Asian-Inspired Log Cabin Zipper Bag

JoAnn's New Quilt Fabric Department!

If you haven't dropped into your local JoAnn store in the past few weeks, expect a most pleasant surprise. They are moving in quilting fabric by the truck load! The stores will be carrying 1091 quilt fabrics when the shelves are finally full, but the first wave of these gorgeous new fabrics already whet this quilter's appetite. I was looking for some special fabric for a gift project, and knew it when I saw it.

Patchwork Carry All Tote Kit from Craftsy

Which one would you pick? 

Patchwork Carry All Tote Kit

Skill level: Advanced Beginner
Time to complete: One Weekend
On Sale NOW for just $21.78!

Occasionally a company will ask an affiliate blogger to make a product, and review the pattern and process. I've agreed to do this bag for Craftsy, but I will share with you, dear Reader, my honest opinion.  

How to Make Weekly Studio Goals Within Reason

It's Monday early, and both my personal and studio To-Do-Lists are crippling! I had a relaxing, long weekend away, but arrived home to find I'm swamped even when I was very organized. It feels awful.

How Do You Cope?

First, I am a list maker. I wrote everything down for each list--even though it was overwhelming. Then I prioritized half of it, and picked 4 of those things to start on. Still too much, perhaps, but well within reason. I made reachable goals.

Does Our Work Define Who & What We Are?

Dear fellow Blogger, Quilter, or poor soul who stumbled onto this funky blog titled Pink Doxies:

2015 year is winding down, and some of us feel the need to finish up loose ends. While wrapping up projects, I'm pleasantly surprised to see my work has come full circle. 

Christmas In My Heart Day #4 and A Trunk Show

Welcome to Day 5 of the 
Christmas in My Heart Blog Hop!

I know everyone has had fun blog hopping, and gotten some inspiring ideas for the holidays. I hope you've all entered for the $25 gift certificate each day sponsored by The Fat Quarter Shop, and many of the featured blogs have had giveaways of their own. It's been fun, and we have 2 more days to go!

The One Year Journey of a Quilting Blogger

Me, Julie, the Pink Doxie Mama

This post has been turning in my mind for a month. I joined the 2015 New Quilt Bloggers in June as a way to hone my blogging skills and meet others. We've covered the gamut of topics in our Facebook group, and I've enjoyed being introduced to both the new blogs, and the real voices behind them.  

Kate Spain Soft Tote Finish a.k.a. A Lesson in Laminate Sewing

A quick finish to report for my Q2 Finishes 
On the Windy Side.



Here's my pile of fabric. This was a learning project, 
too, because the Kate Spain fabric on the bottom is 
a laminated cotton. I had never sewn with it, and 
when I got a little less than a yard of it on clearance, 
it was a chance to try without a big investment.



Bag construction is pretty basic to most, but a 
few people have recently asked how to box out 
the bottom. I'll show you how to to get an even 
box, which doesn't always happen when 
I just eyeball it.

Once the sides are sewn, mark the same
distance to the top and side of a lower corner. 
Here I've used 3" each way.

Turn the bag so the side and bottom seam are
on top of each other. If you haven't sewn a bottom
seam, which I prefer, use your ruler to square it up 
like shown. You align the side seam with a vertical 
mark on your ruler, and match the dots on each 
side of the bottom. Pin, and draw your line.

It should look like this. If I was doing a small bag,
I would cut this excess off because it would just
add bulk. I tend to keep it on a large bag, and 
just fold it under to the bottom. It adds stability
to the corner, and an additional layer should 
the bag start to wear through.

Next I made the liner for the bag with the same 
construction process. I used the same
measurements for width exactly, but added about 
4" for a fold over band. The width got me into a 
pickle, and I'll show you why in a bit. I've found if 
I cut my liner width about 1/2" smaller, it fits better 
at the end. Think of nesting bowls.

Here is where I started to learn my lesson about 
laminated fabrics. They are not smooth like 
regular cotton. It wasn't as much of a problem 
catching on the machine surface or presser foot 
I could see, but was very apparent in the stitching 
in the handle below.

