Gracie Girl Quilt Tutorial

These Gracie Girl fabrics from Riley Blake are the cutest!  I created this quilt to give to a dear friend who recently adopted a baby girl.  The quilt should really be called "Harper Girl" because that is the sweet baby's name.  She is a doll.  The tutorial can be found on the Riley Blake Website.  It's a super fun pattern and I love how it shows off the wonderful fabrics!

LUCKY St. Patrick's Day Pillow Tutorial

I can't believe it's almost St. Patrick's Day!  Of course a St. Patrick's Day pillow is in order.  I hope you get a chance to make one - you will be so LUCKY!!!

Supplies:

19" pillow 

Assortment of green fabrics

1/8 yard white fabric

Scrap of Gray fabric for letters

3/4 yard backing fabric

zipper - 20" or longer

Heat n Bond EZ Print appliqué sheets

Heat n Bond Fusible Fleece

Dig out all your green fabrics and toss it into a pile!!

Cut into 2.5" strips - it doesn't matter how long they are, just get a nice assortment.

Cut the strips into random lengths - using your scissors, gasp!!  You can use a rotary cutter - I am all about speed when I sew and the scissors seemed faster!

Put all the pieces in a basket.  Pull out 2 pieces and sew them together (1/4" seams) end to end, continue doing this by grabbing 2 pieces at a time.  I dare you to not even look at the fabrics and just be totally random!!!

Here is the chain piecing.  Once you have a fair amount of pairs sewn, pair up the pairs, then pair up those strips.  The goal is to have 7 strips that are 19" long.

I went pretty random and did not pay attention to the pattern - I like how it's scrappy.

Once you have laid out the strips, sew them together using 1/4 inch seams.  There are 5 strips on the bottom and 2 strips on the top.  Don't worry about the fact they don't line up.  Sew them together, then square them up to 19" long.

Cut a piece of white fabric 5" x 19".  This is for the appliqué.  Sew all pieces together like this:

Prepare the appliqué by downloading the pattern HERE.  I used these EZ print sheets from Therm o Web.  You put them in your printer and then you don't have to draw the pattern by hand!  They are great!  Make sure to print it in reverse.

Once the pattern is printed, cut around the words and shamrock.  Iron to the WRONG side of your fabric.   I choose to use a gray dot for the letters.  Then cut out the letters and shamrock.  The letters are a little bit tedious, I was almost tempted to try the Cricut, but me and the Cricut don't get along very well!

Sew using a straight stitch in black thread twice around the letters and the shamrock.


Cut a piece of fusible fleece 19" square and iron it to the wrong side of the lucky pillow top.

Sew straight lines 1/8" from each seam.

Prepare the pillow back….
From your backing fabric cut (1) 4.5" x 19" and (1)16" x 19"
Cut a 4.5"x 19" strip from a green fabric
Lay the pieces out like this with the zipper.  Press the green piece in half lengthwise.

Turn the zipper over, align with the top of the large back piece and sew using a zipper foot along the edge:

Sew the opposite side of the zipper adding the green strip, layer like this:

My backing fabric was a heavy woven fabric, I choose to zigzag my seams because they were already starting to fray.  Press the seams away from the zipper.  Put the zipper pull in the center of the pillow and cut the excess zipper off both edges.

Place the pillow front on the pillow back with right sides together.  Pin all the way around.  Make sure the zipper is open so you can turn it after it's sewn.  Sew all the way around the pillow using a generous 1/4" seam.

Notice there is about an inch of extra backing hanging out - don't freak out!!!!  I added a little extra in the measurement to account for variances in zippers.  Just cut it to size, making sure you line up the tops.  Turn and place the pillow inside!!!  Aren't you LUCKY!!!!

Mommy & Me Aprons

Sally has been begging me for a half-apron for quite some time.  I fell in love with the Remember fabric line designed by Carina Gardner, who I had the privilege of meeting at Sewing Summit!  Her Riley Blake Fabrics are so beautiful.  I love the vintage feel of this fabric line - it's perfect to go in my vintage-inspired kitchen.  The aprons are pretty simple to make.  Here's what you need:

Supplies:
3/4 yard main fabric
1 yard stripe fabric
1/4 yard pink fabric
1/4 yard pocket fabric
2 yards wide lace
2 yards medium lace
2 yards small lace

For Adult Apron:

Cut main fabric 13.5" x 36"

Cut stripe fabric 3" x 36"

Cut pink fabric 4.5" x 36

For Child Apron:

Cut main fabric 9.5" x 30"

Cut stripe fabric 2.5" x 30"

Cut pink fabric 3" x 30"

Sew the strip sets together using 1/4" seams in this order.  Zig zag each seam to prevent fraying.

Press seams in one direction.

Fold pink raw edge (hem) under 1/4" and sew.

Lay the wide lace with right sides together along the hem.  Sew along the edge of the lace about 1/4" depending on the lace pattern.

Fold under and press.  Top stitch in place.

Next place the medium and small lace along the seams of the fabric strips.  Top stitch in place.

To finish the sides, fold raw edges in 1/4" and sew, then fold in 1/4" again.  Back stitch at the start and stop.  This should also secure the raw edge of the lace and keep it from fraying. 

Prepare the pocket…cut:

Adult pocket: 8.5"x 6.5"

Child pocket 6.5" x 5.5"

Fold the top edge in 1/4" and sew.

Press sides in 1/4" and bottom 1/4".  Fold the top down about 2.5" or to your liking.

It should look like this:

Pin the pocket into place.  Of course you can sew 2 pockets or change up the shape.  I am right handed so I put the pocket on the right side of the apron.  Pin in place and topstitch leaving the top open. 

Prepare the sash:

Adult apron cut (2) 5" x WOF and (1) 5" x 21"
Child apron cut (2) 4" x 38" and (1) 5" x 18" - you can adjust the length depending on how long you want the ties.

The idea is to have a waistband portion (the shorter piece) in the center and two ties (the longer pieces) on each side.

Sew the waist band pieces end to end with the shortest piece in the center.  Press seams open.


Sew a 1/4" gathering stitch along the top of the aprons.  Pull up threads to gather.

Lay the gathered piece along the waistband piece like this - making sure to align centers.  Notice right sides are together.

Pin into place.  Sew just this portion sewing over the gathering stitch.

Press the entire waistband under 1/4" - all the way around, like this:

Fold the waistband over so folded edges align.

Pin into place.  I leave my pins in and turn the apron over and sew using the front of the waistband as my guide.  That way the front of the apron looks perfect.  The seam catches the back of the waistband just fine. Continue sewing the entire way around the waistband with a 1/8" seam.

Done!!

I think they are so cute!!  We've already made a batch of orange rolls today!!