My quilt guild had a woman come and demonstrate how to make fabric bowls and I felt inspired. However, the way I made this bowl, and the way that was demonstrated have very little in common. I found a description of how to make your own bowl pattern from here. This was posted in 2004 so obviously it isn’t new. You have to use a bit of math—but if you put your measurements in where I tell you to, and use a calculator you will be able to make your own bowls too. I also found the site of Hilde Morin and that’s what inspired me finish the bowl the way I did—so here’s a tutorial so you can make your own if you want. You will need: a bowl the size and shape you like measuring tape calculator paper and pencil a compass / divider (that’s the thing you can draw circles with that has a point on one end and a pencil on the other) heavy duty interfacing (mine doesn’t iron on) sewing machine craft glue stick scraps of fabric lots of thread First, find a bowl about the size and shape you like and would like to make. I wanted to make a smaller bowl to put odds and ends in, so I found a glass bowl in my cupboard. Once you’ve found the bowl, turn it upside down and measure from rim to rim across the middle as shown here. Write that measurement down and label it “diameter”. Mine was 8 1/4" Next use a tape measure and measure around the rim of the bowl—all the way around. You might need some help, or you can use tape. If you turn the bowl upside down (I just figured that out!) it might be easier to measure. Write that measurement down and label it “my circumference”. Mine was 19”. I know some of you are having chest pains and your eyesight is blurring. Math anxiety strikes again!! I know you’re thinking—“But I can’t do Geometry!”. You don’t have to—yay! Now is the time to get out your calculator. You have one on your computer if you don’t have one in your junk drawer. (Does everyone have a junk drawer, or was that unique to my growing up? I still have one, by the way.) Take the number you wrote down and labeled “diameter” and multiply it by 3.1416. My diameter was 8 1/4 inches, so I multiplied 3.1416 x 8.25 and got 25.9 inches. This is the circumference of the circle with a diameter of 8 1/4 inches. When I measured around the rim of my bowl, I got 19 inches (more or less). You don’t have to be very exact here, so don’t worry. Now, subtract “my circumference” from the circumference you got when you multiplied earlier (mine was 25.9 inches so I take 25.9-19 = 6.9 or almost 7). Write down this number and label it “dart total”. This tells you how much of the circle has to be removed (in darts) to make a bowl instead of a flat plate. So I will have to have darts that take away about 7 inches of the circle at the rim. Now, to make a bowl, you make darts in the large circle you will cut, and then sew them back together. That’s how you get something flat to become rounded. That’s why we have darts in our blouses, because we’re not flat, we’re rounded. The size and shape of the dart will determine how the bowl will be rounded. If the darts have flat sides, the bowl will have straighter sides, if the darts are curved, the walls of the bowl will be curved. Next, draw a circle on paper for a pattern. You’ll use that pattern later and pin it to the interfacing. Use the compass/dividers and measure half the measurement of the “diameter” of your model bowl. Mine was 8 1/4" so the measurement I used was 4 1/8”. You only need half the measurement because you are drawing from the middle and going around. Next, measure the bottom of your bowl. Mine was 3”. Use the compass again and open half the diameter of the bottom. Mine opened to 1 1/2”. Put the pin end of the compass into the same hole that was formed when you drew the large circle and draw a small circle. Now you have two circles, one inside the other. You should be able to see the pin hole. Draw a line through the pin hole from one side of the circle to the other. It doesn’t matter where you draw the first line. You’ve just drawn a diameter of a circle—yeah geometry! Take one of your quilting rulers and draw another line from edge to edge. This one should also go through the pin hole in the center and make a 90 degree angle. That’s the angle you see in the corner of a piece of paper. If you use a quilting ruler, you will be able to see the line you drew first through the ruler. Put one of the lines on your ruler on that line and draw a + with the center being in the middle of the circle. Now, using a quilting ruler again, draw lines exactly between those two lines. You’ll use the 45 degree lines on your ruler this time, and then one more time. You’ll end up with 4 lines going from edge to edge across the circle, all going through the middle of the circle where you first made the pin hole to draw the circle. Now you get to decide what shape the darts will be, and so, what shape the bowl will be. My darts were a little curved, so my bowl has curved sides. If I wanted the sides more straight like my model bowl, I would have used straight sided darts. To decide how big to make each dart, you have to see what the difference is between “my circumference” and the circumference of the circle. When I subtracted I got 7”. Because the bowl has 8 darts, divide (get the calculator out) “dart total”—mine was 7” divided by 8 equals .875 or 7/8”. I didn’t want to have to be that exact, so I just made it 1” per dart, or 8” total. Remember, no one is going to wear the bowl, so it doesn’t have to fit the measurements you took—be a little relaxed and it will stay fun. To make a dart, you have to take out some of the circle on BOTH sides of the line you drew. So take your dart measurement (mine was 1”) and divide it by 2 (because the dart has two halves). So on each side of the lines I drew earlier through the center of the circles I will measure 1/2" and make a dot on the outer edge of the large circle. This is how big my dart will be. Now, draw a line from the dot almost to the bottom of the bowl (that small circle you drew earlier inside the big one). I drew mine about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Remember, this isn’t rocket science so there isn’t an exact place—just a little. Do this on all 8 lines. You just drew the darts. If you drew this pattern on paper, pin it to the interfacing and cut it out. I used a rotary cutter, but you could certainly use scissors. Cut around the outside of the large circle, then cut out the darts. Because the interfacing is thick, you don’t want more than one layer, so cut the darts out—trust me. Transfer the circle that is the bottom onto the interfacing so you can see the circle. I used the compass and drew the circle in pencil. You need this so the bottom will be sort of flat. Now using a zig-zag stitch, sew around the bottom circle. I used grey thread so you could see it, but I think on the next one I’ll use white so there’s no chance it will show through the fabric I decorate the bowl with. Now comes the fun part. You are going to sew the darts together and make a bowl. Start at the circle you just sewed for the bottom. Even though the darts don’t go all the way to that line, start there anyway. Make your zig-zag stitch wide enough to catch the interfacing on both sides of the dart and hold them together. I set mine on 4, that’s as wide as mine goes. I didn’t worry about having a perfect satin stitch—I just did a close zig-zag. Pull the sides of the dart together as you sew, so they meet, and sew over them It’s not hard at all. Do this for every dart. When you’ve sewn all the darts together you have a bowl! Now—decorate it. I used bits of fabric I had laying around and a craft glue stick. I only used the glue on the outside because I was in a hurry, but next time I’ll use it on both sides. I put fabric all over the outside first, (including the bottom) then using variegated thread and a straight stitch, I started at the rim and sewed round and round and round and round and …well you get the idea until all the outside fabric was held down. You don’t have to sew a whole lot, because the outside will get stitched down more when you sew the insides down. Put fabric all over the inside (I will use glue next time) and when none of the interfacing is showing, sew round and round and round and…from the rim to the center, then back out, then back in (it’s like the hokey pokey—that’s what it’s all about) until you feel like you’re done. Next I used the same variegated thread and this time I did sew a satin stitch around the rim—I did it twice to cover really well—to finish it off! Tah Dah!! A bowl. Wow, it took longer to write this than it did to make the bowl. This is the first tutorial I’ve written, so please let me know if something isn’t clear. Here is another one I made this morning--this one is a little small so was a bit difficult to sew inside, but it still worked. Hope you enjoy it

