How to Sew a Log Cabin Quilt Block

January 27, 2018 · 2 Comments

How to Sew a Log Cabin Quilt Block

I’ve been planning to make quilts for my boys for ages, and before Christmas I finally got my act together and started on the first one.

Having the attention span of a gnat (I’m really starting to think I might have an adult version of ADD!), it’s necessary to keep things as simple as possible or the quilt will end up on the pile of unfinished projects.

So instead of making dozens of tiny blocks, I’m making 12 big ones.

Not wanting to mess it up, I planned out what I was going to do before Christmas. If you’d like to read about planning a quilt, you can find that post here.

As well as using large blocks, I’m also planning to back it with fleece and not actually quilt it all. I know this is cheating! But in the end, I want Dominic to have his quilt and I also want to keep my sanity.

Now all the bits are cut out and I’m ready to start sewing!

Log Cabin Quilt Block

The log cabin quilt block I’m using is made up 13 pieces, 7 different pieces in total.

During the planning stage, I worked out how many of each piece I would need. Pieces 1 and 2 are the same, as are 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12.

So that’s 6 different sized pieces, plus the 13th.

For those 6 pieces, I cut 24 of each, and 12 of the 13th piece.

Here’s a table showing the sizes for each piece and how many you need.

Sewing the Log Cabin Quilt Block

To sew the log cabin quilt block, you start in the centre and work outwards.

Pieces 1 and 2 are the same size, so take 2 of the smallest bits and sew them together. Trim the seams and press them open.

Then along the lower long edge, sew one of the second size. Then sew the other piece this size at right angles to it.

Pieces 5 and 6 are the 3rd size up. Sew one of these along the opposite long edge to piece 3, and the other one to the side opposite piece 4.

Keep going like this so that you’re making up your block in a clockwise direction. You could go anti clockwise if you prefer, but it will look better if you don’t change your mind half way through!

Remember to trim and press seams as you go. And if you find that the pieces aren’t quite the right size, you can trim them down. Just be aware that the blocks will be easier to sew together if they’re the same size!

The next post will be showing how to sew the log cabin quilt blocks together and sewing the backing.

How To Plan a Patchwork Quilt

December 9, 2017 · 4 Comments

How To Plan a Patchwork Quilt

One of the things that has been on my sewing to do list for several years is to make quilts for my boys.

My boys like wrapping themselves up in blankets when they’re at home, especially in the evening when they’re watching Canada’s Worst Driver or Mythbusters. I also like the idea of them having something special to take with them when they eventually leave home.

The problem with any kind of big project is that it can seem so big, it never gets started! Even the idea of breaking things down into bite sized chunks can be overwhelming because they are just so many chunks!

A traditional patchwork quilt made up of lots of little squares definitely falls into this category!

So if I’m going to make quilts for my boys, I’m going to make things as easy as possible.

I have a standard sewing machine, not a quilting one, and I also have the attention span of a gnat (although it’s improved a bit), and a pile of unfinished projects to prove it!

I don’t want the quilts to end up on that pile! So I’ve opted for large blocks and I’m going to back it with fleece fabric and not actually quilt it at all. I know this is cheating! This is not my idea. It is one I have shamelessly stolen from Sara at Creative Jewish Mom. You can the quilt she made here.

Anyway, I’ve got the fabric, and before reaching for the scissors and making a dreadful mess of everything, I’ve planned out what I’m going to do. This way, I know exactly how many blocks I need to make and how wide the strips need to be before I start cutting.

Here’s how to plan a patchwork quiltl!

How To Plan a Log Cabin Quilt

1. Once you’ve decided on a quilt block, the next decision to make is how big you want the quilt to be. I wanted mine to be a little bit wider than a single duvet and about the same length. A vague idea is all you need here, as the actual finished dimensions will depend on the size of the blocks.

A single duvet is 135 cm by 200 cm, so I was aiming for about 150 cm x 200 cm.

2. The next thing to decide is how many blocks you want the quilt to have. I decided to make big blocks, as that would be less work, easier, quicker, and I’d be more likely to finish it!

I decided to make my quilt 3 blocks by 4, with the option of a border if the measurements required it.

