Half Stitched

MicroMod Tote Bags

2013-10-24T14:23:00.000-05:00

My latest acquisition in fabric was a couple of prints from the MicroMod collection for Cloud9 fabrics. I was only able to get a few of the prints and only a limited amount but I knew I wanted to make totes with them. It was fun mixing and matching the fabrics.

I just love the 241Tote pattern by Noodle Head! I bought several of her patterns and they are really well written and you don't have to be an expert to sew them. Making each bag look different is easy.

I also just finished a Super Tote. This fabric was called Zombie and I thought it was pretty appropriately named.

With this bag I made several adjustments to the pattern. For starters I added an adjustable strap to the bag instead of the two handles the pattern originally called for. This is the first time I've ever attempted an adjustable strap. Something that has been on my to learn list for a long time. I was surprised out how easy it was to do. I learned a few things too and plan on making up a tutorial for adjustable straps and how to add them to almost any bag pattern.

The second adjustment I made was the inner pocket. The pattern called for a gathered pocket that can be divided up to make smaller pockets. I wanted something a little more structured with a cleaner look.

So I made a lined pocket with homemade piping using some scraps of black crosshatch Architextures fabric. LOVE! Oh! and the Geekly Chic Glasses!!! Perfect for a book bag ;)

I would love to hear about your favorite bag pattern hacks. What changes do you make to bag patterns?

Quilted Leaf Potholder ~ A Tutorial

2013-10-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

Materials:

fabric scraps in Fall colors at least 5.5 inches in length
fabric for backing at least 6" x 9"
fabric for loop 1.5" x 4"
bias binding 2" x 24" long
cotton batting at least 6" x 9"
Insul-Bright at least 6" x 9"
thread
leaf template Click here to download template

Directions:
1. Download and print leaf template. Make sure template is set to print at actual size. Cut out leaf and cut in half along dotted line. Set aside

2. Cut strips of fabric 5.5 inches long and in various widths ranging from 1" to 2.5" wide. There wider the strips the less you need. Layout your strips and arrange them to your liking.

3. Sew the strips together using a scant 1/4" seam allowance (the seams will get crowded if it's too wide). Sew on strips until you get a piece at least 8.5" long. Iron seams to one side.

4. Take the right side of the leaf template and lay it on your pieced strips at an angle tilted to the right. Cut out the shape. Save the left overs to make another potholder. I don't now exactly what angle I cut this on but it was less than a 45° angle... maybe around a 30° angle.

5. Repeat steps 2 thru 3 for the left side of the leaf. This time when you lay your template on the fabric it should be angled to the left. This will allow for the seams to meet at a downward angle when sewn together.

6. Sew your left and right sides of the leaf together and press the seam open.

7. Sandwich your batting and Insul-Bright between the backing fabric and your leaf.

8. Quilt your leaf as desired. Trim the excess fabric from your leaf.

9. Sew bias binding to the leaf starting from the bottom of the leaf. When you get to the top point of the leaf backstitch and cut threads. Fold bias binding up at an angle (similar to what you would do when sewing binding at the corner of a quilt).

*** To make my own bias binding I cut a fat quarter in half on a 45° then cut a strip 2" wide the full length of the bias cut then pressed the strip in half long sides together.

Fold bias binding back over to go down the other side.

Then continue sewing the binding to the rest of the leaf. Stop just before you get to the very bottom to insert your loop.

To make loop: use the 1.5" x 4" piece of fabric. Fold in half lengthwise and press. Open and fold long edges to meet in the middle, press, fold in half again, press. Stitch folded edges togther.

Lay the loop with raw edges matching the leaf raw edge. Place bias binding over loop and continue sewing. Backstitch over loop to secure.

10. Using a ladder stitch hand sew the binding to the back of the leaf. At the bottom of the leaf I just tucked and folded the raw edge of the fabric in until all raw edges were covered and stitched them down (there may be a better method but doing it this way worked just fine). I also put a few stitches through the loop to make it stick out away from the leaf.

