Making a blanket from Pendelton scraps

Some folks have a weakness to chocolate, little bunnies, or Johnny Depp.  Mine is Pendleton fabric.  I stopped by the Pendleton fabric store on Friday and couldn't resist buying beautiful scraps of wool from their $3 a pound bins.  The blanket scraps weighed in at a little over 2 pounds, which was a steal.  In addition to the fabric, I picked up some white wool tape to join the fabric pieces together.  

When I got home, I arranged the fabric pieces on the floor and then trimmed the frayed edges. 

I cut the wool tape in half lengthwise and started sewing the tape onto the edges of the remnants.  Once I was done with one seam, I flipped the blanket over and repeated this step.



[One of the friendly Pendleton store employees, who had made a blanket from remnants, recommended using a zigzag stitch to join the fabric edges together before laying down the wool tape.  Of course, the zigzag function quit working on my machine at the start of the project, so I skipped this step.]  

After all the strips were sewn together, I finished the blanket with wool tape folded over the outside edge.

To personalize the blanket, I embroidered the year on one side and our family name on the other.  Since it's a nice heavy wool,  it'll make the perfect blanket to wrap up in around a camp bonfire.  I do love those cool summer nights in Oregon. 

Over the weekend, I also found this fantastic Pendleton weekender bag at an estate sale for $15.  The gods must be happy with me.

Felt gift bags for any occasion

Christmas is a few days away, and the wrapping frenzy has just begun at our house.  I normally use kraft paper and twine when wrapping gifts, but odd-shaped items seem to go best in bags.  I decided to make some gift bags this year out of felt scraps leftover from my Christmas tree skirt project.   The felt is made from recycled plastic bottles, and, best of all, the handmade bags are reusable. 

To make your own felt gift bags, you need the following items:



felt

fabric scissors

pinking shears

sewing machine (or you can handstitch)

buttons

embroidery floss and needle

bias tape or yarn (optional)



Instructions:

1. Cut out two identical rectangles (the size depends on your gift).  The proportion of length to width should be similar to a brown lunch sack.



2.  With right sides together, sew along all the edges except the top. 



3.  To create a base for the bag, pinch the corners so that the bottom seam touches each side seam. Then run the two corners through the sewing machine, creating new seams perpendicular to the bottom seam.

4.  Turn the bag right side out and trim the top edge with pinking shears.  The basic bag design is now done!

5.  For the button detail, flip down the top edge and cut a slit in the middle of the flap.  The slit should go through both layers of the flap. 

6.  Sew the button(s) onto the bag with embroidery floss.  

7.  Just add embroidered designs to the front of the flap, and the bag is ready to gift!

Another option, especially if you're running short on time, is to skip steps 5 - 7 and tie the felt bag with yarn or bias tape. 

I can see the felt bags being a great project for young crafters.  They will most likely need a little help with the sewing (especially the corners).  And, instead of embroidery, kids could glue felt shapes onto the bag, like hearts for Valentine's Day. 

The bane of my week

I spoke too soon a week ago when I said that the mini calendar project was going smoothly.  It was as if I had jinxed the process with my progress report.  My printer ran out of ink half way through printing, the blade on the paper trimmer became dull, and my sewing machine now needs to be looked at by a repair specialist.  Awesome.



In the photo above, you can see the issues with thread tension I had to deal with.  Nothing like a few "bird  nests" and broken needles to test a sewer's patience.  I ultimately came to the conclusion that the timing was off on my machine.  Fortunately, each of my daughters have a sewing machine (craigslist finds), so I had a backup machine. 



I was determined to use topstitching thread to bind the calendars, but my persistence turned into an afternoon ordeal of rethreading, adjustments, and tinkering with machine parts.  I finally gave up on the thicker thread idea and am using a standard thread weight.



Today I'll finish printing the calendars (I bought more ink) and then trim them at my husband's work.  Fingers crossed, everything will go as planned.  

this morning



On a much more positive note, the I AM ARTIST/DESIGNER show is up and running.  Each participating artist has a profile page, which includes an interview and photos.  Check out my profile page here.

Turn your old jeans into a laptop bag

Jeans are a staple in my closet.  It's pretty much what I wear every day.  This summer I replaced my white jeans with a newer pair,  and I decided to salvage the old denim.  I went back and forth on project ideas, including a picnic blanket.  Ultimately I decided on a laptop bag, and here's how I did it.



