Carpenters Wheel quillow

The name quillow may be new to you - it means a quilt that folds into a pillow - or cushion. I love these and made some for each of my daughters as they went to university.

The carpenters wheel block, made with 2" squares and half square triangles, (dies used - 659831

http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659831/sizzix-bigz-die-half-square-triangles-2-1-2-assembled-square and 657607 -http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657607/sizzix-bigz-die-square-2-finished-2-1-2-unfinished, with the Big Shot Machine - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray) is a 16" square - so cut an 18" square in wadding and backing fabric. Layer the backing, wadding and cushion front together, pin and then quilt together.

Trim the wadding and backing to the same size as the cushion front.

Cut another piece of backing fabric the same size and

Trim the wadding and backing to the same size as the cushion front.

Cut another piece of backing fabric the same size and place on top of the cushion front and stitch around 3 sides (now you could leave the backing off when you are quilting but I like to quilt with a fabric on the back not just the wadding - but that's just personal choice)

Turn the cushion right side out and press.

For the quilt part I have used 1.8m by 112cm wide,of a plain black and a small print, and cut a piece of wadding to match.

As I don't want to add a binding to the quilt I layered on fabric right side up, on the wadding.

The cushion is placed in the middle of one end, matching raw edges, and then the other quilt fabric is placed right side down, over the top -

Pin through all layers and stitch together, using a 1/4" or 6mm seam allowance, and leaving an opening of 12"/ 30cm in one side.

Turn the quillow right side out, and slip stitch the open edges together.

Quilt as desired - leaving the cushion free at the end -



To complete flip the cushion onto the quilt, so that the pieced front is against the quilt, pin the sides to the quilt - and stitch in place, leaving the top edge open -

 

(this photo should show black - but I'm not sure what happened to the colour!!)

Turn the quillow over so that the pocket is underneath, fold the sides in to match the width of the cushion, then fold the length into 4, to match the cushion side.

All that remains is to turn the cushion right side out, with all of the quilt inside - and that's it folks -

A useful cushion, that doubles as a quilt for a cold evening.

Next week I'll show off one of our new dies - and then the following week I'll be at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace - so maybe I'll see some of you there.

Angela

Prancing Deer Cushion

Die used: Prancing Deer

I've been using the Prancing Deer die recently for a project that I can't blog about just yet but I really love this die and so have carried on using it to make something that I can post about! It's such a classic, stylish deer shape and perfect for some Christmas crafting - I have a plan to make some paper and card deer bunting nearer to the festive season with one in the chain sporting a mini red pompom on it's nose. For now though I've been using it to make an appliqué patch to embellish a cushion cover.

Applying a piece of iron-on adhesive (fusible web) that is slightly larger overall than the deer to the reverse of the appliqué fabric

and then positioning the adhesive-backed area over the cutting area of the die and cutting with a Big Shot

results in one perfectly cut out deer.

I cut out a simple cushion front and peeled off the backing paper from the die-cut deer and pressed it in place in the bottom right-hand corner of the cushion front. Then, with a scrap of fabric pinned behind the deer to support the patch, I sewed an outline all around the inside edge of the deer sewing twice around the body but just once over the antlers (just carrying on past them on the second circuit).

It is quite an ornate shape but a perfectly stitched outline isn't required just one that will hold it in place securely, a sketchy outline looks really effective especially over the antlers.

Once the appliqué was done it was just a case of sewing an envelope back onto the cushion front and turning it the right way out. Voila!

I think this die is going to see a lot of use over the next 2-3 months.

Happy sewing!

Half Hexagon cushion cover

 As it's nearly September I've started thinking about back to school and off to Uni - and that I haven't managed to complete many of my half completed projects!
so I've combined off to Uni and finishing something, and made a cushion to brighten a student room.
These half hexagon friendship braids have been lying around for ages - obviously they were cut using the Big Shot and the Half Hexagon die - 660175 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660175/sizzix-bigz-die-5-half-hex

So I cut some navy fabric stripes using the Big Shot Plus 660020http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray

and the 2 1/2" strip 658328 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658328/sizzix-bigz-xl-25-die-strips-2-1-2-wide , and used them to join 3 of the strips together -

I trimmed the top and bottom to make the edges straight and then just added a backing in the same navy to complete - I am going to insert a cushion pad and then slip stitch the edges together -

 

 So I'm feeling pleased with myself - one less thing to finish
Next week might be back to school - or it might be a mystery quilt.
Until then have fun sewing.
Angela

Summer Tattered Flower Cushion

Hi everyone! Today I come back with a new cushion project. I love  how  turned it on.

This time I wanted something different, elegant  and  more creative so I sew some embellishment.

For my summer project I chose some of the essentials dies, one of them included in the Sizzix Plus Starter kit. This new machine let me to use two dies at the same time.

I love tattered  Florals  by Tim Holtz and this die is one my all time used die since it was on sale.

You can see how versatile is this flower die taking a look to the Vintage Sewing Machine cover  and published in Manos Maravillosas issue.

First I ironed some fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric and cut  the pieces, flowers and leaves.

656640

Sizzix Bigz Die - Tattered Florals

Big Shot Plus starter kit 

Then I layer on my background fabric , a very cream tone, and stitched with my machine and brown thread, all around.

With the pieces stitched and displayed as you can see in the pic, I started hand quilting with perle  brown  8 cotton. Previously I added some  batting, of course.

                

I wanted some  beads in my cushion so  I chose some in red, cream and brown.