You should be able to get two potholders out of your pieced fabric. You can vary the size by enlarging or shrinking the template. Varying the width of the strips would also give a different effect.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial!

I would love to see what you come up!!

Fabric Sale!

2013-10-16T09:55:00.000-05:00

This is just a quick post to say that I'm running a coupon over in my Etsy Shop.

I was having a little fun with some new fonts I just downloaded :)

I've got a lot of good basic fabrics in the shop right now and need to make room for all the lovely new collections about to come out.

I've been working on a few projects that I'm excited to share with you soon!

Rainbow Plus Quilt

2013-10-02T12:26:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I wanted to do a project that was simple and quick. Also with fabric I already had on hand. I had enough batting for a small baby quilt so baby quilt it was. I have really been wanting to make a quilt with Riley Blake's Tone on Tone Dots for awhile and thought this would be the perfect project.

My supply for the Pink was running low so I just left it out which worked out well for the pattern I used. Speaking of the pattern I used the Inside Out Quilt pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew. It really is two patterns in one with the plus quilt being the other pattern.

The cutting instructions are for charm packs or a layer cake but I just cut 5" stripes and then cut the required size of fabric from there. Pretty simple! The piecing went by really fast. I love chain piecing!!

I chose a Medium Rainbow Chevron for the back. I kinda wished I had the large chevron but Medium will do. I struggled a little on how to quit it. I tried a few different things at first but ended up pulling it out and opting for ~~straight~~ straigtish stitching. Straight line quilting is like the little black dress...you can never go wrong with it on a quilt.

The rainbow dot fabric was perfect for the binding. I love how bright and fun this quilt is. It stitched up quick and with out any headaches. A huge Plus in my book! I also put the quilt in my shop and can be purchased here Rainbow Plus Quilt

I think next I will do the Inside Out Pattern with these

Happy Quilting
~Alician

Making A Custom Jersey Quilt

2013-09-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

Recently I had the opportunity to make a custom memory quilt using jerseys and t-shirts. I had yet to make or even see one in person but I had seen a few on Pinterest and through Google searches. When I was approached about doing this quilt I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into nor did I know what to charge because I really didn't know how long it would take me.

I was a little unsure about trying to piece and quilt a variety of fabric types including t-shirt jersey and polyester jersey with and without holes. After doing a little research I was able to determine what supplies I would need and how much of each. I found out that the key was to stabilize the backs of each shirt to make it easier to piece and quilt. I chose to use SF 101 which is a cotton weave and would work well with the cotton sashing fabric I was using. It was also great for the jerseys that were a little wholier than others. The woven interfacing made it look like a piece of fabric was underneath the jersey.

When I was cutting out the jerseys I learned my next lesson... Cut out more of the t-shirt that you want to use, you can always make it smaller later. There were also some cool logos on the shirts that I wanted to highlight but to do this I needed to sew a curved seam. I have never sewn two curved pieces of fabric together before much less tried to cut two pieces of curved fabric that are suppose to fit together! Was a little nervous about this one. Luckily I found this great tutorial about sewing curves.

It was a lot easier than I had expected. I must make a curvy quilt soon!
I also wanted to personalize the quilt a bit by adding in their last name. A few shirts had the name on it that I was able to use and then I paper pieced the last name too to add in a little more of the grey crosshatch to the quilt top.

My overall goal was to make the quilt top using a mosaic layout. I basically split the quilt top into 4 sections and just worked on one section at a time. When each section was done I pieced the four sections together to get my 80 x 80 quilt top. I found out my math skills are not as good as they use to be. I really need one of those handy fabric calculators I've seen at Jo-Ann.

