tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89902283814124060902024-03-05T01:50:55.158-08:00Quilting In Vivoquilting projects from a crafty scientistLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-86416808951472077862013-10-27T18:45:00.002-07:002013-10-27T18:46:14.564-07:00Spooky Ghost Costume Tutorial<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4fkpZDAuJxsv5WApjRJJdxurrXGhQD_UbkUCSG6N-zR3QJdDMEaffunPdrKUHQV88ZRK3kh9MvJm6IyhIplljY4LkINh2ncpJZi0RoHY2SZYy3hhkrfSPAZxexNd4tDdU91pSKf9XEIk/s1600/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4fkpZDAuJxsv5WApjRJJdxurrXGhQD_UbkUCSG6N-zR3QJdDMEaffunPdrKUHQV88ZRK3kh9MvJm6IyhIplljY4LkINh2ncpJZi0RoHY2SZYy3hhkrfSPAZxexNd4tDdU91pSKf9XEIk/s320/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_6.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi all! It's been awhile but I wanted to pop in and share a quick Halloween tutorial with you. Are you ready for Halloween? We haven't even purchased a pumpkin yet, though I can say that we have bought the Halloween candy and I have already broken into it! Bad job me. We live on quite a busy road and only got a handful of tricker treaters last year so I don't feel too bad eating some of the candy prior to the big day :)<br />
<br />
<br />
This year, my four-year-old nephew decided he would like to be a ghost for Halloween- a scary ghost! My sister-in-law asked if I would sew him a costume and I was honored to be able to participate! I know you hear ghost costume and think, you just need to cut eye holes in a sheet, right? Sure, that works- but I wanted to make him something that would fit more like clothing and not get in the way/slow him down while he was out scoring boatloads of candy (to hopefully share with his aunt later)! I found this costume online and used it as my inspiration for the costume design:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibx6AhYp20tez2drONFzK0AC70oBEb435DJizNArJeeYWP-nNLr7NwP0QflkytFePdnMGPlvH2oZz0_fI_tQVamNWdk9NblWmbXDZhCrHJesgzRq_urFzQOy0KSXoDBmdNKcDtBTxCBnz/s1600/2013_10.27+ghost+costume+inspiration.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibx6AhYp20tez2drONFzK0AC70oBEb435DJizNArJeeYWP-nNLr7NwP0QflkytFePdnMGPlvH2oZz0_fI_tQVamNWdk9NblWmbXDZhCrHJesgzRq_urFzQOy0KSXoDBmdNKcDtBTxCBnz/s320/2013_10.27+ghost+costume+inspiration.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ <a href="http://www.wendybox.com/goods-3545-Childrens+White+Ghost+Costume.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ghost costume inspiration</span></a> ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I wanted to do the costume as two separate pieces: a mask and a gown. I got my nephew's basic measurements (~3.5 feet tall, 20 inch head circumference), then set out to JoAnn's to hunt for fabric. I knew I wanted some sort of knit so that the costume would be stretchy and easy to fit to him. I found a cool shiny white knit fabric but as soon as you stretched it, the fabric looked distorted and cheap. I settled on a basic white stretch knit cotton and purchased two yards. I then grabbed a 1/2 yard of some AWESOME black mesh fabric that had silver spider webs painted on it (similar to<a href="http://www.joann.com/halloween-spirit-blue-andpurple-cosmic-silver-foil-spider-web/9228792.html#prefn1=collection&start=46&prefn2=isProject&prefv2=false&sz=18&prefv1=Halloween|Halloween+Spirit" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> this</span></a>) to line the mask with.<br />
<br />
Next, I set out to make the mask. I first made a prototype that might have fit an infant and then made one that would actually fit my nephew! Before making the mask, I allocated half of the fabric for the gown. To do this, I just folded one corner of the fabric to make a square (one yard squared). This is where I should show you a picture, but I didn't take one so enjoy my awesome powerpoint diagrams instead.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Fzwmf7d0jouc3z6RYFhk6jMqwZUD5NvFxmFZrmwNHfFdctJ9QCF08BAmp9cG2I1NHKdvvT4L-oXMdYzS8AvKedMqCOqm2Km_kZIGN0J2C2I7huH6KXUNur33BUjiC6e2IzoNmvuOjZYd/s1600/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Fzwmf7d0jouc3z6RYFhk6jMqwZUD5NvFxmFZrmwNHfFdctJ9QCF08BAmp9cG2I1NHKdvvT4L-oXMdYzS8AvKedMqCOqm2Km_kZIGN0J2C2I7huH6KXUNur33BUjiC6e2IzoNmvuOjZYd/s400/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ 2 yards of stretch knit fabric ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I folded my fabric along the dotted line and then cut out the giant square (36x36 inches). Because my nephew is only 32.5" from his shoulders to his toes, I knew this would be plenty of fabric. You will need to adjust this accordingly based on how tall the person is that you are making the costume for.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32rO-GXXRdDj_1uGxaMb-SgbbjHiUcOWieGtk_XKjX33ZA-wFZOfALVpeDRkCSZGR0hN7rPSH1wlgCt62QWWObqAt575tLCQHK0zAFOy8JY1U2YsvUJJ5Q_CiKjbSMgSQPabHmsolt-kC/s1600/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32rO-GXXRdDj_1uGxaMb-SgbbjHiUcOWieGtk_XKjX33ZA-wFZOfALVpeDRkCSZGR0hN7rPSH1wlgCt62QWWObqAt575tLCQHK0zAFOy8JY1U2YsvUJJ5Q_CiKjbSMgSQPabHmsolt-kC/s320/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ fabric after I folded one square yard]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72KdledR43Fi35J4eY3rl0W-Fwf6mff0HWvvFhOKXP_Egun57QqalADTRJnFI3jLIEe_G3QcL5tPoCK4nmpCWJUEqjrH7ICfXJ7Y8tBEnQXNupo4V3qcMEXXbMzdWFxKOj8D3pZPFcHDI/s1600/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72KdledR43Fi35J4eY3rl0W-Fwf6mff0HWvvFhOKXP_Egun57QqalADTRJnFI3jLIEe_G3QcL5tPoCK4nmpCWJUEqjrH7ICfXJ7Y8tBEnQXNupo4V3qcMEXXbMzdWFxKOj8D3pZPFcHDI/s320/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ after cutting the gown (purple), you are left with another yard to make the mask (blue) ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To construct the mask, I folded over a large corner of my remaining fabric. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgIEPUfjJy8s7S0pCQ393hk4_9Jk7Z4Roq4WwzyVge8j_Jh39LDO8Q8XLR6uvkDByCjIz3TMIZ_CPYLyy4lpJKV5k9_w0cOx6UqbIXrEYBLI2tJFS3-eRTzdft6ZeW_ebzIJmBELNh3Ay/s1600/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgIEPUfjJy8s7S0pCQ393hk4_9Jk7Z4Roq4WwzyVge8j_Jh39LDO8Q8XLR6uvkDByCjIz3TMIZ_CPYLyy4lpJKV5k9_w0cOx6UqbIXrEYBLI2tJFS3-eRTzdft6ZeW_ebzIJmBELNh3Ay/s320/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_4.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ Fold over a large portion of the remaining fabric to make the mask ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My nephew's head has a circumference of 20 inches. I found a large frying pan in our kitchen that had a 12" circumference (room for seam allowance) and used my washable marker to trace a circle:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10dwDH1nX_qTHbNn1NL8ut0bKgwm83IfbgQ-DH9Fuqrw_HiY7xlr9s6abWRc7Q0awKyPBLpKxRXX94Zq8Hi676q9PfCScgrejewEZ694qFRslj2nqlPWoOzP6Qndg_bcv_65BS4VHK1A1/s1600/IMG_0728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10dwDH1nX_qTHbNn1NL8ut0bKgwm83IfbgQ-DH9Fuqrw_HiY7xlr9s6abWRc7Q0awKyPBLpKxRXX94Zq8Hi676q9PfCScgrejewEZ694qFRslj2nqlPWoOzP6Qndg_bcv_65BS4VHK1A1/s320/IMG_0728.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CUTdPElaJ4ith0AqBKdlC1r6L2UMFEKXkoezHNAxDYCjhCBi3vt5APNj4Tod3CSv2dbGHoaOsrBqnHauXPRPv6hX2BMeMD9XoXhSMVyDUlFBhMX0zCT8KGu7IGj0n3ZCjT07vrushFwz/s1600/IMG_0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CUTdPElaJ4ith0AqBKdlC1r6L2UMFEKXkoezHNAxDYCjhCBi3vt5APNj4Tod3CSv2dbGHoaOsrBqnHauXPRPv6hX2BMeMD9XoXhSMVyDUlFBhMX0zCT8KGu7IGj0n3ZCjT07vrushFwz/s320/IMG_0726.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S8M7vHYr857mcirrr3P491ajmdO_B3R6oU9moqgDsOjvZeW8XKxMkCiNCnoXR38Djod3HWWDu5QIw_4BxlgoS29iDBhNf20CgcDyi5BznUaABDr4Unlkd_GP3m8LIV9JayufQ1f4KpcS/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S8M7vHYr857mcirrr3P491ajmdO_B3R6oU9moqgDsOjvZeW8XKxMkCiNCnoXR38Djod3HWWDu5QIw_4BxlgoS29iDBhNf20CgcDyi5BznUaABDr4Unlkd_GP3m8LIV9JayufQ1f4KpcS/s320/IMG_0727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ tracing a circle for the mask ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I did not trace a complete circle, but rather left it open at the bottom so that I could add some fringes/points. I also pinned the fabric into place so it wouldn't shift around too much. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI3NLoanaM4uEQmNkB9MEfYG-Zp9mrmozxVbmavUASLR2Yf8mkswv0UE-Oxm31hMA5LV1oUdL1L4EFMrIPTLpWDnTNYyr3mpV9v3a4rklg_ICVDUvao_91_S6FtZ6kw_yg5IiZI0pzYPy/s1600/IMG_0730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI3NLoanaM4uEQmNkB9MEfYG-Zp9mrmozxVbmavUASLR2Yf8mkswv0UE-Oxm31hMA5LV1oUdL1L4EFMrIPTLpWDnTNYyr3mpV9v3a4rklg_ICVDUvao_91_S6FtZ6kw_yg5IiZI0pzYPy/s320/IMG_0730.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ after tracing the circle, I added fringes/points to the bottom of the mask ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next, I traced a face onto the front of the mask. I used a silicone cupcake mold to make oval spooky eyes. I free-handed the nose and mouth. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAxXNF-z7GMneZ49wmqJ5ujIDjKaaRzCwVEIzJVNrEObSDTALvmm7-MDdJ8y4KRbOjbK0RSiMuIe7MJGK1rEo4j0G8ih7lMPLTMgzxSXKEGM0EouGErq0LHHAGdXWo_nsEXZ4viUPC-Z_/s1600/IMG_0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAxXNF-z7GMneZ49wmqJ5ujIDjKaaRzCwVEIzJVNrEObSDTALvmm7-MDdJ8y4KRbOjbK0RSiMuIe7MJGK1rEo4j0G8ih7lMPLTMgzxSXKEGM0EouGErq0LHHAGdXWo_nsEXZ4viUPC-Z_/s320/IMG_0732.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBNNkgMVWJkRGoDnib6Qln7TGsKwivXB9HCLjPIlH4RcgN3rdifnvFJTR6YFgd7NgslauQsCcUmVbjP7RJrm3QHqHLLqh7Fqi9m5osXsf4bGVKxOKzkE9Wm6ZgVbbxvhquIjbQzuiE4Ka/s1600/IMG_0731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBNNkgMVWJkRGoDnib6Qln7TGsKwivXB9HCLjPIlH4RcgN3rdifnvFJTR6YFgd7NgslauQsCcUmVbjP7RJrm3QHqHLLqh7Fqi9m5osXsf4bGVKxOKzkE9Wm6ZgVbbxvhquIjbQzuiE4Ka/s320/IMG_0731.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ tracing the face onto the mask ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After tracing the face onto the mask, I cut out the mask around the outer line I had drawn and then cut out the facial features.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsrFaCjuWwb1S6d5UL-El4SZPUSvvCgcXrQ4vjDZm7AVZfT2R1KVDdDizC2OpV_90Ew_hIoIQR5qatJRXgBrOfo2VqI_7BrmgJaMmgBgN1q4WuhXyWWY-cpUw0dDvP04qmYGKvUyECF7g/s1600/IMG_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsrFaCjuWwb1S6d5UL-El4SZPUSvvCgcXrQ4vjDZm7AVZfT2R1KVDdDizC2OpV_90Ew_hIoIQR5qatJRXgBrOfo2VqI_7BrmgJaMmgBgN1q4WuhXyWWY-cpUw0dDvP04qmYGKvUyECF7g/s320/IMG_0733.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyyh4RoIPYObHB7xT7gckdjUJU2coLAKBLpF7iQpx3aAjPPQhfY4_IPmr5mANjwSHvkE-N-v63JnAHXY0Ur9dTNyqjiwZY9UKDjuUQVTBjagh1v12F7CuFxtOgsegv0UJPgkB18Rn4H4e/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyyh4RoIPYObHB7xT7gckdjUJU2coLAKBLpF7iQpx3aAjPPQhfY4_IPmr5mANjwSHvkE-N-v63JnAHXY0Ur9dTNyqjiwZY9UKDjuUQVTBjagh1v12F7CuFxtOgsegv0UJPgkB18Rn4H4e/s320/IMG_0734.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ Cutting out the mask and face features ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I waited to cut out the points on the bottom of the mask until after I pieced the front and back pieces together. After cutting out the facial features, I wanted to avoid raw edges around the eyes and mouth so I folded the fabric from the right side to the wrong side of the mask and tacked down the edges using a scant 1/4" seam. Because the nose hole was so tiny, I didn't bother finishing the edges.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTR_HCJzEI6iASiYgDyx1kOYCgY-WFJ7lnJ4Cxb58VmLV_0HUZlJT0t6w5grLSjMs9n_Lz6hjMoxmJMykioxeJl2YfMx7-jbziP9xs7ATddp9Tldis4-GZ0i9cwFmbAcaiGJUYAL5-jjo/s1600/IMG_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTR_HCJzEI6iASiYgDyx1kOYCgY-WFJ7lnJ4Cxb58VmLV_0HUZlJT0t6w5grLSjMs9n_Lz6hjMoxmJMykioxeJl2YfMx7-jbziP9xs7ATddp9Tldis4-GZ0i9cwFmbAcaiGJUYAL5-jjo/s320/IMG_0736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ tacking back the raw edges of the eyes and mouth ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After finishing the edges around the eyes and mouth of the mask front, I backed it with the awesome shiny spider web mesh fabric. I pinned the mask front to a piece of the black mesh fabric of similar size/shape. The mesh fabric frayed and left tinsel like pieces everywhere when cut so I knew I wanted the edges of it far away from my nephew's eyes/mouth! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr3mjy-XrhQS4FaXllrsj3TGbiqzZlYJyYSlQAhRppAM75-6tUS5dtThnv2IoFkLBhhPD4pHxke7Qex4Z0SQZZg0A7vP3ijFAyPM9HH_mBFvHka7_3ly83X2JQ-g7P_vPyMTI4vgBePg_/s1600/IMG_0737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr3mjy-XrhQS4FaXllrsj3TGbiqzZlYJyYSlQAhRppAM75-6tUS5dtThnv2IoFkLBhhPD4pHxke7Qex4Z0SQZZg0A7vP3ijFAyPM9HH_mBFvHka7_3ly83X2JQ-g7P_vPyMTI4vgBePg_/s320/IMG_0737.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ mesh pinned to mask front ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I then top-stitched around the eyes and mouth, following my original seamline from finishing the edges so that the mesh was nicely attached to the mask front. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDcmCvs4NW8RNiEa61ytLfIy8ERNG-7CxtB6B-a1tRt98k8v5cLVLcMtTNVIt4nNmx7jWEewqP4baODuHoNWCEQkHk6qsVwvJRO6D8BzVesb59VRzq9MSLxfTgMYLqf1KlW8SliiJLlAr/s1600/IMG_0740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDcmCvs4NW8RNiEa61ytLfIy8ERNG-7CxtB6B-a1tRt98k8v5cLVLcMtTNVIt4nNmx7jWEewqP4baODuHoNWCEQkHk6qsVwvJRO6D8BzVesb59VRzq9MSLxfTgMYLqf1KlW8SliiJLlAr/s320/IMG_0740.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ top stitching around the eyes and mouth ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After top-stitching the mesh to the mask front, I then stitched the mask front to the mask back, sewing about three-quarters of the way around the circle, leaving the bottom open so that it could be slipped on. I also then cut the points/fringes at the bottom. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4U514O_pZ4eaFBWg8AopX6wSYHq4TLCmIdjnJUqfI_MhX4UstHU-gs0qLfEZeHA38w0joWMoSm3x2sMpyrNcjE7b3rNlO8rQu_SVkD-BKVhxrImWDnh_nNnppeL2mqheBdYHN9WR61u7/s1600/IMG_0741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4U514O_pZ4eaFBWg8AopX6wSYHq4TLCmIdjnJUqfI_MhX4UstHU-gs0qLfEZeHA38w0joWMoSm3x2sMpyrNcjE7b3rNlO8rQu_SVkD-BKVhxrImWDnh_nNnppeL2mqheBdYHN9WR61u7/s320/IMG_0741.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2SC9YRrhC4aZOkCWuXx4b77yY3VwhRH4IS8OIDjLjVPEtOhuhlKK-mVP3RtNgzff7R1y51E3SfF_zTYpuLU-8BHGERhcZzLkRwH0dgebVHWW3OgS0s7PfBKDDaIzDm8jaZUN3iWhamq2/s1600/IMG_0742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2SC9YRrhC4aZOkCWuXx4b77yY3VwhRH4IS8OIDjLjVPEtOhuhlKK-mVP3RtNgzff7R1y51E3SfF_zTYpuLU-8BHGERhcZzLkRwH0dgebVHWW3OgS0s7PfBKDDaIzDm8jaZUN3iWhamq2/s320/IMG_0742.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ mask after being pieced together ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At this point, I tried the mask on myself. And, while it fit, it was tight and I was worried it would be hard to adjust to my nephew's smaller head to ensure he could both see and breathe out of it. My brilliant husband suggested I cut a slit up the back of the mask. This made it so that two of the fringes/points on the back could be used as ties to fit the mask to anyone who wanted to wear it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Next, I made the gown portion of the costume. I wish I had taken pictures of this part, but sadly, I did not. So again, I resort to my powerpoint illustrations. After folding my square yard for the gown into a triangle, I trimmed the height and wingspan to ensure it would fit my nephew and not drag on the ground and allow his hands to effectively grab candy. I then traced a half circle centered at the top of the gown to make a neck hole. I cut around this hole and finished the edge off with a 1/4" seam (white dotted line at top of gown). I then added 'sleeves' by sewing a straight line a few inches below the top of the gown for about 12" on the left and right sides so that the gown wouldn't spin while he was wearing it (solid yellow lines on the diagram below).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVJwd4z1cNWA4Paf6XMHFkkhkImN_g-CkpbNY3q5HzlTH2lSPB4NcloTOieQ72V8hz0E1QDZ7AVGl9NYiewfrHcZ4MaWsrGF86GfP15uXruUT-uKYNbO6WaFwN4-qqEdR42JbKrXo2JHp/s1600/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVJwd4z1cNWA4Paf6XMHFkkhkImN_g-CkpbNY3q5HzlTH2lSPB4NcloTOieQ72V8hz0E1QDZ7AVGl9NYiewfrHcZ4MaWsrGF86GfP15uXruUT-uKYNbO6WaFwN4-qqEdR42JbKrXo2JHp/s320/2013_10.27+halloween+schematic_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ gown construction ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After adding sleeves, I cut out fringes/points along the bottom sides of the gown. At some point during the sleeve-sewing, my gown got a little wonky/asymmetric but I wasn't too concerned- I think it made the ghost edgier (or so I am telling myself). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_ts2Vqna6OmXNwhP6enT2sqfVjWc8MU0uosJ80fjmdbIbo0RhMRu9hjitBXW3uToLlsWglKjmGS9jH_z2TF96koXh6vBsks99ZaJhV2UfmnJwXvh9sg7VIjJEDjJPAGCC7uClh6HLZc4/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_ts2Vqna6OmXNwhP6enT2sqfVjWc8MU0uosJ80fjmdbIbo0RhMRu9hjitBXW3uToLlsWglKjmGS9jH_z2TF96koXh6vBsks99ZaJhV2UfmnJwXvh9sg7VIjJEDjJPAGCC7uClh6HLZc4/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ ghost costume ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My nephew came by tonight to try on his costume for the first time and to my delight, he loved it and it fit! He had a blast sneaking up on various family members to make spooky noises and scare them! He insisted on wearing it multiple times while we were gathered for dinner, which gave me great joy!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuU2kizLbHb-FtRT1M-MuHLYaIsjlkYmsFTPUzquYvVEeFKrl-2827K8gZ28EljkpIf9UYb13TSEHFrWwYJo981xIgGmq0q8gNR1pMsg1zcsj08cX2m-CriGxnOEoVR5egLiJdaEbvfFdP/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuU2kizLbHb-FtRT1M-MuHLYaIsjlkYmsFTPUzquYvVEeFKrl-2827K8gZ28EljkpIf9UYb13TSEHFrWwYJo981xIgGmq0q8gNR1pMsg1zcsj08cX2m-CriGxnOEoVR5egLiJdaEbvfFdP/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapUviyOpB8F93BJVEs6FqFNbWwc9VMszDl2fsDG8wSEiIqQmoS7vaGZMrt7-7i_mepnhZuCl4WrKcm5luBvfKhQdLPvGTW5FJrpjyjVJHp3dwCT26gzjkoWi3-ueMuux3gNce99oubLmU/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapUviyOpB8F93BJVEs6FqFNbWwc9VMszDl2fsDG8wSEiIqQmoS7vaGZMrt7-7i_mepnhZuCl4WrKcm5luBvfKhQdLPvGTW5FJrpjyjVJHp3dwCT26gzjkoWi3-ueMuux3gNce99oubLmU/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelTFNd5rqYTK4mxRbSfeblqY0L40zn59mF1o6BNCiNrRVUbbGzWlRpxdSWMjwDQfc_P-VZjPDSkNj4qtl6m1pliB0FGRKIo9Ul1h9A8PhX1uAO33cKE9yu-i4SjX3u03iBO1KJLywFgjo/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelTFNd5rqYTK4mxRbSfeblqY0L40zn59mF1o6BNCiNrRVUbbGzWlRpxdSWMjwDQfc_P-VZjPDSkNj4qtl6m1pliB0FGRKIo9Ul1h9A8PhX1uAO33cKE9yu-i4SjX3u03iBO1KJLywFgjo/s320/photo+5.JPG" width="239" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ BOOOOO! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-69213191325216053052013-10-11T05:30:00.000-07:002013-10-11T05:30:00.059-07:00Future Projects Friday: Microwave Heating Pads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZHw_abe1TtPOBpRLRZvdi5kLia-QJZcFsH88moIr6RIJbMshZlBVRejO709wBoF9PSNIgeLc4IhHabliFmxqvphyDj8wvi7rkl0xN1l4HmTWbew0ZxTO_zq6bW_b8ErK3ZyRA2wzcVJH/s1600/2013_10.11+fpf+summary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZHw_abe1TtPOBpRLRZvdi5kLia-QJZcFsH88moIr6RIJbMshZlBVRejO709wBoF9PSNIgeLc4IhHabliFmxqvphyDj8wvi7rkl0xN1l4HmTWbew0ZxTO_zq6bW_b8ErK3ZyRA2wzcVJH/s320/2013_10.11+fpf+summary.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! It's Friday! And it's also flu season- eeek! What a downer right? Get your flu shots if you haven't yet. One way you can be prepared for fall colds is to make one of these nifty heating pads. Have you seen these on Pinterest? They are usually filled with rice or lentils and can be kept in the freezer and used for headaches or heated briefly in the microwave to ease aches and pains.