RBD "Horse Power" Panel Quilt Tutorial

It's my pleasure to showcase these beautiful, digitally-printed "Back in the Saddle Again" panels from Penny Rose Studio/Riley Blake Designs.  

RBD's Novelty Print of the Month: Sharks & Fins

Baby Shark 🎵 doo, doo, do-doo, do-doo 🎵...

"BABY SHARKIE" Lap Quilt, 55" x 65"
A Simple Sadie/Modern Millie quilt with applique' by Deonn Stott

Have you heard the "Baby Shark" song?  If you are a parent/grandparent of toddlers, this "earworm" of a song is pretty popular.  Over 2 BILLION views on YouTube!  And only a little bit annoying.  😏  But it's the first thing I thought of when I took a look at Riley Blake Designs' fun novelty-print-of-the-month for March: Sharks & Fins.  Look, the sharks are singing along!

A Pack-Along Interactive Quilt

This little pack-along quilt was made for interactive play!

Kid-Tested, too!  It kept this sweet little three-year-old entertained, even before the binding was stitched down!

The flap is actually a pocket to store all the pieces.

Here's how to make a pocket/flap for a small pack-along quilt:

Remember, Owl Always Love You

Aunt M Quilt Chronicles, Chapter III:  Elephants!

Hayley's

You may recall that my cute little Aunt is on a quest to make quilts for her granddaughters.  I've become her quilt-coach (enabler, lol!).  First it was a couple of owl quilts, then bears, and now elephants!  

Bear in Mind, Owl Always Love You

Aunt M Quilt Chronicles, Chapter II:  It's never too late to start quilting!

My sweet Aunt Marjory, now 84 years young, has decided to make a quilt for all nine of her
granddaughters.

Virtual Cookie Exchange

My cute friend Carol at Just Let Me Quilt is hosting a Virtual Cookie Exchange Blog Hop this week!

5 Tips for a Terrific T-Shirt Quilt!

Dick's Marathon T-Shirts

Have you made a T-Shirt quilt?  Have you been saving all those T-shirts to make one someday?  I've got a few piles saved up...  I think it's a terrific way to save memories!

Collect a bunch of t-shirts, 12 or more.  Cut off the sleeves, neck binding, then slit the sides.  Rough-cut around the logo with plenty of space to cut out a nice size square or rectangle, as wide as the distance between arm holes will allow.

And here are some tips...

1)  Back blocks with lightweight fusible interfacing to stabilize stretch in the T-shirt material.
     I like to use a lightweight fusible interfacing such as Pellon 911FF or SF101.  Follow manufacturer's
     instructions to adhere stabilizer  to the wrong side of t-shirt squres; med-hot iron, count to 7 in each 

     spot).

2)  Cut out blocks using a consistent measurement.
     Remember to include 1/4" seam allowance on all sides.  If you have smaller blocks, add strips of 

     additional fabric or combine several small blocks to make one large block, (OR see tip #4).

3)  Try sashing to frame the blocks.
     This will help to stabilize the blocks, and provide a pleasing framework

Sashing between blocks

Sashing with corner posts

4)  Use smaller motifs as a border. 

     Use extra strips of the leftovers to fill in border or other blocks.

5)  Quilt the quilt.  Use batting.
     If tying, use a strong yarn or crochet thread, and anchor at the corners and middle of each block.
     If machine-quilting, use an overall pattern.

     PROBLEM:  Rubberized logos and motifs don't allow darning foot to glide over well while quilting without sticking to the logo or stretching the fabric.
     SOLUTION:  Use tissue paper to quilt over rubberized areas.  Then just pull off the tissue paper, perforated by the stitches.  Use a dry washcloth to rub out any stray bits.

Bind the quilt and give to your loved one to enjoy!  BINDING TUTORIAL

Natalie's Wedding Quilt

Have you made a T-Shirt quilt?  Share your tips here!  How about a Memory Quilt with pictures printed on fabric? Maybe that's next...

Tree skirt or Table Topper... That is the question!

Getting ready to quilt this little beauty...

Didn't quite have time to get this lovely tree skirt quilted before Christmas, but it made a beautiful table topper!  We just laid it out over a white tablecloth and covered the table with clear vinyl.  It looked so pretty... do I want to slice it up the middle to fit around the tree, or just keep it as a topper?  Or maybe not, because the design details get a little lost, hanging off the table.

Maybe I should add a couple more borders to square it up and make a lovely Lap Quilt?

Or maybe I should just make all three!  Decisions, decisions.   Ü

UPDATE: This one is now a finished Tree Skirt!  Can't wait for Christmas to come around again!

Star Weave Tree Skirt  -  PATTERN

Anywho...

Are you, or do you live with any Dr. Who fans???

I hadn't seen more than one or two odd episodes of this quirky BBC series, until my daughter started watching a Dr. Who marathon on Netflix.  Who is the Doctor?  He's a Time Lord who explores the universe in his time machine that he calls a T.A.R.D.I.S. (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space)  It looks like an old British police box, which is apparently "...bigger on the inside."

And then, the same daughter started to hang out with this guy... another Dr. Who avid fan. One thing led to another... 

