Flat Felled Seam with Trim {Tutorial}

Last night I showed you Kadences Trendsetting Hounds-Tooth Shorts and today I'm going to show you how I made that really cool flat felled seam with a trim insertion.

 

A few things of note:

This is basically a modified Flat Felled seam, and you can use this technique on any relatively straight seam.

You can really apply anything as your trim - fabric, piping, rick rack, ribbon - what ever!

I used 5/8 seam allowance (for kids shorts) you may want to increase your seam allowances.

Flat Felled seams should be pressed towards the back when used in side seams. 

Lets get started!

 Begin by stitching your fabric WRONG sides together.

In the pictures below, the front of my garment is on the right side of the photographs, while the back of the garment is on the left.

Press your seams open.

Working on the seam allowance that is on the front half  (of the garment) press it in half, meeting the raw edge to the stitching.

Working on the opposite seam allowance (the back half  of the garment) trim away about 1/8" away from the stitching line.

You can see here the seam allowance has been cut away.

Press the folded seam allowance over the raw edge and towards the back of the garment.

(if you are not using any trim, skip ahead to the stitching step!)

Insert trim between the garment fabric and the folded and pressed seam allowance, placing raw edge of trim against stitching.

How wide your trim is will affect how much shows when the seam is complete. (Here I used 11/4" wide satin strips folded in half.)

I use my trusty washable glue stick to hold everything in place so my trim doesn't shift when I stitch it all down.

Press your seam allowance back in place towards the back, over your trim. 

You can see your original stitching line on the front-side of the garment

Edge stitch along the folded edge of your seam allowance.

Not only does it look off the rack on the outside, the Flat Felled seam creates a lovely and clean finish to the inside of the garment as well!

There are so many ways you can use this technique - pants, skirts  handbags! And let's not forget the little guys, this is an excellent detail to add to boys clothes to subtly (or not!) embellish with a pop of color or texture.

Tell us! What kind seam finishing techniques do you like to use?

Red White & Bloom! Patriotic Pillow Tutorial

Here is the tutorial for the stunning Red, White & Bloom Pillow that I posted over at over at Shakin Together, just in case you missed it the first time around!

Today I have a super simple sewing project for you!

A patriotic pillow, perfect for your 4th of July party or to give as a hostess gift.

 Although it looks difficult it's easy enough for beginners, and with an end result that will make your guests wonder where you bought that awesome pillow!

To start you'll need:

Cut:

• (5) 41/2 in. blue squares
• (4) 2 1/2 in. blue squares
• (2) 2 1/2  x 10 1/2 in. red strips
• (1) 2 1/2  x 16 1/2 in. red strip
• (1) 2 1/2  x 10 1/2 in. white strip
• (1) 2 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. white strip
• (1) 10 1/2 X 16 1/2 rectangle for backing (I used white)

Plus: 9 white buttons,  stuffing, basic sewing supplies

Begin by folding your larger blue squares into an origami flower, 

(Check out our easy tutorial here for the folding technique!!)

Next arrange your folded flowers and smaller squares into 3 rows of 3, alternating the flowers and plain squares.

Sew each square in the row, then sew all three rows together as pictured below.

Press well between each step!

You've made a 9 patch!

Next sew your short strips together, alternating red and white.

Sew your 9 patch block to your red and white strips,

then add your longer white and red strips to the bottom.

Yay! You've made a flag!

Go ahead and open your flowers up and sew a button to the center of each one, also sew a button to the center of each plain square. Fold flower petals back down.

Sew your backing piece Right Sides Together with your flag, leaving an opening at the bottom for turning.

Trim your corners and turn your pillow right side out.

(Give it a good press - a proper press takes your project from "Home made" to "Wow! You made that?!")

Stuff it up and hand stitch the opening closed, don't forget to open all your petals out!

Now stand back and admire your awesome handy work, not bad for a quick afternoon project!

The origami flowers really up the wow factor on this pillow, but if you're not up for folding just substitute the (5) 4 1/2 inch blue squares with 2 1/2 inch squares, easy peasy!

 Thanks lovlies, have a wonderful 4th of July!

Don't forget to enter our Bow Pleat Bag Pattern Giveaway Here!

Red, White & Bloom Pillow Tutorial {I'm Guest Posting!}

Hello friends, today I'm guest posting a tutorial to make this patriotic 

Red, White and Bloom Pillow at Shakin' Together!

(this is our first time guest posting, yay us!)

Keri's blog is full of yummy goodness and crafty awesomeness, 

and I am thrilled to be a part of her Patriotic Party

featuring the talents of  fellow bloggers  

A cupcake love affair, Uncommon, Bold Abode & Hating Martha!

I would love it if you stopped by to check it out and said hello while you're there! Thanks bunches!

Tell us! Are you working on any patriotic projects this week? 

Pretty Pattern Weights

I use large heavy nuts as pattern weights to, well,  hold down my patterns as I cut them out. While extremely functional and economical, as I was cutting out a project today I realized that my pattern weights are pretty boring.

I use these things all the time, so why not spend a minute to spiff them up a teeny bit?

I just cut two felt circles for each nut, and embroidered "sew" and "cut" on them

I then hand stitched around the edges, leaving an opening to slip the nut in and then finish stitching all the way around

I used stuff I had on hand, so these are still a super cheap alternative to traditional pattern weights!

