Category: flannel

The “Unpaper” Towels

So, I completed my “unpaper” towels. I believe the actual pattern called them reusable paper towels, but I found hat an odd name since they were not paper.

Here is what I learned about making these:

Use a walking foot. I fought with it until I got the bright isdea to use my walking foot. After that everything went much better.

Put your opening to turn right side out on the side not where you want the snaps to go. It can make getting those plastic snaps more difficult if it is bunched and when you are closing up it is more likely that will happen (I sewed mine shut with the machine when I went around the whole towel.

I used three snaps on each end. The pattern called for 2. Initially I had such issues, that Iput three on each end. I will try 2 if/when I make these again.

The plastic snap tool – Watch a video on how to do it. I failed to do this and once I did, I had way more success. Use it on a hard surface (once I watched a video, I put a wooden cutting board under mine). Be prepared to waste some snaps until you get the hang of it. I did not buy my snap tool just for this, but also for baby bibs. They are not expensive maybe 20 dollars for tools and a whole box of colored snaps. I bought it on Amazon. It came with the the big box (top left). I bought some additional snaps because they were inexpensive.

The Practicality of “Unpaper” towels – Not sure on this one yet. I will have to review the actual use by everyone at our house. I am hoping to hear less harsh words over lack of dish towels and having them all over the counter. I made a roll of ten and then some spares (I think I had 8 more). Once it has been in use a while at my house I will let you know if it is a truly useful item. So far, it makes me happy to use up the stack of older towels we had.

I am feeling better every day. Looking forward to losing this neck brace. I am back to work, which is great. I am not good at sitting around doing nothing. Prior to my surgery, I got a new super expensive office chair (X-Chair). It has a neck rest and heat/massage. It has been a life saver and allowed me to return to work quickly. I did not want to sped the money, but Kevin made me……good call on his part.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

And… I am back

Successful Neck Fusion.  I am already getting the feeling back in my arms and legs.  I was told it might take a while for my spinal cord to recover, but I already see an improvement.  I did spend one night in the hospital, which was the right thing, despite the fat that I did not want to.  But the first night was a bit rough.  Glad it is over. and I can get back to my life.

So, yes, I have already been sewing.  Not the easiest thing to do with my star wars brace, but it is my happy place.  Not a lot, but every little bit counts. Reusable Paper Towels –   Sounds weird, but at my house, dish towels are used every day multiple per day.  It is hard to have enough and have a place to store them.  Then there is the fact that I am a freak also.  We have 3 dogs so if the towel gets dropped on the floor I am done with it , and in the laundry it goes.  Also, if I don’t know where the towel has been and it is out on the counter, in the laundry it goes.  The five second rule does not apply to dish towels at my house. I am using the JoAnn Fabrics dimensions. I had the flannel and am using some old towels that were in really good shape. I looked at buying yardage of terry cloth, but it was expensive and I did not like the feel of most. Easier to buy Bath towels, or use what I had.

So, I am done with the quilting on the Easter Topper. I tried to get fancy, but am still somewhat limited. I need more practice. So, before my surgery I attempted to make bias binding for this piece. Epic fail. I don’t make bias binding often and had to look up how to do it. Still did it wrong and wasted some fabric. I was not clear of mind right before the surgery, so I should not have attempted. Lesson learned. Hoping I have enough of something that matches to give it another go.

This is my contraption that I must wear. Super Attractive. Basically keeps me from moving my neck. I get to take it off for sleep, which I am quite happy about. It does look like something from Star Wars and I am still trying to come up with a witty name for it. The worst part about this surgery was the wait time before. You are left with your own thoughts, which are far worse than ay surgery could be. I have so many sewing things planned, I am hoping I can get to work on all of them soon.

Happy Sewing!

Happy Quilting!

One Monthly Goal…It is truly a miracle

I am not sure how I managed to finish my One Monthly Goal, but I did.  This is the quilt WaterMark_2018-04-21-19-28-17top given to me by Nanette.  I love it.  I quilted dog bones, free-handed it.  That was a bit scary, but it came out all right.  I used a festive multi-watermark_2018-04-21-19-26-10.jpgcolor thread.  I love multi-color threads.  I don’t know why.  I am weird.

So, the back, come crazy dog fabric.  I had a friend give me whole bolt of this stuff.  It is sort of odd, not exactly fleece and not exactly flannel.  Just weird, but perfect for my dog quilt.  Yes, this is my dog quilt.  I have already used it while lounging on the couch.  Warm and cozy and extra special since the top was made by an extra special friend.  I have plan to make another quilt like this and donate to a dog rescue so they can hopefully raise some money.

Seems that family is on the mend.  Kev is getting better and my sister’s prognosis no longer seems as bleak as it once was.  A long way to go, but there is light.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

Sarcasm is running amuck…..amuck…amuck…amuck…

I finally found a use for flannel.  Yeah.

I do say that with a hint of sarcasm.  I like flannel, just not in quilts.  Then why do I have so much?  Good question.  Maybe I just can’t pass up a sale.  Ohhhh, that is very likely.  Don’t get me wrong, I have made a  few flannel quilts with scraps.  They came out fine.  I just feel that by the time I am done, the fuzz on flannel looks dirty.  I know, weird.  But I do like these cute receiving blankets made with flannel.  Super simple and cute.  I would like to make them a bit larger, which I will work on for the next one.

20180414_085845-1.jpgThis past Saturday our guild had a quilt in.  Name tags with your name or your code name.  Hah!  Well, I could not help myself.  The sew-in was fun.  They had someone teaching free motion quilting, or you could just work on whatever you wanted to.  I took my $11.99 Bernina and sewed up a storm.  It was a rainy Saturday in Ohio, so it was perfect for sewing and I won a door prize.  $25.00 gift certificate to a local quilt shop.  WooHoo!

