...she finally posts a tutorial!

Right.  So.  Massive Quilt-o'-Doom is rocking along just fine, but my finger is tired of being stabbed and my eyes are telling me it's time to quit for the night.  Besides, I have other stuff to do!  Like posting this exceedingly long overdue tutorial for my version of the pennant banner.  I am still working on the Halloween one - might have it done by Monday.  Maybe.  No promises.

Anyway, on to the tutorial!

My version, obviously… for cube decorating and backs of chairs and for wherever you need or want them to go!  It’s a simple thing, really.  There isn’t a “hard” part, just the time consuming part (picking fabrics and patchworking them together)

1.       Print the pattern (and enlarge, if desired) downloadable from Google docs.    https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByYnX0orZpZPYjg0MTRiNGUtZWFhMS00ODM0LWEwYTAtMzFjMGFlM2RhMzgw&hl=en_US

2.       Pick your fabrics (of all the steps, the most fun, other than hanging the finished product up)!

3.       Stitch fabrics together in patchwork – try to be random and go for small patchwork so you can see several fabrics on each of the pennants.  Press  the seams open. (just like you do with all your quilting-type projects, right?  RIGHT?). 

4.       Trace the pattern and cut out pennants from patchwork and from back fabrics.  It's easy - just like cutting out anything else.  I wasn't particularly particular (if that makes sense) about it.  As long as the front and back pretty much matched up, I could jerryrig it.  I'm okay with that.  If you're the type that has to be perfect about everything... well... go for it.  You have my blessings.  (I'll just mention that several societies - as distinct and disparate as the Arabs and the Irish - tend to believe that perfection cannot be attained by mankind, but only by god(s), so everything they do is slightly flawed.  Just sayin'.)

5.      Lay out lace/trim along front fabric, cut to fit.  Pin lace/trim between front and back fabrics, which should be right sides together.  (That would be a given, one would think, but best to include it here!  You never know!)

6. Stitch the triangles with lace, leaving the top open for easy turning.  Following that, turn the triangles right side out.  How easy was that?!  It's all good - we're getting close to being done, believe it or not.  From here, repeat for each pennant you want to make.                                                                             

   7.  Grab your bias tape/binding/ribbon that you'll be using to suspend the pennants from.  Mark desired distance between pennants on bias tape/binding.  Place pennants onto bias tape and fold bias tape over.   Stitch with desired stitching close to edge, capturing tops of each pennant in bias tape.

Here's mine.  Almost done!  Although you can't really see it here, the stitch I used was a decorative one - a vine and leaves pattern.  Because I could, and I think it adds something when you look at it in real life. 

On mine, I used a commercial pattern for acorns to make small acorns to hang between the pennants.  The same thing could be done with pumpkins, jingle bells, or anything else that your mind desires.   The Halloween one will have little pumpkins.  Probably.  Maybe ghosts.  We shall see.

Hopefully this tutorial is clear and easy to follow.  If not, let me know and I'll make what changes seem needed.  And maybe I'll get more stuff done, now!  (Right, off to work on my September sewing project).

More designs?! Really?

I really need to sew faster.  And win the lottery so I can get a quilting machine and stand, so I can quilt as fast as the ideas are flowing.

Yes... there are now two more ideas in the queue.  One can easily be postponed.  The other... well, let's just say that I was enthusiastic enough to make a test piece to make sure it did exactly what I thought it would.  And it did.  I have quilt pattern!  (yayayayay! arms flailing like Kermit the Frog). 

But... but... I'm not done with the Massive Quilt-o'-Doom yet!  *sigh*  Right, right... put other ideas down.  Step away from the ideas.  But... it's so lovely!  And it's not something I think I've ever seen before!  (I'm almost afraid to post a pic, so I won't.  Not yet, anyway).  Right now, the newest one (the one that I made a test piece for) is called Boston Molasses Flood.  With a few minor color changes it will be called Isaac's Storm, after the Galveston Hurricane of the early 1900's.  Both events happened in the early 1900's, so there's one connection.  All the flooding and damage is another. 

I have the tutorial for the pennants almost done - except that I left the pattern piece at work, so I can't scan it in currently, which means I couldn't supply it, which I want to do... so that will have to wait for tomorrow.  And I really need to get my stamp made.  Yeah, I'm going to dabble my toes in the selling of patterns and finished stuffus.  Soon I will jump onto the Etsy wagon (and hope I don't ever wind up on the Regretsy page.  If you've never been there, GO.  Really).

But boy... I really need to get a move on!  Halloween pennant being worked on, September sewing project being worked on, Steampunk-ish jacket being worked on (well, I cut out the pattern today, does that count?), and MQ-o'-D being worked on.  Oh, and the beginnings of a doll. 

... she designs stuff

More patterns!  Yeah, I know... I have so much I should be doing - and I did!  I worked on quilting for a LONG time this weekend.  The massive quilt-o'-doom is coming along.

Which is a good thing.  I now have three quilt designs I want to try.  Two are fully fleshed out, down to fabric choices and everything.  The other one is slightly more nebulous, because it involves several different appliques which I am also having to design. 

I am thrilled in one way - I begin to think that I COULD design quilts.  Maybe not for a LIVING, but I could maybe sell a few.  I just need to be a faster quilter!  Or find other people who like to quilt who could help me out.  :)  At any rate, I need to finish the designs completely - figure out yardage, and applique patterns, and all that stuff.  Write up instructions.  See what the actual pieced part looks like put together and all.

And get a stamp made.  I need to scan my design as a higher quality pic first, so I CAN get it made. 

No pics today.  Maybe this evening.  We'll see.  I pulled fabric for the Halloween tiny banner last night, so I will try to get that started, too. 

... Crafting Condor?

 Crafty Condor?  Something?  I want this as my stamp for patterns and stuff.  Because I think he's cute!  (I also made a Christmas version for cards and so on... because I could).  I like his little spats and the fact that he seems to be smiling.


There's that done, then!  Stamp stamp stamp stamp! 

And managed to finish two other "hey, I am bored" type projects, including the one mentioned in the last post.  I went home that night and started, and now I have the finished version.  No letters on this pennant, because I'm too lazy to get out the embroidery machine and figure it out right now.

The banner of pennants for fall.  I wanted something to decorate my cube, and here it is!  Short and simple, it's all of four pennants long and five acorns.  It's all made of scrap fabric, with tea-dyed lace around the edges of the pennants.  It's cute, and for once, it's actually what I saw in my mind's eye.  Since that happens so rarely, I will take it!

I'm pretty sure I'll wind up making more for various holidays/seasons/etc.  Oh, and ignore the state of my cube... it's a little messy.  Work and all, y'know.  Here's a closer view of one of the pennants:  I think they came out rather well, actually.

And.... more pics!  More finished projects!  (Well, one more, anyawy...).   I made a pair of spats.  Not steam-punk spats, but "I want something to keep my ankles warm during winter and be bright and cheerful at the same time" spats.  :)  Pink isn't usually my thing, but I like the fabric.  It's striped on the other side.  They are completely reversable, with buttons on both sides.  The pattern was one I made up... it's not perfect yet.  I have a revamp of the pattern, so when I make pair #2, they should fit better and go higher up my leg.  But these work for a first attempt!

The other thing I finished was a new needlecase based on the purselet pattern.  Pics of that one later, because there are already lots of pics here!  And one again, I have tutorials in mind... just have to get around to doing them!

Tonight I SHOULD have time to work on the massive quilt... hopefully.