Christmas Cards - 2013

This is the series of Christmas cards I made for 2013.

Materials:
scrapbook paper
modpodge
flat crystals
tacky glue

Noah's Ark Quilt

Materials:
cotton quilt panel
self-made quilting cotton binding
cotton batting
quilting cotton backing

Quilted Cat Wall Hanging

One of the first quilting projects I ever tried and gave away. 

 

Bargello Squares (Unfinished)

A quilt I started with 1" squares. I don't have an end picture, but I really liked the flow of the squares. I based the design off of a heart shape.

 

Backing and border detail

Unfinished quilt top

What I learned from this project: Always take pictures of the end product. I was really happy with it, and regret not taking a picture before giving it away.

Little Sister's "Big Girl" Quilt

I made this for my little sister when she turned 6.

Materials:
scrap fabrics from my sewing stash
self-made quilting cotton binding
cotton flannelette backing
cotton batting

Little Sister's "Big Girl" Quilt

Quilt Detail, Backing and Binding.

Felt Christmas Tree Tutorial

Materials: 

at least 1 cardboard cone 

glue

balls/bells/berries decorations

about 20 inches of 36" wide felt per tree, depending on the size of the tree

Step 1: Gather materials.

Step 2: Strip your felt. I started out with strips that were 1 inch wide. I found this was too large, so I reduced them to 1/2 inch wide and that seemed to do the trick!

Step 3: Glue on your balls/berries/bells. I used hot glue to attach the sparkly foam balls onto the tree, at random spots. 

Step 4: Starting at the top, attach your felt. I did a little strip of tacky glue at a time, approximately the width of how high I wanted each layer of felt to be. Wind the felt strips in an "s" pattern. Keep gluing and winding the felt until you've reached the bottom of the tree!

Step 5: Let stand to dry, then display!

Anya's Jungle Quilt

This is my second hand-quilted baby quilt. I am so happy with how it turned out!

Materials:

cotton flannelette quilt panel

self-made quilting cotton binding

Warm n Natural quilt batting

embroidery floss

The Quilt

Stitching Detail

Binding Detail and Backing

My favourite part of this quilt: The detail for the sun and the fabric I found for the binding. I'm so pleased by how well the binding coordinates with the quilt top.

What I learned from this quilt: A quilting frame makes all the difference if you are hand quilting. Gone are the days of fighting with a pile of fabric while quilting. It also helps to keep the fabric taut so stitches stay clean.

Cup Sleeves

I did this project as a donation to a craft sale for a friend at work.

Materials:
fabric scraps
heavy-weight fusible interfacing

What I learned from this project: I would have been better off not doing these as a tube. The interfacing was very hard to manipulate while turning them back right-side out.

My favourite part of this project: These end up being super cute and people seem to really like them. I think that my favourite is the one with the cupcakes.

The Lydia Quilt

This is my first hand-quilted baby quilt. It is also my first attempt at embroidery.

Materials:
cotton quilt panel
self-made quilting cotton binding
cotton batting
cotton flannelette backing

What I learned from this quilt: When doing embroidery, I should use a stabilizer. It turned out ok, but you can see some puckering towards the leg of the elephant. I am hoping that washing the quilt helps even this out a bit.

My favourite part of this quilt: The quilting itself. I quilted with a neon green Coats thread, which pops against the softer pastel colours of the panel

Quilt Block Test

I have been playing with the felt piecing board that I received as a gift. It is extremely useful, as it keeps the pieces secure while testing colour compatibility.

Felt Christmas Trees

In October, I visited Home Sense, and saw this. I really liked it and took a quick picture, not expecting that I would end up actually trying to remake it. It is a cardboard cone tree with felt and fake berries glued on. The price was ridiculous - about $20 for 1 16-inch tall cone tree. I really liked it and wanted to add it to my Christmas stash.

Enter Michael's and Fabricland! 

Materials:

2  8-inch cardboard cones

tacky glue

sparkly foam balls

25 inches each of 2 different colours of felt

All told, I spent a total of about $20.50 before tax ($10.25 each) and ended up with these:

Tree 1

Tree 2

Tree 1 ended up much more loosely wound than Tree 2 and a little messier, since it was a learning experiment. I am happy with how the balls look against the darker green, and how much of the cardboard is covered. Tree 2 has much tighter felt, and the layers are thinner. I love this tree the most!

What I learned from this project: I should have painted the cones before gluing on the felt. The cardboard shows through a bit, so it doesn't look as finished as it could have.

My favourite part of this project: I like my trees much better than the ones I saw in the store, since the fabric isn't as loose, and there is less cardboard showing through.  I definitely get the pride of having done something myself, and people love them when they're displayed. I also really like the look achieved by using the sparkle balls, since they look much less sparse than the berries on the original trees!

Savannah's Forest Theme Quilt

This is a commission I did for the mother of a friend, who also had me make some receiving blankets for her. Her description of what she wanted was that it had to be forest themed, with animals on it. This is one of my favourites of the quilts I have made. The skunk and moose are so cute.

Materials:
quilting cottons
quilting cotton backing
self-made quilting cotton binding
Heat 'n Bond
Warm 'n Natural cotton batting

Forest Theme Quilt Top

My favourite parts of this quilt are the animal appliques. I drew them from pictures of animals, and have had such a hard time deciding which of the moose or skunk is my favourite.

What I learned from making this quilt: Properly piecing windmill blocks is hard! This is the first time I have ever done windmills. While there is room for improvement, I am happy with the end result.

Hexagon Quilt

This is one of the first from-a-book-pattern quilts I have made. It is the "Hexagon Hip Hop" from "Layer Cake, Jelly Roll and Charm Quilts" by Pam & Nicky Lintott. The pattern itself is easy to follow, concise, and has good explanations and photos. My favourite thing about this pattern was the miniscule amount of waste, due to the recommended cutting layouts.

Materials:

quilting cotton

self-made quilting cotton binding

fashion cotton batik for backing

I used freehand stippling to quilt this piece.

Hexagon Quilt Top

Hexagon Quilt Backing & Detail

What I learned from doing this quilt: Hexagons are easy! 

My favourite part of this quilt: The binding. I enjoy how bright the white fabric looks against the colours.

Animals In Baskets Quilt Panel

The is my least favourite of all the quilts I have done to date. I find the panel really boring, and made a make-up blanket for the family I gave it to because I was unimpressed with the final result.

Materials:

broadcloth quilt panel

cotton flannelette backing

pre-made broadcloth binding

I quilted it using freehand stippling.

Animals in Baskets Quilt Top

Animals in Baskets Quilt Backing & Detail

What I learned from making this quilt: Do not buy a quilt panel if you don't like it. Chances are you will be ashamed of what you make.

Adventure Boy "Big Boy" Quilt

I made this quilt for my cousin's 6th birthday. He had outgrown the baby quilt that I made him and needed a quilt that he can use for a few years.  This quilt is a reproduction of another scrap quilt I have made, the Little Sister's "Big Girl" Quilt.

Materials:

various scraps from my sewing room (some from his baby quilt)

quilting cotton for border 

quilting cotton backing

self-made quilting cotton binding

Warm 'n Natural cotton batting

I quilted with freehand stippling.

Adventure Boy "Big Boy" Quilt Top

Adventure Boy "Big Boy" Quilt Border Detail

Adventure Boy "Big Boy" Quilt Backing and Detail

My favourite part of this quilt: The neon thread used as detailing. It is Coats brand. I used their lighter neon green on the back and lighter neon blue on the front. I used their lighter neon orange thread to attach the binding.