Squares & Diamonds Quilt is complete

I picked up my Squares & Diamonds quilt from the long arm quilter yesterday and I'm so thankful she was able to get it done so fast!!


Here's the pictures  ...I wish it was sunny outside!!

 

 

I made this quilt for my aunt Betsy. 


Have a great day!!

Candy Cane Christmas Rag Quilt Purse

It's been forever since I've posted!! Sorry about that!  Jennifer was over today and she reminded me that I'd never posted my bag on my blog.  I took it to Founders Circle to show everyone...but somehow I kept forgetting to post it.


This is my latest Rag Quilt Purse ....made with the Candy Cane Christmas fabric that we sell in our Holiday Mini Catalog.  And check out that Candy Cane Button .....it was so nice not having to go from store to store looking for the perfect color to match!!


Instead of batting I used white Flannel.  So for each sandwich I used one piece of Candy Cane Christmas fabric & two pieces of flannel.

It's the same as my Original Rag Quilt Purse.....that I made with the Scallop Square Die...... I just added an additional row.

The good news is ...when I was making it ...I took pictures along the way. 

I'll update my Original Rag Quilt Purse instructions and include the pictures....and I hope it have it ready by this weekend. 


See ya!
 

Clear Flower Die

Congrats Alissa Weaver!! You won the Clear Flower Die.  Please send me your address and I'll send you the die as soon as it arrives.  My email is mychicnscratch@me.com.
Thanks for all the compliments on my first quilt!!

Alissa Weaver said...

Angie-Your quilt is beautiful! It really makes me want to learn to sew so I can make one. I really want to do some fabric projects with the Big Shot. You are an inspiration@

June 23, 2010 10:23 AM

p.s. some of you ask how you could order a die if you didn't win.   My shopping basket on the right side & it will take you to my Stampin' Up! website.  From there you click on Shop now and the item number is 114534.  The orders ship right from Stampin' Up! to you.   (Please remember to go through my blog to get to the SU site, otherwise you pay a higher price and the shipping is higher.)

Eighty Block Quilt .... Done!

 Last night I washed my Eighty Block Quilt (very small amount of detergent with a lot of Gain Softener) & dried it for about 10 minutes.  Then I hung it up to dry the rest of the way (I used pants hangers and hung it over my door).

This is what it looks like when it's all done.   I LOVE the raw edges.  In my beginner opinion ..... it's the perfect Quilt to start with!! 

My first quilt is officially done and I have enjoyed every minute!! (oops I mean my first two quilts are done...who would think I'd make another so fast....that's what happens when I have no electronics to keep me busy.)

Here are some Q & A's
Q.  How did I get the final quilting done?
A.  I took it to a Long Arm Quilter and she finished it for me.


Q.  What did I take to the Long Arm Quilter?
A.  My Quilt Top, Batting, Backing Fabric & Binding Fabric.

Q.  What was the first step after you made the Quilt Top?
A.  I took it to our local quilt shop and they measured it and told me how much fabric I needed for my Backing & Binding and Batting.


Q.  Did you do your own binding?
A.  No, Shirley has a machine that will do it for me.  My time is worth money & I figured I would have her do it.   If I had more time, I might give it a whirl but my business right now is more than a full time job :)


Q.  Will you have instructions available?
A.  Yes, after Convention I'll provide a video tutorial for free and the written instructions will be available for a small fee. (I am looking for someone with PhotoShop experience to help me).  
For now..... I have a video available on how to make the Flower Quilt Block.


Q. What is the finished size?
A.  The Eighty Block quilt has 80 blocks and the throw has 42 Blocks. (I'm still calling it the Eighty Block Quilt...even though it's a 42 block throw.)  I'm not sure what the finished size is...based on your seam allowance, yours may be a tad different when it's all done.  When you finish your Quilt Top the ladies at the Quilt shop will measure it and tell you how much fabric you need for the back and the binding. I took my first quilt to one store and the second one to a different store (we are lucky to have three stores in our area and one of them is less than 10 minutes from me).  If you don't have a local quilt shop,  ask around...I bet you have some local ladies that can help you right from their home. 


Some extra info:
I've always wanted to quilt but a few things held me back.   1.  I tend to jump with in with two feet .....or you could say I like to run before I walk.  I knew once I tried it ...... I would be hooked.  2.  I was afraid I might not be good enough.  You know how you start something that you've never done and everyone around you is so much better?   I was afraid to be in that beginner position again. 
I will forever be grateful that Jill not only taught me how to make the quilted flowers but she also drove me the quilt shop and helped me buy my fabric!!

Last but not least.....if you want to give Quilting a try.  Please .....just do it :)  What's holding you back?  If you have concerns I'd be happy to help you.   When I started my quilt.... I started with one block and then I made 80 of them.  Next I sewed the rows together...making sure I matched the seams (I was off in a few areas).  When it was all done I just drove to the store and they walked me through it.... I'll never forget walking into Prairie Point with my first quilt...both of the ladies were so nice and were very happy to help me with my first quilt.  Last but not least ....the final quilting.... Shirley put a rush on it because she knew it was my baby and I was having a hard time leaving it with her.  I am very blessed and I'm so thankful!!


