Patchwork and Pillowcase Drive

I pulled some bright, fun prints from my stash to make a few pillowcases. I used the pattern from School of Sewing which I have used before and know holds up beautifully in many washes because it uses french seams. I especially love the burrito method of attaching the cuff (I would never have thought of that on my own in a million years, but it works!). You just need 1 yard (or 3/4 yard and 1/4 yard if you want the cuff to be different from the larger portion of the pillow) and a 2 inch strip x WOF to make each pillowcase.

I know so many of us are concerned about the plight of new immigrants and asylum seekers, particularly at our southern border. Especially heartbreaking are the conditions facing children and families. One organization, the Socorro Foundation, is working to assist families who have been released from detention and are awaiting hearings. Sarah Hunter of LazyCozyQuilts has organized a drive for baby quilts and pillowcases (you can find the specifics here). Each child Socorro serves will receive a pillowcase to keep. It's a small thing to contribute, but I think no act of love or compassion goes unseen.

Zip It Pillow

My older son decided he wanted to take on a sewing project this summer, and he chose the Zip It Pillow from School of Sewing. He's done a little sewing before, so he was able to make it mostly on his own, including the lapped zipper (I helped with the rotary cutting and the binding). This is the book to use if you want to learn to sew or to teach someone to sew. Shea's instructions are precise and clear. Remember, I said my eleven year old installed a lapped zipper pretty much on his own. The result is a neat, sturdy pillow that should survive lots of squeezes, tosses, and otherwise affectionate use.

The novelty print is Supernova by Dear Stella, and my son chose this snazzy orange binding as a nice contrast. It turned out perfectly for his room, and he is very proud of his work.

Kids Can Quilt Improv, a Strata Pillow

Improvisational piecing is a very liberated style of sewing which seems to really appeal to kids; it allows them to sew without a lot of rules. What kid (or adult for that matter) doesn't love making things up as they go along, entirely to suit themselves? It's just the type of thing my creative boys enjoy.

My eight year old son made this improv strata pillow. He chose the pieces of fabric to sew together, chain pieced them, and constructed the top, while I trimmed and pressed as we went along. He even quilted it himself. I spray basted the top (to avoid pins and the necessity of not sewing over them!) and put on the walking foot, and he went to town quilting random straight lines in various directions.

I finished the pillow with some cool Star Wars fabric and a lapped zipper (using this tutorial) on the back. My son is thrilled with his accomplishment and loves the pillow. Creating strata is a technique covered in my book, Improvising Tradition, and I hope you'll be tempted to try it out.  As he would tell you, it's really fun!

The Digger Quilt

 

This little quilt was inspired by a quilt made by Alidiza which featured a single block (Preppy the Whale by Elizabeth Hartman) within a simple stripe.  I thought it was the perfect way to use a single paper pieced block, and naturally my Busy City blocks came to mind.

I enlarged one of the 4 x 6 blocks by 200% to make an 8 x 12 block.  This works particularly well with any of the more complex blocks in the pattern.  The good news is they are even easier to sew in this larger size.  Don't tell the other blocks, but this backhoe digger has always been my favorite in the set, so it was fun to feature it.

I backed the quilt with a great crosshatch by Carolyn Friedlander from her Architextures line.  The print blends really well with both the white and navy thread I used for the quilting.  I chose rounded edges and bias binding to finish the quilt.

This 40 x 56 quilt is a great size for preschoolers, and it sews up so quickly!  You can definitely make one in time for that upcoming baby shower or birthday party or to send to school with him or her for naptime.  And the great thing is that you can let your little person choose the block they like best (there are 35 total in the pattern, with plenty to appeal to girls too).

I'd love to see your Busy City projects.  Upload them to the flickr pool or tag them #busycityquilt on Instagram.  (Note, if you decide to enlarge a block, be sure to adjust the seam allowances around the edges to 1/4 inch.)  This quilt is available in my etsy shop.

Wonky Cross Quilt

At its most basic, a wonky cross block (aka liberated cross or wonky plus sign) is a slice and insert technique.  A square or rectangle is cut across and a strip inserted.  Then the block is cut a second time, roughly perpendicular to the first cut, and a second strip sewn in.

For all my love of improv quilting, I have never made a wonky cross quilt, or even a block.  I'm not sure why, since this quilt by Rossie and this version by Carla are among my favorite modern quilts.  So when my month of the Whatever Bee came around, I decided to remedy all that.  I pointed my bee mates to Carla's tutorial, which makes two at a time. 

 

I decided to make a maquette (a technique I explained here), to get a feel for the blocks and their arrangement. I used pink scraps from my Waves quilt and the grey and white scraps they happened to be sitting next to (I love serendipity in improv sewing) on my sewing table.  As simple as these blocks are, I learned a lot about my own preferences making this mini quilt.

