Odd Shaped Scraps - What Do I Do With Them?

I was sitting in my sewing room looking at one of my many scrap fabric containers and thinking that I should set one of my new year goals to use up all of that scrap fabric.  I hate to throw away anything that can be repurposed, recycled or reused in another way, so I started to sort out the fabric in order to make a scrap quilt to donate to the local chapter of Project Linus.  They are always so grateful to receive any type of quilt whether it is a specific pattern or just something scrappy!  I think that is why I enjoy working with them so much.
After digging through the fabic scraps I placed the largest scrap on the floor and laid other scraps out around it until I thought it looked good and then I sewed them together.

I continued to add scraps around the edges until I came up with the size quilt I wanted, sewing the scraps into strips and then sewing the strips around the previous pieces.  Finally I added two wider strips of fabric around all the smaller pieces to frame out the quilt top and to get the size that I thought would work the best for a small child.  I don't always agree that the "standard sizes" you find in magazines and books is the right size.  I try to make the quilt and then lay it the size bed I am making it for to ensure it is the correct size.  This time, I didn't have a child/toddler or baby bed, so I eyed it.

This is the finished quilt top.  This project helped to clear out space in my fabric cabinet for new fabrics.  It is a lot of fun to use up the old and make way for the new! And it is a lot of fun making blankets for those in need.  I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did and are ready to attempt your own scrappy quilt top!

Happy Sewing!!!

Curtain Panels - Dummy Panels

This is a simple project that I know you will enjoy.  It is amazing how adding curtains or dummy panels can change the look of a room.  In this project I made dummy panels to add a frame around my living room windows.  They are odd shaped and there is more wall space on one side of the window than the other and they are separated by a fire place.  In order to make that end of the room look balanced I made these panels to make the windows look larger than they are and to make them look symmetrical.

The fabric was originally 54" (4 1/2 ft wide) and I had 5 yards (15 ft) of fabric.  I cut the fabric in half making two pieces of fabric to work with.  I then cut the fabric down the length of the fabric making two 2 1/4 ft wide pieces.  At this, if you are using only one fabric, you will start hemming you panels.  I used two different fabrics for my curtains.  One that was floral, which is the primary portion of the panels, and one coordinating striped fabric, which I used for the top of the curtain panels.

I sewed the stripe to the floral by placing right sides together making it into one panel.  Then I pressed the seam down towards the floral pattern.  At this point I pressed a small 1/4" hem down both sides of the panel lengthwise and then folded and pressed a 1" hem.  You can make the hems any size you wan to, I just felt that this would like the way I wanted it to look. 

Sew down the hem using whatever stitch you want to use.  I used a blanket stitch on mine.  Next you will press down your hem on the top of the panel, then fold it over and stitch it \where you want.

After hemming all the edges, I wanted to add a little embellishment to the seam between the two fabrics to give the panel a finished look.  First I pinned the trip on and then I machine stitched it down.  You will want to stitch this very slowly if you are using your machine.

This is what they looked like once they were finished.

As usual, I hope I have inspired you to start your own home project.  Remember, these projects are simple, so get the kids involved!

Happy Sewing!!!

Sewing Scrappy! 12 1/2" blocks

It's a new year and time to get started on my donation quilts as well as quilts for my family members who are trying very hard to wait patiently for me to get them pieced and quilted. Every year I set a goal to make a minimum of 12 quilts for Project Linus which is a local charity that collects blankets for those in need. They donate the finished blankets primarily to the local hospitals, ambulance services and two chapters of the Child Advocacy Center. Most of the blankets donated are made child size and are made from fleece, cotton or are crocheted or knitted.
This is one of the quilt tops that I have been working on.  I try to do fairly simple quilts most of the time so that I can make as many as possible without taking too much time cutting out small pieces.  For this quilt top I cut out 12 1/2" blocks using a plastic form that I picked up at Walmart. First press your fabric and then lay it out on your cutting board.  Place the square form on the fabric and use a rotary cutter to cut the fabric from around the edges of the form.  Repeat this step until you have the number of squares that you need to make the size quilt you want.

Next you will pin the squares together in rows, sew them together, and press the seams all in the same direction.  Then you will sew the rows together.  Once I sewed all the pieces that I had cut out I realized that I didn't like the size of this top, so I added a red strip boarder to make it the size I was looking for.

