Finish it up Friday

Posted in Finished Projects, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

I have had a couple of project due dates and I really should be doing my taxes, but I definitely put blogging on the back burner. I am off on another trip while this posts to visit my dear friend, Ann. I like being busy but this trip will really welcome Spring and I was tired of being cooped up with the weather. I thought I would share a few of the things I have been working on for Finish it Up Friday and what I have accomplished.

My Moda Apron

At Quiltcon, yes it was awesome, I won this super cute dish towel in the Moda Booth. It was just too cute to not stitch it into something, so I grabbed some fabric from the stash and started cutting.

I was able to keep most of the printing visible. Don’t you love the 50’s style ruffle?

I even managed to craft a little cupcake pocket. Love it!

Donna (dolce-t), Carolyn Friedlander and myself with our aerial grove projects

Also at Quiltcon, I took the Aerial Grove class with Carolyn Friedlander and my fellow Detroit Area Modern Quilt Guild Gal, Donna Tarnas. I managed to get most of my circles appliqued in class. (I was making a small table runner, not the full quilt.)

I took my grove strips and decided to just improvise the rest to create the table runner size I wanted. Then I just used straight line quilting with my walking foot.

Here is my finished runner.

I tried some matchstick quilting at the end. Interesting texture, but it sure takes a long time to stitch!

I also had a freebie spool of bold quilting thread from Coats and Clark in my Quiltcon gift bag. So I used it to big stitch quilt through the circles. Not as bold as a Perle Cotton, but it added a nice touch.

Lots of folks are making their own Aerial Grove quilts, quite inspiring. The hand applique is a nice thing to work on when you are on the go. Check out instagram for some wonderful inspiration.

17Mar2015

My version of the Noodlehead zip bag – Gold Kitties

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas by lorimillerdesigns

I am going to visit my friend Ann, and I thought she needed a cute little gift. I have made a lot of zip bags, but I had not tried the Open Wide Zippered Pouch by Noodlehead. I figured this was a great time to try it out. And I have to say I think this is my new favorite zipper bag. The design is super easy to sew and the zipper is even easier! If you have not tried making one, it is time you did. She has a great tutorial with lots of pictures on her blog.

I started out with this adorable japanese kitty head fabric that I picked up at Quiltcon. The gold kitties are nice and I simply love the bow ties. It is called Trefle by Kokka Fabric. I used a quarter yard for two small zip bags.

I got this perfectly matching fat quarter in my Quiltcon goodie bag, it was the perfect size for two bag linings.

I had some vintage coral cotton that matched and I gathered up the rest of my materials.

I really wanted my bag to have some quilting, so I quilted it. I just made a sandwich of muslin, batting and the outside of the bag and started quilting some straight lines.

I used straight lines about 1/4 inch apart for the top of the bag.

Then I quilted the base of the bag about an inch apart using my trusty walking foot.

I should have gotten a few more pictures for you of the zipper. You don’t include it in the side seams, so the bag can literally open wide. A little pinning and measuring and you just sew a straight seam right through it. This picture shows me turning it right side out just before I tuck the lining inside.

Here is what it looks like WIDE OPEN. So versatile.

Two super cute bags, one for me and one for Ann.

It is a perfect girlfriend gift. I am filling it with small samples of lotions and lip balm. Hope she likes it.

Have you made one of these wide open zip bags? What do you use it for?

3Mar2015

Easy Shamrock Door Decoration – Free Tutorial

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner and this cheery little quilted door decoration is just the thing to send winter packing and welcome spring. This is an easy design to piece together, add some quarter inch or matchstick quilting and finish it off with a binding edge. Great for a beginner or for a crafty weekend project. Grab your fabric and scissors and lets get stitching!

