Stitchy Quilt Stuff

Scrap Fabric Sorting

2012-02-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is kind of an ongoing process that got a bit away from me...

I really can't be bothered to leave the apartment to go buy baskets to store all of these, so their current home is in the middle of the living room floor.

And, as there is no one to complain about it, there they shall stay for the time being!

But seriously. . . any suggestions? How do you sort / store / use your scraps? Is this a completely futile endeavor?

Happy Stitching,

Kelly

Finish It Friday: Wedding Quilt DONE!

2012-02-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

Check it off the list, ladies and gents - - - Kate's Wedding Quilt is officially DONE! Quilted, bound - even washed for crinkly deliciousness!

I quilted it with a wide meander, and bound it with (shocker) hot pink fabric. I went ahead and washed it because I don't want the recipients to feel like they can't use it. Wash it, dry it - use it!

Happy Stitching!!!!

Kelly

Swoon Quilt: Block #1

2012-02-22T23:35:00.001-05:00

Ok, I caved in and am now officially "swooning" - - - and I LOVE IT!!!!!

If you haven't seen the pattern, the Swoon Quilt was designed by Camille Roskelley (pattern found here). There's even a Swoon-Along hosted on Flickr, so head over there for lots of photos of other folks' beautiful Swoons.

When I saw the Swoon Quilt in person at a Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild Meeting (courtesy of Christy), I fell a lot in love. I just haven't been able to get it off my mind, I've been cyber-stalking other peoples' progress, I find myself thinking about it when I'm driving to work, I wonder why it hasn't called and asked me out to a sensible movie - - - all the signs of a quilt crush (and possibly a disturbed mind).

So, I finally caved and am on my way! You all should be very proud of me - I only bought the background fabric for this bad boy; all the rest came out of my stash. (I don't know why that's such a good thing, but it is, right?. . . . (right?)????)

My swoon-alicious fabrics!

All of the pieces cut for the first block...

And she's finished!

1 block down, 8 to go. I have to say, I was afraid I'd find this block to be SUPER tedious given that each large block has a total of 45 interior-blocks (and even more pieces if you count up all the HSTs and flying geese). But it's been really fun so far, and not tedious at all! The instructions are very clear and, so far, completely accurate.

So, I highly encourage you to start swooning with me, if you haven't started already. But be forewarned: Swooning is quite the time-suck. I've gotten nothing done AT ALL since starting this quilt. (And also, unfortunately, I don't care.)

Have you already started on your own Swoon quilt? I'd love to hear how you're getting along!

Happy Stitching (& Swooning),

Kelly

My First Online Swap!

2012-02-15T21:56:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's taken me so long, but I've finally joined an online block swap through Flickr. It's the NuBees Swap (click the button in the right side bar to see the photo stream). There are a ton of talented people involved, and it's really inspiring to see all the color combinations and amazing blocks that people are coming up with.

This is a month-by-month swap, so you don't have to commit yourself for an entire year, which for those of us who are terrified of committing to as much as a cable contract, it works perfectly! :-) Each participant gets to choose their color palette, but the maker chooses the fabrics and the pattern. At the end of the month, I'll mail each of my teammates a block, and I'll get one from each of them in my colors of choice (gray and white).

I'm making progress on this month's blocks. They're all cut out and the half-square triangles are made. Here's a preview:

And best yet - EVERYTHING CAME OUT OF MY STASH!!!!!!!!!!! (I win.)

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Finish It Friday: Kate's Strip Twist Wedding Quilt

2012-02-09T19:06:00.002-05:00

One of my absolute, all-time besties — otherwise know as Kate, K8 and sometimes Kate-Monster — got married over the summer and I just couldn't give my friend anything other than a quilt for the big event.

And I'm finally almost finished.

Seven months after the fact.

I used the Strip Twist Pattern to make this red and pink quilt, and I really think it came together well. I love how the diamond shape pops out, but the block is really a square set straight, not on point. Check out the pattern link to see what I mean.

Question: Have you ever given anyone pieces of a quilt as a gift, and then immediately taken it back so you could finish it? (I realllllly hope so, because that's totally what I did to Kate the day before her wedding. Gave her a present and then took it right back.)

I've gotta' tell y'all, this is a fantastic quilt to make with scraps, and it's really really fast and easy to make. For realz.

Next up: quilt and bind it! Hopefully I'll have some more pix soon of the absolutely finished, 100% done Kate Kwilt!

Happy Stitching,

Kelly

Finish It Friday: Habitat Chevron Pillow

2012-01-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! Another finish this week! And DUDES, this one's been sitting in the UFO stack for months now.

Several months ago, my Modern Quilt Guild had a challenge to make anything we wanted using Jay McCarroll's new "Habitat" fabric line.

So I decided to make 2 pillows. One was this one: The Clamshell Pile Pillow

And the other one is finally finished: The Habitat Chevron Pillow!

You all know I love a sensible chevron pattern, and I really like it with three gradating shades of aqua solid. I used the same fabrics in this pillow as I used in the Clamshell pillow - just a different design for interest on my amahzing and beloved crushed red velvet arm chair.

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

The stacks of unfinished stuff . . .

2012-01-23T20:29:00.000-05:00

Seriously you guys, the UFO stack has gotten entirely out of control.

I have firmly resolved to whittle away at this stack...

and this stack...

and this wall of stuff...

over the course of the next year.

Chances are, I'll still start some new projects, but I'm looking forward to having a pile of DONES instead of a pile of UFOs at the end of the year!

What're you working on these days?

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

My Singer 301 has a baby

2012-01-21T10:51:00.000-05:00

I think I've blogged before about my sewing machine. I use a totally wonderful Singer 301 sewing machine. There's tons of info on this kind of machine available if you're interested in the full history, but in brief, the 301 was "born" in 1951/1952 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. It's a slant arm machine, meaning the needle is at an angle instead of straight up and down. This makes it easier to see what you're sewing, and it's also super strong - - that little angle in the needle let's you sew through some crazy thick material and layers.

By today's standards, there's nothing fancy about this machine. It's not particularly pretty, it doesn't have fancy stitches, and it's certainly not computerized like most modern machines. But, I have to tell you, I love it and I can't imagine sewing on another machine.

So you can imagine my UTTER JOY when I rounded a corner last night at the mammoth vintage/antique store only to discover that my 301 had a baby! A metal children's toy made to look just like my real machine. And it works - with a little hand crank, this baby will sew a chain stitch. What a toy!

Of course, it had to come home with me. It would have felt criminal to leave it there.
It seems I have a little collection starting . . .

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Finish It Friday: Curvy Mini Quilt

2012-01-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

This little mini quilt started as a personal challenge to experiment with curved piecing. Ultimately, I found that curves are not that scary at all - I'll share a tutorial down the line.

I also made a New Year's Resolution to finish up all of the UFOs (unfinished objects) in my sewing room before I start on anything new. We'll see how that goes, but baby steps, right?

For now, I'm here to reveal my big finish of the week—my Curvy Mini Quilt!

Before quilting:

and after quilting

I really do love a dense, straight line quilting design.

It works particularly well, I think, to offset all of those circular bits.

This little gem is now brightening up my cube at work. And I feel more confident piecing curves. AND I finished a pesky UFO!

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

How To Make Half Square Triangles

2012-01-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

Half square triangles, or HSTs as you'll sometimes see them called, are one of the most common building blocks in quilting. HSTs are extremely versatile and offer a lot of design potential in your quilting projects. With a bunch of HSTs you can make a chevron quilt (like this one), a diamond design, or a scrappier layout ( and many others) just by simply twisting and turning the blocks. They're also a "gateway block" - - - HSTs are just a step away from quarter square triangles and loads of other quilty potential!

