Bari J.

I have so much to tell you about quilt market and so many pictures to show, but this sweet face wanted a Bijoux maxi dress for the last day of school (tomorrow), and I couldn't resist her charms. Look at that gorgeous smile... she just got her braces off! For those of you who noticed, yes, she has taken over my new purse.

I totally winged this dress... Basically, I hemmed the top using my hem foot. Then I added 1/4" elastic by zig zag stitching it on just under the hem (the elastic is just slightly shorter than her measurement). Then I added the skirt which is simply the width of the fabric gathered just a touch. I did the elastic the same way at the waist. I put one seam all the way down the back after the top and skirt were sewn together. I used half inch seam allowances which was a good thing because we found after she put it on that it needed a slit in the back. So she can actually, you know... walk. I simply opened the seam at the bottom 12", slit the seam allowance to the stitching at the top, and folded the slit in 1/4" twice, and top stitched all the way around the opening. I back stitched several times at the top of the opening so that the stitching in the seam doesn't come out. And, no, I didn't bother matching the print. Don't judge.

Prints used: Bijoux Dancing Harvest in Guava for the skirt and Bijoux Embroidery's Fortune Rose for the top.

Happy sewing! 

Thank you to the first three hostesses for the Bijoux launch party, Melanie, Cristy and Melissa! I loved your projects! Today it's time to go visit Michonne at I'm doing stuff, see what she did with Bijoux and enter to win 10 fat quarters on her blog! Thank you, Michonne!

Meanwhile since you're here... I wanted to talk a little bit about something important to me. I've been thinking about this a lot as I prepare for quilt market. One thing that I've learned over the years, is that it's great to be arty and mindful of design when creating. And, it does truly define what I do. However, I've also found that technique really matters. It matters a lot to do things well. My techniques have definitely improved over the years, but one of the things that I has improved the most is my binding. I've always done good bindings, but recently I found a technique through my good friend Miss Cristy that her mom, Sharon Schamber perfected.  

I've watched this video through a minimum of three times. What I've found is, if I skip just one little detail... domino effect... all downhill from there. So, watch carefully. The way she does this has improved my work by miles.

 

Today it's Melissa's turn to give away a 10 piece fat quarter stack of Bijoux! I'm so excited to see what she's made too!!! Go stop at her place and give her some love.

But before you head to the party, I know you want to know how I made these dimensional flying geese. I am CRAZY over flying geese to begin with, but when I found out that you can make them with just one seam and like little pieces of origami, I about flipped my lid. This quilt was made using Ricky Tim's tutorial below. It's so simple, you won't believe it. 

 

Happy sewing! And go get yourself some Bijoux!!! Please post your creations to the Flickr Group.

Today's stop on the launch party is at Cristy Fincher's blog, Sew Much Like Mom. Be sure to go check out what she has in store for you, and enter to win 10 fat quarters of Bijoux by Bari J.

Also, now that Bijoux is in stores, we have a free quilt pattern available for you...

Download the pattern here...  Download JeweledWanderer_instructions

First, to get in the Bijoux mood... you'll need to watch this incredibly special video that Art Gallery Fabrics put together. It really expresses just how versatile this line is. And... this is totally the sexy version of my earth mama, Bijoux. Lawd (fans self), I had no idea I'd created such a damn sexy fabric line until I saw this. Thank you a million times to Pat Bravo and the incredible people at Art Gallery (I'm looking at you Kat) who put this video together! 

 

Now, everyone head over to Melanie's house and see what she made with Bijoux... and ask for a strawberry lemonade... Bijoux would totally drink that. The Bijoux in the video I think maybe spiked it a little too. Go ahead, add something saucy. If you are wearing a little mustard or magenta (together really is best) that make a great party outfit.

Here's a few more photos to inspire your inner Bijoux.

Please note: do not enter to win here. You must enter on the blogs on the launch party list above. Thank you!!!

What does a Bijoux by Bari J. launch party look like? Well, a little like this...

And a whole lot like this... 11 blog party stops of this... involving 11 giveaways of 10 fat quarters of this...

So get your party skirts on... 

... and go see what all of these fantastic bloggers have made with Bijoux! It's in stores starting tomorrow!

 

May 8: Melanie Dramatic
May 9: Sew Much Like Mom
May 10: 100 Billion Stars 
May 11: I'm Doing Stuff 

(mother's day, no stop on the 12th)

May 13: Imagine Gnats 
May 14: Jona G. 
May 15: Mommy for Reals

May 16: Olive and Ollie

May 17: Pile O' Fabric 

May 18: Sally's Angel Works 

May 19: JM Maxman

 

Look for the incredible video that Art Gallery Fabrics put together to show you what Bijoux is all about tomorrow as well.

