Polka Dots -n- Stripes!

Here's another rag quilt bag I made back in October. I think I forgot to post it. This was a special order for someone and the fabric was upon request. Cute combo! I'm charging $25 for this size (9 square front). Email me with questions!

Deck the Halls....with a cute Rag Wreath....

fa-la-la-la-la....la, la, la, la.....I couldn't resist the tune:) Well, 576 fabric strips later...I finally finished my 1st rag wreath! Actually, I should multiply that by 10 more that I cut for the wreath class last week- hence the late post!! Needless to say, I am pleased with the outcome and from the feedback I've received, so was everyone else who made one. It was fun to see the variety as several ladies chose their own fabrics:)
Unfortunately, I do not get to personally enjoy the one I made. BUT, the friend I gave it to was very happy with it! The great thing about this fabric is that it can be used year-round for anyone who has decor to match! I love the subtle greens and the deep red really 'pops'. I'm actually in the process of making another one to give to my mom.
Not sure if you can tell, but I added various strips of crochet trim throughout the wreath, as an afterthought. It fits in really well and gives it a little texture. I finished it off with the wide Riding Hood Red/Vanilla grosgrain ribbon for a hanger (from the Clearance Rack!). The color is a little off, but I think it works. As an alternative, you could cut a wide strip of fabric and use that as a hanger (I learned this from one of the ladies at my class!).

Here's the details, if you'd like to try one on your own:

I purchased a wire wreath frame from a local craft store. It was 12" across and had 6 sections with 4 wire rows in each section. After playing around with it a bit and figuring the amount of fabric I had, I decided to use 21 strips for the 2 inner rows and 27 strips for the 2 outer rows. That's 96 pieces/section. This works out perfectly when you use 4 fat quarters (18"x22" pieces). I cut the strips 6" x 1/2". You can see part of the frame in this pic.Choose a section to begin with and work your way one row at a time from the 2 inside, up to the 2 outside rows. After finishing a row, fold the strips down to make it easier to continue to the new row.
After each section, check the back of the wreath and make sure all of the tails are pushed to the front. This will keep your wreath full. You can fluff it out after each section and when you're done.
Each strip is tied one time, not knotted.
There are alot of variations for these wreaths, so feel free to get creative! I was precise with my measurements and numbers mainly because I was cutting for a group and had to make sure the fabric amounts were correct. However, I also wanted to make sure it looked even when it was complete.
It's that simple!! Be advised, though, if you try this at home, allow plenty of time for cutting. I underestimated this part of the project. Not too bad if you're making one for yourself or a gift, but it took AWHILE to cut everyone's for the class.
I like the larger 1" strips, but it required more fabric, so it didn't work for my class.
I used my rotary cutter, however, I did see some suggestions for tearing fabric as opposed to cutting it. This did not work for 1/2" pieces, but did work a little better for the 1" size. It does give it a more 'rag' look and not all pieces turn out the same width, so again, not an option for my class.
There are lots of resources on the web for this technique, so check them out and let me know if you decide to give it a try!

Fabric Canvas Trio- a fun project!

I took my free time this weekend to work on a fun project that I've been itching to finish! I covered 3 canvases with adorable little girl fabric for Isabella's room! She recently moved out of the crib and into a 'big girl' toddler bed (therefore freeing up the crib for Josiah)! How weird to not see a crib in the corner anymore, after being there for 4 years!
Anyway, I decided the canvases needed dressed-up, so I embellished them all differently.I love this dainty Tea & Sweets fabric! This busy pattern didn't call for much, but I wanted to add a little dimension. I used some of the SU crocheted fleurettes (on the Clearance Rack, here) with Sherbert designer buttons (click here- also on Clearance Rack!) in the middle, and draped ribbon in between. Check out the cute rick-rack from the retired Fairy Tales ribbon bundle (previously on the Clearance Rack).
And who could resist this yummy cupcake fabric! This was simple enough to embellish. I continued the twisted ribbon draping and attatched two fabric flowers on each end. They were made from scallop circles with my Big Shot. I folded several and hot-glued them together.
And lastly, this was the most time-consuming canvas. The fabric is a busy pattern, but it's small, so nothing stands out, specifically. I decided to break it up with the scallop squares and a felt object in each. I made the cupcake & heart free-hand. The bird and teapot were made using a K&Co stencil pattern kit, which I dot-to-dot traced on a piece of felt. I then used embroidery floss to hand-stitch the images and then cut them out & glued each to a square. I love the effect! I actually just picked the kit up off of a clearance end cap at a local craft store. I wasn't even sure what I would do with it, but the little bird caught my eye. How thrilled was I to discover the teapot included as well! I added the ribbon bows at the last minute. I think they sort of tie in with the other 2 pictures.
I've had so much fun making sweet little crafty things for Isabella! And being involved with SU has made it so easy with all the adorable little accessories & Big Shot dies! Check back soon- I have used the pennant die to cut out a pennant for each letter of her name. I plan to put it together to hang in her room as well!

