Robots and Rockets Quilt – Part 1

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I saw a pattern for a robot quilt a few weeks ago that caught my attention. That pattern ended up being my inspiration for this quilt.  (Note:  This is my very first major quilt project. I’ve made a lap quilt, a couple of wall hangings, and a pieced table runner, but never a big quilt.  Until now, that is!)

For this quilt, I decided to create a pattern that would allow the robots and rockets to be mostly pieced, rather than appliqued like the pattern I’d seen online.  For a queen size quilt, there are 6 robot blocks and 6 rockets.  The completed blocks ended up roughly 20 inches square.



Some Basics

For quilting novices, let me explain a few basic concepts.

1.  Piecing refers to sewing pieces of fabric together to make the front of a quilt (top layer).
2.  Batting is the stuff that goes in the middle of a quilt.  It comes in different varieties – thick, thin, cotton, cotton/polyester blend, polyester, fusible (meaning it can stick to your fabric using heat), white, or natural.
3.  Backing is the back of a quilt.  Sometimes it is also stitched together (pieced), or extra-wide fabric can be purchased for this purpose (most fabric, especially quilting fabric, is 45 inches wide; extra-wide fabric can go up to 108 inches wide).
4.  Quilt are either quilted or tied.  This is the process of doing something to keep the top, batting, and backing together.  Most quilts purchased in stores are quilted by machine, or, machine-quilted.  This is simply using a very large sewing machine to sew designs onto the quilt. (Sounds easy, but it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. It’s definitely fun, though!)

The Robots

Each robot is constructed using the following:

Head: 4.5″ x 4.5″
Body: 8.5″ x 6.5″
Arms: 2.5″ x 4.5″
Legs:  2.5″ x 4.5″
Feet:  2.5″ x 2.5″

White fabric:

Head: 2, 4.5″ x 4.5″ squares
Feet:  2.5″ x 2.5″ square per foot
Arms: 2, 2.5″ x 6.5″ strips
2.5″ x 20.5″ strip for top of block
2, 4.5″ x 14.5″ strips for each side
4.5″ x 20.5″ strip for bottom of block

Misc. colored pieces were used for decorating the robots.  I sewed the decorations onto each piece (head, body) first, then assembled the robots.

One robot in pieces.

To assemble:

1.  Sew feet to 2.5″ white squares.
2.  Sew foot strips to legs.
3.  Sew legs together.
4.  Sew legs to body at base.
5.  Sew arms to 2.5″ x 6.5″ white strips.
6.  Sew arms to body+legs piece.
7.  Sew one 4.5″ square to each side of the face.
8.  Sew the head to the rest of the body.
9.  Sew one 4.5″ x 14.5″ strip to each side of the robot.
10.  Sew the 2.5″ x 20.5″ strip to the top.
11.  Sew the 4.5″ x 20.5″ strip to the bottom.

(Note: all seams are 1/4″ seams and are pressed between each step.)

Completed robot before the top, sides, and bottom were sewn on to make the full 20″ block.

I had fun mixing colors for each robot!

The Rockets

Each rocket was made using:

Nose:  8.5″ x 4.5″
Body:  8.5″ x 10.5″
Fins:  2.5″ x 4.5″

White fabric:

2, 4.5″ squares for the nose
2, 2.5″ squares for the fins
2.5″ x 8.5″ strip for the bottom of the rocket, between the fins
2, 2.5″ x 12.5″ strips for the sides of the rocket, attached to the fins
2, 2.5″ x 20.5″ strip for the top and bottom
2, 4.5″ x 16.5″ strip for the sides

Misc. color pieces were used for embellishing the rockets.  Just like the robots, I sewed these on the rocket bodies before assembling the rocket blocks.

