I Heart Whales Throw Pillow

i love whales pillow tutorial

 

Isn’t this the cutest fabric?  It’s from the True Blue fabric line by Blend.  Everyeday this week I will be featuring a project using fabrics from this fabric line – all with a whale theme!!i love whales pillow tutorial_2

I totally LOVE whales and I have loved them since I was like 4 years old 🙂  I thought this pillow was super fun and I love the colors!  My tutorial is over at the Therm O Web blog – so hop over there if you want the instructions to make your own!!

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The Perfect Potholder {Father’s Day Tutorial}

the perfect potholder

I know the claim “The Perfect Potholder” is pretty bold!!  I am a bit of a potholder snob.  I can’t stand silicone ones, I don’t like them if they are too stiff or puffy, I also don’t like them if they are too thin.  I love the cute quilty ones, but I am always afraid to use them.  So I resort to my trusty terrycloth potholders…..behold:

hot pad tutorial

Aren’t they beautiful!  haha!!  They’ve been used and washed at least a million times and I can never give them up…..until TODAY when I came up with a homemade version that is just as functional yet much more stylish.  The trick is that I cut up a hand towel (or bath towel), layered with batting and quilted it.  Are you ready for the tutorial?  Here we go:

Supplies:

1 bath or hand towel (not kitchen) the thicker the better!

Fat Quarter Bibs and Ribs fabric – still loving it!!

Scraps of cotton batting

fabric for the binding

Therm O Web Spray n Bond

Begin by cutting the towel 8.5″ square

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also cut the batting and fabric the same size, 8.5″ square.

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Use the basting spray to baste all the lawyer together with the batting in the middle.

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Quilt as desired.  I made 4 of these and did vertical lines, diagonal lines and then criss cross.  Using a cup, draw a rounded corner on each of the corners and trim along the line.

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Cut the binding on the bias 2.5″ x WOF, or enough to sew around the potholder.  Sew the binding to the back of the  potholder then pull the binding around and machine sew the top of the binding down.hot pad tutorial_8

Seriously, tears of joy were shed over this project.  I cannot contain my excitement!!  It actually feels just like my old trusty potholders – YIPPEE!!!hot pad tutorial_9

Now that I knew they were a success, I got a little creative.  Try rounding all the corners but the top left corner like this:

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Then sew the binding like this:hot pad tutorial_11

 

Take the little tail and give it a twirl to make a loop to hang or to just be decorative or to just finish the binding nicely.

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They are the perfect addition to my collection of Father’s Day Gifts!!
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Got Ribs? {Father’s Day Apron Tutorial}

father's day sewing tutorials 2BBQ apron tutorialThe BBQ Father’s Day gift theme continues today with this BBQ apron using the Ribs & Bibs fabric line.  BBQ and Ribs are a big part of our family traditions.  I am so excited to give this apron to my dad who prides himself on his slow-cooked ribs.  I’ve cut some corners on this project by ordering solid black chef’s aprons from Amazon – a 2 pack is about $10 and they arrive in 2 days!  Here’s how you can make one:

 

Supplies:

Solid black chef apron

Fat quarter Checker Board Red

Fat quarter Open Pit White

Pig from Dinner for Two

Therm O Web Heat n Bond Lite EZ print sheets

Print the pattern in reverse on the Heat n Bond EZ print lite printer sheets – they make appliquéing letters a snap!

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Iron the letters to the wrong side of the checkerboard fabric.Then cut the letters out with scissors – this part takes a little while.got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_5

 

Iron a piece of the Heat n Bond Lite to the wrong side of the pig.  Cut out the pig leaving a boarder of white.got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_3

 

Peel off the backing paper.  Center the pig and the letters on the top portion of the apron.  Iron in place.  Top stitch around each letter and the pig.  Yes, it’s a little tedious, but think of all the time we saved by not sewing then apron 🙂got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_4

 

Prepare the pocket by cutting a rectangle 15.5″ x 9″

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Press the sides and bottom in 1/4″got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_6

 

On the top edge of the pocket, sew a 1/4″ hem and then roll it to make a 1/2″ hem.
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Pin the pocket into place and topstitch around the sides and bottom.  Top-stitch again 1/4″ away from the first seam.  This helps prevent fraying inside the pocket where there is a raw edge.

