Fabulous Vintage Fabric

I had the best evening last night.  I was introduced to a friend's mom - Marta, who shares my passion for quilting. 

 Marta is so creative and talented.  An accomplished artist, potter and quilter.  And she crochets.......
 I wish I had brought my camera!  Her house is full of amazing artistic vignettes.  So cool and modern!  Every where you look is an editorial page for Dwell or Elle Decor!

 She shared the amazing quilts she made and then shared her vintage quilt piece/top collection.  She rescues and restores vintage quilts.
 She was so kind and gave me misc. quilt blocks and vintage fabric scraps she had decided she was not going to use.

OH My!!!!!!  Look at all this loveliness!!!  I am one lucky girl!!!!!

 

 I'm absolutely in love with these feedsack squares.  The muslin squares they are sewn to are in rough shape so I'll be  happily taking these blocks apart.

 

These are my faves from the vintage fabric scraps.

 
I have a stack of these beauties.  They will be a great hand sewing project.
The prints are so perfect!!! 

And here is a picture of all the goodies.
I had an overwhelming feeling last night that I wish I had another lifetime just to sew.... there are just not enough hours in the day!!

xo
Charise
 

What I'm Working On and A New Sponsor!

I've had a sketch of this large hobo style hand bag in my sketch book what seems like forever and am just now working on the pattern and sample!!  Of course I made an error in one of the seam allowances so I spent a good portion of my day ripping and resewing - Ugh : )

 

 

 I love the Melody Miller center print as the fussy cut center panel in this bag!

(i think) The Denyse Schmidt Flea Market fancy is the perfect match with this print.
 

 

 

You can find this fab Melody Miller  Ruby Star Shining print as well as the Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy print in my newest sponsor's shop!!! 

 Becca's shop - "Sew me a Song" is wonderful.  She has an amazing fabric selection.

She carries Japanese and contemporary fabrics as well as some great text prints.

She also got in a selection of Suzuko Koseki prints!

 

If you order the Ruby Star Shining prints from her shop she sells them by the panel - so nice. 

 The motifs are large so you don't have to worry about them getting cut in half!!!!

If you have a Work in Progress, share yours and Link up today over at Freshly Pieced!

 

Happy Sewing!!

xo

Charise

Solids & Precuts Sale

Brenda at Pink Castle Fabrics  is having a sale on all solid fabrics!

Use code SOLID15 for 15% off all solid fabrics through the end of the month.

 She created a great feature in her shop to help you find the exact color you are looking for. 

You can narrow your page view by color.

On the right, click on "solids by color"

and it will give you colors to choose from!

Very cool. 

 

 

 

Brenda also has a sale on all bundles and pre-cuts. 20% off with the code PRECUT20.

 

 

Happy Shopping!!

xo

Charise

  

National Sewing Month

I'm so excited to be a guest on Heather's blog - The Sewing Loft - for The National Sewing Month series - "Favorite Sewing Tools".

Be sure to head on over and check out the post on my favorite tool for paper piecing!

Fine Sewing Pins

My "can't live without" tool for paper piecing are fine sewing pins. I use Clover brand, but as long as they are very fine they will do the job!

Head on over to see how I use fine pins to match my seams!!

xo

Charise

Modern and Vintage Fabric

Today I started a new pattern for a bag/purse I've had in my sketch book for a while.  It is based on a clutch / coin purse I will be sharing very soon.

 I was looking through some fabrics and these two just happened to be in boxes next to each other.

I just love the way the Denyse Schmidt  Flea Market Fancy looks with the Melody Miller Print.  The colors are so perfect for Fall!   I love a happy accident!!

 

 

About a month ago I was browsing Ebay for feed sacks.  I love to do this but try to keep it to a minimum - a very addictive practice!!

I happened upon a seller who had about a dozen separate feedsack lots.  The lots were from four sacks up to 80 something!  I purchased two of the lots -  on the small side. 

 The Ebay seller's pictures were average at best so I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting.  To my surprise they turned out to be  wonderful.  They are 10 lb feedsacks so when the are opened they are about 18" x 24".

 

I've spent the past few days washing them. Many still have their labels attached!

 

 

My plan is to keep a few with the labels on  -  they are really cool.

 

 

This is by far my favorite sack.  The printing is from the label printing.  In the process of printing on the label, it was missed so the lettering made it on to the feed sack!! 

Don't you wish they still sold flour and sugar in fabric feed sacks??