To assemble the rockets:

1.  Sew one 2.5″ square to each fin along the diagonal. Cut 1/4″ away from the sew line and press open. Be sure to sew on opposite diagonals for each fin, so that the white triangle opens to opposite sides for each fin.
2.  Sew the 2.5″ x 12.5″ strips to the fin pieces, attaching at the top of the white triangle on each fin.
3.  Sew the 2.5″ x 8.5″ strip to the body.
4.  Sew the 4.5″ squares to the nose on the diagonal, so that there will be a point to the nose when the pieces are opened.  Trim 1/4″ away from the stitch line and press open.
5.  Sew the body to the nose.
6.  Sew the fin strips to the body + nose, one on each side.
7.  Sew the 4.5″ x 16.5″ strips to the sides.
8.  Sew the 2.5″ x 20.5″ strips to the top and bottom to complete the block.

Doesn’t look very rockety, does it?

I just folded the fins and nose along the stitching line.
Voila – rocket!
A couple of finished rockets before adding the extra white fabric to make the 20″ blocks.
I just loved the way these turned out!
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Robots and Rockets Quilt – Part 2

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This is part 2 of the Robots and Rockets quilt I made for Gabriel’s room.  I entered this in the Pacific Fabrics quilt show/contest at the Northgate Pacific Fabrics store. I know, lofty goals…first major quilt, and I entered it into a show already! But (and I know this is a completely shameless plug) from April 1 – April 20, if you’re in the Seattle area, stop by and vote for your favorite quilt!  Mine is #43.  I won’t blame you if you vote for another one; there are some pretty awesome quilts on display there!

Now, on to how I completed the quilt after getting the robot and rocket blocks pieced.

Completing the Quilt

Cut 5″ strips from robot fabric.  Cut to the width of each block (roughly 20″) horizontally, and to the length of each block vertically (if your robot fabric has a direction.  Otherwise, just cut to the width and length.)  You should have 15 strips for the horizontal borders, and 16 strips for the vertical borders.
Cut 16, 5″ squares for corners between blocks.

Sew one 5″ square to a robot fabric strip. Continue alternating square and robot until you have 4 squares attached to three strips (striped square – robot – striped square – robot – striped square – robot – striped square).
Sew the vertical strips to the blocks, until you have 4 rows of three blocks each, with vertical borders on each end of the strip (following the same pattern as above with the square and horizontal border pieces).
Sew the horizontal strips to the block rows.

You should end with four rows of three blocks each row with borders between the blocks and all the way around the quilt. (See the photos for clarification.)

To be honest, lining up the corners and border strips was the toughest part of this, since not all of the blocks ended up exactly square.  I had to get the blocks to be as close to the same size as possible, then trim the borders accordingly.  (I actually just sewed everything together, then realized I was WAY off on the horizontal borders, had to unpick the rows and try again.)

I used 108″ wide fabric for the backing and machine-quilted the entire quilt.  The striped fabric was also used for the binding.  The striped fabric looks really overpowering when seeing in a full yard cut of fabric, but it blended in beautifully with the robots and blocks!

Here’s the finished product!  I’m VERY happy with the result!

Top half of the finished quilt!
Close-up of one finished quilted rocket block.
Close-up of the quilting as seen from the back and the binding on one corner.
The backing works so well with the top of the quilt!


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Chocolate-Lemon Buddies

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Recipe:  Chocolate-Lemon Buddies

I was looking at various Chex mix recipes and decided to make a twist on one called Chex Lemon Buddies.  I used Meyer lemons which are sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons.  The result was a definite win!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tsp grated lemon peel (I grated the peel to two Meyer lemons)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (equal to the juice of the two Meyer lemons)
1/4 cup butter
9 cups Rice Chex (or your favorite rice puffed squares cereal)
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions


In a large bowl, place the 9 cups of cereal.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips, lemon peel, lemon juice, and butter.  Microwave on High for 1 minute.  Stir, then heat another 30 seconds.  Stir until everything has melted and combined.

Pour the chocolate-lemon mixture over the cereal and stir until the cereal is evenly coated.

Place the coated cereal in a gallon zip-top bag.  Add the powdered sugar and toss until the cereal is coated.

Spread on a large cookie sheet covered in foil and let dry (or start eating them like we did!).

