Placemat tutorial

My DH and I like to use placemats at the kitchen table and the ones I have are getting pretty worn out.  I found some I liked at Wal Mart but I did not want to pay about $4 each so I decided to try making them.

Here is a quick tutorial of what I did.

I used scraps of warm and natural batting.

With right sides together cut out 2 14"X18" pieces of fabric

Line up batting to fit the fabric and spray baste batting pieces in place.

pin to hold in place

Stitch about 1/4 in all around leaving a 4' - 5" opening on one side

                        Trim off excess batting all around. 

          Clip the corners and then turn it right side out.

find the opening

press to close the opening and then press the whole thing so it lays flat for sewing.

sew to close the opening and then stitch a top stitch all around the placemat

to quilt it, I start at one end about an inch from the side.  I sew until I get to about 1 inch from the other side then I turn the corner and sew down to the other side.   I continue to sew round and round keeping about 1 inch apart and it spirals into the center.

You can free motion quilt it or do lines, whatever you like will look nice and hold it together.

I made four of them in about an hour.

 I completed one of my February goals.  I sewed together a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt top.

I will take a full picture and post it later.

Setting my February goals for UF projects.

I find it very difficult to write out a list of goals I have in mind for February but I am going to give it a go.  I am not usually a "list" person but I have been told many times that writing a list helps keep you on track and focused on what needs to be done.
We will see how this month goes.

Here they are:

1.  put binding on Eye Spy Quilt ( already quilted)

2.  quilt the postage stamp quilt and bind it.

3.  quilt the Eye Spy Quilt top I made this past weekend

4.  finish putting together the Sunbonnet Sue top I started.

5.  quilt the Bug Quilt top I made last week.

6.  make a diaper bag for my DIL

I will post progress as I go along.

Pat's lap quilt top!

This was a great weekend.  My cousin, Pat, who lives about 250  miles away, came to spend the weekend with me.  Even though we lived far away from each other all our lives, we have managed to stay close friends.  As kids, I would go spend a week in the summer at our grandparents home and we would be able to play together.  She would come spend some time at my house.  My mom used to make us a dress or skirt or something whenever she would come for a visit.  I guess sewing has always been a big part of our lives.  I love that she was able to come for a few days.  We  had a wonderful time visiting with each other and sewing together.  She was able to finish putting her quilt top together.  She brought a couple of projects to work on while we talk and visit.  It is always fun to have someone to sew with.   I like the blocks in this one.

Bug quilt top complete!

I worked on this yesterday and last night.

I found these cute bugs in one of my many quilting books and I just had to try making them.  I do not usually do applique but these were easy and fun to do.

I am going to work on quilting this one tonight.

NOTE:  I am on 40 miligrams of steroids a day right now so I can not sleep very much.  They make me hungry so I have found that if I stay sitting at my machine I don't think about eating.  Sewing has really been a life saver in that respect.  I had gained 8 pounds over the last 6 weeks but I have managed to loose 4 of them and sewing has helped with that.

Another quilt top completed

I found this UFO in my fabric closet the other day and decided it was time to finish it.  It's a dissapearing 9 patch for an Eye Spy quilt I started last summer.  It was all sewn together, cut out and ready to sew together so I decided it was time to finish it.
It went together pretty quick and I hope to have it quilted soon.

I took this with my phone so the quality is not so great.

and 

I started another baby quilt.   

These bugs will make a fun little quilt.  I hope to get to work on this over the weekend!

Just a little picture to let you see what I'm working with.

I will post an update soon!

Postage stamp quilt top finished

My 2" squares were a challenge to get sewn together but I did it!  The top is 45 squares across and 45 squares down for a total of 2025 squares in all.  WOW  I did not realize there were so many.
It was fun to do.

It is ready to be quilted.   I had planned to put a solid border but I don't think I will.

I am going to quilt it next week.

We are in the middle of painting the master bedroom, thus the wierd paint on the wall! LOL

Postage stamp quilt update...

I have been sewing and sewing and sewing.........putting together 2" squares takes lots of time.  

I drew up an idea and figured out how I want to place all those little squares.  I knew I wanted the white ones to run in lines across and down the quilt.

I figured out what blocks I would need to make the plan work and started sewing.  The squares were picked at random. I mixed up the colors the best I could.  I tried not to get two of the same fabric next to each other and I placed the white ones in a particular place in the blocks.

This block is made up of 15 squares sewn into 5 rows of 3 colored squares.  No white ones included.

 

These blocks were made with 9 squares: 5 white ones and 4 colored ones.

These were made with 25 squares: 9 white ones and 16 colored ones. 

I laid most of them on my queen bed to see how it will look.  I think I will like the how the white ones go across and down the quilt top.  Once I get them sewn together I will post another picture.

Another finish for 2013 -------------------------------------Coasters and a zippered pouch

I made these yesterday for a friend.  She is a big Saints fan so I thought she might like them.

Four fabric coasters. ( I saw them on a blog that I follow and just had to try it!) You can see her directions here.   http://lovelaughquilt.blogspot.com/2009/09/little-quilted-hug.html
She used 4 inch squares in  her tutorial.  I made these using 5 inch squares.

This photo shows what the backs look like.

I made a zippered pouch to put them in.

I gave them to her today and she loved them.

This is another finish for 2013 for me!

A Postage stamp quilt top......I must be crazy

I have been collecting 2 inch squares for about a year.

I decided today was the day to begin sewing them together.

Here is what some of them looked like when I started.

I have another box to dig into when I work on it later today.

