tutorial – Page 4

Tic Tac Toe Valentine Pillow Tutorial

February 9, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

February is just flying by! I needed a little pick-me-up today and throw pillows always do just the trick! A friend of mine came over and we spent the afternoon sewing. I came up with the idea of this interactive pillow after sitting next to my little girl at church yesterday. We brought along the quiet book (circa 1980) and one of the pages is a tic tac toe game. I thought this would be super fun to incorporate into a Valentine’s Day pillow!

I love how it turned out and my kids LOVE it! They couldn’t believe I made something fun!! I think the fabrics make it – it’s the Flirt line by Dear Stella. I had some left over from my Valentine Bookmark & Sachet project.

Here’s how you can make one

Supplies:

fat quarter white fabric

small pieces of fabric for hearts and Xs – can use charm squares

cotton batting scraps

fat quarter for the pillow back

20″ pillow form

22″ or longer zipper

3 yards pink trim

2 yards pink lace

1/4 yard border fabric

10″ of velcro

Spray n Bond

X and Heart pattern, click here

Begin by cutting the white background fabric 15″ square

Measure and position the pink lace so it creates equal sections, taking into account 1/4″ seam allowances around the outside of the square. Using Spray n Bond basting spray makes positioning lace a snap. If you don’t have this, you can pin. Sew with matching thread. Next, position the next 2 pieces of lace to create the grid. Sew into place.

Print and cut out the X and the heart.

Layer a piece of fabric, cotton batting, and another piece of fabric like this with right sides facing out. You are making a mini quilt sandwich. These don’t have to look pretty. I cut mine with scissors and did not measure. Using basting spray, spray the layers so they stay together.

Pin and X or a Heart on the fabric.

Stitch all the way around the pattern piece.

Cut out the X close to the seam. Cut 1″ piece of velcro and position the soft piece in the center of the X. Make sure you use the same side of the velcro for each piece or they won’t be interchangeable 🙂 I had to use the seam ripper on one of mine 🙁

Sew around the velcro square. Do this to each heart and X. I made 5 hearts and 4 Xs. Sew the opposite sides to each velcro piece in the middle of the tic tac toe squares.

Prepare the boarders by cutting (2) 15″ x 3″ strips and (2) 20″ x 3″ strips.
Sew the 15″ long strips to each side using 1/4″ seams. Press toward the boarder.

Sew the 20″ pieces on in the same manner. Press. Sew the decorative trim around the pillow front, rounding the corners.

Prepare the back of the pillow. Cut a 21″ x 20″ piece of fabric (I add 1″ to the length just in case the zipper or the zipper seam differs). Cut at the 4″ mark. Insert the zipper. Trim off the excess zipper. With the zipper partially open, place the pillow front to the pillow back, matching the top edge and the side edge. There should be about 1″ extra at the bottom of the back piece. Cut this off after sewing all the way around the pillow. Sew all the way around the pillow using the trim seam as you guide. I like to sew just a little larger seam then the seam I created when sewing the trim on. Turn right side out.

Insert the 20″ pillow form and then place the game pieces on the velcro squares – whose ready to play!!

This is the back of the pillow – you can make it how you want – this is just a super fast & easy way to finish a pillow.

The fabrics are amazing!!!

Sally was being silly 🙂

Filed Under: FEATURED, pillow, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial, Valentine's Day

Valentine Bookmark and Sachet Tutorial

February 4, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

Don’t you just LOVE February!! I love all the cheerful colors, flowers, fabrics, and blossoms! It’s even been 80 degrees around here in the daytime! I’m super happy!!!

These fabrics from the Dear Stella Flirt line just scream Valentine’s Day. They make me want to throw a Jane Austen inspired Tea Party…..maybe I will!!

I love giving little gifts on Valentine’s Day and these sweet projects can be sewn up quickly. I love using fabric bookmarks in my books, this bookmark is flat and thin so it won’t damage your book.

This lovely lavender sachet is perfect to toss in a drawer or even in your car!

They make a lovely pair. I can’t wait to sew more of these! My full instructions are on the Therm O Web Blog. This project uses Heat n Bond Lite for the appliqué which makes it a snap. There is also a little Heat n Bond medium weight stabilizer in the bookmark to give it stability. I can’t wait to sew a few more!!

Filed Under: FEATURED, Heat n Bond, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial, Valentine's Day

The Harper Stocking Tutorial

December 16, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

When I was little, my mom made everyone in our family “quilted” stockings with appliqué motifs on them. To me, all stockings must be quilted 🙂 I made my husband and children these quilted stockings many years ago.

