August Schedule with Project Supplies

No, this is not this week's Show and Tell Recap.   Micki put out an extra email this week, with her plans for August and I thought it was worth an extra blog entry for anyone who misses the email.

 

BTW,   I'm doing well and hope to see you all on Saturday.  According to Micki's note below, she has to leave the meeting by 2:45 this week,  but if anyone wants to stay thru the normal 4pm meeting end, there are things to do.  I have been keeping busy cutting donated fabric to make charity quilts for Christmas.  I have lots of squares cut and ready to be selected and arranged.  I welcome anyone who would like to help with that. 

 

Now, on with Micki's note:

 

 

Hi Fabric Fun Ladies - This is not the normal weekly update... I'll send that out later on during week after grandsons get off for home with their dad and the house settles in for some well-needed quiet...

Saturday, I shared new project ideas and I'll begin the demo for them starting next Saturday - August 1st.  They are:  Double Vision wallhanging or quilt and working with plastic canvas.   There's a surprise one I'm going to throw in because I really want to make myself an updated FL version and that is a one-strap purse/tote bag - hands down my very favorite bag of all time!!   As for plastic canvas, I'm not going to demo the big tote with fishy that I shared, but rather I'll use the fun, easy zipper purse pattern with the Lazy Girl Designs zipper insertion technique - Joan Hawley's awesome Perfect Pouches. 

Please, pretty please, don't be frightened off!!  We'll take it nice and slow... I'm not in a hurry and as I said my goal is to demo, share and learn Foot Book machine feet and sewing basic techniques.  The projects will get us off to a good start with several of these:  starting with fabric - what is straight of grain, thread - what is best weight for optimum piecing results, needles - squaring up fabric - what is correct size for piecing - seam allowance - how to get that 1/4" seam or scant 1/4" - pressing seams - not ironing! - machine stitching lengths - stitch in the ditch - decorative stitches - borders - bindings. 

1st Project - Double Vision wallhanging - get comfortable with rotary cutting rulers and cutters - cutting easy set of strips from easy size fabric - fabric panels - fabric about the size of 24" x 42/44".  I've attached a handout about strips with picture of fabric grains.  Please print this out to bring next week - But, if you are away and want to follow along with Foot Book project, please print it out to include in your binder. 

I'll be happy to revisit this page/these pages anytime, and I'm sure along the way from now on, I'll be referring back to them from time to time in other projects where these feet and these sewing basics and techniques are used!!  (I will have a few printed copies for ladies who cannot print out at home - cost will be 10 cents per page). 

Fabric requirements for Double Vision:  Two Fabric Panels or One Fabric Panel and One Background Fabric.  Fabric Panels are WOF pieces about 24" x 44".  Thus if using one Panel and one Background, 2nd piece of fabric should be 24" x 44".  You can complete wallhanging using just the two pieces (two panels and/or one panel and one background).  However, if you want to include additional borders, binding, accents, you will need two (2) 1/4" yards coordinating fabrics for the top (NOT FAT QUARTERS)  and one (1) 1/2 yard coordinating fabric for the bottom.  You will need thread to match fabric, batting, and backing fabric approx. 40" X 50".  Double Vision is created by using contrasting and/or coordinating fabrics together.  What are contrasting - high contrast would be opposites on the color wheel (red-green, blue-orange, yellow-purple), coordinating could be same color, or triad color scheme (orange-green-purple or red-yellow-blue). 

OR:  Want to follow along, work with the machine feet, techniques, and end up with just a nice quilt top to finish for a charity quilt - Use two pieces of contrasting fabrics approx. 24" x 42-44", add in coordinating fabrics of your choice if you like, too.  Then, after working thru the exercises and making a prototype, you can buy some of the gorgeous, expensive panels available today and confidently sew up your own masterpiece to give away or cherish.

Want to work along but don't want to buy fabric yet - or afraid project is too big to start off with - here's an option:  I have 4 smaller size panels that I've paired up with background fabrics for some ladies to work up and then these can be finished into small quilts for children.    These 4 smaller projects will work along the exercises just the same as our full size panels, only ladies will not be cutting longer strips and sewing longer seams.  These will finish approximately 18" x 30" size.  It's the learning/sharing process, sewing exercises, and getting comfortable with your sewing machine and its feet that counts.  Having a nice project or charitable piece at the end is just bonus.

Want to hold off buying fabric or even doing this wallhanging/quilt project:  You can do that as well and just work thru the Foot Book pages, doing the practice exercises, creating your samples for reference, understanding the terms, etc.

The club has several rotary cutting rulers, rotary cutter, clutch glove, and mat, so beginners no need to go out and purchase those notions to start.   Our mat(s) are getting a bit older and well used but they will get us thru this project for sure.  And some of us bring our own travel size mats to meetings to use.  We all share!  

We will need to start meeting - show & tell, then demo - promptly at 1:00 pm on Saturday.  Demo this week will be information, looking at fabrics, handout information, and cutting our strips, sewing accurate seam.   Beginners, there are a lot of talented ladies in our club who attend our meetings weekly, and they all have ideas, tips, and provide help so freely.  Everyone, you do not need to bring your sewing machine this week unless you want to.  After demo, I will be leaving at 2:45 pm for the Coast Guard Birthday party at Eisenhower.

That's a lot of information, about all I can think of to give you "background".  Again, this is just what I've got going on starting in August.   I'm sure as ladies know, other options will come up - they always do.  And as always, there's our charity projects ongoing with cat hammocks, dog beds, fidget quilts, quilts, blankets and pillowcases for the shelter.  There's plenty of that sewing always available.  Wow - check out picture of pile of cat hammocks sewn up last week by Joan Pendry one of the newbies!  That will be part of the weekly update. 

As always, thank you for your interest and social sewing crafting fun.

God bless all, 

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(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee