I hope you are enjoying your day! I have been looking at my stash of kids and baby fabric lately and realize I need to use up some of this fabric just sitting around waiting for it to be used. So I am on to another "stash busting" project! What better way than pillow cases? A pillow case uses up about 1 yard (close to 1 meter) of fabric and it's an easy way to have a gift ready for family. It does not have to be made out of "kids' only fabric. It can be made for people of all ages and you can personalize it with a name appliqued or embroidered on it if you like. Todays tutorial is simply how to make the basic pillow case. This "tube" method is so fast and easy, I will never make a pillow case any other way! This is the fabric I chose to get started with: How to make the pillow case: 1) Chose 3 coordinating fabrics and cut 27"x width of fabric of main fabric (dinosaurs), 9" x width of fabric for a cuff, 2" x width of fabric of piping. 2) Lay the fabric on top of each other matching fold lines and cut off selvages through all layers so that you know that all 3 fabrics are exactly the same size. 3) Fold the 2" piping piece and the 9" cuff piece in 1/2 on the long side and press well with wrong sides together. 4) Open up your 9" cuff piece and lay it on a flat surface right side facing towards you. 5) Open up and lay your 27" main fabric right side facing up on top of the cuff fabric (I know this seems wierd with wrong side facing right but bear with me!). Match your raw edges. 6) Keep your 2" piping fabric folded and lay this piece on top of the other fabrics matching raw edges 7) Start to roll the bottom edge of your main fabric up from the bottom towards the top edge of all fabrics until you can see the cuff fabric showing underneath your fabric roll. 8) Carefully pick up the bottom edge of the cuff fabric and bring it over top the main fabric roll and piping fabric and pin this bottom edge through all 5 raw edges of the piping main and cuff fabric. You will have a "Tube" 9) Sew 1/4" from the pinned raw edge of the "TUBE" 10) You will now turn/pull your fabric through the tube to the right side 11) When it is all pulled out it should look like this: 12) Fold your pillow case now right sides together so that piping and cuff match at the sides and pin to secure. 13) Sew down the side and across the bottom with a 1/4" seam allowance (you could also serge it at this stage as well if you have a serger). If you sew, you may also want to zig zag your raw edges to avoid fraying after sewing. 14) Turn your pillow to the right side and you are done! Admire your efforts! Some Show and Tell:Mabsy makes these frequently as gifts and now that I have discovered this method, I will too! (I know now why she loves to make them!!)
Using quality quilting cotton (boutique,quilt shop cotton) makes an even longer lasting pillowcase than a purchased one. Choose fabric that is personality specific, embroider it and you have a wonderful gift and you have started to use up your stash! Have a great Tuesday! Stay Warm⛄️😊
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Scrappy One Patch, Nine Patch, Friendship Star, Four Patch, Pinwheel and Square in a SquareI was thinking recently about the best blocks to use to bust my over abundant stash. My thoughts were what are the fastest and easiest blocks to construct and still make interesting quilts? It brought me back to the origins of my quilting experience at the beginner phase of my career as a quilter. Sometimes it is excellent to revisit these times when there is so much social media enticing you to make quilts with the newest and hottest technique in quilting! Lots of the new modern styles still incorporate the above blocks with bigger proportions and innovative layouts. Can you think about how you can use these traditional blocks in a different way to be a little more contemporary with your design and still use up your stash? The Scrappy One Patch block shown above uses up many pieces of fabric, you could "super size it" just like fast food and make it quick with strip piecing. Or break it up into different parts. An innovative layout could look like the one below from Crafsy's "Inspiring Scrap Quilting Ideas" blog post: The nine patch is classic and can be used creatively in an outside of the box manner. Check out the layout below from ReannaLily Designs There is a free tutorial on how to make the above quilt here The friendship star combined with a 9 patch was a quilt I worked on many years ago as a donation to The Quilt Project for Breast Cancer and I learned to love this block. Of course I love stars and friends, so naturally I love this block! A beautiful layout below showing one block with friendship stars on the back of a quilt: Read all about this artist Catherine Redford here. Isn't it great that this is a quilt back? It looks fantastic! Hmmm..... quilt backs are a great stash buster! The 4 patch block is a real cutie and the easiest of them all, made from 2 strips of fabric of equal width and length making it quick to sew up. It makes a great combination block with others as well. The above is some work I have done recently with a baby quilt design. It uses the 4 patch and the pin wheel block in combination, showing you secondary patterns. Stay tuned and follow this blog and I will be showing my newest pattern very soon!! The pinwheel shown above and below is also an extremely versatile block and quick to sew up, especially if you make the 1/2 square triangle blocks with "the magic 8 method". Check out "The Magic 8 Method" and a great tutorial here on Craftsy.com/blog This is what you can make with 4 large squares of fabric and 2 attempts at the magic 8 method--- not just pinwheels anymore! The above are not sewn up yet. My friend Linda came over for a sewing day and we were just messing around with the layout. Pinwheels mixed with other blocks in this really pretty quilt above is from cluckclucksew.com - check it out here. So use up your pinwheels in combination with other larger pieces, such a beautiful way to showcase these very fresh looking blocks! The square in a square block is also a great block that you can make from one centre block and then a slightly larger set of 2 blocks cut on the diagonal to make the corner connecting triangles. These blocks also make great quilts! Look at the one below with sashing and corner stones between the blocks. What an amazingly simple but effective layout! Check out the blog post featuring the above quilt---- 10 Modern Quilt Patterns & Tips for Beginners at Craftsy.com I hope you enjoyed this post and can see yourself using traditional blocks to bust your stash in a new way!