And be sure to post your own Bijoux creations in the Bijoux by Bari J. group on Flickr!

Bijoux will start shipping to stores on May 1... Be looking for giveaways, blog hops and more in the coming weeks. Enjoy these little sneak peeks.

 

Some of you may know, I'm a total office supply geek. I love paper products and I love organizing. Over the years, I've developed a system for keeping myself organized. I'm big on list making, and I always have a to-do list going. I organize my to-dos in priorities of A, B, or C which keeps me on track. I also have monthly and weekly calendars. I'm so excited to announce that now you can use my system with pretty graphics from my not yet released fabric line, Bijoux for Art Gallery Fabrics, by simply downloading the printable pack from my web store.

 

 

 

 

 

 The desert inspires me... Where does your inspiration come from?

 

My Bijoux fabric has arrived, and I've started sewing. It will be in stores this May, and of course, I can't wait to see what you will make. Instead of showing you the whole line right now, I'd like to tell you a bit about it's story.

Bijoux is my vision of a woman who is very much a free spirit. She travels around in her vintage caravan collecting things that she loves and that inspire her. She's an artist. And a loner. I envision her as an unusually tall woman with long streaming blond hair. She wears turquoise bracelets, boho skirts and beat up cowboy boots. I see her in dancing barefoot in the desert at night with the stars lighting her way. She's a rocker. She's a gypsy. She loves life. Bijoux means little jewels in French, and it is also the name of my main character. This fabric collection is bits and pieces of her life... as she is bits and pieces of me. 

The story of Bijoux looks a little bit like this. For sneak peeks of what I'm making, be sure to follow me on Instagram. 

Caravan photo from Les Roulottes une invitation au voyage Jeanne Bayol Editions Aubanel

Ahhhhh... Days like today...

should happen more often. 

Today was a rarity around here. I drove my kids to school ... in my pajamas. I didn't even bother putting a bra on (much to their chagrin). When I got back I had breakfast and coffee, painted for a bit, and then I sat on the sofa and embroidered. All. Day. And I was at *work*, people... work. Seriously. The embroidery is for a pattern that's coming out this spring... so I can definitely say I was working. On the sofa, in my pajamas. Bliss.

At 2:30 pm I picked the girls up from school (still in my pajamas), and then sat on the sofa an hour more and embroidered. At 4pm I went to the gym where I took a grueling and totally awesome spin class. 

And now I'm showered and back in PJs!!! 

I quickly fed the troops soup and sandwiches for dinner, and I'm off to embroider until bedtime. Or paint. It's behind me calling my name.

Perfect. Day.

As far as Super Husband is concerned, however, I worked my butt off. I know you won't tell.

Two Stories I Tell Myself.

 
I actually wrote this last night at midnight when I had racing thoughts as I tried to go to sleep. I wrote it on the notes app in my phone. And it helped me get to sleep. My thoughts were about how recently... well over the past several years really... I've been busting down the old walls I built around myself... How I'm rewriting my truth by destroying old negative self truths. By doing what I thought wasn't possible. The pictures in this post are just a small example. I've told myself for years that while I can design on the computer, I can't design with actual paper, paint and pencil. I believed this. Until I tried.

I have two stories. I'm going to tell you both of them because I'm betting at least some of you have similar stories. One is true. The other? Sadly, that's the one that's easier to hold on to. You've told yourself this story since you were old enough to start collecting stories. And you hold on to it because it is deeply rooted in personal history... some of which you may have been too young to understand. 

The other story takes far more courage to believe. But in the end, it's your true story. And only you can write it.

Maybe it's the writing that makes it so difficult. It's gotta be 'eeked out of the dark recesses of who you really are.

The first story? You didn't write it. It's things that you assumed, it's something a teacher said in elementary school, it's the way a childhood friend treated you, it's simply your place in the birth order between you and your siblings. It's all too easy to hold on to.

This is that easy story... and though it's easy to remember, it's not without hardship. I've told myself this story stretching back to my earliest memories. I've told it even when I thought I wasn't. It's the story of what I'm not good at. What I can't do. It's the story about how I'm not liked. If you do like me, it's the story about how if you only knew the truth about who I really am, you would not like me anymore. It's a dreadful, painful story. The telling of it has shattered bits and pieces of me. And yet it's my voice that tells the story. 

If only I/she could be quiet. There's a louder, happier story that needs to be told. A story that doesn't get told nearly as often as it should. A story that once and for all stomps out the smoke from the first story.

