My mom received a Kindle for her fake birthday a couple weeks ago and she volunteered me to make her a protective case for it. She decided she wanted me to use her Flea Market Fancy. No problem! So I got busy thinking of an idea and drafting it out. It is super simple and easy to put together and a great way to protect the screen of your Kindle while stowed away in a purse or backpack. Oh, and…
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String Quilt Block
Read moreHere it is – our August block for the Sampler Quilt Along (see sidebar for links). So this tutorial has been done a lot. And it’s a nice easy block. I really hate to do a tutorial that has already been done so much, but maybe I do things a little differently and I want to present every block for this sampler quilt in one spot. So, I’m going to kind of breeze through it (because it is simple) and…
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Paper Pieced Block
Read moreJuly’s block has got to be my favorite – both visually and for how it’s pieced. I am far from being an expert at paper piecing, but I’ve done it a few times and can at least get you started. I welcome all of you with more experience to please let us know your secrets and share some links. Because we girls can’t manage to get together in the summer months, this will be what I know to make sure…
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Tutorial :: Trapezoid Block
Read moreI’m sure there is another more clever name for this June’s block, but if there is, I haven’t a clue. So here is one of my blocks, after lots of trial and error to get it the right size. I don’t usually have issues with that, but something was off with my math the day I originally made this block. Oh well. (Something was off with my photography yesterday, too…I couldn’t get the darn thing in the frame! That’s what…
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Binding Tutorial Part 3
Read moreWarning :: Very long and detailed post! Now comes the fun part – curling up on your sofa in front of the TV, with your quilt, and attaching the binding. Of course you can always stitch in the ditch on the front of your quilt to hold the backside of the binding down, but I think it looks so much nicer to hand stitch it down – and it’s really not that hard! I can usually finish it in one…
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Binding Tutorial Part 2
Read moreThere are gobs and gobs of good tutorials out there on attaching your binding, but I wanted a simpler more condensed version of what I have in the sidebar already. You can find Part 1 here. Directions 1. Pick a side of your quilt, somewhere around the middle and position your binding, leaving your self a generous tail (unsewn) of your binding for later attaching to your other end. Now, there is two ways I do this next part, the…
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Binding Tutorial Part 1
Read moreAs promised, here is the first in a series on how I go about making, attaching and finishing my binding. In this first installment I will be walking you through how I make my binding. Remember: there is no right or wrong way, sometimes just easier and smarter. Always do what works for you. And here we go… Directions 1. Cut enough strips of fabric, 2-1/2” wide, to go all the way around your quilt. To figure out how much…
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Tutorial :: Improvisational Block
Read moreToday’s tutorial is not the same as the last tutorials. There is no direct way for me to tell you all how to do your improvised block, I can only lead you in the direction to free form sewing your pieces together. I created my block and at the end was very happy with it – but let me tell you, part way through I wasn’t liking it. But I just stuck with it and I’m glad I did. So…
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Fabric Scrap Basket Pressing
Read moreAs an aside to my Fabric Scrap Basket tutorial, I thought I would talk about how I get my sides so crisp and square. I press. A lot. When I first finish sewing the basket together, this is what it looks like. Very rounded from the top. Not very “basket” like in the boxy sense. First I start by folding the sides in toward the center and pressing with the iron along what would be the bottom edge. When I’m…