Local Products Expo

November 27, 2010 | terriaw

If you’re in the neighborhood on Sunday, November 28, I will be selling my handmade goods at the Local Products Expo! Local art, edibles and gifts will be taking center stage at the University of Wisconsin-Arboretum Visitor Center, celebrating local enterprise and creativity and giving shoppers an opportunity to support the local economy.

I’m excited to have this new banner to display in front of my booth. I uploaded my logo for my shop to Spoonflower in the largest size possible without comprising the image. I requested it be printed to fill a fat quarter (18 inches by 22), which I squared up. Then I added the green and blue borders, and quilted it just a tad.

I am planning to have lots of new products to reveal, a drawing to win something, and treats to share. Wish me luck!

A New Bag For a Trip

November 17, 2010 | terriaw

Why is it that every time I go on a trip, which isn’t that often, I feel like I need to make a new bag for that trip?

I can’t pinpoint where the inspiration for this bag came from. Maybe I dreamed it. I really just wanted to play with some of the home dec fabrics I have in my stash, which seem perfect for bags. I loved this color combination of brown, teal and green, so I kept the outside embellishment simple with random zig-zag quilting lines using teal thread.

I also wanted a tote bag bigger than what I normally make. This prototype came out to measure an 11-inch square, big enough to carry all my purse stuff and fit a paperback inside too.

I wanted a long strap to sling this across my shoulders, but I didn’t have enough strapping for that style. So I made two straps instead, which I think I will like better anyway. It feels more sturdy and I like being able to tuck it underneath my arm. I’m super happy with how this turned out, so I’m hoping to add this one to my repertoire.

Our annual trip to New York City for my birthday bash is upon us, so I hope to see you back here in a few days!

Saving Time and Energy

November 5, 2010November 5, 2010 | terriaw

I listed some new gift bags in my shop this week that make great time savers, so I thought it would be fun to share the idea with you.

Save yourself some time this gift-giving season by giving a pretty handmade gift bag. They can provide you with that last-minute solution to gift wrapping.

Here’s what I do: put the gift inside a handmade drawstring bag instead of wrapping it in paper that will just get thrown in the trash. Then I offer the recipient suggestions for further use of the bag, such as a knitting project or keeping dirty clothes or shoes separate in your suitcase.

I always make my drawstring bags fully lined so they are more sturdy and have a more finished look.

They measure 9.5 inches square, so they are big enough to gift a paperback, a CD, luxurious soap, cooking gadgets, even gift cards. You can also use reusable bags to carry snacks, your camera, or other odds and ends that tend to fall to the bottom of your large tote.

I also made stuff sacks which are modeled after Stuff Sacks used by backpackers, with a drawstring closure and a flat bottom.

I put flannel in between the fabric layers and added piping around the flat bottom, making them more sturdy and giving them a more finished look too.

Hope that gives you some inspiration for more give-making and gift-giving ideas!

Fabric Talk

October 25, 2010 | terriaw

I won a giveaway recently from Lisa of A Spoonful of Sugar. (thank you, Lisa!) It was a gift certificate to the Ladybug Quilt Shop, which is stocked full of beautiful fabrics. It took me almost two weeks to decide what to get! I ended up choosing two packs of Pure charm squares, and a stack of these whimsical Be Merry fabrics. (charm square packs include 40 – 5″ fabric squares)

I also splurged on a few more charm square packs from fabric collections I love but have tried hard to resist. I might have a new favorite designer here. I’m hoping to use these to make Christmas gifts for friends and family.

I’m in the process of re-organizing my stash, so I didn’t want to add more fabric to the piles. I now have a drawer dedicated to charm squares, where I like to keep pattern ideas too. The drawer is just about full now, so I cannot order more. (but I probably will anyway!)

A Productive Saturday

October 24, 2010October 24, 2010 | terriaw

I love productive Saturdays. Of course, it helps me stay focused when it’s cloudy and rainy outside.

While Dave raked leaves, I painted a few extras sets of checkers for some new checkerboard sets in my shop. I sold a few sets last year during the holiday season, so I wanted to restock for my upcoming craft show and the gift-giving season.

I like to mix up the king side with crown stamps for some sets and leaf stamps for other sets, which go along with my Patchwork Trails brand.

Then I was feeling motivated to make a batch of pumpkin cookies, the melt-in-your-mouth kind!

EDIT: here is the recipe for the pumpkin cookies, if you’re interested:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 can pumpkin

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Vanilla baking chips (as many as you want)

Milk chocolate baking chips (I used minis)

1 container cream cheese frosting

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets.

2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth.

3. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until well blended.

4. Stir in baking chips.

5. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

6. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet, then remove to cooling racks.

7. Spread frosting on warm cookies.

– – – – –

To keep all that domestic momentum going, we enjoyed chicken pot pie for dinner.

