My First Rag Quilt!

The photo above is the quilt before washing in the machine to wear the rag edges. I will post a picture of the finished quilt when I get a chance. But for now, I hope that you enjoy the work in progress. You can see that one side has the raggedy edges and the back side has nicely sewn seams.

I had some 10 inch squares of fabric in sweet baby designs that I could not decide what to make with. So, they were the perfect fabrics to make my first rag quilt. I started this project only a couple days ago and finished today! I am hooked! I love the look and it is so easy to assemble. For a great tutorial of how you too can make your own rag quilt, visit: Jen Yu's web page. Her directions are very easy. Even a novice sewer can complete this project! I decided to quilt lots of different designs in each block instead of quilting x's.

Rag Rug Update - Only 2 colors left!

Only 2 more colors left. One method for going around the corners is to add and take away stitches as needed. I found that if the rug starts to turn up, then an extra stitch is needed. If the edge begins to "bubble up," then you would need to skip a stitch. These tips will help keep your rug flat. I used several different types of fabric making the rug as well. I found that when I used a thicker fabric, such as velour or home decor fabric, I had to skip a stitch here or there to keep the rug flat. I will have one final post so that you can see the finished rug!

Thomas the Train Quilt for the Little Guy!

My little guy loves Thomas the Train! When I saw this fabric panel online, I knew that I wanted to make David a quilt. I found some cute Thomas the Train track fabric at Walmart for the back of the quilt. This was a quick quilt to make. I placed the batting on the floor, followed by the backing, wrong side down, and then the quilt top, right side down. I pinned the layers together and sewed around the perimeter, leaving a space to turn the quilt right side out. Next, I removed the pins, turned the quilt right side out, and blind stitched the opening closed. Finally, I tied the quilt, spaced at every 5 inches.

Patchwork Fabric Quilted Crib Rail Guard

Your little one will love the stimulating designs of this fabric! This guard is wide enough to fit many convertible wide rail cribs. Click HERE to visit my shop, New England Quilter, to see the listing for specific details. Would you like to design your own instead? Visit my shop to purchase a 10 page tutorial with step by step instructions for designing and making your own quilted crib rail guard. The tutorial includes 38 color photos to help guide you. Don't Sew? I have also designed a No Sew Tied Quilted Crib Rail Guard tutorial for those of you who don't sew as well!

No Sew Tied Quilted Crib Rail Guard Tutorial TM

Now available for sale in my Etsy shop: No Sew Tied Quilted Crib Rail Guard Tutorial. This PDF file tutorial includes 28 color photos and step by step instructions to make your own padded quilted crib rail guard. Once you have bought the fabric to go with your nursery, it should take less than 2 hours to make a guard. Click HERE to visit my Etsy shop for more details. Or to visit my Artfire Studio, click HERE.

Please do not copy any part of this post or photos without prior written permission.
Thank you!

Rag Rug - Two Colors Done

I have started crocheting a room size rag rug. I've got 2 colors done so far. I started with chain stitching 40, single crocheting the sides, and adding some extra single crochets around the corners. I go through a ball of "fabric yarn" pretty quickly. I have a whole bunch more ready to crochet in - over 15 more colors to go! See my previous post, Getting Started, to see a link for how to make your own fabric yarn. Check back in a few weeks for another progress update!
I haven't measured it with a yardstick yet, but I would estimate it to be 2.5 feet long so far.

Fleece Tie Pillow Tutorial

Curious George Pillow

Materials
You will need:
*Sharp pair of fabric scissors
*2 pieces of fleece 18"x18"
*Pins
*2 pieces of muslin(or any cotton fabric) 13"x13"
*Stuffing (Polyfill fiber or Scrap Batting)
*Thread

Making the Pillow (or just buy a 12"x12" pillow form at the store)
1) Cut the fabric 13"x13" and pin together.
2) Starting about 3 inches from a corner, start sewing all the way around the fabric square. Stop when you are about 5 inches from where you began. Turn the pillow right inside out.
3) Stuff your pillow to desired plumpness.
4) Turn under the raw edge, pin and top-stitch to complete.


Making the Pillow Case
1) Cut the fleece to the dimensions given above.
2) Place the fleece wrong sides together and pin.
3) Cut a 3-inch square out of each corner.

4) Then, through both layers, cut 1 "x3" fringe, to tie, all the way around the pillow.
5) Tie front to back for each tie, leaving some open on the last side. Once you have made the pillow, insert the pillow in the case and close the last few ties. You are done!

The Curious George Pillow above is available to purchase in my Etsy Shop.

