Skinny Pinnie - Received!

We are closing out our 

Skinny Pinnie Pincushion Swap!

By now, everyone should be mailing

and receiving their finished pinnies.

As the "swap mama" I had the luxury

of choosing my partner,

and I selected the lovely and talented

Beverly, of golfingbev on Flickr.

Look what came in the mail for me,

courtesy of Beverly!

There is so much goodness in here,

starring the most adorable...

and petite...skinny pinnie,

composed of teeny tiny hexagons!

See that needle book in the background?

It's made to match the pinnie,

from a Nana Company tutorial

that I must try someday soon.

{Sigh...}

{Photo by golfingbev on Flickr}

There are little treasures I'd never seen before,

such as Japanese zippers...

with French sayings...

Or little cherry zip pulls!

There are Japanese sewing and crafting goodies galore

in this little stack of sweetness.

I love each one to bits!

{Everything was all bundled up with bits of Washi tape!}

There was something old...vintage feedsacks!

And something new...this handy Seam-Fix

seam ripper with a little thing on top

for picking up the snips of thread.

{Of course I may never need to try that tool, since I'm such a perfect stitcher. Ahem...}

There are more fabric samples, too...

little teapot prints I had admired on Bev's Flickr site...

and even a Glamping mini charm pack!

{Can you find it, among all of the treasures?}

And look at this darling little tag!

I first noticed Beverly's sewing talents

during the Zakka Along 2.0 Patchwork, Please sew along.

Beverly has a distinctive style,

mixing bits of fabric to create detailed treasures

that leave me breathless.

Check out her photostream, and you will see what I mean!

Beverly's Patchwork Please Apron - Polka Dot Cafe

Thank you, Beverly, for spoiling me rotten!

{I will be able to trace my new Japanese sewing fixation to this magic moment.}

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Prettified Pincushion

This week marks the grand finale

of the Patchwork Please Zakka 2.0 Sew Along.

Debbie from A Quilter's Table

has done a magnificent job of

hosting the last half of the sew along!

They say you can't judge a book by its cover,

but as soon as I saw those Prettified Pincushions

on the front of the book,

I knew I wanted to have a copy!

For my version,

I chose lots of sunny yellow prints

from my fabric stash.

I used linen, to mimic the samples in the book.

There is just something about the texture

of the linen, paired with

smooth quilting cottons...so touchable.

The neutral linen also serves

as a calming backdrop,

enhancing the brightness of the yellows...

so exciting!

I made my pincushion quite a while ago,

but I remembered to make some notes about

my progress,

for my "likes" and "dislikes" section.

Dislikes are always first...

If you haven't made your {first}

prettified pincushion already,

make sure you add a 1/2" for the seam allowance
{1/4" on each side}

to your template piece!!!

{This is just sooooo important. The finished pieced block will be 2 1/2" square.} 

The instructions don't say when to remove

the paper from the block.

I recommend waiting until all of the 4 blocks

have been stitched together.

One more criticism I have is regarding the 

size recommendations for the scraps

used in the paper piecing.

I am stone serious when I say that
I wrote in my journal,

"You will CRY, unless you cut the pieces LARGER

than the book recommends!"

I used pieces at least this size:

4 Prints: 2 1/2" x 3"

Background Linen:  (4) 1 1/4" x 2"

(4) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"

(8) 1 3/4" x 2 3/4"

And now for my "likes"...

I really enjoy paper-piecing once in a while,

and this was really a rewarding project

to make with that technique.

I think it would be a great project

to make, even if you've never tried it before.

Another great thing about making this project

is that you end up with a

very functional and stylish item.

The size is just right,

and it is the perfect way to explain

what is meant by "zakka".

My greatest "like" is the finished result.

I mean...just look at how CUTE it is!

The covered button adds so much charm!

{And I'm not just talking about MINE...I haven't seen one I didn't love,

as they have popped up all over the internet and blogland.}

If you've got this book,

I guarantee you will be happy

with the pincushion you prettify

from this design.

 I think I'm going to have to prettify some more pincushions!

