It's hard for me to believe how quickly this summer has flown by. I still have much to do before I go back to work for the year. Recently, I've been working on a few projects related to the blog and my Etsy shop.

I guess the biggest project so far has been with my shop. Today is my 6th (!!) anniversary of my original Etsy shop. I suppose that in celebration of that, I finally made the decision to begin closing it. My new shop is pretty much exactly the same as the old, but I've changed my user name to "hiptopiecesquares." I'm hoping that helps people find me a little better. I'd love it if you'd be willing to stop by and give it a little love.

I should mention, though, that I'm having a moving sale. All of what's left in the old shop is 25% off, with the code Move11 at checkout. If you're interested.

Also, I've been working here! Take a look at my new main page! All of the links aren't working just yet, but they will be soon. I'm excited to finally have my own domain name too! Makes things feel a little more professional around here.

Finally, if you haven't and have a Facebook account, you can "like" Hip To Piece Squares there too! I'm trying very hard to keep that updated as well.

Enough of all that! I'll be back with a real post again soon.

posted by Sarah | August 18, 2011 | Etsy Shop | Life | 1 comments | link

Despite winter being AWFUL right now (the windchills were so low today we couldn't even go out for recess today at school) it was finally sunny, all day long. It helped break up the monotony of what has felt like weeks of cold, gray depressing-ness.

I rushed home to take some natural light photographs in my warm kitchen so that I can begin listing the items that I have left over from my holiday shows in my Etsy shop this evening and through the weekend. I only got about 5 items photographed, but the sun felt so good through the window while it lasted.

I hope you too find warmth and color on this winter weekend. Happy Friday.

posted by Sarah | January 21, 2011 | Crafting | Etsy Shop | Life | Quilting | 5 comments | link

I know I talked a lot about it yesterday, but I thought I'd show you all the final version of my five (but now six, since it took me until this morning to finish the binding) day quilt.

Introducing, Scrappy Squares!

I've got to say, that I was so nervous about putting this in the wash. I'm not typically a fabric prewasher, but I've been burned before with some of the red prints in this quilt. Instead of washing before I sewed them, I rinsed them in cold water after piecing, let them air dry until they were nearly dry, and then I ironed them with a hot iron. I was still pretty worried that I'd have some running, but it turned out great. I couldn't have been happier.

(And after some thought about it, I decided to list Scrappy Squares in my Etsy shop.)

posted by Sarah | June 17, 2010 | Etsy Shop | Quilting | 5 comments | link

More selvage action, people! I love this stuff.

Does it step over the line a little when the reason for wanting to buy more fabric has changed from using the actual fabric (or at least stashing the actual fabric) to being solely about the selvage? Because I think I've gotten to that point.

Also, good news everyone! I have two days left of work until my summer break starts. I am so looking forward to spending more quality time with my sewing machine.

posted by Sarah | June 9, 2010 | Etsy Shop | Sewing | 1 comments | link

I just recently (within the last six months or so) figured out about paper piecing, and it has totally changed the way that I think about piecing now. I got started with a few little string piecing experiments, based on Film In the Fridge's tutorial and loved how simple it was. I love how you can take just a sliver of fabric and make it look neat and tidy in a block. It made me think about piecing in a whole new way.

So last night I got to thinking about how I could make it work for squares and small pieces. I know so many people have figured this out already and are thinking "duh, Sarah, duh," but I was so excited about how precise a teeny three inch square could look! Seriously fantastic.

I want to make a whole quilt out of these lovely little blocks, but for last night, I made a very quilty pouch with my little blue square. I'm thinking that tonight I'll make a little green square!

posted by Sarah | June 3, 2010 | Etsy Shop | Sewing | 5 comments | link

You know what's super cool? How SO many people seemed to be genuinely excited about the hand quilting tutorial last week. It's must have struck a deeper chord to me because it kicked my sewing mojo into gear. I want to sew everything now!

Despite my ongoing "Finish It or Pitch It" campaign (two quilts finished this spring!) I broke down and started some new things for my shop. When I updated last week, all three of my selvage pouches sold (thank you!!), so I figured that I'd make some more.

