Crazy Circle Table Runner Quilt

Update:  This item has sold! 

Just listed in my Etsy Store, Busy Hands Quilts, is a Crazy Circle Table Runner!  If you like this quilt design but would like it in different colors or a different size (such as a wall hanging), please contact me, and I'll see what I can do for you!

I'm linking to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday!

Postage Stamp Quilt Along Week 3

Week 3 of the Postage Stamp Quilt Along had me assembling the strip sets into blocks.  Phew, I don't think I have ever made a quilt top this size this fast!

Here are the blocks on my design wall.  Do you see the pattern?  Ha, ha, there isn't one!  As far as I know, there are only two places in the entire quilt where two of the same fabric squares are diagonal to each other.  She measures 60" x 80".

I'm on to sewing the blocks together to complete the quilt top next!

Log Cabin Quilt in Deep Colors

Update:  This quilt has SOLD on Etsy!!  Check back for more like it! 

Just listed in my Etsy Store, Busy Hands Quilts, is a Log Cabin Quilt Wall Hanging in Deep Colors!  If you like this quilt design but would like it in different colors or a different size (such as a table runner), please contact me, and I'll see what I can do for you!

I'm linking to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday!

Log Cabin Quilt Wall Hanging

Update on this post:  This item has sold!! 

Just listed in my Etsy Store, Busy Hands Quilts, is a Log Cabin Quilt Wall Hanging!  If you like this quilt design but would like it in different colors or a different size (such as a table runner), please contact me, and I'll see what I can do for you!

Winter Snowman Quilt and Log Cabin Stars Quilt!

Just listed in my Etsy Store, Busy Hands Quilts are two new quilts, one a small wall hanging and the other a larger lap quilt!  If you like the winter quilt design but would like it in different colors or a different size, please contact me, and I'll see what I can do for you!



Winter Snowman Lap Quilt Throw - This quilt has sold!!

Log Cabin Stars Quilt Wall Hanging - This quilt has sold!

Postage Stamp Quilt Along Week 2

Week 2 of the Postage Stamp Quilt Along had me assembling strip sets.  This took a long time, because I pinned every strip before sewing rather than laying them together and hoping they would stay together correctly as they were sewed.  When pressing each seam, I lined up the outside strip with the edge of the ironing board to be sure they stayed straight when pressed.  I am very pleased with how they turned out! 

Here's how they look now.  I'm on to cutting and assembling next!

Crazy Raw Edge Quilt

NOTE:  This item has sold on Etsy!!  You can still get one - I'll be making another one very similar to it.  Let me know if you have a particular size in mind, please.

Just listed in my Etsy Store, Busy Hands Quilts, is a Raw Edge Quilt Wall Hanging!  If you like this quilt design but would like it in different colors or a different size (such as a table runner), please contact me, and I'll see what I can do for you!

Tutorial: Enlarging a Quilt

Have you ever made a quilt and then realized it was too small for its purpose?  Frustrating, but fairly simple to fix by adding another border.  But what about when the quilt has already been quilted and you discover it is too small?  Enlarging already quilted quilts is a bit of a challenge! 

I made quilts and for my son's bunkbeds and had them professionally quilted and then realized they were too small.  Fortunately I didn't bind them right away, so I didn't have to remove the binding before adding strips to the sides. 

Here is a tutorial showing the steps to enlarge a quilt that has already been quilted.  This tutorial is for a quilt that does not have a binding on it.  The binding would need removed for this method.

SUPPLIES:  fabric, fusible batting, thread

MEASURE:
1.  Measure the length of the side of the quilt which you want to increase.  This is the length measurement of the strip.
2.  Determine how many inches you want to increase this side.  This is the width measurement of the strip.
3.  The width of the backing strip will be 1/2" wider than the width of the quilt top strip.

CALCULATE AND CUT:
1.  Calculate the number of strips needed (one width-wise strip of fabric usually yields 42"). 
2.  Cut the number of strips needed out of both the quilt top fabric and the quilt backing fabric, remembering that the quilt backing strips must be 1/2" wider than the quilt front strips.
3.  Cut the fusible batting into strips that are 1/2" narrower than the quilt top strips.

Picture 1 shows a picture of the quilt top strip, batting strip, and backing strip laid out.

Picture 1

 LAYERS:
1.  Warm up the iron...those crazy auto shut-offs are constantly turning off!
2.  Place the backing fabric right-side down on the ironing board.
3.  Layer the fusible batting on top of the backing fabric, placing one side 1/4" from the edge of the batting (right side in Picture 2).  On the opposite edge, the batting will be about 1/2" from the backing edge (left side in Picture 2). 

NOTE:  The left side shown in Picture 2 will be the side attached to the already-made quilt, so be sure the backing fabric faces the direction you want it to face on the actual quilt.  Mine had animal heads which needed to face a certain direction...your's might not have a direction.

Picture 2



4.  Layer the quilt top fabric on top of the batting, lining up at what will be the outside quilt edge.
5.  Press all layers together, being careful to not adhere any batting to the iron.  See picture 3.

