Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Summer of Sewing: Windfall Squared

Welcome to our last Summer of Sewing tutorial here at Inspired by Fabric! 

We've been featuring regular tutorials as part of our Summer of Sewing series, all using our newest fabric lines that you can find at your local quilt shop! Our tutorials include a chance to win a bundle of the fabric line being used, so make sure to enter each time! 


For our last Summer of Sewing tutorial, we've paired the lovely Windfall collection with a solid white to make a lap quilt. This quilt uses one block with the colors flip flopped to create two blocks with opposite color layouts. Windfall features ten colors, each of which are used in two different designs. We've used ten of the prints here, so if you have the fat quarter bundle, you'll have ten more FQs for another project! We're also demonstrating a fantastic flying geese method that has no waste! You'll love it!


Eye candy: A
 look at the entire Windfall collection:


Let's get started!
You'll Need:
10 Windfall fat quarters (we used one of each color)
1-3/4 yards solid white
1/2 yard for binding
3 yards of backing
56" x 68" piece of batting

Cutting:
From each of the fat quarters:
(1) 7-1/4" square
(1) 6-1/2" square
(4) 3-7/8" squares
(4) 3-1/2" squares

From the white solid:
(2) 7-1/4" x 42" strips; recut into (10) 7-1/4" squares
(2) 6-1/2" x 42" strips; recut into (10) 6-1/2" squares
(4) 3-7/8" x 42" strips; recut into (40) 3-7/8" squares
(4) 3-1/2" x 42" strips; recut into (40) 3-1/2" squares

From the binding: 
(6) 2-1/2" x 42" strips

Make the Blocks:
1. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of (4) 3-7/8" red squares. Lay (2) marked squares right sides together on (1) 7-1/4" white square so the marked lines align. 

2. Sew 1/4" on each side of the drawn lines and cut on the line.

3. Press the red triangles open on each unit. Position a red marked square on the unit as shown. 

4. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the drawn line and cut on the line. Press the triangles open to create (2) flying geese units.  

5. Repeat with the last marked square on the remaining unit to make a total of (4) flying geese units. Trim to measure 3-1/2" x 6-1/2". 

6. Lay out the (4) flying geese units with (1) 6-1/2" red square and (4) 3-1/2" red squares to make block. Sew the pieces into rows and join the rows to complete the red/white block. 

7. To make a reversed red/white block, start with (1) 7-1/4" red square and (4) 3-7/8" white squares. Mark diagonal lines on the white squares, line (2) up on the red square, stitch and cut. 

8. Press white triangles open, align remaining white squares on each unit as in step 3, sew, and press. Trim flying geese units to measure 3-1/2" x 6-1/2". 

9. Use the (4) flying geese units, (1) 6-1/2" white square and (4) 3-1/2" white squares to make a reversed red/white block. Here are the two blocks together: 

10. In the same manner, make a total of 10 color/white blocks and 10 color/white reversed blocks. Lay out the blocks in (5) rows of (4) blocks each as shown. Sew the blocks into rows and join the rows to complete the quilt top. 

11. Layer the quilt back right side down, batting and quilt top right side up. Baste the layers together and quilt as desired. Use the (6) 2-1/2" x 42" strips to bind the quilt. 

For a chance to win a FQ bundle of the Windfall collection, make sure you follow our blog! Leave a comment below letting us know that you do, and telling us which Summer of Sewing tutorial was your favorite. The giveaway is open through Sunday, September 4th at 11:59 pm EST. We'll draw a winner and share it next week. 

Congratulations to the winner from last week's Sports pillowcase tutorial: Annmarie

Monday, August 29, 2016

Our new favorite blender: Windfall

We love bold color and our new Windfall collection is bursting with it! These rich textured tonals come in 10 colors...each shown in two different leaf prints, creating a variety of shades. Use these prints all together for a quilt with all the colors of the rainbow, or pair them with your favorite prints.



Ready for a quilt project using Windfall? Try the "Twisted Argyle" pattern--truly a unique quilt, and it's available as a free download right here

"Twisted Argyle" by Reeze L. Hanson
Download the free quilt pattern here.


See the entire Windfall collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop. 
Find the free quilt pattern here.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Heading for the farmer's market!