Finished Size 12″ x 12″

Materials:

1/8 yard of green for shamrock
1/8 yard of black for background
1/2 yard of green print for back, binding and hanger
1/2 yard of batting
Coordinating thread

Directions:

Cut Fabric:

Green for Shamrock

8 — 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strips

Black

8 — 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ squares
2 — 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ strips
2 — 2 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ strips

Green Print

2 1/2 x 60″ strip for binding
2 1/2″ x 20″ strip for hanger
12 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ square for back

Batting

12 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ square

Sew

Place black square on the top of each of the shamrock strips matching the edges. Mark four strips with a diagonal line to the left and four strips with a diagonal line to the right.
Stitch on the lines. Trim.
Iron the flaps out. Sew two strips together to form a point with the shamrock material.
Continue to sew three more. Arrange the four squares so that each point of each square rotates clockwise and stitch together. Press.
Sew the black 8 1/2″ strips to each side. Press.
Sew the black 12 1/2″ strips to the top and bottom. Press.

Quilt

Layer the back of the quilt right side down, the batting and the top of the quilt, right side up, in a quilt sandwich.
Baste together with quilting safety pins and quilt as desired. I used straight line quilting with a walking foot at about 1/4″ intervals.

Finish

Fold the binding in half, wrong sides together, and press. Attach the binding to the little quilt.
Fold the hanger fabric strip in half, right sides together and stitch down the long edge.
Turn the hanger right side out and iron flat with the seam on the back.
Tie a bow in the hanger, centered at the top. Tuck in the ends and stitch closed.
Attach the ends to the back side of the quilt about 3″ from each side. I just used a whip stitch.
That finished up your decorative door hanger. Hang it on your door or as a wall hanging for decoration!May the luck of the Irish be with you!

1Mar2015

Grandma Town BOM #2 – Sewing Machine

Posted in BOM, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by lorimillerdesigns

It is a new month and time for the next block in my block of the month (BOM) series for 2015, Grandma Town. It is a sewing machine! Grandma loved to sew by hand or on her trusty green sewing machine. She made her own clothes or mended Grandpa’s overalls or was happily hand stitching quilt squares while watching TV.

This quilt block honors her memory with a row of 6 blocks of sewing machines.

A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Sewing Machine block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots. I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa. It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”. It was a loving tribute that stuck. This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook. Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm or your own grandma in my quilt. You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

27Feb2015

Quiltcon 2015 – My Top 10 Favorites

Posted in Modern Quilt Guild, Uncategorized by lorimillerdesigns

I am home from Austin and Quiltcon 2015. It was everything I had hoped for and more. I don’t think I have ever had this much fun at a Quiltshow. There was so much going on but I pared it down to my top 10 favorite things. In no particular order….

#10 Buttons Buttons Buttons

This year there was a button swap. Folks who wanted to participate made up little metal pin on buttons with their guild logo, or their business logo, or their instagram handle. It was a great conversation starter and I talked to lots of people I might have been too shy to talk to normally. Those little buttons gave me a reason to meet a lot of new friends and share a little about ourselves. You could swap them about anywhere, I kept my little bag of buttons with me wherever I went. I even made the Quilting Daily blog with a picture of me swapping buttons, check it out HERE.

#9 Stocked up on hard to find goodies

There were some really awesome vendors and I picked up my kitty japanese prints, oohed and aahed over the Oakshot cottons, admired the Doe fabric, and even splurged on some Aurifil thread. There were some new technology based services like Massdrop, a group buying service and Pattern Jam, online quilt design software, that I had not been aware of that I now definitely need to look into. There were sewing machine and long arm dealers to try out your dream machine brands. There was something for everyone in the vendor area.

Nancy Zieman and myself

#8 Met a mentor I admire in person

She may not be officially modern, but she is sewing royalty. I met Nancy Zieman after her lecture about how Sewing with Nancy came to be. She was a gracious and genuine speaker and I really enjoyed her inspirational journey. And she brought Clover goodies for everyone! The authors, lecturers and teachers were very accessible and you could find them everywhere at the venue.

#7 Gave a little of my time for others

When I needed a little rest and sit down time, I found the perfect booth. There I sat and embroidered and stitched a little outfit for a pig. It was the cutest little quilt square on fabric printed for you to dress the little characters. When I finished, I turned him in to be made into a charity quilt. A very nice way to take a little breather. Of course, my Detroit Area Modern Quilt Guild had a charity quilt that I worked on displayed in one of the large halls. It is so nice that the Modern Guilds also give back to our communities.

