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Fusion Quilt Part 1: Making The Squares

May 15, 2020 · 6 Comments

One of the things that I’ve had on a Pinterest board for a long time is this.

It’s a fusion quilt, which basically means that you make quilt squares then crochet them together, so it fuses sewing with crochet.

Every time this quilt pops up again, or when I see it there on my Pinterest board, I’m reminded of how pretty it is and how much I like it!

I’m not one for making quilts. I’ve only ever made one pram sized quilt when my eldest was a baby, although I’ve started a few!

A fusion quilt is different. Because you make the squares, then crochet them together, I think there’s enough variety to prevent boredom from setting in. Also the crochet part is the sort of thing that can be worked on for a few minutes at a time.

So this week, still having a desire to make pretty things, I started making my own fusion quilt!

I should say that the original on Pinterest doesn’t have a tutorial with it, and I’m not trying to copy it but make my own version.

Another raid on the fabric pile behind the bedroom door turned up some pretty fabric in colours I wanted to use, and some fleece fabric for the back of the squares. I also found some yarn for crocheting the squares together.

Obviously I couldn’t crochet straight into the fabric squares, and sewing fabric with yarn was going to cause some problems, so I used embroidery thread to edge the squares in blanket stitch. I was then able to crochet into the embroidered stitches.

Making The Squares

You Will Need

Cotton fabric. This is a good project for using up bits left over from other things. If you don’t have enough to make a whole square, you could make quarter squares and sew them together.

Something to back the squares with. I used fleece fabric. Quilt batting would also work, but you would probably need to make extra cotton squares for the back too.

Embroidery thread. Something like cotton perle is better that the stranded sort.

Yarn and a crochet hook. A neutral colour is probably best, but you can use what you like! I used a beige colour in DK with a 4 mm hook. A lighter yarn would probably achieve a lacier look.

Cutting Out The Squares

One of the advantages of this kind of quilt is that you can make the squares quite large if you want to. It’s great if you tend to get bored with longer projects as you’ll be able to finish your fusion quilt more quickly!

I cut my squares 12 cm x 12 cm (4 3/4″ x 4 3/4″).

If you wanted to make some quarter squares to make larger squares of this size, you would need to cut them 7 cm x 7 cm (2 3/4″ x 2 3/4″).

The backing needs to be the same size.

How many squares is up to you, but bear in mind that they will need to make a rectangle. 24 is a good number to start with. You can always add more later.

Sewing The Squares

Take one cotton square and one backing square.

With the right sides together, sew round the edge leaving a gap for turning out.

Trim the seams and cut off the corners.

Turn out and pin the opening.

Using a long stitch on your sewing machine, top stitch around the edge of the square.

I forgot to take photos of this stage, but I made the squares in the same way as these reusable cloths. There are some step photos in this post if you need them.

Blanket Stitching The Edges

The blanket stitches allow you to have something to work the crochet stitches into.

To sew blanket stitch, sew a loop so that the loop is on the front of the square.

Then pass the needle through the loop from the back to the front. Pull it taut. The top of the stitch should sit on the edge of the square.

Now make another loop by passing the needle through from the front of the square to the back.

Take the needle through this loop, from back to front and pull it taut. Keep doing this until you get to a corner.

I used the top stitches as a guide to get them all about the same size. This also means that if you are finding it difficult to get the needle through the fabric, you can reuse the holes made already by your sewing machine.

Corners

This might not be the proper way of doing corners, but it’s the way I did them!

When you get near a corner, make the next loop directly underneath the corner.

Pass the needle through and pull it so that the end of the stitch is at the corner.

Now make the next loop by passing the needle front to back in the same place.

Pull the thread through again so that the end of this stitch is on the next side of the square and about the same length as the previous stitch.

Then continue until you get to the next corner.

Keep going until you’ve got all the way round. When you get to the last stitch, thread the needle through the loop of the first one and tie the ends.

If you are particular about things being very neat and accurate, you’ll want to make sure that you have the same number of stitches on each side of the square.

