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I've moved the blog, that is.
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Moving is hard work.

Invisible mama rant + a little quilt talk

Do you ever feel invisible? In the mama gig I'm so very, very happy that the boy gets to be the focus of attention. I don't enjoy attention, really, and he's adorable. I also don't, however, like the whole dismissal that happens when people (too many people lately) decide I'm just a mom and am therefor, evidently, without thoughts, feelings or any other non-robotic-like capabilities. Yes, I feel a bit mechanical when washing the booster seat tray for the eighth time in a given day but I also know about the world, I have a few decades worth of life I've navigated through, I have stories to tell (even non-kid ones) just like the next guy and I'm doing big stuff for the world. I'd argue that what I'm doing is critical. This time I devote to raising another little soul who cares about others and the environment, who reads (most adults don't now, you know) and who thinks things through and who finds joy and compassion in the world... This time and the energy and our days are the most important thing I can and should do right now.

So I'm really not invisible. I'm doing something that matters. And while I'm doing it I'm also more than the sum total of the parts of my days.

Other mamas are like this too.

Phew. I feel better now. I also make things which strikes some people as being cute but strikes me as being loads better than wasting four hours a day in front of the television. It's a great way to help our one-income family because gorgeous (I try) handmade gifts cost a lot of time and not as much money (usually). This little doll-size (20" x 23") quilt was so much fun to make. It's not quite as wonky in person as it looks in the photos; usually it's the other way around with me so I'm pleased! I've never really made a "non-traditional" quilt before, whatever that might mean, and I had so much fun cutting fabric and piecing it together. People either seem to love it or really not dig this little quilt. It's definitely inspired by quilts I've been seeing recently (I've been working on a little piece about Laughing Duck's quilts for the SMS blog and I always love all of the quilting done at the Pink Chalk Studio). I used to stitch in the ditch for the quilting but I tried something new this time (it weakens the seams to stitch in the ditch and I want a lot of dolls to cozy up under this quilt). The Alexander Henry fabric was a touch of something way outside my norm too and I like it.

I'm a bit feisty today, evidently. By the by I'm surrounded by loved ones who 100% believe all of the mama-related stuff I wrote, so there's that. It's just that life involves a lot of people and sometimes I wish they were smarter. And nicer.

Oilcloth tote tutorial

Looking for the Martha Stewart dish cloth tote tutorial? Oh, dear. It's gone, but it'll be back next week with a few changes (nothing was wrong with the directions, mind you, so you can still trust me here!). UPDATE: You can find the Martha Stewart Dish Towel Tutorial here. The directions are very similar!

If you were looking for that tutorial, take off your coat and stay awhile! Just like with the dish towel tote this bag would make a lovely thank you gift for that hard-working teacher in your life (or that hard-working grandma or mama or sister or?). Again, too, you should probably slip a little note of appreciation in with the bag because it's just a little step to making the world a better place. I love a little oilcloth and I was really intimidated by it at first. After jumping in, however, I've found it to be really fun. It leads to really striking products and has such a nice weight to it. I love toting library books around in a big, oilcloth bag.

The title
Instead of the Oilcloth Tote Tutorial we could call it the Fairly Easy Mother's Day Gift or Teacher's Gift Tote Tutorial or the Wow Your Friends and Neighbors with the Beauty of it All Tote Tutorial.

Making the bag
What you need:
- 1/3 yard of really pretty oilcloth. My favorite all-time source for beautiful oilcloth won't be carrying oilcloth for long (if you hurry you can get some great deals on the remaining oilcloth). You can just type oilcloth into Google for lots of unique options though, and Sew, Mama, Sew will still carry vinyl-covered fabric which gives you some of the same benefits (water-resistant, sturdy, etc.) as oilcloth.

- 1/3 yard of coordinating fabric for the lining. My bag has fuzzy red flannel inside which I happened to have on hand and which provides a nice contrast to the oilcloth.

- thread in a coordinating color

- one package of extra-wide double-folded bias tape in a coordinating color

*This bag was made from scraps I had on hand so just happened to turn out 11" X 13" with smallish straps. If you want a bigger bag, just buy more oilcloth and use bigger dimensions when you cut. Have fun with it. Oilcloth really isn't too scary once you jump right in.

Before you begin
1. Prewash and iron the fabric for your lining and your bias tape (well, really this is the beginning!). It's optional but I tend to think it's pretty important.

2. Read through the directions all the way to the bottom. You'll start with the exterior, move onto the interior, do the straps, and then you'll put the whole thing together and do a little finishing work! You can click on any of the pictures for a better view.

3. Check out the oilcloth sewing tips from the Sew, Mama, Sew Sewing Blog. If you're really having trouble with your machine on the oilcloth, one of these tips will solve it.

