Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Wordless Wednesday #188 ~ Sewing Patterns

World's Longest Yard Sale
North of Frankfort, KY on Highway 127
NO, I didn't buy any, because I already have at least twice this many patterns.
However, if the whole box had been 25 cents, yep, I would have grabbed it.
 ************************************
Taken by his Galaxy 4

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Bag in a Pocket

         Mr. G and I are getting ready for our "Bucket List" trip.  It seems I can never have enough small bags for a trip to help keep things sorted and organized.  Mr. G likes buying things and stowing them away in a crevice in the car somewhere.  Things get a bit scatter.  I like keeping things together all in one bag.  Even shoes.
          Once upon a time, I had a small backpack made of a lightweight nylon.  It folded up inside the front pocket for easy carrying.  When I got to my destination, I pulled it out of the suitcase and filled it up with the small load I needed to carry on a walk.
           I decided to make some "Bags in a Pocket" to stash in the suitcase to use later in the trip.


***************************************
*A Tutorial Tuesday*
**************************

 Cut size you desire for
bag, straps and pocket.
Notice the pocket is 6 inches wide which is 
almost half the width of the bag. 
Keep that ratio in mind if you decide on a different size bag.
 Mark one end of the bag by ironing a crease down the middle, and
folding down the top 2 inches.
Next take the 6x10 inch pocket and fold hamburger style as we called it in elementary school verses the long way called "hot dog" style.
Iron a double fold hem of 1/8 inch each fold.

I like to use the Edge or Joining foot to help stitch close to the edge of the fold.
 See the beautiful stitching along the edge.
Pin 5/8 inch below the top of the other side.
Right sides together.
On both sides start stitching at the top to make sure the measurement stays accurate.
Back stitch twice as this seam will take a lot of stress when putting the bag inside.
 Fold the pocket in half and iron to make a crease down the center.
Turn the pocket OVER and UPSIDE Down and place edge along the crease that was ironed.
Also match the center creases.
Sew 1/8 inch from the edge.
Fold down leaving a fold above the top edge.
Press.

 Unfold to see your crease line which is your stitching line.
Stitch across this line and fold back down.
Notice the stitching is invisible.
The pocket hangs free.

To stitch the bag section: Fold the bag piece "Hamburger" style with right sides together,
stitch the sides of the bag from top down.
To stitch hem around top: Fold and press a double seam of 1/2 inch each fold around the top.
Use edge foot to top stitch along the edge of the hem on the inside.

Turn right side out & see below for placing handles.

Next use your favorite method to make the handles.  
One way I make them is with the strip folded in half with  right sides together
stitch across one end and down the side.  
I use a knitting needle to turn it inside out.
Cut off the end.
The seam is pressed to the center.
Pin the ends of one strap to just along the edges of the pocket.
Pin the ends of the other strap on the other side so handles are opposite of each other.  
Mine came out to about 2¼ inch from the center of the bag to the center seam of the handle.
Machine baste each end of the handles to just below the top edge of the bag.
Turn up and do a cross stitch.
The X is made with one continuous row of stitching.
The top and bottom row of the X is stitched over twice
in doing this order of stitching as noted above.
This bag was made with the pocket on the outside.
You can make it on the inside by changing the direction of the hemming and handle placement.
 ********************************************

How to Fold the Bag into the Pocket

The pocket must be on the outside.
 If you made the pocket to be on the inside, you will need to turn it inside out to fold into the pocket.
On the left is another bag already folded into it's pocket.
 Turn the bag over with the pocket on the other side from you.
 Fold bag along the edge of the pocket.
 Then fold the bag up using the pocket length as a guide for amount to fold up.


 Handles go in the pocket first.
 Stuff the bag in the pocket and flatten out.

 I still had room to put one inside the other pocket, sort of.

********************************
  ********************************
Thanks to the FREE programs:
possibly used for this post

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo
PicMonkey creating the icon used on this page

Monday, August 29, 2016

Memory Monday 22 ~ Mrs. Carter's Scrap Box

I was presented with a LARGE plastic bin and given the challenge
to make quilts for a cousin.
These pieces belonged to her Grandmother.
As a child and young adult, I had met this Grandmother on the other side of the family multiple times.
In fact, I knew her well before my cousin was born.
These types of boxes of fabric and notions always stir a lot of memories.
I start remembering the stores where she could have bought these.
ALL of them are now long gone.
I'm always eager to go through boxes of scraps when I get them.  
It gets me acquainted with the beautiful fabrics and their colors.
I had to wonder what Mrs. Carter was planning to do with these fabrics.
At the rate I'm going with loving requests, 
these baby themed fabrics may work out for a grand baby, 
and I'm talking a while down the road.
I'm sure that Mrs. Carter would be thrilled to know these fabrics
will possibly be used in a quilt for a great, great grand baby.
        Since I have become acquainted with these fabrics which include a ton of Sunbonnet Sue & Overall Sams already cut out, this challenge is on my to-do list in my head which has me on the lookout for some ideas on a quilt pattern & ideas.
         I'm glad my family and friends understand that my mind and it's motivation works on it's own schedule.  I never know when that light bulb will flip on.
 ******************
****************************************

Thanks to the FREE program

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo & other alterations to pictures

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Sun Best ~ A Longest Yard Sale Flower Garden

  Highway 127, somewhere in Ohio


****************************************
Thanks to the FREE program

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo & other alterations to pictures.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Quilt Shot Block #80 ~ Overall Sam & Free Pattern

Shared from Mrs. Carter's Fabric Scrap Box
12½ inch block
      In Mrs. Carter's Scrap Box of fabrics there were several Dutch Girl/Sunbonnet Sues and Overall Sams already cut. I know she most likely hand appliqued these pieces, turning under the edge as she went.  Me on the other hand, I used my monster roll of iron on interfacing and trimmed away.  This small rotary cutter sure helps make those tiny turns.

  I used the blanket stitch on my machine.

Whenever I needed to pivot (make a turn)
I make sure the needle was in down position on the 
outside of the cut edge.

I used black in the bobbin.
This is what gave me the idea for 
Do I put Sue and Sam in the same quilt,
or do I make a quilt for my cousin's daughter of Sues
and one for her son of Sams?
I'm inclined to think the latter.
What are your thoughts?
 Each set of cutouts are kept together with a straight pin.
Due to the pins rusting a bit,
I've had to use pliers to pull out the pin.
One set of cutouts
fit easily on a sheet of paper,
which made it super simple to pass on the pattern to you.
This is another pattern passed through the generations. 

 ********************************
Thanks to the FREE program
 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo & other alterations to pictures.
and making the quilt sample pictures with the COMBINE tool.
*****************************************************
Sharing at several Linky Parties including:


Linky Tuesday Sew Cute Tuesday