Easy projects Archives : Indiana Quilter 40

ROAD TRIP FOR FABRIC

Last week I had a chance to combine work and a road trip for fabric !!! I was in Washington, IN for the day. Instead of eating lunch I made a fast trip into the Stitching Post for some fabric I had already perused on the website for a planned project. See here: https://stitchingpostquilts.com/index.html

I haven’t been anywhere close to this store in a year or two. It has been here many years and always has an outstanding amount and variety of quilting fabric. If you are in the area, it is a great place to shop for fabric.

I like the wooden quilt squares on the outside too.

Wooden quilt square on outside of building.

But you ask, “why were you there? You have made 2020 a year to work in scraps.”

Why? I saw some photos of several quilts I did 10-15 years ago that were super simple but had a definite theme. And thought it would be fun to make something to do with sewing /quilting in that pattern. The stash did not have enough of any themed fabric to do a planned quilt. Oh the distress…….

By looking at the website ahead of time, I knew the store had fabric that would work perfectly for what I had in mind. Even better the fabric I wanted had been moved to the sale room.

Road Trip for Fabric - the final purchases.

I purchased two yards of the burgundy fabric with the sewing supplies, and one yard each of the other three in the photo. I have plenty of solid black, solid burgundy, and a small print grey in my stash that will be worked into the design.

Road trips and buying fabric – quilters they go together so well.

Happy stitching today.

Other road trip ideas:

https://indianaquilter40.com/quilt-show-paducah-ky-2013

https://indianaquilter40.com/quilt-show-powell-wyoming-1994

https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2017/06/presque-isle-quilt-show-1991.html

FRENCH COUNTRY LIFE

I pieced French Country Life in early 2013. I collect toile fabrics but can’t bare to cut them up for piecing. Plus they are so busy it is hard to work larger pieces of them into a quilt. So I decided to be “brave” and just cut up a piece of toile to go in this quilt.

Many of the yellow and blue fabrics of the nine patches are reproductions of historic prints. Combined with the toile, I thought it would make a really historic looking quilt, especially if I hand quilted it.

I am going to admit that I didn’t measure correctly (a good reminder to measure twice and cut once) and the quilt ended up to big for my hand quilting frame.

The flip side of it being to big for my hand quilting frame is that I simply love the colors. It has a real “old world” feel and look to it. I can and have put it on the bed back side up for a different look.

French Country Life was machine quilted in an all-over wave design by RLM in May 2013, and it took me until Dec. 2013 to get the binding and tag done.

I made the binding from left over pieces of blue and yellow bindings from previous quilts.

The top is cottons, it has a poly batting and a blue/cream floral backing.

The finished size is 102″ square.

Even if there are mistakes in your quilts, finish them. If you are happy with the end product – enjoy the quilt, show if off, and tell it’s story. If you are not happy with it, complete and give to a family member who does like it. Or donate it within your community. Quilts are comforting and snuggly even with mistakes.

More ideas for nine patch quilts. Also toile fabric:

https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2011/12/nine-patch.html

https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2011/12/nine-patch_17.html

https://indianaquilter40.com/collecting-toile-fabric-how-i-use-them-in-quilts/

AMISH 4 PATCH DOLL QUILT

AMISH 4 PATCH DOLL QUILT: A fun and easy project to make for the wall or a doll.

I pieced this a few years ago on one of my trips to Maine. It was easy and a great way to see if I liked the pattern in these colors.

This was a the perfect size quilt to “stitch in the ditch” on my sewing machine It only took about an hour to pin and quilt. Then it went into the pile that just needed to be bound and get a tag. Of course, it got sucked to the bottom. When I found it a few months later, it only took a couple hours to hand bind.

The backing was a print of Amish life I found while at the quilt show in Paducah, KY. I only bought a yard and used most of it on this project.

The finished size is 24″ x 28″.

The Amish 4 Patch Doll Quilt is currently hanging in my dining room and the colors just glow.

Another great thing about small quilts is that you can have a personal, rotating quilt show in your office or cubicle. At home, they make a great show on room walls or hallways.

I cut all the individual blocks rather than do the 4 patches using strips. I was working with various scraps so it was easier just to do them as blocks. However, the next time, I will sew the strips together and then cut the the blocks.

