On-Line Classes

Have you ever tried an online class? What did you think?

I have many Craftsy online classes in my library and have picked up tips and learnt new techniques from all that I have watched. My only problem with my Craftsy classes, is making time to watch the class and start the project or try the technique. Maybe I need to add a booking to my calendar each month and work my way through my classes.

In  2014, I found that Craft University also offered online classes. Many were similar to the style of classes offered by Craftsy. One that was different, was the Sulky Magical Thread Art Course. There were a total of 10 truly inspirational textile art projects in this course. Each one of which covered a range of techniques. 

Four of the projects covered raw edge applique:

Cat on the Courthouse Steps combined the applique with a pieced background and quilting with decorative machine stitches.

 Serenity Duck Wall Hanging combined the applique with Bargello patchwork, a staggered lower edge and quilted the wall hanging with metallic thread.

Swirly Lace Pear combined the applique with free standing machine embroidered lace, freehand satin stitch monogramming and echo quilting.

Magical Mystery Balloon Ride combined the applique with using a gradient fabric as a background and adding a lot of detail with freehand machine embroidery and decorative machine stitches.

 Two of the projects covered three dimensional elements.

3-D Sunflowers added the three dimensional elements and some textured applique to a pre-printed panel. I didn't have the panel, so combined fabrics from my stash to create a background for my sunflowers.

Floral Fantasy Sculpture used a special stabiliser to shape a floral motif that had been embellished with freehand machine embroidery.

The other projects were:

Butterfly in Flight combined a pieced background with freehand machine embroidery motifs.

Magical Tigers used a pre-printed panel and co-ordinating fabrics to make a themed wall hanging. As you can see in the photo, I didn't have any fabric with tigers on....

Penny Rug Candlemat used the beautiful Sulky Threads to embellish a felt/wool fabric candlemat. I made the violet/purple felt on the black candlemat, the burgundy flowers on the cream candlemat were fabric scraps from a dressmaking project.

Sun's Up Placemat used a specialty quilting ruler and easy piecing to make some pretty placemats that were then quilted with decorative machine stitches and metallic threads.

I had a great time making all of these projects and the teacher certification that I got after all of the projects were submitted was an added bonus.

I was enthusiastic a few weeks ago, when I found out that the same Sulky Educators were running another class for online Teacher Certification. This time the projects are more simple for students to complete and as a consequence, there is less time before the due date. As with the Magical Thread Art course, all projects are presented as .pdf patterns with an accompanying video that takes you through all of the steps to make each project. The educators are very enthusiastic about the projects and each one is accompanied by a trunk show for further inspiration. I think that the enthusiasm of the educators and the trunk show is why I keep subscribing to these lessons. I am familiar with most of the techniques used in the projects, but just love all the inspiration I gain from the videos and the trunk shows.

This week I will be working on my projects for the Sulky Art, Fun and Home online Teacher Certification course. I have selected my fabrics for each project:

I have threads:

Metallic threads:

And stabilisers:

All ready to start my projects...... 





 


 

Play Day - Part 2

In the first part of this tutorial, I showed how to use 2 ½ inch strips from a thick and thin stripe fabric to make an interesting block that looks like it took more than 4 simple strips of fabric to make. After looking at the blocks sitting on my craft table, I decided that they would look their best if they were set on point, one after the other in a runner.

Then, there were the tricky tasks of both choosing a fabric to compliment the blocks and calculating the size to cut the setting triangles. To calculate the sizes for the setting triangles, I enlisted the help of Electric Quilt 7. I could set the size of the pieced blocks and use the computer to calculate the size of the setting triangles. Electric Quilt calculated that I needed to cut one 9 ¼ inch square and cut it on both diagonals for the ends of the runner. I needed to cut two 8 ⅞ inch squares and cut each one on one diagonal to make the setting triangles for the sides of the runner. This was great, but, I wanted to use the lighter strips from the same jelly roll for the background of the runner. Time to put my thinking cap back on….

Some work with a pencil and my quilting ruler, allowed me to calculate that the short sides of each of the corner triangles would be 6 ½ inches. The height of the setting triangles would be 6 ¼ inches.