Measuring Note: One finished HST will measure approximately 1/4" x 1/4" smaller than the square you began with. For example, if you start with 3" squares, one HST will be approximately 2.75" square. I recommend starting with squares approximately 1/2" larger than you need you unfinished HSTs to be, and then trimming the HSTs to the desired size. Because it's so much easier to trim down than to rip out and try again if you seam allowance is off!)

There are several different ways to make HSTs, but this is my favorite method - - - two for the price of one!

And away we go...

To make one half square triangle, cut two squares the same size from contrasting/coordinating fabrics.

On the wrong side of one square, draw a diagonal pencil line from corner to corner.

Place the two squares right sides together with the pencil line facing up. Using the edge of a 1/4" presser foot as a guide, stitch the squares together by sewing 1/4" on either side of the drawn line.

Cut along the drawn line.

Press each side open and there you have it - - - two half square triangles!

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

How To Make Color Block Cookies

2012-01-13T23:01:00.001-05:00

Ok, these cookies are just the absolute PRETTIEST! Plus, they taste delicious to boot, and they've brought a little rainbow into a day that (at least in Ohio) is frozen tundra-esque. (Seriously, penguins wouldn't stay here in this.)

Anyway, my friend Bethany sent me a link earlier today with this totally hilarious recipe, which inspired me to do some of my own experimenting with butter, sugar and food coloring.

I've been growing more and more enamored with color blocking, and it occurred to me to try and make color blocked cookies. I think it worked really well, and I was amazed that the cookies stayed the same bright, brilliant colors through the baking process.

Set a little time aside to make these, but know that they're really not difficult at all - just ever so slightly time consuming. I also bet you could use ready made sugar cookie dough and just color it, but I haven't tried it myself. Just think of the colorful possibilities!!!

The short story:

Mix a batch of your favorite sugar cookie dough.
Divide into sections and add a different color of food coloring to each section. Mix thoroughly and then refrigerate dough for about an hour.
On a thoroughly floured surface, place the lumps of colorful dough right next to each other. Squish them together a bit, and then roll the dough out. As you do so, make sure the different colors meld together.
Use a glass or other cookie cutter to cut out the cookies, trying to get a few different colors in each cookie.
Place them on a cookie sheet and bake, following your cookie recipe instructions.
As soon as you remove them from the oven, sprinkle the cookies with a clear, edible sugar glitter. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Happy stitching (and baking!)

---Kelly

Ohio Star Quilt Top

2011-12-20T19:46:00.000-05:00

I showed you some test blocks awhile back, and here's the finished quilt top. I love how it turned out, but I was a little under the gun with this one, so I'm sure glad to see it finished!

I think you get a lot of "bang for your buck" with only 3 fabrics. Gotta' love a sensible stripe! And you can't go wrong with Tula Pink and Amy Butler...

Happy Stitching and Happy Holidays!

--Kelly

Easy Christmas Tree Ornament

2011-12-04T18:57:00.000-05:00

I'm a huge Christmas geek, and I love giving handmade gifts at the holidays . . . I just don't have much time!

Here's a tutorial for a simple little holiday ornament that I created to take care of this problem. They're easy, inexpensive, and you can assembly-line them super-fast! Plus, they're sewing-themed which, well, seems appropriate.

Enjoy and Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Wooden Spool Ornaments:

Step 1. Find a wooden spool in your treasure trove and cut the thread off. Don't feel bad - old thread is not good to sew with anyway! If you don't have any wooden spools, you can find them really easily at thrift and antique stores.

Step 2. Cut or rip a long strip of fabric, about 1"-1.5" wide and 20"-40" long, depending on how large the spool is. Ripping is actually best because the frayed edges look great.

Step 3. Lay one end of the fabric across the length of the spool, leaving about 6" free at the top.

Step 4: Beginning at the bottom of the spool, start wrapping the fabric around the spool, wrapping over top of the fabric you laid down in the previous step. Wrap all the way from the bottom to the top of the spool, scrunching the fabric down as you go.

Step 5. When you fill the whole spool, tie a double knot with the end of the fabric and the tail you left in Step 2. Cut the knot ends fairly short.

Step 6. Cut a length of ribbon (about 8"). Thread both ends through the hole in the spool so there's a loop at the top, and the two raw ends coming out the bottom.

Step 7. Hot glue the ribbon ends to the bottom of the spool, and cut the ribbon ends short so they don't overhang the spool edges. Be sure to use your hot glue on top of a safe work surface in case you drip. I usually just use a piece of parchment paper to protect my table.

Step 8. All done! Hang them on your tree or in your sewing room for year-round decoration.

Fall Quilt Market Part 1

2011-11-14T19:40:00.000-05:00

Ummm, did I tell you I got to go to Quilt Market?!?!??!?! I'm still screaming silently inside my head, even though it was, like, three weeks ago. If you quilt/sew/craft, Quilt Market is just a total Geek-Out Extravaganza. I can't tell you how sweet it was to be in a gi-normous room full of quilty deliciousness, and to be surrounded by people that all think it's just as cool as you. Totally unreal.

So, without further ado, I give you Part 1 of my photos from Quilt Market. I'll caption-ate them as best I can . . .

Serendipity Studio booth

Basic Grey booth

More Basic Grey

American Jane booth

Alexander Henry booth

The newest Ghastlies line!

Don't Look Now! (Kellie Wulfsohn)

More Don't Look Now!

Kaffe Fassett's booth - - - and Kaffe!

Anna Maria Horner's booth (I need that couch)

More Anna Maria delightfulness

Calypso line by Studio E

Dear Stella is completely delish. Look at the zigzags!!!!!!!

Ahhh, my happy place. Kona solids.

Art Gallery

Michael Miller booth. With a car. Amazing.

Me with my new friend April and our buddy Ty.

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Giveaway winner!

2011-11-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

The random number generator has spoken, and we have a winner of the Sew to Swap Giveaway. Congratulations . . . JO! I'll contact you to get your shipping address - I'd love to hear about some of the amazing swaps I'm sure you're going to lead!

xoxoxo

Kelly

Sew to Swap Blog Hop Day 6

2011-11-12T03:01:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Welcome to Day 6 of the Sew to Swap Blog Hop. Hopefully you've had a chance to drop by the first 5 hop days to get some great sneak peeks of this brand new book. Keep reading below for a great giveaway prize!

I had the extreme pleasure to contribute to 2 of the quilts in this book, one of which I'll be sharing with you here today. But first, I wanted to give y'all a little overview of this book, cuz there's a ton of great stuff jam-packed inside. And you know how much I love bullet-pointed lists, so here goes:

As I'm sure you can tell, it's gorgeous. Just pure, delicious eye candy. From the front cover to the back cover and all the pages in between, the photography by Corrie and illustrations by Ariel are just delicious.
Dudes, there are twelve patterns with illustrated instructions, each one more lovely than the next.
Chrissie explains how to organize ten different swaps using the patterns in the book, including everything from how many people you need to participate to specific items you'll need to send them. Super helpful.
Each swap is accompanied by a photographed step-by-step technique tutorial (like the one shown below).

I absolutely drooled over the Wonky Siggy Quilt. From the pink/red/aqua colors to the personalized stars to the wonky border, I couldn't love this quilt any more.

Isn't it cool how everyone's block turns out slightly different, but they all still work beautifully together in the same quilt? (I know I posed that as a question, but I already know the answer....)

One of the questions that came up while we were working on these blocks was what kind of marker to use to autograph the centers of our blocks. The results of that conversation between the swappers was put in the book as "The Great Marker Debate."

Even though the resolution is that there is no resolution, it's good to have the discussion, right?

Are you still reading?!?!?!

Special for those of you who are joining in the blog hop fun, you can get Sew to Swap now for just $14.99 ($10 off the retail price!). Visit the Martha Pullen Online Store and use promo code SEW2SWAP to get your exclusive discount.

{Offer expires Nov 30, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. Special Price in US Dollars, for items that are “in stock” only. Martha Pullen Company reserves the right to correct pricing errors.}

AND THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!

