I’m still in scrappy mode this week! After diving into making the adorable mini purses I wrote about in my last post, I couldn't resist the urge to keep
going. So, what did I do next? I dug more into my scrap bins and started
piecing together some more patchwork panels.
First
up, I whipped up a Rosie Keychain Wallet using some brown scraps, and I have to
say, it turned out pretty awesome. In fact, I'm so thrilled with the result
that I've got plans to make a few more Rosie Wallets. They're just too cute to
resist!
But
that's not the only thing that's got me excited. I've also made a couple of NunoSmall Wallets too! For
the pink and purple wallets, I used the same quilt-as-you-go method as the mini purses.
Now,
for the red wallet, I decided to go traditional by making two mini log cabin
blocks, using 1.25-inch strips, and then threw in an extra strip in the middle
to make it a perfect fit for the Nuno Wallet. And I’m super happy with the
result! Making patchwork quilt wallets has been at the top of my list.
In
the original pattern of Rosie wallet I did not use batting, but in this
patchwork version, I used low loft
batting and quilted it pretty densely to make the panel flatter. When you
want to make a patchwork or quilted version of a wallet, remember to change the
interfacing to lightweight interfacing. The interfacing will give more structure and also make the wallet more durable.
I shared my work progress and a few tips and tutorials on my YouTube Channel. Make sure to check them out!
Over
the last month, I've been quite occupied. Although I intended to write blogs on a regular
basis, I never got around to doing it. However, with my younger son's
half-term exams completed and my elder one returning to college, I finally have
some free time to write!
Today, I just wanted to share with you
that I recently made some really cute mini wallets from scraps and even created
a tutorial on my YouTube channel! These wallets turned out great and I think
they could make awesome gifts, especially with the holiday season coming up.
I found that using narrow strips with a maximum width of about 1.5"
worked best for me. Personally, the narrower the better! All the details on how
to do this are provided in the video, but if you prefer to read rather than
watch, there's a written tutorial available on my website.
When
making scrappy patchwork, color combination is crucial. If overwhelmed by
choices, it's best to stick to single-color shades or a maximum of two colors,
such as pink and green.
I
also created a wrist strap that matches! You can find the tutorial for making
the wrist strap on my YouTube channel as well. It seems that mini wallets with short lanyards have become quite trendy these days. What about you? What's your favorite
scrappy project to work on?
I wanted to share with you what I recently made - a
couple of coasters as gifts. I didn't really feel like sewing, but I needed to
make something quick. So, I grabbed the scrap bag under my cutting table and started
picking out a few fabrics. I decided to keep it simple and use just one set of
colors for the coasters. They turned out pretty nice, and I hope my friend
loved them!
These coasters are really easy
and quick to make. It takes around 10-15 minutes only. Well, I spent more time
picking up the fabrics. I mean, rummaging through scrap bins is really fun,
right? I just made some coasters and they were so easy and quick to make! It
only took me around 10-15 minutes to finish them. Although, I must admit that I
spent more time picking out the fabrics. Going through scrap bins is just so
much fun, don't you think?
Materials I used:
Leftover strips of fabrics
5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches lightweight non-woven interfacing (optional)
5 x 5 inches fabric for backing
As I love making videos, here's the video tutorial to make the coasters!
When it comes to fabric choices, I like to use
cotton batting for my larger projects, but for smaller ones, I'll use whatever
is available. Recently, I made a pink-green coaster using poly batting, but it
turned out a bit flat, even though I didn't quilt it too densely. On the other
hand, the blue coasters I made with cotton batting and only quilted along the
seams turned out great. In the video, I used block print scrap fabrics, which
have different shades of every color. To give my final product more structure,
I always use nonwoven lightweight interfacing, but you can skip it if you
prefer a different finish.
I have a few more unfinished projects in
progress. Follow me on YouTube where I share almost daily updates on my work.
I made this teal mug rug a couple of weeks ago. Still use the green and teal scraps from my scrap buckets and I cut them into my fave square 2.5" x 2.5". The size is rather biggish - the finished size is 7.5" x 11.5". I think it will be great as a mug rug or mat for smaller tables, side tables, etc
This scrappy mug rug is very easy to make. All you need is assorted 2.5" scraps and you are good to go. And if you prefer you can always machine quilt it but I love to hand quilt it in the kawandi style. That is quilting from the outside edge first and moving inwards in a circular way. The effect on the reverse side (if using solid backing) is just beautiful. Plus with hand quilting, the quilt always turns out softer.
I made many small quilts that I quilted this way and here's one that I recently did. I keep a bunch of ready-to-quilt small items near my computer table and I can easily pick them up and quilt away as I am catching up on the Kdrama or Cdrama!
For the scrappy mug rug, I used Indian mul mul fabrics for the patchwork and poplin cotton for the back. I added a thin fleece batting, sometimes I used cotton batting too. I made placemats in the same color hues earlier.
Don't you love the effect of this big stitch quilting style on the back? This can easily become a reversible mug rug!
If you've been thinking to start learning about hand quilting, you may want to start with this kind of big stitch quilting and you don't have to start with a big quilt! I wrote and uploaded the video about what needle I used and the process in THIS POST
I have a mountain of scraps in buckets and bags all around the house. Somehow I just don't have the heart to throw them away. Whenever I see my fabric scraps I feel inspired and full of ideas, but then those ideas remain on my "bucket list".