I haven’t done that. I’m not too worried about the joins at the corners looking messy because I have a plan for those!

Crocheting Round The Edges Of The Square

Please note that being English, I use English crochet terms!

Round 1

Into one of the blanket stitches, join the yarn and make 3 ch.

Tr into the next stitch, and subsequent stitches until you get to the corner.

Into the 1st of the 2 corner stitches, tr twice.

Then 1 ch, and 2 tr into the next stitch.

1 tr into each of the following stitches until you get the next corner. Crochet round each of the corners in the same way.

When you get back to where you started, join it with a ss.

Round 2

3 ch, then tr into each stitch until you get the the corner.

When you get to the first of the 2 trebles crocheted into one stitch, crochet 2 trebles into the space between them. Then 2 tr into the ch sp, then 2 tr into the next 2 tr.

Continue with 1 tr into each stitch until you get to the next corner. Work each of the corners in the same way as the first one.

When you get back to the start, join with a ss and tie off the ends.

So far I’ve completed 3 squares, with another 2 ready to crochet.

As I have the attention span of a gerbil, it is possible that I won’t finish my fusion quilt! But I feel good about this and I’m hoping to get it done over the next 2-3 weeks, and , so watch this space!

Boxy Pouch Tutorial

May 7, 2020 · 2 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Creativity is an odd thing sometimes. Usually I have lots of ideas, but this hasn’t been the case as much recently.

Alan Turing apparently had his best ideas in the bath, and I suspect there’s something in feeling relaxed that helps ideas to flow.

The current global situation is enough to make anybody feel the opposite of relaxed, so I suppose it’s not really a surprise that I haven’t felt as creative as I often do.

Anyway, last week I had an overwhelming urge to make something pretty. The fabric pile behind the bedroom door yielded a little piece of Tilda fabric, and some plain pink cotton. I also found an old bag that I’d kept, thinking that I could use the zips for something (the whole of the front panel is zips; it’s a weird bag). Last week that bag finally came into its own and I used one of the zips!

The size of the boxy pouch was decided by the length of the zip. And, as a word of warning, if you use a zip that doesn’t have things at the ends to stop the zipper thing coming off, pull it slowly! It’s tricky to get it back on once it’s come off.

I used boxed corners on the ends to make the boxy shape, and I added ribbon tabs to make it easier when pulling the zip open and closed.

Instructions For Making a Boxy Pouch

You Will Need

Cotton fabric for the outer and the lining. You could use the same fabric or a plain cotton with a contrasting print. I used a little bit of a print with some plain for the outer, and the same plain for the lining. If you are new to sewing you’ll find it easier to use one whole piece for the outer.

Interfacing. I like to use a medium weight sew in interfacing because it gives it some weight and just enough squodginess, but you can use what you have. Even lightweight interfacing will make a difference.

A zip. The zip I used was 26 cm long.

Ribbon or similar for the tabs (optional)

A zip foot (optional)

Cutting Out

Cut 2 pieces of outer fabric 26 cm x 18 cm, 2 pieces of interfacing 26 cm x 18 cm and 2 pieces of lining fabric 26 cm x 18 cm.

To make the outer from 2 different fabrics, cut 2 pieces 26 cm x 10 cm and join them along the long edge.

The finished boxy pouch measures 27 cm x 8 cm x 7 cm.

If you want to make a pouch that’s a different size but has the same proportions, the long edge needs to be the same length as the zip, and the short edge needs to be 2/3 the length of the long edge.

Cut 2 pieces of ribbon 5 cm in length.

Sewing the Boxy Pouch

If you are joining pieces to make the outer, do that first.

Take one one of the lining pieces and lay it down with the right side upwards. Position the zip on top of the lining, also face up, with the edge of the zip aligned with one of the long edges of the lining.

On top of this, place one of the outer pieces with right side down on top of the zip, and a piece of interfacing on top of the fabric. Make sure that the long edges are lined up and the zip is inside.

Pin it together, then sew along the long edge, leaving about a cm at either end. This is much easier to do if you have a zip foot, but it’s still possible if you don’t have one.

