Have you ever wanted to design your own English Paper Piecing patterns, but don't like the idea of spending tons of money on special software? If so, I've got quite a treat for you! I've written a tutorial on how to use Microsoft Word as a tool to create your very own EPP patterns. From simple motifs to alterations of traditional patterns to complex repeating patterns, Word can be your go-to resource, whether you design for yourself or for retail patterns. You can find my simple tutorial over on Sew Mama Sew. Let me know if you have any questions about making the technique work for you. I can't wait to see what everyone makes! Tag me on Instagram (@carleybiblin) or link in the comments below to share.
Have you ever wanted to design your own English Paper Piecing patterns, but don't like the idea of spending tons of money on special software? If so, I've got quite a treat for you! I've written a tutorial on how to use Microsoft Word as a tool to create your very own EPP patterns. From simple motifs to alterations of traditional patterns to complex repeating patterns, Word can be your go-to resource, whether you design for yourself or for retail patterns. You can find my simple tutorial over on Sew Mama Sew. Let me know if you have any questions about making the technique work for you. I can't wait to see what everyone makes! Tag me on Instagram (@carleybiblin) or link in the comments below to share.
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The 75th Marin County Fair took place last weekend. I entered five different projects into four different categories, and every single entry won some sort of award. Both my ram and ewe (pattern by Abby Glassenberg, surface embroidery based on a process I created) were submitted in the Handmade Animals category. The ram won first place and Best in Show! The ewe won second place, which means I took the top two spots in the category. My Little Red Riding Hood doll was submitted in the Soft Sculpture and Cloth Dolls category. She won first place and a special award from the Marin Needle Arts Guild. My Goen's First Year book was submitted in the Embroidered Clothing and Textiles category. It took second place and also won the Marin Golden Threads Award. My final entry was my Upcycled Food Pouch, which was submitted in the Trash to Treasure category. This entry received an honorable mention. This was the first time I ever submitted anything to a fair, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Have you ever entered, or thought about entering, some handmade items to a fair? I'm already looking forward to next time. Two very special packages were delivered on Tuesday. The first was to my sister from me and the second was to me from my sister. After she saw the pouch I made for a swap a couple months ago, she asked if I wanted to do a bag swap with her. Of course I said yes. A month and a half later, we both sent our #sisterswap packages, which happened to arrive on the same day. Here's the bag I made for my sister. It's from the book Sew Serendipity Bags by Kay Whitt (I'll post a review of the book soon). All the fabric I chose is 100% organic cotton from four different Cloud9 collections. I love the way they look together! Bold geometric paired with floral outline, mixed with a bit of dots and feathers for accent. I think I might need a moment to admire my own work... After finishing the bag, I decided it needed a removable pocket organizer for all those little things like pens, notebooks, chap stick, etc. I made it as one long piece with pockets on both sides, then added large snaps so that it could be formed into a loop to stand on its own inside the bag. The four layers of interfacing I used also helped with that. Then I packed that bag with all sorts of wonderful, interesting, tasty things. There's a small box of crackers, a bar of dark chocolate (wrapped in white paper so my little guy wouldn't see and try to eat it), a notebook to which I fused pretty fabric, a couple pens and a pencil, a set of my stitched envelopes, two fat quarters, buttons (some I covered myself), a chap stick, an assortment of Starburst, and the Double Zip Wallet I made. One of my favorite features of this bag, is the versatile handle that can be either two short handles for toting around or one long one for slinging over the shoulder. My sister loves the bag and I am so glad that I could lay my worries to rest. It was the first time I'd ever sewed her something so...important for someone else. I mean, she could potentially carry this bag everywhere! It had to be good. I even finished the binding by hand to avoid weird crooked stitches on the outside. So, yeah, I tried hard. And now you get to see the beautiful bag I got from my sister! It's a messenger-style bag with an adjustable shoulder strap and lots of pockets to keep things organized. The pocket on the inner side is perfect for anything you want to keep close and safe. The pocket on the front side has a magnetic snap that opens and closes easily. Plus, there is a pocket on each of the narrower sides for quick access stuff. The bag has a zipper that extends beyond the edge on one side, allowing it to open wide so I can see everything inside. And inside are even more pockets to keep things. There are elasticized pockets on one side and two compartments separated by a zipper pocket large enough for a laptop. The fabric she used for the bag makes me so, so happy! Just looking at it makes me smile. No kidding. The green and white polka dot plays so well with the colorful main print. And, as you can see from the picture of me modeling my awesome new bag, it goes with my outfits. She put in some extras to go along with the bag. I can't wait to open up that bar of dark chocolate, and I've already started forming plans on what to make with the fabric. As soon as we finish moving, I want to start planning another small swap. I'm thinking an accessories swap, or maybe a table runner swap, or maybe... Oh, I don't know, but it will be fun! A good-sized part of any sewists fabric collection is scraps, pieces that range from long strings trimmed to square up edges to odd-shaped sections left after rounding a corner. Add in all the bits of thread, yarn, and selvages that go in the scrap bin and it becomes an out-of-control heap pretty quickly. I occasionally dip into my bin for pieces large enough to sew with, but those unsewable pieces left behind have been getting out of control. After finding an unframed art canvas on the sidewalk, I had an idea how to put some of those bits to work. Although the canvas was already decorated, it was all very light and, I knew, would blend well into whatever I decided to put over it. Over the course of several days, and with the help of my son and a couple other kids at the park, I got to work making my own scrap art. The first thing we did was to color a bit with crayons directly on the canvas. It wasn't much (and most of it isn't even noticeable on the finished piece), but it was a great warm-up. Next up was some white glue and sand. I told the kids to draw with glue and then cover it with sand. They had lots of fun with this. They tell me Spider Man is there, as well as some family members and random squiggles. The final layer was done by just Goen and myself one evening. He wielded the glue bottle and I handed him bits and pieces to put on top. I made a few adjustments and additions here and there as well to make sure everything was stuck down and there were no awkward gaps. The piece is now hanging behind our kitchen table where we can see it every day. The combination of color, texture, and dimension makes me smile whenever I look at it. I loved the process of making it and I'm pretty happy with the result as well. I'll probably have to make a couple more, though, if I want to put a bigger dent in my tiny-scrap bin. |
Carley Biblin
Hi. My name is Carley. I love to sew, craft, and create. As a Jane-of all-crafts so to speak, I enjoy sewing, writing, cooking, drawing, photographing. But the constant thread (if you'll excuse the pun) throughout my weeks is needle arts. Archives
January 2017
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