Padded Hearts Using Batting Tutorial

I am amazed at how fast this baby quilt is coming along, not to mention how much fun I'm having.  This quilt has quite a few different elements, like applique and then these padded hearts.  So I'm going to show you exactly how I've made them.

Your first step is to make a heart template.  Take a piece of printing paper and fold it in half, and  roughly draw out one side of the heart meeting in the middle of the fold.  Cut it out on the drawn line, open it up and compare it to the size fabric you want to use and see if it fits.

Once you're happy with your template, take two pieces of fabric, right sides together and trace the heart shape using a fabric marking pen.  I used a fine line water erasable pen.  Pin the pieces of fabric to prevent shifting while sewing, and carefully top stitch right on the marked line taking care to keep the curved edges nice and round.  I noticed that when I speed up a little bit when stitching the round edges, that the curves ended up rounder than when I stitched slowly. Once you've stitched all around, cut a ¼ inch seam all around the stitched line.

Next you'll need to cut away the seam allowance at the point of the heart as close to the seam as you can without cutting into the stitches. Then you split the fabric cutting slits very close to the seam, to ensure once you turn it right side out, that the round edges will fold in smoothly.

 

Then carefully pull the pieces of fabric away from each other and make a cut big enough to turn the heart inside out.  Shape and flatten it out, and press using a hot iron.

You'll then need to cut out heart shapes out of batting, every so slightly smaller than the finished heart, that way it will fit nice and snug and you wont get bumps and lumps if its too big, or gaps when too small.  Carefully insert the batting inside the heart, smoothing out any creases.

You then finish off by hand sewing the opening at the back.  I'm not too worried about it looking perfect, since this will be at the back, and it will get quilted on top of the finished quilt top, this is just to make sure its all secured.

In total I made ten of these hearts that once I'm completely done quilting this baby quilt, it will be top stitched in place.

Linking  up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

Karli's Quilt - WIP (1)

'Willow by Mind's Eye for Riley Blake Jelly Roll'

It was such a treat unpacking these fabrics.  Cutting hardly took any time at all and that is an absolute bonus using pre-cut fabrics.

The layout design for the quilt I'm making could not be simpler.  Most of the pieced blocks are based on the log cabin block, using a 2½ square in the middle and framing it with a contrasting print/colour and repeating it one more time again with either dark or light prints.  This design is perfect for using jelly rolls.  

So I decided to start off with block 'A', there are a total of 10 I had to make and before I knew it I had all the blocks done.

Block 'A' - One of 10 

Then I moved on to making block 'D'.  There should be a total of 40 blocks, I am going to make 20 blocks using dark print fabric in the center and light on the outside, and the other 20 just the opposite.  

Chain piecing is a huge time saver, the only thing I have to keep in mind is when I take the strip of pieced blocks to the ironing board, to cut and press exactly the same as I've run them through the machine, and not to mix them up to not confuse myself when piecing the other sides.  It works like a charm :-)

Block 'D' - Making 40

I should be done with making all the blocks for block 'D' before the weekend.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

Lucky Stars BOM - May "Spotlight Star"

This month's Lucky Stars BOM, Spotlight Star is my favorite, so far anyway.  Not just the look of it, but the fabrics and colours I used, works really well together, or at least I think so.

I've really enjoyed piecing this month's block, I didn't have to use my seam ripper once throughout making the 12½ inch and 6½ inch blocks.  I guess I'm becoming a bit more confident with this technique and remembering my previous mistakes reminds me what NOT to do.

If you've never tried foundation paper piecing, I really recommend you try it out, once you've experienced the precision and crisp look of your blocks it will really inspire you to try out more.

If you'd like to see the other BOM's I've made, you can find them all here.  Of course there are hundreds of blocks made by others who have joined in making this BOM, you can find them all on the flickr group.

Linking up with WIP Wednesdays over at Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

ps.  Just a quick thank you to everyone who joined in this week's linky party ((hugs))

Hexie fun!

My hexie quilt is going to be one of my biggest projects ever. When my mom sent me the hexies she basted for me, together with mine I decided to start piecing right away.  In case its your first time visiting, it comes to more than a  1600 one inch hexies.  I am still adding more basted hexies to this collection.  Most of the colours being used is either green or pink, so I'm adding blue and purple too. 

(I apologize for the bad light in these pictures, its early morning and the sun is shining directly against the orange curtains right behind my cutting table.)

