sewing organization tip

One thing about sewing that can get out of control super fast is organization. When I first started sewing, we had a tiny apartment and my sewing space was our kitchen table and a shelf in our hall closet. I had stacks for my projects and it got crazy out of control. Now I have a sewing room and my project organization gets crazy out of control. :)

A few weeks ago I was strolling through the dollar bins at Target, I heart Target, and I found some super cute cardboard paper trays. I had an idea. They were the perfect size to store fabric in the project process. (Think quilt blocks, cut fabric, dress fabric for a little girl, etc.)  Plus they were a dollar. Score. So I picked up a couple and put them to use.

Here they are holding all my Swoon blocks. Slide the pattern on top and you have all your pieces for the project in one place. 

Plus, if you are like me and have a little helper who loves to play with whatever mommy is playing with, it is easy to stick the tray up on a shelf and it looks neat and tidy. 

 I found this cute aqua one around Christmas and it holds my bobbins, pins, and little scissors. I put it next to my machine when I sew and when I am done, it goes up high on a shelf. Again, out of the reach of little investigative clutches.

So go and grab some from the happiest place on Earth {for me at least} and get those projects organized!

Happy Monday!

LeAnne

i'm swooning along

A few weeks ago I read about the Swoon Along over at I'm a Ginger Monkey. Like many, I've been in love with Swoon from Thimble Blossoms. I decided to join in on the fun and  am so glad I did. I only made one block, they measure 24.5" square, and it will be a wall hanging in my baby's room. Since it was such a fun block, I am planning to the full quilt in the future.  Last week I did all the cutting and I've spent the last two eveningish piecing the block...

I  didn't use fat quarters, the pattern calls for two per block, I used scraps of Kona Cotton in Baby Pink and my last bit of Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market. (So sad all my Farmer's Market is officially gone.) I'm planning to add a 4" white border and binding with a green from Ruby.

This quilt included some firsts for me. Meaning, I've never done a quilt that required this much precision. (It is not perfect by any means, some seams are a little off.) You don't have to be perfect at piecing to attempt this quilt, but adding extra pins and getting your 1/4" seam allowance just right makes it much easier.  It truly was like putting together a giant fabric jigsaw puzzle.  It was also the first time I did a Flying Geese block! My first one was super wonky but after that one they turned out just fine.

So if you've been thinking about joining in on the Swoon fun...do it! One block isn't a huge commitment and it is a fun challenge. I loved it!

Happy Thursday!

LeAnne

Happy New Year....17 days later :)

Wow. Usually January slugs by after the holidays.  That is not the case this year. It has flown by just as fast as the holiday season. I know this will sound way belated and 'that was so a month ago', but I hope your Christmas and New Years was truly wonderful and that you were able to spend it with those you love.

With that, I haven't shared some of the Christmas presents I made this year. Granted I forgot to take a couple pictures but I can at least link to the tutorial/inspiration:

1. Grocery Sack Holders - Made a couple of these and the recipients loved them! If you are ever looking for a great gift these things are snap to make and you often can use fabric from your stash or larger scraps.

2. Name Ornaments - One of the gifts I made for my mom was a set of ornaments with the grandkid's names on them. (I cut out the names with vinyl using my Cricut.) She loved them and I will simply make her a new ornament when a new grandbaby arrives.

3. Aprons -  I made an apron for one of our little cousins and I heard that she absolutely loved it. Yay! I used the 'Mommy and Mia' pattern from Sew Much Ado.

I made another apron for my little miss. She loves to cook/bake with me so I decided she needed an apron since cooking with a two year old is never neat and tidy. My original plan was to make another Mommy and Mia apron, but then I found this apron tutorial from Sew Liberated. It is great because the the apron can easily be taken on and off by a young child.  I used the flower pot template from the pattern to make a pocket but added my own flowers. (Please excuse the photos, my model was not cooperating.)

4. Stocking - This was not a gift but a need for our baby's first Christmas. When I started this project on the afternoon of December 23rd I had no creative juices left. So I did my first 'knockoff' project! I used the Pottery Barn Kid's Woodland Angel Stocking as my inspiration:

My idea was to do a sugar plum fairy because my older daughter's stocking is an angel. So with a couple of changes I made mine look more Sugar Plum Fairy-ish and less angel-ish. Success? I have all the template pieces I drew and am thinking about posting a tutorial this year as it gets closer to Christmas.

So there you go, my handmade Christmas recap! Currently, I am in the thick of some big projects: another quilt, floor length drapes for my family room, and lots of pillows for my couches. (In addition to coming up with some new ideas for the shop and blog!) Hope you all are doing great!!!

Thanks for reading,

LeAnne