Closed The Etsy Shop...

I closed the Etsy shop for now. 

Sewing and sewing...

I've been preoccupied with sewing for an Arts & Crafts fair.  Fair was this weekend and finished lots of stuff. We also raised money for Camp Hope - http://www.chrisnealfarm.com. I made a quilt which will be raffled off this coming weekend.

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 My booth.

 

  

Hanging accessories keepers (5 pockets).

 

Microwave cozy bowls.

 

With bowls in the cozies. 

And banners!

 Badge Banner (for Scout badges).

Another bear quilt finished...

This is the second quilt I made for a friend's grand-niece.  She gave me 3 bear panels, and I worked the 9-patch quilt around the single panel. The back is flannel for extra snggly-ness. :)

 

Stashbusting:

1 spool of thread

2 yards of various scrap fabrics

One down, one to go...

I'm making two of these for a friend's grand-nieces.  She gave me the bear panels, the rest is fabric from my scrap box. The backs on each quilt are flannel for snuggly-ness.

 

 

Stashbusting:

2 yards of various scrap fabrics

1 spool of thread

Bibs for the grand-niece...

I made some bibs for the grand-niece.

 

Stashbusting:

1/2 yard of flannel scraps

1/2 yard of terrycloth scraps

partial spool of thread

A little project...

My niece asked if I could make some more burp cloths for her baby, my grand-niece.  Sure!  Found some leftover flannel, bought a couple inexpensive towels, and viola! New burp cloths! She did ask me not to make the "notch" for the shoulder that I'd done for the other burp cloths I made her. So both sides are straight.

Stashbusting:

1 and 1/2 yards of fabric

1 spool of leftover thread

Since people found out I can sew (and quilt)...

I've been doing some commissioned sewing and quilting!

The customer wanted shades of gray with pops of green and coral.  The quilt is 88 X 98 - Queen size.

A customer gave me an apron and asked me to make 3 copies of the style in Christmas fabric. She left the choice of fabric up to me. I made 3 identical aprons from Mary Englebreit's Christmas Cookies fabric.

I also made 3 identical aprons from Robert Kaufmann's Christmas Recipe Card Collection.  The customer now has two choices. The remaining aprons will go into my Etsy shop. 

Stashbusting:

4 spools of various threads leftover from other projects.

I've been busy!

First, I'd like to announce my new Etsy shop!  YAY!  I finally did it!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MerryMadeStudio

I have spent most of the last 3 months sewing and quilting to fill the Etsy shop and to finish up some projects for family and friends. I decided to tally up what I've made so far this year (since January 10). Whew!  I've been busy!  Current tally:

3 crocheted afghans (1 is in the Etsy shop)
2 pot holders
2 embellished towels
23 microwave bowl cozies (12 are in the Etsy shop)
1 apron
1 table runner
3 Quilts Of Honor of my own dsign
10 panel Quilts Of Honor
10 dust covers with accessory pockets (4 covers went to the Etsy shop)
7 tote bags
7 quilts (for the Etsy shop)
2 fabric baskets (for the Etsy shop)
2 terrycloth bunnies

WHEW!  And there's still more to come!

A crocheted afghan backed with fleece...

One of my kids is learning to crochet so I helped put together the squares after they were finished.  I then backed the crocheted "patchwork" with fleece so it'd be extra warm.  

Camo and pink for a little grand-niece. 

The fleece back. 

Seven Tote Bags...

My sister asked if I could make her some tote bags to use as gifts.  I had great fun searching the web for various free patterns.  Each bag is different, I tried several patterns and I also altered every one of them to suit what she asked for - outside AND inside pockets. 

Each of the wide bands across the front are pockets - but there is a matching band on the back, with more pockets! Some don't have inside pockets because they have several outside pockets.

4 outside pockets.

6 outside pockets and 1 inside pocket.

4 outside pockets.

4 outside pockets, 1 inside pocket.

6 outside pockets.

4 outside pockets.

6 outside pockets, 2 inside pockets.

