Amanda

Star Spangled Pillow

July 1, 2017 by Amanda Leave a Comment

Here is a fun and fast pillow to make for your 4th of July/Americana decor! You’ll love how fast this canvas & denim pillow come together!!

I’m thinking when it’s not summertime this pillow might live in the super hero kids room!!!

Star Spangled Pillow by Amanda Niederhauser aka Jedi Craft Girl

Star Spangled Pillow Supplies:

(2) 20″ squares of canvas/duck cloth

1/4 yard denim (mine is by Indigo Junction Crossroads Denim)

HeatnBond® Lite Fusible Adhesive

20″ pillow form

22″ or longer zipper

Star Pattern

[line]Star Spangled Pillow Instructions:

Begin by tracing 10 stars onto the HeatnBond® Lite.

Fuse to the wrong side of the denim. Cut out each star and peel off the backing paper.

Arrange stars as desired. Make sure that a few hang off the edges to create a continuous pattern look. Heat set in place. Trim off the excess star.

Top stitch around each star. I used a shiny taupe/gray color.

Once complete use this tutorial to sew an invisible zipper in the bottom and finish the pillow.

I am ao in love and ready for summer!!!!!

Filed Under: 4th of July, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, pillow, Therm O Web

Rustic Pines {A 5 Fat Quarter Fun Quilt}

July 1, 2017 by Amanda 3 Comments

It’s Christmas in July! I love making a Christmas quilt in the summer – I never have time when it gets closer to Christmas!! You are going to love this Rustic Pines Quilt! Choose your 5 favorite Christmas Fat Quarters and let’s get sewing!!

I choose the Comfort and Joy line from Riley Blake. It has such a wonderful cabin-like Christmas feel!

The trees are strip pieced and cut at 60 degree angles and then appliquéd on!! Super fast – who has time for hand work in the summer!!

A little tip for appliquéing: Use Spray n Bond and put the trees wrong side up on old wrapping paper. Spray the backs and set them in place. Just unroll more paper for a clean basting surface!!

I love that the pattern calls for a scrappy low volume background – it gives it such character!! I added an accent border instead of a low volume border – you can choose!

Hop over to Amber’s blog to read all about her version and to download the free pattern!

Amber’s version is even more cozy with all kinds of homespun plaids from Moda!!!

Be sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see your creations! @jedicraftgirl and @gigis_thimble

Filed Under: 5 fat quarter fun, Christmas, FEATURED, quilt, Riley Blake, Therm O Web

Sharktown Scripture Cover

June 6, 2017 by Amanda Leave a Comment

Since my daughter’s favorite animal is a shark, I knew I had to make her a new scripture for her Seminary graduation out of Sharktown by Riley Blake Designs. She was so surprised!!! You can follow this tutorial for the full instructions. Please note that the below diagram shows the measurements for this style. All other measurements are the same as the tutorial.

This is the size for the standard quad, the tutorial also includes instructions for determining the measurements for a different size book 🙂

I used Heat n Bond Fusible Fleece for the stabilizer. I love that is is soft yet sturdy and won’t shrink when washed. You also don’t have to quilt the project. I added some accent stitching along the center strip.

It’s so totally Sharkalicious!!!!!

Filed Under: FEATURED, Riley Blake

Sharkey Quilt {Free Pattern}

June 5, 2017 by Amanda 2 Comments

When I saw this new fabric from Riley Blake Designs called Sharktown I completely FREAKED OUT!!! And then I showed my daughter (whose favorite animals are sharks) and she TOTALLY FREAKED OUT! So I promised her a Sharkey Quilt for one of her many graduation presents. I Love Love Love theme prints, especially animal theme prints. However, they sometimes pose a design challenge: showing off the fabric + quilt design. I put on my thinking cap…..I wanted something that looked sharkey……and the Sharkey Block was born! I love the idea of using half square triangles to resemble shark fins (or shark teeth!). The center block lets you show off the super amazing fabric designs!

