KITCHEN
Grapefruit Coasters
MADE BY Ayumi Takahashi • FINISHED SIZE of each wedge: 5˝ × 5˝
Looking for quick and fun last-minute gifts? How about these grapefruit coasters? Use up your favorite fabric scraps in yellow shades (or other fruity colors) and turn them into a set of four coasters.
Materials and Supplies
Makes 4 coasters.
CD content is available to download from http://tinyurl.com/11026-patterns.
•White solid fabric: ½ yard for front and back
•Assorted print scraps: 12 pieces at least 2¾˝ × 5˝
•Yellow solid fabric: ⅛ yard for binding
•Batting: 4 pieces 6˝ × 6˝
•Quilt adhesive spray
•Point turner
Cutting
WHITE SOLID
•4 quarter-circles using the coaster pattern
YELLOW SOLID
•4 strips 1⅝˝ × 8½˝ on the bias for binding
INSTRUCTIONS
Assemble the Coaster
1. Print 4 copies of the coaster foundation.
2. Arrange the 12 print scraps in a circle. Assemble a coaster using the white solid and 3 scraps. Press.
3. Trim ¼˝ from the straight edges and ⅜˝ from the curved edge. Remove the foundation. Use quilt adhesive spray to attach it to the batting.
4. Quilt parallel lines about ⅜˝ apart. Trim excess batting.
NOTE Quilt each coaster so the quilting lines are parallel when the coasters are placed in a circle.
5. Place a white quarter-circle on top of the quilted piece, right sides together. Using a ¼˝ seam allowance, sew along the 2 straight edges. Trim the seam allowance to ⅛˝ to reduce bulk.
6. Turn right side out and use a point turner to push out the corner. Press. Pin the curved edge so the layers meet. Baste.
7. Pin a yellow binding strip along the curved edge so it hangs over both ends. Sew on the binding using a ⅜˝ seam allowance.
8. Fold the overhanging ends of the binding to the back of the coaster. Hand stitch the binding to the back, tucking under the ends at both sides.
9. Repeat Steps 2–8 to make 4 coasters.
Liberty Street
POTHOLDER
FINISHED BLOCK SIZE: 9˝ × 9˝ • FINISHED POTHOLDER SIZE: 8½˝ diameter
MADE BY Kylie Seldon
Inspired by the streets of San Francisco, this potholder makes a pretty place to rest your teapot, or even a lovely little wallhanging. The streets are pieced using the Liberty Lifestyle Bloomsbury Gardens line, paired with natural linen to let the gorgeous, saturated colors shine. The binding fabric is Heath in Chocolate by Alexander Henry.
Materials and Supplies
CD content is available to download from http://tinyurl.com/11026-patterns.
•6 assorted print fabrics: scraps for piecing the shops
•Natural linen fabric: 1 fat quarter for piecing the background
•Backing fabric: 10˝ × 10˝
•Binding fabric: 12˝ × 12˝
•Cotton batting: 10˝ × 10˝ for interlining
•Thermal batting (I used Insul-Bright by The Warm Company.): 10˝ × 10˝
•Cotton lace trim, ribbon, or tape: 5½˝ for hanging loop
•Fine black permanent marker (such as Artline 200 0.4)
•Small alphabet stamp set for shop signs (Each letter in my set is about ¼˝ tall.)
•Fabric ink stamp pad (I used VersaCraft ink in Espresso.) and stamps to fit shop windows
DESIGN NOTE This block would look great in a scrappy collection of prints from your stash with fussy-cut images and text, instead of the stamped linen. Japanese novelty prints are a fantastic source of cute fussy cuts for piecing into windows.
Cutting
BINDING
•Cut the 12˝ × 12˝ square on the diagonal. Cut 3 bias strips 2˝ wide for single-fold bias binding.
INSTRUCTIONS
All seam allowances are ¼˝.
Read all instructions before starting to piece your block.
Assemble the Block
1. Assemble each section in each shop block.
TIP
Assemble one shop block at a time to avoid confusion. Refer to the project photo (page 105) and block illustrations to help with fabric placement. Use the linen background fabric for the shop windows and signs.
2. For shop block 1, join A to B to C.
3. For shop block 2, join E to D. Join A to B to C to ED.
4. For shop block 3, join A to B to C to D.
TIP
To sew two sections together, line up the corresponding tick marks and pin straight through. Keeping these initial pins completely straight and vertical as possible, add more pins on each side before sewing.
Increase your machine’s stitch length to 3mm and sew along the seamline to baste. Check to make sure the sections are well aligned before sewing back over the seam with a shorter stitch length.
5. Sew the 3 blocks together and trim to 9˝ × 9˝.
6. Using the illustration as a guide, trim the bottom left corner from the block by cutting ¼˝ below where the stitching line will be to allow for the seam allowance.
7. Trace around the triangle you just trimmed on the linen background fabric. Add ½˝ on all sides and cut out.
8. Sew the linen triangle to the pieced block along the diagonal. Press the seam toward the linen and trim the block back to 9˝ × 9˝.
Stamp the Text
Stamp text onto the shop signs. Be creative! What shops will your street have—a grocer, a florist, a pet shop? Stamp coordinating images into the shop windows. Use a hot, dry iron to set the ink.
