Sewtopia Milwaukee

I am so excited to share about my trip to Sewtopia in Milwaukee! It was amazing. More amazing than I could have hoped. There are a bunch of pictures, and a lot of them are even more terrible than my usual sub-par standard because interior lighting is ROUGH. But hopefully they give you a good idea!

 

First, while my sewing bestie did not get a ticket initially, Megan and Amy saw my note on an instagram post that she had not gotten a ticket and when one came available a week before the event, they emailed me and offered it to her directly. So she got to go! I was majorly impressed with her spontaneity. I was nervous about being by myself when so many of the attendees had been before or were attending with friends and I worried I would feel lonely. That worry was unnecessary, as everyone was so exceptionally friendly and inclusive, but I was still glad she got to go. I didn't really know what to expect, but I did anticipate bringing home more than I took with the shop hop. I didn't realize how much extra stuff we'd bring home, though! We got amazing swag bags with patterns and precuts and batting and more, and everyone gets a doorprize at some point through the weekend, and many of them were fat quarter bundles. You can see the one I picked in a picture below, barely, in the picture with the pouch I received in the swap.

 The event on the whole was so fun. The shop hop was great and I got some fun fabric, including some great additions to the quilt I worked on for Latifah's class (more on that later). The saddest part to me was that the shops seemed understaffed and overwhelmed by our visit, and cutting and checking out took FOREVER. I only got to one shop at the second stop instead of both shops (which were just a block away from each other) because they had only one person cutting and one person checking out. So I waited roughly 40 minutes to get cut. I try to not feel FOMO too hard, but I was disappointed to not get to both shops. We also visited a quilt and textile museum, which was pretty cool, although it took longer than I think we really had budgeted for in the shop hop unfortunately. There was a 25 million stitches project on display, which was in recognition of the refugee crisis. It was dark, and there were so many embroidered panels, so pictures were hard and I only took some of the some of the panels I really loved, one is below.

I took my Wasatch quilt project to work on because it seemed like it would be mindless sewing since it's a log cabin construction and I used solids, and it was a great choice. I was in the afternoon classes, so we had a couple of open-sew periods before our first class, and I nearly finished my blocks during the weekend. I miscut and was 8 pieces short of one of the colors, so I couldn't finish it. But, I was so happy with my progress and was able to quickly finish the quilt after I got home. It's now at my quilter's for longarming. 

 

We had two instructors for the weekend: Latifah Saafir, who taught her Glare quilt, and Violet Craft, who taught us how to turn a photo into an EPP pattern. Both were so great! I got three "blocks" done for my Glare quilt, and I'm excited to jump back in this weekend to work on more. I'm a little nervous about the assembly, because she showed us briefly at the end, but it seemed a little tricky even though the curves are nice and big and gentle. I am using Tula Pink's Daydreamer line, and it feels funny to me to use a single line. I never do that! But I thought the flamingos were perfect for the centers and it just kind of snowballed from there. It's going to be a pretty bright quilt for me, but I think it'll be really pretty. 

As I've shared previously, I didn't feel comfortable participating in the Super Secret Swap just in case I wasn't up to enough awesome sewing before the event. But I did sew a swap item and Phyllis got my Luisa crossbody bag, which she loved with the focal Tula Pink print. I got a lovely pouch made my Anja. The zipper work looks so tricky and she said she struggled, but it looks like she breezed through it. The topstitching was well done, I assure you, and my girls have already tried to take it for themselves but I wouldn't let them. 

The biggest news I have to share is that I won the fabric challenge!

 For every event, Sewtopia hosts a fabric challenge, and this one was sponsored by Windham. We were sent 6 fat quarters, including three prints by Heather Ross and three solids. I brainstormed and wanted to use the stripes creatively, that was my biggest focus. I decided to make an Above the Cairns quilt, designed by Jenny Haynes, even though I haven't taken her workshop. I have taken her Hexibore workshop, and I have some of her templates, so I just went with it...I had to print the largest durkard's path template from Electric Quilt. My goal was to have the lighter peach snail print and the orange solid blend together with the striped fabric which had the peach and orange colors in it. I used the strawberry print for the centers and since they kind of resembled cobblestones, I titled it Roman Cobblestones because of the delicious strawberries we had there when we visited a few years back during strawberry season. I quilted it with my walking foot, using a design from Jacquie Gering's Walk book for the main center. Amy said my quilting was what really sealed it, and I got loads of compliments on the quilting. I felt so proud of it!

