QUILTING TUTORIALS Archives - Page 7 of 12

Dream to Achieve Quilt Along – Preparation 2

May 25, 2015 by Nanny 2 Comments

'Dream to Achieve' I'm Quilting Along With Nanny — ‘Dream to Achieve’ I’m Quilting Along With Nanny

Hi! Just a quick note today as I realised that I had not finished with the preparation post for the Dream To Achieve Quilt Along

Let’s finish it now!

1. Take each of your strips, 9″ and 2.5″, (but not the two that will run down your quilt) and measure across from one selvedge edge to the other. Take care not to stretch the fabric, just lay it out on a table.

2. Take the smallest one, (in my case it is 54cms on my cutting board )and using a ruler, square up at that point and cut.

3. Cut all of the other strips ( both 9″ and 2.5″) to the same measurement –

Now we are ready!

Until next time

Nanny xx

‘Dream To Achieve’ Quiltalong Preparation

May 14, 2015 by Nanny 11 Comments

Welcome!

It is time to get started with our ‘Dream to Achieve’ Quiltalong Preparation.

MATERIALS LIST

This will make one quilt that will be approximately 60″ x 90″

To make the quilt you will need the following:

0.5m of each of 4 fabrics – the ones going across the quilt – you can see that I have repeated each one Of course you can use a different fabric for each one, 0.25m of each

0.5m of a feature fabric – this will be cut in half and joined to make the long strip running the length of the quilt. It is important to think about this as it will be turned sideways to the other fabrics. So does it have a print that can be turned on its side and can the print be easily joined? (take a look at the quilt and notice that it looks like one piece because I was able to join the pattern well)

1.25m for the sashing – black

0.5m for the binding – I chose to use black for the binding as well.

I will chat about backing and wadding further down the track.

It would be easier for you if you have a rotary cutter, self healing mat and quilting rulers – I will chat on as if you do BUT if you don’t, don’t panic because you can certainly do it all with tape measure and scissors! You will find some useful tips here !

I will be sewing along with you and this time I will be using this fabric:

Galaxy by Sue Penn for Fine Lines

PREPARING FABRIC

1. Should I wash my fabric?

You will see that this is an ongoing debate with quilters – some do wash, some don’t. I do – I always have and guess I always will.

Main areas of contention appear to be:

Why wash?

Shrinking

Dye Run

Remove sizing (chemicals)

Why not wash?

Good quality quilting fabrics don’t shrink or colour run

Easier to cut accurately

You can pop a colour catcher in when washing the finished quilt

Now some of the worst fabric that I have experienced came from a reputable Quilting Store, I have never had a problem cutting and aside from the ironing 🙁 I don’t find it a hassle to wash. As fabric comes into my house, it is washed before being added to the stash so it is ready when I am.

So the answer is: It is a personal choice – make it wisely and be prepared for any outcome! (bit like life!! lol)

NOTE: You don’t try to wash pre-cuts like charm squares, jelly rolls or you will end up with a tangled, fraying mess

2. Cut your fabrics

You can’t assume that all fabric has been properly cut. It is often rolled crookedly onto the bolt and if a tweak diagonally doesn’t fix it, we have to trim!

This is why I have given approximate sizes for the quilt – you may not end up with the full amount when you trim although most fabric sellers do cut that extra bit larger!

Don’t worry if your piece ends up being narrower – the beauty of this quilt is that it won’t really matter. Instead see it for what it is – a learning experience.

This is one of my pieces. You can see that it is at least 1 cm off straight, and of course that means that underneath on the other end is short the same amount. This is just one of the little ‘delights’ of quilting! You will see this piece again further down the page.

(a) Straighten the edges: I have set my fabric piece so that the fold is going along the bottom line to show you how ‘not straight’ this piece is. If you follow the edge up the green board you can see how much it varies.

To straighten this, I take the folded edge at the bottom and fold it up to the top to make it half as wide. When you do this be sure to smooth it all out to avoid s bends in your cut!

Using your ruler to keep square, trim the sides and the piece is now 19″ wide

Do this for each piece of fabric and measure each when done. Depending on how much you had to trim each one, the final measurements will vary. For example, this is another of my strips that you saw earlier:

You can see that I do not have 19″ in this piece and so I decided that I would cut ALL of my strips at 9″

(b) Cut off the Selvedges:

The Selvedge is the (often)white strip down the side of the fabric width

This side is obvious but this side as not so obvious.

You need to cut BOTH sides off by squaring off from your newly straightened edges

(c) Cut your strips

So with the fabric double folded as before, measure 9″ and cut and then another 9″ and cut. You will now have two strips, width of fabric, 9″ wide.

Continue that process for all of your strips.

(d) Cut the Sashing:

The sashing is the smaller black stripes in the quilt. You will follow the same process to straighten, remove selvedges and trim these strips to 2.5″.

You should end up with:

10 pieces 9″ wide and

8 pieces 2.5′ wide

4. Please, please just ask if you need any help – there is a contact form at the top of the Blog page or ask on the FB page

5. Share your photo, join the chat and be in the running for a prize!!

Don’t forget to share a photo here in the Flickr group and/or here on our FB page

Until next time

Nanny xx

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‘Dream to Achieve’ – A Quilt Along

May 3, 2015 by Nanny 6 Comments

Today I am excited to announce my first Sew Along on this site – the ‘Dream to Achieve’ Quilt Along!

