I recently finished Ocean with Dunes 15, a seascape art quilt. As the number on this quilt indicates, I have done 14 previous DUNES quilts, each a bit different. I don’t use patterns and every art quilt is one of a kind. Additionally, I like to try new ideas. In this quilt I used a Read the full article...
Hello and thank you for visiting me! Today I would like to share with you the progress I have made learning how to construct a crazy quilt b...
Are you ready to make the easiest quilt ever? If so, read on to see how I made this easy quilt with no measuring or pattern required!
As promised in my last post, here is a tutorial on how I like to face a quilt. Facing a quilt is a way to bind your quilt without having the binding show on the front. It allows you to take the quilting all the way to the edge, can add a nice professional and more artful looking finish, (especially to a smaller quilt) and I also find quilts seem to hang better and flatter with this method. Please keep in mind that this is just one way to face a quilt, and that there are many different methods out there. A lot of quilters prefer to use methods that create mitered corners, and you can find loads of tutorials on how to do that with a goggle search. However, I am extremely direction challenged and found them a bit too confusing for me! The method that I use doesn't give you mitered corners, but who cares as they wouldn't show on the front anyway. And best of all it is simple, straight forward and super-duper easy, I promise! I broke this tutorial up into 17 steps, (all really simple so don't be intimidated) and lots of photos, as visually I learn best that way, and I am guessing you do, too! So, here we go.... Step 1: Begin with a quilt top that you have finished quilting. Make sure to square the corners and trim off any excess batting and backing fabric. Starting at the top and the bottom edges of your quilt, cut two strips of fabric each 2" wide and a wee bit longer then your top and bottom edges. (Note: For photo purposes, my quilt is turned on its side here). With your quilt facing right side up, pin each strip along the top and bottom, lining the edge of the fabric strip to the edge of the quilt, as seen in the photo above. (Note: I like to use solids, but if you are using a print for your facing strips you would want to sew the strip right side down). Step 2: Using a 1/4" seam allowance sew both strips in place and trim the excess fabric edges flush with the sides of the quilt, as shown in the photo above. Step 3: Flip the strips up and over to the side, as shown above. (If using a print the print would now be face up). Press with a hot iron. Step 4: Begin to fold the entire strip to the back of the quilt, as shown above. You almost have to roll the area that contains the seam allowance to get it to go backwards. As you are doing this, keep pressing with a hot iron, (I like to use a lot of steam, too). The photo above shows what the front will look like once that strip is turned and pressed all the way to the back. Here, the photo above shows how the edge of the quilt will look once the strip is folded back. And this photo above, shows what the back will look like. Very easy so far, yes?! Okay, lets continue.... Step 5: Now you are going to flip your quilt over to the backside, and unfold those strips that I just had you so carefully fold and press! Using your hot iron and some steam, begin to turn and press the edge of each facing strip inward a generous 1/4" as shown above. (Be careful to just press the edge of the facing strip, and not that quilted seam allowance, as we want to keep the "memory" of the pressed fold there for later). Step 6: Flip your quilt to the front and your facing strips, too, so they are now back to where you started. Pin in place so they lay nice and flat along the quilt top, as shown in the photo above. Step 7: Cut two more facing strips, again each 2" wide, but this time approximately 1" shorter then the length of your quilt. Step 8: Center each strip along the sides of your quilt leaving approximately 1/2" on the ends, as shown above. As before, pin both strips to the sides, lining up the edges of the strips to the edges of your quilt. Note: Once the new facing strips are pinned in place you can remove the pins from the first two strips. Step 9: Begin stitching at the edge of the quilt, and using a 1/4"seam allowance, continue to stitch the length of the strip and past, going all the way to the other edge of your quilt. See photo above. Step 10: Stitch each corner of your quilt. You will want to go right across that intersection, as shown above. This is to reinforce your corners for when they are turned. I like to stitch a line forward then another one backward, for extra strength. Step 11: Trim each corner off, flush with the line you just stitched, as shown above. Step 12: We are going to repeat a few steps here... As before in Step 3, flip the two strips that you just sewed over and away from the quilt and press. Then fold and roll the strips to the back as you did in Step 4 pressing as you go. Flip your quilt over to the back and unfold your facing strips as you did in Step 5 and press your generous 1/4" seam