First, I chose a complementary material for the bag's lining.  I just happened to have a nightie made from vintage linens that I was going to deconstruct.  I proceeded to cut out two 13"x 16" blocks of fabric.  (The bag is designed to fit a Macbook or any other laptop equivalent in size.)  I then created two 13" x 16" blocks of denim by piecing together scraps.

To protect the computer, I added two layers of batting.  With the right side up, I pinned one of the denim blocks to the double batting.  Repeat with the other denim block.

Wait to trim the batting until after you have stitched the layers together.  Using a non-permanent marking pen, draw a design on the denim.  (I digitally enhanced the blue marks in the photo so that you can see the chevron design better.) This design will hold the three layers together.



Stitch over your marked lines, but leave 1/2 inch allowance at the top (you will be folding the top edge under).

Before sewing the lining fabric together, I added a little pocket feature. You can see it best in the first set of photos above.



To sew the lining of the bag, pin the two lining fabrics right sides together.  Sew all sides together except the top.  Notice that I used finished edges for the top.



To create a wider base on the bag, sew a 3" line perpendicular to the bottom seam.  The new seam should be about 1.5" from the corner.



Now, for the most challenging part of the project.  You're essentially going to repeat the above steps with the two denim/batting blocks.  Your machine will be put through the ultimate sewing test as it sews together two layers of denim and four layers of batting at once! Remember to leave the top edge open and to sew the additional seams in the corners.

If you made it through this part, congratulations! You're almost there.

Turn the denim and batting so that it is right side out.  Fold, press, and pin the top edge down about 3/4 inch.  Carefully cut the excess batting so that it is 1/8 inch shorter than the denim edge.

It's ideal to have the straps cut from one long piece of fabric, but I had to piece mine together with denim scraps.  The width should start out at 3.5 inches to 4 inches and the length depends on your preference (no more than 24 inches for each strap).   Just iron each outer edge to the center of the fabric, and then fold the fabric in half.  Press and sew along both edges.  Attach the strap ends about 3 inches from the side of the bag.  (Another idea I had for a strap is the waist of the jeans!)



Once all the strap ends are pinned, sew along the top, about 1/2 inch from the edge.  Secure the ends of the straps by sewing an "x".  (See the very first photo.)



Take the lining and place inside the bag.  Make sure that the side seams are aligned.  (I took in my lining seams a tad at this step.)

Pin and sew about 1/8 inch from the top edge.  Your new (well, recycled) laptop bag is now complete!

My recent drawings and sewing project

At the end of each week, I feature on my blog my latest work, which usually ends up in my Etsy shop.  This week, I don't have a particular piece to showcase, even though I have a pile of drawings on my desk.  For one reason or another, these drawings haven't gotten the stamp of approval yet.  Some seem unfinished to me (like the above piece on the left), and others I'm not totally convinced I would want to add to my Etsy shop (like the one on the right).



Here's a closer look at the pile of recent drawings on my desk:

A couple of these pieces I might edit and mount on birch panels.  You can see that I already cut out one image.  Now I just need to wait for a wave of inspiration!



Yesterday, I was inspired to sew something.  I wanted to salvage a pair of old white jeans and a cute nightie that was made from vintage sheets.  But, instead of mending the items or altering them into other wearable fashions, I decided to use the materials to make a laptop bag!  Here's how it turned out:

On Monday, I'll post more pictures and instructions.  Monday is also the last day of the swap-a-thon.  There's still a chance to win a swap, so make sure you post your comment by Sunday.  Again, I'm open to swapping my art for anything handmade or found.

Artist Interview: Kathrin Achenbach of Annekata

When I first came across Kathrin's blog last month, it was one of those new-favorite-blog freakout moments.  I was engrossed in every post, quickly falling into the "how many hours just passed before me" state.  You might remember me first mentioning her blog, Annekata, as the catalyst to my recent fabric tape frenzy.  And the fabric tape idea is just one of many clever projects that Kathrin demonstrates on her blog.  Having lived in cities all over the world and with a background in theater, Kathrin's craft and artistry is unique and refreshing, yet classic.  Her method is slow design, and her material of choice is salvaged. . . music to my ears!

How would you describe your work?



It is timeless, with the time trapped within,

humble,

low to no footprint,

recycled, and in some way, unfinished.

  

What inspires you to create?



I'm fascinated by the relationship people have with their "things" and the role that "time" plays. Two of my preferred mediums to explore those relationships are hand-sewing and embroidery. They're slow and let me explore the details of what's decorative and functional, and create a visual/tactile representation of it.