• I like some variation in the thickness of the inserted strips: some chunky and some thin.
• Some cross blocks need to be relatively straight in order for the wonky blocks to stand out.
• The more fabrics you use, the easier assembling the top will be, if you like to avoid like fabrics touching.
• Keeping the blocks the same height but various widths make for an interesting look that is still easy to put together.

I hope my bee mates will agree this is a good block for a quilting bee: a specific assignment with some flexibility for individual expression.

I decided to finish the maquette, since it seemed to me it would make a really cute doll quilt.  I put a text print from Verona Road on the back.  It's a bedtime story - perfect.  I bound the quilt in grey crosshatch, leftover from the Wave quilt too.  You can find this 23" x 25" mini quilt in my etsy shop. SOLD.

New Neighbors

My little neighborhood from the Busy City Quit pattern has gone up pretty quickly.  The wall hanging pattern I am going to share soon uses just nine blocks of your choice.

My son requested these blocks from the 35 blocks in the pattern.  You see he was sure to include a garbage truck to pick up the trash from the bins I already created.

I'm looking forward to sewing these together and sharing the free wall hanging pattern soon.  In the meantime, I'd love to see your blocks.  Tag #busycityquilt on Instagram or add them to the Flickr group.

Update: Busy City is now available as a digital download.  Purchase the PDF from Empty Bobbin here.

Busy City Pattern

Well before he was even 18 months old, my first son would point and hoot at every truck or digger he spotted through the window from his car seat.  By three, he could distinguish backhoes from front end loaders and correct me on the finer points of cranes and forklifts.  When he was ready to move to a big boy bed, I knew I had to make a construction themed quilt for him.  I found there to be so little on the market for boys and definitely nothing that would appeal both to his interests and my own modern aesthetic.   I'm pleased to say that Busy City, a pattern I created as a licensed designer for Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio, does just that. It is inspired by the quilt I designed and made for my construction crazy four year old.  It includes so many of the things little people notice all around them in the busy city.

The pattern shows you how to create paper pieced vehicles, buildings, trees, and more arranged in various ways to create unique, customized quilts and pillows.  It includes 35 block patterns which are the same size, so they can be used interchangeably, allowing you to personalize every project in the book.  The pattern includes instructions for a twin sized quilt, a baby quilt, and two pillows. (Thanks to Shea for letting me use her photos.)

Each project is designed to be customizable in a number of ways.  Not only can they be made with just the blocks you choose, the blocks are grouped by level of difficulty.  Quilters who are less experienced with paper piecing, have no fear!  Detailed paper piecing instructions are included, and you can begin with the simplest blocks or choose to use only those blocks in your project.  Those more comfortable with paper piecing can tackle the more detailed blocks, although all the blocks are suitable for intermediate quilters.  The baby quilt and pillows are quick projects that use just a block or a few blocks, and of course the heirloom twin quilt uses 35 blocks.   All the block patterns are included on a CD, so you can print out just the ones you want to use in two size options.  There is no need to photo copy or trace patterns.  Yay!

The projects are so easy to tailor to your child’s specific interests.  If your little one is into farming, you can use the tractor, pickup truck, and barn blocks.  The house becomes a farm house and the trees an orchard.  If he is interested in race cars, you can make a pack of cars in different colors and include the tow truck and ambulance on the sidelines.  You can make a charming little neighborhood of houses and trees with a school bus.  The possibilities are as numerous as the children for whom you sew, both boys and girls!  I made this 12 inch pillow cover for my new niece.

Each block pattern is paper pieced, with additional templates to create wheels and treads which are appliquéd onto the completed block.  By using black fabric with white polka dots, you can mimic the look of tires while using a single piece of fabric for each wheel.  I used fusible web and machine appliqué, although you can pick the appliqué method of your choice.

I'm so excited to partner with Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio to publish this pattern.   It is especially fitting because Shea was the one who first encouraged me to create a pattern for this quilt.  My response was, "No way."  Ha!  But that seed of an idea stayed with me, and once I had the pattern writing experience and the appropriate software, this pattern grew. Here is a list of places you can purchase Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio patterns.  Busy City is shipping to stores now and is already available at Pink Chalk, Superbuzzy, I Don't Do Dishes on etsy, Hyggeligt in Canada, and locally at the Bernina store on Metcalf and Sarah's Fabrics in Lawrence, KS.

Update: Busy City is now available for purchase as a digital download from Empty Bobbin. Download the pdf here.

As always, I would absolutely love to see what you make with my pattern.  You can email me or upload a picture directly to the flickr group.

Those of you who are still reading definitely deserve a shot at a free pattern.  Leave a comment, and I will choose a winner, at random, Saturday morning.  Does someone come to mind when you look at this pattern?  What blocks do you think he or she would like best?  For a second chance to win, hop over to Shea's blog where she is also offering a giveaway.  Giveaway now closed.