I designed this fun pattern using the Sharkey Blocks which measure 10″ and some blue water sashing! I choose the all the blue fabrics from the Sharktown fabric line and added in the solid gray accent. You can download the PDF pattern by clicking HERE.

Filed Under: FEATURED, nautical, quilt, Riley Blake

Star Spangled Pineapple Quilt

June 1, 2017 by Amanda 18 Comments

Amber and I have had so much fun sewing along with you these past few months! We love your versions of our Five Fat Quarter Fun patterns and have enjoyed making new friends through this sewing series!! Thank You!!! We are so happy it’s June 1st and we get to share this fun Star Spangled Pineapple Quilt with you!!!

This quilt uses 5 fat quarters: 3 red and 2 blue. Add in 2 1/2 yards of light to medium chambray and you’re ready to get going!! I love Amber’s light chambray background!! Be sure to check out her blog post also!!

I know pineapples are super trendy right now, but I do have a little family history that involves pineapples….want to hear it? My Dad’s ancestors left Portugal and Brazil and immigrated to what is now Hawaii to work the pineapple plantations. I often imagine how bad life must have been to want to live in a shack and pick pineapples everyday. My Grandma was raised in Hawaii as a result and as a child I remember her always wearing a muumuu…… and so pineapples are close to my heart.

The finished quilt measures 40″ x 48″ and the finished block measures 8″ x 14″.

You can download the free PDF pattern by clicking HERE.

Make sure to tag us on Instagram (@jedicraftgirl and @gigis_thimble) when sewing along! and use #starspangledpineapplequilt

We choose the diagonal squares quilting because it looks so pineappley!!

We hope you love making this quilt and enjoy having it out all summer long!

Filed Under: 5 fat quarter fun, FEATURED, quilt

Garden Box Quilt

May 31, 2017 by Amanda 3 Comments

I’m super excited to share this fun quilt with you! I’m always looking for ways to sew quilts with large prints – because I fall for large prints every time!

These adorable fabrics are from Garden Roost by Blend Fabrics. I love the vintage feel they have and the colors are so amazing!!!

Each block measures 12″ when finished. This quilt is also fat quarter friendly! It uses 10 fat quarters and 2 1/4 yards of background fabric. You get 2 blocks per fat quarter!

It measures 64 1/2″ x 78″ when finished so it’s a great size for a large throw or even for a twin bed!!

You can purchase this pattern in my Etsy shop by clicking HERE.

I hope you love it as much as I do!!!

Filed Under: Blend Fabrics, FEATURED, quilt

70’s Inspired Zipper Pouch

May 26, 2017 by Amanda 2 Comments

I am loving Amy Smart’s latest fabric line Gingham Girls by Penny Rose Fabrics! This 1970’s inspired fabric has my name written all over it and so does this project! And my name is a total 70’s name so it totally works!! Here’s how you can make one!

70’s inspired Zipper Pouch with HeatnBond® Fusible Fleece

Why I use HeatnBond® Fusible Fleece for my Zipper Pouch projects

It doesn’t shrink and holds it’s shape

It fuses to the fabric so quilting is not required

It is soft, yet sturdy

It holds up great in the wash

Zipper Pouch Supplies:

Scraps of fabric yielding (30) 2.5″ squares
Dark chambray 4.5″ x 10.5″
(2) rectangles 8.5″ x 10.5″ lining fabric
(2) rectangles 8.5″ x 10.5″ fusible fleece
HeatnBond® Lite Fusible Adhesive
Scraps for applique
14″ or longer zipper
Scrap for zipper end
All seams 1/4″

[line]

Zipper Pouch Instructions:

Begin by sewing (20) 2.5″ squares in 4 rows of 5 squares (above) press seams alternately.

Sew the back unit by sewing (2) rows of 5 squares together. Before sewing the chambray piece on, appliqué the name first. Fuse HeatnBond Lite to the wrong side of the name fabric and the daisy fabric.

