DIY Project: Star Wars Quilt

I made this awesome Star Wars Quilt for my husband, and I'm glad we live together, as it would be very hard for me to part with this one. I've been working on it for months! I really wanted it to be a surprise, so I could only take it out of hiding, and work on it, on the rare occasion when my husband was out of town without me. During his latest business trip this week, I finally had a chance to to finish it.

Star Wars quilt, via my Instagram

For this ultimate fanboy quilt, I wanted all Star Wars prints. I was really surprised how limited the options were, however.  While I didn't pick these colors, I just grabbed whatever was available, I'm quite happy with the black, white, & primary color scheme regardless. I wanted a simple, straight forward quilt top, to show off the rad Star Wars prints.  To break it up a little, I mixed in a few character squares that I pieced separately with a random white solid border. The only bummers were that I couldn't for the life of me find a single Leia print, or one with R2D2 in a coordinating style.

Star Wars quilt top.

Closer up, you can really see each of the bright prints.

I didn't think of it at the time, but now I wish I would have fussy cut the red Spy Glass print, 

to get all the different characters in there, but oh, well. 

For the backing, I used one of the prints I used in the quilt top, Spy Glass, but in white instead of red, and I really like how that came together. The contrast of all the color on the top, and the black and white on the back, turned out really nice.

King-size Star Wars quilt, backing 

I handmade the binding using a black and yellow Star Wars logo print, piecing it so the words would wrap continuously all around the quilt, and I really love how it came out, both on the front and the back.

The back view of the binding. Front side has the colors inverted. 

For the batting, I had initially planned to use my favorite low loft bamboo batting, that is very light, airy, and really easy to work with, but the resulting quilts are definitely on the thin side. After I made this quilt, using double bamboo batting, my husband mentioned how much he liked it, so I undid the partial quilting I had already completed, and re-sandwiched the blanket with double the batting.  Given the size of this quilt, in addition to the double batting, I was really pushing the limits of my little sewing machine. There were several points where I wasn't sure I could get the quilt through, and I'm ridiculously exhausted in my back and shoulders after wrangling this thing though my machine for the past 3 days.

Close up of the different quilting patterns. Here you can also see the alternate colors of the top-side binding. 

For the quilting, I started with a simple stitch in the ditch square pattern, and then went over it again, quilting each different print in the quilt top with a different quilting pattern. To make the character blocks really pop with all that color, I quilted the white borders with a very tight straight line quilting, leaving the actual character unquilted in the middle, and they came out very puffy. I've made quilts using this variable, block-by-block quilting pattern several times before, here and here, and each time my husband mentioned how he really liked the differences in textures this method creates throughout the quilt. I love it as well, but I use it sparingly, as it is EXTREMELY time consuming. This was definitely a project where the extra work was worth it, and I love, love, LOVE how it came out.

All in all, I'm quite happy with this quilt. I'm giving it to my husband when he comes home from his trip tonight, and I really hope he loves it!

Fabric:

Quilt top:

Star Wars Fabric, Starring

Star Wars Fabric, Shield Green

Star Wars Fabric, Planetary Green

Star Wars Fabric, Cameo (1 yard panel)

Star Wars Fabric, Planetary Blue

Star Wars Fabric, Shield Blue

Star Wars Fabric, Light Sabers Multi

Star Wars Fabric Shield Red

Star Wars Fabric, Spy Glass Red
white cotton solid

Backing:

Star Wars Fabric, Spy Glass White

Binding:

Star Wars Fabric, Words, Yellow

DIY Project: Watercolor Quote

This is a really easy project, that is fairly quick work, although time needs to be allocated for the materials to dry several times between start to finish, so keep that in mind. If you're in a hurry, carefully use a hairdryer to expedite the drying process.

What You'll Need:
masking fluid
watercolors
water coloring paint brushes
1 thin, cheap paint brush (for the masking fluid)
water color paper
1 frame
pencil

What To Do:
1. Decide on a quote.
2. Using your frame, determine the size of your watercolor, and size your paper accordingly to fit your frame, and/or frame mat.
3. Using your pencil, very lightly trace your quote on your paper. This will be your guide next.
4. Using your guide, and your cheap paint brush, paint your quote on your paper using the masking fluid. Let dry. It will be shiny, yellowish, almost completely translucent, and dry to the touch when it's ready.

Masking fluid, just applied, it looks white and opaque.

When the masking fluid is completely dry, it turns yellow and translucent.

5. When your masking fluid completely dry, start painting over your quote using your water colors. Think of this in layers. Begin with a background, let it dry, and then build depth by adding consecutive layers of watercolors, drying in between each layer, until you've reached your desired result. Paint carefully, or slather it on, drip it, spray it, splatter it, let it mix, blend, or turn it sideways and let the colors run. Finally, paint over your masking fluid with a darker wash, shading your quote.

