Posted on by agilejack

It’s Me. I’m Still Here.

I haven’t posted here since June 24! That might be the longest dry spell in many years.

Why? It’s been damned hot. I’ve been playing a ridiculous amount of pickleball. I’m doing all I can to take advantage of the short summer months here in the Pacific Northwest.

I haven’t been doing much sewing since my last post. I have made a few more of the scrappy blocks with the indigo corners. I think I’m up to 36 total. No idea how big this quilt will be.

I still have to trim most of those blocks, Since my injured wrist is feeling so much better I can start trimming them any day now. I’ll just chunk away on this. No hurry to get it done.

In the mean time, I just loved these two blocks.

I also picked up a little project a couple of weeks ago. I kept seeing an ad on Facebook and Instagram for a little wallet that looked really easy to make. They were selling a template to make the wallet for almost $20. I’m pretty cheap and I thought I could probably figure it out after a few tries. Well, I started digging around in YouTube and found this tutorial.

It’s the exact same thing as the template that was too pricey! So I took some notes and made my own template using a priority mail envelope.

Then I pulled out my interfacing, dug into my scraps and got busy.

I cut and sewed a few at a time.

I whipped up a handful of these cute little things in no time.

They are so quick and easy to make. I love having things like this on hand for little gifts when people visit or when I go to lunch with friends. Plus, I have a million uses for little things like this. I have one that I use for my iPhone headphones. I’m going to use one for bandaids in my pickleball bag.

They have the flap with a snap and two compartments inside.

Here’s a few images with some detail.

I gave almost all of these away pretty quickly. I’ll probably make a few more to have on hand.

I keep waiting for my quilting inspiration to come back. It’s not coming back quickly. I’m sure it will be back in full force when the rain starts in the fall. In the mean time I’ll do some small projects and think about what I’ll make when the mood hits.

I was talking to my friend who just moved here the other night. She was saying she needed something for the walls of her sewing room. I shared with her a pattern I’ve had for years that I’ve been wanting to make.

We tossed around the idea of making that at the same time. I’ve seen a few done in all Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics that are really spectacular and colorful. That might have to be a winter project. My friend has a Singer Featherweight as I do. It would be fun to make them both on those little work horses.

I had my biggest strawberry harvest this evening… just when I was considering tearing out my strawberry plants because they just don’t produce much. I was thinking of putting in some raspberries instead. Maybe the the strawberries knew what I was thinking and kicked it in gear.

You may not know this but I’m a sucker for an estate sale. I was on my way home from pickleball a week ago when I saw a sign in my neighborhood for one. So I stopped by. And by did I score! I got a brand new Olfa cutting mat and a pristine Black and Decker iron for a total of $8!!!

I’ve been meaning to buy a new Olfa mat. I really hate the Fiskars mat I’m using now. It’s really slick and my fabrics slides all over the place on it. It may be on its way out and this one will find a nice home on my cutting table.

And I love a very basic iron. I had an old Sunbeam my mom bought me when I was in college that petered out a few years ago. I bought a new basic Sunbeam but it doesn’t get as hot as my old one. I haven’t plugged this Black and Decker in yet but I’m hopeful that it will be nice and hot.

My friend and I decided that we are going to play women’s doubles in a couple pickleball tournaments in July and August. And my coach asked me if I wanted to play mixed doubles in one of those tournaments. It will be interesting to dive into the tournament world and see if I like it.

I hope everyone is able to stay cool in this terribly hot summer. We’ve had several days over 100 and plenty up in the 90s. We have another week of hot weather and then it should cool down a bit. The good thing is that is cools down nicely at night. I’m so glad I have central air conditioning.

64 Replies to “It’s Me. I’m Still Here.”

  2. Nice to hear from you! I am glad that you are enjoying summer. I like the little wallets. I might try to make some. No, I will make some!

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  3. It was so glad to hear from you. Your little wallet project turned out well – very cute! It has been scorching hot here in Virginia, right outside of DC, for most of the summer. Temperatures have been well into the 90’s and close to or over 100 for more days than not. Some days, the heat indexes have been 110. Later this week, we’re supposed to have a “cool” spell of around 85! When it’s freezing this winter, we’ll have to remember the heat!

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  4. I love those little wallets. And like you, I had a good talk with my strawberry plants, and they are producing like crazy this year! (Of course the rain has helped after 3 drought years!).

