Last minute gift ideas: Easy Patchwork Placemats

Is anyone else mildly freaking out that Christmas is in a mere 6 days?  I'm actually doing ok.  I think.  Just about everything has been purchased, and all my hand made gifts have been made, but I now have an overflowing closet full of things that need wrapped.  In case you are scrambling for a few last minute hand made gifts, over the next few days I have a couple of quick and easy projects that would make great last minute gifts!

I whipped up these patchwork placemats using up some scraps left over from my recent Christmas tree skirt.  My Accuquilt GO! and 2.5" inch die made quick work of the cutting (however you only need 30 squares per placemat, so rotary cutting would be easy also), and I pieced them into a block of 5 squares x 6 squares.  

I was fresh out of quilters linen, so I actually had this linen I picked up at Joanns a while back that's from the garment sewing section.  I used some very light weight interfacing on the wrong side of the linen to stabilize the fabric, as the linen had a little stretch to it.  

These finished placemats measure 12" x 18".  I skipped messing with binding to save on time, and layered some batting before sewing these wrong sides together and turning right side out.  I edge stitched 1/8" from the edge, and then 1/4" on either side of the linen/patchwork seam.  

Yield: 2 fun and festive (and more importantly quick and easy!) placemats.  

Happy holiday sewing!

it's the holiday season

I am officially in full on holiday mode here, and checking my to do's off my list one thing at a time.  You all know how much of a sucker I am for a good swap, so when Amy organized the Secret Santa swap over on twitter, I just couldn't resist.  

I put together this lined drawstring bag using Jeni's tutorial, and am absolutely in love with this pattern.  I'm thinking there will be many a Christmas gifts "wrapped" in one of these drawstring bags.  Jeni also has a pattern for this drawstring bag for 7 different sizes as well, I'm thinking I'll need to purchase that pattern!  

Secret intel tells me my partner digs this Merry Main Street Alexander Henry print, so I paired it with some Ready Set Snow by Me and My Sister designs for Moda.  The outer accent red fabric is another Christmas Moda print as well.

Here is my swap package ready to be shipped off tomorrow, hopefully my partner likes!  I used some more Merry Main Street to "wrap" a quilting/sewing book for my partner (which would totally give it away if I showed what it is!) and added a few fat quarters from my stash and 2 holiday pin toppers.

How is your holiday sewing coming along??

Festive Christmas Tree Skirt & tutorial

My monstrously large behemoth Christmas tree skirt is finished!  I have been wanting to make a larger Christmas tree skirt since last Christmas, and of course waited until December to tackle that project.  I have a few tree skirts including this one, which I absolutely love, however find it to be just too small for our large live tree we get every year.

This skirt measures 60 inches in diameter, and took a little quilty math and geometry to figure out the logistics, but in the end I must have retained something from 9th geometry with Mr. Rizzardi because it came together easy as pie.  With a little help from Google on how exactly to use a protractor (seriously never thought I would need those 9th grade skills again...) I had the dimensions for my large and in charge tree skirt.  

I used a plethora of various holiday prints from my stash as well as some non-holiday red and green favorites.  I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of it nestled quite nicely under our tree, but I am so so pleased with how this turned out, and I'm sure will be used for many years to come.

Quilt Stats:

Quilt Name: Festive Christmas Tree Skirt

Size:  60" round (diameter of 60")

Fabrics:  Assorted holiday and red and green prints

Binding: Bias cut red and white stripey fabric found at Joann's

Quilting:  Straight line quilting 1/4 inch on either side of each seam done by me

In case you'd like to make your very own tree skirt here is a tutorial for how I made mine:

Printable PDF pattern available here

Please note:  Read ALL instructions before beginning

Fabric Requirements

6 yards total of assorted prints

·         (32) 6.5" x 26.25" or (32) 6" x 23.75" strips of festive fabric (choose one set measurements for all 32 strips of fabric)

approximately 1 yard fabric for binding

3 yards fabric for backing

1.  Measure and cut (32) strips of fabric using either 6.5” x 26.25” or 6” x 23.75” for all (32) strips.  Using the first set of measurements will yield a completed skirt measuring approximately 60" in diameter.  Using the second set of measurements will yield a skirt slightly smaller than 60” in diameter. 

• As shown below, if you choose to use the first set of measurements, creative cutting will be necessary when cutting the angles for the wedges, as the cutting line will be longer than a standard 24” quilting ruler.

o   Tip:  Like shown below, align a second quilting ruler to reach the full cutting distance OR use the 6” x 23.75” measurements listed above, which will allow you to make all cuts using a standard 6” x 24” quilting ruler.

2.  Once fabric strips are cut, make one small mark to indicate the center of one short edge (6.5” or 6” edge): at 3.25" from the edge if you are using the larger measurements or at 3" from the edge if you are using the smaller measurements.  Make (2) more marks, 5/8" on either side of your middle mark, as shown below.

• Tip:  cut several strips at one time by layering multiple strips on top of one another to save time marking and cutting.