The fabrics are a little dated but we still love them! Here are a few more peeks at stockings I have made over the years with this same pattern.

There are so many wonderful fabrics out there to make stockings with. I love this line from Blend called Treelicious. I’ve made a few other projects with it, here and here. Below is the pattern and instructions for making this “Harper” stocking which I made my friend’s baby’s first Christmas. You can change the fabric piecing to be more intricate or you can use a plain piece of fabric and quilt it. It’s fun to customize each stocking to your children’s personalities.

Supplies:

fat quarters of 3 fabrics for stocking and stocking tab

1/2 yard for the stocking lining

piece of lace

1/4 yard faux fur, fleece, or I used a type of cloud fleece with a diamond pattern…anything soft and white

Heat n Bond EZ print appliqué sheets or heat n bond appliqué transfer paper

quilt batting

Stocking Pattern, Click HERE

Note – the length of the cutting measurements are approximates, you just need enough to fit the stocking pattern on

Begin by cutting the pink trees 9″ x 12″

Gray deer 5″ x 12″

Pink 8″ x 20″

Piece together using 1/4″ seams, press

Try to place the pieces like this – it’s just rough background to quilt then cut the stocking from.

Using Spray n Bond spray basting (or pins) baste the fabric on a scrap of cotton batting – I love projects like this that use batting scraps!

Quilt as desired – I sewed loop de loos.

Print the pattern out (here). It’s in 4 pieces. Assemble them together like this. I added some dotted lines to help with matching up each piece. Don’t laugh at how rough my pattern is, it’s the middle of December and who has time for perfection!! Cut out the pattern.

Next, pin the stocking pattern to the quilted piece and cut out. If you want the stocking a little larger, cut out 1/4″ away from the pattern and the finished stocking will be the size of the pattern. Just make sure to cut the same for the lining.

You can add some lace embellishment if you want. Choose a font you like and print it in reverse on the EZ print sheets, or print in reverse and draw onto the Heat n Bond appliqué paper. Press the letters to the wrong side of the white fabric. Cut out each letter. Peel off the backing and press into place. It’s always a trick to get the letters to fit – I like to make them as big as I possibly can. Top stitch in gray thread.

Here is a close up of the letters. You can see my white fabric has a little silver detail in it!

Now do the same process with the back of the stocking. Only remember the stocking will be opposite.

Instead of cutting the stocking out again and trying to match it, I pinned the appliquéd part to the newly quilted piece, matching the seams along the sides. Sew using 1/4″ seams all the way around the stocking leaving the top open. Cut around the seam.

For the lining of the stocking, cut the same pattern out of a coordinating cotton (2). Sew right sides together all the way around the stocking.

Prepare the fur cuff. Cut the fur 18.5″ x 11″

Fold it in half fat ways, right sides together and sew about 1/2″seam along the side:

Turn the cuff right side out like this:

For the stocking holder, cut a strip of fabric 10″ x 3″. Folding in half lengthwise with right sides together, sew 1/4″ seam and turn right side out. Press the seam in the center like this:

This is how it will look from the outside:

Place the stocking lining inside the stocking, just how you want it to look, with the right side of the lining facing out.

Baste the stocking holder by bringing both raw edge ends together and pin it inside the stocking centering on the seam. Sew about 1/8″ to keep it in place.

Next, place the cuff inside the stocking & lining, aligning all raw edges:

Pin all the way around matching the seam in the cuff with the side seam in the stocking. Sew 1/4″ to 1/2″ seam all the way around using a walking foot – it gets pretty thick by the seams but it will work. Turn the cuff right side out and it’s done! Kind of magical!!

Filed Under: appliqué, Blend Fabrics, Christmas, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, patterns, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

Jar Lid Applique Christmas Ornaments

December 6, 2014 by Amanda 1 Comment

I love Christmas ornaments and every year I try and come up with a new ornament to make. These are my favorite so far!! These make great little gifts and they can be personalized! Using the Therm o Web Iron-On Transfer sheets you can print any word you want and iron it onto the ornaments.

On this one I added some clear glitter to the jar lid by painting it with Mod Podge and dusting it with glitter. I LOVE clear glitter! I could clear glitter my entire home! It gives such a warm yet sparkly feel!

Supplies:

Wide mouth mason jar lids

5″ square background fabric

5″ square Therm o Web HeatnBond® Fusible Fleece

Small pieces of green fabrics and brown fabrics

spool of ribbon

button

Heat n Bond® EZ print Transfer Sheets

Heat n Bond® EZ Pressing paper

Tree Pattern, click HERE

Words, click HERE

Piece of Christmas card stock cut into a circle the exact size of the jar lid

Begin by cutting a 5″ square of background fabric and fusible fleece. Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the background fabric. This gives the fabric a little stability and softness.