#6 Gained Loads of Inspiration from the beautiful quilts

There were so many quilts, I think I walked the floor about 3 times and every time saw a quilt I had missed before. They were beautiful and detailed. The textures, fabric choices and colors were amazing. From simple to complicated piecing, they all told exquisite stories. Here is some of thebeautiful texture, I apologize that I did not get the name and designer of this quilt.

My roomie, Donna A and me

#5 Old friends, New friends

It was hard not to make a new friend at Quiltcon. Even an old friend that you might have only known before from their instagram pictures or perhaps you had a swap partner you wanted to meet. Even the dear friends that you brought with you to the show was an opportunity to build a deeper friendship. It was such a friendly atmosphere from the attendees to the people manning the booths, the atmosphere was buzzing.

#4 Free Stuff

I do love me some free stuff. Well, I did spend enough to receive on the conference to receive the MQG swag bag too. This bag was filled to the brim with patterns, thread, fabric and the cutest little container, book and colored pencils from the MQG. All around the floor were fabric and thread manufacturers with games, temporary tattoos and freebies for everyone. Even the demos had prizes.

Donna A, Whatsonemoreproject, HouseofDuke, and Sewtogether Phyllis at dinner

#3 Yummy Food

Austin did not disappoint. There was the expected Tex Mex and BBQ, but just about anything you might desire was there too with lots of fresh ingredients. I enjoyed delicious fried chicken, some wonderful Italian and a had great Mexican food at some of my favorites.

My blocks from the Patchwork City class

#2 I learned something new!

I took two classes by some wonderful teachers. My first class was Patchwork City with Elizabeth Hartman. I learned about texture and color and looked at the combination of block parts, colors and patterns so differently than I had before. Here are three finished blocks all put together.

Donna (dolce-t), Carolyn Friedlander and myself with our aerial grove projects

My second class was Aerial Grove with Carolyn Friedlander. This class with hand applique on Sunday was the perfect relaxing activity for the end of Quiltcon. Again I worked with color and scraps. In both classes, I discovered that less is more and limited the colors for a great effect. I feel if you learn at least one new thing, the class is always worth it.

RubyThreads and I goofing off in the Moda Photo Booth

#1 Had fun

Whether I was shopping, in class, or hanging out with new or old friends, I had a ton of fun. I laughed a lot. Joy makes any adventure memorable. I had a sweet roomie who made me laugh until I cried. I caught up with an old friend for lunch and just had fun goofing off with all my pals. Could it have been any better?

If you were not sure before, start saving up for Quiltcon 2016 in California.

I am home now recovering, napping and doing laundry. And of course, sewing. Happy Stitching!

17Feb2015

New Pattern – Dizzy Daisy Threadcatcher, Needlebook and Mini Pincushion

Posted in Gift Ideas, Patterns for Sale, Sewing Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

I have been making this cute little dizzy daisy pincushion and threadcatcher for my friends for years and they have been asking for the pattern. I added a Needlebook and Mini Pincushion for some cute bonus items to go with it. You use a threadcatcher to well…catch the threads and little snips and bits as you are sewing. It helps keep your sewing area neat and it is simple to carry to the trash can to empty it out when it is full. The little daisy on the attached pincushion is pretty and clever – you can park your needles here so they are easy to find.

I have several. One is perched on my sewing table next to my machine where it is handy but I won’t knock it off. I have one in my travel bag for sew-in days and retreats. And I have one to carry with me to my recliner. I have it hanging off the arm of the chair when I am doing hand sewing and watching tv. I like to think I am being productive while I watch my favorite shows.

I added this cute little Needle book too. I have several of these too. One for embroidery needles, one for applique needles, and one for quilting betweens. I even have a special one with my big eye needles for Big Stitch Quilting. It makes it easy to grab what you need for any project.

Use it for pins or regular needles too when you are sewing on your quilt binding if you do it by hand like me. I find it to be relaxing to do it by hand.

Finally, there is this tiny mini pincushion. It is a 3″ x 3″ 9 patch. I even tried to fussy cut the center square on this one.