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Patchwork Please - Happy Hexagon Trivet

Thank goodness I've got Bloglovin'...

otherwise I may not have realized that

this week's Patchwork, Please Zakka 2.0 Sew Along

is all about the Happy Hexagon Trivet!

This sweet project was one of my must-makes,

from the first time I paged through my copy of the book.

I see that it is rated 2-stars on the difficulty scale.

There must only be 2 stars on that scale,

because I found this project to be

a lot more complicated than I expected.

I made the mistake of trying to blend

regular paper piecing and freezer paper template

techniques.

{Note to self:  Don't ever do that again!  Try just the normal paper piecing.}

That being said,

I'm super excited about the way

my new mug rug turned out.

I'm showing off one of the three Cath Kidston

mugs I purchased a few months ago.

{They are among my most loved possessions.}

Let's get to the "likes" and "dislikes" for the project...

dislikes are always first.

Right off the bat,

I was highly disappointed that the paper

piecing pattern requires enlarging.

Oh.My.I.Hate.That.Part.

In the end, the entire pattern still fit on a single page of paper.

Why couldn't the publishers have printed it at actual size???

I was going to bind my project as described in the book,

but my outer fabrics would have been nearly covered

by the thick binding.

That's most likely because I didn't remember

to cut the outer edges plenty large enough to allow

for a decent seam allowance.

That brings me to the Likes.

I used my own tutorial for Machine Binding,

with a 1 1/2" single fold binding.

It worked pretty well, even on the angles.

{Like:  new skill acquired.  I had never bound a hexagon before.}

Also, I really like the size of this project.

There's plenty of room for a large mug and a snack.

Alternately, a little tea pot would fit perfectly on this trivet.

I also like the way it looks on the back...

just as cute as the front, really!

Most of all, though, the best Like for this project

is that it is such a beautiful design.

Ayumi's gifts are being shared all over blogland.

Her version is exquisite,

and I love every variation I've seen so far, being made by others.

I love cherries in the kitchen,

and this project was great for using

a variety of cherry prints and polka dots I've been collecting.

Maybe time will help me to forget

all of the labor pains I withstood,

to end up with my lovely mug rug.

A nice cup of tea will also work wonders!

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Template-Free Polka-Dot-Cafe Block

I made a promise, and I'm keeping it!

Today I'm sharing how to make a 

template-free, no-fuss, perfectly-pointed block

from the Polka-Dot-Cafe Apron project

featured in Patchwork, Please! by Ayumi Takahashi.

Photo Credit:  Cut to Pieces blog

The apron was one of the projects that I loved most,

when I first paged through the book.

That block design is just so adorable!

But, alas...I felt more than a little bit inadequate

when my lovely blocks were stitched together.

As careful as I was, my points disappeared into the seams

when I trimmed the blocks and stitched them together.

I was not alone...almost everyone else in the Zakka 2.0 sew along

expressed some degree of frustration, too.

I vowed to try again someday, to figure out a better way.

Recently I decided to draft the block,

using some "round" numbers and see if I could have better luck.

These are the "finished" measurements I used to draft my block, so I added 1/2" to each element.
 The final block is 6 1/2" square.

It worked!

I'm pleased to show you my method,

if you'd like to make this design, too, without templates.

Fabric Selection:

For my blocks, I used (1) center block A

and (4) contrasting block A pieces surrounding the center.

I used another fabric for all (4) of the small B blocks.

For the remaining triangle pieces, C and D,

I used the same fabric throughout.

Here's how my first trial block turned out,

made in Christmas prints for "Christmas In July".

Cutting Measurements:

NOTE:  I added 1/2" to each of the elements of the block

A  (5) 2 1/2" squares - the center square is of a different print

B (4) 1 1/2" squares

C (4) 2 1/4" squares, cut diagonally to make 8 triangles

D (2) 3" squares, cut diagonally to make 4 triangles for corners

I found it easier...and prettier...to cut out

the pieces for several blocks.

Let's get started with the sewing process for one block...

First, sew one of the 2 1/2" contrasting side blocks A to each side

of the center 2 1/2" block A.

Press the seams toward the center block.

Following the sketch in the earlier photo,

match up the corner of one small triangle C 

to the corner of the first B square.

