Putting the zipper in your wallet section.

This blogpost is to help you with the zipper installation of this section of the wallet. 

 It is very similar to the pictures in the pattern, except there are no zipper ends sticking out.  We have shortened them.   This method reduces bulk in the side seams, which would have given your sewing machine problems.

Lay your prepared 7 inch zipper, with the zipper pull facing up,
along the edge of your 8 x 4 piece leaving
about half an inch on each side.
Stitch  a little less than a quarter inch using your zipper foot.  

Matching the 8" sides, place the 8 x 7.5" piece, right sides together,
over the line of stitching you just did.
Pin.  Flip over so you can see the first line of stitching.

From this side, and still using your zipper foot,
stitch a second line of stitching just inside the first line of stitching.
See where the lead of my pencil is pointed, or where my finger nail is pointed,

Now fold back the large piece and the small piece, and notice the side
of the zipper is now enclosed.  Press into this folded back position..
 (You will top stitch after both sides are done.)

Repeat the same on the other side of the zipper ensuring that you start with
the 8 x 4 piece, and the zipper tab is facing up!

After both sides are done, top stitch on both sides of the zipper.

Open the zipper before going on to the next step!!!

Fold both sides together so that the top edge bits are even.  Place a pin to hold the sides even.
About one inch down, Take a one quarter inch clip through all four layers.
Repeat on other side.  

Starting on one side, lift away the longer sides to reveal the two shorter pieces inside.
Match the clips exactly on the two inner pieces and and pin.  

Fold back the larger pieces and match the clips exactly, and pin.
Repeat on the other side.   You should now four pins in your piece.. two on each side.

It's time to sew.  I've drawn the sewing line in blue
Start at the top of the shorter piece.  Take a diagonal seam starting in about 1.5".
Stitch to the first clip.  Actually stop short of the clip by one stitch...(see my blue line.)
Then, lift your presser foot and move over the bumpy seams to the next pin
(pin is not shown in this picture)  Resume stitching starting about one stitch past the clip.  Stitch
a regular quarter inch seam around the three sides stopping one stitch before the pin
on the other side.   Again, lift the presser foot over the bumpy seam and start stitching one stitch past
the clip.  Stitch the diagonal line which mirrors the starting seam.

Clip away the excess on the two diagonal seams to 1/4".  Clip the bulk
away from the two square corners.
Turn through the bottom of the shorter pieces and zipper.
Poke out the T-shirt arms... and stitch to flatten out.
If the extended part is much bigger than a quarter inch, trim to a quarter inch.
These raw edges will be hidden in the final seams on the side.

Top stitch the other end of this zipper piece.  It will be the divider end.

Now continue on with the pattern directions to mark the center of this piece
and lay into final position.

St. Dunstan's Quilt 2015 - Week 4

The borders got a little attention this week.   But I soon realized that without the center of the quilt all put together, I can't do much more than cut them out.  So it's back to the center of the quilt this week.  I have all the side triangles cut out, and the blocks have all been laid out.  I fussed over them a bit with the placement of various block colors.  But now it's all picked up and ready to sew together.

Two piles of on point blocks ready to sew
using Eleanor Burns quick method.
Thanks Eleanor!!

Eleanor Burns has the best method of laying out a quilt, then picking it up in order to be sewn together.  I'm not sure if she's documented it online anywhere, but it's very slick.  It's a good thing because I have guests sleeping in our spare bedroom tonight.  

Presenting - Winter Wonderland Quilt

If you are visiting as part of the Blogathon Canada sponsored by Sew Sisters, a sincere welcome to my blog.   I'm an avid sewer and quilter and I am delighted that you dropped by for a visit.

I've been really busy lately, and today I have a finish to show you.  It was started as a guild row-of-the-month project, some two years ago.    My dancer granddaughter, Grace, is fundraising for her dance troop. I decided to dig out this nearly done top, and I machine quilted it over the past couple of weeks.  The binding just went on this week.  Don't you think it's just sweet!

This is a free pattern designed by Natalia Bonner, and can be found on the Riley Blake website.  Click here.  

St. Dunstan's Quilt 2015 - Week 3

This is what a pile of 50 blocks looks like. Whew, squeeked in my goal this week.   It's been a busy week.

The next logical step in this quilt will be to sew all the blocks together to make the center of the quilt.   But I've had enough block work and I think I'll work on  the borders this week instead.   Or as much of the borders as I can do.

It's a pretty light goal this week because I'd like to try to make a couple of things for our Guild's silent auction next month.

Stop by next Saturday to see how I'm doing.

Presenting - a Quilt for Baby Phoebe - updated

Back in June, my niece had a sweet little baby girl and she is named Phoebe.   I had intended to make a quilt for her long before now.  But the good news is, now it's done and it's made it's way to Nova Scotia.  I hope Phoebe likes and enjoys this quilt for a long time.      The pattern is from the Art to Heart book, Winsome Baby.

Edit: added Photo of Phoebe.   Such a sweet baby!!

St. Dunstan's Quilt 2015 - Week 2

This quilt is coming along quicker than I thought, thanks to a snowy day this past Sunday.   I did get 20 blocks done and I have all the fabric cut for the remaining 30 blocks.  And my goal next week is to do those 30 blocks.    I guess if we have another snowy day, I should have no problem.   wink wink

   

Winter Wonderland - almost done.

Its been over a week since I've put some time on machine quilting this quilt.   It's the quilt that will be used this winter to raise money for my grand-daughter's dance troop.    With a big push on yesterday, this sweet winter quilt is close to being done.  I just have the two borders and the binding left to do.  It'll be done by the end of the weekend.  Each of the nine rows are quilted using a different free motion pattern.  I enjoyed doing it.  It's like a sampler quilt.    I've decided to leave the trees and other featured appliques puffy.  Its turning out really cute. 

