Beyond Backstitch

Giveaway >> Smiling Tree Toys

2012-09-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this Etsy shop a few weeks ago and was immediately impressed. Their handcrafted items are so cool!

"Toys are created from sustainably sourced American hardwoods, and the shoelaces are made from 100% recycled soda bottles with a non-toxic dye."

I am very impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of these products.
Check out this lacing and tracing toy -- perfect for a long car ride or preschool time at home.

This set includes:

-- one circular base 5.5" in diameter (holes numbered 1-12)

-- six shapes (in varying colors, each measures approximately 1.75" and is engraved with the shape name)

-- one 36" shoelace (made from 100% recycled soda pop bottles and non-toxic dyes)

-- USA-made drawstring bag for storage and travel

Want to win this fun, educational wooden toy?

Simply enter using the widget below:

visit Smiling Tree Toys on Etsy and leave a comment below telling me which product you like best {2 entries}

like Beyond Backstitch and Smiling Tree Toys on Facebook {2 entries each}

and tweet about this giveaway {1 entry per day}

Giveaway available to residents of the USA and Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love Me Some Tree Rings / Tulips in the Woods

2012-09-20T11:37:00.001-07:00

I'm a woodsy girl who grew up in a room painted in pastel pink. I just love these color combinations and fabric designs.
Did you notice the polka dots and the hot pink thrown in for fun? Yeah. This is a good one.

This quilt has three layers -- the top made up of a variety of 100% cotton designer fabrics

in pastel pink, sky blue and light minty green, the middle of white muslin for thickness and a fluffier fringe,

and the back fabric is more of the tulip print in green {on a background of tree rings, did you see?!}.

It measures approximately 58x58 inches square, large enough for a picnic throw,

perfect for a couch snuggly or an accent to your nursery!

Available now. Ready to ship. In our shop.

Dream in Color >> Pastel Green and Blue

2012-09-17T20:22:00.002-07:00

Such soft and natural colors, woodsy and breezy. Inspiration for this quilt, in the shop.

1>> Wool Felt Hair Clips by Two Little Blueberries 2>> Felt Heart Ornaments by MartyMakes

3>> Pastel Needle Felted Acorns by Fairyfolk 4>> Cup Cozy in Pastel Blue by Natalya1905

Tutorial Roundup >> September

2012-09-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Once a month or so I'll post here some of my favorite DIY tutorials from around the Internet.

Just to give us a little burst of inspiration. Things that make us smile.

These might not get a space on our to-do list right away, but how 'bout collecting and saving ideas for later!

Baby Sunsuit Tutorial by Made By Rae >> Play Teepee by A Beautiful Mess >>

Autumn Bunting by My Blessed Life >> Reusable Produce Bags by Buggie and Jellybean

Juicy Good Quilt / Tangerine Dream -- SOLD!

2012-09-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

This quilt is juicy good. If you love polka dots, this quilt has them! Tiny and big.

And the colors? Oh so perfect for fall or just a burst of color in your neutral room.

This quilt has three layers -- the top sporting a variety of 100% cotton designer fabrics

in orange, brown and aqua, the middle of white muslin for thickness and a fluffier fringe,

and the back of tiny polka dot cotton in aqua and brown.

It measures approximately 58x58 inches square, large enough for a picnic throw,

perfect for a couch snuggly or an accent to your nursery!

Nature inspired colors and designs.

Polka dots on the back too.

Available now, ready to ship, in our shop.

Dream in Color >> Tangerine and Aqua

2012-09-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

These colors were the inspiration for this quilt. What harm can you do with a mix of tangerine and aqua? Do you love it?

1>> Lace Petti Romper by Prim Couture Shop 2>> Ruffled Mary Jane Leather Baby Shoe by Podsshoes

3>> Chevron Orange Baby Bowtie by Mommys Creativity Shop 4>> Designer Wall Mounted Clock by LeLuni

Bright and Cozy / Polka Dot Garden

2012-09-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

These colors are so bright and cheerful!

They make me think about cotton candy and the county fair and summer-time birds and

ripe tomatoes and little girls in fancy dresses.

But if you look closely and feel the soft polka-dot flannel on the back,

you'll find yourself wrapped by the fire with a warm cup of something yummy.

This quilt combines vivid colors with warmth and coziness. Fun for any season!

This quilt has three layers -- the top sporting a variety of 100% cotton designer fabrics

in pink, red and aqua, the middle of white muslin for thickness and a fluffier fringe,

and the back of tiny polka dot flannel in aqua and red.

It measures approximately 60x60 inches square, large enough for a picnic throw,

perfect for a couch snuggly or an accent to your nursery!

Check it out in our shop!

Berry Season | Blackberry Bramble

2012-08-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's blackberry season in our backyard. We have half a dozen thornless blackberry plants that are loving the hot weather and giving us huge sweet berries for our morning oatmeal.

