Practice Free Motion Quilting

Practice Free Motion Quilting

Using scraps of fabric you have on hand, make a small placemat sized "quilt" and put some beautiful varigated threat in your machine. Lower the feed dogs and begin in the corner or on the side,doesn't matter. 

Sew away and when you finish you have a nice little quilt that is so handy to in many places through the house! 

As I try out a new free-motion design I sew without thread  until I feel comfortable with the design. Relax relax, relax.... that is the key to free motion quilting. Its only thread and fabric.

Recycled Brown Bag

For my great grandson's birthday present (I actually do this for all childrens gift's, just something I have learned oner the years) I took it out of the packaging and was looking around the closet for a gift bag to slip it into and OOPS!  None of the ones I had  was large enough.....what to do????

Well I love to recycle and I love brown paper bags so I grabbed my stamps and ink pad and paper punch. 

I used another bag to tear and glue a cover over the printing on the front of my "new" bag.

The "Owl" motif  has been his talisman since before he was born so I have several stamps and punches just for him!

 His room is decorated in greens, leaves and feathered friends, mostly owls.

I traced the owl pattern (that had from making his bed skirt) onto a page from an old music book.

The owl's eye lids were a hit for tiny fingers.

I squeezed in a little crafting before the partyand not another package looked anything like this one from great grandma!

Baby's 1st Birthday Party

Baby's 1st Birthday Party

Went to my great grandson's 1st birthday party yesterday. What a cute one it was. The theme was a book named "The Hungry Caterpillar".  Baby wore a Hungry Caterpillar tee and wasn't sure what all the excitement was about. He had rather crawl around under the tables and chairs!

Sure is hard to catch a good expression by the time the flash goes off ! #$%^&.

The balloons represent "The Hungry Caterpillar" and 

were floating above the table where the theme food (all the different things the "The Hungry Caterpillar" ate throughout the book) were placed for the guest to nibble on. Tent cards in front of each food item told the story of what he ate each day and "He was still Hungry".  Spinach for "leaves" with salad dressing, cupcake "ice cream cone" cupcakes, etc. 

Cookies representing the different foods mentioned in the book.

And a tiny little individual cake just for the birthday boy!

Such a fun day and a great idea (Pinterest?) Maybe!

Halloween Door/Wall Hanging Quilt

Well, Halloween is just around the corner!

I love the colors of fall.  Over the years have made many trick or treat bags, placemats, table runners, and door/wall hanging quilts with a Halloween or Thanksgiving theme. 

Below is a design I digitized, embroidered, quilted and fashoned into a cute little hanging for the front door or some place on the wall that needs a splash of color during Halloween. My great grandson loves the special little "Family of Pumpkins".

 

Binding with a Bias Binder

Now available at www.yoursmineandhers.com

This method gives you a clean, neat finished edge on any project from large quilts to hems for garments and projects. I love bias cut bindings but if you are not binding around a curve you can use straight cut fabric. Just be sure you cut the width of your binding exactly to the size of the binder (now available at www.yoursmineandhers.com) you are using or your finished results will not be satisfactory. I love the 6th Finger Stilletto and use it for many things other than with the binder. I always use the walking foot (even feed foot) for my machine so that the top fabric moves at the same time the (feed dog moves) the bottom fabric. The binder works best on a cotton batting or at least a low loft polyester batting that you zig-zag down all the way around your project.   

6th Finger Stilletto

The binder mounts to the machine at the 2 threaded holes to the right of the pressure foot.

Cut the end of your fabric strip at an angle so it will be easier to slide into the binder.

Use the sixth finger stiletto to help feed the fabric through the binder. Note the wrong side of fabric facing out toward you.

Use the sixth finger stiletto again to catch and pull the fabric through and under the presser foot. The fabric will be folded when it comes out of the binder, just in front of the presser foot. Sew several stitches to assure that the fold is straight and even before inserting your project.

Insert the project into the binder between the metal as shown. Begin to sew and have the stitching fall where it catches the binding fabric. If your machine has  the left/right needle position you can position it perfectly!  I also use different decorative stitches to attach the binding. The serpentine stitch looks great on many projects.

Stitch to the edge of the fabric, raise the needle (with your right hand, using the sixth finger stiletto or bent tweezers, pull a small amount of fabric (this will be used for the miter) back behind the pressure foot, as you are making the 90 degree turn and move  down the project before beginning to sew again.

 The corners of the project will be mitered (pressed and sewn) after the rest of the binding is attached.

This is how the corner should look after you have turned and began to bind down the next edge of the project. It will be the same on both sides, ready to pin or fabric glue in place for sewing later.

As you end the binding, cut the beginning “tail” even with the ending side of the project.

Finishing corner and ending binding:  Stop at end of edge of first side of project. Leave a 2 –3 inch tail for turning the corner and finishing.

Turn corner and end binding by folding under the raw end of binding strip, Miter the corner and pin/fabric glue in place on both sides and stitch.

Complete the four sides of your project and then press and miter (fold on a 45% angle) the corners.