We started with a recipe from the Midwest Living magazine, December issue, which called for puff pastry sheets on the top but we also added a layer of pie crust to the bottom. It was divine!

EDIT: here’s the Pot Pie recipe, if you’re interested:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

3 cups cooked, diced chicken or turkey

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons herbs (parsley, thyme and/or oregano)

1/2 package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet (1 sheet), thawed

1 pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Whisk egg and water in small bowl.

3. Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and broth, stirring until mixture thickens. Add chicken and vegetables. Pour into pie crust.

4. Unfold pastry sheet and place over filling. Press pastry to rim to seal. Brush pastry with egg mixture and sprinkle with herbs.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

– – – – –

I’m off to my sewing room now to play. Hope you had a productive day too!

Swapping and Trading

October 22, 2010October 22, 2010 | terriaw

I’ve been having fun swapping fabrics and scraps and handmade goodies back and forth lately with a couple good friends.

When I posted my tutorial for making a simple makeup bag, a bloggy friend commented that she missed her sewing machine, so I offered to make one for her, which is the bag pictured above and below.

In turn, she offered to swap one of her goodies for mine. This is the package she sent me. I wondered how she knew that I have always wanted a cigar box!

Inside I found this amazing lavender leather journal! Isn’t it beautiful? I love the feel of the soft leather, and the arrangement of cool buttons along the flap, and the fabulously stitched binding. I encourage you to stop by her shop to see more of her wonderful work!

I am definitely going to cherish it, and use it. (don’t you hate that when you give someone a handmade gift and they are afraid to use it?!) I can’t wait to fill it up with sketches and illustrations. Thank you Shari!

From My Stash – Meadowsweet 2

September 20, 2010 | terriaw

I have tried to resist buying every new fabric collection this year. But there was something about Sandi Henderson‘s new Meadowsweet 2 collection that I loved, especially that print on the right with the mix of berry and salmon colors. They remind me of the fall colors we are starting to see as our gardens and landscapes change. I have always adored her Henna prints too (sneak peaks here in raspberry and grey).

I try not to blabber on too much around here about patchwork projects for my shop, but I’m so excited about all the new products I’ve been making lately.

I made several patchwork bags with these gorgeous fabrics, along with a few other fabrics from my stash just to stretch the stash further.

I thought a new party purse would be nice to offer. That’s the bag in the front of each of these photos.

I named it a party purse because everytime we go to a party or a concert or a festival, and I don’t want to carry my day purse, I end up filling my pockets and my husband’s pockets with my stuff! I really don’t like doing that, so I decided to make one to fit my needs, thinking there might be others out there with my same issues.

It measures about 10 inches wide and 6 inches tall, has a pocket inside to hide your id and money, and a strap for slinging over your shoulder, just long enough to tuck under your arm. Notice the little embroidery details? (see close-up here)

I also made new project bags (that’s the version in the back of these photos), similar to those clear plastic ones you get from quilt shops and quilt retreats, but prettier, in my opinion. I’m just saying.

These project bags measure about 10 inches wide and 7 inches tall, perfect to hold your needle case, scissors, hand sewing supplies, rotary cutter or whatever you travel with, and have a pocket inside to store your small, loose items like a box of pins or stitch markers for knitting.

I am happy these are finally listed since I think they will be nice additions to my collection for Fall.

I used up almost all of these fat quarters, so I’m debating on whether I need to order a few more, you know, just in case another idea comes up. (wink wink)

New Artist Tote

September 17, 2010September 17, 2010 | terriaw

Remember this 15 minutes of play when I made this large crazy patch block? I had the idea of using it as the front of a big tote.

I am typically a small purse carrying kind of gal, yet I am always wishing I could find a purse big enough to carry my book or my sketch pad. My sister asked me if I could come up with a larger purse design. And many, many other women out there prefer to carry large purses. So I decided to do some sketching again. It’s always fun to get out the big paper and my curved rulers!

I am so proud of how this new design turned out! I am calling it the Artist Tote because it made me feel like an artist while I was creating it. And I feel like an artist carrying it.

(9″ x 12″ sketchbook fits inside vertically or horizontally)

Overall, it measures 12-15 inches wide by 10 inches tall (note, the patchwork block is 12 inches wide but the bag can be stretched to 15 inches with the 3-inch wide gusset), big enough to fit all your regular purse stuff, a book and a sketchpad. It has my signature large pockets inside, one with a zipper closure, and two pockets that are open for slipping in your cell phone or music player.

I used blue suiting fabric for the back and the handle to make it a more durable and professional looking bag.

I added more details, including zig-zag stitching at each seam on the front, a few random chains of color gems sprinkled on the front, and zig-zag stitching on the back, bottom and handle, just for good measure.

It’s not listed in my shop yet, but it will be soon. This is one of several new designs I have been busy making for a new collection to be showcased in my shop very soon. Can’t wait to show you more!

Terri's Notebook

Illustration, Art and Design

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