Sewing Tutorial: Chenille Washcloths

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Tutorial:  Faux-Chenille Baby Washcloths 

I had seen a couple of tutorials for chenille blankets on Pinterest while looking for some cute baby shower gifts to make. I loved the idea of the blanket, but I wanted to use the baby flannel and miscellaneous fat quarters I’d found in my fabric stash. The answer? Chenille washcloths. I tried these with a quilting fabric (cotton) backing, and, while I liked the idea, once it was done, I didn’t like the feel. So, I tried it again with ribbed knit for the backing and loved the result!  (Looks like those fat quarters will have to wait!)

What You’ll Need (makes 4 washcloths):

knit fabric for backing (or something stretchy and soft) – 1/4 yard
3 coordinating flannels – 1/4 yard each

Note:  I’ve read on some tutorials that pre-washing isn’t as necessary for this project, since it will be washed all together, but some fabrics shrink differently than others, so I still pre-washed my fabric.

Also, I’m estimating it takes about 1/4 yard of each fabric for this project, since I had 1.5 yards of everything and just cut strips of the widths I needed. 

Step 1:  Cut

Cut 8″ square blocks from the knit. Cut 6″ blocks from the flannel fabrics. You’ll need 3, 6″ blocks for each washcloth, one of each piece of flannel.

Knit blocks – 8″ squares
Flannel blocks – 6″ squares.

Step 2:  Assemble

Place the knit wrong side up (with the knit I was using, there wasn’t an “outer” or an “inner” side, which was nice, but if yours has a print, put the print facing the table). Place the three flannel squares print-side up, facing you, centered on the knit block. To help, I’d measured 1″ from each edge and marked with a washable fabric marking pen, then placed the flannel blocks according to the guide. You can pin the blocks in place, but the flannel against the knit stays pretty well, so I didn’t pin them together.

When deciding the order for the flannels, realize these are going to be fraying together.  If you’re using strong colors, try putting your strongest color either in the middle or on the bottom so it peeks through, rather than dominating.  If using prints, remember you won’t be able to tell what the print was when it’s completed.

I ended up placing the footprints in between the other two, with the yellow stripes on top.
Almost ready for sewing!

Step 3:  Quilt (Sew)

The first line will be diagonal from corner to corner of the flannel. Because I was using light fabric and white thread, and because I have some issues sewing straight lines, I used my fabric marking pen to draw lines on the flannel where I’d need to sew. Once you’ve sewn the center diagonal, you’ll need to continue quilting. Each line should be 1/2″ away from the last. Again, drawing these lines really saved me! During the quilting process, your flannel pieces may shift a little. I tried to keep the shifting from happening too much by keeping the fabric tight as I sewed it. There was still a bit of shift but not too much.

NOTE:  Stay-stitch at the start and end of each line.  I just like to be sure the stitching is secure.

You can see the lines I drew to help guide my sewing. Always sew the center line first.
Sewing right along!
Completed sewing. You can see where the flannel shifted a little.
Back side – looks cool!  Colored thread makes this look pretty cool, too!

After quilting, trim the threads from each line.

Step 4:  Cut

If you have a chenille cutter, great – use it! I don’t, so I used my scissors. Simply cut the flannel between each line of sewing. This was a bit of a slow process for me, as my scissors got caught on the knit now and then. Thankfully, I never cut THROUGH the knit. So, take it slowly if you need to.

You can see my guide-lines for placing the flannel blocks.
Keep on cutting…keep on cutting…just be careful, and don’t cut the knit!
Phew! Done cutting! Since this will be fraying, the fact these aren’t perfect lines doesn’t really matter.

Step 5:  And with the machine, bind them.
 
(I couldn’t help the Lord of the Rings reference…)

I pressed the binding for each cloth without clipping corners first, to see what would happen. I ended up with very bulky corners that I didn’t like. So, I went back and cut the corners of the knit and re-pressed the binding. The corners ended up much more manageable with the lack of so much fabric.

I didn’t measure anything for cutting the corners.  I cut far from the flannel first, then folded the edges, and trimmed closer because the corners were still too bulky. Just don’t cut right up to the flannel.
Pressed, and ready to stitch the binding down!

