sewtakeahike

photo to fabric: a tutorial

 

 

This weekend, I started playing with an idea that I've had for a few weeks.

My goal was to use the photo below that I adore (the print is available here!), and recreate it with fabric.

 

 

So I grabbed my saral paper pack, a square of white kona fabric, the photo, a pencil,

 

 

 

and my yellow and blue scraps.

 

 

 

Next, I layered my white fabric square wrong side up, the saral paper right side down, and the photocopy of the image right side up. Then, with a pencil, I traced around the main parts of the photo that I wanted to recreate.

 

This is the tracing I started with:

 

 

 

Next, using a scrap of fabric, I layered it on right side of the white kona square (you can kind of see the yellow scrap through the white fabric in this photo),

 

 

making sure it filled the area of the tracing I wanted to cover.

 

Next, using a free motion quilting foot, I sewed the area I was filling with fabric, a generous 1/8" within the traced lines.

 

Then, I flipped the white square over to the right side and trimmed around the scrap of fabric within a little over 1/8" from the stitching.

 

 

 

I continued sewing fabric pieces to the right side of the white fabric until all the areas were filled and this is what I ended up with!

 

 

I really loved using the saral paper for this technique, the trace lines were tenacious enough to stay on the fabric through many manipulations, but came off with ease with a brush when I was done.

 

For those of you who would like to try this technique, get yourself some saral paper (it is sold as "Sally's" in some stores) and go for it! It was really fun. I'm thinking of using this technique to make some framed artwork as gifts.

 

Here are a couple tips.

• start sewing the sections that are farther away in the photo first. This will make your image look more natural since the closer details will overlap them.
• use a pair of curved applique scissors (I have never bought from the store I linked to, I just wanted to show you a photo of what they look like) to trim the fabric scraps.

 

Happy Monday to you!

~Penny

it's that time again

It's time for the second (annual, so far!) sewtakeahike weekend workshop!

 

 

The workshop is for paper piecers and pp wannabe's!

We will be going over tips to keep you sane while paper piecing, honing your paper piecing skills, practicing varied seams, discussing fabric selection, and teaching pattern design and advanced pattern design.

 

 

 

The workshop will be held the weekend of April 20-22 at the Inn at City Park in Fort Collins, CO.

 

 

 

Information and register here!

There is limited space, so email me if you have questions, or call Tara at the phone number provided on the Inn at City Park's website. I hope to see you there!! (if nothing else, just come for the food! Tara always keeps us well fed and happy!)

diy swiffer pad

 

 

I'm probably late to the game here since I *just* got a swiffer in November, but I thought I'd go ahead and post this anyways since I got so very excited when I realized today I could make my own swiffer pads out of some scraps of vintage sheets and chenille. And instead of throwing them in the trash like the disposable ones you can buy, I can throw them in the laundry! That seriously makes me happy!

 

I've seen crochet versions of these around the internet that are super cute, but I really didn't want to spend the time to crochet one. So if you're on the same wavelength as me, come on and make your own! It's really easy and it's easy on our landfills.

 

Step 1:

 

 

Cut a piece of old sheeting and chenille to the sizes indicated in the photo.

 

Step 2:

 

 

Center the chenille back to the right side of the sheet and pin.

 

Step 3:

 

 

Zig-zag stitch aroud all edges of the chenille.

 

And that's it! The sheeting won't fray (and vintage poly blend sheeting is perfect for this because it's usually sorta thin and will fit in those little pad grabbers on the top of the swiffer nicely), and now you can use your swiffer pad wet or dry, and reuse it after washing. Isn't that exciting?

 

 

 

Happy homemaking!

~Penny

yoyo along- part 2

I'm almost embarrassed.

My well intentioned yoyo along grew stale with all the happenings of the last quarter of 2011, but thanks to a few nudging emails that have come in over the last few weeks, I decided to pick up the camera, turn on my machine, and get the next step of the yoyo along posted. So thank you to those of you who have been patiently waiting. I hope it will have been worth the wait for you once you start seeing your quilt come together.

