Small Projects and Tutorials

Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue posted five days of small projects last week, along with links to tutorials.  I made two of the projects and was very pleased with them.

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/all-small-week-day-1-business-card-holder/

These card holders were easy and fast to make.  I like to have something handmade to hold gift cards and these were perfect.  I chose to use snaps as closures and I thought they turned out very cute.

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/all-small-week-day-4-pincushions/

I also made the Cathedral Windows pincushion.  I had tried a Cathedral Windows block years ago without much success, but this one turned out pretty well.

It was fun to check in each day to see what Deanna had for us.  Here are the other three projects she posted:

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/all-small-week-day-5-denim-storage-bins/

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/all-small-week-day-2-circle-skirt/

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/all-small-week-day-3-fabric-nesting-baskets/

An Envelope Gift Bag from Orphan Blocks – A Tutorial

I enjoy trying pieced blocks just for the experience and many of them are never used in a quilt.  I have a stack of various sizes and developed this envelope-style lined gift bag to hold small, flat gifts and then be useful for storing sewing, cosmetic and other small items.  Each bag uses two orphan blocks of the same size.  Of course, scraps could also be used.

Here is how I make the bags:

• Choose two quilt blocks of the same size, one for the outside bag and one for the lining (my blocks in this example are 12-½ inches)

• Place the two blocks right sides together and stitch a ¼ inch seam on all sides, LEAVING A 3 INCH OPENING ON WHAT WOULD BE THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE BAG.  Back stitch at the beginning and ending.

• Trim the 4 corners …

• …and turn the bag right-side-out.  Press and tuck in the opening fabric.  Top stitch 1/8 inch from the edge on all four sides.

This is all of the machine sewing you’ll be doing on this project.  A bit of hand sewing will complete the bag.

• Place the finished piece on point right-side-up on a mat and fold the bottom point to meet the left hand point.

• Pin together so that the sewn edges meet but do not overlap.

• Using needle and thread and beginning at the top edge,  join the two pieces, catching just the edges of the lining fabric so the stitches don‘t show on the outside of the bag and so the edges abut.

• Fold the right hand point over to meet the center and join together.

• Turn and press.

• Sew a small snap on the back flap and center.

• If desired, add a button or other embellishment to the back and/or front.

The 12-½ inch block makes a bag approximately 7 x 8 inches.  It would be a good size for a small journal or paperback book.

A 9-½ inch block makes a bag about 5-3/4 inches square.

An 8-½ inch block makes a bag about 5-¼ inches square – good for a CD or DVD

A 6-1/2 inch block makes a bag 3-½ inches square – just right for a gift card.

These bags are very fast and easy to assemble, make nice holders for gifts and reduce the stack of orphan blocks.

A Mini Quilt Becomes a Table Cover

Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue has a really nice tutorial for a “Sew Small Sampler Quilt” with 3-½ inch unfinished blocks.  She has directions for 12 old favorites plus measurements for background blocks to set the quilt on point.  The blocks are not difficult and Deanna offers to help anyone who needs a little more direction in making the quilt.

I decided to add borders and size the piece to fit my 1930s era sewing table.

I chose to use up a lot of green scraps to steer this piece in the direction of St. Patrick’s Day.

I did very simple stitch-in-the-ditch quilting along with a free-hand pinwheel motif in each block…

…and decorative stitching in the borders.

As I was piecing the blocks, I used 1-¼ inch scrap blocks as leaders and enders, and by adding a few extra strips of fabric, had enough to make the backing.

The piece measures 26x 16 inches and will be nice for my March sewing table cover.

Check out Deanna’s tutorial for a good project.

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/tutorial-sew-small-sampler-quilt/

Scottie Valentine Silhouettes

Scotties are perfect for silhouettes and Scottie silhouettes are perfect for Valentine’s Day decorations.

