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fat quarters
DIY: Customize Your Own Cut and Sew Doll
Talented designer Natitys (Eloisa) visits the blog today to share some of her sweet cut & sew doll templates with you. She’ll show you how to customize the patterns to make your own unique doll, and upload your file for printing. These templates make a quick, simple and personalized project that fits perfectly onto just a fat quarter of fabric.
Eloisa: I think handmade dolls are one best gifts anyone could receive, especially when your doll is designed just for you! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to change colors of the skin, hair, outfits and add accessories to these pre-designed doll patterns so you can add detail and personalization that’s all your own!
Fabric-covered button projects
We’re so excited to share a tutorial from Rae Friis at Armommy on how to make fabric-covered buttons from a fat quarter of pretty patterned circles, and then use them in assorted cute projects. Enjoy the DIY ideas that Rae shared with us below, and then head on over to her blog to view one more button project!
Rae: Today’s post is all about buttons! If you haven’t made these fabric-covered cuties before, you are in for a
real treat. Why do I love them so much? They’re super-easy to make, require few supplies and once you’ve finished making some, there are endless ways to use them. I’ll get into some project ideas in a bit, but first a button-covering tutorial…. [Read more…] about Fabric-covered button projects
Fat Quarter February: Kaleidoscope pillows
This week’s Fat Quarter February project comes from Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod, who shows us how to make pretty pieced kaleidoscope pillows from just two quarter-yard pieces of fabric.
Diane: I’ve been a little obsessed with the idea of kaleidoscopes lately. It’s so intriguing how you can take a wedge shape, multiply it by six, and create endless new patterns. So I thought it might be fun to replicate this idea in fabrics. I might be cheating on this month’s fat quarter theme just a little by using two fat quarters, but I really love the result, and using these large scale prints give it a very graphic look. I’m using four Holli Zollinger fabrics here: Chevrons Red and Chevrons Burlap from her Kunda Linen fabric collection in one pillow, and Mint Arrow and Arrow Marine from her Native Spirit Linen collection.
Materials (per pillow):
- Two coordinating Kona® Cotton fat quarters with matching print
- 18” x 18” backing fabric
- Kaleidoscope pillow pattern PDF
- Low-tack painters tape or pattern weights
- Ruler and mechanical pencil
- Sewing machine and thread
- Hand sewing needle
- Fiberfill
1” covered button kit - Nylon upholstery thread
All seam allowances in this project are ¼”
1.
Begin by downloading and printing the PDF pattern. I recommend
tracing it onto tissue paper, which will make it much easier to place
the pattern precisely on your fabric before cutting. Iron all
wrinkles out of both fabrics.
2.
Now, align the tissue pattern where you want it on your fabric.
You’ll want to choose a section that will form a nice pattern when
it’s repeated six times. It’s also wise to take a moment and make
sure you can get three identical pieces from your fabric. Here, I’ve taped the pattern to the fabric and traced the main outlines of the design. This will help me align the pattern exactly the same way when I cut the next two pieces.
3.
Pin the pattern to the fabric and cut it out (I’ve already added a
¼” seam allowance to the pattern for you, so cut around the outer
edge.) If it helps you to label sections of your tracing like I’ve
done here, go right ahead.
4.
Repeat this process to cut three identical triangles from each of
your fat quarters.
5. Pin one triangle of each fabric together with right sides facing. When you pin, pay close attention to matching up all the elements in the fabric design – here, I’m matching the edges of the stripes.
In fact, you may notice that by matching the designs, you end up with little gaps in the edges of the pinned fabrics, as seen above. Don’t worry! You can gently stretch the fabrics so they’re flat as you sew. Just keep those designs aligned.
6.
Sew each pair of triangles together along one side, creating three
units. Press their seam allowances in the same direction. As you sew,
pay special attention to where you end your seams at the tip of the
triangle. They should end ¼” away from the edge of the fabric, as
shown above. This will make it easier to match all these points at
the center of the pillow.
7.
Now, sew the three triangle units together, making sure the two
fabrics alternate. Do your best to make sure the tips of the
triangles align in the center. If you have a mismatch, like you see
above, you can remove some of the seam and stretch the fabric gently
as you re-sew to get a closer alignment. But
that said, getting six points of fabric to line up perfectly is
tricky! So please don’t make yourself too crazy over this. We’ll
be covering the center of the pillow with a button, so perfection is
not a requirement here!
8.
When you’re done assembling the pillow front, check the back of
your work to make sure all the seam allowances are laying in the same
direction. That will allow you to neatly press the center flat as you
see here. Go ahead and reorient and press any seam allowances.
9.
Cut your backing fabric to match your finished pillow front. Pin them
together with right sides facing and sew around all six sides,
leaving about a 4” gap in one side for stuffing. Trim away the
fabric at each corner and press the seam allowance open. Fold and
press the edges of the fabric at the opening so they match the seam
line.
10.
Turn the pillow right side out, poking all the corners out so they’re
nice and sharp. Press the pillow flat before you stuff it.
11.
Stuff the pillow firmly and then sew the opening closed with a ladder stitch.
Tufting the Pillow:
12. Follow the instructions in your covered button kit to make a 1” covered button from a leftover scrap of pillow fabric. Thread a hand-sewing needle with about 20” of upholstery thread, which is strong enough to withstand the pulling we’re about to do. Regular sewing thread isn’t a good choice for this step.