The next step is to quilt this top.  There are several methods that you can use.  If you don't have a quilting machine, you can do a quilting method call tie quilting where you use yarn and a darning needle to attach the backing, batting and the quilt top togethter.  You can also do what is called "stitch in the ditch", which is a method where you stitch near the seams around each piece.   For this quilt you would have horizontal and vertical lines.  And finally, you can put it on a quilting frame and use a quilting machine to add a more detailed pattern to the quilt.

I hope that this post inspires you to get started on your own quilts.

Happy Sewing!!!

More Upholstering....Vinyl!

This is another quick upholstery project that I did over the weekend.  It was very easy and even the kids can help you with this project.  The first picture is what the seat of the chair looked like originally.  My grandfather made and upholstered this chair back in the 70's, that's right the 70's, and it has started to get stained and worn looking, so I am going take off the red vinyl covering and replace it with some black vinyl that was left over from one of my mother's projects.  Remember...RECYCLE...REUSE...and find a way to use those scraps!

My old chair.

The first thing you will do is turn the chair over and take out the screws that hold the chair cushion to the wooden frame.  There are usually 4 screws.  This one was fun because my grandfather used different types of screws so I had to use two different screwdrivers!  Then peal or pull of the old covering and remove the staples that were holding it down.  You may need a flat head screwdriver and definitely a pair of pliers to do this.

You should have the new material lying on the floor right side down.  Next, lay the wooden seat form and the cushioning on top of the new material.  You should trim the new material so that approximately 2 -3 inches folds easily from the front to the back of the wooden seat form.

 Use a staple gun to secure the material.  Place one staple approximately every inch starting at the middle and working your way to the corners.

Then you will fold the excess material up and tuck in the sides nice and tight.  Use your staple gun to secure the material to the back of the chair form.

Now you are ready to reattach the seat form to the wooden chair frame.

And there you have it!  A newly upholstered chair.  Now all this little chair needs is a little stains to cover up those nicks and scratches and it will be like new!!

Now I know that this isn't a sewing project, but it is a lot of fun.  Remember to get your kids involved!!

HAPPY SEWING!!!

First Project of 2012 - Reupholstering Dinning Room Chairs

Today I decided to use some tapestry/upholstery fabric to recover my dinning room chairs.  They oak chairs with fabric cushions, a pretty typical find in most homes.  I inherrited these chairs from my mother when she updated her dining room set and although they were covered nicely with a trendy colored plaid material, they have gotten stained by my young son and great-nephew.  This is a simple project, so don't be afraid to jump right in and change out the fabric on your own chairs!

Before Picture

The first step is to turn the chair over and take out the screws that hold the chair cushion to the wooden frame.  Then remove the fabric from the chair, or, if it is the original fabric, you can apply the new fabric over the top of the original fabric.  My chair had been reupholstered before, so when I took off the plaid fabric, the original cushion cover was still there.

I added a little extra batting when I applied the new fabric because I wanted to have a little more cushion, as these chairs are older.

To put a new layer of fabric and batting on the cushion, I laid the fabric right side down on the floor and then laid the batting on top of the fabric.  Then you are going to cut the fabric leaving enough fabric on all side so that when you fold it over the edges of the cushion, you have two to three inches of fabric to work with.

Next you are going to use your staple gun to secure the fabric to the back side of the cushion.  You will staple approximately every inch or so on all side starting at the middle and stopping 1 inch from the corner. Then fold the corner pieces towards the back to the cushion, making sure that the folds on each side are even.  It should look almost like hospital corners on your bed when you put on your top sheet.

Once you have finished stapling the fabric to the back of the cushion, you are ready to reattach the cushion to the wood frame.  Make sure your screws go back in and aren't just twisting in the fabric.  You won't be able to see the holes, but they should be easy to find if you line the cushion back up correctly with the back of the chair allowing an equal amount of overhang on all edges.

After Picture

I hope you all enjoy this project, it is quick and easy and definately something you can do over a weekend!

HAPPY SEWING!!!!

WELCOME 2012!!!

My new years resolution would have to be to stay more organized with my blogging.  I find that when I don't have a project going, I don't write anything.  SO, I have lined up a ton of projects and will try to post more frequently.

I am currently working on making Dummy Panels for my living room windows and recovering my dining room chairs.  I will post instructions on how to do both this week.  I have also been working like a mad woman on my charity/donation quilts for Project Linus.  They are all made from scrap fabric or left over fabric from other projects.  I am very excited to share those with you.  Hopefully they will encourage you to start your own scrap quilt or home decor projects!

As always, HAPPY SEWING!!!

