Christmas in July: Mini Fabric Tape Tutorial

Welcome to the third stop on the Christmas in July blog hop!

Thank you Elizabeth for hosting this fabulous blog hop and for inviting me to take a part!
If you are anything like me, you'd wait til the last minute to get working on
Christmas gifts and realize a few days before Christmas that you totally
underestimated the time it takes to finish up gifts. Then you end up rushing
into stores to pick up store-bought presents for your loved ones. You are
apologetic that you are giving the store bought stuff rather than handmade
gifts that you had dreamed about making for them. Your new year's resolution
would include "Start making Christmas gifts WAY earlier!!" Can you relate?
Then maybe it's time for us to start doing something perhaps!!



Today I would like to share with you a very simple fabric tape tutorial.
I like making these because it is a great way to use up my fabric scraps,
and I enjoy using the tape for packages I put together. If you live in the
country that double-sided tape usually comes with backing, this tute
may not be very useful. I remember in the US the simple double sided tape
rarely had backing on it. This tutorial is for those who want to turn those
double sided tape without backing to fabric tapes!



I used parchment paper as a backing of the tape.
It is called "cooking sheet" in Japan, but it is the same thing as parchment paper
or bakery paper which is used to line baking pans as a non-stick surface.
Here I have a sheet of parchment paper measuring approximately 2" x 12".



I put on double-sided tapes throughout like this, being careful
not to create air bubbles in between the paper and tape.
(It's ok for the tapes to over-wrap a little.)



Then I placed it the sticky side down on the wrong side
of this fabric scrap that is a little larger than the paper at all edges.



Then I used pinking scissors to cut along both long edges.
(Make sure to cut along the paper so that your finished tape
will not have any surface with no parchment paper (backing).



Then I chopped it into pieces like this so the result is a lot of mini tapes
backed with parchment paper!



When you want to use the tape, remove the backing and place it where you want it to be!



It would be nice to have these made by Christmas! We know we never
have enough tapes for packages and cards and all!

I hope you'll turn your fabric scraps into some fun tapes!

Here is a schedule of Christmas in July! Don't forget to stop by
all these lovely stops for Christmasy inspiration!

Monday 7/16 - Don't Call Me Betsy
Tuesday 7/17 - Sew Crafty Jess
Wednesday 7/18 - Pink Penguin
Thursday 7/19 - Freshly Pieced
Friday 7/20 - Sew Sweetness
Monday 7/23 - Happy Quilting
Tuesday 7/24 - Comfort Stitching
Wednesday 7/25 - Diary of a Quilter
Thursday 7/26 - Felicity Quilts

Oh I almost forgot the best part! I have a great giveaway for you!
The fabulous Kathy of Pink Chalk Fabrics has generously donated
a $20 gift certificate to one lucky winner!



To enter the giveaway, leave a comment by the midnight Thursday!
One comment per person please ;)

Good luck and have a great day!!

Tutorial: Scrappy Hour Glass Blocks

Hello everyone! Here is a virtual big hug for all of you lovely folks for coming back here after my longest blog break ever. I apologize for having being away for this long without giving you a heads-up (again!). I have been tied up with some project for the past few months, which is coming to an end now, so I will be back to my normal crafting and blogging schedule very very soon! I can hardly wait! You have no idea how much stuff I have on my to-blog-about list now. I have so many things I want to talk about and share you with, but for today,I have a super simple scrappy hour glass block tutorial for you.


Do you remember this quilt top? I started working on this about a year and a half years ago with no plan ahead. I just had so much fun playing with my precious scrappy fabrics and hoped they would inspire me to make something with them.  

I remember this project being very pleasing partly because it didn't turn out to be too busy (at least I think so, hehe!) I love scrappy look so much, but when my scrappy project is big in scale, I tend to worry that it would be too busy for my eyes.  I added solid sashing between each block, which I think helpedto offset the craziness.  And the little square blocks are added fun ;)

Just like what happens to many projects of mine, it was side tracked by other projects and months passed by so I haven't made a progress since then!When the sweet, talented friend Rachel of Stitched in Color contacted me last year if I could participate in Scrap Attack she is hosting,I immediately thought of this idea of revisiting this quilt top for it. I got it out of a zip lock yesterday and it had its first fresh air in Japan.Thanks to Rachel for giving me this opportunity! Now I actually want to finish this quilt.I always appreciate this kind opportunity that gives me a littlepush to go back to my old projects and actually finish them. 


This tute might be a bit too simple, but I hope this will inspire some of you to turn your scraps into teeny hour glasses and hopefully do something with them! Each block finishes at a 2 1/4" square. Yup, it's teeny tiny, so these have potentials to be used for some small patchwork projects too!



Two squares, each measuring 3 3/4" x 3 3/4".



Cut from one corner to the other corner.


Take one of each triangle and sew along the long edges like this.(1/4" seam allowance as usual ;) )


Press seams to one side (same side for both.)

Chop!

Trade between the two!


Now to sew this bottom edge.

Press seam open.

Now you have two hour glass blocks, each measuring a little larger than a 2 3/4" square.

We want to trim down each square to be a 2 3/4" square. (1 3/8" from one edge is the center point.) Cut off the excess. 

The one on the right hand side is done.Repeat the same process for the remaining block too.

Now they are clean and pretty ;)


It's quite addictive! 


We'll need some 1" x 2 3/4" strips.


to join blocks to make a row.


Here I have the white strips sewn at the short edges of the panel,but you can choose to do that part later. Completely up to you.


I like to press seams this way.

To make a sashing that comes between rows, we'll needsome strips with a little colored block attached.Here I am sewing together a 1" wide pink strip anda 2 3/4" wide white rectangle. (Don't worry about length of each fabric.)