Here are some of the pairs I have put together so far.

sew press, sew press, sew press...we all know the drill!

I thought the piles would grow a little faster but slow and steady will get it all done!

And the piles are now all mixed up.  I hope to spend a little time this evening sewing some more together.

I am not quite sure how I will arrange them for the quilt top...

more to come.....

I really did not want to begin another project but when I spend time in my sewing studio....it keeps me out of the kitchen pantry.   I am on mega doses of steroids and all I want to do is eat.  Sewing keeps my hands busy and my mind of of eating.

My Keurig....

We bought our first Keurig back in 2003.  At first I thought I would not really us it a lot, boy was I wrong!  My DH and I use this thing many times everyday.   It finally died just a couple of months ago....lasted almost 10 years..WOW....I had to get another one right away.  These are great for brewing  your coffee, having instant hot water for hot chocolate and making tea.   I was thinking of getting one of those instant boiling water taps added to my kitchen sink but with my Keurig, I do not need it!

I do not usually promote products but this morning my cup told me it was time to thank my friend the Keurig for making me happy every time I need a good cup of coffee!

This sits right next to our microwave oven right in the  middle of my kitchen counter.  I like to have a variety of Kcups available.

If you drink a whole pot of coffee every morning this might  not be a great choice for you but if you are like us and usually only have one good cup in the AM, this is a great thing to have in your kitchen...

Another 2013 finish!

I made another bag.  I really like this pattern and it is easy and fun to do.

Let me know what you think.....I got the "duck" fabric at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago.

I think it will be a nice bag to use this spring!

Little house quilt finished!

Here is a photo of my friend Jan's first quilt!  I helped her learn how to paper piece and she made all these little houses.  It is such a cute quilt.  Each little window opens and shows a surprise behind it.  This is such a cute quilt!
Great job Jan...I am so proud of you!!!!!

help needed to add pictures to blog

I want to put pictures in the slide show button on my blog but I can not figure out how to do it.    Can anyone help?

thank you

Two bags finished for 2013

I have been reading on blogs about items everyone is finishing for 2013.  I decided to share items as I finish them this year.

 Here are two bags I finished since Christmas.  

I made these bags using the same pattern.  I added a little height to the school one for my DIL.  She is a teacher and can use this to carry papers and books or she can use it as a regular large purse.

This next purse is going to be used as a diaper bag.  I made this one for a friend.   (a surprise gift)  I am loving this "owl" fabric.  Duck fabric is so easy to work with.  This one was fun to make also.   I use a basic bag pattern and then tweek it to meet the needs intended.

I made this bag at the end of December for a friend.  She plays the piano and sings for a couple of the local nursing homes.  Her ministry is such a beautiful one. She mentioned that she needed a bag to carry her music so I figured if I made her one it would be my way of sharing in her ministy.  She loved it.  

I also finised the 20 pillow cases shown in my last post.

Looks like January has been pretty productive so far.

I found these two patterns at the Houston quilt show about 6 years ago.  I use the one on the right pretty often.  It is a diaper bag but it makes a great purse.

I have a another bag cut out and hope to finish it the weekend. I have most of the pieces quilted and ready to put together.

I think I will keep this one for me this time... I will post a picture once it is finished.

Not enough hours in the day to get done what I want to get done. If only I did not have to sleep!

tube pillow case

I found a neat video tutorial of how to make a "tube" pillow cases.
Here are the steps I did to make some.

Cut 27 inches WOF piece of fabric

Cut 9 inches WOF piece of fabric

Place 9 inch piece of fabric right side up

Place 27 inch piece of fabric right side up on top of the 9 inch piece.   Pin edges together.

Roll up from the bottom and place in center of 9 inch piece

Fold over 9 inch fabric piece and pin all three edges together.

Sew along edge

Pull large piece of fabric out of the tube

All seams will be contained in the band of the pillow case

Press band to lay flat

                             

Trim edge before sewing it together

Sew wrong sides together then trun it right sides together and sew to make a French Seam

I pinned the pillow case tubes and had them ready to sew.

Here are the completed ones.   I made 11 today for a total of 21 so far.

Did you notice my new ironing board?

My DH and I bought a nice  24" by 48" plastic table with fold out legs.  He glued a 1/4 inch piece of wood to the top of it.  I added some padding and a nice reflective ironing board cover that was peel and stick.  It is so nice to have such a big surface to work on. He also made a small one to put my iron on.  My pop up iron was leaving an indention in the top of the ironing board so we made a little pad to put it on.   Works great.  If I need the ironing board to be taller I use some 4 inch risers.  Otherwise it sits at the right height next to my sewing machine.

Little house quilt top complete!

Here is a photo of Jan's quilt made of 25 paper pieced houses.  This is her first project with paper piecing.   I think she did a grat job!

cute little houses

She did it!  Jan finished making her 25 little houses that she needs to make the house quilt for her grandson.  these little houses are so cute.  Under each window there is a little surprise.

This was her first attempt at paper pieceing and I think she is hooked now.  Great job Jan.  I can't wait to see this quilt completed!

Sitting by the fire

It's cold here in South Louisiana... a cool crisp 40 degrees....brrr

I know that is not considered cold in most places, but here,  when it falls below 50, we fire up the fireplace.

It is so nice to cuddle  up with a nice cup of coffee and a good movie with my DH and a warm fire going in the fireplace.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

This is our grandson, Reed.  He is singing a Christmas song.  I thought it was too cute not to share it!   Grandchildren are the greatest!

enjoy...