by Sherri Sylvester | Jan 3, 2014
I’m excited to share how far gone my foray into quilting EVERYTHING is with you today. I made my sister a few things for Christmas and got a tad excited about free motion quilting along the way. This is my new favorite thing and I have about 17 projects lined up to use it in when I get home from my vacation. Not to get ahead of myself or anything!
This whole set is made using scraps from a 1/2 metre of Early Bird (Cosmo Cricket for Andover Fabrics) that I bought at least 3 years ago. Unfortunately I can’t locate any more for sale – likely since it came out in 2010. I’ve been gifting handmade things to my sister using this for a few years now. My favorite part of the fabric says “If we were meant to pop out of bed we’d all sleep in toasters.” SO TRUE!
The whole project started with the tea cozy. It is something my sister said she could use a few years ago. I cannot say enough good about the tea cozy pattern by Teje that I located on Craftsy. It is a free download – a great size, and the little hanging tea bag makes it perfect! I love that there is a ton of room for little quilty details too. I straight line quilted the front of the cozy, and cheater quilted the centre of it along the fabric lines. The back got some of my loops (as first seen in the Cargo Duffle Backpack!). These are so much fun to do and I don’t mind in the least that they are uneven, it adds to the artsy creativeness! I would love to quilt a whole quilt with these… but I may need a new machine with more throat space first.
Next up – the oven mitt. The pattern for this is from my One Yard Wonders book. It is a simple project with lots of room for quilting! The only thing I was not fond of was turning it. Because the insulated batting adds so much thickness it is amazingly difficult to turn right side out once it is sewn. I would also have lined it if I was making it again, since the pattern doesn’t include one. I got to use some of my organic Tsuru on this one, mixed in with the Early Bird and some other scrappy stashed bits. I love using things up!
Last up – the trivet. I used some insulated batting on this one as well. It is paper pieced with the same fabrics using the Teacup 1 pattern from Piece by Number. I think I made it backwards – I would have liked the handle to be on the right…. ooops. Anyhow – it reminded me how much I love this tiny quilty work. I’m really going to have to get on with a real quilt before I drive you all crazy! The trivet is self-bound using the same technique as the herringbone hot pad I made a while ago.
On the quilty theme – I was able to photograph all of these on a quilt that my mom made and hand-quilted. I think she finished it in the last 2 years? It’s gorgeous and I think might be mine some day. (Yippee!) Here’s a shot of it without all of my projects in the way. What patience – I am in awe of her dedication to the whole thing – it’s queen sized! And did I mention it was HAND-quilted?!
We are having so much fun on vacation here, I don’t know if you’ll hear from me again until next week when we get home. Though I have one thing I want to make before I leave – we’ll see if it happens! Follow along on Instagram if you want to see what we’re up to before then.
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 23, 2013
I’m so excited to share this bag with you today! Anna from Noodlehead shared this Cargo Duffle pattern – it’s a free pattern available from Robert Kaufmann. As soon as I saw it I wanted to make one to use as an airplane carry on. We are visiting my parents this Christmas, so it’s going to get lots of use!
The pattern is the perfect size and looks amazing when it is finished. It’s very professional and the construction method makes it strong enough to hold its shape well. I got the fabric from Warp and Weft back in the summer. I’m on a scooter kick… and I love the blue, red and creamy white. I had the navy blue twill and Kona for the pockets in my stash. The inside is lined in some quilting cotton I picked up at Fabricland.
The zipper opened at each end – like a double zipper on a coat. I was really happy to find out that I could turn the zipper pull tab around so it zipped into the centre. I’ll be posting a tutorial on how to do it soon – it’s easier than you think! (Update: Here is the zipper tutorial.)
I added a large zipper pocket to the inside so I can store all of the surprises that will hopefully keep the kids happy for the trip. It is really easy to do this because of the way the bag is constructed.
I wanted to talk a bit more about this bag – the construction, the quilting (which I’m now addicted to!). But it’s Christmas dinner day today so I should likely get back to everyone! Have a great start to your week. Hope you enjoyed the photos with our lovely ice storm in the photo backgrounds. It’s been fun seeing our icy winter wonderland outside!
