Charming Chatter

Patchwork Hearts Tutorial

I stitched up this little

 
basket of Patchwork Heart Love, and they were so fun and easy and they

 
also make for an adorable pincushion!  So, I thought I'd give you all a quick tutorial!

Materials Needed:

64 - Charm Squares or 5" Squares

3/4 - 1 Yard Fabric, or Fabric Scraps (for heart backings)

30" x 30" Piece of Batting

Paper for Tracing Hearts

Polyfil Stuffing

Crushed Walnut Shells (if you're making a pincushion)

Note:  This fabric makes a 24" x 24" patchwork piece of fabric, yeilding approximately 15 hearts that are 5" to 6" wide.  Each charm square or 5" square yeilds one 3" finished 9 patch.  So, you can adjust the amount of fabric for the number of hearts you'd like to make.

Let's Cut:

Trim the pinked edge off of your charm square, and cut 3  -  1 1/2" strips from each charm square.

 

Mkay - finished cutting (for now).

Let's Sew:

1.    Set aside 64 of your 1 1/2" x 5" strips.  With the remaining 128 strips, stitch one strip to another strip and press

 
Make 64 sets.

2.    Gather your remaining 64 strips.  Stitch one  1 1/2" strip to each set of two strips, making a strip set of 3.  Press all seams in the same direction.

 
3.    Trim the pinked edge off of each strip set, and cut 3  -  1 1/2" strips from each square.

 
4.   Stitch one of your 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" strip to another 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" strip.  Since you pressed the seams in one direction.  You'll just need to flip one strip upside down so all of your seams line up. Press.  Make 64.

 

5.  Stitch one 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" strip to each set of 2 strips you just made to make your 9 patch.  Again, press all the seams in one direction.  Make a total of 64  -  9 patches.

 
6.  Stitch your 9 patches together in 8 rows of 8  -  9 patches each.  Stitch together your 8 rows, so that you have one patchwork piece that is 8 nine patches by 8 nine patches (approximately 24" square).

7.    Lay out your patchwork piece on your 30" x 30" batting.  Pin the two layers together. No backing fabric is necessary. 

 
8.  Quilt as desired.  I just did simple criss-cross quilting.

 
If you do the criss-cross, be sure that you stitch all of your diagonal lines in one direction first across the entire piece.  Then, go back and stitch the opposite diagonal lines to avoid puckering.

9.    Cut out a paper heart of the size you desire.  Pin the heart to the quilted patchwork

 
and cut 1/4" outside the paper edge of the heart for seam allowance. 

10.    Lay each heart on your backing fabric, and cut out the backing to match each sized heart.

 
11.    Lay the quilted patchwork heart, RST (Right Sides Together) with backing.

12.    To make it easy to know exactly when you'll need to pivot your heart at the bottom and top, place a dot 1/4" from the edge on each end as follows:

 
(mine are marked with a red dot). 

13.    Pin and stitch - being sure to leave 1 1/2"  to 2" opening along the straight side of the heart.  It's much easier to whip stitch a straight opening closed.

 
14.    Clip the edges around the curves.

 
15.  Turn your heart right side out.  Stuff with polyfil (or crushed walnut shells if you're using it for a pincushion). 

16.  Pin the opening and whip stitch it closed.

 
And - VOILA

 
you have a sweet little pincushion or

 
your own little Basket of Love!

Enjoy.

TTFN,

Kelly

 

Quick & Easy Binding Tutorial

Before we begin, I know that many of you have your own method of binding!  This post shows how I do binding - with the shortcuts I've created to avoid multiple trips to the cutting table, and drawing on fabric - which I just won't do!  Oh - and to use my 1/4" foot (because I almost never sew without it)!

Let's begin! 

Making The Binding 

1. Gather your binding strips and trim off the selvedge edges.

2. Lay one strip, face up so that the bottom corner is touching your 45 degree angle line as follows:

3. Lay another strip face down (so the fabrics are RST) as follows:

being sure they are neatly aligned on the top and side lines of your mat!