November November November...

Well here it is November and I find myself so busy that I haven't had a lot of time to post.  Please accept my apologies if you are feeling neglected.

I am currently working on a larger version of the previous posting on making quilts out of leftover pieces of material.  I am about halfway finished with a queen sized version of that quilt. 

With this quilt I have been taking the smaller leftover pieces and sewing them together and then squaring them before adding additional pieces of material to the quilt block.  I am making them using an 12 1/2 inch square.

Check back soon to see the finished product!

Recycle Reuse - What to do with the left over pieces from a quilt project.

Well I have been cleaning my sewing room and came across several left over pieces to some of the quilts that I have made in the past.  Some of them are finished quilt blocks and some are pieces to unfinished quilt blocks. 

At first I was not sure what to do with these pieces.  They have been cut and partially assembled, but then what?  So I have come up with two projects that you can make using these left over quilting pieces.

This weekend we will be looking at two projects.  I hope that you check back tomorrow for the details to project one!!

Recycle Reuse - Tips On Starting A Scrap Quilt

Ok, so some of you have a lot of scraps and want to use them to make a quilt.  You don't want to throw them away but you aren't sure how to get started. 

Here are a couple of tips to help you get your project underway:

Tip one:  Sort your scrap pieces into piles of similar shapes.  This will help you determine what you actually have to work with.

Tip two:  Now that you know what you have to work with, start laying the pieces out in a design that looks good to you.  It's like putting a puzzel together!  Remember the rules of quilting, use light, medium and dark pieces to give your quilt visual interest.

Now that you have layed some pieces out, you are ready to start sewing them together to make your scrappy quilt top.

Happy Sewing!!!

Recycle Reuse

Everybody is all about recycling now days.   You hear the saying "recycle, refurbish, reuse" almost daily.  Well I have to say that I am on this bandwagon with both feet firmly planted.  I call it "waste not, want not" and this is another idea I have had that goes hand in hand with that.

Over the past several months I have made several quilts using the design "split rail fence" and this has left me with A LOT of scraps.  Well you can ask my husband, I don't throw anything away unless it just can't be used!  I took all those scraps and sewed them together to make a crib size quilt that I will either give to some lucky child or donate to my local chapter of Project Linus. 

This is just the quilt top.  I haven't quilted it yet, but you get the basic idea.  DON'T THROW THOSE SCRAPS AWAY!!  These quilts are great to keep around for snuggling on the couch and since they are multicolored, they match everything!  And if you don't want to keep the quilt, find out if there is a local Project Linus in your area and ask where you can drop it off.

I hope this inspires you to get out those scraps and get sewing.  Please let me know if you have any questions or ideas for future projects.

Happy Sewing!!!

Crazy Quilt Top

In one of my earlier posts I showed you a couple of different methods of making crazy quilts.  One of the methods was to make quilt blocks and then sew them together.  Also, I have shown you how to make Split Rail Fence quilt tops out of scraps.  I really like the idea of going green with my quilts.  You know the old saying "Waste Not Want Not".  Well I think we are taking that to the next level by recycling materials and making sure that those scrap pieces don't end up in the trash can.

Here are a couple of pictures of what you can do with those scraps and old jeans.  I hope that they inspire you to try one of these projects for yourself or for a gift.

This is a crib sized quilt top made from denim and cotton scrap fabric.

This is a twin size crazy quilt that was made from recycled denim jeans and scrap fabrics (mostly batiks).  This quilt was sold on Etsy.com

HAPPY SEWING!!!!

Quilt Binding

In my previous posts we have talked about how to make various types of quilts and I have mentioned binding (or edging) your quilt.  This is the last step that you take before your quilt is ready to use.

Below are the directions to make the easiest style of binding for your quilt.

Step 1 - You will need to use your rotary cutter and a ruler to cut several 2 1/2" wide strips of fabric for your binding.  (***NOTE*** If your fabric is the same length as your quilt, you can skip down to the second half of step 4).

Step 2 - Next you will need to take two of your strips and place them right sides together as shown below.  Pin in place.

Step 3 - You will now sew the two pieces together in a diagonal line from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.  Then you will trim the excess fabric off making a 1/4" allowance.










Step 4 - Press open and then fold fabic in half (wrong sides together).











