My Grandson's Dino Bag

 

On a quilt shop hop with a friend, she pointed out the awesome dinosaur fabric in one shop, knowing my grandson is a big dino fan. Of course, I had to buy some, not having a clue what I would end up doing with it.
Then one day, my grandson had to bring his laptop computer to Grandma's house and my daughter happened to mention that he didn't have a carrying bag for it. Thinking about this later, I asked my daughter if she thought he would like a carrier bag for his laptop made from the dinosaur fabric. She said yes, and so the adventure began. 

I already owned at least one " By Annie" pattern, plus a couple of Craftsy courses, but I hadn't had the opportunity to use any of them yet. I ordered this one and got the requisite hardware, opting to make the bigger of the two bags in the pattern. 

Cutting and labelling all of the parts

Aside from some pretty basic tote bags, I was really green in the art of bag making, especially one of this complexity. I even made my own zippers from zippers by the yard. 

I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed by my own work. 

It was by no means easy, working through multiple layers of fabric, foam, strapping, binding. 

But I got it done on time for Christmas. 
Maybe it's time to tackle some of those other bag patterns I have. But next time, I think I will quilt using a denser, but non-descript design. For this one, I used Dave's Dinosaurs, which is a fairly open design and appropriate to the theme of the fabric. But the dinosaurs in the quilting were basically lost in the multiple pieces used in making the bag. And some pieces were small enough to have benefitted from denser quilting. 

A Few Random Fabric Projects

 

I first introduced the Tea Party wallhanging back in December of 2022. At that time, it just needed binding and a hanging sleeve. I finally got that accomplished in July of 2023, and here I am finally blogging about it. I still haven't figured out what to do with it. One only has so much wall space...

Several years ago, for a short time, I was subscribed to a pantograph set a month from a Canadian vendor. A pantograph set includes extras, such as corners and blocks in addition to the edge to edge pantograph. The Confetti set came with a Christmas tree skirt design and I determined to give it a try. Last year, during the agricultural fair season, I made the skirt in order to enter it in a local fair. I chose a white on white snowflake fabric for the top, and red thread for the quilting. Because it's a hexagon shape, with a circle opening in the middle, I would have had to use bias binding if I had bound this quilt. Instead, I quilted it with a faux backing and then stitched the edges with the skirt and the actual backing right sides together and then flipped it right side out. It is, in my opinion, disappointing. It just lacks that wow factor. I did use it under my large green Christmas tree this past Christmas, but only because I have yet to finish the crocheted one that I started eons ago. If someone else decides they want it, I will likely pass it on. 

Another project I made to enter in a local fair is the Chocolate Apron. I used a vintage pattern that I had in my stash and I think it turned out well. Too high-waisted and small for my girth, I passed it on to my daughter. 
And I really think I need to keep more up-to-date on blogging about my projects if I want to be able to share the process at all. I'm getting too old to remember many details when I made a project months ago. 

A Few Craftsy Projects

I've been a Craftsy member for years. I believe I first discovered their platform in 2013. I was with them through their BluPrint stage and then back to Craftsy again. I loved their fabric - especially their sales - and I miss that, but I still think that a lot of the courses are worthwhile and currently have an annual membership so that I can access even the classes that I haven't purchased. 
I'm trying to update my blog with projects completed over the last year that I never reported on previously. So this is the post about my projects made through a Craftsy class. 

Years ago, a friend I had was getting married for the second time. Prior to the wedding, she glibbly stated, "If things don't work out, we can always get a divorce." I was appalled, as that is certainly not my attitude towards marriage, nor do I think it's a healthy attitude for anyone considering marriage. I approach it as "till death do us part" and I took my marriage vows seriously. However, I also recognize that there are circumstances where it is unsafe/unwise for a marriage to continue. And thus it was with my marriage. So, once the initial grief and angst was over, I realized that, while it was sad that my marriage had to end, it was a good thing that it did. (By the way, I lost track of that friend over the years, but I heard through the grapevine that her second marriage ended in divorce. And I continue to maintain an amicable relationship with my ex-husband.)
Last year was the 15th anniversary of my divorce. Is it wrong to celebrate that kind of anniversary? When I think of how toxic and damaging my marriage was, freedom from that situation is something to celebrate. So, I looked up what gift is given to celebrate a 15th anniversary: crystal. Hmm, I really didn't need or want any more crystal, but a crystal inspired quilting project might fit the bill. Choosing Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabric and the Millenium Star design by Peggy Martin in her ebook, Quick Strip Paper Piecing, I made what I call Crystal Anniversary Star. While this book is not part of the Craftsy course, Quick Strip Paper Piecing, it is included with the course. I really enjoy Peggy's technique for completing foundation paper piecing as well as her teaching style. 
When it came to quilting this project, I didn't want the quilting to at all detract from the star, so I just stitched in the ditch around the parts of the star, and then used a corner design from the Meringue pantograph set. I also used the same fabric for the border as the background, so that the star would have the full focus. Still waiting to get this one hung on the wall. 