I made this wall hanging with a vintage Christmas card as my inspiration.  I drew the various pieces on Steam-A-Seam Double Stick Lite Fusible Web, then fused them to the bits of fabric.  I cut out the various pieces of the design and arranged them on an applique mat before fusing them to the background fabric.  They were stitched in place with invisible thread and a narrow zigzag stitch.  I added some strips and borders to complete the piece and did some very simple quilting.

A few years ago, I made this wall hanging for the kitchen.

The background of the heart is a pretty scene from a calendar that was scanned and then printed on June Tailor Sew In Colorfast Fabric.  The Scottie also was inspired by a greeting card and was fused onto the piece and stitched with invisible thread.  The block is STATE FAIR from Judy Martin’s Stars and Sets software.

Last year, I made a hanging using a pineapple block with a center showing a silhouette of a 1930s era woman and her Scottie.

This was scanned from a vintage reverse painting on glass.

Scottie silhouettes are also good on greeting cards.  My daughter made these two cards for me on past Valentine’s Days.

I love Scotties, I love silhouettes and I love Valentine’s Day!

Quilt Blocks and a Bag from Leaders and Enders

For years, I’ve heard about leaders and enders (little scraps of fabric inserted at the beginning and ending of a seam to avoid tangled threads and to save thread), but my attempts to do this were always distracting and I’d give up on it.  Lately, though, eye problems have made it difficult to thread the needle and I re-evaluated the leader and ender pieces of fabric.  I know a lot of quilters keep a box of scraps near the sewing machine to use in this manner and eventually have enough scraps sewn together to make a quilt.  Anything that will use up small scraps appeals to me and I got out my jars of scraps which are sorted by color and cut several colors into 2-inch squares.  This size accommodates a lot of my fabric pieces and is easy to stitch together.   I carried it another step further and put the pieces together to make a 9-patch rather than having another box full of 2-inch patches to put together – SOME DAY.

Before I begin to sew, I put two 2-inch squares right-sides-together and stitch them.  Then, without breaking thread, I sew the seam on my current project.  At the end of this seam, I insert another two squares and stitch them together.  I cut the thread on the first set of 2-inch squares, add another square to make a row and this becomes my “leader” or “ender” as needed.  I keep the rows for one block on the ironing board beside me until a 9-patch is completed – then it goes into a basket and I start another set of patches.

I used this technique on a recent mini-quilt project and when I had finished the quilt, I had made 19 five-inch blocks   They are all in coordinating colors so they can be put together easily as needed for a pillow backing, small quilt or wall hanging backing, gift bags, etc.

Now, I’m so accustomed to putting 2-inch scraps together as I’m sewing that I use the process for any project, including making clothes.  No more birds’ nests at the beginning of the seam, no more wasted thread and a minimum amount of needle-threading – plus, I’ve used up some scraps and have nice blocks on hand to use with other projects.

I was able to use some of the blocks recently to make a lining for a small bag I made to give to some friends with jars of pickles and blackberry jam.  I used 1-1/2 inch sashing between the 5-inch blocks.  The lining is pretty enough to make the bag reversible.

For the outside of the bag, I used two orphan blocks.

All I had to do was add straps and facing around the top to make a nice little gift bag.

I also have strips cut 1-1/4 inches wide which I like to use for log cabin blocks and pieces cut in 1-1/2 inch squares.  I make sure my basket is full of scrap leaders and enders before I begin any project.

P.S.  My friends liked the bag and the home-canned goods.

A Really Cute Pieced Santa Ornament

This is a very easy paper-pieced Santa ornament.  If you’re familiar with paper piecing, it will be a breeze to make and if you’re not, this is a good introduction.   For the pattern and complete instructions, go to

http://pinwheelponders.blogspot.com/2009/07/paper-pieced-santa-pattern.html

There is also a link on that post to a good paper piecing tutorial.

The pattern called for small black buttons and a red pompom which I didn’t have.  Instead, I removed the paper backing after doing the paper piecing and embroidered two French-knot eyes and some red lines for the mouth.

Luckily, I did have some small bells for the hat.  A small white pompom would also work well.

