Category Archives: Quilt Studio

Tutorial Tuesday: Machine Embroidered & Quilted Mug Rug

Quilt Therapy Posted on by

MugRugTutorial

I am having a blast with my new embroidery/sewing machine!  It’s been sitting in its box since I received it because I didn’t have room to set it up until I moved to my quilt studio.  For my first project, I made an embroidered and quilted mug rug…then thought of all sorts of people I wanted to make one for.  I might even make them for imaginary people, it’s that much fun!

Ahem.  On with the show….errr, tutorial!

Supplies

  • Fabric for embroidery
  • Stabilizer for embroidery
  • Scrap fabric for borders, backing & binding
  • Batting

Tutorial

002

Cut the fabric and stabilizer for the embroidery about 2″ wider than your embroidery hoop.

003

Insert your fabric and stabilizer into your embroidery hoop, pulling the fabric so that it does not have any puckers or wrinkles on it.  Secure it in the hoop and tighten the hoop so the fabric does not move around.

006

Set your hoop up in your embroidery machine and choose an embroidery pattern.  Then, let the embroidery machine do all the embroidery work for you!

008

Once your embroidery machine is finished, remove your fabric and stabilizer from the hoop and press flat.

009

Square up your embroidery and trim the excess fabric away.

011

Using fabric scraps, cut the left and right borders to your embroidery to whatever size you’d like to make your mug rug (adding in your seam allowances).

012

Sew the left and right borders to your embroidered center.

013

Press your left and right borders toward the scrap fabric.

014

Repeat the same process with the top and bottom borders.

015

Press and lightly starch the finished mug rug top.

016

Create your quilt sandwich with your embroidered top, batting and backing.

017

Securely pin your quilt sandwich.

018

Machine quilt your mug rug in whatever pattern you prefer.

020

Trim your mug rug so that the top, batting and backing are all the same size.

022

Prepare your binding and bind your mug rug.

MugRugTutorial

Congratulations!  Now you have a lovely mug rug to use or gift to someone!

rc=”//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js”>


Quilt Shop Love: Quilt Studio Warming Gifts

Quilt Therapy Posted on by

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!

008

009

010

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

The Man? He Can Quilt!

Quilt Therapy Posted on by

I purchased a used Tin Lizzy Eighteen longarm and frame about three years ago.  It has sat in the boxes until about three months ago because we didn’t have anyplace to put it up.  Once the quilt studio was finished, my husband’s first task was to get that longarm set up so I knew how much room was left in the studio for all of my quilting paraphernalia.

We knew that I may not be able to run the longarm because of the side effects of my MS so hubby set it all up and then searched high and lo to find instructions and ideas and everything-under-the-sun about topics such as threading the machine, what quilt thread worked best, etc. etc.

Once I helped him with a few housekeeping instructions, he’s not a quilter so I had to explain some terminology and longarm quilting advice.

Once he had that info, he went to town!  He finished quilting a baby quilt and was SO VERY PROUD of his accomplishment – as well he should be!  With only a few errors, he got on a roll and never backed down – even when I shared my seam ripper with him for some boo-boos 🙂

Without further ado – here he is with the 40″ square baby quilt he quilted:

Lee's Bday 002

And when one of our daughters pointed out that ‘read men don’t quilt’ I had to follow that up with the names of male quilters that I virtually knew of and she backed down.  ;-)  ©2015 TK Harrison ~ All Rights Reserved.

Let’s Talk About the Quilt Ruler-Splosion!

Quilt Therapy Posted on by

When I started quilting 30+ years ago, there was no such thing as using a quilt ruler, rotary cutter and mat.  At least not that I recall.  I learned to quilt using templates.  Lots and lots of templates traced onto fabric and cut apart with a good pair of sewing scissors.  I made my first Lone Star quilt within a year of learning how to quilt, just by using templates.  I wouldn’t say it was pretty, especially if you looked at it close enough…but, my brother loved it and that is what makes a quilter’s heart go pitter-patter.  A quilt that is loved and is used is the best kind!

I certainly cannot recall when the rotary cutters, quilt rulers and mats made their appearance for quilters but I do recall MY first quilt ruler – and I recall it because I’ve bought a half-dozen of them over the years!  I still USE the very first quilt ruler I ever purchased all those years ago.  It’s nothing special, lightweight plastic and easy to accidentally cut if you don’t pay very close attention to where your rotary cutter is cutting.  🙂

My first quilt ruler was a Dritz Quilting See-Through Drafting Ruler.  When I looked it up with a search engine, I giggled because it not only showed up at sewing places such as Joann’s but it also showed up at Sears!

DritzRuler

Dritz Quilting See-Through Drafting Ruler

(source)

After a while, some better crafted quilt rulers came on the market.  The new rulers were still just straight rulers, though they varied in the color of the lines, the size and the markings on the rulers.  I think this is the second quilt ruler that I purchased:

OmniGripRulter

Omnigrip Neon Quilter’s Ruler-8-1/2″x24″

(source)

But WOWSER, in the last five (at least) years, there’s been a quilt ruler-splosion!!!  I cannot believe the number of quilt rulers that have cropped up lately!  There are numerous quilt pattern books that require a special ruler all over the place -from proprietary usage to universal usage!  There are professional and amateur quilters who have designed their own rulers, to be used with their own patterns or with other patterns.  And there are professionals who have designed their own special quilt rulers, who have gone on to sign the rights away to a larger company to distribute them for the designer.

I believe I now possess the following quilt rulers beyond the two that I mentioned above:

  • Omnigrid Quilting Square Ruler 12.5″ x 12.5″
  • Omnigrid Quilting Ruler 6″ X 12″
  • Omnigrid Right Triangle-Up To 8″
  • Omnigrid Quilting Grid Ruler 6.5″ X 6.5″ Diagonal
  • EZ Quilting Easy Rule Jr. Acrylic Ruler 3 1/2″ x 9 1/2″

Not a whole lot but they fulfill all of my quilting needs perfectly.

Besides these basic shaped rulers, I have noticed something else about the new quilt ruler-splosion…many of them have truly created templates into rulers.  We’ve come full circle from when I learned to quilt 30+ years ago to today.  Templates are fabulous and I would recommend any new quilter learn to quilt the more difficult way (with templates) than staring anew with a quilt ruler, rotary cutter and mat.  They will learn the true basics of quilting and then increase their quilt knowledge through independent study (aka trial and error) or by taking quilt classes.

The quilt ruler-splosion doesn’t seem to be stopped anytime soon, but make the most it while it lasts!