Greetings!  It has been a while.  Here are a few items I have created recently.

The first is a clothespin bag I designed for my dear friend, Shari.  She is faithful to hang all of her laundry outside, even in the winter.  (Mine go straight in the dryer or hang inside.)  I admire my friend.  Shari loves the bag.  I put it on a pants clothes hanger.  It easily slides along the line with Shari.

I also included this birthday card with coordinating fabric from the clothespin bag's apron.  Making my own cards is something I am beginning to do more and more.  It seems to add a personal touch.  Sewing on cardstock paper is easy too.  I used my darning foot, lowered the feed dogs and simply sewed around the flower and then did the stem and leaves (2 minutes tops) and wrote my message inside.

Greetings! 

December 2, 2013 

Fabric Boxes with French Seams

I am going to attempt to post a tutorial on how I do my French Seams.

I originally learned to make Fabric Boxes from Tina at http://seaside-stitches.blogspot.com/2013/03/fabric-box-tutorial.html.

The following are the steps I did after making Tina's quilted square for the box.  

Follow Tina's instructions through the point of quilting the square.  

THEN, fold your quilted square with the inside fabric facing each other and mark your corners.  My square is 15" with 3" corners.  ( You might want to make smaller corners which will produce a shorter fabric box, example: 2" corner.)  Stitch the line.  

Measure 1/4" past your stitched line and draw a line with an erasable marker.  Next, cut between your stitching line and the marked line.  This will give you approximately an 1/8" seam allowance.  It is easier to do it this way since you are working with a lot of bulk.  

Repeat on the other corner.  Then, fold your box and do the remaining two corners.  This is how your box should look now.

Turn your box inside out.

OK, this will sound a little strange but run your finger on the inside of your box along the seam.  By running your finger along this seam you will be, in essence, finger pressing your seam open.  Next, pin along your seams as shown in the following photo.

Sew a 1/4" seam and secure your line of stitching at the beginning and at the end.  By sewing this 1/4" seam you will be encasing your 1/8" seams allowance on the other side!  Stitch the other seams and turn your box right side out.

Fold your corners over and slip stitch the corners to the outside of the box.

Add your embellishment and you are done!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  There are a lot of uses for these boxes and endless combinations with your fabrics.  At this point, I prefer sandwiching my fabrics with warm and natural.  However, I may try different batting also.

Whew...  where has the time gone?  This blogging thing scares me.  I should ask what is the worst that could happen...  lol!

Recently returned from visiting two of my grandchildren.  Taylor, my seven year old grandson enjoyed sewing on my 1947 FW sewing machine.  He designed 3 crosses to applique on his T-shirt.  He operates it by himself.  He has gotten quite efficient at putting the needle down; lifting the presser foot; turning the fabric; putting the presser foot down again and resume sewing.  He almost had the needle threaded before he asked for help.  Maybe next time he will be ready for that.

I am new at this but I will see if I can load a few photos of Taylor sewing.

YEAH!  I did it... my very first time!

Here is Ruby, 5 y.o., watching her brother sew.  She also sewed on my FW, I just didn't grab the camera.  We made a princess tutu for Ruby.  

Well, I have to laugh because this is day TWO of my new blog...   and I am lost!  I will keep plugging at it and hope to have some little zippered coin purses posted soon.  I made them for my roommates at my church's Women's Retreat this last weekend.  We had a blast.  Stay tuned...