Blocks 1-3....I'm a little behind!

Blocks 1-3 of the Tula Pink City Sampler are being featured this week. I am still cutting and bagging my blocks. I will be working on them in a week and a half when I travel to the Windy City to hang out with the ever-marvelous Sara Lawson. Hope you can wait until then. I only got a box of 50 snack bags, so I think I will need to swing back by the Dollar Store and get another box!!

Happy Sewing and be sure to keep up and join in on the Sew A Long!!

I'm Ready, Are You?

It has started! 
I am soo stinking excited to see what everyone does!
Sara's first post is here and it is all about picking your fabric.

Here is my pile of goodies to get me going. Do you need all this? Probably not, but let me tell you why I do!

First we have the book! Amazing as I have already mentioned. For my fabric I got a charm pack of 2wenty Thr32. It is by Eric and Julie Comstock for Moda. I love the pink and grey and yellows. These blocks also need something with a small print and/or pictures and this line is perfect! I have 42 5-inch squares to play with, so I went thru the book and put in the squares for the blocks I wanted to use them in. Now, you are probably thinking that the book has 100 blocks and I only have 42 squares so how will this work? I also thought about that. Some pieces with only have a little bit used so I will have scraps and I also picked up a couple fat quarters along the way to use!

I then had to go about getting the solids to coordinate with the line. I was able to pick some up at Pink Castle, as well as Fat Quarter Shop. Oh, and I got a good deal on some yardage over at Stash Modern Fabric. I am still waiting on the rest to come in but it will be here soon and I can't wait!

The next item I needed to address was storage. I swung by the Dollar Store and picked up some snack zipper seal baggies. This way I can cut and keep the pieces together for each piece until I was ready to sew them. I used masking tape on the baggies so that I know what number block it corresponds to and then put a mark in the book so that I know that I already had a bag with it. There are only 50 bags but they will definitely be re used. I then need a place to keep the baggies and my finished blocks. While at ye olde Dollar Tree, I tried to fine a container where my blocks could lay flat but none of theirs were big enough. So I scrounged around at home and found a container with a lid that was big enough. This way I can keep everything together. I have been trying to stay more organized with the 10 projects or so that I am working on. Usually I would just have piles everywhere and then I would lose stuff. I have some extra containers to keep it all contained!!

Well I believe that does it for supplies. I have a few...maybe 9 or so...other projects to work on while I wait on my fabric to get here. If you are participating be sure to let me know what fabrics you are using and to post your blocks over on Flikr. 

Have a wonderful day, night, afternoon, etc.......

~Kim

A follow-up from yesterday

So I was browsing thru a book yesterday at work when I saw that someone had a how-to for taking one of those wooden foldable couch tables and turning it into a little ironing board. It showed how to use a nail gun and attach it to the table. I thought that was a great idea since I could use a smaller ironing area when piecing things, but I didn't like the idea of it being permanent.

Solution? Use elastic to attach it to the table and then it is easy to just pull off! I used the same method of making the small one as I did the big one. I then attached elastic on the back so that it will stay on the table!

Check it out!

It was nice to be able to use up some of the scraps from the big one and now I have 2 options for ironing!! Yeah Me!!!

Have a wonderful weekend

~Kim

Something for me!

So after a couple stress-filled weeks of making things for others, I decided to make something for myself. I had noticed over the past week that my ironing board became wobbly and when I sat my iron on it, it would fall over- which is never good!

Instead of buying a new ironing board, I decided to buy a 4-foot table that is adjustable in height. Got it thru Wal-mart's in Site to Store so that there is no shipping cost. 

It goes up to 36 inches high which is (almost) perfect height for standing- I would like it a couple inches higher but it still works. The table top is 42 by 36 inches which gave me double the depth which is always nice!

Then I decided to make an ironing pad to put over the table and then remove when I didn't need it. I looked online for the proper materials and this is what I got:

The top layer is Pellon Fusible Fleece. Really any kind of batting will do to absorb moisture and this piece was given to me but it was stained so I couldn't really use it on something else. It was perfect for this.

The second layer is Pellon's Thermolam. It is the same material that is used in pot holders to protect from the heat. This helps trap the heat from melting the plastic table underneath.

The last layer is Ironing Board Cover silver cloth. It does just what it says and covers the top of the ironing board. It is meant to reflect the heat of the iron back onto itself- or the fabric on it. 

Of course I needed a backing and I happened to have some Duck (quack) fabric in a pattern I liked that I got from my friend Lindsay when she was moving! 

I threw it all together with a little spray adhesive in between the layers and quilted diamonds on it. The thing with the top fabric is that you cannot use pins or it makes it less effective.

Here are pictures of both sides.

I couldn't decide what to use for binding so I just cut some silver strips and used those.