6. Dry watercolor completely.
7. When paint is fully dry, carefully remove the masking fluid, revealing the crisp white paper underneath.

8. Done! Add your quote to your frame, and it is ready to hang.

DIY Project: Friendiversary Quilt

Meet Jo, the lovely lady who has been by my sidekick for most of my life. This year, Jo & I are celebrating 23 years of friendship! Twenty three years of travels and jokes, hugs, tears, and a multitude of hilarious shenanigans.

Jo & I, from my Instagram

Nowadays, we live half a world apart, we have for the past decade, but she's still my bestie. To celebrate our anniversary, I made her this Friendiversary quilt:

Queen size improve style Friendiversary quilt

This is the first Improv Style quilt that I've ever attempted, and I'll definitely make more quilts in this style! I really loved the improv process, especially the fact that the creative part of the quilting process continues throughout, as opposed to a more traditional style quilt, where you pick a pattern and which prints to use at the beginning, and then follow through. This time I continued to design the quilt, block by block, from start to finish. As the design process is my favorite part (besides pulling the finished quilt out of the dryer, all washed, warm and crinkly), stretching it throughout the piecing and sewing really suited me better. I also really love the resulting look of this quilt.

In fact, this is my favorite quilt I've ever made! Truly, if it was intended for anyone other than Jo, I would not actually give it away. I am currently in the process of making another quilt using the same prints, similar but not identical to this one, to make a matching Friendiversary quilt set.

The above Instagram pic, from a trip to Sweden in August of last year, turned into this photo fabric print:

I hand picked and printed almost all the fabric used in the quilt top using Spoonflower, and its many talented print designers. I also custom made two text prints and one photo panel of my own. I ended up adding a few prints from my scraps stash as well, and the combination of fabrics turned out absolutely perfect!

I quilted each print with a different quilting pattern throughout the quilt, and while I did end up having one or two favorites, I really, REALLY love the variety of textures created by the mix most of all.

The white blocks, with the tight straight lines of quilting were my favorite. The texture of this tight quilting is absolutely amazing. On some of the prints, I quilted according to the print design. A few blocks had very minimal quilting, and other had none besides the perimeter.

For the backing, I used IKEA's Britten Nummer print, with a few scraps from the quilt top mixed in. I had not planned on piecing the backing, other than joining two lengths of yardage to cover the entire back. However, when I got home from IKEA I realized they had falsely sold me 10 yard of  "continuous yardage", with several HUGE and extremely UGLY seams running straight through, leaving me no pieces large enough, so I had to rethink my plan. Eventually, I ended up adding a few bits and pieces, and I am happy with the result. While I didn't get a great photo of the completed backing, you can get an idea of what it looks like here;

I made the binding using left over BRITTEN NUMMER print, and after covering the raw edge with overhang from the backing, I added it on top.

The one downside I found with this improv style quilting, is that it was a lot more time consuming than traditional quilting. Of course, I added extra work time the sheer size of this quilt, and by quilting each block differently, but even without that, this quilt took the longest to complete compared to all of my previous work of comparable size. Just cutting and arranging the quilt top took 4 days, assembly took 2, and quilting took a full week. Binding was about the same as a traditional quilt of the same size, but then I had to cut threads, front and back, for a few days. Lastly, I added one of my labels, and after 2.5 weeks of 10 hours/day at my sewing machine, this gorgeous quilt was finally completed!

Fabric Used:

Quilt top, organized by source:


Spoonflower, $18/yard:
watercolor mustache in aqua, by Katarina
Arrows & feathers, by Katarina
arrows by, katarina
watercolor dots purple, by katarina
arrows pink, by katarina
arrows_in_black_and_white_pattern, by katarina
long tiny striped feathers, by katarina
doilies on linen, by katarina
watercolor chevron aqua white, by katarina
love letter, by katarina
crazy dots gray, by katarina
chevron_arrows, by katarina
Letters, by Ankepanke
hearts and dots in a wavy stripe, by tb0969
I LOVE YOUR TYPE, by bzbdesigner
small_type-2, by bxbdesigner
Say What? (Quirky idioms typed text), by happysewlucky
Madame Fancypantaloons' Instant LIbrary Bindings ~ Blue, by peacoquettedesigns
Fancy Lattice Pink with White Outline, by karmie
Woodtype Alphabet (chalk), by penny candy

Other, approx. $10/yard:
white solid cotton
offwhite solid cotton
Michael Miller Cotton Couture, various solids
various prints from my scrap bin

Backing:
Britten Nummer print, IKEA, $4.99/yard
various leftovers from quilt top

Binding:
Britten Nummer print, IKEA, $4.99/yard

DIY Project: Safari Cheater Quilt

Cheater quilts. Sounds awful, huh? But these cheaters actually pretty awesome. Covered in neatly printed patch work of all of the prints offered in the collection, ready for you to just quilt, and pretend you pieced the whole thing. Cheater. Cheater! CHEATER!

