Geeky Girl Engineer – Page 7 – Nature, travel, pets, home renovation, and geekery

Solar Eclipse : The solar eclipse is the main reason I came out west for vacation. I have seen a partial solar eclipse before, but never a total solar eclipse. It was like Continue Reading →

Snorkeling in Alaska : While planning for my vacation in Alaska, I learned that there is a company, appropriately named Snorkel Alaska, that leads snorkeling tours near Ketchikan. If there is a way for Continue Reading →

Carrie Blast Furnaces : I’m in Pittsburgh for the long weekend. Today I took a tour with Rivers of Steel of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. The area is part of the former U.S. Steel Continue Reading →

Nuttallburg : I started exploring New River Gorge National Park today. It is second on my list of things to see in West Virginia after the capitol. The park is really spread Continue Reading →

Bridge Walk : I spent today doing more exploring of New River Gorge National Park, but I started the day by walking across a bridge. The walk across the bridge was under the Continue Reading →

St. Patrick’s Day Quilting

Posted on March 16, 2022 by geek

I have been having a lot of fun making holiday table runners and other decorations, so I decided to make some St. Patrick’s Day decorations. While I am part Irish, decorating for St. Patrick’s Day is really more an excuse to make things with green fabrics. Green is my favorite color. I made a total of two table runners, two pillows, and a door hanger. This may be a bit excessive, but did I mention green is my favorite color? Also I had some leftover shamrock fabric from a sewing project years ago that I wanted to use.

One of the table runners was from a pattern called Lots O’ Luck. The other table runner I made similar to my Mardi Gras table runners by just sewing strips together of various solid green, green patterns, and lots of shamrock fabrics. I quilted the strip table runner with a stitch my sewing machine had that looks like shamrocks, which was a happy find.

Two St. Patrick’s Day table runners

Close up of St. Patrick’s Day table runner made with green fabric strips

I found a machine embroidery appliqué pattern for a shamrock, so I used that to make pillows along with some shamrock fabric that I had.

Two similar St. Patrick’s Day pillows using a shamrock appliqué and fabric

Finally I made a door hanger using the same machine embroidery appliqué pattern and all the various shamrock fabrics that I had. To a certain degree, I was using up scraps of some of the shamrock fabrics, which somewhat set the design. I also machine embroidered “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” for it.

St. Patrick’s Day door hanger using a shamrock appliqué and fabric

Quilted Wreath

Posted on March 6, 2022 by geek

I like to decorate my front door with wreaths (Halloween, Easter, Mardi Gras, etc.) and other holiday decorations. I bought some spring and Easter fabric for some projects, and two of the floral fabrics in the collection reminded me of cherry blossoms. [The fabrics are from Dear Stella’s Hop to It collection.] The D.C. area loves cherry blossom season, and we are currently waiting for them to bloom in a few weeks. I decided to use those floral fabrics to make a quilted “wreath” for my front door to celebrate the cherry blossoms. The wreath has an approximate outside diameter of 18 inches with an inner diameter of about 6 inches. This is the first project I have made where I attempted to sew on a curve, and it shows, but I continue to practice and improve.

Finished quilted wreath hanging on front door

Making it was fairly simple. I wanted the wreath to be about 18 inches wide in total, and I wanted a 6 inch hole in the middle. That would make the fabric wedges have about a 6 inch radius after being cut. [My math, geometry, and drafting skills came in handy in designing this.] I started with two 9.5 inch squares of each fabric, and then I cut all four blocks on the diagonal.

Fabric squares cut on the diagonal

I then sewed two triangles of the different fabrics together and repeated four times to give me four complete squares.

The two different fabric triangles sewed together to make a square

I sewed all four squares together to give me a classic pinwheel design. I got the pinwheel point near perfect, and I was shocked and ecstatic about that, even though I was going to cut it out.

Complete pinwheel square

I then cut a six diameter circle out of the middle. I had a cutting template for that portion, so that was relatively easy. I couldn’t find a template for an 18 inch diameter circle. Instead I folded the square twice into quarters, measured a 9 inch radius, and then freehanded the cut. It came out fairly well.

Top fabric cut into wreath or donut shape

I then layered the fabric with batting and a bottom fabric and pinned together. I then free-motioned quilted.

Top fabric donut basted with batting and bottom fabric

Once it was quilted, I used the top layer as my guide to cut the batting and bottom fabric to give me a donut shape again.

Quilted sandwich cut into wreath

I added binding and a ribbon with which to hang the wreath. I also added fabric pockets like you would to insert a dowel or similar to hang a quilt. I added four pockets, but it does not work quite as well on a circle. I used wire to make a ring to fit inside the pockets, so that the wreath would keep its shape. I couldn’t get the wire ring to stay inside because the pockets were too shallow and the wire was not stiff enough. Thus I used the old stand-by of safety pins to pin the wire ring to the pockets. Somewhat messy on the back, but it works.

