PILLOWCASES FOR VISITORS

Today I finished 6 pillowcases.  Our oldest son and his family are coming next week, and these will be gifts to use here and then take home with them.   From the left, two versions of Thomas the Train for our 3 and 4 year old grandsons (no explanation needed, LOL), girly dogs for our daughter-in-law (their two dogs will be coming along), barbecue for our son (he'll take over all week, I'm sure), coffee for me (I'll need it to keep up), and for my husband, take time for lake time - relax theme (he does love it on the water).

Some years we've given everyone matching t-shirts, sometimes pajamas, etc.  I think they'll all appreciate the homemade pillowcases this year.

PILLOWCASE TUTORIAL

There's nothing like a homemade gift, and personalized pillowcases make quick and easy ones.  On-line you can find many tutorials for making them, and even ways to bring them up a notch with prairie points, pieced quilt block cuffs, etc.

What I'm sharing here is how I make them.  I didn't invent it.  It's a compilation of skills and techniques from many sources.  Mine are made with three seams, and no raw edges anywhere.  All seams are encased, no raw edges, not serged.  These pillowcases are very professional, and much nicer than what you can buy.

First, select three fabrics.  If you are making pillowcases for gifts, think about the personality and interests of the receiver.  Would your guy like a golf theme?  How about a food theme for someone who loves to cook?  Or a music theme for someone who plays in the high school band?  Your creativity is the limit.

You will need a focus fabric, a cuff, and trim.  The lengths of these are flexible.  For a standard size pillowcase, 3/4 yard is plenty.  For larger pillowcases, get more.  For the cuff, I buy 1/3 yard.  The trim will be folded in half and you need 1/2" extra for seam allowance.  1 1/2" is plenty for a thin trim.  Sometimes the print makes me decide to make the trim or cuff larger or smaller by a bit.

For this tutorial I'm working with a coffee theme, which will be nice to wake up to.  My fabric is directional, which complicates, but that's ok.

First, lay your cuff fabric right side up, cut edge on the top, selvages at the sides. Then, lay your focus fabric (the body of the case) right side up, matching the cut edge, selvages at the sides. Don't worry if your sides don't meet up exactly. You can trim them later.

Now fold in half and press your trim strip wrong sides together.  Lay it out on top of the focus fabric, and pin all 4 layers in place.  If your selvage sides aren't lining up, trim them to match the shortest piece.  At least get rid of the selvage of the fabric if you didn't do that when you started.  I always trim those first, because I save them for other projects.

Now roll up your focus fabric, so that your cuff fabric is showing.  Strange, isn't it?

Next, bring that cuff fabric bottom edge up to match your pinned edge.  Pin it in place.  Notice my first pins are top to bottom, but after I make my roll I put the pins bottom to top so the won't be in the way when I stitch.  Here's my roll, ready to stitch.

Sew through all layers with a 1/4" seam -- SEAM 1.  This is going to be a pillowcase???  Yes.  No, it's not a jelly-roll or sausage!

Now the fun part.  Reach your hand into the roll and pull, popping the case right sides out.

Look, no raw edges where the case, cuff, and trim are sewn together!  Give that seam a nice press.

Next fold your pillowcase in half, wrong sides together, right sides out.

Be sure you have the sides and bottoms lined up.  Stitch with a 1/4" seam starting at the cuff.

Stop 1/4" before the bottom edge.

Lift your pressure foot, and pivot your fabric, so that you continue along and stitch the bottom, all in one seam with the side -- SEAM 2 complete.

Clip the bottom corners to reduce bulk.

Now turn the pillowcase wrong side out.  I like to give it a press here, making sure that last seam is opened out.

Now stitch the same seam with a 3/8" seam allowance.  Notice I have removed my quarter inch foot and replaced it with one easy to get a 3/8" seam with.

 Pivot at the bottom, just like before, and stitch the bottom edge.  This is SEAM 3, and you've just made a French Seam!

Here's the beauty of the French Seam -- no raw edges.  Bet it's called something different in France, but when I learned to make this seam, from Mrs. Ott in Home-Ec class, that's what it was and still is called here.  See the beauty of the inside of this pillowcase?

Ta-Da! Here's my pillowcase, all finished.  It took about 15 minutes to make, :)

All folded, and ready to wrap for a coffee lover.

Here are two cases I've made recently.  Notice that the dog fabric was directional too, but in the opposite direction.  I really wanted that paw print to show, so I made the trim larger on that one.  It's all up to you.

Have fun making pillowcases.  Think how quickly you can go through your gift list!

WE CAN DO IT!

