SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

Pillow Tutorial

:: Fractured Hearts Pillows ::

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I don’t know what it is about these crazy pieced blocks I call Split Personality, but I’ve got to say they’re nothing short of addictive.  In talking with a few students in Saturday’s workshop, I’ve realized I’m not alone in this addiction.  After learning the technique they’ve created more than a few sets and let them marinate on their design walls until the perfect quilt design idea came to them for their placement.

I had some left over blocks from my Split Crumbs Quilt top, so I placed them into one of my favorite shapes, the heart.  I used the improvisational stitch and flip triangle technique we teach in Quilting Modern for the tops of the heart, and a good ole half square triangle for the bottom.

I’ve been wanting to play with a binding/sashing for pillows, but will have to start teaching myself another zipper or closing technique besides an invisible zip.

The variegated thread stitched up a lovely line.  I was thinking a grid, but it didn’t need it.

In the Studio’s evening Open Studio for September and October we’ll focus on installing an invisible zipper into a pillow.  I know it sounds complicated and scary, but I actually know 12- year olds that do it without calling their mommy and trust me, making pillows is addictive in a good way.  You are welcome to bring any project though.

Of course if you don’t need the hand holding, but just a good tutorial for installing your own at home you can check my invisible zipper pillow tutorial out here.

The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild will be hosting me to teach the Split Personality Quilt Block November 4th.  They’ll open up the workshop here soon, so save the date!  Not sure but there might be some spots left at Quiltcon too.

Happy Week Peeps:)

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::Going Circular::

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Thanks for all the kind comments last week.  We’re regrouping in week three and lucky to have such awesome friends.

Life continues behind the scenes of a quilting blog;)

sewkatiedid/going circular

I finished the last of the samples for my Exploring Inside the Box series.  It might be the colors, but regardless of the improvisational curves this pillow has that same graphic edgy feel as the others.

sewkatiedid/going circular

This shape is so simple to execute improvisationally.  I really love the little hit of added strip piecing.  I rotate building out all four quadrants on this design.  A little to this quarter and a little to that avoids identical colors mingling in the same location, unless that’s the look you’re aiming for.  It’s rather forgiving if you feel you’ve misplaced a color because you can always rip it apart or recut.

It would be fun to make in a binary color scheme too.

sewkatiedid/exploring inside the box series

I’ve really enjoyed working with this color way, but it’s time to move on, so I’ve been thinking of new blocks and colors for Series II.  We’ve got the winter dates, I just need to get going on the blocks before we list it.

Series II might be inspired by Seattle’s fluffy white and grey clouds currently passing us by and the blue sky you get snapshots of here and there.

sewkatiedid/exploring inside the box block series

I have all the pillows currently home and it’s fun to see them all together, though overwhelming in the matchy-matchy department.  Perhaps some Plain Jane’s are needed to break things up.

I’ll get right on that;)

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If you were wait listed for the first Exploring Inside the Box series we have new dates for the winter session on Tuesdays, follow the link here.  

Monday, October 27th is Open Studio at Island Quilter.  Reserve your spot by following this link.

Log Cabining Out with Improvisational Patchwork Pillows

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sewkatiedid/improv log cabin pillowsIt’s a verb you know?  Or at least it will be in my modern log cabin pillow class at Drygoods.  I managed to make two and stick to the perimeters of the 20×20 square I taped out on my design wall.  I always want to do more or go large.   My hope is after the class students will feel the same.

SEW KATIE DID/Improv Log Cabin WorkshopWeird as it is, I started my colors for this project from a zipper pull.  My go to neutral, Alexander Henry Heath and Michael Miller Cotton Couture grays were a natural match to that candy green.

Sewkatiedid/Quarter Turn Modern Log Cabin PillowI started with what I’ll call the Quarter Turn Pillow.  Looks complicated, but it is just four blocks placed together.  Jacquie’s matchstick quilting almost killed me.  It took me all day, I can’t imagine doing it on a quilt, but its outcome was stellar.  Then when all was said and done I wished I had done the same matchstick quilting on the other pillow too.

Sewkatiedid/Tunnel Vision Modern Log Cabin PillowTunnel Vision is a log cabin block from our book Quilting Modern.  I have one more I wanna make of course to add to this set (something about the number three).  Log cabins have endless possibilities and with everyone in class doing their own improv thing there will be lots of examples.

sewkatiedid/invisible zipper tutorial

Both got an invisible zipper done my way.  I love a perfect pillow.

alexander henry

Though Jefe would like these to stay on our couch he’s getting Alexander Henry Anime Ninja girls instead.

