Appleton Dance

Spencer-Ogg "Sail Sling" back by Linda Theil Diane Spencer-Ogg has just released a new pattern -- her first-ever sling bag, and it is a beaut! The "Sail Sling Bag"  is a modest-sized sling with a multitude of feaures including interior and exterior slip pockets, interior and exterior zipped pockets, a strap keeper, and optional strap attachments. S-O creations are always carefully designed to be constructed on a domestic sewing machine. A clever "spine" feature, shown above in coordinating color, strengthens the bag and allows the bag maker to keep much of the construction out of the gussetted seams, which are finished with binding. I made my sling at 95-percent pattern size, which was not recommended by the designer! I also made a very slight modification in the shape of the bag. My sling measures aproximately 11x7x1.5-inches. The interior and binding is cotton from the "Grunge" collection by BasicGrey for Moda. The exterior is cotton from the ...

  by Linda Theil Ever since I made Alisa a set of Spencer-Ogg packing pods five years ago, I have wanted to try to make a set out of mesh. Since I had some really nice, fine-weave, non-stretchy, white mesh from a discarded drying rack, I finally put aside my fear of working with mesh, and sewed a set of the large pods for Alisa's birthday present. They worked out great! The pods are so light and compact, they add nothing to luggage weight -- they pack flat when empty, or roll into a ball the size of a small pair of socks. The large-sized Spencer-Ogg packing pod is approximately 12x8x4-inches and  can hold, for example: four pairs of underpants four bras four camisoles, and  four pairs of lightweight socks! I used cotton in shades of gray from Brigitte Heitland's "Filigree" collection for Moda to make the gusset, hinge, and binding. The directions for the lightweight pods don't require seam-binding; but, I thought binding was a good idea to make the mesh seams as s...

   by Linda Theil I am a big fan of Minki Kim. I find her precision fascinating. And soothing. And delightful. Yet her aesthetic is not my aesthetic. Although I greatly admire her choices, that sweet style does not come easily to me. So, when I saw this pre-printed project-panel for her Lodgepole Backpack design in fabrics from her "Sunsetridge" collection, published by Riley Blake Designs, I could not resist! The panel includes pattern pieces for two backpacks; I chose the light-colored one to begin. An hour-long video is available on YouTube featuring Kim teaching the process of creating her backpack from the pre-printed project panel. The video is titled "Simple Quilting with Minki Kim - Quilted Backpack Tutorial". The maker must provide their own lining and webbing for the project. I used a cotton from Brigitte Heitland's "Filigree" collection for Zen Chic/Moda for my lining. Since the backpack is small -- 8x10x3-inches -- and light, I simply adde...

by Linda Theil I saw this really cute desk organizer online this spring and could not be happy until I had tracked down the pattern and checked it out! I was curious about the construction method and when I got the pattern my curiosity was satisfied, but I was not immediately inclined to try it out. The pattern is Simplicity 2450 by Georgia Manning Lewis published in 2010. Simplicity, among the Big Four sewing pattern brands. has recently been sold to a liquidator. I found my pattern on eBay. Having satisfied my curiosity, and not being enamored of the bulky construction method, I put the pattern aside. Alisa noticed it when she visited last week, and she asked me to make one for her. So, of course, I did. And, of course, it's cute! Here is a picture of the mug cover -- made with scraps of quilting cotton -- in its finished state before fitting to a mug. The hook-and-loop tape on each side secures the cover to most mugs.  This photo shows the position of the folded mug cover befor...

  by Linda Theil Alisa picked me up a four-yard cut of blue and white cotton print at the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild fabric sale in May, so I decided to make another "A Little Somethin' Jacket" by CNT Pattern Company. I have made a few of these wonderful jackets, most recently the "Pseudo-boro Jacket"   featured on this weblog in December 2022. Although the pattern does not feature a lining, I lined and quilted my jacket, giving the garment a shabby, teddy-bear quality. Update July 30, 2025 I made a matching "Plover" pouch by Noodlehead using leftover cuts from the jacket fabric and Grape colored Mora faux leather from Emmaline Bags, Inc.  I made the small size 8x6x3-inches, and added D-rings and a wristlet strap.

