Sewing just for the fun of it!!!

You ever get the itch to just Sew?  If you're anything like me, you take note of all the cute and adorable things on the web...and if you're like me, you don't have the time or ability to sew them at the exact moment you see them.  I mean, you've got other projects, other responsibilities and doggonit...the kids do need to eat 3 meals a day and require at least a snuggle or two.  So all of these ideas get filed away, most never to see the light of day.

But, for me, one of these projects....Hallelujah....struck a chord of inspiration and choosing to abandon anything that might currently be in the works...maybe more than one project in fact...I was able to just have a little fun. 

I allowed myself to choose any fabrics that I wanted...maybe even two that I'm pretty sure I might someday actually use in a full-size quilt.  Oh the guilt.  Can I actually cut into this beautiful fabric and leave less yardage than was there before?  Hell yes I can!  And it was awesome!

This is called Double Fat Jack by Lily's Quilts.  Why on earth would I make a Union Jack flag if I could choose to make anything.  I dunno.  I think it's pretty awesome actually.  Almost a year ago there was a bunch of Brit fever going around due to the royal wedding.  I saw this and thought that is pretty and challenging!  If you look at it, the triangles don't form a square, they form a rectangle!! WHHOOAAA!!  I know.  It's pretty cool.  But then, not only that, but there's a strip between the triangles and that strip is what meets in the middle!!  So, this is like....revolutionary!

Because...for those of you non-quilters you might not see, but how on earth did she get all these pieces to square up in the end?????  I had no idea.  So, this was fun and it was fairly quick to make, and I got to use some darn cute fabric.  It was a good day.

A note on this tutorial.  Lily is a Brit.  I am a Yank.  This is not the first time I have come to realize that the Brits and the Yanks do not speak the same language.  Especially when it comes to sewing.  Now, this obstacle is not insurmountable...but you just gotta have some guts and just do it.  You'll be reading her tutorial and think...WHAT IS SHE DOING?  No way is that going to work.  But then it does.  So, just give it a chance.

Another thing to note is that I found it very beneficial to keep all my pieces laid out exactly as they were going to be placed.  Because as you may have noticed in the above pictures, I've got some fabric right side up and some upside down.  This is because the triangles are not the same shape!  Just take the time and keep them laid out properly.

You will use a template made out of newspaper.  But then...this will happen...

And you'll think...Oh no no no I am sure I did this wrong!

But then...you'll see things just happen to come together.  But...this is the time when it was extremely important to keep things in order...

Because now you've not only got oddly shaped triangles to deal with but you've also got strips that have to point the right way...and well...it'll feel a little confusing at times.  But as long as you keep things in order, you'll be fine.

Voila completed with border attached.  Love!!

But then...I felt guilty...and so I had to do this...

Act American Doggonit!  hehe, so I thought that I would make a sweet little wall hanging with the Union Jack on one side and Old Glory on the other...then of course Mr. Because I Can comes along as I had them both side by side in the living room and says...

That's going to make the prettiest quilt I've ever seen....

Ex-squeeze me?  Honey, that's not going to be a quilt.  That's a wall-hanging.  Big difference.  B to the I to the G.  But then I think...maybe I could make it into a quilt.  I have seen where people make blocks out of all the places their ancestors are from...but then I remember...my ancestors are from...like...EVERYWHERE.
England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland...Now that I actually type all the countries out...it's not really that many I guess....I'll have to think about it. 

See, now my simple sew for fun project might turn into another big project....hmmm....

Speaking of which...

Swoon Pic of the Day:

Swoon by Camille Roskelley   I think this one is fun.  Something about the hounds tooth really sets it apart! 

Thanks for reading!

Heather