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Finally, find the center of the pocket and sew a straight seam to make 2 sections of pocket.
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I made my husband close his eyes while modeling this apron so he wouldn’t see it – he is getting one for Father’s Day too!!got ribs fathers day apron tutorial_16


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Surf & Turf Towels {Father’s Day Tutorial}

 

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surf and turf bbq towels tutorial

I just can’t get enough of the Bibs & Ribs fabric!  Today’s tutorial goes nicely with yesterday’s napkins.  There are lots and lots of dish towel tutorials out there…..they are all super cute with ruffles, lace, and trim.  That just doesn’t work for the guys.  These towels have no “fluff” and they are very manly.

 

Supplies:

Dish towels, pre washed & dried

fat quarter Lobster Tails

fat quarter Dinner for Two

Therm O Web’s Heat n Bond Lite

Begin by ironing the towels.  As with most store-bought dish towels, they are not perfectly square or rectangle.  Do your best to press the towel so it’s straight on the end.

Cut a strip of lobsters.

Cut an equal sized strip of Heat n Bond Lite.  Fuse it to the wrong side of the lobsters.

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Peel off the backing and iron it along the edge of the towel.  (normally I would cut the fabric and press the seams under, but we are focusing on quick and the Heat n Bond does just the trick!)

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Locate the “Surf and Turf’ words in the fabric.

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Fuse a piece of Heat n Bond to the wrong side.  Cut around it with scissors.  Peel off the back and press into place on the towel.

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Top stitch around the lobster strip and the surf & turf.

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I love that all my Father’s Day gifts will coordinate.  Can’t wait to see what’s for tomorrow’s tutorial!!

 

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The lobsters totally make me smile 🙂

BBQ Napkins {Father’s Day Sewing Tutorial}

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BBQ napkin tutorialI am so in love with this fabric line from Blend designed by Maude Asbury called Ribs and Bibs.  It screams Father’s Day.  I normally don’t sew for the men in my life but this year is totally different because of all the inspiration this fabric has given me!  Don’t you just love it!!  I wish I had yards and yards to make table cloths with!  Every day this week I am sharing a tutorial using this fabric line.

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Of course Father’s Day is in June – during one of the busiest months of the year.  The holiday has to compete with end of the year final projects, class parties, class field trips, graduations, and the list goes on.  The tutorials I am sharing are projects that can be sewn quickly – because who has time in June for anything extra?

 

I am the world’s messiest eater – I really mean it.  When I go out to dinner with my husband, I have a pile of napkins at the end of the dinner and my husband doesn’t even have one (because I used it for myself).  At home I eat with a kitchen towel on my lap – it just saves paper 🙂  When our family gets together to eat ribs or BBQ paper napkins just are not enough – and even cloth napkins leave something to be desired.  That’s when I decided to purchase “Bar Mop” towels and turn them into BBQ napkins.  Bar Mop towels are available at any home store in the kitchen towel department.  They are slightly smaller than  normal kitchen towels, and not a traditional washcloth.  They provide the right amount of absorbency for BBQ sauced fingers!

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Let’s get started….

Supplies:

Bar Mop Towels – pre wash & dry

fat quarter Ribs & Bibs “Open Pit” in brown fabric

fat quarter Ribs & Bibs “Checker Board” in red

Therm O Web Heat n Bond Lite

 

Begin by cutting a piece of the Heat n Bond and ironing it to the back of the Open Pit fabric.
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Cut around each image leaving a little bit of brown boarder.

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Peel off the backing paper and iron it to the corner of the bar mop towel.  Keep in mind the heat n bond won’t permanently adhere to the fuzzy towel so it needs to be sewn on.  The Heat n Bond will hold the image in place temporarily and it will prevent fraying.father's day sewing tutorial napkin_4

Sew around each image with a straight stitch.father's day sewing tutorial napkin_5

Iron another piece of Heat n Bond to the wrong side of the checker board fabric.  (This is a little bit of a “cheater” way to add an accent strip to the towel.)

