back to the drawing board

over the past several months i've made a few project bags to help organize my never ending stack of unfinished projects. all four of these bags have a vinyl front - so the main fabric you see on the front is actually the inside fabric. i fllowed the fat quarter shop project bag tutorial for the largest bag & then modified it for the smaller bags. the largest bag will hold quilt blocks up to about 15 inches & the smallest bag holds pens.

the smallest & most recently finished is my favorite of the bunch - it measures about 7" square. i had fun with the quilting on the inside - it looks like lined paper. the horizontal lines are light blue and then there are two pink vertical lines along the left side.

supplies
fabric: [fat quarters & half yards from my stash]
zippers: [handbag zippers] by annie's
thread: aurifil & mettler
batting: [soft & stable] by annie's, [cotton batting scraps]
vinyl: [clear vinyl] by annie's
accents: [charms, buttons, jump rings, ribbon]

today is our third day of of the taylored expressions november sneak peeks. all new products will be available for purchase tomorrow at 7am pdt. and today there is a one more question of the day over on the te blog...

taylored expressions is celebrating release week with some fabulous giveaways. visit the te blog each sneak peek day this week to answer Taylor’s Question of the Day for a chance to win a prize from the latest release!


the project i'm sharing today was created with two craft dies from the new initially collection of monogram dies. each die set comes with a large upper case letter as well as a small upper case and small lower case letter. i used the large dies to die cut fabric for my appliqued monogram dish towels.



the large dies will cut nicely from a charm square or similarly sized scrap of fabric. i applied fusible web to the back of a charm square before running through my die cut machine. then i used the raw edge applique technique for each monogram.

planning on getting a few initially die sets? be sure to check out the promotion below:

to create my 'monogram towels' i used the following supplies available in the te shop:

Initially C

Initially K

InLinkz.com

 

for more projects & new product information be sure head over to the te blog for a complete blog list of participating designers.

supplies

fabric: [just wing it! by momo] moda
thread: [blue 50wt] aurifil

craft dies: [initially c, initially k] taylored expressions

other: [towels] target, [fusible web]

for mother's day i stitched up these patchwork towels for my mom. i found the white towels at target & used some of a vintage picnic mini charm pack for the squares. to create the patchwork on each towel i sewed a strip of squares with the mini charms, folded over the raw edges & then top stitched to the towel.

and of course i made a coordinating tag - it went together quickly using taylored expressions stamps & craft dies. i used the build a tag 1 die set for the tag base & the heart was die cut with a die from the stitched heart stacklets set. inside the die cut heart i stamped the cross stitch heart design & the sentiment using stamps from the stitch by stitch stamp set.

patchwork towel supplies
fabric: [vintage picnic by bonnie & camille mini charm squares] moda
thread: [white (2024) 50wt] aurifil
other: [kitchen towels] target

stitched with love tag supplies
cardstock: [solar white] neenah paper, [blue corn] taylored expressions
patterned paper: [lucky charm by dear lizzy 6x6 paper pad] american crafts
fiber: [twine]
rubber stamps: [stitch by stitch] taylored expressions
dye ink: [tide pool mid-tone] hero arts, [deja blue] studio calico
craft dies: [build a tag 1, skinny mini borders 2, stitched heart stacklets] taylored expressions

today is may release day over at taylored expressions - all of the new products we've been sharing sneak peeks of this week are now available in the te shop.

today i am sharing two camping themed projects - up first is this paper pieced bear floating down the river in a canoe. he comes from the previously released happy trails stamp set & new this month are the two coordinating die sets. i paper pieced the stamped images onto the coordinating patterned paper die cuts - using patterned paper instead of white cardstock gives the images a bit more dimension. the little happy camper sign & sentiment are also from the stamp set & his canoe - it is from the new build a scene - lakeside die set.


i built the outdoor scene around him using the build a scene - mountain tops die set & embossed the die cuts with the new know the ropes embossing folder. also new is the lakeside border die & the little clouds - which are actually meant to be part of a tree - are also from the build a scene - lakeside die set. oh, & the little fishies from the little bits - fishing boat are sized perfectly for this scene.

to create my 'happy camper' card i used the following supplies available in the te shop:

