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!!!!