Hand-quilting Case...

Last year I started hand-quilting a table topper... it is still in process, but now it has a new storage case! Also, last year, I got a small case at our church garage sale that has been working well and was a really nice size...except the project outgrew the box!

At this year's garage sale I found another case...a small, old, hard-sided suitcase. However, the inside needed a little updating.

 I haven't done anything with the outside of the case...which for now, is fine for me :)

I already ripped out the side lining before snapping this picture... it wasn't in bad shape, just old and not my style!

I had a few choices picked out...

Asked Chad his opinion...we went with the green and tan!

I used ModPodge as a glue to put the Cream tweed fabric (which are actually place mats) to the bottom and top of the case, then hot glued the outer edge to secure it more. I then hemmed strips of material for the sides, and also ModPodged and hot glued them in.

Before attaching the top section, I added some pockets, and elastic pencil/seam ripper holder, and a large pin cushion to it.

It's much more roomy for the supplies...which look a little lost, but I will be adding batting, backing, and a quilting hoop - hopefully very soon! However, the extra room also makes the case a little bit larger for transporting! I am planning on making a small matching pouch for the threads to keep them all together and not banging around in the case so much.

I have a BIG, and I mean BIG! project about to begin...probably a little later today :) and I very excited about how it will be when it is all done (the process may not be so much fun though!). 

We are going to rearrange most of the house! :) 

Currently, my sewing area takes up about half of mine and Chad's bedroom...which is kind of dark - and I'm ready to lighten things up a bit...so I'm moving to the living room! Not only that, but we have some other furniture we are moving around and some to get rid of! The girls just got their bunk bed put up, so there is a little work to be done in there room, too! I hope to have this done by next week at this time so that other projects can be started...especially with school for Liz needing to start soon, too....I'd better get to ordering her some books and pick a definite start date :)

I'll share pictures of my new sewing/office area soon!

Check out the Linky Parties on the left side bar...joining a new one this week - TNT at Happy Quilting since this case was a stretch for me...I wan't sure at first how to attach the fabric to the case and keep it flat and tight to the edges!

To every thing there is a season, 

and a time to every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

Seasons will start changing here in about a month...and I'll love it! Fall is my favorite season, even thinking of putting out the fall decorations as we clean and rearrange the house!

But not only are the seasons outside going to go through a change, but so are the seasons of our girls changing...Amber is potty training and Liz is about to start school. This is rough season for me...I have to teach them, and I'm not good at teaching kids this age! I'm much better with older kids!

This, however, is a season we must go through, and God will help us! And I pray for His help...that all of us to grow well through this season and learn what we need to so that we can have the knowledge we need to get through later seasons to come!

A New Handsewing Travel Kit...

A few months back I started hand sewing 60 degree diamonds and made myself a travel kit...

It turned out cute and worked good...except it was a little small and not quite hard enough for keeping things from bending, oh, and the flap didn't always stay closed.

My solution came at the Fundraising Garage Sale we had a few weekends ago...

I got this sturdy little box for $1.00. It just needed a face lift...

I quilted a top, made a sleeve for it to go over the lid, and made the box lining by using a pattern for a fabric basket...just changing some dimensions!

I used some sticky loop and hook tape (Velcro) to keep the lining in place. I also made a matching pin cushion that is also Velcroed to the lining...now my box is ready to travel!

This one has hard sides, is bigger but still not to big, and has a latch to close the lid...I think it will be really nice!

I'm happy to link to a few blog linky parties...

It's a Hodgepodge Friday @ It's a Hodgepodge Life

Weekend Showoff Party @ Ladybird Lane

It's a Party @ A Creative Princess

I decided to show my box transformation instead of the skirt...trust me this is cuter!

Have a Great Weekend!



For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:

for it is the power of God unto salvation

to every one that believeth;

to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Talk with you again late next week...

Amanda

Hand Sewing Travel Box...

 Here it is...