<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://www.sew4home.com/projects/pillows-cushions/holiday-2011-microwavable-rice-heating-pads" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Microwavable rice heating pad</span></a> from Sew4Home:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitg1POQ9sFA8jKJLzJv-ATTbCRLE3PV09WwfYsCEf8n122-NL_aUMjIngZEv9F6R2Eyd9MRcxHG9HUz-ZUGL4vmkqtCurGrE2IjnmLFt7iQLq-Sv4hWAId44E8h1KUvAqXpGW0-o15LMn/s1600/2013_10.11+sew4home+heating+pad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitg1POQ9sFA8jKJLzJv-ATTbCRLE3PV09WwfYsCEf8n122-NL_aUMjIngZEv9F6R2Eyd9MRcxHG9HUz-ZUGL4vmkqtCurGrE2IjnmLFt7iQLq-Sv4hWAId44E8h1KUvAqXpGW0-o15LMn/s320/2013_10.11+sew4home+heating+pad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.sew4home.com/projects/pillows-cushions/holiday-2011-microwavable-rice-heating-pads" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">sew4home</span></a> ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How adorable are these heating pads? I love the rick rack on the edges. Once again- I have actually made this specific project already! This tutorial is very easy to follow and great for beginner sewers. I used lentils in lieu of rice, flannel on one side and fleece on the other side and it worked great. One note- get someone to help you pour the lentils into the heating pad-Otherwise they might end up all over your lap and the floor-not that I am speaking from experience or anything... I need to make another one of these for myself as my mom now has the first one I made : )</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. <a href="http://www.craftyendeavor.com/2012/02/02/rice-shoulder-heating-pad-with-lavender/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Shoulder heating pad</span></a> from Crafty Endeavor: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iwLHSL1n1hfzByZhnHQoy8vrcGoZ83mz7GR36Wz3R0cWBmIej8wqPpb5d1MbsWN5oMlYafieFsePbQ3Z7L_u6BRoR6cUryMyWmxStKTyMwVTvOW0TI0oDfQXe4ntCPweN43Ks_lvXqji/s1600/2013_10.11+shoulder+ricewarmer-044-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iwLHSL1n1hfzByZhnHQoy8vrcGoZ83mz7GR36Wz3R0cWBmIej8wqPpb5d1MbsWN5oMlYafieFsePbQ3Z7L_u6BRoR6cUryMyWmxStKTyMwVTvOW0TI0oDfQXe4ntCPweN43Ks_lvXqji/s320/2013_10.11+shoulder+ricewarmer-044-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.craftyendeavor.com/2012/02/02/rice-shoulder-heating-pad-with-lavender/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Crafty Endeavor</span></a> ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I seriously need to make this! I have developed terrible posture from too much time on the computer at work and my shoulders always ache at the end of the day. I really need to get some lavender to throw in the next time I make something like this so that you get a bit of aroma therapy at the same time. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. <a href="http://www.elmstreetlife.com/2011/02/diy-heating-pad.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Heating pad</span></a> from Elm Street Life:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkAL1vRHumW5zRiQdIDWtlvaDC-fzdsN2zwbjhdVh-qTgQv2P6Of2IwvlM6Vyj0gyY8HqQMTczq6AzokU-dbJh_BkQQhKCLfMr0hiXjxkbyNzb4Or1rnRDjyeG7ZCfyZVBcBJBCrzsiez/s1600/2013_10.11+elm+street+life+heating+pad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkAL1vRHumW5zRiQdIDWtlvaDC-fzdsN2zwbjhdVh-qTgQv2P6Of2IwvlM6Vyj0gyY8HqQMTczq6AzokU-dbJh_BkQQhKCLfMr0hiXjxkbyNzb4Or1rnRDjyeG7ZCfyZVBcBJBCrzsiez/s320/2013_10.11+elm+street+life+heating+pad.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.elmstreetlife.com/2011/02/diy-heating-pad.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Elm Street Life</span></a> ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I love the tutorials from Elm Street Life. I featured an awesome wristlet with bow accent on<a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/10/future-projects-friday-small-clutches.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> last week's Future Projects Friday</span></a> from Elm Street Life. I love her suggestion to put the heating pad in the freezer for use on headaches. I can imagine the smell of lavender and the coolness and weight of the heating pad out of the freezer feels quite good on a headache. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Happy Sewing!</i></div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-67824442903737278512013-10-07T05:00:00.000-07:002013-10-07T05:00:06.954-07:00Dressing up a dish towel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC9YctV6697rFOD6L441FaNMb4m6iidVDpRs_joGI6AOhb9tL403HLdLOijxBtGbzyzHtj92hyphenhyphen1FccMSTQ5LYYZ4idX8VUoNpKwzcuRCi7DExxUw0BCCF0fobZY6AJjBM8iFBKOQqwxVI/s1600/2013_10.8+post_summary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC9YctV6697rFOD6L441FaNMb4m6iidVDpRs_joGI6AOhb9tL403HLdLOijxBtGbzyzHtj92hyphenhyphen1FccMSTQ5LYYZ4idX8VUoNpKwzcuRCi7DExxUw0BCCF0fobZY6AJjBM8iFBKOQqwxVI/s400/2013_10.8+post_summary.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
<br />
This project came about after my favorite activity- trolling Pinterest for ideas!!! I have seen several iterations of quilts using appliques of circles such as those seen <a href="http://bloomingpoppies.net/tutorials-2/comfort-and-joy-circle-quilt-tutorial/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/americanmade/nominee/81233" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennofalltrades/4727763082/in/pool-1414409@N22" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>. And I had the perfect occasion to do this for- our awesome friends and previous neighbors from Nashville have moved into the triangle! WOOHOOO! We got to visit them at their amazing new place and I wanted to bring something house-warming-esque. I thought I would combine circle appliques with one of the dishtowels I <a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/09/future-projects-friday-oven-mitts-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">purchased a few weeks ago </span></a>from <a href="http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-kitchen-towels-4-pk-white/-/A-14441629#prodSlot=medium_2_5&term=dish+towels" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Target</span></a>.<br />
<br />
I improvised this a bit, basing it loosely on <a href="http://poppyprintcreates.blogspot.com/2009/10/tutorial-crop-circle-table-runner.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this tutorial</span></a> from the Poppyprints blog. To make circles for applique, you need some fabric scraps, fusible non-woven interfacing, scissors and your sewing machine. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOaAE2tQQGSkmfRhbFbcRYVdezbBwEkXb2nF0z9hdXhp4I3_e7RGQJRkuGpyTUb4xkAronO9vgfQ6Gj5dCy79byDP_vnXf1AmsRTpQg4fHWEKfrpTEs5M-QbLuAurM9DoIYyjoQEA9Jvb/s1600/IMG_0707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOaAE2tQQGSkmfRhbFbcRYVdezbBwEkXb2nF0z9hdXhp4I3_e7RGQJRkuGpyTUb4xkAronO9vgfQ6Gj5dCy79byDP_vnXf1AmsRTpQg4fHWEKfrpTEs5M-QbLuAurM9DoIYyjoQEA9Jvb/s320/IMG_0707.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ fusible non-woven interfacing ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I picked three fabrics with- you guessed it- polka dots! I then traced a circle on the wrong side of each fabric using my disappearing ink fabric marker. I used circles that had a diameter of approximately 3 inches. To get a circle that size, I traced the lid of a tiny jam jar : )</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPMiU8t1vtlDwJV7UTOIiE9dVUvJUZe2690iOMpDziUS2OJw5k3EMRnYTfwPXtqK7_b1PT5FYaOVV_YgW7V5TApsHTnV6ybo29IQtHNOl1xe-iQtVi9lYUUMBWb4TKl-_HsVhWCZUPBjV/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPMiU8t1vtlDwJV7UTOIiE9dVUvJUZe2690iOMpDziUS2OJw5k3EMRnYTfwPXtqK7_b1PT5FYaOVV_YgW7V5TApsHTnV6ybo29IQtHNOl1xe-iQtVi9lYUUMBWb4TKl-_HsVhWCZUPBjV/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ tracing circles! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDjn6IxJaMDQCrTh84qJQ6ILrKaYEL5UqRI_NOnpU7fkasrHcrWTdc09R6UDtVG0hUn-pg4CJMHpvs9Gykm1k7ZBnZTIPS2C9l9KJBRocGKiEJRETvtIqsUaZfa25jaVSfGbS8dPVJXC4/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDjn6IxJaMDQCrTh84qJQ6ILrKaYEL5UqRI_NOnpU7fkasrHcrWTdc09R6UDtVG0hUn-pg4CJMHpvs9Gykm1k7ZBnZTIPS2C9l9KJBRocGKiEJRETvtIqsUaZfa25jaVSfGbS8dPVJXC4/s320/IMG_0710.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ blue line showing what I traced ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After tracing the circle, I made a sandwich of the polka dot fabric and the interfacing with right sides together (for the interfacing, I am calling the 'right' side the side with the bumps on it). Then, using a size 2 stitch, I <i>very.very.slowly</i> stitched around each circle. In order to make sure the fabrics don't shift, I made about 4 to 5 stitches, then left the needle in the fabric, lifted the presser foot and slightly pivoted the fabric. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRHPDUkQ90g3592-4gbW_w6jvGYFpDzVEY4Oi_qrpuHoTkQqupEVfxwBXoP02ToXRgA-IRQZaPooYZdpYXygOKIE07WJ5oG4-c7HbYwy7kIKyMhswfKonevPg8q6hVGt4csogoDECCKyn/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRHPDUkQ90g3592-4gbW_w6jvGYFpDzVEY4Oi_qrpuHoTkQqupEVfxwBXoP02ToXRgA-IRQZaPooYZdpYXygOKIE07WJ5oG4-c7HbYwy7kIKyMhswfKonevPg8q6hVGt4csogoDECCKyn/s320/IMG_0711.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ high school sewing flashbacks- sewing on the lines! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After sewing around the circle, I trimmed the fabric down to ~1/4 inch. I wasn't very precise about this- I just sort of eye-balled it. Then, I cut small notches into the seam so that the circle would lay smooth. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJhAdYYlJ-r_ESMhrSqgAlDzMK-BNclrOARuTcP8dnnC7kX18_TzoUdQxIub9AdIPMRW9zbsOdKQFrJ9prDntyzOaarjEfQTx7V_k5KhIZsLEGDfEWtI0jBQa_5SdlQlkleuzEoXP8GGb/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJhAdYYlJ-r_ESMhrSqgAlDzMK-BNclrOARuTcP8dnnC7kX18_TzoUdQxIub9AdIPMRW9zbsOdKQFrJ9prDntyzOaarjEfQTx7V_k5KhIZsLEGDfEWtI0jBQa_5SdlQlkleuzEoXP8GGb/s320/IMG_0714.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ trimmed and notched! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After you have sewn the circle and trimmed and notched, you need to flip it right-side out. To do this, I made sure to isolate only the interfacing, cut a small slit in it and then extended that to create a vertical line from seam to seam along the diameter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVDQabUER0T9WonwLUxZnN13hvORlPRDEiJmlX0vYR0V5cK7Ny8UcuwR_5OKKNM354rSDMoREbKhTk8eEI-CL4yY38Ark8kh7TmMY-_pzNtayFNTZcU2ukcu_S0BMkBwUm60GlNfwhs1X/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVDQabUER0T9WonwLUxZnN13hvORlPRDEiJmlX0vYR0V5cK7Ny8UcuwR_5OKKNM354rSDMoREbKhTk8eEI-CL4yY38Ark8kh7TmMY-_pzNtayFNTZcU2ukcu_S0BMkBwUm60GlNfwhs1X/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ interfacing separated from cotton layer ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhPSyP5VHCJ-WYtjyeIw_udweCVMaJGAeeaN8OYRSiL_fWj_EGRBfF3xYSyimyrppbKMGgTMc1YsmgHexp_TL7tFp-W-Hpe3cZi6xmzvX16j592VH96a8Yxn398Gp9BCWs6-LXoFguXog/s1600/IMG_0716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhPSyP5VHCJ-WYtjyeIw_udweCVMaJGAeeaN8OYRSiL_fWj_EGRBfF3xYSyimyrppbKMGgTMc1YsmgHexp_TL7tFp-W-Hpe3cZi6xmzvX16j592VH96a8Yxn398Gp9BCWs6-LXoFguXog/s320/IMG_0716.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ cutting the interfacing ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi6SC99YoEaRH-1V5v5ZdFkP24Z47ekWbvqLq7Uz562te_jCah3DshYqwhiVpBEJyZ90RYXHlkylDN7a7XRk-3PPyOmQF132DjKRwHdm6gQUu3VHjgtOVamkeD2_5HHMg3RTL_s6TQZCQ/s1600/IMG_0718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi6SC99YoEaRH-1V5v5ZdFkP24Z47ekWbvqLq7Uz562te_jCah3DshYqwhiVpBEJyZ90RYXHlkylDN7a7XRk-3PPyOmQF132DjKRwHdm6gQUu3VHjgtOVamkeD2_5HHMg3RTL_s6TQZCQ/s320/IMG_0718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ after the cut, flipped right-sides out ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After cutting the interfacing, you can flip the circle so that the right sides are out. Make sure to run your finger along the inside to push the seams fully out. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tOVrvzpYy9MKV-6PMtVitGETpmdKaZPiLx3EmxV3roL8P3ob27r8NeB1p6M0_URgocq5k9n_kUBIC8LMSp3tW_jWPSDnmlgdRb0xf0ubAB0BYyJ06qhkG7arJPIimKaaEGOyO9wcOppt/s1600/IMG_0719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tOVrvzpYy9MKV-6PMtVitGETpmdKaZPiLx3EmxV3roL8P3ob27r8NeB1p6M0_URgocq5k9n_kUBIC8LMSp3tW_jWPSDnmlgdRb0xf0ubAB0BYyJ06qhkG7arJPIimKaaEGOyO9wcOppt/s320/IMG_0719.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ completed circle ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Once you have your desired amount of circles (I chose 3), you need to attach them to the dish towel. Because I overlapped the 3 circles, I started by ironing the bottom-most (is that a word??) circle to the towel. I followed the interfacing instructions for adhering it to the towel (medium high heat and some steam). It was so nice to have the circle already tacked down before sewing- no pins necessary!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then, I used a stitch similar to a blanket stitch to sew the circle to the towel.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wyt-BHlQfnyDDVqTe9hVg2UqFJYPdZ-BGXjIhyphenhyphenaEJv60UpnQMvSFGHC45XQGEfa21sjrnlu_2V__SqzjxyYbqyvpLlo4wnrkr6RvTpMS_mAXHnoCH-fyjBHTs4fGz6F_Ue8WsZqUm1wE/s1600/2013_10.8+stitch.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wyt-BHlQfnyDDVqTe9hVg2UqFJYPdZ-BGXjIhyphenhyphenaEJv60UpnQMvSFGHC45XQGEfa21sjrnlu_2V__SqzjxyYbqyvpLlo4wnrkr6RvTpMS_mAXHnoCH-fyjBHTs4fGz6F_Ue8WsZqUm1wE/s1600/2013_10.8+stitch.tiff" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ Stitch I used, straight from the Bernina sewing manual ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCNTLsWCYCDAzRJW8yfdCu9wyM0hI-DmaaaKVCgQb3c2XSzyQP5IUCKEYkdGB1FoMnRW-e8QUKzFFmNiYRGrtt3PAwVJYJuvK1GUDfRQXqxUYIFP-jyWtdwT4tOBAk1fZ6qWdrcifH7NS/s1600/IMG_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCNTLsWCYCDAzRJW8yfdCu9wyM0hI-DmaaaKVCgQb3c2XSzyQP5IUCKEYkdGB1FoMnRW-e8QUKzFFmNiYRGrtt3PAwVJYJuvK1GUDfRQXqxUYIFP-jyWtdwT4tOBAk1fZ6qWdrcifH7NS/s320/IMG_0722.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKKQlhqvMtgrTTXRy9ZbMHzzhG51Ct6GZU-5IY_-IBrL9kncfEFNxIC3nY89GAvRJ6yQBFaG2ApK9571ydgBmHqe3Llt0pG5MLGuZNW2vsP-ONjksTiqiM8D7Lkfuf5R7TnNkGiPtavog/s1600/IMG_0724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKKQlhqvMtgrTTXRy9ZbMHzzhG51Ct6GZU-5IY_-IBrL9kncfEFNxIC3nY89GAvRJ6yQBFaG2ApK9571ydgBmHqe3Llt0pG5MLGuZNW2vsP-ONjksTiqiM8D7Lkfuf5R7TnNkGiPtavog/s320/IMG_0724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ modified blanket stitch ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggl1srYMtkdFgf800Wq3U5cy0T0Cp7nJUCGdJMYpV08R2M3Bi8U4TFdSUYixpXjQ6kjnpW0Hb2pwJqP9Z7QuYeSlTGZ_p_Adea0562t3LmhLXx2nfRR8U-EKQfnm7sazw5LRlwywlj7Fh/s1600/IMG_0725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggl1srYMtkdFgf800Wq3U5cy0T0Cp7nJUCGdJMYpV08R2M3Bi8U4TFdSUYixpXjQ6kjnpW0Hb2pwJqP9Z7QuYeSlTGZ_p_Adea0562t3LmhLXx2nfRR8U-EKQfnm7sazw5LRlwywlj7Fh/s320/IMG_0725.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
[ circle fun! ]<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I consulted <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTYtBtprJ2M" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this video tutorial</span></a> before trying this stitch for the first time!The goal is to keep the 'straight' stitches on the towel and then use the angled stitches to tack the circle to the towel. I used the same approach as when sewing the interfacing and cotton together- slow and steady. After every angled stitch (which was 4 stitches), I pivoted the fabric. I then added the second circle, overlapping with the first circle, and then slightly overlapping with that middle circle, I added the last circle.<br />
<br />
To finish it, I wrapped up a bottle of wine in the newly dressed up dish towel and took it over to our friends to celebrate their arrival!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx45s0PzxYT-NBCVeDJHK0On0IveyXPwXbEo_UkL7ICu62FFnstR6Y3wegd52iEnWSqknkOVusnI1wDMnLNB70Y5G588qiegt2RCnYuvkhtG2xs9mpTHoMjusgs9wLroTQ7Hmz5YYexXnM/s1600/IMG_0728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx45s0PzxYT-NBCVeDJHK0On0IveyXPwXbEo_UkL7ICu62FFnstR6Y3wegd52iEnWSqknkOVusnI1wDMnLNB70Y5G588qiegt2RCnYuvkhtG2xs9mpTHoMjusgs9wLroTQ7Hmz5YYexXnM/s400/IMG_0728.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-55920188303152685242013-10-04T05:30:00.000-07:002013-10-04T06:27:51.855-07:00Future Projects Friday: Small Clutches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTN1ecmnjCoXi8OO8N_DMCc2_hv-ze7RycrpR-pzyBY88tgTGe8fPIxr2E2CC8LsIDmN-pF5nxJMahAcnh1tb6_8e9MvMEMV-TK0xDskeZkkGckZIQRftf8OPLy5oU7kjWOtBZIKNRGRY/s1600/2013_10.4+FPF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTN1ecmnjCoXi8OO8N_DMCc2_hv-ze7RycrpR-pzyBY88tgTGe8fPIxr2E2CC8LsIDmN-pF5nxJMahAcnh1tb6_8e9MvMEMV-TK0xDskeZkkGckZIQRftf8OPLy5oU7kjWOtBZIKNRGRY/s320/2013_10.4+FPF.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Kids, you have done it again- you have made it to Friday! TGIF, am.i.right?!? Today, I wanted to build off of <a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/09/future-projects-friday-purse-tutorials.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">last week's</span></a> link round-up on purse tutorials to show you some amazing tutorials for making zippered clutches or wristlets, the bite-sized sisters of the purse. I love clutches and wristlets- when you just need a place to store your credit card, license and phone to run out somewhere, they are the perfect accessory.<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://www.elmstreetlife.com/2012/02/diy-bow-clutch-sewing-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bow Clutch</span></a> from Elm Street Life:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqB36GYoLrb4ZiahDL825e9oY7L697uM2r8KWpUz5lsfP5iovGlogaCRyshiDDS-qrz2c82wmKw3__4oLM06p_GXCDvAMABZneHS8-46RIy36w6OEGIXOhlMjDQjHpFIQPQF9m8Z2kL1U/s1600/2013_10.4+bow+clutch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqB36GYoLrb4ZiahDL825e9oY7L697uM2r8KWpUz5lsfP5iovGlogaCRyshiDDS-qrz2c82wmKw3__4oLM06p_GXCDvAMABZneHS8-46RIy36w6OEGIXOhlMjDQjHpFIQPQF9m8Z2kL1U/s320/2013_10.4+bow+clutch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.elmstreetlife.com/2012/02/diy-bow-clutch-sewing-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Elm Street Life</span></a> ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I <i>LOVE LOVE LOVE</i> this tutorial. I have made at least five of these clutches and given them all as gifts. Had I seen this tutorial when I was making gifts for my bridesmaids three years ago, I would have made this. The clutch is just large enough to hold your cell phone, keys and some money- perfect for a night out on the town.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqEXdiRx9rtExoNkjt6atYSnJTtdQbeLwv_IKJBGbYuczyDL0Ngmq_hNc7yNuR8-r9GktbU38yZ56SHZT4F2E8Jvrv0mu5_8Whp2CgJxMo6NscKafMWx2ppKMidSFuhHrAZ0MppK6-lc_/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqEXdiRx9rtExoNkjt6atYSnJTtdQbeLwv_IKJBGbYuczyDL0Ngmq_hNc7yNuR8-r9GktbU38yZ56SHZT4F2E8Jvrv0mu5_8Whp2CgJxMo6NscKafMWx2ppKMidSFuhHrAZ0MppK6-lc_/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ clutch that I made for my sister ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEZNI5wheSIFHWk5J-L7EBJ48RsG6BXs5lPxZTLl72w8RM-3fn6uldL3YBJj-zaR4DVxevF8-Te33F_BsLvJHbRPBpnqJKj3nVBe2eS_YGc5ix1KlCS_e_lG5OO6R6jArEQwXHeVvQizK/s1600/2013_10.4+jess+and+clutch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEZNI5wheSIFHWk5J-L7EBJ48RsG6BXs5lPxZTLl72w8RM-3fn6uldL3YBJj-zaR4DVxevF8-Te33F_BsLvJHbRPBpnqJKj3nVBe2eS_YGc5ix1KlCS_e_lG5OO6R6jArEQwXHeVvQizK/s320/2013_10.4+jess+and+clutch.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ my lovely friend and science sister Jess, modeling her b-day clutch. You can find Jess <a href="http://www.myhereandnowlife.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a> ] </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcCZdTdH_7SAvSqNwhGgp20UFlK1p_laDuswVYs5pCs4RGvq6x7nWT5aH5w4uRK7xAEtKCd4xZLhGq8xexdveauHOjZ3xesL_f22UvPQwADCet01LLDkTkQlnCWx060_kuIfTpsG1TSOJ/s1600/IMG_0583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcCZdTdH_7SAvSqNwhGgp20UFlK1p_laDuswVYs5pCs4RGvq6x7nWT5aH5w4uRK7xAEtKCd4xZLhGq8xexdveauHOjZ3xesL_f22UvPQwADCet01LLDkTkQlnCWx060_kuIfTpsG1TSOJ/s320/IMG_0583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ clutch in construction ] </div>
<br />
