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!

Christmas Preview + DIY template

I'm trying to get an early start for our Homemade Christmas this year.  Booger posted some great ideas and I've been searching around for some inspiration as well.  Here's my pile of gifts so far (spoiler alert for some friends and family who read our blog!)

Two quilted totes, two pencil cases, one wristlet, one Christmas tree table runner and one Oh, Canada! table runner

The Christmas tree table runner was one of first things I made, I was so excited about it!  It's made from a layer cake (10" square precut) and using a wedge template it was super easy to cut out the trees perfectly!  Here's the tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Company I used.  I was too excited to get started on this easy project that I didn't want to drive a ways to get a template in a store or order it online and wait for it come in the mail so I made my own! (If you would like to buy your own template, MSCQ makes a 10" wedge, check it out here)

I used the cardboard piece on the bottom of the layer cake.  The long sides of the triangle needed to be 10 inches (it's an isosceles triangle) so it was a perfect fit!

The lines show my attempt at different sizes before settling on a 7 inch base

I played around with the length of the bottom side so I could create two triangles from one square with very little waste.  The base of my triangle ended up being 7 inches.  I pieced the triangles together, added some skinny rectangle tree trunks and background and got the cutest Christmas table runner in no time! The fabric is Kate Spain's "In From the Cold" line.

You can make it as long as you like, just add more trees!

The quilted totes are made from charm packs, very little cutting required.  Here's the tutorial I used from Missouri Star Quilt Company (I really like Jenny's quick and easy classes that use precuts!).

I learned from my Etsy shop that my pencil cases were very popular so I made some more as presents!  Here's the link to the Bag Making Basics free class on Craftsy that I used to make them.

I couldn't resist the Oh, Canada! quilt pattern Booger sent me from Etsy!  Some day I'd like to make the whole quilt but just for today I made one block as a short table runner.  The finished size is about 12" x 24" or (30.5 x 61cm for the Canadians out there!).  It's a gift for one of our relatives that live in Canada.  It was my first attempt at appliqué and I am excited at how it turned out!

This also involved crazy piecing, what fun!

That's it for now, more patterns and fabric are piled up to be made shortly!

Awesome Black Friday deals Online!

Hello Friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to remind you about some super Black Friday deals- all online so you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home! Most of these deals are especially great for those of you who like to *make stuff*.

For craft and sewing supplies, Craftsy has yarn and fabric up to 80% off until December 2nd.

Craftsy classes are also 66% off (so $19.99 or less!) until December 2nd. Craftsy online classes never expire, and you can watch them however many times you want. You can also leave comments that the instructor or other students will answer. Their classes range from sewing to cooking to cake decorating, photography and gardening. My sister and I both improved our sewing/quilting through Craftsy classes! Below are some of my faves + classes I'd like to take.

*Sewing Studio helped me get some basic sewing skills under my belt- although you have to buy Diana Rupp's book as a "textbook".

*Amy Gibsons 2012 Block of the Month club resulted in my sister sewing her first ever quilt! This class is FREE!

*my sister also mastered improv "crazy piecing" for her Hokie quilt (see below!) with Jacquie Gehrings' Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design for Quilts class.

*I'd also love to take the class on getting candid family photos.

*I know my Mom's dying to take the class on baking the perfect croissant (now's your chance, Mom!).

There are so many more classes on crocheting, knitting, fine arts, embroidery, paper crafts, jewelry making, spinning, weaving etc! Quite a few classes are also free.

Check out Craftsy's whole class selection and fabric and yarn now and let me know what you end up getting!

For a comprehensive list of online PDF patterns on sale, check out this post from Pattern Revolution and this Black Friday scoop on patterns and fabric from Sewistry.

I'd love to hear your plan of attack for Black Friday! Happy Shopping!

**we are a proud Craftsy affiliate, so for every Craftsy purchase you make through the above links or side banner we will recieve a small commission. We love Craftsy classes and products and hope you will too!**

 

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Thanksgiving Sales on Yarn, Fabric, & Classes at Craftsy!

Who likes waiting in long lines in a crowded store? Not me! If you want to get great deals on your favorite yarn and fabric, look no further. Shop online with Craftsy from the comfort of your home.

Craftsy is having a brilliant Black Friday sale on all craft supplies. Yarn is up to 80% off and fabric is up to 65% off. Check out these awesome discounts here, or click on the Craftsy banner on the right-hand sidebar.

Stay tuned- on 11/29 ALL Craftsy online classes will be 66% off- that means $19.99 or less. Check back. then for the updated sale links for classes. If you've never tried one, this sale would be a great time to try one out. They've helped with my sister's and my own sewing skills immensely. (Their classes aren't limited to sewing though!)

And now for a little sneak peek, here's something secret I've been working on. After Christmas you will get more details!

And just for fun, a picture of my little girl being a goof!

**disclosure- we are a proud Craftsy affiliate. We will earn a small commission if you purchase supplies or classes through the above links. We endorse Craftsy because we love their classes and have had a great experiencing ordering products from them. Thanks for your support!

 

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