Hi there! Today in the sewing room I made a couple starts of potholders. I have been making potholders all my life, but I've always crocheted them, never sewn one. Now, I say starts because I only put the batting and fabric together, so the back and edges are still raw and unfinished. I am missing an important material to finish them which is called Insul-Brite. What makes it so important is that it is heat resistant and keeps the hand holding it from getting burned. It is not expensive, and I plan to purchase some next time I get the chance. 

These two above are the 1st and 2nd potholders I made today. I made them from scrap strips and batting using a tutorial I found on YouTube by a lady named Jeni. Here is the link, if you are interested in checking it out. (486) Scrappy Pot Holder Tutorial // Sewing With Jeni - YouTube

In the meantime, I do have regular batting, so I am putting 2 layers of that to strips of fabric and later when I get the Insul-Brite, I will put that and that backing together and bind it all with, well, binding. 

I am going to make several of these unfinished potholders. I really messed up the one shown above. I cut the strips too short and missed the seam in one place.. ugh! I was going to toss it and then I decided to just go ahead add a 3rd piece of batting (to stand in for the batting I don't yet have) and a backing square and practice adding the binding and also to see if my little mending machine will even be able to do all thos layers. I've never done it before, so Ill practice on this throw away piece. Fingers crossed that it doesn't frustrate me totally. That is a job for another day though. For now, off to watch some videos and go to bed.

 

I have had quite the creative sewing adventure! My 6x4 square top, cut at 4.5 inches, turned out beautifully, with all the points matching almost perfectly. It’s no wonder I'm feeling proud and doing happy dances! 😊

Now, let’s explore the delightful journey of this piece:

• Initially, I was torn between making a dish drying mat or a cat bed for Trixsy, my cat. But fate intervened when my husband expressed a desire for a pillow for his computer chair. I added another row and backed it with the same Peanuts fabric, and generously stuffed it. His verdict? It’s incredibly comfy, and he might even take it to bed!
• Speaking of Peanuts, my husband initially chose that pattern for a pillowcase. However, my first attempt didn’t quite fit his king-sized pillow due to some greenhorn cutting mistakes. Fear not! I've learned from the experience and plan to give that pillowcase another shot. Maybe I'll end up making one for myself too—!

I think my sewing journey is a testament to progress and creativity. I plan to keep going. I'm even planning another more involved quilt pattern for a near future project. Stay tuned for that!  🧵✨

Summary: My successful sewing session has me feeling a little more like a quilting pro, even if just a baby one. Progress is progress! 🌟

I have really improved in my sewing skills! I am really very happy with my own progress. Lil' toot of my own horn there. 

I spent the day piecing four blocks and sewing them together. I am making it a baby quilt for a new baby in our family. I hope he will love it. 

Today I put it together, tomorrow I will add a 2" border around the outside with a single 2" color block in each corner of the border. I will have to wait to quilt it, because I have to go buy the backing fabric, which I have not done yet. Honestly, I thought it would be a minute before I needed it. 

Anyway, after I get the backing fabric, I am going to quilt the thing myself. I think I will do a diagonal line through every block in each direction. I will also bind it in black. I'd rather make the binding a mix of all the colors, except black, but I'm sure I do not have enough fabric in the colors. Black it is. 

I'm so excited!

Now, let's talk about the quilt! First off, it's a baby quilt. It will measure approximately 33" square when it finished.  I wanted it to be bright and engaging on one side and dark and calming on the other side, so I'm going to back it in the same black fabric as the black blocks in the top. I think that will be nice. 

I found the blocks very easy to put together. A simple 16 patch. I got a 1/4" foot, so that makes a big difference in the look of the blocks. Almost all the points match up, but there are some that are off. I'm not gonna sweat it. Still looks good for a first one, in my humble opinion. Also, there is a big mistake in one of the blocks, but I left it in there. It is my philosophy that mistakes simply become part of the personality of the piece, as long as it doesn't ruin the look, or make it hard to sew together, then, why not? I'm not making showpieces here. 

My final thoughts are that it was VERY FUN sewing today. I really like how it looks all done up together so far. I am feeling very proud and accomplished. I feel like I can sew. Whodathunkit?