In honor of my favorite quilt in the book (the Wonky Siggy Quilt), I'm offering a special Sew to Swap Giveaway. One winner will receive all of these fabulous prizes:

a copy of Sew to Swap
a big 'ole bag of scraps, perfect to use for organizing your own Wonky Siggy Swap
a permanent fabric marker for autographing your siggy star

All you have to do to get your name in the hat is leave a comment on this post telling me about a swap you have participated in, or one you would like to get involved in. The giveaway will close at 8am EST on November 13, so get your comments in before then. I'll choose a winner with a random number generator. (Continental U.S. entrants only, please.)

The Blog Hope continues tomorrow and for several more days. Be sure to hop along!

November 13 The Creative Juices of Ariel

November 14 Texas Freckles

November 15 Quilt Dad

November 16 Artsy-Craftsy Babe

November 17 Little Miss Shabby

November 18 A Cuppa and a Catch Up

November 19 A Quilt is Nice

November 20 A Little Sweetness

November 21 House of A La Mode

November 22 I’m Just a Guy Who Quilts

November 23 Little Bit Funky

November 27 In His Grace

I hope you all enjoy the book, and happy swapping!

xoxo

Kelly

Ohio Stars

2011-11-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

We have a little Ohio Star challenge going on at the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild. More about that later. But this is what I'm currently playing with and agonizing over:

I think I love it . . . but then again, I might be crazy . . .

Thoughts?

xoxo

Kelly

Pumpkin Cupcakes = Delish

2011-11-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm just the teensiest bit obsessed with pumpkin these days.

I will assume you want to know why, so I've created this handy bullet point list to explain my love affair:

They taste like happy.
They smell like the holidays.
You can roast their seeds.
You can carve faces into their shells.
You can make them sweet or savory.
You can add them to lattes with fantastic results.
Babies look cute when seated next to them.
Again, they taste like happy.

I'll admit, I lurve pie, but it's not super portable. But cupcakes are . . . so why not combine the best of both worlds? Cupcakes with frosting and pumpkin pie? Ummm. . . yes please, I will.

I cheated a bit, though. I didn't make "from-scratch" frosting, which normally I would, but I just ran out of time. I didn't want to use plain' ole frosting from a can (and I have a slight aversion to cream cheese), so I mixed cinnamon into a can of vanilla frosting, and it tasted great.

You can find the recipe here: http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/125724/pumpkin_cupcakes_with_cinnamon_cream

Happy baking/frosting/cooking/sewing/etc.

xoxoxoxo

Kelly

Sew to Swap Blog Hop

2011-11-06T16:58:00.000-05:00

Hey all,

SO I had the incredible privilege of being asked to contribute to a book that has just hit shelves: Sew to Swap by Chrissie Grace. And woah boy, am I in some good company: The contributors to this book are insanely talented, and I feel very small and squeaky to be standing next to all of them!!!

To tell you more about the book and to kick off its release in grand style, a blog hop is starting tomorrow (November 7) which will bounce you each day between the book contributors' blogs. I don't know what everyone has planned, but I suspect there will be some exciting giveaways, as well as lots of great info about this book. I can tell you for sure that there will be at least one awesome giveaway here on my day. So, plan on Hopping, y'all!

Here's the schedule for the Blog Hop:

November 7 Lovely Little Handmades

November 8 Stitches & Scissors

November 9 Cluck Cluck Sew

November 10 My Three Sons

November 11 Twin Fibers

November 12 Stitchy Quilt Stuff

November 13 The Creative Juices of Ariel

November 14 Texas Freckles

November 15 Quilt Dad

November 16 Artsy-Craftsy Babe

November 17 Little Miss Shabby

November 18 A Cuppa and a Catch Up

November 19 A Quilt is Nice

November 20 A Little Sweetness

November 21 House of A La Mode

November 22 I’m Just a Guy Who Quilts

November 23 Little Bit Funky

November 27 In His Grace

Happy hopping!

xoxo

Kelly

Updates!

2011-11-02T22:16:00.000-04:00

Hello bloggy friends,

I've been remiss in my posts, but things have been a bit crazy and hectic as I'm sure many of you can understand. I've not abandoned you, though!

In the most exciting news, I was able to attend Fall Quilt Market this past weekend in Houston. Ummm . . . amazing!!!!!! There's so much to say that I'm speechless. I'll write a nice, long, juicy post soon with lots 'o pix, etc., but for now, let's suffice it to say that being in a room full of like-minded people who all love the same thing was an amazing, inspirational experience. Thank you to everyone I had the opportunity to meet for the wonderful conversations and for sharing your excitement and passion with me.

A few things I want to let you know about:

1. There is a very cool blog tour coming up shortly in November. I'll be a stop one day on the tour, and there will be great giveaways, etc. on all days. Be sure to stop back frequently to check for updates! For now, I'm not giving away the surprise - - - just check back soon for more details!

2. I want to get more structured with my blogging, and I have SO many ideas of what that might entail, but I want to ask y'all what you would like to see more of - both from me specifically and from the sewing blog world in general. More techniques? More tutorials? Book reviews? Interviews? Fabric recaps? Quilt-a-longs? Gimme ideas puh-lease!

Thanks for stickin' with me, folks. There's a lot out there in the blogosphere, I know, but I love being part of it!

xoxoxoxooxo

Kelly

Baby Shower and Planter Favors

2011-08-23T22:35:00.000-04:00

BABY SHOWER! I threw one recently for one of my best friends, but there's a bit of a catch . . . she had the baby already! Due mostly to poor planning on my part, I scheduled a surprise baby shower for the day after my bestie went into labor. I decided that she probably wouldn't be super-keen on leaving the hospital early to eat cupcakes at my apartment, so I rescheduled for a few weeks down the road.

BUT, her friends and family and I prevailed and we celebrated a few weeks late - no biggie!

I totally loved this diaper cake (could not find white diapers anywhere), but I think I startled my friends and family when they would walk in and see boxes of diapers around my apartment. . .

The favors for the guests were these super-cute little herb planters. And I made 'em myself! And due to the fact that the party was delayed 6 weeks, they had really grown a lot!

No tutorial needed on this: Spray paint terra cotta pots with that blackboard paint. Plant your herbs. Write the name of the herb on the pot with chalk. Wait six weeks. Tie a bow around the pot, and tie on a little piece of chalk. Give 'em away!

Ummm. . . I love him!!!!!!! ARGH, so cute!!!!!!

(OK, I'm done.)

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Clamshell Pile Pillow Tutorial

2011-08-18T22:32:00.000-04:00

Clamshell Pile Pillow Tutorial

You asked for it, you got it—Enjoy!

Well, I started here, and wound up, well, with an actual pillow! With that said, let the tutorialing begin!

1: Choose your fabrics: You'll need 3 solid gradation colors (I used 3 teals), and a variety of coordinating prints. This was a fabric challenge, so I used the prints I was given from Jay McCarroll's "Habit" line of fabric. Bee-you-teeful.

2. Cut a 14"-long strip from each of the 3 gradated fabrics. The widths can vary based on what you have lying around and which fabric you like the most; just make sure that once they are sewn together the block will be 14" across (or can be cut down to 14"). Sew the strips together and cut down to a 14" square. Sweet.

3. Cut out a clamshell template from template plastic or cardboard. It's easy to draw: Make a right angle; each leg of the angle should measure 2.5" long. Then connect the two ends of the angle with a curve. Cut it out on the lines.

4. Dudes, seriously, spray starch is the best. I recommend Best Press, or a brand that is specifically for quilting. You don't have to wash this stuff out, and it won't attract bugs. Spray starch and press your prints really well. They should be crispy.