 

xo

Charise

New Shopping Tote and an Old Friend

Hope your end of summer is going well. The weather here in Seattle is beautiful.  High 60's and sunny!

I've had a creative block the past few days with a deadline looming - of course : )  I finally decided to take a little break and work on an unfished project.  The log cabins for this purse were started at least a month ago.

I decided to make a shopping tote from them.

 

 

I've never used this type of handle before. The construction was quite easy! 

Just the perfect size for trips to the fabric store   : )

 

 

Last week I had my Juki industrial sewing machine serviced. (My old friend)   It is not a small feat as the machine can't be moved so I had to wait to have a technician do a house call.  I missed her!!  She is a "high speed 1 needle lock stitch machine".  I purchased her over 20 years ago when I was in design school and needed an at home machine that could handle sewing a pair of jeans!!!  Yes..... that was one of my assignments in design school!

I'm excited to have her working again, though she is fast and will take a little while to get used to! 

 

Have a lovely day!

xo

Charise

Kokka Sale at Pink Castle Fabrics

Brenda at Pink Castle Fabrics is having another fab sale this weekend!!

This weekend she is offering a 25% off coupon for Kokka fabrics - use code KOKKA25.

Here are my fave,s but be sure to click on the link above.  She has lots of great Kokka fabrics including Nursery Versery by Heather Ross.

 

National Sewing Month at The Sewing Loft

September is National Sewing Month and Heather from The Sewing Loft will feature guests that will share their favorite sewing tools. 

Each guest will also share an easy "how to" project using the tool.

It is worth checking daily!! 

 

 On Day 1 there is a post on Quilting Index.  An online resource for quilting patterns.

How cool is that?

 

 

You will also find an adorable paper pieced pattern and a very useful tool for paper piecing - the wooden iron - on Day 2.

 

On Day 3 you will find a quick and easy tutorial for an eco gift wrap bow! Turn an old t-shirt into something really cool.

 

Day 4 features a fun applique project featuring a tool I will be getting for sure!

 

 

I'll see you with my favorite tool on the 25th!!!

 

Happy sewing!

xo

Charise 

Mayhem, Free Piecing and a New Beginning

I know the title of my blog post sounds pretty random but that has been the state of my life in the last 24 hours.

I was up late last night, way too late, working on a free pieced block.  It was such a much needed break from the more precise work I've been doing.  My table ended up looking like this:

It did result in this fun block.  I love making log cabin blocks.  Picking fabrics is the most satisfying!

The pear in the middle is paper pieced.  A block I made a while ago.  Thought it would be fun as the focal point of the block!

 

 

 

So my youngest son started Kindergarten today- hence the New Beginning.  Oh my goodness, I was not expecting the reaction I had - I actually cried!!!  I wasn't expecting to feel that way....I thought I was ready for him to go off into the big wide world!  I think he is ready, but it is just such a big step in his young life.  He is a very busy and energetic little guy which adds to my stress.  Will he be able to sit still?  Will he listen and behave?  Most important - will he like school?  Ugh........I'm sure all will be well when I pick him up in three hours but I can't help but worry......

There he is, among that sea of little heads.  I love him so much......

 

Have a lovely day!

xo

Charise

Pink Castle Fabric Sale

Yikes,  I almost forgot to let you know Pink Castle Fabrics is having a sale.  20% off this Labor Day weekend good until Monday.  Use the code LABOR20.

Brenda just started carrying Yuwa...I'm in love.  Perfect for fussy cutting!
They are quickly selling out.  I need to get over there pronto : ) 

 

Happy Shopping!!

 

August is over, (sniffle)

Ok, where on earth did the summer go?   It was a busy and good one.  I was surprised to see how many projects I actually completed in August.  Two of the projects were for blog hops and two were Bee Blocks.  Seems I work best under pressure!  Lovely Lynne is hosting her Small Blog Hop and Fresh Sewing Day.  Here is my little mosaic of finishes!

(I have to plug PicMonkey which is where I made the mosaic.  It is free and wonderful to use.  You can resize your photos and there are lots of different mosaic shapes!)

We (my boys and I) spent most of August at Colman Pool.  It has become a summer ritual for us.  We didn't have the warmest of summers but the boys didn't seem to mind!  They have both become such good swimmers!! 

It is an outdoor pool and sits on the edge of a point right on Puget Sound.  I can't imagine a better way to spend a day.... swimming with my boys and enjoying the absolutely beautiful vistas of the water and the Ferry boats going by.

