A Gift for a Special Person

Hello Everyone,

I made a "Thank You" gift for my sewing instructor Sue for all of the guidance, instruction, patience and friendship she has given me over the past year. Sue is such a wonderful woman and I have learned so much from her.

Here is a basic tutorial of how I put this together:

1. I cut out 26 flag pieces 7 1/2" x 9 1/4". The amount of fabric you need will depend on the lettering you use. I chose 2 coordinating colors (and Sue mentioned to me a while back that she liked yellow).
2. To make the letters, I chose the size (to fit the flag accordingly) 2" and font and printed it out. I then traced the letters on the paper side of paper-backed webbing. Make sure the right sides of the letter faces down on the paper side.
3. To fuse, place the nubby side of the webbing on the wrong side of the fabric or paper side up.
4. Fuse with the iron, cut out the letters. Remove the paper-backing and center them right side up and fuse.
5. I appliqued the letters on with a zig zag satin stitch and sewed around the edges of each letter. To do a satin stitch set your width to about 3mm and the length to 5mm. This will make the stitch look as solid. Since this was my first time doing applique, going around curves was a challenge (I guess I will have to make more of these to get them just right LOL).
6. I placed 2 triangles Right sides together and pin. I stitched with coordinating thread along the long edges of triangle, using 1/4" seam allowance. Trim the seam allowance at the point to 1/8". Turn the flag Right, sides out, using a point turner (I used a chopstick to make my corners pointy). You can also do a satin stitch along the edges, Wrong sides together, instead of turning them out.
7. Fold the flag's top edges in by 1/4". Press and topstitch.
8. One all the triangles are assembled, arrange each triangle-letter so that the top edge of each triangle overlaps the next by a scant 1". Sew across this area to secure.
9. Center the entire banner on ribbon, cord or bias tape. I chose single fold bias tape about 4 yards long. Make sure to leave spaces between words (or add an additional blank flag) and leave extra on the sides to either tie a bow or fold over a 1/4" and stitch closed.
10. Have fun and enjoy your new beautiful banner.

Here are some other close-ups of the banner:

**Quick update - I am almost done with my quilted jacket. I just have to hem it. The wool coat will also be done this weekend and I will post pictures.

Have a wonderful day and weekend!!

Recycled Refashion Tutorial...my first!!

Hello Everyone,

I recently took a class called Recycled Refashion. Sue (my instructor) taught me how to take a pair of jeans and turn it into a skirt. Here is my first tutorial of how I learned how to accomplish this.

1. Take a pair of jeans and cut the upper part off. Don't throw away the legs, you will be using those shortly.

2. I removed the flap over the button-fly, so, it would show the buttons and add a decorative touch.


3. I opened up the seams on both legs and the opened the center seam. Open up above the curve of the seam so it will lay flat when you go to pin.

4. I opened up one of legs for the front opening and the the other leg for the back opening of skirt. I lined up the center seams and pinned. I used a jean needle and a straight stitch as a baste to keep it in place.

5. Then, I sewed using a twin jean needle and jean thread to get the same "seam" look. I had a difficult time with the jean thread, but, once I got the hang of it...majority of my seams were straight LOL. With a few washes the bottom of the skirt will get that "fringed" look.

6. Here is the finished skirt. I kept the back a little bit longer than the front, so, it would be balanced when worn.

I am also taking a skirt that has an adorable bottom and attaching it to the top half of another pair of jeans I have (pictures soon to follow).

Have a wonderful evening and weekend.

Rag Quilts for my nephews and my first little tutorial

It has been a very busy couple of weeks and I finally finished sewing the 2 rag quilts for my nephews. I had so much fun embroidering them to give them each a personal touch.

They were really simple to make. I cut out 20 8" x 8" squares, pinned together and sewed about an inch from the edge of the fabric and sewed them together. I then attached each row together, embroidered their names and then embroidered on the lower right corner "Love, Aunt Alisha". I then sewed all the way around the blanket, so I could then cut little slits all around the edge of the blanket and the inner squares. Then you just wash and dried the blanket by itself, so there wouldn't be lint all over our other clothes. This is what gives the blanket the "rag" effect. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a great week!!

All my best,