tutorial - super quick "baste as you go" charity quilt

Yesterday's Project Linus meeting was a sewing session, instead of the usual fabric sorting, label attaching, and kit making that we do. I took advantage of the large table space to try out an idea for a super quick project, combining my favorite Quick Strippie design with the baste as you go technique I learned from Des when I first started quilting. Des, I can't thank you enough for that post - I've never seen the technique mentioned anywhere else, and it's just so fantastic!!

Before the meeting, I prepped the fabric for two quilts. For this design, it's five 6.5" strips of focal fabric, six 3" strips of contrast, and ten 1.5" strips of accent. I also cut five 2.5" strips (of contrast or accent fabric, whichever I had enough of) for the binding. The backs were already made (using my weird backing technique, as explained in a previous post). After only four hours at the meeting, I had two completely pieced and basted quilts! Here's how it works:

First sew the accent strips to the contrast strips, aligning the ends on one side. The bottom and top pieces have the accent on only one side, as you see on the left. Press the seams however you like - I pressed mine towards the contrast because it was easier darker.



Lay out the backing, wrong side up, and smooth it out.



Lay the batting out over the backing, centered and smoothed down.

By the way, I do not AT ALL recommend using crappy fluffy poly batting, but I'm still working on the monster in my closet, so that's what I'm using. If you use nice batting, this technique will be SO much easier! I was especially cursing myself at this meeting, because they had a whole huge bolt of Warm and White sitting there (donated by the Warm company - thanks folks!), free for the taking. But no, I bought this crappy batting, and I'm determined to finish the bolt!

Anyway... After laying down the batting, place the first (top) strip across the top (short) side of the backing/batting. It should be right side up, centered (equal amounts of batting on each side), and as straight as possible.



Then, lay down the next strip, with the bottom edges even. The top strip will be upside down, so the right sides of the two strips are together. Pin the bottom edges, through all layers (the 2 strips, the batting and the backing). Put your pins pretty close together, about 3 or 4 inches apart.



For sewing down the strips, I used a walking foot. I'm not sure it's absolutely necessary, but I think it helps when you have this many layers (and that fluffy batting!). Because I wasn't using my 1/4" quilting foot, I got a wider seam (more like 3/8"). Keep that in mind during your planning - if exact dimensions are important, you'll want to add an extra 1/4" to each row. And you would not want to use this technique for designs which have corner points that would get cut off.

So, drag the whole thing over to your machine, and sew down the seam. It will feel backwards, since the raw edges of the seam will be on the left instead of the right. It helps to pull the fabric from the front and back as you sew, to keep everything taut and straight. When you're done, lay the quilt out again, and fold that second row down and press the seam. Smooth down the batting and backing, making sure they are still laying down straight and smooth.



Add the third row, sew it down, flip and press. Alternate the strips and repeat all the way down the quilt. If you're using directional prints (like I am with the kitty print here), be sure you check the direction before you sew each row!



As you work your way down, you can roll up the quilt on the right to fit under the arm of your sewing machine. When you get towards the middle/bottom of the quilt, you can turn the quilt around and sew from the other direction so you have less bulk under the arm.



After 10 seams, you have a finished top AND a basted quilt. Huzzah! I didn't take a picture of the kitty quilt I was working on above, but here's a picture of the second one I made - a cute froggy print.



Yay, two quilts ready to be quilted! I'll probably do some simple meandering across the focal print rows, and some simple wavy quilting across the accent/contrast rows. For now, these are going to the bottom of the "to be quilted" pile. And now I really need to get back to working on that pile!

tutorial - swaddling blanket

Okay y'all - here's a tutorial for the world's easiest and most useful baby gift - the flannel swaddling blanket! You can't have too many of these - we had at least 8, I think, and they were always in rotation.



To make one, you'll need 1.25 yards each of two prints of flannel (or 2.5 yards of a single print, though I think they are cuter when the front and back are different). It's important to use flannel (and not just regular quilting cotton), because it's "grippy", and will help keep the baby from wriggling out. Any flannel is fine, but I actually prefer the cheaper quality flannel (like from Joanns) because it is stretchier. I even used a thrifted flannel sheet to make a couple for my own kid, and that worked great too.

