Thursday, August 30, 2018

OMG: Quilt Complete!

My August goal for Elm Street Quilts' OMG was to bind this quilt. I prepped the binding in early August, stitched it to the quilt front in the middle of the month, and hand stitched the binding to the back a few days ago. It was a month long process (with lots of breaks!). I was also reminded of how much I enjoy hand stitching the binding--a nice relaxing evening on the couch! 


I tried to take a few decent photos of the quilt, made using Shelley Cavanna's Gloaming collection. Let me set the stage for you here--my assistants this day were two very enthusiastic boys, ages 7 and 4. 

This one held the quilt beautifully straight until I asked him to duck his head down below it. Then it went crooked. :) 

This one felt he needed to be in the picture.

So we switched. This is me holding the quilt, while the 7 year old takes photos with the "good" camera, and the 4 year old takes way too many shots with my iPhone. Turns out the 4 year wins--the whole quilt in the picture, and the photos is straight!  

Now to write the pattern...


Also, I've picked a winner from the Free Motion Fantasy Hop
Congratulations, Linda W.!

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Free Motion Fantasy Zip Pouch Trio Tutorial


I love the palette and the motifs in Amanda Murphy's Free Motion Fantasy collection. They're such bold prints, and I they work together beautifully. I usually lean toward the cool colors, but I decided to go in a different direction--I went with the hot and spicy colors! 

Zip pouches are really fun to make--they go together quickly, and you can always find a use for another one (or a friend to gift one to!). I used fat quarters of the nine prints you see above to make the three pouches shown. Use the tutorials below to make your own, and then scroll to the end to see how you can enter to win a fat quarter bundle of Free Motion Fantasy for yourself.

Materials:
(for all 3 pouches)
Fat quarters of (9) different prints
Batting
Fusible batting
(3) 12" long zippers in coordinating colors


Make the Straight Stripe Pouch:
Pouch size: 9" x 8"
Cutting:
From the fuchsia print:
(1) 2-1/2" x 10" piece
(1) 3-1/2" x 10" piece
(1) 9" x 10" piece for backing

From the purple print: 
(1) 2-1/4" x 10" piece

From the yellow print:
(1) 9" x 10" piece for lining
(1) 2-1/2" x 10" piece for lining
(1) 6-1/4" x 10" piece for lining
(1) 1-1/2" x 10" piece

From the fusible batting:
(1) 2-1/2" x 10" piece
(1) 6-1/4" x 10" piece
(1) 9" x 10" piece


Step 1: Sew together (1) 2-1/4" x 10" purple piece, (1) 1-1/2" x 10" yellow piece, and (1) 3-1/2" x 10" fuchsia piece as shown.

Step 2: Fuse the 6-1/4" x 10" fusible batting piece to the wrong side of the pieced pouch front. 
Step 3: Pin the zipper, right sides together, to the purple edge of the pieced front. 

Step 4: Lay the 6-1/4" x 10" yellow piece on top, right side down, sandwiching the zipper. Pin in place and then stitch the layers together using a zipper foot. 
Step 5: Press both the pieced front and the lining piece away from the zipper edge. 
Step 6: Fuse the 2-1/2" x 10" batting piece to the same size fuchsia piece. Lay the opposite long edge of the zipper right sides together with the 2-1/2" x 10" fuchsia piece and pin in place. Lay the 2-1/2" x 10" yellow piece on top, right side down, sandwiching the zipper. Pin in place and then stitch layers together using the zipper foot. 

Step 7: Fold pieces away from the zipper so that your pouch front looks like this: 

Step 8: Topstitch 1/4" along each side of the zipper, stitching through all layers.

Step 9: Square up the pouch front to measure 10" x 9" if needed.
Step 10: Fuse the 10" x 9" fuchsia piece to the 10" x 9" fusible batting piece. Layer the 10" x 9" yellow lining piece on the back of the batting, sandwiching the batting.
Step 11: Lay the pouch backing right side up and the pouch front right side down. Make sure the zipper is at least halfway open. Pin around all edges. Stitch 1/4" from the outer edge of the pouch sandwich. I like to reinforce the stitching where it crosses the zippers. 