5. Trace the clamshell template onto the back of each print four times and cut on the lines. After you cut out the shape, fuse a small piece of double-sided fusible web into the center of each. You don't need to fuse the whole thing unless you really want to. Go ahead and remove the paper backing before you start arranging them. Trust me.

6. You will need about 24 clamshells. Arrange them, overlapping one row onto the next, working from the center to the corner. Then, put your big ole' iron on 'em and fuse 'em in place.

(Hint: I'd highly recommend laying this all out to start with on your ironing board so you don't have to transfer this big pile of loose fabric after you've gotten it the way you want. I learned this the hard way.)

7. Place a slightly larger piece of batting underneath the fused top. Now, quilt it! Be sure to stitch through each shell a few times. They'll fray around the edges, but that's cool. Right? Anthropology-esque.

8. Trim the pillow top down to 13.5" square.

9. For the backing, cut a 13.5" x 16.5" rectangle.

10. Fold under one short edge to conceal the raw edge. Topstitch the hemmed edge in place. Then fold the same edge down again (wrong sides together) until the rectangle is only 9.5" tall. Topstitch that newly folded edge, too.

11. Cut a second rectangle that measures 13.5" x 9". Fold one short end under twice about 1/4" each time to create a narrow hem. Topstitch this edge in place.

12. Place the narrow-hemmed rectangle right sides together with the pillow top, aligning the top edge of the pillow with the short raw edge of the rectangle.

13. Place the wide-hemmed rectangle on top of the pillow top and the narrow backing piece, aligning the bottom of the pillow with the backing rectangle's raw edge.

14. Pin all around the edges, and then stitch around all four sides using 1/2" seam. No need to leave a turning hole. Backstitch at the corners and where the backing sections overlap.

15. Clip the corners as shown, being careful not to cut the stitches.

16. Turn the pillow through the opening in the back, stuff with a 14" pillow form, and you're done! Loverly!!!!

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Quilted Idea Keeper Tutorial

2011-08-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting a little notepad to keep in my purse so that I can jot down project ideas when I have them, and to keep fabric swatches in case I should . . . happen to find myself in a fabric store with a buck to spend! Here's a little photo tutorial about how I made mine. You can make it as big or as small as you'd like - just make it small enough to fit in your purse!

If you make one, I'd love to see photos!

I started with this sketch. You could really start with any simple shape

Took a few notes and made a few sketches of how i thought I could make the thing!

Sketch and cut out your template from heavy cardstock or template plastic.

You can see mine's about 4" tall.

To start, you'll need 4 pieces of fabric (2 contrasting colors) and 2 pieces of heavy interfacing, each slightly larger

than your shape template, and 2 lengths of ribbon, each about 7" long.

Sandwich a piece of interfacing between 2 contrasting pieces of fabric, wrong sides together.

Starting in the middle of the sandwich, quilt the sandwich together. I just did very tight,

parallel stitching back and forth, but you could do any design you like.

See?

Cut any interior details out of your template.

Trace these interior elements on the wrong side of the fabric piece

you want to be the front cover of your book. Cut them out.

Place a scrap of the contrast fabric behind the cutouts, and

embellish as you'd like. I put my initials in it. Then layer/pin the fabric

sandwich the same way you did before, trapping the scrap in between the

top piece of fabric and the interfacing. Quilt.

Place the main shape template on top of both quilted rectangles.

Cut out the shape from both. Topstitch around the outside edge of both.

Tuck under one end of each ribbon, and topstitch one to the outside

edge of both the front and back covers.

Use your template to cut out the interior book pages: 4 pieces of batting,

and about 10 sheets of cardstock and 15 sheets of graph paper.

Or anything else you want!

Layer the top cover of the book over top of the graph paper

and cardstock. I held mine all together with a binder clip.

Sew along the left edge through the front cover and the paper layers.

You'll have to use your handcrank to do this, but you can do it!

This is what the bottom of the stack will look like after sewing.

Mine's messy. Whatever. No one will ever see it!

Layer the back cover with the batting, and stitch

along the right edge. This should be easier to sew.

Now put the book together and clip together with a binder clip.

Using a pretty heavy-duty hand sewing needle and a double-thickness of

thread, whipstitch the book together along the left-hand edge, like a book.

Don't try to stitch through the paper - just stitch through the back cover,

through the batting, and through the front cover.

Tie your ribbons and you're finished! It actually looks

very much like my sketch, so I'm happy!

Woohoo! All done! Pin in some swatches and get sketching!

Happy stitching!

Kelly

Habitat Fabric Challenge!

2011-08-02T03:01:00.000-04:00

My local branch of the Modern Quilt Guild has undertaken a challenge! We each received six fat eighths of Jay McCarroll's line of Habitat fabric for FreeSpirit. I have been completely in love with Jay McCarroll since Season 1 of Project Runway. I was obsessed with his final runway show, specifically due to his awesome use of really saturated colors (mustard, teal, plum), and the quilted details he incorporated into his line. When he started designing fabric, it seemed like a really natural move. So, suffice it to say, I'm super-psyched about this challenge!

That said, I NEED YOUR HELP!

These are the fabrics I received for the challenge.

I really love that orange and blue leaf print on the far end.

But I just can't decide what to make! I've decided to make a pillow for my apartment, but I can't decide which of the below designs to make.

A sketch for a Clamshell Pile pillow...

A sketch for a ruffled pillow (amazingly detailed, right?! - I am not a sketcher...)

And, my favorite, the zigzag design!

Let me know which one you think I should do, and I'll post a photo tutorial so you can make your own . . . . as soon as I figure out how to do it!

Happy stitching!

Kelly

Friendship Bread

2011-07-31T21:01:00.000-04:00

Every couple of years, Amish Friendship Bread starters begin circling. And I am easily lured by the siren song of this delicious, cinnamony-sweet bread. That is, until the starters begin to multiply like bunnies in my kitchen, and I realize that I don't know enough people with a desire to bake to unload all of it!

And after a few weeks, I decide that if I ever have to eat, much less bake, another loaf of friendship bread, I'll have to hurl. And if I ask one more friend to take a starter, I won't have any more friends.

But, while it lasts - - - before the hurling and ruined friendships set it - - - it sure is fun!

Delish!

(Anybody want a starter?)

Happy stitching (and baking!),

Kelly

The Gift of Serging

2011-07-14T18:06:00.000-04:00

So, a little backstory here: I have a friend, Meghan. My sister, Karen, can claim her as a friend first, but I got to know her since I moved back to the area, and now she's my friend, too!

I love Meghan for a variety of reasons, which include but are not limited to the following:

Ohio Valley Antique Mall - LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!

She introduced me to the Mother Ship of antique stores, The Ohio Valley Antique Mall, and took me there and shopped with me all afternoon, and encouraged my trivial purchases but discouraged the extravagant ones.

She refers to both me and my sister as "Sister Biscuit". I'm not sure why this makes me laugh, but it does...a lot. I'm laughing a little bit now in memory of it....

She made me brownies. Do you remember in Home Alone when Kevin says, "A delicious cheese pizza, just for me."? That's how I felt when Meghan gave me a pan of delicious brownies, just for me.

We enjoy a similar love and affinity for crafting, sewing, and the supplies that come along with them. Meghan also understands that crafting is a dark mistress that can suck away both your time and money, but despite that fact, she understand like I do that it's impossible to quit. There's no patch for sewing...

And now she's MOVING AWAY!!!!!!! BLERG!!!!!!

In her great wisdom, Meghan knew that the only thing that could possibly ease my sorrow and dry my tears was a small token of love. (I choose to believe that it was a token of love, but in reality, she didn't want to move it, but those are pretty much the same thing to me.)

She arrived on my doorstep on Friday with a box full of miracles and wonderment!

This simple cardboard box was a veritable treasure trove containing A SERGER, some pins, a pair of fancy paper scissors and a sparkly headband. All amazing, for sure.