Red Speckled Baseball Leather Shoes for the Little Guy

Today I finished my first pair of leather shoes for the little guy. He loves baseball, basketball, football, beach balls and practically anything that resembles a ball. I had some plain white leather that I stitched onto the red speckled leather to decorate the shoes with baseballs. I used a heavy duty thread and leather machine sewing needles. I ended up breaking all three needles in the pack and hand stitched the last pieces together. I actually found that it was much easier to hand stitch the leather than to sew it on the machine. (I had special leather needles for hand sewing too.) I added 1/4 inch to the design I used for the toddler slippers. I haven't had a chance to try them on the little guy yet - he is napping now. One tip I would like to share - when machine sewing leather, hand crank the wheel to go in reverse when starting out and also hand crank if you have areas that you are going through more than 2 layers. I would like to experiment with different threads and the leather to see what combination I prefer. I know that the heavy duty thread will hold well, but it was not the easiest to work with due to its thickness.

I love the piece of speckled red leather I found at Martin's House of Cloth. I also found several other great pieces - silver, peachy pink and a white splattered with blue and yellow. I am excited to try new projects with this new material. I'll post my latest creations here for you to check out!

Toddler Slippers for My Little Guy!

So my little guy's feet are getting bigger and he is now cruising all over the place. It is time for some new shoes. Usually I have just bought him Robeez in the past. This fall we bought him so soft soled sneakers at Stride Rite. Instead of buying more Robeez, I decided to buy some leather at a local fabric shop and make him some leather shoes myself. Since leather is a bit more expensive than cotton, I decided to make him a pair of flannel slippers first. He loves cars and trucks, so I thought that he would enjoy this fabric. The shoes are lined with striped flannel fabric that I had leftover from a quilt I just finished for one of my nephews. I fused all fabric to the liner and then sewed them together. I used no-slip fabric, like the kind on the bottom of sleepers, for the tread. I found this at JoAnn Fabrics. You have to ask for it at the cutting table. I think that they turned out cute for my first attempt at making shoes. They fit him perfectly. I think that I will add 1/4 inch to the design for the leather shoes so that there is a little room to grow. I hope to make the leather shoes soon - I found some very cute leather fabrics!

No Sew Fabric Crib Rail Guard Tutorial - Now Availble!

One of my friends on Etsy, BareBottomsBoutique, used my quilted crib rail guard tutorial to make a crib rail guard for her son’s nursery. She modified the pattern to fit with the supplies she had on hand. She used fleece instead of quilting batting between two layers of cotton or flannel. She also used snaps, since she did not have buttons on hand. After chatting with her about using fleece, I was inspired to write another tutorial that did not involve sewing. This is an easy project that anyone could complete, even if you have no sewing experience. You only need fleece, basting safety pins, scissors, a measuring tape and about an hour of time. If you make more than one, it will take a bit longer. Pick out your own fabric to match the bedding in your nursery, or a fabric that your babe would love – ducks, bears, frogs, trucks, pink polka dots, etc. This pattern is available in My Etsy Shop.

Please do not copy any part of this post or photos without prior written permission.

Thank you!

Twin Size Quilts for my nephews

I am going back to teaching in a week after spending a year home with my baby boy. One of my goals this summer was to make my older sister's boys twin size quilts, since they just got bunk beds. I found fabric that would appeal to each nephew and used this as the base of each quilt. Each quilt has a simple top and backing. I took a rectangular piece of fabric, 65x44 square inches in dimension and added an 11 inch rectangular borders for a finshed twin bed size of 84"x64". I machine quilted around the construction vehicles for my younger nephew and machine quilted straight lines for the aviation quilt. The photos below show each quilt on a full size bed.

Rag Rug - Getting Started

I received a 28 pound box of fabric from a friend on Etsy to make her a rag rug. There is a total of 18 different fabric - not all the same material. I have cotton, polyesters, knit cotton, velor, and one I am not even sure what it is! I have managed to prepare 9 of the 18 fabrics. One is missing from the photo. I fold the fabric and cut it into 1 1/2 inch strips. I am using scissors and eyeballing the measurement, so the width does vary a little. At the ends of each strip, I cut a small slit about 1/2 an inch long. Then, I connect the strips by looping the next strip through itself attached to the ball of "fabric yarn" that I have started. Please visit LauraJane's YouTube Video to see how the "slit" method works for joining the strips of fabric. I have also read about this method in a rag rug pamphlet. If I remember, I will look to see what the pamphlet is called. I still have a bit of work to do and am excited to start the rug. I may make a few hot pads before I begin the room size rug to get a little more practice in. Stay tuned to watch my progress on this project. I will share hints and tips that I discover along the way. For instance, I first joined all the fabric strips and then rolled it into a ball of yarn. For me, I have found it easier to add one strip at a time and roll the ball of yarn as I proceed. The only problem is my son wants to play with the "ball."

