Holiday Sewing:Tote Bags

What a week it's been! I'm glad to get back to the calm in my sewing room. This week I've been working on tote bags as gifts. These are easy to make and very practical, since many people and businesses are trying to get away from plastic grocery bags.
I found this great tutorial on besewstylish.com called Two-Hour Tote Bag by my friend Ann from Gorgeous Fabrics.
Here is my first one. It is made out of some embroidered denim that has been aging nicely in the stash for several years and fell out on my feet while I was looking for the green toile canvas that I know I have somewhere. The denim said,"What about ME?" And I agreed. When the fabric begs like that I'm a pushover. I still haven't found that toile! (That's how you know you have enough fabric - when your fabric can hide from you) I put a little quilt square in the pocket for contrast so you could see it.

These are super easy to make and don't take much fabric. From the tutorial it says
you will need:
• 1/2 yard of denim or canvas (60 inches wide) plus equal amount for lining if you want
• 2 7/8 yards of 1-inch-wide nylon or cotton webbing
• Thread to match
• Sewing machine
• Iron
(BeSewStylish is a fun website too, check it out when you have a few minutes)
While I was cutting out a second bag, I had the idea to line the bag and make a contrast pocket, so I cut some lining pieces the same size as the bag pieces basted on the pocket, sewed the lining pieces to the bag outsides, right sides together, keeping the bottom open, and basted the contrast pocket on. This finishes the sides and top. Then I press and zigzag finish the bottoms. My contrast pocket was 11"x22" because I cut it on the fold so the top would be the finished edge. Here is the pocket basted to one bag side, and ready for the strap to be sewn on
Then I attached the straps per Ann's tutorial, and finished the bag. Not bad for an experiment! The Variety store near our house had lots of colored strap webbing, so along with the red, I bought bright yellow, olive and blue. These are fun to make and a nice break from making my top for our neighborhood Christmas Party. They make a fast and fun gift, especially if you add a couple treats inside. (and since all I had to buy was the webbing they were almost free, right?)
The strap bottoms really do match on both bags but they are folding in in the picture - honest! (not that it matters for a tote bag, but I have my OCD side)
Now back to that Christmas top.
Happy sewing!

I Voted

There's still time to vote if you haven't yet.
We got up before dawn today, my husband and our daughter and I, and drove down to the elementary school that serves as our polling place. Both our kids went to that school and I always find it sweet to wait in line while looking at the artwork.
There was no parking available, the lot was FULL and cars covered the streets nearby. The line went out the door and around the building. I could still see the stars as we took our place in line. There was a table selling coffee and doughnuts nearby. Everyone in line was cheerful, and seemed happy to take part in this historic election. No one complained about waiting. It wasn't too cold. As we waited, the line moved slowly. The people in line were all ages, all races, some had small children, some were in business clothes, some were retired. Everyone was polite to the Democratic and Republican helpers who were offering sample ballots.
As I waited I reflected that when my grandmother was born in 1904 in Punxsutawney, PA, women did not yet have the right to vote. Less than 70 years later, when I voted for the first time in 1976, my parents took a picture of me coming out of my old elementary school with my I VOTED sticker. I haven't missed an election since. Don't miss out on your chance to make history.
Happy Voting!
(and I am SO GLAD that this is all over and I can get back to sewing Christmas gifts and clothes)

Election Sign Update

Someone stole the signs AGAIN! And replaced our signs with their candidate's signs! These people are shameless! So Mr. Hunting Creek went and got MORE (twice as many) and placed them all along the road. However, he did not remove their sign, because that would be wrong. (We were tempted, but our better angels said no) But their sign is now surrounded :) Only 1 more day...

Did I mention the free single scoop of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream if you VOTE?( I think I'll get cinnamon bun ice cream)

The whole world is watching, so let's all go and show them how it's done.

Mr. Hunting Creek and Ms. Hunting Creek and I will go at 6a and vote early. And make sure that our signs are still there.

Happy Voting!

Your Vote DOES Count

Anyone who remembers the 2000 election knows this. Your vote matters. Every vote counts. Please make sure you go vote tomorrow, and don't let anything stop you. Don't let rain, or lines or lack of transportation stop you. Someone at the local campaign office has a ride for you, just ask them.(Especially if you are in Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina, Missouri, and Pennsylvania)

To encourage you, Krispy Kreme, Books a Million and Starbucks are giving out freebies if you Vote.

So enjoy your free coffees and doughnut, you deserve it! Ben and Jerry's single scoop! FREE! (No calories on Election Day!) But only if you VOTE!

