Category Archives: sewing

New Fabric

Posted on May 18, 2009 by ginabean • 1 Comment

This is the purse I made my mother for Mother’s Day with some fabric I just got. I love this fabric, don’t you?

Okay, so the window treatments are done. I didn’t exactly get them finished by end of day Sunday as planned. I spent the whole day in bed yesterday trying to get over a nasty cold. I did get them done this morning. Better late than never, right! I am so glad they are done. I feels great not to have any pending window treatment projects. I have been grateful for the work and extra money, but I have been needing a break from window treatments. There is so much other stuff I have on my list to sew!

For all of the machine quilter’s out there, I need your help. What kind of thread should I be using to quilt on my domestic machine? I have been using Gutterman’s, but I have a feeling that it is not the best thing to use. I also tried YLI machine quilting thread, but that was a total disaster. TOTAL DISASTER! Any suggestion on what to use?
Filed Under: fabric, purses, quilts, sewing

Where to Begin

Posted on May 15, 2009 by ginabean • 3 Comments

Hello Everyone. There has been so much going on in my little world this past week that I have not had time to blog. I finished this little baby quilt for my sister. I got the pattern from Crazy Mom Quilts’ blog. It is the stacked coin quilt she did for the Moda Bake Shop.

I also made this cute-as-can be fabric necklace. It was super easy to make and I love the way it turned out. I found the tutorial here at Sew, Mama, Sew! I will definitely have to make some more of these. Let’s see, what else… I got these beautiful fat quarters in the mail this week. I keep saying that I am NOT going to buy anything else until I get what I have already bought used up. You can obviously see how well I have stuck to that pledge. The worst part is that this is not all of it. I’m not scared, I’ll say it… My name is Gina and yes, I’m a fabriholic.

I have really been trying hard to get all of the window treatments I have to make for customers done THIS week. I have two more to complete and I am determined to get them done by the end of day Sunday. We shall see….

And Carolyn, I’ll bring the fabric you won to the next guild meeting, if that is okay with you.
Filed Under: fabric, patterns, quilts, sewing

New Purses

Posted on May 8, 2009 by ginabean • 5 Comments

Okay, today I have been in my sewing workroom since 8:30 am. I have been sewing purses all day. To say that my back hurts is a huge understatement. It has been a very productive day. I have gotten several purses made and I even came up with a new pattern. Please bear in mind that this is my first real attempt at drafting a pattern. These two purses are what I came up with. The one above is the first attempt at it and the one below is the second. What do you think? They are basically the same, only I pleated them differently and the second one is a little more tapered at the top. (I’m not real crazy about my fabric selection on the second.) Which do you like best?

Filed Under: fabric, patterns, purses, sewing

I Wish I Had More Time

Posted on May 6, 2009 by ginabean • 2 Comments

I love to make purses. I only wish that I had more time to do it. Two local shops, Hip Chics and The Advance Florist & Gifts, are selling my purses for me and I am very behind on getting them new ones for their shops. I did get a custom order request the other day and was so happy to make the purse pictured above. Hopefully, I can get organized and get started making some new ones in the coming weeks. I have requests for some diaper bags and large totes, so I have to get on the ball and get those done. Next week I am going to start teaching a class at Knit One, Smock Too on this Bow Tuck Tote. If I made it bigger, I think it would make a nice diaper bag. It has lots of pockets. I just ordered some great new fabric today, too. I’m excited to get those and make some purses with them. I have and Etsy shop, ginabeanhandmade.etsy.com, and keep meaning to put some things on it, but I never quite get to it. Will this To Do List ever be in a state where it is manageable!?!
Filed Under: purses, sewing