Christmas Flower Brooch

I re-did the fabric flower brooch from the post below. I wasn't happy with the 'floppiness' of it. Depending on the fabric, you will need several layers of each flower piece to make it look right, which is one of the changes I made. I also decided to add an antique brad to the center, which added alot, in my opinion. Here's the die cut ingredients layered to make this brooch: 2 of the large flowers from the Island Floral Bigz die, followed by 2 tulle circles from the Circle #2 die (the large), then 2 scallop circles, and topped off with a small flower- also from the Island Floral die. Before inserting the brad, I slightly frayed the edges of each die cut with my fingers. Lastly, I attached the pin to a small piece of felt on the back, using hot glue.
Pretty, festive, and slightly vintage looking! I love the no-sew! I'm looking forward to wearing it soon!

Christmas Projects

Here are a few cute Christmas projects. They're simple yet festive!

I used the Top Note die and Big Shot to make the little tote bag. A white sack is sandwiched in between and would be perfect for holding a gift card or a small present. The ornament on the front is a combination of 3 punches from the ornament punch, giving it a 3D look!

I couldn't resist using the adorable owl punch in Christmas colors. Do you like his little tie? I'm thinking of adding googly eyes for a fun touch.

The fabric brooches were made using the Island Floral die and the Big Shot. It's hard to see, but there are several layers and I also used some circles in a sparkly tulle. The edges are pulled for the 'shabby chic' look and everything is held together with a simple brad. I actually made these before I received my SU Christmas fabric. I now have it now, though, and will post a wreath project using the fabric, soon!

My 1st Rag Quilt!

Here's my 1st attempt at a rag quilt! I've made several of the rag quilt bags, so I thought I would give the quilt a try. It was basically the same- just more squares. And actually, after finishing, I wish I would have added even more squares! If you ever try this, keep in mind that if you don't pre-wash your fabric, some of the pieces might shrink during the wash/dry rag process. Plus, the scallop edges kind of curl up more and I just think the whole thing kind of looks smaller. I made this one 6x6, so it's small and could be considered a lap quilt. I used Beatrix Potter flannel fabric + several others including cotton, chenille, & fleece. They all worked great together and give the quilt lots of texture. Here's some basic instructions and some pics of the assembling process.

1. Cut squares w/scallop square die through Big Shot. You will need squares for front & back of quilt.

2. Cut cotton batting 3 1/4" x 3 1/4". One piece for each square 'sandwich.'

3. Use sewing or all purpose glue stick to hold batting in place between each sqaure.
Sew an 'x' on each sqaure from corner to corner. This gives it the quilted look.

4. Lay out and then pin all sqaures together- scallops up.

5. Begin sewing- piece by piece in each row. You should end up with long strips of sqaures sewn together. Aim to sew your seams at the same place on each 'sandwich.' I think mine were a littl under 1/2" and I actually put a mark on my machine to guide me.

6. Then, each strip has to be sewn to the one above it. Pin before sewing and LINE UP seams! This will make a difference on a quilt! I had to re-do several of mine. Also, the chenille fabric I used kind of stretched, so it made it a bit more difficult. Here's a pic of the back (where you can really see the seams) before I re-did some of it. You can see where I was off.

7. The final sewing step is to sew a seam around each outside edge.

8. And to finish, throw it in the wash on a gentle cycle and then dry! This starts the rag quilt process which will continue w/each wash.

That's about it! I actually started this one last Sunday. I cut all the squares and sandwiched them together with the batting. It took me a couple of hours. Then, I did the sewing Thursday evening & finished it up Friday evening. I think I'm definitely getting better with each project. It just takes time for beginners, but don't give up! I love working on something and going through each phase of putting it together and in the end, seeing the finished product.

My 2nd Big Shot Rag Quilt Purse

Well, here is my 2nd attempt at the Big Shot rag quilt purse. Try to overlook the picture quality. I had to take this on my way out the door to actually deliver the bag! I used the scallop squre die + Big Shot to cut the squares, which are a little less than 5". I think this one definitely turned out better than my first, so I was pleased! This adorable little bag is going to a sweet little 3 year old girl as her birthday present. I thought the fabric was perfect for a little girl & I actually have everything cut out to make Isabella an identical bag! I bought the fabric in a bundle, so all of the pieces coordinate. And what a value- the bundle only cost me $6 & I cut 2 bags from it! As you can see from the picture, I used 6 different fabrics, which all coordinate. One reason this bag turned out better than my first is because I used cotton batting instead of polyester. I also used a SU gluestick to glue the batting between 2 fabric pieces. This made sewing the squares much easier because everything stayed in place. The other difference in this bag as opposed to my first is that I intentionally left the scallops on the inside, leaving the outside with neat squares. I actually really like that look better. And of course this bag is made up of 4 squares front and back, instead of 9. Let me know what you think!