Quilt sandwich with binding and fabric pockets on back to hold wire ring

Mardi Gras Door Decoration

Posted on February 13, 2022 by geek

I’ve made several Mardi Gras table runners just by sewing simple strips, and I also made one table runner using a pattern I bought. Then I had some leftover fabric pieces as well as some fabric I really loved and wanted to use for something special. Also, I had found a really nice fleur de lis cross-stitch pattern while I was in New Orleans, and I wanted to use the cross-stitch for something special. So what to do? I decided to make a quilted piece to hang on my front door. Luckily, my front door is actually a set of double doors because my Mardi Gras wreath is hanging on the other door.

Finished piece hanging on my front door

The centerpiece of the piece is the cross-stitch for which I used Mardi Gras colors. This was a perfect place to display the cross-stitch.

Fleur de lis cross-stitch in Mardi Gras colors

Since I don’t live in New Orleans, I decided perhaps I need to make it completely clear what my decorations are for, so on the absolutely wonderful fabric by Dear Stella that I just love, I machine embroidered “Happy Mardi Gras.” I love the beads on a fence design, and with just a little work to get the spacing right, the white space allowed me to embroider the greeting.

Mardi Gras fabric with “Happy Mardi Gras” machine embroidered on it

Then I just used left over fabric from the table runners to complete the piece. This included the back, which is entirely composed of leftover fabric stitched together.

Back of Mardi Gras door decoration composed of leftover fabric

Mardi Gras Table Runner from Pattern

Posted on February 12, 2022 by geek

I previously made several Mardi Gras table runners using simple strips. These were really easy and a fun way to show off the wonderful fabrics I found. While shopping for Mardi Gras fabrics, I also found a pattern for a fun table runner or wall hanging using appliqués. It features king cake pieces, crowns, and plastic babies, so it is perfect. It was relatively easy, but with so many squares to put together, it is clear that my sewing still needs to improve as not all the corners met. Oh well, I will keep practicing. The pattern also called for prairie points, which I have never made before. I like the way they came out, and for the appropriate piece, they can be perfect like for this table runner.

King cake table runner

Close up of one side of king cake table runner

Closeup of middle area with appliqués of king cake and free motion quilting to decorate king cake

Close up of one side of king cake table runner

Mardi Gras Cross-Stitch

Posted on January 31, 2022 by geek

I made these last year, and I evidently forgot to post photos of them. I found some wonderful cross-stitch thread named appropriately Mardi Gras. The words are based on a font pattern that I found online. The rest of it is original. I drew a fleur di lis and masks on a grid and then created a cross-stitch pattern out of them. It is probably difficult to see in the photos, but for the stitched beaded necklaces, like Mardi Gras throws, I used seed beads to make them really look like beads. The one that says Happy Mardi Gras was originally the only one I was planning to make, but I had a bunch of the thread left over, and I really liked it, so I made another piece just to use the thread. I created a patted mat board with the finished pieces. I then hung them with Mardi Gras beads that I glued around the pieces. I love to decorate for Mardi Gras. It is just so much fun.

Cross-stitch pieces on padded mat board hung by Mardi Gras pieces

Two Mardi Gras cross-stitch pieces

Happy Mardi Gras cross-stitch

Cross stitch that says Laissez les bons temps rouler

Laissez les bons temps rouler cross-stitch

Mardi Gras Table Runner

Posted on January 30, 2022 by geek

I was able to spend a couple of days in New Orleans on my way back home from spending the holidays with relatives. One of the top things I wanted to do was find a fabric store with New Orleans theme fabric, especially for Mardi Gras. Outside of New Orleans, finding Mardi Gras anything really, can be difficult. I found a fantastic fabric shop on Magazine Street (a great shopping area if you are ever there) called Chateau Sew & Sew. They had so many wonderful Mardi Gras appropriate fabrics, and I went a little crazy. Anyway, I just made some simple table runners with standard 2.5 inch strips. I made one for me, my mom, and a few extra. I am thinking of trying to sell an extra on Etsy or something, just to recoup the cost of the fabric. They were so easy to make, and they are just so fun. I am so happy to finally have some Mardi Gras decorations inside my house. I did make a Mardi Gras door wreath and a couple of cross-stitch pieces, but still I needed more decorations.

They are, of course, mainly green, purple, and yellow, the colors of Mardi Gras. I found two different fabrics with fleur de lis, a constant symbol in New Orleans. I used the fabric with irises for a couple of reasons besides the colors. Louisiana iris is the state wildflower of Louisiana, but also my mom was in Krewe of Iris. In the below photo, the one of the right, is the one I made for me. I just love the fabric that looks like Mardi Gras beads, so I used that to border the rest of the strips. It makes the whole runner a bit wilder, but I love it. I also used several different green, purple, and yellow strips for the binding instead of one fabric for binding. That also makes it a bit wilder, but it is for me. Finally, for all of them, I used a programmed stitch in my sewing machine that I think looks like Mardi Gras beads for the quilting stitch.

