Busy summer, but back to sewing...

Its been a while since I posted, but summer was very busy.  We took a couple trips and helped out a few friends, but now we're back home and I'm able to sew. 

In addition to mending some clothes for various family members, I also made a simple curtain for the bathroom, several more aprons and more book covers. 

The latest quilt is random pattern of 5-inch squares of old jeans.  The back is fleece, and I sewed right sides together, turned it inside out, then sewed the hole closed.  Then I topstitched all the way around the edges.  I divided the quilt into 4 square patches and then tied off in each "corner."   

This quilt is a gift for Christmas, for someone who asked for this specific style.

Three New Aprons

I decided an oven mitt should be added to the apron sets.  For the oven mitt, I used heat resistant reflective batting as one part of the inner lining.The other side of the inner lining is regular batting. I quilted each side of the oven mitt, before sewing the two sides together.  The oven mitt's other side is the pink gingham.  This fabric is black background with pink and green flowers, a copy of a vintage calico fabric.  The pink gingham was used to accessorize. 

This is a commissioned apron.  The customer asked that I make oven mitt and potholders (no coasters).  The customer found an old David Miller fabric in my stash called Strawberry Fields.  The contrast is a solid pale sage green, with double pockets in a striped fabric my husband refers to as "Barcode." LOL.

This apron was commissioned by a customer.  This fabric is called Coventry Garden by Hoffman.  The contrast is a dark teal that matches one color in the print fabric.  This apron was cut to a length of 17 inches, and the 2 inch ruffle added to bring it to 19 inches.  The reason was because the wearer it is intended for is petite, and the apron needed to be shorter. 

Quilts...

Since January, I've been trying to get rid of some of my fabric stash that has been in storage for about 10 years.  Included in that stash is stuff other people gave me to finish.  My sister sent these embroidered and cross-stitched denim squares to me to finish many years ago.  I found some leftover fabrics that look nice and finshed it.  It is now on its way to her, many years late. 

This is a closeup of some of the embroidery and cross-stitch blocks.

 

The next two quilts were made from leftover flannel blocks from quilts made for two nephews.  It seemed fitting to use the leftovers to make quilts for two more nephews.  

This is another set of quilt blocks my sister embroidered.  Most are of Star Trek sayings and her son's drawn pictures of the Enterprise.  He was about 10 or so when I got these squares.  He's now 27.  This quilt will go to one of his sons. 



Polka Dots!

What the heck - why not do a pink polka dot apron...

Jeans & Gingham

So I was digging in my fabric stash and found some red gingham...and then I found some jeans I'd cut up to make denim quilts...and the imagination went wild...well, at least, a little bit country. 

The Purple Apron

The Apron:

Cut a 20 X 30 inch piece of fabric.  Using a plate, curve both bottom edges

Cut three 4 inch strips of fabric the width of the fabric (this was 45")

Cut 60 inches of ribbon (or a little more, if you like bigger bows in back)

Cut two 7 inch squares

Iron a 1/4 inch seam at the top to the FRONT of the apron.  Center and pin the ribbon over the top on the right side.  Sew ribbon down, top and bottom. 

Sew the 3 strips together end to end, then fold in half right sides together and sew into a tube.  Turn right side out and iron.  Starting at one end, sew a basting stitch and then gather into a ruffle, fitting to the edges of the apron and pinning.  Fold each end down just below the ribbon and pin.  Sew the ruffle to the apron, easing around the curves.  Iron the ruffle down.  On the front of the apron, sew a scant 1/4 inch top stitch, over the ruffle.  This will make the ruffle lay down.  

Iron a 1/4 inch seam on three sides of the 7 inch squares.  Iron a 1 inch seam on the 4th side, this will be the top of the pocket.  Center pockets and pin to apron.  Starting at the top right, sew completely around the 3 edges of the pocket.   

Coasters and PotHolders are made using the same instructions as the Green Apron post.  Coasters pattern was posted on a Quilt loop years ago by Penny Pennington. 

The Green Apron

A friend said if I make the aprons, she will sell them.  So I did. 

You will need:

1 yard light green fabric

1/2 yard dark green fabric

Ribbon (yardage varies, but I bought a 3 yard roll and used some on another project)

Insul-brite

Batting

Thread

Apron:

Cut the apron panel 20 X 30 inches.  Fold 1/4 inch under on both 20 inch sides and one 30 inch side.  Iron down, then fold again 1/4 inch.  Sew down hem on all three sides.  

Fold and iron the TOP raw edge down 1/4 inch towards the FRONT.  

Cut a length of ribbon.  On this apron, I used it only for the apron front, so I cut 31 inches of ribbon. Pin the ribbon over the folded down raw edge, matching folded edge. Fold a half inch on each end, under.   

**Cut two strips of fabric 3 inches by 20 inches.  With right sides together and raw edges even, sew one end and then the entire open side.  Turn right side out.  Tuck the raw edge of the ties under the folded edge of ribbon. Sew the entire ribbon down, sewing over the ties on each end. 

Pockets - Cut two 7 inch squares from contrasting fabric.  Fold down 1/4 inch on 3 sides and iron down.  On the 4th side, fold down 1 inch.  Pin both squares to the apron front, and center.  Sew all the way around the two sides and bottom. 

** You can cut the ribbon 60 inches and center it on the apron front.  Sew it down to the apron, and you won't need to make the ties. 

Pot-Holders:

Cut two 7 inch squares from the light fabric and two 7 inch squares from the dark fabric.  Cut one 7 inch square from the Insul-Brite and one 7 inch square from the batting. 

Lay Insul-Brite down first, then batting.  Lay light fabric right side UP, and dark fabric, right side DOWN.  Cut two 5 inch ribbon  pieces and if it is wide, fold over wrong sides together and sew down side.  Pin the ribbon in one corner between the two layers of fabric on each pot-holder, with the loop towards the inside of the square.  Sew all the way around, leaving a small opening for turning.  Turn right side out, poke corners out with poking tool, and then top stitch all the way around the edge, closing the hole.  Do a simple quilting design on top - I just did from corner to corner and the made a cross from top to bottom and side to side.   

Coasters:

Cut four 5 inch squares of batting. 

Cut three 5 inch squares of light fabric

Cut two five inch squares of dark fabric

Iron 2 each of light and dark fabrics in half, with right sides OUT. 

Lay the batting down.  Lay the un-ironed square in top, with right side UP.  Lay the two light ironed pieces on top, next to each other, with folded edges towards the center.  Lay one dark ironed piece on top crosswise, lifting one end of a light piece to tuck it under.  Do the same, but opposite, with the other dark square. They should look "basket-woven."  Pin through all layers in the center.  Sew all the way around on the edge.  Do not worry if the fabric slips a little - just keep the centers together.  Pull the pins out, trim the corners (don't cut the seams!), then pull the fabric through the CENTER hole, to turn it right side out.  Poke the corners lightly through the hole to square up.  Iron lightly to make it lay down.   

These make great little hostess gifts, or for your favorite cook.  You can use any fabric - make some for the holidays!