Step 12: Trim the zipper ends. Zig zag stitch around the outer edge for a cleaner finish. 

Step 13: Turn the pouch right side out through the open zipper. Poke corners out as needed. Enjoy! 

..............................................................................................................................

Make the Diagonal Stripe Pouch: 
Pouch size: 9-1/2" x 7" x 3"

Cutting:

From the Purple Swirl: 
(1) 9" x 11" piece for backing
(2) 1-1/2" x 3" pieces

From the fat quarters:
A variety of (12-14) strips in widths ranging from 1" - 2-1/2"

From the batting:
(1) 9" x 11" piece

From the fusible batting:
(1) 9" x 11" piece

Note: You can use regular batting for both the front and back. I don't like using fusible batting for quilt as you go, but I like it for pouches that I'm not planning to heavily machine quilt, so I used different types for the front and back. 

Step 1: Position a strip right sides up on a 45-degree angle on the 11" x 9" batting piece. Layer another strip on top, right sides together, as shown. 

Step 2: Stitch down the length of the strips through all layers and press open. 

Step 3: Continue adding strips on both sides until the entire batting piece is covered. 

Step 4: Quilt the pieced section as desired. I stitched 1/4" on each side of each seam using yellow thread. Trim pieced section to measure 10-1/2" x 9". 

Step 5: Fuse the 9" x 11" purple piece to  the 9" x 11" fusible batting piece. Trim to measure 9" x 10-1/2"
Step 6: Fold each 1-1/2" x 3" purple piece in half, wrong sides together. Press each short end in 1/4". 

Step 7: Tuck the pull end of the zipper into the center of the folded purple tab from Step 6. Topstitch across the zipper to create a finished edge. 
Step 8: Lay the zipper along the long edge of the purple backing piece. Trim the zipper 1/4" shorter than the purple piece, and then insert the raw zipper end inside the folded purple tab from Step 6 and topstitch. Trim the folded tabs even with the width of the zipper as shown below.

Step 9: Layer the zipper right side down on the pieced pouch front. 

Step 10: Layer the 9" x 10-1/2" yellow piece on top, right sides together, and stitch using a zipper foot. Press the pieced front away from the zipper and topstitch 1/4" from the zipper (do not topstitch through the lining on this pouch). 

Step 11: Repeat on the opposite side to add the pouch backing and second lining piece. 

Step 12: Lay out the partially assembled pouch so the lining pieces are right sides together on the left of the zipper and the outer pouch pieces are right sides together on the right of the zipper. Pin pieces together.

Step 13: Stitch around the outer edge of the pouch, leaving a 6" opening along the bottom of the lining for turning. 
Step 14: Cut 1-1/2" squares from the bottom corners of the outer pouch side (still wrong sides out). 

Step 15: Match the side and bottom center seam, and stitch across the opening to box the corner. Repeat on the opposite corner. 

Step 16: Box the corners of the lining as well. 
Step 17: Turn the pouch right side out through the opening in the lining, stitch the opening closed, and tuck the lining into the pouch. Enjoy! 

..............................................................................................................................

Make the Boxy Pouch:

Cutting: 
From the orange print: 
(2) 9-1/2" squares

From the red print: 
(2) 9-1/2" squares for lining
(1) 4" x 12" piece for strap

From the fusible batting:
(2) 9-1/2" squares

Step 1: Press the 3" x 12" red piece in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and then unfold and press long edges to the center fold.


Step 2: Refold along all lines and then topstitch 1/4" from each long edge to make the strap. Set aside. 

Step 3: Fuse each 9-1/2" batting square to a 9-1/2" orange square. 
Step 4: In the same way as for the other pouches, attach the outer pouch and lining pieces to opposite sides of the zipper. 

