Saturday, September 28, 2013

HALLOWEEN


Halloween is just around the corner!  It is such a fun holiday to decorate for.  I love all the scariness, but with so many grandchildren I have to tone it down a bit.  I wanted and “needed” a new table topper for Halloween, so I decided why not make a candy corn one using the Dresden Plate block. 

You will need the following to complete this table topper:

White, orange, and yellow fabric scraps for wedges
Fabric scrape for center
Easy Dresden ruler by Darlene Zimmerman
Low Loft Batting
Peltex(r) 2-sided Fusible Heavy Interfacing
Wonder Under® or a double sided fusible lightweight interfacing of your choice
Fabric for back
Thread


I went through my stash and found scraps in the colors that I wanted.  You can buy yardage and 1/8 yard would be more than enough.  You will cut the white, orange, and yellow fabric as follows:

White       2-1/8” wide strip
Orange     4” wide strip
Yellow       3” wide strip

 

These measurements worked using my Easy Dresden ruler which measures 8” by 1”.  Gave just a bit of wiggle room....

 

 

Sew your strips together using a ¼” seam allowance.  

 
 

Press your seams open.

Take your Easy Dresden Ruler and cut 20 wedges!  REMEMBER to always have the narrow end of the ruler on the white fabric.  This will waste some of the fabric, but you can keep for other projects.

 

 

 You should have a stack of wedges . . .

 

 

Lay out the wedges in a pattern that you like and begin sewing them together using a ¼” seam allowance.  Press seams open.
 
 
 
When joining the wedges together be sure to pin the two seams making sure that they meet….
 
 

 
Now this is ½ of the circle . . .

 
 



 

 And this is the full circle…

 


 

Now I give this circle a good PRESSING and STEAMING to make it lie flat as possible.  DO NOT IRON . . . MOVING IRON BACK AND FORTH.  Just Press up and down using steam to avoid stretching the fabric.  Lay the circle onto a piece of low loft batting and quilt as desired.

You will see that I straight-lined quilted mine.

 

 
 
Not sure if you can see the quilting, but I quilted down all of the wedges on both sides and around the circle of the orange and yellow on both sides.
 
Find a piece of fabric that you like and that will enhance your Dresden circle.  Using a circle object (I used a bowl), trace onto paper side of fusible interfacing, press to wrong side of fabric, and let cool.  When cool, cut it out, peel backing, and fuse to the center circle area of your Dresden circle.  I satin-stitched around my circle, but you can choose whatever method you like or you could even do a needle-turn applique circle instead.

 
Take your finished circle and fuse to the Peltex and backing fabric.  Cut our around the Dresden Circle and satin stitch around the edges.  You could skip this step and just use a backing fabric and bind your table topper if you would like.

 
My finished table topper ready for my table . . .

 



 
My friends know that I LOVE Peltex® and use it for a variety of projects.  I liked the idea of doing a spider candle mat so I found a die-cut spider some black fabric, Wonder Under®, orange fabric, Peltex®, and backing fabric.  I drew out the spider web onto the orange fabric and then satin stitched over the lines with a narrow stitch width and then fused the spider to the bottom.  Quilt as desired.  Affix to Peltex® and backing fabric, quilt some more, and satin stitch the edges.  For this particular little quilt, I used felt for the backing fabric.

A little glitter glue for eyes and hourglass and I had a cute little candle mat.

 
 
Whatever you choose to do, remember HAVE FUN!  And don’t sweat the small stuff!!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

It's been a while!  Life gets busy and I have lots of WIPs that I am constantly working on as well (hee hee) adding new ones! 

Now it's time to plan for the upcoming holiday . . .

I love Halloween and decorating for this spooky holiday so I thought I would share some of my Halloween projects with you. 
These are some Trick or Treat bags that I found the pattern for in one of my magazines.  I made four cat bags for the girls and a Frankenstein bag for Avery.  How simple the appliques are . . . shapes!  You could even buy the pre-made muslin bags from a craft store and decorate!  Use your imagination and have fun!  Your children or grandchildren will love them!


 
 
 


I made the Halloween pumpkin pillow a couple years ago at a class that I took at Dragonfly Quilt Shop.  The Haunted Tree Pillow, shown below, I found it in a magazine featuring Patrick Lose.  Love Patrick Lose's applique! 


 
This is Patrick Lose's design!
 
 


This birdhouse was made by my husband and I decorated it for the Halloween birds.


 


This painted pumpkin was inspired from Alisa Burke’s blog.  Hers are much better!!!


 


The stuffed pumpkin came from one of my favorite artists, Nancy Halversen.  I will have to say I have all of her books and each and everyone of them are GREAT!


 


This ticker tape wall hanging I made using Halloween fabric scraps.  I cut a piece of muslin and cut squares and rectangles out of my Halloween fabric scraps.  I then sew them around the edges to the muslin piece with batting on the back.  After I finish sewing the fabric scraps to the muslin, I put a back on and sew it together with the front by sewing between the squares.  I finish off with binding and hanging tabs.  I found a square piece of wood in my husband’s workshop, painted it, and after it was dried, hung up my Halloween Ticker Tape Quilt.  I have since made one for Fall and will make one for Christmas, etc.  FUN!  You can also use scraps and Mod Podge them onto a canvas and hang as art (if you do not sew)!


 
 


Also using scraps, I made this Halloween fabric bowl.  I will do a tutorial at a later date on how to make these easy and decorative bowls.  Peltex is a wonderful product!!


 


This Halloween ornament is made using a clear glass ornament, small fabric scraps, and Mod Podge (one of my favorite products).  Just glue your scraps onto the glass ornament with the Mod Podge covering the entire ball!  Add a couple of coats when finished (drying between coats) and hang on an ornament holder.  I also wired a decorative button to the ornament.  You can make one for ALL the holidays!


 


Finally, I made an Alisa Burke inspired tablescape.  Cute, HUH?


 


 I will say Bye for now leaving you with this quote,


“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things


of life which are the real ones after all.”