I won't lie, I have no idea how to serge. I've never touched one in my life. In fact, taking these photos constitutes the closest I've ever been to one. But I'm gonna' learn! I will!

Am I wrong to be nervous by all of the thread?

Definitely gonna' have to change the needle first...

Thank you, Meghan, for my brand-spankin' new-to-me serger!

I promise to think of you every time I break a thread!

XOXO,

Kelly

If you love to read...

2011-07-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

I know it's not technically "stitchy" or "quilty", but it is stuff, and I HAD to share it with all of you...

I found this piece through a link from my sister's awesome blog, Conceptual Reception. Seriously, check her blog out—Karen's an amazing writer and poet, and has a total knack for making me laugh and cry and ponder all at the same time. (And yes, we're both still this cute!)

Sisters, already reading

Date a Girl Who Reads by Rosemarie Urquico

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by God, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

Sound familiar?

Kelly

The Joy of the Mug Rug

2011-07-07T22:56:00.000-04:00

I have emoted on and on in previous posts about how much I love making/stitching/quilting little projects. To recap, my main reasons for this crazy love:

You get to use up your scraps.
You can try new techniques on something that doesn't take months and months.
You can try new quilting patterns.
They're fast!
They're easy!
They're adorable!
And . . . they're frequently USEFUL!

Useful things are the best, particularly useful things that you can use on a day-to-day basis.

Case in point: The Mug Rug.

Yeah, that's me. Looking totally crazy and geeked-out over my new mug rug...

I have to tell you, when I first heard about mug rugs, I was skeptical. Something about the name was too sweet for me, and I couldn't get my head wrapped about why you would want a place mat just for your mug.

I get it now. I have fully and completely embraced the joy of, not only making, but also using a mug rug.

We swapped mug rugs at a meeting of the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild months and months ago, but I just came across the pictures and thought I'd share what I made and received. For the swap, we each paired up with a partner the month before the swap took place, and gave them our favorite mug for inspiration. I brought in one of my orange Fire King mugs—LOVE (you can see it on the far left below).

The mug rug that I received in the swap was made by my friend, Amy, and it has been on my bedside table for my evening cup of coffee ever since.

I made this one—a mini Dresden plate appliquéd onto a polka dot background. I used a lot of topstitching around the plate center to add some stitching detail, and I pieced the binding from some of my scraps—it was completely unintentional, but the way the binding fell around the edge made it look striped which was cool.

It's kind of hard to see in the photo, but I shadow-quilted around the plate, repeating the ripples all the way to the edges of the rug.

(Now I kind of want to go make another one...)

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Easy Baby Boy Quilt

2011-07-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

I've discovered that in your late twenties and early thirties, EVERYONE HAS BABIES! This is a wonderful thing, because who doesn't love babies? The result, however, of your best friends having babies year round is that we quilters make baby quilts year round.

Now, some people may find making baby quilt after baby quilt a little tedious, but I absolutely love making them for a few reasons:

They're fast and offer immediate quilty gratification.
It's wonderful to make something that you know will be loved and very well used.
They offer a great excuse to try out new patterns, fabrics, and quilt designs.
Handmade gifts really show that you care!

In this specific case, I care a lot! Jess has been one of my best friends for almost 10 years now—as I type it, I can't really believe it's been that long! Jess and her husband have a beautiful family, and have a brand new little member due any day now. Because of my extensive traveling in my previous career, I haven't been around for the births of her previous children; I really wanted to try to make up for lost time with this new baby. And I absolutely had to make this new baby boy a quilt.

This quilt couldn't be any simpler—it's fast, it's sturdy, you can use up your big scraps, and it's easy to adapt for a girl version. I absolutely love how it turned out!

Easy Baby Boy Quilt Tutorial

Finished size: 36.5" x 36.5"

Materials:

(32) 5" solid gray squares

(32) 5" colorful print squares (8 Green, 8 Yellow, 8 Red, 8 Blue)

Backing fabric: approximately 41" x 41"

Binding: approximately 158" of 2.5" wide blue binding (cut four 2.5" strips from selvage to selvage)

Pencil

Instructions:

1. With a pencil, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each gray square. Place each gray square right sides together with a print square. Sew 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line. Cut along the drawn line to create two half square triangles. Press both halves open. Repeat to make 64 half square triangles.

2. Arrange the half square triangles in the desired configuration of 8 rows of 8 blocks in each. There are a ton of different ways you can arrange your blocks, so have fun! I suggest taking a digital photo of each arrangement. Quickly flipping through photos makes it easier to choose a configuration, and if you want to re-create a previous configuration, you have a photo to help you arrange it again.

3. Begin sewing your half square triangles together in 2 x 2 blocks. Carefully line up all of the diagonal seams by peeking into the seam allowance. Pin pin pin! And make sure you are sewing an exact 1/4" seam; a larger seam will cut off the point of your triangles.

4. Sew the blocks together into rows, and sew the rows together to complete the quilt top.

5. Now quilt it! I used a fairly close meander quilting design using gray thread. Since it's a baby quilt and will actually get some heavy use, I wanted to do a pretty heavy-duty quilt job. This quilt was my first go on my Mom's new longarm! Woohoo!!!!! It was surprisingly easy, extremely fast, and definitely addictive......

6. Bind it! Here's a trick for you—after you make and fold your binding, wrap it around a paper towel tube. This keeps it from getting tangled and messy while you sew it on. Sew your binding to the back of the quilt first....

7. ....and then wrap the binding around to the front so the folded edge of the binding just overlaps the stitched line. Sew along the folded edge, attaching the binding to the front. This method of binding is a little sturdier than hand stitching it, which I think is important for a quilt that will get a lot of love and washing!

And there you have it! Finished baby boy quilt! The same quilt would be extremely easy for a baby girl: use a white background with pastel colors in the same layout and Voila!

Hope you enjoyed, and happy stitching!

Kelly

Spoonflower Delivery

2011-07-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, so let's be honest. Mail is awesome. Parcels and boxes are better. When the parcels contain fabric, it's the best of all. Gleeful, even. Jump-up-and-down inducing!

When I opened my mailbox this afternoon and discovered my Spoonflower order had arrived, I actually squeaked a little. Honestly, I giggled, squeaked, ran inside my apartment, and threw my bills in a heap on the counter, all in my excitement to tear open a package that I ordered myself. That's the funny thing about fabric—it's like ordering yourself a present!

(insert contented sigh of fabric happiness here.)

Now, I should get massive credit for containing my Christmas morning instincts and not ripping this envelope open as I ran up the stairs. Or sitting on the curb and tearing it open in the street. No, I waited until I could get my camera and take pictures of this magical moment to share with you.

And then I ripped it open.

In case you're not familiar with Spoonflower, they're a Web-based company that allows you to design your own fabric, and print actual yardage through the company. You can also put your designs up for sale via their site. Ummm, amahzing. I haven't designed any fabric yet because I have absolutely no design-y, graphic-y, illustrator-y skills whatsoever. My skills lie more in creating fun new words with the use of hyphens. Like graphic-y...

I've been wanting this particular print for ages now, and next months' swap through the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild gave me the perfect excuse to order it. Next month, we're swapping Spoonflower charm squares, and this print will be my contribution. I can't wait to see what everyone else picked out!!!

I have to say, I'm extremely impressed with the personal touches from my order.

The fabric was wrapped in tissue paper, and I received a Spoonflower label.

And my receipt had a handwritten note (from another Kelly - awesome! Hi, Spoonflower Kelly!)

And, most importantly, the fabric is beautiful and just what I was hoping for!

The moral of this story:
Packages are awesome, fabric is great, Spoonflower is fantastic, and I am one happy little sewer!

As always, happy stitching!

Kelly

Giveaway Winner!

2011-06-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Amy Butler Fat Quarter Giveaway this past week! Keep reading—there's lots of fun stuff to come in the future!

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

Pat V.

