getting it right

For Hanukah I decided to make my dad a guitar strap. Seeing that I was a pro since I'd already made one for Lukas I decided to kick it up a notch. This time, with inspiration from this pillow, Lukas suggested adding half stars to the guitar strap. Sure, I can do that!

So, I got out my trusty ruler for fabric cutting that has handy angles on one end of it. Asked Lukas to do some fancy algebra to figure out the length of the triangles. And drafted myself up a paper piecing pattern. This time I was smart enough to scan my draft into the computer before I started sewing to it. Nice to be able to use all that hard work more than once.

I actually did end up needing to use the paper pattern more than once. Try number one used a heavier canvas material in a blue color for the main body of the guitar strap. I only made the star points a different color and also added some quilting in white to help the stars stand out as stars. The issues? The canvas material was pretty stiff. And while it would break-in a bit the stiffness added extra bulk to the seems. With those paper pieced triangles there were quite a few seems. The quilting that I added to give the stars some pop just looked a bit messy even though it wasn't. I think this had something to due with the fact that it was white quilting on a colored fabric. The quilting itself just stood out too much.

So, with some gentle nudging from the husband to redo and do it right I did just that. We took a little field trip to Jo-Ann's {have to say, not my favorite fabric store but it works in a pinch}. Lukas helped me pick out these fabrics - it was tricky. Then I got down to sewing. The paper piecing went quicker on round two. But I got held up trying to add the stars to the rest of the strap.

The first time I added the stars to the rest of the strap I simply sewed a seem perpendicular to the strap and called it a day. For try number two, Lukas suggested that instead I make this seem on an angle so that it fits with the stars. This would help that seem no stand out too much. It only took me three tries on the first seem and two tries on the second to get the seem in the correct spot. First I had to determine the angle at which to cut the fabric. The more challenging part was figuring out how to line up the fabric so that once the seem was sewn the middle of the stars was in line with the middle of the strap. Tricky I tell ya, but not impossible.

At last minute I decided to undo the end of the strap and added a label to it. Got to actually use the letter embroidery stitches my machine has. I have to say, in this instance {and most actually}, Lukas was right. Taking the time to redo the strap was a great idea.

{extra details: backed with a soft brown houndstooth fabric. Any guesses as to what is printed on the dark blue fabric? The stars are two different batiks.}