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Free Craft Project: A Plethora of Pinked Hearts

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Luv2Sew

By Liz Kettle

I never used to be a “heart” person. When I was in my formative years, hearts were passé, trite and oh so unsophisticated. I was forced into using hearts because it is a great shape for teaching techniques; simple, recognizable, everyone can draw one, perfect for appliqué with curves with both inside and outside points and most people like them. Somewhere along the way I realized that even if they were trite in the “serious” art world I had fallen in love with them! I make my art to please myself these days so even if the sophisticated shock artists of the world roll their eyes and dismiss me as trite…I am happy with my hearts.

Just like we often dismiss simple shapes we dismiss utilitarian tools or stitches. Take the lowly pinking shear…designed to help prevent fraying at the edge of fabric, very utilitarian…of course, most seamstresses found the little zigzag edge appealing but didn’t often call upon that cuteness for decorative effects. I have always loved rickrack and pinked edges so when I wanted to make a woven fabric base with just a little more pizzazz than normal I grabbed those pinking shears and well…I fell in love yet again! How could I resist that little zigzag edge?

Weaving fabric is another often overlooked technique that is simple and low tech but gives you a wonderful intricate look. Using the pinking shears for the woven fabric strips gave me the bonus texture I was looking for and also made it easier to weave my strips together. I thought for a moment that it might be going over the top but I went for it anyway and pinked the edges of my hearts for an easy finish that doubles the cuteness factor. I got a little carried away with possibilities for this plethora of precious pinked hearts. For most of these you don’t even need a sewing machine so they would make great group projects. I hope one or two of them inspire a little woven and pinked love in your creative life.

Supplies:

Fabrics: 2-4 fabrics that blend or contrast. Fat quarters work well or you could even use scraps. I used pink, yellow and orange batiks.
Havel’s Pinking shears
Misty Fuse or other fusible web and a Teflon pressing sheet
Craft felt-I used white cut 12”x17” Yours can be smaller or larger depending on how many hearts you desire
Pearl Cotton or embroidery floss and embroidery needles
Marking pencil and ruler
Ribbon for the heart banner and poly fiberfill for stuffing puffy hearts

Steps for making your woven fabric base:

1. Use the ruler and marking pencil to draw parallel lines on your fabric ½” apart. I drew 12-15 lines on each of 3 different but blending fabrics. You can get a different look by using contrasting fabrics

2. Use pinking shears to cut along each drawn line. With this project you don’t have to stress about getting perfectly even strips so don’t worry if you don’t cut exactly on the line every time.

3. Make a big pile of pinked strips…isn’t it yummy???

4. Cut Misty Fuse to the same size as your felt base. Place on the felt and cover with a Teflon pressing sheet. Iron to fuse the web to the felt.

5. Place pinked strips of pink fabric directly on top of the misty fuse/felt in parallel rows. Place them closely together but a little bit of white space is OK.

6. Use the iron to fuse about a ½” edge of strips on one side only. Be careful not to fuse more than about a 1/2”.

7. Peel back every other strip of pinked pink fabric to the right. We will call this the warp row

8. Place a strip of pinked pink fabric vertically on top of the remaining rows. This is the weft row.

9. Replace the strips of warp fabric that you moved to the right. Now peel back the other rows of warp strips.

10. Place another weft strip vertically. Replace the warp strips. Alternate the warp strips that you peel to the right. Use a pin or your fingernail to scoot the fabric strips together snuggly if needed.

11. Use a hot iron to fuse the woven fabric to the felt.

12. Make a heart template out of paper or plastic. Draw the template shape on the back of the felt. I like my woven fabric to be off kilter a bit so I drew my hearts at an angle. Cut out hearts with your pinking shears. This is where you will really appreciate Havels’ pinking shears! They are lighter weight than most and cut through layers so easily you would think it was only one layer.

Now you can use your hearts in a plethora of ways! Don’t you love the word plethora? I use it as often as possible…

Pinked Heart Garland

1. Adhere Misty Fuse to the back of one of your plain fabrics using a Teflon sheet to protect your ironing surface. Draw the heart template on top and cut out as many hearts as you need for your banner. My banner has 5 hearts that are 4 1/2″ tall.

2. Place a heart on your ironing surface, fused side up. Place the ribbon across the heart leaving enough ribbon for tying in place.

