A Decorated Blog Post

Have you ever had one of those blog posts that surprises you with the attention it gets.  I have one in the works.  My Clam Shell Pillow has been getting more attention than I would ever have imagined.  Not only is it my top viewed post, but it has been featured on five different blogs now.  Maybe that's nothing for some of you, but for little ol' me, that's pretty big.  So THANK YOU everyone for making it so.  It wouldn't be like this if it weren't for all of you!

Color Wheel Quilt

It's been a while, but here's another project from my Curves class taught by Rachel of Stitched in Color.  The very last projects were celebratory quilts - what a great idea!  This post should mean I've completed at least one project from every week of the class.  Yay!

My emotions with this quilt went from excited, to unsure and feeling a little circus-y (yes, I realize that's not a real word), to hopeful, to loving it!!

When I first started picking out materials from my stash for this quilt I thought I would be giving it away.  It looks like the family that was going to be on the receiving end of this one is going to be getting something else.  I don't think I can part with this cheerful quilt.

This curves were definitely precise curves, meaning there was a concave and convex cut that had to match up (with the seam allowance) and be sewn carefully.  Yes there was some unpicking, but it was worth it.

My husband and I tried to take pictures of this one last week,
but the wind was not cooperating!

I debated quilting patterns.  My first idea was to sew circles in the color wedges and lines (like rays emitting from the circle) on the white.  Then I was worried there would be too much stop and starting.  So then I resigned myself to sewing just the straight line rays.  THEN I convinced myself to sew just the circles.  There was still quite a bit of stopping and starting, but I figured to go for it anyway.  I think this quilt is going to spend the first part of it's life hanging in my sewing room as a decoration anyway so it will be saved from constant washing for a while.  See the circle in the very middle.  I think I sewed and re-sewed it at least 5 times...  Sadly, my first attempt was my best.






















I even love the back.  I love the dark blue.  Sometimes it's fun to not have enough of one color for the back, because then you get to be creative all over again on the same quilt.  See my little tag on the side.  I made it using this tutorial.  So easy.

I hope it added a little sunshine to your day!  I know it did mine!

Check out the other projects from the Curves Class!

Scallop Bunting

Bibs

Quilt Cards

Rainbow Road Table Runner

Clam Shell Pillow

Drunkard's Path Hot Pads

Spring Book Cover

Spring Book Cover

Another finished project!  And yes, it's from my Curves class. :)  I did, however, manage to work on a non-Curves project today.  Eons ago I posted about a log cabin quilt top I made.  Well I started quilting it a few months ago, got about 1/5th of the way done, and decided I didn't like the quilting design I was using.  So I've been slowly unpicking the stitches over the last few months.  I finally finished unpicking!  So maybe in a month or so I'll be able to share it as a finished project.

Anyway, back to the curves project.  It's a cute little cover for a composition notebook.  I've managed to do all of my curves projects with fabrics I already have on hand so far.  This one was a little bold for me with the colors, but I'm falling in love with it as I use it.

I love this project idea.  There are so many quilt blocks you could turn into covers.  I'm already thinking these puppies will make great Christmas gifts.

Even better this project fulfills a need I had.  I saw the idea of keeping a journal for each of your children, to record thoughts for them, stories from when they were little, and notes for them.  I LOVED the idea and have been wanting to buy some cute journals for it.  But I love these handmade books even better!  It gives an added personal touch to an already personal item.  I've already started writing in this one for my little girl.  One of the first entries is Daddy's First Lullaby telling her about the first time her daddy sang her a lullaby, because she DEMANDED it of him.

The solid yellow I used was a lighter weight cotton, and I wish I would have used quilter's cotton.  It was prone to stretching and wrinkling very easily.  And once I put the notebook inside of the cover I realized the black spots on the book showed through much of the material.  However, I was able to easily fix the problem by gluing yellow construction paper on the cover.

I confess I've already made a second one.  I did the main block in postage stamp style.  I like the idea, but it's a little busy.  I added prints all around the postage stamp block and it's TOO much.  So I plan on taking it apart and trying again with some solid borders around the stamp block.  Hopefully I'll be happy with the finished product and willing to share.

Check out the other projects from the Curves Class!

Scallop Bunting

Bibs

Quilt Cards

Rainbow Road Table Runner

Clam Shell Pillow

Drunkard's Path Hot Pads

Drunkard's Path Hot Pads

That's right, it's another Curves Class project.  They're pretty much all I've had time to work on lately, but I'm enjoying them and learning so much so that's okay!


