Monday, June 28, 2021

Mini 4th Of July Star Quilt

With the 4th of July coming up really fast, I felt the need to sew up something patriotic. Here's my mini 4th of July star quilt! I love how it turned out and how cute it looks on this hanger.

A few weeks ago I found the little 6" quilt hanger at a local quilt shop and just had to have it, of course. This morning I saw it sitting on my shelf begging for something to hang on it. Out came my Crafter's Edge triangles to help me get creative! I love all the cutting dies from CE, but those triangles are among my favorites because of how easy it is to make half square triangles. 


This mini quilt went together really quick! The dog eared corners didn't have to be trimmed off after sewing the triangles together and there was no trimming to get the right size HST. Easy peasy!

The Crossover II can cut up to six layers of fabric and has adjustable pressure dials to allow for different thicknesses of fabrics.


Lining up the dog eared corners and sewing 1/4" seams gives perfect HSTs after pressing. I used the smallest triangles to give me 2" unfinished HSTs which will become 1 1/2" finished HSTs.


I used the 2" squares for the corners of the star. I really like all the sizes that come in this package!


What you need for the mini 4th of July Star Quilt:

One blue fat quarter, one red fat quarter, and one white fat quarter
8" x 8" batting square
Thread
Iron

Cut 4 - red triangles
Cut 8 - blue triangles
Cut 12 - white triangles
Cut 4 - 2" white squares
Cut 1 - 8" blue square for backing (extra added for quilting)
Cut 1 - 2 1/2" x 43" strip for binding

With right sides together, sew each of the red and blue triangles to a white triangle. Press seams towards dark side. 

With right sides together, sew 2" squares and 2" HST's together in rows as show below. Press seams in each row in opposite directions.


With right sides together, sew rows together; match seams. Press seams open to reduce bulk. 

*Mini Quilt assembly with batting and basting spray:

Protect the area where you will be working by placing an old sheet or paper under and around the area you’ll be spraying. Place the quilt backing, wrong side up on protected area. Lightly spray with Spray n Bond Basting Adhesive. Lay batting on sprayed fabric. Smooth to remove wrinkles. 


Lightly spray batting from one edge to the other. Carefully lay the wrong side of quilt front over the sprayed surface of batting. Smooth fabric to ensure it adheres to the sprayed fabric and remove any wrinkles. Let dry.


Quilt as desired. Trim mini quilt to 6 1/2" x 6 1/2". Add binding using your favorite method.



Have a wonderful patriotic July!

Friday, June 25, 2021

Riley Blake Colorful Friends Project Tour

A visit to a zoo would be so fun after over a year of very little travelling, don't you think? If you can't go to see the lions, tigers, and bears, how about checking out Riley Blake Designs new fabric, "Colorful Friends." It's adorable and the panel is full of zoo animals!

The panel makes a quick quilt by adding just a few borders and HST corners. It measures 53" x 60" when finished. 

It's A Zoo Out There!


The prints in the panel are just too cute and so bright. Seriously, I love them all!


Elephants, zebras, and lions, oh my!


The binding fabric I chose for this was Riley Blake Designs Crayola Stripe Multiple...it's so versatile! The border fabrics are RBD Colorful Friends Wildblue, RBD Colorful Friends Wisteria, RBD Colorful Friends Outrageous Orange, and RBD White.


An 18" square pillow with an applique hippo was easily made to add to the quilt. 
I think it would work great for boys or girls!



Monkey Baby got comfy with the quilt and pillow!



The variety of fabrics in the "Colorful Friends" is amazing! 
They are 100% cotton and are official licensed products.


Photo taking was adventurous with some of my own zoo family members, The Monkey Boys. 
They jumped right in to be part of the photo fun.


We challenged them to pick a favorite animal, but it wasn't easy for them.

Monkey Baby loved the lion and so do I!



Monkey Boy #5 thought the elephant was his favorite.


Monkey Boy #4 went for the zebra with a huge smile on his face.


Bruster never gets on my quilts when I'm taking photos, but for some reason he felt he deserved to be included and wouldn't get off the quilt. I think he was a bit jealous of the Monkey Boys or he was selecting the hippo as his favorite.


The quilt and pillow are very comfy and soft!


"It's A Zoo Out There" brightened up the backyard with all it's color.



Sewing with "Colorful Friends" was such a happy experience with all those sweet fabrics and it was icing on the cake to have the Monkey Boys help with photos.

You can find the free pattern for "It's A Zoo Out There" HERE.

Applique on the pillow was a breeze with Heat n Bond Lite EZ Print Sheets*. I copy the designs by running the sheets through my inkjet printer...no tracing! Plus, the backing peels off without having to score it with a pin. I love that! *Affiliate link



Check out more projects made from "Colorful Friends" on the RBD blog:


Wednesday, June 23, 2021

It Is My Day For "Fairy Tales" Blog Hop

I love a good fairy tale and feel like one is never too old to enjoy stories like Cinderella, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. Thanks to Joan from Moosestash Quilting for this great idea for a blog hop...Fairy Tales!

