Sweet Baby Gifts (pt 2)

 To go along with the receiving blanket from yesterday's post, I made this super-duper simple and girly quilt. Again, being short on time, I opted for a really easy, basic quilt design.

The new mommy is a Hello Kitty fanatic! So when I saw this pink, cutesy fabric, I knew I had to get it. I got a yard and a half of the Hello Kitty print, one yard each of pink and white, and matching binding. Naturally, there was plenty of the pink and white left over because it's always nice to have some solid colors around.

I used all the Hello Kitty print though - three strips on the front and then the rest as the back of the quilt. The HK strips were about 5" finished, the pink about 4" and the white stripes are all 2" finished by the width of the fabric. The finished quilt size was about 35"x 43".

The only thing I didn't get a picture of was the back - which is just the HK fabric bordered by the solid pink. In total this quilt took me about three days to finish given the limited time I had. You can see that I used simple straight line quilting. Really, if I had a good day to work on a quilt and needed to have one finished, this is the design I would use.

This is also a great beginner quilt. It is simple and can easy be made in to a more striking design by using more vibrant or contrasting patterns than the ones I've used.

In the end, the new mommy loved the quilt, and I had the honor of giving the new baby her very first Hello Kitty blanket!

Sewing Like Crazy (part 2)

Yesterday I shared an almost finished king size quilt. Today, I go down one size and show you a completed queen size quilt. This one is a Christmas gift for a special young man in my life and I really hope he likes it.

The pattern for this blue and black quilt was adapted from a baby quilt that I shared back in August (and can be seen here). It was pretty simple to adapt the pattern, just a matter of doing some math. Personally, I'm very happy with how this quilt turned out, it is very bold in its shades of blue but still simple enough for a young man to enjoy.

 I used a total of sixteen fat quarters for the main part of the quilt, two of each fabric. Then I believe I used about two and a half yards each of the black and the light blue green used in the long bars and in the borders.

It was pretty simple to put this together, really just a matter of a straight seam, press it, add a straight seam. I think it took me about a day and a half worth of work to get this whole top completed.

Here you can see a little more detail of the fabrics I used. What I love about fat quarters is they aren't really that expensive and you can get some great variations in color and tone. Those variations are what really make this quilt stand out.

Plus, when using fat quarters, you can really mix and match your fabrics to get whatever look you like, without necessarily having to stick to a particular shade or tone.

Baby Gift, pt 2

So yesterday I told you about a friend expecting a baby girl and I showed you have the gift that I made for her baby shower. Well, today I get to show you the last two things in the gift. Not a lot of blah, blah, blah today, just going to get straight to it.

First is the first receiving blanket I've ever made. Knowing that the parents were going for an Asian theme in the nursery made it difficult to shop for material. But when I spotted this red, black and white lantern flannel I got so excited I almost did a happy dance in the middle of Joann's!

Again, sorry for the horrible, rushed pictures. I found a beautiful, rich red flannel for the back of the blanket and couldn't be happier with how it turned out!

The biggest part of the gift was a baby quilt. I knew they would have a hard time finding something in the stores in the colors they choose. It was an obvious choice for me to make the quilt but the materials I chose were less obvious. I spent over an hour trying to pick just the right ones.

Inspiration for the design came from Pinterest. I am the first to admit I was not really digging the color choices for a baby nursery. Yet, as I chose the fabrics and really thought about it, I realized it was actually a pretty good choice of colors. This blanket is something Kaiya can take with her throughout her life. It doesn't look childish or babyish, so when she goes off to college she can take this (by then well worn) blanket with her for security and a feeling of home without having to explain having a baby blanket.

I really wish I had gotten a better picture of the quilt, all laid out would have been great. I think I may have to make another one just to show the simple beauty of the design. If you want a better view of the fabrics used, take a look at yesterday's post, I made the soft blocks out of leftover fabric from this quilt! I love when nothing gets wasted!

Wall Hanging...

I love doing needlework on road trips. It's a compact hobby that can produce some beautiful results. A couple years ago I started a wall hanging to commemorate my relationship with my husband. It consisted of squares depicting important memories from the time we were dating through our wedding.

