Stop staring and start sewing!

Sprucing, pruning, moving in a forward direction...

Things have been crazy busy around here but in a good way.  I've had time to start to clear my head and develop a plan as our family moves in a new direction together.

In the meantime, we had a great meeting of the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild at my house (yes, that's bare concrete...project coming...).  Lots of fun and lots of new faces!  Such a talented group and I can't wait for all the fun we have planned.

I've been turning a couple of my needlepoints into pillows.  I bought this center part at a thrift store many years ago.  It was in a frame for hanging on a wall but I've always wanted to do this with it.  I'll finish the second one soon and then I shall be truly complete.

My favorite part, beside the wonderful chenille back, is this zipper up at the edge instead of going through the middle.  I've always wanted to do this and am pleased with the outcome.  So discrete (except when I say "Look!  The zipper's hidden!!!" to folks).

We've been re-working my sewing space to make it more efficient for the busy work I've been doing.  I'm loving this table set up and looking forward to a few more improvements to this room (which will be much improved with new flooring).

We've been trying to spruce and declutter things from our house and our schedules in order to give more of our attention to the things that matter.  Our school year is set to start in less than 2 weeks and I've given over my beloved office so the boys have a place to do their work without dealing with the distraction of the rest of the house.

I've decided to stop offering advertising on my blog in order to give myself the freedom to enjoy blogging as a personal venture and not a business venture.  It can be stressful to feel obligated to blog in order to increase page views for other folks kind enough to put their trust in me and honestly I'm just not up to blogging 2-3 times a week right now and fear I would just be posting mediocrity. 

But I'd like to give one last shout out to a couple of the businesses kind enough to advertise here.  First McZips etsy shop.  McZips is owned by a super nice guy who lives in Germany and is trying to gain some traction in the American market.  He's got a great selection of colors and sizes and I'd really like to encourage you to give him a try.

 

 

And please check out iSew Acacemy.  It's a new, cutting edge online sewing school with projects for beginners and experts alike.  The beauty of this is their apps are downloadable for you iPhone and iPad!  They are growing like crazy and co-owner Louise has a great eye for design and color so you'll never be disappointed.

Thanks for reading (always!)!  Have a great rest of the week and keep on sewing!!

It's my birthday so chill out (another tutorial!)

It's my birthday so my gift to myself is to relax for a few hours and make a tutorial that I've been wanting to share for a couple of years.  We're used to the scorching heat here in Arizona but I know a lot of states are being hit by record high temps right now so this might help those of you who live in other places.

If you need to be outside in the heat or if you don't have a/c in your car (something we've been dealing with here) then this little neck chiller is an absolute life saver.  The cold and moisture on your neck just makes everything else feel better.  I'm sure there's a medical reason for it but I don't really need the details, I just need the relief.

 

Take a piece of fabric 11" x 15" inches and cut one piece 8" wide.  With the rest cut two pieces 3.5" wide each.

 

On the big piece hem each long edge by folding under 1/4" twice and pressing.  Stitch each hem.  Fold the neck ties in half, right sides together, and sew the sides and one end using 1/4" seam allowance.  Clip the corners and turn right side out (this is a good time to use the corner tool from my last tutorial).  Press well.

Pin the neck ties on the right side of the main piece about 1/4" from the top edge.  I've outlined the ties on this picture to show the details (the raw edges of the ties will be pinned to the raw edge of the main piece).

Fold the top edge (including the ties) over 1 3/4".  Repeat this step so you're basically rolling the main fabric up with the ties inside of it.  Move your pins so they go through all the layers now.

Sew across each end using 1/4" seam allowance.  You'll sew through all the layers, including the ends of your neck ties.

 

Now flip your whole neck chiller right side out and open the folds completely.  Fill with enough ice to just run the length of the inside.

 

Fold back up and give it a couple of gently shakes to settle the ice evenly inside.

Wrap around your neck and tie in front and you're oh so cool now!  They layers of fabric will absorb the water as the ice melts and keep you comfortable for a long time.  Just re-fill it throughout the day and you'll have an easier time with the heat.

These make great gifts especially right now when people are really feeling the effects of the high temperatures.  My heart really goes out to everyone who lives in places where you're just not set up to handle the heat and not used to having to deal with it.  I hope this helps!  (I'll have a printable pdf up here soon!)