Introducing... A Bit of Appliqué!

Yippee!! The release date for my book (Yes, I wrote a book!!) is only a few days away!

A Bit of Appliqué: Easy Projects with Modern Flair starts shipping next week, on July 14. It seems so long ago (yet it was only last summer) when I sent the manuscript and projects off to Martingale. For all that time, and even longer, I had to keep almost all of it secret. It's hard to describe how excited I am to finally reveal this! I have much more to say about writing the book and what it contains, but for now I'll keep this short and sweet... and simply show you a few sneak peaks.

Transform everyday projects -- quilts, pillows, bags, and wearable items -- into one-of-a-kind objects with a variety of hand- and machine-stitched appliqué techniques. Learn bias tape appliqué with the Sound Waves Quilt.

Or reverse appliqué with the Petals Pot Holder and Trivet.

Practice raw edge appliqué with the Circles Baby Quilt or Polly the Penguin Softie.

A Bit of Appliqué contains full size templates and clear instructions with plenty of helpful illustrations.  Here's a sample page from the Garden Skirt section.

If you've been wanting to try appliqué, or feel inspried to further your appliqué skills with one or more of these quick projects, I hope you'll check it out!

Learn more, and see all the projects in the book, in Martingale's shop.  Or find it on Amazon.

Cheers and happy sewing!

Double-Handed Pot Holder from Kitchen Stitches (and a giveaway!)

Here's a clue to which project I chose to stitch up for this week's Kitchen Stitches blog hop.  (Hint: Look in the upper left corner of this photo.)  **Also, I'm giving away a Kitchen Stitches book to one lucky winner today!  Info at the very bottom of this post.**

Yes, for several reasons, I decided to make the Double-Handed Pot Holder by Natalie Barnes.  First, I don't think it's possible to have too many pot holders... and I didn't yet have this double-handed type.  I also liked the opportunity this project provided to mix lots of print and solid fabrics, plus the pot holder is constructed using the quilt-as-you-go method, a technique I've been wanting to try.

Working with a Valetine's Day theme, I chose pink and red fabrics to start.  Then I added some oranges (My hands just naturally reach for them.  I can't really help it!).  I brought in a bright blue and citrus-y green, as well, to keep it from being too monochrome.  The radical part is the hot pink solid that I chose for the backing.  I'm not usually a pink person, but it just seemed right for this project.

The instructions were easy to follow, with clear diagrams.  The quilt-as-you-go technique was painless and quick.  Since I don't usually sew with hot pink and therefore didn't have any thread to match the backing, I decided to use a bright orange (I know, I know.) thread in the bobbin to provide a fun contrast with the pink.  For the top thread, I used an off-white.  The upper left photo shows the two thread colors.

Due to my own novice-ness at hand sewing bindings, and the many layers involved, I managed to stab myself several times with my needle during the process.  Twice, in fact, I had to spot clean drops of blood off the pot holder!!  Eventually, though, I got the hang of it, and the rest of the binding attachment went smoothly.  The many band-aids on my fingers may have also helped protect them (and the pot holder) from further injury!

Photo courtesy of Martingale Press.

Here's Natalie's lovely version from the book.  I love the idea of the casserole cozy, too.  That's on my future "to do" list.  I really think this is a wonderful book full of great gift ideas or a nice way to add some color and cheer to your own home.

Don't forget to follow along this week with all of the bloggers (many of them book contributors) participating this week:

2/3  Heather at The Sewing Loft
2/4  Becky at the Patchwork Posse and  Kim at My Go-Go life
2/5  Amy at FormWork Design and  Deby at So Sew Easy
2/6  Rebecca at Ruby Blue Quilts  and Jackie at Jabot Quilts
2/7  Melissa at Happy Melissa Quilting
2/8  Kari at Fresh Cut Quilts

Now, the giveaway -- thanks for being patient!  Simply leave a comment below for a chance to win one copy of Kitchen Stitches.  The giveaway is open until 5pm CST on Saturday, February 8, when I'll randomly choose a winner.  Please make sure your email is included in your comment, especially if it's not connected to your Blogger profile.

