How to Make a Super Simple Lightweight Blankie

Preprinted panel backed with flannel.

Using a preprinted panel is a great way to make a super simple quilt. And if you want just a lightweight cover, you don’t even need to add batting! With a little help, even very young children can make this easy blankie. All you need is a preprinted panel and a piece of flannel that is a little bigger than your panel.

1. Prewash and machine dry the panel and the flannel. You want to make sure that neither shrinks later.
2. Iron the panel. If your panel looks out-of-square, grab opposite corners that need to be brought into position and give a gentle stretch. Once you have the panel pulled square, trim the edges, if needed.
3. Iron the flannel and then lay it right side up and smooth it from the center to the edges.
4. Lay the panel right side down on the flannel and smooth it from the center to the edges. The flannel will ‘grab’ the panel and help hold it in place.
5. Pin along the edges of the panel to secure it to the flannel.
6. Sew around the perimeter of the panel ½-inch from the edge, leaving a 6-inch opening on one side. Trim the flannel even with the edges of the panel and cut across the corners diagonally close to the stitching to reduce bulk when you turn your blankie.
7. Turn the blankie right side out through the opening. Reach inside and poke the corners out nice and square with your finger or the tip of your scissors and then iron a crease on all four sides. Be sure that the edges of the opening are folded neatly to the inside.

   

   Close-up of opening sewn closed.

8. Stitch around the perimeter of the blankie ¼-inch from the edge and your blankie is done!

Top 2 Kid-Friendly Ways to Quilt a Quilt

While piecing is usually fun for kids as they get to watch the quilt take shape, finishing a quilt is often a challenge, especially for a young child with a short attention span. In fact, finishing is often a challenge for adults, too - that's why we have so many UFOs (unfinished objects) that need attention. Face it - sandwiching, quilting and binding can be tedious. So what to do?

The Martingale blog has a great post on How to Quilt a Quilt that lists six quick ideas, including:

1. Tying by hand
2. Tying or tacking by machine
3. Hand quilting without a hoop
4. Hand quilting with big stitches
5. Free-motion quilting with simple repeat patterns
6. Allover free-motion quilting

For kid-friendly quilting, I recommend tying by hand or hand quilting with big stitches. Either of these methods will produce quick results and your child's quilt will be done in no time - but for the fastest, easiest quilt finish, you can't beat simple ties.

How to Tie Your Quilt

1. Lay your sandwiched quilt out flat and smooth. If using a bed (my personal favorite!) or carpeted floor, slip a large piece of cardboard under the part of the quilt you're working on so the needle doesn't catch on the bedding or carpet.
2. Thread a yarn needle with crochet cotton or yarn that coordinates with your quilt.
3. Stitch through the layers every 4-6 inches. It's best to start in the middle and smooth the quilt layers as you work toward the edges. For extra durability, you can form a double stitch by putting the needle back through the layers and then bringing it out again in about the same spot.
4. Tie each pair of yarn tails into a snug square knot and then trim the tails to about an inch or so.

Learn to Sew and Quilt Online

Craftsy offers a variety of online sewing and quilting classes that you can watch at your leisure. In addition, there are tons of patterns and member projects posted on the site. Membership at Craftsy is free and so is a lot of the content, including many patterns and some of the online classes.

Join me in Leah Day's free motion class!

I just joined a few weeks ago and have signed up for several classes, both free and paid, and my favorite to-date is Free Motion Quilting a Sampler.  The instructor, Leah Day, is excellent and so is the course content and video quality. Although I’ve been sewing for nearly 50 years and quilting seriously for over a decade, I’m still learning lots! In fact, I’m heading into the sewing room shortly to try free motion stitch-in-the-ditch. Leah Day makes it look easy and if I can master it, I’ll save a ton of time!

One of the especially nice Craftsy features is that access to your classes never ends. That’s right – your classes are forever. I’ve done other online classes that are time-limited and it just doesn’t work for me. In addition, Craftsy members can post questions and their projects so you get to interact with your fellow students and see what others are doing.

Although I don’t have specific examples for this post, I’m sure that you can easily find more ideas for quilting and sewing with kids than you’ll ever have the time to use. Much of what is posted there is appropriate for beginners, so head on over and take a look!

How to Make a Simple Quilt Top

Make a simple quilt top with a preprinted panel.