Step 5: Fold the pieces with outer pouch pieces right sides together and stitch along the edge opposite the zipper. Zigzag stitch to secure raw edges. 

Step 6: Fold the strap in half and position the raw edges on the edge of the seam from Step 5. Pin and then baste the strap in place. 

Step 7: Pin the side edges of the pouch to each other, aligning the zipper and the seam line in the middle. Make sure the zipper is at least halfway open! Stitch along both side edges. 

Step 8: As in the diagonal pouch, cut out 1-1/2" squares from each corner and stitch to box the corners. 

Step 9: Turn the pouch right side out. Enjoy! 


Whew! Did you make it this far? I probably should have stopped at two pouches, but I couldn't resist making a third. 

For a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Free Motion Fantasy, leave a comment below telling me what you'd use these fabrics for--pouches like I did? An opportunity to practice Amanda's free motion quilting motifs? A quilt? Giveaway is open through Sunday, August 26th at 11:59 pm EDT. US entries only. 

Follow along with the Free Motion Fantasy features
Monday: 
Introducing Free Motion Fantasy

Tuesday: 

Technique Tuesday with Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts

Wednesday: 

Jayne from Twiggy and Opal; @twiggyandopal
Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts; @sliceofpiquilts

Thursday: 

Sandra from MMM Quilts @mmmquilts
Lisa from Color My World @lisaerin1121

Friday:

Amanda's Virtual Trunk Show

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Cats on Parade

I've known Ann Lauer of Grizzly Gulch Gallery for about 10 years, and when she asked if I was interested in designing a quilt featuring her Cat-I-Tude fabric collection with Benartex, I happily said yes! And then, even better, the quilt was selected to go in a magazine!
Cats on Parade is featured in the Fall 2018 issue of Quilter's World.

"Cats on Parade" 
designed by Lisa Swenson Ruble 
and machine quilted by Diane Oakes
The whole quilt: 

And just for fun, here's what it looks like with the white panel and white background:

I created this design more than a year ago and had been waiting for the right fabrics to make it work. When I saw the cat block panel, I knew I'd found it! 


After I assembled this quilt, I realized that I have a "thing" for woven quilt designs. I like the illusion of fabric strips being intertwined, and I've done it several times before.  

See my other woven quilt designs:
Hashtag (free downloadable pattern here)
Twister (purchase the pattern here)
Off the Grid

Read my entire interview about Cats on Parade here. Ann is offering a kit for the Cats on Parade quilt. Click here to order it.
Click here to purchase the fall 2018 issue of Quilter's World.




Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Hello, Star Crossing pattern!

I'd like to introduce you to my new quilt pattern, Star Crossing. 

This pattern is a good 9 months in the making. I designed it from digital swatches before the fabric was printed. The fabric became available in May, right around the time that our family started packing up our house for a year-long move to Florida. So I packed the fabric. In the "not-essential-and-therefore-arriving-in-FL-in-2-weeks" box. Which became 3+ weeks. Oops.


And let me tell you, I was itching to get this quilt made. When the fabric finally joined us in the Sunshine State, I cut and stitched Star Crossing in about three evenings. And here it is. (Now to quilt it...)


To make the Star Crossing quilt, I used Hoodie Crescent's Ring Ring collection from Paintbrush Studio. I love the vintage feel of these prints! The color palette and print selection are both broader than what you see here, but I picked three prints each of four different colors (pink, blue, green, and orange) to make this quilt. I may be a right-brained creative type, but I do like to keep my colors neat and orderly! :) 


 Love the adorable selvedge on these prints! (And my new Olfa rotary cutter and cutting board!)

All the pieces, cut and ready to be stitched.

The quilt in progress--cute little 6" square star blocks, one of three different sized star blocks in this quilt. I purposely aligned the prints so the pencil stripe would be pointing "out" in all the star points.


Want to make your own?
You can order your copy of my Star Crossing pattern here.

I also designed a free quilt pattern featuring Hoodie's Ring Ring collection for Paintbrush Studio. It's called Linked Up and you can download it here.