Sunday, March 24, 2024

Shadow Box Quilt

 


Pat made this sweet Shadow Box quilt for her granddaughter.  The sold blue 'shadow' pairs lovely with the pink fabrics.


I quilted it with the Windswept pantograph, used white So Fine thread and Quilters Dream Blend batting.


Pat pieced her back with the leftover blocks which gives it a modern feel.


Thursday, March 21, 2024

Aberdeen Tote


A month ago I was asked by Christine of Hammerstitch Bags to test her newest pattern, the Aberdeen Tote.  I love her Cambridge bag pattern so said yes right away and within 24 hours had a sample completed.  I made notes as I read over the pattern before starting and then while piecing the bag. I made a few suggestions as pattern testing isn't just making the bag but helping make the pattern as clear and error free as possible.   I really enjoyed getting a preview of the pattern and felt like I was returning a favour by testing for her.  I have learned a lot from Christine when it comes to bag making as she shares great tips on her Instagram account and freely share where she buys her supplies.  

So far I have made five of these totes and the first 2 were made with a light green and a brown waxed canvas. The exterior pocket is made with a cotton canvas called Autumn Breeze by Paintbrush Studio Fabrics that I purchased at Needle Craft & Studio.


I lined it with a Dot print cream batik and added a zipper pocket which was not in the pattern as I have to have an interior zipper pocket in my bags. 

The exterior has a zipper pocket on one side and an open pocket on the other.  I cut all my own leather straps as I buy a half side of leather from OA Leather in SK.  I purchase my zipper and zipper pulls from Zipper Valley in ON.

I made two of these totes and they both sold before I even posted them on my social media. 


This next tote was made with a combination of a Grey and a Brown waxed canvas, and the pocket is a Rifle Paper Co. Canvas called Garden Party. 


I lined this one with a grey Moonscape fabric by Dear Stella.
 

I also made two of these and both have sold. 



Next is the fifth Aberdeen Tote and was made with an Olive green and a Brown waxed canvas. The exterior pocket is made using a cotton print called Wild Cottage by Figo Fabrics. 


I lined it with one of my favorite fabrics, Rifle Paper Co. Basic Menagerie. 


Again I added a zipper pocket to the inside lining and my signature Tamarack Shack cork label that Tim etched for me on his laser.  His retirement purchase sure has come in handy for my bag making venture.


I have my first local market of the year this Saturday so hope to have a few more Aberdeen Totes finished to show in my booth.  So if you are interested in bag making I highly recommend you check out Hammerstitch Bags website. She also has hardware kits and leather strap kits, as well as has finished bags for sale! 


Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Oxbow Tote


I started making a new tote bag, this one is called the Oxbow Tote, the newest pattern by Noodlehead.  This is the regular sized tote and the zippered top makes it a great travel bag.  It has the carrying handles as well as as adjustable shoulder strap.

Pictures in this post are the 4 custom orders I made so far and hope to have a few done for my local craft sale this coming weekend. 

The first one is made with a grey waxed canvas and my favorite Rifle Paper Co. canvas print called Garden Party.


It is large enough to carry a laptop too.  


The second one is made with a tan waxed canvas and a Rifle Paper Co. canvas print called Bon Voyage.


The third was made with an eggplant waxed canvas and a cotton print called Wallflower by Tim Holtz.



The last one is another eggplant waxed canvas but paired with a Figo canvas called In The Dawn.


The lining is a pretty floral by RJR Fabrics called All The Flowers.



Thursday, March 7, 2024

Circle Quilt

 


Stacey made this lovely Circle Quilt using a Tilda fabric for her focus fabric in the machine appliqued circles.  The background is a brilliant yellow which compliments the red print and the sashing is a green Zen Chic fabric called A Day in Paris. 


I quilted it with the Soho pantograph, used a light yellow So Fine thread and Quilters Dream Blend batting.


She brought a soft cream Fireside for the backing.





Sunday, February 25, 2024

Churn Dash Quilt Plus Two More.

 

Ellen brought 3 quilts this month so thought I would catch up on my blogging and share them all in one post.  The first one is a sweet lap sized Churn Dash quilt.  I quilted it with the Wildflowers pantograph, used white So Fine thread and Quilters Dream Blend batting.



The next was a large Quarter Sections quilt that Ellen made for her grandson.  I quilted it with the Plush pantograph, used blue So Fine thread and Quilters Dream Blend batting.



The last one is a lovely Scrappy four patch style quilt that Ellen created with inspiration from Pinterest.  The black background really works well to highlight the fabrics in the four patches. I quilted it with the Windswept pantograph, used black So Fine thread and Quilters Dream Blend batting. 




Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Hexie Pillow


This past month I have been having fun making hexies!  I wanted a slow stitching project and hand stitched a hexie pouch.  That was a bit too slow of a project for me so then I bought the pattern for this cute pillow by Modern Handcraft.  I'm going to show you the results of the steps but not the details so if you want to make one please purchase the pattern from Modern Handcraft at this link.


I had Tim cut the 1" hexie papers on his laser cutter and then thought why can't he cut the fabric too!  I also had him cut a acrylic template for when I want to just cut a few from scrap or need to fussy cut an image out of the fabrics.


Here I am planning the colour layout after hand basting each hexie. I wanted to do the rainbow with light to dark values in each column.

I used my Hera marker to mark the quilting lines.  I quilted this on my domestic machine and really enjoyed the process.  Here is the first direction of quilting lines done.


And here is all three directions of quilting finished.


Love how this turned out.  I trimmed my pillow top down to 19" and sewed the two backing pieces on with a 1/2" seam allowance so it would fit snug in a 18" pillow form.



I can't remember if I shared a picture of my hand stitched hexie pouch on my blog so here is a peek at it.  I use it to hold all my paper hexies, scissors and needles for hand stitching.



Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Linen Baskets and Corduroy Compass Bags

 


I thought at the end of each month I would share what bags I have making.  This month I have been focused on the Divided Basket, pattern by Noodlehead.  I have been using cotton/linen blend for the body of the baskets and a linen/canvas print for the front pocket. I used Soft and Stable for the batting and it gives it great shape!  This basket also gave me an opportunity to use up all the short pieces of leather I had from making bag straps.


I used a deep red batik for the lining on this one to make the red blossoms.


I just purchased some grey linen and some fun kids prints that would look great in a nursery room so will share those next month!

I have also being busy making more Compass Bag but this time making them out of corduroy!  I now have a new obsession with corduroy as they look and feel so soft!







I like to make the bag linings interesting and its been fun to shop for fabrics I wouldn't normally by for quilting. 

I am still making the Cambridge bag in Waxed Canvas and have a few one hand.



I have been sharing all my resent makes on my Instragram page which is tamarackshack2.0 if your are interested in seeing more.