This tiny size is easy to throw in a hand sewing bag or for a travel pincushion. It is so simple and quick to make. I stitched up a bunch of them for stocking stuffers this past Christmas. I think they would be a fun gift to make for your sewing group too.

Here is an example of another set I stitched up with a natural linen. I embellished the items with embroidery floss in a running stitch and some twill tape.

I even changed up the little pincushion but it is still a petite 3″ x 3″. Once you have the pattern, you can explore your own creativity to create something that is one of a kind.

Thanks for letting me share my new pattern with you.

You can purchase this Dizzy Daisy Threadcatcher pattern as a PDF download by going to MY PATTERNS tab and following the link to My Etsy Shop!

3Feb2015

Make a simple pieced heart quilt block – tutorial

Posted in Finished Projects, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

Pink and red are a traditional color combination for Valentine’s day and I simply adore them together. I am sharing a simple pieced heart quilt block in those lovely colors that you can use as a foundation for a sweet holiday project. Although it is a small quilt block, only 4 1/2″, this size is very versatile. I used it to make a festive table runner, but you could create coasters, placemats, mini quilts or even a baby quilt. I combined four of them to make a 9 1/2″ block. This would be a great project for a beginning quilter.

Materials

Scraps of pink and red cotton fabric
For each Heart – 6″ x 6″ square is plenty
Background – 6″ x 6″ is plenty here too

Hint: This simple pieced heart quilt block is fat quarter and jelly roll friendly.

Directions

Cut the fabric:

Heart fabric

1 – 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strip
1 – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square

Background fabric

1 – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square
4 – 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″ squares

See block diagram above to use as a guide.

Sew the quilt block:

Take both of the heart pieces of fabric and two small background squares, right sides together (RST) at one end.
Sew diagonally across both small squares to form a V. Trim 1/4″ away from stitch.

3. Iron the flaps out. These are the tops of the heart.4. Sew the remaining background square to the left side of the small heart square, RST. Iron open.

5. Sew the two heart pieces together at the center of the heart. Iron open.

You now have a beautiful unfinished 4 1/2″ square simple heart which will finish at four inches. You can use this anyway you like.

Make a Larger Block

I added one inch strips to combine four simple heart blocks together.

From background fabric, cut:

2 – 1 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strips
1 – 1 1/2 x 9 1/2″ strips

Here is a table runner that I embellished with my simple heart blocks in red and pink. I placed the block on point to add some interest and used a pink and white striped binding on the bias for some punch. It is the perfect thing to set off my table for Valentines day. What are you making for the holiday?

28Jan2015

New Block of the Month 2015 – Grandma Town

Posted in BOM, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by lorimillerdesigns

I am so excited to introduce my new block of the month (BOM) series for 2015, Grandma Town. This row by row quilt is a labor of love that I have dreamed of and worked on for over a year. It is a celebration of my Iowa roots, and growing up visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa. It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”. It was a loving tribute that stuck. This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook. She made the best pies around and my favorite was the tart and tangy wild Gooseberry. Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

Grandma Town BOM #1 – Forget Me Not

In your “Garden of memory”, please give me one little spot;

To cultivate the flower, they call “Forget – Me – Not”.

Here is my first block in the Grandma Town BOM series. It is a dainty Forget Me Not flower and it is the first and last row of blocks in this memory filled quilt. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of my Grandma and this little block is a lovely reminder of this. It is a 5″ finished block and you will need to make 20 blocks. Use all one color, or mix and match for a nice scrappy look.

A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Forget me Not block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!

27Jan2015

Getting Ready for Quiltcon in Austin

Posted in Modern Quilt Guild by lorimillerdesigns

I think I am starting to get excited. The second QUILTCON is coming in February. It will be my first Modern Quilt Guild Show. I am going with a few of my quilting sisters from the Detroit Area Modern (DAM) Quilt Guild. We DAM Girls! are ready to rock and have a great time in what I hope can only be some slightly warmer weather than snowy Michigan. I thought I would share some of the fun things I have been getting, sewing and swapping to get ready for the show.