I just love those clips! They hold everything and are the perfect size. They now have Jumbo clips which will be even better for bag making!!

As I sewed on the binding, I threw in a piece of elastic on one end to keep it rolled up when not in use. In retrospect, I should have put one on both ends and made it a little longer but it still works fine for me!

Here is a picture of it laid out on the table.

 Do you see my poor guy on the ironing board in the background? Not sure what to do with him, but he will be missed hehe!

Here it is rolled up

I also used some non slip plastic material- like you would put on a shelf or under a rug so that it doesn't move- to keep the fabric from sliding around on the table.

Well hope you enjoyed this and now I am off to make a couple bags and a quilt or two!
Have a great day!

~Kim

And a fabric Give-Away!

Giveaway Over!!

Congratulations to

Madeleine!

Check your email Madeleine!

Thanks to everyone that participated! It was a great week!

One of my favorite blogs to check out is Sew, Mama, Sew!. It has lots of how to's and ideas. This year they are celebrating their 10th Giveaway Day. This is a day- well it started as a day and is now a week- where bloggers link up to give things away! Who doesn't like that?

Your job?

Follow this LINK and enter as many giveaways as you want (they are separated by type). I will be giving away a yard of Peacock Lane by Violet for Michael Miller. This is a great way for people to see my blog as well as many others. And just maybe you will find a new favorite....to look at after you join me of course!

Here are the dates you need to know!!

May 6- bloggers will start adding their link-ups for their blogs and giveaways

May 10, 5 pm PST- giveaways close

May 12- winners will be announced

May 15- items will be shipped


So I am sure you are wondering how you can enter to win here? 
Easy peasy! Just leave a comment below letting me know what your Memorial Day plans are- and if you are out of country (which I will gladly ship to) let me know of any fun plans you have coming up! I will be using Random.org to choose my winner and will be emailing them once the giveaway closes. Please be sure that I have an email address for you if you are an anonymous commenter! 

Here is my Giveaway. One yard of Peacock Lane by Violet Craft (who is amazing) for Michael Miller. It has been living in a smoke-free, pet-free home and it can't wait to be made into something beautiful!

One more bag!

Giveaway Over

Congratulations to

jruminski

Check your email jruminski!

It was a great week and thanks to everyone for participating!

So I got suck an overwhelming response to the first bag I posted on the giveaway that I decided to post another one. What giveaway you ask? Why the one over at Sew Mama Sew!

This one is made of fabric from Amy Butler's Lotus Collection for Rowan. It comes with a zipper pull from my favorite zipper store, Zipit! THE best place to go for zippers. This bag measures in at 9 in long by 4 1/2 inches tall by 5 inches wide. The perfect size for cosmetics or sewing goodies! Inside is fully lined and comes from a pet and smoke free home.

How can you enter to get this bag??

Very easy. Just tell me where you are located at in this great big world. It is soo fun to see that people in other countries are checking me out. I am located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

If you want a second entry for this, feel free to check out my Facebook page and like it and let me know you did it!

If you don't win and would like one of these bags check me out on Etsy- I can custom make it for you and have even been playing around with using laminates for a more waterproof bag!

Have a great day wherever you are!

~KIM

Giveaway Day!!! well its more like a week.......come join me!

GIVEAWAY IS OVER!!!

Beth is the lucky winner!

Check your email Beth!

Thanks to everyone who participated. It was a great week!

One of my favorite blogs to check out is Sew, Mama, Sew!. It has lots of how to's and ideas. This year they are celebrating their 10th Giveaway Day. This is a day- well it started as a day and is now a week- where bloggers link up to give things away! Who doesn't like that?

Your job?

Follow this LINK and enter as many giveaways as you want (they are separated by type). I will be giving away one of my zippered box-pouch bags. This is a great way for people to see my blog as well as many others. And just maybe you will find a new favorite....to look at after you join me of course!

Here are the dates you need to know!!

May 6- bloggers will start adding their link-ups for their blogs and giveaways

May 10, 5 pm PST- giveaways close

May 12- winners will be announced

May 15- items will be shipped


So I am sure you are wondering how you can enter to win here? 
Easy peasy! Just leave a comment below letting me know what your Memorial Day plans are- and if you are out of country (which I will gladly ship to) let me know of any fun plans you have coming up! I will be using Random.org to choose my winner and will be emailing them once the giveaway closes. Please be sure that I have an email address for you if you are an anonymous commenter! 


My bag giveaway is for this zippered box-pouch bag. Perfect for keeping sewing supplies or even toiletries for your next trip. It is fully lined and has a zipper pull from the lovely Jennie over at Zipit! She has the best zippers ever! The fabric used is by Amy Butler and is Dehli Blooms in Grass from her Soul Blossoms line. 
The bag measurements are 9x4x6. It was made in a smoke-free, pet-free home.