St. Dunstan's Quilt 2015 - Week 1

Today is November 1st.   I have earmarked November to sew St. Dunstan's 2015 Raffle Quilt top together.   I had suggested a design that I would like to sew.  

Well, I've changed my mind.  I don't want to sew that suggested quilt and now we are going to do a more traditional quilt.   It's a churn dash quilt.   The body of the quilt will comprise 50 churn dash 9" blocks of various colors and three borders.   It will be a good queen size quilt at 85" x 95".    I'm excited to get started.    Of all the quilts I've sewn, I don't think I've ever sewn a churn dash block.

This morning I made the test block (or three).  They're perfect.   I've picked through my fabrics and have picked out 15 or more colors that read as solids.    I'm making an aggressive plan.  Even though I have a busy week ahead, I hope to get 18-20 blocks done this week.   I have time today, so I thought I'd cut the fabrics to do 20 blocks and have them ready to sew each day this week.      So, I have three down, and up to 17 to go.  

Come back next Saturday to see how it's coming along.

Presenting St. Anthony's Raffle Quilt - Bourgoyne Surrounded

Well, it's been just over a year, that this quilt has been on the frame at church.  We are six regular quilters.  I'm not sure I would call myself a regular quilter since I miss 3 or 4 months of the 9 month quilting year.  

It's always a great event when we get to take a quilt off the rack.   We carefully unclamp, unpin and unroll.   It's always a deep sense of satisfaction as we look over the front and back and admire our work under the guise of looking for missed lines of stitching.  None to be found so we relax and enjoy a cup of tea before the next quilt goes on.      

I put the burgundy binding on this week at home.   I'll do up a label this week and it'll be applied sometime before the quilt is raffled.   I think it makes it's first appearance out in the raffle world this weekend.  

Nice eh!

How can a broken needle be a good thing?

We are in Moncton staying with grand daughters while mom and dad are cruising in Europe.  I hesitate to say babysitting because we've not done a dish since we are here.  The kids are awesome.   They work the Netflix for us; take us on our daily 5k walk so we don't get lost, manage the garbage because they have different rules than what we are used to, and help us find things like the sugar.

Since we will be here for a few days before the other grandparents come to relieve us, I thought I'd bring along the dancers quilt to work on while here.     I was making good progress when I heard a loud snap ..  Gesh ....  Broken needle.  My fabric folded under and I hit a darn safety pin.  It took me half an hour to unpick the folded under fabric, and then I had no spare sewing machine needle.  I run to the Quiltery to get needles.   As I'm browsing the fabric, who do I see in the classroom, but a bunch of quilters from the Keswick guild.   They were doing a pfaff club project.  How fun to have a quick chit chat with them since I'm doing the program at their guild in a couple of weeks.  So if I hadn't had a broken needle, I wouldn't have had the nice little visit.

I'm making good progress.   I've done a lot of the outlining and I'm starting to quilt the background.  I'm using swirls around the trees.  I'm undecided if I will quilt the trees.  They are quite puffy.  I'll sleep on it and let you know what I decide.

Pin Basting a Winter Quilt - Using a Kwik Klip

I've said it before,....  Thank goodness for UFO's.     A week or so before going on vacation, we found out that our grand-daughter Grace has to fund-raise for her new Dance Troop.    They are developing various ideas to raise money.  One of their ideas was to raffle a quilt and they asked if I would help out.  At first, I thought, ohhh, how can I fit this into my busy schedule?  You know, with classes, travel etc.   

Then I looked in my spare bedroom closet.  That's where I keep all my near finished projects (or UFO's)  I smiled when I saw this Winter Wonderland lap quilt, because I knew it would be a quick finish.   A couple of small borders and its small enough for me to machine quilt myself.  It's a great Winter themed quit.  Perfect for the dancers to sell lots of tickets on over the winter.  If you are local, you will probably see me helping to sell a few tickets..   

This was a "Row of the Month" project we did at the Cotton Mill Guild.     The borders are now done and I'm now layering and pin basting the lap size quilt.  It makes me smile when I look at it.  

My husband helped me by closing the pins after I strategically put pinned the layers together.  I find closing the pins hard on my nails so I bought this Kwik Klip tool last year.  It is specifically made to close the safety pins. Anyway, he thought it was pretty good tool.   So from the safety pin closer in this house, it receives a thumbs up.     

Busy Month of quilt classes

I'm really looking forward to my fall.  I am teaching three classes to local groups.   I've been preparing samples, photocopying class notes and ordering up any special supplies that I need.

On Oct 25th, I'll be teaching a "Beyond Stippling" free motion quilting class.   I really enjoy this technique and skill-building class because I know that half way through the class, I hear the "Oh, I Got It" from students.  That's the big reward that teachers look forward too.   Holly is hosting that class.






On November 22nd, I'm leading a project class at the Keswick Quilters Guild..  We will make a screen bag.  I know that class is full and the fun part about that class is that I will have delivered the Guild Program to their entire guild earlier that week.





On November 29th, I'll be leading a Batik Wallet class to the Fredericton Quilters Guild.  I love making this wallet.  I've made many wallets and have lots of special tips and techniques to make this a show-stopper.   You already know that Jeanie-Kay won a first place ribbon at the NB Exhibition this year.   This is not a beginner class, so there might be a couple of spaces left after the Fredericton Quilt Guilds October 21st meeting.

Maybe I'll see you in a class this fall!!