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 3, 2013
I had so much fun making this week’s project last night. And if you follow on Instagram you got a sneak peek! I’ve been wanting to make a Christmas project for a few weeks now – so what better way to start December than to make a Rudolph? I admit, it’s a bit creepy if you think about it – having Rudolph’s head on our wall… but if you don’t think too much it’s ok!
I ran into Elisa’s (Charming Doodle) Deer head tutorial and knew I would have to give it a try. The instructions are really simple – and it is a lot easier to make than I expected. I love Elisa’s flowered version, but knew it would not stay on my wall long if I gave it a try. My husband and I co-make our decor decisions and it would not have made the cut! Thankfully I found some stashed fabric that is perfect, and still gives the same effect. (I think it was destined for a tote bag and there is still some left!) The fabric is burlap-ish with a brown velvet floral design printed on it. If I remember correctly it was an end that I picked up for $2 or $3 in the ends bin at Fabricland.
The antlers are gold dupioni silk. Ridiculous you say? Yes, maybe – but it was the perfect colour! I bought the silk in a hurry a few years (and a lot of sewing experience) ago and made a disastrous shirt project. It’s still sitting in my sewing pile upstairs! Meanwhile I used a few scraps to make these antlers and they match so well. I love the texture the irregularities in the silk gives to the antlers.
Amazingly, I only did two things differently than the original tutorial (hee hee!). When I turned the antlers right side out the first time I did not clip my curves. Because the silk has almost no stretch the tight corners in the antlers were puckered, so I had to turn them wrong side out again and clip my curves. Other than that the instructions are great and very easy to understand. I was a tad fooled by their simplicity, though. Simple does not mean quick for this tutorial! For example, I didn’t realize that the direction, “Turn the deer head right side out and stuff the antlers tightly with fiberfill”, would take me about an hour! The antlers proved to be trickier to fill than I expected – especially since I could not find my chopstick and had to use the end of a pen. The second thing I changed is to make the ears from fabric instead of felt – so I cut them a tad larger and sewed the two (interfaced) pieces together and turned them before sewing them on.
I love how “John” turned out! My husband has named him and I think it fits! He also suggested the faux evergreen wreath around him, which adds lots of character. Now John is ready to greet everyone who comes in our door. And his nose is remove-able so he’s a year-round deer too! If you want to make a tiny deer tree decoration Elisa has posted instructions on how to re-size the pattern – how cute would that be!
What do you think? Are you going to try it or is it too strange or daunting?!
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 12, 2013
My computer decided not to work last night – so you get Monday’s post on Tuesday today! Thank goodness it’s working now… (sign of relief!)
So. You have a ton of stuffed animals… and they are all over your house… what do you do? Put them in an S.A.C. – the S.tuffed A.nimal C.hair, it’s a genius idea that Shannon from googiemomma made and has a tutorial for. Hooray! In case you’ve seen this before, it is from 2011. Problem is I saw it BP (Before Pinterest) and bookmarked it – and forgot about it until my friend pinned it a while ago and reminded me how amazing it is. And… I had the perfect fabric (that I won, eek!) waiting on the shelf! I entered a Violette Field Threads contest this past May where Whimisical Fabric was giving away 8 yards of Riley Blake chevrons and dots in delicious colours… and all of a sudden it was mine. That never happens!
My youngest has a thing for green!
When I won the fabric I told Danielle from Whimsical Fabric that I would post whatever I came up with on Thread Riding Hood, and she offered to give me a discount code to share with all of you. And, as a bonus for you – since Shannon’s S.A.C. pattern does not come with a pattern piece, I volunteered to make one. And, I made it in two sizes because the first one I made is amazingly too big! (Imagine something so large it won’t hold all of your children’s stuffed animals.) I had to stuff one of our extra pillows and the unused (but still loved) nursing pillow in the top to fill it up for the photos!