Vintage art is my kind of thing and I totally love this one, which I chose to reproduce in fabric. This has been a really fun project to work on!

Once Upon A Time


"Once Upon a Time", a poster by illustrator Kenneth Whitley, shows Little Red Riding Hood and a wolf. The poster was produced by the WPA Federal Art Project and published circa 1939.


There aren't any wolves in my backyard, but we do have some coyotes that hang around in the desert near us. I recreated the poster in my EQ8 program. Fabrics are Moda Grunge.


Check out the other fairy tale projects:

Monday June 21
Tuesday June 22
Wednesday June 23


Thank you for stopping by!

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

ThermOWeb has a new product, HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl, and it is amazing! By adding one, two, or three layers of HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl to fabric, it creates a layer of pliable, permanent protection including a semi-gloss oilcloth look.

Creepy Bunny gave his approval for this Halloween pillow that has one coat of HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl on it. It’s perfect for my porch that occasionally gets some wind-blown rain on it.

There are three ways to use the HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl gel coating:

One coat: Fabric is water and stain-resistant
Two coats: Fabric is waterproof and stain-resistant
Three coats: Waterproof and stain-resistant with a semi-gloss oilcloth finish

The fabrics in the pillow are from PBS Fabrics, “Halloween Night” by Katie Larson. They are printed in panel sections of fat quarters which made it really nice to have a variety of designs to choose from.

Supplies needed to make the pillow:

HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl
HeatnBond Pressing Paper, parchment paper, or silicone craft mat
Iron (I love using my Oliso mini iron!)
Thread
18” x 18” pillow form
Six fat quarters from PBS Fabrics – Halloween Night by Katie Larson
Recommended: Teflon foot to make sewing easier

The HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl is thick and easy to spread.

Step 1: Paint on a thin layer of Liquid Vinyl using a soft-bristled paintbrush or foam brush.

Step 2: Let dry for 30-45 minutes.

Step 3: Preheat iron to medium heat, no steam.

Step 4: Place fabric on top of parchment paper on a firm, protected surface (not an ironing board) and cover with HeatnBond Pressing Paper or non-stick pressing sheet. Press for 45 seconds, moving iron slightly.

Step 5: Remove Pressing Paper and let cool.

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS: *Cut after applying HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl and curing your fabric

Cut 1 – 10½” x 10½” square, Center Block
Cut 2 – 1½” x 10½” strips, left and right Border A
Cut 2 – 1½” x 12½” strips, top and bottom Border A
Cut 4 – 3½” x 12½” strips, left and right Border B
Cut 4 – 3½” x 3½” squares, corners, Border B
Cut 2 – 13½” x 18½” rectangles, pillow back

PILLOW SEWING INSTRUCTIONS: Seams are sewn 1/4”

Step 6: Border A – With right sides together, sew 1½” x 10½” strips to left and right sides of Center Block using a Teflon foot. You can use painter’s tape under your foot if you don’t have a Teflon foot.

Cover fabric with parchment paper and press seams towards borders. With right sides together sew 1½” x 12½” strips to the top and bottom of the Center Block. Cover fabric with parchment paper and press seams towards borders.

Step 7: Border B – With right sides together, sew a 3½” x 12½” strip to left and right sides of Border A. Cover fabric with parchment paper and press seams towards borders. With right sides together sew a 3½” x 3½” square to each end of the remaining 3½” x 12½” strips.  Cover fabric with parchment paper and press seams towards centers. With right sides together, sew strips to the top and bottom of Border A, matching seams. Cover fabric with parchment paper and press seams down.

Step 8: Pillow Back – Fold under 1/4” on one long side of each 13½” x 18½” rectangles. Cover fabric with parchment paper and press seams. Topstitch close to the edge of the fold. Place the pillow front right side up on a flat surface. Place the two backs, right side down over the right side of the pillow front with turned under edges towards the middle of the pillow. Overlap in the center and line up the outer edges with the pillow front. Sew around all the edges. Trim corners.

Turn inside out. Cover fabric with parchment paper and press. Place preformed 18” x 18” pillow inside through the flap.

Though it was a bit hard to catch in the photo, do you see the shine? It looks and feels incredible!

The fabric is really fun, too…I love those spiders!

Once applied, Liquid Vinyl is totally ready for use after just 24 hours. It is machine washable in cold water and needs to be removed promptly and laid flat to dry. You can apply HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl to products that can’t be ironed, but they aren’t machine washable. They will still be water and stain-resistant.

HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl has so many fun and practical uses. You’ll love it!

Check out the ThermOWeb blog for fun projects using HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl!

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Riley Blake Designs All About Christmas Project Tour

Riley Blake Designs and J. Wecker Frisch never disappoint with their fabrics and designs in both quality and creativity. "All About Christmas" is full of vintage images and beautiful colors...you'll love it!