allowance along the edge of each facing strip. But now, unlike before, I want you to re-fold and re-roll these two strips back again to the back of your quilt. Steam press again to get everything nice and flat. The above photo shows what the front of your quilt should now look like. The facing strips along the top and the bottom of your quilt top are still visible on the front, and the side facing strips are turned and pressed neatly to the back. And the photo above shows what that those two newest strips should look like on the back side. Yup... lot's of little steps here, but they are oh, so easy! And we are almost finished! Step 13: Flip your quilt to the backside, and pin those two strips flat against the back of your quilt, as shown above. Step 14: Using nice small stitches, hand stitch each strip in place along the back of your quilt, as shown above, remembering to be careful not to stitch through to the front side. Step 15: We are in the home stretch now, baby! Using your forefinger and thumb, as shown above and below, push each corner right-side out. As you do this the two remaining facing strips on the front side of your quilt will naturally flip to the back of your quilt, where they belong. Continue to push each corner out with your thumb. I then like to use a wooded chopstick to push the corner as far out as possible. Step 16: Once the corners are all pushed out and the facing strips are on the backside of the quilt, re-press along the edges with a hot iron, making sure everything is nice and crisp and laying flat, as shown above. Step 17: As before in Steps 13 and 14, pin and hand stitch the two facing strips down to the back of your quilt, as shown in the photo above. Ta - da! That's it! You are all done! Above, is what the quilt looks like from the back. Folk Art Cross Quilt No.3 And here is what it looks like from the front. Told you it was easy! If you have any questions, ask them in the comment section and I'll do my best to answer them! xo You can view more of my Tutorials HERE and my Patterns HERE.
This is one of my favorite scrap quilt patterns lately...I have another quilt top just like this one I need to finish. The squares are cut 2.5 x 4.5 inches, so my scrap bin had much to contribute to t
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Fresh, bright quilting, sewing projects, patterns, and free tutorials.
The Maypole quilt pattern is a simple yet bold design reminiscent of ribbons woven together. This striking composition varies greatly based on color.
There are always moments that make your heart stop a little when quilting, but I’m not sure there’s anything more horrifying than pulling your brand new finished quilt out of it’s first wash and realizing that your dye has bled. The first time this happened I sat on the laundry room floor and cried
Top US quilting blog, Diary of a Quilter, share how to make a Patchwork On Point Quilt where the squares are set 'on point'. Click here now for more!
I have a quilting machine, but it’s more like a regular sewing machine. Would I still be able to do this and is free motion quilting okay as a beginner?
Everything you need to know about the Rainbow Falls quilt from Wren Collective. Links to tutorials, alternate color ways, etc.
The photo above © Amigurumi__bestAmigurumi is for those who like to crochet toys. You can reach other amigurumi toy patterns by clicking on the links I have given below. Full Post: Amigurumi Patterns
I work with big pieces of fabric for my project bags, but in the process, I get a lot of offcuts. These pieces are too small on their own, but still very beautiful, dyed with dyes that I extract from plants. It would be a shame to toss them! So to limit the waste to the minimum, I decided to start making bags made with
This is a PDF digital download pattern. The Harken Quilt Pattern is a lovely beginner friendly pattern that works great with fat eighths, fat quarters and/or your most favorite scraps. The classic version is suited for your most favorite solids yardage and is stunning and bold. The Harken Quilt is my rendition of the traditional Irish Chain quilts I saw my late Grandma and her friends making while I was growing up. It's clean, no-nonsense, and super fun, just like my late Grandma. It comes in 5 sizes and has two versions, Classic and Scrappy! When I gave this pattern to my testers, I think almost half of them ended up making at least two versions... just for fun! It's a great "go to" pattern to have in your bag of quilting tricks. I invite you to check it out and try your own take on a Classic and Scrappy Harken Quilt. I can't wait to see what you create! **This pattern is a digital PDF download.**After purchasing, you will be sent an email with a link to instantly download your pattern.You’ll have a limited number of downloads. Please save to your computer before opening on other devices. You will need to open on a non-mobile device.If you don’t receive your email/link, first check your spam folder and then contact me at kanderson.abraham [at] gmail.com for assistance.Copyright 2023 Blooming Poppies Modern QuiltsYou may sell items made with this pattern on a small scale, but please credit Blooming Poppies.
