studio follow up

Thanks so much for all the kind comments on my studio! It was fun to read through them. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and thanks for being gentle.

I thought I'd cover a few questions that came up....

Someone asked to see the pillow that was on the wall. Here it is in all it's scrappiness! This project came about when a friend that was visiting me asked about my Go! baby. I pulled out the little machine (which I don't use very often at all) and we played with it for a bit. Before I knew it, I had a new WIP. That seems to happen a lot in my house! Ha! The silver lining is that I used a bag of scraps from my washtub. That felt great!

I finished the pillow with an envelope closure using this lovely floral fabric. It's so crisp and pretty and springy!!!

I think I am becoming a pillow-er. (I believe Tara coined that phrase and I love it!) It's fun to play with patchwork on a small scale, it's nice to have a quick finish, and it's super nice to have a new pillow to brighten up my couch! The patchwork squares are 2" finished. BIG shock there, I know! The pillow finishes at about 20" square.

I had a few questions on fabric folding. I've been using this method off and on (mostly on) for years. I love it because it's easy, tidy and no special gear is required.

Take a 6" x 24" ruler and fold the fabric around the ruler. In this photo the selvages are at the top and the fold of the fabric is at the bottom. Gently slide the ruler out of the fabric. (Make sure that the raw edges end up somewhere in the middle of the piece, not on an edge, so they will become fully enclosed in the next step.)

 Fold each end toward the middle.

Fold in half again. All the raw edges are tucked inside so the pile will be super neat and tidy. Isn't that slick? Fat quarters can be folded in the same manner. So can smaller pieces, but if the fabric doesn't wrap all the way around the ruler, I throw it in the scrap bin. That's the rule.

Just a few more things on the studio space...yes, I will miss the space when we move. How could I not? It's been a wonderful, albeit temporary, location to sew in. I am so very thankful for a dedicated sewing space. I know that I am very blessed! And of course it's not always that clean. Sewing is messy work! We all know that. :)

Glad to hear that there is interest in the sewing machine post. I'll try to write up the pros and cons of my machines. Soon.

One more thing! I am planning on updating my FAQ page. It is so out of date. If you would like to ask a question, I'll try to work it in, so ask away! It will help me out. Thanks!