I learned a lot this summer - it is so important to enjoy the moment even when you feel you cannot take any more little boy energy and fighting : ) 

I'm going to miss spending so much time with the two of them.......  They are growing up too fast!!!! 

 

Enjoy your weekend!! 

Fashion Design Studio

Amy from During Quiet Time announced a fabulous little contest a few weeks ago called "Texting While Sewing".  I'm a bit embarrassed to say that when I read the description for the first time I thought oh dang, I don't TEXT so there is no way I can enter.
 

 I know, I know - it is a bit silly I don't text.  One of my friends has been gently pressuring me to text so I will probably start soon : )
 

Anyhow,  Amy meant using text fabrics in a 12" x 12" quilting block!  Well, Hello, that is right up my alley.  I love using text fabrics in my projects.

 I've been so incredibly busy with some new projects, but I did find a small window this week to work on a block for the contest. 

As luck would have it,  I also had a block to make for Amy in the Cocorico Quilting Bee.  Her theme is Artist Studio.  It was due at the end on June but I have been stuck. Ugh!!!  I had so many ideas but kept coming back to "Fashion design studio". I was resistant because I've already made two blocks that are almost identical.  I decided to go with it so here is - version # 3 and I'm calling it the Fashion Design Studio...........

I used two of my favorite text fabrics:  Kumiko Fujita Red text print and Suzuko Koseki Yellow Text Print.  Click on the fabric descriptions for a link to the fabric : ) 

 

You should check out the Flickr group here.  There are some amazing blocks in the group. 

Have a wonderful day!

 

xo

Charise 

Another Thrifty Thursday

So I wish I had some new projects to share today!  I have been working on a few but I can't reveal them for some months. 

 I have made time to do a bit more thrifting : )

I found the McCoy vase and fun little fabric scraps at a local vintage and estate warehouse.

My favorite is the one on the left.  I got a few pieces of this one and it has a feedsack texture to it.

Speaking of feedsacks,  I found both of these on Ebay.  I go through stages of searching for feedsacks on Ebay then I go cold turkey for weeks which is a good thing since it becomes a bit of an addiction : ) 

I love the one with the gal watering and picking flowers.

This will be a fun one to fussy cut!!

I do have a little something to share.  I made the log cabin square weeks ago as a little break from the "have to do" projects.  They will probably become a purse.

Hope you are having a lovely summer!
Ours has gone by so fast.  My little guy starts Kindergarten in 2 1/2 weeks!  I'm excited to have more time to work on my projects but also very sad that he is growing up so fast.

xo

Charise

Thrifty Thursday

Hi!   Hope you are having a lovely summer so far.

We went on a camping trip a few weeks ago and on the way (we camped near Mt St Helens) I stopped at my favorite antique mall in Olympia, Wa - Finders Keepers.

I picked up this vintage quilt top for $16!  I'm not sure what I will do with it but I just loved all the 1930's feedsack prints.

I also picked up this vintage kitchen fabric - probably circa 1960's.  Love it!

My roses are blooming for the second time!  Love this time of year since there is not much to do in the garden except water and enjoy!

Have a lovely day!

xo

Charise

Practically Paper Pieced Blog Hop

Do you have orphaned paper pieced blocks lying around?  Well I do ~ and then some!  So when Kristy asked me to be a part of her Practically Paper Pieced Blog Hop I jumped at the chance. The Hop is all about making something out of your orphaned blocks. 

The Hop runs through August and the projects are just wonderful!  I promise you will be inspired!

I made a bunch of paper pieced apples months ago and thought they would be perfect for a frame pouch.  I have been wanting to try to make a frame pouch for ages!

I used my free apple pattern which you can find HERE.

The frame pouch tutorial is from U-Handbag Here.  It is a fabulous tutorial!!  Great, easy to follow instructions!

My frame measures 5" wide and I found it at Joann Fabrics.  

*I chose to stitch my frame to the pouch instead of glue it.  It is a bit tricky but I love the detail added from the contrast stitching.

  Here is a little tip:  position your purse in the frame, baste, and start stitching from the middle to the edge. I used Perle Cotton Embroidery floss.  

*I used the apple exactly the same size as my pattern-  2 3/4" wide.   Border were added so that the finished block would be the size of my pouch with seam allowance -
 The finished pouch is 6" high x 8 1/2"wide, so with a 1/4" seam allowance my block measured about 6 1/2" x 9".

*I then added a layer of batting and lining and quilted my pattern. 

 * I stitched box corners that are 1" from the point at the bottom and 1 1/2" deep.

Instead of using interfacing as in Lisa's tutorial, I used cotton batting since I wanted to quilt my purse and give it a bit of softness. 

 

This pouch also uses my apple pattern but the apple was enlarged to 3 1/2" wide.

 

I used the same 5" frame.  This purse measures 6" high x 6 3/4" at the widest point.  I also used batting in this pouch and did some echo quilting around the apple.

Here are a few more things I've made from paper pieced blocks ~

The apple makes a great coaster.......

Or a pot holder : )

This bag was made from my free Tulip pattern which you can find here.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the other bloggers during the month of August.

Oh... and take a peek at the Flickr group.  There are some fab projects popping up there!

xo

Charise

A Winner

Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to tell me your dream Christmas destinations.  I wasn't able to comment but I did read all your comments and enjoyed it so much!!

Fiesta said:

"Your work is beautiful. Thank you for sharing today. I would spend my Christmas wherever my kids are."

Fiesta, I will contact you via email!

xo

Charise

Practically Paper Pieced Blog Hop

Kristy at Quiet Play is hosting a wonderful Blog hop!!  The idea is to take your orphaned paper pieced blocks and make something from them.

Kristy made this adorable pouch from one of her paper pieced patterns which you can find in her Craftsy shop Here.

Please be sure to check out the wonderful projects.  The hop runs through the month of August.

The list of bloggers is here:

1 Kristy from Quiet Play

2 Kate from Kate Quilts

3 Diane from From Blank Pages

4 Lara from LuellaBella

5 Sunday – Day off

6 Charise from Charise Creates

7 Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts

8 Kiera from Kizzie’s Korner

9 Marieka from Bespoke Bites

10 Sally from Sally Bally Creations

11 Jane from QuiltJane

12 Sunday – Day off

13 Taryn from Pixels To Patchwork

14 Jane from Where Jane Creates

15 Laura from Quokka Quilts

16 Emily from Emily the Enabler

17 McKenna from Textile Diva

18 Sat Lauren from Renrad Craft Studio

19 Sunday – Day off

20 Fiona from Finding Fifth

21 Beth from Plum and June

22 Megan from Jaffa quilts

23 Juliet from Tartan Kiwi

24 Katy from The Littlest Thistle

25 Sat Tracey from the Peony Teacup

26 Sunday – Day off

27 Fiona from Celtic Thistle Stitches

28 Anorina from Samelia’s Mum

29-31 Linky party to share projects - blog hoppers and readers all welcome!

 

I will see you on the 6th of August with my project! 

xo

Charise

Christmas in Paris & A Little give-away!

Today is my day in the Thinking Christmas Blog Hop hosted by the lovely Lesley.

I designed a paper piecing block that is a stack of presents I'd like to receive.  While picking the fabric - A Christmas in Paris theme emerged!  I would love to spend Christmas Holiday in Paris - wouldn't you?

Sipping Chocolat Chaud on a chilly winter day.   Then a walk along the Seine : )  And the shopping would be divine!!

Some of the fabrics I used are:

Left - top to bottom:
Benartex Sweet Shoppe by Michele D'Amore
Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille
Benartex Sweet Shoppe by Michele D'Amore
Right:
Penelope- Salon de The' Paris by Holly Holderman for LakehouseDryGoods.com.
I LOVE the Holly Holderman print!  There are so many wonderful motifs and it translates to Christmas so well even  though it is a tea theme fabric!

I'm also hosting a little give - away!!

One winner will receive my gifts pattern, one other pattern of their choice from my shop, and a F8 bundle of the fabrics shown above.

**Please leave a comment telling me where you would spend Christmas if you could choose absolutely any place in the world!**

I will pick winners on Sunday Morning - Aug 5th. .  Please leave a comment by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight time Saturday August 4th.

If you would like to purchase the Gifts pattern, I will have it listed at half-price in my Craftsy shop until Sunday evening 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time!

Also, please be sure to check out the other bloggers and their wonderful work on the hop here:

Grandmama's Stories
Sandra Kaye Designs
North Hills Quilter
Lv2sew
Quilty Doodads
Quilting in South Carolina
The Raspberry Rabbits
Charise Creates
Traveling Quilter
Nancy B at That Other Blog
Selina Quilts
I have a button on my side bar you can click on to see the entire list of bloggers on this hop!

Thanks to Lesley and Mdm Samm for a lovely hop : )

xo Charise