Pinwheels

Posted on May 5, 2009 by ginabean • 2 Comments

This is the beginnings of another quilt I started while on the Retreat. I got the pattern from this book by Sandy Klop. I would love to make the one on the cover, but I think it might be a little too advanced for me. It has some terrific quilts in it. The fabric is from Heather Bailey’s Freshcut Collection and I got it at a new local fabric store, Karen Gray Designs. If you’re local, her store is in Reynolda Village and it is beautiful. She carries the Westminster Fabrics. I could buy every fabric she has and not find one I didn’t like. By the way, if you go to her blog, she is having a fat quarter giveaway of 12 of Jay McCarroll’s Woodland Wonderland.
Filed Under: fabric, patterns, quilts, sewing

A Weekend of Many First’s

Posted on May 3, 2009 by ginabean • 3 Comments

This past weekend I went on my first Quilting Retreat at Montreat in the Black Mountains of North Carolina. It was a blast! I meet so many nice ladies who where all very generous in sharing conversations, quilting tips and supplies with me. I spent the whole weekend laughing and sewing. What could be better?!! The picture is of the beginnings of a quilt that I began while there. It is my first Dresden Plate and it is from a pattern taken from this book, which is fabulous. Some of the great ladies there took the time to show me how to machine applique. I took what they taught me and used it in my first attempt to machine applique the Dresden Plate to the background. I took my camera with the intentions of taking lots of pictures for my blog, but I was having so much fun, I forgot to take any. This was also my first time leaving my son since he was born three years ago. It was hard to leave him and I was so happy to see him today, but I am grateful for the invitation to the retreat and so happy the I made the decision to go.
Filed Under: fabric, patterns, quilts, sewing

Oh Scrap!

Posted on April 25, 2009 by ginabean • 4 Comments

This is my attempt and making this bag. It didn’t come out like I wanted it to, but close. It’s a little bigger than I would have liked and I put the handles too far apart, but it will make a nice tote. I think I am going to try and make another one and tweak it a little. Maybe if I keep at it, I’ll get it a little more like the one that inspired me.
Filed Under: purses, sewing

Spiderweb Quilt

Posted on April 9, 2009 by ginabean • 1 Comment

How on earth does a spider make such a beautiful web in no time at all? This one is taking me quite some time… but I love the way it is coming out. Anyone in my quilting bee can tell you that I like to start a quilt and work on it non-stop until it is done and then start the next one. However, this one is not one that I have been able to work on constantly. I got these 10 blocks put together and haven’t done anything else with it in the last few months. I am debating on what the actual size of this quilt will be, but I think maybe just a lap quilt right now. I plan on making 20 more blocks, but then I think 32 more would be better. We’ll see. I found the pattern here while searching the worldwide web. Would you believe that the designer lives in the next town over from mine. Small world.
Filed Under: patterns, quilts, sewing

My Other Obsession

Posted on April 4, 2009 by ginabean • 1 Comment

Not only do I like to quilt, but I like to make handbags as well. I have a lot of favorites and this is definitely one of my favorite bags to make. It is Heather Bailey’s Marlo Bloom bag. It is surprisingly easy to make and I guarantee that if you carry one, everywhere you go, someone will say something to you about it. I made this one using Amy Butler’s Lotus fabrics and I am very happy with the results. The flower really makes the bag, don’t you think?
Filed Under: fabric, patterns, purses, sewing

My Favorite Quilt

Posted on April 3, 2009 by ginabean • 2 Comments

I am new to quilting and I love it. I became addicted instantly! I started taking lessons from a great teacher last summer at my favorite local shop; Knit One, Smock Too and my life has not been the same since! Quilting has opened me up to a whole new creative outlet and I have made some good friends (and some good quilts) as a result. This is the second quilt that I ever made and it is my favorite, so I thought I would share it with you. I made it using a Wee Play jelly roll by Sandy Klop of American Jane and a pattern from this book.
The weather was nice today after several days of rain, so my husband, little boy and I took a walk around the farm. I found the perfect place and the perfect models to take some shots of my quilt! I think little Jenny, our donkey, likes this quilt too!

Filed Under: jelly roll, quilts, sewing