NEW REANNALILY DESIGNS WEBSITE!

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!!!

 It's here! It's here! It's here!

 

The new website is LIVE today.  

It has a shopping cart, fabric, kits, e-patterns, free tutorials, blog ... 

...all sorts of fabulous stuff...

If you subscribe to this blog via feedburner you should be redirected to the NEW blog website. 

If you have linked the blog site from your blog or website

{thank you thank you thank you!!!} 

the new blog location is here:

http://reannalilydesigns.com/blog

I'll see ya over on the NEW website!  

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!!!

NEW REANNALILY DESIGNS WEBSITE!

UGGS

These UGGS are for the 18" dolls.  The fabric is from the Hobby Lobby remnant bin.  My daughter loves them!  The pattern took a long while to figure out after "draping" muslin on the pair of boots that came with the doll.  The sole of the shoe is black foam core.  Once I stitched the upper, I hot glued it to the edge of the sole.  Totally worked.

UGGS

18" Doll Spring Clothes

Hum... I might have a problem...  

I LOVE to design and make these little doll clothes.  

They use very little fabric, the client never complains and they finish up in a snap!

(Above Photo) This outfit is a square-neck, empire waist tank top and Capri jeans. If you are blog follower/subscriber, you might recognize that fabric on her tank top.  Its from my NEW Modern Complements Line.  The jeans are made from a recycled pair of actual soft denim jeans.  I added pockets at the hip and was oh-so-proud until I realized 1/ You cannot see them because her shirt covers that area of the pants and 2/ She can never put her arm in them because her arms don't bend.  HA!  Both of those garments have a Velcro back closure.

This outfit is a top with a gathered hem and gathered sleeves with white shorts.  The picture below shows the back closure.  I used two bits of Velcro back there.  I had to Velcro where the elastic waist is, to keep the elastic stretched when in use.  You can click the photo to see it larger.

The fabric used in this outfit is Polka Dots- thrifted bed sheet, and the White is an IKEA bed sheet.

The dresses above were made with my daughter and her friend. (10yo)  I used the same IKEA bed sheet white fabric and let the girls draw whatever they wanted to on the dresses.  They got to plan the design, make it on paper, trace it on to the dress with Crayola Fabric Markers (which I LOVE.  They are sold on the crayon aisle not in the craft/fabric departments) and then I whipped up the dress by extending the tank top pattern.

I'm lovin this butterfly and I'd totally wear it on a t-shirt!

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The patterns used in the doll outfit are my original designs.

18" Doll Spring Clothes

Studio Tour

I've been cleaning up in the studio.  I've organized.  I've purged.  I've re-organized and now I have a couple pictures to show you.  I showed you the space right after we first moved, a little over a year ago.  Wanna see the progress???

My favorite spot is the inspiration wall behind my sewing desk.  I have all sorts of things on that wall.  Small Quilts, my favorite painting from college, an owl clock- just like the one my grandma had as I was growing up, scissors cutting on an electrical tape cutting line, sketches, market badges- really all sorts of things.  I also have some "blank" wall space... so I totally need to get sewing/swapping to add more to my wall.  (Yes, the picture below is spliced together, so you could see the whole wall, edge to edge.)

I also have the design wall opposite the inspiration wall.  Its blank-ish right now.  I'm looking to pick up a large piece of foam insulation board from the home improvement store and wrap it with flannel.  That will be later.  For now, I generally just staple straight into my wall.  (GASP)  And I still have my fabric stash sorted by color, on the right hand side of the picture.

In my studio I have a custom built table.  My friend Debbie (Hi Debbie!) had this huge awesome cutting mat in her sewing studio and I instantly had cutting mat envy.  I did buy the mat about a year later, but it was much larger than my plastic costco table.  This table, below, has a huge workspace, and ironing board on the left hand side and storage for 8 rubbermaids underneath.  The best part about an MDF + 2-by-4 table is that it never shakes when I start stitching fast.

