Project Modern Inspiration

I worked really hard this weekend on my Project Modern entry.  It is finished and the photos have been sent to the contest address!  I am really happy with how it turned out.

My sister and her family stayed with us over Thanksgiving (Wed, Thurs, Fri) and left Saturday morning so I did not get much sewing done until then.  Don't get me wrong - it was great to have them here, but I was a little nervous about finishing the quilt and getting a good picture of it in time to meet the deadline.

This shot of tulips is my inspiration picture.  White tulips are my favorite flower.  They are so serene and elegant! I know it isn't a lovely photo in and of itself (I could have taken the newspaper off the table!), but I took it about a year and a half ago specifically with the idea of using it to make a quilt.  It has been in the back of mind since then and I am thrilled that Project Modern gave me the push I needed to make the quilt!

I am a little superstitious about showing my quilt before the contest deadline has passed, so I'll do a post with the quilt and more about how it relates to my inspiration on Wednesday.

I can't wait to see what the next Project Modern challenge is!

Learning from friends is the best!

My handwork group meets every other Tuesday.  Usually it is your basic sit and stitch.  Most of them are hand quilters and I usually do hand applique (this quilt that I have been working on for-ever).  Quite a bit of knitting happens too (not me).

When we met two weeks ago, several of us had recently been to classes and learned new techniques or projects.  So we decided to set aside the handwork for the next meeting and teach each other what we had learned.

I showed the group how to make my hot pad (tutorial here) and some potholders.  One of the other ladies showed us how to make these cute ornaments and another showed us a new applique method she learned that works for hand or machine applique.

The ornaments looked so different depending on what fabrics were used.  One of the ladies used all the same fabric - a really pretty cream fabric with some gold detailing on it - very elegant.  Another alternated black and red rows which made the ornament come out striped.  As you can see, I made mine scrappy.

Simple instructions on how to make these:  You need about 40-50 2" squares, a styrofoam ball, some ribbon and a lot of straight pins.  Pin one of the squares to cover the "bottom" of the styrofoam ball.  Fold a 2" square into a triangle and fold again into a smaller triangle.  Pin each raw edge of the triangle across a corner of the fabric square you pinned to the ball, with the point of the triangle toward the center of the square.  Do this for each corner of the fabric square.  For the second row, place the folded triangle points in between the points from the previous row.  Keep making rows moving up the ball until a space smaller than a 2" square is all that is left.  Glue a 2" square to cover the rest of the ball.  Make a bow and hanging loop and pin them into place.  If you put a little glue on the pin for the hanging loop, it will help it stay better.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers!

"Green" holiday wrapping

Earlier this month the Sew, Mama, Sew blog featured a great idea for the holidays - wrap your gifts in reusable, cloth grocery bags!

While I haven't done this, or used regular cloth gift bags, I have been wrapping my presents in fabric for about ten years.  I just wrap the gift as if I was wrapping it in paper - including taping the edges.  The tape doesn't stick to fabric really well so I also use curling ribbon to help keep it all together. 

This method only works if you aren't too concerned about beautifully presented gifts!  My family knows they are welcome to keep the fabric if they would like to use it.  However, none of them sew so they usually just give it back to me and I use it again the next year. Since I purchased most of the fabric I use in the after holiday sales for $2 per yard or less, I have saved a lot on wrapping paper over the years.

I have some elegant fabric for the adults, some more playful fabric for the children and some fabric with cookie cutters and rolling pins (top left) on that I like to use for kitchen gifts.

Does your family incorporate any "green" ideas into your holidays?  I'd love to hear how!

Evergreen Dreams

I'm starting to think about decorating for Christmas and the winter holidays.  We have changed the color scheme in our living and dining rooms since last year so I need to rethink some of the decorations I have been using.

One decoration I won't have to change is this little wall hanging I made last year (it doesn't hang in the living or dining rooms).  Some of you may recognize it as a more traditional version of my Evergreen Bias pattern.  This quilt is so much fun to make.  In addition to these two, I have another one around somewhere that has white background with very bright decorations on it.  I can't remember what color I made the tree.  Since it is small at 24" x 30" it is quick to make and, except for the background which needs 3/4 yard of fabric, can be made with scraps.  I developed a graduated bias technique to make the bias for the tree narrower at the top of the tree and wider at the bottom.  The pattern is available in my Etsy shop.  You'll want to make several as gifts too!

Back to Project Modern!

Project Modern

Just a quick post to say I'm busy working on a Project Modern entry.  I hope I can get it done in time - the deadline is Nov 30.  I'd be in good shape except for Thanksgiving, since I won't get much done for a few days then.  Wish me luck!

A fusible applique method

Before we dive into the details of how I do my fusible applique, let me say that I did not invent this method.  I have taken classes, read books and watched TV shows learning quite a few different ways to do fusible applique and decided this is the best one for me.  I am the opposite of a gadget geek - the simpler the better is the way I like to work.  
What follows is how I work if I only need one or two of a shape.  If a quilt requires many of the same shape, I usually make a template from template plastic to make the tracing step faster and easier.  OK, here we go:

Fusible Appliqué method:

Supplies:
fabric
appliqué pattern (note that most appliqué patterns are reversed from how they will appear in the block)
fusible web
stabilizer
thread to match appliqué

 

 

1.  Trace outline of piece to be appliquéd onto paper side of fusible web. Sometimes I like to use some painter’s tape to hold the fusible in place while I trace.