Happy Tuesday! 😊 This year I promised to talk about scrap busting and using up your/my over abundant stash of fabric. I am discussing this very important topic because we want to be able to get more fabric one day soon right? There is a lot of pretty fabric in my studio but I don't always buy with a "quilt" in mind because.... well, fabric is just so pretty and I buy so much of it because the designers are so talented! It is all their fault! LOL I end up with fabric that just sits and sits because it is so pretty and I don't want to cut into it. I need to get these pretty princesses off their throne!! Is this sounding familiar to you? So I will started with this fabric: Pretty blue fabric with carrots, strawberries, some kind of bottle, apples, pears, hearts and a garden trowel on it. Cute, nice colours and detail but it will never go into a quilt because it seems to belong in a kitchen sewing project. I cannot tell you when, where or for what purpose I bought it? It is 42" (1.06m) of pretty fabric just lally gaggin' about on my shelf in my studio. So what to do with it? Hmmm....... Something for my kitchen but what? The Question : What to do with 42" (1.06m) of fabric and use it all up? What would you do? The Answer: 1) First get this out 2) Put on 2 spools of red -ish thread or any colour to match your fabric 3) Put the settings on 2 thread rolled hem 4) Cut my fabric up into 8- 14 x 14" squares (to max out the least waste and largest size I can get out of my 42" wide fabric) 5) Serged all edges of the squares with a 2 thread rolled hem and folded them into NAPKINS The quickest and easiest way to use up fabric! 6)*Important Tip*---Once you are finished serging all edges it is important to FRAY CHECK the corners so that all of your serging does not come out and remains un frayed and intact. FRAY CHECK is a product that is also useful for applique, embroidery and for sewing applications where there is a fraying concern. You need just a droplet on the corners, a little goes a long way and it is simply wonderful! See photo of this recommended product below or purchase it here 7) Set Your Table! 7) Be satisfied with the knowledge that paper napkins will not be necessary this year as these cotton ones can be washed and washed! They do not make for extra washing as they take up very little space in the weekly washing. You can make them for all seasons and change it up your dinner table. As they say variety is the spice of life! Making napkins is "Fat Quarter Friendly" Consider using up some of those beautiful fat quarters you have laying about that you bought because they were pretty and you had no project in mind for them. You will have a variety of pretty napkins! Don't have a serger? No Worries use your sewing machine straight stitches. Check out this great tutorial and link entitled DIY Dinner Napkins with Mitered Corners by Lindsay Conner Have a party and make cloth napkins! In September we hosted a bridal shower for my daughter and she wanted a vintage inspired theme. We made napkins for each table and each table was set with one of the colour of napkins below: We had to make 60 of these napkins and that's a lot on my own so my good friend Linda offered to help and we made it into an opportunity to socialize. So much fun! Can't you just imagine making a stash of napkins? Your next party can be colourful and environmentally conscious! Avoid the paper napkins in 2017, save trees, money and the environment by using up your pretty fabric stash and put some style on your table!
