Happy 4th of July!

Here in the USA, we're having a celebration...

happy 4th of July!

I made a sweet new Stars and Stripes table runnner.

You can find the free tutorial with instructions here,

at A Bright Corner.

Photo and reference to free pattern used with permission from A Bright Corner blog

Here's how mine turned out.

I used a couple of different fabric collections

from my stash...the stars and the stripes came

from a fabric line called Simply Sweet from Henry Glass.

For the star background, the border and binding,

I used Smooth Sailing from Connecting Threads.

They gave my runner a nautical flair.

The border wasn't included in the tutorial,

but I liked the way it added a few more inches

of width and length to the runner.

I used wavy quilting lines, randomly spaced.

Don't you think wavy lines are perfect for flag designs?

I think the striped binding is my favorite detail.

This runner is even reversible!

The beachy print is fun for the back deck at our house,

near the swimming pool.

If you're looking for a fun and easy project,

with just the right mix of applique and patchwork,

you'll love making this project!

Enjoy your summer, friends!

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Summer Fun - Red White and Blue Zippered Pouch

Hello, Friends!

Who's ready for summertime?

I am!!!

Whenever I need a nice gift, I like to make a new version of

the Open Wide Zippered Pouch,

from this free tutorial by Noodlehead.

I've made so many of these...

and I've never been disappointed with the results.

This time I chose some red, white and blue fabrics

that I bought from Connecting Threads a few years ago.

The line was called Smooth Sailing.

{I love the anchors, all lined up!}

The addition of gray to the 

traditional patriotic palette looks so smart! 

That's why I chose a gray zipper to bring it out.

The lining fabric is a gray dot,

with a little red star popping up every so often.

The red and gray stripe provides a nice contrast 

for the bottom of the pouch.

I use Pellon ShapeFlex SF101 interfacing on my pouches,

for all of the exterior pieces, as well as the lining.

It adds soft shaping, and the pouch

is stable enough to stand, even while it's empty.

Once I've finished making one of these pouches,

I often add a ribbon for the zip pull.

I found this red gingham and could.not.resist.

I hope you'll have time for some summertime sewing, too!

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Free Tutorial - Summer Placemats and Flatware Pouches

At my house, we're all decked out for summertime!

Wouldn't it be fun to jazz up your own table

with fresh new place settings?
Today I'm sharing a free tutorial,
for placemats and matching flatware pouches!

For these samples, I used a few summery coordinates

from Terry's Fabrics.

I got things started with a favorite print:

Beach Huts in Blue,

with red and blue cabanas on a creamy background.

Next I chose a solid fabric,

Panama Curtain Fabric in Linen.

The taupe tones reminded me of rich sandy beaches.

And now for a little zing...

I selected a fun stripe called Chips, in Ocean.

To make a set of 6 placemats and 6 flatware pouches,

I used about one yard each of the Beach Huts and Linen,

plus 1/2 yard of the striped fabric.

You can cut pieces for 3 placemats,
cutting across the 54" width of home dec or curtain weight fabrics.

Let's get started making the reversible placemats.

I created pieced sections for the front sides.

For each placemat:

cut a section of the beach huts fabric,

measuring 6" high x 17 1/2" wide,

to be used as the center strip.

Add the bottom strip in linen,

cut to 3 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide.

Add the top strip, also in linen,

cut to 5 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide.

Here's the placemat front, all stitched and pressed.

Trim the finished front to 13 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide.

{Keep in mind, you can use a single piece of fabric

or make a patchwork in any pattern. Design opportunities are endless.}

For each placemat cut a backing piece,

measuring 13 1/2" x 17 1/2" wide.

Pin the front and back pieces with right sides together.

Starting on the upper edge, about 2" from a corner,

stitch around all 4 sides with a generous 1/4" seam,

leaving about 2 -3 " open for turning.

Here's a tip I always use

whenever I leave an opening for turning.

I backstitch a tiny (1/4") seam

that goes from the opening to the edge of the fabric, 

as shown in the photo below.

This strengthens the opening

and also makes it easy to turn under the edge

during the pressing step.

Turn the placemat right sides out through the opening.

Use a turning tool to smooth out the side seams

and gently push out the corners.

Give it a good press,

then topstitch near all the edges.
Repeat to create a set of four...or six...
or however many you need.

Admire your gorgeous finished placemats!

And they're reversible!

