Tanner Reunion

Tanner Reunion . . . finished!

stats:

65" x 65"

25 -  11.5" blocks

fabric is Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda, jelly rolls and fat quarters

Warm and Natural

organic/straight line quilting

Picking a quilting design is almost as hard as designing the quilt. There are so many fun options!!

Jacquie from Tallgrass Prairie Studio has a great blog with lots of good information, pictures and tutorials.  I studied her tutorial on Organic Line Quilting before quilting this quilt.  Mine doesn't look quite organic as hers, it probably borders on the line of straight line quilting.

Have you ever quilted words into your quilt?  I've been fascinated with the idea ever since I saw a verse quilted into a quilt by Angela Foster.

It takes a little practice on paper, and even chalking onto your quilt what you're going to write.  It reminded me of typing class in 7th grade, a gazillion years ago, before computers.  Remember figuring out how to center your title on your page?  Count total number of letters, divide by 2 . . .  

I'll stick with names for now.



I love the back almost as much as the front.  For vivid colored pictures, leave your quilt a bit damp.

My next project to finish is the wall hanging that goes with this quilt, see below left.

Linking up to Finish It Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

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Binding Tanner's Reunion - special instructions for emily k

Tanner Reunion is finally quilted, and ready for binding.  My last quilt had a slight waviness along the edges.  After some research, I'm trying a new method for adding binding to a quilt.  I think it helps to protect the integrity of the shape.  Basically, you wait until the binding is sewn on to your quilt top before trimming batting and backing fabric.  I'm probably the last one to figure that out :)

After quilting, mark where your cutting edge will be.  (emily: your sewing edge is the edge of the yellow) Find the smallest width of your sashing along the edge, and use that measurement all the way around your quilt, or at least on that side.  Do not trim your batting and back fabric yet.    

emily:  start sewing your binding on in the middle of a side, not a corner.  Leave 12 inches of the binding hanging (you'll need a little slack to sew the other end to)

emily:  Place raw edge of binding along yellow edge and sew 1/4" from the edge

Mitered Corners:

emily:  sew towards the edge and stop 1/4" before the edge, you can just guess.  Back stitch so it doesn't come undone.

emily:  move your quilt away from the machine.  Fold the binding at a 90 degree angle.  I imagine a straight line from the raw edge of the binding down along the next edge I'm going to sew on.  

emily: then fold the un-sewn binding down along the next edge.  So, that top edge is a fold.

emily:  start sewing again  1/4" from the edge, back stitching at the top to secure it.

When you get to the 4th side, stop sewing 12 inches from where you began.  At this point, you will need to attach both ends.  If you can't figure it out, call me.  Make sure not to cut the fabric too short. . . call me!

After you're all done sewing it on to the front, fold the binding over, and sew down 1/8" from the edge.  Use brown thread if you can.  Call me if you need some.

All be home all week-end, so call.

After the binding is all sewn on, trim off the excess backing and batting.  Be careful to keep the seem allowance the exact same all the way around, using your sewn line as a guide.

This was my first attempt to free-motion quilt a name into the quilt.  I'm the newest biggest fan of the idea.

This quilt is definitely going to be one of my favorites . . . it's a good thing that Tanner lives close by!

Scottie's Reunion

My goal for the week was to finish 1 block . . . yip, that's it, just 1 block, UNO.  

And I'm so happy . . . I even exceeded my goal w/ 2 blocks !!

 I always exceed my goals :0

This is going to be an awesome quilt!  The color contrast is different from anything I've done before.

burp clothes tutorial

You will need:  

1.  Gerber pre-folded 6-ply cloth diapers from Target, 10 pack.  

I have seen a 3 ply and a 4 ply, but I prefer the thickest diaper.

2.  Your favorite flannels.  Cotton fabric works but flannel is softer to the skin, and absorbs more.

Pre-wash cloth diapers.  Make sure they're fully dry, they shrink quite a bit.

Either pre-wash flannel fabric or iron with lots of steam (lazy method).  Cut rectangle 19x6 inches from flannel.  These diapers tend to vary in size, so make sure the 19 inches gives you about an inch extra on the length of the diaper.

Press sides of flannel under 1/2" on 3 sides, leaving 1 end unpressed (*see note below).

Center flannel on diaper as aposed to directly over the padded section (which isn't always exactly centered).  After pinning, hold the diaper up to make sure you like the placement of the flannel.  

*It makes it easier to leave 1 end unpressed and to sew that end down last.  From the picture above, start sewing on the right just below your "unpressed"edge.  Sew 1/8" from edge down the length of the diaper, around both corners and back up.  

When you're a couple inches from the top, stop and turn under and pin the last edge (if your put your needle down and lift your presser foot, you can pivot the diaper to finish pinning.  You'll get your flannel closer to the edge that way. 

ok . . . call me OCD.

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Fresh Modern floor pillows

This week's finish includes new floor pillows which needed some serious updating.    I don't like making fussy pillows.  This is my easy way to make a cover for a pillow.

Easy Pillow Tutorial:
I like to use canvas fabric.  These 2 canvas fabrics come from Sweetwater's Hometown and Reunion lines.

If you are not using canvas, I would suggest making your pillow an inch or so smaller than your pillow form to help support the shape.  If you're working with canvas, the heaviness of the fabric gives the support you want.  

When measuring my canvas for cutting,  I add a good 3 inches to one side.  This is a key factor in the "non-fussy" part of this pillow.  You will see further along the importance of adding these inches.

I don't pre-wash my fabric.  Plan on pressing with heavy steam at the end.  

With right sides together, sew 1/2 inch seam around 3 sides.  Clip the 2 corners furthest from the opening.

Zig Zag around the 3 sides you just sewed together.  Zig Zag the 2 pieces on the open side, separately. Turn right side out, press with steam.

On the open end, measure 3 inches, fold in and press.  

Stuff the form in to your new cover.  Push your pillow form into the pillow, giving you some extra room to work with while sewing the end closed.  Move your needle as far as you can to the left.  Stitch closed, reinforcing at the beginning and end, close to the edge. 

A couple times a  year, I rip out that last seam on my pillows to wash the covers.  Then I sew them back up.  It's fast and easy.