I feel like this post should alternatively be called OMG, I finished this freaking beast, let's have a party! Better yet, a fiesta. (Beca...
There is nothing I like more than a simple quilt pattern that looks complicated. Behold .... the Jewel Box quilt. Shibori is a Jap...
Get tips on how to prepare a quilt binding. Tips that will help make this step in the quilting process less tricky.
The Peanut Butter Quilt Pattern is out now and it is FREE! Woo hoo. Grab the Peanut Butter Quilt Pattern Here Before I dive right into the quilt itself, I feel like this entire PB journey needs to be prefaced by my personal journey. I have spent the last 12 weeks being kind and gentle with myself. I plummeted into a de
A month ago, I was in the "Never! You couldn't pay me!" camp regarding turned-edge appliqué. Too slow, too fiddly and too unsuccessful. Life is too short! But things have changed..... and I actually enjoy turned-edge appliqué now. Would you like to try my method?
Want your quilting to look just as good as the professionals? Using stitch in the ditch might be what you are missing! Continue reading to find out how!
The Endangered Species Block of the Month is a stunning set of foundation paper pieced patterns designed by Cassandra Beaver for Aurifil. Each foundation paper pieced block features an animal in dire need of attention, advocacy, and compassion. This block of the month is an amazing way to grow your
Choose your favorite 5" charm squares to make you own cute and scrappy My Town quilt!
I propose we change the name of this weekly post to {FiW} Wednesday...as in FINISHED it Wednesday. (which I guess should be {Fi} Wednesday, but go with me, here.) Because there were a LOT of finishes this week. Phew! Well, two. But that feels like A LOT when you consider how long those things have been on my WiP list. First, I finished my pineapple blocks for Yolanda in the Bee Happy Bee. I was (as usual) intimidated by her blocks, mostly because of what I've heard people say about pineapple blocks. She found a pattern by Allison Quilt Designs (called the Crimson Rambler) that didn't require paper piecing, and assured us these weren't difficult. I believed her, really I did! It's just that I had to finish Libby's blocks before I felt like it was fair to start Yolanda's. AND...and that's a big and...I knew I needed to be able to do them when I could concentrate (read: not while the girls were awake and playing) and when I had a large enough block of time to finish them (read: not while the girls were simply napping). But I found time to wrap my head around the process, and another chunk of time to get them finished. I really like the way the two I made turned out, and I can't wait to see her finished quilt! It'll be stunning! My other big finish this week is the quilt I have been working on for the Quilts for Japan drive. There has been a wonderfully huge push to encourage the quilters of the world to make quilts for the people who were devastated by the earthquake/tsunami that hit Japan in March. I've had this design in my head since I started swapping hexies in (funny, Yolanda's) hexagon swap on Flickr. (Yolanda is clearly a big part of my quilting life this week!) The Quilts for Japan drive was just the push I needed to actually get the hexies out and work them into a quilt. I have decided to call this my "TNT Quilt." Mostly because the best thing that could happen to this quilt is if it got just a little too close to a stick of dynamite. :o) No. Really, it's because I tried SO doggone MANY new things with this quilt. Get it? Tried New Things? Catchy, no? For starters, I used quilter's spray adhesive to hold the hexies on until I raw-edge appliqued them down. Second, I used Kona Premium muslin for the white. It was VERY nice to have a whole piece of fabric and not have to piece anything. I also added a little yellow hexie for the label. Oh, and FYI - the hexagons were all cut with the Accuquilt Go! Studio hexagon die. Next, I quilted it myself. (TOTALLY new thing for me!) I knew this was too big for me to quilt on my home machine, though, so when my rock star friend, Traci, and I took a long arm class at our LQS, I knew this quilt was destined to be quilted on the big APQS Millenium (a.k.a. "Millie". Unique, no?) The class was really good, but I didn't have enough time to finish it there that day. Thankfully, I have a wonderful neighbor who offered to watch Mookie (who will be 3 in a few weeks! Gasp!) last Friday morning while I went down and finished this. I took Sprout (and a bag full of toys) with me. Just in case anyone is wondering, the floor