Here's my next block for the We Can Do It, Skill-builder Sampler.  It's called Virginia Star (among other names).  It was a nice chance to show off some of my large print fabric in this colorway.  You can find a link to this project on my sidebar on the left, or on Sewn's blog, in blogs I follow on the right.

PEACEFUL PATHWAYS

Esther Aliu has launched her new Block of the Month, Peace Pathways.  Here's a line drawing of the quilt.

This will take 6 months, and she'll post on the 15th.  I love the theme of this quilt, and the fact that the words can be done so many different ways -- applique, embroider by hand, by machine, etc.

One of the items on my bucket list is to make a red and white quilt.  This just might be the one.  Esther's patterns are always stunning, and she so generously offers them free the first go around.

You can follow along by joining her yahoo group here.

Or by following her blog here.

QUILTS FOR KIDS

Have you heard of Quilts for Kids, sometimes called Downy Quilts, as Downy fabric softener is a major sponsor?  I've made them in the past and decided to do another this summer.  They send you the fabric, pattern, label, etc.  You add the piecing, batting, and postage to mail the completed quilt back.  The quilt then goes to a seriously ill child.

This is what they sent to me this time.

Everything comes neatly packaged in a baggie that you return and they reuse, to keep costs down.

You get the pattern, directions, fabric and label. You return the pattern and directions too, so that they can be sent on to another quilter later.

This time I'm working with soccer ball fabric. Everything is precut and ready to piece together.

It's easy to sew this up in one session. Or spread it out if you want. I have my top done, and will share it with you when I've finished the quilting and binding.

If you have a little time and talent to share, plus a tiny bit of treasure (just the thread, batting, and postage to mail it back) this is a super project. I think it would be a wonderful idea for grandparents to do with their grandchildren, or for scout troups, etc. It's a very easy pattern and good for beginners.

Click on Quilts for Kids to learn more.

F-R-I-E-N-D-S SWAP

Sew Prim Khris is once again hostessing a F-R-I-E-N-D-S Swap.  You send your partner items starting with the letters in the word friends.  For example, maybe a fat quarter for F, etc.  Items can be made or purchased.  I'm looking forward to joining the fun.  Check it out here.

LOOK WHO LUMBERED HOME YESTERDAY!!!

My rows have completed their rounds and are home to me.  Remember when I sent out the first row -- three dinosaurs -- the tall middle row here -- last spring?  Well they've been busy traveling the country, getting a new row at each of six stops.

In this Row-Robin, seven of us each made our starter row in our own theme.  We included a few fabrics, and sent it on.  Each gal in turn could add fabrics, or use the ones we included as they chose, to design a 6" x 36" row to add to the quilt.

It's all been a secret until the 'owner' gets all her rows back.  As they come home I'll share the rows I made for the others.  We had six weeks for each row, taking this swap into January.  But everyone has been so enthusiastic and busy, that three of us already have our completed swaps.

This dinosaur quilt will be for my DGS, Brendan, for his 5th birthday next year.  He'll enjoy wiggling the teeth (they aren't sewn down, only at the gum line, as they are prairie points) and snapping open the eggs to see what dino is growing inside.  What a fun project!  What great friends!  What a super quilt it will be!

WE CAN DO IT!

I'm all caught up on the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler! Yeah!

This is one of my favs so far, Block 6, Bow Tie. At first I wasn't even sure I liked this block, but then I thought about using just 2 solid fabrics. Voila! I love it.

And here's Block 5, Arizona.  I love a chance to show off that center fabric.

I think Sewn will be posting a new block tomorrow. I'm glad to be on top of this!

WE CAN DO IT!

With a couple weeks off from sewing (due to eye), it's amazing how far behind you can get in your goals. I'm doing the Skill Builder Sampler, and so I checked in with them, only to find I'm 4 blocks behind! I did block 3 and 4 today. Still need to get to the next two to be caught up!

Here's Block 3, Churndash.

And this is Block 4, Pinwheels.

You can find a link to this group on my left sidebar -- We Can Do It!

AFRICAN VIOLET

Block Lotto blog is doing African Violets for August.  I love this pattern!  This is my first block.

A GOOD DAY AT THE LIBRARY

What a treat I found at my local library today.  I had stopped in to check out a couple books on cd to listen to while quilting, which I did get.  But, bonus, at the entry, in the bin with freebies, throw aways, and swap magazines, was a treasure trove of American Quilter magazines from 1991 to 1993, as well as a few other magazines and a couple pattern books, and the cute cabin quilt pattern in the front.  These weren't library cast offs; someone had placed them there, as often people do with magazines instead of recycling them.  Usually it's a hodgepodge of issues about travel, dogs and cats, etc.  One person's trash is an other's treasure!  I have lots of treasure to page though now.  Yippie!

