Thursday, June 25, 2020

Thoughtful Thursday 167~ When You Run Out of Mugs


I've made a bunch of mug organizers
with the pattern I created
a few years ago.
Its been very popular.
You really can't name any one or any age that can't use one.

The problem is
one usually uses up all the mugs.
So think about it..........
RECYCLE!
I know some of you have already come up with the idea
TO USE A CAN!

Made a birthday gift for someone whose life is big
when it comes to dancing both onstage and for the school team.
I've got the measurements posted on the wall,
so I can cut one of these up in no time.

A quick pressing to mark the folds of the pockets
and stitching them down,
stitch the ties,
sew on the backing and top stitch and wal la......A gift!

with a tin can hidden inside.

Think about it!
One "can" usually recycle.

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Quilt Shot Block 118 ~ Arrowhead





Arrowhead Block
9 inches

I'm just now discovering this method for making this block.

Place fabric right sides together.
Cut two 8 inch squares.



Two inch wide sticky note sheets make a great 2 inch marker.
The sticky note idea came from Anita Solomon.
Please find her quilt block and quilting pattern idea
@
where she has a pdf you can download.
Do not stitch 2 inches on 2 opposite corners as shown above.
Cut through the stitched corners.
Keeping right sides up,
rotate 1 over the other
stacking the unstitched areas on top of each other. (as shown above.)
Cut 2 inch strips as shown above.
Press pieces and layout as shown above.

Edges WILL NOT meet.
Trim to 9 inches.
Note the seams will end at the corners.

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Quilt Shot 117 ~ Lydia's Tshirt Quilt




Lydia's Tshirt Quilt for Graduation

I said I'd never make another Tshirt quilt after my first
  which was my last.
It was so heavy with a layer of batting and backing,
thus so hard for me to manipulate.
Too much time and money was spent on using
light weight interfacing
only to have it give me tremendous fits
breaking my thread when I quilted it.

After some thought, FB quilt group discussion & a few You Tube Videos,
I decided to save a bunch of time using my serger,
no batting and no cotton backing.

After sorting through and choosing 20 Tshirts,
I divided them into shirts with nothing written on the back
and those that did have something.
Using my 12½ inch ruler,


I quickly cut straight through both layers to the back
on the plain back shirts.
The front would be used for the front of the quilt,
and the back for the back of the quilt.

If something was written on the back
and didn't line up with the front,
then I cut up the side to cut
front and back separately.


The front and backs were laid out together.
So what you see here is actually the front and back of the quilt.

Since no interfacing, spray starch or any sizing of any kinds were used,
I decided on the serger which I used in making knit garments years ago.
The serger differential feed was set on 1.50
A 4 thread 3.0 stitch was set.
(I used scrap tshirt fabric for testing the stitch.)
I'm not a pinner, but I used a ton for this project
just to make sure I didn't stretch the fabric.
I stitched along the edge for a 1/4 inch seam.
At this point, I made adjustments to make sure the edge came together
which didn't happen in the picture above
so it was my last chance to get it even.
I did use an extra pin at intersections
making sure it wasn't in the path of the needle
and especially the blade.
The front and back were worked on simultaneously.
The right sides of the front and back were placed together
and serged around the edge, again using a ton of pins.
About a 10 inch opening was left in the middle of the bottom gray square
in which the quilt was turned inside out.
Then using my sewing machine,
I stitch a 1/4 inch topstitch with a stitch length of 4.0.
Light gray thread was chosen.
I also did an extra hand stitching to finish off the opening.
The label was made and stitched on before the topstitching occurred,
while I could still get through the opening.
Seems like I never can remember to add this to the back
before I put the layers together. Duh....



A bag to hold, carry and present the quilt was made from
left-over tshirts.



Official graduation is tomorrow.
Congratulations Lydia.
A girl of my own heart will be off soon to become a teacher!

Update:
I forgot to show a picture of the back of the quilt.
Lydia sent me a picture to post.


Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Wordless Wednesday 296~ Begonia Beginnings

My daughter and son-in-law's Mother's Day gift to me.
A double Begonia that looks like a rose.

Monday, June 1, 2020

Mon Memory 115 ~ Memorial Day Parade

 This will be the year we have to remember as 
Memorial Day Parades being canceled.
However, last Monday morning
as I sat in my living room with the door opened,
I heard the horns blowing
coming down the creek.
These beauties blew their horns all the way down the creek. 
I will remember that parade.