Have a great day!!


p.s. to make a Quilt top....all you need is a sewing machine...a quilting machine is nice but if you already own a machine you'll be okay.

Flower Quilt

Doesn't it look beautiful? I'm so excited I could scream :)

All I need to do is add the batting, the backing and the binding....I'm almost done :)

Don't look too close..... I still need to trim the thread :)
Quick question.....do I wash it now or later?  I guess I better go google it.

Ladies, if you signed up the Quilt Block Swap....this is how your blocks will look when you sew them together.

See ya,

80 Blocks

I decided to make a Quilt real fast :)  As I was organizing the Quilt Block swap it came to me that some may not like me "flying by the seat of my pants".  I tend to jump in and if it doesn't work out I'll find a way to fix it.  But it hit me that I better get it right before everyone invests in fabric.

So......I cut 80 flowers & eighty squares....here's what it looked like after working on it..... until 2am.   
Warning....this picture shows 90 blocks...I cut my blocks the wrong size so to keep it the right size I just added another row of ten...see what I mean about flying by the seat of my pants?   These blocks are 7 x 7 but the swap will be 8 x 8 blocks.

 Excuse the lighting...it was storming and I needed to get a picture real fast so I could start sewing the rows together.

Here's what it looks like ....when they are sewn together :)


Can I say I've just made my first quilt or do I need to add the batting and all that first?

See ya,

Quilt Block Swap

Our Stampin' Up! convention is in 7 weeks and I'm hosting a Quilt Block Swap.   I'm still working out the details and if it goes well I'll be hosting one when I return ....for everyone :)

Here's my thinking process:
This Quilt was given to me from a friend when I moved to Nashville (back in the 80's) and I have cherished it forever.  It's so soft and cuddly and Brooke has decided to claim it.  But I re-claimed it last week :)  It's actually the only handmade quilt I've even owned.

So....my way of thinking is ....I love white/cream!! and because I love those colors why not use them on my first quilt.  I've started runners and made purses and started a Rag Quilt Throw......but this one will be my first.  Since I'm such a sentimental person I know I will hold on to it forever (once it gets made).

Here's the block I like the best :)  I made quiet a few yesterday and will show you those in the future.

If we all use the Clear Circle Flower Die.....our Quilt would kinda look like the butterflies.  They're 7 x 7 squares 8 x 8 squares....when the Quilt is finished those squares will measure 7 inches. I used a Moda Muslin (cream not white). All you would need to do is buy some quilting fabric that matches cream not white.  Glue your flower on and then stitch around it.  Once you get home you will sew all your blocks together, add the batting and backing and then have it quilted (not sure what that term is since I've never had it done).

I'm toying with moving the flower up and adding a stem but if I add more..... then that would make it more time consuming and it would cost more.  Is it too simple for ya'll?


So, those of you that are interested....what do you think?
 email me at mychicnscratch@me.com.  This swap is only for Stampin' Up! demonstrators that are going to Convention.

I"m about 90 % sure I will host a swap when I get back... I made ten blocks last night and it went super fast.  But I also know it's because they are simple.   
For the ladies that have been quilting for years I realize this may be too simple for you and I'm sorry.  Since I'm new to sewing/quilting I've found the ladies interested are coming from beginners like myself.
Please let me know if you're interested asap so I can email everyone the details.


Thanks!
p.s. Here's a couple more pictures :)

p.s.  I've decided to use the Ivory Bella Solid over at the Fat Quarter Shop. Click here to go there now. If for some reason the link doesn't work...you can click on the Fat Quarter shop button on the right side of my blog and when you get there, click on Moda Solids.  Then find the Ivory SKU#9900-60.  I choose this one because it's $5.75 a yard and everyone has access to online ordering.  I order from them frequently and the shipping is reasonable and pretty fast.

Glass Jar Pin Cushion

This is my latest project.....a Glass Jar Pin Cushion:)

 

Don't look to close...this is the first one I made and it really needs to be cleaned up but I'm super excited about it!!

I used the Glass jars I found at Ikea.  I cut my fabric using the Scallop Circles #2 Die (113469) & the Big Shot Die Cut Machine (#113439).  I attached the fabric using a Hot Glue Gun and I filled it with Poly-fil.   The final touch was adding some ric rac around the bottom to cover up my imperfections with the glue gun.

Update on  5/20/2010......The Fabric is attached to the lid and you can access the buttons in the jar :)

See ya later,

p.s. I'm going to work on the instructions & a video later this week. 

What's a Quilters worst habit?

I've heard that everyone likes starting a new project....but find that they never finish them.  
So, I put on my thinking cap and decided to introduce
"Stitch with the Chic".
Each week we'll have a task to complete and it will run for 3 months.  I'll post more details next week.

I'm super excited and hope you are too!!