IMPORTANT - prewash your fabric! I know some of you quilters out there are hardcore non-prewashers, but you really need to prewash flannel, because it can shrink and change grain a lot. If you don't prewash, you're very likely to have edges that curl after that first wash.

Iron your fabrics, fold each one lengthwise (right sides out), and trim straight across one edge (just one!) on each piece.



Now line up the cut ends and stack the two pieces on top of each other. You'll often find that one print is slightly wider than the other. Put the wider fabric on the bottom and the narrower one on top. Measure the width of the narrower fabric, minus the selvage. Mine here is about 20.5" across (folded, of course).



You want the blanket to be square, so double that measurement (20.5 x 2 = 41" in my case), measure out that length of fabric, and trim across the ends of both pieces of fabric at once. Since you started with 1.25 yards (45") of fabric, this means you'll be trimming off about 2" or 3".

Finally, trim off the selvages.



The next step is to pin the two pieces together, with the right sides together. At this point, you have 4 layers of fabric on your cutting surface. The two inner layers should be one layer of each fabric, with the right sides facing each other. Grab just those two inner layers at the corners, pick them up, and let the top and bottom layers unfold on either side. Shake it out, line up the other two corners, and pin around all four sides. I don't use too many pins, just one in each corner and 3 more on each side.



Now we're going to sew all around the edge, leaving an opening for turning. I like to leave the opening on a side that was along the selvage (the length-wise grain of the fabric), because it's slightly less stretchy than the cross-wise grain sides. But any side will work. Start a few inches below the middle, back-stitch a bit, sew all around, stopping about 6 or 8 inches from where you started, and back-stitch again. Use a wide seam allowance (anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4") - I usually use about 5/8".



Before you turn it right side out, trim the corners to reduce bulk. I'm anal, and I always trim a tiny bit more than straight across.



Now, turn it right side out, and use a chopstick (or whatever) to poke the corners out. To get nice edges, it helps to first iron the seams out flat. To do this, grab one layer of fabric about 4" from the seam. Shake the blanket until the layers shift, and set the blanket down on your ironing board. From the outside, poke around until the seam allowance is all laying down one direction inside the blanket.



Then iron the seam flat. You should be able to see in this picture that my seam allowance is pressed toward the lighter fabric. Do this to all four sides, taking extra care on the side that has the opening. Then pick the blanket up by the seam, and shake it out again to get the layers realigned. Iron all the seams again, and you should have perfect edges!

Now, slip-stitch the opening closed (sorry I didn't take a picture of that, but I imagine you know how to do it!). Or, if you're being lazy and plan to edge-stitch close to the seam, you can skip that step. For gifts, I try to use some sort of decorative stitching, and maybe use contrasting thread. Since the swaddling blanket itself is pretty simple, this is one way you can dress it up. Just be sure to try out the stitch on some scraps before you start sewing on the blanket - you don't want to have to adjust the width or length after you start! And be aware that some decorative stitches use a LOT of thread, so make sure you have a full bobbin and spool.



And there you go - an easy peasy swaddling blanket!

A variation on this is a single layer blanket - these are great for warmer weather (hello, summer - so nice of you to finally visit Seattle!). Just cut a square of flannel as before, and sew a narrow hem all around, as shown here. This one has mitered corners (I didn't make it - it was a gift for my daughter), but just plain corners work fine too.

Finally, if you're sewing these for yourself or a friend (in other words, not for charity), consider whipping up a couple "arm bindings" to go with them. I described these in an earlier post, (complete with a hilarious video of my husband demonstrating how to use them), so you can check them out there. If you want them to match the blanket you just made, start with an extra 1/4 yard of each fabric. After you cut out the blanket, use the leftover pieces to make the bindings.

