Pop Garden Laptop Bag

When the SewCanShe newletter popped up in my email box with the free laptop bag tutorial from The Mother Huddle, I practically ran from the computer to the sewing room. I didn't really need a laptop bag, but I really needed to make this bag! It is so adorable!

The tutorial provides information for making the bag at various sizes. I used that measurements that were given for the Dell laptop. My laptop is 12.5"x9"x1." The bag fits the width snug. There are about 2" of space above the laptop.

I chose the Pop Garden fabric as the main fabric, because I just bought it and I really wanted to use it. It is so bright and summery! Since blue-green was the least used color in the main fabric, I wanted an accent fabric that brought that color out. I went to match fabrics at ThreadArt and after weighing a couple of options I chose Sweet Nothings. I have noticed I have a habit of using polka dots as accent fabric. What can I say? I love dots!

It took me a long time to decide on the inner laptop bag fabric. Twenty minutes of inner struggle. I knew Green Medallion was perfect, but I wanted it to sit untouched on my shelf for just a *little bit* longer. I finally had to relent for the good of the bag! I liked the look of the quilted fabric in the tutorial, so I quilted it (diamond pattern, 4 medallions per diamond). The Medallion fabric worked out perfectly for that, because the diagonals are already drawn. I love it when things just come together like that!

The only issue I had was turning the long strap inside out with the fusible fleece* as lining, so I ended up making another one with regular heavy interfacing. My husband ended up getting the first strap turned the right way after an hour of wrangling with it, but it was too late at that point! (I am impatient. :))

My laptop doesn't travel much (I bought it mainly for hurricane evacuations), but when it does it travels in style! :)

*Was using Pellon Thermolam, maybe slightly too thick? 

Side note: Does anyone else have to go through their post/comments at the end and weed out exclamation points? :D

Fabrics Used
Heather Bailey Pop Garden Sway in Cream
Riley Blake Designs Sweet Nothings C5005 Blue
Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy - Medallion - Green

Linking up to:

WIP Wednesday: August 29, 2012

I've spent the past few days sewing like crazy!

In Progress:

1) Fat Quarter Shop 2012 Designer Mystery Block of the Month - This is the third block for the BOM club. The block is named Weather Vane and it was designed by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson of Me and My Sister Designs. I actually did this block twice, because I convinced myself that the first attempt was "THE WORST EXECUTION OF A BLOCK EVER!" When I looked at it the next morning, I realized it looked fine. Oh well, it will make a great pillow!

2) Love Letters Quilt by Sherri K. Falls - I saw the Love Letters Quilt hanging in the quilting room at the Quilt 'N Sew Studio in Katy, Texas and fell in love with it! There is something about Etchings that hypnotizes me, seriously. :) I found the quilt kit at a discounted rate during the going out of business sale at Quilt Kit Market and snatched it up immediately. However I didn't start on it immediately, because I was totally intimidated by the look of the blocks. Once I started thinking of it as a bunch of flying geese & HSTs, it was a whole lot easier to get in the mindset for making it. I won't say that it went together quickly (especially since you make 2 of each block), but it was was way easier than I thought it would be! My dad likes traditional quilts, so this is going to be his Christmas present.

3) Patchwork Prism - Still piecing rows. I run into at least one problem triangle in each row, which totally kills my stride!

4) Salt Air Lattice Quilt - The tutorial for the Salt Air Lattice Quilt by Ashley is over at her blog Mommy by Day Crafter by Night. When I saw it, I knew my mom would love the pattern, the colors, everything! I won't be blogging about this one much since I am using the same fabrics, but my process is slightly different from the tutorial. I am sewing the colored blocks together first and adding the sashing at the end. I have a week and a half to finish this quilt for my mom's birthday. I am backing it with navy Minky, which I am probably going to regret :D.

5) I am on block two of the Super Mario QAL.  I decided to try the Pellon Stick-n-Washaway. I was a bit cautious when working with it, because I don't have a good history of working with sticky materials. It was sticky, but not too sticky so I didn't have too much trouble!

Mr. Luigi is a bit squished right now, because I haven't sewn the vertical seams. This is because I cant find my scissors since after three days of mad sewing, my sewing room looks like this:

Give me a bigger table and I will just make a bigger mess :)

No Progress
Xs and Os | Sew Happy Quilt | Crimson Cross

Linking up to 

Practically Paper Piecing Blog Hop: Checkbook Covers

I have been on an unexpected internet break for the past couple of weeks, but I am happy to be back for my stop on Kristy @ Quiet Play's Practically Paper Piecing Blog Hop. This blog hop is all about giving paper-pieced orphan blocks a proper home!