I put this quilt together after three members on my ‘Nanny Sews’ Facebook page, expressed their desire to learn to make a quilt. They wanted to make a block quilt for a single bed.

While this is not ‘new’ in terms of pattern design (you will find many variations around the traps) I have used standard fabric sizing to make purchasing of fabric on-line an easy option.

Finished size:

90″ x 60″

In deciding on the name ‘Dream to Achieve’ I considered:

1. The dream shared by the three members to learn to make a quilt

2. The Indigenous prints I have chosen; and

3. The inspiration that I hope it will take with it, as it finds its new home at The Barwon Learning Centre in Moree, NSW .

The Barwon learning Centre staff and community under the leadership of the Principal, Margaret Hayes, have been achieving incredible results with their Educare approach.

Something that you may not know about Nanny is that I spent the majority of my teaching career in the area of Indigenous Education and for some of that time was based in Moree in the North West Region of NSW and, something else you wouldn’t know, is that Margaret and I were two of the four Margarets in our high school year- Haysey and Henry – and we were great friends.

Life’s journeys took us in different directions after school and regretfully we lost contact for many years but I am forever amazed at how life circles special people back into our lives, and, through the wonder of modern technology, we have both mastered Facebook and become ‘friends’ all over again!

I surprised Margie with the news that I would like to give her the quilt, to use as she sees fit, to help further the wonderful work of TBLC!

Now let’s do the hanging on the clothesline shots!

and then some more creative shots!

Can you tell I just love this quilt?

So let’s get down to details!

I will publish tutorials/ guides as we work at our own ‘Dream to Achieve’quilt. I can’t wait to see all of the variations!

I am also excited to say that, due to some lovely sponsors (read that as friends who have offered to help), we will be having some fun along the way with some very handy little prizes for up and coming quilters to enjoy!

So, if you would like to learn some basic quilting skills, or maybe just make the quilt for fun, please join us in this adventure. for those with a blog, I’ve even made a button for you to pop on your page to tell others what you are doing!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.nannycraft4u.com.au" title="Nannycraft4u"><img src="https://nannycraft4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DSC05495-e1430634745982.jpg" alt="Nannycraft4u" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

It is really easy – just pop on over to my Facebook page ‘Nanny Sews’ to join in the chats, questions, sharing etc BUT if you are not into Facebook, that’s OK too because all of the info you need will be right here and you can share your photos in the Flickr group that I have set up for us.

Do you HAVE to do any of that? No, of course not – it is entirely up to you how much you participate, but from my experience, it makes it more fun to join in and share with other members of the group. So I am hoping that you will join me in ALL aspects of the Quilt Along!

To be eligible to ‘win’ any of the prizes, you will need to be an active member, sharing and interacting with the group.

PREPARATION:

Start thinking about your fabrics!

Things to consider:

Who will the quilt be made for?

What colours would you like to try?

Will you use plains, prints or a combination?

What do you have in the stash that could be suitable?

GET EXCITED!!!!

I will post a detailed list of requirements during the week.

I hope you will join us and Dream to Achieve!

Until next time

Nanny xx

DREAM TO ACHIEVE

Tutorial 1 – Preparation: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/05/dream-to-achieve-quiltalong-preparation/

Tutorial 2 – Preparation 2: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/05/dream-to-achieve-quilt-along-preparation-2/

Info – Meet our Sponsors: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/05/dream-to-achieve-meet-our-sponsors/

Gift Pack Winner 1: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/05/dream-to-achieve-gift-pack-winner/

Gift Pack Winner 2: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/06/dream-to-achieve-gift-pack-2-winner/

Tutorial 3 – Joining the Strips: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/06/dream-to-achieve-joining-the-strips/

Gift Pack Winner 3: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/06/dream-to-achieve-gift-pack-3-winner/

Tutorial 4- Quilting Preparations: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/06/dream-to-achieve-quilting-preparations/

Tutorial 5 – Pinning the Quilt: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/07/dream-to-achieve-pinning-the-quilt/

Tutorial 6 – Quilting the Quilt: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/08/dream-to-achieve-quilting-the-quilt/

Tutorial 7 – Walking Foot Quilting Ideas: https://nannycraft4u.com/2015/08/dream-to-achieve-walking-foot-quilting-ideas/

Quilt-A-Long for Charity – Tutorial 10 – Binding – Part 2

September 16, 2013 by Nanny Leave a Comment

Good morning! Today will be the final tutorial for our Quilt-A-Long. We are going to take that binding and finish our quilt!!

Let’s sew!

1. Take your binding

2. Open the binding at one end and using the 45 degree mark on your rule, trim the end.

3. Starting about half way along one side of the quilt, using the end you just cut, pin the binding to the back of the quilt, ‘peeper’ fabric up.