Crib-sized Cheater quilt

This makes cheater prints the perfect first quilting project, as they allow you to try your hand at making a quilted blanket, without having to invest the time piecing the quilt top. Paired with fusible batting, which eliminates the need for using a time consuming basting stitch, spray or pins on your quilt sandwich, this project literary consists of alining and ironing your layers together, followed by quilting, and lastly, adding the binding. Easy as pie! So, if you've been thinking of trying your hand at quilting, get some cheater print and give it a go (why yes, Cate, I'm talking to you)!!!

Close up of quilted cheater quilt top

So, when it all comes down to it, a Cheater Quilt really is just another variation of my panel quilted blanket, and that was the look I was expecting. I didn't think it would end up actually looking so quilt-y. But see for yourself. It actually looks really good. And what's even better? This crib sized, 2 yard, cheater quilt took me about 4 hours to make start to finish (including making the binding). Not bad.

 Coordinating print for the quilt backing

I quilted the blanket in a grid pattern that followed the patchwork of the cheater panel, but instead of one line on each side of a patch seam, as I would normally do using this quilt pattern, I made 3 lines this time. One on each side, and one in the middle, simulating the seams of a real patchwork quilt top. Of course, this added some time to the process. A simple grid would have been a lot quicker, but I like the look of this, especially on the cheater panel.

I used a coordinating print from the same collection for the backing, and a matching white solid for the homemade binding.  I added one of my labels, and done!

Fabric:

Quilt top:
Dan Stiles for Birch Fabrics Organic, Safari Soiree, Cheater

Backing:
Dan Stiles for Birch Fabrics Organic, Safari Soiree, Polka Dance

Binding:
Birch Fabrics Organic, Solid, Cream

DIY Project: Ribbon Hair Ties (Retail Knockoff)

Have you seen these awesome ribbon style hair ties? I love them, as they do not leave a "pony tail dent" in my extremely straight hair, even if I wear them all day. They usually retail for a ridiculous $1-$3 a pop (!!!), and I've been meaning to make my own for quite some time. I finally pulled the trigger, and when I calculated the cost of making these, and compared it to the retail versions, I'm glad I didn't wait another day.

I ordered plain elastic online here, and printed and glitter versions here, for next to nothing compared to the  retail prices! I was honestly appalled when I found this stuff for $1.35 for FIVE yards, and you can make 3-4 hair ties per yard. It seems a lot of people must be rolling in their crazy hair-tie profits!

DIY Project: Ribbon Hair Ties

Make plain sets, tie them off in a knot or bow, ends going in the same direction, or not. It all looks different on the pony tail (& on the wrist), so experiment to find which style you like best. Pretty coordinated sets makes for a cute little gift, or party favor.

What you'll need:
Fold Over Elastic, (FOE)

ruler or measuring tape
very sharp scissors

Ok, so maybe I went a little bit overboard when ordering supplies... I was exited.

What to do:

1. Measure between 8"-10" piece of FOE, depending on hair thickness and personal preference. I use a 10" for my hair ties, and it makes for the perfect tie for my hair (& my wrist).
2. Cut elastic, fold with pretty side out, and tie a knot or bow. Experiment with the type of knot, to find the look you like best. Clean up FOE edges (if needed).
3. Voila! Your hair tie is finished!

I made my hair ties in bulk, moving the entire batch through each step before moving on to the next. 

For example, I cut all my 10" FOB first, tied all of them, and then trimmed all the edges after that. Still, it was quite fast!

Retail:

Emi-Jay (the original): different collections of 5, ranging from $10.99 - $12.99

Anthropology: Multitude Hair Ties, $12 for 5

Nordstrom: Emi-Jay 'Classic' Hair Ties, $6.50 for 3

Etsy: Ribbon Elastic Hair Ties, $10 for 8

Sephora: Ribbon Hair Ties, $8 for 8

DIY:

DIY Ribbon Hair Ties, $1.35 for 20

DIY Printed Ribbon Hair Ties, $0.90 for 4

DIY Glitter Ribbon Hair Ties, $1.20 for 4 

Can you tell which hair ties are my DIY version and which ones are Emi-Jay brand?

DIY vs Retail. Can you tell the difference?

Crazy, right? I mean, that's really CRAZY!!! So, do yourself a favor and DIY some of these. It takes about a minute, and both your hair & your wallet will thank you.

Coordinated hair tie sets, ready for gifting

After having completed 42 DIY projects in 2012 (not counting redoes, multi-post reveals, food, etc.), and I'm looking forward to increasing that number in 2013. My goal is to complete 52 projects, averaged over the next 52 weeks. Given travel etc., that sounds challenging, yet achievable. This quiet, low key project was the perfect activity for a lazy day recovering from bringing in the New Year.

