
Then,  one night, I was closing with one of my employees and saw her purse.  It was one someone had given her and the name on it was Vera Bradley.  I looked at it closely, just to see how it was made and that's when I knew what all of that fabric (curtains) I'd drug home was going to become.  It turns out curtains are made from really, really good fabric.
After that, every time the curtains changed out, I brought all of the samples home.  My daughter, you've already met her), helped me organize them in the closet but it's gone way, way beyond that.  Shhhh, don't tell her.  It got to the point that when the discontinued curtains were marked down, I was sometimes given the option, "If you take all of these, you can have them for .10 each."  What do you think I said?
This just goes to prove that will a little imagination and 'out of the box' thinking, you can find 'fabric' anywhere.

Literally Starting At Square One

Nanners here! It's time for my very first post of my very first week on this blog, and I have, in fact, managed to accomplish something quilty.

Here's the story:

It all started when my Big Guy broke his hat. That little doohickey on the back of a baseball cap that resizes the thing? Yeah, he broke that. 

(NOT THE ACTUAL CAP)

So...as it turned out, this was his VERY FAVORITE cap and it was a TRAVESTY that it broke. Enough of a travesty that he decided to fix it. Somehow.

(I didn't even know he had a favorite cap.)

Anyway, we kicked ideas around all one afternoon and finally came up with A PLAN. He dug out his needle and thread and went to work. I offered to help, but the cap was his baby, and nobody was touchin' his baby. So I watched and cheered, cause I'm positive like that. It was fun to watch my oh-so-serious, manly Marine sew, too, if I'm honest.

But a funny thing happened while I was watching. I got a tiny bit...jealous. I wanted to sew, too. Watching him reminded me of my childhood, when my great-grandmother gave me needles, thread, and cast-off fabric to make pillows. I made so many pillows that summer. She was probably just trying to get me out of her hair, but I didn't care. I could make pillows!!!

That happened approximately two hundred summers ago, and suddenly it all came flooding back - the relaxation of using the needle, the joy of creating something, even the fiddliness of threading needles and keeping track of pins. I hate pins, but suddenly, watching him stitch a simple cap, I wanted to sew. 

A week later and I ended up with this:

A blanket for our little Small Fry:

(GRANDSON. NOT ACTUAL SIZE)

It was literally two yards of flannel. I sewed them together, flipped them right side out, and finished the seam. It took approximately five hundred hours. (Not really, but it felt like it. It was actually two, I think. I'm prone to exaggeration.) The seams are wonky, the edges aren't perfectly straight, but he seems to love it. I made one for Tater Tot, too, but forgot to get a picture of that one. Hers was, of course, pink. 

And that is the story of how I decided to start quilting.  Blame the Marine for my future crimes against fabric.

The cap, by the way, got fixed. My Big Guy may never take it off again.

Next post: My first fabric haul!!!