3. The next part is tricky, as this involves figuring out how big each block needs to be. So that it doesn’t get horribly complicated later on, the actual dimensions of each block need to be determined by the size and shape of the pieces that make them up. This where keeping things simple is really going to help!

The quilt block I’ve chosen for my patchwork quilt is a simple log cabin. All the rectangles are the same width, and there are 7 rectangles going across and 7 going up and down. So the easiest thing is to start with a number divisible by 7. A square 49 cm x 49 cm would result in quilt without borders measuring 147 cm x 196 cm. That’s close enough for me!

4. The next task is to work out exactly how big the pieces need to be. You can do this either by drawing it out on a large sheet of paper, or by working it out. Don’t forget to add a seam allowance!

With the log cabin block, the 1st 2 pieces are squares, so they would need to be 7 cm x 7 cm. Adding a 1 cm seam allowance all the way round makes them 9 cm x 9 cm.

Pieces 3 and 4 need to be 7 cm wide and the same length as the first to pieces combined, so 7 cm x 14 cm. A seam allowance makes them 9 cm x 16 cm.

Pieces 5 and 6 need to be 7 cm wide, then as long as three sections, so 21 cm. With the seam allowance, 9 cm x 23.

You get the idea! Here’s a table with the measurements of each section.

5. With the pattern pieces made, identify how many of each piece you will need. Decide how many you will cut from each fabric.

6. Now cut the bits out!

Now that the planning’s done and the bits are prepped, you can get sewing your patchwork quilt!

The next post will show how to sew the log cabin quilt block.

How to Sew a Bean Bag Chair

September 22, 2017 · 10 Comments

How to Sew a Bean Bag Chair

A little while ago, my boys expressed a need for bean bag chairs.

They like the idea of having somewhere comfy to sit where they can read or chill out that’s not a sofa downstairs or their beds.

There’s one chair upstairs in my big boys’ room, left over from the days of bedtime stories while feeding a baby. The little boys don’t have a chair in their room. There is a toybox with some cushions on it, but that’s disappeared under a pile of books and will probably stay that way until I can get a new bookcase (I need to decide where to put it first, we have a lot of books!).

So I actually like the idea of them having them each having their own bean bag chair that they can put where they like when they want to sit down.

With 4 of them, I wanted to keep things simple. I’d also originally planned to let the boys make them themselves, but we ran out of time in the summer holidays.

The design is very simple and is actually the same shape I used for the pattern weights and the kindle pillow. It’s just bigger! My older 3 could definitely have each made their own bean bag chair if we’d not run out of time.

For the fabric, I used polycotton. Other bean bag tutorials will tell you to use upholstery weight fabric. For these though, lighter fabric is fine. I also didn’t want to have to spend a fortune on fabric! Thankfully Minerva Crafts have lots of polycotton in dozens of colours and designs at £2.99 a metre! This is an affiliate link, but it is also where I bought the fabric.

Here are the instructions for making a bean bag chair!

Instructions For Sewing a Bean Bag Chair

You Will Need

1.5 metres polycotton or other fabric, bean bag filling (5 cubic feet is enough for 1), usual sewing supplies.

Making the Bean Bag Chair

1. Take your fabric and cut 1.5 metres. Leave the width as it is.

2. Fold the fabric in half widthways so that the right sides and the selvedges are together. Pin, then sew along the open side and the bottom. Turn it the right way out.

3. Fold the raw edges inwards, then pin the top so that the side seam is in the centre and the top edge is at right angles to the bottom edge. Sew about 2 thirds along so that there’s an opening in the top seam.

4. Pour in the bean bag filling. This will make an almighty mess if you’re not careful and I would not recommend allowing the kids to do this! Don’t overfill it. 3 quarters full is probably enough.

To make things easier, I cut the corner off the bag of beans and taped a cardboard tube to the hole. This made things easier as it’s hard to control where the beans go otherwise!

The face is because I wouldn’t let him pour it in!

5. Sew up the rest of the top seam.

Give it a shake and your bean bag chair is finished!

10 Ways to Get Ready For Christmas Crafts Now

September 19, 2017 · 8 Comments

10 Ways to Get Ready For Christmas Crafts Now

Christmas always sneaks up on me. I know the date never changes, but somehow every year I find it’s the end of November before I’ve even started to think about Christmas crafts and what I might make.

