Chenille

A long time ago, I made some pot holders with denim and flannel.  I used 3 layers of denim and 3 layers of flannel, sewed them together with diagonal rows of stitching.  Then cut between each row with my scissors, to  make it chenille.  I loved how it turned out, but it was really hard on my hands. 

So, I've had my eye on one of those chenille cutters, 

and finally bought one.

Here's the new set of pot holders that I did with the new chenille cutter.

I also thought it would make a great rug!  I used yardage that I already had.  There's a blue denim on the bottom, with a yellow denim and a pink denim.  Then I had some dark blue flannel that went between each denim piece.

Here's the rug, and the close-up.

I love the feel, texture and weight of the rug.  But it turned out kinda wonky.  I'll have to figure out how to make it more squared.  Maybe I could do a couple sets of back-stitches at the beginning and end of each row, so I can square-up when it's finished, without the stitching coming undone.

Denim Quilt Class

Tuesday, I got to teach my Denim Quilt Class.  It was a big class (10), but the ladies were all sharp, and we had a great time!  The students had a choice of Denim Stars, Brick Work or Windows.

Denim Stars

Brick Work

Windows

These 3 quilts are done in a similar way.  We work with a small section of the quilt at a time, sewing the blocks together and finishing the raw edges.  Then the quilt is done when it's done, there's no quilting or tying to do later, and batting is optional.

Here's some of the ladies and their work...

It's fun to see everyone's fabric choices!  Beatles fabric, polka dots, a soft girly print, cute bees, pirate fabrics, old fashioned charm and manly flannels.

Memorial Day Family Picture

Today is Memorial Day, and I got the day off work.  So our family went for an easy hike up near Bear Lake on the Limber Pine Trail.  The tree we are in front of is about 560 years old.  

It was a perfect day for being out in nature.  There were a few patches of snow, so of course, we had to put some snow down everyone's back.  LOL!

We saw a couple chipmunks and a baby moose.

The wild flowers are blooming, but I only saw 3 butterflies.  We'll go again when the butterflies are gathered in thick groups.

Patriotic 3-D Banner

Here's a picture of 3 of my students in the upstairs classroom at the store.  We have 6 sturdy, metal tables that don't vibrate when you're sewing.  If the class isn't too difficult, I can have up to 12 students.  We also have 3 other tables (for cutting stations or displays), 3 ironing boards with irons, one white board wall (for Power Point presentations), a small refrigerator for water bottles, and you can see the Handi Quilter Fusion in the back.

In this class, I'm teaching my Patriotic 3-D Banner.  If the students pre-cut their fabric, they can usually get their blue "field" finished and some of the red stripes, before the class is finished.

The quilting is very minimal, so with a bit of instruction, they are ready to finish the project on their own.  

The stripes are very much like an accordion, so special instruction is needed here.  To help you get a nice squared-up banner when you're finished, it's a good idea to draw the outline of your finished banner directly on the batting.  Then as you pin baste, you have a guide to keep the banner in its proper parameters.

The Patriotic 3-D Banner is a little tricky, but a fun project to make.

Get the pattern at Craftsy or Etsy.

Newest Regular Quilt Pattern

This is "The Man Quilt."  It was designed for my son, Rick.  As he left home to serve as an LDS missionary for 2 years, I wanted him to take a quilt made by Mom.  We looked at quilts, and he told me what he did and didn't like, and with his help, this is the pattern we came up with.

This quilt is Rick's, and is the original "Man Quilt." 

This "Man Quilt" is for Joe and Nancy, who were married in September 2012.  

The fabrics are a little more feminine for Nancy.
(You can see another picture of it in a previous post.)

This quilt is my middle son, David's "Man Quilt."  
His quilt is the picture on the pattern.

Get the pattern at Craftsy or Etsy.

New Denim Quilt Pattern

I'm working on a new denim quilt pattern.  I think I'll call it Denim Waves -- it's a beach quilt. 

Strips of denim are sewn together to make several long strips.  Then the top edge of the strip is cut to look like waves.  Every-other wave is denim, then I've put a hand dyed fabric wave in between.  And just to mix things up, I'll put a couple wedge shaped pieces in.   It's got a sheet for the back (I know... I don't use sheets for anything but denim quilts that will be used on the ground), and a thin cotton/poly batting.  It's quilted as-you-go, and I think this would be a great quilt to do on a longarm.  If I ever get caught up with T-Joe, I want to go do it on the Handi Quilter at the store.

New Quilt Inspector

I have a new Quilt Inspector!  Her name is Sophie.  She's a "Brown Tip Siamese / Lynx Cross."  I love her tufted ears and big, crystal blue eyes.  She looks petite, but seems longer than a normal cat.  My Dear Husband and 3 sons rescued her from the Humane Society.  And yes, she's been spayed.  Not only is she cute, but she's gentle with her claws and has good manners.  The Guys think I'm crazy, but she walks differently than other cats.  She moves both right legs forward at the same time, then both left, then both right, etc.  She likes to play, and can be very acrobatic.  Her favorite toy is a shoelace with a gross-grain ribbon on the end.  We need to get her a scratching post -- soon!