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  5. Love that little card holder. Can you share you template dimensions? I’ll be heading out to Milwaukie the end of August, can’t wait to hit some of the quilt shops out there. Recommendations?

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    1. the template measurements are in the video tutorial I linked in the blog post. Everything you need is there!

      Milwaukie, Oregon? My favorite quilt store is there. Pioneer Quilts. It’s a lovely little store and has a good selection of Kaffe fabrics, Aboriginals, and lovely batiks, as well as a lot of other stuff.

      Anne

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      1. Thank you! My son and his husband live there. We will make sure to visit Pioneer Quilts. I will check the blog. Thank you again!

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  7. Good to know you are well. I too am having a hard time getting into quilting. It seems this happens after a period of productivity. Suppose the mind needs a break. Glad your wrist is getting better. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

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    1. It’s pretty typical for me. I was so productive the first few months of the year I figured I’d have a spell like this. good thing I have other things to occupy my time!

      Anne

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  8. I’m so glad you are ok and all is well! That’s funny, I saw that little wallet on Pinterest yesterday and thought it was too cute and definitely want to try. Any help on designing the template? I love the fabrics you used 🥰. We have had so many heat index over 100 days, hate summer 🥵. We had Beryl come through and bring tornadoes 🌪️, 2 were very close and we hid in the bathroom. Just had branches down. God is good! I like the twinkle quilt pattern and will try to get one. I’ve been missing my Bender and Rico fix! Hugs for the boys 😻❤️!

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    1. In the tutorial they have you draw the template right onto the interfacing. I just decided to draw it onto thin cardboard instead so I could make one template and use that to make many bags. All the instructions and measurements are in the tutorial.

      Anne

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  9. Happy that you are having a busy summer! We have had 103 temps here in Utah and I will be so happy when it cools down some. I love doing Judy Neimeyer quilts. When you make it if you ever need help there is a FB group that is run by Certified Instructors that can help.

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    1. the pattern looks pretty doable to me and I have a friend who used to be a certified JN instructor. She’s the one who taught me how to paper piece so I’m very lucky!

      Anne

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  11. so nice to hear from you! I totally understand the loss of sewing mojo – especially during this horribly hot weather. Enjoy the pickleball.

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  12. Glad you are OK. Have been pretty busy myself, but I did miss my almost daily “fix” of reading your post. You are such an inspiration. I did finish a design project I have had in my mind for a very long time. I used an AI design I made and printed on fabric to make a small “ clicker” bag with matching accompaniments.

    The spiral notebook was made in Shutterfly and the notecards I made using Avery templates and blank notecards. All are part of a package gift I am giving to my dear college roommate who turns 81 next month.

    Also made one other bag using fabric a friend had made by tie dying — colors matched my design so was a perfect piece with one of a kind fabrics. Did not get a photo before gifting to the friend. 🤪

    Unfortunately, the Ai app I used is no longer free, so am searching for a really good free AI design app to make more original fabrics.

    Joyce Miles Learner Maximizer Focus Input Discipline ” If service is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you.”

    >

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  14. I’m so happy to hear from you! I was worried something had happened to you. Your little bags are just wonderful. I watched the video and will make a template. Where did you get the little snap button closures? What are they actually called so I can look online? I’ve been busy making key fobs and giving them to friends.

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  15. I’m so happy to hear from you! I was worried something had happened to you. Your little bags are just wonderful. I watched the video and will make a template. Where did you get the little snap button closures? What are they actually called so I can look online? I’ve been busy making key fobs and giving them to friends.

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    1. I bought my snaps on Amazon. there are a lot of them in this set. More than most people need but I use them fairly often.

      You can find snaps at your local fabric store or at JoAnn as well.

      Anne

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  16. Beware the Black & Decker iron. Liked them, but had two of them burn up on me……overheated and smoking. Not good to leave them alone. Stay safe!

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  18. Sew glad you’re back! I’m hibernating in Southeast Missouri today — heat index will be 106° this afternoon. We get high humidity, too — no dry air to be found!

    I’m working on my 50 block aboriginal fabric quilt as I hibernate!

    Love your projects always!