4. Lay your ruler edge along the 45 degree line - but DO NOT CUT

because this is your sewing/stitching line!  

5. Carefully move your ruler over so that the 1/4 " line on your ruler is aligned on the 45 degree line on your cutting mat as follows:

(thus adding your 1/4" seam allowance) - and cut:

6. Pin the two strips together

7. Now take the end of the strip that was face down and carefully fold it over once, so that it is face up, and align it with the bottom corner on the 45 degree line as you did before

8. This piece will now be your bottom piece that is face up - and you'll place another strip face down on top of it - aligning the edges as you did before

9. Continue this process until all of your binding strips are connected in one piece.

10. When you've added your last strip - fold it over as if you were going to add another strip of binding (though you are not) - and cut the strip 1/4" past the 45 degree line as you have done with the other strips:

This is going to make joining the two ends of your binding on the quilt A LOT easier

and it also helps to ensure that your angels are all facing in the same direction.

10. Stitch each section of your binding together

using a 1/4" seam allowance.

11. Press the seams open

to reduce bulk.

12. Starting with the straight edge, fold the binding in half, press, and roll

so that the end you cut on the 45 degree line is left out.

Attaching the Binding To The Quilt Front

1. Starting on the side, lay your binding about 1/2 way across the quilt edge and  STARTING ABOUT 6" to 8" from the binding edge, pin the binding all the way to the corner of the quilt:

 

2. Stitch (remembering to leave a 6" to 8" tail free)

3. At the corner, lift the binding, and fold it straight out from the top edge of the quilt

4. Then fold it straight back down, so that the fold aligns evenly with the quilt edge

if you hold it open a bit - it should look like this

5. Pin the corner.  Aligning the binding to the quilt edge, pin to the next corner - and sew

6. Repeat until you get to the side of the quilt where your started.  Fold your corner as normal, but only stitch this edge about 2" to 3" down the side of the quilt (to leave room for you to work as you connect the two ends of the binding.

7. If you have a lot of overlap, feel free to trim off some of the excess, but be sure you trim off of the straight edge - and that you leave at least 6" of over lap

8. Now, this is where the cut at the end of the binding comes in VERY handy!  Open the binding on the straight cut edge, and face it toward you as follows:

so that the right side of the fabric is facing up.

9. Now, align the edge you cut on the 45 degree line

and pin 1/4" from the edge of the 45 degree cut.

10. Now pull on each end slightly so that it closes, to see if it is too tight, too loose, or just right

you can see that mine is too loose here - so I'll repin it 1/4" from that 45 degree cut to make it tighter.  Once you have the perfect length for your quilt, repin it for sewing:

11. Stitch with your 1/4" foot running along the 45 degree cut line:

12. After you've stitched, pull on each edge, so that the fold closes, to make sure once more that the length is correct - and also that you've stitched it correctly. 

13. Trim off the tail end of the straight edge, aligning with the 45 degree angle

14. Press the seam open, press the binding in half, and stitch the remaining binding to the quilt!

Attaching the Binding To The Back of the Quilt

1. Fold the binding over the edge of the quilt to the back, and making tiny stitches, grabbing just under the binding edge - and coming out on the tip of the folded edge

2. When you approach a corner, stop stitching about 2" to 3" before the corner, and pin the side of the corner down with one pin

and then fold the top edge over, aligning the corner and pinning as follows:

3.  Stitch in place

4. Repeat as you work your way around the quilt!

Wishing you much joy in stitching your binding!

TTFN,

Kelly

Wee Ones Baby Quilt Tutorial

I had two second cousins (Emma and Jonathan), born to my two cousins (Christy & Chad) a couple of weeks apart, and designed this baby quilt for them.

