My man Harry...

Not the one romping in high-roller suites - how dumb was that? - in Las Vegas but Harry Callahan.  I spent the weekend with him.  Sadly, I was in Phoenix and he was in San Francisco.  In another time-zone... literally.  

As in, I'm-gonna-need-a-time-machine-to-get-there time zone.

I suppose I should explain it this way - a Dirty Harry movie marathon kept me company while I was busy packing patterns.  More on that later.  I could have watched Downton Abbey which is lovely and nice and all that but somehow, I usually seem to prefer something like Dirty Harry.  I guess this means I'm officially ex-communicated from the "chick club".  

Life here has been busy... Mom is good.  Rosie is good.  I'm good.  Though I'm nursing sore fingers and very dry hands from handling paper for the past week.  Between the "finishing up" stuff with the patterns to the actual packing of them, that's occupied the better part of the last week.  But I'm done and they're finished and I am going to get to sew by the end of this week.  I might even get to use something I made a few months ago but only just got back.

How cryptic is that?  Let me explain...

Back in February, I received a very nice e-mail from Jill Mead at Quilts And More, the lovely quarterly publication from American Patchwork & Quilting.  You already know that Joanna Figueroa - Ms. Fig Tree - and Camille Roskelley - Ms. ThimbleBlossoms - do a regular feature titled Scrap Lab.  Half a yard of fabric and six fat quarters are sent to them and they have to pick five of the fat quarters and make something wonderful.  Which they do each and every issue... pretty annoying, don't you think?  So you can imagine how terrified thrilled I was to be invited to participate.  Because it wouldn't be very interesting to have each of us make a [insert name of project], there is some coordination about who wants to make what.  Jill asked if I I might be able to make something like a needlebook, etc.  Uh, yeah.  Sure.  

Panic?  Me?  

Duh!

Who knew that Kaffe Fasset would be my savior?

This was the fabric we received.  It's pretty fabulous but really, does this look like me?  Better still, does this look like Camille or Joanna?  Whew.  There's a boat.  On a creek.  No paddle.  We're all in it.  I chose to ignore the fact that they're both better swimmers than I am.  

Don't get me wrong, I really like the fabric.  I do.  I'm just not really a purple-kind of girl.  I admit it - I was hoping for some Bonnie & Camille or Fig Tree fabrics.  

But I finished.  I sent it in.  And it was published.  Quilts and More - Fall 2012.  Available at your local quilt shop, the Fat Quarter Shop and even your local grocery store.  

Used with permission from Quilts and More magazine. ©2012 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

After thinking about it - and getting the okie dokie - I decided to make a sewing roll.  I thought about what my "perfect sewing kit" would include... scissors, needles, pins, thread, readers, a ruler, possibly a pen... and what else?  For me, I need a needle threader.  And if I've got pins, I want a pincushion.  So I went about figuring our how to incorporate everything I would need and want into something that would roll up.  

And how was I going to use this purple Kaffe fabric to make it?

Used with permission from Quilts and More magazine. ©2012 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

This is the outside.  Big hexagons - fussy cut, of course.  And a pretty polka dot tie.  

One of the things I tried to keep in mind was - no special tools, no special techniques, and no special buttons/trim/etc.  I wanted this to be something that work for anybody with any fabric.  I hoped.  

Used with permission from Quilts and More magazine. ©2012 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

I do have one question though - when did they invent fusible pellon?  That's pretty cool stuff.  I have to thank a "bag lady" friend for the assist on that one.  When I asked her if she had any recommendations for stabilizers or "interfacing", she suggested fusible pellon.  By the way, the lower left side pulls up a bit because of the needle threader.  No, I can't live without one and any remotely-useful sewing roll of mine would have one.  

This is what it looks like with everything pulled out...

I used an empty - or blank - lip balm tin for the pins and I tied a scrap of fabric to the little pin-tube.  I made the little mini-pincushion, and the scissors are some vintage-looking scissors from YozoCraft.  (YozoCraft is showing this style as being out of stock but they are also available from a couple of different Etsy Sellers - SeasonalSupplies, Oliviasworld, Yeahshop.)    

It was great fun to make and I know I will actually use it.  I also learned something new and got to exercise my brain a bit trying to figure out how to do something I hadn't done in several years.  So a huge thank you to the folks at American Patchwork, Jill Mead and of course, Joanna and Camille for inviting me to play along.  

Two more quick things.  I really do love and use the Clover needle threaders.  But I don't use it all "nekkid" like it is above.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out how to make it fit into the needle roll with this on it...

Years ago, my friend Judy got one of these for me at a sewing expo sort of thing.  It's fabulous and as great as the needle threader is on its own, the wooden base makes it so much more stable.  The base has little plastic/rubber feet and there is a groove cut in the top that is just a skosh bigger than the base of the threader.  Stuck to the wood is a strip of the 3M mounting tape - just peel off the top paper and stick the threader to the base.  It's perfect.  