For the fabric selection for this clutch, I would advise that you pick a nice, sturdy fabric for the outer fabric and use something with minimal print. As you can see in my first example above, while I love the clutch I made for my sister, the bold print that I chose distracts from the sweet bow on the clutch. Using a more subdued fabric allows the bow to 'pop' on the front of the clutch. <br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://www.lemonsqueezyhome.com/2010/10/pleated-pouch-tutorial-with-pattern.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pleated Pouch</span></a> from A Lemon Squeezy Home:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9sXGnc2A-XMQKjHrIBIi5147q_mJTf5bsNt7uXJJLkvJy9FD5Z8mBdTBxPp8i09SogYUfNbNGkz97M0crXRsGHvCpMPrssjmboMZiwy0w0xerX_0YzGEa_RX9ND4lyLBahZXGHjw7YB6/s1600/2013_10.4+pleated+pouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9sXGnc2A-XMQKjHrIBIi5147q_mJTf5bsNt7uXJJLkvJy9FD5Z8mBdTBxPp8i09SogYUfNbNGkz97M0crXRsGHvCpMPrssjmboMZiwy0w0xerX_0YzGEa_RX9ND4lyLBahZXGHjw7YB6/s320/2013_10.4+pleated+pouch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.lemonsqueezyhome.com/2010/10/pleated-pouch-tutorial-with-pattern.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">A Lemon Squeezy Home</span></a> ] </div>
<br />
I am in love with the design and fabric choice of this little zip clutch. Sometimes, for me, the fabric makes or breaks the piece. The fabric chosen for this clutch is lovely, modern and in my favorite color scheme of gray and yellow-what's not to like? This tutorial includes pattern pieces (YAY!) and a very detailed step-by-step on how to assemble it. This would make a lovely gift for someone, maybe stuffed with lip gloss, nail polish etc.<br />
<br />
3. Another take on a <a href="http://www.needleandspatula.com/2010/12/pleated-pouch-sewing-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pleated Pouch</span></a> from Needle and Spatula:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3Cl4krtCmsOX6Qo-EAptxiXQudNFy3xFuSK251q2_vE4dWh_kmmdv2E4mo_6uxlCJaG0pEy2bfjxUUsJOmfeU3LejTA_0Mz4h1htlK9EYM4guliOCk3MkD7ifQAJN1bkTVGmpe1nfQrI/s1600/2013_10.4+pleated+pouch+tute.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3Cl4krtCmsOX6Qo-EAptxiXQudNFy3xFuSK251q2_vE4dWh_kmmdv2E4mo_6uxlCJaG0pEy2bfjxUUsJOmfeU3LejTA_0Mz4h1htlK9EYM4guliOCk3MkD7ifQAJN1bkTVGmpe1nfQrI/s320/2013_10.4+pleated+pouch+tute.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.needleandspatula.com/2010/12/pleated-pouch-sewing-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Needle and Spatula</span></a> ]</div>
There are many flavors of pleated pouches.. Here is another take on pleats, this time vertical. This isn't quite as large as the other clutches in this post, but would still be a fun thing to have. In this tutorial, she includes a different and easier way to put in a zipper. <br />
<br />
4. <a href="http://www.ourbusylittlebunch.com/2012/03/mini-clutch-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Mini Clutch</span></a> from Our Busy Little Bunch: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRziTWKnXhzJ6zCatYJQn4oaW4lir22Ufl0xFRAX3XJJlgpeqVxPJ9dK10ah5A4NKeTvDsEYTdqfKPn-yead33RO-DtaVc8WjQRsQNq3sdiznYTF_g0UKc5Brsbwo7AwLaMUDXn_CslWJ/s1600/2013_10.4+mini+cltuch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRziTWKnXhzJ6zCatYJQn4oaW4lir22Ufl0xFRAX3XJJlgpeqVxPJ9dK10ah5A4NKeTvDsEYTdqfKPn-yead33RO-DtaVc8WjQRsQNq3sdiznYTF_g0UKc5Brsbwo7AwLaMUDXn_CslWJ/s320/2013_10.4+mini+cltuch.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: <a href="http://www.ourbusylittlebunch.com/2012/03/mini-clutch-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Our Busy Little Bunch</span></a> ]</div>
These little mini clutches are adorable. They look like they are quite sturdy as the tutorial calls for both lining and batting, which appear to give it extra structure. I love the idea of the elastic loop and button closure- I could spend hours in the button aisle at JoAnn's. I have a tupperware container of buttons waiting for a home in my sewing room right now.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Have a great weekend and happy sewing!</i></div>
<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-28279651411429571032013-10-01T05:56:00.000-07:002013-10-01T06:54:39.995-07:00The Pow-Wow Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzCdXTFa_eC_u14RYptFe1gC_qel3Pwu9irindX3KNQgQTsA9jz_yMBlSGpoe7a0RlCi4WBEXvti8eVZz-f8L3y2YzjveivuN2rCF60xzZpbx2hpTfLhcp5TYEEybsa8m3DA_Qc8NMCz-/s1600/2013_10.1+pow-wow+post_summary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzCdXTFa_eC_u14RYptFe1gC_qel3Pwu9irindX3KNQgQTsA9jz_yMBlSGpoe7a0RlCi4WBEXvti8eVZz-f8L3y2YzjveivuN2rCF60xzZpbx2hpTfLhcp5TYEEybsa8m3DA_Qc8NMCz-/s320/2013_10.1+pow-wow+post_summary.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
<br />
My labmate Kathryn and two of her grad school friends recently asked if they could 'hire' me to make a quilt for two friends of theirs in another lab who were expecting a baby boy (he arrived last week and every one is happy and healthy!). They wanted something personal and hand-crafted. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. I had several quilt ideas in mind and I love being able to consult my Pinterest 'sewing fun' board to get ideas. I showed Kathryn several quilts that had caught my eye. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7WDpL6bvGjXv0pwPplOxVp15WXhMFWYmdjKTrzcaIQ-5ngbqq5SMMHFxfYQx0CwDVybGnS3Wdoc_4hFjpSZlKJfHNEgNaYeqA8CT1BxYOHZ6p2BQqrjae77FELE5K1P7Ia2xIlJb6hPn/s1600/2013_10.1+quilt+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7WDpL6bvGjXv0pwPplOxVp15WXhMFWYmdjKTrzcaIQ-5ngbqq5SMMHFxfYQx0CwDVybGnS3Wdoc_4hFjpSZlKJfHNEgNaYeqA8CT1BxYOHZ6p2BQqrjae77FELE5K1P7Ia2xIlJb6hPn/s400/2013_10.1+quilt+ideas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ 1. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DFMScY3jmDE/TLSHcabB8xI/AAAAAAAAJlc/W5RCLo8wkjI/s1600/006.JPG" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">strip quilt</span></a>, 2. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/155543018/modern-quilt-colorful-stripy-couch-throw?utm_campaign=Share&share_id=5670463&utm_medium=PageTools&hmac=c676638851e2acf2391cf1be75b0b151fc98b2bf&utm_source=Pinterest" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">strip quilt</span></a>, 3. <a href="http://cluckclucksew.bigcartel.com/product/pow-wow-quilt-pattern-128-pdf-version" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pow-Wow quilt</span></a>, 4. <a href="http://camilleroskelley.typepad.com/simplify/2011/09/swoonery.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Swoon Quilt</span></a> ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The first two quilts were pictures that I came across on Pinterest that didn't have a tutorial or pattern associated with them but were simple enough in design that I could re-create them on my own. The third and fourth quilts both have accompanying patterns. After looking over the different ideas, we settled on the Pow-wow quilt from Cluck Cluck Sew.<br />
<br />
Although I was able to figure out how the blocks were pieced together on my own, I didn't feel comfortable figuring out the block sizes to attempt making this quilt (for someone else!) without the pattern. For ~$8, I felt the pattern was totally worth it. The instructions were very clear and easy to understand.<br />
<br />
Next, Kathryn and I set off for JoAnn's to pick out fabrics. We consulted our dear friend Google for inspiration in picking out a color scheme. There are many examples of the Pow-Wow quilt if you do a google image search- we were particularly drawn to the colors used <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilysposetta/7966451688/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>, <a href="http://sistersandquilters.blogspot.com/2012/08/another-wonderful-sharing-day.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8169807607/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>. We chose to make the baby size, which required 5 different print fabrics and one solid fabric. At JoAnn's, we were immediately drawn to some really lovely polka dot patterns and settled on a medium gray as our solid color. I absolutely love the color scheme we picked out! For the backing, we found an adorable chevron pattern in different shades of gray, and even it had polka dots! For the binding, we found a really lovely orange fabric with darker orange leaves on it- very fall-inspired and perfect for a fall baby! I had to convince Kathryn that a bright color for the binding would be a good move- I am a big fan of a fun and bright binding (<a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/09/heirloom-chenille-baby-blanket.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">even if they are a pain in the you know what to to sew</span></a>).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzJbLMrlOHuz0wyd8isTQEtr2DlGCaEG_y2PbAjPed0j9-cFyXItxg7qHi7dqVhgRziOy0QMP9_anDUlROeYdmrq9jQE0eqhcGqI1GjeW1RCp_Rbg5LtTme4cA4yR8aywmGd0xu4Diq8w/s1600/IMG_0717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzJbLMrlOHuz0wyd8isTQEtr2DlGCaEG_y2PbAjPed0j9-cFyXItxg7qHi7dqVhgRziOy0QMP9_anDUlROeYdmrq9jQE0eqhcGqI1GjeW1RCp_Rbg5LtTme4cA4yR8aywmGd0xu4Diq8w/s400/IMG_0717.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ fabrics used for quilt front ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fX13h16OKszitCevJY48vqCAhGrnF-laRWLqH3bb-lKzi0cNcwzar_oeq-GnTgT69xdClZ8juglFrTXTmMBBsNGuD48nRv1lVthbkhgkEHPN4YOZV-OOw-BwJ-EmKgl_O1JbQYvL9Zgf/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fX13h16OKszitCevJY48vqCAhGrnF-laRWLqH3bb-lKzi0cNcwzar_oeq-GnTgT69xdClZ8juglFrTXTmMBBsNGuD48nRv1lVthbkhgkEHPN4YOZV-OOw-BwJ-EmKgl_O1JbQYvL9Zgf/s400/IMG_0705.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ backing fabric ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN962eafc0pRrDMlWECGxukxWJ2ACdLXNIC0fJRWXPTaUFWq_Pjl3xcNuEhsm1ALZ5Q1NP3r_JD0_ixxUdDjs9nidWPFDynBJf_5KEB_GMre5Whl9V30F3TCyhJSRp1t9A2AmsuxWfeDQ/s1600/IMG_0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN962eafc0pRrDMlWECGxukxWJ2ACdLXNIC0fJRWXPTaUFWq_Pjl3xcNuEhsm1ALZ5Q1NP3r_JD0_ixxUdDjs9nidWPFDynBJf_5KEB_GMre5Whl9V30F3TCyhJSRp1t9A2AmsuxWfeDQ/s400/IMG_0706.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ binding fabric ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It only took me about two hours at the kitchen table to cut out all of the fabrics for this quilt. And overall, it really only took ~15 hours from start to finish- my kind of project! Because this quilt is available as a <a href="http://cluckclucksew.bigcartel.com/product/pow-wow-quilt-pattern-128-pdf-version" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">pattern for purchase</span></a> (either through PDF download or as a paper pattern) through the awesome folks at Cluck Cluck Sew, I won't post a tutorial for how to make it, but I thought I would show a few snapshots of the quilt as it was constructed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCihqXYk0TUSFi5KiYPbIztbemi9Ri9oDJATbgxq5YBTPuyLJp-OwV7aCIP4elQ-cQCQrgGMnGl2UzD-WsZ6fmUtRP77FLyOE1ESWhZ0JC5vAi-jU_PptYRoGAJZJWlmRDuxvrvS-4ch8/s1600/IMG_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCihqXYk0TUSFi5KiYPbIztbemi9Ri9oDJATbgxq5YBTPuyLJp-OwV7aCIP4elQ-cQCQrgGMnGl2UzD-WsZ6fmUtRP77FLyOE1ESWhZ0JC5vAi-jU_PptYRoGAJZJWlmRDuxvrvS-4ch8/s400/IMG_1027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ 3 out of 5 block sets ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhajd2xWWXVesZJxZMDbY2idkFHsXE8vxpjGRN2CcS9ybWt3021tH25aYE_zP01zYzV2FmFIFiCWXpvnhrQpleaOEjrZ0bL4dZbyrpfoYpk2A6-c46U25v4X5HAP0YfXUeszfxgnYkWxZF/s1600/IMG_1033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhajd2xWWXVesZJxZMDbY2idkFHsXE8vxpjGRN2CcS9ybWt3021tH25aYE_zP01zYzV2FmFIFiCWXpvnhrQpleaOEjrZ0bL4dZbyrpfoYpk2A6-c46U25v4X5HAP0YfXUeszfxgnYkWxZF/s400/IMG_1033.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ quilt top assembled ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I struggled with how to quilt this blanket--this only reinforces the need to<a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/09/future-projects-friday-free-motion.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> learn free motion quilting</span></a>! I really loved the vertical stripes used in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8169807607/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a> example. My only concern was that if the alignment of the blocks or quilted lines was slightly off, it would be very obvious. Then I thought about horizontal lines, but since I used a horizontal chevron backing fabric, I thought that might be too much in the way of horizontal lines. Finally, I settled on what had been my first idea- to outline each arrowhead shape on the quilt. I stitched very close to the seam between the gray fabric and each arrowhead, while staying on the arrowhead itself.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmp9nOisEG7DYmYnncHrl03UWr-PCct8qV5bvqEV3QZYPgGa_o4I51zg8iB0v497ROHh_iQfAS79FsP8M_DYk4FUoz7epnC6XQVy-zViwLHVb9e3gIGNkThROBrcPNbrS2nWq7APY1cMOt/s1600/IMG_1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmp9nOisEG7DYmYnncHrl03UWr-PCct8qV5bvqEV3QZYPgGa_o4I51zg8iB0v497ROHh_iQfAS79FsP8M_DYk4FUoz7epnC6XQVy-zViwLHVb9e3gIGNkThROBrcPNbrS2nWq7APY1cMOt/s400/IMG_1034.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ outlining the arrowheads ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlJI-YBSBS6HXsffhbOmF-gSxoTWm3Mymigd2_EhUMIYYXXYev-nrNOL35iqhcKlJ5qprU_4XIrClf789pwV63HSUrnw6q3UANYc9Mv_cfUCBJlbpR3dY_aXD9bwO00K-CQ1sE3qJhJ5P/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlJI-YBSBS6HXsffhbOmF-gSxoTWm3Mymigd2_EhUMIYYXXYev-nrNOL35iqhcKlJ5qprU_4XIrClf789pwV63HSUrnw6q3UANYc9Mv_cfUCBJlbpR3dY_aXD9bwO00K-CQ1sE3qJhJ5P/s400/IMG_1037.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ quilt with binding attached- terrible night time cell photo ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
To bind this quilt, I first attached the binding to the quilt back and then wrapped it to the front of the quilt. I am becoming a bigger fan of this method because my mitered corners look nicer, even if keeping the stitching on the binding on the quilt back still needs some improvement.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWPg73PucKwQRoGuP2jCnWuiU6hFuA9KXVDPf1zrDUtpAmnyLupdu2lu7Y1VZW4yOaZyU_riqIgyksooTIrW1nSSwKdrRQZp-kd0B6TnCVO4f3UwB3jbwJBJgHV5uTjaJwnejHjTdXQ79/s1600/IMG_1038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWPg73PucKwQRoGuP2jCnWuiU6hFuA9KXVDPf1zrDUtpAmnyLupdu2lu7Y1VZW4yOaZyU_riqIgyksooTIrW1nSSwKdrRQZp-kd0B6TnCVO4f3UwB3jbwJBJgHV5uTjaJwnejHjTdXQ79/s400/IMG_1038.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ binding close up ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQXxZj4ph9y2NIDwen0PQcJtE60HUN7xpWEaKRsHYxRgJeS7z2d2ZBVhGVgHy42-s5bSYmpUCecJypXrEcBCOmL3dkECEpQHxxSpk54fBxkUnEXLY0NxjTGbxO_hi6l8no6HI2WbzjHyS/s1600/IMG_1040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQXxZj4ph9y2NIDwen0PQcJtE60HUN7xpWEaKRsHYxRgJeS7z2d2ZBVhGVgHy42-s5bSYmpUCecJypXrEcBCOmL3dkECEpQHxxSpk54fBxkUnEXLY0NxjTGbxO_hi6l8no6HI2WbzjHyS/s400/IMG_1040.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ quilt back- you can see the arrowheads outlined here ]</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4Ld51OEfqaPL_nhBPuEdv1M5cuFEUt3T83p7vFWL5ZWbnEYSIJSiAEqGsWjKK1uEaREPH55FcoRGfqGH9QqkxDpwqLvveDNAnfp71YrE3wU1wubRVkBNiDZgLaPrnEXc8vGO_YqL9Ec4/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4Ld51OEfqaPL_nhBPuEdv1M5cuFEUt3T83p7vFWL5ZWbnEYSIJSiAEqGsWjKK1uEaREPH55FcoRGfqGH9QqkxDpwqLvveDNAnfp71YrE3wU1wubRVkBNiDZgLaPrnEXc8vGO_YqL9Ec4/s400/photo.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ quilt post-wash. Photo courtesy of Kathryn ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I loved this quilt pattern and will definitely make it again. It was so fun to put together and next time, I will attempt to quilt it more creatively- maybe something crazy like diagonal lines (sarcasm implied). <br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-4718791358934156702013-09-27T05:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T06:05:30.471-07:00Future Projects Friday: Purse tutorials<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNPv80KA3cajCasiy24XO4jSyVq5wR1spbseo0nxAbDOzfeoe2j6P1cR_9cR7Ei47mfQX9y5Aw7NheRb-ynbl1u0huuju2WPsRq2QdcIK54yOWB9kXu1p4EgH15i3l0ehVQKSW8FH1bQS/s1600/2013_9.27_future+projects+friday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNPv80KA3cajCasiy24XO4jSyVq5wR1spbseo0nxAbDOzfeoe2j6P1cR_9cR7Ei47mfQX9y5Aw7NheRb-ynbl1u0huuju2WPsRq2QdcIK54yOWB9kXu1p4EgH15i3l0ehVQKSW8FH1bQS/s320/2013_9.27_future+projects+friday.png" width="294" /></a></div>
It's Friday (TGIF) and it's time for Future Projects Friday where I feature a few Pinterested tutorials that I might want to make! This week, I thought I would feature some cute purse tutorials that come with <i>FREE</i> (jazz hands) pattern pieces you can print out from your home computer. Who doesn't love a cute purse? Also, these make wonderful gifts for friends, bridesmaid gifts or a gift to yourself!<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Buttercup Bag</span></a> tutorial from the blog, Made by RAE:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcW8Z5pWwV-OLMdimm-ecR9JGTYYJ8Bq-IR-x319VQCcKNRqfQafZxDKaYv0MeYqg54-wGqPKpg0Sf_npXB45A6CXY9dVotksojPYFIng41GGQjQD-kunj3bRc8qPF-9ApCD28Z6iuno4/s1600/2013_9.27_FPF_buttercup+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcW8Z5pWwV-OLMdimm-ecR9JGTYYJ8Bq-IR-x319VQCcKNRqfQafZxDKaYv0MeYqg54-wGqPKpg0Sf_npXB45A6CXY9dVotksojPYFIng41GGQjQD-kunj3bRc8qPF-9ApCD28Z6iuno4/s320/2013_9.27_FPF_buttercup+bag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern/ ] </div>
<br />
I cannot gush enough over how cute & practical this bag is. Once again, I must confess that I have already made this bag (TWICE!!)- one for my good friend Jessie and then another for myself--once I saw how adorable it was in person, I <i>needed</i> one too! I absolutely love the fabric choice used in the tutorial and a heavier fabric for the outer part of the bag is a must, to give it that extra structure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKXYb_bw8d7-VSzJJKq_NuPkN8Rkrzx3dRDtSxZNdEYXTCkQoVnZaFfaeEXz7WmfQj4Cv6_qidWPc09UTYsfvquEe5E7iFa9YuPc552gZ-POTEVZ6nptIQ0b307hEzwQh9HO7b0739W3M/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKXYb_bw8d7-VSzJJKq_NuPkN8Rkrzx3dRDtSxZNdEYXTCkQoVnZaFfaeEXz7WmfQj4Cv6_qidWPc09UTYsfvquEe5E7iFa9YuPc552gZ-POTEVZ6nptIQ0b307hEzwQh9HO7b0739W3M/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ buttercup bag made for my BFF Jessie ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPObc5oJmYDWh7uKH5RU2KBtXlqEDIi63POttZyFq7e6cT1gDXDM_zgOaarbR2KVY5KidPwMItpmhq4X6SsmU0cfGZ7f6lJB4ufW_EUY7VcPzOBWUuyjq5KSReYMyIe2gMaQGthCP_L15W/s1600/IMG_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPObc5oJmYDWh7uKH5RU2KBtXlqEDIi63POttZyFq7e6cT1gDXDM_zgOaarbR2KVY5KidPwMItpmhq4X6SsmU0cfGZ7f6lJB4ufW_EUY7VcPzOBWUuyjq5KSReYMyIe2gMaQGthCP_L15W/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ buttercup bag I made for myself! ] </div>
<br />
This pattern is very easy to follow and good for all levels of sewers. For both of the bags that I made, I used a heavier, canvas for the outer fabric and lined it with a quilting cotton. I think an even heavier fabric would work very well, although sometimes my sewing machine is not a fan of super bulky fabrics.<br />
<br />
2. A modified <a href="http://verypurpleperson.com/2010/04/making-reversible-bag/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Charlie Bag</span></a> from Very Purple Person:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraEEhKoWOUO8EDUHuLh8Vpjsi9P-E-_FSxR1PkUPnnWfehpecxNGoJMfRjvGP0PdC1wS00GXmruOCHS4hDgYK3B8NBgq_vaAYk3DgtiMxgADPZnkwXl57QhnI8g98YxyfydptKDxwROiz/s1600/2013_9.27_FPF_charlie+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraEEhKoWOUO8EDUHuLh8Vpjsi9P-E-_FSxR1PkUPnnWfehpecxNGoJMfRjvGP0PdC1wS00GXmruOCHS4hDgYK3B8NBgq_vaAYk3DgtiMxgADPZnkwXl57QhnI8g98YxyfydptKDxwROiz/s320/2013_9.27_FPF_charlie+bag.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://verypurpleperson.com/2010/04/making-reversible-bag/ ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This is a great pattern for a reversible bag- two bags for the price of one project! I love the look of this bag and I am actually in the process of constructing it! I ran into one issue: the fabric I selected for the lining was not wide enough! I am bummed too because the fabric is such a cute design! For this pattern, you want to use home decor fabrics, which are wider and accommodate the pattern pieces. Also, make sure that the pattern is not 'scaled to shrink' when you print it or the patterns will not come out the right size. Thankfully, she provides a nifty 4x4 box for you to ensure that your pattern pieces printed out at the correct size!<br />
