Monday, August 27, 2012

Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop Stop

Many moons ago, the lovely Beth over at Plum and June asked who wanted to join in on a blog hop!  (Answer: ME!!!!)

Plum and June


 This is, I believe, my first ever hop (at least one that wasn't a giveaway hop)!

Okay, so a little about me in general before I answer the craft related questions.
I'm a bellydancer in my spare time.  I once actually made some costumery as part of an Eternal Maker challenge.  Yes, I actually danced in it.  No, I did not win the challenge.  (But I am hoping the photo of me IN the costumery wasn't what threw me down.)
I live in Atlanta with an inconveniently snuggly, somewhat evil Tuxedo cat who tests all the quilts for me, a smooshy cocker spaniel who tries to boot the cat off the quilt so he can prove his quilt testing skills with his little victory dance (what we lovingly refer to as rubbing his stink on it), and an awesome fiance who cooks almost everything I eat (I have some really weird food allergies...onions, anyone?) who I refer to here as The Pirate.  Oh, I'm a teacher.  And a klutz.  And a quilt along whore.  (Seriously, peoples, I just finished the Soda Pop QAL over the summer and the last installment of the My Precious QAL.  I'm currently doing the Sew Intertwined QAL, the How Far Will You Go QAL, and the Hexy MF QAL.  I really want to start the Scrap Vomit QAL but I'm waiting til at least one of the others are done.  That said, each project has surprised me with how much I'm loving each quilt, for teaching me new skills or playing with new fabrics...Currently using Hope Valley on two of the QALs.)

Some of my quilty projects:

quilty mosaic


How long have you been quilting?
I made my first quilt in college.  It started off rather inauspiciously with stitches.  I had discovered all these silk remnants and was going to crazy quilt style a quilt.  Long story short...handwashing, trips to a washing line, sliding glass door, cat that wasn't allowed outside, door slammed on finger.  Oh, and I was home alone when I did it and my dad's secretary had to come get me to take me as I couldn't drive my non-powersteering car without two hands.  Sigh.  I said I was a klutz.  That quilt idea got tabled, and I made another one.  I did the top, and my mom actually tied it.   I found a piece of that quilt in my stash.  Um, metallic paisley? Really?
I didn't really start quilting again til the summer of 2011, when I started this blog.  It's been non stop since then.

Favorite Quilting Tips
Measure at least twice before you cut.  CHANGE THE ROTARY BLADE REGULARLY.  Then, PLEASE remember it is newly sharp and don't cut yourself.  Clover binding clippies (they're red and clear) work fabulously for binding and don't scratch you up like some of the metal ones do.

Wish list fabric
Gah.  Too long.  Anything by Tula Pink (I'm mildly obsessed).  Heather Ross (I have bits hoarded all over my sewing room).  I'm also a big fan of Lizzy House and Laurie Wishbrun.  Lotta's cool, too.  Honestly, other than those designers, I'm picking stuff that just appeals to me.

Favorite Craft Book
I got it for my birthday and am exercising much self control in not starting a project from it yet.  Hexa-Go-Go by Tacha Bruecher.

Favorite Book
My all time two favorites are One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Favorite Children's Book
Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory

Favorite quilting tool
My rotary cutter

Favorite Music to listen to while quilting
I actually tend to sew by the TV.  I like marathons of shows, especially Psych, and horrible SyFy original movies.

Binding-by hand or machine?
By hand.  But I'm sloooooooow.

If I'd only known
How much of my space was going to get eaten up by my fabric hoard.  I'd have started with better storage.


My Tutorial: A Polaroid Snack Mat!



Snack close up




It's not really earth shattering.  I've liked the Polaroid blocks I've seen up and about the internet.  (I know there was a swap of them a while back.)  I don't have a plan to make a quilt of them right now, but I have some cool charm squares from a fussy cut charm swap.  I got my batch from Allegory over at Sew Allegorical.  (She's rad and local to me!)
I wanted to use a couple of them to make something I could use every day.
Coaster/snack mat it is!

I took the tutorial on making the tiny versions and amped it up for a bigger size.

For each coaster, I used a 5 in charm square, 2 strips of white Kona measuring 2 in by 5 in, 1 strip of white Kona measuring 2 in by 8 in, and 1 strip of Kona measuring 3 in by 8 in.  I also used a piece of batting, approximately 9 in by 10 in.  For the back, I used some Kona charcoal, a piece about 8.5 by 7 in.

First sew the side strips on.

Then sew the top and bottom strips on.

I attached the batting by sewing around the "picture" part of the Polaroid.

Polaroid with Batting

Then I trimmed up the Polaroid block (with batting attached) to 8.5 in high and 7 in wide.

I sewed the back on (by placing right sides together and sewing around it, leaving a 2 in opening for turning) with a 1/2 in seam.  Hint:  Don't do what I did and leave the opening on a corner.  Your corners will look better if you leave the 2 in opening in the top or the bottom middle instead.

Clip the corners, turn inside out, and press.

Then sew a 1/8" topstitch and you're done!

finished Polaroid

If you wanted to be super fab, you could embroider a message on the Polaroid before you sew the front to the batting!


It's making my afterschool snack that much more fun!



Thanks for visiting my blog!  I hope you'll come back!