3.  Now align your ruler from the far left mark you just made to the opposite left corner and cut your fabric.  Repeat for the right side.

4.  Once all (32) wedges are cut, sew all wedges together using a ¼” seam allowance.  Leave one seam un-sewn.

5.  Spread out the tree skirt top on a design wall or the floor.  The seam that was left un-sewn should overlap by about 1/2" as shown below.

6.  Trim approximately ¼” off of each wedge at the un-sewn seam so that it lays flat and no longer overlaps.  Do not worry if more than ¼” needs trimmed, simply trim so that the seam no longer overlaps.  

7.  Baste, quilt and bind using bias binding to finish the tree skirt and enjoy!

Please contact me at [email protected] should you have any questions, happy holidays!

  

WIP Wednesday {11.30.2011}

This past week was full of many things...however not many of them were quilty.  I'm also starting to just ever so slightly panic that tomorrow is December 1st.  Which means that Christmas is in 25 days.  Seriously?  I have entirely too many holiday to do's to complete for Christmas to only be in 25 days.  Anyways here's what I've been up to this past week.

Completed Projects

Tangled Windows

I actually finished up this quilt on Sunday evening, however I haven't had any daylight to snap some pics!  By the time I get home from work, its already dark out, how depressing.  More on this this weekend.

Sparkle Ornaments

Tutorial here.

New Projects

Christmas Tree skirt

My sewing room may look like it vomited Christmas fabric right now, but I've been wanting to make a new Christmas tree skirt for a while now.  I made this one last year, but its just too small for our live tree that we get every year.  

I actually did quilty geometry, yes you read that right, not just quilty math, but quilty geometry, and I *think* I have it figured out (I'm crossing all crossables that this comes out like I have planned) so that these pieced strips will form a complete circle.  I hope.  

This Weeks Stats

New Projects: 2

Completed Projects: 2

In Progress:  7

Christmas Tree skirt

4x5 bee blocks

ABC Crewelwork sampler

Birdie Stitches

Farmers Wife QAL

Blocks that need turned into a quilt:

Spiderweb quilt blocs

3x6 bee blocks

Be sure to stop over at Freshly Pieced and add your WIP!

{sparkly}

I'm officially in the holiday spirit.  Our tree will be up in the next few days, and I've started hauling the bins and bins of Christmas decorations up from the basement.  I've again been scouring pinterest for Christmas decoration ideas, and after coming across these awesome sparkly ornaments, I knew I had to make them.  

I absolutely adore anything Christmas and sparkly, but the worst part is that everything within a five mile radius of said sparkly decoration ends up covered in glitter.  These ornaments are the perfect solution, pretty and sparkly, but here's the secret: the glitter is on the inside of the ornament, so everything in their near vicinity doesn't become infested with glitter!

I found my glass ornaments at Michael's for uber cheap ($2.50 for a package of 6 ornaments), and used extra fine glitter.  I didn't use the Martha Stewart glitter as the tutorial suggests, but did make sure it was extra fine, and had no problems with coverage.

I cannot wait to replace my old school messy glitter ornaments with these beauties when decorating the tree this year- yay for glitter free hands!  

WIP Wednesday {better late than never}

Yes, WIP Wednesday is almost over, but I figured I'd sneak in a quick post at the 11th hour.  Between working today and getting my house ready for Thanksgiving day dinner guests tomorrow this Wednesday just seems to have slipped by.

New & Completed Projects

12 Days of Christmas Sampler Quilt Block tutorial

If you haven't already, check out the tutorial here.

Amy Butler Reversible Everyday Shopper

Holiday Pintoppers

In Progress

Tangled Windows 

For some reason I've completely been stalling on putting this quilt back together.  I couldn't tell you why, I really like the design, I just seemed to have zero motivation to actually piece the blocks that have been hanging out on my design wall for entirely too long, into the Kona Coal I had picked out.  That is until today!  After cleaning the house from top to bottom, I willed myself down into my sewing room and got working on this quilt back.  I'm so glad I did, hopefully I can finish it up at some point this weekend and get to basting and quilting.

This Weeks Stats

New Projects: 3

Completed Projects: 3

In Progress: 7

Tangled Windows

4x5 Bee Blocks

ABC Crewelwork Sampler

Birdie Stitches

Farmers Wife QAL

Blocks that need turned into a quilt:

Spiderweb blocks

3x6 bee blocks

Be sure to stop over and check out the awesome WIPs at Freshly Pieced.  

I'd also like to wish everyone a very happy Turkey day!  

Hanging Ornaments: block tutorial

Hello and welcome!  I am so excited to share today's block with everyone, and that Sara asked me to be part of her 12 days of Christmas Sampler quilt along.  I don't know about everyone else, but one of my absolute favorite parts of the holiday season is decorating the Christmas tree.  I may be slightly obsessive, (no, you can't just hang the ornaments anywhere on the tree, as my husband likes to...is it so wrong to want the "nice" ornaments on the front of the tree, and to bury a few of my not so favorite ones in the back??)  but I just love going through the box of tree decorations and hanging them for all to see.  