Whimsical Fabric is just what the name says. I love the playful variety of fabrics that Danielle stocks. And she also has patterns, notions, packaging and clothing blanks – lots to use the discount on! Head over to Whimsical Fabric and use the discount code: TRH10% to get 10% off almost everything in the Whimsical Fabric shop from today until Wednesday, Nov 27th, 2013 at 12 midnight MT! You can even use it for most sale items. (Items that do not apply for the discount will state this in the description.)
I don’t think (if you have children) that I have to try to convince you to make one of these! My kids fully endorse ours and it’s super comfortable to sit on… I’ve tried it! Just don’t put anything too hard inside and you’ll be fine. We even have a mewing cat in there that sometimes goes off if you sit on it right and the kids think that’s hilarious. You can read Shannon’s very funny post about it for more information also, since that is where you will get the bulk of your instructions. On with the pattern pieces?
The large size pattern will get you a (roughly) 85″ around, 18″ high and 25″ across chair. The smaller size pattern will be aprox. 70″ around, 12″ high and 20″ across. Both of my kids like curling up on the large one, in fact they can both fit on it at once. And the smaller one is the perfect size for my youngest who is 3 1/2. As she states – “This fits my bum and legs perfectly.” How do they come up with this stuff?!
You will need:
- Fabric – Assuming it is 42″ wide prewashed, see “Cutting Your Fabric” below for cutting layouts & more information. You will need more for nap and one-way fabrics.
- Large size in 6 fabrics: 2/3 Mtr/Yds each of 5 Outer Top fabrics, 3/4 Mtr/Yd Outer Bottom and 2 3/4 Mtr/Yds Lining
- Large size in 1 fabric: 2 3/4 Mtr/Yds each of Outer and Lining
- Small size in 6 fabrics: 1/2 Mtr/Yds each of 5 Outer Top fabrics, 1/3 Mtr/Yd Outer Bottom and 1 2/3 Mtr/Yd Lining
- Small size in 1 fabric: 1 2/3 Mtr/Yd each of Outer and Lining
- Same yardage as lining in high loft batting if using (less enough for the bottom zipper pieces which do not need batting, more info about the batting below)
- Zipper: 25″ for large size, 20″ for small size
- Pattern Pieces:
Notes on my changes:
- I only made two changes to Shannon’s tutorial. The first was to add a pentagon shaped patch over where the points of the side pieces match up at the top. This is because I was in a hurry and didn’t take the time to line them up. The second was to adhere batting to the lining as I sewed it together. So the entire chair (except the zippered bottom) is lined with quilt batting. I found that the high loft cheapy polyester batting smooths out any bumpy edges and makes the chair smoother. Especially since I used quilting cotton. Shannon leaves a gap at the top of the lining for some stuffing – either way is great. I have included directions on how to do the optional changes below.
Before you begin:
- Print all pages of the pattern piece pdf in the size you choose on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Make sure scaling is set to “None” or “Actual Size” when printing. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size.
- Cut or fold the pages on the outer gray lines and tape/glue the pages together, matching the letters in the gray half-circles.
Cutting your fabric:
- Cut your fabric as per the pattern piece directions and notes on the S.A.C. Tutorial Post on googiemomma.
- Visual layouts for each of the 4 options are below so you can see more easily how much fabric each option uses. Pieces are illustrated in full – not “cut on fold” shape.
- Please use the diagrams as a guide only, referring to the S.A.C. Tutorial for placement.
- You may need more/less yardage for one-way and directional fabrics.
Large Size OUTER Fabric Yardage for 6 Fabrics (see Large Size in One Fabric for Lining Yardage)
Large Size in One Fabric Yardage (You will need this much each for Outer & Lining)
Small Size OUTER Fabric Yardage for 6 Fabrics (see Small Size in One Fabric for Lining Yardage)
Small Size in One Fabric Yardage (You will need this much each for Outer & Lining)
Sewing Instructions:
- Follow the googiemomma directions on the S.A.C. tutorial post to make your Stuffed Animal Chair.
- A 1/2″ seam allowance is included in the printable pattern pieces.
- A 3/8″ seam allowance is included for the zipper seam.
