Apple and Pear ~ Free Paper Piecing Patterns!

I created this Paper Pieced Apple and Pear hot pad design for a Sew Mama Sew Binding tutorial. You can find the binding tutorial  [HERE]

The Apple and Pear are an easy to sew paper pieced pattern - you can find the pattern [HERE].

The fabrics I used are from a new collection from RJR fabrics - "Pie Making Day" by Brenda Ratliff.
The collection will be available in July.

It is a lovely, retro inspired line with cute florals and geometric prints.

The apple and pear would also be cute on a tote bag, fabric basket ~ the possibilities are endless : )

If you would like to make the round potholders, you can find the tutorial [HERE]

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise

My Small World Quilt Along

When  I saw a picture on Instagram of a new Quilt Along I knew I wanted to join!

Kerry and a group of bloggers are hosting the Small World Quilt Along.
Link HERE for all the info on the Quilt Along.

The pattern is by Jen Kingswell and can be found in a special Spring issue of Quiltmania.
I found my copy at my local Barnes and Noble bookstore.

I have admired Jen Kingswell's work and have wanted to make one of her patterns for some time.

I love the Small World Quilt because of its use of different bits of fabric and the theme of the quilt - an interesting and vibrant city made up of quilt blocks : )

The sky in my quilt is blue and I achieved that by using a combination of light value cream and blue fabrics.

Fashion is a passion of mine so I decided to make my Small World a very chic city complete with stylish women in the windows of the skyscrapers.

If you need a few more low volume prints to make your Small World Quilt, here are a few ideas.

Becca at Sew Me a Song has a lovely F8 bundle of low volume fabrics in her shop.

 This bundle is also a beauty!

Becca carries the fashion print from Japanese designer Suzuko Koseki, that I used for the skyscraper windows

I am looking forward to finding just the perfect pieces of fabric in my stash to make this quilt!

Happy Sewing
xo
Charise

Bias Binding Tutorial

 

Hi!  Today I'm sharing a tutorial to make your own bias binding!

I love to make my own Bias binding.  It adds such a nice, personal touch to clothes and sewn items.

Bias Binding is the perfect neckline and keyhole finish for my Anna Blouse.

The Anna was made from gorgeous Double Gauze by Nani IRO supplied by Miss Matabi fabrics.

It also is a great finish for items such as hot pads, purses and tote bags.

You will need:

~ a FQ or more fabric

~ Grid Ruler

~ Rotary Cutter

~ Matching Thread

 

Happy Sewing!

xo

Charise

Annas

Skopelos Look Book from
Art Gallery Fabrics

My friend Amy made an Anna Blouse for the Art Gallery Fabrics Skopelos blog tour!
I absolutely love the fabric - so Springy!  You can see all the Skopelos makes in Art Gallery's look book here.

I am also working on a blog post for Sew Mama Sew which will be live on May 20th.  One of the projects for the sewing tutorial post is my Anna Blouse made from a beautiful Nani IRO cotton gauze sent to me from Miss Matabi fabrics.  It is so amazing to sew with! I just love the way it turned out and can't wait to wear it.  Be sure to stop by Sew Mama Sew on May 20th for a great sewing tutorial!

xo

Charise

Me Made May - Week in Review

 I decided to join Me Made May '15 and it has been such fun. If you are not familiar, the challenge was created by blogger So Zo as a way to wear our hand made creations.  You can read more about it here.

It has been a great way to see what items I am missing in my wardrobe and there are definitely some holes.

The outfit above includes a blouse from New Look 6895 with a beautiful cotton lawn.

The sweater coat is a design for Sew News you can find here.

The purse is a pattern in the works - the Marcia Bag. I love the typewriter fabric from Melody Miller!

Necklace is a Sterling Silver Carnelian Branch necklace.

The blouse above is a free pattern from Martha Stewart.  You can find the pattern and tutorial here.

The "Shopper Purse" is from the lovely gathered purse trio.

We had a couple days of warm weather last week so I dusted off my swing tank!  Pattern is in the queue : )

The Ruffle Clutch was designed for the Liberty Craft Blog.  You can find the pattern and tutorial here.

Happy Sewing!
xo
Charise

Itty Bitty and Bright ~ Work in Progress Wednesday

Two of the gals from the Cocorico Paper Piecing Quilt Bee are joining me for a traveling quilt bee.

It is basically a round robin.  We each make a few blocks to start the quilt and then send them on to the next person.  They make blocks adding to the quilt working within the theme.

