High Country Quilting

Holiday quilt

2010-11-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

I made a similar quilt earlier this year, and could not help make another for the holidays. One of my favorite things about this pattern (besides that it's free: here) is that it allows you to use several big prints without looking too busy. I love being able to see the entire print I chose! I did add two extra rows on the bottom, I just couldn't pick 12 favorites! It is possible we are doing a class on making this quilt early in the year, let one of our staff know if you would be interested!

{charmed}

2010-11-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

I have been drooling of the Moda Bliss line since we got it in, and this last week I was able to make this baby quilt top.

It took two charm packs and only a couple hours to piece together the top. With a walking foot and straight stitch it was also quilted in no time at all, I love quick, easy blankets that look this beautiful in the end!

Christmas in July Sale

2010-07-01T01:52:00.000-07:00

It's never too early to get started on Holiday gifts, bags, table runners, quilts, etc! This month, all Christmas fabric and patterns or books will be 20% off. If there are any specific supplies - thread, etc that you need for your projects, we would be happy to order them for you, too!

June Sales

2010-06-01T01:50:00.000-07:00

this month... Kid Fabrics! This includes anything from minkee to kid flannels to our fun kid prints. In other words... if you can convince me it's for a kid's blanket, it's on sale at 20% off!

minkee

2010-05-21T15:35:00.001-07:00

We just got a huge shipment of this great minkee fabric in! It's high quality and so soft - come check out our current selection! I love it for quilt backing, but we have project sheets available for many other fun things to use it on!

505

2010-05-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used this? This is absolutely one of my favorite products I use when quilting. I would not machine quilt another quilt without it. Ever. The can is about $13 and will last for several quilts. It is super easy to use and does not gunk up your sewing needle.

Just lay out your batting and smooth out the wrinkles. I do it inside because I think the carpet is abrasive and helps hold it in place, but I turn the ceiling fan on & open the deck door so there is some ventilation. Roll up your backing and place on top of batting. Spray a couple inches from one side to the other and roll your backing over where the adhesive was sprayed. Repeat until back is completely unrolled over batting. Turn it over and repeat with the top. Because I have little 'helpers' at my house, I generally use a couple safety pins - in the corners and center only to prevent little fingers from pulling the fabric apart. Without helpers, this is not necessary. Quilt away!

Elastic Thread

2010-05-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Now that the snow has melted, it's time for summer clothing sewing! One of my favorite go-to quick dresses is a shirred tank dress. Elastic thread, a half yard of fabric and an hour (or less!) and you have a cute summer dress. Never used elastic thread before? Heather Ross has a great tutorial on MarthaStewart.com - head on over and check it out!

Shop Hop 2010

2010-04-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

The yearly Shop Hop is in full swing! We are excited to have lots of fat quarter and half yard bundles as well as quilt kits new and available for these three weeks! Stop on in and get your passport, the dates are April 30 - May 15 and we will be open Monday - Saturday 9:00-6:00.

Cowgirl fun

2010-04-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

We got this great new line of pink & brown cowgirl fabric in a week ago, and I just couldn't wait to cut into it! Using this free pattern, I whipped up an adorable baby quilt. We have also cut the fabric into fat quarter bundles, so come get them while they last!
I used a quarter yard of five prints for the front instead of a charm pack, but it would look great in some of the charm packs we have in the store as well!

April Sale

2010-04-12T13:49:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of spring cleaning, we have marked nearly 300 bolts of fabric between 40 and 50% off! Come check it out, you might find that one piece of fabric you need to finish a project or the perfect back to a completed top. Lots of Thimbleberries and wonderful spring florals, and 'orphan' bolts left over from great collections. Come check them out! This sale will continue through April and May through the Shop Hop!

Batik Love

2010-04-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

When I stumbled across this pattern from Oh, Fransson I was in love. Fortunately, these batik fabrics came together perfectly and I had a quick, gorgeous project in a day! I made it at 75% of the numbers she suggested in the pattern so it would come out as a baby quilt. I also added two extra rows so the stripes are horizontal. With these changes the finished measurements are 37x40".

Ruffled Minky blanket

2009-11-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

We have had this blanket in the shop for a while, and I am still so in love with it. It's easy to make - here's how!

Materials:

1 1/8 yard minky

1 1/4 yard print

1 1/8 yard stripe

Wash and dry fabric. Minky should be washed in cold. Press. Cut print and minky into a 40x45" piece. Be aware that minky makes a mess when you cut it. I rounded my corners with a dinner plate as my template.
I chose to have a really ruffly edge. to figure out how many inches I needed, I did math like this: 40+40+45+45= 170. I then doubled this number (=340) to determine how much to cut. I ended up with 9 strips, 4" wide each (42" long after washing). That gave me a total of 378". If you don't want it to be quite so ruffly, maybe cut your strips 3 1/2", or cut less strips.

Sew ruffle strips together on the diagonal to create one continuous loop of fabric. Trim 1/4" away from the seam and press open. Iron entire loop in half - you will have a LOT of fabric.

Because you are working with this many inches, I chose to not do the gathering stitch on my machine. Instead, I took a large safety pin and placed it in my striped fabric. I then placed one on the opposite side. Find the middle between the pins you have placed, and add another pin (both sides). I chose to do this one more time, adding a smaller safety pin this time. You should have a total of 4 large and 4 small evenly placed pins.

