scrap playtime

Sometimes it is just fun to relax and play with scraps (especially after a week of sewing little tiny triangles and flying geese LOL)

So I played a bit!  First up, I "made" some fabric out of leftover strips...

and just straight line quilted it onto some batting..

Then made a couple of these little pouches..Best tutorial ever over at Noodlehead..the open wide pouch!

I didn't have many zippers on hand, so for a couple I had to use shorter zippers, so I added a tab to the end....

so I guess it wasn't an "open wide" pouch...but that was what I had for a zipper, so had to work with it ! :)

Great little stocking stuffers!

The next scrap project was a scrap box. When I am cutting and sewing, I like to keep a scrap box handy to toss all the trimmings and bits into. I have made these before, another great tutorial over at Sew Sisters.

I wanted this one to be a bit more sturdy, so I cut up my Cheerios box to add into the making..

On the bottom, I made a little pocket, to slide in the cardboard, and on the sides I slid the pieces in between the batting and the lining.

I added the cardboard once I had the sides sewn, then added the binding on the top.

Perfect...just what I needed!!

linking up to TN&TN...

next Christmas project..

I wanted to make a tree skirt for my son and DIL for their new home. I found lots of pictures and plans, but nothing quite what I wanted it to look like. I had a picture in my head. (of course!!) I wanted it round, with pie shaped pieces of different fabric, maybe with a scalloped outer edge.

I hate to sound like the Grinch...but I am not really a Christmas person (sorry)..so didn't really like all the really Christmassy fabric, BUT...I saw this...and it was perfect!!

So then on to the planning stage!  As I lay in bed one night I realized that the math was really pretty simple. If you cut a circle into 4...you have a 90 degree corner in the middle..divided into half makes a 45 degree corner and 4 wedges on each half of the circle.

If I wanted 3 wedges on each side....that would make each corner 60 degrees instead of 45 degrees, or I could make 6 wedges of 30 degrees! (easy peasy...right)

I know this is probably pretty obvious to most of you...but it was a true moment of clarity when I realized how simple it really was.

So I got out some paper. It would be helpful to have a big chunk..but I taped several sheets together. and using my quilting ruler, marked off a 45 degree line.

I decided I wanted this about 45" across when finished, so I used a pencil on a string, measured to 22" to draw the circle edge.

I added a 6" circle opening in the centre point by using the pencil on a 3" string to draw the circumference.

I cut this out and used it as my template.
Fabric requirements.. I used .6 metre of two different fabrics. 

 That gave me 4 wedges of each fabric. I used one side along the salvage...because it is round, there are going to be bias edges somewhere, and that fit the best on the fabric I had.

I sewed the wedges together, alternating the fabric, and leaving one segment open.

Once they were all sewn together, I sandwiched it with some batting and backing and quilted it up. I used a straight line echoing each seam, and a curvy line down the centre of each wedge.

On the opening I just turned under a 1/4" and stitched it closed. On one side I added 3 elastic ponytail ties for closures. (they were bulky and hard to sew in...I might try something different, or smaller ones next time)

Because I am lazy, I used store bought bias binding to finish the centre and outside edges.

I added some big buttons for the closure.

Anyway, I am really happy with how this turned out...I love it..I hope they do too.

Linking up to TN&TN