Some of the questions I ask are:

What is our time worth?

Why do we value our time more than other people's time?



And inspiring me are all the people who spend time making "something from nothing".







What artist tool/material do you love using at this moment?



Fiber. Always loved textiles. My grandparents had a small convenience/notions store when I was a little girl and I fondly remember the inventory. The old cash registers, the yarn spools, embroidery threads and the stacks of fabric. I still have some beautiful starched linen from this now long-gone store.



The store also sold paper goods: ledger forms, envelopes of all shapes and sizes and spiral bound notebooks.  I love paper for many reasons and am curious of its uncertain future as it seems to quietly fade away. Paper also lends itself to a myriad of different and exciting applications: decoupage, fashion, decoration etc.



As for tools, I love the simple ones. The ones I can manipulate with my own hands and repair or replace easily. I have a difficult relationship with my camera. It seems indispensable in our virtual world, but I'm not a fan of digital photography (even though there are some amazing artists out there). And my relationship with the sewing machine is simply neurotic.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?



I feel very much in charge of my life. I live where I want, with the people I love and do (for the most part) what I please.



My intention is to spend as much time as I can with my daughter, husband and my work. What I remember of my childhood is that my parents always had time for me. And how important that was.



Who are a few of your favorite artists?



Oh my, there are so many. As for writers I love Emily Bronte, Juan Ramon Jimenez and Garcia Lorca. Some of my favorite photographers are: August Sander, Dorothea Lange. And I like Ramon Masats a documentary photographer from Spain. Painters: Nicolas de Stael, Andrew Wyeth.  Gunta Stölzl produced fantastic work as did Hannelore Baron. And I love Joseph Cornell's boxes.  Andrew Goldsworthy makes me think and in the world of fashion I admire Rei Kawakubo and Alexander McQueen who sadly left this world too early.

What inspired you to start your blog, and what is the origin of the name Annekata?



I am not a very organized person, so many ideas and projects were either discarded or forgotten or given away, and I felt that it was time to create a visual file cabinet of my work. A blog seemed a great format to accomplish this. It forces me to be more disciplined in my creative process. Every morning I sit down and write. It seemed that the blog took on its own character and became another child (begging constantly for attention). We are figuring out together where to go with this. The feedback of readers has been most helpful and insightful, and I want to integrate that spirit into my work.



The name Annekata is an abbreviation of my full name: Anne Kat(hrin) A(chenbach). I wanted a name without defining my blog too much so it could go in any direction. The other domain names I came up with, unfortunately, led in some way or another to "inappropriate" content.

Apart from your creative work, what else do you love to do?



Traveling. On top of my list. And food. And the combination of both. I've been recently interested in the raw food movement. Primarily, because of its very artistic approach. The bigger the constraint, the more creative possibilities people come up with. And the presentation of raw food (done with care) is often incredible. (You won't believe how artfully one can arrange salad greens!)



If you had a spare hour in the day, how would you spend it?



Procrastinating!



Thanks, Kathrin, for such lovely photographs and a wonderful interview! I feel so inspired to embroider now- and eat a few raw broccoli while doing it. 

Quilting a duvet cover amongst other things

 

I have always loved Marimekko's Unessa fabric and have wanted it as a duvet cover.  Over the last few months, however, I have been collecting a number of other fabrics and decided to quilt a duvet cover instead. I started the new quilting project just this past weekend. Using muslin as a base for the quilted top, I started sewing thin strips of fabric onto the muslin.  The strips run vertically on the duvet cover, alternating from all black to patterned.   

 

The last time I made a queen size quilt was over ten years ago, so I forgot how much room was needed to work on it.  Right now, I have the top sprawled out in the middle of our family room, so I'm constantly shooing the cat off of it and reminding family members to look out for pins.  

I estimate that I'll need around 55 strips to complete the top, and considering each strip takes 45 minutes, I've got my work cut out for me.  I also haven't decided on the fabric for the duvet's back yet, but the Unessa is definitely on top of my list.  

Although I'll be busy the next few weeks with the quilt, I'm still dedicating time at my art desk working on sketches, playing around with my new printer, and enjoying the beautiful spring weather.  Here's a look at some of my other recent works.

 

left, clockwise: 

1.  Photo of a mill in the Columbia Gorge.  I'm thinking about adding it to my Etsy shop as part of a set.

2.  Sketching in my new Canal Paper sketchbook.  Pastels blend beautifully on the paper.

3.  Drawing more trees and patterns

4.  Blossoming apple tree next to our house