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!