"Read" Library Tote Pattern!

Hooray!

I've finished my writing my first pattern

and it's now for sale!

(available here)

This is a really fun bag to make,

 and a great way to use up fabric scraps!

Choose small pieces of your favorite fabrics

for the books and the letters.

Paper piecing templates are included for the "read" letters -- you can choose uppercase, lowercase, or mix it up!

And if you're not a paper piecing lover,

I've also included templates for doing machine applique, like this:

A perfect pattern for gifts for teachers,

 children, librarians, etc.

This bag measures approximately 14" wide by 17" deep,

plenty of room for even the most enthusiastic book lover.

I had the best pattern testers;

 I love what they have created!

from Debbie
at A Quilter's Table

 from Patti
at Retired to Quilt

from Jennifer
at Knotted Threads

from Melinda
at Tildastwistedlife.blogspot.com

(isn't the red background wonderful?!?!)

Thanks so much to these lovely ladies!

The "Read" Library Tote Pattern

is now available in my Etsy shop. 

And I'm also giving one away!

Just leave a comment to enter the giveaway, and I'll choose a winner randomly on July 4th!

Linking up to:

Works in Progress 6.20.12

We're settling into the swing of things this summer.

The girls are really loving reading

(under my quilts - love that)!

Our library has a great summer reading program, and 

this year the prizes are a secret -- so fun!

I spent some time this week trying to get

some unfinished projects FINISHED.

Or at least closer to finished.

I have so many projects started

that I can't even keep track.

So my goal for the first part of the summer

is to get at least a few of them DONE! 

I finished up another swoon block, so now I have 4 done.  Well actually 5 -- but there was one I didn't like so much, so it's going on the back.  This is going to be a wall hanging for my sewing space!  (someday)

Lexi found this sweater hanging in my sewing room yesterday, and was wondering when it would be done.

  So I said "today."

  I let her pick out the buttons

 (I love the chartreuse with the pink - smart girl!),

 and we finished it together.

  She proudly wore it all day.

  The pattern is "Tiny Tea Leaves," without the sleeves.  Leaving off the sleeves was brilliant (thanks for that advice, Amber!) --this way it's a cute summer sweater, and I don't have to deal with the drudgery of knitting sleeves -- my least favorite part of sweater knitting!

Another Retro Flowers block done.

Now I have 11 done, 5 to go.

I'm headed to a friend's house this weekend

for "sewing camp" -- 

we've never done this before,

and so I'm just giddy with excitement.

What to bring?

How much will I get done?

(not that it really matters!)

But I'm planning to bring the rest of the Retro Flowers blocks, hopefully finish the last 5,

 and get them all pieced together.

Fun!

Speaking of fun,

head over here to catch up on other Works in Progress:

Works in Progress -- Summer!

It's officially summer!

My first graders finished school on Friday,

so now it's on to summer fun!

How could I not have a blast this summer with these 2 crazy ducks?!

 So last week was a bit wild . . . 

I tried to finish everything I possibly could,

knowing that my long hours of sewing time

(during school hours)

were about to come to an end.

Projects Finished:

 (more here)

 (more here)

 In progress:

 Two more retro flowers pieces,
 in need of trimming --
(which I do not enjoy).

So of course I started another quilt,

and pulled fabrics for yet another!

I hope your summer is off to a good start!

Linking up to:

Little Red Riding Hood

For the end of the school year the first graders put on a play, and they needed lots of costumes.  I volunteered to make the Little Red Riding Hood cape -- it's from the Oliver & S book
Little Things to Sew --such a great book!

The outside is quilter's linen in red, and the inside is a cute tree print, Just Wing it by MoMo for Moda.

I added oversized ric-rac on the hood to dress it up a bit, and I made a very large button, covered with the lining fabric (which of course broke right before the play) -- it seems like my fabric buttons don't last very long -- I'm tempted to take out the metal loop and replace it with a stronger wire one next time.

Perfect for twirling

(or running from the big bad wolf)!

There are some really amazing projects entered;
be sure to check it out!

Pillow!

A stalled project made it's way into a pillow today.

As I was cleaning out my sewing room to get organized for the summer, I came upon a small stack of blocks that I'd made up over a year ago.  I think I had the idea around the time of Rachel's Bottled Rainbows quilt along.  My plan was to make pennant blocks in every color of the rainbow, and then make them into a quilt.
My daughter Lexi just loves rainbows
(can you tell from the art wall display?).  

Well, I quit after 4 blocks.

I wasn't the best paper-piecer back then,

and these blocks were just kind of made up as I went along -- very time intensive!

So they've decided to become pillows!

Here is the first one:

The back is a simple envelope closure.

Fabrics are Kona Red, Monaluna Mingle in white and red, and the black is an Alexander Henry Home Dec weight cross hatch - I'm not sure of the exact name of it, but I really like it, and need to buy some more!

As there isn't too much red/black decor in my home,
I've decided to list this on Etsy!

I'm entering this pillow into the "Home Decor" category here:

There are some really amazing projects entered;
be sure to check it out!


Also linking up to:

Love Quilt

 I'm entering this little quilt into the

Quilt Blocks Challenge -- 

a contest using Ellen Luckett Baker's new line of fabric

"Quilt Blocks."

I love this fabric!

The last time I was at Fourth and Main Fabrics,

I just had to buy some.

 My 1st graders are amazing readers,

 and loved that I used a word in a quilt!

They generously offered to help me photograph it!

 Paper Pieced "Love" is from Kelly,

and there's even a tutorial at Sew Mama Sew.

This may be my new favorite type of quilting --

random lines, drawn with a hera marker.

So quick and so fun!

Works in Progress, June!

Lots of little things finished up in the past week or two:

Red Riding Hood cape for the 1st Grade Play

(I'll post more about this soon!)

 I should probably title this post "Bag Week,"

as I've finished (& started) several cute bags:

 Cute little birds!

 Another "Read" bag,

this time with books all the way around,

and "Read" embroidered on the solids,
for sale in my (new!) Etsy shop.

 Another bag in the works!

Love my new labels -- from GutenTags on Etsy.

 I conquered the Messenger Bag from Zakka Style!

(full post on this here)

 I love to see my girls using the bags that I've made --

this is a bag I made last year -- so cute!

 and finally, a new project I'm working on!

Hoping to finish this up this week!

Check out other Works in Progress here!