Optional Instruction: Add the Pentagon Patch – Do this after stitching together all of the outer outside pieces. (1) Cut 2 the tiny pentagons out of your fabric (see pattern pages). (2) Stitch them together right sides together. Leave an opening on one side for turning. (3) Turn the pentagon, folding under the opening edges and ironing the sides. (4) Line the straight edges of the patch up with each side of the outer outside pieces and pin generously. (5) Topstitch the patch. (6) Turn the outer pieces over and CAREFULLY! cut out the centre of the fabric that is under the patch.
Optional Instruction: Add Quilt Batting to the Lining – Do this when stitching the lining pieces together. (1) Cut 5 pieces of batting using the outside pattern piece. I used my cut fabric as a template. (2) Place tape over the open edges of your zig-zag foot. This prevents the batting from getting stuck in the points. (3) When stitching the lining together, place 1 batting piece on either side of the lining before stitching, and while it is right sides together. Like this: Batting, Lining pieces Right Sides Together, Batting. (4) Stitch together following the instructions, making sure to stitch each outer outside lining piece with a batting piece.
Here’s wishing you many happy stuffie-free days ahead – and a comfy spot for your kids to sit too! Please share your projects on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – hashtag: #alongforthreadride so we can see them. I love to share my favorites too!
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 8, 2013
When Warp & Weft introduced their Sewing Society I was excited to find three new Canadian bloggers that I hadn’t heard of yet! One of them was Cynthia Frenette, whom I’ve been following ever since. She writes cynthia f – a highly addictive blog – trust me I know! Aside from that she is a quilter, illustrator, designer and artist in general. If that is not enough, she keeps Made In Magazine going and has designed fabric for Robert Kaufman. And I’m sure there is more I don’t know!
As I was saying, her blog is addictive, and one day I stumbled on the post of her latest project – a pouch pattern – that asked for pattern testers. I’m super happy to have volunteered and gotten to make it! Aside from raving about how great this pouch is (truly!), I can honestly say it has great directions. I was excited to read through the well-thought out instructions and find they were very easy to follow.
The clear window gives this pouch the great feature of having two “fronts”! You can choose an amazing fabric for the back quilted panel and the lining – because it shows through the window. Score! I was excited to use my Fabric Spot Tsuru bundle for both pouches. Which is a good thing, because I only had one snap hook to use for the handle, and now I can swap it based on whichever I’m using at the time!
I love the size, it is even large enough to fit a regular sheet of paper – so you are able to carry printed pattern sheets and your sewing supplies at the same time! I really would like to make a few more of these to fill with “kid stuff”. It would help keep them occupied when we visit my family via plane in December. And it is easy for them to see what is inside – key to not digging through your bag too much in an enclosed space!
The pattern is almost available and I will most definitely tell you when it is so you can make 17 of these for yourself (or as a great Christmas gift!). Hope you have a happy Friday and a great weekend. See you on Monday!
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 28, 2013
I’m working on a big project, likely too late to finish it for tomorrow – but I’m giving it a shot! That said, today’s project is a quick one! I needed a business card holder to carry around Creativ Festival on Saturday and this tutorial popped up when I went looking. It is so CUTE and super fast. Perfect!
I am not sure if you could call this a review or not, because the instructions for this tutorial are so short they aren’t even numbered! It is called “Business Card Holder” (makes sense!) by Jodi Nelson from Pleasant Home. The tutorial itself is a Craftsy tutorial – but it is a free download if you are willing to sign up for a Craftsy account.
The directions are super clear, and it requires a tiny amount of fabric – perfect for scraps! I dug into my tiny “Type” stash (by Julia Rothman for Windham Fabrics) from Needlework, that I picked up in July of this year. I’ve been waiting to use this one, and it is so perfect for a business card holder. I was also happy to find the perfect button in my stash – a little clear so I didn’t cover up the typewriter too much!
Honestly, I’m not sure what else I could say about the pattern! There is nothing wrong with the directions, the business cards fit 15 per side, just as she says they will. These would make cute gift card holders and would be useful to store all of the random cards in your wallet too.
I will be back this week with a Creativ Festival review (and stash addition photo bomb!), Halloween costumes and maybe more. Thanks for coming over today, stay tuned!