First, Jules from Procrasticraft sponsored a Quiltcon Lanyard swap. I had not participated in a swap before, so I wanted to give it a try. I made this cute orange lanyard, badge holder, pincushion and a few extras to send to my swap buddy, Mandy (@lotsocolour) in Australia.

Here is what I received from Cindy (@whatsonemoreproject) from Alaska. She sent me this treasure trove with my rainbow colored lanyard. I received some yummy chocolates, local soap and ornaments, a cute zipper pull, soap, lip balm, hand lotion and this super awesome three zipper pouch. I was truly spoiled. If you have not tried some kind of swap, I now highly recommend it! It is fun to design something special for another like minded quilter and the happy mail in return is just too awesome.

Are you joining the QUILTCON Pin Swap?? Why not?!! I had to participate. Here are my pins with my butterfly logo. I have been drawing this butterfly since high school and when I decided to open up my shop, it was the obvious and most perfect choice for my logo. I love butterflies anyway, they always bring a smile to my face. I decided to add a few colors for some variety even thought the blue and lavender is my favorite. Please try to find me, I would love to swap pins and meet a new friend!

Next, I made this pouch for myself with our colorful DAM. Yes, I paperpieced it. For those who know me, that was quite the challenge as it is not my favorite thing to do, but I sure like the way it looks when it is done. I made it to hold my pins for the swap.

Finally, the DAM Girls ordered matching messenger bags with our logo. But of course I had to jazz my bag up a bit. Vicki (@houseofduke1) inspired me to embroider my business name on it, a little bigger than I wanted but it is done now. I thought the bag needed a little more pizzazz so I replaced the outside binding with a colorful print binding. My friend, Rebecca (@rubythreads) convinced me to design a pattern for lining, so that went in there too. You should be able to see us DAM Girls coming and going! Be sure to say Hi, swap a pin, or join us on an adventure.

I can’t wait to soak up the classes and lectures and party down at the Moda Party. I hope I will see you there!

Are you going??

20Jan2015

Make a skinny selvage scarf

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas by lorimillerdesigns

Do you save your fabric selvages? I started doing it just over a year ago because I kept seeing lots of clever items made with them. I never used to pay attention to the selvages on my fabric. They were just things to cut off so that the fabric did not shrink funny or have a little stiff edge. I never cut them off first, I just cut them willy nilly when I needed to. I now cut them at least an inch wide so I have something to work with on selvage projects. The giant pile is growing, so here is a fun scarf that I sewed together with some of my selvages. It is just a little skinny thing, but it can sure dress up a top. I think you could even make it really long, sew the ends together and make it into an infinity scarf. Why not be frugal and use every scrap of fabric in your projects?

Skinny Selvage Scarf

Materials:

colorful fabric selvage scraps (I used about 10-12 strips at least 18 inches long and about 1 inch wide)
backing fabric
flannel for the batting
coordinating thread

Directions:

Note: All seams are 1/4 inch.

Pick out your selvages and arrange them in a pleasing order. Then stitch them together to make your fabric.

You just overlap the selvage edge and stitch it down.

Then, I used my rotary cutter to cut my selvage “fabric” into strips.

Then I joined the strips end to end to get the length I needed. It also made a nice repeating pattern of fabrics.

I then layered my selvage strip, backing fabric and flannel for the filler and stitched around the whole thing.

I turned it right side out and slip stitched the turning opening closed.

I just added some topstitching to finish it off. Now you have a funky, frugal and colorful skinny scarf to liven up a solid t-shirt or snazz up a plain white shirt.

This was so much fun, that I made two more!

Do you save your selvages? What are you making with them?

13Jan2015

Sweet Baby Burp Cloth (Free Pattern)

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas by lorimillerdesigns

A good friend is having a baby boy and her baby shower is next week. I wanted to stitch up something useful and I decided to make these super cute little sweet baby burp cloths. They are soft and absorbent using soft flannel and diaper cloth. I remember these were really handy when my son was born and you always needed a bunch of them. I was so glad you could just throw them in the wash to be ready for another day. This shape is what I remembered having long ago. It is a very quick project. Read on for my tutorial and a free pattern.

This will make four burp cloths.

