Japanese Inspired Quilt

A Japanese inspired quilt.

These fabrics were so nice to sew with.

The colors are so rich and bold and laced with gold.

The backing is a quilting cotton, not a Japanese fabric.  With the gold speckles, it went with the Japanese fabrics beautifully.  It’s a lot of red, but so pretty.

There were enough scraps to make a pretty 20” pillow cover.

**the cover is just lying over a pillow for the photo**

More of the scraps make up the backside of the pillow cover.

With still more scraps, I made a snap pouch and wristlet keychains.

The fabrics are a bit heavier than quilting cottons, so they make into a nice weighted throw quilt ready to cuddle under.



I’m trying to avoid continually accumulating scraps.  There are just some bits left.  Enough to make a postcard or two.

Pumpkins and Leaves

A new Fall runner for me.

My quilt guild handed out patterns for the pumpkins as our block of the month.  Please don’t tell my guild, but I liked these blocks so much that I kept them for myself.  It took me another month to decide what to put with them and how.

I finally decided on these paper pieced leaves.  Pattern by Full Bobbin Designs, on Etsy.   I adjusted the pattern very slightly.  Just to break up the larger leaf sections on each side.  I think they still need a little more division...next time.

It was a toss up on which way the outside leaves should face.  Facing inward won out.



Also a question of whether the pumpkins faced the same direction or opposite directions.  Opposite directions won out since where it is placed has entryways on both sides of the island.

Something most likely will always be placed in the center of the runner, so the pumpkins are divided in that way.

The moral of this quilting adventure is that I’m glad I was selfish and kept these pumpkin blocks for myself.  

Free Spirit Quilts

Free Spirit Quilt #1

This brightly colored quilt is made from 4 charm packs.

The fabric line is Free Spirit by Kaffe Fassett.

I added a solid of “Apple” Cotton Shot by Amanda Murphy for Benartex.

The charms are 5”.  I cut 3.25” squares from the Apple fabric.  I sewed from corner to corner chain piecing all the charm squares.  

I then stitched again 1/2” away so that I’d have 2.5” half square triangles already made from the cut off corners.

    


    

I arranged the blocks for the design and stitched them all together.

Poor color in this photo but it shows the layout design.  I don’t know a name for the pattern.  I don’t buy patterns.  I just figure out how to create the design from looking at it.  No, I can’t do that with every quilt design I see.  

It’s been awhile since I made a quilt bright and colorful.

It’s not a large quilt.  Measures 49.5” X 64”.  A nice size throw quilt.

It has a fun backing fabric for a fun whimsical look.

So with the left overs, came

Free Spirit Quilt #2

Baby sized at 34” X 48”

I stitched all those cut off half square triangles into pairs and set them in all directions.

With a 5th charm pack I added a border.

And finished it with a really fun backing fabric.

Still there are left overs!!!

A pair of placemats were sewn.  They will be donated for charity to brighten someone’s meal time.

    

There were still some fun scrap pieces that looked perfect for a set of fun Halloween postcards.

I stitched the bird first after seeing greeting cards on Pinterest made by Beret Nelson, On The Trail Creations Blog.  I decided the other designs didn’t need the buttons.



Those five charm packs were finally exhausted!  But what fun they were to play with!

Scrap Bag Challenge Quilt

I am new to quilt guilding.  And I am thoroughly enjoying it.  Mostly because my guild does not make any demands...everything is voluntary.  At our last meeting we drew numbers for a small bag of scraps from donated fabric.  Our challenge was to make a quilt of minimum size (36” X 48”) but no maximum size.  We could add fabric of our own.  And there are a variety of prizes to be had!

I was between projects when we got these scraps, so I got started on a quilt.

I only added the cream fabric that I had left over from a quilt back.  I love playing with designs with half square triangles.

Quite the array of prints and colors so not matchy matchy.  But with an anchoring background fabric, they kind of work don’t they???  Definitely scrappy.

A few adjustments and I went with it.  One week later......

I think that blue stripe binding brings everything together.

The quilt is a little bit larger than the minimum.  39” X 52”

I won the nice prize for first done!  YAY!

I’m donating this quilt for charity through the guild.

