Category Archives: Fabric Therapy

Quilt Shop Love: Quilt Studio Warming Gifts

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I have said it often and I will continue to say it – AbbyMays.com is my all-time favorite quilt shop.  Whether I am making a quilt project exclusively for her or a personal one for me, Linda is always willing to send me fabric for whatever my needs are.  Her prices are unbeatable and if you wait just a few months, most of her current fabrics go on sale on top of already being 10% off the retail prices.  If you don’t have a regular online quilt shop you order from, take a look at AbbyMays.com and take advantage of all Linda has to offer.  I promise, you will not be sorry!

Last week, I announced that my quilt studio was finally ready for me to enjoy all of my sewing, embroidery and longarm creativity.  I have gone out there and stood just inside the door and marveled at how special that space is to me, how blessed I am to have had it gifted to me and my eyes took in the wonder of everything around me.  Just like I like to lay out my new fabrics, just for their eye candy – that’s what I’ve been doing in my studio.  Is almost a shame to start cutting up fabric and making a mess!

And then I asked Linda at AbbyMays.com if I could pick out a few fabrics as a quilt studio warming gift to myself.  Of course, she said yes!  And of course, I have to share my special gifts with you!

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And now for the fun of designing quilts around these fabrics and enjoying the results from the fruits of my quilted labor!

Friday Funday: Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns & Tutorials

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“Petunia Strings by the River” Free Quilt Pattern & Tutorial designed by Connie from Freemotion by the River

“Double Hourglass Blocks the EASY Way!” Free Quilt Pattern & Tutorial designed by Allison from Cluck, Cluck, Sew

“A Walk in the Park” designed by Ellie Roberts from Craft Sew Create!

“Scrappy Mountain Majesties!” from Quiltville

“The Batik Braid Quilt Tutorial” Free Quilt Pattern & Tutorial designed by Jen Eskridge from Reanna Lily Designs

TBT: Dandy Doodle BOM from Planet Patchwork

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Since the Planet Patchwork web store is no longer in business, I cannot show a link to this quilt that I made for my nephew when he graduated from high school.  I can tell you, however, that it took me a couple of years to finally get it quilted and bound and sent to him!  It was a very simple block of the month quilt that helped me work on perfecting things like half-square triangles and such.  But it is a joy to look at, if I do say so myself!*

CodyQuilt

*Don’t worry about the lines – I took this photo while the quilt was held against a wooden fence.

Monday Funday: A New Quilt in the Works!

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Starting a new quilt is exciting.  If you are a true quilter, there is a LOT of planning involved in a new quilt project.  What fabrics?  What batting?  What quilting?

Then there are the necessary things we must go through, using our five senses.  We touch, we smell, we hear the fabric talk to us, we see the fabric in various places for the quilt and we even talk to our fabrics.  LOL

I have a new quilt planned and I am itching to get it started!  Here are the chosen fabrics:

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hmmm, whatever will it be?  Whoever will it go to?  Stay tuned, I’ll let you know at a later date!

Tutorial Tuesday: “Strip Tease” Table Runner Pattern & Tutorial

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StripTease

“Strip Tease” Table Runner Finished Size: 17″ x 34 1/2″

Items Needed:

  • 5/8 yard Focus Fabric
  • 1/4 yard Bleached (white) muslin
  • 1/4 yard Unbleached (ecru) muslin
  • FOUR (4) Dark Blue 2 1/2″ squares
  • FOUR (4) Medium Blue 2 1/2″ squares

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Quilt Therapy Instructions:

  • Cutting:
    • Focus Fabric:  Cut NINE (9) 2 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ strips
    • Bleached (white) muslin:  Cut FOUR (4) 2 1/2″ x 20″ strips
    • Unbleached (ecru) muslin:  Cut FOUR (4) 2 1/2″ x 20″ strips
    • Focus Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 2″ x WOF strips for Binding
    • Backing Fabric:  Your choice of fabric color – 18″ x 37″
    • Quilt Batting:  18″ x 37″
  • Sew the Dark Blue 2 1/2″ squares to both ends of the Bleached (white) muslin.
  • Sew the Medium Blue Blue 2 1/2″ squares to both ends of the Unbleached (ecru) muslin.
  • Lay out all of your strips.  The Focus Fabric strips are the anchors for this table runner, they belong on both ends of the table runner as well as in-between the tonal strips.
  • Use your own creativity to decide where your Blue 2 1/2″ squares should be placed – remember the tonal aspect so be sure your placement is one Bleached (white) muslin strip set and then one Unbleached (ecru) muslin strip set.  From there, the placement is completely up to you.  Once you decide where you want each Bleached (white) muslin/Dark Blue strip and each Unbleached (ecru) muslin strip, cut the excess fabric from the strip.  The final length of the strip needs to equal 16 1/2″.  NOTE:  I left my tonal/blue strips just a bit longer than required so I could square everything up after sewing the table runner top together.
  • Now it is time to sew your strips together.  Begin with sewing one Focus Fabric strip to one of your tonal/blue strips.  The biggest thing you need to worry about, when sewing your strips together, is to always sew your strips in opposite directions.  This will make sure your strips remain straight without a curve in the finished product.  One good way to remember which direction you sewed your strips in is to place a pin at the end of each set of fabric strips, indicating which direction you started sewing from.  Press the strips in the direction of the Focus Fabric:

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  • After sewing the first group of single strips into double strips, now it’s time to sew the double strips together (remember to sew from the opposite direction as the first seams were sewn):

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  • All of the strips of fabric strips should now be sewn together.  Be sure to place the extra Focus Fabric strip to the end of your table runner on whichever tonal strip you is at the end.
  • Square up your table runner.  Make sure the fabric on both sides are the same length.

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  • Table runner top all sewn, squared up and pressed:

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  • Sew the binding strips together.  There will be at least 1/2 of a strip of Focus Fabric left from the cutting requirements above.  That is needed for the binding so cut the width down to 2″.  Then sew the two full and one partial 2″ binding strips together:

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  • Make your quilt sandwich with the table runner top, batting & backing.  Pin into place to secure all three layers.

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  • Quilt as desired:

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  • Final step is to square up your table runner so that the batting & backing are the same size as the table runner top and then add your binding.  This table runner’s binding is 1/4″ on the front, whip-stitched on the back.  Enjoy!

StripTease