You can help your child make a simple quilt top by using a preprinted panel as the center. Make the quilt top the size you want by adding one or more borders.

There are many cute panels available and most are part of a line of fabrics designed for mixing and matching.

So shop online or pay a visit to your local quilt shop or fabric store today!

What you will need:

• preprinted panel
• fabric for the borders
• scissors, measuring tape and straight pins
• sewing machine and thread
• iron and ironing board

Select and Prepare the Panel and Other Fabrics

1. Choose a preprinted panel and coordinating fabrics for the borders.
2. Prewash and dry all the fabrics, including the panel.
3. Iron the panel and border fabrics. WARNING! This is an adult-only job!
4. Trim the edges of the panel even and square, if necessary.

Add One or More Borders to the Panel

1. Measure the panel sides and cut two border strips in the desired width to this length.
2. Sew a border strip to each side of the panel with a ¼-inch seam and press the borders away from the panel, neat and flat.
3. Measure across the top and bottom of the panel, including the side borders.
4. Cut two border strips in the desired width to this length and sew them to the top and the bottom of the panel with ¼-inch seams.
5. Press the top and bottom borders away from the panel, neat and flat.
6. Repeat this process with other border fabrics until the quilt top reaches the desired finished size.

Congratulations - your quilt top is done!

Please note: Simple tutorials for finishing your quilt are coming soon and links to those articles will be added here.

How to Make a Simple, Luxurious Tied Quilt

You can make a simple yet luxurious tied quilt in less than a day. You don’t need any batting and can finish the quilt by hand or by machine. This cozy quilt is a great project for kids and makes a perfect gift for any occasion. Delight your friends and family on birthdays or at Christmas. This quilt is so simple, you may even want to make one for everybody on your list!

Things you will need:

• Plaid flannel sheet, twin size
• 2 yards furry or poodle fleece
• Coordinating yarn
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Ruler or tape measure
• Thread
• Hand sewing needle or sewing machine
• Cardboard (optional)

1. Select the Sheet

Choose an evenly woven plaid flannel sheet in any color combination desired. An even weave is important as the lines will be used to guide tie placement and trim the outside edge.

Poodle fleece

2. Select the Fleece

Choose furry or poodle fleece in the color desired, either to coordinate or contrast with the plaid flannel.

3. Select the Yarn

A regular acrylic yarn in a color as close to that of the fleece is best.

Choosing yarn that closely matches the fleece ensures that it will be completely invisible on the furry fleece side of the quilt.

4. Prepare the Materials

Wash and dry the flannel sheet to prevent future shrinkage. Cut to desired finished quilt size using plaid lines as a guide. As the fleece is 58 inches wide and 72 inches long, the absolute maximum size the flannel can be cut is 52 inches by 66 inches. Cutting the flannel a few inches smaller than that each way will provide more leeway for trimming the fleece and turning the edge.

Lay the fleece out flat for a few hours or overnight to relax wrinkles or creases. For severe creasing, try tumbling the fleece in the dryer for 10-15 minutes without heat, if necessary.

5. Sandwich the Layers

Lay the fleece out flat, wrong side up, and gently smooth from the center to the edges. This can be done on a bed, the floor or any flat surface that is large enough to allow the fleece to lay completely flat and provide easy access to at least 3 sides. Do not worry if the fleece is not completely square. This will be taken care of later.

Lay the flannel, right side up, on top of the fleece and smooth, being careful not to shift or distort the fleece. At this point, the layers can be basted together, if desired. As the flannel often “grabs” the fleece, basting may be completely unnecessary.

Tied together

6. Tie the Quilt

Using a yarn needle threaded with the matching yarn, take a stitch through both layers every 4-6 inches along the plaid lines. For best results, put the needle back through both layers and bring it out again in about the same spots, forming a double stitch. Tie a square knot and trim the ends to about an inch or so. For best results, start in the center and work your way to the edges, smoothing both layers as you go. Continue until the entire quilt is tied.

Place a large piece of cardboard underneath the area being tied to provide a firm surface and prevent the needle from catching on the bedding or carpet.

7. Trim the Fleece

The flannel sheet was trimmed to the finished quilt size prior to sandwiching the layers together. Using the ruler or tape measure, trim the fleece on each side to be 3 or 4 inches larger than the flannel.