Fold the lining and the outer the right way out away from the zip. It’s a good idea to run the iron over it at this stage. As you are doing this, check that you have pulled the outer and the lining away from the zip. Otherwise you’ll end up catching things in the zip (guess how I know!).

Leaving a cm free at either end, top stitch the lining and the outer, keeping close to the folded edge.

Repeat these steps to attach the other lining piece, outer and interfacing to the other side of the zip.

With the right sides together, sew the other long edge of the outer with the interfacing.

Repeat with the lining, but this time leave an opening.

Trim the seams.

Now open the zip a little way. This is very important! When you turn the box pouch out, it will need to go through the zip opening as well as through the gap in the lining, so make sure you open it enough!

Squash the lining and the outer so that the seams you have just sewn are aligned with the zip. Pin the short edges of the lining, then pin the outer and interfacing.

This is where it will make a difference if you remembered to leave a cm or so free at each end. If you didn’t do this, don’t panic! Just unpick a few stitches.

If you want your box pouch to have tabs, take a piece of ribbon, fold it in half and slip the folded edge inside the seam. Pin it in place, then do the same on the opposite side.

Sew the sides of the lining, catching the zip in the seam each time.

Repeat with the outer and the interfacing, again catching the zip in the seams. Trim the seams.

Making the Boxed Corners

Find the half way point between one of the corners and the bottom seam. Mark it with a pin.

Press from the corner with your finger to crease the fabric. Now open out the corner and match the crease to the side seam. Pin the corner where you marked the half way point.

This is a bit fiddly and you might have to put your hand in through the gap in the lining to get the crease and the seam lined up.

Do the same with the rest of the corners of the lining, and with the outer.

If you would like a more detailed tutorial showing how to make boxed corners, there’s one here. Please note though that these were boxed corners for a bag and although the process is the same, it was less fiddly!

Sew across the corners at right angles to the seam. Cut the corners off. Trim away all the threads.

Finishing the Pouch

It’s time to turn it out! This is where I’m really hoping that you remembered to open the zip!

If you didn’t, unpick the side seam of the outer a little bit, open the zip a few cm, then resew the seam.

Push the corners of the pouch out. Handstitch the opening in the lining.

Now all you have to do is decide what to use your boxy pouch for! I think I might keep the pens I like to use for drawing in mine!

Embroidered Felt Bunting Tutorial

April 26, 2020 · 1 Comment

I’ve been selling craft kits on Etsy for a while now, and, as ideas go, it’s proved to be one of my better ones.

When I opened a shop on Etsy I had no idea what I was doing and I only hit on the craft kits idea about 5 years in. I wrote a post about it here (and if you want to know what one of my worst ideas was, it was this!).

With one thing and another, it’s been about a year since I added anything new.

Sales of my craft kits are healthy at the moment, probably because people want a nice little project to work on while they’re staying safe at home.

Feeling a little bit of creativity returning last week, I started cooking up a new kit.

I’m finding that I want to make things because making things makes me feel happier and calmer. With the situation being as it is however, I don’t feel up to anything to long or complicated. Also this ton of extra time I was supposed to have hasn’t turned up! So little things that can be picked up and worked on for a few minutes are probably better than longer, more involved things.

If this is true for me at the moment, it’s going to be true for other people too!

The kit will include some pieces of felt, ribbon and trim, embroidery thread and little beads. There’ll be a guide to embroidery stitches and a booklet with 4 or 5 little projects in them that can be made with the contents of the kit.

I’ve finished the first project. Predictably it’s felt bunting! I’m sharing this so that everybody has the option of making it even if they don’t want to buy a kit. And if you get the emails, I’ll be sending out the link to the pdf version of the booklet of projects once it’s done.

Instructions For Making Embroidered Felt Bunting

To Make Felt Bunting, You Will Need

Felt in pretty colours. I chose a mint green, a salmony pink and white and I bought it from this lady on Etsy. This isn’t an affiliate link; I just want to do my bit to support small businesses.