I really like this tote bag. It's fun, pretty and colourful. The technique is from Pepper Cory's class, Scrap Quilting. It's a strip quilting technique she calls Phone Book Quilts. And yes, I actually did use pages from an old phone book as the foundation for creating these blocks. Unfortunately, phone books around here have gotten smaller since this course first came out, but I just made smaller blocks. Wanting a smaller design for the quilting, I used the Seaweed pantograph. 

This set - 3 table runners, 4 placemats and 1 hot pot holder - is from Marilyn Foreman's Quilted Kaleidoscopes class. Well, the runners are at least. I just had enough kaleidoscope pieces left over to make the rest. I had the runner tops finished probably a few years ago, but hadn't decided what to do with the leftovers. Then once I decided on placemats and a hot pot holder, I had to choose backing and a design for the quilting. Pumpkin Fest is the one I decided on,

figuring the colours looked enough like fall colours to make the set appropriate for a Thanksgiving table. 

It actually took me quite some time to get the binding on as other projects took priority. 

I purchased the quilt kit for this class as well. Some day, I will get around to making that project, too.

Tortoise Projects/Yarn Arts Update

Slow and steady wins the race, according to the Tale fo the Tortoise and the Hare. And this year I decided to apply that principle to my yarn projects. I have too many UFOs that have been languishing for months or years and it's time to see more finishes. In 2022, I was finally able to finish Sophie's Universe, and I want to add more projects to the "finished" list. So, I chose 4 projects and set a goal for how much of each that I would work on at a time. That way, I wouldn't get bored with 1 project as easily and would still make slow and steady progress on each. My goal is to work on them daily, but I also recognize that there are times when this might not be possible. And I'll also be honest and say that lately I've kind of run out of steam and haven't been working on them as consistentlly as I was earlier. 

Tortoise Project #1 is my variegated moss stitch throw. I don't remember how far along I was at the beginning of the year. My plan is to do 15 repeats of 13 different variegated yarns. I have now completed 11 (this picture was taken after finishing the 10th repeat). Unfortunately, it appears that I will run out of a few of my yarns before finishing and they are no longer  available. I will likely have to find a best match if I do actually run out, and likely it won't be very noticeable because of the nature of this afghan. My goal is one row.

Tortoise Project #2 is the Shannon Afghan, a complex knitted project that involves individual squares about 8" or 9". I think I started the year with about 6 squares completed and I currently have the 23rd on my needle. There are a total of 48 squares to be made, and my goal is to do 10 rows at a time. I have already ordered more yarn as knew I would run out and wanted to make sure to purchase it before it, too, became "no longer available". 

Tortoise Project #3 was The Poet Shawl, which is now completed. This project is from the Craftsy course, Fair Isle Crochet. At the beginning of the year, I had one pocket completed, but none of the ends worked in and the shawl part was started. I did 2 rows at a time to complete the shawl and I can't remember how I worked the remaining pocket. Working in all of those ends was the biggest part, brecause I had to begin and end the yarn with each row on the pockets, and there were two strands of yarn for most rows. I'm not that thrilled with how the shawl turned out, but I'm pretty pleased with the Fair Isle pockets. 

Tortoise Project #4 is this little 12" latch hook wallhanging. I picked up the kit at a thrift store and had 24 of 45 rows completed at the beginning of the year. My goal was 1 row at a time. I completed the hooking part and then had to wait to finish it until I got some rug binding, which is not that easy to find. I now have the binding and am currently stitching the border to the back, preparatory to attaching the binding and creating a hanging sleeve. Even though crocheting and knitting remain my primary yarn arts, I occasionally like to try a different craft, especially when I can find a kit for a really good price. 