4. Start about 8″-10″ from the end of the binding and sew along the side using a 1/4″ seam until you reach 1/4″ from the end. I have put a pin to show you where to stop. Finish by doing a couple of reverse stitches.

5. Take it from the machine

6. Take the binding and fold it up so that it runs as an extension of the side that you haven’t sewn yet. It will form a 45 degree angle.

7. Now fold it back down along the unsewn side until the fold is level with the side you have just sewn – I popped a pin in it to hold.

8. Now back to the machine and starting with some reverse stitches, do the same thing down this side, stopping 1/4″ from the corner.

9. Repeat the process until you are back to the side where you started. Stop with a couple of reverse stitches when you are about 8″-10″ from the end of the binding that you pinned at the start. You now have two unsewn ends of binding.

Now all we have to do is make that binding fit together!! It looks complicated but it really isn’t. There are many different ways to do this but this one works for me 🙂

1. From the point you just stopped sewing, open the binding and continue to pin the binding fabric only (my stripe) to the quilt until you meet up with the cut off end that we started with.

2. Place the opened binding on the left under the precut end, making sure it is all lying flat. I have my finger under the precut edge to show you

3. Mark where that precut edge meets the bottom one- I have moved the top away to show you my blue mark

4. You can take the pins out now and open the binding, using your rule, continue the mark you made across the binding

5. Now we have to add 1/2″ seam allowance – so on the side closest to the end of the binding, add 1’2″. The new line is the one on the right.

6. Cut the binding off at that line – you know you have the right line if the first line is still there too!

7. Now we are going to join the ends just like we did when we joined our strips! We need to take care here that we join carefully so the ‘peeper’ continues across the join. The easiest way is to put your pin through the top piece on the seam line

and make sure that it also passes through the seam line on the bottom one

8. Using a 1/4″ seam, sew the seam ( I couldn’t match the stripes here but you can see that the seam is matched perfectly!)

9. Press the seam open and fold the binding back in half.

10. Take it back to the machine and starting and finishing with a couple of reverse stitches, complete sewing the binding!! (and rejoice that it fits perfectly)

How are we doing? I hope you are still with me!!

Now all we have to do is press the binding away from the back of the quilt and then turn it to the front. We are going to sew ‘in the ditch’ along the seam line of the ‘peeper’. I suggest you pin it to the front with the pins just missing the seam line on the back.

You will be sewing on the front of the quilt so choose a thread to match the colour of your ‘peeper’ fabric.

You will see the thread on the back so I suggest filling your bobbin with a colour to match the back of the quilt. In my case I had a blue on the top and a light green in the bobbin.

When you reach a corner, treat it the same way as before – sew up to the seam line of the next side

Fold the corner and keep sewing!

Congratulations!!!!! You have reached the end of our little adventure and you have a lovely quilt for your efforts. I am so excited I could almost burst!! 🙂

I want to thank you for allowing me to guide you in the making of your first quilt – it has been a huge experience for both of us. The whole process evolved while I was in a place of real emotional turmoil – facing the reality of necessary Aged Care for my darling Dad. Quilting along with you provided me with a place of calm and comfort amid all of that turmoil – it is my wish that our quilts provide the same feelings of calm and comfort for the children. Thank You from the bottom of my heart!

Until next time

Nanny xx

Quilt-A-Long for Charity – Tutorial 9 – Binding – Part 1

September 13, 2013 by Nanny Leave a Comment

Here we are at the final stage of our quilt making and if you are up to here with me, I am very proud of your efforts and you should be too!

To bind the quilt, I have decided to try a technique that I found on Pinterest some time ago. I haven’t tried it yet so I will be ‘learning’ along with you. It is a technique that combines the binding and a small ‘peeper’ border at the same time and is all done on the machine ie no hand stitching.

So let’s give it a try!!

Preparation:

1. Trim the quilt: It is important to check that your corners are still square as you trim the excess backing and batting away.

2. Cut the Binding fabrics.

a) Take the fabric for the ‘peeper’, folded selvedge to selvedge and square the edge.

b) Cut six strips across the width of the fabric (wof), each 1 and 3/4″ wide (NOTE: After following these directions, I think it would be better, if you have enough fabric, to cut them at 2″)

c) Square off the main binding fabric

d) Cut six strips across the wof, each 1 and 1/2″ wide

3. Join the strips

a) Take 2 of the ‘peeper’ strips and overlap the ends as in the photo below (that will get rid of the selvedges when it is cut). The strips are at right angles to each other.

b) Rule a line across as shown in the photo below – that will be a 45 degree angle (you can check it if you want to)

c) Stitch along that line (you will be able to ‘eye’ it once you know what you are doing)

d) When you open it you now have a great join!

e) Trim to 1/4″ and press it open (to reduce bulk).

f) Continue to join all of the ‘peeper’ strips.

If you are using a stripe like me, it is nice if you match the stripes. If you are not using a stripe, just continue as you did above.

4. To match the stripes:

a) Place the strips so that the stripes line up and choose a stripe – I have put a pin to show you I have chosen the left side of the blue stripe.

b) Place the strips together at right angles as before, so that the two edges where the pins are, meet – so if you look closely, the blue stripe meets at a right angle.