Wonky Stars and Snowy Forests

Getting excited about the holidays yet? I'm featured on So Sew Easy with a tutorial to make this Wonky Star Mug Rug.    

                UPDATE: or jump to the tutorial hosted right here!

I've been working on a bit of abstract "art" the last couple of weeks, using the rest of the fabrics from that mug rug!

Years ago I pinned this gorgeous paper-pieced block by Trillium Designs, thinking it would make a beautiful full-sized quilt, if only I could find the right scale of prints. I printed the pattern for the block, enlarged to 175%, redrew all the seam allowances back to 1/4", and then just started piecing. I mixed and matched strips to get a long, narrow forest of birch trees.

The gray/white branch fabric and the binding are from the Holiday Cheer line by Jan Shade Beach, as is the pretty red print for the raw-edge appliquéd cardinal. The wood grain and "snow" (glitter polkadot) fabrics are just from Fabricland.

I found the cutest wall quilt hanger at a local quilt shop and made a simple sleeve for it, just a 2.5" strip with both raw edges sewn into the binding and then handstitched onto the backing.

Now for the Wonky Stars mug rug - wouldn't it make a perfect gift tucked into a stocking, or mailed in place of a Christmas card??

Obviously this one is a Christmas-themed one, but you could use another colour palette for another occasion. The Wonky Star block was the first quilt block I was really interested in two years ago – I made a quilt with 6″ and 12″ wonky stars as one of my first quilted projects.

Materials:

- Scraps of coordinating fabrics – I used a few prints from the Holiday Cheer line by Jan Shade Beach
- Coordinating fabric strip for binding
- White or other solid background
- Small scrap of batting
- Backing fabric
- Embroidery floss in coordinating colours

The finished dimensions of this little mug rug are 4.5″ x 6.5″. It's based on a 1″x1″ grid (finished squares), so if you want to scale up you can figure out the math. For instance, you could add 1/4″ to each piece and end up with a mug rug that was 5.5″ x 8″. So first, we're going to cut out 16 white squares at 1.5″ x 1.5″. Then cut 5 squares, one for the centre and four for the star points, at 1.5″ x 1.5″ of both feature fabrics (the red and gray). (If you want a little more room to play with the wonkiness of each star, cut 4 of the squares at 2″ x 2″)

Now cut all but one of each set of coloured squares in half, from corner to corner, to make triangles. The remaining two full squares will be the centre of each star.

Lay out 8 of the white or background squares, and lay 4 triangles of each colour over them, right sides together. You will be sewing the long edge of the triangle to the white square to make one point of the star. Be sure before you sew that the triangle will cover the square below once you flip it open. To get the wonky effect, try to make sure the angles are different for each.

Now trim the white square below and press the triangle open.

Now for the second star points. Place the remaining triangles on each unit in the same way, stitch, trim, and press open.

Use your quilting ruler to square up each set of star points. They should measure 1.5″ x 1.5″ inches. Ideally, there should be 1/4″ seam allowance at the base of each unit where the star points join, so when you stitch them to the centre square you don't have a gap between the points. So you can actually trim a little more off the white edge than the star edge to help achieve this.

Arrange the star point blocks around the centre square likes this:

Then sew each row of squares together. Press the two outside rows with the seams toward the outer edge, and the centre row with the seams toward the middle block. This way the seams will nest when you sew the rows together.

Now sew the three rows together, and press the seams. Your wonky star block is complete! Repeat steps for the second block. Each block should measure 3.5″ x 3.5″.

Now to complete your mug rug top, cut two 1.5″ x 3.5″ strips of white and lay the blocks out like this:

Sew one star block to one strip and press the seam toward the strip. Repeat for the second block and strip.

Sew the two halves of the mug rug together and press the seam. Your mug rug top is complete. It should measure 4.5″ x 6.5″.

Layer the mug rug top with the batting and backing and pin or baste the three layers together. Now you're ready to quilt!

I chose to do a simple running stitch around my stars with embroidery floss. You could also machine quilt this. Once you're finished, remove any basting stitches and trim the batting and backing.

To bind the mug rug, cut a strip 2″ wide by about 24″. Fold the strip in half, wrong sides together and press. Fold one end of the binding strip 1/4″ under and press. Begin stitching the binding strip, raw edges matching the mug rug, leaving the folded end free, with 1/4″ seam allowance.

When you get to the first corner, stop stitching at the 1/4″ mark, pivot, and sew down to the corner.