Tortoise Project #5: needlepoint. While waiting for the rug binding for the latch hook project, I decided to put this project in its place in the queue. A few years ago, I bought a small needlepoint kit at a thrift store. The instructions said to work it on a frame, which I didn't have. I checked Michael's and they didn't have what I needed. I found one on Amazon, but was reluctant to pay the price for something I may only use once. And so the project disappeared somewhere in my stash. I think it was last year, while out on a walk, I saw a sign for an estate sale. There I found this mostly finished (about 3/4 done) needlepoint on a frame, together with the yarn. I don't remember the price, but it was very reasonable, and I purchased it, determined to finish the picture in honour of the deceased crafter and then, hopefully be able to fit my kit on the frame and complete it as well. I'm not really sure where that kit is and I realized that I really am not enjoying needlepoint. I have done it before on plastic canvas, but it's quite different when doing it on cotton canvas. My goal is one length of yarn at a time (which was already pre-cut when I got the project), but I'm finding it hard to feel motivated to even accomplish that much. 

Tortoise Project #6: Brackman 3806.5
Once I completed the Poet Shawl, I had to decide what project to add to the queue in its place. While this is not a yarn project, it is still handwork, as there is no way that I can make this block on the sewing machine. The miniscule pieces would disappear under the foot and likely get pushed down into the machine by the needle. It is not a project that lends itself to foundation paper piecing, so I am using English paper piecing. 
Back in 2021, I participated in the Electric Quilt BlockBase+ Sew Along. However, it only made 8 blocks and I decided that I was going to continue along and make a queen-sized quilt for my bed. I am using the Trellis Setting that I used for High Tea and Where the Charming Roses Bloom, so I still require several 12" blocks as well as a number of 6" blocks. I determined to tackle the most challenging blocks I could find in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. Someone in one of my quilting groups on Facebook suggested this one. It has 8 of these tiny LeMoyne stars placed between the rays of a larger LeMoyne star. I know that it's going to be far from perfect because my hand-stitching is not great and I find it almost impossible to line up those tiny pieces exactly. And I find the templates, printed from BlockBase+, don't all match up exactly. Maybe the software can't print templates this small accurately. As they say, finished is better than perfect, and if I can actually finish this block, I will be happy. I haven't really set a goal for this one. 
Now for a few other projects, not included in my tortoise queue:

A previous coworkter asked if I could finish a cardigan for her mother-in-law. The lovely senior lady had some cognitive decline and couldn't figure out how to assemble it. As it turned out, she had completed the body parts correctly, but not the sleeves. So I frogged the sleeves and knitted them correctly, then assembled the sweater and completed the ribbing for the front and collar, plus added the button loops. The woman said she had the buttons and would put them on, so I left that to her. The sleeves ended up being quite long on her and I likely could have done the small size. But she had started in the medium, so that's what I continued with. However, I do tend to knit larger than gauge. 

My youngest sister celebrated her 60th birthday this year and these slippers were part of her gift from me. Several years ago, she requested that I make her a pair of running shoe slippers, a picture of which had been circulating online. I purchased the pattern and found it rather ridiculous, with the sole made of 2 strands of sock yarn and one of crochet cotton, and the body of the slipper made of bulky yarn.  Not only did I consider that a weird combination of yarns, but I knew that I'd be lucky to find all of them in colours that worked together. Not to mention the fact that the pattern did not appear easy to follow. So that idea languished in the background until this pattern popped up in my feed. Unfortunately, the pattern calls for 2 hook sizes, and it wasn't until I got to the laces, where it says to switch to the smaller hook size that I realized that I had completed the entire first slipper with the smaller hook. No wonder it was too small. So I actually ended up making 3 slippers and still have the first one. It might fit my grandson, but I haven't felt motivated to make another one. I didn't enjoy this pattern at all, and I likely won't repeat it. Still haven't decided what I'm going to do with the odd slipper. 

I wanted a couple of dishcloths for gifts, but I don't like using the same pattern over and over. So, I pulled out this book, selected an appropriate stitch and voilà, a new dishcloth pattern. 

And another one. Don't ask me to remember the names of these stitches. I probable made a notation in the book. 

Then I had a bridal shower coming up, and wanted to use a dishcloth instead of a bow on the package. 

However, I ended up using this one on my nephew's birthday gift instead. The young lady getting married had chosen a red spatula in her gift registry (which I purchased as part of my gift) and so I assumed that red was one of her kitchen colours. Plus the dishcloth I used to wrap my gift in had red in it as well. So, I chose a reddish yarn for her dishcloth instead. 