TIP
A great tutorial for stamping on fabric can be found at limeriot.blogspot.com > Tutorials > Stamping on Fabric.
TIP
If stamping directly on your finished block makes you nervous, stamp the text and images onto linen background fabric before piecing the block. Keep in mind the placement of any fussy-cut images when piecing.
Assemble and Quilt the Potholder
1. Remove the foundation on the pieced block. Layer the backing fabric square (wrong side up), the cotton batting square, the Insul-Bright square (shiny side up), and the patchwork block (right side up and centered). Baste the layers.
2. Machine or hand quilt as desired. I used dense quilting for the linen background to add texture and make the shops stand out.
Finish and Bind the Potholder
1. Center the circle pattern on the quilted patchwork square and pin in place, or trace around the circle with a fabric pencil. Cut to make an 8½˝ diameter circle. Zigzag stitch all around the edge to hold the layers together before applying the binding.
2. Fold the 5½˝ piece of trim or tape in half to create a loop. Center the loop on the top back edge of the potholder and pin it in place so the loop faces the center of the potholder. Baste in place.
3. Sew the 2˝-wide bias strips together to make at least 30˝ of single-fold bias binding. Use this to bind the potholder.
4. Fold the hanging loop up and hand sew in place.
Tea Towel
MADE BY Megan Dye • FINISHED SIZE: 18˝ × 24˝
No day is complete without a nice cup of tea. The cup and saucer, sugar bowl, and creamer motifs on this tea towel are just perfect for fussy cutting some of your favorite prints. And, of course, at the end, you have a handy tea towel to wash up your own cup and saucer.
Materials and Supplies
CD content is available to download from http://tinyurl.com/11026-patterns.
•Scraps: totaling ¼ yard for motifs
•White solid: fat quarter for background of motif blocks
•Linen: 19˝ × 25˝
•Print fabric: ¼ yard for ruffle
•Twill tape: 1 piece 7½˝ long (I used 1˝-wide decorative twill tape.)
Cutting
WHITE
•2 strips 2¼˝ × 6˝ to sash the blocks
•1 strip 2½˝ × width of fabric for ruffle, with selvages trimmed
•2 strips 2˝ × 19˝ for ruffle header
INSTRUCTIONS
All seam allowances are ¼˝.
Assemble the Block
1. Assemble 3 tea motif blocks: teacup and saucer, sugar, and creamer.
2. Sew the blocks together. Sew a white 2¼˝ × 6˝ strip to each side to make a 20˝ × 6˝ panel.
Make the Ruffle
1. Sew a double-fold hem along both short sides and one long side of the print 2½˝ × width of fabric strip.
2. Baste the unfinished long side and gather into an 18˝-long ruffle.
3. Fold each print 2˝ × 19˝ strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Open and press each raw edge to the center crease. These strips will form the ruffle header.
4. Unfold one of the edges on each header strip. Make a sandwich with one of the strips, the raw edge of the ruffle, and then the other strip as shown. Sew with a ½˝ seam allowance.
5. Press the header away from the ruffle and topstitch across the header near the ruffle.
Assemble the Tea Towel
1. Measure 9½˝ from the bottom of the linen. Place the pieced tea motif panel upside down, with the top edge of the panel at the 9½˝ mark, right sides together. Stitch along the raw edge using a ¼˝ seam. Remove all the foundations. Fold the panel down toward the bottom of the towel and press.
2. Turn under the bottom edge of the motif panel and press. Topstitch across the top and bottom of the motif panel.
3. Press under ¼˝ around the side and top edges of the linen, leaving the bottom edge raw.
4. Place the 7½˝ piece of twill tape diagonally across a top corner on the back of the linen for a hanging loop. Pin or baste in place.
5. Press under another ¼˝ around the side and top edges to complete the hem. Sew around the linen, catching the twill tape in the stitching.
6. Center the towel’s bottom raw edge inside the ruffle header. The header will be slightly wider than the linen. Sew along the top of the ruffle header, making sure to catch the back in the stitching.
7. Tuck the raw edges of the header toward the back of the towel and hand stitch in place to finish.
Kite Tote
FINISHED SIZE: Without handles: 14½˝ × 13½˝, With handles: 14½˝ × 19˝
MADE BY Charise Randell
This fun tote has a whimsical paper-pieced kite as its focal point and is framed by colorful borders in a Log Cabin design. It is the perfect size for shopping trips or to hold your crafts on the go!
Materials and Supplies
CD content is available to download from http://tinyurl.com/11026-patterns.
•Blue polka dot fabric: 1 fat quarter for background of both kites
•Scraps from 4 different fabrics: totaling ⅛ yard for both kites
•Red solid fabric: 6 scraps 1˝ × 1˝ for tails on kite 2
•Pink print fabrics: 2˝-wide scraps totaling ⅛ yard
•Yellow print fabrics: 2˝-wide scraps totaling ⅛ yard
•Blue print fabric: 3˝-wide scraps totaling ¼ yard
•Red gingham fabric: ¹⁄3 yard for binding and tabs
•Muslin fabric: ½ yard for backing
•Lining fabric: ½ yard
•Coordinating fabric: 10¼˝ × 12½˝ for pocket
•Lightweight interfacing: ⅛ yard
•Batting: ½ yard
•Perle cotton: red #8 and pink #8 for embroidery
•1 pair of wood handles: 8½˝ wide × 5˝ tall
TIP
You can purchase wooden handles from your local arts and crafts store or from Quilting-Warehouse.com.
