A Fun, Free Online Toy

Hop on over to odosketch.com. Draw a picture--they'll save it stroke by stroke as an animated drawing. Fun, free, inspiring. And did I mention fun?

Soft Book for Babies

I needed a special baby gift.  I saw something similar to this in a magazine, so it was off to my work-table to design my own version.  Out came the scrap bag--I needed 16 different 2 1/2" squares in eight color families:  black/white, brown, red, purple, blue, green, yellow and orange.  I used a vivid multi-colored stripe for the outer cover and a crayon-drawing print for the inner cover.  Since all the fabrics were prewashed and all cotton, the finished book will be baby-safe.

I made eight 16-patch blocks that finished 8 1/2" inches.  I layered them with fusible cotton batting, stacked them carefully in the order I wanted them, and sewed up the center to make a total of 4 fat, soft pages. (Think of each page set as a two-sided mini-quilt.)  Each page features squares in the same color family.  I tried to fussy-cut as many squares as possible with simple images to add another layer of interest to each page.  I can just imagine playing "I Spy" with a toddler with this book.

Notice that I still have to sew up the opening I left in the cover for turning.  A few quick mattress stitches will do the trick.  You can see the flat, unbatted spine of the book in this photo.

The cover required just a bit of engineering.  I cut the outer and inner covers to extend around the page ends;  layered and quilted them.  But instead of using one piece of batting, I used two squares and left a generous half-inch unbatted in the center of the cover.  This makes a nice spine for the book.  I quilted the outer cover with a simple channel outline about an inch and a half in from the edges to keep the batting in place.  I've posted some pictures--I didn't photograph the blue or purple pages which are in the center of the book.

We're Having a Heat Wave!

Super-quick project for today: cooling neckbands to help beat the heat.  I made half a dozen of these yesterday in less than an hour!

The upper neck tie has been soaked in cool water. 

First, collect your supplies.  You'll need strips of cotton fabric, 4 1/2" by 45".  Then head to the big-box home store and pick up a bag of polymer granules in the gardening department.  I use Soil Moist.

Right sides together, fold your fabric in half lengthwise.  Sew across one end, then all the way up one side to make a tube.  Turn and press.  Find the center of the tube, and then mark 8" away on either side of your center mark.  You'll have marked off a 16" sector right in the middle.  Sew across the tube at the mark closest to the closed tube end.  Using a funnel, carefully pour no more than two tablespoons of granules into the tube.  Sew across the second mark. Turn the edges of the open tube end to the inside, and edge-stitch it closed.  Soak the whole shebang in cool water.  The granules will expand and expand to fill the center section.  Tie it around your neck, and let natural evaporation cool your neck right down.  It's amazingly effective in hot weather.  I made a couple out of bandanas, as well.  Take a look!

Quick and So Useful

Got 10 minutes?  Here's a quick, simple, and very useful project for you.  Cut three pieces of craft felt 2 1/2" by 4".  If you don't have any felt on hand, use cotton scraps and pink the edges.  Stack the fabric up, and draw a line down the center of the top 4" side.  Sew the layers together, and you have what amounts to a tiny fabric book.  Close the book, give the spine a quick press, clip the thread ends and enjoy your new needle book!  While you're at it, make two--one for hand needles and one for machine needles.  You can use a pigment pen to write needle sizes on each page.  No more needles floating around your work space or jammed into the side of a spool of thread!

If you get a bit creative, you can use cotton fabric for a "cover" for felt "pages."  What a sweet little party favor or thank-you gift!

On the Case

This week I've made 10 quick, simple cases for electronics out of ready-quilted fabric and bias tape.  I cut the bias strips 1 3/4 inches wide which is the perfect width for heavy fabric and a 1/4" seam allowance.  I'm using buttons and covered elastic hair-ties as closures.  I measure for placement of the buttons, use a seam sealant on the hair elastics.  When the sealant dries, I cut the tie in half and use several rows of straight stitching to hold it in place.  A second button covers the cut ends. 

Five Basic Tools

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of nifty sewing gadgets out there.  Obviously, your sewing kit should include scissors, a tape measure, needles and pins.  But there are a few other basics that will help save you time, money, and frustration.

1. A seam gauge.  This 6-inch strip of metal with a sliding pointer is one of the handiest notions.  It will allow you to mark even hemlines, check your seam allowance accuracy, and add seam allowances to patterns with ease.  Best of all, they're very inexpensive.
2. A thimble.  Find one that's comfortable and learn how to use it.  Most people wear a cap-style thimble on the middle finger of their dominant hand.  
3. A seam ripper.  Don't rely on a cheap seam ripper.  Spring for one with a large, comfortable handle and a fine point.  A seam ripper is the best tool for cutting buttonholes.  Put a pin across one end of an uncut buttonhole.  Insert the seam ripper at the other end of the buttonhole, cut toward the pin in one stroke.  The pin will keep you from cutting through the bound edge.
4. A fine-leaded mechanical pencil.  Trace a pattern, mark a seamline, write quick notes on a pattern piece. 
5. Very sharp pointed small scissors.  Tie a long piece of ribbon in a bright color to one of the finger-holes. You'll be able to find your scissors quickly on the messiest work table.  Use these little wonders to rip a seam, clip threads as you sew, stiletto-style to help feed gathers under the presser foot.  Never use them for anything else but fabric.