Calendar Pattern Winner

Thanks for all your comments.  The randomly selected winner of Empty Bobbin's Advent Activity Calendar pattern is Pamela, and it sounds like she's going to get a lot of use out it!  I've sent you an email, and I'll mail it off to you once I get your info.

Christmas Came Early

I finished my first bit of Christmas sewing for the year.  Actually, I would have done it in late November like everyone else if it hadn't been for Shea.  She asked me to test one of her latest patterns - the Advent Activity Calendar.  I've been meaning to make an advent calendar for my boys, and I love that this one doesn't involve candy first thing in the morning.

I'm really excited to try all the fun activity cards that come with the pattern.  Each preprinted card slips into a stocking.  My kids are going to love doing a special Christmas activity each day.

I wanted to make something a little different and took the opportunity to use some fun, new fabrics.  They are not my usual colors, which is a nice change, and the calendar will look great with my Christmas decorations.  Isn't the photography pretty, too?  All Shea's patterns are shot by Sarah Sorell.

If you have already tried an Empty Bobbin pattern you know the instructions are super clear and easy to follow with clever construction details.  I loved how the stockings are cut from pre-pieced strip sets and you can add embellishments to your taste.  I used invisible thread to applique my stockings in place, which worked really well.  The good news for you is that Shea is giving me an extra pattern to give away, so check back for a shot at an early Christmas gift in a couple of weeks.

Composing a Quilt

I'm very excited to be a part of The Modern Quilt Guild's 100 Days of Modern Quilting today.  Hop over there to see my thoughts on composing a quilt, featuring my Busytown quilt specifically.

Brrr! Baby Quilt and Giveaway

 

I feel really lucky that Laurie Wisbrun gave me the opportunity to work with her new fabrics, and I had tons of fun making the quilt and pillow I shared yesterday.  I knew I wanted to make something to giveaway with the rest of the fabric, so I made this strip quilt for Project Linus.  It is 41 x 52 inches.

Strip quilts are easy to make and sew up so quickly. They are great for featuring fun prints, like these polar bears.  Add some straight line quilting, and you're good to go.  Easy and cute, they are a great option for making quilts for little ones.

I hope this is just the first of several quilts I can donate this year!
And that's not all I get to giveaway today!  The folks at Robert Kaufman gave me a fat quarter set of the full fabric line to give to one of you.  Just leave a comment, and I'll select a winner, randomly, Monday morning.  If I can't contact you via a valid email address, I'll choose another winner.  Good luck! Contest now closed.

Brrr! Quilt and Pillow

I knew I wanted to pair the Brrr! Laurie Wisbrun and Robert Kaufman sent me, with some Kona solids.  I pulled Kona red, jade green, aqua, medium grey, and white, as well as some prints from my stash.  I edited this stack as I started piecing.  I found that the darker gray and blacks were overpowering the others, so out they went.  Prints with a lot of white were great coordinates, and I love a good stripe and dot.

I wanted to keep the quilt really simple to feature the large polar bear dots fabric.  You can cut one bear dot from a 3 1/2 inch square or four dots from a 6 1/2 inch square.  I made a classic patchwork throw with 6 inch squares (finished).  I think fabric choice is what makes or breaks this style of quilt, and I mostly happy with my choices.

The quilt is 54 x 66 which is a great size for a couch quilt.  I backed it with Ruby gray scallop in flannel.  This is super snugly!

And this pillow is actually the first idea that came to my mind when I saw the fabrics.

I don't know why, but I just thought the bears wanted to take a rocket ship to the moon.  Hopefully Laurie will appreciate the whimsy of this piece as much as my boys do.  I added some hand stitched details to the ship with pieces of selvage for fun.  The moon rocks are machine quilted with a pebble design and I added some stars in the sky.

I used the freezer paper applique method and stitched it down with my machine.  The little portals/windows were done the same way but reverse applique.

The back of the pillow is just as cute with larger pieces of my two favorite prints.

Come back tomorrow for one last little Brrr! project and a giveaway!

Deep Blue Sea, Baby Quilt

Well, as I promised, here is the baby quilt version of Sailing Weather, my paper boat mini, in a much more saturated color palette.  It has a different feel right?  I had tons of fun making this.

For the paper boat, I used the newsprint from Annie's Farmstand.  I enlarged the paper template I created to fit the scale of the quilt.

For the sun, I used the six minute circle technique, which is a way to do reverse applique by machine.  I pieced the sun with little 1 inch squares.

 

The binding is Kona Grass, and the backing is a dot from DS Quilts.  I free motion quilted the top with curly waves in the sea and puffy clouds and swirly winds in the sky. 

 

The quilt is approximately 36 x 42.