What I really needed was a sew-along

I found a really cute tote bag pattern in a sewing magazine a couple of weeks ago, but the more I read and re-read the pattern, the less sense it made to me. I kept thinking how much better it would be if I could find an online tutorial that showed all the steps along the way, complete with pictures of each step. Low and behold, the Sew Spoiled Sew-Along. Now I can follow along and make this great tote bag. Wanna see the fabric I chose for it? This was another purchase from the Couture Sewing Center earlier today. 

The lighting wasn't absolutely great when I took this photo, so the colors are a little wonky. The two fabrics that look red are actually orange, but otherwise this is a pretty good representation of the prints. The big circle print will be the main outside fabric for the bag. The two orange prints will be the top border and handles. The green circle print on the left will be the inner part of the pleat and lining, and the small dot fabric will be one of the inner pockets. I will post pictures once I get started on the bag, but for the Sew Along, the current assignment was to choose and procure the fabrics, so this puts me right on schedule.

Okay, now it's definitely time to go to bed. No thanks to Katie's recommendation that I get the first season of White Collar to watch. I just finished Episodes 2 and 3. You are horrible to rope me into something like this. The only time I can watch is late at night and since the kids are asleep and the hubby is out of town, I figured I would splurge and watch two. I'm NOT going to watch another episode tonight. I'm NOT going to do it. Seriously. Not. Gonna. Happen.

My Very First Quilt Top

Drum roll, please. Here is the circle quilt top. It turned out pretty well, even if I do say so myself. Here is the picture, then I'll finish the story...

It's fine, right? Just ignore the little pieces of masking tape. Those are the row and column labels that I used to keep my blocks in order. Guess I could take those off now, huh?

I was so proud of it that I took it into the quilt shop to share my progress. But here's the thing. While I was in the shop looking at fabric for some future projects, one of the owners gave me some invaluable advice. She suggested that a border would really add some pizzaz to my quilt. She explained that the border is like the matte in a framed portrait. The binding is the frame, but you need something to separate the frame from the subject, or the quilt from the binding. Enter a border. Seriously, enter a border and see what happens. It's incredible.

Here's another shot.

Can you believe the difference? This just makes the quilt top look finished. Here is a close-up of the corner to show the detail in the border print.

Next, I will add a white second border, to outline the print border, and then the binding is solid yellow quilt binding. The border print will double as backing, with a strip made up of two of the quilted rows running about two-thirds of the way down the backing. 

What I learned today is that not only can simple things (like a border) really make a huge difference in a project, but also that if you ask questions, share your work, and seek out people who will help you, then you will learn things that you wouldn't have picked up on your own. And shopping in that little quilting shop means that I'm paying more for what I'm purchasing, but I'm also getting expert advice and encouragement that I can't get from a chain store. The ladies in the chain stores are definitely nice, but today, I had an owner and an additional quilter in the shop who devoted an hour just to showing me the ropes, explaining different ways to do what I was doing, and helping me select fabric for this and other projects. I would say that the small difference in price is definitely made up for by the quality of the fabric I was able to buy, but more importantly, in the one-on-one attention that I received. 

Various Updates

Okay, so there are lots of things to update. I will post pictures later, but suffice it to say that yes, I did get a new sewing machine, and no, my old machine is STILL not repaired. The new machine is a Singer Confidence, and this baby zings through fabric, backing, bias tape, and anything else like nobody's business. I'm serious. This thing flies.

Other updates: I've been working on the circle quilt, and hope to have the last of the circles appliqued to the blocks in the next day or so. Then I get to lay it out and start connecting the blocks into rows that will eventually be sewn together to make the quilt top. Now that I have my new machine, complete with walking foot and darning/free motion foot, I am ready for some serious quilting. Honestly, I can't wait to try quilting for the first time.

I've been working really hard around the house, and it's nice to finally be in a position (mostly related to not being in the 9-5 grind anymore) that I can make my home my own. It's like a surge of creativity has erupted and I see projects that will make a huge difference in how homey our house can feel. I started a plate wall in the kitchen this weekend, and am finished other than going back to get a couple more plate hangers for additional Depression glass that I want to hang. It really is beautiful, even though it's not complete. We did a lot of cleaning in the playroom, and I called a guy this morning who is going to come back tomorrow and clean out some junk from the backyard. There is an old refrigerator and some old furniture that he will haul away, and I swear, once that is gone, I'll be ready to make our back yard a warm, inviting place to be. My idea for the backyard includes a copper firepit, some vintage wrought iron chairs, and new hanging baskets for the eaves of the barn. We also want to get a nice swing set for the kids so that we can enjoy being outside with them.

I guess that's pretty much it. Like I said, I'll add some pictures soon.

Oh wait, while I'm thinking about it, I did make another art bag for a friend of Evie's. Here are a couple of pics of that. The recipient loves elephants, so I found a pattern online and appliqued this elephant for the front of the bag.

Here is a picture of the inside of the bag.

It wasn't perfect, but seeing the huge smiles that ensued when L. saw her new bag just made my heart so happy. All my perfectionism just melted away. It's so great to be able to make something for someone and see them take so much joy from it.

Okay, more later...

Okay, so enough is enough...

Having been without my sewing machine for two and a half weeks now, I have determined that it is time to buy a new machine that is capable not only of basic sewing, but also will have the capacity to do the free-motion quilting that I'm so excited to try. My White 1740, assuming it will eventually be back in working order, will become my back-up machine. It is great for traveling and would be easy to take back and forth to sewing classes, so I won't give up on it completely. But I have way too many projects waiting to be completed to keep waiting, and hey, if I'm going to do any of my own quilting, which I really want to do, then this purchase is imminent.

Hopefully, I will be able to find the perfect machine for me. I'm going over to the sewing shop later today and will post my results. In the meantime, here are the pictures I promised of the circles and squares that will make up the circle quilt. Don't ask me what on earth Evelyn is doing with her hands -- she made that same pose in every single pic.

Wait a minute... I just figured it out. She is clearly hoping to be the next Vanna White. Check out those hands. And she already knows her letters, so I think she is a shoe-in, don't you?

Let's not leave out my boy, Gunnar. He has had so much fun since figuring out that shoes are not his mortal enemy, after all. Check him out.

One more. I just can't help myself.

He swiped Grandma's water cup. I think he was so thrilled to have grabbed it that it didn't matter to him that he couldn't get anything out of the straw. He took off running and giggling after snagging this cup.

I'll sign off for now. Wish me sewing machine shopping luck. I sure hope I'll be posting a picture of my new machine soon! Seriously, I am trying not to get my hopes up that I'll find anything, but oh, can you imagine if they actually have a machine in the shop that is reasonably priced AND does what I want?