  by Linda Theil Alisa made me a beautiful Advent calendar long ago and every year she fills it with goodies in anticipation of the Christmas holiday. Last Christmas, every pocket contained two rolled-up strips from a "jelly roll" precut package of "Holiday Florish Festive Finery" by Robert Kaufman. I wanted to use the fabric right away and not allow my gift to disappear into my tub of holiday galore. After searching my patterns for a block that could be made with "jelly-roll" strips, I decided to redraw a "Christmas Star" block in a size that would use the 2.5-inch-wide "jelly roll" strips. This redraw resulted in a 10-inch block before finishing, and not including the 2.5-inch sashing I added later. For construction I used the method described by Brigitte Heitland in her "Christmas Star" pattern. This was a free pattern that I no longer find available through her website. The block looks very intricate, but Heitland's c...

by Linda Theil Alisa and I planned this first-aid pouch to gift friends who respond with speed and generosity to those in need. We thought they needed a little bit of care, too! For the first-aid pouch pattern, we chose the medium-sized "Arch Zipper Pouch"   designed by Diane Spencer-Ogg. The medium pouch is a roomy 9-inches wide, by six-inches high, by three inches deep providing plenty of room for first-aid supplies and medical needs. Alisa chose these basic items to include in our Hero Archie first-aid kits: supply of Band-Aids Band-Aid Tough Wrap Band-Aid guaze pads Vasoline petroleum jelly Magic Molecule antibacterial spray Benedryl spray scissors tweezers To give our Hero Archie a distinctive appearance I designed a pieced-fabric cross block that would accommodate the front panel of the Arch pouch. Once you piece the design, you can center the pattern piece on the pieced fabric with the assurance the design will fit and be centered on the front of your pouch. To replica...

Ocimeae Lavender Farm, Webberville, Michigan by Linda Theil My friend Mary took me to Webberville to cut lavender yesterday and the adventure was totally uplifting in every way.  Ocimeae Lavender Farm on Gramer Road in Webberville, Michigan is finishing up this years u-pick lavender festival from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day through Saturday, July 12.  Update 7/11/25: Owner Tom Smith said today they plan to extend public access to cutting on weekends through July, or as long as the blooms last. Our morning spent in the lavender fields was balm to the soul and delight to the senses. I thought of my friend Rosemary in her love of Provence would have been thrilled to find a memory of her favorite place on earth so close to home. Ocimeae Lavender Farm, Webberville, Michigan The sales barn features lavender products including lavender oil and hydrosol that they distill on site. Distillery at Ocimaea Lavender Farm, Webberville, Michigan Sales barn at Ocimeae Lavender Farm, Webbervil...

LESA associate Mark Rogers unloads backpacks in Howell today. by Linda Theil  Livingston Educational Service Association associate Mark Rogers said, "We appreciate you!" as he unloaded a dozen, supply-filled backpacks we delivered in Howell today for the LESA "Backpacks for Kids" program. LESA is accepting donations of backpacks and school supplies through July 31, 2025 for free distribution to students in school districts throughout Livingston County on August 7, 2025. For more information about LESA's Backpacks for Kids" program visit the LESA website at https://www.livingstonesa.org/community-resources/backpacks-kids . We spent Saturday at Alisa's house filling backpacks with all the great supplies kids need to go back to school. We filled handmade pencil pouches with pens, pencils, scissors, erasers, and a pencil sharpener. For more information on how we made the pencil pouches visit our AppletonDance blog post titled "Fast Archie". We did...

Mini "Arch" pouch, pattern by Diane Spencer-Ogg. 6.5x5x2.5-inches by Linda Theil We needed a dozen pencil pouches to put in the backpacks we are filling for the annual "Backpacks for Kids" project organized by the Livingston Educational Service Agency of Livingston County, Michigan.  I thought Diane Spencer-Ogg's new "Arch Zipper Pouch" would make a cute pencil pouch if I reduced the "medium" pattern option to 80-percent of the original. That reduction made a pouch measuring 6.5-inches wide, by five-inches high, by 2.5-inches deep. Since I had to make so many pouches, I looked for ways to simplify the already perfect design to reduce the drudgery of so much repetition. Although the pattern has a beautiful two-color option, I decided to make the one-color option, reducing the number of pattern pieces to one piece for the body of each bag, and two identical pieces to construct each zipper placket. I also eliminated the lining, and the interior...