Drive Through Quilt-Along - Road Construction

Cut one 2 1/2" x width of fabric (42" or more) strip of a cream, white, tone-on-tone or low-volume fabric and one 2 1/2" x width of fabric (42" or more) strip of black. Sew together the longest sides using a 1/4" seam. Press toward the black fabric. this means your seam should be laying underneath the black fabric. Measure to make sure the width is 4 1/2". If it is larger, adjust your seam allowance to be larger. If it is less than 4 1/2", adjust your seam allowance to be smaller (a scant 1/4"). Cut the cream/black strip in half. 

Again, sew together the longer sides with black touching cream. Keep the selvage or jagged ends on the same end so fabric lost is minimized.

Cut the end even by lining up the horizontal lines of the ruler with the center seam, rather than the top or bottom raw edge. Crosscut at 6". Pull the larger portion of the fabric aside. Slide the ruler without moving the fabric you are cutting, and cut at 5", 4", 3", 2" and 1". Repeat this process two more times. Then cut three more 1" strips. You should have 21 strips total.

Take 16 of the strips and sew them together in pairs by joining the shorter sides, black to cream, with 1/4" seam (unless you needed to adjust). Press toward the black fabric. You should now have 8 strips.

Again, sew the strips together in pairs by joining the shorter sides, black to cream, with 1/4" seam. Press toward the black fabric. You should now have 4 strips.

Take four more of the 8 1/2" original strips. Add one to each of your longer strips, being careful to adjoin cream to black with a 1/4" seam.

Locate your remaining original strip.

Use a seam ripper to remove the stitching.

Add one 2 1/2" x 1" rectangle to each of your long strips. Attach the 1" side to the 1" end of the strip with right sides together using a 1/4" seam. Make sure black is adjoined to cream and cream is adjoined to black.

You should have four strips that measure 42 1/2" long at this point.

Cut 8 2 1/2" x width of fabric strips of black. Sew the long side of these strips to the top and bottom of the skinny 1" strip you created.

Modern Sampler

Calling All Albuquerque Locals!

I have two upcoming UNM Continuing Education classes. Descriptions follow the picture.

Modern Sampler Quilt

Number of Weeks: 6

Day/Times: Tuesdays 6:00-8:30 pm

Starting Date: 2-4-14 

Ending Date: 3-11-14

Location: Ann Silva’s Sewing Center

Delve into the emerging world of modern quilting! Experience piecing techniques including improvisational, strip, pixel, foundation paper and curved, as you compose a quilt top containing nine unique blocks set in an alternate grid layout. Experiment with bold colors, innovative background choices, on-trend fabrics, negative space, geometric shapes, Internet resources, and reinterpretation of traditional quilt blocks. This course is suitable for those with basic sewing skills, rotary cutting experience, and knowledge of quilt construction.  Sewing machines are available for use free-of-charge at Ann Silva’s.

Quilt Top to Finished Quilt – Modern Style

Number of Weeks: 5

Day/Times: Tuesdays 6:00-8:30 pm

Starting Date: 3-18-14 

Ending Date: 4-15-14

Location: Ann Silva’s Sewing Center

Gain the skills necessary to turn an unfinished quilt top into a completed quilt. Various contemporary basting, binding, and free-motion quilting methods will be explored. This course is suitable for those with basic sewing skills, rotary cutting experience, and knowledge of quilt construction. Sewing machines are available for use free-of-charge at Ann Silva’s.

Today's Tutorial - Carseat Cover

Make sure you cut notches in the rounded corners of the two 29" x 41" pieces of fabric you sew together using a 1/2" seam allowance. This will create less bulk in the corners and make it easier to turn right-sides-out. Remember to leave a gap for turning. This gap will be closed during the top-stitching process.

Your 8" x 4 1/2" rectangles will be folded like so.

Stitch using a 1/4" seam allowance on the lines I have marked here, leaving a gap for turning.



When you flip it right-sides-out, it should look like this.

Ta-da! This is the strap after top-stitching using an 1/8" seam allowance.

Add velcrow as shown. Use sew-on velcrow without adhesive, or it will gum up your machine.

Use a double row of stitching to attach the straps to the cover. Buttons can be added as a decorative embellishment. The picture below shows how to attach the completed carseat cover to the carrier.



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