A Beautiful Bouquet

My friend Bianca has made an utterly amazing yo-yo coat.  Which I got to see in person at Quilt Market Houston.  To. Die. For.  Honestly.

As Bianca posted in November about making some mends to her yo-yo's after swishing and sweeping about the Houston convention center, I was inspired to show you my own yo-yo project: the crafty bridal bouquet I made back in 2014.

Ok, you can't really see the yo-yo action in this picture, so I'll have to take some of my own pix, just to highlight the details.

(Wedding photographers are not paid to get detail shots of the DIY elements.  For good reason, I suppose.  Still extremely happy with everything New Morning Photography was able to capture.)

The beginning stages of this process were documented in early 2014, when I started wiring up various buttons, brooches, yo-yos and such; then tried (unsuccessfully) to put them into a bouquet shape; then tried a second construction method by working with a friend (more successfully).  But darn it, in the lead-up to the wedding, I neglected to actually blog the completed project.  Which is just a crying shame.

All crafty finishes deserve their moment in the blogging spotlight.

Basic yo-yo tools, while not absolutely necessary, definitely speed up the process.  And I LOVE the heart-shaped one! (Who wouldn't, I ask you?)

My favorite yo-yo heart, made from scraps of the heavy satin used to make my sister's wedding dress, got given extra oomph from a tiny dark purple silk yo-yo (lighter weight fabrics fared better in the small yo-yos), and a lilac bead.

In fact, for this project, every yo-yo was paired with beads or buttons (or both!), to make more of a statement within the bouquet.

My siblings: we clean up nice!

In the end, it was the event that was special here.  But my amazing, DIY bouquet really was (and is!) beautiful, full of memories associated with the brooches, earrings, buttons and yo-yo's that went into making it. 

Brief construction details

With help from extra hands, I finally got my crafty bridal bouquet all put together.  (See Take 1 and Take 2 posts for how we got to here.)

The big change this time around was twisting groups of stems together into clusters.  Each cluster then worked as a single element to thread through the fake hydrangea bouquet.



I made about 10 clusters, using around two-thirds of the approximately 80 individual stems.

The clusters were then inserted, one at a time, into the fake hydrangea as before.  I had an extra person helping me (mandatory), and we wrapped each cluster around the branches of the hydrangea and then continued wrapping down around the stem area to keep everything secured. 

Under construction: Take 3

Unlike the previous attempt, this version managed to have the brooches/buttons/bling be the star, rather than the hydrangea overtaking and swallowing all the bits I was trying to insert.

View from underneath it all

 Once we had all the stems/clusters arranged, all that remained was to make the "stem" be able to be held in one's hand.  It was already plenty thick, with massive amounts of wire wrapped all along the fake bouquet's original stem.
 

Buttons? No, corsage pins

Still a 2-person job: We wrapped the hefty wired stem with 2 layers of polyester quilt batting, and then wrapped a rectangle of the heavy bridal satin fabric around the whole thing.  The raw edges of the fabric were just folded under (ironed to hold the folds in place).  And the whole shebang was secured with corsage pins--a heavy-duty pin with decorative pearly head, that I had no worries about bending or ruining (I think they came in a package of 100).
 

That's it!  The key to this project being a success was starting early and having plenty of patience for the complexity of what I was trying to accomplish.

Here are links to the things I used/found helpful in making my own crafty bouquet:

Blue Petyl, who wrote the best cautionary tale on the brooch bouquet process, has an eBook, various DIY kits, and sells completed bouquets from their Etsy shop.

My favorite YouTube video, among the many I consulted, was by Jessica Flores, who has the same video plus more info on her own website, Domesticated Me (so I'm including links for both). 

Weddings can be so magical!  And we worked very hard to make ours so personalized.  From the family stash of buttons/brooches/earrings that were included in my bouquet, down to the sand we used in our sand ceremony (mine from Puget Sound, Sweetie's from Virginia Beach).  I wish you all the best as you CRAFT a wedding that makes you feel magical, too.

Tutorial: HST 101

HST: half-square triangle, the basis for many quilt blocks

I know about 8 methods for making HST's.  Some of them involve special rulers, specially marked papers, or other tools to simplify the process.  I have my two favorites (a tool and a paper product), but I can and do use others--they each have their pro's and con's.