LIBERATED CHECKER BOARDS

I haven't sewn in a couple weeks due to eye issues, so I decided to ease back into it, with blocks that are intentional wonky. These Liberated Checker Board blocks are for the July Block Lotto. It feels so good to be up in my loft working on patchwork again!

HEALING HEART

This is a healing heart block that I made for Pamela. We both are experiencing eye problems, and sewing is one of the things we hope to continue to do for a long time. So, after making the heart block, I added the needle, thread and spool.

PRIZE FROM MALAYSIA

Barbara Jack, over at The Sanguine Stitcher, had a blog give-away, and I won! This lovely bag and pin cushion are truly even more lovely in person. The cross-stitch on the cushion is just tiny, really tiny! And perfect! Amazing work.
Front:

Back:

She also included this post card from Kuala Lampur, in Malaysia, where she lives. On it she wrote a lovely note, and I feel like I have a new friend!

Quilters are so very generous. My DH said, "So you don't know this person, yet she sent this to you?" Well, yes, I know her in blog land, and there are some wonderful quilters out there!

Thanks again Barbara.

BLACK/WHITE/TOUCH OF RED BLOCKS

Here are the lovely blocks I received in the Black/White/Touch of Red swap. Aren't they fun? These are all 6" Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks. I have fabric selected for sashing, but they are not up next on my list.

DJSS QUILT FINISHED

I finished up my little quilt that I made using the little Dear Jane blocks that Marianne, my 2010 DJSS, sent me each month.

This was my first experience using big stitch quilting with perle cotton. I only quilted on the center of the sashing (1/2" wide strips) and around the outside of the quilt. It was easy to do and I love how it turned out. I used a thicker batting than I normally do, and I'm very happy with how each DJ block puffs up a bit.

Here's a close up of the quilt stitching.

Thanks again, Marianne, for being such a super secret sister.

IT'S THE BIG 6-0!!!

Happy Birthday to me, and yes, it's the big 6-0 today!!!

For several years I've been in a BD FQ swap, but this year, I'm in a birthday cupcake swap. I should be getting 49 in all. They are all ready to fuse onto the recipient's background, and sew into something yummy. How fun!

BIRTHDAY GIFT FROM A QUILTY FRIEND.

My dear friend, Carol, sent me this fun pillow case for my birthday. She made it from some of my very favorite quilting fabric from LoraLea. I'm not sure if I'm the one wearing the blue spools, or the one with the tomato pin cushion ta-tas, but either way, it's all good! She said it's to use for our quilting retreats. Can't wait!

She also included a basket block. We are both in a basket swap, and will need a couple extra's to fill in our quilts. I do love her broderie-perse idea!

OPAM WINNER? ME????

!

Indeed, in years of doing OPAM, I have never won. But now I have! Yeah!

What is OPAM you ask? Well it's on the side of my blog, where we keep track of finished projects, truly finished, not flimsies, etc., with the goal of finishing at least one a month. Just that encouragement is enough, as well as the kind words when we actually finish something. But each finish does go into a drawing for the month.

My terrific gift prize arrived from Australia today. Yes, the organizers, Kris from Tag Along Teddies, and Peg from Happy In Quilting, are from down under, but the challenge is blogland wide.

My prize came beautifully wrapped in the fabric you see in the background, and tied with the bow. I received a lovely pattern, Candy Girl, three skeins of floss, and a cotton picker. How nice! Thanks Kris and Peg, both for the gifties, and for the challenge

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

Proud to be an American; Land of the Free; Because of the Brave.

FAIRY QUILT GODMOTHER

Does this look like fun or insanity? It's my paper piecing pattern for my Fairy Quilt Godmother. Yes, many of those piecies are soooo tiny!

If you choose to make one, yours will be different. You take a quiz to generate your very own Fairy Quilt Godmother. Hop here to get yours.

My Friendship Swap group challenged us to make them and see how unique we all are. Carol has already posted hers. She's so speedy!

Well, I have my fabrics pulled, and my paper piecing ready.

DEAR JANE SECRET SISTER GIFT ARRIVES

This wonderful gift arrived yesterday from my DJSS. She sent a kit with all these wonderful fall fabrics, a bookmark, a really sweet "Pin Your Hopes on God" plaque -- not sure if you can read it, but the little item hanging from the pin says 'hopes' -- and a really nice handmade card.

It was surely a real day brightener!