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

One Monthly Goal Finish

Seriously, how can January be over?  As I get older, I do not understand how time passes so quickly.  I feel like the holidays were last week.

I actually completed my One Monthly Goal. Not only did I complete, but I did a “New” (new for me), all over FMQ design.  I guess I can call it the “Linangle” design (lines and Angles).  It is not perfect, but it is not that bad either.  The only major weirdness is the binding.  I did not have enough fabric to do all one color,m so I used what I had.  Looks a little wonky because of it.

Now I am going to have to come up with a new one monthly goal for February.  Likely to be more quilting.  I am working on a secret piecing project.  More on that later.

I don’t have any plans for this quilt yet.  Will likely just store until the right time comes along for me to give it away or donate to charity.

I really enjoy the “One Monthly Goal”.  It is a strong motivator for me to get things done.  I can not say I am going to do something and then not do it.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

I Think my Quilting is actually improving.

So, this is my One Monthly Goal project and I decided to not do my normal boring meandering.  This is an all over pattern, but I was surprised once it was all done that it did not look to bad.

I always get nervous when I try something that is outside my norm on a quilt.  I mean there is the potential of totally screwing up a top that you spent time putting together.  I am certainly becoming less intimidated.  So, I actually had the angled meandering done a quilt before, but I paid for it.  I did not like it all.  They kind of did a crappy job.  Mine is actually better and I did not have a long arm.  Just me and my Bernina free motion quilting. As I was quilting this, I did not think that I would like it.  I thought I may have done to much quilting, but once it was complete, it did not look to bad.

I really think that I am Super Klutz.  I almost titled this post “Fat Girl Falls Down Part 3”. Saturday morning, I decide to go out to the hot tub.  Step up get one foot in and the steps slide out and I fall straight down, one foot still in the hot tub.  This time I am straddling the edge.  It hurt so bad, that I could not move.  I actually chose to fall in.  Seemed way better than falling outside the tub, considering it was ten degrees.  I survived.  I have the blackest bruise I have ever seen, somewhere you really don’t want a bruise.  I am starting to think the hot tub is trying to kill me.  It is supposed to be helping me.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

My One Monthly Goal and the coming year

So, for my One Monthly Goal, I am going to completely finish this baby quilt.  It needs quilted and bound.  It has been laying over the gate entrance to my room, for months.  It is just staring at me.  Since I am now imaging my unfinished quilts are staring at me, I should probably just complete.  Then, my non completion guilt should go away….maybe, there are a lot of those pieces.

The one monthly Goal has been so helpful in helping to get items completed.  I very much have that personality that if I say I am going to complete something, then I am going to do it.

For this year I would like to finish all the tops that I have lying around.  I am not sure how many I actually have.  I would guess 7 or 8.  That is a fairly tall order, but it would be great to get done.

I won’t say that I won’t start any new projects, but I do not want to buy fabric to start a new project.  I can purchase stuff to finish things, but I am trying to avoid going out and buying fabric to start new quilts.  We will see how that goes.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

What to do, What to do???

These are my daughters receiving blanket from when she was a baby.  I had put them in my cedar chest to make a quilt from them.  I need to make room in that cedar chest for “other things” (more quilts)  for all my future grandchildren.  However, I have a block on this one.  I usually “see” in my mind what I want to do.  I have been staring at this pile for weeks and have come up empty.  There are 13 flannel blankets (several duplicates) so it is a good bit of yardage.  Most are about 36×36 and a few are a bit bigger.  I think there is plenty pf fabric.  I just can’t figure out what to do.  I am thinking it will not be a baby blanket, but something bigger maybe for my future grandchild that might be a big older who would understand that it was made from all the blankets there Mommy was wrapped up in.  Gosh, I sound like a fruit loop!  Being that I did wait until I was 40 to have Haley, I am always thinking that I won’t get to meet her children.  This will be may way of letting them know who Grams is in case I am not here.  If she waits as long as I did, I may not meet them.

If anyone has any suggestions on type of pattern or anything to release my mind block, please let me know.  I always get such good advice from our blogging community.  Thanks!

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Just a little Scrap Busting with Flannel….Ehh

In the midst of my crankiness, I kept looking at this pile of scrap flannel that was just taking up valuable space (on my pool table AKA quilt project table).  So, I just decided to cut it up and see what I could get.  I had a bunch of blues and some lavender and purple.  This is what I got out of the blues with just a few squares left over for the scrap bin.  It will make an OK gift or donation baby quilt.  Just some weird sized square blocks.  I had to use what I had the best way I could.  Just did some meandering for the quilting.  Nothing special.  This was a thinking quilt, meaning I did a lot of thinking while I was working on it,  not about the quilt, it did not take much thinking, but about my general crankiness.  I came to no real conclusions.  I am still a bit cranky.

So, I often wonder if I am the only one with weird issues.  I don’t really like to make quilts out of flannel.  The weirdness is that I think/feel that the fuzziness of flannel always looks dirty when I am done.  It looks like it has been laying around a while and needs to go into the washer.  I even try to be careful and make sure that my machine table is clean and that I always have clean hands, but the fuzziness of the flannel always looks dirty.  Just wondering if that is Compulsive Lori overthinking or anyone else ever feels that way?

I need to get over it, because at some point in my life I bought a bunch of flannel.  I need to do something with it.  Some of it is actually cute, but it is flannel.  Ugh.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting