Sewing a Simple Quilt

Quilts are much easier than they look. It's just step by step instructions, I'm a complete novice seamstress and I just follow YouTube videos!

Sewing a Simple Quilt

What you will need

• Fabric of your choice - the amount will depend on how big you're intending to make your quilt. If you're using traditional quilt squares they are around 9.5" squared. I bought around 3 yards of fabric for a baby crib quilt. Whatever you use for the front you need the same amount for the back (if you are planning on using this fabric as your finished edges then you need to make sure the fabric is a few inches longer and wider than your front piece because you will be flipping it up over the front. NB: If your item is something that might get washed occasionally make sure you pre-wash your fabrics.
• Sewing machine, obviously :)
• Matching thread
• Fabric scissors
• Iron
• Pins
• Thick ribbon (optional)
• Batting - thickness if up to you, mine was a little too thick!
• Fabric adhesive spray

Instructions

Cut your fabrics using a square quilt ruler (around 9.5") or cut by hand but be precise.

Place your squares on the floor and arrange in the order you want them. Take the first two pieces and place them pattern facing each other, pin down on the side you are going to sew. Iron if needed. Sew a 1/2" seam allowance to attach them. don't forget to always back stitch at the beginning and end of every line of sewing.

Iron out the flaps that you've just sewn. this is very important to reduce the bulk in the quilt.

Continue until you have one row of squares done.

 Place all your rows in order somewhere flat. Repeat until all your rows are finished.

Lay your rows out flat in the order you want the quilt to look.

Flip the second row up over the first row so patterns are touching.

Continue for the other rows, flipping every second row.

Sew a 1/2" seam allowance along the top of the rows.

Iron flat the flaps you've just sewn. Repeat for all the rows.

Now join the larger pieces together in a similar way by flipping up the second piece onto the first, patterns facing each other, and sewing a 1/2" seam allowance, then ironing down the flaps.

Repeat for however many more pieces you have.

Now you have the top part of your quilt! Place it on your batting and cut to shape.

If you are using one solid piece of fabric (which is the best way), then cut that to size too. If you are using quilting squares then repeat all the steps above until you have the top and bottom of your quilt. I did this just out of necessity to use up old material.

Once you have your quilt fabric on the batting smoothed out spray the fabric adhesive on the under side of the fabric (non-patterned side) and lay flat on the batting, smoothing out any wrinkles. I usually do one half of the fabric at a time as shown below.

Repeat for back of quilt.

Now you're ready to sew the quilt together with the batting! With your front fabric facing up as your guide, sew carefully down each line, the line that connects the fabric squares, from one end to the other.

repeat for all lines down, then all lines across.  

Once this is done you are ready for your sides, you can trim extra batting if you like.

I used a large ribbon (3" wide) but if you see the quilt at the bottom of the post I used just fabric. If using fabric, as mentioned at the top, you will just have a longer and wider bottom piece of fabric (by about 3-4"). In this case you will just fold the pieces twice (like a hem) and flip over the front, you can iron them first to keep the fold. 

In my case I used a 3" wide ribbon and ironed them in half so they were even. Then I sprayed the inside of the ribbon with adhesive, pinned it down and sewed the two long sides. For the small edges I sewed the ends into points and then sewed the ribbon over the top of the other ribbon at the corners. 

I didn't mean to have that many rows of stitches but I messed up the first side (by not ironing them in half!!) and so had to match the other sides :/

 Finished quilt!

This was only my second quilt. The first one  made was a throw for the couch...

 

We Made A Tee-pee!

So not on a vegan note but on a family note...we made a teepee! Technically it's for the kids but it looks so comfortable I think I might sneak in there when they're not home ;)
This was a fairly easy project for around $60 - we got plain duck cloth on sale.

You need;

5.5 yards x 3 yards
5-6x Wood planks - 9' tall
Rope/ribbon
Sewing machine/fabric scissors
Drill
Optional Extras; tarp, paint, pillows, blankets

Instructions;

We started with one 1 piece of 11 x 2 yard piece of plain duck cloth and cut it in half down the middle.

Next I sewed the two 5.5 yard pieces together and lay out flat. mark down the middle of the piece. Using one of the planks of wood, drill a hole about 9" down on all planks. Lay wood down in the middle line of the material with the hole on the long edge. Start marking around to make a semi-circle on one side of the material.

Fold the material in half on the fold line and cut around the circle with fabric scissors.

Next either hem or using a seam stitch sew the round raw edges to prevent fraying. The sides should have selvage so should not need hemming.

Next lay the material out flat and in the center of the flat edge mark two button holes on each side. This will be for the rope to feed through and attach to the wooden plank.

Attach all your planks together in a teepee shape and feed the rope through and tie to hold in place.
Next wrap the material - round edge along the ground - around the planks and mark three button holes.

Sew all the marked button holes.

The top two are for feeding through the plank as an anchor, the bottom 6 holes are to hold the teepee together at the front.

Technically now your teepee is ready! 

We painted circle patterns on the material but tracing cups and plates and then using some old house paints samples we had left over from when we made a birdhouse. We had paint on our hands so we put hand prints on as well.

 

We covered the floor with tarp, then got some outdoor cushions and blankets from a thrift store.

Simple Apron

I've been going a bit nuts with the sewing machine lately. I'm only just learning but I'm enjoying it so much I want to make things all the time. And by "things" I mean simple projects to ease me into the craft! This simple apron pattern was given to me by a woman at a fabric store. It's a great first project and a great apron style for a man or BBQ. 

Simple Apron

Materials you will need

32" x 34" pieces of fabric (two - one for the front and one for the lining).

If you want to add a pocket at the front then you'll need some extra material, approx 20"-30" x 10", just double hemmed 1/2" along all four sides.

Ribbed ribbon - 60", 13" 2x 22" (obviously if you prefer to use fabric for the ties then just use the same amount of fabric as ribbon but thicker so you can sew and turn inside out)

Instructions

Take the two 32" x 34" pieces of fabric and place them exactly on top of each other.

 From the top two corners measure inwards 10 1/2" and mark.

From the top corners measure down 10 1/2" and mark. Draw a line down connecting the two points on each corner and cut. 

If you are adding a pocket then you would want to sew it onto the patterned side at this point before connecting the lining. You can measure 11" from both the ends of the pockets and stitch down in those two spots to create three separate pockets. 

With pattern and lining fabric laid on top of each other perfectly and with patters facing in, pin down the sides and corners. Sew down the side and corner of the apron connecting the lining. Trim, turn in side out and iron flat. Turn the bottom and top opening hems in towards each other and pin in place, ironing flat.

Using the length of ribbon desired for the neck tie (I used 2x 22") place the end of the ribbon inside the hems where desired and pin in place. Sew the seams of the top and bottom closed.

Place the 13" piece of ribbon over the top edge of the apron and pin into place, tucking the ends behind.

Sew down the edges of the ribbon using a similar color thread.

Using the 60" piece of ribbon place across waist and in into place. Sew along both sides of the ribbon.

Finish the project by sewing the ends of the ribbon back slightly to prevent fraying.