So that is a little peek inside the studio.  I've managed to keep it clean for about 14 hours.  I'd say times up on that!!!!

Studio Tour

Doll Quilt Swap 10, the thrid

 

I had this fun idea for a Doll Quilt Swap Quilt.  Its little, its hexagons, and its bright blue + Art Gallery Fabrics + USAF uniform. It was just a matter of time before I got those fun USAF hexagons into a modern design.

I think making these small quilted items are just so fast and quick.  (Once those crazy hexagons are prepared.) They use up fabric scraps, let you try different quilting methods and finish up quickly.  This doll quilt is very jen-centric.  It has Art Gallery Fabrics + USAF hexies + pale blue.  I might keep this one, too.

Man, I'm not a very good swapper if I want to keep everything!  HA!  Ok, but honestly, the blue background in this doll quilt is broadcloth (50% poly/50% cotton) so that means I'm not allowed to swap it since it's not 100% cotton.  Shame.... 

Get your own 1 1/2" hexagon paper for English Paper Piecing, here.

Doll Quilt Swap 10, the thrid

Sponsored Give Away!

Hey hey readers!  I'm sponsoring a pattern give away over on Amy's Creative Side.  Hop on over to the original home of the Bloggers' Quilt Festival to see what you can win from ReannaLily Designs and her other fun sponsors!  Hurry, though, contest ends on Monday Feb 14th!!!!

Sponsored Give Away!

Quilt Guild Challenge

The local traditional guild hosted a challenge.
We picked up fabrics in November.
Well, they are due this week.

• The challenge had to incorporate the orange or green (highlighted below).  A piece of brown and a piece of beige.  When you purchased your challenge bundle, you received either a green or orange- I sat next to a lady who received the color opposite myself, so we half'd our pieces and incorporated both.  
• The challenge also had a to have 4" diameter (or larger) circle in the design.
• We had to make our finished quilt under a certain size so that the collection of quilts could be considered for the AQS Knoxville Guild Challenge.
• You aren't supposed to show anyone your quilt 'til its actually due.

I was able to use only fabrics from my own stash to complete the top.  Isn't it just wonderful that I have all sorts of funky colored stuff hoarded away?  hahaha.

I think there will be a fair amount of entrants.  Once all the designs are collected, there's some kind of vote or committe to see who will make it to the Knoxville round.  Though I love love my quilt, I know the ladies in our guild are crazy-talented.  We'll see if it makes the cut.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  =)

I free motion quilted the quilt (which I guess I didn't snap a photo of that) and the binding is brown and beige, with each color lining up with the opposite one around the edge.  (yep, no pic.)

I'll keep you posted.

Quilt Guild Challenge

Fractured Background Quilt Block Tutorial

With the popularity of my Modern Hexagon Quilt over on flickr, I thought it might be a fun tutorial to show you how I made that fractured background.  This tutorial will give you the how-to basics.  We'll make one block, using the same ideas as the larger fractured background.

For the larger quilt background, I used strips of varying cut widths all cut from selvage to selvage. So my strip set was 42" wide x about 55" or so.

This tutorial will use shorter strips cut between 2" - 3" wide. These are old "binding scraps" that I had in my scrap bin.

Step 1.  Stitch your strips together and press them with starch.  

Step2.  Fold one end over, matching right sides. This fold is about 4" or so.  Make sure this fold is NOT square or neat or tidy.  Just fold it.  You can see in the photo (above) how the cutting mat grid lines are un-even along the top folded edge.

Step 3.  Use a rotary cutter + ruler to cut off the actual fold.  Trim it very narrowly, removing just the folded edge.  If you are making a much larger background, just use scissors to cut along the fold line.

 Step 4.  Keeping everything in place, pull the newly cut piece slightly towards the right of left.  This will "off set" the stripes for the fractured look.