<br />
3. The <a href="http://thinkliz.com/2009/02/20/diana-hobo-free-pattern/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Diana Hobo</span></a> bag from think liz.:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPSsDnuUahv8ye876SH4tG848w2N30cHrx07Dh-vJJaFAuO9_-5pZnro24h18uYy1nfsTm7xBSZTBh3h9mfWddEilO7FVXnZc1mxE15TEFRVQin_TR-VMDfr18xht_y25gq0AOf1gBzew/s1600/2013_9.27_FPF_diana+hobo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPSsDnuUahv8ye876SH4tG848w2N30cHrx07Dh-vJJaFAuO9_-5pZnro24h18uYy1nfsTm7xBSZTBh3h9mfWddEilO7FVXnZc1mxE15TEFRVQin_TR-VMDfr18xht_y25gq0AOf1gBzew/s320/2013_9.27_FPF_diana+hobo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://thinkliz.com/2009/02/20/diana-hobo-free-pattern/ ] </div>
<br />
It is my personal opinion that one cannot have too many bags... my closet is a testament to this. This is a super cute hobo bag that is similar in style to the buttercup bag above, but larger. I think one of the things I like about making larger bags is the ability to feature larger scale print fabrics, which don't work on smaller bags. This bag looks like it would be a great 'around the town' kind of bag!<br />
<br />
4. <a href="http://thehiphomeecteacher.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/mrs-langleys-tote-bag-sewing-pattern-free/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Mrs. Langley's Tote bag</span></a> from The Hip Home Ec Teacher:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VaQ9nxNTyyQ-TGpOqHEc4BzN7o1jUAgO_VhZaWKw1NFw05vZqqd7TmD5FqvZK-XgarG5J-LhQ3PcMoIG0pX_ExegWYXfxX7aVWxWesKe3bN3WY9cppmDI14ydZj8VhHlai2RIoIbZKv2/s1600/2013_9.27_FPF_mrs+langleys+tote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VaQ9nxNTyyQ-TGpOqHEc4BzN7o1jUAgO_VhZaWKw1NFw05vZqqd7TmD5FqvZK-XgarG5J-LhQ3PcMoIG0pX_ExegWYXfxX7aVWxWesKe3bN3WY9cppmDI14ydZj8VhHlai2RIoIbZKv2/s320/2013_9.27_FPF_mrs+langleys+tote.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://thehiphomeecteacher.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/mrs-langleys-tote-bag-sewing-pattern-free/ ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Who doesn't love a good tote bag? These are great for traveling, carrying all your stuff to work, gifts for friends etc. This bag looks super cute and I love that it has a snap closure. I really like how she used the two different fabric prints. Also, how awesome is it that this tutorial comes from a home ec teacher's blog?!?! I took sewing all four years of high school and had an absolutely wonderful teacher who let me go off and do my own thing since I already knew how to sew : ) <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hope you guys have a great weekend! Happy sewing!</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-5218914529771516072013-09-22T19:47:00.000-07:002013-09-24T16:35:34.048-07:00Bad-ass Derby Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeziZOYo1zIzC1Rm_EvlQ7-YShB7sZt2-_3Jl4Gb0mTXRTySRmWrGcSGnPx8HbZKx6ize_MVd3rICHy1c8YlXRtOGsDBud7H-YXJJnIlfjRN3hg-dr-I8V56u8MQ_6MCiFjioXuAEZNHL/s1600/sunburst+quilt+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeziZOYo1zIzC1Rm_EvlQ7-YShB7sZt2-_3Jl4Gb0mTXRTySRmWrGcSGnPx8HbZKx6ize_MVd3rICHy1c8YlXRtOGsDBud7H-YXJJnIlfjRN3hg-dr-I8V56u8MQ_6MCiFjioXuAEZNHL/s320/sunburst+quilt+header.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
A grade school friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer. She is only a year older than me and I find it difficult to comprehend how someone so young, vibrant and healthy has such a shitty (pardon my French) disease. If you are interested in learning more, she has documented her journey on her blog, <a href="http://slamourdoll.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Hip Checking Cancer</span></a>. In addition to her personal story, she has several links to resources for those needing more information.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> As a scientist, I must advocate for cancer researchers here. <br />Science funding is currently dismal due to years of budget cuts and,<br /> more recently, the sequester. Above is a prime example of a type of <br />cancer that warrants further research- not less. <br />Did you know that they are referring to my generation <br />of scientists as the lost generation?<br /> Since so many scientists can not obtain funding, <br />they must look into other careers, away from <br />the bench and basic research. If you are looking to get involved, <br />the<a href="http://www.cancer.org/involved/index" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> American Cancer Society</span></a> is a wonderful organization <br />to donate to. Not only do they help patients <br />both with costs and education, but they they also fund cancer <br />biology researchers (including my husband) at all stages of their careers. <br />[ahem...stepping off my soapbox now...]</i></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
I had been thinking of things I might be able to do for my friend remotely since I no longer live in the great state of NJ where we grew up, and where she still resides. My mom suggested I make a quilt for her. I emailed her husband (another childhood friend) and asked if this was something she might need/use...and to my delight, he said that she could absolutely use a blanket as she often got cold during her chemo treatments. So I got down to business!<br />
<br />
I selected the <a href="http://youandmie.com/2012/08/01/sunburst-picnic-blanket/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">sunburst quilt pattern</span></a> from the You & Mie blog as the basis of the quilt. Although the finished project listed on that tutorial is for a picnic blanket, I was able to easily modify it to be a throw-sized quilt. I decided on this sunburst pattern since it isn't like most traditional quilts- it feels more modern and allows me to choose fabrics with a larger-scale pattern. Instead of using fabrics that featured designs related to breast cancer (e.g. pink ribbon fabrics), I decided to make an 'edgier' choice- quilts can be edgy, right? The friend that I made this quilt for is a total bad-ass (hence the name of this quilt) and was an active roller derby girl prior to her diagnosis. Although she isn't skating while she undergoes her treatments, she is still very involved with her team. I decided to consult my best friend Google to see if there were any roller derby-themed fabrics I might be able to feature in this quilt. To both my surprise and delight, there were MANY derby-themed fabrics to choose from at Spoonflower. Have you guys heard of <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Spoonflower</span></a>? It's a company located right here in the research triangle. They allow folks to design their own fabric and feature the designs on the Spoonflower website. I saw two fabric designs that immediately caught my eye. The first fabric featured<a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/309103" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> vintage-inspired derby girls</span></a> and had red, teal, gray, black and white accents.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf8tlFofxto9iqMbTQgw3rB6knZ7hKW5NBZqCPTarIbXmG_d838NUo28I6TTLiOUxvuSSqWWxYsK0mhq0gG9ApiZUq37T6-CjHCiBlhHX5PNus5wxSE93UbIUvGTqYDHiciu2EhIixB73/s1600/IMG_0736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf8tlFofxto9iqMbTQgw3rB6knZ7hKW5NBZqCPTarIbXmG_d838NUo28I6TTLiOUxvuSSqWWxYsK0mhq0gG9ApiZUq37T6-CjHCiBlhHX5PNus5wxSE93UbIUvGTqYDHiciu2EhIixB73/s320/IMG_0736.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ inspiration fabric #1 for the bad-ass derby quilt ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/676897" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">second fabric</span></a> had skates, band-aids and banged up derby girls in grays, reds, pinks and blacks. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrQvVh9_xZHKAk3RQWcpUVYCx0gQqwr96qjAsub2fLWI1FHGLn9-BEgD9Q81gRP5cCHfTab78CrzxTLYJ22ybpU_4GxZE0hp8Fyy1I-g-oSWS_iF8PuVf8-Gt4gF4TIXPXkXaywBrwJhl/s1600/IMG_0738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrQvVh9_xZHKAk3RQWcpUVYCx0gQqwr96qjAsub2fLWI1FHGLn9-BEgD9Q81gRP5cCHfTab78CrzxTLYJ22ybpU_4GxZE0hp8Fyy1I-g-oSWS_iF8PuVf8-Gt4gF4TIXPXkXaywBrwJhl/s320/IMG_0738.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ inspiration fabric #2 ]</div>
<br />
Overall, I was incredibly pleased with the fabrics that I ordered from Spoonflower. My only issue (and it's a small one) was that the second fabric was shown with a more ivory/off-white background online, where it is really white in real life. This is common when ordering fabrics online-- colors photograph differently than they really appear. That aside, I was thrilled with the fabrics overall. Spoonflower gives you a choice of what fabric you would like the design printed on- I used their Kona cotton, which is perfect for quilting. Because their fabric is rather pricey, I did not order all of the fabrics from Spoonflower. I used these two fabrics as my inspiration and purchased the rest of my fabrics from JoAnn's. By featuring two of the fabrics from Spoonflower, it was a nice way to get some modern flair in there without totally breaking the bank.<br />
<br />
Next, I grabbed my friend Allison and we set off to JoAnn's (armed with a stack of 40% off coupons of course) to pick out the coordinating colors. In the <a href="http://youandmie.com/2012/08/01/sunburst-picnic-blanket/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">You & Mie tutorial</span></a> she used seven different fabrics. I chose to do the same. Here are the five additional fabrics that I chose:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTNf56iMu0rpxuE4dnuZk3cXpFuE-vXaSRD0rixV_sWQXSK3c7sFCs1cRRmHQRmJPr8iFhWdf5AQrKgAWGC2mAF4Yow-FcRnzPqBNIQn-sDEdY6-snyJdId0laVHGIazDhXjGHy0XQhHf/s1600/IMG_0741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTNf56iMu0rpxuE4dnuZk3cXpFuE-vXaSRD0rixV_sWQXSK3c7sFCs1cRRmHQRmJPr8iFhWdf5AQrKgAWGC2mAF4Yow-FcRnzPqBNIQn-sDEdY6-snyJdId0laVHGIazDhXjGHy0XQhHf/s320/IMG_0741.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ teal with gold splashes to compliment the teal accents in the first inspiration fabric ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic78_l4aSr2B1BKL2QsoN0-uTw4FOG7u5fmrlDrYwoDkMPWDtVlZgUzyADDDos9JMrfXfwLbw9PrH5Gkgfd-0N6zbL8nLq-rxIhml1ZX8BRpfOWDPRZYpM2dPcSSfiHVrlhVfCrfO8t8vl/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic78_l4aSr2B1BKL2QsoN0-uTw4FOG7u5fmrlDrYwoDkMPWDtVlZgUzyADDDos9JMrfXfwLbw9PrH5Gkgfd-0N6zbL8nLq-rxIhml1ZX8BRpfOWDPRZYpM2dPcSSfiHVrlhVfCrfO8t8vl/s320/IMG_0743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ gray chevrons- who doesn't love a good chevron fabric?? ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVb9517xOcFI7JD9REptYGbKDYtxdRL773nquVmRmB8guV_ir_vnDGSdumU0LJyya9jmo4Ec_kLC8O-jAd6JVK1a-pRg83nmMvQUZDLKJHttdU37Or1M_Jd0vH9GAi_qZjBrDxlXTuhpTP/s1600/IMG_0745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVb9517xOcFI7JD9REptYGbKDYtxdRL773nquVmRmB8guV_ir_vnDGSdumU0LJyya9jmo4Ec_kLC8O-jAd6JVK1a-pRg83nmMvQUZDLKJHttdU37Or1M_Jd0vH9GAi_qZjBrDxlXTuhpTP/s320/IMG_0745.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ black & white circle pattern ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p9Ee_ZT6ixvn7X9ocEXe2A4HIGdLUNgzy3uSR_4EBYruSqIVW8Vn_0s9AMORd4lqKdr3Yk6FHjILvkwVGI_OY5ojZJImJhrHJEp9LH_y3OMB4tX5-1g8dyv_aj2yo6elQjxuH2YbLVej/s1600/IMG_0747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p9Ee_ZT6ixvn7X9ocEXe2A4HIGdLUNgzy3uSR_4EBYruSqIVW8Vn_0s9AMORd4lqKdr3Yk6FHjILvkwVGI_OY5ojZJImJhrHJEp9LH_y3OMB4tX5-1g8dyv_aj2yo6elQjxuH2YbLVej/s320/IMG_0747.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ red fabric with silver accents ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKF_N6T7iCOQ8wRt2MqAgXCvKD4c0Fp0t9btnXtNXFIb3MltxDsjm9Hd5_HC_kVEpMZjV3_eAIGTR7M84WO2msfsnzdjQUMZ7H5LrGsLpRk6RKsp_NuQcmBPth8gUtl00rPyme87Ltxq8A/s1600/black+quilt+fabric.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKF_N6T7iCOQ8wRt2MqAgXCvKD4c0Fp0t9btnXtNXFIb3MltxDsjm9Hd5_HC_kVEpMZjV3_eAIGTR7M84WO2msfsnzdjQUMZ7H5LrGsLpRk6RKsp_NuQcmBPth8gUtl00rPyme87Ltxq8A/s320/black+quilt+fabric.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ black with subtle gray circles ] </div>
<br />
I did not pre-wash any of these fabrics. Rather, I quilted the whole thing together and then washed it afterwards to get a soft, wrinkly effect on the blanket. The red fabric with silver accents did not wash well- the shininess (is that a word?) of the silver dulled after the first wash. wamp wamp.<br />
<br />
To make my pattern, I used wrapping paper (I did not have butcher paper/freezer paper that the tutorial suggested using). The wrapping paper that I used conveniently had 1" grid lines drawn on the backside, which was PERFECT for pattern-making (Thanks Target!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUpQsXIb5JonDRuO5H__MOz8MT2n8PeL-XXBf4QiF2fmmNXk4ztOHKXZcwI9OfHLoMwy9x58kEUu_rDTxxzqTE8h3IxL2wY6ZOJ2QTCG58bKMPcG9IEwiAXlriGP73sgAcu23dk2dlUws/s1600/IMG_0752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUpQsXIb5JonDRuO5H__MOz8MT2n8PeL-XXBf4QiF2fmmNXk4ztOHKXZcwI9OfHLoMwy9x58kEUu_rDTxxzqTE8h3IxL2wY6ZOJ2QTCG58bKMPcG9IEwiAXlriGP73sgAcu23dk2dlUws/s320/IMG_0752.JPG" width="320" /><span id="goog_1908757601"></span><span id="goog_1908757602"></span></a></div>
<br />
The wrapping paper was 40.5" wide. I cut a 30" long piece. I then drew a dot ~13" in from the right side that would serve as the point from which my 'rays' would originate (seen as an asterisk in the figure below). Using my 24" sewing ruler, I drew 6 lines towards the periphery of the paper.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wRs7BGFDDYDmAk2Naz6dlXZgbiU7eZScifC6UQGwpN0dAaVFu7FSgSHIB0IdWOjjNW_ii7u1jcgx-b_b6yWVgHx_EdEa9mVmPhlVjGdt_rKXzI9__LQNC6aKJ7SzgLJfk3XaLOjhBDmJ/s1600/derby+quilt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wRs7BGFDDYDmAk2Naz6dlXZgbiU7eZScifC6UQGwpN0dAaVFu7FSgSHIB0IdWOjjNW_ii7u1jcgx-b_b6yWVgHx_EdEa9mVmPhlVjGdt_rKXzI9__LQNC6aKJ7SzgLJfk3XaLOjhBDmJ/s640/derby+quilt.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ layout for top half of sunburst quilt ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The nice thing about this quilt is that you only need to cut 7 pattern pieces- for the bottom half of the quilt, you just need to flip the pattern pieces over and cut out the mirror image of each from the fabric (seen below). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzhlquEcCLVBMJ7IwqkoVDFf50bx0NI1kChJW2EHdG5lkwjxv84DFe4jzlkbJjI24PZV9tAjg8DmP1-LyOYScpuP5qeSp_H927jB6fFlfh2XYwXNgn4mXVASi-RPNQx4fm4F1H9_E9ikp/s1600/derby+quilt_bottom+half.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzhlquEcCLVBMJ7IwqkoVDFf50bx0NI1kChJW2EHdG5lkwjxv84DFe4jzlkbJjI24PZV9tAjg8DmP1-LyOYScpuP5qeSp_H927jB6fFlfh2XYwXNgn4mXVASi-RPNQx4fm4F1H9_E9ikp/s640/derby+quilt_bottom+half.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ pattern pieces flipped over for the bottom half of the quilt ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After drawing all of my lines, I cut the individual pieces out of the wrapping and numbered them as shown above. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoub0pbguPMQqeJu3lHAXzr1JFG2ibw9KjktFn8AXP1c95qvG6Am2dNqobSAjF_-ujXun5RXDGwTDWgqM19-ScL1u5pdieIDsmlr2y1kNEEOZspGYt0ldNtULbMS4egXL9t9e5vnaDD_qT/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoub0pbguPMQqeJu3lHAXzr1JFG2ibw9KjktFn8AXP1c95qvG6Am2dNqobSAjF_-ujXun5RXDGwTDWgqM19-ScL1u5pdieIDsmlr2y1kNEEOZspGYt0ldNtULbMS4egXL9t9e5vnaDD_qT/s640/IMG_0751.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ Pattern pieces cut out. Ignore the fact that piece #5 is missing a chunk. I blame the cat ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After I generated my pattern pieces, I started cutting out my fabric. As shown above, I chose 7 fabrics. Thus, each fabric will be represented twice on the quilt- once in the top half and once in the bottom half. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
To cut out the fabric, I didn't quite follow the tutorial's instructions. Rather than cutting out each piece a 1/2" larger than drawn (to allow for a 1/2" seam allowance) I went rogue and cut out the pieces as the exact size of the pattern piece. I also only used a 1/4" seam allowance. I taped (lazy, I know) each pattern piece down on its corresponding fabric, then used my ruler and rotary cutter to cut along the edges of each wedge shape. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FEj6hgrwMSdYrbnqea5ZxgQWDzVPJ5y9_5i7QoWsVDWashlTLvTnexC-3u_yuaCSt57i3u7y_C0GHj1JQ6-_G9L49FqhsX8x94irRARmCmLjjd5duzGP_TGf0ZSUmbjIdgTUm2Cz_fWJ/s1600/IMG_0950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FEj6hgrwMSdYrbnqea5ZxgQWDzVPJ5y9_5i7QoWsVDWashlTLvTnexC-3u_yuaCSt57i3u7y_C0GHj1JQ6-_G9L49FqhsX8x94irRARmCmLjjd5duzGP_TGf0ZSUmbjIdgTUm2Cz_fWJ/s640/IMG_0950.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ quilt pieces displayed on the floor ]</div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Once all of my pieces were cut out, I sewed them together using a 1/4" seam allowance, starting with the top half of the quilt, next moving to the bottom half of the quilt and then, finally, joining the top and bottom halves. This is the point where I should show you a picture but I don't have one so instead, look at this picture of my dog. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1d9AjiZ9unwa6NguoQSl6gdAr5BGC9RmSJ1dlygXc1LbQq3uG7xiKrD_ET27hqK9GTH8JLYcnF7WpXDin0IcqSLzRf7p9Zw29_9Fp49Ncw4JCIOqABGK1NQWfWcnSKumxPJg8h-8-kO-9/s1600/IMG_0485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1d9AjiZ9unwa6NguoQSl6gdAr5BGC9RmSJ1dlygXc1LbQq3uG7xiKrD_ET27hqK9GTH8JLYcnF7WpXDin0IcqSLzRf7p9Zw29_9Fp49Ncw4JCIOqABGK1NQWfWcnSKumxPJg8h-8-kO-9/s320/IMG_0485.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ big dog, tiny bone ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
After the top and bottom halves were joined, I needed to square up the quilt edges. To do this, I simply folded the quilt in half (along the seamline where I had joined the top and bottom halves), lined it up on my cutting mat and evened up the edges. At this point, the quilt was roughly 40" x 60" (a little smaller given the 1/4" seam allowance and squaring up). I wanted the quilt to be a little bigger, so I added a border (it was either 8 or 10"- bad job me for poor note taking) all around with the gray polka dot fabric below:</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JI-V2FGCz1C4AmoMUEpKujcJ4UfWPG5xAaDFn5bspj4iTsTPLfaMwn-5DPUXY9pN8c6aCpfH9alGUbdAW9erTVc6E3eLsOhvXBTUUguwJhUmK5QSynFAzzYkAHcjHe-r8zhOJH4sQiU/s1600/IMG_0748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JI-V2FGCz1C4AmoMUEpKujcJ4UfWPG5xAaDFn5bspj4iTsTPLfaMwn-5DPUXY9pN8c6aCpfH9alGUbdAW9erTVc6E3eLsOhvXBTUUguwJhUmK5QSynFAzzYkAHcjHe-r8zhOJH4sQiU/s320/IMG_0748.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ gray polka dot border fabric ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For the backing, I had originally wanted to use a gray flannel but I also wanted to only use one piece of fabric. Because the quilt top was greater than 40" in both dimensions, a normal cut of fabric would have been short in one direction. To get around this, JoAnn's sells extended width fabrics in both flannel and cotton. I wanted gray flannel but they were out when I was there- sad face. But then I found this gray fabric that was also in extended width and really fit with my color scheme. I also purchased my favorite <a href="http://www.warmcompany.com/wnpage.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Warm & Natural</span></a> batting.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPEouk2y9oJO3HHQY64oI2WxUjaOOJYa7ysiHOycKS3Ngy43sWjwJG0TsLrWFD6tzHtEkCgr1O1o54BlwJUZY-CNVgztBAh6qF3TcpbgSVaGA3EWuATu8LUdEZ1E_xoZmVGpyWlVOgmjM/s1600/IMG_0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPEouk2y9oJO3HHQY64oI2WxUjaOOJYa7ysiHOycKS3Ngy43sWjwJG0TsLrWFD6tzHtEkCgr1O1o54BlwJUZY-CNVgztBAh6qF3TcpbgSVaGA3EWuATu8LUdEZ1E_xoZmVGpyWlVOgmjM/s320/IMG_0750.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ extended width backing fabric ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
