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It’s that time of year again… the holidays are always a fun time to get our craft on. This year, Logi asked for a winter wonderland at our house. So we’re stringing up some snowflakes all around the house!.jpg)
I had the kid work his little spaghetti arm muscles and punch out all the snowflakes.
We hope you’re staying warm this winter! Happy holidays!
Lots of love and holiday cheer,
Susie :)
I am proud to announce the good news about my brother and his wife who have just closed escrow on their first home together! They’re homeowners! They are so over joyed and over the moon about this, and our entire family is just so excited for them! (We really hope they are hosting this year’s family Christmas party.) It’s a home built in the 1950’s and comes with all the wonder and charm from that era. It’s so vintage-cool. Is that a word that people use? Vintage-cool? That’s how I feel about this house. Tell me you love the red door and little mail slot! I’m so use to seeing rows and rows of mailboxes in apartments and condos that the idea of getting mail delivered directly into your house is mind blowing!
A housewarming gift was in order so I started on one a week ago. I wanted to make a mini quilt so they can hang it on their wall. Freshly painted and ready for decoration! I made 9 little patchwork houses.
Sewn together in a block, with sashing in between each little house.
I quilted onto batting only because I hadn’t decided on the backing fabric. Also, I planned to attach buttons in the end anyway so that would be able to hold the backing in place.
Finished! Nine little button houses!
Hmm… this looks good on my wall next to my Star Quilt. Maybe I should keep it. No, no, ok. It’s a gift! It’s a gift! I must give.
Do you like my M&M’s Christmas lights? They’re from 1993 and I’m keeping them forever. FOREVER.
A close-up on the buttons, please. Okay!
Next project: Another mini house quilt, just for me. Or maybe a mini apartment quilt since I live in an apartment. Hm… I think that could actually be cute. It’s back to the drawing board! Until next time folks!
Love love,
Susie :)
For some folks, the last part of the quilt may be the hardest or most tedious, that is finishing the quilt by binding it all together. It requires precision in maintaining straight lines and perfect folds. Thanks to my OCD/Type A personality, this process is the most fun for me! I love straight lines, straight edges, and right angles! This is a tutorial on how to bind a quilt. I use the double fold binding method.
Start with a jelly strip (a strip of fabric that is 2.5″ wide by 44″ long – Learn how to cut your own jelly roll strips here.) Fold in half and press to set crease.
Attach the strip raw side outwards along the quilt edge. It’s better if you do not start lining right from the corner because corners requires special attention – you’ll see. I like to use both clover clips and the giant hair clips. Holds everything down tight!
Start sewing with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
When you come to arrive at the corner, stop just before 1/4″ from the bottom edge. Back stitch a few stitches to secure the binding in place. Remove from sewing machine.
I am a fan of the mitered corner. That is, a corner that meets at a diagonal, as opposed to a binding corner that is perpendicular to each other. I think a mitered corner looks much neater. To make a mitered corner, take your binding over to the right to make a diagonal corner.
Bring the binding back over to the left, along the bottom edge. You will see your mitered corner formed.
Clip down your newly formed perfectly mitered corner.
Flip your quilt around and start sewing along that edge, 1/4″ seam. Do the same to all corners:
When you finally get back to the first side you started with, measure your remaining binding against the beginning of the binding and cut at a diagonal.
Miter the corner and sew 1/4″ seam.
Tuck in the binding and sew closed. 1/4″ along edge. Back stitch a few stitches to set your stitches.
You have now finished the binding of the front of the quilt! Take a moment to admire…
My little mitered corner. How I love you.
This step is optional: You can press your binding down from the front before you attach it to the back. I only do this because I like the crease and I want my binding to be able to pull to the back tightly.
Clip the entire binding to the back of the quilt. Yes, yes I do use a lot of clips! I told ya – extra tight, extra perfect for me please! :)
Make sure to use an extra clip to hold down your corners.
At this point, you can machine sew your binding down in the back all the way around OR you can hand sew it down. Takes much longer to hand sew the binding down, but it is worth it. I use the blind stitch technique and there’s a tutorial for that :) Find it here: How to Blind Stitch Quilt Binding
You can see photos of the finished mini quilt from this tutorial here: Little Houses Mini Quilt
Lots of Love,
Susie
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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope you have a wonderful turkey day!!!
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