We’re adding the submissions as we receive them – don’t forget, you earn SPSASG Chapter dollars for participating!
Sue McLauglin – Barbados Bag and Striped Shirt
I attend Fashionistas on the 2nd Tuesday.
My first is a new bag for walking. It is lightweight and smallish but big enough to put the essential items in. I made a version of this bag last summer for taking on vacation when I didn’t want a full sized purse. The pattern is the Barbados bag. The turquoise one is the original that I made. It is about 1″ smaller than the pattern called for because the pattern is too large for me. I used that one on a walk and it rained on us causing the fabric bag to be soaked! So, I decided to make a nylon one. However, I didn’t want it that large. So I took another couple of inched off the pattern, increased the width and now I have a small nylon bag that works great.
I originally made this striped shirt pattern in a teal/black stripe. It was for a stripe challenge. I wasn’t excited about the fabric (I like the color but the fabric itself if horrible) or the neckline. So, I like the concept and decided to change it a bit. I changed the round neck to a v-neck. I lengthened it a bit and changed the way the long side worked. I had a great black and white stripe and decided to make it out of that. The result is much more pleasing to me and the fabric is awesome. The pattern ended up being opposite because I made a mistake in cutting. I ended up using the whole piece of fabric which I wouldn’t have if I had done it right in the first place. I like the result though.
Sandi Gray – Cindy’s Beaded Bag
My name is Sandi Gray. I have attended the Lacey Sew and Sews, and wanted to show you my friend Cindy’s beading project. Cindy Tobeck came to me with her four year beading prject and wanted it turned into a Nez Perce flat bag. Below are our descriptions of this project.
Cindy’s Story: As an avid equestrian, I have come to admire and appreciate the Nez Perce Native American’s horsemanship. They have historically adorned their horses in beautiful and ornately beaded saddles and bridles for ceremonial purposes. Their intricate beading further embellished their clothing, moccasins, weapon sheaths and of particular interest to me, their flat bags.
The antique Nez Perce flat bags were traditionally made with glass seed trade beads over fabric or tanned animal skin. The designs typically are very colorful and whimsical, often with floral or animal subjects, and employ a technique called ‘contour beading’, whereby the beads are stitched following the contours of the subject, to give an impression of depth, shape and movement. The Nez Perce were unique in their contour beading tradition, as other tribes beaded using looms and were very geometric in nature.
I wanted to buy an antique Nez Perce flat bag, but they are highly collectible and expensive. So, in my travels, I visited Idaho, Montana and South Dakota museums to study the beadwork. I read about the ‘Lazy Stitch” and designed my bag to reflect my own personal loves: the mountains and forests of the Pacific northwest, one of my horses, and giant pumpkins (which I grow and compete with). I worked on the bag during the dark, rainy falls and winters over the last four years. I purchased some thick cotton canvas fabrics from JoAnn Fabric and sewed them together. Using a ball point pen, I drew my design directly onto the fabric. Next, I used a #12 Short Beading Embroidery needle, white and black embroidery thread, thread wax, as well as a variety of colors of #10 seed beads from Shipwreck Beads in Olympia. After my four years of beading, I gave my beaded panel to my friend, Sandi Gray to transform into a flat bag
Sandi’s Story: I used ultra suede fabric purchased at Lady Lynn’s Fabrics in Olympia for the bag back, and lining fabric from my stash. I created the pattern, based on some quilted flat bags I had made earlier. The Nez Perce bag has the beaded front and a plain back with a half inch edge in between. The trickiest part of the project was stitching the edging close to the beading. I planned to include an adjustable cross body strap, but Cindy chose a single strap. I wanted to close the bag with magnetic snaps. I was unable to get small enough clip in snaps, so used self adhesive magnetic snaps normally used for scrapbooking and other craft projects.
Vicki Steigner – Dolly
When I was a girl my Mom made me a rag doll that I dearly loved. She was 8 inches tall, stuffed with old nylons, had yarn hair and an embroidered face. The pattern was issued by Mc Call’s in the late 50s featuring the doll, Raggie Maggie, and her wardrobe. I literally sewed the pattern to bits making clothes for her as I grew up. The doll is a flat pattern, shaped with darts and I have recreated it here by taking my brother’s doll apart (he was only 2 and jealous of us girls, so Mom made him one too). It took me three tries to get the body right! I have a whole new appreciation for you ladies who make doll clothes full time! Everything is so small – especially for an 8 inch doll – and you still have to clip seams and press as you sew! Precision is everything!! But hey, you can make something wonderful out of even the smallest bit of fabric or trim! Mc Calls Pattern company tells me that they don’t have any record of this pattern in their archive, so if any of you happen to have it in your stash, I would love to copy it!
