First Sewing Project for 2014

As a school employee, I am required to wear an ID badge when at work for safety reasons.  Since I'm itinerant (assigned to 3 schools that I visit weekly), I have six work-related keys... three for office doors and three for the file cabinet in each office.

World's worst photo... sorry!

Because I wear this every day for 11 months, it's gotten a bit worn.... so it's past time for a new one.  Part of the delay was I loved this fabric and, not having anymore, had to decide on what fabric to use. 

To make a lanyard....  in case anyone would like to make one... all you need is a 2.5" strip of fabric, coordinating thread, and a 7/8th inch strip of batting.  

Press your fabric strip in half lenth-wise and then lay the batting along the fold line.

Fold the fabric edge over the batting and press.   Then pin the other side, folding under the raw edge.

Stitch 1/8th inch from the folded edges.  I do this by shifting the needle one notch to the right... my machine has this option... and using a regular presser foot.  This allows me to line up the folded edge with the inside of the foot and makes it easier to sew straight.

Repeat top-stitching on the other side.

You could sew the raw ends of the 2.5" strip together before inserting the batting but I prefer to wait to sew the ends together because... I attach the ends so that the folded edge of one end is matched with the folded-under-edges of the other end.  This makes the bottom of the lanyard to lie flat.   Hard to describe but I prefer it this way.

 

I use a D-ring to attach my ID badge and a plastic badge holder, which holds a card with PINs and other information related to work, including emergency contact info in case of an emergency.

In addition to three office keys and three file cabinet keys, I also carry a flash drive (I don't want to lose 15 years of templates and this year's work if my laptop goes down... like it did mid-September 2013!) and a pen.   Every thing I need for work so I don't have to load up my pockets or hunt for stuff in my purse.  

New year... new lanyard!   It's a good thing....

Quilts Recap

I did finish the homespun stars quilt before Christmas... yea, me!

My brother-in-law Hank was both surprised and pleased with it!

My sister Carol sent a photo of the quilt on Hank's chair when they got home from their visit.   The chair is new and I've not seen it... so I think I done good coordinating the fabrics to his new chair.

My brother-in-law Monty was also surprised and pleased with his quilt.

It seems my sister Eleanor reads my blog...  I didn't know that.... but didn't spill the beans to her DH so the quilt was truly a surprise.   Monty was asking about how to hang it on the wall and planning who he needs to show it too.

Guess what my sister Eleanor gave me....

....I love it!

Doll Beds Recap

The girls were pleased with their doll beds...   I didn't wrap them and let the girls pick the one they wanted.

Their dolls spent a lot of time in the beds, snuggled under the quilts.

However, these beds had a difficult time competing with a tablet and a Barbie camper...

 I did have Emma pick out some fabrics to make a sleeve for her new tablet.... and she even did the quilting!

No pattern... I just winged it with the tablet on the ironing board next to the machine...

...I think it turned out well.   Emma was pleased with it!

Then, to be fair....  I had my daughter pick out some fabric and made her a sleeve for her Kindle Paperwhite reader.

She liked it too!

Now my girls have a nice protective sleeve for their new electronics...