I decided to make my blocks into some fun checkbook covers.

I really only have to use my checkbook a once or twice a month, but it always irritates me because a) picking up a pen is a lot of effort ;)  & b) it is always lost at the bottom of my purse, because I hardly ever use it!

This isn't a full tutorial. I am just going to run real quickly through my measurements and process, since this is very similar to my Book Cover with Pockets Tutorial. I couldn't resist making some additional blocks for this project, but the 7.5" Log Cabin block from the Foundation Piecing for the Terrified (great series over at The Littlest Thistle!) made a very good exterior piece as well.

Exterior Piece 2 - 7"x2.5" Flying Geese Blocks * 1 - 7"x 3.5" Piece of Fabric

Interior Piece 2 - 7"x 6" Pieces of Fabric (for pockets) 1 - 7"x 7.5" Piece of Fabric (for lining)

*PDF Download. Do not scale to fit page. The 7"x2.5" size includes the 1/4" seam (dotted line).

Exterior Piece

1) Place right side of flying geese block to the right side of the the 7"x 3.5" piece of fabric. Align top edges. Sew 1/4" seam along top edge. Open and press.
2) Place right side of second flying geese block to the right side of the the 7"x 3.5" piece of fabric. Align bottom edges. Sew 1/4" seam along bottom edge. Open and press.
( I flipped the second set of geese around, so the points were facing a different direction than the first set)

Interior Piece

1) Fold 7"x6" pieces of fabric in half (the right side will be facing the outside), so that they become 7"x3."
2) Place the first pocket on the right side of the lining fabric. Align raw edges on the top.
3) Place the second pocket on the right side of the lining fabric. Align raw edges on the bottom.
4) Place the exterior piece on top of the interior piece, right sides facing.
5) Pin everything in place and sew 1/4" seam all the way around the outside, making sure to leave 3" opening for turning.

Finishing

1) Turn the piece inside out.
2) Hand sew opening closed.

TA-DA! I don't feel quite so rage-y about my checkbook anymore and it is way easier to find in the jungle that is my purse than that boring black faux-leather one! 

Thanks Kristy, for doing a fabulous job hosting this blog hop! Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog hop for other ideas on how to use up your orphan blocks!

1 Kristy from Quiet Play http://quietplay.blogspot.com.au
2 Kate from Kate Quilts http://www.katequilts.com/home/
3 Diane from From Blank Pages http://fromblankpages.blogspot.com.au/
4 Lara from LuellaBella http://luellabellablog.blogspot.com.au/
5 Sunday – Day off
6 Charise from Charise Creates http://charisecreates.blogspot.com.au/
7 Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts http://blossomheartquilts.blogspot.com.au/
8 Kiera from Kizzie’s Korner http://kizziescorner.blogspot.com.au/
9 Marieka from Bespoke Bites http://bespokebites.blogspot.com.au/
10 Sally from Sally Bally Creations http://sallyballycreations.wordpress.com/
11 Jane from QuiltJane http://www.quiltjane.blogspot.com.au/
12 Sunday – Day off
13 Taryn from Pixels To Patchwork http://www.pixelstopatchwork.com/
14 Jane from Where Jane Creates http://wherejanecreates.blogspot.com.au/
15 Laura from Quokka Quilts http://quokkaquilts.blogspot.com.au/
16 Emily from Emily the Enabler http://emilytheenabler.blogspot.com.au/
17 McKenna from Textile Diva http://textilediva.blogspot.com.au/
18 Sat Lauren from Renrad Craft Studio http://renradcrafts.blogspot.com.au/
19 Sunday – Day off
20 Fiona from Finding Fifth  http://findingfifth.blogspot.com.au/
21 Beth from Plum and June http://plumandjune.blogspot.com.au/
22 Megan from Jaffa quilts http://jaffaquilts.blogspot.com.au/
23 Juliet from Tartan Kiwi http://craftandnappies.blogspot.com.au/
24 Katy from The Littlest Thistle http://thelittlestthistlecraftshop.blogspot.com.au/
25 Sat Tracey from the Peony Teacup http://thepeonyteacup.blogspot.com.au/
26 Sunday – Day off
27 Fiona from Celtic Thistle Stitches <http://celticthistlestitches.blogspot.com.au/
28 Anorina from Samelia’s Mum http://www.sameliasmum.com/