Amanda

The Perfect Potholder {Father’s Day Tutorial}

June 4, 2014 by Amanda 8 Comments

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:

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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:

Then sew the binding like this:

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.

They are the perfect addition to my collection of Father’s Day Gifts!!

Filed Under: Blend Fabrics, Father's Day, FEATURED, gift, Therm O Web, tutorial, Uncategorized

Riley Blake Blog Tour {Baby Play Mat Tutorial with Matching Zipper Pouch}

June 4, 2014 by Amanda 23 Comments

I am so excited to be participating in the Riley Blake Designs Quilted Cotton Blog Hop.

6/10 – Nancy Zieman

6/12 – The Sassy Quilter

6/17 – Just Let Me Quilt

6/19 – Simple Simon & Co.

6/24 – Haberdashery Fun

6/26 – Sew We Quilt

7/1 – Jina Barney Designz

7/3 – Leigh Laurel Studios

7/8 – Riley Blake Designs

Today is my day for the blog hop so WELCOME and thanks for stopping by! I can’t tell you how in love I am with Riley Blake’s new quilted cottons. They come in a variety of patterns and colors. I choose the black chevron which has polka dots on the reverse side. I love giving hand made baby gifts but sometimes it gets a little challenging to create a new quilt from scratch for every baby gift; as much as my heart wants to. The quilted cottons are perfect for sewing for baby: I appliquéd some flowers, added extra wide binding and it’s an adorable play mat or changing mat or quilt for baby.

I also used what was left of the quilted cotton to make a diaper change zipper pouch. It holds all the essentials: diapers, wipes, sanitizer, etc. Continue reading for the instructions….

Supplies:

1 yard Riley Blake Quilted Cotton

6 fat quarters flower appliqué fabric

3/4 yard fabric for wide binding

Therm O Web Spray n Bond basting spray.

Download the flower patterns HERE (for large flower, you will have to enlarge on your computer – it measures about 10.5″ across)

Cut the quilted cotton 35″ x WOF (Of course you can cut whatever size you want)

Cut the 3 sizes of flower and flower centers out to make the pattern.

Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric and cut out.

Spray the Spray n Bond to the wrong side of the fabric appliqué pieces and place on the quilt. It is a bit of a challenge to appliqué on such a large piece of fabric – there was some pushing and pulling involved. I found it easier to spray baste the flowers after finishing sewing the one before.

Stitch around each flower and flower center 2 times using black thread.

To make the extra wide binding…. cut 4 strips 5″ x WOF. Sew together and press in half. Continue as you would with regular binding, only line up the raw edge of the binding 1″ from the edge of the quilt like this:

I machine sewed the binding so it would hold up nice in the wash. I am hoping this will be used more as a changing mat or crawling mat so it will be getting laundered often! I love how it turned out! This could easily be changed up for a boy – the navy and white chevron would be cute with anchors or fish!!

Of course I needed to sew a matching zipper pouch. I like the idea of having all the diaper change stuff in one handy pouch. I used one of my favorite tutorials from my good friend Jennifer. I changed the measurements from 9″x11″ to 8″x11″. The rest of the tutorial is exactly the same.

Cut (2) quilted cotton pieces 8″ x 11″

Cut (2) lining fabric pieces 8″ x 11″

Applique the smallest flower from the quilt pattern above to the side of one of the quilted cotton pieces. Then follow the rest of the tutorial.

I need one of these for myself!!

They make such a darling set! I can’t wait to give this to my friend who is expecting her very first baby!!

Thanks for stopping by! I can’t wait to see all the projects on this fun Blog Tour!!

Filed Under: appliqué, FEATURED, gift, Heat n Bond, patterns, quilt, Riley Blake, sewing, tutorial, zipper pouch

Got Ribs? {Father’s Day Apron Tutorial}

June 4, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

The 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!

got ribs fathers day apron tutorial

Iron the letters to the wrong side of the checkerboard fabric.Then cut the letters out with scissors – this part takes a little while.

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.

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 🙂

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

got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_8

Press the sides and bottom in 1/4″

On the top edge of the pocket, sew a 1/4″ hem and then roll it to make a 1/2″ hem.

