Bella Parade 2012 - All Buttoned Up Tutorial

Hello lovelies!

So today is the day (I was dreading until I finished my own pouch and figured out this tutorial actually works!) that you all learn how to make this super cute All Buttoned Up Pouch!

I love this little thing and it is super easy to make with just a little bit of fabric, some hard interfacing, and some industrial snaps. Seriously, this is easily makeable in an hour. I did take tons of pictures though so that's why the post seems so long! So grab some supplies and lets get started!

Here is what you will need:
1. Template (8.5 x 11 template) (11 x 17 template)
2. Exterior fabric approx: 10" x 15"
3. 2 pieces of stiff interfacing each approx: 10" x 15"
4. Lining fabric approx: 10" x 15"
5. 2 sets of industrial strength snaps
6. Snap installation tool
7. Hammer

First you need to print out the pattern template. There are 2 available versions - one that prints on legal size paper and one that prints on regular sized printer paper, but remember you will need to print it 2x and tape the pieces together without overlapping them . Whichever works best for you.

You will need to cut 1 piece of your exterior fabric, 1 piece for your lining, and 2 pieces of stiff interfacing. You can use only 1 piece of interfacing so that the case is a bit more flexible, but do not use more than 2 or you snaps will not be able to make it through all the layers.

Next you need to layer the pieces so that you can sew them all together. First lay down the 2 layers of interfacing, the lining right side up, and the exterior piece right side down. I also suggest spray basting the layers together so that they don't ripple within the pouch once you piece it together.

I suggest starting at the end of one of the long sides and finishing at the top of the same long side. You will need quite a large opening to turn this piece with the super stiff interfacing.

You will need to do this slowly, especially when you get to the corners around the end flaps. If you are using a 1/4" foot the corners will easily get caught up in the foot.

Once sewn all the way around and before you turn it you are going to want to trim all the outside corners to reduce bulk.

Also you are going to want to snip the interior corners. It's hard to see in the photo but I made 3 tiny snips to allow for some flexibility.

Now you are ready to turn the fabric. You will definitely want a turning tool or awl on the corners to make them super square. Then topstitch about 1/8" away from the edge all the way around to sew down your opening and just to make it look a bit more finished.

Now we are ready to attach the snaps!

You will need 2 complete sets to finish the pouch. The outside of the snaps will go on the end flaps, and the bottoms of the snaps will go on the side of the pouch that you did not leave open to turn. That way you have a nicer finished edge on the outside.

Before placing the snaps, fold up the pouch to determine where best to place the snaps on the end flaps. Don't just make them center on the flap because you will lose some length of the flap once it is folded over due to the many layers of the pouch.

Once you figure out where you want to put the tops of the snaps follow the directions on how to install the snap and voila - one part of the snap is in! Repeat on the flap on the other end.

Now the easiest way to attach the bottoms of the snaps on the sides is to fold the pouch as if it were snapped shut and trace around the upper snap with a water soluble pencil so that you can be assured the 2 halves of the snap will line up.

Now this part is a bit trickier, because you have to place the prong side of the snap on the lining side and press through the prongs so that they end up at the center of your traced circle. This can be a bit frustrating as it could snag you fabric if you push it through and it isn't where you want it. So do it slowly and carefully. Once you have the prongs poking through where you want them too finish installing the snap per the directions.

And now you are done!!

Time to start using your pouch for anything like pens, pencils, maybe knitting needles or crochet hooks. Heck you could even make an extra long one to pack chopsticks in your lunch!

Imagine you could embroider your kiddo's initials on the back side or use up old quilt blocks you aren't going to use for a quilt anymore and make it into the pouches exterior. Or better yet, a solid exterior with a pieced interior for that extra little pop of interest!

Well that's it guys! Hope you enjoyed my little tutorial and of course if you have any questions, comments, or notice any problems with the tut please don't hesitate to contact me at bomara [at] gmail [dot] com. Until then I hope you are all enjoying the parade and taking every opportunity to win all the amazing free fabric that is up for grabs!

Cheers!
Bry

Bella Parade 2012 - Fabrics

Hi there y'all!

So this is my first of 2 official posts for the Bella Solids Parade of 2012! I am featuring 4 brand new shades of Bella Solids today, and then am going to show you some fantastic complimentary fabrics for these beautiful new colors.

The shades I am going to share with you are:
Bella Solid # 211 : Citrine
Bella Solid # 218 : Indigo
Bella Solid # 216 : Peacock
Bella Solid # 203 : Orchid

First up, we have CITRINE! This fabric looks freaking fantastic with Tula Pink's Prince Charming line.  It's like Moda matched the color spot on with Tula's assistance. 

Next there's INDIGO! I love this shade with Tula Pink's Parisville line.  It matches her girls so perfectly!

 Next up.... PEACOCK!  This shade goes so perfectly with Tula Pink's Plume line.  Not so much with the first fabric on my layer cake (of course - and I couldn't bear to take it apart just for 1 picture) but take my word for it!  I promise you!  Now on Fat quarter shop, I think the color on my screen looks a bit more blue-ish aqua but it definitely leans more green.

***(And seriously I JUST REALIZED as I was typing this post that I ended up matching 3 of my 4 shades with various Tula Pink lines!  Geeze.  Well I am a total Tula troop through and through - but I swear I didn't do that on purpose!)***

Finally, we have ORCHID!  (i.e. the only shade I didn't match with a Tula Pink line)  I loved this shade with my set of pink/purple oakshot cottons.  I love the feeling of the Bella solids alongside the feeling of the oakshots.  They are both so soft, and the colors are so sweet.  And since oakshots can be so expensive this shade of Bella will be a perfect match to make something with them both. 