Print out the tree patterns and roughly cut them out and iron them to the wrong side of the tree and trunk fabrics. Cut on the pattern line, peel off backing paper.

Center the tree on the background fabric and press into place.

Top stitch around the tree and trunk three times in black thread. I like the stitching to look “sketchy” but it’s hard to not sew along the same line each time – you need to purposefully not follow the pattern.

Print out the words in REVERSE on the EZ Print Transfer Sheets for light fabric. Cut around the words and heat set in place. Let cool then peel off the paper.

Punch 2 holes in the mason jar ring – I used a crop-a-dile.

Thread the ribbon through and knot it in a loop. Cut a second piece of ribbon and tie a bow. Center the design and push through the mason jar ring. Trim off excess and hot blue into place. Hot clue excess fabric down and glue all the way around the inside as pictured below:

Place the card stock circle in the back to cover the mess!

Hot glue the bow to cover the holes. Finished! Now go make one for all your friends!!!
I sewed a button to the top of this tree. You could easily sew buttons to each tree or add other embellishments. I love being able to add a word to a fabric craft! I’m off to make more – think cats, owls, gingerbread men, and birds!

Filed Under: appliqué, Christmas, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

Christmas Jingle Bell Key Chain Tutorial

December 4, 2014 by Amanda 2 Comments

December is well underway and there is so much to be done! Is anyone else going crazy!!! I love these fabric key chains – they make it super easy to find your keys in your purse and you can slide your keys on your wrist. I wanted something festive for the holidays so I made candy cane stripe ones and added a jingle bell. I love the fact that I jingle where ever I go!! These make great gifts and you can whip up a bunch in an afternoon.

Supplies:

10″ red cotton webbing 1.25″ wide, I bought mine here

10″ x 2″ strip of striped fabric

Spray n Bond

Key fob hardware, I bought mine here

Jingle Bell

strip of card stock 1″ wide

Begin by cutting the fabric 2″ x 10″. Center the 1″ strip of card stock in the center of the wrong side of the fabric. Use the card stock as your guide to press the sides in evenly. Remove the card stock.

In my previous keychain tutorial I suggested using fusible hem tape to fuse the fabric to the webbing. While this works great, I choose to use Basting Spray – it’s faster and goes farther. A few tips about the basting spray: put down a disposable protective surface because there will be some overspray. I made quite a few so I used some old wrapping paper which could be rolled and discarded to give me a clean surface. If you are doing a lot I would wear gloves because you may get it on your hands.

Open the folds and spray a line down the center of the fabric. Pat the folds in and smooth to hold in place. Spray the folds again with the basting spray and center on the 10″ strip of webbing.

Top stitch about 1/8″ away from the edge.

Using pliers with some padding attached, fold the strip in half and pinch the hardware around the ends to secure. Add a split ring and jingle bell.

I packaged mine up with some Holiday Bath and Body Works soaps and lotions. Now I’m off to deliver them!

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, gift, Heat n Bond, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

Christmas Wall Hanging

November 22, 2014 by Amanda 1 Comment

I recently read Molly Hanson’s Free Motion Quilting for Beginners. While I don’t consider myself a beginner (I’ve been FMQing for 16+ years) I found that reading this book gave me courage to break out of my quilting comfort zone – you all know what that is! Mine is stippling and loop-de-loos! I decided to try something new and try “pebble” style. Beginning a free motion quilt pattern is like curling your hair – once you start you have to finish the job weather you like it or not!! I am super happy with the way it turned out and my family was in awe at my creation! You can check out the tutorial for this wall hanging over at the Therm O Web Blog!

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, quilt, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

Treelicious Christmas Pillow Tutorial

November 15, 2014 by Amanda 2 Comments

If the Christmas sewing doesn’t get done now, it will never get done!!! I love this pillow and it is super fast and easy to make! The fabrics are from Blend’s Treelicious line – which of course I am in LOVE with! I am so hoping to get a tree skirt made before Christmas gets here. The inspiration came from this print Tis The Season:

I also think this line goes great with last year’s Hip Holiday Line. This pillow will be at home with last year’s pillow:

Here’s how you can make one:

Supplies:

fat quarter or
yard cut of Garland Green Tree Fabric for side strips

1/2 yard solid white fabric

1/2 yard for backing fabric

Small cuts of fabric for the trees

Tree Pattern, click HERE

20″ or longer zipper

3 yards of decorative trim

Fiber fill

Heat n Bond Lite EZ Print Sheets or Heat n Bond Lite

Therm O Web Fabric Fuse

Accent trim for the trees

Begin by cutting (2) side strips of Garland Green Tree Fabric 15.5″ x 4.75″

Cut the white fabric 15.5″ x 18.5″

Sew the side strips to the sides of the white fabric using 1/4″ seams, press toward the dark. I pressed this piece to Heat n Bond light weight fusible stabilizer to give it a little more strength – it will turn out fine without it.