Here is a tutorial for a quilted hexagonal bowl. And reversible! PIN this for later The bowl measures 13 inches from a point to the opposite point. I made it using my shadow trapunto technique. I used these templates: Download the templates here (this is a 'pdf' file; you will need Adobe Reader to open it). After you print and cut the templates, check out that the bottom side of the 'A' piece has the same size as the side of the hexagon . Make six 'A' pieces and one 'B' piece. I made these pieces from quilted fabric. Make

It is that auspicious day! Today I must submit my entry for the all-Canadian Fabric Spot Scrap Challenge to Rachel over at Stitched in Color. And if you were wondering what mysterious thing I was making the other day, wonder no more! Here it is just under the wire… I’m going to call it “The Scrappy Lily Bowl...Read More »

Process video tutorial with explanation.

Learn to Sew Fast and Easy Fabric Bowls; you need only fabric and interfacing scraps and less than 30 minute.

Here is a tutorial for a quilted hexagonal bowl. And reversible! PIN this for later The bowl measures 13 inches from a point to the opposite point. I made it using my shadow trapunto technique. I used these templates: Download the templates here (this is a 'pdf' file; you will need Adobe Reader to open it). After you print and cut the templates, check out that the bottom side of the 'A' piece has the same size as the side of the hexagon . Make six 'A' pieces and one 'B' piece. I made these pieces from quilted fabric. Make

Fabric Baskets Tutorial - DIY projects for quilters and crafters - easy to make. Perfect for beautiful quilted gifts.

Gifts are always lovely to give and to receive, but gifts made by the hand from the heart are always extra special...

Learn how to make a fabric bowl with these step-by-step directions using templates from Kirsten Fisher's book.