Corners mitered and ready to sew.

Right side of project.

                                                                  

 Start sewing the corner miters close to the inside miter with a back stitch. Sew down and meet previous stitches and back stitch again. Leave pins in place on both front and back of project until just before your machine needle reaches the pin. Reach under your project to remove the pins on the back side. Slow and steady makes for a beautiful finish! 

Here are some other projects I have used the binder to finish. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Chenille Snowman Vest - So warm!

Halloween Trick or Treat bag -  Felt craft squares with the handle was made from bias fabric that was sewn through the binder without being attached to anything. I use a lot of this for purse/bag straps, ribbon, gift wrap ties..... I even wove a stool seat from some. It stretches some so test it out before doing a large project. Fabric cut on the bias stretches much more than if cut on the grain.

Love using my decorative stitches!

I made several of these bunny rabbit vacumn cleaner covers a few years ago.

The aprons were trimed with contrasting binding around the neck opening and hem.

Beach/pool bag made from window screening and bound with fabric binding. Love this bag.

Need to make more for grocery shopping.

So easy it would make a great sewing project for the kids!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Vine

 

I love the results of the sweet potato vines with my petunias this year.

My pots are getting old and discolored but the trailing vines covered them nicely. The bright green color contrasts well with most any other plant. I love the aroma of the petunia's flowers ( they take me back to my childhood). It is amazing how our sense of smell recalls such vivid memories.

If you have never tried the SPV consider paring one with your favorite pot plantings next year. They need quite a lot of water but are sure to please your eye all summer and into the fall.

 

 

Handy Little Pockets

This is such an easy project for a child or a beginning sewer. I have been doing these for years and have used them in the bedroom, bathroom, nursery and especially in my sewing room. They make a wonderful gift and can be personalized very easily with appliqué or embroidery. Just find a good sturdy hanger and start with a piece of fabric wide enough to cover the hanger width and long enough to make the rows of pockets you want. My finished pocket is always dictated by how much fabric I have. I have one that is only one row deep that I hang off the arm of my recliner for my cell phone and TV remote. For the one in the picture below I used a firm woven upholstery fabric left over from a remnant I used for a tote bag a few years ago.(I am trying to reduce my stash! Really!) This set of pockets is for light weight things so I did not even line it at all. I bound the edges with my quilt binder that attaches to my machine. You could just hem the edges as well. After I placed the folds for the pocket rows I just turned the bottom under and sewed the rows in place down the edges and across the pockets before finishing the edges.

You could add trim of your choice anytime during construction or after you finish. Fabric glue is an option for placing trim as well. Try one, I think you will find many uses for some extra pockets!

 

 

Another Pillow Sham Converted

A bath mat seems just right for this one. I have sewn the buttons on with my machine to save a lot of time and my hands! I dabbed the front and back of the button stitches with Fray Check to reinforce. Clear glue would work too.

All the buttons are from my collection gathered over the years. Loved remembering my Mom while I was searching through them and sorting for the exact ones. It is amazing how many of her sewing notions I still have............ I would use this for a rug beside her bed if she were still with me!

She would say " Oh! That is too pretty to put my feet on!" And I would tell her "Nothing is too pretty for your feet to step on." 

I miss her very much and I have wonderful memories that are such a comfort.

 

 

 

BTW  The lace medallions are available on our web site!

http://www.yoursmineandhers.com/sewcreative/sewing-notions

 

Shams

Just had to share something with you. I came across a couple of odd (1 of a kind) pillow shams the other day (thrift store of course) and thought there must be something I could use them for. They were barely used and were very pretty. One a lovely blue/green floral print and one a beautiful creamy yellow.
I took them home and moved them around my sewing room for a couple of weeks.
Finally decided to sew the opening closed on the floral one and use it as a changing pad on top of the quilt on my bed where I change my great grandson.
I love it! 
He has long out grown the little ones I used when he was a newborn. With all his squirming and rolling around it was just what I needed!

Well, I don't know where I like the yellow one best.... Table topper, bath mat, sewing machine cover... the choices seem endless now that I have gotten started.

Happy thrift store shopping!

My Lucky Day

My Lucky Day

Just have to share my great finds from a few days ago. I don't get to quilt these days but my love of all things quilted is alive and well. So what caught my eye the other day but two nice quilts that had just hit the thrift shop. Needed some tender loving care so I brought them home and did a couple of small repairs, washed and dried them and hugged them both a few times. I am still wondering how someone can give up a quilt, but I am so glad they did!

Jordys new fun dress

Just a quick post today. I do intend to get better and more often. One of my 16 year old grand daughters was here to visit and spend some time with me for a few days. She sure has been alot of help with the great grandsons! Swimming with Avory while the baby naps and Gram rests. Love her so much. She is so beautiful I just had to make her something. She inspires me to sew because she loves clothes and is so easy to sew for. I had a yard of the ruffled fabric from Hobby Lobby and an idea from Pinterest so look at how it turned out!.
She has white cowboy boots (at home)she is anxious to try with it.

 She looks so cute in just everything.