There's not much better than a farmer's market in the summer. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies...delicious! Our new Fresh Harvest collection keeps that fresh feeling all year long. 

The collection also includes a panel of fresh fruits--perfect for fussy cutting! 

Pine Tree Country Quilts designed a free quilt pattern featuring Fresh Harvest. It's cool, refreshing, and showcases the panel blocks beautifully! 
Find the free quilt pattern here.

See the entire Fresh Harvest collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.
Find the free quilt pattern here.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Summer of Sewing: Pillowcases!

Welcome back to our Summer of Sewing tutorials here at Inspired by Fabric! 

We've been featuring regular tutorials as part of our Summer of Sewing series, all using our newest fabric lines that you can find at your local quilt shop! Our tutorials include a chance to win a bundle of the fabric line being used, so make sure to enter each time! 
(p.s. Next week will be our last Summer of Sewing tutorial for 2016!)


For our second-last Summer of Sewing tutorial, we've joined the American Patchwork & Quilting 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge Blog Hop! 


The Pillowcase Challenge is gearing up for their annual 24-Hour Sew-a-Thon (see more details below the tutorial) and we're excited to help spread the word! We've used prints from our Sports collection to make four pillowcases which we'll be donating to a local charity, helping to push the current count (689,000+) closer to 1,000,000. 



We love to make pillowcases using the burrito (or Roll-It-Up) method--it's quick, easy, and fun! We've demonstrated how to do it below.

The prints we chose from our Sports collection:


Let's get started!

You'll Need:
7/8 yard main fabric
1/3 yard cuff fabric
1/8 yard accent fabric

Cutting:
From the main fabric: 
(1) 27" x 41" piece

From the cuff fabric:
(1) 11" x 41" piece

From the accent fabric:
(1) 2-1/2" x 41" strip

Make the Pillowcase 
1. Press the 2-1/2" x 41" accent strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. 
2. Lay out the cuff fabric lengthwise in front of you, right side facing up. Pin the folded strip to the top edge, raw edges matching. 



3. Lay the main fabric piece on top, right side down, aligning the raw edges along the top edge. Pin in place. Fold or roll the main fabric piece up so it is all contained inside the cuff strip as shown. 

4. Fold the bottom long edge of the cuff strip up over the main fabric and pin in place. You'll be creating a tube with all of the fabric tucked within the cuff strip. 

5. Stitch along the long pinned edge, catching both cuff edges, the folded accent strip, and the main fabric edge. Be careful that the rest of the folded over main fabric strip doesn't get caught in your stitching. 
6. Pull the fabric inside the tube out, as shown in progress below.

7. Your pillowcase in progress will look like this now, with all seams encased inside the fabric cuff. 

8. Fold the pillowcase in half, matching raw edges of the cuff and accent strip. Square up the two raw edges (top and right in photo below). Pin raw edges and stitch, backstitching at both ends. 

9. Turn the pillowcase right side out, stuff with a pillow, and enjoy!




Want to learn more about the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge? Check out the details here.

Find more pillowcase patterns (AllPeopleQuilt has 59 different designs, including many pieced cuff variations to add something special!) on their website here.

Want to be part of the 24-Hour Pillowcase Sew-a-Thon? Find details here
Last year participants in Des Moines made 1,480 pillowcases! 

Visit the other participants of today's hop:


See our entire Sports collection here.

For a chance to win All Sports fabric to make two pillowcases, make sure you follow our blog! Leave a comment below letting us know that you do, as well as telling us if you've ever made a pillowcase. The giveaway is open through Sunday, August 28th at 11:59 pm EST. We'll draw a winner and share it next week. 

Congratulations to the winner from last week's Vintage 30s Ruby's Treasures bundle and thread box: Greebly Greebly



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Summer of Sewing: Embroidered Drawstring Bag

Welcome back to our Summer of Sewing tutorials here at Inspired by Fabric! 

We'll be featuring regular tutorials as part of our Summer of Sewing series, all using our newest fabric lines that you can find at your local quilt shop! Our tutorials will include a chance to win a bundle of the fabric line being used, so make sure to enter each time!