Environmentally friendly, reusable giftwrap. 

The dishcloth pattern is found here. I like it much better than the slipper pattern. 😉
I included a quilted hot pot holder in the gift as well. 

That's a 4" quilt block in the lower corner, called An Envelope Motif. 
Now I think my blog is up to date on all of my yarn projects. 

A Few More 3-Yard Quilts

I first discovered 3-yard quilts through this video from Missouri Star Quilt Company, and I think I've become addicted to them. Here's why I like them so much:

• the patterns are generally simple and quick to finish
• ideal size for covering up while watching TV, working on a craft, reading or napping. With a minky backing, they are extra cozy
• great size for baby quilts. I know that the recommendation is not to have a quilt in the crib until the baby is at least 12 months old, but it's still a great size for once they are 12-18 months or when they graduate to a toddler bed or for a nap even when they get older, as long as the fabric is not too baby-ish
• perfect size for chemo quilts, a quilt gifted to someone who is undergoing cancer treatment or maybe even dialysis or other medical treatment. It's big enough to cover the individual, without it dragging on the floor. And trust me on this, you do not want your quilt on the floor in a hospital!
• the patterns also offer the option of making the quilt bigger without me having to do the recalculations
• a lot of the patterns have larger piecing, so I can use larger prints/focus fabrics
• if I find a fabric that I love, I know I can just buy a yard or a metre, and, together with a couple of coordinating yards/metres, plus 3 yards for the backing, I can have a quilt. That way, even if I don't have a quilt in mind, I know how much to buy.
• my local quilt shop sells it's older fabric/bolt leftovers in precut metres for $8/metre, so I can pop in, find 3 coordinating metres and have a quilt top for $24 (plus GST)
• when I need a quilt in a hurry, I can usually find one that fits the occasion

Because of the butterly fabric, I decided to call this one Take Flight. It was one that I needed in a hurry, and I used fabrics from my stash. In this case, I didn't have quite enough of the black butterfly print or the turquoise tropical print, so I used both. This is the Landslide pattern from the book, Quilts in a Jiffy. 

I used the Butterfly Charm pantograph for the quilting. 

A peach coloured dot minky was my choice for backing. 

The recipient of this quilt said that her favourite colours were blues, but that she also liked autumn colours. So, I was walking up and down the aisles of my local quilt shop, looking for inspiration, when I spied this delightful blue floral fabric from a couple of aisles over. Then I had to decide what fabrics to coordinate it with. Like the soccer fabric in the Game On quilt, it's a large and strong print, so I found solids to be the best choice. This is the Crossroads pattern, also from Quilts in a Jiffy. But I named mine Garden Path (not to be confused with the Fabric Cafe pattern by that name).

Backed with blue minky and quilted with Floral Branch. 

Heard It Through the Grapevine was again made with stash fabrics. The two grapevine fabrics were left over from My Beloved's Vineyard, and I used the same Vineyard pantograph to quilt it.

This is a quilt that I'm keeping, and it's in my living room for snuggling on the sofa. It was made from the Snowball pattern, but I opted not to do the pieced side borders and instead made two full unpieced borders.

A lot of people seem to reallly like blue as I have made several blue quilts. This one, which I called Patches of Blue is made from the Wonderland pattern in the book Make It Christmas. 

Aside from the minky backing, the fabric was pulled from my stash. I quilted it using the Tweet Tweet pantograph. 

Finally, I want to share with you Splendour, which can be found as Splendor in the book The Magic of 3-Yard Quilts. I think this is a great example of how you can take 3 entirely different fabrics, that aren't even from the same manufacturer and make a stunning quilt. This one was a little more complex than the average 3-yard quilt pattern as the instructions said to draw a diagonal line on half of the Fabric #2 rectangles and line it up with the opposite diagonal on the Farbric #1 rectangles and stitch ¼" on each side of the line, just as you would for HSTs, except reversing the direction of the diagonal for the other half of the rectangles. But I just couldn't see how it would work out evenly as it wasn't lining up for me. Rather than chance having to rip out stitches, I chose instead to just cut all of the rectangles apart diagonally and sew them together individually, making sure to do half one way and half the other. Unlike squares it makes a difference which diagonal you use. And I think it turned out splendid. 

I used a cotton backing and Feather Meander for the quilting. 
That's it for now, but I'm sure there will be more 3-yard quilts in my future. I've already got the fabric for one for my great great nephew, due to arrive in June.