This quilt, the largest of my recent projects, reminds me of a back-forty bramble of blackberry vines.

Its combo of rich purple and lighter lavender along with the contrasting greens makes for a vibrant yet outdoorsy feel. There is a layer of green flannel sandwiched between two layers of 100% cotton designer fabrics making the frayed edges even softer.

Check it out in our shop, especially if you'd like to bring a little berry goodness right into your home.

Taking Your Time | Snail's Pace -- SOLD!

2012-04-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

It was time to explore some different colors -- I found this line by Aneela Hoey

called Little Apples and loved it immediately. The grey and olive green blended so

nicely together and I love the red and aqua accents {see the apples and tree leaves?}.

The theme seems to be slow and steady, with kids playing happily and

reading books, tortoises and snails making friends and apples ripening.

This quilt is 45 inches square, with grey flannel in the middle

and a grey fabric {with snails and tortoises} on the back.

A super cute quilt for boy or girl! I think it's fabulous. :)

Of course, it's in the shop. It could be yours.

You Know You Want to Cuddle Up | Cozy Days

2012-01-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

This rag quilt makes me feel so cozy. The bright colors and fun patterns speak warmth and comfort.
See the scarves? See the happy children riding scooters?

These fabrics are designed by Aneela Hoey, from her Sherbet Pips line.

It's a square shape -- 45 inches on each side. Four fabrics on the front, white flannel sandwiched in the center, and the interesting bohemian-style design on the back.

Cuddle up by the fire. Read books with your child. Enjoy this quilt.

To get more info and have it in your home, click here.

Seriously in Love | Apple Time -- SOLD!!

2012-01-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

Have you seen Aneela Hoey's fabrics? I LOVE them.

In this adorable rag quilt, I used fabrics from her Little Apples line.

See the little apples? See the trees? See the turtles and the hedgehogs and the snails? *swoon*

It's a square shape -- 45 inches on each side. Reversible -- see, the same fabric on each side.

And there's a soft layer of red flannel in the middle to give the quilt extra warmth and the fringes color.

And see that square with red and white polka-dots? That's flannel too. Mmmhmmm.

Perfect for a picnic, a car ride, a room accent. These colors are so trendy right now!

See? Look at all these other beauties on Etsy -- sporting aqua and red. Love love love. :)

Valentines, Felt Heart,... jenta2b $6.00	Paper Flowers Arrangeme... FlowerThyme $30.00	Red and aqua vintage up... 2007musarra $49.99	Tea: It's What'... hairbrainedsch... $15.00
Aqua / Tiffany Blue and... lemonademoment... $20.00	Bowtie Boys Bow Tie Aqu... MeandMatilda $19.99	Pleated Wristlet With F... Oyeta $21.00	Retro Red and Aqua Love... EarthCookieCre... $12.00
Lobster Love Card - Val... rachelink $2.75	Cupcake Toppers - Woodl... LittlePumpkinP... $10.00	Red Poppies Aqua - prin... AliceinParis $20.00	Crochet Bird Appliques-... appliquelove $6.00
NEW .... Waterproof Bab... SugarChicBaby $12.00	Valentine Love Birds We... ColorbeeLove $20.00	Zoey rosette headband sugarsugarhigh $8.00	mini red mushrooms on a... breadandbutton... $4.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Aqua and Red

2012-01-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

I've been watching Pinterest and Etsy for color combinations that I like and have fallen hard for AQUA and RED together. Check out this board on Pinterest -- amazing. So pretty. :)

And look what I happened upon today, at my favorite fabric shop in town??

Among these gorgeous fabrics are many of the new designs by Aneela Hoey. I just love her style. Don't you?

To the drawing board to figure out what size of quilt I want to make.

Anyone want to reserve this fabric? Request a certain size?
Send me an email at beyondbackstitch@gmail.com.

How to Sew a Rag Quilt

2011-08-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today we want to introduce you to one of the Beyond Backstitch Team Members --

Laura from Housewife in Town is posting here today to share how she made her latest rag quilt creation.

Enjoy the tutorial and come back soon for more quilting inspiration!
-------

A rag quilt is a fun and easy way to get started quilting. It's fairly forgiving and the results are eye-catching! A small rag quilt {12x12in} can be finished in less than an hour {without two-year-old distractions or seams to rip out}. Rag quilts are especially nice for babies and toddlers because...they are washable! They like to be washed. :) They get softer and more frayed each time {a good thing!}.

Materials needed:
Quality fabric. I usually buy 1/2 yard cuts of the fabrics I like -- 100% cotton, flannel, and minky {that super soft stuff with little bumps}. ;) If you get fabric that is 45 inches wide and you get a 1/2 yard cut {18 inches}, you can cut twenty-one 6" squares with very little waste. There's your free tip for the day. =)
Thread. In a nice color that matches all your fabrics.
Fun ribbon -- if you want to add taggies for little fingers.

