Thursday, October 29, 2020

My Sandhill Sling


Just finished making the Sandhill Sling by Noodlehead.  This is the first time I've tried one of Anna's patterns and it certainly won't be the last   The pattern is well written and construction was fun!

I really love the size of the bag.  It is perfect when I just want to carry a few items.  The canvas gives it great structure.  There is a zipper pocket on the outside of the bag and a nice pocket on the inside.


Canvas was ordered online and was a bit darker than expected.  Frankly, at first I was disappointed by now I am just in love.  Its a perfect color for what I want to use it for.  That said, I can see myself making another in a very different color!


I optionally added the tabs on each side of the bottom of the bag so I can adjust it depending on whether I wear it on my left or right side.  


Supplies were all ordered online.  One package took an extra week to arrive after going on a grand tour of North Carolina.

When I showed the bag to my daughter, she really liked it.  It wasn't until she opened it up and looked inside to see a familiar fabric that she looked up in disbelief that I had made it!


Outside fabric is Robert Kaufman Big Sur Canvas - Dark Grey.  Lining fabric is from the Quantum line by Giucy Giuce .  Metal tag on the zipper flap was purchased at QuiltCon.


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Product Review: Oliso Mini Project Iron

Oliso provided me a complementary Mini Project Iron.  All the opinions are my own.


I've been using the the Mini Project Iron from Oliso for over 6 months.  It sits right next to my sewing machine table on a wool pressing mat.  Its a perfect spot for pressing seams as I go.


The iron heats up quickly and stays hot!  I've had small travel irons before and my biggest complaint was they did not get hot enough to really press stubborn seams into compliance.  Not true with the Oliso Mini Project Iron.

The silicone pad is a great resting spot for the iron between presses.  There are two sides - one for resting on and one that secures it to the base for transport.


The iron can be used with or without water.  Since I don't use steam, I did not try out this feature.  (If I'm dealing with a stubborn fabric crease, I will spritz with water direct to the fabric.)


If you are in the market for a mini iron, I highly recommend this one. It comes in other pretty colors but I love my pink one!

You can purchase the Mini Project Iron directly from Oliso,  Fat Quarter Shop, or Amazon.  (affliate links)   



The wool mat is the Precision Quilting Tools Wool Ironing Mat - see my review post.  

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Sunday, October 25, 2020

One Monthly Goal Finish Link-up for October

Ready to link up your October finishes?
Don't panic - this link-up is open until October 31 at 11:55 pm ET.



My goal for October was to make something with the MQG challenge fabrics for QuiltCon Together.  I'm happy with my design - sneak peak here! - and can't wait to share the overall finish with you!




Now it is your turn to link-up!

There will be three winners this month - Fat Quarter Shop is offering a $25 gift certificate,  Aurifil is offering a thread pack, and Quiltfolk is offering a 1 year subscription.  These are awesome sponsors!


Congratulations to Pat, Judy, and Sharon - our lucky winners for October!  (updated 11/2)


Visit the One Monthly Goal event page for the specific requirements for links and social tags. 

And remember, to be eligible for the prize(s) by random drawing you must linkup at both the goal setting and the accomplishment linkup in a given month. (October
 Goal Setting Link-up.)

Make sure you add a link to this OMG post so others can follow where you are linking.   Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post:  


Sign up to receive email notifications when the One Monthly Goal linkup is open.  Think of it as a helpful reminder!  Joining the link-up from Instagram -see the tutorial.



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Thanks for linking up.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Vote!

As November approaches, leaves turn pretty colors and then fall to the ground.  Pumpkins pop up everywhere.  Candidate signs litter along the roadways.

It is voting season!


Have you voted yet?    If not, consider this a friendly reminder.

If you have, pat yourself on the back!  Voting is such an important right and you should wear your 'I voted' sticker with pride.

My quilt measures 24'' x 24''.  I wanted a simple sign of encouragement to hang on my porch.  You can find the tutorial here.  The only change I made was to the letter V - I wanted something a bit more 'pointy'.




Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Journal Cover

Need a fun and quick gift idea for someone this holiday season or just to say thank you?  How about a journal cover?



I had some fun fabric scraps to use for the cover.  I love the texture from the quilting!


I used these moleskin notebooks - you can get them with lines, blank pages or dots!

I've been busy with big secret projects in my sewing room and it was nice to put those aside and actually make something in about an hour.  More of these in my future for sure!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

September Temperatures

The days past slowly but the months are going by quickly!  Does that makes sense?  It seems like I just posted my August temperature quilt update and now it is September's turn!


It was an interesting month for temperatures - starting in the 90s (the red) and then about 2 weeks of highs in the 80s but lows down in the 60s before fall weather suddenly rolling in with highs in the 70s (yellow) or some days only the 60s.

So unusual for North Carolina.  (And October spoiler - so far cooler temps remain - in 2019, we had a day hit 100 degrees in October.)

Different quilt design but compare the colors to my 2019 version.



You can read more about the design here.  The net is the 2020 quilt will be functionally sized at 48'' x 48''.   The quilt records both high and low temperatures for each day.   The block is a simple one - the low temperature is the smaller rectangle - vertical for odd numbered days and horizontal for even numbered.  



The fabrics are all Painters Palette solids and I keep the color gradient at the top of my design wall so it is always available to reference.  


I've made temperature quilts for 2018 and 2019.  Want to make your own temperature quilt - check out my tutorial!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Thursday, October 1, 2020

One Monthly Goal October

Welcome to October!  There were 19 people who joined the link up last month - let's see what this month brings.


New to One Monthly Goal?  Welcome!  To join, share a photo of your project, some words about what you want to accomplish in a blog post, an Instagram post (tutorial) or a post on Flickr and add that photo to the link-up.  Return at the end of the month and share your results.  You can read about the event and the rules on the main event page.

We have wonderful sponsors this month - three (3) winners will be randomly chosen from those that link up in both the goal and the finish event! 



Fat Quarter Shop offers a tremendous selection of fabric, notions, books and just about anything you will need for your project. Consider their Sew Sampler box to receive a monthly surprise delivery of fabric and fun.  Fat Quarter Shop is offering a $25 gift certificate to one lucky participant.

Aurifil is home to a beautiful rainbow of thread in all weights, perfect for any of your sewing and quilting needs.  My favorite product is the designer collection boxes which coordinate with various fabric lines!  Aurifil will be mailing a thread pack to one lucky winner!

Quiltfolk is the magazine for quilters, by quilters, with about 180 pages of inspirational stories and stunning photography. Featuring four new locations each year, it’s like taking a vacation with your favorite quilt friends without ever leaving home!  One lucky winner will win a copy of the latest issue (January) plus a years subscription! 

Aren't these just terrific sponsors?

For October, my goal is to make the quilt top with these challenge fabrics from the MQG.  I've no idea what I'll be making.....



Make sure you visit the One Monthly Goal event page for the specific requirements for links and social tags.  Your blog post (or Flickr post) must contain a photo of your project, a clearly stated goal and a link back to Elm Street Quilts.  Your Instagram post must include a photo of your project, a clearly stated goal and the tag #onemonthlygoal.  (Entries which don't contain the required information may be disqualified.)

And remember, to be eligible for the prize(s) by random drawing you must linkup at both the goal setting and the accomplishment linkup in a given month.   (The One Monthly Goal accomplishment linkup will be available on October 25.)

Make sure you add a link to this OMG post so others can find the OMG link-up from your blog.  Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post: 
 






You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Thanks for linking up!




Have a wonderful day! Patty