Have fun making them - they are addictive! Oh, and if you make more than a few of these, be sure to clean out your sewing machine when you're done, because flannel sure does lint up your bobbin case in a hurry!

tutorial: reusable grocery bags

Hands-down, the favorite hand-made gift I've given to folks over the last few years has been reusable grocery bags. They are SO easy to make, and they're useful and good for the environment. And when I make them, they're also super frugal and doubly good for the environment, because I make them with (surprise!) thrifted linens! It's probably too late for last-minute gifts, but file this one away for next year, and start keeping your eye out for nice sheets (or my favorite - duvet covers with coordinating fabrics!).



Let me start off by saying this is not my original idea - I started with this tutorial on Craftster.org. But as I sweat-shopped DOZENS of these bags, I discovered several shortcuts that make things go faster. You know me, I'm an engineer at heart (aka: LAZY). If you're familiar with that tute, here's a summary of the changes I made:

• I use a square "neck" and "armhole", to avoid clipping lots of curves (so tedious!)
• I use a quick and dirty method to join the straps at the top
  
• I do the side folds while the bag is inside out - so much easier! This means the french seam on the bottom is "backwards", but who cares.
  

So, to begin... To make 8 bags, find two sheets that are at least about 80" by 96" (or a duvet cover of that size). If you are using regular fabric, you'll need about 2/3 yard each of two fabrics (one for the outside, and one for the lining) for each bag. My cutting instructions will be for using sheets, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out for regular yardage too (you'll lay out the bag sideways instead of upright).

If you want to make your own pattern (instead of using my measurements), you'll also need an old plastic bag to cut open. I've heard that Target bags are slightly bigger than grocery bags, so that's what I used.



Use your bag template (adding seam allowances), or use the measurements I've provided below. Mine are slightly smaller than a Target bag, just because it fit better with the dimensions of the fabric I was using.



Like I said, I love to use duvet covers, because their fabric already coordinates! I got this one for about $7, and it will yield 8 bags. Sweet!

I cut the duvet cover apart, and then cut each "sheet" in half (just to make it easier to handle). Then I layered two coordinating half-sheets (right sides together) and then folded that in half length-wise.



Here's what it looks like before I start cutting the bags out. The fold is at the top, and there are 4 layers of fabric. The reason I arrange it like this before cutting is so that I don't have to pin anything when I start sewing (I'm lazy, remember?).



And here is a cutting diagram of how I cut four bags from each half:

Here is the bag all cut out. If you're careful when you're cutting out the inner section, you can save that to make pockets. Just sew up the sides (leaving some space to turn), turn it, and press. Don't sew the pockets on right away - we'll do that in another couple steps.

So, first step - sew all the "neck" and "arm hole" seams. As I mentioned, since I cut the fabric out already layered and right sides together, I don't worry about pinning. And if you're lazy like me, you can chain stitch all your bags at once - do all the necks, then all the left arm holes, then all the right arm holes. I chain stitch everything I can!



Then clip all the corners. If you want to add pockets, now is the time. You can add them to the outside or the inside (or both!). Just pin roughly in the middle (on the right side of the fabric!) and do a narrow top-stitch around three sides. For myself, I leave them off - I usually only use these for groceries, and those don't need pockets. But for gifts, you might want to add them.



Now, pay attention here. For each bag, turn ONE piece right-side out and press. Leave the other piece wrong-side out.

Take the piece that is wrong side out, and lift up the top layer of fabric.

Take the second piece (the one that is right side out and pressed), and stuff its straps inside the straps on the first piece.



When you do this, make sure the outer fabrics are facing each other, and the inner fabrics are facing each other.



Pull the straps all the way up until the edges are even. Hold the bag up by the straps and give it a little shake to get everything in place. Pin the ends of the straps.

Sew straight across both straps (chain stitch again!). After stitching, clip the corners a little bit to reduce the bulk.

Don't pull the straps out just yet. Just sort of unfold the sides to match up the outer fabrics and the inner fabrics. Start pinning at the center, in case your ends are uneven (like mine!). Sew along the sides with about a 1/4" seam (chain stitch!).