Remember the airplane-friendly sewing kit I showed you last month? Well, today I'd like to share the project I made it for in the first place!

Remember a few months ago when I showed you how I used my fabric scraps to make a rug for my little Birdie’s bedroom? Well, today I’m going to show you my absolute favourite way to use up fabric scraps: braided storage bowls & baskets! I started making storage bowls and baskets a few years ago when Birdie was a baby. Not only is it a great project to use up scraps and worn-out old clothing, but I found it a really fun task to do whilst hanging out with a baby. I have so SO many good memories of sitting on the floor next to Birdie, having a little chat and braiding my scraps while she played. I really like that something I created while she was playing, now holds the toys she plays with! […]

In mid-March, we shot “Quilting Arts TV” Series 1800 at KS Productions in Solon, Ohio. It will start airing on about 400 public television stations across the U.S. in July. This is the fifth series I’ve hosted, and we had some fabulous guests. Here’s a sneak peek. (Note that some of these segments will be held until Series 1900, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer to see them.) Susan Carlson brought along Stevie, the life-sized salt-water crocodile. This piece measures 22 feet long, and it was quite amazing to have on set. Susan also shot a segment on creating a fabric collage spiral quilt to learn the basics of fabric collage. Esterita Austin shared tips for making portrait quilts; on transferring original imagery onto organza using acrylic and Lumiere metallic paints; and on using sheer colored organzas to create still lifes and landscapes. Melissa Averinos teaches how to make a yo-yo fabric brooch; a small piece of abstract wall art; and a hand-painted panel with fabric medium and Inktense color blocks. Quilting Arts magazine editor Vivika DeNegre joined me to talk about how to block a quilt so that it lies – or hangs – nice and flat. Wendy Butler Berns shot three segments: picture image machine appliqué; random pieced borders; and using Texture Magic. Here, she’s getting set up on the Bernina with the help of Andrea Goddard of Bernina: Here are some shots of the set and the equipment: Jane Davila shot segments on SolarFast sun printing with masks and printing with photographic negative designs on transparencies; on block printing; and on Citrasolv image transfers. Grace Errea’s segments are on explaining value, and the 8-value scale she uses; on her “heat-set” machine applique technique; and on randomly pieced backgrounds. Victoria Findlay Wolfe shot two segments: on how to cut precise pieces with a Sizzix machine, then Y-seam piecing on the Hex Flower; and how to beautifully piece free form curves. Here is the Green Room, where guests get their segments organized and wait until it is their turn on set: Rennae Haddidin used an Innova longarm machine in her two segments on creating a beautiful quilted drawstring bag; and on applying a binding to a quilt on the longarm. Joanne Sharpe demonstrates coloring book-style lettering quilts; quilts made from tone-on-tone white printed fabrics painted and colored with Inktense, Caran d'Ache, and Dye-na-Flow; and quilts painted and then free-motion quilted and embellished. Here I am with our fabulous make-up artist, Karen, who makes us all look great! Vivika and assistant editor Kristine Lundblad having a bit of fun on set: Nancy Wick taught how to thread paint and embellish on an Innova longarm quilting machine while creating a sculptured fabric poppy bowl; and how to make a scarf from fibers such as thread, ribbon, or roving. Cathy Vandiford Wiggins shot three segments on quilting leather, including how to use quilted leather panels in sewing projects such as vests, jackets, journal covers and bags; creating scraps of hides for wall art; and how to stabilize a larger piece of leather for quilting.

Make Some for Yourself and Others to Give! Use up some of those scraps or showcase your favorite fabrics in this beautiful container. The deep fabric bowl is an impressive and thoughtful gift or make several to sell at craft and quilt fairs. While it can be used just about anywhere around the house to …

Flower Box Tutorial-free download - templates for square, hexagonal and octagonal boxes/ via @getagrama

Tiny vessels hand stitched and cut to form abstracted memories. Sizes from 3-8 cms. Loop Head stitch pots Worn and Wethered Summer Fields Autumn