Happy Trails	Happy Trails - Accessories Dies	Build a Scene - Lakeside	Build a Scene - Mountain Tops	Lakeside Border
Little Bits - Fishing Boat	Wispy Grass Border	Embossing Folder - Know the Ropes	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Build a Scene	Premium Cardstock - Sweet Basil
Premium Cardstock - Cookie Monster	Premium Cardstock - Lemon Meringue	Premium Cardstock - Peapod	Premium Cardstock - Potato Chip	Premium Cardstock - Pumpkin
Premium Cardstock - Sprinkles	Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	Premium Cardstock - Toffee

InLinkz.com

 


up next is a mini quilt i created with the new on the road - camper die set & the previously released build a scene - trees die set. the quilt is about the size of an a2 card & i added the tabs at the top so i could hang it from a little tree branch.


to create the trailer & tree applique i applied lite steam-a-seam 2 to the back of the fabric scraps before die cutting the pieces as usual. then i positioned the pieces onto the mini quilt and heat set them with an iron. i used coordinating thread colors to stitch around then raw edges & added the button for the wheel.

to create my 'camper mini quilt' i used the following supplies available in the te shop:

Build a Scene - Trees

On the Road - Camper

InLinkz.com

 

if you'd like to see more taylored expressions projects and new product information then please head over to the te blog for a complete blog roll of participating designers.

happy camper supplies

cardstock: [basil, cookie monster, lemon meringue, peapod, potato chip, pumpkin, sprinkles, sugar cube, toffee] taylored expressions
patterned paper: [build a scene 6x6 paper pack] taylored expressions, [wood 6x6 paper pad] my mind's eye, [scraps]
rubber stamp: [happy trails] taylored expressions
pigment ink: [onyx black versafine] tsukineko
craft dies: [build a scene - lakeside, build a scene - mountain tops, happy trails accessories, lakeside border, little bits - fishing boat, wispy grass border] taylored expressions

embossing folder: [know the ropes] taylored expressions

 

camper mini quilt supplies

fabric: [punctuation & recess by american jane, hullabaloo by urban chicks] moda, [scraps]
thread: [white, green 50wt & black 12wt thread] aurifil, [teal, brown 50wt thread] gutermann
accents: [black button, ribbon]
craft dies: [build a scene - trees, on the road - camper] taylored expressions

other: [lite steam-a-seam 2] warm company

today is april release day over at taylored expressions - all of the new products we've been sharing sneak peeks of this week are now available in the te shop.

today i am sharing a card i created with a few of the new sewing themed products. inside the embroidery hoop die cut i created a little scene with the new little bits - buttons die set & the new little bits - needle & thread die set. and the sentiment is from the new stitch by stitch 2 stamp set.


to create the design for the background i used the new quilted cutting plate. i cut the quilted design from white cardstock then used the circle die from the embroidery hoop set to cut out just the middle of the quilted die cut. to complete the background i layered the die cut on a simple flower patterned paper. 

to create today's card i used the following supplies available in the te shop:

Stitch by Stitch 2	Embroidery Hoop	Little Bits - Buttons	Little Bits - Needle & Thread	Quilted Cutting Plate
Stitched Rectangle Stacklets	Premium Cardstock - Metallic Neutrals	Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	Stick It Adhesive - Handy Pack

InLinkz.com

 

if you'd like to see more taylored expressions projects and new product information then please head over to the te blog for a complete blog roll of participating designers.

supplies
cardstock: [metallic neutrals, sugar cube] taylored expressions
patterned paper: [diy shop 6x6 paper pad] american crafts, [the wild life 4x6 journaling cards b-side] echo park paper, [sidewalks 8x8 paper pad] october afternoon, [scraps]
rubber stamp: [stitch by stitch 2] taylored expressions
pigment ink: [onyx black versafine] tsukineko
craft dies: [embroidery hoop, little bits - buttons, little bits - needle & thread, quilted cutting plate, stitched rectangle stacklets] taylored expressions

today begins our taylored expressions december sneak peeks - this month is all about valentine's day. all new products will be available for purchase on thursday, december 11th at 7am pst. and be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for details on a giveaway.


today's card features a sentiment from the new sentiment set little bits of love as well as several new craft dies sets:

• mini envelope- it's about 2-inches long
• little bits kisses confetti - little lips & mustaches
• little bits love confetti - little hearts & xoxos
• postage stamp stacklets - i used the largest one

also, all of the cardstock colors  i used for my card - except for the oreo cardstock - are part of the new formula for love matched kit.


i die cut the mini envelope from vellum and used a bit of glossy accents to secure the seams. then i filled it up with a bunch of tiny cardstock die cuts - it only took about three passes through my cuttlebug to die cut enough confetti to fill the envelope. each die will cut 4-6 individual shapes at a time.