Congratulations! I hope you have lots of fun with this fabric, and please send photos of your Farmer's Wife blocks—I can't wait to see them!

Happy stitching, and thanks for participating!

Kelly

Quilt Fabric Giveaway!

2011-06-22T03:01:00.000-04:00

This giveaway all stems from a great find at the AQS show in Columbus this past weekend. The show was amazing, as always, and the vendors were fantastic. But after about six hours, I was completely exhausted. I considered lining up some folding chairs and taking a little nap, but I looked around and figured that if all these ladies could keep hoofing it, so could I. So I pressed on.

And my endurance paid off.

I rounded a corner I had already been around twice, and noticed what I hadn't before: a trunk full of Westminster fat quarters marked at . . . $1 each!!!!!

WHAT!??!?!

I dove into that trunk like I hadn't seen fabric in years. The vendor seemed slightly concerned

at my almost hysterical excitement as I tore through the trunk.

"It's all Amy Butler!" I kept saying over and over.

"Yes, I know dear," she responded cooly, still shaking her head at the crazy girl wildly

accumulating fat quarters.

At one point, I think I actually jumped up and down a few times, clapping my hands like a four year old who's getting a lollipop. Or a trained seal who's getting fish.

Either way, I scored big on the fabric front, and I'd like to share my good fortune with one of

you. Consider it a little thank you for taking the time to read my blog when there are so many out

there to choose from.

Here's the giveaway deal:

One lucky person will receive.....

6 gorgeous Amy Butler fat quarters (some from "Love", some from "Midwest Modern")

This giveaway is now closed.

~~Here's what you need to do:~~

~~If you're not already, become an official follower of my blog by clicking the~~ ~~follow~~ ~~button on the right.~~
~~Leave a comment telling me what you'd do with the fabric if you win.~~

The giveaway will close on Wednesday, June 29th at 5pm EST. One winner will be chosen to receive all 6 fat quarters with a random number generator.

Tell your friends, and thank you!

Happy stitching,

Kelly

Pincushions!

2011-06-19T22:06:00.000-04:00

The most recent swap at my branch of the Modern Quilt Guild was a pincushion swap. I love swapping with the ladies in my group because, even though we all classify ourselves as "modern" quilters to some degree, everyone's handmade items always look completely different. Pincushions are also usually quick and easy to make, and they serve a purpose which I love!

I got really productive for a short window of time and was able to make two pincushions for the swap. I brought this one:

and this one:

I was super lucky to get these two little gems in returns. The amazing bird with vintage hat pins was made by Victoria of The Granny Diaries, and the darling embroidered and appliqued linen cushion was made by Sarah of Stash Resolution.

Ummmm, how awesome are they?!?!? (Answer: Totally awesome.)

If you are now totally inspired to go make your own pincushion or organize your own swap, do it! Pincushions are as simple or as difficult as you want to make them, and are a great place to let your creativity run free and try something new.

Striped & Tufted Pincushion Tutorial

Gather your supplies: Stuffing (Fiber Fil), bowl to trace around, scissors, fabric pen, large decorative button (Note: A button with holes as shown will work, but one with a shaft is much easier for this project), embroidery floss, large eyed needle, thimble, a pieced fabric panel large enough to cut out two circles (size of your bowl).

Trace two circles (using the bowl/glass as a template) onto the fabric panel. Cut out the circles. Place them right sides together. Pin and sew around the outside edge using 1/4" seam. Leave a small opening for turning; make sure the opening is not on a seam.

Turn the pincushion right side out. Press the edges of the opening under 1/4" with a hot iron. Stuff the pincushion very full with Fiber Fil.

Handstitch the opening closed. I have little tags that say "PS I love you". I stitched one of the tags into the opening. You could do something similar with a doubled piece of coordinating ribbon. Or, you can just stitch the opening closed without anything in it. Your call. I just like the little extra touches.

Cut a fairly long piece of embroidery floss (use all 6 strands). Thread one end through the needle and knot the other end. Stitch up through the back of the pincushion directly in the center. Wrapping the thread around one edge, stitch up through the center of the pincushion in the same way; the thread will wrap around the edge and will tuft as you pull. Continue doing this as much as you like to create the tufting in the cushion. When you have finished adding tufting to the cushion, your needle and thread will be on the top side of the cushion.

Thread the needle through the shaft of a large button. Stitch back down through the center of the cushion, pulling the thread tight. The shaft of the button should sink down into the center of the cushion very easily.

Turn the cushion to the back. Cut off the needle, leaving about a 6" long tail. Split the embroidery floss into two sections and tie 4–5 tight knots to secure the button and the tufting. Trim the thread tails close to the knots.

All done! Stick some pins in and you're good to sew!

Happy stitching!

Kelly

SUMMER nesting!

2011-06-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

It might just be me, but there’s definitely something about the warm weather and the sunshine that lights a spark in me! I feel like I’ve been hibernating or dodging raindrops for months, but now it’s SUMMER (yes, all in caps) and everything is shiny and new again. (For those of you familiar with the book, this season also brings out all of my "Anne of Green Gables" prosaic tendencies...)! And with the shiny newness of SUMMER comes a desire to do a little “nesting.” Below is photo evidence of my own summer nesting endeavors - - - so so much fun!

SUMMER strawberries!

Homemade pain au chocolat

Ummm, brunch. Need I say more?

First homemade ice cream of the summer

Yeah, totally delicious. Too delicious. Dangerously.

Birthday cupcake - butter pecan flavored

"Window" boxes on my balcony

Tiny birdhouse in my potted plant

Just awesome SUMMER colors! Maybe my next quilt...

It took some doing, but I found a cake plate that wasn't super expensive!
I don't know why cake plates feel summery, but they do!

Really, is there anything better than fresh flowers and night lights?

Itty bitty herb planters. Crossing my fingers...

Oh look, my very ordinary front door wreath...

But what's that?

A nest! Hanging out on my front door!

If you look really close, you can see baby bird beaks!

As I'm sure is true for most of you, too, SUMMER sewing is generally made up of sewing baby quilts, wedding presents (see my previous post for a great idea) and house warming items. And then the next thing you know, it’s October and time to start on Holiday gifts, but that’s another post…

For now, it might be hot, it might be muggy, but it's not snowing!!!! I'm no photographer, but SUMMER seems to make all of my photos look better, so get outside and start snapping! It's so easy to be inspired when the weather's beautiful, and some of these photos will help me get inspired in 8 months when it's freezing outside.

XOXOXO

Kelly

PERSONALIZED QUILTED PLACEMAT TUTORIAL

2011-06-08T19:59:00.000-04:00

One of my college roommates and best friends is getting married in August (woohoo!). The whole group of us girls who lived together in college have managed, somewhat miraculously, to stay friends over the years and to get together with some frequency to catch up and reconnect. We planned a little get together recently to celebrate Kate’s engagement, and I offered to make her a gift that we all could contribute to and give her together. I thought these personalized placemats turned out really well, and I think that she liked them as much as I did! My hope is that they’ll be a little reminder as she sets her table that her friends love her.

PERSONALIZED QUILTED PLACE MAT TUTORIAL

Materials:

For four identical 13½” x 19” place mats, you’ll need:

4 fat quarters of coordinating print fabrics (I used pinks)
1 yard of coordinating solid fabric (I used gray) for sashing and binding
4 rectangles of batting, each approximately 15” x 21”
1 yard of backing fabric; if the fabric is less than 42” from selvage to selvage, you’ll need 1¼ yards total)
A package of fusible, printable fabric (usually sold in the Notions section). I used two sheets, but you may need more or less depending on how large you want to make your labels.

Cutting instructions:

From each fat quarter, cut four 4” x 12” rectangles (for a total of sixteen rectangles).
From the gray fabric, cut twelve 2” x 12” rectangles.
From the gray fabric, cut four 2” x 19” strips.
From the remaining gray fabric, cut eight 2½” x WOF binding strips; you will need two for each placemat; set them aside from now.