I suspect it might be partly because all 4 of my boys have birthdays in the autumn and I tend not to think about Christmas until the Season of Birthdays is over.

I also don’t like thinking about it too early. I want to feel Christmassy at Christmas. I want to enjoy the cold weather and the twinkly lights. Feeling Christmassy is a hard thing to sustain if you have been doing Christmas crafts since July.

So if you want to get organised for Christmas crafting, here are 10 ideas to help you get ready now before the cold weather arrives without leaving it all to the last minute.

10 Things You Can Do Now to Get Ready For Christmas Crafts

1. Start planning. You can write down ideas if you want to or you could just start having a bit of a think.

What is your theme going to be? Red and gold? Blue and white? Natural?

Do you want lots of Scandi style decorations this year? Or things made from nature? Or felt?

Have you got small ones at home who might like to do some Christmas crafts?

Are you planning on making a lot of gifts or will be you be focusing more on making your home feel Christmassy?

Pinterest is great for organising ideas as well as finding them! My Christmas Crafts Pinterest board is here.

2. Start collecting pinecones. Pinecones are great for autumn crafts too, so collecting them doesn’t have to feel too Christmassy.

If there are no pine trees near where you live, plan a day out somewhere that does have them. Even though we live in the country, there are not that many trees near where we live. Thankfully though, there are woods not too far away, so the boys and I will be having a little trip off to the woods at some point over the next month or 2.

3. Dry citrus fruit slices. I love to do this! Dried fruit can be used to make garlands, tree decorations and wreaths. These can be used to decorate your home nearer the time, and they can be given as gifts too.

Drying fruit is very easy to do! Just slice some citrus fruit thinly and put it in a warm (not hot!) oven for a few hours. Full instructions for doing this can be found here. It’s possible to dry whole fruit as well. I usually stick to clementines as they’re small and take less time to dry.

4. Plan Christmas crafts for your kids. Also plan when you are going to do them. I always find that things get so busy in the run up to Christmas, we end up not having time to do half the things I wanted to. So decide what you want to do and when you want to do them.

If you have school aged children, it’s nice to have some things planned for them to do as the excitement before the big day is often enough to send everyone loopy. You can arrange them round trips to the woods/ common/ beach to wear them out and keep them busy.

5. Evaluate your Christmas fabric and ribbon situation. If you see something you need while you are out and about, you can buy it. Then when the time comes, you’ll be ready to make stuff without having to brave the Christmas crowds or wait for the postman.

It’s worth mentioning at this point too that shops get their Christmas stock delivered in September, but things like red ribbon, gingham and felt are usually available all year round! So stock up on what you need when you get the chance.

6. Identify where you can obtain greenery. Greenery is so useful for table centrepieces, candle decorations, decorating mantlepieces and for wreaths.

Christmas flowers are usually easy to find, but greenery is often less so. You might have some in the garden, or you might have a neighbour with a laylandii hedge who might let you have some if you ask them. I know several places near me where there is hawthorn growing in the hedgerows. I’ll be down there in a few weeks with my scissors ;).

7. Start collecting jam jars. Homemade jam makes for a great last minute Christmas gift and t’s very easy to make. Just weigh the fruit, chuck it in a pan with the same weight in sugar and a little bit of water and boil it until it starts to set. Pour the jam into sterilised jars. When it has cooled, put the lids on.

Jam tastes better if it is left in the jar for a couple of weeks, so if you can make it a little while in advance, it’s worth doing so.

Jam jars have other uses besides holding jam, which brings me onto…

8. Create a Pinterest board of last minute handmade gifts. Stuff you can put in a jar is great. Sewing kits, brownie ingredients, sweets, bath stuff and natural things to make your house smell nice are all things you can make up yourself and put in a jar. To make the jar pretty, you could tie some ribbon round it or cover the lid with a square of fabric.

If these don’t appeal, a quick search on Pinterest will throw up plenty of other ideas for last minute Christmas gifts you can make. Although the point here is to get ourselves organised, it’s a good idea to have some ideas like this as these will probably be quick and easy things to make if you do find yourself short of time.

