Folding Fat Quarters

"Hey Deb, what have you been up to" you ask?  Well, I've been folding and folding and folding fat quarters and ta da!!  I finally can see what material I have without having to dig through piles and piles, yipee!

I was lamenting my dismal organizational abilities when it came to my fat quarters of fabric a few weeks ago; I did have them (mostly!) organized into colour groupings but then they were piled one on top of the other in a huge storage bin and it was impossible to see what fabrics I had.  I've been hoarding collecting fat quarters through the Bargain Lover's Club at Sew Sisters Quilt Shop and have a lovely stash started but I wasn't utilizing them the way I should because I really couldn't see what I had.  So I went on a hunt for some fat quarter folding tutorials on the 'net and found this lovely method of folding over at Badskirt's blog, she calls it the Ballarat packet.  A few quick folds and voila, a lovely little package of material, small enough to stash easily yet it still lets you get a good idea of what the fabric looks like.  These are my blues that I currently have (note to self, you have enough blue fabric!!):

and since the storage container I used was deep enough for two layers I just made a quick little box from some card stock to house the top layer of fabric.  I've five containers in total with all the colours organized and room for a few more.  I'm so pleased with this, I could probably do even more organizing to group like colour tones together but for now this will do.

And since I was on an organizing roll (or should I say fold?!), I decided to do my ribbons and trims as well.  Now, this method of using the zip lock bags with a chipboard top to hang them was one I found on YouTube, but do you think I can find it again to give you the link?!  Not a chance, so if anyone knows whose idea this was originally, let me know in the comments so I can give credit where credit is due.

I didn't have any split rings when I made the bags, so I just used some twisted wire to hang them from the dowel for now and the bag tops haven't been labelled yet but what a treat to be able to unzip just one bag and get the colour of ribbon I need rather than rooting through a disorganized bin.  I've got this hung up over my work bench in the basement so they are there within easy reach, yet up and out of the way.  I used large zip lock bags and then used some old cardboard file folders I have to sandwich the top of the bag.  Used my Cropadile to punch holes and add the grommet and done.  Easy peasy, the most labour intensive part was dividing my ribbons into colours and then winding the bits and bobs I had onto these printable ribbon organizers that I got from Free Pretty Things For You.

I finally completed the vintage Christmas image bowl fillers that I was making for one of my Etsy customers, they were a challenge as the images she wanted to use were so delicately coloured that it was difficult to get a clear transfer to the fabric.  I ended up in the end printing the images directly onto some white cotton fabric, not something I like to do since it is so hard on your printer heads but it was the only way that I could get a true copy of her images.

I did try the Lesley Riley TAP to transfer them and while the image itself was beautiful, the colours were completely distorted since you have to use a high heat on your iron to transfer the image from the TAP to the fabric.

The right side is the untransferred image printed on copy paper and the left side is the image transferred to white cotton fabric using the TAP, lovely crisp image but the colours are no where near the same.  Have to admit I was more than a little disappointed at the results since this transfer paper is not cheap and no where, in any of the articles or videos I saw about it, was the colour change due to the high heat mentioned.  So just a heads up if you are contemplating using this paper, what you see is not necessarily what you are going to get!

And finally, I'm working on a little fox shelf sitter (he's from a pattern by Matsutake), here he is waiting for some paint and embellishments.

Sorry for mentioning "that song", you'll be humming it all day for sure now :O)  I watched it on YouTube awhile back to find out what all the hype was about and have regretted it ever since LOL! 

Hope you have a great weekend and that Spring is beginning to show her face in your neck of the woods.  We had freezing rain last night which has made it rather crunchy around here today but the sun is now out and the trees are raining melting ice so it's all good!  Happy creating,

Deb

Giveaway At The Handmade Artisan Connection

Cross-body Tote By Bette Shaw of Handmade By Bette

Hello everyone, just wanted to let you know about the giveaway they are having over at the Handmade Artisan Connection.  You will have a chance to win this lovely multi-use cross-body tote made by Bette Shaw of Handmade By Bette just by leaving a comment over at the Handmade Artisan Connection blog.  And there are more chances to get more entries, so head on over to enter and good luck!

Deb

Something To Crow About

Good Sunday morning all, hope this finds you snug and warm as the polar vortex roars through again.  Does all of this wacko weather remind anyone else of that movie "The Day After Tomorrow" starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal?  I hope that the resemblance between fact and fiction is merely coincidental and not a foreshadowing of what's coming!  Strange winter indeed; it has been cold here and now it is snowing like crazy and forecast to continue for days.  I know Spring will show up eventually but it's not looking like it will be anytime soon, for anyone!

I mentioned a while back that Patty Johnson, editor of Creative Times Magazine and owner of The Prim Nest contacted me about doing an interview about my business and well, today my interview was published in the March/April issue of Creative Times!  Click here or click the image below to head on over and read the issue.

Thanks so much to Patty and Creative Times for featuring me, it was a wonderful surprise to be asked and very much appreciated.  Hope you enjoy reading the issue and be sure to download my free pattern that's included, it will be perfect for Easter :O)

Stay safe everyone and Think Spring!

Deb