Please visit the other folk hosting this week:
Aug 28
        Lucy from Charm About You

Aug 30
       Elaine from Dashasel Sews
       Jess from The Elven Garden
(Jess is co-hosting a phenomenal QAL right now, and it's not too late to join in!)

38 comments:

**nicke... said...

i loved loved reading this! you totally crack me up!

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Cool xxx

Michele said...

Love reading all about you and your fur babies.

Nicole_boldgoods said...

Nice to meet you! The not measuring twice part always gets the better of me... Cute project!

cinzia said...

Nice to meet you. The Book Theif is my alltime favorite book! I've been trying to get my teenage son to read it. I know he'll love it!
Love the polaroid coaster!

Al said...

I knew I recognized those little trees! You're rad too ;)

Debbie said...

Very cute little project! And I know all about the polaroid swap! Over 3000 of them are at my house right now ready to be swapped!!
Anyway, nice to meet you along the blog hop & I love your project idea!

Quilt Doodle Designs said...

Nice to meet you :) Cute tutorial on the polaroid snack mat, very cute.

Catherine said...

I like your snack mat, and your writing made me laugh too:-) Nice to meet you on the hop.

Marta S. said...

Great twist on the Polaroid block --there is so much you can do with these! Thanks for the tutorial :)

kat129 said...

Psych is da bomb!!! Thanks for letting us get acquainted :-)
cheers!
-k

Martha said...

Nice to meet you. I really like your snack mat. Great tutorial.

Beth said...

Hey, it's fun getting to know you. I had to laugh about your tv favorites--did you see the movie about meteors hitting San Francisco last night? I am a sucker for natural disaster movies, and ScyFi (or however they spell it now) has the cheesy-best ones. :)

Katy Cameron said...

Oh you SOOOOO don't have time to vomit right now! But when you do, some of that metallic paisley MUST make it into it :oD Cute tute too :o)

audrey said...

How fun! I've been seeing this block around a lot lately, and I love it as a mug rug! So cute! Also, I do love me some Psych, so I'm glad to meet a fellow fan! :)

Elaine said...

i just love the polaroid blocks! Great idea to make it into a mat!

Melissa said...

Love your polaroid snack mat! I also loved learning even more about you :)

Cherie said...

Here was I thinking cats were friendly, metallic really....really?
Loving the snack mat such a cool idea to make the block larger, where on earth did you get the mug from though? =D

Patricia said...

Nice to meet another Georgia Girl! Yeah, we rock! Cute mug rug. Can't believe you keep up with all those QALs.

Beth said...

Glad I'm not the only one signed up for a crazy number of QALs - though it sounds like you have made way more progress than I have! It was great reading your post and learning more about you - and now I see your blog header in a whole new light! The polaroid mug rug is a great idea!

Kristy QP said...

Cute little snack mat! Enjoyed reading your post!

Oh gosh I've started joining up with a bunch of bloggy things - I think I need a diary to keep track of everything!

Jennifer Jangles said...

Great post! I live in Athens, we're practically neighbors. :)

Lucy | Charm About You said...

I'm surprised you had time to write anything with all those qals going on!! Great post, I love the cute polaroid. You have a fab sense of humour :)

Kirsten said...

Nice to meet you Ella. Your snack mats are so cute - and such a great idea to use a charm square too!

Chris Dodsley @made by ChrissieD said...

Great to meet you on the blog hop, smashing tutorial and fun post to read :)

Foster said...

I like the fabric you used. Wonderful to meet you from the blog hop.

Anne / Springleaf Studios said...

Nice to meet you Ella. I don't know how you keep up with so many QAL. The little polaroid blocks can be addictive can't they?

Ginny said...

Nice to meet you on the blog hop! Cute Polaroid snack mats! Good luck on your QAL's!

Jacey said...

Yay, Ella! You are seriously one of the most productive quilters I know. I'm happy you joined in on this fun event!

Newbie Jen said...

I am catching up on the blog hop today. Loved your post and your tutorial for the snack mat!

Chez Roo said...

What a cute project! I love it :) Nice to meet you.

Janice @ Better off Thread said...

It's nice to meet you! I am also a quilt-along whore and I have been put on hold by our move, so I am going crazy seeing what everyone is making! I love all your projects and that modern medallion quilt is on my list to make.
Your polaroid mat is adorable! I too am a big fan of those blocks.

Ali said...

I actually stopped by to check everyone's progresses on the modern medallion quilt - that's a great idea for a polaroid coaster, I'm going to make one for my husband, thanks!

Heidi Staples said...

The polaroid coaster is such a cute idea! I'm a big Psych fan myself, and a lot of your favorite designers are also on my list. :)

Janine @ Rainbow Hare said...

Lovely to see you on the blog hop! Your mosaic is lovely and I think your polaroid coaster is a great idea. I also enjoyed hearing about your pets and belly dancing :)

Liz DandeliondD said...

Hello from your newest Follower
Just catching up on the blog hop.
I loved *meeting* you this week.
great makes and lots of fun - you sound like my kinda gal
xxxx

Sarah Lou said...

Nice to meet you! I giggled lots reading your post, and the Polaroid coasters look fab :D

Marla said...

I love 100 years of Solitude too and sewing while I have entire seasons of TV on in the background. What would I do without netflix??

The colors in your swoon mini are great and I know I've said this before but your intertwined quilt is so fantastic.