Project Linus

I am currently relocating and was thinking of starting a new chapter of Project Linus in my area.  This is a very admirable charity that benefits many local area hospitals and other organizations for children and community support groups.  I have had the pleasure of being a member of this organization for many years and encourage you all to join the Project Linus chapter in your area.

Below is a link to FREE quilt, crochet and knitting patterns obtained and posted by Project Linus.  You can also navigate their website and find your local chapter! 

PROJECT LINUS

HAPPY SEWING!!!

SEWING/QUILTING INSPIRATION

“America is not like a blanket-one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt-many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.”

Jesse Jackson

I think this is a perfect quote.  I love that it references quilts and specifically patch work quilts.  I hope you think about our great country's cultural diversity every time you see a patchwork quilt.

HAPPY SEWING!!!

Ruffled Infinity Scarves!!!

I have a FB friend who makes infinity scarves but she does not sew them, so it inspired me to figure out how to make a ruffled infinity scarf.  I found a blog that has instructions on how to make them, but I modified the process and instructions to make it simpler and easier to understand and follow.  The ulitimate goal is to get you to sewing!!  RIGHT?!!

SEW here we go!

SUPPLIES

• Knit or Jersey knit fabric - needs to be at least 60 inches wide (you will need about 1/2 a yard unless you want a REALLY long scarf, then you can get more).
• Coordinating thread
• Scissors or a rotary cutter, cutting mat and a ruler (I recommend the rotary cutter and mat).
• Sewing machine!!

STEP 1:
Now the the first thing you will do is smooth out the fabric and cut two strips across the width of the fabric (not the length unless you are making an extra long scarft).  I cut my strips 7 inches wide, but I have seen some that are wider (up to 11").  You will have to adjust how much knit fabric you purchase to accomodate the width of your strips if you want them wider.

STEP 2:
Fabric is typically folded with the right side out when it's on the bolt, so you will need to unfold your strip and then refold it with right sides together.  Trim off the short ends of the fabric to remove the portion of the fabric that is unusable (usually has holes in it. 

STEP 3:
Pin the short ends together and sew using a 1/2" seam allowance.  You will do this to both strips making them into circles.  Then turn them right side out.

STEP 4:
Matching the seams, put one strip inside of the other strip and pin down one side.  You will start sewing at the seam and work your way around the circle until you get back to where you started.  You will use approximately 1/4" seam allowance when sewing.  Set your machine to a large zig zag stitch. 

Now when sewing the knit you will have to stretch it while you are sewing in order to get the fabric to ruffle.  This is not how you typically sew knit fabric, but it is necessary for this project in order to get the ruffled look we are going for.

Once you have completed on side, clip your strings and then pin and sew the other side.  Clip your strings and your are finished!

This is a finished scarf that has been folded.  If you would like to see another picture of the completed project, you can view it in my store on etsy.com.

This is a very easy and quick project to do!!!  I hope I have inspired you to make an infinity scarf.

HAPPY SEWING!!!!

SEW WITH STEPH - on Etsy and Facebook

I now have an Etsy store where I sell my quilts and other items that I make. 
You can check it out at: SewWithSteph

I also have a Facebook page now!!!  LIKE my page: Sew With Steph

How To Make Floral Bows For Your Headbands

This is a very simple project that you will enjoy doing with your kids.  I bought a container of pre-cut flowers at Hobby Lobby and decided to use them to make floral bows for headbands.  You can get as creative as you want with this project.  I encourage you to buy some ribbons, tool, jeweled brads, feathers, or just whatever you can think of. 

For this project you will need to following:
Container of flowers
Brads
Felt
A hot glue gun
And a headband

First, go though the flowers and pick out the ones you want to use.  I used oranges, browns, white and a small amount of black.  Stack them up in the order you want them and then poke a brad through the middle of them.  If it looks the way you want, then fold down the brad on the back of the flowers.

 

After you have them all stacked up and have the brad in place, you will need to cut a small piece of felt to cover the brad tabs on the back of the flower.  You will put one dot of hot glue on one side of the brad then the other and lay the felt piece on top and press down to get it to secure properly to the back of the bottom flower.  Then attach the alligator clip and attach to your headband.

This is the finished floral bow.  Sometimes I add more embellishments such as ribbons, tool, feathers, buttons, or just whatever I find that I think might look super cute! 

Now you know how I make my floral bows!  I hope I have inspired you to start your own project at home, and don't forget to include the kiddos!!

Happy Sewing!!!

Bows, Bows, And More Bows!!!

Here are some headband/bows I have put together.  They are for sale on Etsy and eBay if you are interested.  I will post how to make them soon!

The headbands are crochet/stretch bands.  Fits babies up to adults.

These are a ton of fun to make and would be a perfect project to do with your kids!

Happy Sewing!!!

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!!!