Now let's make those fun flatware pouches.

For each pouch:

cut (1) outer fabric 6" x 15"

and (1) lining fabric 6" x 15".

Pin outer fabric and lining right sides together,

and stitch with a generous 1/4" seam,

just as you did for the placemats,

leaving a 2" opening on one long edge for turning.

Turn the pouch right sides out through the opening.

Use a turning tool to smooth the seams

and gently push out the corners.

Press well.

Place the pouch with the lining side up,

and fold the bottom edge up to make a 5" pocket.

Press well.

Begin stitching at the bottom fold,

and topstitch along one long edge,

across the top,

and along the other long edge.

Reinforce the stitching along the top edges

of the pocket,

since these are stress points.

These are super quick to make,
and you'll have your set finished in no time.
Look how sweet the flatware pouches look,

filled with silverware and a napkin.

They really dress up those pretty placemats,

don't you think?

These would make wonderful gifts

for Mother's Day, birthdays, wedding showers...

I made some more, to match my Cherry Kitchen decor!
They're just as much fun to use indoors.

{Also, I have a fabulous red gingham picnic tablecloth for my outdoor table.}

I feel more of these coming on...
perhaps with some ric rac trim,
or button-down flaps.

For now, I'm going to have fun using this set all summer long!

This set looks really sharp with the Beach Huts pillows
I had created last summer!

If you create your own placemats or flatware pouches,

I hope you'll let us know how yours turn out!
Feel free to leave a link in the comments,
or add them to my Flickr group here.

Enjoy!

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Doggy Beach Bag - Lessons in Large Scale Prints

Our Florida friends have a little dog Dunkin

who goes with them everywhere,

including the beach.

There's even a Doggy Beach near their home!

That's what inspired me to make this...

Doggy Beach Bag!

I had fun designing my own tote,

using ideas from lots of other

purse and bag patterns I've made before.

It is a really large and sturdy bag...
about 16" wide by 19" tall...

Dunkin could fit inside comfortably!

{This is my little dog, Ginger...and she's not going inside that bag!}

I started with these fun prints from Terry's Fabrics, 
in duckegg blue, gray, cream, and brown.

I love to use stripes and circle dots,

to set off a focal fabric.

Clockwise from top:

Right Lines, Great Spot and Man's Best Friend, 
all in the duckegg colorway.

These curtain weight fabrics are sturdier than the
quilter's cotton I normally use.
I lined the outer bag pieces with Pellon 101SF
fusible interfacing, to add stability,
but it was not really necessary.

One great thing about working with
the high quality prints from Terry's Fabrics 
is that they do not tend to fray.
I've had that issue in the past with some other home dec fabrics.
It's so nice to make a project without a sense of dread!

I'd like to share some tips for working with large prints:

1. Choose larger projects for larger prints.
This just makes sense, right?

{There are exceptions, of course, but the bigger prints are shown off best this way.}

I really love the way those big giant spots
look on the back of the bag!

2.  Select three different prints to allow for great design opportunities.
Using only 2 prints, or more than 3, is fine...just more complicated.

I chose one print for the outer pocket,
and a different fabric for the bag body.
The third print, the stripe, was brought in for the lining
and some other detail work.

The three prints are varied in scale and value,
and they just look great together.

3. Directional prints, including stripes, need special consideration.

When cutting stripes, be extra careful to keep them straight.
Also note placement of pieces,
so they will not end up sideways or even upside-down.

4. Feature favorite parts of the large print, where they will be noticed.

Keep in mind which areas will be hidden
on the bottom or within seams, during construction.

{Here's a sweet little face that I wanted to be sure to include.}

5. Partner the fabrics to show good contrast and interest.

Try using "opposite" prints for outer and inner bags.


For the outer pocket on this tote,
I chose the striped lining fabric for the pocket accent.
It's a nice and neat finish, and it shows up well
against both of the other fabrics.

On the inside of the bag, 
I used the spotted exterior fabric to make the interior pocket.

6. Try something different!
Even an old dog can learn new tricks.

This stripe was actually printed horizontally across the bolt,
which is very unusual!
I love striped handles, and this time I tried
using the stripe lengthwise...and I love the way it looks!

I hope this post will encourage you to try some
large prints in your projects.
It's a whole new world of fabrics to choose from,
and you'll be rewarded with great looking results!

{I think Ginger would love a nice new doggy pillow.}

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