You can now follow me on facebook!

I’ve been toying with the idea of a facebook page for my blog for a while. Thing is, I already manage (well, sort of) several pages and I didn’t really want to add another to the mix. So what I did is merge my blog with my store’s page. I changed the name to Tension Issues from Fabrications (I thought about changing my store name, but Tension Issues doesn’t really sound like a store I’d buy from). I’ll post from my store occasionally, but I won’t bombard you, I promise. I just wanted another way to get my blog out there.

Here’s the link. Please follow me! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tension-Issues/220422264652073

Sophia Carry-all + Notting Hill = Heaven

I have a confession to make.

I don’t care for the Weekender.

I know it’s the thing to make lately, but it just doesn’t do it for me. I may eventually end up making one, if i ever have the need for a big carry-on to go on a quilty vacation (QuiltCon ’15, crossing my fingers) but I just don’t need it right now.

I do, however, need purses. More purses. And I’ve had the Sophia Carry-all pattern for lord knows how long, but I’ve been intimidated. But when I see how quickly everyone knocks out the Weekender, I figure I should do it, since the patterns are so similar. I had fabric set aside for it already, but when I saw that Joel Dewberry’s latest line, Notting Hill, included home dec, I had to get some of that instead.

All-in-all, the bag took less than a week for me to make. Keep in mind, I have a two year old boy who is pretty much like every two year old boy, and a six year old daughter who keep me busy. Not to mention I’m easily distracted. But anyway, most of the time spent on this bag was spent cutting and ironing on interfacing. There’s a lot of interfacing. But the bag is very sturdy and structured.

So, here it is, my long coming Sophia Carry-all.

Isn’t it nice to look at?

Interior of Sophia Carry-all

It’s huge, isn’t it? This is pretty much what was in my purse before switching. I’m going to have to start carrying a book and a camera just to justify using this bag.

The fabric I used for the inside is Lizzy House’s Pearl Bracelets and Patty Young’s Vintage Houndstooth from Textured Basics. The wallet is also from that line.

I think the piping is what scared me the most, but look at that corner! Good stuff. (This is the only perfect corner)

The other three corners just did not want to come together so well, so I ended up hand-stitching them a bit.

And I’m not certain this is what I was supposed to do with the lining, but it works. I was trying really hard to find a good review or construction pictures and I couldn’t. But this’ll do. Once the zipper is folded in place you can’t see the stitches. Oh, and that dark blue zipper? Yeah, it’s really hard to find double zip purse zippers. Joann had three colors and Hobby Lobby had one, and none in the right size.

So, yay! One more thing off of my list. I will be making this again for sure. It’d make a great diaper bag, with a laminate lining. And I’m thinking I want to try the QAYG method that so many people have used on their Weekenders.

#scrappytripalong

If you follow any quilter on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the #scrappytripalong tag. Same for if you’re active on flickr (which I’m not, but really should be)

I resisted for a long time. Like, two whole days. But they looked so easy! People were starting and finishing in a matter of days. I gave in. I pulled fabric, and started. I think I made maybe three blocks the first day. I worked on it whenever I could, and in less than a month (which is really, really good for me) I had a queen sized quilt top.

I was snowing when I took that picture. My family stood at the window at laughed at me.

So I’m really, really pleased with this top. It’s very different, color-wise, than anything I’ve done before. I had a lot of brighter, bolder colors pulled, but I noticed I had a lot of soft colors in my stash that I didn’t have plans for, so I went with that. I’m hoping to quilt it myself, but I’m not sure my tiny machine can handle it. I’m thinking of straight lines and fmq, so I may do half on my machine and then the fmq on my mom’s, which has a bigger throat. I’m piecing together the back, using a couple of blocks that didn’t make the cut for the front. I’ve got the binding ordered and I need to get some batting. I’m determined to not let this top sit around unfinished.

If you’d like to join along, check out Lucy and Norman and this tutorial.

If you’d like to see more progress pictures from my quilt, check out my Instagram page.

Blue and Orange Plus Quilt

It is so hard making surprise quilts nowadays. At least, for someone like me, who is on facebook practically 24/7. I have a problem, I know.

So, my cousin is pregnant. Of course, mom and I wanted to make her a quilt. So I oh-so-sneakily asked her what her colors are.

And there you go. Not suspicious at all.

Mom and I had both been wanting to make a plus sign quilt for a while, so we quickly decided on that. Mom made an unplanned trip to St. Louis one weekend and picked up some cute fox and hedgehog fabric at Jackman’s.  We got some solids in orange and blue, and decided on some teal stripes for contrast.

Then we had a marathon sew-fest. I cut all of the fabric at my house, then brought that and my machine to her house to put it all together.

I brought my helper.

We laid a felt backed tablecloth on her dining room table, and laid it all out. When we finally had it right, I took a picture and loaded it on her computer so we could refer to it if (when) we messed up.

Then I set my machine on one end of the table, mom set her machine on the other and off we went!

It took us two days.

Wine was had.

I got tired. (Don’t ask me what I was thinking, wearing that bra.)

And here it is!

