Solids in a Bag

Solids in a Bag

  I'm trying to thin out my fabrics and use up what I accumulated and kept all these years. I've gathered fabrics from my stash of solids.

I have kept my solids and other fabric prints in this type of storage totes for years.
 

I store mostly 1/4 yard and fat quarter pieces. Some of the zippers on these totes are tired. I have a paper clip as a pull tab on one tote.  But the containers are easy to stack, store AND still useable. They also are easy to pull out and look through.  My 2014 resolution will be to create a useful storage system in the closet.

For this project, I cut 28 colors into 2" strips then put them in the paper bag (recycled from a local quilt shop)

and began sewing together whatever color I pulled out.

(gee I hope this works) 

When I was sewing the strips, I kept 2 things in mind. First, the strips that were kinda shorter were sewn on one side.  Second, I sewed one strip top to bottom and then the next strip to sew beside it, bottom to top.  That way, these strips wouldn't pull at an angle.

I actually sewed 28 together but took out 2 to fit width of 1/2 yard of backing and batting.
 I created enough fabric to make 2 new fabric pieces.  But on one, I took away a couple of shorties then re-sewed the unit. The strips were just too short to make a second unit. That's why there's a different color pattern on one.

 

Sandwiched and pinned, I then used the many built-in fancy stitches on my Janome 6600.

I used variegated Coats and Clark cotton thread.

  The binding was 1 1/2" wide that I already had on hand.  My goal is to use what I have in my "studio". Since the binding was narrow in width, I adjusted my needle position and it gave me enough fabric to turn over to front. I then used a wide zig-zag stitch to sew it down and sewed slowly.  I then went around the binding a second time with a straight stitch, trying to touch the point of each zig-zag for extra reinforcement.

Solids in the Bag became a colorful table runner. 

Do you see the small bonded block that is holding the clips? It's my test sample, finished to use as a mat for my tiny scissors and seam ripper or as a mug rug.
Now to make the other!
   

Stabilize It Mod

Sometimes those annual sales are just too good to pass up. Every year I go a day early and every time I'm welcomed to shop at sale prices.  Shoulda, coulda, woulda taken a picture of all those sewing necessities I acquired those 2 days while shopping for my Sis and myself.  Bargains galore!

I did acquire several rolls of various stabilizers for my machine embroidery work at the price of $2.00 each (who can resist) but now, how to store them?  Guess I'll have to sew something up!

 I could try to replicate this: from SewLynn via Martha Pullen.com
  http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z182/SewOriginal0/Home%20Dec/IM001265.jpg ...


 

 or maybe this pattern found @ Nancy's Notions:
 http://www.nancysnotions.com/product/stabilstor+stabilizer+storage+system+pattern.do

 




Maybe combine BOTH...
Mine needs to hang on a closet bar and needs to hold plenty.

 I started with the MOD fabric leftovers from my "Scrap Catch Hamper" project and couldn't decide which hanging set up to use.  Either with a plastic pant hanger or a dowel and ribbon.

Since the widest fabric bit was 12" that became the width.  The length was pieced till most of the fabric was used up, close to 54". I stitched about 1/8" from the pieced bits, to keep it from unraveling and to lay the pressed opened seams down, but I don't really think it was necessary. It just looks finished.  (who's to see it?)... Only ME!

 Wow the faded portion shows up in this pic...                           don't look. 

  I cut (2) 4.5" squares bound them & folded as a triangle to cover and hold the hanger or dowel.

I was still debating on which hanging method to use.  Just in case, I added a buttonhole to slip a pretty ribbon through to tie it onto the closet rod. I finished the edges with bias binding tape. For making bias tape, I usually do the continuous method, like this tutorial:

 http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/continuous-bias-tape-tutorial

 

The hard copy shown above was a handout from one of my Quilt Guild's Take N Make meetings. Handy single page reference. 


I cut 6 vinyl pieces with my Crafting Rotary Cutter (not MY good one) 12" x20" to hold more than one roll per section. Sewn 
binding on each side of the length. The only piece I added width binding was to the top piece for a nice finish.   


 For smooth sewing on plastic, this project needed a Roller Foot for my Janome machine. I could have bought it on the Annual Selvage Sale at Hokema's but after 3 visits within 24 hours, I think they would have laughed at me for being a frequent buyer. When I went to their shop to buy this foot, us gals had a good laugh about my visits.

 I found that I need to put a piece of paper under the vinyl for stitching movement, otherwise it wanted to stick to the sewing bed. (just use the protective sheet that comes with the plastic, position it slightly AWAY from the edge to avoid being sewn)

I clipped up the sections with this new product and it worked very well...

http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/3155/_/Wonder_Clips_%2810_pieces%29
  
  but I ran out of Wonder Clips, so I used regular clothespins and they did the job too.    
 

I then sewed these sections starting at the top and worked my way down, leaving room at the bottom for a side pocket for storage of the flat stabilizers.  I added a big pocket on the back for extra storage.  

Now that it is completed and full, it is VERY heavy that neither a plastic pant hanger or the ribbon could hold it securely.  BUT a wooden pant hanger is a perfect solution and I think the bow adds a nice touch to "Stabilize It Mod."

  

#100 blocks