Putzing Around

It seems like it's been ages since I've blogged about anything sewing related. I hadn't been in the sewing room much lately because work had picked up. Now that things seem to have leveled out for the moment, I hope to make up for lost time.

I got my fabric order from Pink Chalk and have been admiring that pretty FQ bundle, 12 Joys of Christmas by Sheri Berry. Now I have it all prewashed, pressed, and ready to cut. Yay!

I've also been working a little on the game case my sister asked me to make for her school project. It's basically going to be an envelope-style case (bag) with inner pockets for the various game pieces, etc. Except I didn't really think through the whole pocket thing and how the stitching lines for attaching the pockets on the inside were going to show through to the outside. Duh. My sister said she did realize that and is okay with it. That's good because I really don't want to have to make a lining, as it would add bulk, and there's a lot that has to fit inside that thing.

I saw a zigzag table runner pattern in the book, i heart patchwork, by Rashida Coleman-Hale and thought it might work somehow as the outer design of the game case.

I am thinking of using a dark brown background color that will perhaps camouflage the stitching lines of the inner pockets. I'd like to also maybe incorporate the stitching lines into quilting lines so they're less obvious, but imagining exactly how to do that makes my head want to explode.

Last night I put this together from scraps. Then I had a dilemma about how to orient it, etc., and after staring at it way too long, I decided to give up and sleep on it.

This morning, I woke up with the idea to make it a rectangle that will wrap from front to back. I added the corner triangles and a polka-dot border. So we'll see. This is a work in process that is likely to change. I've got a couple weeks to play around with it, anyway. In other words, this may be Plan A of what is ultimately Plan P. :)

Stopped at Joann's yesterday and looked at upholstery fabric, which was all 50% off through the 5th. I am having some oak dining chairs refinished. There is an interesting story about that set of chairs, which I'm saving for later when the chairs are done and I have some pictures to go with it. Right now, I just want to show you the fabrics I picked out for the seats. I'm so excited!


Yes, that is fabrics, as in plural, as in two. We decided we'd do three chairs in one fabric and three in the other -- the mix-and-match look, if you will. Although I did order enough fabric so that if I change my mind, we can have all of them done in one pattern. But I hope no one talks me into that, because I love them both! I should have extra fabric for pillows and/or a table runner, etc.

And will ya look at that, my African violet that crawled out of its container across my windowsill has decided to bloom for the first time in many years!

I had forgotten it had a variegated bloom, it had been so long!



I have yet to repot any of my violets, because I'm lazy that way, but they don't seem to care one bit. They're just blooming away, happy with the light!