s.o.t.a.k handmade: March 2018

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

hand piecing a quilt ???

Last few weeks I've been looking for a handwork project I could do while watching a show with my kids, or waiting in a carpool lane. Knitting is my usual go to project when sewing machine is not an option, but this time I was ready for some change.

I thought about cross stitch for like a second but I knew right away it wouldn't do as I lack patience and get too frustrated with all the mistakes I tend to make when working on a cross stitch project. I then pulled out my epp (english paper piecing) supplies and even made a few hexies. I used to do a lot of epp on the go, this time though I didn't feel the love :( I mean, I liked the block I made, I just didn't see myself making enough of them to turn them into something useful.

And then, about a week ago, I kind of gave up on my search, cast on a new pair of socks and settled in to watch some new classes on Creativebug. I came across Tara Faughnan's Double Wedding Ring Quilt class and even though I had no plan to be making a DWR quilt at that moment, I thought it would be fun to watch it as I really, really like Tara's work and her teaching style. And, to my utter surprise, Tara was teaching how to hand piece this giant of a quilt!!! To say I was stunned would totally be an understatment because I just couldn't understand why someone would choose to hand piece a quilt when even the cheapest sewing machine could do the job way quicker and more efficiently.

The more I watched though, the more intrigued I got and by the time I finished watching the class I was ready to give hand piecing a go. I tried piecing a few curves, squares, as well as HSTs but in the end I decided a log cabin block might be the easiest one for a hand piecing beginner like me. Plus, log cabin block is my all time most favorite block ever!

Oh-my-goodness!!! You guys, I'm totally hooked.

I'm going to be using mostly solids for my blocks as I'm hoping to end up with something similar to this vintage quilt I found on Pinterest.

So tell me. Do you have any on the go projects you like to work on? Any favorites? I'd love to know.

Thanks for stopping by friends, and for reading. Your support and encouragement means more than you can imagine :)

Svetlana

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

drawstring backpack (a free tutorial)

Hello friends, welcome!

I'm excited to share a free tutorial for a simple, fully lined, easy to make Drawstring Backpack with you today. This is a perfect day trip or outing backpack that comes together in no time at all. All you need is a few basic sewing supplies, two half yard cuts of your favorite fabric, cotton or parachute cord, and you're set to go :)

Ready? Let's start!

FINISHED SIZE: 13'' wide x 15 1/2'' tall

MATERIALS NEEDED:

exterior fabric - 1/2 yard quilting cotton

lining fabric - 1/2 yard quilting cotton

1/4'' or 1/2'' wide ribbon - 4'' long piece

macrame or parachute cord - two (2) 65'' long pieces

sewing clips and/or pins
scissors

bodkin or large safety pin

SA stands for seam allowance

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cutting
From exterior fabric cut: two (2) - 14'' wide x 15 3/4'' tall panels for main exterior
two (2) - 14'' wide x 2 1/4'' tall strips for cord casing

From lining fabric cut: two (2) - 14'' wide x 15 3/4'' tall panels for lining

Cut ribbon into two (2) - 2'' long pieces

2. Fold and press cord casing's short end 1/4'' towards wrong side, fold 1/4'' over and press again. Topstitch along the pressed edge using 1/8'' SA. Fold and stitch second short end following the same directions. Fold casing in half lengthwise, press. Prepare second casing the same way.

3. Place one exterior panel on a flat work surface. Fold both ribbons in half, baste them along side edges 1/2'' from bottom edge. Center folded casing along main panel's top edge (casing's raw edges and panel's top edge are lined up). Pin or clip in place, baste using 1/8'' SA. Add second casing to second exterior panel.

4. Place exterior panels right sides together, pin or clip to prevent layers from shifting. Use 3/8'' SA to stitch along the two side edges as well as bottom edge backstitching at the beginning and end. (Make sure your ribbon is tucked safely between the panel and is not going to get caught in the stitches as you sew along the bottom edge). Use scissors to clip the two bottom corners to reduce on bulk, press the seams open. Turn the assembled exterior right side out.

5. Place lining panels right sides together, clip or pin and stitch along the side and bottom edges using 3/8'' SA, this time leaving a 4'' opening in the bottom seam. Use scissors to clip the corners, press the seams open.