The Stockings Were Hung
50" x 56"


With temperatures in Las Vegas around 108 degrees and the winds staying strong, Santa will probably stay far away until things cool down. Even our pine trees are looking a bit fried!


I used Riley Blake Designs "All About Christmas" Post White, Christmas Stars Charcoal, Christmas Stars Yellow, Christmas Stars Red, Christmas Stars Blue, Christmas Stars White, and Snowflakes Red in "The Stockings Were Hung" quilt.


Look how gorgeous the whole line of fabrics are...wow!


There are a few places near Las Vegas that look cooler than it actually is outside.
It was beautiful here!


The applique was applied using my favorite iron-on adhesive...Heat n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive.




Such sweet vintage designs in this fabric!



Check out more projects using "All About Christmas" fabric:



You can find "The Stockings Were Hung" pattern HERE.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Field Of Flowers With Crafter's Edge Cutting Dies

Making the "Field of Flowers" quilt using mostly Crafter's Edge cutting dies was a huge help in putting it together quickly. There were quite a few flowers, so those dies saved me time and energy in cutting them out. My hands were happy about that! I free motion stitched around the flowers to keep things even easier. 

Field of Flowers
50" x 50"


What you'll need to make "Field of Flowers":

SUPPLIES:

 

Heat n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive

Thread

Batting

Crafter’s Edge Crossover II and cutting dies: Tulips, Flower, 4 ½” Squares, 1 ½” Strips



APPLIQUE:

 

Cut 1 – 3” pink flower, Center Block

Cut 1 – 1” green circle, Center Block

Cut 4 – tulips in peach and pink, Center Block

Cut 8 – green leaves, Center Block

Cut 12 – 4” pink flowers

Cut 12 – 3” peach flowers

Cut 12 – 1 ½” white flowers

Cut 12 – 1” green circles

 

FABRIC NEEDED:

 

1 ¾ yard white

1 ¼ yard pink

1/2 yard peach

1/4 yard green

3 yards backing

1/2 yard binding

 

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS:

 

Cut 52 – 4 ½” x 4 ½” white squares

Cut 24 – 4 ½” x 4 ½” pink squares

Cut 24 – 4 ½” x 4 ½” peach squares

Cut 2 – 1 ½” x 40 ½” pink strips, left and right Border A

Cut 2 – 1 ½” x 42 ½” pink strips, top and bottom Border A

Cut 4 – 4 ½” x 42 ½” white strips, Border B

Cut 4 – 4 ½” x 4 ½” pink squares, Border B Corners

Cut 6 – 2 ½” x 43” strips, Binding



SEWING/APPLIQUE INSTRUCTIONS: All seams are sewn 1/4” unless otherwise noted.

 

Step 1: White square blocks – With right sides together, sew two 4 ½” x 4 ½” white squares together. Press seam to side. Repeat with two more white squares. With right sides together, sew squares together, matching seams. Press seams down. Repeat to make 13 blocks.

 

Step 2: Pink and peach blocks - With right sides together, sew a 4 ½” x 4 ½” pink square and a 4 ½” x 4 ½” peach square together. Press seam to side. Repeat with two more pink and peach squares. With right sides together, sew squares together, matching seams. Press seams down. Repeat to make 12 blocks.

 

Step 3: Applique – Iron Heat n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive to wrong side of fabrics; let cool.



Following Crafter’s Edge instructions, place paper side of adhesive facing up on platform*. Cover as directed before running through machine. Run die and fabric through machine. 


To reverse the direction of design, place fabric side up before cutting. Half the leaves will be cut on paper side and half on fabric side. To get the correct direction on tulips, the petals will need to be cut half on paper side and half on fabric side.


Peel off paper liner from the backs of applique pieces. Place applique, adhesive side down, on right side of fabric. Press according to package directions until entire piece is bonded. Let cool. Sew around edges of applique using a straight, zig-zag, or blanket stitch. 




Step 4: With right sides together, sew blocks together into rows as shown below matching seams. Press seams to sides:


Step 5: With right sides together, sew rows together matching seams. Press seams down.


Step 6: Border A -  With right sides together, sew 1 1/2" pink strips to left and right of center blocks. Press seams towards borders. With right sides together, sew 1 1/2" pink strips to top and bottom of center blocks. Press seams down.


Step 7: Border B - With right sides together, sew 4 1/2" white strips to left and right of Border A. Press seams towards borders. With right sides together, sew 4 1/2" square pink blocks to ends of remaining 4 1/2" strips. Press seams towards center. With right sides together, sew strips to top and bottom of Border A, matching corner seams. Press seams down.


Step 7: Finish quilt using your favorite quilting and binding method. *Crafter's Edge 2 1/2" strip cutter is perfect for bindings!


Check out more projects using the Crafter's Edge dies on their "Inspiration" page HERE

Thank you for stopping by!

Give It A Whirl Blog Hop Starts Today

It is time to whirl, twirl, and spin with the "Give It A Whirl" blog hop! What was the challenge? Somewhere in or on your project ...