3. Place the pinked woven heart on top of the heart/ribbon layer and fuse in place. Repeat for all your hearts. I spaced my hearts about 6″ apart.

4. Stitch around the edge with a running stitch by hand or you can machine stitch. Hang in a prominent place and delight everyone who sees it…they are going to smile just because it is so happy.

Puffy Pinked Heart

1. Cut a scrap of fabric for the backing slightly larger than your pinked heart. Pin in place.

2. Stitch around the perimeter of the heart leaving a gap at the very middle of the heart for stuffing. I use a shorter stitch length when I make something that will be stuffed.

3. Stuff the heart with polyester fiberfill. Stitch the opening closed by hand or machine. Add a hanging cord or give it to a stitch friend for a pincushion. Some sand or plastic beads added at the stuffing phase will make a sturdier pincushion. I added some beads at the bottom and hung it up with my vintage chandelier crystals in the studio window.

Stitched Pinked Heart Card

1. I used a re-made card base for this special greeting card. Cut or tear a piece of art paper slightly smaller than the card size. Stitch a running stitch around the edge with pearl cotton or embroidery floss.

2. Stitch a curved running stitch on your pinked heart with pearl cotton or embroidery floss. You could also stitch flowers or other designs.

3. Use Misty Fuse to adhere the paper to the card base and then the heart to the paper.

Pinked Conversation Hearts

1. Fuse a backing fabric to the back of your woven heart fabric. Trace 2 inch hearts and cut out with pinking shears. Stitch around the outside edge.
2. Print conversation heart sayings on ribbon or twill tape. Directions are available on my web site in the forum or in both of my books. Cut Misty Fuse in thin strips the width of your ribbon and fuse the sayings to your hearts.

Liz Kettle is a textile and mixed-media artist who loves sewing and creating with fabric and thread. Sharing sewing joy and thread addiction with others makes her deliriously happy. Liz is co-author of two best selling books: “Fabric Embellishing: The Basics and Beyond” and “Threads: The Basics and Beyond.” Share Liz’s stitch journey on her website and blog at www.TextileEvolution.com.

Posted in For Beginners in Sewing, Fun Stuff, Holiday Projects, Liz Kettle, Quilting & Embroidery, Valentine's Day, Wall Hangings | Tagged beginners in sewing, conversation hearts, fabric greeting cards, free craft projects, heart garland, Liz Kettle, Pinking shears, Valentines day projects | 9 Comments

Free Christmas Quilt Pattern Introduction ~ by Terry White

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Luv2Sew

The Happy Christmas Tree Album Cover- A Free Quilt Pattern In 12 Parts

Each part will include the patterns, fun and simple techniques and photo steps that take just a little time. So, have fun with the Twelve Days of Havel’s Holiday Project!

This free quilt pattern finishes at approximately 13″ square. So, my album cover has finished measurements to fit an album 14″ to 16″. The size of the border can be measured to fit your album.

The bookmark is a very simple project with lots of pizzazz!

You Will Need:
A photo album at least 14″ square in size

Fabric:
● Scraps of cotton in Orange (about five different prints for the background, spine label, back label and bookmark), Green (for the presents and bookmark stars), Purple (for the tree trunk), Bright blue (for the tree) **Please note that you should use any colors of fabric that you choose!
● 13 inch square of fabric for the back of cover
● 1/2″ yard of bright blue batik fabric for borders
● 1/2 yard of lining fabric – I used a polyester taffeta – it is light weight and doesn’t add bulk to the finished album cover
● A 10″ square of yellow felt
● A 10″ square of fancy novelty tulle

Adhesives:
● Two pieces of medium weight fusible interfacing
● A yard of fusible web (one of your choosing and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions)
● Fabric or Craft glue
● Spray adhesive

Threads:
● Decorative cotton and rayon threads for the decorative stitching on the orange background in Orange, Pink, Warm Yellow and multi-colors and Dual Duty thread for bobbin in warm yellow
● Blue variegated cotton thread for buttonhole stitches on the tree
● Purple variegated cotton thread for buttonhole stitches on the tree trunk
● Purple rayon thread to stitch the garland onto the tree
● Two yards of purple metallic ribbon yarn for the tree garland and the bookmark strings
● Multi-color pearl cotton yarn for the ornament hangers

Embellishments:
● 12 inches of red rick rack
● Four flower sequins
● Eight red buttons
● Deep pink fine point marker
● Black fine point marker

Next : On The First Part of Havel’s Holiday Project,
My True Love Is The Jumbo Rotary Cutter

For a printable PDF, please click here.