Mardi Gras themed fabric sewed in simple strips to make table runners

Three of the Mardi Gras table runners

Mardi Gras themed fabric sewed in simple strips

Part of one of the Mardi Gras table runners

Part of the Mardi Gras table runners I made for me

Bathroom curtain

Posted on January 15, 2022 by geek

I finally finished a project I have been wanting to do for about a year now. In my master bathroom, I had a store bought, plain white, Roman shade. It did its job, but I really did not like it for a multitude of reasons. I wanted to make a curtain for the window instead. Since last year I bought a fancy new sewing machine that does embroidery, I decided to use that to make a simple curtain into something not so simple.

The curtain is made of white denim. I choose this material because it lets in light while giving me privacy. I sewed a simple rectangle a bit bigger than the window. I then sewed simple tabs to hang it from a very simple rod I bought at IKEA. I had to use really simple finals as there is not a lot of room in between the window and the shower on the left and door to the water closet on the right. Then to make the curtain fancier, I bought a collection of machine embroidery floral border patterns. I sewed several corner and border patterns around the curtain’s perimeter. Then all I had to do was hang the curtain. I really like how the curtain looks. It is perfect for my bathroom.

New bathroom curtain

Close up of border embroidery

Close up of corner embroidery

Close up of border embroidery

My second quilt

Posted on December 26, 2021 by geek

After I made my first quilt, which was a Christmas gift for my mom, I made my second quilt, which was a Christmas gift for my sister. I think I am more proud of my second quilt because it is a patchwork quilt of completely original design. The independent fabric store where I spend way too much money had a sidewalk sale in October with lots of fabric remnants for sale. It was perfect for what I had planned for the quilt. My sister and I went to Alaska for vacation this summer, and this photo below that I took in Tracy Arms was the inspiration for the quilt.

South Sawyer Glacier

I wanted the quilt to essentially have three sections. The middle and biggest section would be the glacier. The bottom section would be the water, and the top section would be the sky with a bit of the mountain behind the glacier. Other than that, the only other real design was to vary the blues and greens in the glacier to reflect the dark blues visible at the front of the glacier. I also used some black fabric to represent glacier moraine. There was no real pattern to pieces. I just cut and sewed the fabric to make it look the way I liked it. I also challenged myself to have as few scraps leftover as possible. You kind of have to squint your eyes and use your imagination, but I think it looks like a glacier. I am happy with the way it came out, and my sister likes it too.

Front of the glacier patchwork quilt

I used remaining scraps left over from the front on the back as well as whatever blues I had left from the remnant pile from the sale. Once I looked at the finished back, it kind of looked like I sewed a message on the back, but that was not intentional.

Back of the glacier patchwork quilt

A few up close photos of the front are below to show the patchwork.

Up close view of glacier patchwork quilt

My first quilt

Posted on December 25, 2021 by geek

I finished my first quilt a couple of months ago, but I couldn’t post the photos until now as it was a Christmas present for my mom. I found the pattern at Jordan Fabrics after watching her videos describing it, which was really helpful. It is called a race quilt, although I have also heard it described as a race track quilt. It is easy as most of field pieces are made of pre-cut fabric strips from a jelly roll. For the most part, it is made just by sewing long strips together. I used a Kaffe Fassett Classics Design Roll called Ocean, and the rest of the fabrics are also from Kaffe Fassett. I was happy with the way it turned, and it was an easy first quilt to make.

Front of the race quilt

Back of the race quilt (those are octopuses)

Detailed view of the quilt top

Patchwork wall hanging

Posted on December 15, 2021 by geek

After I made the wall hanging with the three cross-stitched roses, I wanted to experiment a bit and make another wall hanging with a variety of fabrics. The main purpose of the wall hanging was to find a way to display a large cross-stitch with flowers (upper right). I had two other small cross-stitch flowers that I added to the wall hanging. These are the rose bud in the upper left and the rose in lower center. I used it as an opportunity to patch together a couple of different types of fabrics. The lower left corner rose is an appliqué that is on a cotton towel that I cut. The flower garland embroidery pattern piece from a linen towel. The two vertical center solid pink pieces are from old clothing. The top pale pink is from denim jeans, and the lower bright pink is from a cotton shirt. The rest of the fabric is quilt weight cotton fabric. The different fabrics made it a bit more difficult to sew and square things, but it was a learning opportunity.

Patchwork wall hanging with several fabrics and no set pattern

Wall hanging with three cross-stitch projects and a patchwork of fabrics