Sewing Up Some Magical Make Believe

Featured ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 7 Comments

#booksleeve, #bookish, #sewing, #anotiontosew

Yep, it’s time for some Christmas prep. But before we get to the sewing dear readers, I want to share a story with you.

When I was a little girl growing up in Wyoming, our local library was located downtown. We lived in a subdivision toward the outer edge of town. Although my dad was an avid reader, he preferred to buy his books, so my parents were not ones to frequent the library,. Therefore, my trips to the library were few and far between, and I only received books as gifts for Christmas. I was a fan of the library because I could check out several books at one time to keep me busy reading for several weeks. The bookmobile would make a stop in our neighborhood once a month. It was an imaginary world at my fingertips every month. I like fiction. It takes me away from reality and gives my imagination encouragement to run. So when our local news reported that a new Barnes and Noble recently opened in a nearby town, I was all on board to travel over there to check it out.

IMHO, it is one of the nicest Barnes and Noble stores I’ve ever visited. It is updated with a modern mid-century vibe. The book sections are not lined up in rows, but rather they are organized in groups, with seating in each section. And the cafe is equipped with plentiful seating. While there, we picked up several books for our youngest granddaughter for Christmas. That purchase started me down my sewing rabbit hole (or unicorn flight, as the case may be). And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I purchased a couple books for myself as well. I am into the cozy mysteries.

I’ve been noticing book sleeves all over social media lately. My granddaughter is all about unicorns right now. So I stitched up a couple book sleeves for her new books. The cotton poplin fabric is from Spoonflower. It was pretty much a perfect weight fabric for this project. I used Kona cotton for the purple lining and I sandwiched By Annie Soft and Stable Foam between the outer fabric and the lining. I quilted straight lines on the smaller (8″ x 10″) book sleeve; and I left the larger (10″ x 12″) book sleeve plain, without quilting.

To add another item to her bookish Christmas gift, I made a small boxy bag with some of the leftover fabric.

I again used foam between the outer fabric and the lining, but the lining is PLU food safe fabric.

I will buy some fun, little goodies such as crayons, markers, colored pencils, erasers, bookmarks, etc. to fill her bag. But since the lining is food safe PLU, she can have mom help her wipe down the inside with warm soapy water and she can carry snacks inside her boxy bag.

The inside does not have any raw edges and is easy to clean.

The ends of the bag have a small pull tab to make it easier for her to zip and unzip her bag.

Remember, sewing friends, if you are gifting handmade items this Christmas, it is not too early to start sewing those gifts! Let me know what you are planning to sew for the special people in your life.

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Hiding in Plain Sight – A Civil War Era Inspired Quilt

Featured ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 4 Comments

#quilting, #anotiontosew, #quilts

I learned a lot in making this quilt. The pattern is from the book Beyond the Battlefield, 14 Scrappy Civil War Quilts. Each quilt pattern is accompanied by the story of a heroic woman who played a role in America’s Civil War.

I participated in a class at one of my local quilt stores. We learned to use our Accuquilt Dies to cut all the pieces for the blocks. The class was designed for the 8″ Cube, but I own the 9″ Cube, so my quilt ended up just a bit larger than the others in the class. The finished dimensions of my quilt are 90″ x 90″.

I quilted it with free motion quilting. I’m not sure what the design is called, but I just call it wonky figure eights. I used nice, large quilting motions so the stitching would not be too dense. I was going for a soft, drapeable feel.

I used various fabrics from a curated fat quarter bundle. The fabrics are from various artists and various manufacturers.

I wanted a small coordinating throw to fold and display on top of my new quilt at the foot of my bed, so I made this soft, cuddly little blanket. I used Luxe Cuddle Paws fabric from Shannon Fabrics. And for the reverse side, I used flannel.

My little friend, Wolfgang, gave it a big paws up!!!

As always, I am very appreciative of the time you take to read my blog. Please leave a comment**. I enjoy hearing from sewing and quilting friends and I value your thoughts.

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Happy Independence Day, America!

Featured ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment

July 4th is upon us, and here in the U.S. we celebrate Independence Day. Red, white, and blue are the colors of the season. I’ve been sorely lacking in handmade items to display around my home in celebration of the season. So this year, I sewed up three new home dec pieces. This first one is from A Year in Spools block of the month from Shabby Fabrics.

About four years ago (while we still lived in Utah), I purchased a kit for this Kimberbell Sweet Land of Liberty pillow. I decided it was time to get it embroidered and displayed in my home. I love it!

And my final new make for the season is this mini quilt from the Shabby Fabrics On Wander Lane Mini Quilt Block of the Month. So cute!

If you are in the United States, I pray you have a safe and enjoyable Independence Day. If you are not in the United States, I pray your July 4th is safe and enjoyable as well.

Thank you for stopping by to take a peek at some of my summer makes. I appreciate the time you take to read my blog. I leave you with a gorgeous Hydrangea from my garden. Enjoy!

Please let me know if you celebrate any national holidays, and share with me what you have made to add a festive touch to your home.