I learn something new with every quilt that I make.

I encourage quilters to do small projects as well as large ones. The small ones allow you to try a technique or color scheme before committing yourself to something large.

Here are some other ideas for small quilts:

https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2011/03/four-patch-doll-quilt.html

https://www.favequilts.com/Miscellaneous-Quilt-Projects/Four-Patch-Quilt-Patterns

WEDDING QUILT (SIMPLE & PERSONAL)

What do you do for a wedding gift for a cousin who waited forever while finding the right guy and has a complete house already?? Make a wedding quilt of course !! This wedding quilt was simple and personal and super easy to make.

Cousin and hubby like to do road trips on the motorcycle, so that was the theme I went with. It’s not like they got a duplicate of this. They loved it.

Finished size: 70″ square.

For this quilt I purchased a yard of the center fabric and cut it square (so about 34 – 35″). I added 5 borders in various widths (2.5″ to 6″) that coordinated with the center fabric until it was the size I wanted. In this case I wanted a big lap quilt that my cousin and her new hubby could snuggle under on the couch or recliner.

I cut and pieced this quilt in one day while in Maine in Sept. 2015.

Machine quilted by RLM in an all over stipple design.

This wedding quilt could easily be made in any theme or size depending on the need or fabric available. This is a super easy way to make a personal quilt for that special person in your life.

https://indianaquilter40.com/prayerful-leader-a-george-washington-quilt/

HOW TO MAKE EASY COASTERS

How to Make Easy Coasters – seriously. They are quick and easy, and they can be made from fabric that is personal to the person receiving them or that you just like.

Step 1: Choose at least two fabrics.

How to Make Easy Coasters: step 1 is choose fabrics. — Choose 2 fabrics – one for each side. I made a set of 4 coasters.

Step 2: Iron the fabric.

Step 3: Cut four 5″ squares of both fabrics. Lay out four sets of squares right sides together.

Step 2 - cut 5" squares of fabric and lay right sides together. — Lay out four sets of squares right sides together.

Step 4: Lay the four sets of 5″ squares on batting. I like the batting to be bigger than the fabric squares at this point. Pin at corners. I also use 2 pins to mark where the opening will be so I don’t sew all the way around and have to rip out stitches.

Close of pinned fabric to batting. — One coaster pinned together with batting.

How to Make Easy Coasters - step 4 is lay out fabric on top of batting. — *All 4 coasters pinned to a long strip of batting.*

Step 5: Sew around all four sides of each coaster, leaving enough open on one side to turn right side out.

Close up of sewing with fabric right sides together. — I start at one pin, and sew all the way around to the other pin marking the opening.

How to Make Easy Coasters - step 5 sewing. — At other pin marking open so I will stop stitching here.

Coasters sewn together but not trimmed yet. — Sewn together but not trimmed up yet.

Step 6: Trim off extra batting. Clip corners close to stitching to get rid of the extra bulk so that when turned right side out, the corners will look like corners.

How to Make Easy Coasters - Step 6 - trim batting and clip corners. — The extra batting is trimmed off and the corners are clipped.

Step 7: Turn each coaster right side out. Make sure corners are as square as possible (use a semi sharp pencil to gently poke the corner out). Pin the opening closed. I pin the corners for extra stability while sewing.

Openings pinned shut and corners pinned for extra stability. — Opening pinned shut, and corners pinned for stability.

Step 8: Over-stitch in thread of your choice one half of the width of your pressure foot all the way around each coaster. Trim threads.

YOU ARE DONE WITH A SET OF COASTERS – GOOD JOB !!

I did this set in a bit over an hour because of noting the directions and taking photos. The first set may take a little longer, but I doubt once you do a couple sets that this will take you more than an hour to complete. A great way to make gifts, or to make yourself an easy new useful item. Can be made to match any interest or decor.

Finished size: About 4″ each.

Machine wash in cool water, and dry in medium heat dryer.

Here are some other ways to make quick, easy coasters:

https://seasonedhomemaker.com/how-to-create-modern-quilted-coasters-in-an-hour-or-less

https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2019/05/quilted-leaf-coaster-tutorial.html