For a while I've been wanting to try making some patchwork buckets, and then I thought, why not make tiny ones? When a glorious stack of Retro 30's Child Smile by Lecien landed in my mailbox (courtesy of the lovely people at Fat Quarter Shop who asked if they could sponsor a few of my blog posts), I could resist no longer. These sweet little buckets -- what can I say? I love them. Scrappy patchwork, retro prints, linen lining, leather handles...it's all my favorite things rolled into one project. The two sizes are 2" and 4" tall, both wrapped around a 3 1/2" diameter circle. They're the perfect size for holding sewing tools, thread spools, binding clips, colored pencils, makeup brushes, clothespins, lollipops, [insert the name of your favorite small item here]. There's no doubt that the adorable prints are the star of the show. You know I love anything with a vintage spin to it, and these are darling. But can we talk about the supporting cast for a minute? When you're looking for a neutral to pair with colorful patchwork, linen is always a good idea. I used Soft Sand Linen Blend from the Art Gallery Fabrics Denim Studio collection, which is fabulous (as is the rest of that collection, by the way). And I'm constantly amazed at how adding the tiniest leather accents to any project immediately takes it up to the next level. I cut these 1/2" wide handles from a piece of leather I ordered on Amazon. You could easily substitute twill tape or double fold bias tape, but I love the way these look. My friends at Fat Quarter Shop want to share some fabric with you too (aren't they sweet!), so they're letting me give away a package of Retro 30's Child Smile to one reader. You even get to choose between origami squares (10" squares) or a sushi roll (2 1/2" wide strips). Leave me a comment below letting me know which you'd rather have, and I'll choose a winner on Friday morning. International entries are welcome. Be sure to leave your email address in the comment if you're a no-reply blogger so that I can get in touch with you! Happy week to you, friends! **NOTE: This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations, Karen!**

DIY Fabric Flower Box Free Sewing Patterns

Tiny vessels hand stitched and cut to form abstracted memories. Sizes from 3-8 cms. Loop Head stitch pots Worn and Wethered Summer Fields Autumn

[envira-gallery slug="box-bowl-tutorials"] PinShare

Choose Two Compatible Fabrics for Your Unique Version! This decorative fabric bowl is woven in such a way that a 12-point star is created on the bottom, both inside and out. Embellish the rim with buttons for a beautiful finish. This is a very simple project you’ll have finished up quickly. Start with squares of …

Quilt Canada is being held in London, Ontario this year the week of May 24 to 28 on the grounds of the University of Western Ontario. Guilds have been asked to make fabric bowls. The workshop for our guild was planned for last Saturday. Hmmmmmmmmm, four people showed up! There are nearly 100 people in the guild....................where were the other people? I dropped in as originally I couldn't attend due to a family conflict. I "unconflicted" it but had made this bowl ahead of time and delivered it to the president. When I heard only five people were going out to make bowls, I offered to make another one. It didn't take me long. I fused and cut everything one day and sewed it in less than an hour the next day. I really like it. I like the one above too. This is a technique I have never done before. I learned something I didn't know before. It wasn't difficult at all. I quite enjoyed it, but then I'm one of those people that loves to learn new things. I may never make them again, but I know I can do it should the need ever arise. I don't understand why people don't go out and learn something new. I've been taking classes for nigh on 25 years. I started with a lady called Rosemary Makhan who taught me the basics at a beginner's sampler class. I never stick with the same teacher as everyone teaches differently. My all time favourite was my old boss, Susan Osborne. She was a fountain of information and freely gave it away. I took a class with Lydia Quigley, Gail Spence and my first landscape workshop was with Renske Helmuth. As both Charleen and I ran the workshops we were able to sit in on classes and picked up from the teachers we had hired. Janet Rhind, Val Garnett, Barb Croucher to name a few. All Guild members. Janet gave us tips on making jackets, Val taught embellishing and Barb showed neat tricks on using fusible web. Barb will take a full size pattern and then make it much, much smaller......not quite miniature, but doggone close to it. I have taken two workshops on machine quilting and now I practice, practice, practice. I learned tips and tricks from both instructors. However, the best tip I heard was from another Barb, (Bearfoot) who said..............its just like driving a car -- slow down around the curves!!! I will never do a queen size quilt on my short arm, but I do have a great LA for that. I found the bowls on a link which I'm going to share. Of course, there is a catch here Guild members. If you download, you have to make a bowl and donate it. How will I know? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'll know! LOL Make one for yourself too. You know they would make great gifts for your international friends. http://www.langleyquiltersguild.com/PDF/2011-CQA-leaf%20bowl%20pattern%5B1%5D.pdf We got a gift from Melissa for showing up at the workshop. She kindly gave us old x-rays so we can trace out those large templates. Thanks Melissa, I won't have to use masking tape the next time.

Lisa's gorgeous rope coil vessels made the front cover of Mollie Makes. Learn how to make a rope coil vessel with Lisa in a step-by-step tutorial.