Melanie Ransom: Knit Jacket
I’m Melanie with the Lacey Sew and Sews. This is a jacket I made with a novelty knit I bought at Stylemaker Fabrics at Sew Expo. The buttons I bought from Britex Fabrics (online). The button holes are my own version of a fake bound button hole (without the lips) which is a super fast and easy way for larger buttons.
This is Vogue pattern 9287 designed by Marci Tilton. I’ve made it 3 times and unfortunately, it’s not a well-drafted pattern. Some of the pieces have to be cut face down, which is bizarre. The instructions are weird. If you decide to make this, think it through and create your own instructions from your own know-how first.
Martha Dickens: Paper Pieced Lion Pillow and Tatted Pendant
I’m also with the Lacey Sew and Sews. I’m a Tatter, and this is a tatted necklace I did.
Also, I decided to go on a new adventure into English paper piecing. I made the attached Lion pillow. It was a fun project that I could do watching TV — kept me from snacking since you can’t eat when your hands are busy!
Katrina Boedecker: Free Standing Embroidered Easter Eggs and Blouse
I’m happy to share some of my quarantine sewing! I attend the Lacey Sew and Sews. Here are some machine embroidered freestanding lace Easter eggs. (Each one took me 6 – 8 hours. Love the Stay Home Stay Safe directive!).
The lace trim on the blouse is also machine embroidery. The top was planned as part of my travel wardrobe for my trip to Italy. No longer leaving next week.
The little screen says HOP in to spring. It is appliqué and machine embroidery
Vicki Steigner: Blouse and Tea Cozy
I’m Vicki Steigner with the Lacey Sew and Sews. I got to work on a new blouse over the weekend. Made from my tried and true pattern with fabric I got off of the Free Table last year – you can’t beat the free table!!!
Kate Freeburg: Chenilled panel
I would normally have shown this at Creative Cutups last week. The last time I was in The Quilt Barn I kept on looking at a collection of layer cakes, jelly rolls and charm packs, “Wild Blush” by Wilmington Prints, but wasn’t sure what I would do with them. Shirley Lee was with me at the time, and I couldn’t come up with anything. After Shirley left I was walking around the store and saw the sample for this panel from the same collection made up and I could not resist buying it. It is approximately 30 X 45 and could be used either as a small blanket or throw rug. In my defense, is that I was left unsupervised and the store was open.
I was actually able to finish it within a week of purchase. It has a backing fabric and four identical panel prints layered. Lining up the panels was probably the most difficult thing to do. I used temporary spray adhesive between each layer and also pinned the layers together. I used painters tape diagonally from one corner to the other and stitched along that for first row of stitching. There are over 70 rows of stitching. I did use a chenille cutter to cut between the rows of stitching. I learned that it is easier if you start the cut with a small pair of scissors and then use the cutter to go the rest of the way. Also you need to stop and clean the cutter frequently. I was very happy with the way it turned out and if I found another panel I thought would work, I would make another one.
Ellen Daly: Placemats and Table Runner
I attend the Lacey Sew and Sews. Here’s a quilting project I made from the Krista Moser line of patterns. This is called Buffalo Lodge Table Runner and Placemats (I didn’t make the tree skirt). I bought the pattern when I saw Krista at a trunk show the Washington Stars Quilt Guild presented in November 2019. I purchased some of the fabrics at Hobby Lobby, using their line of Kona Cottons Solids. Most of the other fabrics came from my stash.
I already knew that matching corners is hard work and you really have to pay attention when you’re sewing a row of squares to make sure they line up properly. It’s also crucial to use quality fabrics so they don’t stretch, and to wash the fabrics before you use them. I sewed with my Husqvarna Viking Epic machine – it has a thread tying feature which is really handy when it cuts the thread, however sometimes the knot isn’t really secure and unravels when you wash the item or pick at loose threads. I always backstitch to make sure it stays secure
I did buy her ruler at the trunk show which made cutting out the pieces easier, but it’s not totally necessary. I followed Krista’s topstitching pattern on her pattern and it really made the finished items stand out. What would I do differently? Not sure – be super careful about matching corners so I don’t have to rip them out so much!
Check out Krista’s website at www.kristamoser.com and read her blog. There is also a free table runner pattern following these techniques. It’s called Peppermint Pinwheel and is a holiday themed design and is in the Tutorials dropdown on the website.
South Puget Sound Chapter 