my next project for today is a pillow i made & for this frog prince to live on. i used the newest addition to the sack it collection - the sack it frog craft die set. he's made up of te 100% wool felt & his belly is a fabric scrap. as for his denim lily pad - i used the head craft die from the sack it - dinosaur set. and he needed a shiny jeweled crown - i die cut the crown from grunge paper & from the center of a gold doily then topped it off with a few red sequins from the new formula for love sequins.


my frog prince pillow needed a little tag - i used the new little bits - bumble bee craft die set along with the new punny love sentiment set. the little bumble bee's yellow body was die cut from a scrap i had in my double the fun 6x6 paper pack & i added a bit of shimmer to his his wings. also, the heart patterned paper - it is one of the 12 new paper designs that are part of the formula for love 6x6 paper pack.

taylored expressions is celebrating release week with some fabulous giveaways! visit the te blog each sneak peek day this week for details on how you can enter to win.

if you'd like to see more taylored expressions projects and new product information then please head over to the te blog for a complete blog roll of participating designers.

kisses
cardstock: [cherry pop, lollipop, oreo, poppy seed, sugar cube] taylored expressions
other paper: [white vellum]
rubber stamps: [sentiment/little bits of love set] taylored expressions
pigment ink: [onyx black versafine] tsukineko
craft dies: [little bits - kisses confetti set, little bits - love confetti set, mini envelope, postage stamp stacklets set] taylored expressions

available in the taylored expressions store -

Little Bits of Love	Little Bits - Kisses Confetti	Little Bits - Love Confetti	Mini Envelope
Postage Stamp Stacklets	Matched Kit - Formula for Love	Premium Cardstock - Cherry Pop	Premium Cardstock - Lollipop
Premium Cardstock - Oreo	Premium Cardstock - Poppy Seed	Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube

InLinkz.com

frog prince pillow
fabric: [basics collection] basicgrey, [daisy mae collection] denyse schmidt, [denim]
felt: [black licorice, grass green] taylored expressions
fibers: [red 40wt thread] mettler, [sweet potato vine/sampler threads] the gentle art
paper: [grunge paper/idea-ology] tim holtz/advantus
accents: [formula for love sequins] taylored expressions, [black buttons, gold doily]
distress paint: [tarnished brass] tim holtz/ranger
craft dies: [sack it - dinosaur, sack-it - frog, sack it to you] taylored expressions
other: [fusible web, poly-fil]

bee mine tag
cardstock: [poppy seed, sugar cube] taylored expressions
patterned paper: [double the fun & formula for love 6x6 paper pack] taylored expressions
fiber: [twine]
rubber stamps: [sentiment/punny love set] taylored expressions
hybrid ink: [steel grey] my favorite things
marker: [clear wink of stella] zig
craft dies: [little bits - bee set, tag stacklets 2 set] taylored expressions

available in the taylored expressions store -

Punny Love	Little Bits - Bumble Bee	Sack It - Frog	*sack it - dinosaur	*sack it to you
*tag stacklets 2	Matched Kit - Formula for Love	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Formula for Love	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Double the Fun	Premium Cardstock - Poppy Seed
Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	TE Sequins - Formula for Love	100% Wool Felt - Black Licorice	100% Wool Felt - Grass Green

InLinkz.com

i have one more card to share using the april taylored expressions stamp of the month made with love & the coordinating craft die set stitched with love. my card started off with the sewing machine die cut - first i used the sewing machine stamp & stamped watermark ink onto black cardstock. before die cutting the sewing machine i heat embossed with black embossing powder - made it nice & shiny.



then i added a few more details to the sewing machine - the die cut makes a row of tiny holes along the bottom which i used to backstitch with gold embroidery floss. then i took a tiny scrap of fabric with some machine stiching & tucked it into the sewing machine.

supplies
cardstock: [solar white] neenah paper
patterned paper: [close knit 6x6 paper pad] crate paper
fabric: [scrap] moda
fiber: [gold/cosmo embroidery thread] lecien, [white thread] ikea
stamps: [made with love april 2014 stamp of the month] taylored expressions
pigment ink: [onyx black versafine] tsukineko
watermark ink: [clear versamark] tsukineko
embossing powder: [black] ranger
craft die: [sewing machine/stitched with love set] taylored expressions

available in the taylored expressions store -

*stamp of the month subscription - united states	*stitched with love	*crate paper 6x6 pad - close knit	*choice snow white cardstock
*choice black cardstock	*zing! embossing powder - black opaque	*versamark - watermark stamp pad