Now, using straight pins, pin striped fabric to print fabric corners, matching up large safety pins in the corners. Match small pins with the middle of each side of fabric. From here, I just eyeballed the middle of the stripe with the middle of the print and pinned. And pinned. And pinned. I used all but two pins I own. I had a pin about every 3", it will look something like this:

Now for the sewing: I did a 3/8" seam allowance. Start on a straight side and "gather and smoosh" (technical terms) the fabric with your fingers between the pins. This takes a little getting used to, but the idea is easy, casual ruffles. Continue all the way around.

To assemble, lay minky right side up on carpet. Because minky has one way stretch, carpet helps hold it while you pin. Lay your print right side down on top of minky. Start pinning in corners, then straight edges. Again... lots and lots of pins. All of them.Be sure to double pin a start/stop 10" hole to turn blanket through on a straight side.

Sew with minky side on the bottom. Your feed dogs will help guide the minky through. I used a 1/2" seam allowance for this. Take your time with minky - it pays off.
Almost done! Turn blanket right side out through opening.

I used a straight stitch to topstitch. A zig-zag would also look neat. I only pinned the opening, the rest didn't need it and went pretty quick. Again, sew with minky on the bottom.

Clip your threads and cuddle up!

Halloween bag

2009-10-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

I decided to make trick or treat bags for my kids this year with the adorable spider and spiderweb fabric we just got in... here is a tutorial for a reversible pleated, square bottom trick-or-treat bag!
1: Pick your fabric. I wanted seasonal fabric, so this is what I chose. From each fabric, I cut two 12x14" squares. A fat quarter would make the bag slightly smaller, but would also work well.
2: Sew fabric right sides together using 1/4" seam allowance, spiders with spiders and webs with webs.

3: Using a quilting ruler, cut a 2" square out of each bottom corner (see insert).

Now match the seams with each other, like shown. Sew across using 1/4" seam allowance - do this to both outside and lining fabric. Your bag should now have a square bottom. 4: To make the handle, I used a piece of my lining fabric 2 1/2 x 16". You can use fusible interfacing if you like to make the handle a little sturdier, but I chose not to. Sew fabric in one long strip, right sides together. Put a pin in your seam allowance, and start threading tube through itself. Bunch it up a little at a time to get it through.

(Scribbling on the cutting board totally optional.) Once you have pulled it all the way through, iron it flat. I chose to sew three times on the strip to make it a little stronger, once 1/8" away from each edge and then down the center. 5: To sew the bag together- put one fabric right side in (spiders), pin handle inside on side seams (making sure not to twist it) and then (spiderweb) fabric right side in. Double pin where you want to start and stop, leaving a 3" opening. Right sides should be together.

6: Turn bag right side out through your opening. Although this bag is reversible, I chose for the spiders to be the 'outside' so I stuffed the web fabric inside.
7: Because I have little kids (1 and 2) I wanted the top to not be enormous, so I decided to 'pleat' the top, making it a little harder to spill all that candy. To do this, I took the fabric and folded it back behind the handle, both sides to meet in the middle. This is what it looks like from 'outside' and 'inside.'
8: Sew 1/8" away from top of the bag, double stitching over handles/pleats area. I pin the opening left from turning, paying special attention to that area.

You are done! Here it is from the outside:

Spiderwebs out:
Go ahead, make a whole bunch!

The larger one is the size I did instructions on, the other two I cut at 10 x 12, and they are for one-year-olds. You might want to enlarge the size a little depending on how old your kids are, but this size will work for us this year!

Goodnight, Monkey

2009-09-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

We have been in love lately with all of Moda's precut fabric options. The Charm Packs, Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, and my new favorite... the Scrap Bag. We currently have several lines in stock, and I couldn't stop myself from opening this one... Sock Monkeys! The package is filled with precut fabric, all with a selvedge edge. I chose to do my version of a 'log cabin' quilt, and I love how it turned out!

The bags run $9, and I used about 1/3 yard cream fabric for the top as well... a quick, cheap and easy project done in an evening!

{my favorite block}

Ric Rac Receiving Blanket Tutorial

2009-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is a new favorite way of making a receiving blanket of mine, and our first tutorial. Let us know what you think!

Rick Rack Receiving blanket

finished size 36 x 36

Materials needed:
1 1/8 yard pattern flannel
1 1/8 yard solid flannel
2 packages (2.5 yards ea) medium rick rack

1. Wash and dry fabrics - this is really important when using different materials, and flannel tends to shrink differently than your typical "flat" cotton. This blanket would also be great with one flannel and one "flat" cotton, or Jumbo rick rack. Iron both fabrics.

2. Square both fabrics. I chose to cut them 36 x 36 because of how my fabric shrunk, but there is not one right size. Bigger, smaller, they all turn out cute! I do choose a square because I like it better when swaddling a little one, but rectangles work too. Really, no rules here... just guidelines!

3. Round the corners - I used a dinner plate as my guide for a nice curve. I have no objections to square either, but the rick rack is easier to maneuver around the corners if they are rounded.

4. Sew rick rack to right side of one piece, 1/8" away from fabric edge. When your rick rack runs out, pull to outside and insert new piece in the same fashion. Trim the edges off.

5. Lay pieces on top of each other, right sides together. Because I am working with flannel, and it has some stretch, I choose to pin. Two per corner, and two on each side. I also double pin on one side, leaving a 10" opening to turn blanket out.

6. Turn inside out and press. You may have to do some "wiggling" with your fingers to get the rick rack right where you want it.

7. Because we added the rick rack, I chose to topstitch with a straight seam on this blanket, 1/8" away from edge. Again, do what you like. There is more than one way to make this simple blanket great!

Enjoy! This project really takes no time at all, and I love to give them away as baby gifts at showers!