Teething and Reaching New Heights

We all want our babes to thrive and grow stronger and taller. However, with the good comes the bad. My babe can now reach the ends of his crib which are much higher than the rails. The ends are massive solid rectangular pieces of wood. How in the world was I going to protect my babe from these? Nothing like a problem to inspire a bit of mommy creativity. I decided to make a rectangular quilt with extra fabric on the perimeter to slide ribbon through. Then I could cinch up the ribbon to hold the quilted guard to the end of the crib.

I placed a second piece of fabric underneath the Baby Snoopy fabric shown above, right sides together. Then I stitched them together, turned right sides out and machine quilted where there was batting. Then I top stitched a seam to provide a slot for the ribbon. I slid the ribbon through and went to the nursery. It fit fine, but I knew that my little guy could tear it down in no time! So, back to the sewing machine. I top stitched another aisle to slide elastic through. After sliding the elastic through, I went back to the nursery. I placed the guard on the crib and cinched the elastic as tight as it would go. I noted the location and then tied off the elastic. Then I placed the guard back on the crib and tugged. It was secure!! I do not think that the babe will be able to tear it down with the addition of the elastic. I left the ribbon in as well. I figured a little extra cinching never hurt! This is what the final quilted guard looks like.

I have written three Do It Yourself Tutorials available in my Etsy shop and my Artfire Shop. There are even two No Sew Tutorials.

Custom Curtain Valance Tutorial

INTRODUCTION
We painted our kitchen and those old valances just had to go!! Read my previous post to see why I decided to make these myself! Click Here. You do not need a liner for this pattern, because the design is a tube providing two layers of fabric. Once you figure out how much fabric you need, the sewing is VERY EASY!! I think that even a beginner sewer could handle this project; so get started!!

Materials & Equipment:
Fabric (See below to figure out how much)
Thread to match
Pins
Ruler
Measuring tape
Basic Sewing Machine

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
First, you need to figure out how much material you are going to need. Measure the length of your window. Multiple that number by 1.5. (If you want more of a scrunch, then multiply by 2.) This is the length needed for that window. I found that most home decor fabric that I looked at came in widths of 54 inches. As a result, I needed to sew pieces together to get the required length. The height for this tutorial is 30 inches which inclues a 3 inch hole for the curtain rod. (Note: Heights can be adjusted to meet your needs.) So, after you have found your required length(s), add them together, if you are customizing more than one window. So, say that your lengths were 78, 84 and 100. This is close to what mine were for the kitchen in our old farmhouse. Each window is different. I don't remember the actual numbers. For the 100 length, I would use 2 widths of fabric (108 inches) and sewed them together. Note: It is okay if your lengths are approximate and go over a bit; but you really should try to use the minimum. (Rule of thumb: Use a length 1.5-2 times the measure of your window.) For the 78 and 84, I took one width of the fabric and cut it in half. Then, I sewed each half to a complete width of 54 to give 81 inches for each valance. At $16 a yard, I wasn't going to buy another 30 inches of fabric for 3 inches. So, I needed 2 widths for the 100 length, and 3 widths for the other two windows. So, we have a total of 5 widths of fabric at 30 inches each. 5x30=150 inches of fabric. 150/36=4.167 yards = 4 yds, 2 inches. Always round up, because they never square up your fabric before they cut it in the store. So, I bought 4.25 yards of fabric. Square your fabric and cut the required lengths and sew pieces together. Now we are ready to begin!!

STEP 1
Turn and press raw edges 1/2 inch. Then sew 1/4 inch seam. Then zigzag from seam to the edge. I do not have a serger, so two trips down the edge were required.

Step 2
Fold fabric in half, right sides together, pin and then sew 1/4 inch seam. Press seam and then turn fabric right sides out.
Step 3
Slide tube of fabric so that the seam is 4 inches from the top and pin so it stays in place.




Step 4
Then, stitch a seam 1 inch in from the top to create the header.


Step5
Stitch just under seam to create the bottom of the 3 inch hole for the curtain rod.
You are Done!! Time to hang those new Valances!!

Custom Curtain Valances for My Kitchen

Since my husband and I bought our old farmhouse from the 1860's 6 years ago, we have slowly been painting and re-carpeting a couple rooms a year. The last two rooms to get a face lift were the dining room and the kitchen. We chose Valley Mist by Behr found at the Home Depot for the color. I must have brought home 200 paint colors to match the color to the curtains in the dining room, and the curtains were bought to match the fabric on the dining room chairs. Then we wanted to paint the kitchen a shade of green. We decided to paint the kitchen and dining room the same color. When my husband finished painting the walls in the kitchen, I looked up at the valances and thought, "These have got to go!" So, I took a paint sample to the fabric stores in search of home decor fabric to match the walls.

I am very glad that I know how to sew. We looked into getting custom curtains for the library/den in our house when we redid that room. For 5 windows, the estimate was something like $2,800!! And that did not include the drapery hardware. The sales lady told us that we really had to look at curtains like another piece of furniture. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought curtains and rods that look just lovely for under $200.