The Exterior













1. If your oilcloth is all wrinkly from being folded and/or stored somewhere, take a deep breath and get ready. You're going to iron your oilcloth. You must make sure the iron is on a very, very low heat setting. It's essential. Iron on the back side of the cloth and start in a little corner to test it out. If it's too hot you'll MELT your oilcloth and that's a tough start for a bag.















2. Fold your oilcloth in half lengthwise (long side to long side) and make sure you have a straight cut on your edges (sometimes they aren't so straight when you buy the cloth). If you bought 1/3 of a yard for this size bag, this will probably leave you with about the right dimensions (11 1/2").















3. See? Crooked! Open up your oilcloth and cut so you have one piece approximately 11 1/2" x 27". This will be your bag exterior.















4. Cut the remaining oilcloth into two long strips for the straps. Mine were 12" x 3 1/2". Set these aside for later.















5. Fold the exterior panel of oilcloth in half (short edge to short edge), right (pretty) sides facing. All you see is the back of your oilcloth. Stitch with a 1/2 inch seam allowance down the two long sides. Backstitch at the top and bottom of your seam to give it extra strength.















6. Turn the bag exterior you just made inside out so your oilcloth design is on the outside. Use a turning tool to poke the corners out so they really look like crisp corners (I use a chopstick). You're already done with the exterior!















(Like so!)

The interior













1. Cut the fabric for the lining. It should be the same dimensions as the exterior you just cut (11 1/2" x 27" for this bag). Fold the interior panel in half just as you did with the oilcloth (short side to short side) with the right (pretty!) sides facing. Then, just as you did for the exterior, stitch with a 1/2 inch seam allowance down the two long sides. Backstitch at the top and bottom of your seam to give it extra strength. Don't turn this one inside out yet! You're done with the interior.

The straps













1. Fold the strap in half (long side to long side) and then in half again. Open it up and it should look like my picture here.















2. Fold the bottom long edge to the center fold line, and then fold the top long edge to the center fold line.















It should look like this.















3. Fold this in half so you essentially have four layers of oilcloth.















4. Add your bias tape over open side and stitch down the strap. I like to use a wide zig-zag stitch for this part.















Yippee! You're really getting there...

5. Repeat strap instructions 1-4 for the other strap.















6. Iron over the bias tape. You can use a fairly warm iron if you are VERY careful not to touch the iron to the oilcloth. This is a fun part because the bias tape looks so good once you're done... Very professional!


Attaching the straps













1. Go back to the exterior of the bag. Use a ruler and measure in 3 inches over from the edge, then pin a strap so the unfinished edges of the strap and bag are facing the same direction (up). I liked how the straps looked with the inside of the strap at 3", but look at your favorite bag to see what you like. If you put the bias tape side of the strap facing the outside of the bag, make sure you do the same when you pin the other end of the strap (bias tape facing the outside). Measure in 3 inches from the other side and pin the other side of your strap in the same manner (be really careful not to twist the strap).

2. Repeat step 1 on the opposite side of the exterior of the bag with the remaining strap.














3. With a very long stitch length (baste) sew each strap to hold them in place with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

You're really getting close now!


Sewing the bag together













1. Slip the interior over the right side of the exterior (oilcloth) of your bag. You should see the wrong side of your interior fabric. Make sure your straps are tucked inside.















The sandwich from the inside out goes oilcloth, straps, interior fabric.

2. Sew all around the top of your bag with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, leaving a 5 inch (or so) hole so you can turn the bag inside out. Be careful when you get to straps and make sure they aren't angled but, rather, are 100% perpendicular to the line you are sewing. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam. Then...















3. TA DA (this is the best part)! Turn your bag inside out so the straps flop out. Tuck the interior into the exterior and it should really look like a bag now. Nice work! Use a turning tool (chopstick?!) to poke the corners down.


Finishing touches













1. Smooth out the fabric where your turning hole is (you might even want to pin it once). You probably should iron the bag from the inside at this point (paying special attention to the top of the bag where the interior and exterior meet) to make it look really spiffy.

ALERT!: I've melted bits of the straps while doing this step before. You can get carried away with a hot iron because you're ironing the interior fabric, the iron touches the straps as you work your way around the bag and OOPS! Be careful with the iron. Be very, very careful. Remember: Oilcloth can melt. If this happens, by the way, you can just cut the bag right below the handles, then cut the handles off and start from the "Sewing the bag together" steps. Maybe just don't let it happen...














2. Sew with a 1/4 inch (or less) seam allowance all around the top of the bag to give it a finished look and to close the hole. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing. If your machine sticks on the oilcloth, be sure to utilize the SMS sewing with oilcloth tips (tape on the presser foot, anyone?) and/or you can try sewing with the presser foot on the interior of the bag.