Die cut the letters (or cut by hand). Peel off the backing paper and position letters on chambray.

Heat set in place.

Outline stitch around each letter and the flower in navy thread. Sew the appliqué piece to the 2-row patchwork unit. Press toward chambray.

Cut the HeatnBond Fusible Fleece.

Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of both the patchwork units. Add some decorative stitching if desired.

I added a seam along the chambray to give it an accent and I quilted diagonal lines in the patchwork.

Now that the zipper pouch front and back are ready, you can finish the pouch by following this tutorial for inserting the full access zipper and finishing the bag.

I am so in love and so happy to have a new zipper pouch just for me!!!

Perfect to brighten up the inside of my purse and to hold all my cosmetic items.

The back is so scrappy and cute!I dug out a few of my dresses from when I was little (in the 70’s) – doesn’t this fabric just blend right in!! So fun!!!

Filed Under: FEATURED, Riley Blake, sizzix, Therm O Web, zipper pouch

Sizzix Captain America Graduation Cap

May 22, 2017 by Amanda Leave a Comment

I can’t believe Ella is graduating from High School!! Where did the time go? She and her BFF got together to decorate their graduation caps. Of course they came over to our house and ransacked my Sizzix closet and felt drawer!

They wanted to represent the Winter Solider in their “CAP”-decorating (since they are both fighting over who will be marrying Bucky Barnes!)

We used the Sizzix Fresh Blossoms Alphabet to die cut the letters in white craft felt

The circles are from the 3 1/2″, 5″, and 7″ circle dies. We had to hand cut the white circle to nest in the shield.

The all of the stars are die cut using the Stacked Stars die.

We used the Sizzix Big Shot Plus for all the die cutting.

We laid them all out and then used tacky glue to adhere the felt.

Super cute and super NERDY!!!

Filed Under: FEATURED, sizzix

Tutti-Fruitti Market Tote Bag

May 8, 2017 by Amanda Leave a Comment

This tote bag is by far my most used tote bag I own!! What I love about it is that it is super big but folds up small so you can keep it in our purse or in your car. My goal is to sew a bunch of these and use them when I go grocery shopping. When they get dirty, just toss in the wash!!

This fabric is called Tutti-Fruitti from Blend Fabrics – it just screams summer! You can click on this link to see all the fabrics in the collection!

My friend, Rachel from Little Fish, and I made them together and she loves taking hers to the pool! (She also makes these adorable euro style swim trunks for little boys). You can fit a ton of beach towels in this bag!!

The bag is also reversible – I love the pineapples!!! So click HERE and download the free pattern and get ready for summer!!!

Filed Under: bags, Blend Fabrics, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, Therm O Web

Circa 1974 Quilt Pattern – Featuring Gingham Girls

May 3, 2017 by Amanda Leave a Comment

It’s a 1970’s sunshiny day over here!!! As soon as I saw Diary of a Quilter’s Gingham Girls new fabric line I knew it was for me!! She did an amazing job of packaging up my childhood into a fabric line! (And yes, all of you now know how old I am!!!)

You can read all about Amy’s inspiration for the fabric line by hopping over to her blog. I created this quilt to be your new favorite that you would take to the beach, the park, a game, or snuggle with on the couch. It’s 60″ x 76″ so a perfect throw size. You can customize the date to fit any occasion: birthday, anniversary, graduation, etc.

This quilt is just for me! And it’s my new favorite pattern – you’re gonna love it!

The blocks are 8″ with a little appliqué insert. You can purchase the PDF pattern in my Etsy shop and get sewing today!!

Aren’t these fabrics just amazing!!!!! There are so many more things I want to sew!!!

Here are a two little dresses my mom sewed for me when I was 2 & 3 years old. I got them out to inspire me when making this quilt!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a groovy day!!

Filed Under: FEATURED, Heat n Bond, Penny Rose Fabrics, quilt