a bit of this and that

Yay! My Pretty {little} Pouch Swap partner, Alisa from Making More with Less, received the package I sent out for her!  Now I can show you the back side of the pouch.

I wrote her name on the back with fabric marker and then embroidered her name, using what I think is the stem stitch, on the pouch.  She had asked if her partner would do this because then she'd be guaranteed no one else in her house would claim her pouch. 

The whole lot: I included some chocolate and a small stack of solids and prints.  I can't remember exactly how many I cut, but for every solid colour, I included a coordinating print. 

And just because I always like a post with pictures, here's some things I've pinned lately.  There are so many quilty things I want to try, but I really have no reason to try.  

I mean, I don't want to make a quilt of feathers or modular cathedral blocks, I just want to make a few! 

source

source

well, maybe I want to make a whole bunch of these feathers... not sure what for yet...

source

I first saw this block on Flickr with color and fell in love with the coloured version.

What do you do if you want to try a technique or block, but you don't want to make enough for a quilt or something? 

'Tis Done

 So, it is finished.  My cathedral window pillow cover is finished. 

 

I decided to make an envelope style cover and it worked much better than my first envelope pillow. 

I made sure to leave plenty of overlap this time. 

Yeah, you win some, you lose some.

 

The stinker just had to be in the photo.  Worked rather well since she even posed (gasp!).

Earlier this month I also made some slingers.  These things are nearly impossible to take pictures of, so pardon the less than stellar photos.  But you get the idea. 

I simply cut two triangles of fabric, sewed them together, and then sewed them into some thin bias tape.

Before I sewed them into the bias tape, I used some Wonderunder to secure the triangles to the tape.  I used 1/4 inch bias tape and didn't want to risk the triangles moving out of place and than me having wonky slingers.

I kinda like them.

Better than the plastic ones you can buy in stores.

Something New

I tried something new today.  Well, I started last night, but the big deal part of it was today.  The sewing part.

I have seen the cathedral windows technique all over Flickr and blog lands and just loved how it looked.  It's almost like cheater quilting in my mind because you get something so ornate looking mostly by using your iron.  I spent more time at the iron than at my sewing machine.

I don't like my iron.  It burns me with steam.

But I do like how this turned out!

On the ironing board.

On the cutting mat for a trim.

 

I used a nameless gray material and and Alexander Henry print.  I also relied most on the tutorial found on the blog alamode.  Love how her pillow turned out.

The finished item is unavailable for a photo yet, but I promise one tomorrow.

Does it at least look promising?