Nancy Drew Redux - an iPad case

 

Anne's new "Nancy Drew" iPad case

     I recently finished two  Nancy Drew quilts for some friends,



One of the two similar Nancy Drew quilts.

and had some of the material left over for other projects.  I am planning to make a tote bag, but still have some 10 inch squares, and a few other scraps. 

Some of the 10 inch squares from the layer cake.  I used a number of them in the corners of the quilts

      My daughter sent me a link to the tutorial in Fresh Lemons for an iPad case (found here), and asked if I could make it with one of the big book cover panels. 

The Nancy Drew book cover panels

     That would have been very cool, but the panels were just too large for an iPad case.  I still had a fair amount of  the black "Nancy Head" fabric left,  and some squares of many various books on a bookshelf, which seemed a perfect substitute.   Anne was recently home for a weekend, and we had ourselves a little mother/daughter project! 

     Using the tutorial, which was pretty clear, we got to work cutting out the fabric.  

The various pieces cut and ready to go

     After we got all the cutting done, Anne exclaimed that "the rest will be easy - it is just sewing."   Well, easy enough for her when she leaves the sewing to me!

     It did go pretty easily, and from start to finish was just a few hours.  We had fun working together, and took frequent breaks!  

The inside lining assembled.  We were using the iPad to follow the instructions! 



    I love how the books form the bottom of the case.  I did the pocket lining just in black - I thought anything more would detract from the four fabrics already in play for this little case.  I liked the zipper instructions in the tutorial - but if I make another one, I'll put the zipper in opening the other way.

The front of the iPad case (before sewing on the velcro pieces for the flap).

A close up of the lining, which does show, and I had enough of the black fabric left from the quilts to make it work.  I found some labels I had ordered years ago and I've started using those on my projects.

The back of the case.   I fussy-cut rows of the heads for the quilts - it was fun to use a larger bit of the fabric.

The case fits her iPad perfectly, and the front pocket holds her Kindle, or can hold the charger.

     Voila - another picture of the case.  We both loved how it turned out, and it is just a fun way to protect her iPad.  I think this is a great use of novelty fabrics.  I can see making some more of these in a variety of fabrics in the future.   I wish I could find more of the bookshelf Nancy Drew fabric - it seems to have sold out completely.  Moda Fabrics, are you listening???

The Nancy Drew iPad case (before I sewed the velcro pieces to the flap).

     This was a fun little project and I was happy to share the time with my daughter.
 

     Enjoy the week!

Take care,
Gretchen


 

2005 - A Nine-Patch Odyssey

 

Jahdiel's quilt

     I have been reaching out to relatives and friends to get photos of the quilts I neglected to photograph.   My sister brought home the quilt I made her son Jahdiel  when he was born in 2005.    I couldn't remember what I had done to celebrate his arrival, although I knew I had made something special and cheery. 

      I was so pleased to see the bright 9-patch blocks set on point in bright solid yellow (my favorite color), with interesting quilting.   Each patch contained nine different little juvenile prints or 30s reproduction prints or the like, mostly reds, blues and yellows.  All very happy little prints.   I was so glad to hear it had been hung in his room for many years.



It was still a little wrinkled from the trip home!

I had done a spiral quilting pattern in the 9-patch blocks, and in the yellow square blocks. 

I quilted a loopy loop in the yellow setting blocks.   



A close up of one of the blocks and some of the spiral quilting. 

     Those nine patch blocks looked quite familar - especially the ubiquitous Three Little Pigs print that I have written about previously.    In an earlier post, I had shared the only picture I have of a quilt I made in 2005 for my niece's oldest daughter, Kathryn.  That quilt, too, used the happy scrappy 9-patch blocks, but  I had set those in rows, separated by wide red strips.   It is difficult to see in the picture below, but the quilting was a fun swirl pattern.  

Kathryn's quilt

      I looked through my other pictures, and apparently I spent 2005 making these 9-patch blocks!     Kathryn's cousin, Eric, also arrived that year.    He, too, got a quilt made with a dozen of these 9-patch blocks, this one set on point with solid red.

 

Eric's quilt

       My niece sent me the picture above of Eric's quilt, and for some reason, I did have other pictures of that one (but not the others) on my computer.   These pictures show the swirly quilting I did on both  Eric and Kathryn's quilts.    I also used the fabric from the back of Eric's quilt for the binding of Jahdiel's quilt. 

A close up of Eric's quilt with the backing

You can see the overall quilting in this picture. 

A very close up shot of the quilting - before the quilt was washed, I am sure. 

     Three dozen 9-patch blocks, three sweet little quilts for three sweet babies.  Happy 8th birthday this year to them all! 

 

     I apparently wasn't done working with 9-patch blocks that year.  In checking my photos and seeing when they were taken, I realized that the "camp quilt" I made for my son from leftover reproduction civil war fabrics was also completed in 2005. 





Dave's camp quilt

     For Dave's quilt, I also used a new quilting pattern, a grid that created a 9-patch look in the solid red. 

A close up of the quilting.


     I like to think about the three kids scattered across the country having quilts that tie them together, even if they never meet.   I am also going to use that swirling quilt pattern soon on a new project.  I forgot how cute that was! 

     Enjoy the last few weeks of August.

Take care,

Gretchen