 

 I never quilt my own quilts, and this was really as big as I'd want to quilt myself. I got a first place ribbon, made by Megan, and a box of fat quarters of the full line of Windham solids. I'm thinking maybe I'll order Violet Craft's peacock quilt pattern and use them for that, which seems fitting.

Luisa Crossbody Bag

So…I was really happy with the pouch I made for the sewtopia blind swap. I thought it turned out great and I felt like I had a good amount of extras in it. I even kinda felt like I didn’t want to give it away. 

Then, I watched the replay of the question and answer zoom call. And they talked about the swap and about the projects they were making for it…and my pouch seemed too simple. And I reread the swap instructions in the attendee packet and they have changed the wording from a small item such as a mini or pillow or pouch, to a medium item such as a tool organizer or favorite bag. 

Yeah. My pouch was not good enough. 

So, I started brainstorming because sewtopia is less than a month away now, and settled on making a Luisa crossbody bag by Sotak Handmade. I haven’t made it yet, but I thought it would be simple enough to try and would be a good pattern for a focal print. I chose a Tula Pink cameo from the Parisville deja vu line. Luckily, I found fabrics to go with it for the rest of the bag and I think it turned out great! 

I’m really pleased with how the zippers turned out. This rainbow zipper tape by the yard was an impulse purchase while I bought some other zippers by the yard on Etsy and I think it’s perfect for this bag. 

I did have to adjust how I inserted the zipper for the main compartment because I couldn’t figure out how to close it as written for a regular zipper, so I added another tab to the open end. I also think it could use a slightly wider strap, it’s a pretty big bag for only 1” wide. I also should have used a stiffer denim for the interlining, I think it’s a bit slouchy on the bottom contrast part. Otherwise, I think it’s a great bag, and once again, I’ll be sad to give it up. Hopefully the recipient loves it too, and I get something amazing myself!

Garden Gem (a Hexibore quilt)

Somehow, I came across Jenny Haynes' Instagram feed and discovered her amazing curved piecing. I ended up signing up for her Hexibore class and ordering her acrylic templates because I had never seen anything quite like it and just HAD to make one for myself. She offers her more complex patterns only as online classes, and only live, though you do get a recording of the class afterward. 

This was the second iteration of the class, where she introduced a four-petal version, and that's what I opted to make first. Since, I have also made a six-petal top that I'm trying to decide how to have quilted. It's tough, I'll tell you. These quilts are so graphic that you really want to make sure the quilting will accent the design.

For the four-petal version I made first, I decided I HAD to have it custom quilted, and in the past, I've hired Marion McClellon for that. She always does amazing work! I just trust her, and know she'll do some amazing art. So, after I finished up the quilt top, which went together pretty quickly since it doesn't have many pieces. Jenny gave great tips on how to get the pieces lined up just right so you don't lose the curves. Her instruction was great, I wish the class were just a little more professionally done. It was very informal, which is why she hasn't created contents ready for streaming anytime. I can't really complain about the content as she really does give great instruction. And, it wasn't very expensive as far as classes go. I guess I'm mostly disgruntled because I'm really interested in some of her other courses, but I've never caught them with openings at times that would work for me. 

I just got back my quilt from Marion a week ago, and I finished binding it. I picked the binding out when I bought the fabric originally, which is so unlike me! Usually binding is an after thought. But I thought the orange would be striking. 

I was blown away by Marion's quilting when it came back, and I had tried extra hard on the piecing to get the points lined up just right, so I decided I will probably enter it in the Springville art museum quilt show this summer. And with that in mind, I decided to try a little harder on the binding. It didn't work out perfectly, I'm not good at binding. But I think it's okay. I backed it with minky which means the drape is excellent despite the dense quilting, and since I backed with minky, there's no way I could hand stitch it down. So, instead of sewing the binding first to the front and then turning it to the back, I stitched it to the back and turned it to the front so I could "topstitch" it down. I reasoned it would look more intentional and better. Of course, true to form for me, it's a tad wavy. I tried so hard! I cleared off my table and tried to not pull either the quilt or the binding. But it was a heavy quilt and that's hard to manage. Oh well...I don't really expect top marks from the show anyway. It's just fun to see your work hanging in a museum! 

Completed March 2024

Gratitude Quilt

Before Thanksgiving, I had an idea. I had just seen a blogpost by Amy Smart about her gratitude quilt, and it lit a fire in me. The wheels turned quickly, and even though I usually mull things way longer than is necessary, I quickly jumped to work. I pitched it to my kids and they liked the idea too, so we went for it! 

