QuickStitch Tote from ChrisW Designs

I loved testing this this great looking QuickStitch Tote bag for ChrisW Designs! It's nice and roomy, without being huge. You can use webbing or make fabric handles. You can add the slip pocket to the front or both the front and the back of the bag (like I did). Inside is a zipper pocket with a cool-looking zipper overlay that has 2 credit card slots as well! (Other zipper overlay shapes with 2 credit card slots are also available to purchase separately.  The zipper overlay pdf includes 8 designs and lots of zipper sizes to add to any bag that you want to have a zipper overlay! (It's on sale for a limited time now too)!

Bag measures: 16” wide x 12” high x 4 ½” deep.

I used a couple of woven straps my good friend gave to me that are from Guatemala. They were longer than needed and had fringe on the ends, so I cut the excess length off and will use those cut off pieces in something else I make😉. I added some antique brass rivets for extra security as well as a bit of bling.

Front slip pocket is roomy and perfect for a phone and I added another one on the back of the bag too, which can hold keys or other items.

Say "ahh". I love how wide this bag opens! And there is the zipper overlay with the credit card slots. I used the exterior fabric for the overlay. I love this fabric with the postal cancellation stamps for the lining. If you need more pockets a slip pocket across from the zipper pocket could be added. The tote closes with a magnetic snap and that is why it can open so wide. 

If you have a machine that can cut things like a Cricut or Scan 'N Cut, then cutting these overlays would be a great use to be able to cut your cork or vinyl with a machine like that and the SVG files are included in the pdf pattern. Alas, I do not own a machine like that, so I had to hand trace the pattern and hand cut it out. The hardest part to hand cut was the slots for the credit cards as they are so narrow. I think if my material was a bit stiffer, it would have been easier to cut for me. 

You can add purse feet as an option, but I should have space them out just a bit more. They do the job, so that's what matters.

The handles were wider than the instructions called for, so I folded the center part in and stitched them to make a nicer grab handle part.

I took this bag to my Stitch Group to show everyone. I had not used it before and placed my knitting inside it. After I shared it during Show & Tell, I was asked if I had others made, which I did not, but said I could make in any color or I could sell this one, and so she bought this bag! Yay! I wasn't expecting that, so it was nice for her and for me! She liked the size and thought it would be a better bag for her knitting and crochet than what she was using. I can always make another for anyone who wants to buy one and they could choose the color they prefer.

Check out the tester's QuickStitch Totes here. On SALE now for 15% off, but hurry as the sale is for a limited time only and in Australian time! And be sure to sign up for Christine's newsletter so you never miss a sale or a freebie as you never know what she might be giving away or heavily discounting only for her newsletter subscribers. It's worth joining. *Hint: sign up for the newsletter to get this tote pattern for free now!

Happy bag toting!

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That Patchwork Tote from Around the Bobbin

That Patchwork Tote was a fun one to test for Around the Bobbin, because it was both patchwork and a bag, which are my 2 favorite things to make! Plus, you can use up your larger scrap pieces as well.

That Patchwork Tote is a great pattern for a quilter that is a new bag maker or a seasoned bag maker, but new to patchwork and quilting, because it is an easy to make tote and you can't go wrong with Lisa's great instructions! Rated for a confident beginner.

There are 2 versions of this tote you can choose to create. Version A has the patchwork pieces sewn more symmetrical with the fabrics even on each side and the seams running evenly down the center of the bag or Version B (the one I made) with the patchwork asymmetrical and the seams are offset. Being an asymmetrical kind of gal myself, this one was the one I had to make!😉😆

The pattern is on sale for just a few days only, so hurry. The coupon code is PATCHWORK for 25% off all day Friday through Sunday (4/26 - 4/28/24 midnight CST).

The tote measures 12" H x 11" W x 3 1/2" D.

Tote closes with a magnetic snap. Two divided slip pockets inside. If you are wondering what those spots of blue are in the lining, well I dyed this fabric pink and some of the dye must not have thoroughly dissolved and so it left spots of blue.🙄I don't mind it at all and it's in the lining, so it isn't a big deal to me.

I divided this slip pocket so I had a pen pocket and since the rest of the pocket would be too small to divide again, I added a plastic Kam snap to keep the pocket from flopping and to keep larger items inside. I also quilted the bottom base of the lining to hold the firm interfacing in place.

This slip pocket is divided in half to create 2 pockets.

Both pockets inside.

I quilted this bag in a grid using a Serpentine stitch.

Side view.

This was a fun tote to make and I love the patchwork look! For you people with embroidery machines, it would be fun to add some embroidery to some of the patchwork spaces, wouldn't it?

Oh, and be sure to check out the other tester's versions here. There are lots of various fabrics used and both versions of the tote sewn too.

Happy Patchwork Tote Sewing!

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Scrappy Turquoise, Blue, Green Free Form Log Cabin Style Quilt with Fleece Backing

Here is another free form modified log cabin/courthouse steps style quilt I made. I used polar fleece on the back of this quilt instead of flannel. No batting as the fleece is thick and acts like a batting as well as a backing fabric. Will donate this quilt if it doesn't sell at the gift shop. I thought I would at least try to see if this style quilt would sell? You just never know! The ones I really think would sell, don't, so? I price them cheap enough, so prices isn't the reason it doesn't sell (who knows if they even look at the price?), but there are just too many variables such as size, color, design, etc. You can't please people and I won't do a custom made quilt because I have to enjoy the making of it and I couldn't get enough money to make it worth my while if I didn't enjoy it or it was a pattern that had a zillion pieces in it! So I suspect this one will end up being donated and that is fine with me. 