This tutorial will show the most common method for making TWO HST units.

The math

finished size of HST unit + 7/8"

Cut two squares of fabric this size (coordinating fabrics, contrasting fabrics, or focus fabric + background fabric).  For example, a 2" finished block will use two squares that are 2 7/8" by 2 7/8".  This measurement allows for the diagonal seam allowance, and will result in TWO HST units that each measure 2 1/2" on a side (and will finish within a larger quilt block at the desired 2")

Steps

1.  Marking
On the wrong side of one of the fabric squares (choose the lightest fabric for easier drawing), draw a line along ONE diagonal.

You may use any straight edge/ruler for making this line.  Similarly, you may use any pen/pencil that will make a narrow line; the line will be within your seam allowance and will not be seen.

Alternatively, a tool called the Quilter's Rule Quick Quarter can be used for this marking step.  If you use this tool (very brief video here from Connecting Threads on YouTube), you will mark not only on the center of the diagonal, but along each of the edges of the tool.  This marking should be done in pencil.


2.  Stitching
Place your two fabric squares right sides together, pinning if you wish.  (I pin here because I am cautious when sewing along a bias, and don't want any chance of distortion.)
Stitch 1/4" away from each side of the line drawn along your diagonal.

If you used the Quick Quarter tool, these 1/4" stitching lines have been drawn by you already.  Simply stitch along the drawn outside lines.

3.  Cut and press
Cut apart your square along the center diagonal line.  Open the two HST units, pressing the seam allowance to one side (usually toward the darker fabric, unless your pattern advises otherwise).

Want more HST techniques?  I have written about a couple other techniques here and here (these were not meant to be tutorials, but do include some details)

Can you learn a technique from just pictures and text, or do you need a video tutorial? 

Memorial Christmas Stockings, Plus Tutorial

Welcome Blog-hoppers!  I'm Alla and I love whimsy, creative design, and all things new and shiny and fabricky.  I hope you enjoy your stop here.

Not new or shiny: this quilt has known love!

I'd like to invite you on a journey of rebirth: taking beloved items and making them into Christmas stockings.  There are two options here, maybe they will give you ideas...

From this

To this

From this

To this

Option A: using an embroidered sweatshirt as the stocking front

Option B: using a vintage quilt as the stocking front

The basic method is similar for each option.  Sarah asked if I could make a tutorial for these, so that's what I will share.

But first, a little bit of love to the women who are memorialized by these stockings.

Angel in reverse

The sweatshirt was among my stepmother's clothes--a slightly-dated Christopher & Banks design that was definitely her signature look.  As I was the one to clean out her closet after she died in January, I took the opportunity to remove a couple items of clothing, hoping I could turn them into mementos at some later date.  The 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop turned out to be perfect timing for me.  The angel stocking will go to my step-brother, her only son.  It turned out so well; I am super pleased!

The vintage quilt was among my mother's possessions that I inherited.  The stash included four vintage quilt tops and one completed quilt.  The completed quilt is the one I used here, and it has seen a lot of love.  It was our "couch quilt" when I was growing up, and was adored by three growing children and one cantankerous dachshund.  I'm not 100% sure who stitched it--maybe my great-grandmother?  Anyway, I had my siblings' permission to cut it up and try to reuse it somehow.  Even so, I needed steadying before I made the initial cut (there were phone calls and a bit of hand-holding involved).  I need to make two more stockings now: I'm sure each of my siblings deserves their own.

My inspiration for actually trying to reuse this vintage quilt came from the book

Recycled Hexie Quilts: Using Vintage Hexagons in Today's Quilts by Mary Kerr.  She gives hints on techniques as well as projects.

On with the Tutorial!

Materials and Equipment

Sweatshirt, including bottom band*
1/3 yard (or 1 fat quarter, FQ) cotton quilting fabric for stocking back
1/3 yard cotton quilting fabric for stocking lining
1/3 yard fusible fleece
1/3 yard fusible light/medium weight interfacing

Basic sewing supplies
Clover Wonder Clips, or other pins or clips to hold bulky fabrics when sewing
Walking foot (optional, for multiple layer sewing with no fabric shifting)

Pattern for stocking: I traced a commercial stocking and added 3/8" seam allowance

If you don't have a pleasing stocking to copy, you might try and reproduce mine by checking out the 1" grid from my cutting mat.  Or there are free stocking patterns available online, such as from Craftsy. 