6. Insert exterior into lining right sides together. Line up side seams as well as top raw edges making sure casing is neatly tucked inside, pin or clip along the top edge to hold both panels together. Stitch along the top edge using 1/4'' SA. Press the seam open and turn the backpack right side out through the hole in the lining. Stitch the hole in the lining closed and gently push the lining into exterior pushing the corners out to make them neat and pointy.

7. Press exterior and lining away from casing. Pin through both exterior and lining layers and topstitch through both layers about 1/8'' below casing.

8. Attach one end of your cord to either a large safety pin or a bodkin and thread it through both casings starting on the right side and coming out on the same side. Thread one end of the cord through ribbon loop, knot the two ends together.

9. Pull the second cord through both front and back casings this time starting and ending on the left side. Thread cord through ribbon loop and make a strong knot.

All finished. Congratulations!

Fill up your backpack with some goodies and you're ready for your outing :)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I hope you liked the tutorial and will be making these fun drawstring bag for your family and friends. And when you do, please post the photos to Instagram (use hashtag #sotakhandmade) so we all can see your lovely creations.

Happy sewing. Svetlana

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

two by four baby quilt

You guys, I actually finished a quilt !!!

This sounds so totally strange to me as I used to make quilt after quilt for years and lately the only way for me to get a quilt done is by literally forcing myself to do it :( So, so very frustrating !!!

The crazy thing is I loved the pattern I was using (free tutorial by Film in the Fridge here), and I loved the fabric (my Stash bundle) and yet I found myself procrastinating and putting off piecing the quilt for way too long.

Once I basted the quilt though, I finally found my groove and absolutely loved hand quilting this little cutie.

I tried really, really hard to not use my go to striped binding for this quilt, but after pulling out half of my stash to find just the right print and completely failing I concluded a wide stripe was the way to go. And now I'm glad I went with it because I think it frames the quilt beautifully.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

QUILT STATS

finished size: 42'' x 58''

fabrics used: my December Design Star Bundle for Stash Fabrics

batting: Pellon Nature's Touch Wool Batting

pattern: Two by Four free tutorial by Film in the Fridge

Thanks for reading friends. Happy day to you all :)

Svetlana

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

lola pouch (pattern update + discount)

Over the years Lola pouch has been one of my most favorite pouches to make. I love the simple structure and assembly of this pouch and I absolutely adore the super unique zipper installation as well as its binding. Best of all there's no need to use zipper foot (it's quite a chore to change feet on my sewing machine) or do any hand stitching, and the pouch is fully lined.

I designed this pouch way back in 2014 so I thought a bit of a pattern update was in order. Which, of course, meant sewing up a few new samples :). What do you think? I think both of these turned out quite lovely.

I used Katarina Rocella's print for the main body of the large pouch and AGF denim in wicked and diagonal stripe for the bottom and the binding. The pouch measures 8 ¼ '' wide on top x 6 ½'' tall x 4'' deep and is a perfect size for a project bag.

I used all Dear Stella fabrics + striped binding for the small pouch which is just perfect for one's pens, notions, or even make up. Its finished size is 7'' wide on bottom x 4'' tall x 2'' deep.

In case you'd like to whip up a pouch (or two), now is a perfect time to purchase the pattern. I'm offering the pattern at a discounted price of $6.00 for the next 48 hours, after that the price will go back up to its usual $8.00. No coupon code needed, click here to buy the pattern.

Happy sewing, friends. Svetlana

Sunday, March 4, 2018

beeswax food wrap

A while back I talked about my effort to reduce the amount of paper and plastic our family uses in the kitchen. I'm happy to say we've all been pretty good about using fabric napkins and un-paper towels which is just wonderful.

So I decided to take things a bit farther and give beeswax food wraps a try. I scoured the internet for tips and tutorials on what to do and not do, purchased all my supplies, and got to work.

I was super excited about this project and imagined myself making tons and tons of wraps. And then I started making some (I used the oven method), and quickly realized this just wasn't for me :( as I found the whole process too messy and a bit stressful. I did, however, finish a few wraps but I don't think I did it right and pieces of wax were sort of peeling off when I folded the wrap, ooops.

Now, this was definitely not my shiniest moment and, to my family's delight, I ended up throwing the finished wraps in the trash. I am, however, super happy I gave it a try. Because how would I know I didn't like making beeswax food wraps if I didn't try it first, right?

So here's to trying new things, and to failing as well. Because it's all part of the process :)

Wishing you all a happy and creative rest of the weekend. Svetlana