Embroidery thread in complimentary colours. I used 2 shades of sage green, salmon pink and grey.

Trim. Bias binding is good. You could use ribbon, lace or whatever you have.

Cutting Out

Cut 4 triangles from 1 colour and 3 from the other. You could cut the same number of each, but odd numbers usually look better.

Cut 3 smaller triangles from white felt.

If you don’t want to make your own templates, you can have mine, plus the embroidery design, in exchange for an email address. The form is at the bottom of the post.

Embroidering the Flags

I used lazy daisies, woven wheels, fern stitch and French knots.

You could copy my design or do your own. I’d recommend odd numbers of things (although I have broken this rule!). Start with larger things then add smaller ones where there is space. It’s probably a good idea to sketch some ideas first, as it’s much easier to rub out ideas that don’t work or that you don’t like than to unpick a lot of sewing!

Assembling the Bunting

Lay out the larger flags alternating the colours. On top of the 1st, 4th and 7th flags place an embroidered flag.

Pin the trim to the tops of the triangles. Remember to leave a bit at each end for tying! If you’re using bias binding, you could fold the binding in half lengthways and slip the flags inside.

Sew the trim to the flags. If you’ve used bias binding, you’ll need to sew the ends too.

Now all you need to do is find somewhere to put your felt bunting! I like to hang mini bunting on my dresser.

If you’d like the templates and the embroidery design, please fill in the form below.

DIY Rainbow Bunting

April 17, 2020 · 2 Comments

Ooh lockdown! We’re now into the fifth week of this in the UK and it goes without saying that it is an odd time.

I know we’re safe here, tucked up at home. Our house is on the small side, but it’s not that small. Not in comparison to families living in tiny flats with no garden, or those living in temporary accommodation, who would take their children to the park to burn off some energy and enjoy the sunshine but they can’t do that now because of lockdown.

We like being at home. The boys are rarely bored. They’re like their mum! They also don’t get much sympathy if they complain of boredom! Their rooms are stuffed full of toys and books and they’re allowed to do all the creative stuff they like (unless they want to get the paint out 5 minutes before dinner!). I can always find something to do, whether it’s sewing or painting, reading, playing a board game or doing lego with the boys, or the endless domestic jobs that come with having a large family.

But then I look at the news, or step outside for some government sanctioned exercise and I remember why. I remember why the roads are quiet, why the air smells cleaner and why I can hear the birds singing. I remember why there are not hoards of youngsters walking past my house twice a day. When I check the news, or Facebook, I remember. And it’s weird and scary, and I’m not sure what to do with it.

There’s an expectation that we should be making the most of this time. The FlyLady (I usually love her, but she misses the mark sometimes) keeps telling me that I need to get my house sorted out before things go back to normal. Other people are telling me that this is a great time to get a kitchen table enterprise off the ground. Or I could read all the books I should have but haven’t, or I could learn some new skills that would launch me into some dizzy heights in the World of Work (I left my job as a teacher seven years ago when I had my 4th child and never went back).

The problem is that it’s not a holiday. It’s not a sabbatical where we’ve got time specifically to gain a new skill or extra qualifications. Nobody knows how long things will need to continue like this, or how things will pan out.

So I look at my pile of fabric behind the bedroom door, then walk away from it. I vaguely think about painting then don’t do any, or think about the DIY that needs doing, or the mess in the utility room that I could sort out, and reach for the kettle.

All around me everybody is collecting handcream for medical staff at our nearest hospital, sewing scrubs, sewing other stuff, taking care of DIY, helping out their elderly neighbours, growing stuff, still going out to work because they are key workers and posting it all on Facebook. And I’m not.

I have read a bit more than normal, and I can now play 5 tunes on the banjo. But I don’t feel that I have masses more time than I usually do. My time is mostly eaten up by the things I normally do to take care of my family. And I don’t feel especially energised or creative or inspired. It’s all making me feel tired and a little bit anxious.

But I wanted to do something. Round here people have been making rainbows and sticking them in their windows.