Today's tutorial once again uses Barbara J. Eikmeier's Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures collection and is once again a drawstring bag (see our previous patchwork drawstring bag tutorial here). But...it's totally different! We've embroidered a flower block from the collection's Flower Garden panel and used it as the centerpiece for a sweet (and slightly smaller) drawstring bag. We've also shared a different casing technique for creating the bag closure itself. And, if as you read this, you're thinking that hand embroidery is not for you, we urge you to give it a try! Much like hand stitching a binding to a quilt, it's a relaxing and satisfying activity, and the results are gorgeous! 

By the way, did you know that Barb has a collection of Aurifloss (that would be embroidery floss from Aurifil!) that coordinates with the Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures fabric line? Find it here!

Let's get started!

You'll Need:
1 Flower Garden panel
5 Vintage 30's fat quarters (one for the backing; from the remainder you'll just need a strip each--we used two blue print and three pink print)
1/2 yard solid white for lining
1/4 yard solid blue for drawstrings
12" square of muslin
Coordinating embroidery floss and needle
Embroidery hoop

Cutting:
From each of two blue print fat quarters:
(1) 2-1/2" x 8" strip

From one pink print fat quarter:
(1) 2-1/2" x 12" strip

From a second pink print fat quarter:
(1) 5" x 12" strip

From the last pink print fat quarter:
(1) 12" x 14-1/2" piece (for backing)

From the solid white: 
(2) 12" x 14-1/2" pieces

From the solid blue: 
(2) 2" x 42" strips

From the panel:
Choose one embroidery design and cut out a 12" square (this leaves room for the hoop)

Make the Bag:
1. Layer the embroidery square with the muslin square and secure in your hoop, centering the design. 

2. Using coordinating embroidery floss and your stitches of choice, embroider the flower design. 

3. Remove the embroidery from the hoop and trim to measure 8" square, centering the design. 

 4. Sew the (2) 2-1/2" x 8" blue print strips to the sides of the embroidery square. Sew the 2-1/2" x 12" pink print strip to the bottom edge and the 5" x 12" pink print strip to the top edge.

5. Sew the bag front to the 12" x 14-1/2" pink print bag back along the bottom short edge. Sew (1) 12" x 14-1/2" solid white piece to the opposite short edge of both the bag front and back as shown. 

6. Fold the pieced strip in half right sides together along the seam between the bag back and front, aligning the edges. The raw edges of the two lining pieces should match up as well. Pin edges to secure. Using a fabric marking pen, measure 2" from the top edge of the embroidered square and mark a line as shown. Measure and mark a second line 1" from the first line.

7. Stitch around the three open sides, leaving a 4" opening for turning on the short edge of the lining pieces. DO NOT stitch between the marked lines on either side of the bag front. Backstitch as you approach the line to secure, skip over that 1", and then backstitch as you start again. 

8. Turn the bag right side out through the lining opening. Stitch the lining opening shut. Tuck the lining into the bag and press the top seam. Poke bottom corners out as needed. 

9. Using the existing marked lines on the bag front (re-measure and redraw if you can't see them--ours bled through the fabric enough that we could see them), continue the lines onto the back side of the bag as well. Stitch on each of these marked lines, being careful to only stitch through one side of the bag at a time. (It will be as if you are stitching a tube--you'll be stitching through the bag front and lining sandwiched together, and rotating as you sew, until you're stitching through the bag back and second lining piece.) This creates the casing for the drawstrings. If you stitch through all layers at once, your bag won't open!

10. Press each 2" x 42" strip in half lengthwise. Open and press both long edges in to the center fold.

11. Refold on the center fold line and topstitch along the entire strip to create the drawstring. Make two.

12. Using a safety pin, feed one drawstring into the casing from the left side. Feed through the bag front and bag back, exiting on the left side. Tie the ends together in a knot. Feed the second strip into the casing from the right side. Feed through the bag front and back, exiting on the right side. Tie the ends together in a knot. 


The finished bag!

For a chance to win a FQ bundle of Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures AND a box of the coordinating Aurifloss, make sure you follow our blog! Leave a comment below letting us know that you do, as well as telling us if you've ever done any hand embroidery. The giveaway is open through Sunday, August 21st at 11:59 pm EST. We'll draw a winner and share it next week. 

Congratulations to the winner from last week's Sophisticates bundle: Kira