of a quilt shop is probably not the best place for a curious 11 month old who thinks every single thing on the floor belongs in her mouth.) Sprout didn't last on the floor nearly as long as I was hoping, so I'm thankful I had my Ergo with me. She fell asleep as I was quilting this, which is suprising considering how much commotion and noise that machine makes! I have to say - I was surprised at how much the backing and the top moved and shrank during the quilting process. Well, and during the trimming process! I had to cut a LOT off to square it up! And then came the binding. (sigh). I decided that since I needed to finish this quilt quickly (Lecien, a Japanese fabric distributor in California, is offering to send them to needy families in Japan), I needed to machine bind it. I really should have taken a step back and watched some tutorials and talked to people who machine bind, because I could have used some serious help! My corners look like something the dog would roll in, you can sometimes see the stitches from the other side, and it's not perfectly even all the way around like it would have been if I'd hand-bound it. BUT I don't know how many months later I would be finishing it if I'd had to bind it by hand! (notice how I am not showing you any pictures of the binding? I'll leave that to Kelly and her superstar binding!) Mookie has helped make this quilt from the very beginning. Since she loves to swipe the hexies and make a "fairy path", I had to explain to her that this quilt was for a special family. A family that doesn't have a home anymore. A family that is very sad. And so anytime I was working on it, she would talk to me about the family, and ask me a zillion questions. When I showed it to her this morning and asked her to help me take pictures, she was very excited. I love that she's compassionate even at a young age. :o) The finished quilt is about 50x80". Kinda long, but that's okay. That's how long it had to be to incorporate all the hexies. I like that the quilt "became," for lack of a better term. I had no plan (which is very unlike me) - just a handful of hexies that I wanted to use. The quilt dictated the rest for me. Rather like how a novel "writes" itself, well this quilt "created" itself. :o) And since Sprout was such an integral part of the making of this quilt, I will shower you with a handful of gratuitous baby shots. :o) Now then. Back to the works in progress... I haven't touched anything else all week. :o) I haven't started anything new (including the bee blocks for Janice that are about to be a month behind...). But I've got a few more things that I have to finish soon, so I hope to get to work on them tomorrow. For my sake, I'm just going to type out a little list. I know I'm going to need to refer back to it soon enough. :o) -Audrey's mug rug (and about 3 other mug rugs for other people) - A few more infinity scarves - My Robert Kaufman Kona Solids Challenge Quilt - A few bee blocks - My birdie stitches blocks Oh, and in the "canvas" department, Dave and had a little "wine time creations" of our own on Friday night. It was Good Friday, and I thought it would be nice to paint something to reflect the sacrifice Jesus made for us that day. I showed Dave a few photos of my idea, and we got started. Even though it was Good Friday, we painted the scene for Sunday morning. Dave wants to paint The Scream next. I'm not sure, but I think that one is going to have to go in the "unspeakable wifely duties" category. (I do not like that painting!) The good thing about Canvas and Cocktails is that you don't have to paint what the rest of the class is painting. Thank goodness! :o) I hope you have a great and crafty week! (Yesterday's bad weather moved on and left us with a clear, bright morning for taking outside pictures.)
A chart with the most common baby quilt size. Plus, how to choose what size your quilt should be based on the use. Included are other common quilt sizes!
What pure fun making this quilt was! You forget how fast baby quilts are to make until you realize that it’s binding time and the quilt is almost finished and it seemed to just fly out of th…
If you missed out on the Summer Block party, never fear. You can buy the blocks offered at the party individually. Stripey Sails Block Info Block Size: 12" Finished Use this block to make an entire quilt or turn it into a tote bag with the free tutorial on our blog. The listing is for the quilt block pattern only. After you complete your purchase, you will be emailed a link to download your block. This is a digital product and nothing will be mailed to you.