Pass the needle straight down through the center of the pillow, bringing it out at the back. You can compress the pillow so the needle reaches through.Take a little stitch on the back, and then bring the needle back out through the front of the pillow.
13. Thread your covered button on now, and then remove your needle. Tie the two ends of the thread into an overhand knot.
Pull the threads to tighten this knot, which will also compress the pillow center a bit.
When you have the center compressed as much as you like, tie a second knot to lock the thread in place. It’s very helpful to have a friend hold the button down as you tie this second knot. Cut the ends of the thread short enough that they can hide under the button.
About Our Guest Blogger
Diane Gilleland blogs, podcasts, publishes, teaches, and makes videos about all things crafty over at CraftyPod.com. When she’s not doing those things, she’s doing whatever her cat tells her to do. And what’s wrong with that?
How to Sew an Easy Baby Jacket
Fat Quarter February continues! Stay tuned all month long for creative projects that use just a quarter yard of fabric. This week Emma Jeffery, from the blog Hello Beautiful, shares a tutorial for sewing up a sweet and simple baby jacket.
Jackets are a great item for newborns because you get to avoid the awkward, over-the-head dressing techniques of tops and tees and this one uses a Velcro fastening which is great when speed is of the essence.
To make this raglan sleeve jacket, you’ll need:
- Raglan sleeve jacket pattern
- one package of Ric Rac (I used medium size)
- a small amount of Velcro
The pattern will squeeze neatly onto one fat quarter of Spoonflower’s Basic Cotton Ultra. I used some small-scale prints by Heather Dutton. You will have three pattern pieces. Begin by pinning the raglan sleeves to the shirt back and sewing.
Press the seam allowance towards the back piece and topstitch down.
Next, pin the two shirt front pieces to the sleeves and sew. Press the seam allowances towards the front and again, topstitch down.
Hem the sleeves, shirt back and shirt fronts by turning the raw edge ¼” to the wrong side, pressing and turning another ¼” hiding all raw edges. Stitch the hems.
To make a neat finish along the shirt fronts and neckline, I like to use ric rac. It easily curves around the neck and adds a sweet little detail to the finished jacket. You could also use a thin bias tape, but I find it unwieldy on small projects like this. Start by pinning the ric rac to the right side of the shirt, starting at one bottom edge of a shirt front, up around the neck and down to the bottom of the second shirt front. Turn the ends of the ric rac under to make a neat finish. Sew the ric rac to the shirt. You are aiming to sew a straight line through the middle of the ric rac.
Next, fold the ric rac towards the wrong side of the shirt and pin down. Sew the ric rac in place from the front.
Fold the shirt together with right sides facing. Sew the back and shirt fronts together at the side seams and underarms. Make sure to match the hems at the sleeves and bottom edge. Trim and finish the seam allowance with a zig zag stitch or serger.
Complete the shirt by sewing two Velcro tabs to the front, making sure to put the scratchy side of the Velcro away from the baby’s skin and you are done!
Note: With two fat quarters, you could mix around the fabrics to make contrasting sleeves on your jacket like I did with the pink and gray versions in the first photo.
About Our Guest Blogger
Hi! I’m Emma, and as well as working on the Fiskars Design Team, I blog over at hellobeautifulblog.blogspot.com/
I’m an obsessive sewer, often leaping into projects with more enthusiasm than talent, more bravado than skill and more good luck than anything else. This technique has worked well for me so far and more often than not, I make things I love, even if they’re not absolutely perfect. And though I’m no expert, I have a passion for fabric, color and design. I know what I like and what I like makes me smile.
Knit Baby and Toddler Leggings | Video Tutorial
What’s adorable, uses only a quarter yard of fabric, and sews up in under an hour? These knit baby leggings! We can’t get over them. These things are as easy to make as they are cute (and they’re really cute). Join Spoonflower friend and contributor Anda Corrie as she walks you through these DIY knit leggings, available in sizes 6 months – 5T, and bookmark this page–you’ll definitely want to make more than one pair. More of an audio/visual learner? Skip down to the bottom of the post and check out the step-by-step video with Spoonflower team member Meredith. Let’s get started!
[Read more…] about Knit Baby and Toddler Leggings | Video Tutorial
Spoonflower’s 12 Days of Giveaways: Day Three — Win a surprise holiday fabric bundle from our favorite designers
To celebrate Day Three in our twelve days of holiday giveaways, we're giving three lucky fabric lovers surprise fat quarter bundles in holiday-inspired fabrics designed by some terrific Spoonflower designers.
Printed on our limited edition cotton poplin fabric, these mixed bundles feature designs like Stoflab's Retro Red Star, Bora's Vintage Christmas Balls, Anda's Trees and Sparks, Mummy Sam's Holiday Double Decker Bus, and Paper Sparrow's Christmas Portraits collection.
Comment on this post (or on the link to this post on our Facebook page) to enter the drawing for a chance to win! We'll choose three winners at midnight tonight (EST) and announce our next holiday giveaway tomorrow, December 4th, at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time.
Congratulations to Shen Barnachea of San Jose, California, winner of yesterday's drawing for a bias tape maker by Simplicity!