Step 5 - Next you will take your binding and pin it to the quilt.  For this quilt I pinned the binding to the back of the quilt first with the raw edges matching the edge of the quilt.  Once pinned, you will sew the binding to the quilt using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Yo will do this step on two sides of the quilt (opposite sides) and trip the binding even with the quilt edge.  Then you will press the binding open from the right side and fold it over to the front of the quilt.  Next you will use the blanket stitch on your machine and sew it in place.

Step 6 - For the last two sides you will start at step 5 but you will leave a tab of fabric at each end (overhang about 1 inch), Once you have attached these two pieces you will press the seam open from the right side of the quilt and then you will fold the fabric over to the quilt top and pin it in place.

First fold the end of the binding over.

Then fold the binding down and pin it in place.

Step 7 - The last step is sewing the binding down.  You can do this either by hand using a blanket stitch (I don't use this method because it takes too long) or you can use the blanket stitch setting on your sewing machine.

Now you are finished!  I hope that you found this tutorial helpful.  Please feel free to post any questions you may have and I will be happy to answer them.

Happy Sewing!!!

Tie Quilting

Over the summer I have made several quilts and tie quilted them.  I have been asked "what is tie quilting", so I decided to post an explanation and an example of how to tie quilt. 

Tie quilting has been practiced for a long time.  Prior to quilting using a quilt frame and sewing the layers together with a needle and thread making fancy patterns, people used to use yard to hold the three layers of a quilt together.  This method was quit a bit faster than the other method and you will find quilts all over the world that have been "quilted" in this manner.

Below are the instructions on how to "Tie Quilt":

Step 1 - You will lay all three layers of your quilt together: Backing (right side) facing down, then place your batting on top of the the backing piece.  (*** NOTE *** The back ing and batting should be approximately 2 inches bigger than your quilt top on ALL SIDES - so that means it will be 4 inches wider and 4 inches longer and you place the quilt top right in the middle allowing 2 inches on each side. ) Then you will place your quilt top (right side) facing up and pin the three layers together with large safety pins.

Step 2 -  Next I start at one end of the quilt and roll it up like you would an area rug.  This enables you to put the quilt on the kitchen table or whatever table you have available to work on.

Step 3 - Once you have your quilt rolled and on the table, you will need to use a measuring tool to determine where you want your first tie to start and use a chalk pencil to mark your starting point.





Step 4 - You will need a darning needle and some yarn.  Use whatever color yard you feel is appropriate for your quilt.  For this quilt I used dark navy blue yard because the quilt is made out of denim and jewel toned fabrics.  You will hold the fabric in one hand and insert the needle as shown below through all three layers.

Step 5 - Once you have pulled the yarn through all three layers, you will tie the yarn into a knot and cut the yarn to the length you desire.



Step 6 - Now you will make a row of these all the way across the bottom of your quilt.  After you get to the end, you will use your measuring tool to mark the next row to be Tie Quilted.



Step 7 - As you complete a row start rolling the blanket over the completed rolls.  You will see how this will make doing the tie quilting easier.

Step 8 -  Continue all steps noted above until you get to the far edge of the quilt.  I usually turn my quilt around and work the last few rows like I did when I started ther first few rows. 

Once you get all of your rows tied, you will trim the excess backing and batting material making all three edges even.  Then you will add your binding edge fabric to finish the quilt.

Happy Sewing!!!!



ITEMS FOR SALE!!

I have a few items listed on ebay that are for sale.  Follow the link below and check them out!!  Some are projects, some items are fabric pieces, some are finished projects.

EBAY - STEPHS_GOOD_STUFF

Tip of the Day...

This is the most important tip you will ever get when sewing your quilt...keep your fingers away from all moving parts!!!  I don't know what I was doing but the bottom of my thumb is now a dark reddish purple!!!  Luckily it does not hurt today, but it was a good reminder to keep my hands back away from the machine!!!

Piecing the Quilt

Yesterday I was finishing a quilt top when I realized that I take a lot of shortcuts when I am piecing my quilt.  Most of the time people will use straight pins to keep their pieces together while quilting.  I have done this many times myself only to run over the pin and break the needle on my machine, but lets face it, if you don't leave the pin in it takes longer to sew the two pieces together. 

My suggestions would be not to pin your pieces unless you are sewing together two rows of pieces where it would be important to make sure that the seems line up.  Just lay the pieces on top of each other and sew them together.  This is a huge time saver because you are not worrying about running over the pin and sewing slower and you are not stopping every time you need to take out the pin.

I hope this helps you become a more efficient quilter.

Happy Sewing!!!!

Items for sale - Quilts - Fabric - ETC...

