Trish's Tools - Joining Batting Pieces with Batting Tape - Part 1

When I first read about this "Heat Press Batting Together" I thought what a great idea.  I hurried up and bought a few rolls since I have so many batting pieces that I said "someday" I would make potholders since they were not big enough to complete another quilt with.  I have some rather large pieces that would be perfect for my lap quilts if I could piece them together.  

Once I got the protective cover off of the roll, it was as simple as prepping the batting but cutting straight edges and ironing.  First, I found two large pieces of batting.  I'm using Hobbs Heirloom cotton batting.  I placed the two large pieces together and cut a straight line (OK it wasn't perfectly straight) so that the ends will butt up together. I then placed them end to end on the ironing board and then placed the Heat Press Batting Together tape down on top of the batting in a small section at a time and then pressed the tape with the iron.  

Seemed to be holding so I continued down the full size of the batting.  Looks pretty good.  However, i decided I wanted the tape on both sides for "extra" insurance since it was for a quilt.

I flipped over the batting and added a second strip of the tape and ironed every couple of inches as I laid the tape down.  Once I was done, I was very impressed.  It seemed to hold tightly (I was so tempted to pull on both sides but I thought that would be pushing my luck.  I gave it a light tug and was holding well.  It seemed to be even with the rest of the batting so same height.

Next steps is to load it on the quilting frame and machine quilt over it.  So, stay tuned for Part II.
Thanks for stopping by!  
~*~Trish~*~

Cute Gypsy Quilt Kit

Sometimes I think the Joann coupons I watch for and save are costing me more in the long run.  Although I save a lot on purchased items (40% and 50% off), I tend to buy more.  So, I ask you, who makes out better?  Joann's or me.  hmmm..

Last stop, I came across this new kit I had not discovered before.  It was a cute boxed lap quilt kit called Gypsy Quilt Kit.  I love the fabrics in the kit.  They are so bright and fun!  Would be perfect for a young girl. It comes with 13 FQs and 1 piece 1/2 yard for binding.  The retail is $39 but never pay retail is my motto!  I'm trying to keep myself from going back and getting the queen size version with another coupon.  It has detailed instructions inside the box.  Who knew that a random pieced quilt would require such detailed instructions.  Now comes the fun part, following the directions.This will come in line after I finish my Santorini Lap Quilt and start/finish my Royal Menhi fabric Quilt!

Thanks for stopping by!  
~*~Trish~*~

Western Stars Quilt Completed with Bold Binding

During my weekend, I was able to finish up the Western Stars quilt by sewing on the bold binding.  I love it.  It adds just the right amount of color.  I liked the fabric so much, I went back to Joann's and bought more for any future black fabric quilts.  I love black with bright colors in a quilt so I'm sure I'll use for it in future as well.  I also have learned to love sewing down the binding.  It really goes fast when watching TV.  Here are photos of the finished quilt and the backing. As always you can click on the photos for larger views.

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Bears, Borders and Beans

I had a busy busy Sunday. I whipped up a second bear using using a new pattern.  This time I used McCall's Craft's Pattern M5605. It was easier than my first but I am not too fond of the pointy nose. It only had 4 pieces instead of 10.  This time I used real teddy bear eyes. Each time I'll get better. Not sure what I'll do with all the experimental bears along the way. This one is 8" tall.

I finished the border on a T-Shirt quilt I am working on for a friend. The T-Shirt quilt has a band of squares in the middle that are made up of swimsuits. I just backed them with interface like I did with the T-Shirts and they cut well without stretching. The person was a synchronized swimmer. I blurred some of the TShirts because there were names on them. I used an offset corner block design for the corners.

Finally, I made Chili. That's a big feat for me. I am been frequently visiting a certain fast food chain for their chili. I thought, a similar recipe should be out on the internet somewhere. I found this recipe for Wendy's Chili (oops, I spilled the beans) on the internet. I bought diced tomatoes and chili's in a can. I used 1 & 1/2 cans of them instead of the tomatoes. I also added a small extra can of diced green chilies. It is really good. Tastes pretty close to the original. However, it made a large pot. I'm going to have to freeze some of this!

Thanks for stopping by!

~*~Trish~*~

Bold Binding - Simplicity's Bias Tape Maker Review

Well the votes are in and the bold binding has won. I cut all my strips and joined for approximately 290"+ of 2.5" strips. I pulled out the purchased, but not used yet, Simplicity's Bias Tape Maker. The directions weren't fantastic but they got me through. I rolled my strip on to the spool but realized the foam bottom was hitting that much binding so I took it out.

My biggest issue was trying to get the fabric into the biding clip to feed under the iron. I tried using the "window" to pull through, but, I could not get it so I was going to give up. Then I got desperate and taped the fabric to a thin piece of cardboard and fed it through. Worked like a charm for me but I was concerned the tape would come off and stick inside the binding clip.