Step 5.Use a 1/4" seam allowance to stitch the two pieces back together.

Step 6.  Open the seam and press.  Its totally ok that everything is turning out uneven.

Step 7.  Fold the strips onto themselves again. This time, try to angle your fold in the opposite direction as your first fold.  -Though really, it doesn't matter, this method is intended to yield a haphazard looking fracture.

 Step 8.  Cut off the new fold again, give it a gentle pull to either the right or left sides to off-set the strips, and stitch the pieces together.  Once its stitched, open and press.

You can repeat these steps for as many folds/fractures as you like.

Step 9.  You will now have a very jagged mess.  AWESOME!  The next step is to simply square it up.  If you are making a block, you'll want to decided on some size that fits into your design.  If you are making a large quilt background, in my case with the Modern Hexagon Quilt, I tried to make the background as large as I possibly could.

Finishing up:  For this tutorial, the quilt block ended up being cut to 9 1/2" square. I then took the 9 1/2" square to good 'old photoshop to generate a fractured quilt block quilt.  Of course, if you really use this technique to make a series of blocks, each of the blocks would be different because the folds are done randomly.  But here's an idea of how it might look:

*Fabric used in this tutorial are Black-Ikea Sheet, Pink- Nicey Jane by Free Spirit, Red- South African Schwe Schwe.

This block is listed/entered in the Quilt Story Block Party! 

 

Fractured Background Quilt Block Tutorial

Pattern Giveaway!

I'm sponsoring a giveaway over on CraftyTammie's blog.  She's a fellow MQG member.  She's in the Kansas City guild, where I initially started out, before I realized there was no realistic way I'd be able to make the meetings, 2 1/2 hours from my own home.  Anywhoo-  You've got to check it out!

Run over there to see the many ways to enter. 

The giveaway will run through Sunday February 13th around noon.

Pattern Giveaway!

Doll Quilt Swap 10, again

Ok, my second run at the doll quilt swap- which might still not be the one that I mail.  Who knows...

My partner really likes the colors blue and orange together.  (just like me!)  So as luck would have it, I have some Blue and Orange fabric.  The quilt is backed in -old- orange Heather Ross fabric.

The applique shapes are all stitched down by machine, but NOT raw-edge appliqued.  Every edge is folded under and stitched using a unique "facing" technique.  The machine stitching through each shape is ALSO the quilting lines of the project.  {{two birds, one stone, you know.}}

I added in "ghost" shapes using grey embroidery floss.  The floss is quilted through the three layers, too.

I really like this one.  I might have to keep it.

*Fabric used in this project are designed by Jen Eskridge and are for sale over on Spoonflower.com and SOON will be available on the ReannaLily Designs website.

Doll Quilt Swap 10, again

Doll Quilt Swap 10

 

Ok, this is my first brain storm for the Doll Quilt Swap 10 going on over on flickr.  I have a grand plan for the quilting, which will make the white space, not soooooooo white.  I'm not sure that this is the quilt that will make it to my partner.  My secret partner has some very specific requests, so I think if I post the final design- she'll totally figure out its hers.  But for now, lets just take a look at this little one.

Unfortunately, this quilt busts the size requirements by 1".  Its 18" x 25".  ((Hey Partner, is that a deal breaker???))  The color blocks are from a Kona Solids Charm pack.  Well, they are some scant leftovers from a charm pack- which I used for something else.  Each square is 2" square.  The white fabric is linen.

 With a little help from some of the ladies in the Wichita Modern Quilt Guild, I ended up machine quilting straight lines onto the design, and adding matching color DMC floss for additional hand quilting.  It has a neat effect.

 Last step is the binding- which I think will be white linen.  Stay tuned.

Doll Quilt Swap 10

Mug Rug- English Paper Piecing

At our Modern Quilt Guild meeting for January we had one of our members, Sheri, demonstrated English Paper Piecing.  With Hexagons being all the rage, it went over very well.  I love that "what's old is new again." 