The hand sewing that needed done on my hand sewing travel box is done! Now, when I need a 'travel' project, it can go in style :) ! However, the travel may only be to the back porch or the living room, but the 'box' keeps all my diamonds neatly organized and together.

I still need to get stitching on the diamonds...last night I was going to do a few but my arm hurt from the stitching I had done during school on the 'box'. (The extra perks of volunteering at an ACE church school...you can do crafts while you wait for the kids to ask questions...however, this is our last week, so most of them are done with all their PACES and reports.)

Since my handsewing might aggrivate my arm, I decided to work on decorating a card basket (for an open house...a 90th Birthday party...on Memorial Day). I used blue flowers around it and now just need to 'tack' them in place with some floral wire.

The bench it is sitting on is a new addition to our house. It is an old pew that had been at Chad's grandma's...it was then cut down to a smaller size when she moved into an assisted living facility. However, she had to down size some more, so we are the fortunate receipents of this beautiful old pew...

Now comes the fun part...making a cushion for the seat! I even have some fabric picked out!

Saturday was a beautiful summer day here and we enjoyed the day outside...

It's not the best picture of me, but the baby is adorable...so look at her instead! Liz didn't want a second picture taken at this moment, so she looked away, but I think it turned out to be a sweet picture of her.

Let your light so shine before men,

 that they may see your good works,

 and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

This reminds me that God has given me the abilities I have, so, I need to use them for Him and thank Him for them! (I realize this is not the main thought for this passage, but its what I got out of it today.)

Thank God today for your many blessings...because they all come from Him!

Amanda

Summer Travel Project...

As I browse through other blogs, I see some great things! One of them is the 60 degree Diamond English Paper Piecing quilts. I've decide to start this hand sewn quilt process for something to carry along with me to summer picnics and parties...I even made a new little bag for this endeavour!

I still have to do some whip stitching to finish off the raw edges on the inside...when I get it done, I'll show pictures of my finished Hand Sewing Travel Box.
But now on to what's going into the box...

This week I decided I wanted to try some hand sewing, so I looked into getting the EPP templates...

However, it was cheaper to print off the diamonds and make my own templates. I found free diamond/triangle graph paper here and did some copy & pasting, arranging and shifting to get my diamonds 2" on each side. This made it possible for me to get 12 on one sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 piece of card stock.

I printed them off, cut them out, scored them in the middle, and am working on hole punching them.

Today I wanted to cut out my material diamonds...so I started digging through my scraps. These are some of the piles I had going...

(This green leaf material was 'lost' in my pile... it didn't make it into this project, but I can't wait to use it in something!)

In the end, I decided on a fallish coloring and cut enough diamonds for a table topper quilt. I thought this would be a good size to start with...to see if I like it before diving into a whole quilt. Here are my diamonds...

Now, I just need to get stitching!

Jessica over at Life Under Quilts has a good video to show you the basics of 60 degree diamond EPP...check it out and join the fun...there's also a Flickr group!

This pile of fabric will soon be on the cutting table...

I designed my own full size quilt that I hope to use this material for. I'm going to start with one block to make sure I like these materials together...

If I do like it, they'll become a quilt. It will be a flannel top with a fleece backing...and no batting. I think it will make a very cozy and warm, yet light, quilt.

Also, if all works out well, I am hoping to write it up, open an Esty site and sell it...I'm excited to try my first pattern to sell. Any tips on starting to sell things?

On Thursday, my baby turned 6 months old...she cried all day, but I was able to get a couple of happy pictures.

 This one is from today...she was alot happier all day!

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

 but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Be not thou therefore ashamed

of the testimony of our Lord,...

2 Timothy 1:7 & 8a

I'm so glad that the Lord is working in us...even when our 'sound mind' seems like its not there anymore! Also, I want to continually be a witness for the Lord...and realize always that...

Being confident in this very thing,

that he which hath begun a good work in you

will preform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 1:6

May your weekend be full of happy moments...

and church attendance!

Loving the chance to 'talk' with you...

Amanda