Happy Tuesday!👍 Starting my year off right with one of my resolutions....a reused/recycled project. This is a scissor/tool organizer from reused hot chocolate containers. Read more to see the versatility of this project. We are in the "thick" of hot chocolate season and there is no better beverage than a cup of steamy,sweet,delicious hot chocolate after all that snow shovelling! The City of Waterloo experienced the most snowfall in December 2016 compared to many years before. I now consider myself an authority on hot chocolate consumption! If you have kids or grandkids, you may even go through more hot chocolate than we do. This project is a way to start of the year gently with a project that is easy, very useful and involves reusing and recycling and there is no sewing required! This project is a no brainer and I can thank my sister Alison for the idea. Thanks Alison! Originally, Alison gave me the idea of making an eye glass organizer with these empty containers. If you are like us and at an age when we have multiple drug store glasses everywhere, then you would find this idea useful. See the picture below: The above eye glass organizer is made with an empty hot chocolate container, 4 toilet paper rolls and decorative "Duck" brand tape. It sits on the desk in my kitchen at all times and I have found it to be a great go to spot to keep my many pairs of classes (I actually think I need one in every room in the house and I am working on it). There are some cool craft projects on the Duck brand website check it out here Don't you just love the above "quilty" pattern? I am truly obsessed! Sorry, I cannot find the source for this but I think I purchased it at Walmart? To make the striped scissor/tool organizer shown you will need: A hot chocolate container 12 1/2" (32 cm) diameter and 5" (13cm) tall, strips of fabric 14" long (cut with a pinking shear or wavy rotary blade), 4 toilet paper rolls and... Cheap school glue and a paint brush to apply the glue. The inspiration for the colours in this hot chocolate container/organizer was fabric for roman shades I am making for my sewing studio see the fabric below: How to make it: 1) Tear the label off your hot chocolate container and recycle the paper! If you cannot get the paper off thats ok as it will get covered. The fabric nd glue will just adhere better to the matte cardboard. 2) Start adding the strips by putting a dab of glue on the back center of your container and on the top of the strip and wrap it around over lapping it slightly, hold the fabric for a minute until it starts to feel like its holding. It is that simple! 3) Keep adding strips until your container is covered with fabric 4) Insert 4 toilet rolls inside- they will fit tightly and may distort somewhat but thats ok, they are just there to support your tools and will not show once you have your container filled. 5) Fill it with tools such as scissors, rotary cutters, small rulers, pens, pencils, markers, craft supplies etc. (*What to do with the plastic lid? It makes a great round plastic template for a circular applique or cut it up into shapes as a piecing template* You have now recycled something, avoided the landfill and made a new purpose for it! Make this in colours to suit your sewing room. I hope you enjoy this quick and easy project. Happy Tuesday! 😊 This just in! (10:24 am Tuesday January 10th) Mabsy has sent me 2 pictures of recycle containers she made with dollar store sparkle gems! See below: Way to go Mabsy! These are beautiful with the "bling" on them. Another unique way to look at this project. Thanks For Sharing!
Hi everyone, I know I am just a tad late talking about this topic but my "intentions" are in the right direction. Pardon the pun! Lets talk Sewing and Quilting Resolutions. What do you think?
Is sewing and quilting an important part of your life? Does it fulfill you at times when nothing else does? Is your sewing room your happy place?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions then resolutions would be a great way to keep your sewing creative, exciting and maintain your happiness! I know resolutions or "intentions" really help me personally to get focused for the coming year. They give me a direction to start and make some progress over the coming year. At the end of the year it is also a good way to reflect on what you have accomplished! Quilting in the Loft INTENTIONS 2017 (aka explaining the vision board!) 1) Make Do! and this means to try not to purchase any more stuff unless I absolutely need it!. My grandma used to use the phrase "make do and mend" and this really applied to household goods and clothing. But sincerely, I have accumulated so much quilting, sewing and crafting supplies over the years that I can literally keep myself busy for many years to come and I "need" nothing at the present time. This does not mean I will not keep up with current fabric trends. I just need a pause button on the having to have the latest and most beautiful fabrics! I am hoping to share with you some tried, true and tested tools and supplies that I love and work with currently over the course of 2017.
2) Learn.... EQ 7. I accomplished some learning in 2016 and used it for my Quilt Featured Summer 2016 issue #28 of Quilters' Connection Magazine.
In 2017 I want to learn more and become even better at designing with EQ 7 It is so much fun and an effective tool to design with. I am hoping to share my learning with you in the coming year!
3) Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I know we have all heard a lot of this before and in fact the City of Waterloo is changing its garbage service this year in an effort to force folks to reduce their waste.