 

One thing I never considered was all the many shapes you can use English Paper Piecing techniques on.  Its not just for hexies any more!  Sheri was kind enough to make up a hands-on kit for everyone to give the method a try at the meeting.  She provided all of us with a 6 pointed star, based on a diamond shape.

I went home and blasted out my diamond block.  The points were a bit tricky, but not unmanageable.  I then brainstormed a bit for what my small star should become.  In the end... I went with MUG RUG!  Its quite masculine, for what it is.  I have to say, though, I have yet to see my husband ever grab a biscotti to snack on with this morning coffee.  Even though it seems a little more man-ish, this might be my gift for the Wichita Modern Quilt Guild's next Secret Sister Swap.

Mug Rug- English Paper Piecing

Sewing Machine Guts

FINALLY a blog post on the sewing/design blog that my dad will like.  =)  

I went to a sewing machine shop today to pick up a tiny post which holds the spool of thread at the top of the machine.  Somewhere in the 6 moves in the past 11 years, it got lost or broken off or something.  And, it never hurts to throw a few more bobbins into the shopping cart.  I'm the last of the big spenders, leaving at under $5.00.

While I was there, a sewing machine was in the operating room.  I felt kinda bad.  I'm sure its family was sad, too.  I mean look at this poor thing.  The cool thing is that the shop will probably have it up and running in a couple hours.  I've never seen this FAR into an electronic machine.  Who knew?!  Very cool.  And yes, the repair tech definitely thought it was crazy that I wanted a picture.  Sorry for the quality, its a cell phone picture.  But wow- circuit boards, wire, gear, parts, shiney stuff, dull stuff, oh it goes on and on.

I was strangely fascinated by this machine.  I thought you guys might want take a peek inside.  (Sorry I don't have the model number.  Lets just say that is in the operating room privacy rules.  ha!)

Sewing Machine Guts

Recycled Wool Sweater for 18" Dolls

A while back I posted that I was using up some felted wool sweaters for all sorts of crazy things.  

...And I might be hoarding the felted wool scrap pieces...

Well, am I glad I did!  Turns out, adorable little doll shrugs don't require very much fabric.  I was also able to plan my cuts to have the finished original sweater ribbing fall right along the sleeve edges.

The grey sweater is Lamb's wool and the red one is cashmere (from the GAP, no less).

The shrugs turned out great, but I really wanted to make t-shirts to go under the sweaters.  Is that a weird thing to want to do, yeah, maybe.  So what.  Whilst the hubbs was at work, I *might* have snagged a v-neck undershirt (worn with USAF blues) and well...  um.... chopped it up.  I used the original lower edge hem of the t-shirt to also be the lower edge hem of the doll's tank top.

I wanted to also show you a picture of how I made the closure on the back.  I pretty much just folded the cut edge to the inside of the shirt, and added a velcro strip at the top/shoulder/neck area.

The patterns for the shrug, shirt and pants are my own original designs.

Recycled Wool Sweater for 18" Dolls

FABRIC Designs by Jen Eskridge

 

2011 marks the launch of ReannaLily Designs debut fabric collection.  The line is called Modern Complements and features mod funky motifs in complementing colors.  Its fresh, fun and young and certain to garner compliments.  The collection has 18 prints for your sewing & crafting enjoyment.  The colors a seriously bright and will look great paired with each other, or subdued military fabrics.  This line is available exclusively from Spoonflower.com.  


Look for fabric bundles to hit my website and Etsy shop very soon.  Of course, I'll have a blog post to let you know when they are available.
 

Hop on over to Spoonflower to see all the fun designs in this collection.  The possibilities are endless.  I know I'm already dreaming up something to use that plaid on the bias.  Look for these fabrics to come creeping into ReannaLily Designs patterns, tutorials and maybe even kits!  Stay tuned.

FABRIC Designs by Jen Eskridge