The next challenge was quilting it. I struggled with what color of thread to use since there were so many bold colors in this quilt. In the end I decided on an invisible thread for the top and a light grey for the bobbin thread. It was a little tricky to stipple and I had to really mess with the thread tension to get it to look right. Another problem I ran into with the invisible thread was that it was so difficult to see where I had already quilted. Much tougher than I thought it would be. But I loved the outcome of the stippling. You can't see the thread the quilt just looks textured.

After it's all said and done I really like the quilt. Some of the spacing could have been better but not too bad for my 1st time out.
If you have ever made a jersey quilt what are your pointers? I would love to hear what you learned.
I hope to get to do a few more...and just FYI I'm always excepting custom work and can be contacted via email: halfstitched@gmail.com

Nobody Likes Shrinkage

2013-09-11T15:59:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been making a lot of bags which require precise cutting for numerous pieces. I'm very careful when cutting fabric and try to make the most of my yardage by snugly placing pattern pieces right next to each other. While this seems effective I can't tell you how many times I've ended up having to recut pieces after I have ironed on the interfacing.

I love Pellon SF101 and use it on almost everything and when I buy it I buy by the bolt. But there is a small problem with it... it shrinks and your fabric shrinks with it. So many times I have told myself to iron on the interfacing before I cut out the pattern piece. I tell myself lots of things and then usually forget it two seconds later.

Today hopefully this little lesson will stick. As I was making multiple iPad cases assembly line style, I came across the problem again with certain pieces not matching up like they should. I had to recut a few pieces and finally decided it was time to iron on the interfacing first.

You can see in this picture how much the fabric had shriveled up. It was almost a 1/2 inch difference.

I think in the end I will save more fabric by cutting out squares of fabric and affixing the interfacing first. Beats having to stop everything and re-cut the piece. And if I may say so myself, my iPad cases are "sick" and I can't wait till they are all done and I can show them off. It's really cool when you have a vision and are able to break down the necessary steps and seams to pull it off.

On another note I've got some cool new fabric bundles in the shop just click here for all my Christmas related items.

Happy Sewing!

Blue Rapsberry and Lime Quilt

2013-07-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

Recently I put together a few bundles in the shop that I thought would make great stash builder bundles. I thought this bundle would make a great summer bundle because of its cool colors.

I really wanted to make a quilt using the fabrics to show how they would look together. If you are anything like me it's hard to envision how fabric will look together and that is why I love buying fabric bundles that have already been put together for me.

It was fun putting this little gem together. I used a pattern that I had bought well over a year ago and never used. The pattern is by FortheLoveDesigns on Etsy. It is the Nina Quilt and can be found here. It is a super easy quilt to make.

The pattern calls for 10 Fat Quarters and my bundle only had 8 so I needed to add 2 from my personal stash. I found two prints that matched perfectly. There is almost no waste. Half yards would also work great with how the pieces are cut out. Again you would have very little waste.

I also had on hand Riley Blake Designs tone on tone Medium Dot in Aqua fabric that I used for the back.

The binding is Grey Crosshatch Architextures. Love that fabric! And I have more being shipped to me as I type this. Yeah!!! I also carry it in Peach and Black. I truly hope Carolyn Friedlander makes a crosshatch print with every collection she does from now on.

Although I love how this turned out, as with most things, I can think of something I would have done differently. For this I would have tried to cut the directional prints with the print running from top to bottom instead of side to side. Minor I know...

I also listed the pretty little quilt (46" x 60") in my Esty Shop. It would make a great baby gift! I don't know any babies right now so in the shop it goes.

I think I will do the same quilt in this fabric bundle next...

Squared Elements by Art Gallery Fabrics

2013-06-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited about this new basic from Art Gallery Fabrics

Squared Elements

The fabric will arrive early next week and I will begin shipping it out on Wednesday.

I currently have a coupon code running thru Sunday 6/23/13 if you would like to preorder

Coupon Code SUMMERFUN 20% off for orders $35 and up.

Click here to head to the shop

I am getting these eight basic colors to carry in the shop.

