Appleton Dance

by Linda Theil Every time I make this classic "Clamshell Sling" belt-bag designed by Diane Spencer-Ogg, I say it is the best bag I've ever made. Even though the sling seems a very simple and basic design, every aspect is carefully planned for beauty and utility. And, although the bag is not difficult to assemble, every process demands exquisite attention to detail. Constructing this bag is a demanding and rewarding make in my experience. This version of the sling is constructed of faux waxed canvas purchased at Sally Tomato , and lined and bound with cotton from the "Seedling" collection by Katarina Roccella for Art Gallery Fabrics. I added my AppletonDance badge to the slip pocked on the back of the bag. The belt is 1.5-inch-wide cotton webbing purchased on Amazon, and the hardware is from Wawak . All construction pieces were stabilized with Pellon mid-weight, non-woven, fusible interfacing. I added a double-zip closure and rawhide zipper pulls along with my

by Linda Theil I just finished making the "Crafted Life Companion" notebook-cover designed by Australian Ali Phillips of Arabesque Scissors . I've made several of Phillips' patterns and have come to experience Phillips as creating at the same stratospheric level as English designer Diane Spencer Ogg for brilliant design innovation and attention to minute specificity in their patterns. Both creators are also highly professional and skilled presenters in their step-by-step demonstration videos for every design. Please see Phillips' video at the end of this post. The Arabesque notebook cover is designed to fit an A5 notebook size, and includes a sleeve for notepads up to 4 x 8-inches. Other pocket options are included in the pattern -- most of which I left out in my first version. I did take advantage of a marvelously useful innovation Phillips provided: a beautifully designed "coloring page" that helped enormously to keep all my pattern pieces organized.

  by Linda Theil Once again Jess at Oklaroots has drawn me in with her video titled "Kandou Patterns Mini Travel Sling Turorial" on YouTube. I ordered and downloaded the pattern, and put the mini-sling together with fabric from the "Jubilee" collection by Tone Finnanger for Tilda.  Unlike Jess, I did not find the pattern at all easy; but, it was beautifully written and designed, and interesting to put together since it has no actual interior, but just a large slip pocket on the front, and two zippered pockets, front and back. Lots of fun!

by Linda Theil I saw a quilt kit using this block online and wanted to give it a try, so I looked for the block and found a few YouTube videos showing how to make it and also some blog posts showing how to make the block. All but one option built the block using a piece-by-piece method that struck me as old-fashioned and tedious. A single YouTube video titled "How to make a perfect woven star quilt block" featured an updated piecing process. This is a very good tutorial that will be very useful to a quiter wishing to create the woven star block, but the demonstrator did not include any measurements for the pieces she was using, so while the method looked interesting, quiters would have to figure out the piecing sizes on their own.  After some trial-and-error I came up with the following piecing measurements and diagram for a Woven Star block that finishes at 11-inches square. NOTE: The joke's on me! A full cutting guide is provided by the videographer Tulip Square linked

by Linda Theil Jess on the Oklaroots YouTube channel created a video titled, "The cutest bag I've ever made! The Bitty Bug Pack -- Carolina Little Stitches will have you OBSESSED!" I ordered the PDF "Bitty Bug Pack" pattern from Carolina Little Stitches, and the pattern included a link to another sew-along with The Crafty Reporter . While the pattern is comprehensive and nicely presented, inexperienced crafters will find the videos very useful. The pattern includes many options and features to make the tiny 3.5x4.5x1.5-inch backpack an ideal copy of the real thing, but I stripped mine down to basics, eliminating straps and exterior pockets and trims. I am not normally a fan of creating tiny things, but Jess at Oklaroots was right, I am obsessed. My version of the tiny backpack includes a single, exterior loop and D-ring that can carry a carabiner or wristlet; and a single interior slip pocket that can include a feature badge or label.  The bag is finished by b

by Linda Theil Tools and a toolbox are essential elements to any creative endeavor; that's why the Livingston Educational Service Agency plans to distribute 1500 backpacks full of learning tools free to Livingston County schoolkids on August 8, 2024. The agency is in the midst of their 23rd annual "Fill-a-Backpack for Kids" project. "For this project to be a success, we need your support," said project coordinator Robin Schutz of Great Start Livingston. "We need school supplies and backpacks -- supplies can be dropped off 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at LESA, 1425 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell, Michigan until August 2, 2024."  Alisa and I have supported the project since it began and this year we are filling 12 backpacks with colored pencils, crayons, pink erasers, folders, glue, highlighters, markers, paper, pencils, pens, rulers, scissors, spiral notebooks, handmade pencil cases for our Livingston County learners! This year the pencil ca

by Linda Theil I participated in the Arabesque Scissors "Focus Finder" sew-along last week. The sew-along runs through July 5, 2024. The free pattern for the "Focus Finder" notepad cover is available from the Arabesque Studio blog post "Sew your own notepad cover: Introduction to the Focus Finder". Australian designer Ali Phillips created the design and the sew-along curriculum in her own precise and delightful style. We reported here on Phillips' mini-sewing kit pattern, "Travelers' Sewing Book" in our post "Henya, I made a book!" I enjoy making Phillips' projects so much, I made two examples for the "Focus Finder" sew-along. For my first example I used fabrics by watercolor artist Tracy Lizotte for Elizabeth Studio. Arabesque "Focus Finder" #1 in Tracy Lizotte watercolors Interior Focus Finder #1 Back "Focus Finder" #1 My second "Focus Finder" featured a cover fabric from the "

by Linda Theil This "Christmas Star" quilt-block pattern was a free download from the Zen Chic website. The pattern was designed by German designer Brigitte Heitland. The block is similar to other patterns that feature a central cross with squares and half-square triangles in the corners. This Zen Chic pattern makes a 15-inch block, but I wanted to make a ten-inch block; resizing was pretty simple. Although, when I make the block again I will trim my half-square triangles to make sure they are the correct size for the smaller block. For my star block I used fabrics from the "Hedgehog Hollow" collection by In the Beginning Studio. I might pair the star blocks in a quilt with kaleidoscope blocks using the animal motifs from the "Hedgehog Hollow" fabrics. I learned to make these easy, four-piece kaleidoscope blocks from a Missouri Star Quilt Company free video-tutorial "Triple Play: How to make three new kaleidoscope quilts" published on YouTube i