Cutting
LINING
•2 pieces using tote bag pattern
MUSLIN
•2 squares 16½˝ × 16½˝ for backing
BATTING
•2 squares 16½˝ × 16½˝
RED GINGHAM
•2 strips 17⁄8˝ × 16˝ on the bias for top edge binding
•4 strips 3½˝ × 4½˝ for handle tabs
NOTE The measurements given for the handle tabs will work with 7⁄8˝ openings. Check the openings in your handles and adjust as needed to 4 × the slot width. For example, if the slot opening in the handle is ¾˝, make the tab strip width 4 × ¾˝ = 3˝.
LIGHTWEIGHT INTERFACING
•4 strips 3½˝ × 4½˝ for handle tabs
INSTRUCTIONS
All seam allowances are ¼˝, unless otherwise noted.
Assemble the Block
1. Assemble section A. Assemble section B. Join A to B.
2. Position AB (just sewn) onto section C (paper foundation). Align seams and pin. Add pieces C1–C4 individually.
3. Assemble section D. Assemble section E. Join D to E.
4. Position DE (sewn) onto section F (paper foundation). Align seams and pin. Add pieces F1–F4 individually.
5. Repeat the technique described in Steps 3–4 to assemble 2 more kite tails: GH with J, and KL with M.
6. Join DEF to GHJ to KLM. Join ABC to DEFGHJKLM.
7. Trim to 5½˝ square.
8. Embroider the kite strings on each block using a backstitch.
9. Repeat Steps 1–8 to make another kite block.
Assemble the Outer Bag
1. Add strips around each kite block Log Cabin style, first adding 2˝ pink strips, followed by 2˝ yellow strips, and finally the 3˝ blue strips.
2. Remove the foundations for both kite blocks.
3. Layer a muslin square, batting square, and one of the kite blocks. Baste in place.
4. Stitch in the ditch around the kite block. Stitch ¼˝ from the original stitching and continue around the entire block in a spiral pattern.
5. Align the top center of the tote bag pattern with the top center of the block. Trace around the pattern and cut out. Mark the darts and notches.
6. Repeat Steps 3–5 for the other kite block.
7. Stitch the darts on both tote bag panels. On one panel, press the darts toward the center. On the other panel, press the darts toward the side seams.
8. Place the tote bag panels right sides together. Position the darts in opposite directions on either side of the bag. Stitch around the perimeter with a ½˝ seam allowance. Press the seam open.
Assemble the Lining
1. Fold the 10¼˝ × 12½˝ piece of fabric for the pocket in half along the 10¼˝ side so that the right sides are together. The folded edge will become the top of the pocket.
2. Stitch with a ¼˝ seam allowance along the unfolded edges, leaving a 4˝ opening at the bottom. Press the seam open. Turn right side out and press.
3. Center the pocket on one of the lining pieces 3½˝ from the top edge. Edgestitch around the pocket sides and bottom. Mark and stitch a vertical line 4˝ from the edge of the pocket to create 2 pockets.
4. Stitch the darts in both lining pieces. On one piece, press the darts toward the center. On the other piece, press the darts toward the side seams.
5. Place the lining pieces right sides together, positioning the darts in opposite directions on each piece. Stitch around the perimeter with a ½˝ seam allowance. Press the seam open.
6. Place the lining, wrong side out, inside the tote bag as shown. Align the top edges and side seams and pin. Baste around the top edge ⅜˝ from the raw edge.
Attach the Handles
1. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of each handle tab strip.
2. Fold a tab strip in half lengthwise along the 4½˝ edge, wrong sides together, and press. Open and fold the edges to the center crease and press. Topstitch on both long edges. Repeat this step for the additional 3 tabs.
3. Measure the distance between the inside of the handle slot openings. Mark this measurement centered on the top of the tote bag on both sides.
4. Slip the tabs through the handle openings. Baste the raw edges together.
5. Position the tabs on the inside lining, using the markings from Step 3. Baste the raw edges of the handle tabs to the top edge of the tote bag and lining.
Finish the Bag
1. Cut a 45° angle on the end of each bias tape strip and sew together into a continuous strip. Press the seam open.
2. Make the bias binding by folding the bias strip in half lengthwise and folding the edges in to the center crease, or use a bias tape maker. Open one long folded edge.
3. Fold a short edge of the bias binding under to the wrong side by ⅜˝. Place the folded edge of the bias binding on a side seam of the inside bag, with the right side of the binding facing the right side of the lining.
4. Matching raw edges, stitch the binding to the lining edge with a ⅜˝ seam allowance. When you reach the starting point, overlap the folded starting point by ½˝.
5. Fold the bias binding to the right side of the tote bag and slipstitch in place to cover the stitching.