Friday Post: part 1

I have enough to say for three posts! I hate to overwhelm anyone with a ridiculously long post so I'll divide it up into bite sized chunks. Speaking of bite sized, have you seen the beautiful miniature sweets that Vicki's (Turkey Feathers) daughter, Grace makes. Go now, I'll be here when you get back......Oh my goodness!! Do you want a donut now or what? Grace is following beautifully in her amazing mom's footsteps.

OK part one, a follow up to yesterdays mini tutorial post. I tend to over think everything. After I published that post I went to bed and couldn't sleep worried that I had left something out or been more confusing than helpful. This morning I got the book out to look over the pattern again. I saw something I had never seen before as much as I had studied this pattern. Or should I say I looked at one of the illustrations with a different perspective. This one:

I must have looked at this same drawing 50 times and never "got" what it was telling you to do. I even emailed this wise lady to ask her some questions. When I first saw this picture it looked like you cut and quilted each strip individually, then sewed them together, and I guess that is what this picture shows but not the way I imagined. I imagined cutting batting for each strip, quilting the strip and sewing a bunch of quilted strips together. That would make some bulky seams, I thought. So I have been doing it the way I demonstrated in yesterdays post. Cut the strips, sew them together and then machine quilt. This morning it dawned on me that what this picture shows is you start with a square of batting, sew one long side of the first strip to the batting with the right side down, flip it back right side up and quilt, then the next strip and so on until you have all 8. Duhh. So I tried it this way. I don't know if it is because I have become accustomed to doing it the other way but I don't like the book's method. My final piece was crooked and all out of shape. For the back piece I sewed the strips together and basted them to a piece of batting slightly larger and quilted starting at the center working to either side. Much better.

A second follow up to yesterdays post. I used the mitered square to make a pillow cover and thought I would share that with you too. I know you experienced sew-ers will find this very elementary but for a beginner it is a great project. You veterans are excused now. 

This is going to be a cover for an 18" square pillow. The top I made yesterday is 19" square.

 

I start by cutting a piece 19" by 27"

Cut that into two pieces (19" x 13" and 19" x 14")

Press and stitch a double turned hem on one long side of each piece.

Lay the top piece down with right side up. Place the back pieces right side down with the hemmed edged overlapping in the center. Pin around all sides and stitch all the way around.

Clip the corners to reduce bulk so the corners will be sharp when turned.

Turn right side out and insert pillow form.

Easy as pie!!

You can also add a ribbon or buttons to the back to dress it up.

Comments

[Kate]

Of course! I have looked at the way that bag is made many times too and never realised either.

[Barb]

I use the sew and flip method because I sew with neckties, and bias is too hard to control otherwise. The batting will "shrink" as you sew on it (start in the center and work out), so cut the batting larger and trim at the end. I like that it quilts as you go and you don't have to do additional stitching if you don't want to. I draw a chalk grid on the batting (Warm and Natural) before sewing, so I have a line to follow and my pieces don't get crooked.

[sabina]

fantastico!
grazie thank you
ciao
sabina

[linda]

Hmmm. I get what they are saying, but I haven't had any problems doing it your way. It looks like more work their way.

[jen]

FYI on the bag instructions...I think your purse came out crooked because of the first piece- you were thinking it went right side down and then folded back, add another, etc. The first piece is actually sewn on wrong side down, and sew both edges. Then add the second along the side, right side down, and then flip. Your way would result in the opposite ends both being 1/4 short when placed together- very off kilter. I have made many of these, in several different methods, and what works for me is getting all 8 pieces down on each on a large square of batting (always ironing to lay VERY flat for the next), then doing the quilting. This prevents a lot shifting in the center. After making a few this way, I now have yet to have the pieces not match up. Pretty color combos, btw!