I largely used Amy Smart's pattern for the gratitude quilt, but I made some changes. I think I made more blocks, but I omitted the border. And instead of using a sharpie to write on the blocks, I opted to embroider them. I had my girls all come up with 10 things they were thankful for and then I color coded the blocks and had the girls all sew their own blocks. So, my oldest daughter's blocks are all the same yellow fabric, and my second daughter's are all the same blue. I added their name to one of their blocks so we'd be able to figure it out easily later.

My girls have a whole week off of school for Thanksgiving and we never travel, so this was a great activity for them while they were off of school. I did need to unpick and resew a few blocks, especially for my seven-year-olds, but they mostly did great. And I sewed all my husband's blocks, of course. 

Once they were done, I laid it out quickly and stitched the rows together, and then I had a stroke. I knew it wouldn't be done by Thanksgiving, since we were sewing the blocks the day before Thanksgiving, but I still hoped to finish it before the end of the year just to wrap it up.

That did not happen. But I got it up to my quilter in February (I couldn't easily get down on the floor to pin rows together after I was discharged because I was so stiff), and I got it back this week.

I put it aside while I worked on my Sewtopia challenge quilt (will post on that later!), but once I had sewn the binding down to the front of that quilt, I opted to bind this one. I used the brown fabric that I used for some blocks, and I don't love the print (it was free from a neighbor's destash) but it's a great color, especially for an autumn quilt. I think it's a great binding for this quilt. 

I'm so glad it's finished!

Sandhill Sling

I mentioned last time that in lieu of participating in the Super Secret Swap for Sewtopia, that I wanted to make myself a swap package, so to speak. I wanted to give myself permission to make something hard that I've wanted for a while in the pretty fabric. I intended to justify purchasing fabric if I chose, but in the end, I used fabric from my stash. I did have to buy a couple pieces of hardware, but otherwise, I had everything. I love being able to turn to my stash for most of the things I need. It's really fun to shop your stash and not be limited by what's available at the quilt shop. 

I decided that what I really wanted, what I had taken screenshots of most for a possible mosaic for the swap, was a sling bag. I purchased the Sandhill Sling pattern by Anna Graham of Noodlehead over Black Friday and settled on making it. 

Luckily, I have a nice selection of canvas in my stash, including a lot of Rifle Paper Co, and some Ruby Star. There are some really phenomenal canvas prints out there, and I settled on a floral Rifle Paper. It went great with a large scrap of Essex linen and I opted to line it with a postage stamp print by Rifle Paper, though I didn't have enough. I made the pocket out of a starry print by Rifle Paper, right? I'm pretty sure...

And, I used zipper by the yard for the first time. The pattern uses a double head zipper, and I found some YKK zippers at my favorite Etsy shop, Zipit, but then I realized that a lot of people are using zipper by the yard for their handbags because the manufacturer (not YKK...) are making nylon zippers with metallic painted teeth so you get the benefit of looking like a metal zipper without the difficulty of shortening metal zippers. I found a different seller with a nice variety and ordered a few different tapes with some pulls, but I went with the one I had originally planned, a gray and white striped tape with silver coils. I think it turned out so sharp, and I'm so glad! 

The bag went together pretty quickly and mostly easily, although I did break for a couple of weeks in the middle while I worked on the quilt top for my fabric challenge project. I managed to finish it, and the backing, and had a couple of days before I could get up to a different shop for the Aurifil thread I picked out for quilting (which I ended up going in a different direction, but that's another post...) so I finished up the bag. 

It was mostly easy until the very last finishing step, which is brilliant, in that it allows you to have a fully finished lining without binding or hand-stitching a hold closed, but it was tricky. I can't even describe it easily, but it's brilliant. I found a 505 glue stick at my local shop while I was buying batting for my challenge quilt and it helped a lot with basting for the final step. 

Now my biggest decision is whether I want to start using it now or whether I want to save it like it's a swap package for sewtopia. It's only about 5 weeks away at this point...

A Devon Pouch

I'm not a perfectionist, not really. I did tear the zipper out of the first pouch I made for the Sewtopia Swap, twice, but I'm not a perfectionist. And yes, if you were reading closely, you caught that "first" I put in front of pouch. Which strongly implies there is, in face, a second. And if you caught that, you would be right, but it doesn't make me a perfectionist, it really doesn't.