Press the side seams open, and then (finally!) turn everything right side out. The straps will be connected like magic! Yay! So easy, right? Press the remaining neck and arm hole edges. When you're done, the lining fabric should be on the outside. Lay the bag out, and trim the ends if they need it. Then fold one edge over about 3" (just eyeball it), and pin. I usually do this at the ironing board, and I give it a quick little press too.



Flip the whole bag over, and fold the other side down about the same amount. Press (if you want) and pin.

This is what it should look like from the bottom. Folding to opposite sides eliminates the bulk that would build up in the middle if you were to fold them both to the same side.

Then, just sew across the bottom with a 1/4" seam (if you already trimmed the edge). Or, sew across with a 1/2" seam, and trim it down to 1/4". Chain stitch! :-)



Turn the bag right side out, and press the bottom (or not, if you're lazy like me). Then sew again about 1/2" away (yes, chain stitch!), creating your french seam. You're almost done!



Now, do a narrow top-stitch around all the neck holes and arm holes. Yes, I chain stitch these too - do all the necks, then all the left arms, then all the right arms. If you're pressed for time, you can ignore the arm holes - they'll be inside the side folds anyway, so you won't see them much.

Finally, fold the straps in half, and stitch across "in the ditch" (as close to the seam as you can).

Give the bag a little final press, and you're all done! Yippee!!!

Whew! Writing tutorials is hard work!! It is way past my bedtime now. I hope that all is clear. If not, please let me know!

And finally... Did you see that Sew Mama Sew is having a Grocery Bag Sew Off? I've signed up, and I'm hopefully going to finish up at least these 8 bags, and maybe more. Sadly, I've already given bags to every friend and family member I have! So, how about this - if you use this tute to make some bags, and blog about it, let me know, and I'll send you two of these bags. How cool is that - make some for gifts, and get some free ones for yourself! It's kind of like a grocery bag "pay it forward" scheme! The offer stands as long as I've got bags to give away, so get sewing!

bag dispenser - yet another tutorial

I'm probably the last person in blogland to make a grocery bag dispenser. Actually, mine will be used to hold old newspaper bags (re-used for walking the dog), but same diff. I've had this on my list of things to do forever, and I finally whipped one up last night. It took me an hour, max. It's nothing fancy, but it'll be tucked away in a closet, so who cares. I loosely based this on the Make It and Love It tutorial, but added lining and made it more quick-and-dirty (just how I like my projects!). Here's how I did it:

Materials:

• Two pieces of fabric, about 20" x 25". (It turned out pretty big, so I bet even two FQs would work fine).
  
• Two pieces of 1/4" wide elastic, one about 12", one about 7".
  
• One piece of 1" wide ribbon.

I used a vintage bee fabric, which is a little heavier weight than normal quilting cotton. For the lining, I used some random light pink oxford cloth I had in my "yucky fabric" bin. :-)



Put right sides together and sew both short sides with a 1/4 " seam.



Turn it right side out, and iron the seam.



On both edges, edge stitch close to the seam, and then again about 3/8" away from the edge-stitching, to make a casing for the elastic. On each end, insert the elastic into the casing, and sew down the elastic at both openings. If you have directional fabric, the longer piece of elastic goes at the top, and the shorter piece goes at the bottom.

Next I did a french seam for the sides. Pin the side edges together, right sides out, and stitch a 1/4" seam.



If I was smart, I would have trimmed the loose threads hanging off the edges before I did the next step. But no, I was lazy, as usual. Turn the thing inside-out, finger press the seam, and sew again about 1/2" away from the edge to make your french seam.



Turn right side out. Since was lazy, I had a bunch of loose threads caught in the seam that I had to clip away. Oh well.



Fold over the edges of the ribbon by about 1/2", and stitch to the side of the bag near the top (where the larger piece of elastic is).

And there you go! Stuff with bags and hang in the closet. Enjoy a ever-so-slightly more organized house!