SNAPS tiny shells

Today we went to the beach for a little bit and took a nap.
Found these when I woke up...

Back to School Notebook Cover Tutorial

With a batch of friend's kiddos heading to kindergarten this fall, I designed a reusable composition notebook cover with these new scholars in mind. I can just picture letters formed and words penned on the pages within.

Make your own with the very first Bricolage + Butter tutorial--tested by the Creative Craft Workshop! Pick up a few composition notebooks (I get mine from Target), grab some scraps, and get sewing this weekend!

Squared-Off Photo Wall

Since moving over Memorial Day, The Boy and I have been spending as much time as possible settling into the new place. This recently meant a photo wall full of tricky math (that's why The Boy is involved). I helped as much as I could by assembling the frames, and sketching out how the wall should look.

I started by drawing, to scale (one square = one inch), the outer dimensions of the squared-off rectangle on some graph paper. I also drew the frames to scale and cut them into pieces. I drew mock frames of many different sizes and then played around with placement to get all the frames to fit within the borders that I had determined would fit best on the wall.

It helped me with final placement to differentiate which frames had heavy borders by sketching the frame borders out more or less to scale as well. After a long time of playing around with the model, I finally figured out placement that would work, and then I ordered the frames.

Next I taped the mock frames that made the final cut to the top side of my envisioned rectangle.

Then down the left side of the rectangle.

Then across the bottom.

Then, spiraled the rest of the frames up the right side and through the middle.

The order that I taped the model together (top, left, bottom, right, middle) is the same way that we installed the frames as well--which helped us keep the edges square. When the frames came, I laid them out on the floor according to the model, and we ended up making a few minor tweaks, which is why the picture of the final model doesn't exactly look like the actual photo wall.

Thanks to W's mathematical magic, everything came together. I love how the frames square up around the edges, but have random spacing within the interior of the rectangle...looks kind of like a quilt!

Frames are from Aaron Brothers, Dryads Dancing and Room & Board.

Creative Craft Workshop

Day One: Getting familiar with the new sewing machine by zigzag stitching on moleskin notebooks!

Many of you know how much I had been looking forward to my sewing class with Fairmont Summer Programs. Last week's class truly was one of the highlights of my crafty career--I was lucky to have an amazing group of junior high girls in a workshop packed with fun, projects and learning to sew! A special thanks to all of you who helped by donating supplies--and for the ideas and inspiration!

Day Two: Handsewing the Tomato Pincushion Pattern by Valori Wells

It was so exciting and fulfilling to see my students get engaged, get excited and be so proud of what they created. I was amazed at how quickly they picked up the concepts and techniques, and how readily they tackled their own creative endeavors. I loved the fabric combinations they came up with and how they each had their own style and ideas.

Day One: Taking home completed Notebooks & Totebags

We started off the week learning to operate the Viking E20 that each student got to keep at the end of class. Monday's projects included moleskin notebooks from Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, as well as canvas totebags that the girls sewed scraps of fabric onto in the same technique as the notebooks.

Day Two: Skyping with Valori Wells

On Tuesday, we were fortunate to skype with fabric and pattern designer Valori Wells! It was so great to see Val again as I haven't seen her since I moved from Central Oregon, over a year and a half ago. Val is so wonderful and she talked to the girls about designing fabric and even showed us some new designs she is working on, as well as her latest fabric collection. I loved hearing the girls whisper things like "Do you see her shirt? She made it!" It was definitely one of the highlights of the class for me to be back in Val's studio--virtually...

Day Two: Making Film in the Fridge's Flannel Pillowcase Tutorial

Wednesday brought a visit from a very special guest, Alissa Haight Carlton from Handmade by Alissa. Alissa spoke to the girls about modern quilting, and the process of making a quilt--and we were treated to an incredible quilt show and tell!

Day Three: Modern Quilting with Alissa

She also shared about her day job as casting director for Project Runway which definitely got the girls thinking about what could happen if they keep sewing! It was amazing to have her share her passion with my students. A few of the girls were so inspired that they have already started making their first quilt! Wednesday's project was to sew wonky log cabin quilt blocks.

Day Four: A visit to the Purl Soho Warehouse

On Thursday we turned the log cabin quilt blocks into covers for composition notebooks. (Tutorial coming soon!) We also visited the Purl Soho Warehouse in Tustin. It was great to see what fabrics the girls were drawn to (Echino, obviously! Can we blame them?). One of them purchased some of Val's Nest fabric, you know, because they are buddies now :) Jen was so nice to come in (she just had a baby after all!) and meet the girls and answer all of their questions. On the field trip, they each picked out oilcloth for Friday's class project.

Day Five: Working with oilcloth & zippers!

Our final project was a zippered oilcloth cosmetic bag. I was a bit nervous about this project... the pattern is very simple but oilcloth and zippers are super tough! But the girls were awesome and fearlessly jumped in. The paper towel (or tissue paper) trick helped, along with a denim needle. I was so impressed, and I think the cosmetic bags were one of the highlights for the girls.

Day Five: The Next Generation of Crafters!

In short, it was an incredible week. I learned so much, felt such pride and have immense satisfaction knowing that there are 6 new crafters who are off to a great start in making amazing things. The best part? Realizing that I love to teach others to sew more than I love sewing. The worst part? I've had Justin Bieber stuck in my head for a week...

Wedding Quilt No. 1

This past June one of our cousin married a very cute girl and when we heard about their wedding colors (brown, pink, burnt orange & gold) we got inspired. And decided to make our first quilt together. I had been through the process once, and Jamie was well on her way, but this quilt was different--especially for me. We decided to go with a wonky log cabin pattern and after assembling fabrics from Jamie's stash (and a trip to the Purl warehouse), decided to tone those fabulous colors down with some linen sashing as well. I literally had no idea what I was doing, but Jamie guided me through my first square, and after completely botching it and a few others, I decided that I loved it. 14 squares later though, I was working like a pro!

Jamie's favorite square--I think because of the pig fabric.

My favorite square--because it was my first, and I somehow messed it up several times. See how imperfect it is? I just kept cutting off the bad parts and sewing on replacements--so much fun and non-frustrating. Swoon...

Many thanks to Jamie for hand binding the entire thing--as well as sewing the sashing, etc.

Our friend at work, Sherry, has an embroidery machine so we swapped her lunch for her help with the label--which we created in the same fonts and colors as the wedding invitation.

Anyways, here is the end result. We're having a little trouble parting with it. We actually finished the quilt within two weeks of the wedding, but it hasn't made it into the mail yet. Bad sisters! Hopefully we can talk J&L to meeting up with us in LA for a hand-off sometime soon...

Front

Back

Support Action Kivu

Have you heard about Action Kivu? I love the concept of empowering victimized Congolese women through teaching them how to sew! If this is something that you want to be part of, please join me in supporting this organization--and these women and their children.

For more information on how you can help, please visit Alissa's blog where she is hosting a week-long fundraiser. Your donation even enters you in a raffle to win fabulous fabric prizes! Hands off the Flea Market Fancy bundle--that one is mine!

SNAPS a new quilt

I'm obsessed and in love.