Once the edges are pressed, simply stitch the binding down! I was nervous still about my stitching, so I used white thread and a zigzag stitch to let the knit keep its stretchiness on the edges. I made sure to stitch the corners, too, as I was sewing around the edge. 

Yo, ho, bind the thing down!
Ready to wash!
I really like how these look on this side, too!

Step 6:  Wash and Dry

I realize this step is self-explanatory, but this is where the magic really happens.  During the washing and drying, the flannel will start fraying.  The cool thing is that the more you wash and dry these, the softer they will get! 

These are so soft!
Bundled up and ready to gift!


Headphones

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Today, daddy took one of his headphones and put it in little man’s ear. After a couple moments of confusion, little man broke out into a grin. Little man then started grabbing daddy’s headphone and putting it in his ear, smiling every time. Daddy, realizing what he’d just taught the boy, suddenly groaned, “Oh no…”

I don’t think my husband will ever again be able to listen to a podcast by himself if little man is around!

Sewing Tutorial: The Hour Apron

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Sewing Tutorial: The Hour Apron

I recently discovered the incredible practicality of an apron. 

Sadly, we only owned one apron.  One.  I needed more.  So, rummaging through my fabric stash, I dug out the 3 yards of canvas and whipped out an apron.  It took about an hour.

Since it was so simple, I decided to create a tutorial for anyone interested.

What? This apron only took an hour to make?

What you’ll need:

scissors
1 1/4 yard of fabric (or 1 yard fabric and 1 1/2 yards coordinating 1.5″ wide ribbon)
coordinating thread
ruler
sewing machine
an old apron

This apron was for my husband.  I had about 3 yards of this home decor-weight (cotton canvas) material in my stash, so the yardage given above is an estimate.  I made an apron for myself using 1 yard of fabric and 1 1/2 yard of ribbon for the ties.

STEP 1:  Pre-shrink your fabric!!!  I didn’t do this with the canvas you see on the first apron.  BAD IDEA.  It shrunk length-wise, and is now waiting until our son is tall enough to use it.  After that, I threw the rest of the canvas in the laundry to pre-shrink before making my husband a replacement apron.

STEP 2:  Measure and cut.

The apron is about 23 inches at the bottom.  I folded my fabric so that I would be cutting a little over 24 inches wide.  For both my husband and I, this bottom width has been perfect.  The fabric should measure about 12 inches wide from the fold to the selvedge edge.

Because the fabric, after being washed, had frayed so much at the bottom, I decided to trim the bottom so that I was left with an even edge to work with. 

I then cut out a full rectangle that measured 33 inches long by 12.5 inches wide (measured from fold to selvege).  Open, the rectangle would be 33 inches by 25 inches.  The apron was going to be about 31 inches long, and I added a couple of inches for hemming.  You don’t HAVE to cut the rectangle completely, but I found it easier to work with the fabric this way.

Next, cut the 1/2 inch of selvege on the long side of the rectangle.  I just don’t like using the selvege in my sewing, since it has a different feel from the rest of the fabric.  You could keep it if you want, since it will be getting tucked as a hem.  But I trimmed it anyway to be sure everything was the same feel and consistency.

Cutting the selvedge on the long edge of fabric.

Lay the old apron, folded length-wise, so that the fold lines up with the fold of your fabric, and the top is about an inch from the top of your fabric.  You should be left with about an inch of fabric extra on the width, and at least an inch extra at the bottom.  This extra inch is for hemming.

The old apron is a great guide for cutting the new apron!

Cut the shape of the curve about an inch or so away from the old apron.  This will give you plenty of fabric for hemming. 

Note how the width is also about an inch wider than the completed apron being used for a pattern.

Press the hem.  I folded the edges down about 1/2 inch, pressed, then folded again, so that there were no raw edges exposed.  You saw how frayed the raw edge to the fabric got from the pre-shrinking.  You don’t want that happening to your apron!

Press this hem all around the apron.  I did the top and bottom first, then the side, and last, the curve.  The first time I did this, I was wary of that curve, but it folded and pressed very easily!

Pressing the hem this way should help it stay put until you’re ready to sew.  If it doesn’t, pin the hem.