2.  Cut away excess fusible, leaving at least 1/4” around the traced line.

3.  Following manufacturer’s directions for the fusible you are using, fuse traced shape to the wrong side of the appliqué fabric.

4.  Cut out shape on traced line.
5.  Remove paper backing from fusible.

6.  Position shape in place on background.
7.  Fuse in place

8.  Pin stabilizer to block.  (Sorry about the pink block!  Cameras!)

9.  Appliqué design in place using desired stitch. I like to use a satin stitch because it totally covers the raw edge and I think it suits my quilting style better than blanket stitch.

10.  Remove the stabilizer, press and you're done!


I hope this is helpful to some of you.  If you have any questions, ask in the comments and I'll answer there too.

Hot Pad Tutorial

This hot pad was designed to fit a 9" x 13" pan and made thick to protect countertops and tables.  The directions are for a hot pad with one fabric on each side.  Notes on how I did the evergreen tree will follow at the end.

 Fabric requirements:

• two 10½” x 15½” pieces of different fabrics (A for top, B for back)
• one 10½” x 15½” piece of lining fabric (will not show)
• two 10½” x 15½” pieces of batting
• one 10½” x 15½” piece of InsulBright batting

 

Construction:

1. Layer Fabric A, one piece of regular batting and the lining fabric together and quilt with diagonal lines or as desired to make a mini quilt.

 

2. Layer as follows, aligning raw edges, with (a) on the bottom:
a. InsulBright
b. regular batting
c. quilted A right side up
d. B right side down

 

3. Stitch a ½” seam around all edges, leaving a 4” turning opening on one of the long sides.

 

4. Trim corners and trim batting as close to seam as possible.

 

5. Turn entire hot pad right side out.

 

6. Tuck raw edges of opening inside, press. Pin in place, if desired.

 

7. Topstitch ⅛” from edge through all layers.

For the tree, I drew an 8" x 10" rectangle on the paper side of a piece of fusible web.  I made a mark at the center of the 8" side and drew diagonal lines from the mark to each lower corner.  I fused the web to the back of the tree fabric and cut it out.  The trunk or stand is 1" x 1 1/2", but I cut it about 1" x 1 3/4" so I could slip a little of it under the edge of the tree.  I placed the tip of the tree 2" below the top edge of the background fabric.

That's it! I hope you have fun making some of these and giving them as gifts!

Not quite ready for hot pads

I had planned to do a post/tutorial either yesterday or today on the holiday hot pad.  It seemed pretty simple.  I already have all the directions written out.  All I needed to do was a little sewing, take a few pictures and... done!

But, naturally, I had to complicate things.  The hot pad I showed earlier was made of one fabric.  I decided that was a little dull and wanted to put a tree on the version for the tutorial.  Just a simple tall, skinny evergreen.  Quite some time, and many triangles later, I was no closer to a tree pattern.  Now, in my own defense, I have never made a quilt with isosceles triangles using a pattern written by someone else, much less designed my own.

With my recent post on applique in the back of my mind, I decided to applique the tree instead.  So much faster and simpler!  Now, I can get things back on track.

Unfortunately, today is filled with non-sewing commitments.  I hope to have the post up Tuesday or Wednesday.

Do you applique?

Evergreen Bias

I saw two surveys a while back that said only between 10% and 30% of quilters do applique.  I was surprised the numbers were so low.  I LOVE applique.  I enjoy piecing too, but applique gives you complete design freedom. 

Now, I understand that many people are not fond of needle-turn applique (which I also personally love).  But with all the wonderful fusible products around these days, fusible machine applique is a snap!

So, I'm really curious - do you do applique at all?  Hand, machine?  If you don't applique, what is stopping you?  Too many methods?  Too many products?  You don't like the patterns available?  I'd love to know.  I'll do a post next week on one of my favorite applique methods. 

Christmas Schoolhouse

One of my LQS's had their "Christmas Schoolhouse" on Saturday.  The Quilting Season is a lovely shop run by even lovelier people!  Earlier this year, I volunteered to help with the Schoolhouse.

The Schoolhouse is a "ladies day out" type of event.  Everyone arrived around 9 and spent the day visiting different "stations" around the room learning how to make all kinds of Christmas or holiday themed crafts.  Several of the stations were hands-on with the participants making all kinds of fun things.  My station was a demonstration one.  I showed people how to make my house block and my Holly Street table runner.  I also showed them a placemat, hot pad and some really cool potholders.

My hot pad is not complicated, but I love to use it during the holidays.  I have lots of people over for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and my 13 x 9 pans were always sliding off the trivets as people tried to serve themselves.  I'm thinking about trying some little rubber feet or a piece of silicone to reduce the sliding even further.  (I'll try to do a post on how to make these soon).

These potholders are made with a pocket in the back to put your hand inside.  The pocket lining layer is designed so that you don't have to sew around the potholder and then try to turn the whole thing through a small opening.  One of the other ladies participating in the Christmas Schoolhouse had learned how to make them at her church.  I love the design and can't wait to make a few for myself and some as gifts.

Some of the other items were Christmas ornaments, gift bags, holiday cards and other decorations.  I think the participants and teachers alike had a creative and fun day!