My boys are not up for drawing rainbows, so I made some rainbow bunting instead. I often have bunting hanging off the front of my house, partly because it’s cheerful and partly to distract from the peeling paint on the upstairs windowsills.

Rummaging in my fabric hoard behind the bedroom door, it wasn’t too hard to find bits of fabric in all colours of the rainbow! I’ve used up all my grey bias binding, and I only had pink or beige left in enough quantity.

I made it in the same way that I made this, except that I only cut one flag from each piece of fabric. The post also has step photos if you need them.

Instructions For DIY Rainbow Bunting

You Will Need

Cotton or polycotton fabric in rainbow colours. You could use plain or prints, or a combination of both.
Bias binding in a neutral colour. How much depends on how long you want the bunting to be. You’ll probably need at least 2-3 metres.
Bunting template. You can make your own or you can have these in exchange for an email address.

Making Your Own Template

I made a new template for my diy rainbow bunting. The main reason for this is that I don’t use yellow fabric very often and I only had a little bit of the yellow gingham and the orangey yellow cotton, so I needed the template to be slightly smaller.

It’s easy to do if you also want to make your own!

Take a piece of paper and fold it in half lengthways. Choose a point somewhere on the fold and draw a line from there to the top corner.

Cut along the line and open it out. You should have a triangle. It might take some experimenting to get a triangle that has dimensions you like.

If you need to take into account the size of the bits of fabric you have, start there. I worked out how wide the flag could be, trimmed the paper then made the triangle.

Cutting Out

Using your template, cut 1 flag from each colour. If you’re making masses of diy rainbow bunting, you could cut 2 or 3 (or more!) from each colour.

Odd numbers usually look better, but the more flags you have, the less noticeable it will be if you have an even number. My bunting has 11 flags.

Sewing Your DIY Rainbow Bunting

Decide on the order for your flags. To do this, lay them all out and rearrange them until you like the order they are in.

Now put them in a pile, wrong side up, starting with the red end. This will make it easier to sew as the flags will be at the free end of the sewing machine, and your flags will go red to purple from left to right.

Take one end of your bias binding and fold it in half lengthways. Don’t worry about doing the whole lot at the moment. You can fold more as you go.

Sew along the bias binding a little way, so that you have enough to tie one end of your bunting to something.

Slip the first flag (purple, wrong side up) into the folded bias binding. Sew along the bias binding, catching the flag in between the folded bias binding.

Then slip the next flag in and keep sewing.

You’ll have to stop every so often to fold more of the bias binding in half. I do this while sitting at the sewing machine.

Keep going like this until you’ve attached all the flags to the bias binding.

Sew a bit more of the bias binding so that you have enough to tie the other end of your diy rainbow bunting. You could measure, or you could guess! Just don’t cut the bias binding before you’re sure that you have enough to tie the other end!

How To Sew Napkins: Nice But Not Fussy!

April 11, 2020 · 5 Comments

It’s the first time in several years that we’re actually at home for Easter. This isn’t what we’d planned! Easter is a good time to go on holiday. The bank holidays mean extra days and the weather is often alright (and sometimes lovely!).

We had planned a trip to Japan, but because of the current situation we’ve had to postpone it.

I’m trying not to think about it too much. At least we are all at home and safe. And Easter, like Christmas and springtime, swings round again regardless of whatever else is going on.

I wanted to make the table nice for our lunch on Easter Sunday, so I decided to sew napkins. I had plans to make a similar thing but larger for the centre, but I ran out of time.

As you probably know already, I like things that are pretty! I’m not a huge fan of fussy though. And living in a house full of boys, there is a limit to what I can get away with!

So I opted to sew napkins in a pretty blue colour. Easter is a special time, and I wanted my napkins to be special too, but simple and not fussy.

The technique I’ve used here involves pulling out some of the threads and sewing so that the others don’t become loose. I actually did this once before, years ago, when my eldest was a baby and I made him a christening gown for his dedication.