First fold for the hem, pressed.
Second fold to tuck the raw edge in.

Next, cut 2 strips of fabric that are 3″x33″, and 1 strip 3″x23″.  These three strips of fabric will be used for the neck piece and the two ties.  If using ribbon for the ties, simply cut two ribbon strips.

Each of these long strips will need to be pressed.  Rather than the double-fold we did for the apron hem, simply press about 1/2 inch on the long edges, then 1/2 inch on the short edge.  Then fold the strip in half length-wise and press.

For the two ties, I left one short edge raw.  If it frays, it won’t be much, because of how short it is.  If you want to leave absolutely no raw edges showing, simply press both short edges in.

NOTE:  If you’re using ribbon for the ties, you only need to do this for the short edges.  

Fold each long edge about 1/2 inch, then the short edge 1/2 inch.
Fold in half and press.

STEP 3:  To the sewing machine!

First, we’ll sew the neck and tie strips.  Start at the fold on one short edge and sew all the way around, making sure you back-stitch when you start and end.  (For the ribbon, just hem the short raw edges.)

Now, start at one bottom corner of the apron, and stitch the hem down.



Shortcut tip: as you reach the point in your hem where the curve begins, take one of your ties and slip it onto the apron so that the short edge of the tie overlaps the hem just a little (about 1/4 inch).  This isn’t at all necessary; you can add the ties after hemming the apron, but I found that it saved me a bit of stitching!  The same goes for the neck strap – simply match it up with the top and stitch it down as you hem.  Remember to let the short end of the strap overlap the hem a little.

Stitching shortcut: Add the tie and neck pieces as you sew along.

Once you’re done hemming and adding the ties and neck strap…you’re done!

NOTE:  I didn’t add a pocket like most aprons seem to have mainly because I have yet to use a pocket on an apron. 

My model husband!
On this apron, I used 1.5″ wide ribbon for the ties.  It added a little more cuteness to the apron!
My hour apron!  (This is shorter than hubby’s by about 5 inches.)

El Accidente

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Lat night, we got into an accident on I-5 as we were heading south to go see the festive lights and such in Bellevue. We were rear-ended while coming to a stop and hit the car in front of us. Thankfully, little man was asleep when it happened, rear-facing in his car seat, and was laughing and playing with the accident response folks minutes after it all happened. I, however, shook from shock for awhile. I was rear-ended a few years ago, so I got to re-live some of that accident during this experience.

A couple amusing things from the experience:

A.  Apparently, my first reaction to being hit while on the road is to cry out an annoyed/irritated, “Hey!” I was rear-ended around 5 years ago, during which my first reaction was to yell out, “Hey!” as I was pushed across an intersection.

B.  Rich and I were first concerned about little man. Rich got out of the car and walked towards the driver of the car that hit us yelling, “Hey! We have a baby in the car!!” as though knowing that would have stopped the accident from occuring in the first place. I was screaming awhile, scared that little man had been hurt. Once Rich showed me little man was okay, I started screaming and shaking for other reasons.

C.  This would possibly have been a fine opportunity for some choice language to be used. However, when the driver of the car (a woman) behind us came to see if everyone was all right, I turned and started screaming at her, “You FREAKING…!!!” I stopped in part because Rich started calming me down, and in part because I couldn’t think of a single mean word/name to use! (And I really did scream the word “freaking” at her. It was the only word I could think to use.)

I had neck pain from being hit, and because of the prior accident, decided to be safe and get checked at the hospital. I got strapped to a backboard, neck and back immobilized. Thankfully, there was no serious damage. As I lay strapped on the board in the hospital, I decided to start counting blessings.

A.  Grateful for having kept little man rear-facing in his car seat after his first birthday. We saw no point to turning him around, since he wasn’t making a fuss about it. I kept thinking last night how grateful I was he was literally laughing and playing with emergency staff minutes after the collision. Having taken the force feet-first, he didn’t even seem to be sore later in the evening!

B.  Grateful I started weaning little man from nursing so much. A week ago, he was nursing every few hours. It made his waiting at the hospital much easier on all of us, including our friends who came to help watch him while I was being examined.