Stampin' Up! Quilt Block

I'm super excited to show my first Quilt Block!! 

But, I can't take credit for the design. 
We were given these blocks at Leadership.

To make my life a little easier I decided to copy it. 
But I have some questions....the fabric on the left is so much softer and the edges are fuzzier.  I want that look!! 
You know me....I'll search until I find the answer!!
I hand washed it and it dried over night ....should I have washed it in the machine and then dried it?
Tune in later for the answer :)

   See ya!

p.s. Click here for more details on how to make one of these Quilt Blocks.

Pin Cushions made with Big Shot Dies

Here's some Pin Cushions I made using two of the Stampin' Up! Big Shot Dies.

Aren't they cute? 

The dies I used to make the pin cushions were the Top Note Die, the Scallop Square Die and the Scallop Circle Die.

I made a video to show you how to make them.

But.....

After I filmed the video.....

It came to me how I could make it better.

Here's the ones I made in the video.

Here's the adjustments from the video.

Instead of using 4 pieces of fabric and two pieces of Batting.

Use 2 pieces of fabric and 2 pieces of Flannel.

When you're sewing....instead of staying inside the line I showed you.....move the scallop past the edge of the foot.  

Does that make sense?  On the video I said to position the fabric next to the inside of the foot....but having the scallops more defined is better.  To do that you just need to move your fabric more to the right...play with it and you'll see what I mean.

It took me making 6 Kindle Clutches to get it right and almost the same with the Pin Cushion :)

Here's the video.....

See ya!

p.s. I'm offering blog candy on my main blog for the next two days.

Kindle Clutch

I've spent hours & hours trying to figure out a bag for my Kindle!!  

 I'm happy to report....

I've found it! 

Take a look.....

Don't look to close at the seam right below the Kindle.  

I realized too late that I didn't do it right.

I fixed it on the next one.

 

I'm going to call it my Kindle Clutch :)

The choices were Kindle Bag, Kindle Purse, Kindle Cozy or Kindle Clutch. 

Is there another word for it? 

I made both of them using 12 Scallop Squares made from the Big Shot Die Cut Machine & the Scallop Square Die.

Here's a picture....

After I cut the squares I stitched them together.

 Then I ironed the seams down.

Here's what it looks like after I stitched all the rows together

and ironed the seams down.

Next.... you'll add the Fusible Fleece.

Here's one I made just cutting a straight piece of fabric instead of using squares. 

I like the squares better for a couple reasons.  

It allows me to turn the fabric...when you have birds or an object that you don't want upside down, this is important.

Notice the birds & birdcage is upside down :O 

With using squares you can turn each piece the way you want it. 

And by using squares you have additional seams that give it more character.  Scroll back up to the picture with the chocolate and you'll see the chocolate stitching. 

One more note about my Kindle Clutch.

  I use a pink silicone cover .... it adds additional protection and makes it fit very snug inside my Clutch.  Without the silicone cover......you might want to trim off 1/2" to make is snugger.

Here's a picture of my Kindle with the pink silicone protector.

I'm working on the video & the instructions and should have them ready in a few days. The video will be free for anyone to view and the instructions will be available for a small fee.  

The video will be posted on my Chic n Scratch Live! website and the instructions will be available on The Chic Stand.

See ya!

Quilting with the Big Shot

I'm super excited about my latest hobby!! In September I learned how to use the Big Shot Die Cut Machine with Quilting.


Since September I've bought my first sewing machine and made about 12 purses.  And...I've made several quilted flowers (too many to count).

I'm going to pull some of my older Quilting posts/pictures from my Chic n Scratch website & post them here.

See ya!

Quilting with the Top Note

Remember last month when I mentioned that I was using the Top Note Die to Quilt?  Well, that project was a flop....but ....this one is not :)  Actually what happened is when I tried to make a purse with it...... the shape was lost ...so, I ditched it. 

Here's my new project.......

How cool is my new Top Note pin cushion?  

But don't look too closely this is my warm up version.  

I'll share how I came about creating this....

 

I was in the kitchen with Dave last night and he was watching TV and I was thumbing through my new Quilting Magazine and I stumbled across a darling pin cushion in the shape of a rectangle and it had a leaf on it.   It was like a light bulb moment...I said I'll be right back. I ran to my stamp room, grabbed four pieces of Figgy Pudding fabric and two pieces of batting.  Ran them through the Big Shot, stuffed it with Polyfil and pinned it and sewed it :)  It seriously took me less than five minutes.  (It helped that I already had a bobbin with chocolate thread on it.)

Things that I will change on my next one is make the batting smaller, the edges are sticking out the sides. And I might try a Blanket Stitch around the sides instead of sewing it on my machine.  But by doing that it will take longer....so I'm not sure.

Other ideas as I'm looking at it:

• Couldn't you see adding some ribbon and making it an ornament? You could also monogram it if the pattern of fabric was less busy.
• Add a squeaky thing and it can be a dog toy.
• Doll pillow

Here's two pictures that show it without the pins...

turned the other direction .....