I received Melinda's start of her quilt - "Itty Bitty and Bright".  She is making a quilt consisting of small 4 -5" small blocks surrounded by low volume fabrics.

 She provided a great Pinterest board full of inspiration.  I decided to make my apple block.

The Umbrella is designed by Leila for the book "Playful Little Paper Pieced Projects".  I reduced the block size by 50 %.

I made my Vintage Dresses Pattern and also reduced it by 50% so it is a wee 4 1/2" tall.

It was fun to make these little blocks and they went together fast and easily.  My plan is to make four more!

Here is a picture of all the blocks so far.  I think they play nicely together : )

xo

Charise

Me Made May 2015

I was away this past weekend.  A Blissful few days at my annual yoga retreat : )  I brought my iPad and took a little time to look at my Instagram feed.  Well.... I kept seeing "Me Made May '15" photos and hash tags.  After a little research I found So Zo's website, the creator behind the challenge.

Since I have been designing and sewing more clothes for myself I decided to join!  So here  is my pledge:

I, Charise of ChariseCreates.blogspot.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '15. I endeavour to wear a handmade garment or accessory (bag, jewelry scarf) each day for the duration of May 2015'.
I am very excited to be a part of the challenge!

I am a bit late to the party but I am looking forward to wearing clothes I have made for myself.  My goal is that this challenge will help me figure out what items I need in my wardrobe and what new items I want to design and sew.  I know for sure that a pair of Jamie Jeans is in my future.  I just can't seem to find slim jeans that fit right!

Today was my first Me Made May '15 day and I wore my sparkle sweatshirt with jeans and converse and my Lovely Gathered Clutch.  The perfect outfit to wear to walk the kids up to school and do some work at home : )

xo
Charise

The Sweetheart

Even though I have been absent here on the blog I have been a busy bee!

I have been working on my new garment sewing pattern - " The Sweetheart ".

It will include both a dress in two lengths and a top with a 1940's inspired Sweetheart Neckline.

The style has a flattering fit and flare shape with cap sleeves.

It is easy to make and includes instructions on how to professionally finish the neckline with a narrow neckline binding.

This is my first sample of the knee length dress with gorgeous rayon spandex jersey from Girl Charlee Fabrics.

The top is made with Birch Organics interlock knit fabric Poppies Print in Coral.  You can find the fabric HERE. 

OK...time to put my head down and get this pattern done!

Have a great day!

xo

Charise

The Anna Blouse at Indiesew!

I am so excited to have my Anna Blouse for sale at Indiesew!  You can find a little more info about the pattern and a review from Allie, co-founder of Indiesew HERE!

I absolutely love the site.  Each pattern is sewn by Indiesew before it is included on their site so they can review the pattern and make sure it passes their high standards.

Indiesew also provides sewing tutorials to help you make your garment.

Indiesew is hosting a give-away - a year of free sewing patterns!  You can find the link here.
The winner of this contest will receive one Indiesew pattern of their choice every month for the next year, a prize valued at over $200!

How does it work? Simply enter on this giveaway page. Here's a breakdown of the rules:

• This contest starts today, April 14th at 10am MDT. The contest ends Monday, April 20th at 10pm MDT.
• Every entrant must have or create an Indiesew account to enter the contest.
• All entrants must have a verified email address. Unverified entries are not valid. If you haven't yet verified your email, you'll get a confirmation email sent to you after you enter.
• The winner of this contest will be announced on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles on Tuesday, April 21st. The winner will also be notified by email.
• No purchase necessary. Unsubscribe at any time.

I was very excited to see my Anna Blouse on the Indiesew blog!  I now have sewn a total of six Annas for my Spring Wardrobe.

  

It is such a versatile blouse and I even shared different ways to wear you Anna HERE.

Next up is a pattern for my Simple Swing Tank and Dress.  Another wardrobe staple I will wear all summer long.

xo

Charise

  

Happy Mail ~ I am a lucky gal : )

I have received some very Happy Mail in the past month or so and thought I would share it with you.

This adorable Pencil Pouch was hand printed by Krista Fleckenstein.  You can find her fabulous work over at her website Spotted Stones.   

 I was lucky enough to win the pouch in a series she is doing this year on her blog - a printmaking series with new prints on fabric and an item made from that print.  I adore the Suzuko Kokeski print used for the lining. 

Rumour has it, she is coming out with a book this year.  I can't wait!