I was able to test out the process with a single 2.5 in strip. When I got it set under the iron cover and then replaced the cover and pressed start on the machine. I had to hold the iron cover to get the strip to feed. Here it turned out I did not pull the iron cover left into locked position. Once I did that, the real binding strip fed through so fast!. I am in love with this machine now. Wow, that was fast!. Here's a little snippet I took. Also, here's the video from simplicity. Just click on the video tab, I could link directly to it!

Here's my quick video of how fast this item works. Not the best quality but will do. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Turning Twenty Quilt Finally Completed

It was such a rainy, rainy weekend here.  One that makes you want to stay in and complete a project at home.  I made the best of it because it gave me a chance to finally finish the my 2 year old Turning Twenty quilt.  I had forgotten how big this quilt was! 82" long and 68" wide.  DH had to stand on the couch and hang the quilt over the banister to get a decent photo of the quilt.  You can see a little of the banister in the bottom right.  Here's the finished quilt and a close up of the Moda binding.  The binding has such a great tone on tone pattern to it.

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Finished Blush Lap Quilt Top

I added the solid white inner border to the Blush Lap Quilt that uses the "In A Jiffy" pattern.  Previously, I was not sure I liked all the colors mixed together.  Now, I like it a lot more!  The difference in the pattern,  I added a 2" (1.5 with seams) white inner border to match the white fabric on some of the blocks.  Here's the completed quilt top just in time for Valentines Day.  Happy Valentines Day to all my blogging friends out there:

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Ties that bind the cake

This past week during vacation we made a trip to Pittsburgh to visit with family and to complete some errands. The first errand was to drop off some cakes for two baby showers.

One cake of diapers was made for a new little girl and the other was made for twin boys. Simply roll up your diapers individually and rubber band them lightly to stay rolled. Create three layers of rolled diapers one at a time and then compress the layer with a fabric tie. Decorate with all the beautiful things available for babies these days!

The way I keep the layers tight is with a fabric band. It is simply:

• Two 3.5" strips sewn right sides facing and then turned right sides out. To make it extra simple, I sew one end straight across when inside out.
  

• I use this side to turn right side out. Then I turn the other side in and sew a 1/4 visible seam.
  
• Now, just turn the ends to make a point and sew all directions.
  
  

The bottom layer I make a strip 66" long (1.5 times the length of fabric) and the top two layers are 44" or 42". Tie tightly to compress the layer and form a bow. Whala...

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

October - My Favorite Month

I love the month of October! From the weather to the events, I always look forward to it. It starts with the cooler weather and then moves into our Anniversary tomorrow. Then, as we do every year, we take two weeks off for vacation sometime in the middle. Sometimes we go on a cruise or trip and other times we stay local. Since we were in Las Vegas in May, we'll be sticking locally again this year. But, there's a long list of "to dos" to be completed.

One I can check off my list as completed is the FALL Moda Gobble Gobble fabric quilt. The more I look at this quilt, the more I love the fabrics. They are the perfect fall colors. I finished it with a very soft chocolate flannel for the backing. Just makes you want to snuggle up. I also picked up a 12" pillow today at Joanns for the leftover block pillow case I completed. Joann's is having a b1g1 free sale on their brand of pillows.

Here's the end results. Of course I had a model in the last photo as well. This is Mindy, our larger Yorkshire terrier who loves to smile for photos :-) Also, in the last photo you can see the binding is chocolate brown as well on the bottom of the quilt.

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

It's like a new machine... Gobble gobble

It's funny how we can get used to how things work. I can't believe how zippy and fast the fabric passes under the presser foot now. Those feet really grab hold now and pull the fabric through versus the pushing and pulling I found myself doing sometimes.

I gave up on the "pattern" for the Moda baby quilt using the gobble gobble squares. Once I got started on these this weekend, there was no stopping until the quilt top was done. The question is now, how to finish it. I have some brown fabric for a border I think I'm going to use but I'm not sure what backing fabric I'll use. Here's the top...


It turned out I had 12 blocks left and immediately thought to make a pillow. I sewed the 12 blocks together and cut the square down to 12.5 for a smaller pillow cover. I found a complementary batik piece of fabric for the backing. The back pieces I cut to 8.5" each and then turned down a 1/2 inch on the edge and sewed a 1/4 seam to finish the opening that would receive the pillow insert when it is all finished.

To prep for sewing, I placed the pillow face up and the two backing pieces face down and sewed all around the perimeter. I sewed a few back and forths on the edges where the back pieces overlap for stability and here you have it, my matching little pillow. I love how the little pillow turned out! Of course, I only have a 14, 16 & 18" pillow form. I need to stop by the craft store and get a 12" square pillow form.

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Four Breast Cancer Warrior Quilts Finito!!

I am 100% done with the Four Breast Cancer Warrior Quilts that I started back around June. It seems like I have been working on these for months and months.... Wait, I have. However, since I can only sew on the weekends, a lot of progress has been completed over these couple months.

I can say I am finally found my rhythm with hand sewn binding. It took a quilt and a half and then I was whip stitching like crazy. One a night since Wednesday. At first after the first binding my little finger I use to push the needle was so sore.

