Sunday, January 29, 2012

Missing My Baby…

My Bernina Artista 640E… my baby… sniff sniff… is in the quilt shop for repair and adjusting… sigh  I am really missing her!!  Sad smile 

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Thank goodness, I have my old Bernina Virtuosa 160 to pull out of the closet and set up in my sewing table!  The clear insert doesn’t fit too well, but I’m making do!

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So, I was able to finally quilt my Schnibbles quilt for January- “Full House”yesterday.

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I made it from Kate Spain’s beautiful collection- “Good Fortune”. Love the pastels with pops of red orange!  Yowsza!!

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I free-motion quilted it with meandering leaves.

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I used a pretty hydrangea print from my stash for thebacking and a pretty swirly green fabric for the binding.

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YAY!  Am so happy to get the first Schnibbles project for the new year completed before the last day of the month!!  Whew!!  Smile 

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I can’t wait to find out what comes next!!  Smile

SOOOO, what did you sew on this weekend??

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Accuquilt GO! Snowflake Placemat Tut

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I finished the Accuquilt GO! Blogger Spotlight article and project this week.  It will be published on February 8th! 

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They wanted a short little article showing the project created with one of their GO! dies… but I’m used to doing more in-depth tutorials with step-by-step photos and instructions… so I’m gonna do that here!  I love my Accuquilt GO!  It really does make cutting out shapes so quick and easy!  And it makes detailed applique pieces like these snowflakes reallly super quick and easy!!  Can you imagine cutting these out by hand?

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So, I love to use machine applique over pieced blocks or backgrounds, don’t you? You can chose your favorite block and piece it, then fuse the applique over the block!  I love the churn dash block, so that’s what I used for the background of the placemat… but you could use a log cabin block, a star block, a pinwheel, or even something as easy as a four patch.

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I decided on the finished size of the placemat then made the churn dash block the size of the height for the placemat then added two strips on each side of the square block to make it into a rectangular shape.

I found a cute red novelty print for the back of the placemats with mugs on it.  I chose some soft blues for the block background and a cheery red print to make the churn dash really pop!  The snowflakes were made from a white on white fabric with fusible on the back. Cutting measurements for 4 placemats:

from block background blue-

8 squares @ 3 7/8”

2 @ 2” by 8”

2 @ 2” by 7”

8 @ 2 1/2” by 13”

4 center rectangles @ 7” by 8”

from red accent fabric-

8 squares @ 3 7/8”

2 @ 2” by 8”

2 @ 2” by 7”

from the white snowflake fabric-

4 squares @ 5 1/2” with your

favorite fusible on the back

4 backing pieces @ 13 1/4” by 18”

4 batting pieces @ 14” by 19”

Draw a line diagonally across the 3 7/8” blue squares.

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Put one blue and one red square right sides together, and sew 1/4” away on BOTH sides of the drawn line.

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Cut on the drawn line and voila!!  Two identical half-square triangle blocks!!  Repeat this with the other red and blue squares, press seams toward the darker fabric.

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Next, sew eight sets of one red and one blue 2” by 7”strips, press seam toward the darker fabric.Next, sew eight sets of one red and one blue 2” by 8” strips, press seam toward the darker fabric.

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Sew one 7” strip set to each 7” side of the center rectangle, press seam toward the darker fabric.

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Sew one half-square triangle to each end of the 8” strip set as shown in the photo above!

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Sew these pieces to each side of the center unit.

Finally, sew one 2 1/2” by 13” strip to each side of the finished block to create the rectangular placemat.

holiday medley 55043

Now, the placemat background is done!  Time to play with the GO!  I used the Holiday Medley Die # 55043.

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Carefully center two of the pre-fused white squares over the only the snowflake portion of the die and roll the die into the Go! Remove the excess cut fabric and repeat again with the remaining two white squares.

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Center the one snowflake on each placemat front and fuse into place.  I used a pale blue thread to stitch close to the snowflake applique edge all around with a straight stitch, but you could do any decorative stitch you like.

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Layer the front right side down on top of the backing right side up then on top of the batting and pin.

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Stitch 1/4” from the edges all around, leaving a 4” opening to turn it through.  Turn it right sides out, press and top-stitch close to the edges all around.

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Now, you can quilt it as desired.  I just stitched in the ditch around the churn dash. 

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Oh, and here’s a little tip!  I trained my family to always flip their placemats over before eating on them. That way if any food gets on it, it’s not on the pretty front!

And what’s fun about this type of project, is that you can change out the block you chose to make for the background, as well as the fusible applique and fabric, you can make placemats and table runners for every season!!  Let’s GO! decorate!!  Woo hoo!!

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Busy Days

OK, so I’m sure you are thinking

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what a slacker I am so far this year!!

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I promise I have been sewing!! 

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I’ve made 4 new winter corduroy

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tops in great and fun colors. 

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And I joined the new One Schnibble

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pattern a month group,

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so I’ve been working on this

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month’s pattern, “Full House”

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which I’m making out of Kate

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Spain’s  “Good Fortune” collection.

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I just LOVE making these little

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Schnibbles quilts by “Miss Rosie”.

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Carrie’s instructions are always

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the best!!  So clear and easy!

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So, I’ve finished the top and it

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is sandwiched and ready to quilt!

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Buttttt, I have to get a special

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blog post done for Accuquilt, who

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asked me to be a guest blogger in

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their spotlight series… so I have

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to design, make and create a tutorial

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using a GO! die…so quilting my little

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January Schnibble quilt will have to

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wait!!  So stay tuned, dear friends!!

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