The thing is, I was just really questioning the pouch I made. It wasn't my best work. I didn't like it. I tried, and I thought I was making good choices, but it just didn't work. First, I accidentally cut the embroidered panel too narrow, so I had to make the pouch more narrow than intended. Well, the actual first was the fact that I chose the wrong color thread for the dark linen I embroidered. But, instead of redoing it at the time, like an intelligent person, I persevered. I reasoned that sometimes things don't seem like they're going to turn out until you're done and then they're fine! I reasoned that it was a gift for a random person I don't even know and it was very possible they would LOVE it. I reasoned that if I made a matching chapstick key fob, and filled the pouch with extras, it would make up for the deficiencies I saw in the pouch.

But all the reasoning I could muster couldn't change the fact that I did not like the pouch I had made and I felt badly giving something I did not like in a swap. 

So, I made a new one.

Pouches really don't take all that long, I probably spent more time talking myself out of making another one than I did actually making another one. 

I tried to do better work on this one. I added tabs to the zippers on the top. I used good fabric (even though it was all scraps). I did all the right things. 

And I love how it turned out. If you did a blind swap right, you shouldn't want to give away what you make, and that's exactly how I feel right now. 

I have to keep telling myself, I can make another one. I can make another one 

I used the Devon Pouch pattern by Sotak Handmade and it went much better than the pyramid pouches. I used a Rifle Paper Co print for the focal fabric on the front, a natural linen for the exterior, and blossom fabric from Riley Blake in green for the interior. I have more of all of it, so I really can make another one if I feel so inclined. 

I'm so glad I went ahead and did it.

And now, I'm starting work on my Super Secret Swap project. 

Spoiler: I decided to make MYSELF a super secret swap project 😂

I was going to sign up, because I want to fully participate in Sewtopia. BUT, I decided that instead, I'd just make exactly what I wanted for myself. So I'm making a Sandhill Sling and I'm using the good fabric, including a floral canvas by Rifle Paper Co for the focal print on the front and a cute stamp print from the Bon Voyage line by Rifle Paper for the interior. It's going to be GREAT. And I'm going to buy myself the treats I would want as extras and take them for myself. Yes, it's fun to get surprises picked especially for you. But I wasn't sure if I'd be up to it enough when sign ups happened, and I didn't dare sign up. Of course, I'm doing loads better now, but I didn't want to risk disappointing someone else. Plus, when I looked through past hashtags, people have gone NUTS on their packages and I didn't want to spend $50+ on extras alone. 

So, I'm making a swap package for myself. :) I think it's brilliant. 

I'm in the first prep stage and I always remember at times like this how much I hate interfacing. It's my least favorite part of sewing bags. But, it gives good structure, sigh. Hopefully I'll have a finished bag to show off before too long!

Mid-February Already?!

I don't have any big quilts to post but I have finished a few things, and I'm expecting a couple quilts back from the quilter soon. I have one at my custom quilter's, and she texted a week ago that she was getting started on mine, which is exciting! And I have one at my regular quilter, that is waiting in line for an edge-to-edge. I also have a finished top that I need to decide what to do with; do I want custom quilting, or just a regular panto? Decisions...

Other things I've been working on are pouches for Sewtopia and belated teacher Christmas gifts, which I'm helping my girls sew and which are not done, yet. They are now cut out and pinned, but getting girls to sew when they don't want to is hard. 

I am really excited for Sewtopia, even though I'm going alone...I keep crossing my fingers my friend will get a ticket, but so far she hasn't had any luck on the waitlist. :( I want to participate in the Sewtopia Swap, and I thought it would also be nice to make little pouches for my tablemates, since I don't know anyone...so I've got those done. 

This is the pouch I made for the anonymous swap. It didn't turn out as great as I'd hoped; I used the zipper I had that I thought matched the best among my stash, but it's too light, and the fabric I embroidered on is too dark for the thread I chose. I did use a cool Tula print for the lining, the same one I used to make a chapstick key fob. I hope it's good enough even though it didn't turn out like I'd hoped; I'm finding I'm having a hard time judging because it's different than my expectations.

And these are the pouches I made for my tablemates. I tried the large one first, because I wasn't sure how large it would really be, but it was too big, in my opinion, so I made three of the smaller ones. It's a tricky pattern; I used Sotak Handmade's pattern, and I don't know if I'm doing it wrong or what, but I end up with fabric that isn't completely stitched down. It's basically enclosed, and I guess as long as you don't wash it, it'd probably be fine, but I handstitched it closed because you could also see the stitch lines for the other side through the gap it left. Shrug. It's not my favorite pattern, I'm pretty disappointed, actually. But it's okay. I got them made, and I think they're cute! The fabrics all came from scraps, so score!

We had sewing night last weekend, and I also got a bunch cut out for my Candlelight quilt, so I'm looking forward to starting to sew that.