A Couple a Cozies

It's week three of the Zakka 2.0 sew along!
(More info about that at LRstitched, A Quilter's Table, and in the Flickr group.)

Here are my versions of the Lettered Tea Cozy and the Teabag Pouch from Ayumi Takahashi's book Patchwork, Please!.

All Ready to Brew!

I did make a few teensy changes to the pattern.  Mine is 3/4 inch shorter and has twill tape for the hanging loop and the binding.  Also, I made a little "T" tea bag tag for trim and included two pockets on the backside to hold both the teabag pouch and the bell pepper coasters from week one.


The teabag pouch is my favorite:

I really could have made use of this when I was a commuter college student.  As an avid coffee and tea drinker, I had bad luck sometimes with tea getting smooshed in the bottom of my backpack.  (I do own one of these, thank you very much!)

The tea cozy is quilted with variegated Aurifil Mako cotton (I'm finally using the good stuff !) It striped nicely but obviously I need to address some tension issues with my machine before getting too fancy.

That's it until next week.

Keep it cozy!

-Kristin

Hexagami Handiwork

The Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild's current challenge is hand work (MMQG Take it with You.)  Besides embroidery and finishing projects -- stitching up stuffing holes and quilt binding backs -- I don't usually tote around my needlebook and thread but I think I'm up for it.

On Saturday a few of us got together for a Sew-B-Q (a sewing barbeque! Get it?)   Lisa of Pixie Spit played an excellent hostess and we had a lot of fun stitching in the sunshine, getting to know each other, and learning to spray baste with 505 (it's a miracle!)

iHeart Cutebots! and Kaffe Flame Stitch

Then as it got cloudy, we piled into her studio's beautiful stash lair to touch everything!  It was awesome.  She has great taste; she literally doesn't have a single bolt, bundle, or ribbon I don't covet...and that has never happened to me in a LQS. (Take a look at her Etsy shop, Fresh Stash, to see what I mean.)

I did not come home with the Heather Ross -gasp!- but I did pick up a nifty half-yard bundle of Rashida Coleman-Hale's iHeart linen blend and Kaffe Fassett ribbon. (Did you know his name rhymes with "safe assett"?)

Anywho, back to the Q.

Each member received a neat little package of notions from the guild, including punch-cut hexagons in three sizes for English paper piecing, fancy threads (Aurifil 50 weight cotton and Bottom Line 60 weight polyester),  Milliner needles (John James Gold'n Glide sizes 10 & 11), a washable glue stick, Clover Wonder Clips, and a mini charm pack to play with!

Neat-oh!

This alone makes joining a guild worthwhile because not only do we get free stuff, and support, and advice, and organization... but then we get to see what everyone makes with it (and there are geniuses in this group!)  The challenge reveal isn't until September but in between chewing cookies and sipping beer, I did sew up my very first hexies.  I went with the 3/4 inchers:

Cute, huh?

So I'll admit, since then, I've been working on other things such as the Zakka 2.0 sew along.

But I did get out my trusty sewing kit this morning for a little project I found at Quiltscapes.  The tutorial for Hexagami is here at Riley Blake Designs and the project is very easy; I made mine in about 20 minutes (it really takes less time but I had to pick out fabric, starch it, choose a button, find my hexagon template, etc., etc.)

I started with a 3.25 inch (one short edge) hexagon and it folded down to a 1.5 inch.  Then I added a pin to the back.  I've never tried a method like this but it was just as easy as folding a paper airplane and sewing a button.

If you pressed/starched/cut your hexies ahead of time, these would make a great "Take it with You" project for the summer.

Talk atcha later.

- Kristin

Joining In - Zakka 2.0 Week 1

This is me. Singing out.  Joining my voice with all you other crafty people on the web in the Zakka 2.0 Sew Along on Flickr and linking up at LRStitched.  Taking on every project in Ayumi Takahashi's new book, Patchwork, Please!  

The first project (pictured above) is the Bell Pepper Coaster.  They are really adorable and easy to make.  In fact, it took me longer to choose my fabrics than to put them together.  I liked learning a new technique - they are sewn and then cut to flip - the cuts are hidden when you sew the two layers together.  I can see this might be handy in making art quilts.

As for the sew along...

Will I be sewing every project?

All I can say is: I've got a plan.  So stay tuned.  And come sing along with your sewing machine.

Also, if this is your first time to visit me at AndChips, welcome!

Even more info here.