LONE STAR MINI QUILT: FINISHED!

Dies used: Diamonds, 2 1/2in (2 3/4in x 6 1/2in Unfinished)
                 Half-Square Triangles, 2 1/2in Finished Square
                 Square, 4in Finished (4 1/2in Unfinished)


Hello again!

There were only a couple of jobs left to do to finish my Lone Star mini quilt. So that it can be hung on the wall easily and lie flat against it, it needed a couple of pockets on the back to fit a baton in. I cut a couple of 4 1/2in squares on my Big Shot Plus, pressed them in half diagonally and basted them in the top two corners on the reverse of the quilt.

The binding was then sewn on and a baton cut to size and fitted into the back pockets.

And then all that was left was to hang it on the wall. It's finished size is approximately 27 1/2in square.

I love the 'rings' of diamonds that make up the star, it is such a striking shape and it really brightens up the room. I want to make a huge one now and cutting all of the diamonds out with my Big Shot will make it SO much easier!

Happy sewing, see you next time!

Sizzix in Creativa Madrid

Hi everybody! Elena here. 

The past week was the Creativa craft fair in Madrid and I was there teaching some workshops for Carrotcake Scrap and Friends and demoing the Big Shot Plus for Manos Maravillosas.

Today I want to show you the dies I used in some of my projects, that everybody loved.

In my Hello Life Project I used the Big Shot Plus Starter Kit, the Friendship Words by Tim Holtz and the Block Talk XL Bigz Die.

 In my Technique Workshop I used thearts, the Big Butterfly punch by Tim Holtz and the Word Play Alphabet Die.

Photo by Manos Maravillosas

And here I am demoing the Big Shot Plus Starter Kit in Manos Maravillosas' Stand.

It was a lot of fun teaching and demoing Sizzix Products in Creativa Madrid. Next Stop Creativa Barcelona in two weeks. I hope to see you there!

Elena

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¡Hola a todos!

Esta pasada semana estuve en Madrid en la feria Creativa dando algunos talleres para Carrotcake Scrap & Friends y haciendo demos en el stand de Manos Maravillosas. Aquí os dejo algunos de los trabajos que estuve enseñando utilizando los estupendos troqueles y Big Shot Plus de Sizzix. En la última foto me podéis ver demostrando en el Stand de Manos Maravillosas.

En un par de semanas nos vemos en Creativa Barcelona!

Elena

Lone Star Mini Quilt

Dies used: Diamonds, 2 1/2in (2 3/4in x 6 1/2in Unfinished)
                 Half-Square Triangles, 2 1/2in Finished Square


Hello again!

This new Sizzix project ticks off 2 entries on my 'want to make' list. I've never made a mini-quilt before and would really like one to hang on my bedroom wall and I love Lone Star piecing designs and had yet to have a go at making one. So I'm currently making a Lone Star mini-quilt and killing two birds with one stone! I've been wanting to use my long diamonds die and cutting mats for a while and before tackling a full-size quilt this was the perfect tester project to play around with print and pattern.

For the star, I selected 5 different fabrics and decided in which order they were to form the rings of the star. I then cut the following number of diamonds from each fabric on my Big Shot:

1st and 5th (central and outer) ring: 8
2nd and 4th ring: 16
3rd ring: 24

The diamonds were then divided up into 8 sets that would form each section of the star and then sewed together into rows and then the rows were joined to form a large diamond.

Matching the points when joining the rows together took a little getting used to. With right sides together, inserting a pin 1/4in down from the raw edge through the diagonal seam and through in the same position on the opposite side was the most convenient method for me.

Once the 8 star sections were completed I cut out the background pieces on my Big Shot. I chopped 144 solid white half-square triangles and 72 low volume white on white half-square triangles and joined them like this to make 24 larger half-square triangles.

These triangles will fit on either side of the outer points of the star to give a square mini-quilt top.

So the next job is to sew the star and background together and complete the top ready for quilting and binding and eventually hanging on the wall.

See you next time. Happy sewing!

Owl paper clip for your planner

Hi everybody! Elena here. 

Do you like planners? I love them and I like to decorate them seasonally. So this week I have created a paper clip perfect for autumn, with the Little Owl Thinlits Die Set from Craft Asylum.

Supply list:

• 660020 Sizzix Big Shot Plus
• 660813 Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 4PK - Little Owl
• Card: brown, red, white, cream, green
• Big paper clip
• Hot glue gun

To make this owl paper clip you will have to die cut the body of the owl twice and glue both front and back with some glue on the ears. Then hot glue it to the top of the paper clip. Finally, die cut the other parts of the owl and glue them to the front of the clip. 

I love how it goes with the autumn theme of my october pages in my planner, but if you aren't into planners you can use it as a bookmark.

Happy planning!

Elena

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¡Hola a todos!

¿os gustan las agendas? La verdad es que a mí me encantan y además me encanta decorarlas de acuerdo con cada estación del año. Hoy os enseño este clip-búho que he hecho con sólo un troquel.

Para hacer este clip tenéis que troquelar el cuerpo del búho un par de veces y pegar las dos partes por las orejitas. Después lo pegáis a la parte superior del clip con cola caliente y le ponéis los demás detalles que lo adornan. 

Así de sencillo. me encanta cómo queda este clip en mi agenda con la decoración de otoño, aunque si no os gusta decorar vuestra agenda también lo podéis utilizar como punto de lectura.

¡Espero que os guste!

Elena

Prancing Deer Cushion

Die used: Prancing Deer

I've been using the Prancing Deer die recently for a project that I can't blog about just yet but I really love this die and so have carried on using it to make something that I can post about! It's such a classic, stylish deer shape and perfect for some Christmas crafting - I have a plan to make some paper and card deer bunting nearer to the festive season with one in the chain sporting a mini red pompom on it's nose. For now though I've been using it to make an appliqué patch to embellish a cushion cover.