This was my first attempt at precise curves, meaning piecing a concave and convex curve together and allowing for the seam allowance in the cutting.

With the first quarter circle I sewed I pinned it.  Then I got brave and did the rest without pinning.  Of course there was some unpicking and resewing, but it went well for the most part!


The funny thing is the most time consuming and frustrating part of this project was not the curves.  It ended up being the binding!  I am usually a stickler for hand stitching the last step of my binding, but I decided for something like hot pads I could break that rule and try something different.  So I tried to finish it off with a zig zag stitch.  My sewing machine had been acting a little funny, but was still working.  However, when it came to a zig zag stitch it completely rebelled!  My zig zag was coming out as a straight stitch.  

After cleaning out my machine and determining that the problem was more than I could fix I borrowed my mom's back-up machine.  It worked great for the first one.  Then when I went to finish the second one the next day it was having problems!  It wouldn't pull the bobbin thread up and my top thread kept breaking.  I re-thread the needle, I re-thread the bobbin, I turned the machine off and on.  Same result.  After pounding my head on the table a few times I set the project aside and began cutting material for another project.


When I had calmed down (I'm a embarrassed to say I got really frustrated) I went back to the hot pads.  Turns out the bobbin casing wasn't quite in right.  Earlier I noticed the plate was loose so I took it off, took out the bobbin casing and dusted things off a bit before putting it all back together.  Apparently I didn't get it put back together right.

Once that was taken care of I cruised!  I turned it over to admire my work only to realize the zig zag completely missed the binding on the back!!  Oh man.  I left the project for the day at that point.  This morning I woke up refreshed, unpicked again, and zig zagged my heart out.  Finally a finish I could be happy with!


I like them both.  The red and black has a bit of a retro look to me, but I think the black/white, black/yellow/grey combo is my favorite.  What fun additions to my kitchen!  I already have plans to whip up a few of these for gifts.


Remember, the name of my blog is Third Time's a Charm, and there's a reason for that. :)  I ofter learn lessons the hard way. 

Check out Rachel at Stitched in Color.  She's the one teaching the Curves Class.  And check out the other projects I've blogged about from the class!

Scallop Bunting

Bibs








Quilt Cards

Rainbow Road Table Runner

Clam Shell Pillow

Clam Shell Pillow

Another Curves Class project!!  This one took a little more time, but mainly because of all the cute little clam shells I had to cut out.  I did this one in yellows and grays like the bunting so I can use it in my little girls room.  

It was a little tricky sewing the clam shells together.  You had to have everything lined up just right to sew each shell to the stem next to it.  But very fulfilling once I got it!  

I'm thinking some day I will make another one, but larger (18" maybe...) to go in her room as well.  I have a water bed frame-turned-bench that I'm refinishing for her room right now.  I plan on putting some cushions on it with some of these cute pillows!  Watch for the bench.  Someday I'll have it finished and blog about it.  Someday... :)

Check out Rachel at Stitched in Color.  She's the one teaching the Curves Class.  And check out the other projects I've blogged about from the class!

Scallop Bunting

Bibs








Quilt Cards

Rainbow Road Table Runner

Rainbow Road Table Runner

All right!  Time for another post from a Curves Class project!  This one is called Rainbow Road.

Some of my favorite prints

When I first started into this class my goal was to use material from my stash, especially for the smaller projects.  So when it came to Rainbow Road I pulled out a charm pack I had on hand.  I loved some of the prints in the charm pack and thought one day I would use them elsewhere.  On the other hand, some of the others were a little wild for my tastes.  I took a leap and just sliced them all up for this project.  I'm not always big on the super colorful, super scrappy look so this was definitely a leap for me!


Sometimes I look at it and think, "I love it!"  Other times I think, "Woh!  What did I do?!"

Look at some of those crazy prints!

I think I'll get used to it.  This was another great way to practice Improv Curves.  I'm surprised at how much I liked improv curves.  I'm usually a very structured, give me a pattern kind of person, but I LOVED the freedom of these curves.  Cutting without a ruler, no pinning, just going with it!  Those are things I never thought I would be comfortable with.  What a nice surprise!!

Cute cheerful back with a better look at the quilting

This little table runner will be a cheery addition to our table for the spring.


Other posts regarding curves projects can be found at the following posts:
Scallop Bunting
Bibs
Quilt Cards