StashBusting:

About 6 yards of fabric

2 yards of lining fabric

4 yards of fleece

2 spools of thread

Six More Quilts Of Honor Tops...

I finished six more Quilts Of Honor tops.  Off they go to the volunteer long-arm quilter, then to the woman who will bind them and then on to the military veterans1 YAY! 

StashBusting:

1 yard of fabric (the rest was donated)

2 spools of thread

Made 6 of these for a customer...

I made 6 of these for a customer.  They are garment dust covers and they have a little accessories pocket for belts and scarves that go with whatever clothing they cover. The customer provided the fabric and the zippers.

On the hanger with the pocket closed. 

How they are used - clothing goes under the dust cover and the accessories go in the pocket.  It can be zipped closed, too.  

StashBusting:

40 inches of leftover ribbon

40 inches of leftover lace

40 inches of leftover giant rickrack

1 spool of machine quilting thread

None of my machines liked this thread and I thought I'd never use it up.   

Turns out the Featherweight loves it!

Scrappy Quilt Of Honor

There were still a few scraps leftover from the Quilts Of Honor so I made a sort of log-cabin block and then surrounded it with some fabric in my stash. This quilt will be donated to QOH, too.

Stashbusting:

2 yards of fabric from my stash

Partial spool of cream-colored thread

Quilts Of Honor

I've been pretty busy lately, and part of my time is going towards our local chapter of Quilts Of Honor. A kind soul donated a bunch of patriotic fabric panels and some yardage.  I've been putting borders on my batch, getting them ready to quilt. Another QOH member will be long-arm quilting them, and yet another member will be binding them. I've finished the six below and have six more to do.

 

 

Stashbusting:

3 spools of thread

About 5 yards of my fabric donated to the cause

The 2nd Quilt Of Honor...

This is the 2nd Quilt Of Honor I've made for the organization.  I wanted a random, scrappy look to the half-square triangles. All blues on one side, all reds on the other. Only the blue fabric was bought, the rest came from my stash. The organization will provide the batting and the long-arm quilting.

Stashbusting:

About 3 yards of various fabrics

2 spools of white thread

Quilt Of Honor...

Found some red, white and blue fabrics in my stash and made a Disappearing 9-Patch Quilt Of Honor top for a veteran.  I passed this top on to the organization's chairman. It will be long-arm quilted by a volunteer and donated to a veteran recipient.  

Stashbusting:

3 yards of assorted fabrics

4 flat sheets and 5 muslin curtain panels given to the Quilts Of Honor organization 

for backings for this, and other quilts.

From Chef's apron to more...

So I made my sister a chef's apron a few year ago, and she asked me to cut it down to a half-apron.  I did so, then I used the leftover fabric to make her a microwave bowl cozy, and a small table runner.  To make the table runner more absorbent, I used an old microfiber towel as batting. 

 

The "new" apron, a microwave bowl cozy and a tablerunner.

Stashbusting:

1 yard of assorted scrap fabrics

1 microfiber towel as batting.

Sewing small things again...

The new, black and red kitchen set for my daughter. 

2 embellished towels, 2 microwave bowl cozies, and 2 potholders.  

Combining two techniques...

Different things going on in my sewing room...

 I made a crocheted baby afghan and then backed it with fleece. The fleece is  the blue and green zigzag - a remnant of a fleece blanket from Walmart.  The blanket was cheaper than buying a yard of fleece fabric, and it matched the crocheted afghan perfectly. 

 

 

I am making some kitchen items for a couple people who have decorated their kitchens with red and black.  I bought 2 fat quarter bundles at Walmart in the colors and will be using them for various items.  In this photo is the first microwave potholder bowl.

Doing some new things, too...

My daughter started learning to crochet and while I was visiting her, I rediscovered it for myself.  A grandmother taught me some basic stitches when I was around 11 years old.  So I started with simple stitches for now and made something for the baby. Below is a not very good photo of the baby afghan I made.  (1 large skein of baby yarn and a simple double crochet). I did the same stitch around the edges 3 times to use up the yarn.

My daughter made the potholder, but I finished the edges...it's a little wonky, but she's learning.