Virginia Election Story

I read in the paper this morning that Fairfax County, Virginia is the bellwether county in the whole United States in the 2008 Election. As Fairfax goes, so goes the nation? Emotions are running pretty high, and there has been all sorts of mischief. Here at Little Hunting Creek, our property is half an acre of woods that goes all the way to the highway. The campaigns have lots of signs back there along the road, but someone kept stealing the signs. So Mr. Hunting Creek would get more to replace them, but it kept happening. A couple days ago our daughter was drinking her coffee and looking out the window and she saw a jogger stop and take the signs! She ran out the back door shouting, "Put those signs down! What do you think you're doing?" He ignored her and kept going, so she ran out the door, jumped in her car and tailed him, yelling out the window at him that he was stealing and violating our neighborhood's First Amendment rights. He dropped the signs. She said, "I have called the police and reported you!" and then she put the signs back. It was an older man, with gray hair and a moustache, someone old enough to know better. The police were very impressed with her law enforcement skills. They offered to come and arrest him, but we both felt that he had learned his lesson. No one has touched the signs since. Don't mess with our First Amendment rights at Little Hunting Creek when Ms. Hunting Creek is around! And on Tuesday, don't forget to VOTE!

Holiday Gifts: Luxury Pillowcases

The nice thing about making gifts yourself is that you can take something practical, like a pillowcase, and turn it into something luxurious, or personalized or even a work of art. It doesn't take much money, and only just a little time.
Pillowcases can be made out of cute themed quilting cottons, like these that I made for my nephew:
Or they can be made of of soft cuddly flannel:



or you can make them out of silk, like the ones I am working on now. Silk is not much more expensive than good flannel or high quality quilting cottons. I ordered mine from Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics (not affiliated, just a happy customer)
I think Habotai or Charmeuse makes nice pillowcases. You don't need much and it makes a fabulous impression. If you looked at the prices of nice silk pillowcases in stores you would faint dead away. I read somewhere that silk pillowcases are supposed to prevent wrinkles. I don't know if that's true, but it can't hurt!

Imagine all the possibilities here. You can make custom designed pillowcases for kids that they will like so much they won't sleep with anything else. With printable fabric or transfers thrown into the mix, you could even put family pictures, pets or kids drawings on them.
Here is a brief description with dimensions for your convenience:

Standard pillow measurements:
Regular 20"x26"
Queen 20"x30"
King 20" x 36:

Fabric requirements for ONE pillow: (based on 42" wide fabric)
Main pillow std/queen 3/4 yard king 1 yard
cuff 3/8 yard
contrasting trim 1/8 yard

Supplies besides fabric:
scissors
thread
rotary cutter and mat
ruler
sewing machine of course

Cutting:

Std queen king
Body cut one piece 22" x42" 26"x42" 32"x 42"
Cuff 10" x42" 10"x42" 10"x42"
contrast trim 1 1/2" x42 1 1/2"x42" 1 1/2"x42"

I do everything flat first - sew your contrast trim piece to the pillow body. You can sew it as a contrast band like my flannel cases above, or you can do my flange variation, where I folded the contrast piece in half wrong sides together and then sewed to the pillow body, like flat piping. This looks very nice. You can also do eyelet here, or lace, or other trim. Then sew on the cuff piece to the contrast piece. Right sides together. Now you fold the whole thing in half right sides together. You'll have a 21" x 22" rectangle if it's a standard case. There is a long fold on one side and a seam at the bottom and one side. Match your contrast and cuff seams at the sides. Sew the sides. For silk pillows it's nice to do French seams. I trim and zig zag, but you can also use your serger. Press. Fold the cuff edge down half an inch and press then fold in half so it covers the raw edges inside - wrong sides together. Sew down, covering all raw edges. You can use a contrast color thread, or matching. A decorative stitch looks nice too. Press case and you're done! It's also nice to package this gift with lavender sachet if you are giving to grownups, or fun pajamas for either kids or grown ups. Everyone in our family enjoys home made gifts, so it's fun to make unusual things for them every year.
Happy Sewing!

October Baking

Yikes! You've been asked to bring something to the office potluck or Thanksgiving Party. What to bring that's different yet familiar? I adapted this recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cookbook (which has lots of good stuff in it)

Halloween Pumpkin Cake

Preheat your oven to 350 before you start so it has time to get hot. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan, or two 9" cake pans or 1 tube cake or bundt cake pan

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar ( I like dark brown, but use what you have)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 can 15ounces pumpkin puree

Mix all the wet ingredients together in a large bowl,they will look very goopy. This is normal. In another bowl blend together

2 1/2 cups flour (or do what I do and use 1 cip white whole wheat and 1 1/2 cups reg flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ( I grate mine fresh)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
( or you could add all of these spices up and use pumpkin pie spice, if you have some handy)
Whisk all of the dry ingredients together then blend in the wet ingredients
Pour into the prepared pan or pans. Bake about 30-35 mins for layers, 35-40 for the sheet and 45-55 minutes for the tube. Of course you check ten minutes before it is supposed to be done. Just to be sure.
I glazed mine with cinnamon buttercream glaze, which I invented that very minute.
I mixed about 1 cup and a half of powdered sugar with a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of melted butter and enough milk or cream to make it glazey. I spread this over the top so it would drip attracively down the sides. There have been no complaints