Tools to have on hand:
Cutting mat, grid ruler, and rotary cutter.
Sewing machine. I'm using a Husqvarna. It's got guts. :)
Seam ripper. {I know. I don't make mistakes either.}
Pins.
Clipping scissors {tiny blade and spring loaded helps when snipping your rag quilt}

Step One:
Choose your fabric and square size and begin to cut using your cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutter. If you haven't cut fabric before, you'll learn something from this video:

I cut six inch strips and then pile a few of these on top of each other {being very careful to line them up, of course} and cut into six inch squares.

Step Two:
Once you have a nice pile of squares, you can decide on your quilt design. I like to make a nice thick rag quilt, with fluffy edges, so I usually do three layers of fabric. Bottom layer in this case is brown minky, middle layer is pink flannel, and top layer is my cotton pattern {or another brown minky or pink flannel for contrast}.

Lay it out the way you want it to look, keeping in mind that things will shrink as you sew.
{I usually use a 1/2 inch seam allowance, so my six inch squares become 5 inch squares.}

Step Three:
Take your three-layered square and sew an x across it {diagonal lines from corner to corner} to hold things together. Repeat until all your squares have an x stitched on them.

Step Four:
Begin sewing your squares together, in rows. I use a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Be sure that you sew in such a way that your seam sticks up, not down {so you can see the seam}. Sew all the squares in your first row together, then work on the next row.

Step Five:
Now you are ready to sew your rows together. Again -- remember to put your rows together in such a way that when they are sewed, you will be able to see the seam. This can be a tricky step. Pin at each seam junction to give your quilt a nice "squared up" appearance. Sew down the line, again using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Repeat until all rows are sewed together and the quilt is complete.

Step Six:
Sew a perimeter stitch around the outside of the entire quilt {again, 1/2 inch seam allowance}. I like to sew a double stitch around the perimeter on my small lovey blankets. I sew a triple stitch on the section with ribbon taggies, to be sure they don't come loose.

Step Seven:
Time to snip! Get those sharp scissors and start snipping your seams {please see the photo below}. The amount of chunk is up to you -- on this lovey I snipped pretty close together. But be careful not to snip threads. You will have a hole if you cut through the stitching. The corners, where you have a bulk of fabric, will need careful snipping.

Step Eight:
You are ready to wash and dry! You'll just love the way it looks when it comes out of the dryer. So soft and raggy. :)

Laura, Beyond Backstitch Team Member, blogs over at Housewife in Town. She loves natural colors and simple styles. She gravitates to a modern country look in design and loves Pottery Barn. Children's rooms should always have polka-dots and stripes, in her imagination -- with owls, ladybugs, or some cute forest creature. She loves to write, photograph, craft, cook, and sew and she's planning to homeschool her two little boys as they grow.

Linking up with Home Stories A2Z

Fabric Store with Kids

2011-07-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

I took my two kids on a quick fabric hunting trip the other day. I needed a seventh fabric print to make this quilt complete.

My four-year-old's first words were "why is it so quiet in here?" hah That soon changed. :)

Thank you to the fabulous staff who helped me find the perfect polka-dot print to go with these other gorgeous pinks and greens and who were so patient with my kids running around in circles and yelling like little hoodlums.

That's the best thing in this small town of ours -- a store selling top quality quilting fabric with super helpful and friendly staff. And a store set up with many circles and few breakables.

Yay for quilting with kids. Thanks for letting mommy do something she loves.

Pink Sherbet -- SOLD!

2011-07-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Absolutely love the color combinations in this quilt! Yellows, pinks, and more pinks to please the eyes.

Polk-A-Dot Dreams -- SOLD!

2011-07-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Had so much fun choosing the fabric and deciding on the layout for this quilt.

I love how the polk-a-dots seem to be scattered throughout the squares, mixed in with flowers and other fun designs.

The vibrant colors in this quilt will be sure to brighten your favorite room.

First Listing -- SOLD!!

2011-07-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our Etsy shop is now open! "Butterfly High" can be yours!

Butterfly High -- SOLD!

2011-05-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm loving these red and oranges tonight! So vibrant, speaking of hot summer days to come.

Wouldn't you just love to see these brilliant patterns across the veranda, hanging on the porch swing?

Or accenting your wall?

Here's some orange and red inspiration...something to go with your new quilt. ;)

Giraffe from Single Stone Studios
Flower Wall Stickers from Urban Walls
Coral Bowl from Uneek Glass Fusions

Red Chrysanthemum Pillow from KainKain

"Eat" Recycled Wood from Oh Dier

Fireworks Glass Platter from Sunflower Glassworks

Poppy Print from Modern House Art

I'm cutting out the six inch squares now -- soon this rag quilt will be for sale in our Etsy shop!

If you'd like to reserve it, let me know!