Cut your thread and flip the binding up at right angles away from the mug rug, like this:

Then fold it back down with the raw edges matching again. You'll have a nice square corner.

Start stitching 1/4″ in from the end, so you don't catch the fold in your stitching. Repeat for all the corners.

When you get the end, trim the binding strip and slip it inside the beginning of the binding. Finish sewing the binding down.

Now fold the binding to the back and slipstitch it down. Fold the corners to mitre at the back the same way as they are on front.

And you're done! 

Brew yourself a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy your pretty Christmas mug rug – or send it to a friend in the mail instead of a Christmas card!

Michael Miller's 7th Day of Christmas - skirt tutorial

Merry Christmas! 

I'm excited to be part of Michael Miller's 12 Days of Christmas! They kindly sent a selection of fabrics from their new line, All the Trimmings (coming soon!) for me to play with. I fell in love with the sweet owls cuddling in a tree, and so did my little Abigail.

It wasn't hard to come up with a fun combination of fabrics from the same line to use for this yoked skirt with elastic waistband, ruffle and "ribbon" and bow!

Of course, her brothers needed a little something to coordinate! Bowties, using the free SisBoom Bosco Bowtie pattern.

Wanna make your own little lady this cute ruffley skirt? Michael Miller Fabrics has lots of fun holiday themed coordinating fabrics to choose from!

What you'll need:

• main fabric (I used All The Trimmings Christmas Lovebirds Winter)
• fabric for the yoke and trim (Candy Cane Stripe Santa)
• fabric for ruffle (All The Trimmings Tangly Lights Candy)
• 3/4-1” wide non-roll elastic
• Thread and other sewing supplies

NOTES:

• All seam allowance 3/8" unless specified.
• Finish seams with your preferred method, such as zigzagging or serging the seam allowance.
• I've done the math for all the sizes based on finished skirt measurements - you will be best checking your child's waist measurement and the skirt length, and then you can make any adjustments necessary.

Size	Approximate waist	Elastic cutting measurement	Skirt length
6-12 months	16”	15.5”	9.5”
12-18 month	16.5”	16”	10.5”
2T	17”	16.5”	11.5”
3T	18”	17.5”	12.5”
4T	19”	18.5”	13.5”
5T	20”	29.5”	14.5”
6T	21”	20.5”	14.5”

Yardage

	Fabric 1	Fabric 2	Fabric 3
Size 6mo-3T	1/4 yd	1/4 yd	1/4 yd
Size 4T-6T	1/2 yd	1/4 yd	1/4 yd

Prepare your fabric. It’s important to prewash and dry the fabric the same way you will be caring for the garment. Once it’s washed, press and lay it out to cut the following:

Cutting Chart

	Fabric 1	Fabric 2			Fabric 3
	Main skirt (cut 1)	Waistband (cut 1)	Trim (cut 1)	Bow (cut 1 each)	Ruffle (piece to make your measurement)
6-12 mo	5” x 30”	4” x 20”	2.5” x 31”	all sizes: 5” x 6” and 2.5” x 3”	2.5” x 44”
12-18 mo	5” x 31”	5” x 20.5”	2.5” x 32”		3” x 47”
2T	7” x 32”	5” x 21”	2.5” x 33”		3” x 49”
3T	8” x 33”	5” x 22”	2.5” x 34”		3” x 51”
4T	9” x 34”	6” x 23”	2.5” x 35”		3” x 53”
5T	10” x 35”	6” x 24”	2.5” x 36”		3” x 55”
6T	11” x 36”	6” x 25”	2.5” x 37”		3” x 57”

Let's start with the main skirt. Take the main skirt piece (fabric 1) and stitch the short ends together, right sides facing. Finish the seam. Repeat this for the ruffle (fabric 3), piecing together your strips to make the required length. Press each seam to one side.

Make a narrow hem on the ruffle by pressing 1/8" toward the wrong side, then folding 1/8" more and stitching.

Run two rows of basting stitches along the top edge of the ruffle strip and pull up to gather.

Take the main skirt piece and pin the ruffle to the bottom edge, right sides together, pulling the basting threads to make them match. Pin well.

Stitch the skirt and ruffle together and finish the seam.

Press the seam up toward the skirt.

Take your bow piece (fabric 2) and fold in half so that the two 5" ends match, right sides together. Sew this seam, leaving a gap for turning about 1.5" at the centre, backstitching to reinforce each line of stitching.