My daughter and I designed and made this TARDIS quilt. My daughter sewed it together, embroidered and applique'd.  We used V&Co's navy ombre' fabric from her Simply Style line and mitered corners on the blocks to create the dimensional effect of the door, then I quilted a wood-grain motif into the door panels.  We used plush fur (minky cuddle fabric) for the backing, so it's "warmer on the inside". I would have quilted down the side panels a bit more, but she wanted the loft to come through for a softer feel.

My daughter gave it to her guy when he came back from his summer internship in Japan.  His reaction:  "I'm totally geeking out!"  In other words, he loves it!

  

And, apparently, he loves her, too.

Come to my Hexagarden...

...complete with Hexagami flowers. 

Continuing with projects from the Hexagon project video (see link below), the large pink flower is made up of six small half-hexie shapes, stitched together to form a ring.  The Hexagami centers were applique'd then quilted in place, with the button sewn through all layers.

You can see tutorials for the large yellow hexagami flower and small blue center hexie methods HERE, or follow along with our video. Even the leaves are half-hexagon shaped, and so is the butterfly!  

The pattern is now available on my Craftsy Store HERE.  

I love this little Hexie Wall Flower ~ another sweet little hexagon project to finish up Hexie week!

19-1/2" x 31-1/2" Wall Hanging

But wait... what's that?  It's a Hexarose.  Looks like another tutorial to me.

Until then, I've had this tune in my head all day.  Maybe you'll enjoy it too!

COME TO MY GARDEN

Hexagon Project Video
Hexagami
Hexagami from Circles
HEXIE WEEK:

Day 1:  I See Hexagons... Day 2:  Hexamacallits - Hexie Pillow/Zipper tute Day 3:  Hexilicious PJ Pillow Day 4:  An Independent Hexie Day 5:  Hexie Hot Pad Day 6:  Come to my Hexagarden Day 7:  Hexarose Hexie Half Ruler/Templates by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Designs
Half-Hexagon Dies by AccuQuilt

How to "Grow" a Quilt

For some reason, when I get to hang out with Cindy in her studio at Riley Blake Designs, I always feel like a kid in a candy shop.  

  http://youtu.be/LqUs2ji_dTQ  

What IS it about being around new fabrics and ribbons and buttons that make me feel giddy??  Or maybe it's just stage fright...

 

Anyway, our latest video explores several ways to lay out quilt blocks and grow a quilt to the size you'd like.  (Here's a link for the TUTORIAL that also gives a ton of layout options for these blocks, from table topper to twin size quilt.)

 

I'm curious to know:  What size quilts are you making? 

Friends and Quilt Trends!!

They say "Quilting with friends will keep you in stitches."  I have to say I agree.   

 

My good friend Debbie and I have been sewing and teaching together for about 14 years.  Both her daughters and mine have grown up in our sewing rooms.  We've traveled more together for quilting and sewing training and teaching than we have with our own families, practically.  So here's our latest adventure, which is taking us to the International Quilt Market in Houston at the end of the month!!    

 Published!

 

 

Quilt Trends Magazine, Fall 2012

 

   Pages 35 to 42... a Techno-Tag Quilt

 

Debbie's Techno-Savvy daughter, Amy...yes, the young one,
showed us the next generation of QR codes - a Microsoft Tag. 
And we thought it looked like a quilt.
So... we made it. 
I prepared templates, wrote up the instructions,
Debbie pieced it together, I quilted it, she bound it.

 

And here's our pattern to make your own 2D Barcode Quilt
that can be scanned with a smartphone.
It's kinda cool.  And it's cute, for a QR code.  And trendy, apparently!

You may remember this fun quilt from a few months back: 

Riley Blake Designs Tuxedo Collection by Doodlebug Design, inc.

"Tag, You're It!" by Amy, Debbie & Deonn

The 5 codes may be scanned with a smartphone

and take you to Riley Blake Designs'

Website, Facebook page, Blog, YouTube videos and Tutorials

photo by Amy Nguyen Newbold

Here it is in the Riley Blake Booth at Quilt Market in Kansas City last May.

 

This is the color version... much simpler.

Techno-Tag Smart Quilt

Want to make your own?  Visit www.tag.microsoft.com to generate your own tag code.  Then pick up a Quilt Trends magazine or purchase the .pdf pattern HERE and make a quilt to hang in your studio, at a show, or on a wall.  Download the free app at gettag.mobi, scan your quilt and it will take you to the designated site for that code.  The color version also scans to Riley Blake Designs' main website.

Straight-line quilting



Basic Solids by Riley Blake Designs

Quiltilicious. 

 

I'm making one to hang in my quilt studio.  The scan will take you to my Craftsy Pattern Store, but I can change the URL if I'd like to, maybe a link to a tutorial or video or blog.  And someday, I need to get a smart phone of my own.  Right now, I have to call the neighbor or wait for my husband to come home to test it. :)

Layout for Scan Test

Next quilt?  How about a custom tag with flowers, little birdhouses, birds and butterflies.  Yup, we're in stitches!  And we can't wait to get to Quilt Market.  I'll be hanging out at Booth #2200, Riley Blake Designs, with a fun Make & Take demo.  Maybe we'll see you there? 
Happy Quilting!