Posted in Fabric, Fabric Scissors, For Beginners in Sewing, Free Craft Projects, Free Quilt Patterns, Free Quilt Projects, Fun Stuff, Guest Writers, Holiday Projects, Patterns, Quilting, Terry White, Tutorials, Uncategorized | Tagged album cover, Free Quilt Patterns, guest writers, Havel's rotary scissors, Havel's serrated scissors, Havels fabric scissors, holiday projects, quilted album cover, Quilting, serrated scissors, Terry White | 1 Comment

Fly Your Own Flag: How To Create 3 Fabulous Fabric Flags

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Luv2Sew

by Jamie Fingal

Learn how to make three flags, using scrap fabrics, fusing, wool blended felt backing and free motion machine quilting.

Each flag measures 6″ x 8″ vertical format. I used wool blended felt for the foundation and backing. If you so desire one layer of felt is okay. I prefer the firmness of 2 layers. I would not recommend polyester felt, because noxious fumes will release when ironed or fused to other materials. Choose three background colors, that fit on a 6×8 foundation.

So, let’s get started. Cut out the felt 6” x 8” using a rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat.

A Fusing Lesson
Picture 1: I use Mistyfuse, a fusible web, that doesn’t change the hand of the cloth. It is very easy to sew though on the machine, as well as, hand sewing. I buy it by the bolt. So, I have rolled it out onto the wrong side of the fabric.

Picture 2: Using a pressing sheet (Goddess Fat Sheet by Mistyfuse), I run my dry iron on the cotton setting over the entire area, making sure that the edges are all melted into the fabric. You can lift up an edge of the sheet to see how it is working.

Picture 3: On the left is the fabric without Mistyfuse, and on the right, is the fused fabric. You see it has a sheen to it, so you will know what side has the fusible on it. Trim off the edges that are not fused, and set aside. You will need 3 different pieces of fabric for the backgrounds. Fuse all of your fabrics for this project.

Here is a page from my journal/sketchbook on brainstorming ideas for this project.

These are fused fabrics that I am auditioning for this project. This is the way that I normally work when I am making an art quilt. I am looking for colors that compliment each other, good contrasts, texture, and to make sure they are the same value. I am seeing that the blue/black geometric is too strong for this group. The batik with the chevrons is also too strong, but could be used, if cut for an accent.

This is the background for the FALL flag, and I am fusing it into place on the wool blended felt. All of the flags will use the same method.

Turn it over and cut from the back, to trim the sides.

I am now auditioning fabrics that will work well with this background.

Making Interesting Leaves: For this I am using 3 fabrics. 2 for the leaf sides and one for the center. I am fusing them together on a Goddess Sheet, but you can use Parchment Paper too. The fabric won’t stick to either, and it is a great way to build objects before fusing them to your actual project.

Fussy cut your leaves out – one by one. You will need three of the same size, and one larger size. I would say that the smaller ones are 2” long and 1- 1-1/2” wide. I used 5 pieces of different fabric for the small leaves, and 3 pieces for the large leaf. The large leaf is about 4” long by 2” wide.

Fuse them onto the background, leaving room for the text in the middle. Note: the fabric that I used for the leaves, is echoed onto the next leaf, sort of like a natural progression into fall.

Place the lower portion of your flag on the piece of fabric that you have selected for your text. Draw squares onto the fabric with a Pentel Gel Roller for Fabric. The flag will be your guide to making sure that you don’t run out of room. You can write each letter into the square, but out with your scissors and fuse them on the flag, making sure there is some space between each letter. If you don’t trust your own writing, you could print the text out on your computer, and copy it onto your fabric by using the light coming through a window as your light box.

The flag is backed with another piece of felt. You can choose not to do this step. This is the way that I make all of my quilts. This piece is ready to be free motion machine quilted.

Now on to the next flag – I begin by auditioning the background fabrics for the 3 lanterns.

The royal blue makes a great background, and the colors that I chose for the lanterns are all complimentary colors, so they POP out. Cut 2 round and 1 rectangle.

Add the lantern tops and rope, by using black fabric. You could use another color for these, but I think the black really sets it off.

The text using the same method as the FALL flag. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Use a color that goes with everything else that you have chosen, but is set off by the background. Back the flag with another piece of wool blended felt, or not, and set aside for the sewing machine.