I pinned the quilt top to the batting and backing with safety pins. To quilt this blanket, I knew I wanted to do play up the sunburst shape, so I used my walking foot and quilted 1/2" away from each ray of the sunburst, two lines per each triangular piece. I also then stitched the ditch on the seam line where the triangles were joined to the border fabric so that the backing fabric had a nice design on it as well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjnfSciA1aLiRb6mRP-UbHRT2nw9L6IFkqdx5qe9sWjCCz9S8vH7vMB76wgGD_vXYZ_hk7ADiwkYO1UiiymTSedm3ji2_x7-zpEakh7lqgGMFGk0uqGYc488W72YG6mbs33hDLq1G7QMh/s1600/IMG_0956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjnfSciA1aLiRb6mRP-UbHRT2nw9L6IFkqdx5qe9sWjCCz9S8vH7vMB76wgGD_vXYZ_hk7ADiwkYO1UiiymTSedm3ji2_x7-zpEakh7lqgGMFGk0uqGYc488W72YG6mbs33hDLq1G7QMh/s640/IMG_0956.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ lots of lines! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRcTKJy5WgmxfcfAWwuy-JHqfOXmfvA-39IrSCwl0c8J9NrnSCgk4BTxVry-pNkmn8nm97ZVBoIPwGUUUxkGW5uVh4hfgKgGrPVF6ZTh7MInyv6mOKQJukgEcy0ERaOOrwDTI8zlJXPHM/s1600/IMG_0957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRcTKJy5WgmxfcfAWwuy-JHqfOXmfvA-39IrSCwl0c8J9NrnSCgk4BTxVry-pNkmn8nm97ZVBoIPwGUUUxkGW5uVh4hfgKgGrPVF6ZTh7MInyv6mOKQJukgEcy0ERaOOrwDTI8zlJXPHM/s640/IMG_0957.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ here, you can see the rectangle made after stitching the ditch on the front ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I absolutely <i>love</i> the pattern that was generated on the quilt back after highlighting the sun 'rays' on the quilt front. It inspires me to try more inventive quilting in the future, as I proposed in <a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/09/future-projects-friday-free-motion.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">my previous post</span></a>. After the quilt was put together, I removed all of the safety pins and squared up the quilt. I then made <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">continuous crossgrain binding </span></a>using a red and black damask cotton.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibg70qNjAkR3cnj-XeJIYFeETRp52NPkCGgYGDyMnyPIpnLdBqLqPkiSqzw7dKaJwLGJ6JkIXLaxR4xJlvaOhIqLEgpn8VzQY5vJNYsIvmMLf-yGOmwAUYS2-NtE7zTehTbysBDu0m4mco/s1600/binding+fabric.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibg70qNjAkR3cnj-XeJIYFeETRp52NPkCGgYGDyMnyPIpnLdBqLqPkiSqzw7dKaJwLGJ6JkIXLaxR4xJlvaOhIqLEgpn8VzQY5vJNYsIvmMLf-yGOmwAUYS2-NtE7zTehTbysBDu0m4mco/s320/binding+fabric.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ binding fabric ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After I made the binding, I attached it first to the quilt front, then wrapped it around to the quilt back while stitching the ditch on the front (<a href="http://prudentbaby.com/2011/11/by-craft/machine-quilt-binding-101-quilt-binding-diy-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">tutorial here</span></a>). One thing I always struggle with is joining the two binding tails on the diagonal where they meet on the quilt. I took the following picture so that I can remind myself (jog my memory) about what the proper orientation of the two pieces is so that I don't stitch and seam rip over and over until I get it right!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjickT8QKreqkYvmuuMRsMAd63MZMUwUx_-AiOlFvpGy7ExVoiSt2qFqOT0MoDb5W1FheIthWK-Meq_3lPbxWCnPkEna18-QSpiEWkqnp7db3zDdiDpJ93AjFQzpInqgrIzFpb71ofTLvw/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjickT8QKreqkYvmuuMRsMAd63MZMUwUx_-AiOlFvpGy7ExVoiSt2qFqOT0MoDb5W1FheIthWK-Meq_3lPbxWCnPkEna18-QSpiEWkqnp7db3zDdiDpJ93AjFQzpInqgrIzFpb71ofTLvw/s640/IMG_0962.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ joining of binding ends ]</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I will now try to explain this (please leave comments if this is too confusing). The binding on the left side gets unfolded such that the wrong side of the fabric is facing up. The binding on the right side also gets unfolded but stays with its right side up. Using my disappearing ink marker, I marked on each fabric where the two fabrics intersected with each other. I then pinned the binding tails together, with the left on top of the right and stitched them diagonally. I then trimmed my fabric and refolded it so that I could sew the remaining binding down.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LfdJpaiF93sJ9syFxTQtN8YNK7NL0VEwSIyaK2CwVH5Nc7ll8hOOtHsLbrzFO5JTKol7cpy2wXs6BXctpTDPAAJh84Iq-dVmi2poeD87waf0kkK8aP5mfHX669pIZH-lRZKQ243HfHCi/s1600/IMG_0963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LfdJpaiF93sJ9syFxTQtN8YNK7NL0VEwSIyaK2CwVH5Nc7ll8hOOtHsLbrzFO5JTKol7cpy2wXs6BXctpTDPAAJh84Iq-dVmi2poeD87waf0kkK8aP5mfHX669pIZH-lRZKQ243HfHCi/s640/IMG_0963.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ finished quilt top ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2eC6miIjDQgHRs2XAiCS_1-yep_KvtWotGQupATwBDqG7xDBUAu8vp7gO94qFrp4jt1nFiug41674MWyTNkVIvpRGGCjb6bz1iAeJBBbmpLW40Z4nhx62wsqxsxn1Hhm6M9BQPD-pz9q/s1600/IMG_0965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2eC6miIjDQgHRs2XAiCS_1-yep_KvtWotGQupATwBDqG7xDBUAu8vp7gO94qFrp4jt1nFiug41674MWyTNkVIvpRGGCjb6bz1iAeJBBbmpLW40Z4nhx62wsqxsxn1Hhm6M9BQPD-pz9q/s640/IMG_0965.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ close up of the finished quilt top ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXMbQAIkbfSe_u9StepK3M7zXfc3EJ-pyys5B3lrbnp4LOxeR7h_R4HEKAfY2yngfaqvoMVfU2Y8eXA4K7hxWOdlNKadJ0diXs_h_mOJY0EybAWqv0yYCnA6ZinmfPc2V6RkzRBqqD3aZ/s1600/IMG_0967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXMbQAIkbfSe_u9StepK3M7zXfc3EJ-pyys5B3lrbnp4LOxeR7h_R4HEKAfY2yngfaqvoMVfU2Y8eXA4K7hxWOdlNKadJ0diXs_h_mOJY0EybAWqv0yYCnA6ZinmfPc2V6RkzRBqqD3aZ/s640/IMG_0967.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ close up of the finished quilt back ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After the quilt was fully constructed, I popped it in the wash on warm, then dried it on low. It was nice and soft and ready to be mailed to its new home in NJ!<br />
<br />
P.S. Amy Adams, the woman who designed inspiration fabric #2 for this quilt, contacted me after my purchase and asked if she could see my finished project. I sent her a picture of the quilt and she now has it <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/676897" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">featured on her Spoonflower page</span></a>. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-92058252520678413682013-09-20T05:30:00.000-07:002013-09-20T05:58:46.967-07:00Future Projects Friday: Free motion quilting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk8-Q-D7CP8908uMt4q18iD3DhZhXMdX62ybBR73aVoQ8vqa3Ck_0RPrExkZ5AFboDafsxTmxEkq4MMRtALnBdp43EpMCRdQ8JUocAzWTkuQSH5IZgddY09LYXwQjCqZrFxnXLXqTgn7E/s1600/FPF_free+motion+quilting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk8-Q-D7CP8908uMt4q18iD3DhZhXMdX62ybBR73aVoQ8vqa3Ck_0RPrExkZ5AFboDafsxTmxEkq4MMRtALnBdp43EpMCRdQ8JUocAzWTkuQSH5IZgddY09LYXwQjCqZrFxnXLXqTgn7E/s320/FPF_free+motion+quilting.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Well folks, you did it! You made it to Friday and the weekend is just a few hours away! Perhaps it's cause for a quick celebratory dance at your desk or lab bench? Don't worry about the stares you will undoubtedly attract- it's Friday! Here in North Carolina, the weather is supposed to be warm but there is a chance of rain for both Saturday and Sunday, which means I can stay inside and quilt! woohoo!<br />
<br />
One of the things that has really caught my eye since joining Pinterest is the abundance of gorgeous quilts that people post. While I have been sewing quilts for some time now, I am relatively new to the actual 'quilting' aspect of it. Previously, I used to <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">tie all of my quilts</span></span> by hand (similar to what is shown <a href="http://www.lifeafterlaundry.com/hand-tying-quilts-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>) to finish them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCSCOYMXLKazgwtBplt6MKyqyZtQdo3nhb6w5iQJprOsjA3OCFX9L7xXf_laVMVksPnT8OSUzzNMS1mPBZGPb67UeXqXmtoK_SPYEhRJ5FTkOfK6itzZVasH8lvd0hMr-A_lHNTUTBjsX/s1600/IMG_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCSCOYMXLKazgwtBplt6MKyqyZtQdo3nhb6w5iQJprOsjA3OCFX9L7xXf_laVMVksPnT8OSUzzNMS1mPBZGPb67UeXqXmtoK_SPYEhRJ5FTkOfK6itzZVasH8lvd0hMr-A_lHNTUTBjsX/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C96bh94ilcjfWyEWt6vjkBdruTIxCrnQtStw0-DBOCQwHrXrw8sXT9EyQNtGM78t4RQ32oMd1em2Jt2MSWox-Kzjq8SbQMaS7UbQOkm2k8lHCsGGjvGJh-ZlRh3dpRhW8NRGud_ua5iS/s1600/IMG_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C96bh94ilcjfWyEWt6vjkBdruTIxCrnQtStw0-DBOCQwHrXrw8sXT9EyQNtGM78t4RQ32oMd1em2Jt2MSWox-Kzjq8SbQMaS7UbQOkm2k8lHCsGGjvGJh-ZlRh3dpRhW8NRGud_ua5iS/s320/IMG_0149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ hand-tied quilt that I made for my husband's sister and brother-in-law for their wedding ]</div>
<br />
Over the last few years, I have switched to finishing quilts entirely by machine. But, I feel that I really lack creativity in finishing the quilts. I usually find some sort of seam line or pattern on my quilt that I can easily follow at a 1/2" distance. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTTJdwoCMt1twLb4nRXX4ifkP554k1-K7EcxKgiIaImkiSgksImZ6veJEhWCejJ7Wjth-Wu_qxMGxEVBReEYfS6Zv-V7X883JSIpICEecpTYGOA1e1GBGuIPt2hBSY32qIweHLBGNNgXM/s1600/IMG_0688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTTJdwoCMt1twLb4nRXX4ifkP554k1-K7EcxKgiIaImkiSgksImZ6veJEhWCejJ7Wjth-Wu_qxMGxEVBReEYfS6Zv-V7X883JSIpICEecpTYGOA1e1GBGuIPt2hBSY32qIweHLBGNNgXM/s320/IMG_0688.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGy4ADkRasZgEuiJqvjJ7NPDzC9fPUzilGmtD3jyjepWjtPXPFj3FpgBMBKMfA1Y1JpCvs789rFJQG45m_o5Rx0nkKz8Z2t1jm9SsD8qTDWDwfvyoRKvFh35Dm16mFiev0lOFS7IEf966/s1600/IMG_0965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGy4ADkRasZgEuiJqvjJ7NPDzC9fPUzilGmtD3jyjepWjtPXPFj3FpgBMBKMfA1Y1JpCvs789rFJQG45m_o5Rx0nkKz8Z2t1jm9SsD8qTDWDwfvyoRKvFh35Dm16mFiev0lOFS7IEf966/s320/IMG_0965.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ exhibit A and exhibit B: using existing seam lines to quilt ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Last fall, I purchased my first walking foot. I sew on a ~20 year old Bernina 1630 machine that was my grandmother's before she passed away. The machine is incredibly special to me and when I use it, I am often reminded of my time squirreled away for hours in my grandmother's sewing room, with free range of her fabric stash. I was able to purchase a generic walking foot for my machine from the website <a href="http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Sewing Parts Online</span></a>. I purchased the <a href="http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/bernina-walking-foot-p60446.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">generic version</span></a> since the <a href="http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/genuine-bernina-walking-foot-50.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">original Bernina part </span></a>is still almost $200- Eeek! With my walking foot, I now have the ability to break out of my rut and do more elaborate quilting just by creating <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8169807607/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">vertical</span></a> lines, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thimbleblossoms/5734920747/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">horizontal </span></a>lines, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilysposetta/9503696085/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">diagonal</span></a> lines or a <a href="http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=3131454&org_post_to_fb=&post_to_fb=" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">combo of vertical and horizontal </span></a>to create a grid that has nothing to do with the actual pattern of the quilt top--baby steps, right?<br />
<br />
But...what I really have been dying to learn and implement is free-motion quilting. Have you seen some of the awesome quilts with a gorgeous pattern stitched on top (<a href="http://www.ohfransson.com/.a/6a00e54ed03719883301156f7fcdaf970b-pi" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>, <a href="http://www.craftknowhowpins.com/DIYquilts/2012/12/14/jelly-roll-quilt-b-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a> & <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DFMScY3jmDE/TLSHcabB8xI/AAAAAAAAJlc/W5RCLo8wkjI/s1600/006.JPG" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>)? The addition of free motion quilting to a quilt top gives it a new level of dimension and texture that are just lovely.<br />
<br />
Below are a few tutorials I have gathered from around Pinterest that describe how to free motion quilt. I think the common theme is to start small and practice.practice.practice. I am thinking I might first try this on small projects like a <a href="http://mulhollandhomestead.blogspot.com/2011/09/triangles-and-free-motion-quilting.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">mug rug</span></a> or a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sameliasmum/6239656426/sizes/l/in/pool-683539@N22/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">placemat</span></a> until I feel more comfortable scaling up to a quilt.<br />
<br />
1.<a href="http://www.sugartartcrafts.com/2012/01/free-motion-presser-foot.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> Free motion quilting advice </span></a>from Sugar Tart Crafts:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEO0Xfgn_Irl26pIKLmFyrEYpf-YqbCtBZOFsAowtvddNJjQhSxQUJGRipK-xas9_Vf_ar7DQClbZhSveNWGzc6qugnqsKM_iRUBZ_U_o0mlIr0BMDKxCO5wMC8ARcj5eGnnkuGQblvHI/s1600/bernina-free-motion-feet-1024x405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEO0Xfgn_Irl26pIKLmFyrEYpf-YqbCtBZOFsAowtvddNJjQhSxQUJGRipK-xas9_Vf_ar7DQClbZhSveNWGzc6qugnqsKM_iRUBZ_U_o0mlIr0BMDKxCO5wMC8ARcj5eGnnkuGQblvHI/s320/bernina-free-motion-feet-1024x405.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://www.sugartartcrafts.com/2012/01/free-motion-presser-foot.html ]</div>
<br />
"...• Draw your design on with disappearing pen, or iron on a piece of freezer paper to "trace" <br />
around.<br />
• Start with a strong needle, so there is less worry about breaking it while stitching.<br />
• Slow down! Don't just stomp on the pedal. It will take time to match the speed of your hands <br />
and foot...."<br />
<br />
2. An <a href="http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2009/03/quilt-along-14-freemotion-quilting.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">in-depth tutorial</span></a> for free motion quilting from the Oh Fransson! blog:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM_kj7pYcAgRnwf82LQlnnJdHcgs7mjN2Ly_1kEGw6PCaq89hQraUGr7TA07U1Fows2i4Gq4v5EXchB83S4sScdT1VjVIEmh-NWVZNc0NgNcW2FnyU-NAno04609rjPu4_MYfcYaGV7u2/s1600/free+motion+quilting+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM_kj7pYcAgRnwf82LQlnnJdHcgs7mjN2Ly_1kEGw6PCaq89hQraUGr7TA07U1Fows2i4Gq4v5EXchB83S4sScdT1VjVIEmh-NWVZNc0NgNcW2FnyU-NAno04609rjPu4_MYfcYaGV7u2/s320/free+motion+quilting+pattern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2009/03/quilt-along-14-freemotion-quilting.html ]</div>
This blog gives you a very good idea of the process of free motion quilting from start to finish.<br />
<br />
3. A <a href="http://afewscraps.blogspot.com/2010/08/free-motion-quilt-along-supply-list.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">list of the supplies</span></a> you will need for free motion quilting from A Few Scraps:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSRmp5MxPlG4xk_NWnwUWjL9xZUgAxE8CCel8EgnwfHNsDAgIK8fl-eewH1PLgolsKy8vmxo514N7Jccwqqehx1deD7n32B3t2731ijyyOFt-AN65ELHE5VSS4bo9syp-feGIklsnGZR0/s1600/sewing+gloves_IMG_1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSRmp5MxPlG4xk_NWnwUWjL9xZUgAxE8CCel8EgnwfHNsDAgIK8fl-eewH1PLgolsKy8vmxo514N7Jccwqqehx1deD7n32B3t2731ijyyOFt-AN65ELHE5VSS4bo9syp-feGIklsnGZR0/s320/sewing+gloves_IMG_1544.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://afewscraps.blogspot.com/2010/08/free-motion-quilt-along-supply-list.html ] </div>
<br />
This blog entry details the list of items you will need including the specific type of sewing machine needles and items that will be helpful such as the gloves pictured above.<br />
<br />
4. A <a href="http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/lessons.php/classes_id/1005/teacher/patsern" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">series of video</span></a> tutorials from The Quilt Show: <br />
Sometimes it is helpful to actually observe a technique being performed and this website has a lot to offer in the way of video tutorials. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If you have other tutorials you have found helpful for learning to free motion quilt, please feel free to share them in the comments section of this post! Happy quilting!</i></div>
<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-28381955192401455992013-09-17T05:30:00.000-07:002013-09-17T05:39:41.495-07:00Collaborative Quilting, part II (or Tutorial Tuesday?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLk6X5Zq59OtO2s2WxUrOFOnnMvv9lYJG3hrDr0k652JPVTjfvDlksWWZzNcrhGVjGDVzza6IhvKjZ96lpsQt3z0JQJBHvq6D24IieA4bPBJU0uXpHKPQqn_5j06dPjoQHiTZiRIfwveY/s1600/embroidery+mast+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLk6X5Zq59OtO2s2WxUrOFOnnMvv9lYJG3hrDr0k652JPVTjfvDlksWWZzNcrhGVjGDVzza6IhvKjZ96lpsQt3z0JQJBHvq6D24IieA4bPBJU0uXpHKPQqn_5j06dPjoQHiTZiRIfwveY/s320/embroidery+mast+head.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
When we last left off , I had purchased the fabrics for the quilt top. Now it was time to construct it! I was impressed by how quickly this quilt top came together (a few hours, including cutting out fabric). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw4p1AjfaI1vIffk395lUlngw0yVAFvE0wk_4C8GA8JvUwZXNUVWq-r00pEg_BlbDJn2gDGSnU0pbvhnP5Kx_dCMXpt4ha6dWyAD7XtlH3Dx8AfpbYZszO9GWYTFt_c4Dylb-MaGuC3DR/s1600/embroidered+quilt+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw4p1AjfaI1vIffk395lUlngw0yVAFvE0wk_4C8GA8JvUwZXNUVWq-r00pEg_BlbDJn2gDGSnU0pbvhnP5Kx_dCMXpt4ha6dWyAD7XtlH3Dx8AfpbYZszO9GWYTFt_c4Dylb-MaGuC3DR/s320/embroidered+quilt+pattern.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ schematic for pieces to cut out and the order in which to sew them ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Fabrics Needed</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
12 9" squares (a-i in the above image) <br />
2 yards quilting cotton for first (yellow, #1-3 above) border</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1.5 yards quilting cotton for outer (green, #4, 5 above ) border</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 yard flannel for center panel for backing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1.5 yard flannel for border fabric for backing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Batting measuring at least 50" x 60" (I love the <a href="http://www.warmcompany.com/wnpage.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Warm & Natural brand</span></a>, which can be purchased at JoAnn's. Batting is not cheap- make sure to buy when it is on sale or when you have a 40 or 50% off coupon!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 yard quilting cotton for binding</div>
<br />
<u>Constructing the quilt top: </u><br />
<br />
1. From the yellow fabric: I cut nine 3 3/4" x 9" rectangles that
correspond to #1 in the above picture. I first cut two 3 3/4" strips
from my fabric and then sub-cut those into nine 9" rectangles.