Cutting

1. Cut the bottom band off the sweatshirt and set aside for a cuff
2. Cut one stocking front from the sweatshirt fabric, paying attention to placement of any design
3. Cut one stocking back; make sure to reverse the pattern from the stocking front
4. Fold the lining fabric right sides together and cut two stocking linings
5. Cut and fuse the fleece to the back side of the sweatshirt
6. Cut and fuse the interfacing to the stocking back piece
7. Cut a 2" by 6" rectangle from leftover fabric (either stocking back or lining, your choice); this will make the hanging loop

Sewing

1.  If desired, embellish the heel and toe area of the sweatshirt prior to assembly.  (My version has a fused applique heel that matches the stocking back, and two rows of hand embroidery along the toe line.)

2.  Make the hanging loop by folding the 2" by 6" strip in half lengthwise, then folding each side in toward the center.  Press.  This makes a strip 1/2" wide.  Topstitch along both long edges.

 
3.  Place all four stocking pieces together, in the order shown: both lining pieces, right sides together; sweatshirt/stocking front, facing up; stocking back, facing down.

4.  Fold hanging loop in half and place along seam allowance between the two lining layers, 1/2" below the top. Secure all the layers together with Wonder Clips or other clips or pins; sew along the sides and foot with a 3/8" seam, backstitching to secure at both ends.

5.  Clip curves along the seam, notching the outward curves and cutting toward but not through the seam on the inward curve.

6.  Turn stocking right side out, gently pushing all the curves out.

7.  Make a cuff: measure the width of the top of your stocking, double this and add 1/2".  Cut one layer of the sweatshirt bottom band 3-1/2" tall by the width you need (e.g. my stocking was 7-1/2", so I doubled this to 15" and added 1/2" = 15-1/2").  Cut a second rectangle, 3-1/4" by the same width.  Sew these two rectangles together along the long edge in a 1/4" seam.  Make a loop by sewing the short edges together in a 1/4" seam.  Turn the cuff so that wrong sides are together and raw edges even; press.

8.  Place the cuff, sweatshirt ribbing side out, inside the stocking.  Align all raw edges, use clips or pins to secure, and sew all layers together in a 1/4" seam.  Be careful to keep hanging loop out of the way of this stitching.  Finish seam with a row of zigzag stitches, if desired.

9.  Fold cuff toward the outside of the stocking.  Press as desired.

10.  Admire your work!

Many thanks to Sarah for hosting this blog hop!  I am so happy to be in such amazing company, and I'm busy planning some August stitching with the designs I am seeing from my fellow sewists.

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts

                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist

                   Chris Dodsley @ made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion

                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn

                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble

                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne

                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio

                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.

                     Zenia Rene @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ

                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication

                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts

                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle

Tutorial: Dimensional Fish

I really love dimension in quilts: love to have bits and pieces that stand out away from the surface of the quilt.  This tutorial creates a paper-pieced fish block that can have the fins or tail (or both!) as dimensional elements.

Make a 6" on-point fish block

In honor of a post by Shay on "How to write a tutorial", I am attempting to lay this out in an organized manner.

Credit for the original fish design goes to Lazy Girl Designs.  She offers a pattern for a quicker version of the non-dimensional fish, using a tool called the Lazy Angle ruler.

What you are making

A 6" on-point block, with options for dimensional elements:

Option A:  paper-pieced block, no added dimension

Option B:  simple dimension options for fins and tail (shown in photo above)

Option C:  fancier dimension option for tail, fins that are flaps

 

Materials and equipment

1) Paper pattern (available for download)

2) Ruler and rotary cutting supplies

3) Sewing machine

4) Two colors of fabric; 6" square of background fabric and 9" square of fabric for the fish are adequate amounts


5) Topstitching thread, if desired (option C)

6) Chocolate--because Shay requested it (I prefer dark chocolate, but the type and amount is entirely up to you)

Degree of difficulty/time to complete

I am super slow when it comes to anything, but I can make one of these blocks in an hour.  That includes cutting, changing thread colors for the topstitching, and ironing after every seam.  (I know, I know, a single block is not a project, but this technique can be used in many projects, in many ways.  See the Gallery at the end of the post for more ideas/uses of dimensional elements.)