On the Pinwheel Ponders blog, there are several examples of different fabrics used on the ornaments.

I chose to hand stitch a wire hook to the ornament for hanging.

Although not required, I have these tools on hand for paper piecing and turning small items.

The 1/4 inch paper piecing ruler, the hemostat and the point turner have been useful so many times on past projects.  I bought the hemostat (item 3022) and the point turner (item 3009) at Quilt-in-a-Day.  These items are sometimes at your local quilt shop.

Emily’s Quilt Cabinet

Heidi is a fellow Ohioan who lives in Holland.  She has a blog where she shares some of the greatest decorating ideas.  I loved this post where she took a miniature armoire, refinished it and used it for storing her doll quilts.

http://thecranberrychronicle.blogspot.com/2011/09/make-do-and-mend-mondays.html

I don’t have a small armoire and I’ve only made a couple of miniature quilts, but I did have a little cabinet (8 inches tall x 7 inches wide)  that was hand painted by my oldest daughter and given to me several years ago to use as a jewelry chest.

My daughter also gave me a handmade doll which sits in a twig chair and holds seasonal items.  Her name is Emily (the name of two of my great-grandmothers) and the dress she is wearing is one that my mother had made in 1942 from an old school dress of mine.

I have several 5-6 inch blocks that I’ve made through the years to place on Emily’s lap.  So, when I put the two elements together, I had a small version of Heidi’s charming armoire.

Each week, I look forward to Heidi’s “Make do and mend Mondays” to see what other good ideas she has.

Heidi also has a wonderful needlework blog:

http://allmyscatteringmoments.blogspot.com/2011/10/lucys-little-stars-doll-quilt.html

An Easter Gift Bag from Scraps

I wanted to make up a small gift bag to hold Easter candy for the grandchildren and I’m always looking for ways to use up fabric scraps.  This little bag fit the bill in both cases and ties securely to keep all the treats from falling out.

This is how I made the bag:

I used 1/4 inch seams throughout.

For the bottom of the bag A:

• Cut two pieces of fabric 6 inches wide x 6-1/2 inches long.  I chose to use a cute vintage bunny print.  Notice the direction of the print before cutting so that you have the look you want on the front and back of the bag.
• Draw a 3/4 inch square at the two corners at the bottom of bag A.  This measurement will make the bag 2 inches deep.

• Cut out the squares

• Place the front and back of bag A right sides together and stitch along the sides and across the bottom.
• Spread the side of the bag and bring raw edges together at the corner, matching seams

• Stitch 1/4 inch straight across for corner

• Repeat with other corner.  Turn and press.

For top of bag – B

• Cut 2 pieces of contrasting fabric 6 inches wide x 6-1/2 inches long.  I wanted to use some blue and white scraps for this portion of the bag and cut 6 strips of white and 6 strips of blue, 1-1/2 x 6 inches.  Sew 6 strips, alternating colors, to form two 6×6-1/2 pieces for the top of the bag.

• Join front and back of B together and stitch down sides.
• At the top of B, turn down 1/4 inch and then another 1/4 inch and stitch for the hem.

Joining top and bottom – A and B

• Place the top of the bag over the bottom, matching raw edges at the top and side seams.  Stitch to join these pieces.

• Turn top A inside of bottom B and press.  Measure down 1/2 inch from seam and pin on an 11-1/2 piece of trim which has been joined with a 1/4 inch seam.

• Stitch through the center of the trim, catching all 3 layers of trim, bottom and top of bag.
• Press and assemble bag so that top portion comes out of bottom of bag.
• Fill with Easter treats and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Bag measures about 5 x 8-1/2 inches x 2 inches deep – just the right size for a stash of jellybeans.

I also made a larger version, using a 6-1/2 inch unfinished quilt block and added borders to make the piece 8-1/2 inches wide x 9-1/2 inches long for the front bottom of the bag.  I added 3 pieces of fabric the same size  for the top and back bottom pieces.  I cut 1-1/2 inch squares for the corners.  On this one, I sewed a piece of lace with eyelets near the top and threaded the ribbon through the eyelets.  You can adjust the fabric size to suit your purposes.  The blocks cut out for the corners gives the depth for the bag.  This bag measures 8 inches wide x 14 inches long x 3 inches deep.