Updating a Classic

I made a quick table runner today from three Ohio Star blocks and two appliqued blocks.  I chose a very modern palette:  bright spring green, black, and white.  The fabric I used in the points of the star is a bold, graphic leaf print on a black background.  I drew my applique motif right from this fabric, keeping the clean style of the print in mind.  Quick piecing methods and machine applique made this project easy.  And as always, the design process was the most fun.  This contemporary style is unusual for me, and I'm very pleased with the results.  Sometimes you need to reach outside of your comfort zone.

Who says you can't get perfect points with quick piecing methods?

Satin stitch applique is clean and smooth, and lends a graphic quality to the overall design.

It's Never Too Early

I know, I know.  Summer is coming, and you're scrambling for fun things for the kids to do.  My Kid's Camp sewing classes are a perfect solution.  Kids 8 and older can sew and can learn to sew well, with the proper instruction and the right projects.  The tote bag below is a great project for beginning students, because it's used to teach machine basics and seaming, beginning patchwork, and satin-stitch applique.  Note that I replaced the tan canvas straps with straps that match the applique.

Kid's Camp classes teach more than basic sewing skills.  Your child will leave the class with a finished project, a sense of accomplishment, and pride in a job well done!  Register this coming Saturday for a tuition discount.  A full schedule of summer Kid's Camp classes will be available so you can choose the projects and dates that are best for your creative kids.

The Fabric of Our Lives

Why, oh why, is quilting fabric getting so expensive?

Last year, cotton prices almost doubled, and that means cotton fabric (and apparel) prices are up.  The good news:  worldwide production of cotton is exceeding projected yields by about 24%, which means that we should see prices ease a bit in the coming year.

So how can you maximize your fabric budget?

• Be frugal.  Think ahead about how you will cut your fabric, so that you only purchase what you need.
• Save and use those scraps!  Most of us save them, but not many of us actually use them.  Sort and store scraps in a way that makes them useful.
• Think outside the box.  I have a great twin-sized 9-patch quilt that I made from patches cut from old plaid flannel shirts.  
• Look for coupons for your favorite fabric stores.  This might mean signing up for an online newsletter or sales flyer.  The inconvenience of a few extra emails is easily offset by a "members only" coupon for 50% off.
• Use those coupons wisely.  Don't use them for small purchases.  Instead, use those savings on major purchases:  a bolt of muslin, 5 yards of 110-inch backing fabric, two yards of ultra-premium batik.
• Be in the know.  Chat with salespeople at your favorite fabric stores, and don't be afraid to ask about special offers and sales.  It might make a big difference, dollar-wise.
• Think vintage.  Shop online for vintage and second-hand yardage.  Check second-hand stores and antique shops for textiles, as well.  Last Christmas I made three aprons for my sisters from vintage cotton tablecloths.  Total expenditure for fabric:  $16.

A New Way to Shop!

And who doesn't love shopping?  I've just come from mysewingbooty.com and I had to share!  Mysewingbooty.com is a site where you can place a classified ad to sell your sewing supplies, books, patterns, fabric, and services.  Registration is free, and you deal directly with the seller, as you would on an online auction site.  As the word gets out and more ads are posted, this should be an excellent resource for needle artisans!

Choosing Fabrics for Patchwork

Choosing fabrics for patchwork can be a daunting task.  There are so many colors and prints available;  it's hard to know where to start and when to finish.  Here's a trick to make a foolproof fabric palette.


Fabric designers are paid to come up with fresh, fashionable designs in a wide variety of styles and colors.  If you hired a designer to choose your fabrics, you'd pay a fortune.  But there's a sneaky way to pick their brains for free!  Walk through the fabric store, and find a multi-colored print you just love.  I chose this unusual stylized floral.

 

Now, choose fabrics that are the colors that the designer used. Look in your stash, as well, for colors that match the designers.  Here are the colors that I found in this print:

Now, here's the trick--assemble the palette with colors in the same proportions that the designer uses.  In our sample print, there's a lot of off-white background, a lot of yellow and orange, and just a bit of turquoise.  Lay out your fabrics so that you can see the right proportion of each color to the feature fabric.

I never would have chosen these colors to work with on my own, but as you see, they work really well together.  Now,  put the feature fabric back on the shelf and you can get to work with an exceptional fabric palette.  To add more interest, find more fabrics in these colors to use throughout your quilt.  Thanks, fabric designer!  I'll find a pattern I like, use these colors in this proportion, and perhaps sneak in a bit of the feature fabric as an accent.  Remember to mix print scale and style to keep your quilt vibrant with visual texture and movement.