A bag, but a special one...

I couldn't help myself and I made another Amelie bag.
Could you tell seeing this picture that there is something strange with this bag ?

If you would say it is a miniature, you would be right. I love to make miniatures so I just had to try and make a miniature bag.

The small bag is 35% from the original size and measures 4"x5" (10x 12.5 cm).

Here are the fabric pieces and the paper templates. When I saw how tiny are the templates I was in doubt I could sew the pieces...


The fabric I used is a stretch denim, heavy enough so that I did not use interfacing... It took me more than one hour to make it. The only difficult part was sewing the piping...

When I will be tired by making my usual stuff, I will try to make even a smaller version...
This could be my new addiction...I would love to have a collection of different sizes in different colors...


I wish you a sunny week ! Right now is snowing over here.

March Giveaway

This giveaway is closed now. Thank you all for participating.

It's giveaway time again !
Here is my gift for you: my bag patterns.

If you want to be one of the winners of my patterns:

1. Leave a comment at the end of this post.
I will choose three winners and I will send them Amelie or Belle bag pattern (their choise).

Double your chance to win both patterns
2. Write about this giveaway on your blog and leave another comment.
If you will be one of the winners, I will send you both patterns, Amelie and Belle.

The giveaway is open until March 31th (midnight, local hour). I will choose the winners using a random number generator on April 1st.

Thank you all who will participate in this giveaway. Good Luck !

I am in such a hurry, today is a sunny day and we want to help one of my sisters with gardening.
But tomorrow I will show you the cute little things I made this week.

Batting

A few days ago I ordered a pack of batting samples from http://www.asding.com//.
Today I received the order (thank you, Alison!) and inside the package I discovered...33 samples ! Hard to choose the best batting for my next projects...I have to sew a few samples.

I saw for the first time wool batting ! Soft and nice to the touch ! I love it ! This reminds me how excited I was when I saw and used for the first time cotton batting ! Of course, here I can't find anything else than polyester batting.

A day full of free quilt shows

March 20 is National Quilting Day in the USA.

The Quilt Show is celebrating this day by opening for 24 hours all episodes of The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson & Ricky Tims.
ALL of the TQS shows for FREE!-24 hours only

THANK YOU Alex and Ricky!
They offer now 20% off for 6 months membership!

How to make a card holder

I love origami. After I made my Pockets with Love, when I have a little time I like to play with paper.
A few days ago I made a card holder. Here is the version made out of fabrics.

If you want to make one, this is a quick and easy project, with four pockets (two on front and two on back).

I used three different fabrics ( but it can be made even from one or two fabrics).
I worked well with quilting weight cotton fabrics. Don't use heavyweight fabrics.

Cut:
- one rectangle (10"x12.5");

- one rectangle 9"x9.5"
- two accent strips 1.5"x9".
Sew the strips on the short edges of the rectangle;

• Lay the two- colors piece over the other piece with right sides together.
• Stitch along all edges of the two-colors piece with 0.25” seam allowance, leaving an opening(about 3”). Backstitch at the beginning and ending of the seam.

• Adjust the size of the bottom piece by cutting along all sides of the two-colors piece.
• If your sewing machine has difficulties in stitching through many layers of fabric, trim with care the seam allowances close to the seam;
• Clip the corners.
• Turn the piece with the right side out.
• Stitch the opening (by hand or by machine- close to the edge) then press all the seams.

Here is the final piece.

Mark the center of the piece stitching through all the layers.

• Turn over the piece;
• Flip the right edge and fold the accent strip. Press well.
• Repeat with the left edge.

Topstitch through all the layers to keep them together. I used a decorative stitch and I topstitch a secod line 1/4" away from the first one.
Here is one of the sides,

here is the other.

• Fold the piece in half and press.
• Topstitch over the folded edge.

Rotate the piece. Notice where is placed the folded edge.

Fold the uppermost layer as shown.

Press the fold well.

Turn over the piece. In the same way fold the other layer,

and press.

Stitch the center to divide the piece in half then stitch the right and left edges together. Press the seams.

It's done ! Fill it with your cards !

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Would you like to try something new ?
******Make Retro Fun bags******
****Make Pockets with Love****

Pretty Little Things

Did I say yesterday “Spring Sale” ? Yes, my patterns are on sale, but SPRING ???
Here is the picture I took this morning ! I hope this is the last snow !

Do you know who inspired me to make those pretty little things for little girls?
Alexa ! She is the daughter of my Romanian friends who live in Atlanta.
She is the only little girl in my family and among my friends and obviously, all I make it’s for her.
Three months after her birthday, I managed to send her a few presents. These pretty little things…

Yesterday was a happy day ! Her mother called me and told me that Alexa was so excited when she saw all those little bags…Alexa herself told me this… She is only six…

The portfolio was the star. She filled it with all she needs and took it to school. Her mother tried to convince her to keep it for special occasions but she did not agree…
She is happy - I am happy too!
So, I think I have to make a few other portfolios soon. I already dream of an improved version: stiffer, with a closure for the large pocket and a few other thing…

But not only Alexa received such a portfolio.
Michele of Quilting Gallery made one for her niece

and Char in Montana made two for her granddaughters...
They told me the little girls were delighted to receive them !No wonder, they are so cute !
Thank you Michele and Char for sharing these pictures with us.
I am more than happy to see that my tutorials are used !