I've had the needlework and piecing done for more than a year now but have never found the motivation to back, quilt and hang the quilt. Until now. With my attention being turned to my UFOs, this one is at the top of my list of things to actually finish. It realistically should not take long to complete. In fact, I bet I can have it done by the end of the week.

Happy Crafting All!

Another Crazy Quilt

This is the quilt that I made for my husband as a birthday present. I love this quilt myself - so snuggly and so easy. It is another design from the Crazy Short Cut Quilts book. He loves it because it actually covers him.

Next week I will post begin posting more information on how to make these quilts, so you can try one for yourself!

Happy Crafting All!

Hour Glass Block Tutorial

The Hour-Glass Block that is demostrated in this video from Missouri Star Quilt Co. can be used to create some very dramatic looking quilts. If you notice the quilt in the background on the video was made with Hour Glass and Nine-Patch blocks (which I posted the video about a couple of weeks ago). It is a very simple block that can be used to create very intricate looking designs and Jenny does a fabulous job of teaching how to make this block. Enjoy!



Happy Crafting All!

Half-Triangle Block

Triangles can be very intimidating if you are new to quilting. Cutting and piecing them seems so tricky when you start thinking about lining up the corners and points just right. Well, the ladies at the Missouri Star Quilt Co. have taken a lot of the mystery out of the Half-Triangle Block in this video. What a wonderful job Jenny does explaining the process and showing, step-by-step, how to make this traditional block as well as a couple of it's many uses.

Enjoy!



Happy Crafting All!

Four-Patch Quilt Block

Here is another wonderful video from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. I love their videos because they explain things so clearly and concisely - much better than I could! The Four-Patch Block is another basic block in quilting making and is very versatile. Have fun with it!



Happy Crafting All!

Nine-Patch Block Tutorial

I recently came across this fabulous series of how-to videos that beautifully illustrate how to make different basic quilt blocks. This series was put together by the ladies over at Missouri Star Quilt Shop. I'm sure you will find it incredibly helpful, and hopefully it will inspire you to get out the sewing machine and some beautiful fabrics and have fun!



Happy Crafting All!

Quilting Supply Resource

In this current economy, it is always nice to find a reliable supply resource that offers wide selection of supplies. I have heard some great recommendations about Home Sew Inc. They have a huge variety of all kinds of crafting supplies, including a nice selection of material and patterns. Check them out here:

Home Sew Inc

Do you have a favorite quilting supply source? I would love to hear about it! Drop me a line or leave a comment with a link!

Happy Crafting All!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 6

We are in the home stretch. Everything for your beautiful baby quilt is done - except the binding, the very last step.

Attaching the binding can be a very frustrating process for new quilters. I have been quilting for a few years and it is still the only part of the quilting process I truly dread. Rather than drag this out, lets get to the instructions so you can finish up that quilt!

First, you will need to get out those four 2.5" strips of Fabric B that you set aside all those weeks ago. You are going arrange them with right sides facing, to create an 'L' shape. Then you will draw a diagonal line as shown in the picture below.

Join the two pieces by sewing on the line you marked. Then trim the triangle of excess fabric and press the piece open. Repeat this step until you have all four strips connected into one long strip. Where you connect the strips should look like the picture below. Trim the ends at a 45 degree angle.

Once you have all four connected and the ends trimmed, it is time to press your binding. Fold the binding in half as you press to create a strip of material that is double thickness with the right side facing out. (This is where you can see the reasoning for connecting the strips with an angled seam. Once the fabric is folded in half, the seam will not over lap which reduces the bulk that you will be sewing through when you attach the binding.)


I have been contemplating the best possible way to explain the final binding process. I have realized that I probably could not write instructions that would be clear enough to guide you through this very important step. So, when you have finished assembling your quilt binding, please watch the video below with Eleanor Burns showing you how to finish binding your quilt.