After pressing seam to the colored fabric side, chop it offto create some 1" wide strips like this.


And repeat the same process with grey fabric.


Here is to show you how I pressed seams on the sashing. (I made the sashing by sewing three strips and a 1" square at the short end.)


Sew along the edge.


Tada! Here is the beginning of the scrappy quilt.


If you would like to make a similar mini quilt, here is a measurement of my quilt. I have 49 hour glassblocks with sashing between and around them.I added a 1/2" wide border and then finished with a 4 1/4" wide border.This quilt measures a 32 3/4" square - a nice size for a baby quilt?
I would be thrilled if this tutorial could inspire you toplay with your scraps! If you are feeling scrappy, don't forget to stop byRachel's blog and Scrap Quilt Attack Quilt Along Flickr pool tocheck out everyone's scrappy projects - so inspiring!!
I'll be back next month and have tons of stuff to share with you!Hope you are all having a nice week ;)

12 Gifts of Christmas Blog Hop: Organizer Basket Tutorial

I was flattered when Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts kindly
asked me to be a part of 12 gifts of Christmas Blog Hop! You've probably read about it over Jennifer's already by now,but we are bringing you 12 free tutorials on Christmas gift makings! One tute per day through October 25th!Sounds fun, right?! Jennifer started it off with a fabulous double sided pace mat tutorial yesterday and here I am hosting a second stop
with a tutorial on how to make these
easy-peasy organizer baskets!

Not ready to think about Christmas yet?

Me neither, but we know it will come before we know it!

Jennifer picked this perfect timing to get this rolling

so that we have plenty of time to whip up gifts!

It's been over a year since I last posted a tutorial, 

so I was a bit nervous writing this up, although it is

probably the easiest project among all sewing tutes 

I have ever written, hehe. Hopefully I took enough pictures

so that the visual will help you through! If you have any
questions about this tute, you know you can contact me anytime!

Ok, here you go!

To make one basket, you'll need two 13" x 7" cotton rectangles
(one for exterior, one for interior) and one piece of
cotton batting that is just a little larger than 13" x 7".

Spray the wrong side of the interior piece and add the batting.

Quilt as desired. I like mine diagonal cross hatch quilted.
I marked a line from one corner to the point where it's 6" from the other corner.

Quilt along the line. (My stitch length was set at 3.0)

This quilter accessory is such a big help!
I sew while guiding the quilter over the previous row of stitching.
(My quilting lines are approximately 3/4" apart from each other.)

Like that. If your sewing machine didn't come with
this accessory, you can mark parallel lines throughout the interior piece.

Here is how this looks after diagonal quilting is done.

Now mark a line perpendicular to the stitching and quilt in the same manner.




Yay quilting is done!




Chop off the excess.




Now fold in half the piece with right sides together lengthwise
and sew both short edges. (1/4" seam allowance)


 

Time to box corners!




Mark where the seam line is at 1 1/4" from both sides.
(2.5" long from one edge to the other.) Sew along the marked line.




Cut off the corner. Leave a small seam allowance.




Repeat the same process for the other short edge so that
your quilted interior looks like this.




Do the same with the exterior piece.




With right sides together, place the exterior inside the
interior. Match seams and pin in place.




I like to start sewing just about 3" away from the seam.




Leave about 1 1/2" wide opening. Turn the right side out from the opening.



Press the opening.




Top-stitching!




Now you've finished making this organizer basket!
(Finished size: 2"H x 9 1/2"W x 2 1/2"D)
These nicely soft baskets serve well as drawer organizers/utensil trays,
but if you want to stabilize the baskets a little,
you can alternate the pattern by using interfacing on
the back of the exterior and/or using stiffer batting and/or...



Top-stitching four corners.




Your basket will be more squarish like this.
(these were made in the same way except for top-
stitched corners.)




This basket is a perfect size to put together 16 spools of Gutermann 250m
threads for a gift. (Oh I just had a vision of this basket filled with spools
and one big handle in the middle! That would make a cute gift, wouldn't it?)




Or maybe pen holders? Whatever you or the recipients
of your baskets can think of :) Lots of possibilities!

I would love to see your baskets in this flickr pool and
here for anything you made using tutorials in this blog hop!


Fabric used: Sew Cherry and Kei

I hope you'll find some great inspiration for Christmas

gift makings by hopping over these amazing blogs.

I am so looking forward to seeing what they'll come up with
because I haven't decided what I will be making for Christmas yet!

 Friday, October 14- Jennifer/ Ellison Lane Quilts

Saturday, October 15- Ayumi/Pink Penguin
Sunday, October 16- Amy/ Lots of Pink Here
Monday, October 17- Faith/Fresh Lemons Quilts
Tuesday, October 18- Penny/Sew Take a Hike
Wednesday, October 19- Kati/From the Blue Chair
Thursday, October 20- Lee/Freshly Pieced
Friday, October 21- Elizabeth/Don't Call Me Betsy
Saturday, October 22- Melanie/Texas Freckles
Sunday, October 23- Lindsay/Craft Buds
Monday, October 24- Amanda/A Crafty Fox
Tuesday, October 25-Vanessa/Little Big Girl Studio

 Oh and to make this blog hop more exciting, there are

a giveaway at each blog stop AND a grand prize you could win

- $250 gift certificate to fabricworm! (Yes you heard it right :))

Enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop by leaving

one comment on this post by the midnight on October 26th.
I'll have the random number generator
pick a winner for me on October 26th. 

Make sure to leave a comment on Jennifer's tutorial
for the the chance to win the grand prize!

And just for stopping by, you can take advantage of a generous 

15% off discount at Fabricworm with the coupon code fw12days 

through the end of the blog hop.

Thank you for your time to stop by!