This has resulted in me losing my mind. I want to cut selvage for days, then refold my fabric and find interesting ways to stack it. My mild OCD is shining through the Internet like a beacon of light for all of you to see. I am crazy.

My mind is buzzing with activity. I want to sew (and cut) and sew and sew. I love that feeling.

posted by Sarah | May 27, 2010 | Etsy Shop | Sewing | 2 comments | link

So, I just thought I'd mention that I updated my Etsy shop this week. I haven't been making a while lot of new bags, but I did finally take photos of a few things that I made back over the winter. My favorites are probably the selvage edge pouches, but that's just because I've been hoarding those edges for so long (and although it kinda made me cry to use them, I love the end result so much that it's worth it).

So anyway, if you're interested, I'd be delighted if you stopped by and took a look at what I have. Thank you!

posted by Sarah | May 19, 2010 | Etsy Shop | 2 comments | link

Who's tired of looking at my dorky face? How about some pillows instead? Would that make you all happy?

I was asked to make these for a custom order this past week. She wanted them done the same way that I make my patchwork totes. I hadn't really thought to make pillows like this before (duh) but I like them way better than the log cabin style ones that I've made before. I think I may make a few more like these in other colors.

I've also been taking pictures like it's going out of style because I bought a new camera. The new Nikon D60 and I are joined at the hip. It's a fabulous camera, and I still don't know how to use it all. Hopefully there will be many, many quality photos to show off in the coming days.

posted by Sarah | July 29, 2008 | Etsy Shop | Quilting | 7 comments | link

I know that it seems like I've yet again, abandoned the blog, but alas, I am here. Sewing my brains out!

I'm getting ready for a show next weekend, and these are the latest edition to my goods that I'll be bringing along with me. Journals! For as much as I'm obsessive compulsive about writing everything down, these have been perfect for me to make. Once I fill up one notebook, I can slide it out and put a new one in.

I've been using different colors of linen to line the outside, with three pieces of cotton to make it all pretty-like. I've also found a bit sturdier of an iron on interfacing that seems to work really well. I'm not sure of the name; so far I've been able to pick it out based on feel.

**Side note: Am I the only one who does that with interfacing? All the women at the craft stores don't believe me when I ask for other interfacing than what they have on display, and they'll tell me, "Oh honey, these are the only kinds they make. I'm sure one of these are what you need." And I'm all like "no, I can tell the difference by touch, and this isn't the same interfacing you had last month when I was in the store. I swear there's a conspiracy.

So, these, along with oodles of pouches and bags and other sewing have been keeping me busy this month. Next Saturday I'll be back in Ypsilanti, Michigan for the Summer Shadow Art Fair at the Corner Brewery. It's always a really fun day, so if you're in the area, stop by, look at crafts and have a beer! (You'll have to buy your own, though.)

posted by Sarah | July 9, 2008 | Crafting | Etsy Shop | Sewing | 7 comments | link

I think I may have made the best bag that I've ever made this week.

Not to toot my own horn or anything (that so sounded like something a grandma would say) by I'm pretty pleased with my work on this bad boy. I was sitting in the sewing room the other night, playing with my buttons and I needed to make something with them. I've been through the standard tree button colors a few times now, and I really didn't want to repeat that with this. Instead I started thinking about trees in the spring, and how the purple lilacs are one of my favorites. I ended up with this.

I did pockets with this one. I didn't know I could do pockets!

There was a bit of a tense moment during the whole process when I accidently ripped the last bit of gray fabric that I had. I had miscalculated the seam allowence when I was making the handles, and instead of carefully ripping out the stitching I sliced the whole side of the handel, wrecking it. I nearly lost it. Thank goodness JoAnn's had the same color gray, without any mismatched dye lot issues like I was fearing.

And as usual, I've put this bag up in my Etsy Shop. It may have to be torn from my hands though, since apparently I'm in love with it.

posted by Sarah | June 28, 2006 | Crafting | Etsy Shop | 0 comments | link