New Stuff Friday

A quite dramatic quilt, don't you think?  A customer is giving this to her son for his 21st birthday.  He liked a lot of bands and music.  I love that it is so colorful!  It's a big size, with 15" squares and yet it folds up compactly.

Practical!  (This listing is here.)

See all my available T Shirt Memory Quilts here.  I have officially entered my busiest season.  My Gantt chart is helping me keep my projects in line!  My queue between now and June is close to being full, so don't delay if I will be making you a graduation quilt!

Wednesday Sewing - Customer Creation!

Linda, a wonderful customer, is a woman after my own heart!  She bought my T Shirt Quilt Pattern  and then proceeded to change it!

She made the quilt for her granddaughter.  It's a little bigger than a twin bed.  She backed it with a cozy fleece.

I have been working on this style of blanket as well as my original style  I just finished one up which I'll share on Friday!

Thanks so much for sharing, Linda!

Design Elements - "Updo/Redo" an old Trunk

Our friends won this fabulous trunk at a fundraiser.  Unfortunately, I do not know who created it, but I am thrilled with our friends for gifting it to us!

They felt it would go well with our piano room theme.  There are images of Cleveland, including the theater district and Rock n Roll Hall of Fame emblazoned on it.

It appears that the images are on a thick, wallpaper-type material which was stuck or glued on to the wood portions of the trunk.  It's a huge, old trunk!  I imagine putting some beautiful fabric in those spots could also be a creative redo of a trunk.

There's a lot of storage inside, which looks like it is still covered in its first coverage of contact paper.  Since this trunk is in the "piano room" the kids use it to store the sheet music they've gathered over the years.  It's half empty now because both of the college kids took most of it to school.

I love that the creators of the trunk left the name plate of its former owner - a nun!

 Not only is this trunk beautiful to look at and functional as storage, it can be used as a seat when we extend our table for large dinner parties.

Monday Inspiration - Hot Pink

'Hot Pink for a Grey Day' by MaidenJane

Some color on a rather dreary day in Northeast Ohio.

Hot pink canvas bag / should... kormargeaux $45.00	Pink Gemstone Necklace, Hot ... JewelryBySonja... $37.00	Large Hot Pink Parasols or U... DCimaginations $40.00	dollface - laser cut acrylic... sweetfairybout... $10.00
Hot Pink Mobile janiegirlcraft... $45.00	Paper Rosettes - Zebra Print... IsleOfOwlie $21.00	Baby Shoes Ruffled MaryJane ... Podsshoes $28.00	Sash / Belt in Hot Pink Silk... syl2830 $25.00
Toddler Hot Pink Tutu only, ... DanburyLane $29.95	Hot Pink Feather Earrings - ... iheartboho $12.00	Hot Pink Zebra Print Cupcake... designerfavors $18.00	HANDMADE Elegant Hot Pink an... CoruscateUniqu... $73.00
Hot Pink Bachelorette Party ... 3PeasPrints $14.00	Designer Decorative Greek Ke... WillaSkyeHome $28.00	Hot Pink Polka Dot Bow 2 Pie... AnnesBoutique $28.00	Sweetheart Hostess Apron-Bla... ApronsByVittor... $35.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

What's New?

I feel quite energized this week!  I'm not sure if it's the amazingly warm temperatures and brilliant sunshine we've had for a week straight.  Or perhaps that my second college child has come and gone for spring break and life has settled to a more "normal" routine.  Maybe it's just because I have been super busy, in a good way!

These bachelorette T Shirts that Annie designed with and for her cousin are getting pinned like crazy, so we are excited about a collaboration so that we can offer these on my website.  I'm in the process of working out the details, so until it gets listed in the shop, contact me via email at maidenjane@gmail.com if you would like to order them!  They will be about $20 each + shipping.

Yep, quilts!  I'll save them for a later post.  But it's busy season with graduation approaching!  Piles of T Shirts everywhere in various stages of undress....

T Shirt Taggies.

A custom, sweet, little beach bag for my friend's grandson.