Next, I cut four 3 3/4" x 42 3/4" strips for #2, still from the yellow fabric. I then cut out two 3
3/4" x 38 3/4" yellow fabric strips for #3.<br />
<br />
2. I used a 3/8" seam allowance throughout, as I mentioned in my <span style="color: #6aa84f;">previous post</span>. First, I laid out the embroidered squares in the desired order and then attached the #1 rectangles underneath the a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h and i blocks. I then stitched the 'a' block + rectangle to the 'd' block + rectangle, which was then stitched the 'g' block + rectangle and finally attached those to the 'j' block. This created one long column. I repeated this for the middle and right columns of blocks. [ I am sorry I do not have pictures for these steps; I had not started the blog when I constructed this quilt. ]<br />
<br />
3. I then attached the longer, #2 borders to each column, working from left to right. The #3 borders were subsequently attached to the top and bottom of the quilt top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8G50Bu1EfQfyj8OmD1EQaE2iFqGGo637YA_ehiF5fAU1_N1LY84lkRkv3T_rJPNRHPtkIg5NOKqWM3k-4Szyr0mvvT0Z5TLcrXZzuGjLz4IOyPt4Atr2RqQZAjHGhs5Q3ZEkd6hADw76U/s1600/quilt+top+with+first+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8G50Bu1EfQfyj8OmD1EQaE2iFqGGo637YA_ehiF5fAU1_N1LY84lkRkv3T_rJPNRHPtkIg5NOKqWM3k-4Szyr0mvvT0Z5TLcrXZzuGjLz4IOyPt4Atr2RqQZAjHGhs5Q3ZEkd6hADw76U/s320/quilt+top+with+first+border.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ quilt top after yellow border added. excuse crappy cell phone photo ]</div>
<br />
4. At this point, I went back to the cutting table (also known as our dining room table) and cut out four strips for the green, outer border. For #4, I cut two 5 3/4" x 48 3/4" strips from the <a href="http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/5024/go-against-the-grain" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">lengthwise grain. </span></a>I did this so I could get one continuous piece for each border, rather than having to piece together multiple strips (I hate unnecessary seam lines) if I cut from the crosswise grain, which was only 42" wide. I then cut another two 5 3/4" x 48 3/4" strips for the #5 borders, again from the lengthwise grain.<br />
<br />
5. The outer borders were attached, with the #4 borders added first and followed by the #5 borders. This gave a final quilt top measurement of 48 3/4" x 58 3/4".<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrD1woCjghSg1K0g0Tm5byXPqqPOUe2JMEQvbwAg8WEfvV6VuW6SAogQ_-p8tzawHK-tl9aC7ss0omtSb2XhwQASLRjKvzWG_Qmfc0bOHNPDQ1wctHStl37QdUq_RG2KwbOQrWoGvawhd/s1600/quilt+top+finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrD1woCjghSg1K0g0Tm5byXPqqPOUe2JMEQvbwAg8WEfvV6VuW6SAogQ_-p8tzawHK-tl9aC7ss0omtSb2XhwQASLRjKvzWG_Qmfc0bOHNPDQ1wctHStl37QdUq_RG2KwbOQrWoGvawhd/s320/quilt+top+finished.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ finished 48 3/4" x 58 3/4" quilt top ]</div>
<u>Constructing the quilt back: </u><br />
At this point, I went out and purchased my backing fabrics. I opted to go with flannel on the quilt back so that it would be nice and warm for Sarah's daughter. Because the quilt was wider than most flannels (JoAnn's does carry a very limited color selection of extended width flannels), I opted to feature one fabric in the center of the backing and then surround it with a flannel 'border'.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEMdw_JCb2SwYIe8BkYqTjx4pqFGlf7EKkzPjbgWSLtmsH3o2uaSuSHNjnJVRPcgrldn01j4SNuJyfJjMenE0ihBhgMu0FLpXCh9ekLKWGl7ZecXPBIedj6rxojKpomBW9YBd121JKyr5/s1600/IMG_0710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEMdw_JCb2SwYIe8BkYqTjx4pqFGlf7EKkzPjbgWSLtmsH3o2uaSuSHNjnJVRPcgrldn01j4SNuJyfJjMenE0ihBhgMu0FLpXCh9ekLKWGl7ZecXPBIedj6rxojKpomBW9YBd121JKyr5/s320/IMG_0710.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ center fabric for quilt backing ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1Ub5sLwVnZ_l3EH7FyVupH8wSYWoStatVFb8C4HvpyJWi9LlaZs5KSAVvZ7F6qS-OUAOD0lVNwa6JYva35N7HvECcZqGHPsR-YQP30qHR3YKVJQkgR-EXNdOw0o5VoM9j-bi_DhV7vwB/s1600/IMG_0712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1Ub5sLwVnZ_l3EH7FyVupH8wSYWoStatVFb8C4HvpyJWi9LlaZs5KSAVvZ7F6qS-OUAOD0lVNwa6JYva35N7HvECcZqGHPsR-YQP30qHR3YKVJQkgR-EXNdOw0o5VoM9j-bi_DhV7vwB/s320/IMG_0712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ border fabric for quilt backing ]</div>
1. I squared up the 1 yard cut of the center fabric to 36" x 42" (I removed the selvage edge, which had print on it). I then constructed the backing as follows:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQNGU5Ryx8fT4e2OrHw4xmD6WezqtPTjAWNP_mXuddgyQ5WjmXmVAC5mWPNDcPnM1s0Ugi7rSFUBAvl-0j_aS1Dll5cRO1txEHxJgCnGYbOpkw_v-_cfUU-yyHYFXXMx9bJR3ArKnyz1m/s1600/embroidered+quilt+pattern_2_backing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQNGU5Ryx8fT4e2OrHw4xmD6WezqtPTjAWNP_mXuddgyQ5WjmXmVAC5mWPNDcPnM1s0Ugi7rSFUBAvl-0j_aS1Dll5cRO1txEHxJgCnGYbOpkw_v-_cfUU-yyHYFXXMx9bJR3ArKnyz1m/s320/embroidered+quilt+pattern_2_backing.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ schematic of the quilt backing ]</div>
<br />
2. For the #2 borders, I cut two pieces of 7" x 42" from the green flannel fabric, again cutting from the lengthwise grain. I then cut two pieces of 9" x 50" from the green flannel fabric for the #3 border pieces.<br />
<br />
3. Still using a 3/8" seam allowance, I attached the #2 border pieces to the left and right sides of the center backing piece. I then attached the #3 pieces to the top and bottom of the backing. This created a backing that was about 50" x 60", slightly bigger than my quilt top.<br />
<br />
4. I then basted (<a href="http://chasingcottons.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/quilt-class-101-week-9-basting.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a> is a good tute for basting) the quilt with curved safety pins, to attach the quilt top to the batting and backing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgBHq7Tep-yajNnzSBSjiDvQrtuPNOMn3Tq0YqGHfQsvbHa__DesT7UdKaryzvGVeEw03A1pM9fv_Bo50vhGpUbpYjn7X4NYwBlkUS1u-kGaQnmomiZ3WKqGbFnS_E5IkdUcJJI2TX5A6/s1600/IMG_0936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgBHq7Tep-yajNnzSBSjiDvQrtuPNOMn3Tq0YqGHfQsvbHa__DesT7UdKaryzvGVeEw03A1pM9fv_Bo50vhGpUbpYjn7X4NYwBlkUS1u-kGaQnmomiZ3WKqGbFnS_E5IkdUcJJI2TX5A6/s320/IMG_0936.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ i used <i>allllll</i> the pins! ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
5. One of the things I loved about this quilt kit was that the squares that Sarah embroidered had a lovely octagon pattern printed on them, just inside the embroidered blue corners. I selected a light blue thread to match the blue embroidery and stitched the twelve octagons. It created such a cute pattern on the back, though it was difficult to see with the fluffiness of the flannel. I also quilted 1/2" away from the yellow border (on the green border fabric) just to make sure things were secure.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU7-ZKWyzzkGGKc0KddXOyyrnmb8ab-CHdDUI7QV_4F7U97DM9iLHVskXqD0YBxooVHMUr1u5pP2B98xH80JezbOzA0Clx2Q4OIJI_EmvOXPlArlq7KnA1sRYDUZfYzKVdfnWz0YPd51K/s1600/IMG_0939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU7-ZKWyzzkGGKc0KddXOyyrnmb8ab-CHdDUI7QV_4F7U97DM9iLHVskXqD0YBxooVHMUr1u5pP2B98xH80JezbOzA0Clx2Q4OIJI_EmvOXPlArlq7KnA1sRYDUZfYzKVdfnWz0YPd51K/s320/IMG_0939.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ quilt backing after quilting the three layers ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOxmP1r7Fu-bzvt4rkVcBEUyRfnTxp-4N2YqH73rgXuqQiLjcc6ZK4f_-hv-hkIcYQtjXOFodZNYXmqrEaRAAIzTEo5DRrgWuGxotm_ChLvcaBO-7dIf95emYughOoAU6xlrqmZVMmiDM/s1600/IMG_0938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOxmP1r7Fu-bzvt4rkVcBEUyRfnTxp-4N2YqH73rgXuqQiLjcc6ZK4f_-hv-hkIcYQtjXOFodZNYXmqrEaRAAIzTEo5DRrgWuGxotm_ChLvcaBO-7dIf95emYughOoAU6xlrqmZVMmiDM/s320/IMG_0938.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ close up of the quilt front- you can see the blue octagon and the quilting on the green border ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTm5wghooLjKAQlmMILPnURBFTKsk3oQqQwIzRSCEzfe-aUnWzXPinhnDHXQ0m72Vjo9WDyCdenJ-Cjsk5cYUXbW6C21exiJfAZH4xfr0matsp55X-_oNpvKpkyA6tGoZhj1-S1pTvvpT/s1600/IMG_0940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTm5wghooLjKAQlmMILPnURBFTKsk3oQqQwIzRSCEzfe-aUnWzXPinhnDHXQ0m72Vjo9WDyCdenJ-Cjsk5cYUXbW6C21exiJfAZH4xfr0matsp55X-_oNpvKpkyA6tGoZhj1-S1pTvvpT/s320/IMG_0940.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ another view ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
6. After everything was quilted, I removed the eleventy zillion safety pins, squared the quilt up (using <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=yHteSUaU0yQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this technique</span></a>), and <a href="http://quiltinginvivo.blogspot.com/2013/09/heirloom-chenille-baby-blanket.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">mentally prepared myself</span></a> to add the binding. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
7. For the binding, I used a cute blue fabric that matched the blue embroidery floss used and made a <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">continuous crossgrain binding</span></a>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j2hhDR2EPbOgrsUw31BWWaZjLF2NHkWnflEBqu3Snhxb96AHwefhkkLT9K39MYjTQEr2jU41paF0onHLcVWuF1ZA_cYx62GO0pZjJFKY8fvuRW8ED1FHV_wCJcnbMouhMQdSOxRZxgaK/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j2hhDR2EPbOgrsUw31BWWaZjLF2NHkWnflEBqu3Snhxb96AHwefhkkLT9K39MYjTQEr2jU41paF0onHLcVWuF1ZA_cYx62GO0pZjJFKY8fvuRW8ED1FHV_wCJcnbMouhMQdSOxRZxgaK/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ binding fabric ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I cut 2.5" wide binding strips. I calculated how many strips I needed based on the quilt top measurement (48 3/4" x 58 3/4") as follows: 48 3/4" + 48 3/4" + 58 3/4" + 58 3/4" + 12" (allows for avoiding seams at corners) = 227.03, I then divided that by 40 (conservative estimate of fabric width) = 5.6 and then rounded up to 6. This means that I cut 6 strips, 2.5" wide, cutting on the crosswise grain. I then trimmed off the selvage edges and joined the pieces as shown in the tutorial I linked to above.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yFyX0I0BACbBorPyGzqRnVnOGlZ9FehDiLMc5zpq8GA5fUNuZUsM6O3G-wTaBnbReE275wJ1XbLcvMKXHwnKnbLNQaMwe-DqzmFTOHO9yvGxfHlpXIAo7f4tqZSDgBxZ3l8mlz_MF2eV/s1600/IMG_0941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yFyX0I0BACbBorPyGzqRnVnOGlZ9FehDiLMc5zpq8GA5fUNuZUsM6O3G-wTaBnbReE275wJ1XbLcvMKXHwnKnbLNQaMwe-DqzmFTOHO9yvGxfHlpXIAo7f4tqZSDgBxZ3l8mlz_MF2eV/s320/IMG_0941.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ binding laid out on the quilt top before it was trimmed ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While I do not actually pin my binding to my quilt as I sew it on, I do lay it out around the quilt before I start sewing to make sure that seams in the binding do not end up close to the corners (bulky seams + extra fabric to miter corners = yucky to sew over).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For this quilt, I attached the binding first to the quilt top as shown in the image above. I then wrapped the binding around to the back of the quilt, added a zillion straight pins to keep it in place and carefully stitched the ditch between the binding and the green border fabric, while catching the binding on the back at the same time. I only stabbed myself with pins twice- moral victory. This part is time consuming, but I have found that the more I pin and the slower I go, the less likely I am to make a mistake or not catch the binding on the back.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUmLaKeI4gl9tuB85wXDHinEjQ1kpgdoicXCpPUjjwTTdGuOWzL9tCDRsHaSZy1w9E6UuIWwm9-fUYBBqOL_pXk_6HaqqsbuE9TyB03eyVrSwFnVqcKTDNqswW4P25L8EibjFJkvbnfnw/s1600/IMG_0947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUmLaKeI4gl9tuB85wXDHinEjQ1kpgdoicXCpPUjjwTTdGuOWzL9tCDRsHaSZy1w9E6UuIWwm9-fUYBBqOL_pXk_6HaqqsbuE9TyB03eyVrSwFnVqcKTDNqswW4P25L8EibjFJkvbnfnw/s320/IMG_0947.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ Finished quilt top ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZewdKnmonRCKTgk3PgPfqWqSoW9iEyTueno16zi-AI03O802QRoqVEznM7UAnOamG7-xTd8CNhuRER_GCPTpMh4wwa1NYlrRHbfk3PS9tkxtvdR66VZr9evpQy2MekF1Lym2YNRmUEgXo/s1600/IMG_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZewdKnmonRCKTgk3PgPfqWqSoW9iEyTueno16zi-AI03O802QRoqVEznM7UAnOamG7-xTd8CNhuRER_GCPTpMh4wwa1NYlrRHbfk3PS9tkxtvdR66VZr9evpQy2MekF1Lym2YNRmUEgXo/s320/IMG_0943.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ Finished quilt back ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sREPoZNLqpXHhaHgeDp9Ngh_vXF_pWKAZS0iEw17wH9wez42qg6fJz3e1W84IN1HiuILbLbcn67E_C9DaTD5JDIXh0IjBfqFdMYTsMw5yFdk6hQqkemPBS7OwNu-WzpPslgofvuALUEG/s1600/IMG_0948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sREPoZNLqpXHhaHgeDp9Ngh_vXF_pWKAZS0iEw17wH9wez42qg6fJz3e1W84IN1HiuILbLbcn67E_C9DaTD5JDIXh0IjBfqFdMYTsMw5yFdk6hQqkemPBS7OwNu-WzpPslgofvuALUEG/s320/IMG_0948.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ close up of quilt top ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeJ2BV-EOPkRttujf-GWW98pO9rC-BOjOqOzmL32Mcs9g3lcN2GgulEYMvjZ9A_wiGL4ACjSKxoBP4lTE9WeqWYaecs02AE7BLx7Kb-nOEfPK1TVRfMU4NtW9CAIJ2zTbY5MWGfgRxzpT/s1600/IMG_0944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeJ2BV-EOPkRttujf-GWW98pO9rC-BOjOqOzmL32Mcs9g3lcN2GgulEYMvjZ9A_wiGL4ACjSKxoBP4lTE9WeqWYaecs02AE7BLx7Kb-nOEfPK1TVRfMU4NtW9CAIJ2zTbY5MWGfgRxzpT/s320/IMG_0944.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
[ close up of quilt back ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am incredibly thrilled with the way this quilt turned out. It was amazing to collaborate with Sarah and I felt very inspired by her embroidery color choices in picking out my fabrics. I surprised Sarah with the fabric selection after discussing initial color likes and dislikes (this was her choice and it was really hard to keep it a secret until it was done!). The final approval was up to her daughter, however, and fortunately for both of us- she LOVES it. She loves it so much that Sarah has to be strategical about when to wash it, as her daughter prefers to not let the blanket out of her sight! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had so much fun making this quilt and Sarah and I are already discussing the next collaboration- her daughter's 'big girl bed' comforter. Sarah is currently embroidering away on <a href="http://www.jdneedleart.com/xx-simplicity-18-quilt-blocks.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">these</span></a> lovely blocks in pinks, purples and dark and light greens. Cannot wait!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-88706915242066928762013-09-13T06:30:00.000-07:002013-09-13T06:30:03.225-07:00Future Projects Friday: Oven mitts and dish towels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxj4GpxjkAuog8Q9elHwctHWSPzyTKGhdZrjBIIS1u18q7RTR05dfsXIHsxDScBQc0ZJcLidoGAhwbAX2liFWJmRvt3Vjpl8coJS0AF5BDfkgk_hLPnv5rXgguC26KAUW7oP-Rl-HJ_YX/s1600/future+projects+fridays_kitchen+png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxj4GpxjkAuog8Q9elHwctHWSPzyTKGhdZrjBIIS1u18q7RTR05dfsXIHsxDScBQc0ZJcLidoGAhwbAX2liFWJmRvt3Vjpl8coJS0AF5BDfkgk_hLPnv5rXgguC26KAUW7oP-Rl-HJ_YX/s320/future+projects+fridays_kitchen+png.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Oh man you guys- guess what- it's Friday!! WOOHOOO! And you know what that means, right? It's 'Future Projects Friday' where I show some of the projects I have found on Pinterest that I am interested in trying in the future.<br />
<br />
This week's theme has to do with things for your kitchen! With fall just around the corner and Thanksgiving in the not-so-distant future, I am gearing up for using yummy fall ingredients and setting my crockpot up to make nice hearty meals to keep us warm.<br />
<br />
Confession: I have actually made 3 of the 4 things selected for today's post. But- I am absolutely in love with each of them and wanted to feature them here for those of you who also like to sew! Additionally, I plan on making a few kitchen-themed gift baskets for Christmas this year (it's less than 4 months away!) so I will be making more again shortly.<br />
<br />
1. These <a href="http://www.brit.co/neon-tea-towels/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Fluorescent tea towels from Brit & Co</span></a> are number one on my list to make!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVFSu2eDVwI1upCKjKlU1x3OD0M3WlLBh3ie8tNZahVTuwxJATcl_WOWVtgYvBYF_vJrz-UxY_rs0pvbitJwAILk3s5mHsPYjxO4kTi8J2zSuHXCWzoHpk2So61AGOsegNJd5SEhR23Lj/s1600/Tea-2-Main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVFSu2eDVwI1upCKjKlU1x3OD0M3WlLBh3ie8tNZahVTuwxJATcl_WOWVtgYvBYF_vJrz-UxY_rs0pvbitJwAILk3s5mHsPYjxO4kTi8J2zSuHXCWzoHpk2So61AGOsegNJd5SEhR23Lj/s320/Tea-2-Main.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://www.brit.co/neon-tea-towels/ ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I love their simplicity and that you can do any design you would like. I scored <a href="http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-kitchen-towels-4-pk-white/-/A-14441629#prodSlot=medium_2_5&term=dish+towels" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a> 4-pack of white flour sack dish towels for $4 at Target and purchased gray, teal and coral thread from JoAnn's. Can't wait to try this!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. Cute <a href="http://gingercake.typepad.com/gingercake/2012/09/easy-oven-mitt-by-trish.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Oven Mitt from the Gingercake</span></a> blog:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHS57zjBiZ7fabAQJ-xcOkIQf2xpYML1fnkCgsLAcTIf2F2uByxyPnXxJZHO2E6GbqwprBS5ulKf7dyMDMlTaQhD90FSSWuGHGq35FOj0PODeBjqt66Q5IH12qNyLvbfj04RcuwyHLifs/s1600/oven+mitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHS57zjBiZ7fabAQJ-xcOkIQf2xpYML1fnkCgsLAcTIf2F2uByxyPnXxJZHO2E6GbqwprBS5ulKf7dyMDMlTaQhD90FSSWuGHGq35FOj0PODeBjqt66Q5IH12qNyLvbfj04RcuwyHLifs/s320/oven+mitt.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://gingercake.typepad.com/gingercake/2012/09/easy-oven-mitt-by-trish.html ]</div>
I made this oven mitt last year to include as part of a kitchen-themed wedding gift for friends of ours from grad school. The pattern and tutorial are super-easy to follow and it comes out great.<br />
<br />