 

 

 

 

Gifting Boys

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Upon the arrival of the bus, Roan and I use to have this routine.  It started with a hug and a kiss, a high five and then a bump. and ended with waving until the bus turned the corner and we could no longer see one another.  All upon the request of a sweet little boy.

With the blink of an eye he changed his tune and I had to adapt to his next growing-up stage.  Now I get a kiss blown to me before anyone sees and a hug before we leave the backyard.  I miss those moments when he would just reach up to hold my hand.  Life’s bitter sweet like that and I’ll take what I can get.

sewkatiedid/ Improv log cabin pillow

If you catch them at the right age it’s not all about Legos and Star Wars or hiding affection bestowed upon your mother.  You can still make them (or their mom really) something sweet and homemade to be loved for a bit.

sewkatiedid/Improv Log Cabin PillowBrother’s with birthdays very close together and just revolving around the sun for their sixth and fourth year are still of that age.

3694646105_c5b6661a15-1I made these two a little bit larger than normal to have a soft cosy feel.

Fourth’s closure is from my invisible zipper tutorial (Class Scheduled).  I wanted the back to have as much surface design as the front.

sewkatiedidI finished off Six with an envelope closure since I decided to apply the age detail to the front.

sewkatiedid/improv log cabin pillow

 

There are some other details added in if you look close.

sewkatiedid/Improv log cabin pillows

I’ve had this corduroy for ages and finally pulled it into a project.  In fact I’ve had all those fabrics for ages.  It’s fun to dig around in the stash.

As usual I lined these with muslin and serged all the edges, perfect for the wash.

 

 

::Double Herringbone Whole Cloth Quilt::

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I know I am not alone in thinking morning till night about quilt design.  If I had a large studio, all walls would be design walls, covered in the latest, or not so recent, but percolating ideas.

I’m not sure if it is good to dream of living in a padded room, but projects wouldn’t get tucked away in whatever space available to become ignored or forgotten.  I would just do a little of each as to not get bored or feel an idea forced.

But I get bored and projects get put away.

Ashley’s herringbone quilting on Swirling Swans, her version of the Swirling Medallion quilt in Quilting Modern, inspired me to shake the wrinkles out of a whole cloth quilt that was already basted, but tucked away.  Even the bindings were produced and rolled along with it.  The fabric had already driven my vision in this direction, but knowing that this type of quilting would take time set the procrastination in.

I obviously had not thought out the binding’s contrast very well.  Placed next to the herringbone fabric it simply disappeared, so I added the faux binding.  It is a simple technique that I teach in my whole cloth quilt class.

It turned out erratic and fun.  I placed the vertical lines first and then used two pieces of masking take horizontally to keep somewhat straight in placing the zig zags.  A fabric marker would do to.

I created a whole cloth quilt flickr group to share.

I’ll be missing my niece Ella when the family leaves back to Northern Ireland Tuesday.  Be still my heart, when she exclaimed as we were cutting squares and placing them on the design wall that she could just play with fabric all day!

Oh, and Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Hallie.  Her pillows match my couch so well it might be hard to let them go!  I added invisible zippers of course.  Tutorial here.

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::Swirling Medallion Quilt:: $85 Saturday, August 25th 10am-2pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

A merging of two blocks!  Come see how this quilt comes together while learning proper technique for cutting, piecing to create sharp points and sewing rows. All level of sewists welcome.   Quilting Modern book required.

::Random Happenings::

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With little time between work, book stuff and teaching I’ve focused on finishing quick projects that are ‘needed’ around the house.

Like an extra curtain, to keep out that extra morning light daylight savings brought us.  Made with fabric from the wonderful Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Fabrics (blog here).  I think I bought all the yardage she had.

The extra yardage from the curtains with some help from Pink Chalk’s sale flannel went into a whole cloth quilt for a very special baby.  I did the double binding again.

I could probably fill my living room floor to ceiling with pillows, but with an invisible zipper pillow class on the 22nd I thought some new samples were in order.  I fell hard for this new Amy Butler when I went to see Keli of Drygoods Design.  She pulled it off the shelf and the next minute I was walking out with it.

And seeing as we finally got around to getting a new cover made for the ottoman it seemed fitting to have something matchie-matchie.  That’s my excuse at least.

Now I need to get that Kaleidoscoping God’s Eye Quilt off the design wall and make this wee man a Unknown Direction quilt of his own.

Birthday Boys

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Brothers, and still young enough to be gifted a pillow, maybe even love it.

That little robot kills me.  He’s so stinkin’ cute.

On the flip side of the pillow, celebrating the 4th revolution around the sun.  I went with some corduroy that I’ve had around and never use.  This one I finished with an invisible zipper (I just redid my tutorial).

