Hey, Bloggers? Why won't Blogspot format paragraphs?

So, it has been a while since I blogged. I remember using my blog to work on my essay writing. Then, something happened to blogger. All of a sudden, it crammed all of my sentences into one chunk, and the paragraphs disappeared. This is one reason I quit using the blog to write. So, what happened? Does anyone know why this happens? The previous post was written in paragraph format, looked like it was paragraphed, and yet, when it was published, it is a globbed together mess. What's going on with blogger that it does this?

Making a cool hipster bag with zipper pockets inside and out

This bag is featured in a YouTube Video from Jean JellyRoll Queen's YouTube channel. The bag is pictured, but the directions in the video tutorial are for inserting the zipper in the inside pocket. This bag features an outside zipper pocket, plus a slip pocket on the outside, a zippered closing and a single over the shoulder strap, with D rings for strap attachment. An inside slip pocket is also a feature of this bag, as well as the inside zipper pocket. Other videos describe inserting the zipper in the top of the bag. Fabrics-- Basic bag fabric--11" x 27" for outside of main bag 8-3/4" by 11" for lower part of outside zipper pocket 10" x 11" for upper piece of zipper and back of zipper compartment Contrasting fabric--2-1/2" by 27 strips for sides, cut two pieces of this Lining Fabric--14-1/2" by 24"--lower lining below zipper--cut this in half lengthwise to make each piece 11" long 14-1/2" by 3 inches--upper lining above zipper--cut two of these Inner pocket scrap--10" by 5" hem top and fold under the other three edges. Strap fabric--4" by 30-36" (your choice of length) add 8" to your desired length for strap attacchments to body of bag Notions--two 1-1/2" round rings for attaching straps to the bag one 1-1/2" D-ring for key attachment One 12" zipper to match the outside of bag for outside zipper pocket One 16" zipper to match lining Directions--see basic directions on how to insert a zipper in a tote, my YouTube video tutorial, link above in my user notes to see how to add the zipper to the lining and inserting it into the tote. Specific directions for this tote Quilt the basic body fabric 10" by 27" of the tote to batting. Quilt the side strips (two 2-1/2" strips) separately. You will attach the side strips after you construct and attach the front zipper compartment. Front Zipper compartment. Insert zipper between the two zipper compartment pieces (see tutorial how to do this, inserting pocket zipper). Zipper teeth will be facing up with two fabric pieces attached to the two sides of the zipper. Topstitch close to seam where fabric and zipper tape are sewn together. Flip the longer piece of the fabric over so the zipper is facing out, and then line up the bottom raw end edges together, press the zipper compartment flat. There will be extra fabric sticking out above the zipper to form the upper edge of the open outside pocket. You have created a closed zipper compartment. I stay stitched the upper edge of this compartment to keep it from collapsing when used. Press under a 1/4" edge on the doubled zipper compartment fabric ends to form a hem. Take the front quilted piece of the bag, and mark a line across it 12-1/4" from top. Line up the pressed under edge of the zipper compartment on this line, pin and top stitch across the turned under edge of the zipper compartment. (This will form the bottom edge of the bag.) Press the sides of the zipper compartment against the body of the bag, and stay stitch it in place at a scant 1/4". Fold out the length of the bag, and sew the side strips to each side of this piece using a 1/4" seam. Press side pieces out and top stitch them near the seam edge. Fold bag in half lengthwise, and sew up both sides. Miter bottom edges of the bag, using the bottom edge of the zipper compartment to guide where to start the miter. Body of bag is now complete. Complete lining of bag--use directions in tutorial. Attach AFTER attaching the handles. Make the strip for the handle -cut off two 4" pieces of the strap for separate attachment pieces. This bag will only have one long shoulder strap, not two. Attaching the handle. I like to attach my handle in a different way than Jenny uses in her tutorial. I make a separate piece of fabric with either D-rings or O-rings that are attached to the bag, then attach the long handle to the rings. I think this makes for a much stronger handle attachment, as we are going to use our bags for purses. Fold the 4" piece in half, making a circle by butting the raw edges of it together. Place the O-ring/D-ring within the circle. Place the attachment over the side seams of the bag. Top stitch the fabric circle to upper part of the bag 1/2" below the top of the bag with the metal ring within the section toward the top of the bag. Sew the bottom part of the circle below, adding an O ring if you want a key attachment. Attach the lining to the bag, being careful not to catch the strap attachments as you sew it with a 1/4" seam. Attach the strap. Place the strap piece through the O-ring on one side of bag. turn under 1/4" raw edge, and top stitch it in place (I leave about 1" of space above the metal ring to give me enough space to stitch). Adjust the length of the strap on the other end, trim and stitch the same way. There you go! Your hipster bag is complete!

Making a zippered Charm Tote

Check out my YouTube channel Jean JellyRollQueen for a 5 part tutorial on how to make a zippered charm tote.

Hello strangers!