I saw no other way around my handle problem, 
so I used a little more contrast fabric to cover 
my laminated fabric. The laminate added weight 
inside instead of strapping, and I could sew it all together.

This handle had to be ripped out, and notice the 
fabric didn't 'recover'. The stitching holes were 
still visible even after I misted the fabric, and 
lightly pressed from the WRONG side. Do
not iron laminated fabric from the right side!
It will ruin your fabric and your iron.

The next dilemma was how to sew the handles

onto the bag with the laminate on the bottom. I grabbed

a scrap, and positioned it under the laminate so things 

would slide on the bottom as I sewed at the top.

Here's the view from the top side. At this point, the 
lining was still free of the bag. I wanted the handle 
seams hidden on the inside so it looked polished. 
First stitching, sew with the handles facing down 
toward the inside of the bag. (The white is the liner.)

Fold the handles up covering the raw seam,
and stitch all around for security.

 
This is what I had so far. The lining was pinned 
at the side, and sewn down at the patches only.

I was excited to be so nearly finished. My daughter 
stopped in for a look, and asked if this bag was
staying with us. Please? I knew it was a hit then.

I brought the excess liner over the top to cover 
my orange patches, and did a quick pin around. 
It puckered. A lot! I repinned. It still puckered. 

 So, I did a quick fix by taking in my liner seams by 
about 1/4" on each side, and not too far down.

That was all it needed. I pinned the liner in place where 
I knew the pin holes would notshow on the finished 
piece, and sewed. Then I went back and sewed the 
handlesall the way to the top edge, and finished
with an edge stitch around the top.

This is a bit of a less structured bag without interfacing, 
but the laminate would not have withstood the heat to 
bond, and I'm not a lover of sewn-in interfacing. It's 
proven to be a workhorse so far while loaded.

One thing I've been toting around is a new book called 
Little Quilts. Lisa in Port Hope posted her sweet mini 
from it on the Pet Project Show a few weeks ago, and I 
had to hunt it down. So many neat ideas here!

Trying new things is fun for me. I'm not afraid of 
change, but sometimes it takes getting used to. There's
a new look to the blog, as I'm sure you've noticed. I'll 
give a little tutorial on some of the features the next
time we talk. For today, notice these fancy-shmancy 
buttons below. This is where you can find all the ways 
to follow Pink Doxies in one hexie-spot. If you don't 
know what they all are, just click. They don't bite 
like Doxies.

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.

Linking up with~
Q2 Finishes on the Windy Side
Sew Fresh Quilts
Freshly Pieced

Cell Phone and Camera Sling Bag

Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

~unknown

I'm so excited to show you my new Make! 

I will tell you that I have lost my beloved cell

phone very few times. Once I came home 

from the barn without it, and on back-tracking 

found it laying in the middle of the road 

across town. It survived. The second was a 

bounce out of my pocket while mowing. My

daughter had the experience of bush hogging 

her own phone into tiny pieces years ago, so

I knew I needed a solution.

I have been working on my Anna Marie Horner

Swap this past week, and the mini-quilt is

nearly done. I don't want to show you the 

whole thing as to not ruin the surprise for

my partner out there, but here's a sneak peek.

I needed some hand sewing to do one day while

all the dogs were here for a play date. My studio

is not yet dog-proofed for 6 energetic dogs!

This is an original design, and I was excited to

try out some applique and embroidery with 

this new project. I love the Folk Song line, and it 

seemed to speak to the 70's child in me. When I 

saw the leftovers, I knew what I wanted to do.

I pieced improvisationally until I came up

with a slab of both the tumblers, and the 

strips. The darker chunk of fabric in the

back is also AMH, but from an earlier line.

I liked the little bit of contrast it provided, 

and it's the backing used in my swap.

The strips made up the back.

The tumblers made up the front, and 

the Innocent Crush became the lining.

I added large 3M One velcro strips for

security, but none of the problems you

have with typical hook and loop tape.