Springtime Mantel and Cushion Cover

Desert Sky Quilts has a great quilting blog which includes tutorials for some blocks she designed.  I liked her Indestructible Star and tried it using her instructions for a 12-1/2 inch unfinished block.  I added a border and ruffles to make a nice cushion cover.

(http://desertskyquilts.livejournal.com/)

I thought this would be a good pattern to use with scraps for a springtime mantel cover.  For this cover I reduced the blocks to 6-1/2 inches.

For the length I wanted, I made 5 blocks using scraps of a different coordinating color for each.

I added setting and corner triangles along with a border and a plain piece of fabric for the top of the mantel.

I didn’t want to use batting and placed the backing right sides together with the block portion and sewed around the edges, leaving an opening on the back edge.  The piece was turned and pressed, then I used a minimum amount of machine stitching to hold the back and front together and top stitched around the edge.

I like the cover very much – cheerful and spring-like.

This cover measures 19-1/2 x 43-1/2 inches.

Wonder Cut Ruler–More Things To Do

I posted previously about the Wonder Cut Ruler and how great it is for making half-square triangles.   The block above used 16 HSTs and went together very quickly.  After spending the money, I was hoping I could do more with the ruler and on the Wonder Cut web site found instructions for making a three-part half-square triangle.

Then, I continued with their instructions for a four-part half-square triangle.

In each case, there are many ways to set the block to get a different look.

Then, I began wondering if I could incorporate the ease of the ruler with using up a lot of small scraps.  I decided to start with a bag of green scraps that go back about 8 years – I hate to throw them away.  I used every piece that was at least 1-1/2 inches wide and cut larger scraps into 1-1/2 inch wide strips.  I sorted them generally according to size.

I started strip-piecing the scraps together, using the smallest scraps first.  For a good scrappy look, I roughly cut larger strips into 2-inch pieces and joined them randomly.

I like to make one block at a time with this process, since a 20 inch length is just about right for sewing and handling.  For a 10-1/2 unfinished block, I made 4 rows of strips 20 inches long (regular ruler).  For stability, I placed a solid piece 1-1/2 inches x 20 inches between the small-scrap rows.

The four rows sewn together will measure 5-1/2 on the straight line of the Wonder Cut Ruler.

Cut two pieces of contrasting fabric 5-1/2 on the straight line of the Wonder Cut Ruler x 13 inches (regular ruler).  With right sides together, stitch a 1/4 inch seam lengthwise.  Press to dark fabric.

Using the Wonder Cut Ruler, place the 5-1/2 straight line mark along the edge and cut into 3 sections.

Join the squares together, alternating light and dark.  You will need 5 squares for a complete block.  (There will be one square left over.)

Place the joined squares and scrap section right sides together.  Sew a 1/4 inch seam down each side to form a tube.  Press.

Place the Wonder Cut triangle portion with 5-1/2 at the bottom edge of the tube, aligning the center line of the triangle with the seam of the first set of blocks, and the tip of the triangle just below the top 1/4 inch seam.  Cut the triangle.  Turn the ruler and cut the other side of the fabric, being careful to align.  Continue to cut four triangles.

Press triangles into a square which should measure 5-1/2 inches and arrange the pieces on a mat to find the setting that you want.

Stitch the top row together and then the bottom row, press.

These measurements will make a 10-1/2 unfinished block.

I decided to make another block, add some 1-1/2 inch borders and make a table mat for my vintage sewing table.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

You should have a triangle remaining at each end of the tube which you can join to make a 5-1/2 inch square.  Adding some borders, it would be easy to make this piece into a potholder, a pocket for an apron or many other small projects.

Now, I feel like I’m getting my full value from the Wonder Cut Ruler and I may think of even more things to do with it.