(oh look, there's a sneak peek at my current project!)

Tell us! Have you taken the time to fancy up any of your sewing tools lately?

Doodle Duvet {a Pin-spired} Tutorial

Re-doing my 11 year old daughters bedroom has been quite a process, and I think the bedding has generated more tantrums (for both of us) than anything else so far. I've been dreaming of a quilt, made from Henry Glass Bubblegum  (which I already have the fabric and pattern for) and she want's something way cooler and more funky - and definitely not a quilt!

While browsing Pinterest I came across the perfect solution:

The Doodle Duvet

A duvet, made to look like a sheet of notebook paper, that you can scribble on with washable markers?
She wanted it immediately.
And, like many of you out there, I thought "hey, I can easily make that!"
I'll paint the lines on and sew 2 flat sheets together! Voila!
Have you ever been so thrilled about a project - I mean absolutely excited to get started - that you nearly wet your pants?
And about 5 minutes into it started wondering what on earth were you thinking?
Yup.

Painting this turned out to be a huge pain in the neck.

Literally.

After hours of painting on my hands and knees my neck is still killing me!

But look at the results - totally worth it

So, if you've stuck it out through my whining, and want to know how I pulled this off so you can make one to here's the run down!

Tutorial:

{For a Full-Sized Duvet}

Supplies:

2 Full size Flat sheets

Fabric Paint; red, blue & grey

Paint brushes

Duct tape

Sewing machine & supplies

Cut off 41/2 inches from the top (deep hem) of the first sheet and discard,
this cut edge will now be the bottom edge.

If you are going to paint your duvet tape it down (right side up) on a hard, nonporous surface.
I found duct tape kept it from shifting while I walked, sat, and moved around while painting.

I painted the first blue line 16 inches from the top, and every 8 inches below.
I painted the red vertical line 16 inches in from the left side.
It was easier than it sounds - the floor tiles are 16 inches, I cheated and just lined the sheet edge up with the tiles and followed the grout lines.
I just eyed where I wanted the circles to be for the "holes"
I wasn't trying for real "crisp" lines, so I just free handed everything

Take your second sheet, and cut it in half about 16 inches down from the top (the deep hem)
lay this small piece right sides together on your first sheet matching the top and sides, with the raw edge at the top. Pin.

Now take the larger part of the sheet and lay it right sides together on top of the first sheet, matching the raw edges at the bottoms and the side seams.

There will be an overlap of about 4 1/2 inches where the two top sheet sections meet
pin around all outer edges and sew.

Turn right side out and press well.
The wide hem should now be on the outside back of your duvet,
mark the center, and then every eight inches for button holes

Sew on buttons - I used size 45 covered buttons

Stuff your comforter into your duvet, button it up and throw it on the bed.
(Then grab yourself a couple of Tylenol and maybe a glass of wine for your aching back.)

All that's left is a package of washable markers to get the creativity flowing!

Tell us! What's the most "painful" project you've ever started?

Fabric Folding Tutorial {Cheap & Simple}

Think of your favorite quilt shop, doesn't the image of all those neatly folded and stored bolts of fabric make you dreamy? Get that look for yourself!

But hey, folding your fabric in a uniform and consistent manner does more than just look pretty! It tends to store easier - and when folded with the technique shown below you can even tell approximately how much yardage you may have at a glance.

There are several ways you can fold your fabrics, I'm going to show you the 2 ways I've used. (Actually, they are just 2 variations of the same method) They both have their benefits, hopefully one way will work for you too!

Using the Comic book backing boards is the method I currently use in my own studio. 

I prefer the fabric stacked vertically - it does take up more space, but I feel like I can see each print easier.

Backer boards are a cheap alternative to specific fabric boards - I mean like 10 bucks for a pack of 100 at my local shop! (Wondering where you can find some near you? Check out the Comic Book Shop Locator. NAYY) And hey, I figure  if they're good enough for die-hard comic book collectors they're good enough for me.

The alternative method is using the same basic technique, but using a 6 inch quilting ruler (or any size, really) to fold your fabric around. When you reach the end, simply slide your ruler out. Then you can stack your fabrics on you shelves. The benefit here is you can fit more fabric on your shelves this way.

   

 Just a note before you start: When squaring up your fabric, align the selvedge edges as pictured below, don't worry if your cut edges do not match.

Do not try to square up your fabric by lining up the cut edges - chances are your fabric was not cut on grain and it will lay wonky like pictured below.

Okay, lets start!

Fold your fabric in half selvedge edges together - I like to do this with the manufacturers info facing down.

And then fold in half again, bringing the folded edge to meet the selvedge edges.

Next, using a comic book backing board, fold the edge of the fabric over the board.

Continue folding the fabric around the board until you reach the end.

You can pin the loose edge if you like (and if you began with the manufacturer info face down you can now see it without having to unfold your fabric) 

Okay, so you may be wondering how all this helps you know how much yardage you have?

Simple! Just count the folded layers on the edge, and multiply by 6 (or what ever size ruler/board you folded with) So, if you used a 6 inch ruler and had 6  folded layers, you'd know you have about 1 yard. 

*This isn't an exact science, and the more yardage you have the more you'll be "off"

Tell us! Do you bother to refold your fabric when you bring it home from the quilt shop, or do you just toss it on the shelf how ever the girl at the cutting counter gave it to you?