Wednesday, November 26, 2014

For a swap: Patch

Swaps have been slow lately so I only have this one to show off.

It was for a monthly random patch swap (so no theme).


I just went totally random with it.  I used a 5 inch charm square I got in a recent swap and just added fun embellishments.  I think I just wanted to see if I could use my machine would neatly sew on the trims and it did.  I just set the stitch length a bit smaller than I normally use and that was that.

Then I added some beads and bobbles.


Elephant sequins blowing heart buttons.  CUTE!


Rose beads with seed bead stems.  I have a handful of these beads and haven't had much use for them so this was fun to just add them to add them.


The back.  From my scrap bin.  Keeping with the low volume and linear theme.

I mailed this off to Australia today so I hope it's well received.

What else am I up to?

KITTIES!  I got my Spoonflower fabric a while back and got it all sewed up.  I just need to stuff and close the works.  Maybe I'll take those with me to stitch up while I'm sitting around my parents' house this weekend.  They are so damn cute I could die.

I also have two swaps in the works.  I have the ideas all plotted out I just need to see if I can make them work.  Well, work the way I want them to work.

Then I need to get back to the Briar Rose quilt top and work on my postage stamp quilt top and get to the big flannel whale I want to make.  I've been lazy lately.

Monday, November 10, 2014

For swaps: Dotee and Patch

Swaps are slowing down but I'm still doing a few here and there.  I just mailed this pair out today.

Thanksgiving Dotee


Of course, I made a turkey.  I could have been more creative and made a pilgrim or a slice of pumpkin pie (I was really tempted to do that) OR a turkey dressed as a pilgrim (just thought of that) but I went simple because I had some great fabrics to work with to make a fun turkey.

(I also had the idea to make an alien bursting out of a cooked turkey, a la the Far Side cartoon, but I didn't think that would go over well and it would have taken a bit of time and I was all procrastination-ville on this one)

I also blame having just played with my free motion quilting foot so I was in a quilting mood, so I wanted to make a quilted turkey tail.


Crazy eye turkey for the WIN!  And ric rac wattle.

See how cute those fabrics are.  The small print leaves were perfect for the body and the tail. .


Hee hee, it's all FOOD, including a cooked turkey.  OH YEAH!

I'm also quite pleased with the three strand beaded and sequin tails all in fall/t-giving themes.  There's a leave, a cornucopia, and a turkey, thank you very much.

Next up is an ornament patch.

I'm really tempted to not show it off until my partner gets it but I know I'll forget to show it off if I don't stick with my ritual of showing off right after I go to the post office so. . .swap partner, stop reading NOW if you don't want to be spoiled.


How effing cute is that?

Granted, minions are so damn cute you could spit but they're even cuter when you make them with a google eye (even if it is a glue on google eye).

I did use a good amount of glue on this patch but I also stitched so it's not just glue.  I know, there's nothing WRONG with glue but I just feel so lazy if I only use glue.  It wasn't hot glue, so at least I didn't lose any flesh to this patch (I'm inept at hot glue, I leave so many damn strings, which I hate).



Silly minion, all wrapped up in the lights!

My sister gave me the idea.  I knew I wanted to make a minion (because my partner likes them and so do I, and BONUS they're easy to make what with being such a simple shape) and we were yapping about it while wandering the craft store.  I was looking for miniature stuff to use for the patch, maybe little candy canes or some such and we spied these mini lights and that was that.

My only regret?  I didn't get lights that actually light.  But I bet those would have been a bit too large for this patch.  As it is, this patch is on the larger size (but not huge).


So, the minion is all felt, layered on itself to make the outfit, hands, and feet.  I glued everything together to kind of baste it then did a round of stitching for good measure (except on the band, where I made sure it wrapped around nice and far and glued the back as well).  Added a few extra stitches for the hip pockets and a few beads for the strap hooks.  The chest pocket is open on the top and you could put something super small in there.  Maybe and inky dinky candy cane?

The lights are wrapped totally around the felt minion.  It was just easier that way and it gave him a little lumpy texture.  As I stitched him down, I caught the light string with stitches where appropriate.
The lights then go up and out the top of the patch (via a small slit) and then back down to make the hanger.  I added a swipe of glue to each slit to reduce fraying.


The backing fabric.  I love that fabric, it's so cute. I had to make sure the Merry Christmas window showed.

In a rare move, I used quilting batting for the filling.  Normally I use cheap-o felt but I didn't have any light enough that it wouldn't show through the front fabric (which is a cream color with light white snowflake print) so I dipped into my batting scraps and there was a piece big enough.

I'm loving this patch so much and really hope my partner gets a kick out of it.  I love making stuff for her because she's a great partner, always making equally great stuff.

This swap also had a wrapped gift to go with it (a kit to make a patch) but I won't disclose what it contained.  It can remain a surprise.

I have this same partner for the next swap I'm working on and I'm cooking up something equally as fun (but NOT a minion, that's the only clue I'll give--I've made her a few minions now so I need to do something different).

That's the only swap I still have to do, so I think I'm going to do some quilting practice.  I want to work on my postage stamp quilt top and I just found this other fun quilt block I want to try and I need to finish up the Briar Rose top (just need to sew the blocks together for it, but I need to get off my lazy bum and go up to my third floor to lay the pieces out on the bed to get them all arranged so I can then stitch them up).

OH, I also have an order from Spoonflower on the horizon.  It's cut and sew kitties (one set for me, one for the Fluff Project) so I'll get them stitched up once they arrive (that won't be for a few weeks).