For those of you who are newer to sewtakeahike, I posted the first part of the yoyo along here, just click the button and it will take you to the first step.

 

 

I have yet to finish my yoyo's myself, but I've given myself permission to take my time since I know this will be the one and only yoyo quilt I ever make this size!

 

Here we go!!

I'm not a huge fan of hand sewing, plus I want this quilt to be more durable, so I decided to teach you how to sew the yoyo's by machine.

My bernina has a stitch called the bar tack stitch. I like using the bar tack stitch because it automatically does a tie off stitch for me at the beginning and end of each bar tack. If your machine has this stitch, then great! If not, just set your zig-zag stitch to a zero length and it will achieve the same end goal.

My bar tack stitch is highlighted here, #25

 

 

I set the length to .4 and the width to 4.

 

Also, if you have access to an edge-stitch foot and some 50wt aurifil, that would be very helpful. I like using the 50 wt. aurifil to sew them together because it is strong, but thinner so the stitches aren't as noticeable.

 

 

Step 1.

Pull 16 yoyo's from your bag of 1008 and arrange them into blocks of 4X4. There are limitless ways you can arrange your yoyo's. By color, with stripes of different colors, with white based fabrics in the middle square or the outside edge, the same color for each point, and any other combo you can think of! For me, I like it best random and scrappy.

 

 

 

Step 2.

Using your bar tack stitch (or modified zig zag), sew your yoyo's into strands of 4, making sure to keep them in the order you like.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3.

Using the same technique as in step 2, sew the yoyo strands together so you have a block of 4X4 yoyo's. Trim your stray threads.

 

 

Once you've sewn all your 1008 yoyo's together, you should have 63 blocks consisting of 16 yoyo's each.

 

Step 4.

I don't have any photos for this step yet since I don't have all my yoyo's made, but basically, you will arrange your blocks so they are 7 blocks across and 9 down, and sew the blocks together in the same manner as you did the individual yoyo's and strips of yoyo's in steps 2 and 3. If you used the same number of yoyo's that I'm using (1008) and the same size yoyo maker (60mm), your yoyo quilt will measure approximately 63"X81".

 

So there you have it. I'm almost 50% done with my yoyo's and will try to keep you all updated with my progress. And if you can, please do post your photos of your yoyo quilt in progress, and completed, in my sewtakeahike flickr group!

 

Happy Friday, and Happy New Year. Here's to a spectacular 2012!

 

~Penny

Ringing in the new year

 

It's really amazing how much you can get accomplished when you don't have to go to work! Our office typically closes the week between Christmas and New Years and I've been able to spend some quality time in my sewing room. Here's a few of the projects I've been wanting to do, and finally had the time:

 

(Ayumi's patchwork cat mat out of the Spring/Summer 2011 Stitch)

 

 

(another pair of slippers, but this time for L-man. Using Ayumi's pattern once again)

 

 

(Corey's block for Ringo Pie. Her theme is "quilts on a line". So I made a patchwork forest to hang the quilt on)

 

(Camera Man. Amy's Ringo Pie block. She chose the theme of "camera shop". The camera man is based on a man in an illustration by Matte Stephens.)

Matte wanted me to give everyone a friendly reminder that if you use someone else's work, to make sure and ask first. I didn't even think of that in this case, but emailed him after the fact to show him what I had done based off his painting, and he was very encouraging and kind. Thank you Matte for that!!

 

And lastly,

 

(the blue specs pillow. I made this block for inclusion in the book Modern Quilt Blocks, so if you're interested in the pattern, you can find it in the book.)

 

I hope you are having an awesomely fun and productive end of the year. We're ringing in the new year with a party at our home tonight with some friends. Do you have any special plans?

 

Off I go to finish a few things!

~Penny