"A little Seam Ripper Humor"...20 yrs. later!

 Hey quilter's....it's finally Friday & hope y'all have plans to relax a bit anyway. It's that crazy time of year...end of school activities...awards, etc. I have to share this...this will probably go out to anyone that has taught a child to sew or quilt. Sometimes I tend to forget of how "terrifying" ripping out seams can be for someone that is just learning to sew. I mean...for me...the "seam ripper" is my best friend in my sewing/quilting room. I'd be lost without it! But...in this case...20 yrs ago...I was teaching 4-H sewing and one of my kids which happens to be my best friends daughter had a mishap with a skirt pattern. It involved pockets...need I say more. Yes...not going to say more just in case she's reading this post :-) Well...first of all if I could go back in time I probably should have had a little bit more "compassion" when I brought out the "seam ripper." It's so natural to me...you make a mistake...you rip it out...and continue. I had no idea of how much of an impact that I was going to "scare" her with! Needless to say, twenty yrs. later every time we see each other the "seam ripper" comes into the conversation & not in a good way. She tells me I scared her for life...she'll never sew again...and I seriously believe she's telling me the truth. We are laughing as we're "reminiscing" but I feel horrible to this day. All I can say is "it's a good thing we love each other!" So I did learn from this...when I do help/teach someone...I do have a bit more compassion of explaining  to them before I rip their "hard working project ." Well...here's the humor...after all these years of other fun memories our families have shared together....for some dreadful reason....we always managed to go back to the "seam ripper moment." And yes...to this day...I'm still trying to get her behind a sewing machine again...20 yrs. later it still hasn't happened. But....I'm not giving up...she has 2 beautiful & talented daughter's & I'm hoping that I can at least teach them to sew or maybe when they have kiddos...Hmmm....we'll see...positive thoughts! :-) To this day...for me...when I break out the seam ripper... I still remember that dreadful moment of making a child that you love so much cry. Oh my goodness :-)

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Cats "Scrapin' a-play-que Series" Phase 3...Finishing your Beach Towel Quillow :-)

 Hey quilter's...hope all is going well & hope you've been having fun with this project thus far. In this phase you'll be finishing up your "Beach Towel Quillow." I've had so much fun with this project that I'll be making some more for upcoming birthday gifts. I'll be "walking" you through these final "steps" with pics that I hope will give you the visual of what I'm saying :-) As a designer, my mind to fingers to computer tend to get a bit crazy so I'll make this as easy as possible. I'm going to show how I make the "quillow", but you can always "google" the instructions if mine don't make sense :-) I hope you've enjoyed this project and continue to follow along on blog this summer for some more fun & easy "a-play-que" series. Remember...I'm all about "less-stress-quilting"...so continue to be creative and get ready to have a fun summer 2gether!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you do...

*Layer your batting piece...then back fabric piece up (facing you)...then top fabric facing down.

*Using a ruler trace a 1/2" seam around your block but mark an opening of at least 3" that you will not sew....this will be your opening for turning inside/out.

*Now sew your seam on that line...reinforcing as you start & stop...remember to leave 3" opening :-)

*Then following that seam...sew a 1/4" seam allowance around your block which creates a "double seam for reinforcement"...again don't stitch opening :-)

*Now carefully turn your block inside out...finger press if needed and tuck in your opening seam...finger press & top stitch around your block to secure opening shut & to reinforce your block as well. 

*Press block if needed & this is the time to quilt your block as desired. I quilted around the "mermaids" to make them pop. Get creative & have fun!

*Now you will be placing your block onto your beach towel by positioning on the "right side/bottom" of your towel. Pin into place but leave the bottom side of your block opened...do not sew this area...this is where you will be inserting your towel into. Stitch around reinforcing at your start & start position as you did earlier...I used clips to remind me not to see the opening :-)

*Now get ready to fold...Flip towel to wrong side...fold one side in aligning with block...then the other side...then fold into small sections.

*Now hold the opening with one hand & insert your folded towel into it. Smooth out as needed.

You did it! You made your first "Beach Towel Quillow"...but have you noticed that you also have an extra "secret area" to store your snacks or whatever you take to the beach or pool. How fun is that! If your giving as a gift you could totally personalize this compartment! :-) Stay tuned for more "Scrapin a-play-que" projects this summer!