The very last step to any quilt is sign it. I use a fabric marker and will write my name, pattern name, date the quilt was made and who it was for on the back of the quilt, generally along the binding. I like to keep the signature subtle and small on the back.

Now that your quilt is completed, it is time to sit back and enjoy the efforts of your hard work. You should be proud of yourself. It can be frustrating, but hopefully you made it through the whole process and have a beautiful baby quilt for your own little one or to give a very special gift.

Congratulations on completing the quilt! I hope you had fun!

Happy Crafting All!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 5

We are in the home stretch now! Of course, this is also where the quilt making can get a little tricky and very frustrating. These last steps will require a lot of patience. By now you have you quilt top completed and pinned to the batting and backing in a 'quilt sandwich' and you are ready to start quilting through the center.

One of the easiest ways to do the actual quilting is what's called 'stitch in the ditch.' This basically means you will be stitching next to (in the ditch) your block seams. I personally love this method because I have a very inexpensive sewing machine and straight lines are easier to do than trying to do fancy curves and designs.


Unroll your quilt on one side, just to the center seam. I prefer to start stitching in the center of the quilt and work my way out. The rolled part will stay under the throat of the machine as you sew a straight line down the center seam.

The biggest key here is to go slow. You may want to drop your dog (feeder) feet so you can guide the quilt through the throat and past the needle. I found that it helped me to leave my feet up - they aided in moving the material through a little more smoothly with less effort on my part.

For this week, take your time and sew all the straight seams between each of the 36 blocks. On the back, you will notice a grid pattern take shape. Once you have all the vertical seams sewn, rotate the quilt one quarter turn. This will make the vertical stitching you just finished horizontal. Roll half of the quilt and repeat the process. Make sure you also do the seam connecting the border to the squares.

That's it for this week. Again, TAKE YOUR TIME! Keep a slow, steady pace as you move the quilt through the machine and before you know it, it will be done.

Now is when you should be getting really excited! Next week will be the final step and once you've completed it, you'll have a beautiful quilt you can be proud of. Until then....

Happy Crafting All!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 4

If you have been following along with me, by now you have sewn all your blocks together in the pattern of your choice. Hopefully it all came together fairly easily for you and you are ready for this weeks instructions. Now, because lasts weeks instructions were a little involved, this weeks homework will be fairly easily.

The first step this week is to out four strips of Fabric B which were set aside when we started. You will need to sew one strip to each side of the quilt, adding the only border to the quilt. Press the top to smooth it out. Once you have that done, the top of your quilt is finished! You should be proud of yourself! You are half way to having a completed quilt ready for your own little one or to give as a gift.

Now, get out your backing material (Fabric D), and your batting. It is time to make your quilt sandwich. You are going to need a fairly large area to work. I will generally lay everything out on the floor at this point, however if you have enough space on your dining room table, I would recommend using that surface.

First, you'll need to press your backing material flat. Lay it out on the work surface. Then open up your batting, unroll and unfold it, smoothing it over the backing material. Use your hand to smooth it over the entire backing material; it will sort of adhere to the back material and not slip too much. Next, lay your quilt top over the batting and smooth it down with your hand as you did the batting.
Once you have it all smoothed and flattened, grab your safety pins and start pinning through all three layers. I prefer to use safety pins for this step because, even though they are a little more work to get on and off, I don't have to worry about stabbing myself on a straight pin while I'm working.
As you can see, I put one safety pin in the center of each fence rail block and along the border. You really need to use a lot of pins so that your materials don't shift and move around as you are quilting. Nothing is more frustrating than working so hard to quilt the layers together only to find out it shifted and won't lay flat once it is done.
After you it is pinned, trim the backing and batting to 1.5" - 2" larger than the quilt top, all the way around. Then, starting from one side, start rolling the quilt like cinnamon rolls. Go ahead and roll the entire quilt and set it aside until next week. As I said, this week is pretty simple. It is very important though, that you roll the quilt from this point on. If you fold the quilt in half, you risk shifting the material or allowing the batting to bunch or crinkle. This can cause problems when you are quilting with your machine.
So that's it for this week. Now you have a good idea of what your quilt look and feel like. You can feel the actual weight and texture of finished quilt. Next week we will do the actual quilting through all three layers of your quilt sandwich! Until then...