Cut your strings and celebrate. It's beautiful, isn't it?!

Care for your bag
I like to just wash oilcloth with a wet rag. If your bag really needs a good scrub, however, I like to hand wash it in the sink with a bit of laundry soap and cold water.

So it really wasn't too bad, right? If you're giving the bag as a teacher gift the only thing you have left to do is to tuck that little note inside (you might as well do the same for a Mom or Grandma gift too!). This bag is more of a big-lunch-including-water-bottle-type bag, but think of the possibilities... Bigger? Smaller? The options are endless!

Please let me know if you try this out and if it works and if it doesn't work and if I made a mistake. Is anything unclear? Email me (kitchentablecreative [at] hotmail [dot] com) and we'll figure it out. Thank you for visiting! (Oh, don't forget the blog's over here now!)

Martha Stewart dish towel tote tutorial (by me, not Martha, but I think she'd approve)

The title
Instead of the Martha Stewart Dish Towel Tote Tutorial we could call it a Co-opt a "Good Thing" and Make It Your Own Tutorial or the Fairly Easy Mother's Day Gift or Teacher's Gift Tote Tutorial. Anyhow, call it what you will but it's here. It's also probably the 1 million + 1th tutorial on totes, and I'm pretty sure it's not the best one (but it's mine).

The story
When I was teaching some of my favorite gifts were Starbuck's cards and gift cards to bookstores because, well, you know. My very favorite all time gifts are a little cliche (but it bears repeating); I was the most touched and the most thrilled with notes from kids and notes from parents, telling me what they liked about what I did for them. I've taught a bit in a variety of places ranging from a school across from the projects in Texas to what is arguably the most upper-class, ritzy public school district in our little state. In the well-to-do locale I got insane gifts and sometimes, because I was a new (read: low, low on the pay scale) teacher, I felt I had to take the gifts back to the store to exchange them for money for groceries (I kept the gift from Tiffany's though).

In between the sweet notes and the gift cards, the handmade things were (are) my most treasured gifts. They really continue to mean a lot to me. I have a soap dish and handmade soap (still) in my bathroom, a little handmade pot holds some of my most precious treasures, I can't bear to send the note cards that were made for me by a little guy and his mom... Handmade means a lot, and if you're looking for a nice little teacher gift (buy some "manly" fabric and this would work for the rare and treasured elementary teaching fellow too) or if you want something nice for Grandma or Mom, this little tote will do just the trick. Or, you could keep it for your very own. I saw a tote made out of the fruit dish towel series on the incredible and lovely Two Straight Lines blog, but forgot where I'd seen it. The amazingly talented Courtney was indeed the inspiration for this bag (she's so inspiring on so many levels, by the way... You must immediately go to enjoy her creations). Anyhow, if I'd received this bag as a teacher gift I would have been beyond thrilled.

Making the bag
What you need:
-A Martha Stewart dish towel (or an equivalent-size towel-- my MS towel measured in at approximately 14 1/2 x 27 inches with the fruit towel measuring approximately 17 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches). The fruit towels totes are the EXACT right size to fit a 14" Mac laptop, just in case you find that information handy! If you don't have a K-Mart nearby, you can find a variety of MS towels online. UPDATE: Aack! What happened?! They no longer carry these wonders online. You'll just have to do a swap with someone (very doable) who has a K-Mart nearby. You can make this same bag with any type of dish towel; your finished tote will just be bigger or smaller depending on the size difference of your towel compared with the MS towel dimensions I mentioned!




*Warning: If you use a print like the MS fruit towel (left) some of your words will be upside down on your finished bag (unless you cut the long panel in half and restitch). I personally love the look and think it's quirky and fun. It might drive you nuts though, so think about this as you buy your towels.

- 5/8 yard of coordinating fabric for the lining and bottom sides of straps

- thread in a coordinating color

- 5/8 yard of heavy-weight fusible interfacing

Before you begin
1. Prewash and iron your dish towel and lining fabric (well, really this is the beginning!). It's important.

2. Read through the directions all the way to the bottom. You'll start with the interfacing, then the exterior, interior, straps, and then you'll put the whole thing together and do a little finishing work! You can click on any of the pictures for a better view.

The Exterior
1. Iron your fusible interfacing onto your dish towel. I use the fusible type because I'm lazy, but you can stitch some non-fusible interfacing close to the edges, or you can skip the interfacing altogether if you want a floppy tote (I like these too).

Follow the directions on the interfacing (don't forget to cut the tag off!) but generally you place the shiny side of the interfacing to the wrong side of your dish towel and iron out from the center with a hot iron (no steam). It doesn't have to stick 100% glue-like. It just has to be on there good enough.