Good luck!

Sew Gifts! is here!

A box full of these arrived in the mail yesterday!!

It feels like forever since I received an email from Martingale Press asking if I'd like to contribute to a publication of sewing patterns.  (I did, of course!  Once I got over the shock of being asked.)  I'm so happy with the way this book turned out.  Sew Gifts! is a charming book with clear instructions and illustrations, and a great variety of really lovely gifts to sew.  And it's just in time for the holidays, too!

Photo courtesy of Martingale Press.

Here's my contribution to the book, the Bird on a Branch pillow, photographed beautifully by Martingale/That Patchwork Place.  (I still can't quite believe it's in a book!)  And here are just a few of my favorite projects by other designers.

Photos courtesy of Martingale Press.

Clockwise from top left:  Triangular Knitting Needle Case by Josée Carrier; Travel Backgammon Set by Adrienne Smitke; Oilcloth Wallet by April Moffatt; Color-Block iPad Cover by Debbie Grifka

You can see photos of all the projects and read more about the book on Martingale's Stitch This! blog.

I know many of you are much more organized than me, but I also have to guess that I'm not the only sewer with grand plans to create handmade gifts for friends and family each holiday season... only to get started way too late to finish them all.  Let's rectify that with a Sew Gifts! giveaway, so you can get started on your gift making before it's too late!

Thanks to Martingale, I'm giving away one digital eBook of Sew Gifts!.  To win, simply leave a comment on this post below.  If you're not sure what to write, please share your own gift making plans for the holiday season or any upcoming special occasion.  For another chance to win, let me know in a second comment that you follow me -- either on facebook, through Bloglovin', RSS feed, or some other way.  The giveaway is open until 6 pm EST next Wednesday, October 23, when I will choose a winner at random.  Good luck!!

Or purchase a copy of Sew Gifts! at your local bookstore, in the Martingale shop or through Amazon.

Photo courtesy of Martingale Press.

A bag... and a book!

I finally got around to making another 241 tote, this time for myself... and it just makes me so very happy.  Really, though, how could these fabrics not make a person cheerful?!  You can see my first 241 tote here.

It's my new everyday bag for summer.  I made the handle extra long so I can wear it across my body, and I added interfacing to the handle, so it will hold up well to everyday use.  Other than that, I just followed the lovely pattern instructions.

Fabrics are Echino insect in Natural by Etsuko Furuya cotton/linen, Bella Mini Dot in Sunspray by Lotta Jansdotter, and, of course, a bit of Robert Kaufman yarn dyed linen/cotton (this time in Black).

And (here's the "book" part), I'm so excited to finally share this news!  I'm a contributing author to a book called Sew Gifts!  Yes, an actual book, folks!  It will be released this October by Martingale Press / This Patchwork Place.  I discovered the Martingale wholesale catalog in my mailbox recently with this preview of the book, including a photo of my bird-on-a-branch pillow project.  I haven't seen the actual flip-through-the pages, bound book yet, but I was able to review the proofs of my project pages and was super happy with how they turned out.  Once I have an actual book in my hands (can't wait!), I can promise there will be a giveaway... or two... or more!

robot love!

Many of the students at my kids school have my screenprinted t-shirts, and I love seeing them on various kids at school events or on the playground after school.  It's incredibly gratifying to realize that someone picked out a shirt with my design to wear... because they like it.  But this really made my day!  When my son's friend Maggie was given the assignment of drawing her self portrait in Art class, she drew herself in her robot shirt!  And look at the detail with which she drew it.  I just can't stop smiling.  I... love... this!  Thanks, Maggie.

I'm also loving this book that I found by accident at my local library yesterday.  Love the freeform, beautifully hand stitched and upcycled projects.  I seriously want to make them all.  When I'm done drooling over the library copy, I think I'm gonna need to buy my own.  My sincere apologies to those who check out the book after me!

Oh, and I can't seem to stop sewing things for Sewing Summit.  More finished projects to be posted soon!