Failure

When I sit down to sew there are a few things I desire. One of them is perfection. I know it's unrealistic to expect perfection while sewing. Many of the quilts I make have minor flaws that I say "defines them and gives them character." However, I still desire nice clean, neat, perfectly straight or curved stitches, crisp lines, etc. I'm learning as I sew to stop letting the desire for perfection ruin the beauty and joy of the project. You'd think after 10 years of quilting I would know by now! Juggling motherhood and crafting are difficult. So the time I get to sew is limited and I cannot be as meticulous as I once was. We are all our toughest critics right? I think sometimes that's very true. Other times we picked the wrong person to craft for! Ha!
I stumbled upon these two gems just now. They both are so true. Thanks for the reminder, world!

I made things.

I made some new things. Like these below. :)

Visit http://www.rlbarlow.etsy.com

Texas Flag Quilt

I've been sewing. I still have to appliqué my star on but I love how this turned out.

60in x 90in.

4 shades of each color. 1/2 yard of each shade. 15 rows in each color.

Some things just don't work, at first.

Sometimes when I'm sewing I have great ideas! My head is full of thousands of brilliant masterpieces. Here is one that I failed at. I sewed this beautiful stretchy ruffle fabric onto wonderfully soft minky. They both stretch. I didn't use my walking foot. So the finished product isn't perfect. It's edges don't lay flat. Next time I know better.

It is for sale. Email barlowbabyquilts@gmail.com

Cheat on that casing!

So you're making something that involves threading elastic or other material through a casing or tunnel. It's so tedious to sit there and push the elastic through little by little. Here's what I do.

1) Buy a bundle of elastic. Measure and mark your elastic at your desired length. Make an arrow so you know which side is the correct length.
2) Pin the elastic onto your fabric.
3) Sew the casing with the elastic inside, leave your usual opening. Be sure not to sew over the elastic!
4) Pull the excess elastic until you find your mark.
5) Stitch together, cut excess, and close!

Modge Podge Fabric Coasters DIY

This one is so simple! There are about 100k of these tutorials floating around. If you need custom coasters or gifts this is just for you!

You'll need:
Tiles, modge Podge (the finish is upto you,) fabric pieces, paint brush, & clear coat.

Cut your fabric to fit your tiles. You can make shapes or anything you desire.

Paint a layer of MP on your tile. Well do one at a time. Quickly apply your fabric. You have a few seconds to make adjustments.

Smooth, but do not stretch, the fabric over tile evening and flattening it out.

Let it sit and work with your other tiles.

Go back to the first tile and apply 1 or more costs of MP over the fabric. Allow it to set in between layers.

Let it dry completely. Spray your clear coat on top. Let that dry. All done!

Win a mini quilt!

Hey there everyone!
          Do you want to win a mini quilt? This has got to be the easiest contest ever. All you have to do is submit a photo of a quilt you absolutely love. You can email it, post the pin, post the link, find a way to get it to me! From the submissions I will pick my favorite. The winner will recieve a mini quilt. Whats a mini quilt? Its a small quilt used for decoration. Google it :)

Emails can be directed to barlowbabyquilts@gmail.com
You have until June 25th 12:01am. Only one submission per person. If you submit one then find a better one ill count whichever one you like better. You must clearly identify which you like best in that case. AND GO!!!!