Sewing instructions:

Arrange four different print fabrics in a row with a short gray strip in between, but not on the ends (Print 1 – Gray – Print 2 – Gray – Print 3 – Gray – Print 4).
Sew the strips together in a row using ¼” seam. Repeat to make three more identical strip sets.
Sew a long gray strip across one long side of each strip set to complete the four place mat tops. Even up the sides as necessary.
Layer each place mat top with cotton batting and backing. I used basting spray to hold the layers together.
Quilt and bind as normal. I just did an all over meander and loops – ultimately, these are utilitarian place mats, so no use spending a TON of time on intricate quilting. It’s also a good excuse to try some new free-motion techniques.
Type up a note to the bride (or other recipient) on your computer in a text box that’s slightly smaller than you want the final label to be. Print the note onto fusible, printable fabric and fuse the note to the wrong side of a placemat following the manufacturer’s instructions. Repeat to fuse notes to the wrong side of all the placemats. (It would be fun to put quotes or song lyrics on the backs, too!) The labels fuse really well, but if you’re worried about them coming off, you can fuse them to the backing fabric before you quilt the placemat, but be aware that the thread may obscure some of the writing.
All done! Cute, meaningful, and totally usable – the best kind of gift, in my opinion!

XOXOXO

Kelly

Quilty Travel Stuff

2010-09-22T22:35:00.000-04:00

In honor of my upcoming travel plans, I quilted up a little luggage tag for my suitcase.

For some reason, my little luggage tag makes me feel very 1940s travel chic, like I should be wearing a sensible cloche and white gloves as I board my plane and order my martini from the stewardess. However, I am sure I'll be jerked back to reality when I board my 2010 super-secure, non-peanut serving, no free beverage, no leg room, non-stewardess (PC= flight attendant) flight. Hopefully my super-snazzy luggage tag will help me hang on to the illusion a little longer.

I am aware that this luggage tag may not stand up well to the beating it will take in the bowels of various planes, cars and boats. It may even encourage villains to rob me—I mean, if the luggage tag is this awesome, one can only imagine the treasures inside!

BUT YOU ASK . . . .
What if the ribbon snags on some super-sized airplane bolt and rips right off, leaving my suitcase contact-informationless?

AND I ANSWER . . .
I don't care! I will risk it! I flirt with danger like . . . (see potential fill-in options below—VOTE NOW through the comments section!)

Ross Gellar flirted with the short-haired pizza girl.
a person who buys a ticket for a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season.
the Sharks flirted with the Jets for control of their "turf" during a totes fierce dance number in Act 1 of an American musical classic.

(There's a chance I may have had too much coffee.)

I might be a dork . . .

2010-09-17T23:12:00.000-04:00

I might be a dork, but I don't care. I just absolutely love this little cloth lunch bag I made and embroidered for myself. I used this tutorial from Purl Bee to make the bag itself, and then I just draw on the apple and stitched it on with embroidery floss.

(It probably would have been more realistic if I had embroidered a bunch of pizza rolls on it, but an apple's much easier to backstitch . . .)

Carrying this lunch bag into my office in the morning makes me feel adorkable. In a good way. I decided my sister also needed to feel adorkable, so I made her one, too. The sis is a vegetarian, so her bag looks like this:

(That symbol literally means "No chicken legs", but figuratively should be understood to include meats of all kinds. FYI.)

Join me in geekery! Embroider a reusable lunchbag for yourself! Be adorkable!

Swaps = Cool

2010-09-12T15:12:00.000-04:00

I'm kind of in love with swapping handmade things these days. It's more fun for me to make things and give them away . . . but it's awesome getting something in return, too! Thus, swapping.

I've been coordinating a monthly swap for the Cincinnati branch of the Modern Quilt Guild. We've done two block swaps and a potholder swap already, with a doll quilt swap planned for next month.

SWAP #1
Our first swap was a really simple 9-patch block using only citron, black, grey and white. This was my block. Six people participated, so everyone kept one of their own blocks and got one of everyone else's. Once I had all six of my blocks, I cut each 9-patch in half twice, once top to bottom through the center, and again side to side through the center. Then I put them all back together. It still needs to be quilted, but here's the top and the pieced back.

SWAP #2

Our second swap was a "wonky log cabin" block. The colors for the "logs" were supposed to be in the blue/green/aqua family, but the center piece could be any color or fussy-cut the maker wanted. I used a fussy cut piece from Heather Ross's "Underwater Sisters" print. This was my block ---> and this is the top. Pretty simple, all sashed together with a white-on-white paisley print.

SWAP #3
Our most recent swap was a potholder swap. This one was really fun - there were no rules or restrictions, so everyone's potholder really reflected what styles and fabrics they like.

I made this one using the Oh Fransson! Potholder Tutorial:

Front

Back

And I got this little quilty beauty from Amy T. I totally LOVE the curved quilting she did - you can really see it on the back.

Back corner

Front

So, long story short, Swaps = Totally Sweet.

A slight bag obsession

2010-09-09T17:50:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you've checked out Amy Butler's new book yet, but it's TOTALLY awesome. I've always liked Amy's bag patterns and have made a few of them, and this is just a big awesome book full of them! The book features a range of skill levels, sizes, etc., and all of the bags are made with various Amy Butler prints.

Pretty.

Awesome.

Check it out.

That said, ever since I bought it, I've been a little obsessed with making bags. They're enough of a challenge for me to be interesting, but they don't take a TON of time to make. One of my first attempts was this pleated bag, which I kind of love. (Bags are also another great excuse to use awesome buttons and trims!)

pleating detail

I made this little bag for a gift, and I totally love how simple it is. It's just a plain and simple rectangular bag with a top zipper, but the fabric makes this super-simple bag really cute (I think!).

You can kind of see the inside lining -
black and white toille.

I leave you with one last picture. I want to keep him.

A little tour . . .

2010-08-31T18:45:00.000-04:00

Oh happy day! My sewing room is officially up-and-running!!!!!!!

These are the things that musicals are based on! That angel choirs sing about! That teenagers write extensive diary entries on!

Have you ever seen that Cosby Show episode where Claire gets her own room, and she just lays on the floor making "snow" angels and giggling? Yeah, that was me most of the weekend.

So, without further ado, welcome to my brand spankin' new sewing room!

Coming in the door to the room—my sewing machine on the left, and my wall of fabric straight ahead.

Cutting table and storage for rulers and other supplies.

This is the best machine ever - a Singer 301. I love the cabinet, too - very art deco with a curved front panel. The whole machine can flip down into the cabinet and tuck away.

Built in bobbin/thread rack in the top drawer of the cabinet.

Curved door to the sewing cabinet. Super cool.

The best part = fabric stash.

If you need me, you know where to look!

Aprons, mysteries and my own personal disaster

2010-08-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

I met one of my best friends, Jess, in college. That first week of class freshman year we just kept crossing paths—same dorm, same program, same major—clearly, we were meant to be friends! I vividly remember skipping my first class of college with Jess. We met up to walk to history together, walked all the way across campus, traipsed up the steps of the Humanities Building . . . and then both hit a dead stop, turned and looked at each other, and practically wordlessly, turned and walked to the union for breakfast instead. Jess is one of the reasons I am so happy to be back in Cincinnati after six years! She's now married with three beautiful little boys, all of whom I am determined to spoil silly.

Anyway, being the incredible mom she is, Jess has been wanting to learn to sew aprons for the boys so they can "help" her in the kitchen. I told her I'd help . . . and then I got excited and decided to make a "practice" apron last night.

The top is a blue and green seersucker, and the backing is brown Kona cotton. I made one long side strap that will wrap all the way around and velcro on the right side, so the boys can put them on by themselves.