Do you remember the quilts I tried to make last year for Alexa ? This UFO and this one?
I think I will assemble some of those blocks into two baby quilts. I need a few baby quilts soon...

In the last weeks my blog received a few awards. Thank you my friends Jan, Sanda, Ela, Ortansa.


This is such a great way to meet new and creative people. I would offer this award to all the wonderful crafters in my list of favorites!

I close this post with a few of my thoughts about quilting in Romania (in Romanian)...
http://facutdemana.com/03/geta-romanianquiltstudio-com/

I hope tomorrow I can show you a new project.

Spring Sale !

Click on the picture for details.

Thank you for being a customer !
Have a fantastic week and enjoy the sale!
Geta

What I was doing 7 years ago...

I made my first quilting website, on a free server. http://getasquiltingstudio.tripod.com/geta_index.htm

It was updated for the last time on May 2004 ! I can't believe it is still there ! It is only in Romanian.
After a few months I opened Romanian Quilt Studio and I did not use it anymore.

But I am glad it still exists, it is a reminder of what I did and what I was 7 years ago !

Tilted squares- patchwork tutorial

Edited: pictures of the finished quilt here !

I love quick and easy quilts, and this is one of them !
If you have not made yet tilted blocks, maybe someday you would like to try them, it's fun !
Here is the way I pieced this quilt top.

The top has 42 (6x7) 12" blocks, 4" borders and measure about 80"x 92" (2x2.3 m).

I used this striped fabric (Michael Miller) as accent. I had 3.5 yrds (3.15 m).

From this fabric I made Kaleidoscope blocks.

Cut 5 strips 5" wide and as long as the lenght of the fabric.
Take one of the strips and cut it in 4 equal strips then stack the strips.
Repeat with the other strips.

Place a ruler like this (for making quarter square triangles) over the stack and cut triangles.
If you don't have such a ruler, here you can see how to cut quarter square triangles using a long rectangular ruler.

From a stack I cut 5 sets.

This simplified method of "Stack-n-Whack" kaleidoscope (I learned this method from Bethany Reynolds) works well on fabrics with regular (straight) stripes like this fabric ("Capri" By Textile Creations ).
If you want to use a fabric like this one below ( Timeless Treasures fabric), with wavy lines, then you have to stack strips with identical print. A little more work to do but I can imagine how gorgeous the kaleidoscope blocks will be.

Well, I could not help myself and I made this digital version !

The more colours on your fabric - the better. Try to have different colours on your strips and you will have many different blocks. Here is an example.

Back to my quilt !
From the 5" wide strips I pieced 21 blocks.
I cut also 4" wide strips and I pieced other 21 smaller blocks (I think I made them from 4 strips).
After I pressed all the blocks, I adjusted their size.
The final size of the large block is 8.5"x8.5", I made the smaller blocks 6.5"x6.5".

A little time and effort- but all the blocks are perfect.

Here is how to adjust the size of a block using a square ruler.
Place the diagonal of the ruler over one block's diagonal. The markings of the ruler (6.5" or 8.5") must be placed over the other diagonal.

Cut the excess...

Turn around and cut again...

Now I have 21 blocks (6.5"X6.5") and 21 blocks (8.5"x8.5") - seam allowances are included.


Add strips around these blocks.
To the large blocks I added one row of strips.

To the smaller blocks I added two rows of strips.

Here are the new blocks - they measure 14.5x14.5" (seam allowances are included ).
Piece all the blocks and press them.
Don't bother at this time if you don't have perfect blocks, it doesn't matter.

The final step - tilt the blocks.
Use a 12.5" square ruler. If you don't have this ruler, you could make a clear plastic template in this size (or use a larger ruler but mark on it 12.5 square using masking tape ).
Place the ruler over the block and rotate it until all the corners meet the edges of the blocks.

But you can trim your squares down as tilt as you want.
Tilt to the right one half of the blocks and tilt to the left the other half (you need a little attention to this step). Double-check the tilt direction before beginning to cut.

Here is the clean, perfectly cut 12.5" square block.

I made 42 blocks.

Alternate the blocks and join them.

I used this fabric for borders, too bad I did not have more of the striped fabric.

There are so many beautiful striped fabrics on the market ! I would be happy if this tutorial will inspire some of you to use a few.
Or maybe you would like to try someday one of the projects shown in this tutorial, Fun with stripes.

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Would you like to try something new ?  

 Retro Fun bags

Pockets with Love - fabric origami

Building Fun quilt

 Nina's Garden quilt