I love this stuff!

I used FMQ in a swirly, floral pattern, and 

my favorite pink Aurifil thread to give

it a touch of pizazz.

I put a strip of scrap binding over the inside lip,

then bound it as I would a regular quilt.

Now for the strap. I can't stand anything digging

into my shoulder, so no wimpy strap for me. I 

used leftover batting and fabric with the selvage,

and made a wonderfully padded strap to cross

over my body. There are 3 layers of batting 

inside, and one seam sewn down the middle 

to hold it all together. 

I've been wearing it since I made it, and it's passed

the test. I love it. I can stick my iPhone with its 

Mophie battery pack, and my little Canon Power

Shot inside, and have room left over for

money or emergency items. 

I can actually say it was a total scrap project

because I used all the leftovers from my 

swap project. Woohoo! I'm over the

moon with my little Make, and thankful to 
keep my valuables safe now.

Working away at my QST quilt, and hope to

show you the flimsy finish this weekend.

I'm close.

Come on, Doxie Girls.

We've got sewing at Joann's tonight.

Daylight's burning!

Let's go sew.

Sandra is the hostess of 
Creative Space Tag today at~
Musings of a Menopausal Melon


Linking up today with~
Quilt Shop Gal
Crazy Mom Quilts
TGIFF @ Quilt Matters
Richard and Tanya Quilts
Free Motion Mavericks

A Quilting Reader's Garden
My Quilt Infatuation
Freshly Pieced
Quilting Jet Girl
Sew Fresh Quilts

Fresh Arrangements

Effy came out to help me show off the new

bag I made today. I used some heavy gingham

someone had given me, and some uber retro, 

poly-vinyl with giant strawberries I found at

a local discount fabric store. It's a little

over-the-top, but I had to buy a yard of it

at $3 a yard. I'd never sewn with vinyl before 

so it was purely experimental. It was 

easier than I anticipated. No problems.

Simple construction. Make the inside envelope of 

fabric. Tuck the corners so it will 'stand' with

a flat bottom. The same process with the vinyl.

I ran a band of strap reinforcing around the top,

then turned it under and sewed the two bags

together. The handles are reinforced the

same way, and sewn to the band to provide

strength to the whole bag.

The large check gingham peeks through

just enough to make me think of a picinc.

I imagine over time the vinyl with harden

a little, but it will get some solid use this

season. Doesn't it look like a summer bag?

The best part is I can put it down anywhere,

and not be afraid of getting something on it.

Just wipe it off!

I took time over the Easter weekend to 

tear apart my sewing studio, and do some 

deep cleaning. I thought about how

my needs and movement in the space 

had changed since I first took it over.

I needed to make some small changes.

 These are flannel covered artists' canvases.

Blocks hold on to them easily, and I also stick 
pins through them to hang up papers and such.

I hung them up on the wall to get them off the 
back of my cutting table. They're still portable. 
I can take them down and move the blocks over to 
the large design wall keeping everything in order. 
Those extra few inches gain me space, and 
keep the boards from falling over into 
my work space now.

I relocated my sewing machines into a straight

line. Now I can use the table to the left to

help support large projects I'm working on.

I will cover that portion of the table in a 

slippery plastic as the rough surface makes

manipulating my quilts more difficult.
I'm directly under the light in the fan, and 
have an additional lamp. I need that extra
light when doing detail sewing.

One spare table is kept relatively free
in case someone comes in to sew with me.

I'm also facing the t.v. so if I choose to watch

or listen, it's easier. I've made an aisle

behind my machines to walk through, and I

think it all flows much better. My cart can
be moved around to wherever it's needed.

I've gotten bins off my cutting tables to gain

more space, too. I don't need everything up 

there at once, and it keeps things freer of lint

and dust build-up. Just store them on the shelves.

One last walk outside before the rain starts.
The Maple buds will burst open any day now.

Already there is color to go with our
April showers.

Until next time friends~

Come on, Doxie Girls.
Let's go sew.