By noting it as an intention it is to make myself accountable by reducing some of my consumables. I also plan to show my blog followers some neat projects they can do to reduce waste, recycle goods and reuse some common household items!
4) This is probably the easiest! Make sewing happy!! Now that I have a wonderful studio to work in, I plan to work on projects as I feel motivated to do so and I plan to continue to play music loud, dance in my studio and enjoy working with all the fabric and quilting supplies I have. LOL
I really do dance in my studio!! Not a guilty pleasure at all! I get up every 20 minutes to save my back and move! Please dont go there with the visual!! I also plan to continue to enjoy showing my blog followers what I am working on. If I am not enthusiastic, you don't feel inspired either!
5) Think outside of the box. I plan to continue to create and share innovative, useful and classy projects that you as a blog follower will want to make. Nothing is worse than making something and not being excited about it! So I am going to try to focus on projects that show interesting construction, beautiful form and excellent function.
6) Use up my stash! Oh happy day! This means I can buy more fabric next year!! I just need to pause and focus on projects that use of my stash of beautiful fabric and show you how to also use up your stash!
Yes you can buy more fabric next year too! If your stash is not that big, you can buy more next month after you try some of the upcoming projects on this blog! This sounds like a fantastic intention when you put it this way!
7) Last but not least Complete Quality Work!
This includes completing some UFO's, doing some wonderful custom longarming for my customers and being mindful about producing great quality patterns and projects for you as our blog followers. I will of course share my work on a weekly basis so check back often, I am hoping we can inspire you!
Follow along with us as we try to follow these intentions, I am sure this 2017 journey will be fun and informative!
Happy Monday! ⛄️ For any of you who have been following along, I have put myself and a few other of my blog followers on a journey in 2016 to work on 52 weeks worth of hexagon blocks and I just photographed all of mine to get inspired as to a layout. I am not sure what I want to do, but I am sharing a picture with you below and any suggestions are welcome. Please comment below, I need suggestions for layout, colours for connecter fabrics and borders. I could lay them out as they are above with grey triangles or white triangles to connect and applique it to a grey or white background (to create the borders or....... Suggestions are welcome! I am thinking the connecting fabric needs to be a neutral and not so busy as to show off all my colourful and handpieced hexagons. What do you think?
Stay tuned and/or help me decide please! Have a great Wednesday! ⛄️ Happy New Year and Happy January! I am writing this post at the request of a friend nearby who saw my pouch sitting about in my studio and she said: "Why don't you do a blog post on that?" This is for you Joan! I am sure everyone will find it useful and lets face it totes, bags, pouches.... you can never have enough as they are so useful! It also just happens to be that time of the year to get organized and these little totes are very helpful. What you will need: Note: your fabric can be any size you wish, pencil case sized, make up bag or a simple tissue tote size. You choose. You will also need...... Also required: A zipper foot Thread to match An iron Sewing Machine Scissors How to make it:
3. Lay the right side of the other main fabric on the other right side of the zipper and sew it with a zipper foot 4. Flip the whole project over and place the right side of the lining flush with the wrong side of the zipper and tape or pin in place. Sew on the previously sewn line with a zipper foot. 5. Do the same as in 4 with the other right side of lining fabric on the other wrong side of the zipper. 6. Trim your zipper if necessary and make a new zipper stop by zigzagging over the zipper end. Zigzag stitch all raw edges. 7. Press the lining and main fabric away from the zipper so that they look like the pictures below, trim all edges so your project is now square: 8. With your zipper open, line up the project with right sides (main fabric to main fabric and lining to lining together) and sew down the sides and bottom with a ¼” seam allowance. Zig Zag stitch your raw edges if you like. Your opening for turning will be your open zipper. 9. Turn your project to the right side through the zipper, tuck your lining inside the zipper. 10. Admire your efforts! Store pencils, pens, quilt markers, scissors, makeup, nail polish, toiletries art supplies etc. Get a head start on Christmas and gift giving in 2017 and make many of these handy pouches!!
Happy Tuesday, I hope the rainy weather (here in Waterloo, Ontario) is not affecting your creativity! 😊 Try to Do This: This January, start with an empty jar... Decorate your jar as you wish. Write down all of the good things (small and big) that happen throughout 2017. On New Year's Eve, empty the jar and read through all the happy memories! I am sure there will be many and that is what I wish for everyone this year!
Happy New Year 🎉 |
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