Thursday, April 4, 2013

Make Your Own Rubber Stamp!

This is a really fun and easy project (depending on your stamp design, I suppose) that will set apart your crafts from everybody else's. Seriously... who else will have this stamp?!

Customizing Your Own Stamp

materials
*image to transfer (make sure it's flipped horizontally so it will be the right way when you stamp it)
*linocut or a large eraser (whatever fits your image; Michael's sells linocut!)
*rubber cement
*cutting tools

steps
1. Use the rubber cement to adhere your image to the linocut block. Please make sure your image is flipped horizontally! I made this mistake the first time I did it, and wanted to kick myself when I went to check the proof. :) Argghhh!

2. Know which part of the image you want to be the stamp. I wanted Ohio to be the stamp so I would cut all the linocut away except the state of Ohio. Use your sharpest tool to cut around the image's outline so you can start cutting away the larger portions of what you don't want.

NOTE: If you wanted the stamp to be the outline around the state of Ohio, you would cut away the state itself.

I also wanted the heart to be an outline so I took a finer tool and then traced around the outline of the heart. I then used a small, curved tool to cut out the inside of the heart at an angle so I didn't weaken my state outline.

3. Now it's time to check your proof! Stamp your image to make sure you have all the necessary linocut cut away to get a nice, crisp image. Cut more if you need to.
And now you have a totally unique, one-of-a-kind rubber stamp. Just another thing that makes you awesome. ;) If you wanted, you could mount your linocut stamp onto a wooden block. Our local arts store sells wooden blocks so you might have to do a little looking. I haven't seen those at Michael's, yet. Or you could make your own! I just ran a couple lines of removable adhesive down the back of my stamp so I can use it on any of my acrylic stamping blocks. Whatever you do, have fun with it!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Quilted Spring Table Runner

Now that you've had plenty of time to finish your beautiful spring placemats, here's what you can do with the scraps. Did I tell you how lovely your placemats were? Great job. :) Now let's make a table runner!

Quilted Spring Table Runner

Finished measurements: 20" x 14"
Seam allowance: 1/2" (unless otherwise stated)

materials
*scrap fabric pattern A
*scrap fabric pattern B
*solid-colored fabric
*coordinating colored thread

steps

1. Make sure your fabric is prewashed.

2. Cut solid-colored fabric to the following size specifications:
*5-1/4" x 15" (x2)
*1-1/2" x 15"
*21" x 15"

Make sure all pieces are pressed.

3. Cut both patterned fabrics into rectangles about 2-3" longer than what you need by anywhere from 3-7" wide. This pattern calls for 5" quilted stripes so I cut my rectangles about 7" x 5" (or so). There's really no exact science for this part as long as the pieces are long enough.
4. Take a fabric A rectangle and a fabric B rectangle and lay them on top of each other RS together at an angle. Stitch the long side of the top piece at 1/4". Press open.
5. Lay another rectangle on top of the one you just sewed RS together at an angle (you'll probably want the angle to be the opposite direction of the one you just made). Sew the long side of the new top piece at 1/4" and press open.
6. Now you'll keep doing this until your quilted strip is as long as you need it. If you're having trouble with the organized chaos of the angles of each piece, you can always place it at the angle you want (like above) and then fold it open to get an idea of what it will look like.
7. Now it's time to cut the strip to the correct size. This is where it really starts to come together. Using a straightedge, cut one side straight using the shortest piece of fabric as a guide (see picture). Then use the straightedge to cut the quilted strip to 5-1/2" wide.
8. Then comes the easy part of cutting it to the correct height of 15". Use your fabric as a guide, and just cut whichever side strikes your fancy; as long as it's 15" tall. Do this twice and you've got your 2 quilted strips! Now for the easy part.
9. Lay a quilted strip on top of a solid-colored piece (5-1/4" x 15") RS together. Stitch a long side at 1/4". Press open.

NOTE: When sewing the quilted piece on your sewing machine, make sure the folds are going under the presser foot backwards so they don't get bunched up under there.





10. Lay the skinny solid-colored piece (1-1/2" x 15") on top of the other side of the quilted strip you just sewed RS together. Stitch a long side at 1/4". Press open.

11. Lay the second quilted strip on top of the other side of the skinny solid-colored piece RS together. Stitch the long side at 1/4". Press open.
12. Lay a solid-colored piece (5-1/2" x 15") on top of the other side of the second quilted strip RS together. Stitch the long side at 1/4". Press open. Now you have the top of the runner done!

13. Lay the runner on top of the large solid-colored piece RS together. Stitch all around (1/2" seam allowance) leaving 2-3" for turning inside out.

14. Clip corners and turn inside out. Press.

15. Choose a color for the decorative stitching and stitch 1/4" all the way around the outside.

Since this piece isn't reversible (like the coordinating placemats), it doesn't really matter which color of the coordinating thread you choose for the stitching. I chose the blue because it popped more than the chartreuse.

16. "Stitch in the ditch" for both sides of both quilted strips (4 stitch lines).





And now you have a beautifully quilted table runner that will match either side of your reversible placemats. This was also my very first quilting project, and I have fallen in love with quilting! If this is going to be your first quilting project, you picked a good one. :)

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Easy Spring Placemats

I have finally gotten tired enough of the weather where I am now trying to do everything in my power TO FORCE SPRING UPON US. I'm tired of this cold weather, already. So I found some beautiful springy fabric, made up a super easy sewing pattern, and I ended up with 4 reversible cheerfully spring placemats for our table. Yay!

Easy Spring Placemats (makes 4 placemats)

Finished measurements: 15" x 15"
Seam Allowance: 1/2" (unless otherwise stated)

 materials
*pattern fabric A:  6" x 16" (x4)
*pattern fabric B: 6" x 16" (x4)
*solid-colored fabric: 6" x 16" (x16)
*2 coordinating colored threads

steps

1.  Always prewash fabric!

2. Cut fabric to sizes specified in materials list. Make sure all pieces are pressed.

3. Lay down fabric A and a solid color RS together. Sew down one long side. Press open.

4. Lay down solid-colored fabric piece on top of previously sewn fabric A RS together. Sew down the other long side. Press open.
5. Follow steps 3-4 again for fabric B and the solid-colored fabric. Now you have 2 square pieces of sewn fabric.

6. Lay them down RS together with one of them turned 90° (so the patterned fabrics form a cross on top of each other). Sew all the edges leaving 2-3" for turning inside out.

7. Clip all corners, turn placemat inside out and press.

8. This is where it gets fun! I chose a chartreuse thread to show on the blue side and a blue thread to show on the chartreuse side for some decorative flair. With that in mind, I sewed 1/4" all around the edge to finish off the seam.

NOTE: When I was sewing with the chartreuse fabric facing up in my sewing machine, I had the blue thread in the top of my machine, and the chartreuse thread in the bobbin (so it shows up on the underside with the blue fabric). 
9. To finish it up, I "stitched in the ditch" on both sides, which created a 3x3 grid on each side of the placemat.

NOTE: When I was sewing with the chartreuse fabric facing up in my sewing machine, I had the blue thread in the top of my machine, and the chartreuse thread in the bobbin (so it shows up on the underside with the blue fabric). This means when I flipped the placemat over to "stitch in the ditch" on the other side, I had to switch the thread colors in the machine so chartreuse was on the top of the machine and blue was in the bobbin.

And now spring is starting to show up a bit. It's even warmed up outside! I'll take credit for that. :) Come back later for instructions on making the lovely quilted table runner in the center with the scraps! Happy Crafting!