Cats "Scrapin' a-play-que Series" Beach Towel Quillow Phase 2

 Hey quilter's...hope y'all are ready to "a-play-que." In this phase you'll be accenting your pillow design using the "raw-edge applique" technique. This is the time to get creative...put your personal spin on your block using colorful threads. I love raw-edge applique...it gives me the chance to play with decorative stitches on my sewing machine. You've already done the tedious steps and now it's time to "a-play-que" as I like to say! I fully recommend using the Sulky tear-away stabilizer on the back of your fabric. This will allow a much neater stitch when appliqueing and also helps your fabric move more freely while doing so. I also like to take a sample piece of fabric that I am using and do some test stitches. This will allow you to do any adjusting such as your stitch length or width. Depending on your machine some are automatic but still allow you to adjust if desired. So, play with your machine...do some fun practice stitching and get creative! As you can see in pic below my AURIfil thread compliments the Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabrics perfectly, but you can always do accent threads as well to really make your design pop. Also, I keep a neutral color in my bobbin, so I only have to change my top threads to coordinate with fabric. Last pic is how I monogram my letters...I just rotary cut thin strips from my scraps, design my letter and fuse with heatnbond lite following manufacturer's directions then applique just like you did previously. Sew easy & saves you money!   Remember...there's no "quilt-police" on this blog so have fun...get creative...& lets "a-play-que" 2gether!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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*Next phase will be assembling your square & sewing to beach towel to form into your quillow :-)

Cats "Scrapin a-play-que Series" Beach Towel Quillow- Phase 1

 Hey quilter's...hope y'all are doing great & ready to start your "beach towel quillow." I've been having a blast with mine so far...mostly because I love how my Aurifil thread compliments my scrap fabrics of Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabrics so well. It's wonderful when you don't have to buy anything and you're using up some scraps! This "a-play-que" project is so easy & you'll be learning "raw edge applique" along with my easy technique of monograming your block if desired. Of course, you could buy some iron on letters, but you already have the fabric...heatnbond lite & that's pretty much all you'll need. I'll be listing in order below of how I started the project or "block size." For me, that was probably the most important part cause I wanted the beach towel to fit into the block without struggling. You can "google" a "quillow" to get an idea oh how you fold it all into the pillow forming the "quillow." Someone was pretty clever back in the day! Also, after you decide on your block size and your design then you're going to use the heatnbond lite to fuse on the fabric strips & trace your patterns. This phase has a few steps but it's fun & easy. Sew let's get ready to have fun & "a-play-que" 2gether!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you do...

*Determine the size of your block by either dividing the width of your beach towel into thirds or do a "mock block" like I did above and see if your towel actually folds into it easily. I determined to make mine a bit larger cause I didn't want it to be so tight. Once you have determined your block size then add a 1" to that to allow for your 1/2 seam allowance.

*Rotary cut your Top Fabric, Back Fabric & Batting to that size.

Example...my block will be 13w x 11 tall so I cut 14w x 12 tall

Next Step...

*Rotary cut your accent fabrics into strips of the size of your largest template your using.(see pic)

* Rotary cut your heatnbond lite that same size minus about an 1/8 less...this allows less mess on your iron when fusing to your fabic (and iron) ;-)

*Fuse following manufactures directions the heatnbond lite to the "wrong side" of your accent fabric. 

*On paper side...using a pencil...trace around your template 

* With your scissors...carefully cut around your templates but don't peel back the paper.

Tip...

If you are positioning your templates a certain direction like my "mermaids" you will need to remember to reverse (flip over) your template to achieve the correct direction on your fabric. You can see how I positioned my mermaids going different directions in a circle. This tip allowed me to use one template different ways :-)

Next...

* With your top fabric piece...Layout your pieces within an inch of all sides (sewing allowance) & get creative! Pic above shows of how I used different size cookie cutters to have fun! Remember this is your project so get as creative designing your block as you wish!

*Then peel off the paper backing and re-position back on the fabric.

*Using your "pressing sheet" on top of your fabric carefully fuse pieces together following manufactures direction on heatnbond lite with your iron. This just takes a few seconds so don't hold your fabric long in one spot :-)

*Tip...I have one iron strikly for my applique & craft projects. May sound a bit O.C.D. (only Cat does) but I have ruined expensive fabrics by having glue seepage on my iron (why I always use a pressing sheet) but it still can happen.

Now take a look at your wonderful block you just created & get ready for the next step...

"a-play-que" ....so gather your coordinating threads! Talk soon!

 

Cats "Scrapin' a-play-que' Series"...Brands I love!

 Hey quilter's....hope your weekend is off to a great start. I wanted to take a moment & share some products that use and love. No, I don't get a kick-back for what I share...for me it's all about sharing tips that might make a sewing/quilting project a bit easier. Yes, we all know by now of how I'm addicted to 50# AURifil thread :-) but I also need to share that I would be lost doing my "a-play-que" projects with out HeatnBond LIte. This iron on adhesive is wonderful & easy to use especially if you're new to the a-play-que technique. So lightweight and once you apply to your fabric it leaves such a smooth surface & I even layer on top of designs due to no heavy bulk. Now along to go with your adhesive I fully recommend a good quality "pressing sheet." I've use a reusable non-stick pressing sheet that I've had forever and absolutely love. Helps keep your iron clean while applying adhesive & lays your fabric still while pressing. . I do recommend if you're able to keep one iron strictly for your applique/craft projects. May sound weird but if you ever have an "oopsie" like I've had and you get that adhesive stuck to your great quality fabric, you'll thank me for this :-) My last item that I recommend is a great quality batting for your projects. I use Warm & Natural batting and love how it makes quilting easier with less bulk. You want your designs to look awesome so why not take a few moments & use great quality items. Most can be purchased  at your local grocery store for your convenience. Tip...I do save my batting scraps for my small projects so you have no waist :-) I hope these tips help & remember that I'm all about "less-stress-quilting"