This design is based on paper-piecing.  If you don't have that skill in your arsenal, my directions may not be super helpful.  I will lead you through the complications, but the basic paper-piecing is on you.

Option A: basic paper-pieced block

 

1.  Download the pattern for paper piecing.  The block is made in two units.

2.  Mark the paper pattern for placement of the fabric colors: pieces A1, B1 and B3 are the background; pieces A2, A3, B2 and B4 are the fish.  I used different pen colors on the version of the pattern shown for my markings.

3.  Use paper piecing techniques to sew the A unit and the B unit.  Attach the units as shown in the photo above.

 

Option B:  fish block with simple dimension options for fins and tail

1.  Cut fabric:

• 3 squares for background, 2-5/8" each
• 1 square for fish body, 2-5/8"
• 1 square for fish tail, 2-1/4"
• 2 rectangles for fish fins, 2" x 2-3/4"

2.  Fold the 2-1/4" tail square along the diagonal; fold the 2" x 2-3/4" fin rectangles in half the long way (so they are 1" x 2-3/4").  Press the fold lines into creases.

Fins and tail, folded & pressed

Approximate placement of folded units

3.  Place one fin rectangle at a slight diagonal on top of a background square, folded edge toward the center;

one corner of the background square will just barely show, and opposite edge of  the square will be overlapped by the fin by 3/8"

Reverse side of fin placement

baste in place along edges; trim edges even with background square.

4.  Make second fin unit as a mirror image of first fin, on a separate background square.

5.  Place folded tail on remaining square of background fabric, folded edge toward the center of the block, and edges matching in one corner; baste in place along edges.

4 units, ready to assemble

6.  Using 1/4" seams throughout, sew body of fish to one fin; press seam toward fin.  Sew tail of fish to remaining fin; again, press seam toward fin.

7.  Sew body-fin unit to tail-fin unit, matching center seams.  Press this seam open.

Admire your handiwork!

 

Option C:  fish block with fancy dimension option for tail, and full-flapping fins

1.  Download pattern for fins and tail.


2.  Make the tail unit:  mark any desired alterations on long edge of tail pattern (the isosceles/HST).  I made a lazy curved edge, slightly wider than the pattern.  Place pattern over two layers of fish fabric, right sides together.

Fancy tail, alteration from plain tail pattern (on right)

Sew through paper and fabric along altered edge only; cut along corner edges.  Remove paper.

Trim seam allowance to approximately 1/4"; cut in seam allowance, making notches as shown.

Turn right side out; press seam flat.  Top stitch, if desired.


3.  Make the fin units (make two):  cut out two fins, using the narrow triangle pattern.  Place each fin piece right side down against another piece of fin fabric.  Sew around long edges of fins, using 1/4" seam; leave shortest edge open. 

Trim seam allowances, clipping closely and carefully around the point

Turn right sides out; press seams flat.  Top stitch, if desired.


4.  Cut remaining fabric:

• 3 squares for background, 2-5/8" each
• 1 square for fish body, 2-5/8"

5.  Place fins on background squares, mirror-image symmetry, 1/4" from side seam.  Place tail on remaining background square, corner and edges aligned.

 Baste along seamlines.



6.  Using 1/4" seams throughout, sew body of fish to one fin; press seam toward body.  Sew tail of fish to remaining fin; press seam toward fin.

7.  Sew body-fin unit to tail-fin unit, matching center seams.  Press this seam to one side.

Admire your handiwork!

 Gallery

I have used dimensional elements in many previous projects.  Links to blog posts are included, but I haven't written actual tutorials for any of these.

My version of prairie points; along a border of the first quilt I ever made.

Favorite block of all time: paper-pieced coffee cup with 3-D handle.

Traditional star, in traditional gingham, zinged up by making the star points 3-D.  This is a baby quilt.

WIP: my Relaxing Robin quilt, where I made the sun's rays dimensional (out of taffeta!) in the midst of (mostly plaid) flannels.

And... one more look at those fish!

 Thanks for visiting.  Hope you get going adding some dimension to your quilts!