For the scalloped edge, I actually used the fancy stitches setting on my sewing machine, which I don’t think I’ve ever used before!

The napkins also have mitred corners so that they’re nice and neat.

I like these napkins so much I might make some more in different colours!

The fabric I used came from this shop in Swindon. This isn’t an affiliate link; I just want to do my bit at the moment to support smaller businesses when lots are struggling.

Instructions For How To Sew Napkins

You Will Need

Fabric for your napkins. Cotton is best.
A small amount of interfacing. The iron on kind is easiest, but you can use what you have.
An unpicker
Usual sewing supplies

Cutting Out

Cut your fabric into squares. Mine were about 25 cm (10 inches) square. If you have a fat quarter, you could just fold it into 4 and you’ll have 4 squares about 25 cm square.

Cut the interfacing into strips 25 cm x 1 cm (10 inches x 1/4 inch).

Decorating the Napkins

Scalloped Edging

Attach the interfacing to which ever side will be the wrong side, about 1 cm (1/4 inch) up from the bottom edge. If it’s not the fusible sort, pin it but be sure that you can get to the pins easily!

Set your sewing machine to make scallops. It’s a good idea to practise first.

My practise attempts were a disaster until I realised that the bobbin footplate area probably needed cleaning as the feed dogs haven’t been working properly for a while. After removing a shocking amount of fluff, I’m pleased to say that everything is working well! Practising will also help you to determine what size you’d like them. You might need to change the foot, so check before you start.

Sew the scallops about a cm (1/4 inch) up from the bottom edge, over where you attached the interfacing.

Trim the fabric away from the bottom of the scallops. Small, sharp scissors are best for this task!

The Drawn Threads

Sew a line of stitches about 2 cm up from the scallops, then another 0.5 cm above the first row.

Using an unpicker, pull one of the horizontal stitches out between the 2 rows of machine stitching. This is a little bit fiddly, especially if you are using a closely woven fabric, but once you’ve removed a couple of threads it gets easier.

Pull out more threads until you are left with only vertical threads between the row of machine stitches.

Officially I think you’re supposed to hand sew round the threads, but I didn’t because I liked it as it was.

If you find this bit too fiddly, you could just leave it or sew a length or ribbon or lace onto the napkin instead.

Sewing the Napkins

All you need to do now is to hem the three raw edges!

Mitred corners will make them nice and neat. To do this, take a corner and fold it inwards on the wrong side.

Fold it over again and pin.

Do this with the other corner as well.

Fold raw edge inwards, then over again so that the raw edge is enclosed. The corners will be neat and you won’t get a weird bulge that your sewing machine might object to.

Run the iron over your napkin and it’s ready to make your table pretty!

Tips

If your sewing machine doesn’t do fancy stitches, you could either sew a scalloped edge or, for an easier alternative, use trim as an edging instead.

Pulling the threads out is a task for earlier in the day job if you have eyesight issues.

It’s harder to pull the threads out of closely woven fabric, although it becomes easier once you’ve pulled out a couple of rows. Looser fabric is easier.

This is the kind of project where you can batch like tasks, especially as you’ll probably want to make a few!

If you like this post about how to sew napkins, you might also like these:

Cutlery pockets

Picnic placemat

Making The Squares

You Will Need

Cutting Out The Squares

Sewing The Squares

Blanket Stitching The Edges

Corners

Crocheting Round The Edges Of The Square

Round 1

Round 2

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Instructions For Making a Boxy Pouch

You Will Need

Cutting Out

Sewing the Boxy Pouch

Making the Boxed Corners

Finishing the Pouch

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Instructions For Making Embroidered Felt Bunting

To Make Felt Bunting, You Will Need

Cutting Out

Embroidering the Flags

Assembling the Bunting

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Instructions For DIY Rainbow Bunting

You Will Need

Making Your Own Template

Cutting Out

Sewing Your DIY Rainbow Bunting

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Instructions For How To Sew Napkins

You Will Need

Cutting Out

Decorating the Napkins

Sewing the Napkins

Tips

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