Firefly Tote Sew-Along Week 1

I actually purchased Anna Graham/Noodlehead's Firefly Tote pattern right off when she posted about it, as I was beginning a summer hand-sewing project. But then I realized I already had a project bag I could use, and set the pattern aside. That is until I saw Anna was hosting a sewalong. So why not, right? And I started rummaging through my stash to see what I could use to make it just to give the pattern a go.

Anna suggested using waxed canvas or dry oilskin for the tote's exterior, and miraculously I discovered the perfect amount of  Dry Oilskin in Midnight (1/2 yard), which I'd randomly ordered from OakFabricsChicago a while back just to see what it was like. Note that it has a texture and weight very similar to waxed canvas. This particular piece is Waxed Cotton Duck, 7.2 oz., and 59" wide.

So I had in mind to make the Project Size of the Firefly Tote, which is a drawstring tote pattern that comes in two sizes. The Project Size is the smaller of the two, and measures 8" wide (measured at base), 5" deep, 10" tall. Though it doesn't require that much fabric overall, I don't have many pieces over half a yard in my stash these days. What I did find was a one-yard cut of a favorite quilting cotton from Lizzy House's Andover Catnap Collection - which was perfect for the accent fabric. Thing is, I knew that it just might be something that my daughter, Rachel, would want, Lizzy being one of her favorite fabric designers ever. So I texted her with a pic, offering the fabric to her OR then again, I could go ahead and make the tote, then gift it to her! She liked that idea, which was perfect.

From there 'we' chose an appropriate lining - Essex yarn-dyed in Indigo, and though I had a nice black metal zip on hand, I ordered up a few other supplies from Anna's shop:

• 1"-wide Leather Handles in Black (the 18" pair)
• 3/4" Twill Tape in both Black and Denim, so I can see which works best
• Waxed Cotton Cord in Black, as a possible zipper pull

I also ordered some 8mm nickel rivets from MinkusMargo and still need to find some black drawstring cord.

So the sewalong began on June 23, and the first week's assignment, besides choosing fabrics, was cutting all the pieces and front pocket assembly. So I got that done and now will wait for next week's assignment and the rest of my supplies to arrive. So far, so good!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: The Fabric Pull

There really wasn't any question. I saw this year's Summer Sampler announced and jumped on board. Year four in a row (plus the first in 2011!), it's always a fun, relaxing sewalong, and I was definitely game. Hosted one again by Katie, Faith, and Lee, the theme this year is "Vintage Restyle." Here's a mockup:

I really like to work from stash when possible, and considering I'll finalize sashing decisions down the line, here's the fabric pull I'll be starting off with. A mix of solids, prints, and substrates, it pretty much follows my formula for the last several samplers.

My swatchcard is ready too! I find this really helps with a long-term sewalong - both remembering what's what each week as well as insurance in case I need more of a certain fabric.

Sooo.... anyone else joining in? Should be fun!

Improv Triangle Sewalong

So who's joining in with Nicholas/@quiltsfromtheattic's Improv Triangle Sewalong? The author of Inspiring Improv, I've long been a fan, and couldn't resist participating in the sewalong. Of course I already dabble plenty with improv, but not that much with triangles, and I adore the quilts Nicholas has created with them. Plus I really admire his skills with color, so obviouly, I'm IN.

As much as I love curating a palette from stash, I decided to use this opportunity as a scrap-buster. They are seriously overflowing over here, so I dove in to see what I could come up with, and I found something I liked. Yay.

Basically I pulled navy, aqua, orange, gold, and gray and variations thereof. I debated whether or not to use a consistent background and decided against it, cutting both triangles and backgrounds from all of the colors.

Even if you aren't participating, you really should check out Nicholas' Instagram stories accompanying the sewalong, just for future reference. Even though I've made improv triangles before, I hadn't necessarily followed the technique shown, so it was good to learn that.

Above is my first round at blocks. I plan to make at least double this amount. We'll see how many more I manage before Monday when the next step is announced. I wasn't really planning on a huge quilt, and I fear I may have over-cut during my prep time, but time will tell. So far, so good!