A downsized tote - still pretty big!  Two left.

Modified totes (special orders don't upset me!)  This was so popular I only have one left!

And take a look at these fabrics!  They are Jennifer Paganelli's Crazy Love collection!  I got them from Hawthorne Threads and plan to make a beach blanket for myself!  I can't wait - they are so pretty to look at!

And, oh yes, I'm getting "launched" today on LaunchHer!  I'm so excited to be featured!

Thoughts on Life - Rescuing Boys

Boys.  They have been a topic of conversation among the moms that I know.  I'm not going to go into the difference between boys and girls here.  But I will say that my girls are hard-working, on-top-of-things, organized students.  My boys?  They've needed to be rescued a few times....

I saw it all the time when I was substitute teaching junior high students.  The boys that couldn't focus, that forgot their homework, their book, etc....  I'm not saying that there aren't girls who struggle with organizational skills.  But, in general, the girls aim to please.

The elementary school used to present several awards at the end of the quarter.  The students were selected by the teachers.  It was almost always girls.  I used to cheer when a boy won!  I have a soft spot for the boys.  They need guidance, and sometimes rescuing, and taming....

It's a fine line between teaching them responsibility and letting them suffer the consequences - and - helping them to achieve success.  At what point do you let go?

That's hard for me to define.  But I wanted my kids to succeed, especially if they wanted to.

So if he forgot his lunch?  I drove it to the school RESCUED!

Forgot his saxophone for band lessons that I paid extra for?  I drove it to the school.  RESCUED! (for the price of one, very public kiss in the schoolyard.)

Got caught secretly ringing a doorbell in a classroom?  BUSTED!  Demerit!

Demerit for throwing something across the room that he said he didn't do?  BUSTED! After we discussed it and realized he really did throw it....

Are you getting the idea?

This thought came to me this weekend as I was driving to the library to get a book that my son left at school.   I was worried that the homework was due on Monday.  He has plenty of academic challenges and I didn't want to set him back.   RESCUED!  Although, he was right, it wasn't due until Tuesday.

How many times do we rescue our boys???

My son knocked over a Stop sign because "the steering wheel locked." BUSTED!  Dad is no dummy.  Oh yeah, that was only $1,500 to repair.

Through the ups and downs, I feel that the times I have rescued my boys has demonstrated that I love them. The times that they had punishments have taught them that their decisions will have consequences.  Sometimes the consequence is a natural result of what they did - other times - a punishment from us.  Every once in a while - both.

After being rescued, young men need to be tamed...but that's another post.

For those of you just entering this phase, my experience has said that love and consistency has led to a mature young man.  He's hard-working, as organized as a musician can possibly be, and a good person.

Fell asleep during his girlfriend's recital, while sitting next to her parents....BUSTED!  Sorry, you're on your own for that one.

How to Add a Zipper to a Finished Tote Bag

My customers are always challenging me.  One recently asked if I could add a zipper to an existing Oversized Beach Tote so that she could use it as an overnight bag.  So in my usual way, I researched, I thank (thunk? thought? perseverated?) - and over-thought it in my anal/perfectionist way....

The existing solutions on the internet require using a fabric flap.  I finally decided that sometimes simplicity is the best solution and purchased a separating zipper that was about 4" longer than the bag.  I simply basted it to each side of the bag to test the idea.

With the zipper separated, baste one side to the bag.  Sew to within a half inch of the side seam.

To sew the other side of the zipper, first attach it to the sewn side.  Pin it in place so that it is even with the other side.  Then separate the zipper and sew it, stopping within a half inch of the side seam.

I felt that it was a successful solution to the problem presented.  The beginning and end of the zipper extend a couple inches past the opening.

I also tried tucking in the ends of each side of the zipper for a cleaner look.

To tuck in the "bottom" of the zipper, I had to invert the zipper before joining it.  That part is a little fiddly, but the bag would not have to be completely unzipped if it was tucked in.

Either way, a quick, simple way to add a zipper to a purchased or finished tote!