Here are the Sky Cabin Sew Along details: Who: You creative bunch of quilters + us over here at Toad & Sew! When: July 18th - August 21st (5 weeks total) Where: There will be a weekly newsletter and blog post available each Monday! We will be sharing over on Instagram using the #SkyCabinSAL hashtag! How: To participate, you will be making a throw or larger Sky Cabin quilt with us all. To enter your name in the drawing for the grand prize, you will need to post the weekly photo by Sunday night of that week! Feel free to post more photos than the weekly one! At the end of the SAL, there will be a final blog post where we will feature some of the quilts you all make! Make sure your profile is set to “public” and you use the #SkyCabinSAL hashtag so we can see your pretty pictures! Grand prize: Each week we will reveal a new piece of the prize! At the end of the SAL, we will put together a list of all SAL participants that posted all weekly photos and draw one lucky name! But I mean, everyone's a winner after making yourself a snazzy Sky Cabin quilt!
When I began quilting, I learned to make bias binding and to finish by hand. Now, my preferred method is to attach the binding completely by machine. Most often, by the time I'm at the binding stage I'm just ready to be done and I really appreciate the speed of this method. Start by creating ...continue reading →
My Heart to Yours quilt pattern is a modern quilt pattern by Lynett Muhaso of LynsAvenue. My Heart to Yours was born from the vibrant, supportive quilting world l'm so lucky to be a part of. This incredible community has embraced me and many others with so much warmth, kindness, and encouragement - it feels like family! To show my gratitude, I wanted to create a design that radiates the same sentiment. With any fabric combo, this simple but eye-catching pattern comes alive. It's my homage to the connected, unending hearts of the quilting community. So, cheers to you all! You can read more about the quilt on this blog post. Skill Level: Beginner quilt pattern that is quick and easy to put together Downloadable PDF Pattern comes in four sizes: Baby, Throw, Queen and King Pattern assumes Width of Fabric to be 42" Fabric requirements listed in pictures Phots 2-4 taken by Kitty Wilkin (Night Quilter) for the Quilters Planner 2023 This is a downloadable PDF pattern. Link will be available after purchase. Limited number of downloads, so make sure to download and save pattern to your device. Please ensure you enter the correct email address at checkout. Purchases are final, no refunds on PDF downloads. Pattern is for one person use only. Do not copy, redistribute or sell. You may sell quilts made using this pattern. Please credit the quilt pattern to LynsAvenue
Get quilting tips to prevent your quilting fabric from bleeding. It’s an easy solution for a common problem.
This morning I sat down and decided to see how far I could get with my Farmyard Animals Designs - I have 6 more friends waiting to meet everyone - First up we have Mrs Bull - or Cow as she is more affectionately known. Soft natured, lovely long eyelashes and a great big .... nose - I was going to say nose. Mr Bull loves her - nose. Following on Cow's hooves we have li'll Calf. What a little love. Mom's heart and Dad's pride. Li'll bullybeef in his suede coat is such a charmer. Next up Mr and Mrs Cockerell. 'Rooster and Hen' to their friends. Always on the look for a little something someone left behind. They're not fussy. Never far from each other all day except at 6:00am when Rooster climbs the barn and lords it over the farmyard. Hot on their heels it's Horse. A real trustworthy hardworking type. Not only good looking but really tall too. Seems to enjoy the childen riding him around the meadows. Last up today is Rabbit. Who the hell knows what he does all day, but he's got a great set of teeth on him this one, and can run - as fast as, well - as a rabbit. Here we have the Farmyard as it is at the moment. I actually have 4 more in the pipeline. Once these 12" (30cm) patterns have their instructions all done, I'll be putting them on my Craftsy Shop with all the others. Have a Great Monday!
A comprehensive guide to the most commonly used quilting terms and acronyms. Includes a free printable quilters cheat sheet.