This quilt measures 4 1/2" x 40 3/4".

The polar fleece backing showing the gridded serpentine stitch I used to quilt the quilt. In person the green is a bit brighter that it shows here.

So fun to not have any rules to sew these kind of quilts. I can use any width scraps I want to use.

Happy Scrappy quilt piecing!

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Thimbleweed Quilters Outdoor Quilt Show 2024

These are just a few of the quilts from the show. I took photos of most of my favorite quilts. Some quilts were hard to get a good photo because of the bright sun pouring across the quilt, so I didn't get photos of those quilts. Enjoy the show!

Quilt by Colleen K.

Made by Marlene W. This was all painted batting (except the binding)!

Made by Colleen K.

I love the Jetson's for the televison.

Made by Barbara S.

Closeup from above quilt.

Made by Mila V.

Made by Sue H.

Made by Sue H.

Closeup of t-shirt quilt (below)

Close up of t-shirt quilt (below)

Back side of t-shirt quilt (see quilt below)

This is a t-shirt quilt (not a panel). Those are all t-shirts!

                                                                  Made by Judy P. 

This quilt is also made using t-shirts from various travels by Linda H.

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Feather & Fan Knit Bottle Cozy for Spray Bottle (plus a dry iron review)

Hello my lovely friends. My spray mist bottle broke 😭!! I loved using that gentle mist of water to dampen my fabric when I press my fabrics. The trigger part was starting to have issues and I would have to pull it back into place after I used it. But then one day while I pressed the trigger, it just broke and wouldn't work anymore! I had 3 tall regular spray bottles, not the fine mist one I had, so I tried using it and it worked fine. The trigger on this bottle is what most spray bottles have. The bottle had printed on it "Window Cleaner" as you were supposed to add that to the bottle. (I rescued the 3 bottles from my daughter's give away stuff a while ago). I didn't want to put window cleaner in the bottle and I thought it would be nice to make a knit cozy for the bottle to not only cover up the wording on the bottle, but to have the bottle look nicer and use a bit of my yarn up too. So far this is working well to dampen the fabric for pressing.

You might be wondering why I don't add water to my iron and just steam the fabric? I will tell you why. I found out the hard way that irons do not last very long if you add water to them. Plus, they can rust inside and spit brown crud all over what you are ironing and thereby ruining your fabric or clothing! I only ever used distilled water and it still did this! Plus, have you read the instructions on steam irons? They all say to empty the water from the iron when you are done steaming. Does anyone do that? Even if you did empty the water, there is always a tiny bit of water and moisture that cannot be emptied out. So after the 2nd iron I owned died after a few short years (the first one, a Rowenta, died just after the one year warranty and it had other issues as well), I decided no more water in the iron and I have not had an iron die since then. 

Even if you have a steam iron and you use it dry, those steam holes will still accumulate dirt and dust and can and will come off on whatever you are pressing with the iron, so make sure you clean those steam holes out periodically too. My favorite iron is a Japanese designed dry iron made by Panasonic. What is a dry iron? It is an iron that has a smooth surface without any holes for steam as it doesn't have a water reservoir, therefore no steam holes to get clogged with crud. 

I bought a Panasonic brand dry iron about 3 years ago and love it! I got it from Amazon here. I am not an affiliate and these are my own personal opinions here. So what do I love besides it being a dry iron? I love that it isn't so darn heavy! So many of the fancy irons these days are so heavy to lift now that my shoulder starts to ache after a short while using them. The dry iron has a long cord and cleaning is much easier as the sole plate is flat and no steam holes to clean out. It has a thumb rest for for both right and left handed users. It is a slightly smaller size, but not as small as a travel iron. There is no auto shutoff and no beeping sounds to drive you crazy, either! (I had an iron that would beep and drive me nuts! It still works, but I had to unplug too often to shut it up, 😁). The Panasonic is a basic old school design. Some reviewers on Amazon complained all the wording was in Japanese, but hey turn the dial in one direction and it is going to get hotter and the other direction will be cooler, so find what level of heat suits what you are pressing and leave it there. Okay, I didn't mean for this to end up becoming just an iron review, 😂.

Here is the knit bottle cozy I made for the spray bottle. I used this free Iced Drink Cozy pattern to knit this, but just made the cozy taller by knitting more rows before starting the bottom of the cozy. I love this knit cozy pattern as it is so easy to knit and looks so great! I have made several of these for my drinking glasses as well. It looks great in a variegated yarn too, but for this bottle cozy I used a  solid color yarn with a bit of angora softness in it.

This bottle is taller than most spray bottles and narrower too, so the cozy fit it perfectly.

I love the feather & fan knit stitch.

The bottom of the cozy. While the pattern said to leave a quarter-size hole at the bottom, I didn't see the need for that and I closed it up pulling the yarn tight. I may make a few more in different colors of yarn to dress up the other 2 spray bottles I have too.

Happy knitting and pressing!

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Mod Dog Wall Quilts

I just love these cute little Mod Dogs. I had made quite a few in pinks and in browns last year, thinking I would make a quilt using them. I wanted to create my own setting and not follow the pattern exactly, but nothing I auditioned the dogs on really looked that great to me. So I decided to make a couple of the dogs into small wall quilts (or they could be a placemat or large mug rug or table topper too). I had some that I made looking right and some looking left, so I grabbed one of each direction and color and appliquéd them to a wavy quilted background. 

These each measure 13" wide X 9 1/2" high.

These are a fun way to use up those never-ending Pile of Scraps!!!

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