Creating the Third Flag – Artist: You only need 3 pieces of fabric. One for the background, the hand, and the text. I used the green for the background and the orange for the hand. Lavender for the text.

Trace your hand on a piece of paper, using a black pen. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Lay it on the piece of fabric that you have chosen for the hand. Pin it into place. I find it easier to pin where the fingers are. Cut it out.

Fuse it into place and cut the excess from the back, like how we did it on the first flag.

Line up the bottom portion of the flag to make sure that the boxes fit. Draw, cut, and fuse into place.

FALL
Free motion machine quilting. This is a great way to practice this skill. Simply outline the leaves and do as little or as much as you want in the veins of the leaves. Follow the lines of the text boxes. I did not stop and start these separately, but chose a dark line to sew over to the next block. I simply sewed the sides to the felt backing.

BEAUTY

ARTIST

The Finished Flags: I have all of my flags hung using a laundry line and clothes pins. You can also sew pop tops on the back of the flags and hang on the wall with a small nail. I hope you have enjoyed this project. Happy FALL!

Posted in craft, Craft to make, Crafting, Fabric, Free Craft Projects, Free Quilt Projects, Free Sewing Project, Guest Writers, How To, Jamie Fingal, Uncategorized, Wall Hangings | Tagged free craft project, Jamie Fingal, wall hanging | Comments Off

How to Make A Quilt-Throw

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Luv2Sew

By Leslie Tucker Jenison

Use your favorite themed fabric and create your own
one-of-a-kind quilt throw.

When I found out that Moda was launching a line of Nancy Drew-themed fabrics, my young-reader-self crawled out of hibernation and starting jumping up and down! Nancy Drew. I credit these books with sparking my love of reading. Birthdays, holidays, sick days: all I wanted was another Nancy Drew Mystery.

I decided to make a throw-sized quilt, something that you could curl under on the sofa while watching “Murder, She Wrote” (which is a ritual around here on occasions when my daughter, Natalie, is here visiting).

First, I asked my architect friend to enlarge this figure, as derived
from one of the cloth designs.

Placing the image over a lightbox, I traced the shape onto a piece of the
Nancy Drew fabric that had been pre-fused with Mistyfuse.

I worked on the reverse (fused) side of the cloth, tracing with a Pentel Gel Roller Fabric pen (which I adore BTW!) Here is the complete tracing on wrong side of fused fabric.

Now, I cut the shape out. It was easy because I was using my fabulous 7″ Havel’s Scissors with the micro-serrated blade. You should try these scissors because they are
amazing for this type of work!!

Here’s Nancy! She is ready to be fused onto the book panel.
So far, so good! I like how this looks!

Here I am free-cutting block strips with my seriously-great 7″ Havel’s Scissors. They are as sharp and precise as the day I bought them 2-1/2 years ago!

I made a bunch of pieced blocks that I later changed my mind about.
These are now on the back of the quilt…

Before…
I changed my mind and switched to the blue-yellow colorway for the quilt top.

After…

Here is a corner block, under-construction.

I wrote the quilt label on a piece of plain yellow pre-fused cotton, using my Pentel Gel Roller Fabric Pen (LOVE). After fusing, I stitched around each edge…

The label is the yellow block with blue border in the center of the quilt back. I decided to place the label prior to the quilting. I used all the extra pieces of Nancy Drew fabric to create a scrappy-pieced quiltback. I like how it looks!

Here is the finished quilt, long-arm quilted by my friend, Danielle Wilkes.
I machine-stitched the binding.

Here is the quilt “in action” – tucked around my daughter, Natalie, who was visiting from Austin. We have a ritual of watching old “Murder, She Wrote” episodes on Netflix. I think it was even more fun all cozied-up under “Nancy”!

This project was part of a fun blog hop. I hope you will stop by my blog soon and say hello! LeslieTuckerJenison.Blogspot.Com

Here is a link to the entire blog hop on a day-by-day basis: Just Let Me Quilt

Click here to read more articles by Leslie Tucker Jenison…
and read what other’s say about their Havel’s Scissors

Posted in Free Quilt Projects, Guest Writers, How To, How to Make a Quilt, Quilt Throw, Uncategorized | Tagged Fabric Art, Havels fabric scissors, how to make a quilt, Leslie Tucker Jenison | Comments Off

How to Make A Baby Quilt

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Luv2Sew

Quick and Easy Reversible Baby Quilt

By Linda Hall

You will love making this fun reversible quilt in an afternoon! It’s the perfect gift to have on hand for baby showers, or for the special babies in your life. Add your own special touches. If you have an embroidery machine you can add fun designs to some of the squares.