Also, I realized right off the bat when I opened my package from Fat Quarter Shop that all 4 of these lovely shades would be amazing with Lotta Jansporter's Echo line!  I only pulled a few prints but honestly they look great with all the colors of that line, even the chocolate brown.  Plus toss in a bit of Kona Ash (which I had in my stash) or some Bella Zen Gray and it's even more fantastic. 

So yeah, Moda has made some fantastic new shades for their Bella Solids line and they are lovely!  And  hope you will join me tomorrow for a tutorial on how to make a super cute little buttoned up pouch perfect for pens, pencils, crochet hooks, knitting needles, and whatever else you can think of!

My Precious QAL

Who's participating??

I know I am!  This was just the swift kick in the pants I needed to do more with my favorite fabrics than just pull them out to look at them, pet them, hug them, kiss them, and then tuck them back into my stash.



And OMG Tula Pink herself is donating a prize!!! SWOON.

A Review of Quilts from the House of Tula Pink

I have been waiting for this book for so freaking long. Wait can I say I am a big time member of Tula's Troops. And it was worth the wait!

The photography in this book and the over all styling is just gorgeous! You can tell how much work went into every photo and the colors are so bright, cheery, and homey.

Sprinkled throughout the book were these fabulous little "Tula says..." boxes full of great little tips, anecdotes, and inspirations!

The illustrations and directions were hand drawn and so sweet.

One of my favorite non-quilting projects is this awesome lampshade embroidery decoration. Its so cute! And I already have the perfect lamp from Ikea to try it on!

The absolute BEST part of the book though was the story behind the quilting of each quilt. Tula explains why she wanted certain motifs and designs, and that the quilting adds another dimension to the quilt as a whole. Its not just about the design or the fabric or the piecing. It's about everything all together, and the quilting plays a big part in that.

All in all this book is an awesome addition to my sewing library. True I am a bit biased as I love her fabrics, but still this is a valuable tool for those looking to learn to quilt and those more experienced sewers who need a little bit of inspiration in their lives!  GET IT!

Time Consuming Much?

Hexies are awesome.   They are addictive, easy, and fun!  Plus you can make them anywhere!  At home, in front of the tv, or in the car while moving yourself across the country!



I have been working on these hexies made from Tula Pink's Parisville line for a while now, picking them up when I have time, and have made quite a bit of progress!



I do have a plan a design a vague idea of something or other in my head for a baby blanket made from these hexies. Until then I just love love taking them out and staring at the pile.



I made these hexies from two charm square packs and 2.5" inch hexagons.  The best part was that the charms were sometimes cut so perfectly as to look fussy cut!







Now I have been making hexagons for quite a bit now, and thanks to Fat Quarterly Issue 8 and its coupon inside for PaperPieces.com I decided to branch out and try a bunch of new sizes!  So hopefully soon you will be seeing triangles, squares, and diamonds in this gorgeous line too!

If you want some inspiration for paper piecing I highly suggest you check out this flickr group!

The New Kid

Yesterday I got to be one of the new kids at the Boston Modern Quild Guild's meeting.  Thankfully it was a great turnout and I was only like 1 of 5 new kids!  Gotta love company! Everyone was extremely sweet, kind, and welcoming, and I really enjoyed myself.  They did show and tell, talked about an upcoming retreat (which sadly I am too late to sign up for), and an upcoming quilt show they are participating in this fall!

After the meeting the amazing ladies behind Sew Fresh Fabrics invited us to their "store" to do a little bit of shopping!  Normally they are not open to the public, and only sell through their etsy shop, but they were awesome enough to the members of the BMQG to come over to their space, paw their bolts, drool on their fat quarters, and make a significant dent in their inventory!  And please note, I have NOT been asked to blog about the shop, I simply feel that when I receive excellent customer service I should share it.  So if you have never shopped with Sew Fresh Fabrics before I highly recommend them. 

Also, Amy from During Quiet Time took some great pictures of their space and stock! So be sure to check out her post! 

They have a fantastic selection of Japanese fabrics, including this gorgeous alphabet panel that I snatched up immediately.  

 Any idea what I am going to do with it?  Of course not - but how could I resist it?! The colors are bright, the texts sweet, and the pictures adorable. 

These are just a few of my favorite panels on this adorable piece!  And the great part is that 1 panel is 2 complete sets of these tiles!

They also have sooooo many modern lines - I was damn near drooling on the bolts.  So many of these lines I hadn't gotten to see in person yet, including Lotta Jansdotter's Echo line.  I have seen swatch pictures, quilts, handbags, skirts, and tons of other things made from these prints, but was never all that attracted to the line.

But seeing it there in front of me - all those bolts in these deep jewel tones with pops of pink and aqua was just too much for my poor wallet to resist.  Suddently I LOVED THIS LINE!

And then I found a fat quarter bundle pre-cut and just waiting for me to take it home, love it, pet it, and transform it into a cuddly, super warm, blanket!

Plus to make this even more irresistable Sew Fresh Fabrics makes Kona Cotton solid bundles to match the line!  This way I don't have to wait till I get home, pull out my color card, and try to match up solids myself!  The work is already done for me!

I got both the warm and cool colorways....of course.  They match the prints gorgeously!  Colors include Aqua, Sage, Ash, Candy Green, Glacier, Nightfall, Snow, Ochre, Curry, Amber, Sable, and Coffee.

Plus they label all their konas, which I LOVE.  Seriously, I have so many konas and 95% of them are not labeled despite my best efforts and I no longer have any idea what they are.  

Ahhh, so lovely!  I cannot wait to cut into these beauties!  Of course I need to finish the quilt currently attached to my machine....hmmm....details.

Also I can't do much new sewing before I leave on vacation this week!  When I get back get ready for several pictures from one of the happiest places on Earth!  

Until then my lovelies!