eat, sleep, poop, giggle! The cutest quilt ever

I found this pattern on Craftsy by Sam Hunter from Hunter's Design Studio.  It was love at first sight, I had to make it for my little nephew, it's the cutest quilt ever!

The letters are constructed by paper piecing.  If you haven't tried it before, you should!  It creates very precise pieces without exact measuring and cutting.  All you need to do is follow the lines on the pattern.

Here's an example of a pattern for paper piecing.  Each section is numbered in the order in which they  will be sewed and labeled with the fabric that goes in that section.  Perforate each line between the sections by "sewing" down each line with no thread in your machine.  This makes the paper easier to rip out when you're finished.

Fold over the pattern along the line between sections 1 and 2.  Place a piece fabric underneath with enough area to have about ½" extra around section 1.  Trim to ¼" along the paper fold, as seen below.

Unfold the paper and place on your sewing machine.  You can put a pin through the paper and fabric layers to make sure they don't move.  Sew right along the line, take it slow so you can be precise!  Repeat with each section until complete.

Once you're done trim the outside edges of the fabric to edge of the pattern.  Then carefully peel away the paper pattern along the perforated lines.  This step is much easier if you did a good job perforating the pattern at the beginning!

That's it, you've completed paper piecing!  If still sounds confusing check out Craftsy Block of the Month 2012 class with Amy Gibson.  It's a free class and covers many basic quilting techniques.  Skip to October to see the class on paper piecing.

Here's a picture of the final product, isn't it the cutest quilt ever!

I also like to put a personal touch on my quilts.  I made a little label "MADE BY KATIE" in matching colors and put it on the back.  Now my nephew will always know his blanket was made with love by his Aunty!

 

I had to make the backing fun and what better to use then monsters, yay!

Adventures in Korea, Part I

I recently moved to Korea for my job and would like to share some of my adventures so far.  I'm here for a short assignment, only one year, so I'm trying to do as much exploring as possible!

My current residence is near the city of Daegu, the third largest city in Korea.  It has a great shopping area and a fantastic market with loads of fabric to chose from!  Seomun Market is just around the corner from the Seomun Market subway stop on the green line in Daegu.

Korea is very mountainous and it's not different in the town where I live.  There are several hiking trails that have great views and are particularly pretty when the cherry blossoms are out!

Of course no visit to Korea is without a trip to Seoul, the capital of Korea.  There's so much going on there, I've only had a small taste of it in the couple of days I've spent passing through!  Navigating the Seoul Subway system was a bit of challenge, it has like 17 lines and each stop has numerous exits, it takes a bit of getting used to!

Not too far from Soeul is Peoyongtek, the city that will hosting the 2018 winter Olympics.  I had a chance to go snowboarding at Pheonix Park which will be hosting some of the events!

I also went snowboarding at another resort, Welli Helli, with some of my friends.  It was a great way to enjoy the Korean winter!  It was also my first experience with Korean hotels, sleeping on floor!

With the warmer weather in Spring I've done a few more outdoor activities.  I visited Jindo Island where twice a year the sea parts, like Moses and the Red Sea, and you can walk out to the next island.  There was a big festival and we got up at 4 in the morning to see the sea part and then the weather was so bad the sea didn't quite part all the way, what a bummer!

The last part of Korea I've been to is Busan which is on the southeast corner of Korea.  Busan is a big port city and is very diverse.  The view along the sea cliffs hiking trails is gorgeous, the water is so clear and blue!

Busan is also home to a HUGE fish market where you can find just about any kind of seafood you would ever want.

And of course I've been riding my bike a lot here in Korea.  There's a series of trails that transverse the country, the possibilities for riding are endless!  You can track your progress on there trails with these awesome little passports you can get at tourist stops along the trails, it's a great momento.

The trails run along the rivers throughout the country so they're nice and (mostly) flat.  Exploring Korea by bike has definitely been a highlight so far!



That's it for my first installment of my Adventures in Korea, check back later for more updates!

KCWC Spring 2014 plans

It's time for kids clothes week challenge again! KCWC 2013 last Fall is what got me blogging, so I could share my (somewhat amateurish) creations. Here's my round up of patterns and free tutorials I aim to complete for Kids Clothes Week Challenege 2014. You can join in KCWC April right here!

Keep in mind, I am sewing for an almost 2 year old girl and 6 week old boy (those two might be to blame if I don't accomplish my KCWC Spring 2014 goals, but they're worth it!)

1. Just Hatched leggings, a FREE pattern and tutorial from Made by Rae

 

The Sally dress from Very Shannon- things to love about it- no closures (i.e. Zippers or buttons) and it has nice big pockets, which my daughter LOVES. This pattern and the Junebug are what convinced to bu y the Sew Fab 2013 bundle!

A beautiful Sally Dress from Littlest Pretty Things

Sadie Grace Nightgown by Seamingly Smitten- perfect for those hot summer days, if in a lightweight fabric. Here's my previous attempt.

Classic footed PJ's from Peek-a-Boo Patterns

Reversible wrap tee from Craftiness is Not Optional for Birch Fabrics. FREE pattern for sizes 12/24 months, 2/3 T and 4/5 T. I will probably make the 12/24 month size for my almost 2 year old skinny Minnie!

I better get sewing, wish me luck!

~Julie (aka Booger!)

 

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