Shabby Chic Fabric Projects

Here are 2 sets of the 'shabby chic' fabric projects I've been working on. I used the Big Shot & Circles #2 die to cut coordinating fabric circles of different sizes. Then, I pulled around the unfinished edges to obtain the 'shabby chic' look, before layering the circles. Each one is glued together w/hot glue. The object is to try to kind of scrunch each one up so it's not laying flat. For the hair barrettes, I used my paper piercing tool to poke a hold through the center and inserted a crystal brad. The barrette snaps are especially for embellishing and they have a small hole at the top which works perfect for inserting the brad. I added leaves to the larger brooch + a felt backing w/pin & glued buttons in the center, instead of using a brad. I think these make great gift sets! They can even be attached and used as embellishment on a card! The brooches can also be attached to a handbag or other clothing article.
The 3-6 grade girls in my Awana class are making the hair barrettes Wed. night- a set for themselves + a set for a young girl at the Rescue Mission. I'm also currently making batches of these to sell, in various fabric prints. Email me if you're interested in purchasing any.
Brooches, $5.
Hair Barrettes, $5/set of 2.
Brooch + 2 Barrettes, $8.

Scallop Circle Fabric Hair Barrettes

I was so excited to make these adorable fabric hair barrettes! I've seen various versions of these on different blogs. I was recently asked to come up with an easy craft project for our Awana TNT girls group at church. I immediately thought of these barrettes & this is my first attempt. I used a combination of scallop circles from sizzix SU Baskets & Blooms & Scallop Circle #2 dies. The circles are each hot glued together and kind of scrunched up, so they don't lay flat. After allowing time to dry, I used my paper piercer to poke a hole in the center and then inserted a brad. The final touch was pulling the edges of the fabric to slightly fray it, giving it a 'shabby chic' look.

The only snap barrettes I had were Isabella's size, so that's what I used for this one. Here's some pics of her wearing one. Very cute & fun! Stay tuned for more of these using different fabrics and a slightly different format, including a brooch!

Embellished Cloth Diaper

Well, this is officially my 2nd sewing project! This one isn't super SU related, but I figured I would post it since I did use SU ribbon (although retired)! This is a Gerber pre-folded cloth diaper, which can be purchased in packs of 12. I chose a soft flannel fabric, cut the fabric 8" wide and about 19" long, which allows for 1" sides to be folded under. I pre-washed everything before I started & then ironed well. This is supposed to eliminate any future shrinking, if you wash it in hot water. I lined each side with ribbon and pinned it all together before taking it to the machine. Then, I simply ran 2 seams along each side and one on each end. I think these would make great baby gifts! And of course since we're expecting a new little boy in June, this one will come in handy for him!
I hope to try some more of these. The biggest challenge is the cloth diaper loosing a little of it's shape, which can make cutting and measuring a little difficult. Apparently the pre-washing is definitely a must! Check out the directions I followed here.

Rag Quilt Purse with the Big Shot!

Well, I finally got the opportunity to play around with the Big Shot for a sewing project! My grandmother recently gave me her sewing machine & I was excited about trying it, although I have no sewing experience! Through the blogging world, I kept hearing that the rag quilt purses were so easy and no big deal! Well, they were basically right!

This was a fun project and pretty much on a beginner level. My mom, who is a veteran seamstress, actually helped me. I was fairly pleased with how this turned out, however, I did use the wrong batting. Apparently there's a big difference between cotton and polyester batting- I had no clue. The cotton batting (preferred) gives a more stiff affect to the bag & a little more form. I was super frugal in choosing my fabric, but I really like the color combo. One half yard of each pattern cost me a little over $4!

I used the Big Shot and the scallop square die. I cut the fabric appx 5"x5," layered 8 pieces at a time, and ran them through the Big Shot. I can definitely see how quilters would benefit from the scallop square! The die eliminates tedious cutting and measuring.

I cut a total of 32 squares. Each is sandwiched with another square + a piece of batting in between. The first step was to sew an 'x' across each sandwiched block. Then, the scalloped edges were joined and sewn together as well. You can find a great step-by-step tutorial here.

I neglected to add a clasp before sewing the final edges, so this is an open bag. I thought about adding some velcro for a closure and some buttons on the outside to dress it up. The bag can be turned inside out for the clean-edge look or as pictured for the rag quilt look. I did have to go back and snip all the edges and wash/dry the entire bag to give it the final 'rag' look. I really need to get a sharp pair of scissors for fabric cutting!

There are several variations to this bag and it's easy to adjust the size. I'm looking forward to trying another one of these soon!- preferably in a larger 'tote' size.