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Monday, March 25, 2013

Kindle Cover {My Audition Craft}

If you've been hanging around, you know that I am currently a contestant in So You Think You're Crafty Season 15.  For my audition project, I entered my kindle cover.
I was so excited when I received a kindle fire for Christmas this past holiday season!  Of course I was excited at all the reading possibilities, but also for the crafting possibilities.  I knew right after I opened the gift, that I would make a kindle cover.  After scouring the racks, I fell in love with this pink/purple swirly fabric, and found this fun green accent for the inside.
I knew I wanted it to have a zippered pocket to keep all my cords, earphones, and library card (did you know that you can check out books from the library for your e-reader?).  I was pleased with the free-motion quilting design, the ease of the velcro closure, and how it fit my kindle like a glove, but it still seemed incomplete...that is until I created the design for the front of the top flap.
After I added the embroidered fabric with my name on top of this great ruffled ribbon, I knew my project was complete!  It is the perfect size and weight for the kindle, and the double layer of quilted fabric is enough to cushion it for those unfortunate falls it sometimes takes.

Come back later this week for the tutorial!

Oh, and while you're busy checking out cool new projects, head over to So You Think You're Crafty and vote for your favorite projects this week!  The theme is "Spring," and there are lots of fun ideas.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

'Scrap'tastic Quilt-As-You-Go Table Runner

'Scrap'tastic Table Runner

I have always loved the stark contrast of black and white--when I was in high school, I thought my future home would be all black and white.  Luckily, I grew out of that idea, but my love affair with the combination has continued.  I am drawn to black and white prints every time I go to the fabric store, and find my scrap stash filled with these prints when I go to make projects.  Because I love this fabric so much, I have a difficult time throwing away scraps of fabric, even when they seem too thin/small to really be worth keeping.

My kitchen table has been bare for a while now, so I decided to use those scraps to make this quilt-as-you-go table runner.

I had never made anything using a quilt-as-you-go method, so I found myself just "winging it" as I made this table runner.  The beautiful thing about using this method is that you don't have to take time to piece and then more time to quilt.  It all happens at once.  Also, you don't have to pin, baste, or anything else like that which takes so much time.

This pattern is fantastic because you can use those thin strips of fabric that your husband wants you to throw away.  I was able to use scraps for the top of the table runner, two fat quarters from my stash for the back, and one fat quarter from my stash to make the binding.  I made a straight, double-fold binding for this because it has straight edges (no curves which need bias binding), and used this pop of color to set off the black and white prints I adore.  Start to finish, this table runner took about two hours to make, so bust out your scraps and get quilting!

While you get quilting, I just have to decide how to finish my table...

Monday, March 4, 2013

SYTYC Auditions!


Well hello. I know it's been a while. Despite my best crafty intentions, the poor blog has been neglected of late.  I have been making some big changes in my life that I will fill you in on later, but in the meantime...I have some exciting news!

I am honored to be able to audition for So You Think You're Crafty Season 15!  

If you aren't familiar with SYTYC, it is an online craft competition.  There are currently thirteen craft auditioners (I think I just made-up that word), and the ten crafters with the top votes will move into the competition season.  Each week, we are given a theme, and we have to create our "vision" of that theme through crafts.

There are so many great crafts in the auditions...I hope mine makes it through the audition round.  I can't tell you which craft is mine, but the good news is that at the end of the week, the voting is over, and I will be able to post the tutorial.  It is actually a tutorial I have been wanting to post for the last six weeks, but I haven't been able to find the time.  This is just the kick I need to get off running!

So head over there, and vote for your favorite project (even if it isn't mine).

Can you guess which one I made?