Watermelon

Rosewater

Honeycomb

Lemongrass

Seafoam

Turquoise

Shadow

Noir

I think these fabrics will make a great stable fabric that is a must in any fabric stash.

I know I already have plans to use it in a Super Tote

I can see it used for the lining and sides.

I also want to make pinwheel blocks with it.

This fabric is going to be so much fun!!!

Kids Apron Tutorial

2013-06-21T16:47:00.000-05:00

My niece's birthday is coming up soon and I needed to figure out what to make her for a present. I have really been trying to hard to go on a fabric diet and only use the fabric I have on hand. I've been very happy/surprised how well the last couple of projects have turned out by using only what I have in my fabric stash. I remembered that a few years ago I bought a stupid amount of this stretch denim. So the challenge was on...What could I make a 3 year old out of denim that wasn't clothes? The next best thing...an apron! I took pictures as I went hoping it would turn out well enough to make a tutorial.

And it did!

So here is the tutorial

1. Pick out your fabric: I used stretch denim and two prints from Color Me Retro by Jeni Baker
The main fabric piece should be at least 18" x 19" (a fat quarter would be perfect)
Accent fabric 5.5" x 42" for making double fold bias tape. If you prefer use pre-made bias tape!
Fabric for embellishments or whatever else you want to use to spiff this apron up.
*Dimensions were used to fit a 3 year old. You may need to adjust the length of your fabric if you are making for an older child.

2. Cut the fabric to 17" x 18.5" and the fold in half long ways, right sides together.

3. On the short side make a mark 3.5 inches in from the folded edge

4. On the long side make a mark 8 inches down from the edge that you made the first mark on.

5. Using a flex ruler if you've got one (or just eyeball it if you have to) draw a curve that connects the two points you marked. Make sure the curve intersects the end of the fabric at a right angle at both marks.

6. I know it's hard to see in this picture but you should have something like this.

7. Use your rotary cutter to cut out the curve.

8. When you open up the fabric this is what you should have.

9. Use your favorite method for making double fold bias tape. I cut 3 stripes of fabric 13/4" wide by the width of fabric. Sew the ends together to make one long strip and then put it through my bias tape maker tool. Then I folded the fabric in half lengthwise and ironed well. I then cut my strips to length as needed in the following steps.

10. Measure the sides of the apron from underneath the armholes to bottom of the apron. Cut a length of bias tape to fit that side. Topstitch the bias tape close to the open edge making sure to encase the raw edge of the apron. Repeat for the other side. Do the same for the very top (neck) part of the apron. If desired topstitch along the folded edge of the bias tape for a finished look.

11. Measure the bottom edge of the apron. Add 1" to that length.
My measurements were 17" + 1" = 18"
Open up bias tape to fold the raw edge in 1/2". Press and then refold tape back in half. Press again. Do the same for the other end of the bias tape.

12. Now when you attach the bias tape to the bottom of the apron you are also covering the raw edges of bias tape you just sewed onto the side.

13. To make the apron neck and ties you will need one length of bias tape 61 inches long. Do the same thing to each end as you did in Step 11. Fold in the raw edges and press. Measure from each end 10.5" and mark. This is where you will attach the bias tape to the apron.

14. Starting at the point you just marked, begin pinning to the armhole of the apron. Once you make it all the way up to the top of the apron, start again on the other side. You should have a loop left up at the top big enough to get the kid's head through.

*Make sure you don't get the bias tape twisted up at the top.

You should have something that looks like this.

15. Start at one end of the tie and topstitch close to the open edge all the way up the apron, around the neck, and down the other side. Making sure to enclose the raw edges of the armholes. Also topstitch the other side of the ties if desired for a finished look.

16. All sides should be covered with bias tape now and you should have a functioning apron. The nest step is to embellish the apron if you so choose. The possibilities are endless!

