FINISH IT Fridays: BYU Wall Quilt

When it comes to my craft room, most of the time, it looks like a hurricane tore through it.  Part of the problem comes from me not putting things away when I am finished, and the other part happens because there is nowhere for me to put these items away.  My closet is stuffed to the brim with fabric and half finished projects and supplies.  I have an ADD tendency when it comes to projects.  I get really excited to make something, purchase the items needed, maybe get started on it, and then I never get back to it.  Or, I might get back to it months later.   I also loves to browse the clearance racks for deals.  I have lots of impulse craft purchases.  I might buy something that it such a great deal that really, how could I pass it up, when I don't have any clear idea of a purpose or a deadline.  Thus, my craft room is a bit cluttered and stuffed.
To help with this problem, one thing I want to work on this year is finishing up these partially completed projects (I will also be sorting and tossing items I no longer need as well as organizing my space).  To give myself an incentive, I have decided that I will work on projects as part of blog series: FINISH IT Fridays.   I will post at least one Friday a month, possibly more but with no firm schedule, a project that I have finally finished.  It will be something that I have just for some reason not completed.    I will complete the project and post the finished product.

For this Friday, I finished a wall quilt.  Back when I first started this blog, I was just finishing some monthly wall hanging quilts.  I have a spot in my kitchen where I change them out monthly.  I only made 11,  with the idea that June and August could share a Summer themed quilt.

My September quilt has a back to school theme.

This is great in theory.  However, our school district has the kids going back to school the first week of August.  It just doesn't make sense to put out the "Back to School" quilt in September when the kids have already been back to school for an entire month.  So, last year, I hung up the Back to School September quilt in August, instead of reusing my June quilt.  Hence, I didn't have a quilt for September anymore.  Even though school starts here in August, football still starts in September, and with a house full of boys, football season is very well loved here.  I decided to make a football quilt for September, and I couldn't resist using our favorite team.
I got started on this back in August, but somehow I just didn't get it done before the end of September.  Then, since my deadline was passed, its been sitting on a shelf in my craft room, waiting for me to finish it.  I decided that today would be that day and now, I will have something new to enjoy this September.

I will be linking up to these Fabulous Parties All week long.

Thanksgiving Advent Quilt Sew Along, Part 2

Welcome back!  I hope everyone's quilt is coming along nicely.
Are you ready to work on your own Advent Quilt?

Click Here for Part 1.

Today, we are going to sew on the pockets and stencil in the numbers and the Give Thanks!
1. First, you need to cut out 12 rectangles that measure 3 3/4 inch x 3 1/2 inches.  

For my quilt, I had 3 fabrics, so I cut out 4 rectangles from each.

2. Ncxt,  take one rectangle and on the long side, iron down 1/4 inch with Heat N Bond hem tape.  This creates an easy finished edge.  We don't need to worry about fraying since this is a decoration and not an article of clothing that will be washed.  This will be the top opening of each pocket.


3. Now, go around on each side and iron down 1/4 inch.  Your fabric should now look like this on the wrong side.

Repeat this for all 12 rectangles.

4. Arrange your pockets on the quilt face into 3 columns, 4 rows each.   Pin each pocket in place, making sure that the side with the hem tape is facing up.

5. Now, carefully top stitch around the sides and bottom edges, as close as you can to the edge, leaving the top side open.  Now you have a pocket!  Repeat this on all 12 rectangles.






6. Now it's time to create freezer paper stencils.    If you have a cricut and a silhouette, simply print numbers 1-12 and "Give Thanks" onto freezer paper.   If you have a die-cut machine, punch these out.
I don't have a cricut or silhouette.  I don't have a die-cut machine either.  However, my local scrapbook supply store has a project room with hundreds of die cuts anyone can use.  So, I did!  If you don't have access to these things, you can always draw your letters and numbers and then cut them out by hand.   
The paper side of the freezer paper will be the top of the stencil, and waxy side will be the bottom.   You won't be using the pieces you cut out, but rather the negative.  This is your stencil!
7. Carefully place your stencils onto your fabric, waxy side down, and IRON in place.  The wax melts to the fabric, holding the stencil in place.  

8.  Paint your numbers and "Give Thanks" with fabric paint.

9.  After the paint has dried for a few minutes, you can carefully peel the paper off! 

There will be no waxy residue left, just a beautiful stencil!
Allow the paint to fully dry.   This can take a couple of hours.

That's all for today.  I will see you next week!

I will be participating in these Parties this week.

Monthly Quilts

Project: Monthly Wall Quilts

Inspiration: On a trip to Houston to visit my parents Oct 2007, I noticed a pattern for a Christmas Nativity Wall quilt that I thought was absolutely beautiful. I tend to craft a lot with my mom, so we each decided to make one of these quilts. I had a great time sewing it and finished it with just a few days before Christmas that year. The next Christmas (2008) I actually got to enjoy it the entire season. We were living in a duplex at the time with a wall above my kitchen sink instead of a window. I hung the quilt there and it really brightened my days to be able to look at something so pretty instead of a blank wall while doing dishes. When January rolled around I was so sad to take down the quilt and be faced with a boring wall again. Wouldn't it be nice if I had something to hang all the time? Or even something seasonal for every month? And thus the monthly wall quilt was born. I created a quilt for almost every month, with only the months May and June sharing a quilt. My plan was to create each month's quilt during 2009 for that month. I almost made it. I had all quilts finished by the end of 2009 except for the May quilt. I just finished the May quilt today!

How-to: 1. I took wooden tole painting patterns, clip art pics, original drawings, etc. and modified them in size and complexity to make them suitable for fabric appliques. On paper, I created the designs and quilt blocks to portray the various months.

2. I then took the drawings and traced the mirrow image pieces onto fusible web. Then, I ironed the pics onto the various fabrics and cut them out. Then, peel the paper off and iron the applique onto the background fabric.

3. Use embroidery floss and blanket stitch around each applique to finish.

4. Then, sew the blocks and strips together to form the top of the quilt.

5. Make tabs and sew on. Then sew on back and batting like a pillowcase. Turn rightside out, press and hand sew the hole closed.

6. Quilt the top.

7. Hang and enjoy.

Finished Product:

JanuaryFebruary MarchApril
May and June

Or June and August
July
September
October
November
December