3. An <a href="http://www.theidearoom.net/2009/10/oven-hand-mitt-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Oven Hand Mitt from The Idea Room</span></a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AM_4rL6mZhFm_W434aGM1h74mykgoNnmX3NG0b0nuceYgNV51JVFY32hIvIkmHelBzfrMCiqPqwDxqiFfSCVrb3tGl2toXBOz1j_T5dMfbIvFUjSptibbIRxSC12bdlCjlDAtNJvKT7n/s1600/oven+mitt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AM_4rL6mZhFm_W434aGM1h74mykgoNnmX3NG0b0nuceYgNV51JVFY32hIvIkmHelBzfrMCiqPqwDxqiFfSCVrb3tGl2toXBOz1j_T5dMfbIvFUjSptibbIRxSC12bdlCjlDAtNJvKT7n/s320/oven+mitt2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is a different take on an oven mitt and I like it! I feel you can never have enough for some reason so I actually made one of these for myself a while back.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqm15geG0P60ljgQrG47ltM6AvVFrfgUNcZvnZb6sjO7do_-8LNBTOiy7JqdpmajyITtkdiWWjQRTMqeZ1DFwRBKf_iKRFeguspiKdlmL6rVLXCZdLBcgRSb9M5O6YwfhrBC7MRVRaa2i/s1600/IMG_0709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqm15geG0P60ljgQrG47ltM6AvVFrfgUNcZvnZb6sjO7do_-8LNBTOiy7JqdpmajyITtkdiWWjQRTMqeZ1DFwRBKf_iKRFeguspiKdlmL6rVLXCZdLBcgRSb9M5O6YwfhrBC7MRVRaa2i/s320/IMG_0709.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ oven mitt in action! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-NHI9UDPb0RgA7wP_15XLDh3twdk9kF6DS4UM98AJIsClkMOUqnJyUa5S8-7dt486t3-uKZ_C4EgFgojU2M4ETiod8HT3zOXmv6ux2H_cx1Kp8_zTG6axHsOooe83C_y7m_Po__CQ3Wo/s1600/IMG_0712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-NHI9UDPb0RgA7wP_15XLDh3twdk9kF6DS4UM98AJIsClkMOUqnJyUa5S8-7dt486t3-uKZ_C4EgFgojU2M4ETiod8HT3zOXmv6ux2H_cx1Kp8_zTG6axHsOooe83C_y7m_Po__CQ3Wo/s320/IMG_0712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ oven mitt close up ] </div>
<br />
I found this project easy as well, though I did have to consult <a href="http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-sew-bias-tape-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this tutorial</span></a> for how to use double-fold bias tape, which is different than quilt binding. Be sure to buy the special '<a href="http://www.joann.com/insul-bright/xprd986469/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Insul-brite</span></a>' batting for both this mitt and the one above.<br />
<br />
4. <a href="http://creamerchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/06/hand-towel-love.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Hanging Dish Towels</span></a> from The Creamer Chronicles: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu89y1JIrUlRIHk6gPRorfoGMfZic2VX_xnjP2Hd4Dmm77wzR1SGV-GG5XnF0sRwHKIAWPEN4o9aAWwpBtFhYcjXV5X1U8lRftoAgIGN1hkSpMlQ5_NQZXU0cnLsXxBJ75D3muzFvh47Kd/s1600/hanging+dish+towel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu89y1JIrUlRIHk6gPRorfoGMfZic2VX_xnjP2Hd4Dmm77wzR1SGV-GG5XnF0sRwHKIAWPEN4o9aAWwpBtFhYcjXV5X1U8lRftoAgIGN1hkSpMlQ5_NQZXU0cnLsXxBJ75D3muzFvh47Kd/s320/hanging+dish+towel.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I have made <strike>a few</strike> several of these hanging dish towels. I find it both cute and practical. I have given these as house-warming gifts, parts of Christmas presents etc. My sister initially pinned this on Pinterest and I LOVE them. She was the recipient of the first few that I made. I have even made some for our kitchen. I have also made a modified version that can hang on a knob rather than the oven handle so that I could have one closer to the kitchen sink.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghMGh-C7EQom651DcvbOlDS7KMcE9fQt0ZC7KGOfFZSFPViCvLwWHfFDk4CN1XPfPI8LmKRmoVVQDRTG-2xCARxQCRLtEtP75rfGsghZkQKU4t7ACVf-eiNeQCA4onHynNd5be0TTAyr5/s1600/hanging+towels_oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghMGh-C7EQom651DcvbOlDS7KMcE9fQt0ZC7KGOfFZSFPViCvLwWHfFDk4CN1XPfPI8LmKRmoVVQDRTG-2xCARxQCRLtEtP75rfGsghZkQKU4t7ACVf-eiNeQCA4onHynNd5be0TTAyr5/s320/hanging+towels_oven.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ hanging dishtowels on our oven ]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cPQdoPy9ORov7-E1VI_uw8gNooZ8qSdng5FlZeFtNjBgAfZcZOXL1n4YNEADSSF7ZnCYN0zceoFD_3dqbpTlXUckWzhJNgq6Og8jY4KyxpQO3tQDSSL-CM2mbpuQZHeKPYyEcUIOi_5B/s1600/knob+dish+towel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cPQdoPy9ORov7-E1VI_uw8gNooZ8qSdng5FlZeFtNjBgAfZcZOXL1n4YNEADSSF7ZnCYN0zceoFD_3dqbpTlXUckWzhJNgq6Og8jY4KyxpQO3tQDSSL-CM2mbpuQZHeKPYyEcUIOi_5B/s320/knob+dish+towel.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ modified towel that I made that hangs from the cabinet knob under our sink ]</div>
I highly recommend these as they are both practical and pretty! And, you can make them to match your kitchen or make ones that are seasonally appropriate! <br />
<br />
Hope these projects have 'pin-spired' you as much as they have me! Happy Friday!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-31985057199741228922013-09-09T10:00:00.000-07:002013-09-09T12:38:41.904-07:00Collaborative Quilting, part IIn science, collaboration is an essential part of success. Many of the greatest scientific discoveries (e.g. DNA structure, sequencing the human genome) are the result of fruitful collaborations between scientists. It also happens to be one of my favorite parts of the job. Two brains are better than one, right?<br />
<br />
Collaboration has played an important part in my scientific career. Sarah is a collaborator of mine and she has played an instrumental role in my career as a
scientist. When I was a graduate student and she was a post-doc, she was a mentor and a role model to me and was integral in helping get my project off the ground. Now that she is a university professor and researcher and I am a post-doc at a different university, we don't see each other too often- but that hasn't stopped us from collaborating on several new science projects. And, with Skype, we hold virtual lab meetings so it's almost as if she's still just a few floors away.<br />
<br />
So... when Sarah emailed to see
if I wanted to collaborate on a quilting project, I jumped at the
opportunity! For years, she has told me about how she loved to embroider and that there were kits where she could embroider quilt squares, which she wanted to try. But, Sarah informed me that she is not a sewer. She started on<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://www.jdneedleart.com/octagon-garden-quilt-square-theme.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">these</span></a></span> embroidered quilt squares when her little girl was born and was now finished with them and needed help putting the quilt together. Sarah mailed me the squares, gave me a budget of $100 for fabrics/notions etc., we discussed some color options and then I got to work!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-qsYSKuBYTM00iqHddwSSnABsSMB5HIGFabhf3lnz-nYlHO4Pzy0rW1vexx_3NL8uoRAUH5afx83dsHp6mFckhXBZVhJ62-VTrpozvtJ2ZUQ4-lokXLHkDVA-nfZEuOBdAHQmXn2126C/s1600/embroidered+square.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-qsYSKuBYTM00iqHddwSSnABsSMB5HIGFabhf3lnz-nYlHO4Pzy0rW1vexx_3NL8uoRAUH5afx83dsHp6mFckhXBZVhJ62-VTrpozvtJ2ZUQ4-lokXLHkDVA-nfZEuOBdAHQmXn2126C/s320/embroidered+square.png" width="249" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ excuse my terrible image of sarah's gorgeous embroidery ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The dominant colors in this quilt were the light blue seen in the quilt square corners and greens and yellows. Each of the quilt squares (there were 12 in total) was 9" x 9". Sarah and I had discussed using a yellow fabric to form the border around each of the 12 squares. I primarily shop for fabrics at JoAnn's but the timing of this quilt happened to coincide with a rare 25% off SALE (picture me doing jazz hands while saying 'sale') at an amazing quilting fabric store nearby called '<a href="http://www.thimblepleasures.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Thimble Pleasures</span></a>'. I got to go fabric shopping with two of my good friends Heather and Allison--my crafting partners in crime--which made fabric hunting even more fun! Working within the budget that Sarah set, I purchased most of my fabrics at Thimble Pleasures, with the exception of part of the backing and the batting, which I was able to get at JoAnn's for less. After Sarah and I had discussed using yellow for the border fabric, I knew I wanted to choose a yellow with a subdued pattern because I wanted her embroidered squares to shine.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ2ZBa6TiKgiSiYP_vCT-cEJCT2lMwh5cmt3I1pR_VmSlMj2rQnwHdvbCM3Pip-AYMyHbvwpZIikET3NRNIf13Mv8aTo4SOtwT9T1sDl-7bP7n8746Ko8SbAD7ROOnQPKP11REKP8cbpU/s1600/IMG_0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ2ZBa6TiKgiSiYP_vCT-cEJCT2lMwh5cmt3I1pR_VmSlMj2rQnwHdvbCM3Pip-AYMyHbvwpZIikET3NRNIf13Mv8aTo4SOtwT9T1sDl-7bP7n8746Ko8SbAD7ROOnQPKP11REKP8cbpU/s320/IMG_0706.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ close up of the yellow border fabric ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
One of the things that Sarah and I discussed was that she wasn't super into pinks/purples/uber-girly things for her daughter. I kept this in mind when picking out the fabrics. I think by choosing fabrics that weren't overtly juvenile, it allows this quilt to grow with Sarah's daughter, rather than appearing as a baby blanket she might have to retire in a few years. For the outer border, I chose a green fabric that Heather spotted. This fabric had yellow and red accents, which were all predominant colors in the quilt squares and it nicely tied in the yellow of the first border. Additionally, it had small white flowers that were similar to those in the yellow fabric.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOwNzq7DTNaue_VU0zf-oInSsIVwuN3f6rCN_eqIGxHNI-7AUMtgcUPdnbBAjwCmqCcuzw-wuvCuEYQjyZ_c1fkkpWKXVnwFS6X-QHYYm_AWTNE3ehwV8FtY01FgxbJ3_X2KcGc2PKEQX/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOwNzq7DTNaue_VU0zf-oInSsIVwuN3f6rCN_eqIGxHNI-7AUMtgcUPdnbBAjwCmqCcuzw-wuvCuEYQjyZ_c1fkkpWKXVnwFS6X-QHYYm_AWTNE3ehwV8FtY01FgxbJ3_X2KcGc2PKEQX/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ close up of the outer border fabric ] </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
The quilt squares came as a part of a kit and therefore came with instructions for quilting them (yippee!)! It was interesting to read the instructions as they were likely written by someone who embroiders and not a quilter. In quilting, a 1/4" seam allowance is relatively standard, but for this quilt they requested a 3/8" seam allowance instead. I liked using the larger seam allowance- I often worry with a 1/4" (or scant 1/4" for some quilts) seam allowance that after repeated washings, the seams will come apart. Somehow that extra 1/8" seems like added security?<br />
<br />
[<i>Also, as an aside, there is too much math in quilting- Heather and Allison can attest to the fact that there was complicated math involved in figuring out how much backing fabric to use. Math is not my strong suit and I do not enjoy it! My grandmother, who taught me most of what I know about sewing and whose machine I still sew with, was a high school math teacher and tutored me in math through college. She was a very influential person in my life and she is likely rolling in her grave that I have publicly proclaimed on the internet that I loathe math. Sorry Mimi!</i>]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6U0fxI8LTeoEAQfeqw5w_cDnJo60kH9lx0dB1AiVzVTf5kmoVDZUQu5Mu-p626X36U-9MNRgNk_EmBj4Owi-bapOSCV9MgCQNerZHU6LdYFeaGUjT5p5wbvXIhXXL34E2Ce06J-L70ZnW/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6U0fxI8LTeoEAQfeqw5w_cDnJo60kH9lx0dB1AiVzVTf5kmoVDZUQu5Mu-p626X36U-9MNRgNk_EmBj4Owi-bapOSCV9MgCQNerZHU6LdYFeaGUjT5p5wbvXIhXXL34E2Ce06J-L70ZnW/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ exhibit A. math is hard...don't judge me ] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I chose a light blue fabric for the binding, which was roughly the same
color as the blue Sarah used in the corners of each square. I love
choosing binding fabrics that add a bright pop of color!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYNbCi2OAoFlm94o1BTEoDQHihp-W1f3pDeDhxc_zdbbFhkXe0J4on8PN4XRuMXAMsZw0FSafNlR0mHWCsaYL-V96U-tSPTZkGCicz7g4KzTPriDjKL0hF2fuyk9f0mjQ2DY3PubRFkA4/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYNbCi2OAoFlm94o1BTEoDQHihp-W1f3pDeDhxc_zdbbFhkXe0J4on8PN4XRuMXAMsZw0FSafNlR0mHWCsaYL-V96U-tSPTZkGCicz7g4KzTPriDjKL0hF2fuyk9f0mjQ2DY3PubRFkA4/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ binding fabric ]</div>
I opted not to
purchase the backing fabric right away. I was initially super in love
with <a href="http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/shop/product/f320-01-rainbow/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a>
chevron flannel fabric from Riley Blake, but after the quilt was put
together, I ultimately decided that it was a bit too masculine. It made me glad that I waited until the quilt top was put
together before choosing the backing fabrics.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned next week for part II:
A tutorial for putting the quilt together! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-45403384863970886632013-09-06T12:55:00.002-07:002013-09-11T13:47:49.189-07:00Future Projects Friday: Baby gifts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V4X9UAuCdQbCo3nq7CJCnEHW6xWE9YvFVEhJ6I7bTKZhEYdYktYffS08-7AVWKDQ34FiNnqU7UXgnKb4ZLRIqw8LUe9PO-pyOfM_hQC019R202pBajJdeCprXeaOKfXRMlH0HqSY-hxS/s1600/summary_post.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V4X9UAuCdQbCo3nq7CJCnEHW6xWE9YvFVEhJ6I7bTKZhEYdYktYffS08-7AVWKDQ34FiNnqU7UXgnKb4ZLRIqw8LUe9PO-pyOfM_hQC019R202pBajJdeCprXeaOKfXRMlH0HqSY-hxS/s320/summary_post.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I may or may not have a slight addiction to Pinterest (my hubby might tell you it's a full-blown addiction requiring an intervention and a trip to a fancy rehab hospital...). I love looking at the 'DIY & Crafts' section to see what projects catch my eye. I am always on the look-out for good tutorials or projects. I thought I might dedicate Fridays on this blog to featuring two or three of the posts/tutorials that are potential future projects I might want to try. Maybe you'd be interested in them too?<br />
<br />
Recently, most of the projects that catch my eye tend to be on the simple and quick side. While I have enjoyed sewing large quilts (e.g. king size bed spreads) or highly technical projects involving lots of time and patience (like <a href="http://hyena-in-petticoats.blogspot.com/2007/08/cathedral-window-quilt-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a> cathedral window technique), I find myself with a limited amount of time and focus to dedicate to sewing these days.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhYKKxVbq_ASbNJ-O2yWzlrSFxK3xuoGRhBmT-MTfOG6Tk79UUE0pp3L0crZtZ_fJFRl3-uNDwhEush-NmmxGZlxCebFZVAlopXRpDQuFJfF2L4mBzSK4oAn07eVeeEw9Jc9L8dL2jkM6/s1600/cathedral+window+quilt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhYKKxVbq_ASbNJ-O2yWzlrSFxK3xuoGRhBmT-MTfOG6Tk79UUE0pp3L0crZtZ_fJFRl3-uNDwhEush-NmmxGZlxCebFZVAlopXRpDQuFJfF2L4mBzSK4oAn07eVeeEw9Jc9L8dL2jkM6/s320/cathedral+window+quilt.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFDMceUFRBQPaBrmfPvmCYeWcVW910NCYgiLjgMaEkP8nJEjnSwse51mhyJ8gV2WyAUngw6v2aRcTE-qUNXBbSv5PoB4i0NV-KmBsJDu-B3d_Ess9pV9_EkqrdHLFcky2Ewu4lnxtkFov/s1600/jessie_quilt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFDMceUFRBQPaBrmfPvmCYeWcVW910NCYgiLjgMaEkP8nJEjnSwse51mhyJ8gV2WyAUngw6v2aRcTE-qUNXBbSv5PoB4i0NV-KmBsJDu-B3d_Ess9pV9_EkqrdHLFcky2Ewu4lnxtkFov/s320/jessie_quilt.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ top image: cathedral window quilt, that I affectionately called the 'god-forsaken quilt' because it took.forever.to.finish. bottom image: the quilt I made as a wedding gift for my best friend ]</div>
<br />
There is something extremely gratifying about being able to finish a project in a timely manner. I think this has a lot to do with my profession as a biologist. In developmental biology, my field of specialization, my experiments often take at least a week or more to complete (I dedicate far more time caring about whether or not fish mate than should be considered appropriate). And, despite these week(s)-long experiments, there is no guarantee that the end results will be good/useable/useful. Additionally, experiments are often additive and the result from one experiment is just a small piece in a very large puzzle that is not yet close to completion. When I feel like I am in the weeds, I often remind myself of this quote from Theobald Smith: 'The joy of research must be found in the doing, as every other harvest is uncertain'. So, when it comes to sewing, I love the fact that if I dedicate time and effort to a project and follow the directions, I can anticipate what the final project will look like and roughly how long it will take me.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, several of my friends and family members have had or are having babies, which means that short and sweet baby gifts are the perfect projects to work on! Here are some links to tutorials for baby gifts I am considering making for those special friends still expecting:<br />
<br />
1. An adorable swaddler from Makezine.com: <a href="http://makezine.com/craft/craft_pattern_podcast_snuggler/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The Snuggler</span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B2-qffmwiI3z8AkZpgpO3R4orYcJwQ9c_NrOrIoySrvCylKAeLF7JbgzWuHsgZ0fZZNxJ4er_umeCPsIA6hbteDi5Q6nmuwPBHdosUcBTipcXrtMJiwB0hhw-IJdMshJWJwzD78ho2dc/s1600/snuggler_pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B2-qffmwiI3z8AkZpgpO3R4orYcJwQ9c_NrOrIoySrvCylKAeLF7JbgzWuHsgZ0fZZNxJ4er_umeCPsIA6hbteDi5Q6nmuwPBHdosUcBTipcXrtMJiwB0hhw-IJdMshJWJwzD78ho2dc/s320/snuggler_pattern.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://makezine.com/craft/craft_pattern_podcast_snuggler/ ] </div>
How adorable is this swaddle? While my hubby and I do not have kiddos yet, I know these are super popular among new parents these days- my facebook feed is filled with praise for swaddling! <br />
<br />
2. The 'Anywhere Chair' from Made by Marzipan: <a href="http://www.madebymarzipan.com/?x=2038" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Anywhere Chair</span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN_prUkpu7B0O6vvmZXtRbwhl4NrQ7Qv6SPCDiPl9nBjoSbjMDS39ArwAPy5okpjZQ51Jv-hQ7B-d1TvI7oaqQvGVjF721y1M-cILwopwM70ZFNSQxfsusf8ET4SHaKx2DQ2WbQV-hp95/s1600/anywhere+chair.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN_prUkpu7B0O6vvmZXtRbwhl4NrQ7Qv6SPCDiPl9nBjoSbjMDS39ArwAPy5okpjZQ51Jv-hQ7B-d1TvI7oaqQvGVjF721y1M-cILwopwM70ZFNSQxfsusf8ET4SHaKx2DQ2WbQV-hp95/s320/anywhere+chair.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[photo credit: http://www.madebymarzipan.com/?x=2038 ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I absolutely love love love the fabric choice on this project and I think it would be a useful/functional gift for new parents!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. Little Lion Taggie Toy from mmmCrafts: <a href="http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/dont-look-kristyn.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Taggie Toy</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV4__4CyZtguFThcBRGe3Z_feWnBAuVBKAdLSaKw2ULqdIl4MalfIKLI-R2qhQGwcNeg3U-5pjfqdwihhCBI7EHXXhqz9UwUM-fRQYXOvlPiRqffD7PFj61EH5s0WbwhRQWQoOickxPTZ/s1600/taggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV4__4CyZtguFThcBRGe3Z_feWnBAuVBKAdLSaKw2ULqdIl4MalfIKLI-R2qhQGwcNeg3U-5pjfqdwihhCBI7EHXXhqz9UwUM-fRQYXOvlPiRqffD7PFj61EH5s0WbwhRQWQoOickxPTZ/s320/taggie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ photo credit: http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/dont-look-kristyn.html ] </div>