I raw-edge appliqued a green star on the front. This way, each of the boys can have a different symbol on their aprons to tell them apart—but not so different that one will be "better" than another. I don't have kids, but I still want stuff of my sister's, and we're in our late twenties, so I'm sure it pertains to boys ages 2-6, too.

I made a little something for Jess, too—hey, kids shouldn't get ALL the attention, just because they're occasionally adorable!

It's a surprise so I can't tell you what it is just yet, but hopefully the picture-teaser is enough for now.

In other news, I am going to show you these pictures despite my shame and disorganization. This is my very own personal craft disaster.

I am not proud. I have a whole room that I am paying additional rent on to currently be a storage room for a mound of fabric. Then, to make matters worse, I go root around in the disaster, find what I want, and go sew in my dining room. So, not only is my spare bedroom a disaster, so is my dining room. This cannot go on.

Therefore, you should officially consider these the "before" pictures. "After" pictures will hopefully be coming down the pike in about two weeks!!!!!!!!!!

Be still, my beating heart—a place to put my fabric (sigh)!

Birthday look-back

2010-08-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

I guess everyone gets a little contemplative on their birthday. This year, I've been trying to remember where I've been and who I've spent my last several birthdays with . . .

2010: Cincinnati (aka HOME!) with two of the college roomies and my parents
2009: New York City with my bestie, Mark, and the company of "Little House on the Prairie: the Musical".
2008: Northern Ohio with my Mom visiting one quilt shop after another!
2007: Atlantic City with the company of "Movin' Out".
2006: New York City with Mark at Chelsea Piers.
2005: Brunswick, Maine in summer stock with some of the best friends ever
2004: Cincinnati with the fam and some friends from college.
2003: Auburn, New York partying down with the company of "Footloose"

I've gotta say, it was nice being settled and home this year!

My favorite present was a crafty one (the best presents always are, in my opinion)! This bee-yoo-tee-ful afghan, made by my sister. I could NOT love anything more!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T18:50:00.000-04:00

Mini Mosaic Quilt

2010-08-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

Like all of you, I am the proud owner of a million teeny tiny little scraps which I just can't throw away. Part of it, I think, is that I don't want to waste a good piece of fabric. But even more than that, I can't get rid of the last little pieces of my favorite fabrics! I mean, what if I can never find it again! And my last memory of my favorite fabric will be that I THREW OUT the last bit of it!

(I'm a little short of breath and sweaty just thinking about it. . . . )

As a result, I have bags of scraps everywhere!
Last weekend, I suddenly got inspired to make a scrappy mini-quilt for my cube at work. I love the Ticker Tape Quilt from the blog, Crazy Mom Quilts, so I decided to play around with that concept.

I have to say, I really love the result! Plus, it was super-fast, it looks modern, and I finally have a home for some of my favorite scraps.

I was extremely un-fussy with my scraps - I basically left the scraps the same shape they were when I pulled them out of my scrap-bin. I used a basting spray (more about that in a later post) which I totally lurvvvvv for small quilts. Anyway, I layered my backing, batting and the white background fabric and basted them together with basting spray. I also basted down the little scraps. Then, I stuck 'er under the machine, and stitched a perimeter around each of the little pieces (about a 1/4" in from the edges. ish.).

To bind, I trimmed the excess batting even with the edges of the top and then flipped the excess backing fabric over to the front and stitched it down. I left the binding edges raw, too, since the rest of the quilt is raw-edge. I figured it fit better with the overall look . . . and I didn't have to hand-stitch binding that way! I feel justified. Don't judge me.

(That little green piece with the thread is one of my "startie-stoppies" (used to get your thread started when you start sewing so the thread doesn't jam up in the bobbin . . . know what I mean?). Anyway, it was sitting there, and it was the right color, so i just stitched that on, too!

Also, the white background piece is actually twill, which I used to give a little extra firmness to the quilt since I'm using it as a wall hanging. It helps it to hang flatter than quilter's cotton. It also holds its shape a little more: it doesn't get sucked into itself like quilter's cotton does when you applique onto it.

As if I needed to start buying something else obsessively, I'm now collecting antique and vintage buttons. They're so pretty! They look like candy and they're calorie free!!!! Yeah, I'm totally going to keep buying them. But, in my defense, I use them! I put three of my favorite ones on this little quilt. :)

It's nice to do something that's a little more free-form and unplanned.

And now my cube is trés awesome!

Lovin' Little Quilts

2010-08-13T22:52:00.000-04:00

I don't know why—maybe it's the slightly-more-instant gratification—but I've completely fallen in love with making little quilts. When I first started quilting, I didn't understand why anyone would bother making a quilt that you couldn't wrap up in. I'm now older, wiser and have a shorter attention span than a full episode of Frasier, so it's becoming more and more fun to make small quilts that can brighten up my cube at work.

I shall come back to this topic.

This story occurs after I had just recently moved into my new apartment. My craft room wasn't (and still isn't) set up yet, but I got a total wild-hair one Saturday morning, and I suddenly NEEDED to make the New Wave Quilt (from Oh, Fransson!). I'm not really a pastel-y kind of girl, but I got inspired by the vase sitting next to my bed . . . .

So I ran around my apartment, tore through the moving boxes and started grabbing fat quarters from my stash. Next thing I knew, my dining room had been converted to a sewing room, and I was putting together my aqua/pink/white New Wave quilt.

Long story short, I loved making the quilt—it went together super-fast, and just looks really clean and breezy-cool. I also taped the columns on my wall with red electrical tape to keep the pieces organized.

I long for a design wall. . . .

But back to the love of the small quilts . . .

I liked the big version of this quilt so much, that I decided I needed a little version for my cube at work. I'm totally in love with the red/aqua color combination, so I dug back into the stash for my baby quilt. The quilt goes together the same way as in the big version, but just scale the template down until it's small enough for you. Just make sure to do it proportionally on all sides so the shape stays the same.

It's about the same size as the quilt in my last post that I gave to my sister. (I'd measure, but it's hanging by my desk at work right now.)

When giving these as gifts, I like to fold the quilt in half lengthwise, roll it up into a bundle, and tie closed with a piece of selvedge. Sweet!

I think I see a mini hexi quilt in my future . . . .

You found me!

2010-08-12T23:33:00.000-04:00

Well, in spite of having been a quilt blog-stalker for years now, I'm just now getting around to starting my own. I'm so glad you found me!

To introduce myself, my name is Kelly.

(What I would have looked like in the '60s)

I'm in love with sewing and quilting, and I'm really excited to connect with others who share my fabric/craft/stash-collecting/etsy sickness. I frequently have the moment around midnight when I've finished up a project and am totally DYING to show it off to someone . . . but my neighbors are all asleep. And frankly, they don't "ooh" and "aahhh" the way I want them to anyway, so it's a wash. Ahhh, but NOW when that happens, I'll slam some pictures online and hopefully you'll tear yourself away from your favorite blogs to check in on me and see what's going on in the wee-smalls. And I will totally do the same for you! We crafters need to stick together!!!

I usually end up giving the things I make away, often to my sis who lives way too far away. This is a mini-quilt I made from some scraps for her to hang in her cube. I really like the way the white space gives the traditional blocks a little bit of a modern vibe.

Karen's Quilt

I like other things, too!

Things I like:

Anne of Green Gables
Chandler from "Friends"
Mrs. Grass's chicken noodle soup
using pitchers as vases
stale popcorn
vintage buttons
flower boxes (even though I've killed all of my flowers)
both of the Portlands
my big, metal coffee thermos
my little sister
traveling to cities (like London)
the "shoes" books by Noel Streatfeild

Things I don't like:

picking up heavy things (like couches, or free-weights)
grabbing yesterday's coffee cup by mistake
wondering if I unplugged the iron as I'm driving away . . .
the day I finished reading Harry Potter and knew there were no more books coming
traveling to the wilderness
running out of thread

How about you?