I chose to do an applique flower. I didn't use any kind of template. I just simply drew out one petal on a piece of paper and then cut it out to use as a pattern to cut out the fabric. I placed the petals on the apron and use a bit of glue to hold them in place while I edge stitched around each petal. I found a round item to draw around for the middle circle (I found a roll of washi tape that was the perfect size). I cut the circle out and edge stitched around it. That's it!

I hope this all makes sense. But if not, don't hesitate to ask a question. I would also love to see any finished projects. Feel free to post a photo to my facebook page of what you created.

And one last thing... Over at my Esty shop I'm having a sale on everything in the shop. Just use Coupon Code SUMMERFUN2013 for 20% off $35 or more good thru Sunday 6/23/13.

Medallion Quilt Top Done!

2013-05-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

With classes all done I finally was able to get working on the Marcelle Medallion Quilt again.

For those of you who don't know about this awesome quilt it is from Liberty Love

A book by Alexia Marcelle Abegg.

It's a great book with 25 must do sewing projects including quilts, clothing, and bags.

There are even a few projects for the hubby and Fido too!

At first I thought I would do each boarder in a different fabric collection/color.
But, I just fell in love with the way Shelburne Falls, Pearl Bracelet, and Architextures
worked together.
So why quit a good thing?
I just kept going with it and used up all my stash of that great
crosshatch from architextures :(

I thought that the cross block border would be my least favorite out of the whole quilt.

Turns out it was my favorite!

Of coarse as soon as I laid it out Sophie had to come test it out.

As I was attaching the last boarder it dawned on me that now I have to figure out how to quilt it.

oh no! What to do?

Overall I really loved piecing this quilt. I was shocked how forgiving the piecing was. There is more than one seam that didn't quit match up and even a pearl bracelet piece or two that is even sewn in wrong side up. shhhh...don't tell anybody.

While I'm trying to figure out how I want to quilt this thing I'm preparing for the local monthly craft show in town. I'm trying to figure out what I would like to make for it. I have a few quilts that I will sell but I need more than just a few quilts.

I made a few bags like these...

Have you ever sold at an art market?

What types of items sold the best for you? Or what have you bought that was a must have ?

I would really appreciate any input!!!

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Winner

2013-05-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

The Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway was so much fun.

I couldn't believe I got almost 800 entries.

That's a new record for me.

The winner of the Chevron Fat Quarters is...

Hannah who said

Thank You so much to everyone that entered! It was great reading everyone's comments. While I was trying to rely back to each comment it became clear to me really quickly that was not going to be possible. I hope every one had a great time with the giveaway and I look forward to doing more in the future.

If you haven't done so already please check out my Etsy Shop here! I am offering a 10% discount for those who entered they giveaway. Just enter coupon code GIVEAWAYDAY during checkout to receive the discount. The coupon code expires Wednesday May 15th , 2013. So hurry!

It's GiveAway Day! with Sew, Mama, Sew!

2013-05-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

This GiveAway is NOW CLOSED
Click Here to see the winner.

It's Sew, Mama, Sew! GiveAway Day!!

I would like to share a little about myself for those that are new to my blog.

I'm a graduate student by day and a Etsy shop owner by night.

I sew whenever I get a chance.

I mostly have been making quilts lately but started off sewing clothes for my nieces.

I just recently started learning QAYG or quilt as you go.

Here is my latest QAYG endeavor.

I also have been playing around with paper piecing.

A couple of weeks ago I made this beauty.

I can't wait till all my classes are done so I can get back down to business on my Marcelle Medallion Quilt. I've made it to the 3rd border so far. (but I don't have it shown in this picture)

But I know your thinking where is the giveaway already...

I'm loving the new Chevron colors by Riley Blake and since I sell fabric on Etsy, of coarse that's what I'm giving away.

The Giveaway is half yard cuts (2.5 yards total) of each new chevron color by Riley Blake.
International entries welcome!
Just leave a comment to enter.
I would love to hear about what types of fabric you are buying right now.
(bright, geometric, blenders, a specific collection, or brand just for some examples)

Also, if you are one of my facebook fans I would love to give you an extra entry so just leave an additional comment saying your a fan.
If you not a facebook follower you can follow here!