I stitched three of the lighter strips from the jelly roll, side by side. The height of this strip was 6 ½ inches! My lucky day! Now to work out if the 42 inch length of the pieced section was enough fabric to cut four corner triangles and four side triangles for my runner.

Starting from one end, I marked out the fabric with a temporary marker to check that I could cut all of the pieces. This was how I marked it out (I worked from right to left across my fabric):

          1. Rule a line that is at 90 degrees to the piecing and close to the selvedges.

      2.    Measure 6 ½ inches from the line marked in Step 1 and make a small mark at both raw edges.

     3.    Join the line marked in Step 1 with a diagonal line to one of the marks from Step 2. This is the first corner triangle.

     4.    Measure 6 ½ inches from the marks made in Step 2 and make a small mark at each selvedge.

      5.    Join the left-most end of the line marked in Step 3 with one of the marks made in Step 4. This is the first side triangle.

    6.    Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to make another 3 (total of 4) side triangles.

     7.    Join the two marks at the end of the fourth side triangle with a line that is at 90 degrees to the piecing. This is the second corner triangle.

     8.    Measure 6 ½ inches from the line marked in Step 7 and mark a line that is at 90 degrees to the piecing.

      9.    Join the lower right and upper left edges with a diagonal line. This is the third and fourth corner triangles. 

Yay! It is possible to cut all 8 pieces from the pieced strip.

The photo below shows which edges (with the double strike marks) of the corner and the side triangles that will be stitched to the pieced blocks. 

Carefully cut out all 8 pieces on the marked lines.

Each setting triangle now needs to be stitched to one of the pieced blocks. The whole runner is simple to put together, just remember that all of the seams are set on the diagonal and that there are no set-in seams (yay!). Lay out the three pieced blocks and fill in the sides with the side triangles and square of the ends with the corner triangles. See the photo below.

Block 1 will have a corner triangle joined to one edge and a side triangle joined to the opposite edge.

Block 2 will have a side triangle joined to two opposite edges.

Block 3 will have a side triangle joined to one edge and a corner triangle joined to the opposite edge.

Set Block 1 and Block 3

Fold the long edge of the corner triangle and mark the centre with a pin.

Fold one edge of Block 1 and mark the centre with a pin.

Place the corner triangle with the right side facing the Block, matching the centre pins and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Place the side triangle with the right side facing the Block, matching the corner of the short side of the triangle with the corner of the Block and having the raw edges even. This triangle is on the opposite side of the Block to the corner triangle.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Block 2

Place one of the side triangles with the right side facing the Block, matching the corner of the short side of the triangle with the corner of the Block and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Place a second side triangle with the right side facing the Block, matching the corner of the short side of the triangle with the corner of the Block and having the raw edges even. This triangle is on the opposite side of the Block to the first side triangle.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Place Block 1 with the right side facing Block 2.

Match the seams of the side triangles and the raw edges.

Pin the two blocks together along the edge.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangles, clipping the seam allowance to allow it to sit flat.

Place Block 2 with the right side facing Block 3.

Match the seams of the side triangles and the raw edges.

Pin the two blocks together along the edge.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangles, clipping the seam allowance to allow it to sit flat.

The runner needs to have the last two corner triangles stitched in place.

Fold the long edge of each corner triangle and mark the centre point with a pin.

Fold the remaining edge of Block 1 and mark the centre point with a pin.

Place the corner triangle with the right side facing Block 1, matching the centre pins and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the corner triangle.

Fold the remaining edge of Block 3 and mark the centre point with a pin.

Place the last corner triangle with the right side facing Block 3, matching the centre pins and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the corner triangle.

Now, you may notice that the side triangles end a bit past the edges of the corner triangles. This is fine. The side triangles were cut a little larger than needed and we can now trim them to size. In the photo below, I have drawn a line with a marker to show where the side triangles will be trimmed to size.

Place the Jelly Roll Runner on your cutting mat.

Place a long Quilter’s Ruler along the side of the Jelly Roll Runner, checking that the edge of the Quilter’s Ruler is ¼ inch from the point of each of the Pieced Squares.

