I am back to blogging! My blog remains my favorite way to keep in touch with you! Here is one of my latest patterns - an easy patchwork heart design, stitched in horizontal rows. All the pieces are cut from strips of the same width, making the piecing of the block quick, easy and fun. The designs made out of narrow rows are so easy to quilt with straight lines, with the walking foot. … [Read more...]
How to add slider to zipper tape- tutorial
I am having so much fun sewing pouches with this classic design (pattern here). For such pattern and many other pouch patterns you need to create a "tube", like in the picture below, and the zipper will open and close the tube. Sewing the zipper is a little challenging if you use a closed end zipper, in the size of the piece. I always avoid this and I use a zipper about 4'' longer than … [Read more...]
Seminole Heart Quilt Pattern
Here is my first attempt of a Seminole heart design; I made it in the summer. When you have a fabric with a rainbow design that runs on the entire width of the fabric, you have to use it all, no matter what! In this way I ended up with a long row of 20 rainbow hearts and did not know what to do with it! Finally I decided to cut it into two strips and because they were too narrow, I thought to … [Read more...]
Heart placemats and coasters- free pattern
If you have a few beautiful fabric pieces that you don't know what to use for and need a relaxing sewing experience, how about a few heart placemats and coasters? I took pictures, wrote instructions and I am glad to share them with you! You might also like: Enhance a heart design with faux trapunto Flanged binding tutorial Heart quilt and heart coaster Whether you make a few for … [Read more...]
Placemat with pocket- a tutorial
Last year I made a beautiful table runner in Christmas fabric (pattern here). This year I found in a box a few orphan blocks... ... and I thought to make a few placemats. The blocks were 12'' x 12''; I added 7'' x 12'' pieces to make a rectangular piece- about 12'' x 18''; I quilted and bound the pieces. I thought to add something cute to the simple part of the placemat and … [Read more...]
Faster fussy cutting – a trick
Every year I make ornament stars and this year I have learned a new trick and I am glad to share it with you! Also, this year I have created a new star ornament pattern, for a 6-point star. The older pattern (for an 8-point star) is wonderful... ... but the 6-point star has a few advantages: you finish it quicker, it requires less fabric but most importantly: if you want to make … [Read more...]
How to quilt spirals
Here are some of my latest projects. As you see, in the center there is an octagon ... ... and a dodecagon (a polygon with 12 sides). Notice the quilting; it looks like concentric shapes: quilting lines that follow the shape of the center design, stitched at the same distance one from another. You may like this too: Pillow corner trick. But it is not concentric shapes - … [Read more...]
Zigzag fun and a quilting tip
One-strip zigzag...Yes, the fabric you use matters. Two-strip zigzag... Three-strip zigzag... Why not a four-strip zigzag? If you bought the pattern, you know the technique and you can use it in so many ways! I just had to make a sample using a gradation fabric (Gelato). I had fabric only for this piece... I quilted straight lines with the walking foot... … [Read more...]
A quilting tip
One of my latest quilts was a long table runner; it was so fun to sew it (pattern here)... I did a quick and easy quilting, and then it was the time to photograph it. I tried to align one of its long edges with a long line of my floor, and to my surprise, I could not do it, because the edge of my quilt wasn't straight! Obviously, I did not square it up perfectly, but there was one more reason … [Read more...]
Acorn block pattern
I have a gift for you! Autumn has so many beautiful colors, why not bring them into our homes and keep them for awhile? I made an acorn block; twice- because I was not happy with the first version and I changed it. Here is! It measures 11'' x 18'' and you can add borders from one of the fabrics used and make a pillow. Or if you have more fabrics, sew a few and make a bigger … [Read more...]