Sewing Supplies:

Sewing Machine.
Sewing Thread.
Dual feed foot.
Clear 1/4” piecing foot with guide.
Quilting needles.
3/8 yard each of five fabrics for the quilt squares.
3/8 yard each of three fabrics for the quilt strips.
3/8 yard binding fabric
Baby quilt size cotton or low loft polyester batting.
HAVEL’S 7″ Serrated Fabric Scissors.
HAVEL’S Ulti-Mates Scissors (If you incorporate embroidery).
HAVEL’S Rotary Cutter.

Cut:

From print #1:
9 squares 6”x 6

From print/ solids #2:
8 squares 6”x 6”

From print/solids #3:
8 squares 6”x6”

From print/solids #4:
9 squares 6”x6”

From print/solid #5:
8 squares 6’x6”

From each of the three strip fabrics:

Two strips 6”x width of the fabric

From Batting:
Six strips 6” wide x 39”

Sew:

Thread your sewing machine with sewing thread top and bobbin.
Attach the 1/4” piercing foot.
Begin by sewing 7 squares into vertical strips following the diagram above. Mark each row by number as you finish it. These will be referred to as the pieced strips.
Press the seam allowances all towards the bottom of the strip. Set aside.
Attach the dual feed foot.
Place pieced strip #1 wrong sides together with one of the plain 6” strips with batting in between them. Sew the left edge close to the raw edges securing all the layers together. This will be the outside edge of the quilt.
Place a plain strip on right side down on top of the pieced strip (these two will be right sides together). Pin.
Place pieced strip 4 right sides up underneath the plain 6” strip (these two will be right sides together). Re-pin through the new layers.
Place batting underneath all.
Align the edges of the fabric and batting with the edge of the Dual Feed. This will be a bit more than 1/4”. Stitch the strip in place.
Fold out the pieces and press with steam. Pin the new edges together.
Repeat, adding the remainder of the strips in the same manner. Always combine a pieced strip and a solid strip right side together. On the side where strip #1 was placed, strip #2 goes next. On the side where strip #4 was placed strip #5 goes next, etc.
Stitch the outer edge on the final strip securing the edges together.
Bind the quilt in whatever method you choose.

Click here to Get the Tools You Need

Celebrate September’s National Sewing Month with Quilt Patterns Inspired by Books

Posted in Baby Quilt, For Baby, How To Make A Baby Quilt | Tagged baby quilts to make, Fabric Art, For baby, Havel's serrated scissors, how to make a baby quilt, how to make a quilt | 2 Comments

Free Craft Project: A Plethora of Pinked Hearts

Supplies:

Steps for making your woven fabric base:

Pinked Heart Garland

Puffy Pinked Heart

Stitched Pinked Heart Card

Pinked Conversation Hearts

Free Christmas Quilt Pattern Introduction ~ by Terry White

The Happy Christmas Tree Album Cover- A Free Quilt Pattern In 12 Parts

Fly Your Own Flag: How To Create 3 Fabulous Fabric Flags

How to Make A Quilt-Throw

Use your favorite themed fabric and create your own
one-of-a-kind quilt throw.

How to Make A Baby Quilt

Quick and Easy Reversible Baby Quilt

Click here to Get the Tools You Need

Search

Recent Posts

Categories

Blogroll

Free Craft Project: A Plethora of Pinked Hearts

Supplies:

Steps for making your woven fabric base:

Pinked Heart Garland

Puffy Pinked Heart

Stitched Pinked Heart Card

Pinked Conversation Hearts

Free Christmas Quilt Pattern Introduction ~ by Terry White

The Happy Christmas Tree Album Cover- A Free Quilt Pattern In 12 Parts

Fly Your Own Flag: How To Create 3 Fabulous Fabric Flags

How to Make A Quilt-Throw

Use your favorite themed fabric and create your own one-of-a-kind quilt throw.

How to Make A Baby Quilt

Quick and Easy Reversible Baby Quilt

Click here to Get the Tools You Need

Related articles

Search

Recent Posts

Categories

Blogroll

Use your favorite themed fabric and create your own
one-of-a-kind quilt throw.