Just got on blogger for the first time in a year and a half! I spend my time now on the Missouri Star Quilt Company forum under the screen name, Jean Sewing Machine. I also post on YouTube under my YouTube channel name, Jean JellyRoll Queen. I have over 20 video tutorials on various techniques of sewing and quilting. I have an 8 part series on making different size quilts and household accessories using the jelly Roll race technique. I've made so many jelly roll race quilts that my fellow forum members call me the jelly roll queen. Jean the Jelly Roll Queen. I've done the math (even though I say I'm no mathematician) for making jelly roll race quilts bigger or smaller. I demonstrate the jelly Roll technique using 7 jelly roll strips to make a placemat size quilted project. I also have a tutorial on making tote bags with zipper closures, serger quilts for hospital charities, and am working on one with a personally designed pattern. I think I have the first two segments of that one on YouTube. I also have a multipart tutorial on making a padded carry case for iPad or ereaders. Some of the other things I've done over the past time away from blogger are: led a 4 day quilt retreat for my forum members, hosted an international quilt friend who attended the retreat, been to about 6 quilt shows in various parts of the country, made about 20-25 quilts for various charities, designed a special child's pillow called "Beddie Bye Book Buddy", it's a pillow with a small animal tucked in to a pocket on the front, with a book about that animal in a pocket on the back, made various bed size and large lap size quilts, bought and learned to use a long arm quilt machine, and enhanced my stash of fabrics to spill out of every closet, nook and cranny of my home! I also built and stocked a craft table with amazing hand made objects, it was moderately successful, but I sold almost $1000 worth of merchandise. I can't forget the 2 large cast and 3 small shows I costumed, which was the focus of this blog from the time I started it! I retired from teaching in Dec. 2012, and spent 2013 traveling extensively, I traveled over 21, 000 miles this year, airplane and car miles, including a wonderful trip to eastern Europe in November on a Viking River Cruise! That was really great, I recommend Viking if anyone wants a great vacation experience! Went to Disney world, Paducah, KY, Oregon 2 times, went to visit my son and family in Des Moines twice, went to Hamilton, MO. several time to the Missouri Star retail store, including the retreat event. Then the trip to eastern Europe, which we started our cruise in Budapest, Hungary and ended up in Prague, Czech Republic. It was just a wonderful and beautiful experience to see old world architecture and medieval opulence so well preserved! Lots of history in that part of the world! Hope to blog again on a regular basis! If there are any of my followers left still looking, I'm still here!

Where has the time gone?

Here it is, the end of July, and I haven't made a blog post in two months. Where has the time gone? This summer, I decided not to costume a play. But that hasn't kept me out of the sewing room, because I've been making quilts. I didn't end up doing the costumes for the Shakespeare play, but did make a couple of poets shirts for the main costumer. But I squeezed in some quilts before our family went to Disneyworld from June 9-15. Then I made more after I got back home. Here's the summer inventory of quilts finished: 3 queen size patriotic quilts 3 kids quilts for my grandsons' birthdays 2 Magic Square quilts, one for a child and one for a retiring colleague 3 other kids quilts 3 jelly roll race quilts Finished several quilt tops that I started in spring. So you can see, the sewing machines have been busy. During July, I went to visit my sister in OR, we attended a quilt show and worked on a project for her newly built home on the Oregon coast. We didn't finish, so, I'm going back the first weekend in August! Summer vacation isn't over yet!

Shakespeare shake up!

I've been asked by my dear friend Dr. J to help costume a Shakespeare show that she is directing. I am working with a very talented costumer who has done plenty of these types of gigs. Tonight we chatted about what will be our next step in costuming the 4 brides in "As You Like It" done by the Riverside Shakespeare Festival, in St. Charles, MO. These dresses are the concepts given to us by the director for 2 of the brides.

The main costumer has many costumes in her collection that may fit the criteria that the director has given us. So building new costumes may not be something I will have to cram into the next week's agenda, because they may already exist! Problem is, tonight and tomorrow were two really big chunks of time that I was going to dedicate to the process of building, but I don't know what to build! Hope once decisions are made that I can actually squeeze them into my schedule, because one week from Saturday, I'M GOING TO DISNEYWORLD! Costumes that I need to do need to be done by then! Well, there's always quilting that I can use my time and fabric for!

Memorial Day in quilt form

It's Memorial Day weekend. We need to remember those who have served in our military forces and many who have lost their lives while serving. My father and father-in-law were in World War II, and my brother served in the Army during the Vietnam era. I have my father's flag that was draped on his coffin when he died. The patriotic theme of decorating is very close to many peoples hearts. So, finding quilt fabrics with this theme is relatively easy, and there is quite a good selection.

My friend Sharon asked me if I would make a quilt for their church in Steelville to use as a raffle item for their summer fundraiser. I told her, "Sure!" and sought out fabrics for the project. I used this simple quilt pattern called "Jelly Roll Race" where you sew jelly roll strips together to form a long strip, then begin sewing the strip together, matching the ends and sewing the two strips together. Once you have done that, you cut that strip in half, sew those together, making a two strip wide piece grow to a 4 strip wide piece, which is half as long. You keep doing this until you have 32 rows of strips. It is a quick and easy pattern, and turns out very colorful and "scrappy" looking when you are finished.

Here is a picture of the different fabrics that are in the jelly roll race quilt, close up.

I always make pillowcases for my quilts, so here are the finished pillow cases for this quilt. I think I love these! I may look for more fabric so I can make some of these that I can keep.

I found this awesome flag fabric for the backing, and it was really inexpensive. Often the backing ends up costing more than the actual quilt, because you need a lot of fabric to use in it. Hope they all like it and that they make a lot of money on their raffle. Happy Memorial Day!