This is mmmCrafts's spin on a <a href="http://chezbeeperbebe.blogspot.com/2010/02/tutorial-and-pattern-rainbow-sunshine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">tutorial </span></a>for a taggie toy posted from Chez Beeper Bebe's blog. I just love the little lion face and think it would make a cute addition to a baby gift for someone.<br />
<br />
I am still trying to figure out how to add a 'pinterest' button to this space so that you are able to link to my pinterest boards and explore what I have pinned- suggestions on how to do this are welcome! Hope these projects bring a little inspiration to your weekend! Happy Friday!<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
PS- here's a sneak peak at the quilt I am featuring on next week's post, 'collaborative quilting':</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_HA3wT85_MxEq3azw6vfonLrbizRNY4lAVDDj6tWyaU2hh2rvxVxaSnHzAj3CXgGidOee1wZ4PJZJW1_Xz6PKDdSgVW4nmrukV4djo7-LXhOMnM3VsgMs3KHLTe5WfKqwww4oFFupTND/s1600/IMG_0948_e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_HA3wT85_MxEq3azw6vfonLrbizRNY4lAVDDj6tWyaU2hh2rvxVxaSnHzAj3CXgGidOee1wZ4PJZJW1_Xz6PKDdSgVW4nmrukV4djo7-LXhOMnM3VsgMs3KHLTe5WfKqwww4oFFupTND/s320/IMG_0948_e.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990228381412406090.post-20863768032065624252013-09-03T14:32:00.001-07:002013-09-06T17:26:57.036-07:00Heirloom Chenille Baby BlanketThis is my first post here at Quilting <i>in vivo</i>. I created this blog as a space to record quilts and projects that I have sewn and to document the process by which they were made. With the invention of Pinterest, my quilting has ramped up significantly thanks to an easy way to find and store tutorials for projects. As a biologist, I thrive on protocols- directions for how to perform an experiment from start to finish. Well-written protocols are absolutely essential to experimental success. When trying a new-to-me experiment, I enjoy looking at several protocols and taking the best information from each one to create a custom protocol (this often takes many tries/variations). The same goes for sewing- I find <strike>protocols</strike> tutorials online and put my own spin on them, adapting them for my set up and specific needs. Perhaps some of the tips and tricks I have found that work may also be of interest to you?<br />
<br />
This quilt arose when I found out that a dear childhood friend of mine had a little baby girl. H. and I grew up across the street from one another and went to school from grade school through 12th grade- we even got tattoos together when we turned 18 (much to her older police officer brother's dismay I might add...)! H. is a world traveler- she went to college in New Zealand (where she met her husband) and has traveled all over the globe. H. and her hubby now live in Switzerland and although we don't get to see each other often, the internet makes keeping in touch much easier!<br />
<br />
To celebrate H.'s new baby, I knew I wanted to make a quilt of some sort. To find inspiration, I trolled through my Pinterest board, 'sewing fun', for inspiration. This tutorial for an heirloom chenille baby blanket from Aesthetic Nest (<a href="http://www.aestheticnest.com/2010/08/sewing-heirloom-cut-chenille-baby.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Aesthetic Nest baby blanket</span></a>) had caught my eye a few weeks back and I had been dying to try the technique. I have a great propensity to <strike>stock up on</strike> hoard fabric remnants from the remnants bin at JoAnn Fabrics. I had this lovely gray/purple/green flower print home decor fabric that I thought would be perfect- not too girly, with a bit of a modern flair.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V422djaccMDMmEg8e2XWcM-RmEf8M7bDWV84cx_gOVyzv8H_TC5j37Ar-dr2EA_4wrIl8yIaELY9QNNnwcM6StbGwTrMIYUi-RYxNydeCaDnGjQoEfZJTdHdOWkJq0LpdT43sptexT3g/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V422djaccMDMmEg8e2XWcM-RmEf8M7bDWV84cx_gOVyzv8H_TC5j37Ar-dr2EA_4wrIl8yIaELY9QNNnwcM6StbGwTrMIYUi-RYxNydeCaDnGjQoEfZJTdHdOWkJq0LpdT43sptexT3g/s320/IMG_0979.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ ironing fun ] </div>
I also had several different remnants (all from JoAnn's) of pink-themed flannels for the backing of this blanket. The tutorial called for three different flannel pieces. Again, I chose these fabrics from my remnants stock pile. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaz0-OT4Zvs-heKFuvNsLQUMWeDPziE2k7s6NXIKV3a6A_5lrOQFyPdXCYnywF6k6nvFBJkx6AWU0Q6I8eyRwW3yTjes04PUTuHQd3F5QSkAyKAzWpUeLp48ffM3iyKvnisW8SLPXmqkWq/s1600/IMG_0981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaz0-OT4Zvs-heKFuvNsLQUMWeDPziE2k7s6NXIKV3a6A_5lrOQFyPdXCYnywF6k6nvFBJkx6AWU0Q6I8eyRwW3yTjes04PUTuHQd3F5QSkAyKAzWpUeLp48ffM3iyKvnisW8SLPXmqkWq/s320/IMG_0981.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ flannels from my stash ] </div>
While the tutorial used a 45"x45" cut of fabric, I used something slightly smaller, about 36"x42" primarily because some of my remnants were smaller than the 45"x45" mentioned. I layered the flannels such that the light pink with gray fabric was the top layer, the dark pink was in the middle and the light pink with birdies (hard to see in this photo) was the bottom layer, closest to the front fabric. <br />
<br />
After ironing all fabrics, I squared the fabrics up to the size of the smallest fabric piece that I had, keeping the front/home decor fabric a bit larger than the flannel pieces as advised by the tutorial. If you have never squared up fabrics before, <a href="http://chasingcottons.blogspot.com/2011/04/quilt-class-101-week-3-cutting.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a> is a fantastic tutorial. I then pinned all of the fabrics together with straight pins and used my ruler and a blue washable fabric marker (<a href="http://www.joann.com/dritz-dual-purpose-twin-marking-pens/prd3117/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this exact one</span></a>) to draw a line on the flannel side at a 45° angle from the bottom left corner to the right side of the fabric. Because I used a rectangle instead of a square like in the tutorial, I probably should have drawn two guide lines to keep things extra straight but it ended up working out just fine.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePrNOCBN7paAubWutNJWNDaXWqgjnlM_M2S3ppTyDM3FrHv_GBw1xkZSJYHBl8kx1dKfQnBiDZD0cjwVQ3pJmXBLixdH7-PX2NtY9o-QhES0rgsqifxoT1yNfuA-g8IO3ua0BfSJyuJmj/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePrNOCBN7paAubWutNJWNDaXWqgjnlM_M2S3ppTyDM3FrHv_GBw1xkZSJYHBl8kx1dKfQnBiDZD0cjwVQ3pJmXBLixdH7-PX2NtY9o-QhES0rgsqifxoT1yNfuA-g8IO3ua0BfSJyuJmj/s320/IMG_0982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ all squared up and ready to go ]</div>
After pinning the fabric and drawing the guideline on the flannel side, I used my walking foot to stitch along the line. As the tutorial recommended, I then flipped my fabric over and sewed the remaining lines on the home decor fabric side, since those stitches will be visible. I quilted my lines 1/2" apart, which was exactly the width of my walking foot.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uYxLHFZgMMBIJdxLTYEdKKuS9Qwg5dkyXNrqSz85E4RlAIDe8ssU9fSJcT4szC9SygrzIOuqH3RkGMoKX_gGzTY-37VKANiLk3boYndRU2SAxR9e3PU1We44kVl48574jCHcRaMvy0gA/s1600/IMG_0983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uYxLHFZgMMBIJdxLTYEdKKuS9Qwg5dkyXNrqSz85E4RlAIDe8ssU9fSJcT4szC9SygrzIOuqH3RkGMoKX_gGzTY-37VKANiLk3boYndRU2SAxR9e3PU1We44kVl48574jCHcRaMvy0gA/s320/IMG_0983.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ the quilting begins ]</div>
I quickly discovered that straight pins were not the best way to keep the fabrics together, mainly because I kept pricking myself with them, so I switched to safety pins (like you would use to baste a quilt together) mid-way through.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7rAtWH7PuIFnb7prrULaZG3KH_EDM1KWbJYyooFiChTFXoccdY9FV0_OTroFbkouQugXYveRb9Ie-0XjgziyRh2mpG2PawmObs1oEVSg6Rgm_s9YP4CyJpwn9HCUaBAdw5a26z8KN-6J/s1600/IMG_0984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7rAtWH7PuIFnb7prrULaZG3KH_EDM1KWbJYyooFiChTFXoccdY9FV0_OTroFbkouQugXYveRb9Ie-0XjgziyRh2mpG2PawmObs1oEVSg6Rgm_s9YP4CyJpwn9HCUaBAdw5a26z8KN-6J/s320/IMG_0984.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ safety pins > straight pins ] </div>
Stitching the straight lines was easy, but felt like it.took.forever. I
ended up stitching all of the lines in two 1.5 hour shifts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0PMao5l9j8Tv2NaIFbUe5z6ogVryBJqOtu6FacD0PPTEhpjKy3tmw_SvTC08o0aAcMAdzoss3sQOs_gN2X2Zh4TXZQFhFXZLkL8ZwtcWAZbHLGRJm0W7KWHGRmEdrejU1AEasUs3Msia/s1600/IMG_0987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0PMao5l9j8Tv2NaIFbUe5z6ogVryBJqOtu6FacD0PPTEhpjKy3tmw_SvTC08o0aAcMAdzoss3sQOs_gN2X2Zh4TXZQFhFXZLkL8ZwtcWAZbHLGRJm0W7KWHGRmEdrejU1AEasUs3Msia/s320/IMG_0987.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ rows and rows and rows ] </div>
For some reason, a few of my lines had a slight curve to them, but I knew once I trimmed all of the flannel on the back, it would not be very obvious. In the tutorial, she recommends using either scissors or a nifty little fabric cutting tool from <a href="http://www.joann.com/olfa-chenille-cutter/prd45889/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Olfa</span></a>. I was tempted to purchase it, but on a post-doc stipend, I knew it wasn't a wise purchase since I won't be making these blankets all time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8axblIjfhFqRRA5e32ZYmWTntqcCbCmbyl4_BUscxBixHIK5AlDtSgBmYpW7dhj6GEWUcLjRBqgVB2tJQ4A644i3GrIl9ZZzY6faZ39JI-AB94w7FbdSJLuREDC2iDjfIUikGbEM5SMd/s1600/IMG_0995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8axblIjfhFqRRA5e32ZYmWTntqcCbCmbyl4_BUscxBixHIK5AlDtSgBmYpW7dhj6GEWUcLjRBqgVB2tJQ4A644i3GrIl9ZZzY6faZ39JI-AB94w7FbdSJLuREDC2iDjfIUikGbEM5SMd/s320/IMG_0995.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ Goldilocks and the three scissors? ] </div>
I have three pairs of sewing scissors (all <a href="http://www.joann.com/search/_gingher/sewing/sewing-scissors" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Gingher</span></a> brand). I felt like Goldilocks trying to pick the correct pair of scissors for cutting the flannel. The biggest pair was <i>too</i> big and didn't fit well in the 1/2" channels I had sewn. The middle pair would have been perfect, but after years of abuse, they are quite dull and didn't handle the three layers of flannel well. So, I ended up using the smallest pair (which are also my newest, and therefore sharpest) to trim each channel. Overall, the scissors worked fine and I didn't regret not purchasing the special chenille cutter. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qWdMFs1WV8UwRZzBbHVPSmn_rrFYE5nKt35yWDlE8gO-7qgCCzFQEXHZK63lli7Be-AaSB3GE5_5-6qWV7ab6TRJh6tRM4yy7QVV4URqNT1j65dI7R3vPoxg2ZRAgw9dKjri8HheYdte/s1600/IMG_0989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qWdMFs1WV8UwRZzBbHVPSmn_rrFYE5nKt35yWDlE8gO-7qgCCzFQEXHZK63lli7Be-AaSB3GE5_5-6qWV7ab6TRJh6tRM4yy7QVV4URqNT1j65dI7R3vPoxg2ZRAgw9dKjri8HheYdte/s320/IMG_0989.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ snip snip ] </div>
Fortunately, trimming the channels went much more quickly than sewing the lines to create them. In the magnified view above, you can see how the front fabric is slightly larger than the flannel fabrics- this makes it much easier to just trim through the flannel 'channels' and not accidentally clip your front fabric (*I had nightmares I might actually do that after the hours and hours of straight line sewing).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoJRtMPULA3HsVRaHQJaBcfwugiPCHgJ1-h17LhVEu6c9AoC17Fvo5pgFUkep5XNAl8l4OSDkveOi4nYpWieUUdjBGd2dulEr-siOhOEPYCHKZqts6-UQ1tGI69aGj9YwGHLagXoE4ws1/s1600/IMG_0992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoJRtMPULA3HsVRaHQJaBcfwugiPCHgJ1-h17LhVEu6c9AoC17Fvo5pgFUkep5XNAl8l4OSDkveOi4nYpWieUUdjBGd2dulEr-siOhOEPYCHKZqts6-UQ1tGI69aGj9YwGHLagXoE4ws1/s320/IMG_0992.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ after the cuts ] </div>
After cutting all of the channels, you need to square up the quilt. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=yHteSUaU0yQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">This</span></a> is another great tutorial if you have never squared a quilt up before. Once the quilt is squared up, you will need to bind it. I <i>loathe</i> binding. It is a mental battle every.single.time. I only machine bind because I lack the patience and time for hand sewing. I have tried several different binding tutorials (found <a href="http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/2011/01/quilt-binding-basics-part-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>, <a href="http://prudentbaby.com/2011/11/by-craft/machine-quilt-binding-101-quilt-binding-diy-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a> and <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">here</span></a>) and while all of the different approaches work, it drives me bonkers that some sort of error is always visible. If I start the binding on the back of the quilt, and wrap it to the front of the quilt (like <a href="http://www.52quilts.com/2012/05/tuesday-tutorial-susies-magic-binding.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a>), inevitably my stitching is crooked, doesn't always stay on the binding and meanders onto the backing fabric. If I start my binding on the front of the quilt (like <a href="http://prudentbaby.com/2011/11/by-craft/machine-quilt-binding-101-quilt-binding-diy-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a>), and wrap it to the back of the quilt while stitching the ditch between the binding and the quilt top, I often don't 'catch' the binding on the back- and I won't even go into how bad my mitered corners turn out. But I digress... For this quilt, however, I knew putting the binding on the back to start and wrapping it to the front would be the best approach. By stitching the binding down on the front side, any meandering/crooked stitches on the back side of the quilt will essentially be hidden by the ruffled flannel.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzBVAeRlps9K2TnaPltgwxqZggXD88IkX-K3dcsuuzJEnONsNuVmrDqepTILa6wi1UOOFPEEz4iRrEmi3Av0t1hi3uaWU6wUTHbbsep2WbUDDGMkanDvB8PG6OZlJXhfnkUDRqegRQv2h/s1600/IMG_0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzBVAeRlps9K2TnaPltgwxqZggXD88IkX-K3dcsuuzJEnONsNuVmrDqepTILa6wi1UOOFPEEz4iRrEmi3Av0t1hi3uaWU6wUTHbbsep2WbUDDGMkanDvB8PG6OZlJXhfnkUDRqegRQv2h/s320/IMG_0997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK83zDWi_lPifSvF_u8R2dqS6-1Q61lv-_XnjmorngJThdTxHI6aO1IYDMebS3LM54uvdwmDeZd_0nOe6JEUw0cXdUR7paMBzi8AuvJ2zbGHXVhqbBdBpd-LHZFX2r1WEsGX_95PmCTXY/s1600/IMG_0998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK83zDWi_lPifSvF_u8R2dqS6-1Q61lv-_XnjmorngJThdTxHI6aO1IYDMebS3LM54uvdwmDeZd_0nOe6JEUw0cXdUR7paMBzi8AuvJ2zbGHXVhqbBdBpd-LHZFX2r1WEsGX_95PmCTXY/s320/IMG_0998.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGIjrflkGskO0or-Jo6Ode8Wb_rKrjNaZ8NwE3oZwFApDz0eb4Rp0_-gV0NQuiTd5TXAzy01iJfY4sYWuidACLYlbG-Im-kKqDrZs3miRnSQpVIkOEL8JPWTsmsfbelNJyZz84Xlnw-jo/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGIjrflkGskO0or-Jo6Ode8Wb_rKrjNaZ8NwE3oZwFApDz0eb4Rp0_-gV0NQuiTd5TXAzy01iJfY4sYWuidACLYlbG-Im-kKqDrZs3miRnSQpVIkOEL8JPWTsmsfbelNJyZz84Xlnw-jo/s320/IMG_0999.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMztESDOkVdoNFt7mO2a_1oF3Mq_ec6cGxTCXqkaqpoQ0CpOgJ7bAQJnet0e2-nrkDFuceJNI4Qm1fHsGEJn6QCSLgMyijitGq4D87UAo0wC2JOstyD0fXBUDtvWZjyAxJitaNvvDbo5G/s1600/IMG_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMztESDOkVdoNFt7mO2a_1oF3Mq_ec6cGxTCXqkaqpoQ0CpOgJ7bAQJnet0e2-nrkDFuceJNI4Qm1fHsGEJn6QCSLgMyijitGq4D87UAo0wC2JOstyD0fXBUDtvWZjyAxJitaNvvDbo5G/s320/IMG_1003.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ binding binding binding ]</div>
I chose an ivory flannel (again from my remnants stash) for the binding. Then came time for the magical part- turning the backing from cut-up flannel to cute and soft ruffles. I should note that none of my fabrics were pre-washed. In the tutorial, she did not pre-wash her fabrics, though she did say she received comments from folks whose fabrics bled during the first wash. I washed the blanket with a few towels on warm and even after the wash, you could see the change starting to happen!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWvG9EXyMQnSi4GjwGvVvXUIStDYuBfsJHgRy45YwxUhmxWHiAQp6e9mWaQSxLJpSVP1Ha3Oxph9A72_pMOkR1t_u_ue1Fpq_H0gw_eTaNm57taQ4n-XMLttoI_-FABB0Qi1ZX9NrsUSf/s1600/IMG_1001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWvG9EXyMQnSi4GjwGvVvXUIStDYuBfsJHgRy45YwxUhmxWHiAQp6e9mWaQSxLJpSVP1Ha3Oxph9A72_pMOkR1t_u_ue1Fpq_H0gw_eTaNm57taQ4n-XMLttoI_-FABB0Qi1ZX9NrsUSf/s320/IMG_1001.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ fresh out the washer ]</div>
Then, I dried the quilt on regular heat and I was amazed at the finished project. It looked soft and cuddly and exactly like the tutorial at aesthetic nest said it would!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWnlVIY1A-ZlM-DSvt1Efe-RoDYv7epY-eDmtvPDFPlWuTC5G2N9wgxgZl1qzUsjLrqtjhiWJpaxUtQLhXSxc9FKbj1-FaP7649TKwdjDxT_eE8wxc09KDyM_yZlXuzCOsB0amISEiSPt/s1600/IMG_1002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWnlVIY1A-ZlM-DSvt1Efe-RoDYv7epY-eDmtvPDFPlWuTC5G2N9wgxgZl1qzUsjLrqtjhiWJpaxUtQLhXSxc9FKbj1-FaP7649TKwdjDxT_eE8wxc09KDyM_yZlXuzCOsB0amISEiSPt/s320/IMG_1002.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOKX-_E76o8wEv3678m0QJsjh-GQTCCT9jAKq0iud3ECZKU0ShS23eJpTwLuEWIy5cBPIUkN8ljWZn_HZPowFeI12lNGsOQHJaZviJLULJ3MQFKOiqbZte8eHAALOwJPw1oTqHROPQOCG/s1600/IMG_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOKX-_E76o8wEv3678m0QJsjh-GQTCCT9jAKq0iud3ECZKU0ShS23eJpTwLuEWIy5cBPIUkN8ljWZn_HZPowFeI12lNGsOQHJaZviJLULJ3MQFKOiqbZte8eHAALOwJPw1oTqHROPQOCG/s320/IMG_1003.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLD0B9LHU_e-ACm2ld_E568QR2cnSrWdYJzJT5t3ySBuMqT2BxRo5YosImvIuy7jqWBrJsPLUfTD1b6o5AvCcDjwaUFIYCgCbL1ieCxcw69mc1IOUjsq9GcBSdpruNWLGiZ_kMSyZciCD/s1600/IMG_1004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLD0B9LHU_e-ACm2ld_E568QR2cnSrWdYJzJT5t3ySBuMqT2BxRo5YosImvIuy7jqWBrJsPLUfTD1b6o5AvCcDjwaUFIYCgCbL1ieCxcw69mc1IOUjsq9GcBSdpruNWLGiZ_kMSyZciCD/s320/IMG_1004.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
[ voila! ]</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was very pleased with the final product and would definitely make this again. Next time, I think I would choose a solid flannel for the top piece of the backing- the gray circles looked a little odd/hard to recognize once the fabric was washed. I combined this blanket with a swaddle blanket (using <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2012/03/celebrate-baby-tutorial-gauzey-swaddle-blankets.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this</span></a> tutorial and 1 yard of gauze fabric I scored in the remnants bin at JoAnn's a few weeks ago) and a sweet little giraffe stuffed animal (unfortunately the link for this tutorial is no longer active!). </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723669834358977705noreply@blogger.com5