Stitch all the way along one side of the triangle.

For part of the stitching, there will be only one layer of fabric,

since the triangle edge is longer.

Chain-piece all four of the small B squares in the same direction.

Press all of the seams away from the B squares, toward the C triangles.

Add the other small C triangles to the small B squares,

 in the same way as before.

Chain-piece all four sections, 

with the corners matched to the right angles of the triangles.

Press the seams away from the B squares, toward the C triangles.

Clip away the excess fabric from the back.

Next, lay out the remaining pieces

in a modified 9-patch, so that they are positioned properly.

Sew the triangle sections to the large square A pieces,

to make 3 rows.

Press the seams in the top and bottom rows

toward the triangle sections,

and away from the center squares.

Now the seams will nest together, as you stitch together the 3 rows.

For the last step,

add the large D triangles to the four corners of the block.

Make sure the corner triangles are centered over the edges,

and stitch them into place.

Here's how it looks when they are sewn on.

Trim the excess fabric from the outside edges,

and press the block well.

Trim the finished block to 6 1/2" square.

Line up the 3 1/4" marks with the points of the 1" squares,

so that your block is symmetrical.

Looky there, at all of those perfect points!

Admire your beautiful block,

and make more!

Stop back soon to see what I made with my new blocks!

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Polka Dot Cafe Apron - Zakka 2.0 Week #4

What's cookin' at your house?

Here at mine,

I've whipped up a little Polka Dot Cafe apron,

as part of the Patchwork, Please Sew Along!

Grab a tall glass of sweet tea,

and get ready for a lot of pictures of my version of

the Polka Dot Cafe Apron.

In my humble opinion,

I used some of the cutest fabrics on earth,

from Lori Holts' Bake Sale for Riley Blake.

I decided to use the same print for the center squares on each block.

I love the way they look with my

vintage Pyrex bowls!

{Do you see those tiny little spatulas on the green and blue block?}

Shall we "dish" about my likes and dislikes?
Dislikes are always first...

Okay...I haven't seen this mentioned

in anyone else's posts,

but the cutting instructions say to cut 4 of the 

large squares.

Um...there are 5.  The one in the center

is a different print, but the same size

as the four squares around it.

As much as I have joined in the lament that

this book lacks diagrams,

I found this project's piecing diagram to be very confusing.

The instructions said "Sew

in the order shown...," and referred to the figure,

but there were 5 #1's in the diagram.

{I did figure it out, but only because I'm an experienced sewist.}

The templates...oh, I didn't use those.

I measured them in the book and kind of rounded them up a bit

to the nearest 1/4" figuring I could trim them to size.

{I believe she meant to advise using freezer paper for templates, but it didn't come out and say it like that in the description.  Again, it was confusing.}

Oh.My.Gosh.

When I was finished making my blocks,

I barely had anything to trim off, as shown below.

I did not have 1/4" to spare, to preserve any points!!!

{My 1/4" seam can't be THAT far off!  How on earth did the template users manage, I wonder?}

This is one of those projects that looked like

it was going to be quick and easy,

but it took me almost all day to complete.

Maybe it was just because I kept stopping to look at how cute it was!

This is really a time-saving tip, rather than a "dislike"...

I pressed my binding in the same way as I made the apron ties.  

Rather than attach the binding as described,

I stitched it on "taco-style" in just one step,

enclosing the raw edges.

{How about that darling text print?}

I also added a 1 1/2" sashing between the blocks,

so I didn't have to try to line up all those "missing points" I had.

And now for some more of the "likes"...

Obviously,

the blocks themselves are just sooooo sweet!

I love that they are retro-style and allow the fabrics to shine.

I also like that the patchwork pocket

fit just right onto my plain turquoise tea towel!

What a nice shortcut for me!

My most favorite detail is just about the best "like" ever for me!

The sample has a little piece of fabric tape tucked into the side of the pocket.

I didn't have any decorative tape to coordinate,

so I just made a little fussy cut tab.

Would you like to see it really close up???

{I knew you would!}

Someday, I hope to adjust the measurements

to re-create this adorable little block,

points and all.

{If I figure it out, I promise to share!}

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