It's been a good while since I posted a sewing videos here. This one is a fairly straightforward design to make a mat using up tiny scraps. You can turn off the sound if you don't like the music. There's no talking.
Here are two tutorials for making your own shopping bags. One is a soft bag that would be comfortable to carry on your shoulder perhaps in a farmer's market. The other is a large sturdy tote for carrying large amounts of groceries home from the store.
Here are some helpful tips about sewing, things that you may not know even if you have sewn for years. Some of these tips are general to all sewing and a couple are more geared towards quilting. However, even the two quilting tips may apply to some other sewing projects. I learned some things that I didn't know before despite the fact that I've been sewing for around 30 years. I hope you learn something useful too. :-)
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Just a friendly reminder that I'm only posting three days a week right now, so I've made this a Wednesday post instead of the previous "Sew Happy Friday."
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Here's another fun quilt tutorial from Jenny Doan at The Missiouri Star Quilt Co. You could use this pattern to make a very scrappy quilt with leftover 10" squares.
This quilt is a version of the jelly roll race quilt. It's a great way to use up scraps. If you enjoy making this type of quilt but don't like cutting all the 2" strips at one time, you can cut the strips ahead of time by cutting up your scraps from other projects as you do them. You might store the strips in containers by color. This way you can later select a pleasing mix of colors, or if you have many from on color group you can make a quilt from one color as this lady does in her demonstration.
If you don't want to do all the trimming of angles, you can make this quilt by just sewing the strips end to end. However, if you do that be sure to trim away any selvage edges first. Also, the angle cuts are what give the interesting points in this.
Here is a tutorial from the Gourmet Quilter in New Zealand. She shows us how to use up scraps of fabric, batting, and strips of fabric to make quilt-as-you-go blocks to make a quilt or tote bag or whatever project you want to make. These blocks could also be made over a period of time using up scraps, then making a very scrappy quilt at some future date with all your blocks.
NOTE: Beware of ironing blocks with synthetic batting. I have melted synthetic batting before when ironing a project. It will go "very flat" as she says. I prefer to use 100% cotton batting now because it doesn't have this limitation.
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In this second tutorial she shows how to sew the blocks together into a quilt or project. If you want to see the instructions for the borders and the rest of this specific project, please check out her YouTube page. I am mainly interested in the basic blocks and joining them. The edges can be bound in any typical quilt binding method you prefer.
One thing you can do to break up the "string" blocks is to make some blocks to mix in that are just a solid square on each side in the same size as your other blocks. Make a sandwich of the three layers and then machine quilt them however you like. She made some with applique stars on them, as you can see in the video.
Here is a fun, easy table runner made from 5" squares (charm squares). This could be a fun way to use up complimenting scraps or to add a pop of color to your home with a favorite charm square collection. (Don't forget that it is easy to cut 10" squares into quarters to make 5" charms.)
This runner finishes quite long at 52 inches, so if that is too large for your table you can shorten it by reducing the number of horizontal squares from 11 to whatever you need it to be. You could also use 4" squares instead in this case because the instructions wouldn't change, just the measurements. You may have to arrange the prairie points a little differently, though, to get them even.
When closing the opening left for turning the runner, Donna just stitched it shut on her sewing machine leaving a visible thread line. This can be made to look more a part of the overall design if you top stitch around the entire runner making sure that the opening on the bottom is closed as you do so. I think this will also provide extra security for the prairie points.
Do you have vintage doilies that you like but don't enjoy having them out because they make extra work for you? Here is a clever way to make them into a banner that can be hung up for decoration. You could use this all the time, or you could use it for parties or celebrations. Do be sure to sew the cut edges very well so they don't come apart. :-)
Here is a tutorial from Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose on how to make a super easy tissue holder from a vintage handkerchief. You could also use just a piece of fabric of your choice. I love vintage handkerchiefs, but I don't want the bother of washing them, so I don't use them. This is a very appropriate way to upcycle one, I think. :-)
Here is another tutorial from Jenny Doan at the Missouri Star Quilt Co. This is a cute and easy quilt to make with 2" strips. This would be a good way to use up scraps. The way she shows it here the pattern would not be necessary, unless you need more detailed instructions for finishing it up. The diagram is linked below.
Here is a tutorial over at sew4home for some pretty valances with a lace inset. They also put a few rows of decorative stitching on them, but if your machine doesn't have decorative stitches, this is optional. The valances would still be very nice without them. If you do have decorative stitches on your machine and you haven't tried them out, this might the project to use one of them. :-) You could also sew on ribbon instead.
Home made valances and curtains can add a lot of color or personality to a room since you can use fabrics that would never be used in pre-manufactured types. I've made quite a few over the years. Some for myself, but also some for my siblings. In a room where there are Venetian blinds, and cheerful valance can really make in look more cheerful and homey (homely - of you're British).
Here is a tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. where Jenny Doan teaches how to make some memory quilt items with your loved one's clothing. There is also instructions for a simple pillow to make with a shirt. I suggest putting a pillow form inside rather than stuffing it directly with the poly-fiber filling because then you can take the outside cover off and wash it (it is made from a shirt, after all).
Also, remember that a lot of ties are not washable, so you may wish to make a wall hanging rather than a table runner if the ones you are working with require dry cleaning. Table runners used on the dining room table are more likely to get dirty and need to be cleaned.
This would be a nice way to use up clothing that you no longer use that still has a lot of wear in it as well. If you have some things that you especially like that you can't or don't wear any more, you could make a memory quilt of your own (or any family member's) clothing.
Fabrics that cannot be ironed are not a good idea for this project.
These coaster would be a fun way to add some color to a room, or they would make great gifts. One might even fit into a card to be mailed. (Check to see if it needs extra postage.)
They also look pretty easy to make. If you have scraps of felt and some stray quilting patches, these would come together quite quickly. This is also a good way to practice top-stitching if it's something you struggle with. These coasters are not a big project and can be used for awhile and then discarded. This is much better place to learn a new skill than on a garment or a big project. :-) The tutorial is at sew4home.com
This is a quick, neat, and easy way to make a potholder (hot mat) for you kitchen or dining table. These would make nice housewarming gifts, among other things. For the batting you can use 100% cotton batting (wadding), heatproof batting, or a 100% cotton washcloth (without rounded corners). Do not use synthetic batting as it may melt with heat. This would be a great way to use up scraps or leftover 10" squares.
Here is a tutorial at the Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth blog for making easy burp cloths for babies. These are really easy to make and would make a fun gift done in pretty or cute flannel fabrics (as shown). Please leave a comment for JES if you like the idea. :-)
Here are the instructions for this pretty patchwork shower curtain. This would be a great way to add color to a dull bathroom. Also, the curtain without the plastic shower liner could be used for a light weight, colorful curtain at a sliding glass door or large window. (You would need to adjust the size appropriately.) By the way, this would be a nice way to use up some larger scraps of fabric leftover from other projects.
Here are two tutorials for those kitchen hand towels that have a hanging tab at the top which folds over and buttons. I am giving you two different ones because each lady covers some aspect that the other didn't go into thoroughly enough, in my opinion. Between the two you should be able to get the whole picture quite nicely, plus there are two different options for the top part. :-)
Here is a short tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. showing how to make a lattice four patch block. This could be a good way make a scrappy quilt with a variety of 5" squares, or smaller or larger squares. As you will note in the last image, the points may not all come together neatly in the centers of the blocks. If this is a problem to you, you may want to try another pattern, or find a way to make it work out better. Enjoy!