A few weeks ago, Tina and I discussed the next swap, after the successful swap we has last month in Desi Quilters. This time she has with the idea of exchanging Potholders and as usual, she came up with the most suitable name "pot of gratitude". This is to remind us to always be grateful during this Pandemic and by making a gift for our virtual friends who always be there to help in our crafting or quilting journey.
So, let me talk about potholders that I usually make.
1. Batting
The first question that people ask is always about what kind of batting to use for potholders. Well, we don't have thermal batting for retail here in India. I usually use double or triple layers of cotton batting. A few years ago before cotton batting was easily accessible, I use a few layers of cotton flannel (like THIS coaster). If you have scrap batting, you can use it even if it's narrow strips you can layer them.
2. Fabrics.
Store-bought potholders usually use thicker or canvas cotton. I normally use quilting cotton or poplin cotton. And if I use Indian fabrics (mulmul) I usually use nonwoven interfacing to give additional weight. On the back, you can use casement fabric or canvas if you have one.
3. Quilting.
You can either sandwich two layers of batting with top and backing and quilt them together or you can quilt the top and back separately like in THIS mug rug. I personally prefer the latter because it turned out thicker which is perfect for potholders. You can quilt the top with denser quilting lines but I'd suggest using less dense quilting lines for the backing.
4. Binding
For square or rectangle potholders, I'd suggest using a jellyroll strip. A 2.5" wide is a good one, but if you use thicker batting, you might want to use a 3" wide binding. I normally used 1.5" wide binding for small quilts, but since we're going to use the potholders a lot, thicker binding is always better.
The same applied to bias binding. In this pumpkin potholder video, I use scraps of about 11" x 17" fabric to make 2.5" wide binding which yields around 1.65 meters of binding strips. Enough to make 2 potholders.
I wrote about making bias binding in THIS POST using a square of fabric. You can make bias binding from fat eighth or fat quarter like in THIS VIDEO
- Embroidery can be added but avoid beads and sequins
- The edges must be finished with binding or facing.
- There must be a loop for hanging the potholders.
- Must be made according to your partner's mood board. Sonalee wrote how to create a mood board on her blog HERE.
In the videos below, I shared 2 projects that I made using fabric crumbs. Not really make a dent in my scrap bins but I am using only scraps here. So I'm pretty happy!
When Tina Katwal asked me if I'd like to make a quilted pouch tutorial for our Desi Quilters group, I immediately said yes. I was thinking of making one with handloom fabrics as the 7th of this month was National Handloom Day! So it was like serendipity.
So, I decided to make this pouch or bag using my fave precut - mini charms (2.5" x 25" pieces). To make this bag, you don't need much.
Materials you need:
20 pieces mini charms of your choice
(40 pieces if you make a patchwork of both sides)
A few Fat Eighth or FQs for Back Panel and lining
Batting (fleece or cotton)
#5 Zipper at least 10" long
(you can use #3 zipper if you wish)
Non-Woven Lightweight Interfacing
Finished Size 9.5" x 8" (approx)
This patchwork pouch tutorial is for the Love and Healing Swap in our Desi Quilters Group on Facebook. The pattern is for using mini charms but you can easily adapt it using any kind of block or orphan blocks that you have in your UFO baskets. The key is to make the patchwork piece the same size as the interfacing.
The interfacing will give a perfect finish for the quilted pouch or bag, no matter what batting you're using. I made many patchwork quilted bags and I found this combo is the best.
Working with handloom fabrics is pretty challenging. If you decided to make one using handloom fabrics, consider prewashing your fabric first. I normally don't ;). As handloom tends to shrink and become out of shame from frequent ironing. Spray starch also helps.
I'm getting a little bit better with the new editing app. I also found a good angle to place my ring light while recording videos :)
Editing does take time but when the mood is good and the boys are happy with Domino's, I can get it done pretty quickly ^^
I hope you enjoy the video! Do let me know in the comment :)
Now, download the pattern below, andlet's start sewing those scraps!
Making patchwork mug rug is my fave scrap buster project. This time I made this super easy one using strips of fabrics from my scrap bin. It's fun and quick to make plus it's a perfect project to make if you're looking for a quick last-minute gift.
Without further ado, here's what you need:
Assorted fabric 5" long fabric strips 1" to 1.5" wide
Contrast or solid fabric 6" W x 8" H
Backing Fabric 12" W x 10" H
Batting 12" W x 10" H
Binding 1.5" Wide x Wof (40")
Let's get sewing!
1. I used narrow strips, less than 1.5" wide. They should be enough to make 8" long patchwork panel. Don't be afraid to mix and match. The narrower the better, IMO :).
2. Sew the strips together using 1/4" seam allowance. You can use those selvages scraps too. My panel here finished at 5" W x 9" H. Iron the patchwork panel flat.
3. Now sew the patchwork panel and the solid panel right side together using 1/4" seam allowance. Now your top panel is almost ready.
4. Iron the top panel flat and trim it into 10" W x 8" H. The patchwork panel is about 4" wide after trimming.
5. Now sandwich the batting in between backing and top panel and quilt it as desired. This time I did a diagonal gridline quilting which you can watch in the video tutorial at the end of this post.
6. Once the quilting is done, trim the quilt top into 10" W x 8" H and now it's ready for binding. Watch the video below on how to sew the binding. I cut the binding 1.5" wide for small quilts, so it won't be too bulky.
If you want to finish the binding by machine, attach the binding on the backing first. I attached the binding on the front first because I prefer to finish the binding by hand for small quilts.
Now your scrappy mug rug is ready to use. Make a few for your family and friends!
I hope you find the tutorial helpful! Don't forget to subscribe to my blog or YouTube channel for more tutorials.
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