9. Dig out stuff you have made or started to make over the last year and decide whether you can give any of it to people as presents. A couple of years ago I had a glut of mug cosies, some of which became presents for my sons’ teachers.

Perhaps you’ve made something that was more about trying out a technique than making something you needed. Or maybe you made lots of covered notebooks just for fun! It’s probably worth having a look at what you’ve made or not quite finished.

And if you want to make more gifts, it’s probably never too early to start., so that’s definitely something to start planning now.

10. Start making a list of anything else you might need. Successful Christmas crafting often needs more than fabric and ribbon alone. So start to consider what else you’ll need.

This could include oasis flower foam, wire for centrepieces, twine, raffia, buttons, glitter, gift bags and tissue paper. There’s probably a whole lot of other stuff too that you’ll think of once you start to make your list!

Having a list prepared well in advance will mean that you can get stuff when you see it. It’s no good sitting down to make a Christmas wreath then realising that you don’t have any bay leaves or florists’ wire!

It also means that you won’t find yourself wandering round the Christmas section of Wilko knowing that you need stuff but not knowing exactly what!

You might be interested to know that there is a Christmas craft planner available as part of the super good value Christmas bundle! You can find out more here.

How to Make a Water Bottle Carrier

June 16, 2017 · 6 Comments

How to Make a Water Bottle Carrier

I have been planning to make a water bottle carrier for ages and at last I have got round to it! I actually need to whip up a few; we’re going on holiday in a couple of weeks and I know how heavy 6 bottles of water can be!

The water bottle carrier is simple in construction and can be made to fit whatever size of bottle you have. The outer is quilted to insulate the bottle and keep your water cooler for longer.

I had planned to line it but as the lining ended up being a bit of a snug fit, I just finished the raw edge at the top with bias binding instead.

How to Make a Water Bottle Carrier

You will need: fabric for the outer and lining (if you are making a separate lining you will need 2 pieces), wadding, ribbon or bias binding, D rings.

1. Wrap a piece of paper around the outside of your bottle. Mark on the paper the height of the bottle and where the paper overlaps. This is to determine the size of rectangle that you will need to cut from the fabric. Add a cm for the seam allowance and another couple of cm for quilting.

Draw around the bottom of the bottle and add an extra 2 -3 cm extra there too.

2. Cut 1 rectangle and 1 circle from the main fabric, the wadding and the lining. If you are making a separate lining you will need to cut 2.

3. Pin the main fabric right side up to the wadding and one of the lining pieces. Use plenty of pins! You should have a kind of sandwich with the wadding in the middle. You will need to do this for the circles as well.

4. Quilt the sandwich. I did this by sewing rows up and down, using the edge of the presser foot as a guide. Switching the direction in which you are sewing causes it all to distort less. When you have finished the rectangle, quilt the circles.

5. From the ribbon or bias binding, cut enough to go length ways across the quilted rectangle. Cut 2 pieces about 5 cm long and fold each one in half width ways. Slip a D ring onto each piece.

6. Lay the pieces of bias tape with the D rings on about a quarter of the way in from each edge. Pin the longer piece over the top. Sew the bias tape in place.

7. Fold the quilted rectangle in half with the wrong sides together. Sew along the edge opposite the fold.

8. Pin the circle to the bottom of the rectangle that is now a cylinder. This is a bit fiddly, but stick with it! It might look like a weird vegetable. Sew the circle in place.

9. Trim the seams closely and turn out. Sew bias binding to the raw edge to finish it off.

If you want to make a lining for your water bottle holder, repeat steps 7 and 8, then pop it inside the quilted section with the wrong sides together and add the bias binding.

10. To make the strap, cut a strip of fabric 6 – 10 cm wide and long enough to go from your hip, over your shoulder and back to your hip again. Fold in half lengthways to find the centre. Open it out, then fold the raw edges in towards the centre. Fold in half again so that the raw edges are enclosed inside. Tuck the raw edges at either end inwards. Pin, then sew. I sewed along both the long edges so that it was symmetrical (I have a thing about stuff being symmetrical!).

11. Thread one end of the strap through one of the D rings. Fold the edge over and sew in place. I sewed 2 rows of stitches to reduce the chances of the strap breaking.

Here is the finished water bottle carrier.

Linking up here.