Prepare the appliqué by printing the pattern on Heat n Bond Lite EZ print sheets or tracing the pattern on Heat n Bond Lite.

Press it to the wrong side of the tree fabrics and cut out along the pattern lines. Peel off the appliqué backing.

Position the trees as pictured and press to adhere.

Using dark thread, outline stitch each of the trees at least twice.

Using Fabric Fuse glue, adhere the trims on the trees. You can also sew them if you want. I was anxious to try out the Fabric Fuse and I really liked how it turned out – it holds great!

I put a little of the Fabric Fuse on the ends of the Ric Rac to prevent from fraying.

Top stitch 1/4″ on both sides of the side seams for some added detail.

Prepare the back. Cut the back fabric 27″ x 15.5″.

Then make a cut at the 3″ mark.

Sew the zipper in.

Trim off excess zipper.

Select the trim you want and baste it all the way around the pillow front.

Curve the corners so the trim lays nice:

Leaving the zipper open, place the pillow top and the pillow back right sides together and sew using a generous 1/4″ seam all the way around. Turn right side out. I know this is an odd size pillow form, but you can just stuff with fiberfill and zip it shut.

Filed Under: appliqué, Blend Fabrics, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, pillow, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

An Attitude of Gratitude Quilted Journals

November 3, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

I am so excited it’s November! Yes, it’s all going a bit too fast, I will admit 🙂 Every year we do a “thankful campaign” in the month of November. When my children were small we wrote what we were thankful for on leaves and taped them to a big tree I had placed on the back of the front door. As the children got a little older, we wrote what we were thankful for everyday and then put it in the “Thankful Bucket”; we read all the thankful papers out loud on Thanksgiving. This year I want something a little more meaningful and something that can be adopted into a habit. Gratitude journals are not a new idea, but I decided it’s time every member of my family have a Gratitude Journal and we write each day at least 10 things we are grateful for. Pretty much, you open the book and you write what ever it is you are thankful for – it can be a word or many paragraphs.

I’ve done a lot of reading on Gratitude and I even have a Pinterest board for all the wonderful Gratitude ideas and quotes there are out there. My favorite quotes are:

Gratitude Turns What We Have Into Enough and A Thankful Heart is the Parent of All Virtues

I am hoping by helping my family turn our hearts into grateful hearts, we will have more love for each other and for those around us and we will feel closer to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Here is how you can make a Quilted Gratitude Journal!!

Supplies:

fat quarters or small cuts of fabric for the pieced journal front

1/3 yard fabric for lining

1/3 yard for journal cover flaps

cotton batting

hair elastic

button

Spray n Bond Basting Spray

Scrap of burlap

“An Attitude of Grattitude” printable, click HERE

For the “boy” journal I used fabric from Blend’s “Hammer and Nails” line – I love finding mature boy fabric – it’s hard to come by, but I thought this was perfect for my 11 year old son and my husband with out being cheesy 🙂

For the “girl” journal I used fabric from Blend’s “Good Company” line – super cute – reminds me of feminine fall fabrics

Therm O Web’s Heat n Bond’s EZ Print Transfer Sheets

Begin by cutting the strips for the outer part of the journal:

For the boy version, cut the blue fabric 5″ x 16.5″, the measuring tape fabric 2″ x 16.5″, and the wood fabric 5″ x 16.5″ . Sew them together in this order using 1/4″ seams.

For the girl version, cut the top pink piece 6″ x 16.5″, the owl & squirrel print 4″ x 16.5″, and the blue print 2″ x 16.5″. Sew together in this order using 1/4″ seams.

Basically, the final measurement should be 16.5″ x 11″ if you want to design your own pattern.

Using Spray n Bond, baste the journal top to the cotton batting and quilt as desired.

On the girl journal I quilted loop-de-loos…..

On the boy journal I quilted straight lines….

Square up the journal top by trimming the excess batting. It’s OK if the journal top shrinks a bit due to quilting.

Next, prepare the “gratitude saying” by printing in reverse on the EZ Transfer Sheets.