Finished edge

8. Turn the Edges and Sew

Working on one side at a time, fold the fleece toward the side with the ties so that the crease is even with the edge of the flannel. Fold the fleece under itself to meet the crease and pin in place. Hand or machine stitch close to the inside edge of the folded fleece. Repeat until all sides are sewn down. NOTE: There will be extra bulk at the corners so stitch slowly if sewing by machine.

Finished!

Give the finished quilt as a gift or keep it for yourself. The flannel and fleece combine to make a truly luxurious yet simple quilt!

Homemade Iron-on Decals

Homemade Iron-on Decals
Photo used with permission
from FilthWizardry.com
Thanks, Lindsey!

Did you know that you can decorate your kids’ clothes and other sewing projects with HOMEMADE iron-on decals?

That’s right – according to Lindsey over at Filth Wizardry, you can make permanent decals from plastic shopping bags. So check out her post for all the details and be sure to also read her follow-up posts linked to at the bottom. Lindsey has a lot of cute ideas and great photos, so browse around Filth Wizardry to get many cool ideas.

And when you’re done there, check out the simple and cute skirt-from-a-t-shirt how-to over at Mama Smiles. What a great project for a sewing beginner! In fact, why not make the skirt and then decorate it with your own decals?

Potato Chip Bag Apron How-to

Photo by Debra Atlas
used with permission

This clever potato chip bag apron was one of the winners in the “Treasures from Trash” recycling competition held at the Shasta District Fair. How cute is that? And what a great use of bags that would otherwise be thrown away! This is a perfect project for sewing with kids - fast, easy and cheap. Also, what a nice gift for any summer occasion, such as Father’s Day or for use during the Fourth of July. So what are you waiting for?

Easy Potato Chip Bag Apron Instructions

You can easily make a cool apron from empty potato chip bags! Just follow these simple steps:

1. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the bags
2. Slit each bag down the back
3. Wash the bags thoroughly with soap and water to remove grease, salt and chip debris, and then rinse and wipe them dry with a dishtowel
4. Turn the bags face up and cut the fronts to the sizes desired
5. Sew the bags together with strips between the bags (as shown), or just sew the bags directly to one another to create a large enough piece for the apron front
6. Layer your potato chip bag “quilt” with denim or other heavy cotton, wrong sides together, and trim the edges to the size and shape desired
7. Bind the edges, and add ties to go around the neck and back.

Voila! A cool apron for indoor or outdoor use!

No-Sew Option

And what if you don’t have time to sew? You could just tape the bags together, finish off the edges and attach the ties with colored duct tape.

Also, here are a few kid-friendly recycling books on Amazon that you might like:

Make an Easy Travel Pillow Case

Pajama pants before . . .

I have a pair of pajama pants that don’t fit, but I love the feel of the fabric – very soft and smooth. I also have a travel pillow with no case. Well, guess what? You can make a really quick and easy travel pillow case from a pajama pants leg!

This is the perfect sewing project for even a very young child as it takes just one seam. That’s right, one seam and it’s done. How’s that for instant gratification?


Pillowcase How-to

Before you cut, stuff the pillow inside the opening of the leg to make sure it fits.





Cut the pant leg.



Then cut the leg off 17 inches from the hem.

 






Sew across the cut edge.




Sew a ¼ inch seam across the cut end. Finish the edge with a zigzag stitch or pinking shears.



Easy one-seam pillowcase finished!



Turn the pillow case right side out and put the pillow inside. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

I realize the pillow case is a little funny-shaped but I don’t care. I could have squared it up but then it would have taken more than one seam, right? And this way, the pillow can’t fall out!



Now I wonder what I'll do with the other pajama leg . . . 

Another Block-Piecing Shortcut

Piece with flying geese and half-square triangles.

This is the first block in the free Civil War Quilts Block of the Week and is an old design with many names including “Devils Puzzle,” Winding Blades” and “Flyfoot.” At Civil War Quilts, it’s known as “Catch Me If You Can.” Although pieced from 16 half-square triangles, you can eliminate some of the matching seams and bulk by using four flying geese and eight half-square triangles instead. Do you see it?

Note the four larger orange triangles. If you simply make flying geese units (I recommend Speed Piecing Method A at this link) with the light color on the left and the dark on the right, you would have the same look without a seam down the center. How cool is that. Then you’d need just eight half-square triangles sewn together in pairs and added to the top of each flying geese to make four identical units. Rotate these as needed and sew together to form the block as shown.