Now I needed a pattern. I looked in a book about curtains that I had bought several years ago. Nothing jumped out at me. Then, I looked online. I found a nice tutorial, but not really what I wanted. So, I used the old valances for my pattern - which is actually a very simple pattern for a valance. I took pictures as I sewed so that I can write my own tutorial later on. If you can sew a straight line, then you too could make these valences.

I really like the brown with the green-blue striped fabric, because it helps accent the wooden windows. Click Here to see my tutorial on how to make these yourself!

A Slice of Watermelon Basket - Fabric Coiled

I love summer, especially all of the fresh fruit! If you look in my refrigerator in the summer months, there is sure to be a big bowl of fruit salad and watermelon! I love the fabric for this basket. The design is just the right size so that you can still see the design after wrapping the fabric. It is patterned with slices of watermelon over a blue and white plaid background. The basket has two curvy loop handles that decorate the sides. Origainally, I made two basic handles for the basket, but I wanted to make it a bit fancier, so I gave them each a twist. This adorable basket is made using the fabric coiling technique. It measures 6 inches across the top of the base and is 2.25 inches high. This basket would look great in the kitchen, out on the patio or on your desk. Visit My Etsy Shop if you are interested in purchasing this basket.


UPCOMING BLOGS
*Comparing Techniques of It's a Wrap by Susan Breier and Textile Coil Pots and Baskets: Easy Ways With Fabric and Cord by Helen Deighan
*My latest Baskets
*How to Make Different Types of Coiled Fabric Handles

Book Review of Textile Coil Pots and Baskets: Easy Ways With Fabric and Cord by Helen Deighan

Textile Coil Pots and Baskets: Easy Ways With Fabric and Cord by Helen Deighan is a very inspirational book. I love how each section is set up with a new type of project and one for you to try at the end. She is very encouraging to have you experiment with different types of cording as well as fabrics and techniques. The book has instructions for both hand sewn baskets and machine sewn. She also gives instructions for how to make patterned baskets by using stripes and multiple colored fabrics. The only draw back I found is that since she included so many ideas in this one book, her descriptions are as thorough as they could be. She does include some photos with text to help you get started. I would recommend this as a second book to purchase if you are interested in fabric coiling projects. One technique that made this book worthwhile for me to buy was to wrap as you go. It's a Wrap suggests wrapping fabric ahead of time and then sewing. The advantage of wrapping as you go is you do not have to spend a couple hours wrapping fabric before getting started and you can change colors at the correct spot if you are creating a multi colored basket. I find that if I am making a large basket, I like to wrap the fabric before I start, but with a smaller project, I like to wrap as I go!

If you would like to read the book review I wrote for It's a Wrap, by Susan Beier, click HERE.

Spring Medley Oval Basket - Fabric Coiled

Spring is on its way! Brighten up any room with this basket. It is made with white fabric covered with tiny blue and yellow flowers. The specially made flower handles add extra decoration to this beautiful basket. The top of this basket measures 8 x 10.5 inches and is 3.5 inches high. As with any basket, it is truly one of a kind and would make the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary, hostess, mother's day, or even for yourself! This basket and others are for sale in my Etsy Shop. Just click on the photo of the basket to visit my shop.

To make the handles, I made a round center by cutting a circular piece of fabric and sewing around the edge. Then I cinched it up tight. Next, I looped the wrapped cording into petals. I had so much fun making the flower handles.

Purple Petunia Basket - Triple Loop Handles

Purple Petunia Basket Side View,
originally uploaded by New England Quilter.

My latest fabric coiled basket is made from purple petunia spring fabric. I never know how I am going to finish a basket when I start it - this is half the fun! When it was time to make the handles, I decided to go with a triple loop. To make triple loop handles, measure out the amount of fabric needed by looping the cording three times. Hold it out to the side and continue sewing the top edge of cording. Repeat for the other side as well. After finishing the top edge, sew the loops in place by hand. This basket is available to purchase at my Etsy shop http://www.newenglandquilter.etsy.com
Just in time for spring! This darling basket is made from purple petunia fabric using the fabric coiling technique. It has triple loop handles which make it truly unique. The top of the base measures 7.5 inches across the top and is 2.75 inches high. The height to the top of the handles measures 4 inches. This basket would be great in so many rooms of your home. This would be a lovely gift for anyone or a special treat for yourself!

Upcoming Blog Entries (Not necessarily in this order):
*Book Review of Textile Coil Pots and Baskets: Easy Ways With Fabric and Cord by Helen Deighan
*Comparing Techniques of It's a Wrap by Susan Breier and Textile Coil Pots and Baskets: Easy Ways With Fabric and Cord by Helen Deighan
*My latest Baskets
*How to Make Different Types of Coiled Fabric Handles