Cut out a rectangle of solid cream fabric the size you want it – the girl’s one was 4.75″ x 3.5″ and the boy’s one was 4.75 x 3″

Trim down the EZ transfer sheets and read the directions on the package. Pretty much you put it face down on the cream fabric and press with a dry hot iron. Then peel off the backing paper. I love using these sheets – expect to see more projects with words and quotes 🙂

Cut the burlap so as to “frame” the word square. Using the basting spray, baste the word piece to the burlap, then the to the journal cover.

Position as desired.

Sew around it twice with dark brown thread.

Cut the “flap” fabric (2) 10″ x 11″ squares and press in half lengthways.

Cut the lining fabric 16.5″ x 11″. then lay the flaps like this matching raw edges.

Baste the hair elastic in the center of the back of the journal cover:

Place the journal top right sides together with the lining/flap piece an pin all the way around. Sew around the whole piece using 1/4″ seams and leaving an opening to turn at the bottom center. Turn right side out. Press. Top stitch the opening closed with matching thread.

Insert the composition book into the cover and mark where the button should go. Sew the button on with needle an thread, careful not to catch the flap.

I love how they turned out and my children were super excited to receive one of these tonight during our Family Home Evening!!

Filed Under: Blend Fabrics, crafts, fall, FEATURED, FHE, Heat n Bond, projects, sewing, thanksgiving, Therm O Web, tutorial

SPOOKY CAT Pillow

October 20, 2014 by Amanda 1 Comment

Can you believe how fast October is flying by????? It’s crazy! Here is a quick Halloween project – with a black cat of course – that you can sew in about 30 minutes. By using their Heat n Bond EZ print sheets, you can print the pattern pieces onto the appliqué paper in your own printer!

Supplies

20″ x WOF duck cloth or neutral light weight canvas
fat quarter or similar black fabric
Heat n Bond® Lite EZ print sheets
22″ or longer zipper
20″ pillow form

Instructions

Begin by cutting (2) 20″ squares from the neutral fabric

Print the cat pattern (here) and SPOOKY pattern (here) then iron them to the wrong side of the black fabric. Cut out on the pattern line and peel off backing.

Position the pattern pieces as desired or as pictured below on the 20″ square and press into place. Using black thread, stitch around each appliqué piece.

To finish the pillow take the second 20″ square (pillow back) and cut 3″ off:

Insert the zipper and press. Trim off excess zipper.

With zipper pull positioned in the center of the pillow, pin the pillow front and the pillow back right sides together. Sew all the way around the pillow using a 1/2″ seam.

Turn right side out and insert pillow.

In my dining/living room I like to decorate only with black, white, neutrals, and metallics. I love how the pillow looks on the neutral chair – a perfect compliment to the “31” pillow!!

It also looks cute in the family room with some pops of orange!!

Filed Under: appliqué, decorating, FEATURED, Halloween, Heat n Bond, pillow, sewing, Therm O Web, tutorial

Halloween Pillow Tutorial

October 16, 2014 by Amanda Leave a Comment

I can’t believe how fast October is flying by!! I made this festive pillow for a friend for her October pillow. Here’s how you can make one:

Supplies:

20″ x WOF background pillow fabric

1/4 yard orange fabric

1/4 yard black fabric

scrap of white fabric

Therm O Web Heat n Bond Lite

20″ pillow form

22″ or longer zipper

Pattern, Click HERE

Begin by cutting (2) 20″ squares of the background pillow fabric

Trace the chevron print on the Heat n Bond Lite. You will need (2) 20″ sections of chevron

Roughly cut the chevron strips out and press them to the wrong side of the orange and the black fabric. Then cut along the chevron pattern lines.

Trace the BOO onto the Heat n Bond Lite or print on the Heat n Bond EZ Sheets. Iron it to the back of the black fabric. Do the same with the ghost pattern and iron it on the back of the white fabric. Peel the paper back off the Heat n Bond and position as pictured below. Press into place. Outline stitch with black fabric. Cut 3 small circles/ovals for the ghost eyes and nose out of the scraps of the black fabric with heat n bond on the back. Add to the ghost.

For the pillow back, cut a 3″ strip off of the 20″ pillow back. This is where the zipper will go.

Sew the zipper joining the 2 pieces of the pillow back. Press.

Trim the excess zipper off and position the zipper pull in the center of the pillow. Place the pillow front and the pillow back right sides together, aligning the edges. Pin. Sew, using a 1/2″ seam all the way around the pillow. Then turn right side out. Insert pillow form.