Happy Crafting All!!

Make A Quilt With Me, Wk 3

By now you should have all your quilt blocks ready to go. Last week you had your fabric washed and pressed; cut into strips and those strips were sewn together and then cut into your ready-to-use fence rail quilt blocks.

This week is when the fun really starts. Gather your blocks and lay them out on a work surface to design the look of your quilt. It is crucial to know how you want your quilt to look finished before you sew any further. If you make a mistake, you can fix it by taking the blocks apart and resewing them, however that can be hard on the material and it is time consuming. That is way knowing what you want the finished piece to look like before you start is so very important.

There are two popular ways to use fence rail blocks, the first is a very traditional look achieved by alternating between vertical and horizontal lines in the blocks giving the quilt a stair-step look, as showing below:
The second is the one I prefer because of the cute pinwheel-esque design that is achieved with with teal and purple fabrics, as shown below:
To me it gives the quilt a little more personality and focus. However, the design is your choice - I just wanted to illustrate a couple of the options available. Play with your blocks until you find the look you want. Now we get to start sewing your blocks together.

There are two ways to do this:

1. You can sew strips of blocks together, six block long, and then sew your six strips together to form your quilt top.
2. Sew sections of blocks together and sew those sections together to form your quilt block.

I prefer the latter, especially when using the fence rail block to make the pinwheels. By sewing four blocks together to form a pinwheel, I know that I am correctly placing the blocks for the pattern. Also, I find that sewing long strips of blocks together can make it somewhat cumbersome and difficult to line up seams at the block corners so I have always tried to construct smaller sections that will be sewn into the whole. (Hopefully that makes sense.)

Once you have finished sewing your blocks together, sit back and relax, you are done until next week. Are you feeling good about the progress you've made? You should! Your quilt top is nearly completed. Next week you'll finish the top and prep the piece for the actual quilting. Trust me, it won't be as difficult as it sounds!

Happy Crafting All!


I love this layout simply because

Make A Quilt With Me, Week 2

So if you did your homework last week, you'll have your supplies. Now is the time to get down to the fun and actually start playing with the material.

Below you can see the material I started with. I chose purple, yellow and teal fabrics with a very subtle print design. The purple will be by Fabric A, Yellow is Fabric B, Teal is Fabric C. For my backing fabric (Fabric D) I chose a cute patchwork flannel print in soft pastel tones.

For right now, Fabric D will get set aside.


Step One: I highly recommend you wash and dry fabrics. This will take care of any shrinkage and color bleeding that could distort a finished quilt if not done before hand. Once the fabric is dry, iron it smooth. Some quilters like to press their fabrics with a little starch to make them a little stiffer and easier to work with.

Step Two: Cut the following strips:

• Fabric A: 6 strips 2.5" x width of fabric
  
• Fabric B: 14 strips 2.5" x width of fabric*
• Fabric C: 6 strips 2.5" x width of fabric
  

(*Set aside 8 strips of Fabric B for the border and binding. You only need 6 strips of each fabric for the blocks.)
Step Three: Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew together one strip of Fabric A to Fabric B. Then sew one strip of Fabric C to opposite side of Fabric B. You end up with a long strip of the three materials approximately 6.5" wide. Repeat the process until you have 6 identical strips.

Step Four: Turn each strip over and press your seams to the darker fabric. Some quilters prefer to press their seams open. For this project, to keep it simple, just make sure the seams on all the strips go the same direction.

Step Five: From each long strip, cut six (6) 6.5" fence rail blocks. (Double check the width of your blocks and make sure you end up with squares. If each block is off a little, it will make sewing the blocks more difficult later on.)

Step Six: Set your blocks aside and relax. Next week we will go over arranging your blocks and sewing them together. I recommend putting your blocks into a gallon size plastic bag that can be sealed to protect them. (I actually like to store material for quilt projects that I am currently or soon will be working on in zip-lock bags to keep them clean and all together.)