And here it is all quilted and bound. (With my helper, of course. He got all excited when I got the camera out.)
I did all the quilting and I should mention that I did most of the binding with a severely injured right index finger.
I shut my finger in a car door, and it was bad enough to go to the ER. I split the nail almost all the way across. I’ll
spare you the pictures.

And I’m particularly proud of the back. I think it’s pretty awesome.

I was finally able to give it to my cousin at her baby shower! Here she is, with her mother-in-law checking it out.

So there it is! Caitie, I hope you like it and that Baby Beck gets many years of use from it.

Sneak peek!

Can I just say, without sounding stuck up, that I’m really proud of myself for learning free motion quilting on a regular cheap machine? I’ve never taken to anything so quickly before.

That’s all.

 

PS, I posted from my phone, and can’t rotate that picture.

Know Thy Machine!

Hey hoppers! Welcome to my blog stop on 13woodhouseroad’s Know Thy Machine tour.

1. What machine(s) do you have? Brand and Model.

I have a Brother CS5055PRW

2. When and where did you buy it? What were the reasons for selecting this(these) particular model(s). What was its approximate cost.

   I actually received this machine as a ‘Just because’ gift from my mother about two years ago. I had been sewing on an older Brother that mom found at an estate sale for two dollars. I had all kinds of issues with it and mom saw this machine on sale for 100 dollars. When she showed up and told me she had a surprise to show me I actually thought she had brought over a puppy for me to meet. My mom’s just like that.

   I know she didn’t put much thought into buying the machine other than it was better than what I had and that it was inexpensive.

3. What do you like about your machine? Have you named it? Have you made a cover for it?

   I can’t really think of anything special about my machine. It runs, it has fancy stitches that I don’t use, but I’ve learned a lot on it and it totally suits my needs for now. Oh! I do like that it has a drop in bobbin with INSTRUCTIONS on how to load it right on the machine. I can’t tell you how many times I got the bobbin on my old machine in wrong. I couldn’t tell where the thread went in the metal holder ( I know there’s a name for it…) or put the darn thing in backwards.

   My machine doesn’t have a name. Nothing I’ve thought of really fits.

   Yeaaah, about that cover I’ve been putting off for a year or so now… I do have one in the works, a ticker tape cover made with scraps. One of my many WIPs

4. Does your machine give you any problems? Could you tell us a few?

   Only a couple of problems. The tension will sometimes get out of whack if I load a bobbin that’s too full or too empty. And lately it’s been winding the bobbins too loose, but that’s solved by me just holding onto the thread as it winds.

5. What do you sew on it mainly? Quilts, Clothes, Bags etc. What are the features of the machine that help you improve your work? How much time do you spend sewing on it?

   I have done everything on this machine. I’ve made clothes for myself and my kids, I’ve made quite a few purses, I’ve done things with zippers, and my mom even comes over to use its button hole feature (She has a high end Pfaff.) The main thing I use it for is piecing and quilting quilts and pillows. I even taught myself how to free motion quilt on it! Since it’s a Project Runway machine it has a lot of garment making feet and the needle always ends in the down position, which was weird at first, but now it’s really handy.

   I try to sew a little every day, but that doesn’t always happen. On average I’d say I spend maybe five hours a week on it. More if I have something that really needs to be done, like a gift. I wish I could say more.

6. What advice would you give others when deciding about which machine to buy?

   Ask someone else? I really don’t know too much about other machines. I would suggest they look at what they plan on using the machine for, what they’re willing to pay and read reviews.

7. Will you share with us a special memory associated with your machine?

   The way I got it is pretty special.

8. If you had unlimited resources in the world, which machine would you choose to buy and why?

   Well, based on the research I’ve done in the half hour since starting this post, I’d probably go for a heavy duty Juki with an extension table. I really wish I could quilt bigger quilts, but my machine is almost too small for even a baby quilt. I rarely use the stitches other than the straight and zig zag, so I don’t need a computerised machine.

My question to see if you’re paying attention is: What feature on my machine does my mom come over to use? Head over to 13 Woodhouse Road to answer and enter the giveaway.

 

Star Block Bee!! (EDIT, We’re full! Thanks everyone!)

I’ve been wanting to do a bee for a long time, but I haven’t joined one since most require you to send at least a FQ to all of the participants. I’m on a poverty-imposed fabric diet, so that’s not doable for me. That’s why I’m organizing my own.

Here’s what’s up.

12 spots. Ten, actually, one is taken, one is me.

Each participant will choose up to four colors. The blocks for that person will be in their chosen colors. Background, if necessary, should be white. Everyone has white, right?

The blocks can be most any size, from 6 inches to 24.

Along with each participants colors, they can specify no pastel, no batiks, preferred fabrics, etc. But don’t be too picky.

After we have all twelve quilters I’ll email everyone to get your colors, addresses, and I’ll assign your month.

We’ll start in November!

Am I missing anything? This is my first bee.

US only, please. Sorry.

Oh, and I’ll start a flickr group too.

Check out all of the Star possibilities on pinterest! http://pinterest.com/search/?q=star+block

I’m excited!