Materials

1/2 yd of baby print flannel
1 yd of diaper cloth

Directions

Using my free Sweet Baby Burp Cloth Pattern, Cut out 4 flannel panels and 8 diaper cloth panels.
Layer the flannel right side up, and the diaper cloth, right side down. Use two layers of diaper cloth.
Using a 3/4″ seam, to catch all the layers, and leaving an opening for turning, stitch around the entire burp cloth.
Clip the curves.
Turn it right side out.
Iron the burp cloth flat making sure to fold in the edges of the opening.
Topstitch closely to the outer edge of the burp cloth, being sure to stitch the opening closed.
Topstitch again 1/4″ away from the edge stitching.
Finished! A very cute and quick little gift. Now to just sew a few more. They really stitch up in a jiffy.

Do you have a “go to” handmade gift for new babies that you like to make? Let me know.

10Jan2015

Stitch a Paper Snowflake Garland (free downloadable)

Posted in Home Accessories, Paper Crafts by lorimillerdesigns

Here in Michigan, we have been digging out of a pretty good snow storm today. It has been very frosty here, but it was pretty, fluffy white snow. I would much rather deal with these paper snowflakes from inside my warm and toasty house instead. And the plan is to sew them together into pretty garland, so you get a little sewing and fun mixed together.

When did you last make a paper snowflake?

This would be a great afternoon activity with the kids to cut out snowflakes and drink some hot chocolate. You can even use up all that junk mail or scrap paper to make them. I love traditional white flakes, but you could mix them up with any color to make a very cool statement.

Materials Required:

Paper to cut out snowflakes
Scissors For garland
Your sewing machine
Matching thread.

Paper Snowflake Refresher

Don’t worry, if you have not made these in a while, I am including a Free Downloadable Snowflake Template to get you started again and thinking frosty crystal design.

If you don’t have a great virtual spacial imagination, it can help to use the template to wrap your head around the paper snowflake dynamics until you get the hang of it again.

Using my template, cut out one of the hexagon shapes.
Snowflakes are six sided — starting to remember now? Fold the hexagon in half. (Keep your design on the outside so you can see it to cut later.)
Fold it again in thirds.
Fold it again in half so you can see the design to cut.
Now, cut away the shaded part. If you are not exact, it does not really matter, every snowflake is unique!
Once you have cut out the design, very carefully unfold your snowflake.
Voila! A beautiful masterpiece. Now cut out the rest of them and snip, snip, snip, until you have a pile of snowflakes. Once you’ve cut out the template snowflakes, you should be proficient enough to design your own.

Stitch the Snowflake Garland

I used an all purpose white thread in my sewing machine and set the stitch length to about 3 mm.
Grab your pile of snowflakes.
Start sewing right through the middle of the paper snowflake, I took about 3 stitches in between each snowflake before I started the next one. Just keep stitching and adding snowflakes until you get the length you want. That’s all there is to it.
Drape a string across a window or wall.
Or let them hang straight down in your front window by the door.

How will you decorate with your garland? Why not make several rows of garland to hang down your windows? Don’t forget about work! Send a strand with someone special to decorate their work cubicle or office.

What creative things are you making?

17Dec2014

This and That Carryall Tote – Published!

Posted in Finished Projects, Published by lorimillerdesigns

My early christmas present arrived, my copies of a new magazine. I am so excited to have another original pattern published, this time in the new Make it! Patchwork magazine from the editors of Modern Patchwork. My This and That Carryall Tote can be found on page 82.

This magazine is jam packed with great patchwork projects from small quilted items to full size quilts. It is available online at Interweave now or it should be available in stores next week.

Last winter when I was on vacation, I picked up fabrics in the Around Town by Whimsicals collection from Red Rooster Fabrics. The gray, cream and red fabrics were my color inspiration and I designed this roomy tote to show them off.

I used a paper-pieced block sometimes called This and That or Square in a Square or Economy Block! I dug out my red and grey modern fabrics and stitched away.

Here is a close up of the paper-pieced blocks.

There are also projects by two other Michiganders in the magazine and I need to share those with you as well.