When Sara asked if I'd like to take part in this quilt along, I immediately said yes, and almost just as immediately knew I wanted to put together a block that had something to do with ornaments, which leads me to block #9 of the quilt along: Hanging Ornaments.

Hanging Ornaments Block tutorial:

12.5" unfinished block

(1) 12.5" square piece of white or light colored print fabric

assorted scraps of red/green or holiday fabric

scrap of black or dark fabric approximately 3" x 9"

one or two sheets of fusible web (I use Steam a Seam Lite)

ornament template ( click here to print template--when printing, the template should take up the entire page, like pictured)

red 1/4" satin ribbon (optional)

1. Print out the ornament template and trace onto one sheet of fusible web.  When doing this, make sure to trace onto the side of the fusible web that does not peel off easily, this will serve as our cutting line when the fusible web is adhered to the fabric.

(please excuse my very faint tracing lines)

2.  Roughly cut out your traced fusible web shapes like so:

3.  Be as creative as you like with your ornament designs!  Here is how I made a few of mine:  For one of the medium sized ornaments, choose a scrap of colored fabric that is slightly larger than your cut out piece of fusible web with the ornament tracing on it.  Peel off the side of the fusible web that pulls of easily.  One side should now be tacky, and one side (the side with your tracing on it) should feel like paper.  Place the tacky side of the fusible web on the WRONG SIDE of your fabric, and press.

4.  The fusible web should now be adhered to your fabric.  Cut your fabric along your traced edge, and voila!  One ornament is complete (you can leave some ornaments just as is, or as pictured, I fussy cut a second circle, and followed steps 1-3 to adhere the fussy cut circle to my red circle ornament)  again, be as creative as you like!  Set your ornament aside for now.

5.  To make the strip pieced larger ornament, I sewed together approximately (9) 1.5"x 5" strips together and pressed the seams open.  Again, peel off the easy to pull away side of your fusible web tracing and press fusible web to the WRONG SIDE of your pieced fabric.  

6.  Again, cut along the traced line on your fusible web, and set ornament aside.  

7.  Once you have all six ornaments made and adhered to the fusible web, pull off the second paper side of your fusible web, so that the wrong side of your fabric is now "tacky".  Arrange your ornaments in any way you like on your 12.5" piece of fabric (be sure to keep a 1/4" inseam around the entire block for piecing the quilt together).  DO NOT press into place yet.  Set your block aside.   

(just imagine these paper templates are my actual ornaments made of fabric)

8.  To make the black "strings", cut a 2" or 3" piece of fusible web from the short side of your fusible web sheet.  

9.  Peel off the "easy to peel" side and fuse to the wrong side of your scrap of black or dark fabric.  Trim your fabric to the size of your fusible web adhered to the fabric back.  Cut 6 strips of your black fabric (with fusible web attached) measuring approximately 3/8" wide (I varied my widths as small as 1/8" and as large as 1/4").     

10.  Peel off the paper side of the fusible web so that the back of the fabric is now "tacky" and arrange black strings on your 12.5" block with your ornaments like so:

11.  Leave your ornament strings long, and once you are happy with the layout, press your block, adhering the ornaments and strings to the 12.5" block.  (don't press your extra ornament strings hanging off your block!)  Once you have pressed everything into place, now use your rotary cutter and ruler to trim off the excess strings.  

12.  You are now ready to stitch!  Using a medium to narrow width zig zag stitch, machine stitch around all six ornaments, and any extra fussy cut fusing to hold everything in place.  To stitch the "strings" I used black thread and a zig zag stitch width about the width of my strings.  

13. If you wish, you can tie a few bows using a 1/4" width satin ribbon, and hand sew your ribbon right where your ornaments and strings meet.  Apply a dab of fray check to the ends of your ribbons, or CAREFULLY expose raw ribbon ends briefly to an open flame to seal and prevent fraying.  

Ta-Da!  One completed ornament block.  I hope you enjoyed stitching along with me today, and be sure to add your completed block to the flickr group.  If you've missed  any of the previous blocks or want to jump in on the fun, here is the 12 Days of Christmas Sampler quilt along schedule:

Oct 25 - Julianna @ Projektownia Jednoiglec

Oct 27 - Sara @ Sew Sweetness
Nov 1 - Kaelin @ The Plaid Scottie
Nov 3 - Jennie @ Clover and Violet
Nov 8 - Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy
Nov 10 - Riel @ The Q and the U
Nov 15 - Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts
Nov 17 - Lindsay @ Lindsay Sews
Nov 22 - Jessica @ SewCraftyJess
Nov 23 - Sarah @ Fairy Face Designs
Nov 29 - Heather & Megan @ Quilt Story
Dec 1 - Kim @ My Go Go Life

Merry Christmas and happy stitching!