Amy from During Quiet Time made this adorable block for me.  We are both members of the Cocorico Quilting Bee.  I asked for more blocks for my Paris themed quilt.  I wish you could see the quilt block in person.  The picture does not do it justice!  It is adorable.

The little sign that says Lucienne is so cool!  My youngest son's name is Luc, short for Lucien.  What an amazing coincidence.

I am looking forward to assembling this quilt.  It is going to be lovely!

I hope you find time for some creativity today!

xo

Charise

Blossom Placemats and Napkins from Stitch Magazine Sp'15

It finally feels like Spring in the Pacific Northwest!  I bought my first bunch of daffodils just a week ago.

The tulips in my garden are going to bloom soon and my roses are starting to bud! 

I need to get out in the garden and pull weeds that have started to sprout. 

 I was so happy to receive my samples for the Blossom Placemats I designed for Stitch Sp '15!  They will be the  perfect addition to my table and garden tulips to add a Springy feel to the house.

The fabrics I used for this project is from Heather Bailey's line for Free Spirit - "Up Parasol".

I love the colors in the prints - beautiful clear colors in lime, orange, aqua and lilac.

The solid cream fabric is Essex linen in color Linen. 

I also love the reverse side of the placemats - the fabrics are gorgeous together.

I used 4" drunkard's block templates and an 18mm rotary cutter to cut the shapes.

This is much easier and more accurate than using templates.

Unfortunately the company who I purchased the templates from and are listed in the article are not in business : )  You can find them on the internet - just search for 4" drunkard's patch template.

Fast Cutting Tip: 

Use an 18mm rotary cutter and 4” drunkard’s path acrylic template to cut pattern pieces A and B. 

For Pattern piece A - cut 4 1/2” strips. Cut the strips into 4 1/2” squares.  Use the template to finish cutting the pattern piece.

For Pattern piece B - cut 2 1/2” strips. Cut the strips into 2 1/2” squares.  Use the template to finish cutting the pattern piece.

An 18mm rotary cutter is the perfect size to cut small curves.

If you want to make a set for yourself, you can find the Stitch Sp' 15 issue HERE.

Have a Lovely Day!

xo

Charise

A very Cherry Italian Soda ~ The Paper Pieced Home

 When F  + W media asked me to be a part of the Paper Pieced Home blog hop of course I said Yes!

I have known Penny Layman, the author of the Paper Pieced Home for a few years.  She and Ayumi from Pink Penguin invited me to be a member on the Ringo Pie Bee for the second round.  It was such an honor as I love her work!

Penny has a playful fun style and her pattern was a breeze to put together.

I had a blast making the Espresso Mug pattern but of course I had to give it a bit of a twist.

My mug has a Very Cherry Italian Soda inside : )  

I love the straw detail and the way Penny pieced the whip cream (or foam for a latte ) on top.

Some of my favorite patterns in the book are:

The footstool.  The shape of the legs are brilliant.

I also love the claw foot tub.  My absolute favorite kind of bath tub.

Be sure to check out the other projects and reviews here:

3/16       McCall’s Quilting / Sewing Machine Block

3/17       Love of Quilting / Review

3/17       Sandi Sawa Hazlewood  of Crafty Planner / Watering Can Block

3/18       Quilty Pleasure (Quiltmaker blog) / Review

3/18       Imagine Gnats / Rotary Phone Block

3/20       Verykerryberry / Lion Block

3/21       Artisania / Cast-Iron Skillet Block

3/23       Where the Orchids Grow / Lamp Block

3/24       Katie Blakesley of Swim Bike Quilt / Layer Cake Block

3/24       House on Hill Road / Oven Mitt Block

3/24       Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced / BBQ Grill Block

3/26       Pink Penguin / Allie-Gator Block

3/26       A Happy Stitch / Giraffe Block

3/27       Bijou Lovely / Jar Block

3/27       Two Little Banshees / Saucepan Block

3/27       Charise Creates / Espresso Mug Block

3/30       Karen Lewis Textiles / Couch Block

3/31       Poppyprint / Clawfoot Tub Block

3/31       One Shabby Chick / Stack of Books Block

3/31       During Quiet Time / Sleeveless Dress Block

4/06       Pat Sloan The Voice of Quilting / Author Podcast Interview

You can find the book here:

The Paper Pieced Home
 By Penny Layman

Interweave/F+W; $26.99

http://bit.ly/1zClNAv

xo

Charise