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Cut strips of the checkerboard 2 squares wide.  Peel off the backing fabric.

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Iron it to the bottom of the towel and top stitch around the strip.  Now make enough for everyone coming to your Father’s Day BBQ!!father's day sewing tutorial napkin

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The Ava Quilt

Ava baby Quilt

I love to  personalize baby quilts when I give them as gifts.  I came up with this quilt for a friend who is expecting a baby girl named Ava.  I choose the colors based on the nursery colors of Red and Pink.  This is a fun, fast quilt to make! and you can create your own pattern based on 3 types of blocks!

All seams are 1/4″

Supplies:

An assortment of coordinating fabrics.  I used about 12 different fabrics.  I think the more the better for this project.  Go ahead, get scrappy!

HeatnBond® Lite
SpraynBond® Basting
Cotton batting

 

Cutting Instructions:  There are 3 componants to this quilt: 4 1/2″ square, 4 patch, and a strip set of 3

STRIP SET measures 4 1/2″ x 8 1/2″

Cut 2 strips 1″3/4″

Cut 1 strip 2″ (this will be the center of the strip)

ava 3 strip sets

Piece the strips together WOF so the 2″ strip is in the center.  Press seems and cut in 8 1/2″ segments.  You will need 10 of these.  I made 2 different versions.  Depending on the width of your fabric, you can get 4 or 5 strip sets out of a WOF.

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4-PATCH

Cut 2 coordinating strips WOF x 2 1/2″.  Sew  the two strips together length wise, then cut in 2 1/2″ segments.  Press seams to one side.  Sew two segments together to form a 4-patch.  Make about (23) 4-Patch blocks from different fabrics.

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4 1/2″ BLOCKS

You need about (54 to 60)  4 1/2″ blocks depending on how you lay out your quilt.

ARRANGE THE QUILT

This is how I arranged my quilt.  You can mix it up how ever you like; that is what’s fun about this pattern.  I did put (1) 3-strip set in each row.  There are 12 rows:   9 blocks across and 12 blocks down.

Ava Quilt layout

 

If you are appliqueing a name or word in your quilt, cut a piece of fabric 12 1/2″ x 8 1/2″.  If your name is larger, you may need to make adjustments.  Remove 6 blocks to make room for the applique piece.

Ava Name Block

Follow these instructions to use Heat N Bond lite to applique the name:

Heat N Bond Instructions

 

I used a straight stitch to applique around the name – I went around each letter twice.

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Once you have appliqued the name, piece the block into the rows:

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Now you are ready to assemble the quilt.  Sew the blocks together row by row.   Then sew the rows together.  Make sure to alternate how you press each row so the seams match up perfectly.  I use pins at all the intersections.

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Quilt as desired!  Finished quilt is 36″ x 43″

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Men’s Shirt Re-Fashion

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I found this pattern for making a girls skirt out of a men’s button front shirt in this book, Never Been Stitched.  The book is full of fun new sew or low sew projects.  Great for involving kids!

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Essentially you get a men’s shirt and cut it up, creating a skirt.  I bought a size XL shirt and it made a size 8 girls skirt.IMG_8390

Sally wasn’t too thrilled about the idea until I made this cute whale shirt to go along with it.  I used some of the left over fabric and used Heat n Bond EZ sheets that you run through the printer.  Click HERE for the whale pattern.
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I even used the existing front pocket from the shirt to be a high side pocket on the skirt.
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Sunglasses Zipper Pouch Tutorial

Today I am sharing my tutorial for a zippered sunglasses case over on the Therm O Web Blog.  What is great about this zipper pouch is the lining is made of flannel so it is soft on the lenses.  I love this fabric – it’s the “blue” version of the Clementine fabric by Blend.  It screams summer to me.

 

Here you can see the gray flannel inside the pouch:

For the zipper pull, I took apart some owl earrings and used a split ring to attach the owl to the zipper pull.  I always am on the look-out for cheap dangly earrings!