Giveaway ends at 5:00 PM PST on May 10th
Winner will be announced on May 11th
Good Luck!

Paper Piecing My Way to A Brighter Day

2013-04-20T14:30:00.001-05:00

Wow, what a week. I don't know about you but I have been on CNN overload watching all that has been happening across the US. I needed to take a step back away from the tv and try to concentrate on something more positive and bright.

I searched the internet for some inspiration and I found this cute little butterfly paper piecing pattern on Craftsy. Its been awhile since I have done any paper piecing and I had to break out a book to help me remember how.

Even with the book, i still messed up and sewed the fabric to the wrong side...I've never been good a reading directions. Thank God for seam rippers right? I finally got into the groove and picked out some bright and pretty tonal fabrics form Art Gallery and Robert Kaufman.

At first I thought this would be a nice sort of mindless sewing project that I could do while still keeping one eye on the news. But after ripping out more than one seam and a few missed pieces altogether, I really needed to focus.

Believe it or not the toughest part to this pattern was piecing the butterfly body piece. Of coarse it was getting late by that point and everything was getting a little harder to do.

This is by bright little butterfly. Now I need to decide what I'm going to do with her.

I think I will put her on some Essex Denim. What do you think...pillow?...bag?...

I Need Your Vote!!

2013-04-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

Recently i entered the AccuQuilt Barn Quilt Design Contest.

Wednesday i got an email saying one of my blocks

was chosen to be apart of the top 100.

I'm so excited!

Now voting is open to the public

and i would be honored if you would vote for my block.

Block #41

This is my block #41 in the voting.

The winner will have their block displayed at AccuQuilt's headquarters

as well as a trip to attend the unveiling.

I would love to win!!

To vote just click here
Hurry voting ends April 17th!!

Free Motion Quilting... Yikes!

2013-04-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

I practiced and practiced

and then i stepped off into the deep end.

I questioned myself and reconsidered several times.

Even as i started i told myself...

you can always pull the thread out.

I kept going

I'm still not sure if i like it

but i think i'll keep going.

I'm also doing a GIVEAWAY this week to celebrate my 500th sale on Etsy.

Check out my blog post here to enter to win a fat quarter bundle of
Color Me Retro by Jeni Baker!

Celebrating A Milestone With A Giveaway

2013-04-09T23:10:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend I reached my 500th in my Etsy Shop !

I'm really excited about the direction my shop is going

and hope to continue to grow.

To celebrate this small milestone i wanted to have a giveaway.

Color Me Retro by Jeni Baker

This is such a bright fun fabric line

i thought it would be perfect for this cheery time

The winner will get a fat quarter bundle of each print in the collection!

The Giveaway is open to everyone!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Craftsy Sale and Some New Additions

2013-04-05T09:25:00.000-05:00

I got an email that Craftsy is having a huge sale!

Starting April 5th through April 8th,
a different set of Craftsy classes will be on sale each day,

up to 75% off their normal price.

Don't see the class you want on sale?

Check back tomorrow - a fresh pick of courses will be on sale!

I've been taking a free-motion class taught by Angela Walters.
I have both her books and while they are excellent,
you just don't get as much from them.
If you're a visual learner like me,
than this platform is for you!

I also just got in some new fabrics!
Color Me Retro by Jeni Baker for Art Gallery Fabrics!!

I just love all the happy colors in this collection.
And as always Art Gallery's fabrics are so soft.
Besides making their way into a quilt or two
i defiantly see a cute top being made from these great fabrics soon!

My Little Triangle Quilt

2013-04-02T11:01:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to do a triangle quilt for some time.

I even bought a ruler for triangles last fall but had never figure out how to use it.

Then i came across a quilt on Pinterest and knew i had to try it.