I have several items for sale on eBay that you might be interested in.  My eBay seller name is Stephs_Good_Stuff which you can find using the advanced search option, or follow the link below!!

Fat Quaters
Yardage
Fabric project panels
Fabric yo-yo's
Quilts
Framed art
Etc....

Check it out!

http://shop.ebay.com/stephs_good_stuff/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

Crazy Quilts - Denim

I know that I have told you in the past that I volunteer for a charity called Project Linus.  Since the horrific tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri, I have been working like crazy to make quilts for my charity.  I am now even signed up to do the quilting for the blanket drive on June 25, 2011.  I am very excited to see what all of those wonderful ladies have come up with for this blanket drive!

One of the nice things about belonging to Project Linus is that we get a lot of donations of fabric and other things that help us make these blankets.  We have recently received several boxes of denim jeans and have been at a loss as to what we were going to do with them.  Some of them were stained and we couldn't drop them off at the Goodwill store, so I suggested that we cut out the parts that weren't stained and patch them together into crazy quilts!

The first attempt that I made wasn't as successful as I had hoped it would be.  I used and old twin sized quilt as my guide and started laying the denim pieces on top of the old quilt, but when I started sewing the pieces together, they were all crooked.  So I had to come up with a different plan. . .

How to make a denim crazy quilt without pulling out your hair:
Supplies:
Sewing machine
Thread
Seam ripper
12x12 Quilters square (optional, but highly recommended)
Rotary Cuter and Mat
Old denim jeans
Scrap fabric

The first thing I did was to cut the denim up and lay it out on the table.  I then sewed the pieces together and then used my 12 x 12 quilters square to straighten out the edges.

1. Denim Scraps for Crazy Quilt

2. Denim scraps sewn together.

Use the quilters square to "square" the fabric making a 12x12 inch square.

The next step is pretty simple.  You are going to use scrap fabric to cover up the seams and applique it to the top using either a zig zag stitch, or if you have a machine that does decorative stitches, then use that to edge the fabric.  First you will need to cut the strips down to approximately 1 inch in width.  You can cut them wider or more narrow if you prefer.

As you can see, these are two different quilts.  The one on the left was made using the squaring method and the one on the right was made using the other method that I mentioned above.  Both are great examples of how to lay the fabric on top of the denim and applique it down.

Once you have the desired amount of finished squares for the size of quilt you are making, sew the squares together making sure that the pattern is pleasing to the eye.

Square method.

Layout method mentioned above.  This method is a huge pain in the butt, but it makes a cool looking quilt

You can use either the tie method or the sewing method for quilting.  I used the tie method because denim is very thick, but if you would like to sew it, I recommend "stitch in the ditch" (ie: sew in or near the seams of your squares) and sew very slowly using a needle made for use with denim.

I hope you have enjoyed this project.  I wish you the best of luck on your project.

Happy Sewing!!!

Where to buy fabric yo-yo's

Ok, I have had several people ask me if they can buy yo-yo's instead of making them.  The answer is yes.  I sell them on ebay 50/$5.00 or you can bid on them and pay whatever the winning bid is.  There are also several other people who sell fabric yo-yo's on ebay, so you can check them out as well.

Here is a link to the ones I have listed.  Ebay - Stephs_Good_Stuff.  Good luck with your bidding!

And as always, Happy Sewing!!!

No projects for today...

Well today I had to run a bunch of personal errands and now I am going to work on finishing up some of the many projects that I have laying around.  I think today would be a good day to bake some cookies!!

Here is a recipe that I got from my grandmother.  It is one of the easiest cookie recipes I have come across but you have to follow the directions exactly to the letter!

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:  
1 c sugar
3/4 c oil  
1/4 c molasses
1 egg
2 c flour
2 ts baking soda
1/2 ts ground cloves
1 ts cinnamon
1/2 ts salt

Mix sugar and oil together, then stir in the molasses and the egg.  In separate bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix well.  Add dry mix to wet mix a little at a time.  It will become thick.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  **DO NOT SKIP THE REFRIGERATION STEP.

Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly grease cookie sheet.  Roll dough into 1" balls then roll balls in sugar.  Place on cookie sheet.  Cook 8-10 minutes.  Makes approx 4 dozen cookies.

These cookies remind me of ginger snaps, but without the ginger of course.  If you would like to add a little spice, you could add 1 ts of ground ginger or even 1 ts of white pepper.

I hope you all like this recipe as much as I do!  Happy Baking!!!