I started piecing hexies at random, 4 pieces at a time and by shade separating them light, medium and dark rather than colour.  I have not really decided on a layout yet, but this morning I had an idea of making 'blocks' with 16 hexies in one shade.  So far this is one placement I have in mind.  Its rows moving diagonally from light to medium to dark, then starting again with light.  So far I think I am going to stick with this placement, but I'm sure once I have pieced a lot more that this I will be able to see if I really like it and if it will work. 

This has become a really nice pass time, especially on Saturday's when my husband watches every single Rugby match on tv.

I am using a light thread and was a bit worried that the stitches will be visible in the front, but the few stitches you do see, will definitely not be a distraction.  I think because they are spaced so close makes the difference.

Enough playing around, I have to get busy cutting fabric for my Sugar Block Club and Lucky Stars BOM's.  I still have to do April's block (sugar block club) together with May, so I have to get started, at least I've already picked out the fabrics I'm going to use for these blocks...

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over @ Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

Christmas in May?

..it sure felt like it when I came home from the post office this morning.

My sister who lives in the UK surprised me with a 6pc fat quarter bundle.  She is a Stampin'Up demonstrator, if you like you can visit her website HERE.

While she was attending a craft fair she got me these.  Isn't it gorgeous?

..oh wait, another parcel all the way from the UK.  Helen from tiarahelen offered to send me one inch paper hexies for the hexie quilt I'm making.  She has a die that cuts 48 paper pieces in one go, and she offered to send me some.

I cant even imagine home many there are... the ones on my cutting table is only half taken out the envelope.  No more aching thumbs yeah!!

A big, no wait, a HUGE thank you to you both!  ♥♥♥

Happy quilting.

Lots and lots of hexies.

When my parents where here a few months ago, I mentioned to my mom that I needed a 'hand' project to keep busy at night.  For some reason I find it so boring watching tv lately, that's when I decided to start piecing one inch hexies.

So I started cutting out templates and sorted out scraps.  My mom then volunteered to help.  So I prepared a bag with scraps and templates that she took home with her.  Here she is (left) at her home sorting out all the hexies by colour and prints.  This picture was taken about a month ago and she already has over a 1000 basted in total.  She even went out and bought extra fabric to help this project along.  I love her to bits ♥♥

I too have been busy basting hexies but I don't have nearly as much.  Here is a post I wrote with some useful links to create your own templates, not only for hexies but other shapes too.  

So I eventually ran out of templates and on Monday I printed out some more and started the tedious job of cutting them out.  It took a whole day to cut out 20 A4 pages.  My thumb was so sore and tender after, that I decided stop.  I can carry on another day.

I now have a little over 400 hexies basted and still counting.  The plastic container I used was completely full, so I moved them to a larger one.

It looks so empty now...

2½ inch pieces of fabric

I am linking up WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

WIP Wednesday - Charm pack baby quilt and a tutorial

I am the process of making a cute little baby quilt using the Bungle Jungle by Tim and Beck for Moda charm pack and white background fabric.  I decided to make all the blocks into the disappearing four patch block and written a step by step tutorial.

But before I get to the tutorial, just have a look at some of the cute animal prints, they are just adorable.

  

Start out by making a four patch, using four 5 inch pieces of fabric, two white and two print.  Make sure to press the seams to the dark/print fabric, once you have your four patch, press the seam in the middle to the bottom.

 

Nest the seams closely together, that way your block will have a perfect finish.

Cutting was a bit tricky since I don't have a rotary cutting mat.  So I worked slowly not to move the pieces of fabric while cutting, and because I'm right handed I had to really work slow while cutting with my left.  I got the hand of it soon enough.

Line up he ruler 1 inch below the
seam and cut all the way through

Line up the ruler 1 inch to the
right of the seam and cut all
the way through.  

Line up the ruler 1 inch abovethe seam and cut all the way through.

Line up the ruler 1 inch to the
left of the seam and cut all the 
way through.

Your pieces will end up looking like this.  Now its time to swap around the following pieces.  Swap around pieces A with B, and C with D.  Rotate piece E counterclockwise once.

To ensure that your points match up perfectly you'll need to press the seam of block F towards the print fabric.

Now you'll assemble the block in rows, -top, -middle and the bottom row.  Make sure to press the seams as shown below in the directions of the white arrows.

Once your block is complete press the two middle seams to the outsides.

Make sure to press the seams correctly from the start that way the seams will match up perfectly.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.