What do you think? Can you see other ways to easily make this block? If so, please post a comment and share!

Learn History and Quilting at the Same Time

Civil War Quilts Block of the Week - block #1

Civil War Quilts is a new blog that offers a free Block of the Week in honor of the American Civil War Sesquicentennial. So what is a sesquicentennial, anyway? Well, it means 150 years – either an anniversary, time period of that length, or occurring that often. In this case, it’s the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, which began April 12, 1861.

Throughout 2011, author and quilt historian Barbara Brackman will post a quilt block each week along with a true story about people who lived during the Civil War. Just think – by the end of the year, you could have 52 blocks completed!

The first block is called “Catch Me If You Can” and requires 16 half-square triangle units. There are instructions on the site, but for piecing with children I recommend a different method than the one shown. This kid-friendly technique eliminates sewing along a bias edge and allows for the less-than-perfect ¼-inch seam allowances that often occur when learning to sew.

How to Make Perfect Half-Square Triangle Units

To make perfect half-square triangle units every time, you simply add 1⅛ inch to the finished size desired and then square-up the unit after pressing. The "Catch Me If You Can" block consists of 2 inch finished squares so you cut your fabrics to 3⅛ inches square.   

Cut 3⅛ inches square.


Then pair your fabric squares right sides together, with the lightest one on top, and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other. I used a black marker so that you could easily see the line but I usually use a pencil.

Draw a diagonal line.

Stitch ¼ inch on both sides of the drawn line and cut. I used black thread so you could see it easily but you'd want to use thread to blend with your fabric.
 

Stitch ¼ inch on both sides of the drawn line.

Cut on the drawn line.

 Press each unit open, with the seam allowance toward the darker fabric.


Press open - you now have two units!


Now square each unit to 2½ inches.
 

Trim your square on two sides.

Finish squaring to 2½ inches.



Untrimmed and trimmed units compared.



Both units squared up.


Now wasn't that easy?

How to Make Quick and Easy Handprint Potholders

Handprint potholders are a quick and easy project for kids that also make a great gift for Christmas or any other occasion. You can use a layer or two quilt batting or old sweatshirt material as padding and insulation. You can also buy special heat-resistant material such as Insul Bright to use with one layer of batting. To make this project even more enjoyable for kids, pre-cut your fabric pieces so that the little ones can get right to the fun part of sewing.

Tools

• Pencil
• Scissors
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Iron and ironing board
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Hand sewing needle (optional)
• Plastic ring (optional)
• Fabric pens (optional)

Materials for Each Potholder

• Heavy duty fusible web (I prefer Heat n'Bond Ultrahold)
• White or light colored fabric for background
• Contrasting fabric for handprint
• Coordinating print fabric for border and backing
• Quilt batting or sweatshirt material
• Heat-resistant material (optional)

For Each Potholder, Cut

• One piece of fabric large enough for you child's handprint
• One 8 inch square of background fabric
• Two 8 inch by 2½ inch strips of print fabric
• Two 11 inch by 2½ inch strips of print fabric
• One 11 inch square of print fabric
• One or Two 10 inch squares of batting or other insulating material

Make Your Handprint Center Square

1. Place your child’s hand flat with fingers spread on the paper side of the fusible web and trace carefully around the palm and fingers with a pencil. Cut out the handprint in an oval shape staying at least ¼ inch from the drawn line.
2. Place the handprint, paper side up, on the wrong side of the fabric. Fuse in place with your iron, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Cut out the handprint on the drawn line.
3. Peel away the paper from the fabric handprint to expose the adhesive. To make this part easier, drag the point of a pin across the middle of the handprint to score the paper and ten peel the paper away from the center to the edges.
4. Lay your background square right side up on the ironing board. Position the fabric handprint, adhesive side down, in the center of your background square. Fuse the handprint in place with your iron, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sew Your Potholder Together