Then, I came up with a compromise. I had a box of spot band-aids and used them as makeshift thimbles for my middle finger which I use to push the needle through the binding. One on top near the nail and then one near the middle section. It worked like a charm!! Probably shouldn't be used for hard needle work because they are apt to puncturing. Terrible photo but you get the picture.

But, I can finally say, I am done !! Now, time to box them up and ship them out to the ad agency. I hope a few of mine go to hang in the hospitals for Breast Cancer Awareness month before they are given to a recipient. I hung them over the banister (so you can see on each one where they bow out over the carpet) and took my final photos. What a nice view below:

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Lime Quilt Block and Breast Cancer Quilt Layout

Lime Quilt Block

I think I'm going to really like this Lime Quilt! Here's one block finished. The block finishes 12" square. The digital camera is having problems capturing the polka dots correctly. It make the block look crooked but it really turned out pretty straight. Now only 29 more to go plus borders. My goal is at least one block per day. It's a slow goal, but, I also have 4 breast cancer quilts to assemble that I volunteered to complete. Here's the lime block.


Breast Cancer Quilt Layout

Below is a trial layout of my first of four Breast Cancer Quilt for the Breast Cancer Warrior Quilts. As members attended the race, they brought or created a square on pink fabric provided or brought their own. Some on white, some on others. Here's a trial layout. There are more light pink blocks than darker and I am OK with the areas of repetitive light pink. These will be taking a lot of my time over the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted on the progress. The green you see in between the blocks is my carpet.


Congrats Pittsburgh Penquins NHL 2009 Stanley Cup Champions!!!


Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

LimeQuilt Status, Quilting Books Giveaway

LimeQuilt Status

I am happy to say, I have washed and lightly ironed all fabrics! I should move into cutting the squares today in between yard work! Hard to see but the white on white fabric is on the left.

Cleaning

As I was looking around while cleaning today, it's time to get rid of some of my excess crafting items. So, what better way than to give them away!! These will be easy giveaways since there are not too many visitors to the site. Who knows, you could be the only one :-) So, if you are interested in some free books, please let me know by leaving a comment and tell me what your favorite quilting book is if you have one. If not, what's your favorite craft book.

35 Projects - Quilting Books Giveaway - Ends 6/15/09

I have sooo many crafty things that I would much rather give to other crafters instead of having them end up in the land fill. The giveaways will touch all different types of crafts. Some piddly, some good ones, we'll see.

The following quilting books are from my own library and will be given away on Monday evening EST, June 15th. I will pull a random number and match to comments. I will not approve any postings that I feel are inappropriate. The books will be shipped at my expense by media mail. Sorry, but only US Address entries at this time.

The two quilting books (remember, they are used but in great condition) from my supply are :

• Quirky Quilting by Tomme J. Fent
• 90 Minute Quilts by Meryl Ann Butler.

Thanks for stopping by!
~*~Trish~*~

Breast Cancer Blocks and Lime Green Calling

Breast Cancer Blocks

In addition to the applique block in the post below, I've been busy embroidering a few other breast cancer awareness blocks to place into a quilt that will be given away. I went on a hunt for unique and different breast cancer ribbon embroidery files and here's what I've found that I purchased from several embroidery sites such as emblibrary, dreamwestembroidery, and creativeconnectionsembroidery.



I also used tear away stabilizer for the first time. I love this stuff. I'm thinking it would be great being used for paper piecing as well. Look how easily it removed from the angels!


Lime Green Calling

I've always favored bright quilts using black as the background fabric. So, I have a bunch of different brights and black fabric. As I was working on the angel blocks above, I looked up at my stash and saw two fabrics close together that immediately caught my eye finally. It's some lime green flowered fabrics and black and white polka dot fabric. I know this is not everyone's cup of tea but I'm going to try and work with them.


So, it's off to my EQ6 software to try and come up with some type of quilt design using these two fabrics. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for stopping by
~*~Trish~*~

Happy Valentines Day Card

I love combining crafts to create items. This time it's embroidery and cardmaking. I searched for the perfect heart pattern and found this heart at abc embroidery designs. I knew this was going to be on my card the moment I saw it.

I started to stitched it out and ran into my first bobbin thread ending. It made a little mess but I kept on going. It's easy for me to find but the hubby did not find it. I used it in my explanation of why I love and appreciate him so much. He does not see my issues and faults and only sees the big picture. I'm sure my crafty friends can find it. I also used two contrasting reds for a reason to comment on how different we are but complement each other.

I then cut it out in a square size a smidgen smaller than my cardstock. Placed double-sided tape on the back and placed it on the top section of my card.

Then I placed half inch strips around the corner to hide the edges and double-taped them down and trimmed around the heart. I finally adhered the corners with rhinestone tacks and there you have it.

Hope you enjoy your valentines day! I got a gift card to Joann's so I'm very happy.

Thanks for stopping by
~*~Trish~*~