DIY Project: Elephants & Dots Baby Quilt

In early 2012, I decided to finally tackle something that had been on my Bucket List for years, and throughout this past year, using pure improvisation and stubbornness, I've slowly taught myself to make quilts. It seems fitting that I finished one of my favorite quilts I've made so far, on the last day of this year.

I started with this absolutely adorable, organic fabric line from Birch Fabrics, in a coordinating mix of gray, white, teal and soft aqua.

I really love the mix of colors and prints in this line! It's so gorgeous! 

After waffling back and forth for a couple of days over the quilt top design, I eventually decided to go with a simple wide stripe design, very similar to my last quilt, in a reverse ascending/descending pattern. I started this cute little quilt last night, cut, pieced, and quilted it, and then made and finished the binding this morning. 

I used the gray solid from the quilt top for the backing, adding a simple initial in the bottom, right corner for a little pop of color and personalization (this quilt is another gift). 

This time, instead of regular appliqué for the personalization, I opted to sew the H from two layers of solid teal, right sides in, then turning it right side out, pressing, and attaching it with a simple top stitch around the edge, before I added the quilting. I do hope it will be durable enough this way, as I really like this look. 

For the binding, I first folded the overhanging backing fabric over the edge, then added a homemade double binding on top of that. I made the binding using left over aqua solid from the quilt top.

I love the thin edge of gray peeking out from under the aqua binding! In fact, I absolutely LOVE this little quilt! It's been so fun figuring out how to do this this past year, and I love seeing improvements in my technique with each completed project.

I really hope cute little H gets a lot of use out of this cuddly little quilt!

*All photos are taken pre-wash, and the quilt is a lot more crinkly and puffy post-wash, but I forgot to retake them after it came out of the dryer, and now I've already packed it to ship.

Fabric:

Quilt top:
Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabric Organic, Mod Basics, Ellie Fam in Shroom, Teal and Pool
Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabric Organic, Mod Solids in Teal, Pool, Shroom, and White

Quilt back:
Yay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabric Organic, Mod Solids in Shroom and Teal

Binding:
Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabric Organic, Mod Solids in Pool

DIY Project in Action: Cheesy Christmas Ornament Earrings

I made these quick & easy Cheesy Christmas Ornament Earrings before my recent trip to Sweden, to give to all my girl friends for our Christmas Get-Together/Cookie Party.

They were perfect as a fun little party favor.

My beautiful friends modeled them perfectly!

A lot of my Swedish friends now have kids (a few of them even have several!), and they got plastic glitter version, not the ones made with glass ornaments, as they are extremely fragile, and not exactly "baby safe".

I wish I would have made a few clip-on version as well, as little Bonnie, who doesn't have pierced ears, wanted a pair as well. This was an acceptable workaround though.

It was lovely seeing these ladies, and super fun to meet all their littles. Hope y'all like your festive little earrings!

DIY Project in Action: 1 Day Baby Quilt

I made this 1 Day Baby quilt for my friend Annika's baby girl back in October, and on a recent visit to Sweden, as I walked into Annika's house, I spotted the quilt laying on the floor witch a bunch of toys scattered around it.

Annika told me how Melia plays on that quilt every single day. (Their cat also loves it, as you can see above.) It made me really happy to see that this gift that I spent my time making just for her, is actually being used, and it's part of their lives. And years from now, when my friend thinks back on this baby time, or looks at their baby photos, this little quilt is going to be there in the background.

This is one of my favorite reasons for gifting my little quilts. 

DIY Project in Action: Felt Christmas Tree

My friend's toddler, Molly, decorating the felt Christmas tree I made her.

DIY Project: Felt Christmas Tree with Ornaments

I got this idea from Pinterest (of course) months and months ago, and while there are countless versions of this project out there, I really like this tutorial from the blog Johnny In A Dress.

As soon as I first saw this, I thought of a certain little Swedish girl, who I knew would LOVE something like this for the holiday season. But the holidays were still very far away at the time, so I filed it away for later in the year.

From My Instagram

I finally made this project this week, and the whole thing took about 30 minutes from start to finish! All you need is about 1 yard of green felt, plus some colored felt for decorations, a scissor, and hot glue.

Unlike the original tutorial, I used a mix of plain and patterned felt, instead of decorating the ornaments myself. I also hot-glued a star to the top of the tree.

I added a couple of gift tags to some of the gifts under the tree, one with the gift-recipient's name, and one with "God Jul", which is Swedish for Merry Christmas.

I also added one gift with an unsealed top edge, to use as a pocket for the ornaments when not in use.

I attached the tree using wide, double-sided tape, and it worked brilliantly.

I hope this little felt tree will give a certainly little girl, who according to her mom "likes to re-decorate the tree every single day", a lot of joy this holiday season.