Wouldn't you know the quilt was made by Lee from Freshly Pieced!

The quilt that became my inspiration can be found here.

My little triangle quilt has been hanging on my design board for a couple of months now.

This weekend i decided to take a break from my Marcelle Medallion Quilt and finish piecing this one.

I really only had a few seams left to sew.

I changed it just a tad...

I added one larger triangle.

Which was interesting, me trying to figure out how big it needed to be.

I've never been a super star in math.

Thankfully, for some quilt math there is an App for that.

Did you know that Robert Kaufman has an app?

I loved this print from Luxe in Bloom by Sarah Watson so much and wanted to use it

but by cutting it up so small you would completely lose the print.

I don't have the fabric for the backing yet but i ordered this print


Extravagarden Hush

I can't wait till it gets here and i can finish this puppy up.

I'm still trying to decide how to quilt it.

A part of me wants to free motion quilt it.

I've been practicing.

but i'm scared!

2013-03-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a flash sale today over on my facebook page. I really want to buy some exciting new fabrics for my etsy shop soon and need a little capitol. So I'm selling off some charm packs, fat quarters, and yardage that have been sitting on my shelves for a little bit. Fabric collections include Shelburne Falls, Avignon, Flutter, Riley Blake Dots, Miscellany, and High Society just to name a few.

Don't miss out!

Marcelle Medallion Quilt Border 3... I need Your Opinion!

2013-03-28T12:26:00.003-05:00

My Marcelle Medallion quilt is coming right along. I easily added the first border without much contemplation on fabric choice.

I took this picture with my phone so it's a little blurry.

I struggled a little bit with what fabrics to use for the triangle border though. I needed to decide if i wanted a total scrappy look and dive into my fabric scraps or more of a unified look.

Since i just loved the color scheme so far, i went with the unified look. Sadly :( i don't have many low volume (light colored) fabrics so i went with the lighter colors of Pearl Bracelet fabric line and hoped they wouldn't turn out too bright. Shelburne Falls turned out to have the perfect colors for what i had so far.

I stayed up too late to finish piecing. And even though it was late (i started late to begin with) it went really fast.

And i LOVE how it turned out!

Now on to the next border and this is where i need some help. I'm auditioning borders. The further you get along on this quilt the more fabric is required. Most of my stash is fat quarters and i need at least a 24" length. I had to find some longer pieces. Here is what i came up with...


1.

I have two that i'm leaning towards but would love some opinions on this!

PLEASE comment on which you would pick if it were yours.

What I learned... Sewing Y-seams

2013-03-24T15:40:00.002-05:00

First of all, thanks to everyone who left nice words of encouragement on my last post about sewing Y-seams. After the number of times i took out seams, my fabric was pretty much in tatters. I decided i needed to start over from the beginning so before I started cutting out new pieces i scoured the web for any advice i could find.

So here is what I learned...

1. Starch your fabric beforehand. Spray your fabric wet with starch and let it air dry. Once dry give it a simple press with a hot iron.

2. Mark your quarter inch seam allowance with a fabric pen. Also, mark with a dot the intersection of the Y-seam. (This is is the instructions for the quilt but it really helps if you actually do it!)

3. Finger press (or iron) your seams open after each piece is attached. This is where i was really messing up last time. My seams wouldn't lay flat because they were attached where they shouldn't be. See where the red arrow is pointing? You need to fold the fabric seam allowance back out of the way before sewing on the next piece!

4. Sew down the side and stop at the dot or rather 1 stitch past the dot. I didn't backstitch here. I cut the threads longish and then looked to see if i hit the seam. If i went one stitch too far i just pulled that stitch out. It's easier to pull 1 stitch rather than adding 1 stitch.

5. Instead of keeping the needle down to attach the next side, i cut the threads, checked my seams and smoothed them open. Then I repositioned the pieces to sew my last seam. Everything should lay nice and flat. If the intersection of the Y-seam seems a little loose I just gave my threads that I left long a little tug and all the seams should snug up together.