1. Right sides together, align a long edge and the ends of an 8 inch border strip with one edge of the handprint square and pin into place. Sew from one end to the other, ½ inch from the edge. Follow the same procedure to attach the other 8 inch border strip to the opposite side of the handprint square.
2. Fold the border strips away from the handprint square and press the seams flat with your iron. Avoid ironing over the fused handprint as too much heat may compromise the adhesive.
3. Right sides together, align a long edge and the ends of an 11 inch border strip with one unfinished edge of the handprint square and pin into place. Sew from one end to the other, ½ inch from the edge. Follow the same procedure to attach the other 11inch long border strip to the remaining unfinished side of the handprint square.
4. Fold the border strips away from the handprint square and press the seams flat. Again, avoid ironing over the fused handprint.
5. Lay the handprint block face down on the right side of the backing fabric square and pin around the edges. Sew around the perimeter ½ inch from the edge, leaving a 5 inch opening on one side.
6. Trim away the fabric within the seam allowance diagonally across the corners to remove excess bulk. Be careful not to cut through the stitching!

Finish Your Potholder

1. Turn the potholder right side out through the opening. Reach inside the potholder and poke your finger into each corner to push the corners out nice and square.
2. Iron the edges of the potholder. Fold the fabric along the opening to the inside, even with the seam, and press a sharp crease on both edges.
3. Put the batting inside the potholder through the opening and smooth it neatly into place. Tuck the batting under one fold of fabric inside the opening. Pin through all layers around the edges of the potholder to keep the batting from shifting.
4. Sew around the perimeter of the potholder, ¼ inch from the edge. Sew around the potholder again, following the seam line between the border and background fabric.
5. Hand stitch a plastic hanging ring to one corner for hanging, if desired.
6. Have your child write his name and the year (and add other embellishments) with fabric pens, if desired.

Simple Homemade Sewing Cards

Sewing cards are not only fun for kids, they also develop eye-hand coordination and teach a practical skill that can be used throughout life. I made these simple sewing cards for my 2½-year-old grandson, choosing basic shapes and primary colors to further enhance his learning. I’ll post a full tutorial when I have more time but here’s the basic instructions.

Tools

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Small plate (to make the circle)
• Iron and ironing board (fabric covered cards only)

Materials for Each Sewing Card

• A piece of cardboard (I used a Minute Rice box)
• Colorful fabric and heavy-duty iron-on fusible webbing, or paper and glue
• Yarn
• Tape or plastic sewing needle

Instructions

1. Cut the fabric or paper to 8 inches square. If using fabric, fuse iron-on webbing to the back of each square following manufacturer instructions.
2. Fuse the fabric or glue the paper to the cardboard.
3. Draw your shape on the back of the cardboard and cut it out.
4. Punch holes all the way around the shape, about ½ inch in from the edge.
5. Cut a piece of yarn and tie one end to a hole. Wrap the other end with a small piece of tape or tie on a plastic needle.

That’s it - your sewing card is done!

Tips

• Pretest the hole punch on the cardboard to make sure that you can actually punch holes. After punching several sewing cards, I had to turn punch duty over to my hubby.
• Use plain paper on one or both sides of your sewing cards and let the kids draw pictures and color them.

I also made a sewing card for the little guy with a racecar cut from fabric. Which do you suppose will be his favorite?

For additional ideas, check out some other simple sewing projects for kids.

Crayon Quilts are a Great Project for Kids!

 I love crayon quilts! How fun for kids to color pictures and then see them on a blankie. Many years ago, my daughter’s preschool class created a crayon quilt to raffle as a fundraiser. I bought five tickets, one for each child, and my preschool daughter won! Over two decades later she still treasures that quilt.

I recently received the following question by email and would like to share my response.

Question:

Are crayon quilts made using crayons, or is it just the name used because of the look of the pictures?

Answer:

Yes, crayon quilts are made using crayons. You can use regular crayons on 100% cotton fabric but need special fabric crayons when using a fabric that contains synthetics such as a cotton/polyester blend. 

Here are a few links that might be of help:

Quiltbug: Coloring a Quilt with Crayons

MeSew: Crayon Fabric Art Directions

eHow: How to Make a Crayon Quilt

Although a crayon quilt is washable once the crayon is properly heat-set, to better preserve the colors and detail you might want to reserve this technique for items that won't require frequent laundering. Enjoy your project!

I encourage you to make a crayon quilt with your children or grandchildren. If a full quilt is too much to take on, make small individual wallhangings instead. Also, consider organizing a class project to raise money for your local preschool. You’ll be glad you did!

If you need ideas or step-by-step instructions for working with a group of children, get a copy of Creative Quilting with Kids by Maggie Ball.