And because I would never tell you about something like this and not also let you know how to find one for yourself... www.stencilnstitch.com.  They're $4.00 each and you can find them on Page 3 of the Wood Shop.  One thing to mention - while the shipping isn't expensive, the shipping is as much as the base.  You've probably got some friends who would love one and if they don't have a birthday in the next couple of months, Christmas is just around the corner... I'm just saying that having a few extras on hand isn't a completely bad idea.

Second thing - I will be back on Thursday or Friday to show you what's been keeping me busy this past week.  

Happy Wednesday!

Comments

[SoozeM]

I absolutely adore your sewing roll, I will definitely be making one of those! I went and bought some scissors from one of the etsy shops you listed, the first site is way too dangerous to order from, did you see the tape measure ribbon? Oh my!!

[Suzan]

Count me in as a reject from the "chick flick club"...when I quilt I tend to watch things like the "Die Hard" series. Gimme Bruce Willis when I have some serious sewing to do!!

[Norwestchester]

Little Bites! I can hardly wait! I agree with you on the Kaffe fabrics but they always amaze me on how they turn out!

[Shontelle]

Awesome Carrie, as if you weren't going to rock the needlebook assignment! As for sewing viewing - lately Friday Night Lights has been the show du jour in the craft room. I have been watching so much of it that I start to think in a Texan accent - a bit different to my usual Australian twang!

[Sandy M]

You are a tease! I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve!
I remember you mentioning the piece in Quilts n More recently and when I saw it I picked it up. I would never have chosen those colors on my own but the project itself was awesome! I was looking for a similar pattern recently because I have been traveling a bit and I wanted to make something to old my applique tools. I bought a pattern by Joanna but it was one of those purchases where you buy something because you need it and not because you LOVE it. When I saw the one you made, I wanted to kick myself for not waiting! LOL!
As to the needle threader... I had never seen that thing and when I saw it I was super incredulous until the teacher demonstrated it. I could not believe it! outstanding tool! I went and picked one up immediately. Thanks for great pattern. I will definitely be making one.

[Cindy]

I love the sewing kit! You included a spot for reading glasses!! A necessity!

[sherri]

I sooo love the base for my needle threader. When it first arrived my family was a little skeptical as I showed it explaining how it would work. I don't know how I'd use the needle threader without it now!

[paula.thequilter]

Back in the days before TSA, I made a little travel sewing kit very similar to this one. It didn't have the pocket for the needle threader, tho. Everything old is new again, isn't it?

[Julia P]

Trust you not to belong to the chick flick group! Have to agree, the Dirty Harry movies are great, but give me James Bond any day!! Especially the ones with Sean Connery or Daniel Craig!! Looking forward to the Little Bites.

[Archie the wonder dog]

When you mentioned the needle threader I was picturing one of those metal loops with a plastic circle attached and I couldn't for the life of me work out why it would make the corner pull up...now I know I was picturing the wrong thing!! I've not seen one of them before - it looks like a oddly shaped stapler-cum-hole punch! I love the sewing kit - what a great idea!

[Camille]

You know, if you were going to make one out of our fabric, I bet I know somebody who would take it off your hands, you know, as a favor. Just saying...

Also, I know I've sad this before, but knock it off. You put us all to shame. True story. :-)

[L. Rudd]

Carrie, what a great sewing roll! I'm going out now to find that magazine.

[Diane]

Your sewing roll is great! Much nicer than the plastic pencil box I use for my stuff. Glad to know everyone is okay and you've just been busy. Looking forward to the Little Bites.

[Margaret]

Your sewing roll is amazingly cute and I think you sell yourself short if you don't understand how creative you are. Wow! That's all I can say.

[Sue in Wisconsin]

No chick flicks for me... give me murder and mayhem any time!

[Sue in Wisconsin]

P.S. I am going to pick up that magazine on my way home tonight because that is a great project!

[Linda P]

Your little sewing roll is terrific!!! Right now I'm working on Sherri Falls project (also in that issue).
Harry's your guy - he makes my day, however we are watching him as Rowdy- big LAUGH!!! Really - we are the western watchers in this house. shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone!!

[Patti Mishler]

I am a new fan! I hope I can make my tiny little pieces go together half as nice as yours! Thanks for the inspiration!
I got my first little pin cushion pattern (the only one I've ever purchased) from your tiny collection of tuffets!

[Mary]

What a great sewing roll! I sort of collect the Quilts and More issues as they always have great projects for gifts and quick projects. I'm in no shape to make a sewing roll now but you can bet I will when I am back at my machine. So glad your talents were featured!

[Rita]

Dear Carrie,

After reading your little 'teaser', I headed down right after work to the bookstore to get my copy of Quilts and more magazine. I would love to make one sewing roll to bring to my first ever quilting retreat (Sept 14-16). Unfortunately, our local bookstore, Chapters, still doesn't have it in yet as of today. I know they used to carry quite a few different quilting magazines in the past (all the way from Australia and France), but the number now has dropped to the few popular ones only. Hopefully it would be in by sometime next week, so I still have time to make one. Love your designs and instructions. They are clear and easy to follow. Most importantly, you make them seemed so easy to make, even for a beginner like me :-)

Rita

[task list]

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