Valori Wells

Simply Made.....

Hello my friends.....it is the next instalment of Simply Made.

I love to make receiving blankets for babies out of flannel but in the summer you need something cooler. Cotton Voile...the perfect solution to a cozy and cool receiving blanket for the summer.

Summer Baby Blanket

Materials:

1 1/3 yard flannel

1 1/3 yard cotton voile

matching thread

* Wash fabrics in a mild detergent on cold, tumble dry low before sewing - I wash the flannel with the voile.

Cutting:

Fold the flannel from corner to corner to make a large triangle, cut off each edge to make a nice clean square.

Lay voile face up on a flat surface and tape edges.

Lay flannel square face down on voile and pin around edges.

Trim off excess voile.

Sewing:

Use a larger stitch on your machine, ie 3 or 3.5 rather than a 2.5. This will keep the two fabrics from pulling and puckering.

*I made a blanket with the voile on top and one with the flannel on top. Either way it is slippery so take your time and gently pull the fabrics from the back side of the machine as you are sewing.

Using a 1/2" seam allowance, stitch around entire blanket leaving an opening on one side that is 4" - 6" wide, for turning.

Clip corners and turn right side out, press.

Whip stitch the opening closed.

Top stitch around entire blanket at about 1/2" to 5/8" in from edge.

Wrap up and give to a new baby...

 

The cute elephant is Elsa one of my sewing cards...she is so easy to make and a great addition to the hand made gift for a baby.

Enjoy....

Valori

 
I hope to write again before Quilter's Affair and Quilt Show hit....next week. I want to share the amazing photos that I took while I was in L.A.

 

Simply Made......

Happy Friday! This is my first instalment of Simply Made. What is Simply Made? Let me tell you....I have tons of ideas and projects that are easy, and great weekend or day projects, as well as yummy food and drink recipes. I thought that I would start sharing them with all of you....

This week I will share my Pencil Case pattern. I love to carry my sketch book around but I dislike not being able to find a pencil or pen when I need it. This pattern solves all of those problems.

Ready to make a pencil case?

Pencil Case....

3 3/4" x 8" finished size

 

What you will need...

Fat Quarter for outside of pencil case or scraps the size of the cutting measurement

Fat Quarter for the lining of pencil case or scraps the size of the cutting measurement

Thread for Decorative Stitching and sewing together

7" zipper

*optional - elastic to attach to the pencil case so that you can put it around your sketch book and never be with out a pen or pencil - for my sketch book I pulled the elastic around the book making it tight, subtracted the finished size of the case, 8". My elastic size came out to 8" long. I used a cord type of elastic but you can use any type of elastic.

Cutting...

Cut 2 - 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" pieces from outside fabric

Cut 2 - 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" pieces from lining fabric

Sewing....

1. Stitch decorative lines on the ouside pieces of the case if desired.

2. Press the top edges on all four pieces of fabric down 1/4".

3. Place the zipper right side up on the foleded edge of one of the lineing pieces.

4. Place one of the outside pieces folded edge on top of the zipper. Pin through all three layers. Making sure the fabric pieces are lined up and at the edge of the zipper.

5. Using a zipper foot, stitch along the edge of the fold. Do not sew over pins.

6. Repeat the pinning and sewing process for the other side of the pencil case.

7. Unzip the zipper and place the outside fabric right sides together and the lining pieces right sides together.

8. Pin around the edges of the pencil case, make sure you fold the edges of the zipper area to the lining side.

*If you are adding the elastic - pin one end of the elastic piece to the edge of the outside piece of fabric - lining up the end with the raw edges, lay it over the fabric making sure not to twist and pin to the other side. When you sew around the case the elastic will be secured in the seam.

9. Leaving a 2" opening at the bottom of the lining pieces stitch around entire piece.

10. Carefully clip the corners.

11. Pull the case right side out through the opening at the bottom of the lining.

12. Push the corners out with a chop stick and press entire piece.

13. Top stitch along the bottom edge of the lining to close hole.

14. Push the lining into the outside piece.

15. TaDa your done!!!!!

If you need a cool journal....Rag and Bone Bindery makes amazing journals, even using Del Hi Yellow Pom Pom Dahlia...which they call Zinnia. I sent them some of my fabric and they made journals just for us at Twigs (that is our gift shop next to the Stitchin' Post)......

Bloom... one of the great things about these journals is that they are hand made and the paper is AMAZING.....

Ingrid....

Jenaveve....this is the one I have, looks a little different because they are hand made.

Wrenly...

I hope you enjoyed the first Simply Made....Have a Great Weekend!!!!

XXOO
Valori

 

 

Nest has arrived......

Wow, it has been crazy busy since market....I thought that I would slow down a bit after market but it seems like there is have more to do. The only good thing about having so much work is that it has been raining all week.  The garden is going to be green, not that there is much planted right now - potentially we will have frost again......summer.....aaahhhh I can't wait for you to arrive.

The good news NEST has arrived in the shop....yeah!! We are still waiting for the cotton voile and corduroy but I expect them soon. Carolyn did an awesome display of the fabric and quilts.....if I can just remember to bring in my camera I can get a photo of it. For now here are the free patterns for three of the quilts. The shop is going to be doing kits of the free patterns, I will let you know when they are available.....

NEST.....

Download NestPromo2010web-New 

Nest uses a lot of the fabric in the collection in a very simple quilt, the great thing about this it is that the fabric makes it look interesting and more complex than it is.