Roll the tube you now have so the seam is centred, then press the seam open (this seam doesn't need finishing as it will be enclosed).

Now stitch each end closed, then trim each corner at an angle, taking care not to cut through the stitching.

Take the bow loop piece and fold it so the 3" ends are matching, right sides together and stitch.

Turn both bow pieces right side out and press each, centering the seam on the smaller piece.

Accordion fold the bow piece to make a pleasing bow and use a pin to keep it together for now.

Take the loop piece and wrap it around the bow and trim if necessary, then stitch the ends together and finish.

Turn the seam inside and press.

Accordion fold one end of the bow to feed it through the loop. Arrange the loop so that the seam is toward the back.

Now take your trim piece (fabric 2) and sew it into a long tube, right sides together. Turn it right side out, using a tube turner or a safety pin. Press with the seam centred.

Lay it out around the hem of the skirt to see how long it needs to be, mark and trim if necessary. Stitch the ends together.

Press the seam open. Topstitch one edge of the trim loop.

Now lay your finished loop of trim around the skirt. I chose to centre the seam where I wanted my bow, right next to a pair of cuddling owls, off-centred on the front of the skirt. Pin it carefully in place over the ruffle and topstitch in place.

Place your bow over the seam and handstitch in place.

Nearly done! Take your waistband (wider strip of fabric 2) and bring the short ends together, right sides facing. Stitch together, leaving a 1" opening near the end (to thread your elastic through), and then stitch the last approximately 3/8" again, reinforcing at each stop and start.

Finish each side of the seam separately and then press the seam open.

Finish the edge nearest the gap. Now fold that edge down enough to make a casing for your elastic. Topstitch the edge and stitch down the casing.

Gather the top edge of the skirt to match the waistband piece as described above. Stitch and finish the seam, then press it up toward the waistband.

Insert your elastic in the gap in the casing, using a large safety pin or bodkin to pull it through. Then overlap the ends by about 1/2", stitch together, and pull the elastic into the casing.

Handstitch the opening in the casing closed - and you're finished!

Enjoy your pretty skirt! And maybe try a matching bowtie from the scraps. :)

And just to show how much fun (hah) it was to try get photos of three wiggly kids, here are a few outtakes:

(thank goodness for leggings!)

Sew Fab Bundle - Extraordinary Girl and Capitol Hill

The new Sew Fab Bundle is here! This time it's a Winter Women's Bundle, with 10 new patterns, available till December 15th.

And, yes, that's me, top right corner, wearing the Extraordinary Girl by Filles à Maman. I also did my own version of the Capitol Hill by Straight Stitch Designs. For pattern descriptions and size charts, take look over here.


For the Extraordinary Girl, I did two versions during testing. This pattern is fun - I would never have thought of a lap-shoulder top for a woman, but it's a fun and unique detail and surprisingly easy to sew. This was my first try with the original pattern (since then the sides have been shaped a little more).

I used some fashion jersey, almost a coral colour with dusky roses printed all over it. I used the reverse of the same fabric for the contrast yoke and neck bands. I made my usual adjustment for long back by adding 1.5" inches to both front and back and 1" to the sleeve length.

With the final pattern I made my favourite version:

The fabric for this is much softer feeling - it's a Michael Miller knit from the Heaven and Helsinki line by Patty Young. The orange-red was a remnant I picked up ages ago.

This is a very bold colour for me! I usually stick to greens and blues and blacks for myself, but this was so happy I had to try it. I love the slight hi-lo hem.

The twin-needle hems worked out great - this time I just used regular thread in the bobbin instead of wooly nylon, as lately I can't get any good tension with that stuff.

I also tested for Kimberly of Straight Stitch Designs. After a lot of hard work and versions, she came out with this gorgeous design:

The Capitol Hill top and dress has lots of options and unique details! I did the elbow length banded sleeves and 3/4 circle skirt tunic length for mine. There are also options for a gathered skirt and full circle skirt, each in tunic or dress length, and long sleeves too. The bust shaping comes from overlapped double pleats at the centre, which Kimberly did a video walkthrough of as well as a thorough description in the pattern.

So check out the rest of the Sew Fab Bundle and enjoy!

Cathedral Windows

I can finally share this one! I'm a contributor over on So Sew Easy, first article today! Check out my tutorial for creating this beautiful Cathedral Window Cushion. I sure had fun doing this one.