Cathedral Windows - Tutorial

Today I thought I would do a demo on one of my favorite techniques - Cathedral Windows. This is a hand technique where you take a light fabric like muslin fold and stitch then add a piece of patterned fabric for the "window" part. It's generally done by hand and can be easily adapted to any size. Here's Google's image gallery when you search for Cathedral Windows Quilt - isn't this sew amazing, I love it so I thought I would share it with all of you.

This one here is approx 16"w x 16"h x 4" deep - this was one of the first projects I made using this technique, and I've received so many compliments on it:) People just want to stop me everywhere and figure out how it's made? Have you tried this before?

The photo above © Valerie - Pastimes Online

Here's another tote approx 8"w x 12"h x 4" deep with an adorable pocket and ruffle, perfect for taking your hand piecing and stitching projects with you:) OR pack a lunch in this...

 Here's one that Danielle made, it's the perfect hostess gift with a bottle of nice wine in it. Also, she did her's with all the same colours for the windows, using our Burgundy dupioni silk.

Here goes, ready to try something easy and fun? Don't be shy if your not a hand stitcher or piecer because this technique is super easy, just take your time.

2- 9" squares muslin, plain stitching needle, basic sewing thread to match your muslin.

Iron in 1/4" all the way around

Press all your corners in towards the center

Now with a small whip stitch, stitch the "X" closed you can do a slip stitch also so your stitches are completely hidden. You'll barely see your whip stitches if you choose to do it this way:)

Once you have both seams sewn shut, connect all 4 corners into the middle

Now repeat for your second square. The one thing with this technique is you need two squares to create one "window".

Now, connect your two squares together with a whip stitch (showing) or a slip stitch (invisible)

The best fabrics to use for the "window" parts are scraps, pick a theme, reds, blues, or pinks and browns, or just all scraps - is sew adorable too. Cut your squares 2.5". You can pin this center square in place if you like, I always found that the pin got in the way :)

Fold the center part of your background over your window fabric and begin stitch it down using a slip stitch or a blind hem stitch - you want this to be invisible.

When stitching, you want to make sure you only go through the folded background piece and your window area not into the background because you actually want to be able to put your fingers through the openings to give it the 3 dimensional effect.

Sew, what do you think? Is this something you'd like to try?

Thank you for following this tutorial, I love playing around over here and I hope I've inspired your viewers just a little. Until next time, stay happy and creative.

Patchwork Bird – Quilt Tutorial

The photo above © Teje Karjalainen

If you look carefully this block, you see that there are only squares and triangles. You can see this bird in many sites on the internet but I haven’t seen it with a wing. Here is the plan …

SIZE OF THE PIECES:

– whole squares are 2,5 ” x 2,5 “

– triangles are half squares from 3″ x 3″ squares

– beak (nose) is half square from 2,5″ x 2,5″ square and it’s on 2,5″ x 2,5″ square

– feet are 1″ x 2,5″ and the grass next to the foot is 2″ x 2,5″

!!! Take care how to cut your pieces if you use fabrics where the direction is important – for example my trees. You need two opposite triangles (otherwise the other piece is horizontal and the other vertical).

Sew first all the small parts. Sew the nose-triangle on the corner of one 2,5″ x 2,5″ square. Cutaway the remaining corner from the square which is under the nose triangle.

Press the seams open and trim the squares to 2,5″ x 2,5″.

Next sew the squares in rows …

Press the seams open.

Sew the rows together.

Trim your block and your bird is ready!

Finished block size is about 10″ (10,5″) depending on how exact your seam allowance is. I use about 1,4″ seam allowance.

I like to press seams open because then there are less seams in point – and I like symmetry.

If you like to ask something, please don’t hesitate. I’m happy if I can help!

Try different colours to see how big difference it makes …

Next time I shall show you what I made with my (till now) favourite bird.

If you know some other fun blocks with squares and triangles, please tell! I draw a cat to my notebook but didn’t sew it yet – so can’t be sure if it will look cat or something else. I hope to try it soon.

Thank you so much for your visit! Thank you also for your most lovely comments! I enjoy to read them and I do my best to answer! Next week there/here will be something very exciting – oh I start to be nervous!

Happy sewing!

Cloth Pegs Basket - Tutorial

I know that you call them cloth pegs but don’t you like the Finnish name: ‘Laundry Boys’! And if the ‘boys’ have a fun bag – laundry day is going to be pure enjoy!

The photo above © Teje Karjalainen

This ‘LAUNDRY BOYS’ fabric basket is now in England with my SISTER and I think she is hoping even more than usual to have lots of sunny days to hang her laundry outside! She wished something to carry the ‘laundry boys’ on hew arm when hanging the clothes out, so I made this for her Christmas package.

First I had many patchwork ideas in my mind – using one funny fabric with cloths! My sister’s style is more modern than mine, so I tried to step out from my scrap box and I chose for the base this white-grey fabric which has modern buildings on it. It’s from Ikea and more firm than normal cotton. It was a good choice because now it looks like the laundry rope is hanging from the walls between the houses.

When I start to make any fabric basket I think just about what size I want (height and the bottom width) and then I start with the bottom piece. Now I made oval using a plate to make the edges round. Then I took the measurement around the bottom and started to make the main piece (making it a little bit longer and trimming it later).

I quilted the bottom and the main piece with wadding, following the Lines of the buildings on the fabric + straight Lines. My wadding was quite fat and it gave beautiful puffy look for the dresses – Like the wind is swinging them on the Air!

I cut the ‘dress’ pieces just squares and ironed them with fusible Web. After that it was easy to cut the dress shapes from the fabric. I wanted to add some colour and made one orange sun. Also here I used fusible web and then drew the shape of the sun (I could saw it through the fabric).

I stitched the sun with simple stitching a few times around. For the dresses, I used sik sak to make sure they stay nice even after washing. I made laundry rope with a thin, satin ribbon and clothes pegs with tiny pieces from the same ribbon. The bird is from one Ikea’s fabric and I stitched it simply a few times around.

When the main piece was finished, I pinned it with the bottom to be able to trim the main piece as long it needs to be. Then I took the pins away, cut the main pieces for the right size and then sew it with the bottom. I made the lining with cotton fabric. Binding is double folded and I sew it first on the outside (catching now the main basket with the lining). Then I turned it inside and sew so that the stitching shows on the right side just next to the binding.

The strap has a piece of wadding inside and it’s quilted with straight Lines. In these photos, the strap is still with pins because I was thinking a few options on how to catch it. Finally, I simply sew it on the basket. You could also make buttonholes on the two edges of the strap and then two big buttons on both sides of the basket. Like that you can use the basket also for something else without a strap.

If you like to see more details on how to make any size fabric basket, click HERE to see the tutorial I made for the ‘Quilt Story’s’ Holiday Series! Those baskets are around and have little scrap trees on them.