Trim the excess fabric from the side triangles.

The top of the Jelly Roll Runner is now completed. It can be quilted and finished as is or borders can be added to make it larger and frame the pieced section. Join me again soon as I add borders to frame the runner and explore how to quilt it.

The Tale of the Good Scissors

So, we have all heard the cry, yes?
"No!!! Not with the Good Scissors!!!!!"

Good Scissors

Generally from Mum or another female relative, right at the point where you are going to cut out a pretty design from a magazine or old gift card. Scares the living daylights out of you at the time and then you are left wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, scissors are just scissors, right?

Not the Good Scissors

Pinking Shears

And especially when I found my Mum's pinking shears (see photo above). Those pretty zig-zag blades made a lovely edge on my card and my skirt, but that is another story... I was 5 years old and that was the first time that I heard the cry of "Not with the Good Scissors!!!!" and you could hear the capital letters and the exclamation points. Boy was I in trouble, but I wasn't sure why. This is why...

When you are sewing, quilting, embroidering or making other textile crafts, your scissors need to be sharp all the way to the point or they snag, pull or fray the fabric, making it look like it has been chewed by the dog. The blades also need to be straight and smoothly pass each other in order to make an accurate clean cut through the fabric. Paper and card are really tough on scissor blades. The paper may feel smooth when you run your hands over it, but the fibers dull any blade used to cut it, including the blades of your scissors. This is why my Mum had a fit when I used her pinking shears to make the edges of my card pretty. Those poor pinking shears were never the same again. 
 

'Not the Good Scissors' (left), Dressmaking Shears (right)

Let me demonstrate, with a pair of 'Not the Good Scissors', my Dressmaking Shears and some scraps of pure cotton quilting fabric. The 'Not the Good Scissors' were originally very sharp scissors and used for cutting fabric. Then the dreaded happened and they were used for cutting paper. Now they are no longer any good for cutting fabric:

As you can see from the photo, they have cut a little way into the fabric and then where the tips of the scissors were, they have just dented the fabric and not made a cut. I have tried twice to cut this fabric and have a rough, jagged cut and two areas where the fabric is crushed (the lighter lines to the left of the scissor blades). The situation is much different when I cut the same fabric with my Dressmaking Shears:

I have had these Dressmaking Shears for more than 20 years, they are still sharp and cut through the quilting fabric in one neat, smooth action. The cut edge of the fabric is crisp. They have stayed sharp as they have only ever been used to cut fabric, never paper. 

Look at the difference between the two cuts in the fabric. On the left are the cuts made by scissors which have had encounters with paper, on the right are the cuts made by my Dressmaking Shears which have only ever been used on fabric.

In order to make sure that my Dressmaking Shears and the other 'Good Scissors' stay sharp and are only used for textiles, I store them in Scissors Cases, like my hand-made ones in the photo above or this sturdy commercial one in the photo below.

 My friend in Australia was not so lucky. Her favourite pair of Dressmaking Shears were used to cut a heavily beaded fabric. This dulled the blades and also caused the blades to move apart. They no longer cut fabric and she was unable to replace them in Australia. I was able to find a very similar pair of Dressmaking Shears here in the US and bought them for her.

I also designed and made the Sew Crazy Scissors Case so that she has a nice storage case for them. Maybe they won't be used on the wrong fabric this time....

2017 is Half Done Already?

It is hard to believe that it is July already. The first half of the year has flown by. It feels like each week only has about 3 days in it. Then I looked back over the things that I have done in the last 6 months and realise that they were pretty full weeks.

I have made many crafty things. There were some tiny projects.

A heap of pillowcases.

Some larger projects.

And more shawls too.

Then I started even more crafty things that are still works in progress at this stage.

We went for a lovely hike one misty morning.

We have had family to stay for a couple of weeks and we showed them around Seattle.

In addition to all of this, I have released some new patterns (Craftsy Store).

And I have been inspired so many more ideas that I needed to find a new notebook to write them down in.

I have had a busy first 6 months of the year. My enthusiasm for my crafts is high at the moment, so look forward to more projects, patterns and tutorials in the near future. How is your crafty 2017 looking?