 

It’s not too late to sew up one of these in time for Mother’s Day.  It should only take about 30 minutes!
For a slightly different version……
 cut a 1″ square notch out of each corner of the bag when it’s in this stage:
Open the notches, and match the seams, sewing a 1/4″ seam.  This gives the bag a “bottom” and allows the pouch to stand up.  I can’t decide which one I like the best!   

Amanda

Fabric Key Chain Tutorial

Everyday this week I will be featuring a Mother’s Day Gift sewing tutorial!!
I like to give my “Mom Friends” a little give on Mother’s Day.  I have seen these fabric keychains, or “Key Fobs”  all over blogland and I finally decided it was my turn to have a go at them.  They are a perfect little gift!  These yummy fabrics are Modern Eclectic by Khristian Howell for Blend Fabrics.

Supplies
Cotton belting or webbing – I purchased mine from the Etsy Shop, Everything Ribbons
Key Fob hardware – purchased from the same Etsy Shop
2″ strips of fabric
Therm o Web Heat n Bond Hem Tape
Cardstock
Fray Check
Pliers
Cut the fabric into 2″ x 10″ strips
Cut the cotton webbing 10″

Cut a piece of card stock 1″ wide.  This will be the pressing guide.  Center the card stock strip in the center of the wrong side of the fabric.  Press the sides in using the card stock to keep the folds nice and straight.

Using the hem tape, place a 10″ piece in the center of the webbing.
Place the pressed fabric piece on top of the fusible hem tape like this:
Press in place
Top stitch the fabric along both sides.  I like to use this Bernina foot #5 and move my needle over 3 or 4 spaces.  It works like a charm!

I took one of those sticky discs that you put on the bottom of chairs and cut it in half and adhered it to my pliers – this will prevent scratching on the hardware.  Fold the Keychain in half matching raw ends. Center the hardware and use the pliers to press in place.

Use the fray check on the sides to prevent fraying.

I think they are so cute!!  And also handy!!

Amanda

Riley Blake Union Jack Quilt Tutorial

Cheers!  I am so excited to be participating in Riley Blake’s Union Jack Blog Hop!  I am in love with the fun colors of this Union Jack panel!  My friend, Karen, loves all things British: Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, the Royal Family, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Fish ‘n Chips, Beef Wellington, The Cure & Adele….her husband served a mission in England, AND here is Harper, their adorable baby girl with a trendy British name!  Harper is the cutest baby ever and this quilt is for her.  
This quilt is the perfect size for a wallhanging or baby quilt
Finished quilt 38.5″ x 30.5″

Here’s how you can make your own “Harper Girl” quilt.
Supplies:
1 Union Jack print
assorted jelly roll strips of prints and white – or yardage to cut strips
Heat n Bond Lite Printable sheets
batting
1 yard backing fabric
1/3 yard binding
Cut the white fabric and assorted prints into 2.5″ strips x WOF
I used 1 strip of each of the 8 colors, cut 16 white strips
Now cut each WOF strip in half
Sew into strip sets of (5) total.  I just picked random colors and didn’t try and lay out the pattern.  Make 3 sets with white beginning and ending and 3 sets with prints beginning and ending as pictured:
Press toward the prints.
Cut the strip sets into 2.5″ sub sets:
Make 2 piles: one with the white on the outside and one with the patterned fabric on the outside:
Now comes the fun part – grab and sew!  Once again, I didn’t try and lay out a pattern, I just grabbed 2 strip sets and sewed together.  Make sure the intersections of the seams sandwich together nicely.
Make 9 of these blocks: 5 blocks with patterned corners, 4 blocks with white corners.
Fussy cut one of the Union Jack blocks, leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance around the print.
Find a font you like and print it in reverse on one of these Heat n Bond EZ print sheets – you could also use a silhouette, but I am not that advanced!  
 Cut out the letters and peel off the backing paper.  Cut a piece of white fabric 9.25″ wide (the width of the Union Jack) x 19.5″   Place the letters and iron in place.  Straight stitch around each letter twice.  
Sew the Union Jack to the white fabric.
Lay out your blocks in this pattern: 2 rows of 3 blocks, then the Union Jack strip, then 1 row of 3 blocks.  Square up the white fabric if there is a little excess on the end.

Quilt as desired

Amanda