See how great this looks so far!

Just by taking my time and some deep breaths

i was able to get it all pieced together without any cussing.

I can't tell you how much it helped to have the fabric starched this time around.

In fact, i may start starching all of my fabric before ever cutting it.

How Not to Sew a Y-Seam

2013-03-20T10:39:00.001-05:00

I finally decided to join the Marcelle Medallion Quilt bandwagon.

I got Alexia Marcelle Abegg's book Liberty Love at Quiltcon
and was lucky enough to get tho meet her and have you sign the book as well.

After seeing a ton of variations of this quilt in the blog-o-sphere
I decided it would be my first project to do from the book.

I started by pulling the fabrics i wanted to use just for the center block...

I'll figure out the rest as i go along.

All was going well...

until i got to the first Y-Seam.

I've never done one before.

Can you tell?

I don't think this is the way it's suppose to look.

and to make matters worse it turns out i pieced some of it wrong too...

Those edges are suppose to be square. Oops!

After several seam ripping sessions and resewing to still get a bad result

i have put it aside for now.

I think i need to practice on some easier block with Y-seams first.

Have you tried this block? Any tips for a Y-Seam newbie?

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Happy Worldwide Quilting Day!

2013-03-16T14:25:00.001-05:00

In honor of Worldwide Quilting Day

i thought i'd share photos of some of the quilts i've made.

My 1st Finished Quilt (the 1st, 1st quilt is still a UFO)

Coin Quilt, Domestic Diva Fabric

For my Sweet Niece

Made for my Favorite Sister

Tic Tac Toe - For Sale Here

Razzel Dazzel Quilt - For Sale Here

I never got a pic of this one finished - Sold

Salt Air Quilt - Sold

Sold

Christmas Gift - Nursery Versery & Stash fabrics

Gift for my brother and sister-in-law

Gift! Can you tell it's loved?

Gift - Seville Quilt Pattern, Joel Dewberry Fabric

Those are most of the quilts I've made but not all. Some are on sale in my Etsy Shop.

Not bad for only quilting for only about a year and a half, huh?

Happy Quilting Day!

Little Red

2013-03-14T20:47:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I started making this cute little doll "Little Red" a pattern by Larissa Holland.

This of course is my version,
"Little Bell Blue"

I picked Shelburne Falls fabric by Denyse Schmidt.

I think the retro feel of the fabric is perfect for a handmade doll.

I also used some scraps of Essex in flax.

The yarn dyed weave gives the face and arms great texture.

On my next one, and yes I will make more,

i think I need to work on her facial expression.

She seems well...

a little blue

or scared?

But she was tons of fun to make and the pattern was written well.

You can find the pattern here on Craftsy.

I do have a suggestion that will make things a little faster.

In the instructions it tells you to mark stitching lines on the fabric with a fabric pen.

I skipped this step.

Instead i used a fabric glue stick to hold the pattern on the fabric.

Then i just stitched over the lines...

much like you would when paper piecing.

And then just ripped the paper off when i was finished.

No marking!

I can't wait to make more.

The fabric combinations are endless...

Shelburne Falls by Denyse Schmidt

2013-03-08T18:48:00.000-06:00

I was so amped when i found out that Denyse Schmidt was going to be the keynote speaker at QuiltCon. I was lucky enough to get to attend in person. Learning about how she got started in the quilting industry and her art background was really interesting. If you would like to see her presentation you can watch it for free on Craftsy. One of the things she talked about was how she named her fabric collections after towns in the area that she grew up. Her latest is Shelburne Falls.

Pussy Willow Colorway

Lilac Colorway

Maple Colorway

I love the bold colors, geometric prints, and of coarse the plaids!!! I have a few fabric bundles of this collection listed in my Etsy shop. Scoop up a bundle or two before they're gone.