I really hope you are enjoying the process so far. Are you excited now that you are seeing the materials you picked out actually joined together? Just think, in a few short weeks, you will have transformed those strips and blocks in a wonderful little quilt!

Happy Crafting All!

Basic Baby Quilt, Wk 1 - Let Process Begin

Last week I showed you a sample of the simple square block to make this lovely quilt. Starting this week, I will walk you through making the quilt pictured above. The whole process should take about 6 weeks to complete. I have broken the process up so that there isn't too much to do each week and you don't end up feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Plus, I understand that in this day and age, people are busy and can't always set aside a huge block of time for something. The idea is to have each step take only a few hours a week - so if you can block out a half hour a day to work on this, you should not have any problems. A new step will be added every Wednesday until the quilt is finished.

Now down to business....

For the first week, the only thing I am going to have you do is gather your supplies.

You will need:

• Four cotton fabrics, in 44"-45" width
  

1. 1/2 yard each of Fabric A and Fabric C (for blocks)
2. 1 yard of Fabric B (for blocks, border and binding)
3. 1 1/4 yard of Fabric D (for backing)

• Batting, Crib Size (45" x 60")
• Coordinating Thread
• Rotary Cutter
• Rotary Cutting Mat
• Quilting Ruler (I prefer 6.5"x 24")
  
• Safety Pins
• Straight Pins
• Sewing Machine
• Iron and Ironing Board
• Comfortable Work Environment
  

This ends up being about a 40" square quilt, perfect for a new baby. When choosing material, I like to use solids and tonals to keep the quilt from being too busy. Plus, solid cotton fabrics will tend to be less expensive than some of the lovely prints you can find.

When considering your work environment, you will need to be able spread out a bit. I used to sew at the dining room table with my ironing board set up in a corner. Look at your own situation and determine what the best place will be, especially if you are having to set up and take down your work area each time you are ready to sew. Make it as easy and convenient as possible so you don't lose interest in finishing to project.

That's all for this week. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line and I will be happy to answer them as best as I can. Have gathering those supplies!

Happy Crafting All!

Make A Quilt With Me

Have you ever wanted to try making a quilt, but thought it was too time consuming? Too hard? Too frustrating? Well, I have great news for you - starting next week, I will be sharing instructions on how to create a beautiful baby quilt using the super simple Fence Rail quilt block, shown above. If you don't have time to learn quilting, this project is designed for you because each step should only take a few hours a week. When you are finished, you will have a great quilt to give as a gift or keep for a little one in your life.

The first step will be next week, and the whole project will take about 5 weeks to complete. I hope you are all as excited about this process as I am!

Happy Crafting All!

Simple Quilt For A Weekend

It took me roughly 8 hours to make the above 48"x48" quilt. I used in great method from "Crazy Shortcut Quilts" by Marguerita McManus & Sara Raffuse - a book I highly recommend because it turns the most difficult part of a quilt (the actual quilting) into a fun step.

There are several different varieties of quilt designs in the book, and since I was trying it for the first time, I chose the simplest and smallest to do. Because I don't have a full size quilting machine, I am forced to do all of my quilting on my little Singer, which can be very challenging once I start working on something larger than a twin size quilt. However, the book illustrates beautifully how to create simple crazy quilt blocks, do all the quilting and then sew the blocks together!

I've decided that Wednesday will be the day I discuss my quilting projects, and starting next week I will be going step by step through the current project that I am working on. (Which will unfortunately not be one from the above mentioned book.) Hopefully I will inspire a few beginning quilters like myself to follow along and maybe even try some of the things I'm doing.

(Don't worry jewelry fans and all other crafters - I am aiming at having different projects from different crafting disciplines every day of the week. Mondays will be crochet projects, Tuesdays are for jewelry, Wednesdays are quilting, Thursdays are paper projects and Fridays will be some of the eclectic other things that I have been working on. This will help ensure I post more often with a little more consistency. Hopefully, everyone will join me!)

Happy Crafting!