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Back to School Sewing Series: How to Make a Water Bottle Holder
I am never without water to drink so making a water bottle holder seemed like a natural fit for me. I also wanted a project to try out all the fun features on my brand new Janome Horizon Quilt Maker Memory Craft 15000 (Spoiler Alert: I am in love with her!). I hope you will enjoy learning how to make this water bottle holder as much as I enjoyed creating the tutorial. Supplies Fabric – I used scraps in two contrasting colors. If you are buying fabric, 2 fat quarters will be plenty Sulky® 40 Wt. Rayon Thread for machine embroidery – I used #1094 Medium Turquoise Sulky Bobbin Thread in…
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Cork Bottom Tote in 14 Easy Steps
DIY Monogrammed Cork-Bottom Bag in 14 Easy Steps Whether you need it for the beach, going to class, a game-day tailgate party, or to carry your latest sewing project, this tote is a perfect size and is always in style. I have made several of these as gifts and the recipients always love them. They always comment about how the cork bottom gives it just the right touch of sophistication. The best part is they are so simple to make! Supplies 4 Fat Quarters or 1 yard of fabric 2 pieces of cork fabric cut to 18″ x 4-1/2″ 2 straps, each 57″ long Clover® Wonder Clips Fabric Marker Sulky…
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Just in Time for Easter: Bunny Bags and more!
With Easter quickly approaching we have some fun Easter ideas for you to make just in time for the festivities! Bunny Bag by Jen Frost Project Overview: Note: 1/4 yard of fabric will make multiple bunny bags; however, instructions are written (for simplicity) to make just one bag. What you will need: 4 fat quarters in Easter prints (or scrap pieces) Bunny Templates (found in full instructions on website) Sulky® Thread in complementary colors Soft ‘n Sheer™ Cut-Away Permanent Stabilizer KK 2000™ Temporary Spray Adhesive Straight pins Ribbon in complementary colors (45″ in length, cut to 15″ per bag Polyfill …
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Calendar and ‘To-Do List’ Organizer – Tutorial
Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? I try to set a couple goals that challenge me throughout the year. For 2015, my goal was balance. For the most part I did well and at times I failed miserably :). One of my goals for 2016 is to be more organized and productive in my daily life, so I decided to start the year off by making a cute holder for my calendar, notepad and daily to-do list. Here is the tutorial in case you want to get more organized in 2016 too! I put my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quote on the front of my organizer just to remind me of…
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How to fold your fabric so you have room for more fabric
I was doing a little sewing room clean up last week. I had let thing get really messy and it was no longer a fun space full of inspiration. Instead it was a really cluttered space that was paralyzing. Do you ever let your sewing room get that messy? Part of the issue was I had a ton of fabric that need to be folded and put away properly. A few years ago, I took a class from Lois Hallock who wrote a great book called, “Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space.” In her book she gives a wonderful way to fold fabric that not only keeps all your fabric uniform…
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Christmas in July – Spool of Thread Stocking
As I was preparing for this series, I knew I wanted to do some kind of fun stocking. I love hanging the stockings on the mantel every year. I love opening my stocking on Christmas morning! In my house, everyone gets a stocking, even the dog. But during my search for inspiration (and I was spending way too much time on Pinterest), I began to wonder, why are almost all the Christmas stockings shaped like…stockings? I found tons of creative ones: R2D2, Minions, funny boots, even snowmen, but they were all shaped like a stocking. So I made a decision: Stockings in my house will no longer be shaped like…
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Coasters – The Perfect Hostess Gift – Tutorial
Recently, a friend of mine sent me a Pin from Pinterest that she knew I would love: some adorable little coasters using half-square triangles. Later we were shopping and saw the Moda® Dottie™ mini charm packs! I snatched one up immediately knowing these adorable little 2.5″ squares were perfect to make those little coasters. This is the result: What I used: • 1 Moda Dottie mini charm pack • Scrap of Warm & Natural® Batting • Scrap of white and black fabric for backing • 1 fat quarter of white tone-on-tone fabric • Sulky® PolyLite™ in #1001 Bright White • Sulky 40 wt Rayon in #1001 Bright White The very first thing I did was…
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September Sapphire Block Sew-Along + Mini Gemstone Quilt
Join the September Sapphire Sew-Along! Make the September Sapphire block, designed by MJ Kinman, and comment below with your process, tips and/or finished result to participate in this month’s sew-along. September Sapphire Block Pattern This September Sapphire block pattern is a paper-piecing pattern that comes preprinted onto freezer paper. The paper is fusible yet leaves no residue, and is easily repositioned and removed. If you want to make multiples of these blocks, you can transfer the key, also included, onto Sulky Paper Solvy. The finished block measures 17″ square and can be combined with other MJ Birthstone blocks to make a stunning quilt or mini quilt, which is what I’m…
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August Birthstone Sew Along: Peridot Piecing & Sewing Curves
The August Birthstone Sew Along might be my favorite installment so far! This Peridot block by MJ Kinman is not only pretty, but it also is a great lesson in sewing curves. There were many, so I was able to experiment with a few different techniques to see which one was best for this project. To join in on the August Birthstone Sew Along, you can purchase the fabric bundle, the pattern, the thread palette, or the bundle that includes all of the aforementioned items. Let’s get started. CUTTING–LOTS OF CUTTING First off, a rotary cutting system is a MUST for the August Birthstone block. You will not get the…
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July Birthstone Block Sew Along: the Ruby
Are you ready for the July Birthstone Block Sew Along? If you haven’t picked up the kit, there’s still time to receive it and make it before the month’s up. And if you just need the pattern, grab one today! PATTERN DETAILS The July Birthstone Block is super pretty. I love all the red, pink, and purple hues. There are a TON of pieces to this pattern, so I highly suggest you follow MJ Kinman’s advice to gather some envelopes to organize the pieces for each fabric color. I did NOT do this and, sure enough, I had to re-cut one piece because I couldn’t find it after cutting…