The story that needs to be told is the one in which I win. It's the one that says that when I try hard enough, I succeed. It's the one in which I'm good at things I never thought I could be good at. It's the one in which I'm not ashamed of my achievements (as if they aren't my own to share), but proud of them. It's the one in which I don't care if you like me, because I like me enough for the both of us. It's the one in which what I have is enough. I'm grateful. I'm peaceful. Although I tell myself this story over and over, it's at constant war with the other, prickly story. But it's this story that's gonna win. Is winning. Because I'm writing it... I'm not relying on old truths, half memories or something someone else told me.

Bit by bit, day by day, year by year ... it grows louder. It grows more fierce. It's angry at the old irrational story. It pushes through to be the one true story. 

It's my story. It's your story. It's the true story. 

Curved Edge Dresden Plate How To

I love this quintessantial 1920s quilt block so much, and it's much easier to make than you'd think.

I made one of these as a pillow for my quilt market booth for Splendor 1920 and have just made an updated version that I'm about to turn into a pillow as well. This time, I used two Art Gallery Elements fabrics for the backgrounds to give the vintage dresden an updated look. Here's how I made my dresden and the background.

Materials Needed:

8 fabrics for the dresden petals (12" x 12" is plenty), 1 fabric (4") for the center, 2 fabrics (1/3 yard each) for the background

2/3 yard of fusible fleece (this will give you extra)

fat quarter of muslin

Washable Elmer's Glue

Needle and matching thread for applique

Thread conditioner like Thread Heaven (optional)

Download pattern:  Download Dresdenplate_templates

 

Cutting:

Cut 16 Dresden petals and 1 circle center from the attached pattern. I used Splendor 1920 in the "Elegance" colorway for all of the petals and Oval Elements Licorice for the center (note: one of the most important parts of getting the dresden to lay flat will be really accurate cutting. Too much or too little fabric will cause the plate to bow and lay all loopy-ish.)

Cut 2 - 9 1/2" Oval Elements Licorice and 2 - 9 1/2" Living Elements Ebony for the background

Cut one piece of fusible fleece 18 1/4" x 18 1/4"

 

Step by step:

1. Piece the four pieces of elements together in a square for the background. I alternated prints.

2. Lay out your dresden design. I went with a design in color order from darkest to lightest. When I'm satisfied with my layout, bring it over to the sewing machine on a small cutting mat to keep it in order. I've been known to move them around if I don't leave them just so. You can also take a quick phone photo of your layout to remember the order.

2. Place the first two petals right side together, and sew together along one edge using a 1/4" seam allowance. (Note: As I mentioned before, accurate cutting is super important. A super accurate seam allowance is also imperiative.)

3. Keep adding petals until all 16 are attached, then sew the first petal to the last petal.

4. Press all of the seams to one side.

5. Place the dresden right side down on the piece of muslin. Pin it in place.

6. Cut the muslin to the shape of the dresden.

7. With the dresden still pinned to the muslin, bring it to the sewing machine. Set your machine to a slightly shorter stitch. Mine is usually at 2.5, so I bring it to a 2.0. This helps to go around small curves. Starting at a seam, sew around one curve of a petal using a 1/4" seam allowance. When you get to the next seam, stop, pivot at sew to the next seam. Repeat until you've sewn the entire way around the dresden.

8. Press to set the stitches. Snip to but not through the seams all the way around the dresden. It will be especially important to snip at the seams between petals to avoice bulk at the points.

9. Turn the dresden right side out through the hole in the middle. Press well. I use a pin to pull each seam neatly out. It's important to really take your time doing this to avoid puckers and points.

10. Place fabric circle and the muslin circle right sides together, and sew together using a 1/4" seam allowance. 

11. Snip to but not through the seams as you did for the dresden.

12. Pull the muslin away from the fabric and snip an x through the muslin. Turn throught this hole. Press well.

13. Place the dresden exactly centered on the background. Use elmers glue to hold in place. Press to set the glue. (This washes out.) Do the same for the circle on the top.

14. Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the base.

15. Using a blind stitch, stitch the dresden to the background. This is how you applique by hand. If you are familiar with hand sewing binding, it's like that, except that I take even smaller stitches.

    A blind stitch is just that, blind. You won't be able to see it when you are done. Here's how...

        15a. Start at the top of the fabric and bring the needle through the background taking less than a 1/4" stitch.

        15b. Exactly where the needle came up, place the needle into the dresden taking less than 1/4" stitch right in the fold (the                 edge of the fabric) of the applique (dresden).

        15c. Exactly where the needle came out of the edge of the applique fabric, place it back down into the base fabric. Continue until the entire applique is sewn in place.

Note: My Rule of thumb here is, if you can see the needle between stitches, you'll be able to see thread.

 You can see below where I've taken about five stitches along.

Once you have the entire dresden and the circle center stitched in place, you are ready to quilt as desired. I did a different design on each petal and then an all over flower for the background. Now I'm ready to make this into a pillow! The instructions for pillow making will be in a separate post.