This is what it looks like.

2. Fold your dish towel (with attached interfacing) in half (short edge to short edge). Take off 2 1/2 inches from each long side. This will give you two long strips which will be the straps on your tote. Set the straps aside.

*If you leave the straps at this length they will be equal to the tall dimension of your finished bag (like mine are in the photo). I like them long, but you can always shorten them. Try draping them over your shoulder to find the right length for you.

3. Fold the dish towel in half (short edge to short edge), right sides facing. All you see is interfacing. Stitch with a 1/2 inch seam allowance down the two long sides. Backstitch at the top and bottom of your seam to give it extra strength.

4. Turn the bag exterior you just made inside out so your dish towel fabric is on the outside and the interfacing is on the inside. Use a turning tool to poke the corners out so they really look like crisp corners (I use a chopstick). You're already done with the exterior!

The interior
1. Cut the fabric for the lining. It should be the same dimensions as the dish towel exterior you just made (14 1/2 x 27 inches for this MS dish towel). Cut two 2 1/2 inch strips from your fabric to match the two straps strips (oh, that's a fun word combo!) you set aside from the dish towel fabric.

2. Fold the interior panel in half just as you did with the dish towel (short side to short side) with the right (pretty!) sides facing. Then, just as you did for the exterior, stitch with a 1/2 inch seam allowance down the two long sides. Backstitch at the top and bottom of your seam to give it extra strength. Don't turn this one inside out yet! You're done with the interior.

The straps
1. Take one of your dish towel strips with the interfacing attached and one of your strips from the interior fabric (right sides of the fabric together) and stitch down one long side (1/2 inch seam allowance). If this puts you right at the sew line from the dish towel's original hem just make sure your needle isn't on the double fabric side of the stitch (where it was folded over to make the hem).

2. Iron the seam open and then iron a 1/4 inch fold on the remaining non-sewn long sides. The fold should place the wrong side of the fabric to the wrong side of the fabric.

3. Place the wrong sides together (with the interfacing sandwiched in between) and stitch down the side where you ironed the folds with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Stitch with a 1/4 inch seam allowance on the other side too. Yippee! You're really getting there...

4. Repeat strap instructions 1-3 for the other strap.

Attaching the straps
1. Go back to the exterior of the bag. Use a ruler and measure in 2 1/2 inches over from the edge, then pin a strap so the unfinished edges of the strap and bag are facing the same direction (up). The wrong (or interior fabric) side of the strap should face up. Measure in 2 1/2 inches from the other side and pin the other side of your strap in the same manner (be really careful not to twist the strap).

2. Repeat step 1 on the opposite side of the exterior of the bag with the remaining strap.

3. With a very long stitch length (baste) sew each strap to hold them in place with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

You're really getting close now!

Sewing the bag together
1. Slip the interior over the right side of the exterior (dish towel) of your bag. You should see the wrong side of your interior fabric. Make sure your straps are tucked inside. The sandwich from the inside out goes interfacing, dish towel, straps, interior fabric.

2. Sew all around the top of your bag with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, leaving a 5 inch (or so) hole so you can turn the bag inside out. Be careful when you get to straps and make sure they aren't angled but, rather, are 100% perpendicular to the line you are sewing. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam. Then...

TA DA (this is the best part)! Turn your bag inside out so the straps flop out. Tuck the interior into the exterior and it should really look like a bag now. Nice work! Use a turning tool (chopstick?!) to poke the corners down.

Finishing touches
Smooth out the fabric where your turning hole is (you might even want to pin it once). You probably should iron the bag at this point (paying special attention to the top of the bag where the interior and exterior meet) to make it look really spiffy. Sew with a 1/4 inch (or less) seam allowance all around the top of the bag to give it a finished look and to close the hole. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing.

I folded a bit of fabric over on one side of my bag to make a little "pleat" as I sewed, then added a button over this fold for an extra detail. I attached a loop (just like the breast cancer awareness loops, especially so since it's pink) of vintage bias tape (I didn't have any ribbon handy) on the opposite interior. It's also easy to add pockets to new bags. Just sew them onto the interior before the "Interior" directions.

Cut your strings and celebrate. It's beautiful, isn't it?!

So it really wasn't too bad, right? If you did the Martha Stewart thing with a set of towels you still have plenty more bags to create (if you want to). If you're giving the bag as a teacher gift the only thing you have left to do is to tuck that little note inside (you might as well do the same for a Mom or Grandma gift too!).

Please let me know if you try this out and if it works and if it doesn't work and if I made a mistake. Is anything unclear? Email me (kitchentablecreative [at] hotmail [dot] com) and we'll figure it out. Thank you for visiting, and don't forget the blog's over here now!