Giveaway Results and Update on Autumn Leaves Fabric

Good morning! Here's the result (of using random.org, which generates random numbers from the range you submit) for my orange print fat quarter fabric giveaway contest. I disregarded all the even numbers (my comments) and Joy, who requested to not be entered. Here are the winners:

Betsy B, I hope you will make this little project. If you do, will you please let me know? And maybe send me a photo or two of the process and/or result? Actually, I'd like it if you would videotape it and put the video up on YouTube; it would be an instant hit, I am sure!

Quilting Tangent, who liked two of the fabrics in particular. I'll do my best to select one of those for you, QT.

Angie, I am positive that your crafty 11 year old could do this -- and with some help from younger ones, too.

Emily, you have some (not quite so little) little helpers that you can include in this project.

Congratulations! I hope you will use the free tutorial to make this easy project. If you do, will you please let me know? And maybe send me a photo or two of the process and/or result?

Thanks; this was fun! And even if you didn't win a fat quarter, you can still use the free tutorial to make one (or more) of these pumpkins.

Update about my autumn leaves fabrics
I completed another table mat. It's for a friend who has a birthday next month, and her table is quite a bit larger than mine. I had that in mind when I made this one.

And I'm now making a reversible apron with these remaining pieces (and adding in some leftover linen fabric from another sewing project):

What are you sewing this weekend?

Blessings and peace...

Fabric Pumpkins: Easy No-Sew Craft Project and a Giveaway

A couple of years ago, I hosted a little Craft Day for a friend, her two daughters, and their four little children. I'm not really used to doing this; most of my sewing are solo projects. However, when I saw this tutorial over at the Sew Thankful blog, I just had to invite them over so we could make these together! I knew it would be fun. (I was right.) The one I made is shown in this photo from my most recent sewing project: It's the pumpkin on the table runner. 

The small pumpkin (the size I made) uses a fat quarter of fabric, and the large pumpkin uses 1 yard of fabric. 

Here I am demonstrating  the fabric-tucking technique.

Two cute little girls selecting "leaves" from my collection of fabric swatches.

That was easy!

And, exhausting!

Photos used with permission, of course.

Giveaway: Would you like to make one of the small pumpkins but don't have any suitable orange (or green or purple) fabric? Let me know in the comments by Thursday, October 3; I'll select a couple of names and send a fat quarter to each person selected. You see that I have more than enough! Or just leave a comment, even if you have fabric and/or if you aren't going to make one of these. My feelings won't be hurt, I promise! :) 'cuz you know how we bloggers love comments!

Blessings and peace...

Fellow Blogger Gentleman Jim Tailor Extraordinaire

This is just a quick note to introduce you to a fairly new blogger. New to blogging, but not new to fine sewing and tailoring and patternmaking. Go right on over to Fine Tailoring by Jim and read all about this wonderful now-southern gentleman. He is posting great tutorials, and it's obvious that he is a master at his craft. He is having a giveaway of his DVD set, Alterations. I think it ends pretty soon, so hop on over. I'm going to add him to my blog roll so that I don't miss a thing. 

Blessings and peace...

Giveaway Result and More Zippered Cases

Good morning! Here's the result of using random.org, which generates random numbers from the range you submit, for my little zippered case giveaway contest. 

My plan was that if I selected a number that represented Theresa, who requested to not be entered, or me, who replies to lots of comments, that I would repeat the process. However, that wasn't necessary. Congratulations to Martha, who said, "...storage of our younger granddaughters hair ornaments - pony tail holders, baretts and such!" Please contact me, Martha, and let me know which of the three little zippered cases you'd like.

I made three more from the road and cars fabric. I plan to make two or three more, from different fabric, then I'm going to move on to other projects.

Because the zipper pulls are small, I thread a strand of the cut-off part of the zipper through the tiny hole in the zipper pull, then tie it. Here's a close up of one:

Blessings and peace...

Pattern Mini-Review and a Giveaway

 This is the fifth one of these I've just made:

I saw this pattern a few times, and I had to have it. 

(The clickable link takes you to a page where you can order it. Because I don't know how to make a clickable link from an image. Anyone? Anyone?) It's possible that some of you could figure it out by looking at the pictures, but not me. I need instructions, and the more detailed, the better. And lots of close-up photos. So I ordered the pattern (the first time I've purchased a downloadable pattern) for this little zippered pouch made out of quilted fabric that has a clear vinyl front. The photos are so clear and helpful. And the instructions are quite good. I'm glad I purchased the pattern. Tracy, the designer, includes a lot of tips for sewing vinyl. I followed the instructions to a T. And I made one. Then another, and another. Then I got the idea of changing the size. My first attempt came out a little odd, but maybe in an endearing way.

See how the vinyl "wraps around" the bottom? That's what I mean. Endearing?

Then I wondered what would be the biggest size I could make with a fat quarter*. The photo at the top is one I made last night, and it's close.

And these were all made with one fabric each. Imagine how cute they'd be made up with multiple prints. Which I will get to. These are so much fun to make, and a pleasant break from garment sewing.

Okay, so let's have a giveaway. Would you like to win one of these? 

Post a comment by Tuesday, September 3 at 11:59 pm EDT. Try to give me some ideas about the size(s) that would be most useful to you and/or what you would use it/them for. I'll announce a winner (anywhere! Not limited to the United States!) by Thursday, September 5.

I've been using fabrics and zippers and vinyl that I have on hand. The vinyl has ladybugs in a random pattern all over it. I have no memory of what I thought I would make with it when I bought it (ahem) some time ago. And I'm not sure how much of it I have left. But now I'm going to use it all up on these. Unless you have some other ideas for easy sewing projects that use vinyl (with ladybugs sprinkled randomly all over it).

* A fat quarter is a term used in quilting. It means 1/4 yd of fabric, but instead of it being the full width of the fabric (usually 42 to 44 in. wide) and 9 in. long (1/4 of 36 in. [36 in. = 1 yd]), it's 1/2 the width and 1/2 the length. So a fat quarter is still 1/4 yd, but it's about 22 in. wide by 18 in. long.

Update: This next one (just completed) is off the top of the cuteness scale (in my opinion). Wouldn't it make a great case for a summertime first aid kit? The size, as you can probably tell, is about 9 in. wide by 5.5 in. high. I added a little loop to this one, too, so that a key ring (for example) can be added.

Front

Back

I made it from fabric left over from this purse project:

Blessings and peace...