September 2022 Calendar Journal

Crinkled Paper Zip Pouch Tutorial

A couple and a half years ago I figured out a way to make a zip pouch from a paper product...that would hold up under lots of use and not tear.  Yes, it’s vinyl coated, but sewing perforates the paper and the vinyl leaving them susceptible to tearing.  Read on to find my secret ingredient for durability.

I wanted to make a basic zip pouch using an image that I liked, without being limited to fabric prints.  Or candy wrappers, pet food bags, etc.

I’ve used royalty free images from the internet as well as my own photos and sometimes my own artwork.

This tutorial of my process shows how I make them for anyone not familiar with making a basic zip pouch.

For those that know how to make a zip pouch, I have only a single ingredient to add to the process.

—- TUTORIAL —-

Find an image or photo you like and print it to a size you want.  Also find an image or design for the backside of your pouch.  Pixabay has been an excellent source for royalty free image use.

Trim your pouch front image keeping in mind that you will sew a 1/4” seam allowance.  Then trim the pouch back image to the same size.  The 1/8” white borders that you see will not show when sewn.

Other supplies you will need are iron-on vinyl, a zipper (longer than your paper image), a lining fabric and muslin (the secret ingredient).

I use this iron-on vinyl product.

It can also be purchased as a small roll.  I started out with the rolls but I had such fun making tons of these that I needed the bolt of it.  This was my second bolt!

Cut 4 pieces of vinyl that are larger than your trimmed images.  You will seal the paper between two pieces of vinyl.  Be sure to smooth out bubbles before heat fusing.  Stick the vinyl to both sides of the paper.  Then trim off the excess.  

The vinyl directions only tell you how to adhere it to fabric.  You’ll need to test.  I set my iron at the center of the heat dial.  (On my iron that is the cool end of wool/silk). No steam.  I hold the iron in place for 8 seconds until image is completely fused.  I use the backing paper from the vinyl to place between the vinyl image and my iron.  What a mess if you forget that!!!

Heat fuse BOTH sides separately.  Let the first side cool before fusing the reverse side.



Cut 2 pieces of muslin larger than the images.  Sew the images to the muslin at the edges.  You will need a walking foot or a teflon coated presser foot for this step.  After stitching, trim the excess muslin to the edges of the image.

It is the muslin that will hold the stitches and needle perforations in place so that the pouch won’t tear.

    

I want the lining to nest inside the pouch, so I cut the lining the same size as the pouch image and then trim off 1/4” on one side and 1/8” off the bottom of the lining pieces.

Sew one side of the zipper to one lining piece as shown.

Place the pouch back image over the zipper and lining and stitch in place.

If you trimmed your lining, center the vinyl image over the lining.

    

It will look like this from the lining side.

Repeat those steps for the other side of the zipper making sure the linings are on one side of the zipper (the underside of the zipper) and the vinyl images on the other (the outside of the zipper).

At this point your pouch looks like this.

    

Open the zipper at least half way or you won’t be able to turn your pouch after sewing the sides and one end together.



Clip your lining pieces together and your vinyl pieces together.  Push the zipper teeth to the lining side.  Stitch all the way around (being careful over the zipper teeth) leaving an opening at the bottom of the lining for turning the pouch right side out.

    

Trim off the excess zipper at both ends. Also trim all the corners.

I even trim the tiny sharp corners at each end of the zipper on both sides.

    

Now the fun part!  Turn your pouch right side out.  This is when the paper gets magically crinkled.

Be careful at the corners.  They will not be a sharp corner, they will be rounded.  They will kind of have a mind of their own.  But they can be carefully manipulated.

Stitch the bottom lining opening closed.  I use the zipper foot to get close to the edge.  You can also slip stitch it by hand if you prefer.

Your pouch is finished!

    

They are quick and fun to make.  I became addicted and made nearly 100 of them!

When I give these as a gift, I include simple instructions.

Ink jet ink is water soluble.  If the pouch is left in water, the water will slowly seep through the needle holes and the ink will run, ruining the design.  Permanent ink will not run.  But if soaked, the pouch will take days and days and days to dry out.  I tossed one that I made from an old pattern instruction sheet into a wash load to test the ink.  The pouch was fine but it took forever to dry out.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me, I’m more than happy to help.