 Finally I did the finishing with some fabric ribbon I sew by machine and used to tie on the back of the cushion. You can take a look to  Merry Xmas Cushion  or Autumn  Fox Faces cushion finished in the same way.
Now it matches perfectly with my Ohio Star quilt I showed here and waiting for quilting yet.
I like this style cushion , don´t you ?

Hope you can enjoy this time of the year , perfect to be with family and friends!!
See you in two weeks again!!
Love
Mercedes

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¡Hola a todo el mundo !Hoy vengo con un nuevo proyecto cojín .Me encanta cómo ha quedado. Quería que fuera algo diferente, elegante y creativo así que añadí algunos abalorios.

Para  mi proyecto de verano  he elegido algunos  troqueles básicos de Sizzix , uno de ellos  incluído en el Starter kit de la  nueva troqueladora Big Shot Plus. Lo bueno es que al se más ancha ,puedo usar dos troqueles a la vez, con lo que ahorro tiempo.

Me encanta el troquel Tattered Florals de Tim Holtz y es uno de los que más uso desde que salió a la venta.

Puedes ver lo versátil que es echando un vistazo en otro proyecto que hice , la funda Vintage para la máquina de coser y que fue publicada en la revista Manos Maravillosas.

Lo primero que hice fue planchar por el revés de la tela elegida , algo de entretela. Luego corté con los troqueles lo que necesitaba , flores y hojas.

656640

Sizzix Bigz Die - Tattered Florals

Big Shot Plus starter kit 

Coloqué todo sobre la tela de fondo , una en crema muy clarita, y cosí alrededor a máquina con hilo marrón oscuro. Después hice algo de acolchado a mano con hilo  perlé de algodón marrón  en el número 8, sin olvidar añadir algo de guata por detrás ,claro.

Como ya te he dicho , quería algo de adornos así que dispuse  algunos abalorios en crema, marrón y rojo.

Finalmente lo terminé añadiendo algunas cintas  para cerrarlo con ataduras , usando tela de la misma colección . Si echas un vistazo a  Merry Xmas Cushion  o  Autumn  Fox Faces cushion 

puedes ver  explicado el mismo acabado.

Ahora hace juego perfectamente con el quilt  Ohio Star que te enseñé aquí y que aún está esperando ser acolchado. Me gusta este estilo de cojín, ¿ y a ti?

Espero que disfrutes esta parte del año , perfecta para estar con la familia y los amigos .

Te veo en un par de semanas.

Cariños

Mercedes

Summer Sunshine - Rising Sun

With summer in full swing, it seems a little unfair to bemoan the rising sun, however, 4.30 am in my bedroom window, beautiful as it is, I'd rather the dawn chorus would wait just a little longer.

So this month, in my homage to the rising sun, I give you the Rising Sun Block.

I found this beauty in the Quilters Album of Patchwork Patterns By Jinny Beyer

and really, if you are into traditional patchwork blocks, then this is for you!

I am loving finding all the blocks that I can use my Sizzix Big Shot Plus and Bigz dies for.  So I was pretty thrilled to be able to do all the cutting for this block completely by Sizzix.

I wasn't feeling so great, my daughter, having finish college and waiting for the summer to pass blissfully in idleness before Uni in September declared boredom.  So I enlisted her to choose any fabrics from my stash, yes, really, ANY fabrics, showed her the picture of what we were going to make, and set her to work cutting away.  She was quite surprised at just how easy it was to wind the dies through the Sizzix Big Shot Plus, how well each Bigz die cut the fabrics the same shape every time and how fast we had everything cut ready for piecing. 

The advantage of having help, that can sew, but chooses not to, is you realize just how important that 1/4" seam is.  Despite the accurate cutting, if the piecing isn't accurate, then the results are not going to be as pleasing.  Good job I know how to sew the seam accurately!  

A happy compromise of me sewing, and the teenager pressing was agreed.  In no time at all, we were deciding on borders to make the block slightly bigger for a cushion. Quilted the block, and soon had a cushion.  

We used the following equipment: 

Sizzix Big Shot Plus 

657611 Half Square Triangle 2 1/2" finished  (watch the video, it has great tips for cutting!)

657615 Trapezoid 2 1/2" x 41/2"

657605 Rectangle  2" x 4" finished

659838 Square  4" finished

659852 Triangles 2 1/2"h x 4 12"w unfinished

The block comes out at 16" finished, we added 1/2" finished accent to border the block, and 2 1/2" outer border.  Once quilted the cushion top was trimmed down to 20".  

Things to remember with shapes like the trapezoid is to layer fabrics with either right or wrong sides together, so you get a left and a right shape.  If all your fabrics are layered on the die all facing the same direction, you will only get one shape, not its reverse as well.  

I hope you'll have a go at this block, it was really quick to make, and for me is filled with happy memories of a pleasant afternoon of stitching harmony with my daughter. 

Rainbow Dots Cushion: Completed

Die used: Circles, 3/4in

The cushion I began last week decorated with an explosion of little rainbow spots is now all finished, complete with two buttonholes on the reverse. Having said in my previous post that I would finally learn how to do buttonholes on my new sewing machine, I did have to keep my word really!

Initially I sewed the front and back together around the edge with wrong sides facing and then turned it the right way out. This meant the side was plain and once the cushion pad was inserted it wrinkled and lost some definition. After deliberating for a while over whether to add a thin side panel or binding the edge, I opted for binding and so unpicked the sides and began again.

It was definitely worth taking the time to unpick and re-do it as the binding provides a nice outline and accentuates the circular shape of the cushion.

The back is made using some Amy Butler fabric from my stash and a couple of buttons from my button jar.

And that's it all done, no more cushions again now for a while.

Happy sewing!