Applying a piece of iron-on adhesive (fusible web) that is slightly larger overall than the deer to the reverse of the appliqué fabric

and then positioning the adhesive-backed area over the cutting area of the die and cutting with a Big Shot

results in one perfectly cut out deer.

I cut out a simple cushion front and peeled off the backing paper from the die-cut deer and pressed it in place in the bottom right-hand corner of the cushion front. Then, with a scrap of fabric pinned behind the deer to support the patch, I sewed an outline all around the inside edge of the deer sewing twice around the body but just once over the antlers (just carrying on past them on the second circuit).

It is quite an ornate shape but a perfectly stitched outline isn't required just one that will hold it in place securely, a sketchy outline looks really effective especially over the antlers.

Once the appliqué was done it was just a case of sewing an envelope back onto the cushion front and turning it the right way out. Voila!

I think this die is going to see a lot of use over the next 2-3 months.

Happy sewing!

Mystery block part 2

 In a little while the block will be revealed - and I love it - it is complex but I think worth the effort so to continue - join your rectangles together to make squares - you will make 4 of each - (remember to press the seams flat open) -

 

 

 

ant then join the squares together like this, again you will make 4 of each -



and then join together like this - so that you have 4 quarters of the block -

Lay the 4 quarters out - so that you join them together in the right arrangement -

 and then stitch them together to create your complete block -

I know this block as Carpenters Wheel - and I love the 3-D effect. As my father was a carpenter it reminds me of him. I had hoped to make a table runner by making 3 of these blocks - but I don't have enough fabric so this will become a cushion - so look out for next week to see how this cushion becomes a quilt!!! 

Angela

Mystery block - part 1

 Recently I had the privilege of demonstrating at a trade show in Lillestrom in Norway, with Global Hobby. I had a lovely time and came away with quite a few half-square triangles and squares cut - and I really liked some of the fabrics - so here we start the mystery block -
this is a 16" finished block and you will need a long quarter of each fabric for the block - and make it easier for yourself by choosing non directional fabric - believe me it will be a lot easier! and you need clear distinction between the light medium and dark fabrics to get the best effect.

 

You need to cut 32 x 2 1/2" half-square triangles from each fabric - using the Big Shot http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray
and Bigz die - 659831 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659831/sizzix-bigz-die-half-square-triangles-2-1-2-assembled-square
and 12 x 2 1/2" square in light and 4 in dark, using the Bigz die 657607 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657607/sizzix-bigz-die-square-2-finished-2-1-2-unfinished
Join the triangles together to make 16 squares in each colour combination, (and press the seams flat open because of the complexity and number of seams that join) -

 

Join 16 squares together to make 8 rectangles like this -



and then join the remaining squares into rectangles, 4 of each -



So this will give you 32 rectangles and next time you'll see how to put them together for the complete block.
Happy sewing
Angela

Circles Baby Quilt: Finished!

Dies used: Drunkard's Path Quarter Circle
                 Drunkard's Path & Fan Background


Hello again!

The little man that is set to receive this baby quilt has yet to make an appearance but it is now all ready when he is!

I've loved making this quilt. Sewing curves made a nice change, they weren't too tricky to handle and work so well on a small quilt like this one (approximately 32" x 32"). The circles are a really good size for quilting in that they are big enough to contain a specific pattern/design but not too big so that it's awkward to keep track of the design during quilting. I used 4 different quilting patterns and had 4 circles of each design.

The brushed cotton backing is super-soft and is lovely to touch especially with the ridges formed by the quilting.

All that's left now is to wrap it up and wait!

Happy sewing :)

Back to school - kit bag

 It's the beginning of September and now suddenly it's back to school, and my granddaughter, Abi is starting school - so this week I'm making a little bag for her P.E. kit -

 

I have used 4 floral prints from the Little Bird Told Me fabric range from Lewis and Irene -
38cm x 30cms for the bag, and small pieces for the letters and flowers.
I fused web to the back of the fabrics for the letters and flowers before cutting them out - it makes it so much easier when stitching the shapes in place - no pins needed!
I used the Big Shot machine and the following dies to cut out the flowers and letters -
Flower, layers and leaves, by Dena Designs - 657690 -
http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657690/sizzix-bigz-die-flower-layers-leaves
for the capital  - Lollipop Shadow Capital letters - 657892
http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657892/sizzix-bigz-alphabet-set-4-dies-lollipop-shadow-capital-letters
and for the lower case letters - Lollipop Shadow Lower Case letters - 660112
http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660112/sizzix-bigz-alphabet-set-4-dies-lollipop-shadow-lowercase-letters
Remember when cutting out letters the fabric needs to be right side down on the die because the letters and cut in reverse.
The letters and flowers were fused into place one side of the bag -

I placed the letters about 12cm from the bottom edge, and 5cm in from the edge, but this doesn't have to be exact., and added the flowers underneath and to one side. I stitched all the letters and flowers in place as this bag may take quite a bit of hard use!.
To make the bag I folded it in half, right sides together and stitched the side and bottom - leaving a 2cm opening 2.5cm from the top -

and I used a zig-zag stitch to neaten the raw edges.
A 1cm fold was made around the top edge, onto the wrong side, and then folded over again 2 .5cm and stitched down -

The opening in the side seam allows a ribbon to be threaded through as a drawstring.
The bad is complete and can be turned right side out ready for use. If you like you can pull the ribbon through so that the knot is hidden inside.
I think I might have to make a new bag for her big sister - but that can wait until later.
Next week is a mystery.
Have fun stitching.
Angela