Have fun gathering your items for our "Scrapin' a-play-que Series" & get ready to have some fun 2gether this summer! Have a great weekend!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Cats "Scrapin' a-play-que Series"...Beach Towel Quillow

 Hey quilter's...hope your week is going great and you're ready to have some fun! I'm kick-starting my "Scrapin' a-play-que Series" with a fun & easy project. It's a "throwback" to the old pillow quilt concept that we all did probably as a first-time quilter. I've made many "quillows" and still use several to this day! They are so convenient and make gifts, but I wanted to do something a bit easier & make it a summer fun project as well. This project will feature one of my applique techniques that will be featured later in a quilt. I'll be showing you techniques for fun/easy piecing & less-stress-quilting techniques. School is almost out & what better way to teach a child how to sew and quilt on a small scale. You won't need much for this easy project which helps to keep the cost low especially if you're giving as a gift. I'm using a "Mermaid Vibes" Beach Towel to kick-off the summer fun. So listed below are the items you'll need to get started...so go shopping or use a beach towel you already have...grab coordinating scrap fabric & thread. I love 50# AURifil thread for pretty much all my projects. So many color hues to choose from and on a previous post you can see how wonderful the thread compliments my scrap fabric of Michael Miller Fairy Frost. I'll be using the same fabric and thread for the quillow design which will also give you a sneak peak of the easy techniques used on the next project in this series. So grab your supplies & lets get ready to "a-play-que" 2gether this summer! 

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's what you'll need...

*Beach Towel

* 2 Fat quarters or scraps large enough for the front & back size of your pillow.

* Coordinating thread (AURifil thread...wink,,,wink)

*Batting to accommodate the size of your pillow ( I love Warm & Natural-needled cotton batting)

*Lightweight Stabilizer ( I love Sulky Tear-Away when I applique)

*Heat n Bond Lite & Rotary Cutter

*Cookie Cutters or templates if you do a design like I'll be teaching on the front of your pillow.

* Any embellishments that your heart desires to personalize your quillow. This is when you raid the craft room...with the owners permission of course :-)

Hint...I'll be using a 28 x 60" beach towel and making a 13x11 pillow form but adding a 1'' extra all around for a 1/2" seam allowance. This might give you an idea of how much fabric you need. It all depends on the size of how big you want your pillow to be as you fold the beach towel into it for convenient storage. Plus the open pillow later becomes a great storage pocket for snacks and items you don't want blowing sway on those windy beach days. 

Sew check back soon for my "a-play-que" techniques & instructions!

Cats Scrapin' "a-play-que' series"

 Hey quilter's...hope all is going well. I'm slowly getting things going again but with major limitations. But that's definitely life! My dear dad always said, "don't stress about things you can't change." That is definitely true, but I now say "thank God for pain meds" :-) oops! Anyway, I'll be starting my "a-play-que series" that will consist of easy & fun ways to creative 'small projects" with applique techniques. All projects can be easily enlarged but I do projects on a very small scale these days due to my back limitations. I did need to get a bit more creative but then I decided small projects are great for the kiddos to learn sewing techniques plus rewarding for a fun fast project. My projects will be using scrap fabrics and also featuring the wonderful AURifil thread. I am addicted to the 50#....I can't brag enough on the strength and so many color hues to choose from. I was so pleased on how the thread complimented the scraps of Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabrics (pic below). The quilt design below is actually a baby quilt size that I'll be doing for a fundraiser but you can easily enlarge the design if you wish or use same technique for a table runner...pillow...endless possibilities! Please don't let this design scare you...I'll be teaching my "folding technique" for no square piecing. What! Yes...you'll be amazed. Shhh...but there's no "quilting police" invited in this series! Ha! But you can totally piece each individual square if your heart desires :-) Anyway, I'll be teaching easy techniques and showing advanced tips as well. Remember..."less-stress-quilting." I'll also be starting this series with an easy project using the same fabric scraps and AURifil thread making a "Beach Towel Pillow"...this is a great fun project for a girl or boy and a great gift. That's what I'll be doing...what kiddo wouldn't like a custom beach towel that can also "stash your goodies" in while you're at the beach or pool. 

So grab your "scraps" and AURifil thread and lets "a-play-que" 2gether this summer!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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