Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Some progress...


I'm making some progress on my Carpenter Star quilt.
I ran out of white.
I need 20 6.5 inch white squares and also white strips for the border.
I will go out and get more tomorrow.
I do have a bit more done than shown in this picture, but I will save that for tomorrow.

Have a great night!!!

Hugs


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

My version of the Carpenter Star quilt

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.
I worked all weekend.
We celebrated our Easter on Monday.

My youngest brother is getting married this summer, and I've been thinking of different patterns to make.
I had one idea, but didn't think i could make it happen in the time I had left.

So, I took my coloring pencils and graph paper out and started coloring.
She used the GO! 6.5 inch half square triangle die and the 6.5 inch square die to make it.
I have the 6.5 inch HST die, but this quilt pattern was for a lap quilt and I wanted a queen.

Here is the drawing I came up with.

I just kept adding hst's around my center Carpenter Star.
I really like the look of it.

This is the fabric I had purchased for the quilt.
It's a Henry Glass collection, and a few kona solids.

I cut all my fabric.
I needed 100 red , 100 black, 148 white triangles.
I cut them using my GO! cutter and the 6.5 inch HST die.
Here they are all cut up.
It went really fast to cut them up.

I did start piecing the center.
Here is what I have done up to now.
I wish my design wall was bigger.
 
As I get further along, I will share my progress with you.

Hugs

Ariane

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spring Tulips!!!

I was in the mood to make something for spring.
I had been going through my old magazines and found this cute little paper pieced block.
It came from this issue.
It was printed in May 1995.
I bought this magazine at an estate sale last spring.
Twelve magazines for $1.00.
This is what the pattern looks like.
It was to make a vest. 
But I'm not into vests.
A mini quilt is more my taste.
This is a fun little block to make.
I really had fun working on it.
Now I just have to make the scrappy border.

I hope you like it!!

Hugs


Sunday, April 17, 2011

Finally getting some sewing done...

Wow! It's been over two weeks since my last post. I've been so busy.
My kids were in a school play last week and we have been running like crazy with everything going on.
With working, and fund raising, bake sales, basketball, air cadets, play practices and performances, house cleaning....well a bit of house cleaning anyways. It's been crazy busy. My house is such a mess right now. Oh well, I'll get to it eventually. 

Yesterday, I finally got a chance to do some sewing.
I finished making the center of my mini jelly filled quilt top.
I just need to add the border.
This was all made from my stash.
It's a bright quilt.
I think it will be great for a little boy.
It will make a great play mat as it is bigger then I thought it would be.
I loved this pattern and will definitely make it again.
The pattern is Pint Size by Thimble blossoms.
There are two baby quilt patterns included in the pattern. Love that!!!
I used my 1.5 inch die and my GO! Cutter to cut the strips. It went so fast.

I also made a little table top flimsy using some of my scraps that I cut with the value die that camewith my GO! cutter. Red and Blue are my favorite colors. Once I have this one done, I will put it on my mantle.

This morning, I finished my March blocks for Felicity in the Maple Leaf Bee.


I know I'm really behind.
I've been a bit overwhelmed with everything going on.
I could barely keep track of where I was supposed to be. Luckily, I didn't forget to pick the kids up anywhere. Things are slowing down now a bit. Yeah!!! 

Anyways, I'll try to blog more now that things are a bit more quiet.
I do work night shift tonight and tomorrow.
But, I'll try to get some hand stitching done!!!

Hugs


Friday, April 1, 2011

How to make wings?

Hi everyone!

I was asked to make a tutorial for the wings I made my daughter.
Sew, here's a picture tutorial of my process.
Note: I didn't follow a pattern. I just kind of did it.
These are not finished in a fancy way.
Everything is raw edge.

Getting Started, you need:
polyester batting (it's a bit thicker and holds it's shape better)
Broadcloth in three different shade of blue (This stuff is cheap. I paid $1.99/metre. I bought 1.5 metres of each and made three sets of wings)
Blue Thread
Thick blue ribbon (I used an aqua blue from my stash)

Note: If you need a closer look at the pictures, they are all in my flickr account.
The link to my flickr account is in my right sidebar.

1) I cut a wing shape out of the batting. I measured from the tip of my daughters fingers to the middle of the shoulder.
2) I cut a piece of broadcloth to use as the backing for my wings, this was cut larger then the batting then trimed after step 3.
3) Place the batting over the backing fabric and stitch to backing using a zigzag stitch. I used my walking foot to do this.
4) I trimmed the edges using my pinking blade for my rotary cutter. (Thanks Michele, she gave me this for Christmas)
5) I cut my three colors of broadcloth used for the feathers.
The dark blue I cut at 6 inches wide (cut 2 strips, one for each wing)
The medium blue at 4.5 inches wide (cut 2 strips, one for each wing)
The light blue at 3.5 inches wide. (cut 4 strips, 2 for each wing)
These strips were cut the width of the fabric, from selvage to selvage.
6) Fold the strips of fabric until about 2 inches wide.
7) Using the pinking blade cut a line of the fold fabric up to about 3/4 of the way up. See photo
8) Cut the other side
9) As you can see, it creates a long strip with feathers hanging off.
Don't throw out the leftover triangles. You will need these.

Putting the feathers on the wings


1) Start pinning the dark blue feathers to the wing base on the batting side.
2)You may have to pleat the fabric as you go around the curve.
3) Using your free motion or darning foot, quilt the feathers onto the backing. As you can see in the photo, I created a spine in the feather. This helps the feather to stay down and not show the batting underneath.
4) with the leftover feathers from the first strip, pin a second row of dark blue. Use the triangles that were left over from cutting the feathers to finish the row of dark blue.
5) Pin this row down to prepare for quilting. Note: you want to overlap the triangle so that you don't get caught underneath the material as you quilt.
6) Quilt the feathers down in the same manner as in #3.
7) Pin down a row of medium blue, pleat the fabric as you pin to get a nice curve.
8)Quilt the feathers.
As you can see from the photo's, you just continue in the same manner until the wing is covered.

The finishing touches


1) Once the wing is completely covered, Do a zigzag stitch along the top edge of the wing.
2) Trim the excess fabric using the pinking blade
3) view of the back of the wing
4) cut 2 lengths of ribbon long enough to tie a bow around the wrist.
5) Pin ribbon to back tip of wing
6) Stitch down with a zigzag stitch
7) To attach the wings together, cut a long length of ribbon, about 1.5 yards long, and stitch to the top of the wing, see photo.
Also, sew another small piece of ribbon in the middle of the wings, to keep them together.

And you are done!!

Wow! That was a lot of pinning and sewing.
But, it's worth all the smiles.



Sew, I have 2 out of 3 sets of wings done.
I've had a crazy busy day today, as in Thurday.
I guess it's friday now!
Ahhhh....1:00 am.
Oh well, So thursday, I cooked taco's and made nacho dip for my sons class of 30 kids in the morning.
Then, I spend 4 hours at the dentist with the kids.
Hate going to the dentist!!!
Came home and had supper.
Then sewed the second set of wings.
Wrote this tutorial.
Okay, It's time for bed.

I'm supposed to be on holidays this week.
I guess I need a holiday from my holiday.
Maybe I should go back to work.
LOL!!!

Hugs