InLinkz.com

 

my card for today was created for the taylored expressions april stamp of the month blog hop. the stamp of the month for april is called made with love and can be paired with the coordinating die set stitched with love. the bit of paper for the die cut dress form is from the april key ingredients kit.

this card was super quick - like under 10 minutes quick. i stamped the sentiment and stitching onto the card base - then die cut the dress form twice, pieced it together & added a rhinestone to the middle.

for our blog hop today the taylored expressions design teams are sharing projects using the april stamp of the month - here's a list of their blogs to visit:

• Amy Crockett
• Cassie Trask
• Charmaine Ikach
• Courtney Kelley - you are here
• Emily Lanham
• Jen Shults
• Joan Ervin
• Keia Shipp-Smith
• Kendra Wietstock
• Kerri Michaud
• Monika Davis
• Sankari Wegman
• Shannon White
• Shelly Mercado
• Stephanie Kraft
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tracy Clemente

supplies
kit: [april key ingredients] taylored expressions
cardstock: [snow white] taylored expressions
patterned paper: [sew lovely] carta bella
accents: [green rhinestone] american crafts
stamps: [made with love april 2014 stamp of the month] taylored expressions
ink: [coral bay & deja blue] studio calico
die: [dressform/stitched with love set] taylored expressions

available in the taylored expressions store -

*stamp of the month subscription - united states

*stitched with love

*key ingredients subscription - united states

*deluxe subscription - united states

*choice snow white cardstock

InLinkz.com

i've sewn four of these lined drawstring bags recently - the first one i made is housing my current cross stitch project. and this bag here, as well as the other two, have been used for 'wrapping' birthday and baby gifts. the pattern i used is by jeni baker and is quick, super easy to use, and gives a wide range of bag sizes to choose from.


drawstring bag supplies
exterior fabric: [framed in citron & triflora in silver/loulouthi collection by anna maria horner] free spirit fabric
lining fabric: [grunge vanilla/origins collection by basicgrey] moda
ribbon: [3/4-inch white grosgrain]

butterfly tag supplies
cardstock: [solar white] neenah
patterned paper: [marrakech 6x6 paper pad] basicgrey
steel die: [butterfly] a muse studio
accent: [pearls] a muse studio

finished up this pillow over the weekend so that i could give it away on valentine's day. then i went an ordered another pack of charm squares so that i can make one just like it for myself.

supplies
fabric: [loulouthi collection by anna maria horner] free spirit fabrics
cardstock: (solar white) neenah
stamps: [button boutique] papertrey ink, [homemade 6 bean soup/jillibean soup] unity stamp company
ink: [strawberry & steel blue] fresh ink
steel die: [button card] papertrey ink
other: [jute twine], [buttons]

a work in progress - one of the sewing projects i put together this week. a long overdue gift for a good friend. i again used a charm pack - this time the squares measured 6-inches making this finished pillow about 16-inches.

supplies
fabric: [loulouthi charm pack by anna maria horner] free spirit fabric

yes, another patchwork pillow - but i'm still perfecting my piecing skills and squares have been the easiest way for me to practice. this pillow went together very quickly because there was no cutting this time around - i used charm squares from a pack i bought right around the time i bought my sewing machine - so about 7 months ago.

supplies
pillow front: [sherbet pips charm pack by aneela hoey] moda
pillow back: [scooters on vanilla ice cream/sherbet pips collection by aneela hoey] moda
other: [14-inch pillow form]

merry christmas

supplies
pillow front: [santa's lttle helpers charm pack by erin michael] moda
pillow back: [white kona solid] robert kaufman
die: [square 3 1/2"] accuquilt

a simple patchwork pillow i was able to finish up just before thanksgiving. i think it's my favorite quilting project so far - although there aren't really that many to choose from yet. 


supplies
pillow front: [daisy bouquet brown] kei, [stone barbershop, mist town square, stop sign preppy plaid/hometown by sweetwater] moda
pillow back: [muslin]
die: [square 3 1/2"] accuquilt

quilting project #3 - a pillow for halloween. quilting project #2 is still in progress. it's a halloween table runner from the same fabrics as the pillow - i still need to quilt and bind it though. i'm sort of intimidated by how big it is - so after piecing the top of the table runner i decided to make something a bit smaller - the pillow. and with the pillow i was able to try out my new fabric die-cut machine and half square triangle die - i learned very early on in the cutting stage of quilting project #1 that i do not like cutting out bunches of squares by hand. and i used the following tutorials for my halloween pillow:

• in color order: vintage sheet hst pillow tutorial
  
• red pepper quilts: binding tutorial

supplies
front: [matilda/cosmo cricket] andover fabrics
back & binding: [black kona cotton solid] robert kaufman
die: [half square 3" finished] accuquilt

quilting project #1 is finally complete - a very mini quilt following jeni baker's warm cool design. the piecing went fairly smoothly. then came time to do some quilting which actually terrified me. once i figured out how to correctly install the walking foot on my machine it was quite easy. and finally the binding - it took me 4 weeks to decide on how i was going to sew that strip of fabric on.

i read a lot of great tutorials throughout this adventure, but these two were by far the most helpful:

• quilt design - in color order: warm cool quilt along
  
• binding - red pepper quilts: binding tutorial

supplies
front: [punctuation & recess layer cakes/american jane] moda
back: [recess layer cake/american jane] moda, [grey quilters linen] robert kaufman
binding: [basics book note border manilla/basicgrey] moda
size: 20"x20"

just a couple of projects i put together this week to give to my little sister. i used my slice to cut the flower from fabric and then tried out machine applique for the first time - i have no idea if i did it correctly - but it does look ok from a distance! and the mini album is just a bunch of random papers and envelopes with a few rubons and tags thrown in as well.



supplies
cardstock: [kraft, salt/swiss dot texture] bazzill basics
paper: american crafts, making memories
stickers: [black nutmeg chipboard thickers] american crafts, [airplane epoxy sticker] creative imaginations
steel die: [clouds] papertrey ink
tools: [cityscape border punch] martha stewart, [corner chomper] we r memory keepers


supplies
fabric: [santorini collection] moda
button: [neighborhood collection] crate paper
fibers: [green thread] mettler, [green embroidery floss] dmc
other: [canvas tote] michaels, [slice fusible web] making memories

i haven't sewn in a while - except on paper. so i pulled out the instructions for this quick gift bag that were part of the online sewing class i took last summer - home ec. i was a bit rusty - but able to pull off something that i think should be reusuable for a while.


supplies
fabric: moda [green polka dots/recess collection by american jane & poopy field pink/oz collection by sanae]
ribbon: crate paper [orange with flowers]
thread: mettler [brown]
tag: avery [shipping tag]
stamps: papertrey ink [stem/flower fusion #1 set & flower/flower fusion #2 set], unity stamp co [sentiment/to the moon & back kit]
ink: clearsnap [chestnut pigment ink & rouge chalk ink/colorbox], impress [basil/fresh ink]
steel die: papertrey ink [flower fusion #2]
sticker: sassafras [scallops/cherry flag banners]
accent: darice [clear rhinestone]
size: 9"x12" [gift bag], 2 1/2"x4" [tag]

here's my sewing project for the week - a pot holder. it is the very first project in the book zakka sewing which i found at this awesome shop in connecticut. now, off to get caught up on my google reader.

fabric: moda [arcadia by sanae], [muslin, linen]; ribbon: m&j trimming [natural/twill], [orange & olive/grosgrain]; thread: mettler [dark taupe grey #0698/polyester]; other: [cotton batting].

 

i don't have a pincushion, so the plan was to make a pincushion out of a bunch of fabric scraps. but after i had everything sewn together what i ended up with totally did not look like it wanted to be a pincushion. it looked like it wanted to be a little 6x6 pillow instead. a little 6x6 pillow with a bunch of papercrating embellishments stuck to it, that is. 

fabric: [scraps]; trim:  [yellow/studio calico kit]; paper accents: k & company [measuring tape, thread spool, red scallop/amy butler cardstock epherma]; felt accent: making memories [blue flower/vintage findings mini kit girl];  metal accents: making memories [stick pin/vintage findings mini kit girl], [sciossors charm/bead store somewhere in the garment district]; other accent: [button]; embroidery floss: dmc [brown].

my second project from my online sewing class - a drawstring top gift pouch. of course, the awesomest thing about this little bag - i made it about 6x8 - is that now when i can't remember how many stops it is to 42nd street i no longer need to pull out my iphone. i'll just check my bag. before i leave next year i plan on buying like a bazillion yards of this fabric. lucky for me, the store i shop at in the city - they are the ones who designed the fabric.

fabric: the city quilter [nyc subway black & nyc subway white/times square collection], ribbon: [black/grosgrain].