I popped this out of print Alexander Henry into my destash with some coordinates for making a pillow too.

For older brother, robots as well.  This print is flannel and I wish I had bought enough for a quilt back, just got scraps.

Big Boys dream in robot too.  Happy 6th revolution…

spinning on this lovely home.

Many smiles to you this year.

I know your Momma will like them too, because she gifted me some of the fabric.

I’m try to fit in some quilting today.

Happy Saturday!

::hst love::

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I wanted to diverge from the traditional half square triangle with one solid and one print for my half square triangle class.

Ara Jane  came along to guild with her hst quilt and I was hooked.

On my last trip to the island I stacked some bolts at Pink Chalk Fabrics.  Most are Kona with one shot cotton thrown in.  Purples, teal, light blue, light green, gray and white.  They play off one another perfectly.

If you are in the market for solids, Kathy Mack is my one stop shop.

I also scored this Lush for backing at half off.

After consulting my quilting expert (hee hee) I have a quilting plan.

I mopped and scheduled in some back/knee injury time,

also known as basting.

After removing the table from the kitchen for the process I’m also realizing that I need to schedule some repaint the baseboards and sew new curtains to replace those that are beyond faded.

One task will go on the honey-do list and the other will give me an excuse to buy fabric.

I hope I love the quilting as much as I adore the top!

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destash

classes

::FaceLift::

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Our couch and my Add Zip to Your Pillow Invisible Zipper Tutorial both needed a facelift.

I think installing an invisible zipper just got easier than it already was.

Now that my couch is happy, I’m off to mop and baste.

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Destash

::Hers and His Pillows::

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I needed to make demonstration samples last week for my Add Zip to Your Pillow Class and Roan needed a birthday gift for a classmate.  Two birds, one stone…

For Sofia’s new pink bedroom.  Little girls seem to still appreciate the handmade.  Little boys, not so much.

Last time I tried to make a pillow for a boy gift Roan’s response was, “Oh, a pillow?!  Can’t we just buy a toy?!”  Add a whining tone to that.

Skip the gift wrap, that’s what all those selvedges are saved for.

And that two bird thing?  Roan needed a new pillow cover and I had just a bit of this Alexander Henry fabric left from the back of his quilt.  Still reminds me of the A-ha video.

My couch is still in need and I’m waiting patiently for this fabric to arrive.

In the meantime the floor was washed and this was basted.

Now, off I go, I have a date with a quilt and I’m happy to report the sun is shining in Seattle.

Happy Wednesday!

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p.s. In light of the past few days, I found this video on Ted is worth a watch.

::Whole Cloth Quilt and Quilt Finishing Class::

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I’ve had this simple quilt sandwich basted and rolled up waiting for its addition of scraps and stitchin’ to make it into a ticker tape.  I got to thinking about our limited basting space in the class room and that a simple, modern AND most importantly small quilt could do the trick for teaching the basic threes to quilt finishing.

Stuff Three’s:

  • Quilt Top
  • Batting
  • Quilt Back

Do Three’s:

  • Baste
  • Quilt
  • Bind

The end result, this modern baby quilt!  We’ll cover the three’s in the class, and discuss what straight stitched quilting design to execute, plus centering and squaring a quilt and troubleshooting.

The design of the stitching is really seen from the solid front.  I think this is Kona Pond.  I straight stitched some gentle curves and left a space to straight stitch a third in.  I added a few lines of red.

 It’s bound in one of my favorite Cake Rock Beach dots.

And the backing is one of my stockpiled Alexander Henry Raindrop Stripe.


I think it will be a super fun class.

I’ve got Add Zip To Your Pillow class next Thursday if you need some new Spring flare.  I have my fabric all picked out.

::Zip It Up::

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This past week I’ve been working on getting samples done and Spring classes on the books.  I’ve made many a zip pouch and thought a class would be fun.

They make such great gifts that every sewist should know how to make a professional looking lined pouch.

I figured while I was at it, I would kill two birds with one stone and get the end of the year teacher gifts out of the way.

Last weekend digging through Kathy Mack’s scrap boxes at the Pink Chalk Studio I came up with the scraps to create these beauties!

The Lecien is a new favorite for sure and the trip to her studio inspired me to pull out the covered button bin.  Thanks Kathy!

Again, I dabbled in making Amy Butler’s Stash and Dash bags.  The pattern is just so finicky, or maybe it’s just me?

I actually took the large one apart and put it back together AGAIN before I was happy with it.  When using home decor they say, “no” to stabilizer, but I say, “yes.”

The set will go to my sister-in-law with Ethan and Ella’s quilts.

Off to sew.