I had the pleasure of hearing Rossie Hutchinson speak and share a trunk show at our Detroit Area Modern Guild a few months ago. She shares her Stalactites and Stalagmites Table Runner and Place Mats. Check her out at Fresh Modern Quilts.

Debbie Grifka hails from the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild and she spoke and gave a lecture on modern quilts at one of my guilds last year. She also has been a great resource to me and very supportive in my journey. She has two projects in the magazine, her Twinkle Star Quilt and a super cute Car Trash Bag. You can find her at Esch House Quilts.

Congratulations to them both!

11Dec2014

Finish it Up Friday: Personalized Gifts

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas by lorimillerdesigns

This year I decided to make personalized gifts for almost everyone. I made a Peekaboo Pencil Case with a pattern by Pickle Pie Designs and embroidered names and picked out fun fabrics to match personalities if I could.

Here are a few of the last ones I made. I used the fun watch print for my guys. Now, you don’t have to use the pencil pouch for pencils. I think it would be a great idea to corrall all of those chargers and cords you have for phones and tablets and readers. Great for traveling or just being able to find them in one place or to make sure someone doesn’t steal your charger.

This one is for the daughter of my friend, Candy. I love this cute Japanese print with all kinds of office supplies on it.

I found this print this summer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is an adorable print of sheep knitting, I knew I had to have it for my friend, Jennifer.

I started making her a Sew Together Bag by Sew Demented. I love this very versatile bag and have made six or seven of them. I used headliner fabric for the “batting” and it really gave a nice shape to the bag. If you have not tried making the Original Sew Together Bag, you need to put this on your list of ones to try. I have one for my sewing supplies I take to Sew in Days or for Quilt Retreats. But it is very adaptable, it would be a great make up bag or gadget carryall too.

Here is the inside with the three different colored zippers. I have cute sheep fabric and polka dots inside.

I just did a little crosshatch quilting on the bottom part.

I still had fabric left, so I made the Pencil case. Maybe she can put small knitting needles or stitch markers in there.

Finally, I had to make a little name tag for her to wear when she goes to her knitting group meetings. The sheep was too cute not to highlight and I added her name in embroidery too. I used a red print with silver polkadots for a little bling that I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics.

I have a Bernina 630E, it stitched up the names like a charm. I think I am learning more about my machine now after about 10 years than when I first got it. Maybe it is because I have more time now.

What are you finishing up stitching for the holiday?

7Dec2014

Handmade Holiday: 10 minute Christmas Elf Stocking

Posted in Patterns for Sale by lorimillerdesigns

Today I am sharing some goodies made from one of my own patterns, the Christmas Holiday Elf Stocking. This little stocking stitches up in about 10 minutes and you can use it for everything from an ornament, a gift card holder, a holder for a message from Santa, or to decorate a package to even loading it with silverware to decorate your table. It takes very little fabric and the whole thing can be stitched on your home sewing machine.

There is just one pattern piece to cut out of two coordinating fabrics.

Here are some of my latest combinations. I did iron the fabric. 🙂

You stitch the top together and then fold it in half and stitch the rest.

One piece forms a lining and the contrasting cuff on the stocking.

You can add a ribbon hanger or even a jingle bell to the toe to make it extra cute.

I made six of these little elf stockings for my Holiday place settings. Doesn’t it look cute holding my silverware? I think I will add a candy cane too.

Enjoy!

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Materials:

Directions:

Cut Fabric:

Sew

Quilt

Finish

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Grandma Town Block of the Month

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#10 Buttons Buttons Buttons

#9 Stocked up on hard to find goodies

#8 Met a mentor I admire in person

#7 Gave a little of my time for others

#6 Gained Loads of Inspiration from the beautiful quilts

#5 Old friends, New friends

#4 Free Stuff

#3 Yummy Food

#2 I learned something new!

#1 Had fun

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Thanks for letting me share my new pattern with you.

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Materials

Directions

Cut the fabric:

Heart fabric

Background fabric

Sew the quilt block:

Make a Larger Block

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Grandma Town BOM #1 – Forget Me Not

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Materials

Directions

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Materials Required:

Paper Snowflake Refresher

Stitch the Snowflake Garland

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