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.

got ribs fathers day apron tutorial_11
Finally, find the center of the pocket and sew a straight seam to make 2 sections of pocket.

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

Filed Under: Blend Fabrics, Father's Day, FEATURED, gift, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

Surf & Turf Towels {Father’s Day Tutorial}

June 3, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

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.

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!)

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

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.

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

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

The lobsters totally make me smile 🙂

Filed Under: Blend Fabrics, Father's Day, FEATURED, gift, Therm O Web, tutorial

BBQ Napkins {Father’s Day Sewing Tutorial}

June 2, 2014 by Amanda 42 Comments

I 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.

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!

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.

Cut around each image leaving a little bit of brown boarder.

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.

Sew around each image with a straight stitch.

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.)

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

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!!

Filed Under: Blend Fabrics, Father's Day, FEATURED, gift, gifts, Heat n Bond, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

The Ava Quilt

May 29, 2014 by Amanda 2 Comments

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Filed Under: FEATURED, quilt, Therm O Web, tutorial

Men’s Shirt Re-Fashion

May 28, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

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!

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.

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.

I even used the existing front pocket from the shirt to be a high side pocket on the skirt.

Filed Under: appliqué, clothes, remake, sewing, t-shirt, Therm O Web, thrifty, whale

Harper Girl: Blogger’s Quilt Festival Entry

May 23, 2014 by Amanda 2 Comments

Thanks for stopping by!! This is my second entry in the Spring Blogger’s Quilt Festival at Amy’s Creative Side. Here is my “Harper Girl” quilt. I created it for a dear friend’s new baby, Harper.

I was inspired by this Union Jack Panel from Riley Blake Designs as Harper’s mommy loves all thing British.

The quilt measures 30″x39″. The letters are machine appliquéd and the quilting is by machine as well. To read more about the quilt or instructions on how to make your own, click here.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Bunny Bricks: Bloggers Quilt Festival Entry

May 23, 2014 by Amanda 9 Comments

Thanks for stopping by! I am entering this quilt in the Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival over at Amy’s Creative Side. I recently created this quilt called “Bunny Bricks” and it’s one of my favorite. I just can’t get enough of those appliqué bunnies!

The quilt measures 38″ x 54″. The fabric I adore – It’s called Grace from Anna Griffin. I machine appliquéd the bunnies and machine quilted the quilt.

I have it hanging in my family room. I made it for Easter, but I can’t part with it just yet!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Day #11, Parable of the Ten Virgins

April 17, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

Sorry about the late posting, I selected the wrong time 🙁

Parable of the Ten Virgins, Day 11

To begin the lesson, watch this short video Christ Like Attributes – it’s also found HERE. It is such a beautiful overview of what we have been learning these last 10 days.

Jesus often taught using familiar objects and situations to teach a spiritual truth; called parables. The parable of the ten virgins teaches us about the second coming of Jesus Christ and how we can prepare. I thought both these lessons were perfect references to teach your children about this parable:Lesson from Sugardoodle click HERETen Virgins lesson click HEREOnce you’ve gone over the parable, have the family act out the story so it comes to life. Now talk about the hidden spiritual truth in this story. Who are the 10 Virgins? Who is the Bridegroom? What is the oil? What is the marriage?I liked this music video on youtube depicting people living righteously and putting oil in their lamps.Have the children cut out the drops of oil and a lamp. (I had to make them colorful, it’s Easter!!) They can write on each drop of oil what they are doing to prepare for Jesus to come again. Glue them in your journals. In the Sugardoodle lesson, there are instructions on how to make this lamp out of a paper plate.

Download oil drops

Filed Under: 14, 14 Day Walk with Christ, easter, FHE

The Perfect Potholder {Father’s Day Tutorial}

Riley Blake Blog Tour {Baby Play Mat Tutorial with Matching Zipper Pouch}

Got Ribs? {Father’s Day Apron Tutorial}

Surf & Turf Towels {Father’s Day Tutorial}

BBQ Napkins {Father’s Day Sewing Tutorial}

The Ava Quilt

Men’s Shirt Re-Fashion

Harper Girl: Blogger’s Quilt Festival Entry

Bunny Bricks: Bloggers Quilt Festival Entry

Day #11, Parable of the Ten Virgins

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