Anemone Vase Art Deco Necklace At the Show Blue Hair Slide Bridal Bag Bride and Bridesmaid Bags Brooch Butterfly Panel Butterfly Purse Cala Lily Vase Clematis Vase Close up of Clematis Vase Harebell Vase Decorative Dress Collar and Brooch Dragonfly Organza Panel Ely Cathedral Organza Hanging Festive Hanging Lantern Fish Lamp Flower Medley Panel Hand

More fabric boxes

Fabric Nesting Bowls That Are Stylish And Save Space If you love nesting bowls then the idea of making these nesting fabric bowls is just too much to resist! Keep them as a set of six, or rushed fo…

Here's a list of fabric scrap bowl tutorials I have compiled: Have you been sewing any coiled rope bowls to use up your fabric scraps or give as gifts?

We have a winner! Andri won the FQ of Shelburne Falls in the Maple colorway from Pink Castle Fabrics! Andri wrote: "The bowls are too cute" : ) Thanks Andri - they were fun to make. I'll be contacting you soon for your email address!

Process video tutorial with explanation.

I take part in a sewing swap where we send each other material, sew something from the material we receive and then mail it back. This swa...

With so many beautiful fabrics and heavyweight interfacing available, sewing pretty (and sturdy, long-lasting) boxes is so easy. The technique is very easy and once you learn it, it's easy to design

Remember the airplane-friendly sewing kit I showed you last month? Well, today I'd like to share the project I made it for in the first place!

penny rugs and wool

Tiny vessels hand stitched and cut to form abstracted memories. Sizes from 3-8 cms. Loop Head stitch pots Worn and Wethered Summer Fields Autumn

I take part in a sewing swap where we send each other material, sew something from the material we receive and then mail it back. This swap...

[envira-gallery slug="box-bowl-tutorials"] PinShare

Storage Pod tutorial from Fabric Editions

One of my favorite things to do is spend hours on the web seeing what other creative types are doing … More

I am happy to be sharing my February 2020 project as an Aurifil Artisan! This month we teamed up with Paper Pieces to bring you English paper piecing projects using Aurifil threads. Since EPP is one of my favorite slow-down type of projects, I was more than happy to participate this month. We have been battling one illness after another (it's that time of year at school!) and things just keep spreading around. Once I think we've gotten over everything, something else crops up. Anywho, on to the project: I chose the Bowls 2 pattern + paper piece kit from the Paper Pieces website and started planning while I waited for the supplies to arrive in the mail. Bowls 2 from PaperPieces.com I immediately chose one of the largest bowls from the pattern as my project and decided to work on the others over the next few weeks. I paired these beautiful new Riley Blake Designs fabrics by Lori Holt with coordinating Aurifil 50 weight threads and quickly basted and pieced this bowl. All together, this bowl took me around 2 hours to make and was very simple. The instructions in the Bowls 2 pattern were clear and concise and the paper pieces from PaperPieces.com are always high quality. As you can see from some of the photos, I was able to use 5" charm squares for this particular bowl. For some of the smaller ones you could definitely get 2 EPP pieces from one 5" square. So its the perfect scrappy precut project :) Have you ever made an EPP bowl before? This was a totally new project for me but it was so fast and easy that I immediately fell in love with it. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Nesting Bowls Pattern, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr. I had the pleasure of testing out a new pattern recently for a friend! Nova of a Cuppa and a Catch Up just released it, the Nesting Fabric Bowls PDF Pattern**! This pattern is in-depth. Six different sizes of bowls ready for you to make and lots of fun extra options like patchwork, handles, square bowls, and custom sizing! **Update July 2020: Unfortunately this pattern is no longer available for purchase. Nesting Bowls Pattern, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr. I decided to make a full nesting set! I love nesting bowls, so the idea of having nesting fabric bowls was too much to resist. I wanted to work from my stash, so I ended up using all different colorful fabrics that had off-white backgrounds. They coordinate but aren't super matchy. For the interiors I used various colors of Alexander Henry's Heath and Timeless Treasures Sketch. Nesting Bowls Pattern, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr. These bowls have multiple layers of interfacing so they are nice and sturdy but still soft! They come together really quickly, and are a great project to do assembly line style! Fabrics (left to right): Larkspur by Alexander Henry, Loulouthi by Anna Maria Horner, Hedgehog Meadow by Michael Miller, Washi by Rashida Coleman Hale, Farmdale by Alexander Henry, Umbrellas by Yuwa Fabrics. Nesting Bowls Pattern, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr. I'll definitely be making more of these in the future. Next I want to make one with a handle and some patchwork. Happy Sewing!

HGTV shows you how to wrap colorful fabric strips around rope and coil them into this playful bowl.

Tiny vessels hand stitched and cut to form abstracted memories. Sizes from 3-8 cms. Loop Head stitch pots Worn and Wethered Summer Fields Autumn