Picture 3 - All layers together

6.  Freehand quilt the whole strip as in picture 4.



Picture 4 - Freehand quilting

ASSEMBLY:

1.  Pin prepared strip to quilt edge, right sides together.  Fold back the quilt backing that sticks out past the edge of the quilt top.  You'll use this later to hide the seam.  See picture 5.  The black/tan fabric is the backing that has been folded back.  The tan color at the top of the picture is the carpet, as I laid this out on the floor to pin.

Picture 5 - Pin to quilt top.

2.  Sew strip to top using a 1/4" seam.  Press seam toward new strip.  See picture 6.



Picture 6 - Sew 1/4" seam.

3.  Unfold backing fabric so it covers the seam that was sewn in Step 5.  Refold the backing fabric so it covers the seam with a little overlap, being sure to measure from the edge of the quilt strip to keep an even strip width.  This will help keep a straight line to sew in the next step.  See pictures 7 and 8.  The puke green you see is the backing on the original quilt.



Picture 7 - Measuring and re-folding and pressing backing to hide the seam.

Picture 8 - The seam is now covered and backing pinned in place.

4.  Using a stitch of your choice (I used a decorative one), sew this seam down.  You can't see it in picture 9, can you? :)
5.  Bind the quilt as usual.

Picture 9 - All done!


Please let me know if you have any questions or if you think of ways I could make this tutorial clearer.  Thanks.

Raw Edge Quilt Update!

Update on this post:  This item sold in less than one day on Etsy!! 

For sale in my Etsy Store, Busy Hands Quilts, I have a Raw Edge Quilt Wall Hanging for sale!

Lovin' My Design Wall!

Oh my!  After putting up a design wall this week, I kick myself for not having made one earlier.  Buying the felt at Wal-Mart and leaving it in the closet for four or more years sounds a bit silly, doesn't it?!  Well, then I am silly!  Really, if you don't have a design wall, I highly recommend you get one as soon as you can!  I am loving it!

And, yes, those are some of my Raw Edge Quilt pieces you see there!

Raw Edge Quilt Update!

This is a peek at my Raw Edge Quilt that I began on New Year's Day.  All of the blocks are cut into four equal squares and ready to be mismatched with other squares and then re-assembled.  The plan is to make several smaller items, such as table runners and a small square wall hanging, out of the blocks rather than one large quilt.  They will be for sale when completed.  I'll show them to you when they're done!

Postage Stamp Quilt Along

I'm participating in p.s. i quilt's Postage Stamp Quilt Along!  Maybe you'd like to join us in making a Postage Stamp Quilt like this.  In this quilt pattern, every other square is made of colored fabric with alternating squares of a solid fabric, like white or cream.


Below is a peek at the fabrics I will be using.  These colors don't match anything in my house, but they sure make me happy!

I purchased the colored jelly roll fabric strips during crazy Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving for a whopping $8.50!!!  And I'm keeping true to my commitment to use my stash by pulling the white fabric from my shelf.  There was a tearful farewell in the closet today as the delicious red fabrics that thought they were going to be sewn into a Double Irish Chain quilt with this white fabric said 'goodbye' to her.  It was very touching.  I understand their sorrow, really, I do.  It is not always easy to say 'goodbye' to our own plans and ideas for our lives when God has planned something different.

Why don't you stop back and see the weekly progress on my Postage Stamp Quilt!?

Autumn Roads Quilt Top

The quilt I have named Autumn Roads quilt top is finished and waiting for the quilter to quilt it!  Oh yes, that would be me!  I'm sew thankful for my long-arm quilting machine!  I have wanted one for years, and it is interesting to note that it was provided during this year of unemployment!

These colors were a stretch out of my comfort zone, and I am pleased at how the top turned out.  She is approximately twin sized and will be listed for sale on Etsy and eBay when completed.  Stop back for a picture of the finished product! 

Hmm, should I tell you what Mr. Hearts asked when he saw this fabric?  He said, "You didn't pay money for that, did you?"  I did NOT slap him, but he did get the evil eye.

My New Year's Day Project

There's not much else I'd rather be doing on this beautiful, cold, sunny New Year's Day than quilting!  Cluck, Cluck, Sew has a really neat tutorial on a Raw Edge Quilt.  I've begun making it with Thimbleberries fabrics.  I'd love to make it something a bit more upbeat, but most of my stash is Thimbleberries.  Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.  I'm sure you fabriholics know what I mean!

This is what the pattern looks like.  Mine will be totally different in the muted tones of Thimbleberries, but don't these fabrics look sew fun?!

First of all, notice where I have my ironing board (which I am using as a cutting table) set up?  Next to the fire!

Cut a bunch of 6-1/4" circles.  Then cut some more.  And when you think you can't cut any more, continue cutting 6-1/4" circles.  An AccuQuilt GO! is looking mighty nice right about now.

Not quite done, but close!  And I'll confess I have a personality flaw - I go overboard much of the time, I am cutting twice as many as I need!  The positive side is that I'll have lots of circles, but the real question is - will she ever do anything with them?

Check back for progress over the next weeks!