WILLOW....

 

Download NestPromo-Willow-web

Willow uses the panel of birds and strips of a variety of fabrics all sewn together to make a non-traditional sashing. 

ROBIN....

 

Download NestPromo-Robin-web

Robin take one large design and some solid to create a very contemporary quilt. Again it is simple but a very satisfying quilt to make. I really love being able to make a quilt in a day that is pretty cool. 

Ok, that is it for now kiddos.....I have to get some deadlines done and out of my hair. Quilt Show is fast approaching and I have to get out of this studio and into the shop.....

Have a great day!!

XOXO Valori

Things to do with fleece.......

With my new Della Fleece out there are questions on what to do with the fleece. You can put it on backs of quilts for a soft finish.....I personally love to just HEM IT!!! For Christmas this year I made a ton of blankets for family.....I thought that I would pass on the EASY technique or hemming your fleece.

First find some of your favorite fleece at your Local Quilt Shop.....determine the finished size of a blanket and then add 2" to each measurement. For example you want a finished size of 60" x 72" cut the fleece 62" x 74". 

Sit down at your machine with a new needle and matching thread. Fold the edge of the fleece 1/2" then 1/2" again and start sewing.

Take your time folding and sewing. When you get to the end sew off the edge, cut your threads, fold the next edge 1/2" and 1/2" again. This will be thick. insert the needle at the edge and slowly stitch through the layers. Continue for all edges and you have a new blanket.......I wrap mine with a funky ribbon for a gift of cozy warmth.

I grabbed the camera today and got a couple of shots of the kids with their blankets.....

 

They love their blankies.... I did have to bribe Vi with jelly bellies to take the photos. She is SO two and just full of "NO" sass......

Have some fun with the fleece and a quick and easy gift.....

XOXO

Valori

New Projects and more......

Now that my fabric is off to the "scanner people" I decided I needed a couple of hours for myself.....so, yesterday I spent some time working on the bummer pads and new quilts for the little Man! I haven't had my silkscreening equipment out in ages.....it is now out and being used. Here is what I got started. It was so fun to get to work in the ink and and do something different.........

I used a double gauze fabric from Japanese designer that had the great yellow dots - then I screened the elephant onto the top. The elephant came from a photo that I took at the zoo when we were there in July. He turned out cute.

Then with all of the excitement I screen printed yellow dots onto a solid fabric and put some elephants on the bottom and top and will make it into a quilt......now all I want to do is screenprinting and not work. I have another design ready to go with the elephants for a different quilt. Hope he likes elephants.

I also wanted to share with you a pattern that mom did for a really cool footstool. Here are the photos, instructions and illos.....now you can go out and make a great footstool.
These are the notes from mom........

"When we were at spring market the Mosaic quilt pattern from Aardvark Quilts was my very favorite so when I decided to do a quilted footstool cover I went to this design.  Pam Goecke is a fabulous designer and we love her patterns.

This is the original quilt.
The first thing I did was measure the soft footstool (kind of like bean bag filling) that I had purchased from the West Elm catalogue. It was 24" square and 13" high. I decided on a 6" repeat block for the top and then the 6" for the sides but added panels of fabric to make it 13". It was necessary for me to make the block a little larger but the technique still worked. You slice off the end of the square at an angle and stitch another piece to it. It creates wonderful movement throughout the design.

This is the block.
The living room in my new house is soft grey tones with green and orange accents so I started digging in my fabrics and made some blocks. I really liked the movement in the striped and the multi colored leaf fabrics. They added some spice to the design. Here you can see the blocks arranged for the top and the sides pinned next to the edges.

Once I was satisfied with the block arrangement I stitched them together. For the sides you can see I used panels of fabric in places to fill in. I thought it would be way too busy to have all blocks on the sides.

I felt it would be sturdier, with grandkids lounging and playing on it, if I quilted it. I used a thin batting and no backing. With my free motion embroidery foot I stitched grain lines like you might see on trees. I did add grey piping around the top edge.

To finish it I stitched each side to the top edge starting and stopping 1/4" from the corner and back tacking. The side seams were easier than I thought. I began at the bottom and stitched the seams together ending where the sides meet the top and back tacked.

For the back I cut a square 26".  Then cut it into two pieces diagonally from corner to corner.

 Place the two triangles right sides together and stitch in 1" on each end using a 1/2" seam allowance and back tack. Press the seam open including the unstitched seam allowances across the triangle. Place a zipper under the seam allowances and stitch the zipper tape to the folded fabric.

Open the zipper at least six inches.
Place the right side of the back fabric to the bottom edges of the sides and pin all around. Stitch the back to the sides. Put your hand through the zipper opening and unzip the zipper. Turn the cushion to the right side. Fill with the filling from the purchased cushion. Zip it back up.
This turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would be. The quilting was time consuming but it looks good. You can see the footstool in my new living room.

Send me pictures when you tackle a project like this.
Jean"

I have one of these cushions and I am going to cover it with one of my new Del Hi home dec pieces.

The Tapestry in the teal/eggplant/sage and tan background.......When I get time!!!
I am probably not going to piece my cover but I still like the idea of recovering the cushion. These cushions are great for the living room. The girls love to play on them and I think it is Sophie's favorite napping spot.
Have a great day!!!
XOXO
Valori