This quilt is called "Wee Ones for Emma":

 

I used a "Sweet" layer cake by Urban Chicks for Emma's quilt, and Flag Day Farm for Jonathan's quilt:

 

It would be too confusing to combine the tutorials for both, so I'll do a separate post for the two-color/Jonathan version later.

The quilt is made of 24 Pinwheel Blocks which are 6" finished, and 3 borders.  The "Wee Ones" quilt is 36" x 48" finished.

Okay, let's get started!

Supplies:

You'll need the following fabric:

1 Layer Cake or 24 cut 10" squares

1 1/2 Yards of Background Fabric

2 2/3 Yards Backing Fabric

Cutting Instructions:

From your background fabric, cut:

48 - 3  7/8" squares (cut each square in half diagonally)

2 - 2 1/2" x 28 1/2" strips

2 - 2  1/2" x 36 1/2" strips

2 - 3 1/2" x 36 1/2" strips

2 - 3  1/2" x 42 1/2" strips

From each of your 24 precut 10" squares, cut:

2 - 3  7/8" squares (cut in 1/2 diagonnally)

2 - 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles

1 - 2 1/4" x  6 1/2" rectangle

From the remaining fabric of your 10" squares, cut:

4 - 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles

6 - 2 1/4" x 6 1/2" rectangles

Here is my quilt (cut and ready for sewing):

 

Piecing The Blocks

1.    Pin one colored triangle to one background triangle along the wide edge, and stitch.  Press seam toward the dark.  Make 96.

 

2.    Lay out your blocks as follows:

 

Be sure your blocks are laid out correctly or you'll have to make friends with your seam ripper (and who likes to hang out with their seam ripper??)!

3.    Pin and stitch the top left square to top right square and the bottom left square to the bottom right square:

 

 

4.    Pin and stitch the top half of the pinwheel to the bottom half:

 

 

5.    To reduce the bulk where the 8 triangles meet, strip out the top 3 or 4 straight stitches on each side at the center as follows:

 

This allows you to open the seam in the middle which reduces the bulk.  You will see a tiny pinwheel in the center of the back of your block, and your seams will fall in opposite directions:

 

Oops!  I took this pix on Jonathan's quilt, but forgot it on Emma's!  But, you get the idea!

5.     You now have 24 finished blocks:

 

Piecing The Middle Border & Binding

1.    For the top/bottom middle border, stitch together 10 of the 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles.  Make 2.

2.    For the side middle border, stitch together 12 of the 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" strips, PLUS insert 2 of the 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles (for a total of 14 pieces).  Make 2.

 

3.    Pin and stitch the 30 binding rectangles (2 1/4" x 6 1/2") together.  Press seams open to reduce bulk:

 

 

Assembling The Quilt Top

1.    Stitch together 6 rows of 4 blocks each.

2.    Stitch 6 rows together.

 

3.    Stitch the 2 1/2" x 36 1/2" background strips to each side of the quilt.

4.    Stitch the 2 1/2" x 28 1/2" background strips to the top and bottom of the quilt.

 

5.    Stitch 1 1/2" x 40 1/2" pieced middle border to each side.

6.    Stitch 1 1/2" x 30 1/2" pieced middle border to top and bottom of quilt top.

 

7.    Stitch 3 1/2" x 42 1/2" outer border to sides of quilt.

8.    Stitch 3 1/2" x 36 1/2" outer border to top and bottom of quilt.

And, VOILA:

 

Your quilt top is finished!  YEAH!

Finishing The Quilt:

1.    Quilt as desired and bind:

 

2.    Don't forget to make your quilt label:

 

3.    And attach it to the back:

 

Hopefully this quilt will warm little Miss Emma's heart!

 

If you make one of these for a "Wee One" in your life, please send pictures so everyone can see!

I'm off to make "The World's Greatest Sandwich" for dinner!  Recipe and pix to follow later this week!

To download the Wee Ones Tutorial in PDF format, Click Here!

TTFN,

Kelly