Repairing a Quilt by Hand

     Repairing quilts is no easy task. I am learning this by trial and error on a quilt that I offered my services for. I have never repaired a quilt, I have only made new ones. I do have a few that could use some love though so I thought this one would be a good learning experience for me. The quilt in question is not a true quilt in that it was bought from Pottery Barn and not made by a quilter. But it has sentimental value to a friend so I said I would try to help.
     The quilt is made up of cotton rectangles that were sewn together but with a lot of use they have started to disintegrate. I decided to just sew the new rectangles over the ones that are falling apart. For anyone who has never done this before, it is slow going. The quilt is very heavy so it's hard to put in my lap and work on it. It needs to be on a table so it's harder to manipulate. Even though this is a long process it seems to be coming out okay. Any help would be appreciated!!

Wool Applique Pincushion

Have you ever admired all those little wool applique items at your local quilt shop? I do all. The. Time. But my hand needlework is horrible. So I figured I might as well try getting better on little things I get for free from my local quilt store. The only bad thing, they are tiny. I have craft ADD and I tend to start a little thing and then abandon it a third of the way through. Also on the same hand, it shouldn't take me long to do. So, I am trying to have some discipline and actually work on this little guy. I'm working that blanket stitch so I don't feel too bad about that. The flowers I cut out leave a little to be desired. All in all, not too bad of a job.

The Cutest Cork Wallet

I've been trying to think of ideas for Christmas presents this year to sew for my family. This is never a fast process for me, hence just starting. I love to make pretty things but normally run out of time and don't get much done before the holidays. Then I remembered that I bought a little cork wallet pattern by Sassafras Lane. It looked pretty easy so I tried it and finished it in about 90 minutes. I'm a very slow sewer. I got it at my local quilt shop for about $10. Needless to say, I will be making a ton of these. I think you can also make it out of other fabric as well. The imagination is the limit. Have fun!

TVMQG Block of the Month

I am working on my block of the month tonight. The guild I am a part of, TVMQG, has a monthly bom that we then put into quilts and donate at the end of the year. This one is called the X Plus Quilt Block found at the Badskirt website. It's been an easy block to cut and put together so far. I love bright colors and patterns so I chose this green and orange to go together for my square.

I will add another picture when I am done with the block. Tonight was just the cutting, tomorrow is sewing night.
I have more UFOs than I care to admit so I have also been working on those so I have a little room to work on my bigger sewing projects.

Upcycle Quilting

I love to upcycle. I don't do it as much as I would like to but it's a work in progress. With that said, I have been cleaning out my sewing room and I didn't realize how many items of clothing I had thrown in there.I put them in there to be cut into quilting squares for future projects because most of these clothing items are beyond going to charity. So, with the no time like the presence attitude I started cutting.
These were a pair of pajama pants that were worn thin in some places. I know, I need to buy clothes more often.

I chose to cut this into 10 inch squares because I like projects that are quick and easy and this size seems to be good for that. Don't mind my foot.

I was thinking I could use these to add to a Christmas quilt to snuggle under. The fabric is flannel so perfect for winter time.
So don't throw away your old clothes before checking if you could use at least some of the fabric. Even a small piece could help out in a project.

Holiday Double-Sided Table Runner

The holidays are on their way and I am always behind when it comes to my sewing. But I actually got something done before Halloween/Thanksgiving so I am happy with my progress thus far.

My time is limited so I have to choose projects that are quick to finish or I will never get them done. This year I chose to work on a small table runner made out of some Nightmare Before Christmas fat quarters that I picked up at the cutest quilt shop in Las Vegas, NV. Thank you Christmas Goose!! I made it two sided so I could use it for more than just Halloween.

For the back I chose fall prints that could be used for Thanksgiving as well. Those I got from my local Joann's. The table runner was very easy to put together and once I quit procrastinating, took no time at all.

For the square side I cut 44 3.5 in squares from my fat quarters and just randomly threw them together. I ended up keeping each row the same color, not the same patterns, but it can be arranged however you like.

I then measured the front and ended up cutting the back outside fabric 3.5 inches and that left the middle at 6.5 inches.

Then I put the fabrics wrong sides together and sewed a 1/4" seam allowance all the way around but left about a 5" opening for turning. I trimmed the seam down to about 1/8" and then turned it right side out. I pressed it flat and then used a 1/4" seam allowance again for the topstitching. And viola! A super easy table runner that you can use for two months instead of only one.

I do wish I would've made it a little longer but I was happy overall. I didn't use a pattern for it, I just kind of eyeballed what I thought I would like and guessed at the dimensions. I rarely use a patterns because I almost always mess it up. I love that you can make this in pretty much any size you want. Just make sure you always add the seam allowances, I always forget that and end up making it too small.
I hope you enjoy making yours as much as I enjoyed making mine. Post pictures in the comments below, I would love to see your awesome creations!

Table Runner Halloween Front

44 3.5 in squares - as many different fabrics as you like


Table Runner Thanksgiving Back

Outside fabric - 3.5 in
Inside fabric - 6.5 in

Total size - 11.75 in x 32.75 in