    Get Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef

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  19. Love these little wallets and have saved the tutorial in my sewing projects. I haven’t made a Frankenbag in a couple years – maybe this will be the inspiration I need to get back to sewing!! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

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  20. ☺️🌟👌 glad to see your post, thank you to recharge your batteries – always good. beautiful, and beautiful-er projects! 🌻

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  21. I’ve missed your posts but super glad you are doing well! The little wallets are very cute, a quick and easy project. I have made the rectangle ones that fold up to finish around the same size, but I really like the slanted pocket on yours. I might have to go and make some now. As always you inspire me to play in the sewing room, thank you!! I hope you and the dogs stay cool in the heat…enjoy the summer while it is here, hard to believe it is already mid-July.

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  23. Anne-Missed your words and photos. Happy to know you are well and pursuing other pleasures. Even Minnesota is hot and muggy and very rainy-farmers are suffering from too-wet-to-work fields. Your beautiful berries look, well, beautiful (as do the dogs). Kate

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  25. Hi, I’m one of your subscribers who always reads your blogs and am in awe of the amount of patchwork you produce – as well as keeping a full time job and playing a considerable amount of pickleball…not to mention your dogs!
    I felt I had to reply to this one though as I have been bombarded by exactly the same card holder pattern and was also thinking of making my own like you did – spooky! We are off on holiday in a few days time so might try to make a few to be finished by hand while we are away – now I know it can be done! This time of year I start to make things to be sold for Macmillan (cancer charity in the UK) in the autumn.
    One question I’ve been wanting to ask since I saw them on your lovely green patchwork – where do you find ‘low volume’ fabrics? We don’t have nearly as many quilting shops in the UK as you do, so I’m mainly limited to quilting shows (the ones near me have been pretty useless) or online – if you have a spare minute or two to give me some pointers, I’d be delighted.
    Keep up the amazing work – I just love your quilts – especially the Kaffe ones!
    Tracey

    Sent from Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef

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    1. I bought those low volume fabrics over several years… both in shops I visited and online. I would just buy a piece of fabric when I saw one I liked. I would just keep an eye out for them and buy a couple pieces when you see them. Soon you’ll have a collection.

      Anne

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  28. glad to hear your doing well, and yes wow it’s so hot I’m in Florida and I just can’t do anything outside right now unless it’s 6 in the morning ,haven’t been sewing much either ,currently taking some classes so it’s taking up my free time but I’m hoping to get my sewjo back soon ,the boys look great,

    regards Kelly

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  30. Welcome back! So many ideas packed into this post! That cutting mat was a great buy, wow! I have taken notes from the video and will give those wallets a try. Thanks for sharing photos of the ones you made. I am wondering what those snaps are called….how I will find them. I like your metal ones. The blocks look like fun to make. I love that you used blue fabrics on the outer edges and brights inside. So much inspiration!

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  31. I think we’ve all slowed down in some areas. The weather here 107 tomorrow. No problem. I can dangle AC for comfort. Cute project the card holders.
    fruits are in. Apricots a favorite. And strawberry’s I need the Big pack. And pick up a watermelon. They are so delicious

    glad you are enjoying pickle ball. I still miss regular tennis. Tournaments could be a nice touch but keep it light not lose the joy of the game.

    enjoy the Season Sumner

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    1. the summers here in Portland used to be really lovely. The hot temps are coming more and more. When I first moved here we didn’t need air-conditioning. Now it’s hard to live without it.

      Anne

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  38. Love these card wallets! They are so pretty!

    I am wondering about the snaps. The video shows her attaching them by hand. Can you do that with Kam snaps? How do you attach snaps?

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    1. I don’t know what Kam snaps are. the snaps I have came with some little tools that you use to set them in the fabric. Have to use a hammer. There’s lots of different kinds of snaps.

      Anne

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  40. Love the little wallets. Wanted to share with anyone who likes Kaffe fabric. Equilter.com has a bunch of his fabrics for 40% off, which brings them down to $8 something. FYI Judith

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    1. Oh wow! thanks for the heads up! they actually have a Brandon Mably fabric I’ve wanted for the backing of my Brandon Leftover quilt and was hoping to find it on sale! I’m so glad you let me know!!!

      Anne

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  41. Hey, thank you for the pattern reference. I had seen one of your previous posts with these little beauties, and knew if I hunted hard enough, I’d find a tutorial on Pinterest. Your inspiration is priceless.

    x Mandy

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  43. Hello… this is the last message I got from you.

    Are you ok? Did I somehow get Unsubscribed?

    Thanks…Eliza, North Carolina

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