B.  Grateful we already fought the sleep battles. He slept through the night before, and slept through the night after. I feel like God gave us a little tender mercy of rest right when we needed it.

C.  Grateful for a second set of wheels. It means we can still go home for Christmas.

D.  Grateful that, even without the second car, we live super close to a few grocery stores, a pharmacy, and even places to eat if we wanted to eat out.

E.  Grateful for the friends who came to help us last night both at the hospital and at home. I know there are many more who stand ready to help, too.

F.  Grateful for my heroic husband who made sure we were ok, took control of the situation, talking to emergency responders, giving info, calming me down, and was just such a rock through it all. My husband is my hero.

G.  Grateful for insurance. So, so, SO grateful for insurance.

The list goes on, but those things have made the top of my list in the past 24 hours.

Bottom line, I’m grateful for a healthy family and wonderful friends this Christmas. So grateful!

A Sewing Crisis

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After tonight’s trunk or treat, I found myself wanting to do more sewing. While shopping for the costume items, I had seen a cute knit that I fell in love with and had to get to make a skirt. The last skirt I made was pre-pregnancy; it’s been awhile!

So, I grabbed what I thought was the pattern I wanted and started. As it turned out, it was a new pattern that I had transfered to pattern material but never used. Thankfully, there was enough material!

With a brief intermission for feeding little man and getting him to sleep, the skirt making didn’t take as long as I expected. I was almost done and just needed elastic for the waistband when I realized I had no elastic on hand!

What does a girl do when there isn’t elastic for the skirt currently being made, and it’s too late to grab some at the fabric store?

Well, if you’re a little crazed like I am, you go rifling through your closet for another item in your closet to sacrifice for its elastic! I had two options – a skirt or a pair of pajama bottoms. The pajama bottoms needed some extra work anyway, so out came the elastic!

Note: while when starting the project, I anticipated not finishing in time to wear to church the next day, never, during the great elastic hunt, did waiting until Monday to go buy more elastic enter my mind.

Happily, the skirt was completed – just in time to realize the top I originally envisioned wearing with it was somewhere in the pile of clothes to be ironed! Thankfully, crisis averted: there are plenty of other choices currently in the closet already!

Ugly Sweater Pumpkin Patch Excursion – 2011

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This year, our friends invited us along to their annual Ugly Sweater Pumpkin Patch excursion!  The idea is simple: find an ugly sweater, and wear it in public at a pumpkin patch!  Friends, the sweater you see me wearing in the photos is one I’ve actually owned for a number of years.  Those who knew me from church when I was a teen will probably remember it.  It was perfect for this event!  My rainboots even coordinated! I was excited for not only the whole idea of the ugly sweater excursion, but the chance to go to a corn maze and pumpkin patch – both things I’ve actually never done until today!
Us with our friends, the creators of this occasion, in our ugly sweater glory!
Note my rainboots, this will be important for the upcoming story.
Does this count as the “family pumpkin patch photo”?
Racing ducks!

These piggies weren’t even a full 24 hours old when we saw them!
We went to The Farm in Snohomish, Washington, where we saw ducks race, piglets that weren’t even a full day old, and got to have fun racing ducks ourselves (rubber duckies, but it was still awesome!)
The corn maze was in the shape of the state of Washington.  We rode along the bottom of the state, then were dropped off in Idaho to enter the maze.  We started in Clarkston, then visited Vantage, the Tri-Cities, Ellensburg, Bickleton, and other great Washington cities.  The maze was pretty awesome, complete with highway markers, road signs, and even road closures (I-90 was closed in two places!).  My rainboots proved quite useful traipsing through the mud!
We ended up exiting the maze a little early to the pumpkin patch.  While choosing pumpkins, a teenaged girl with her friends exclaimed, “Hey! You have the same boots as I do!”  My back had been towards her when she made the comment.  I turned around, saw that she did have the same boots as I was wearing, and said, “Hey! I do!  You have great taste!”
That’s when she saw the sweater. And the scarves.  And the hat.  And little man in his outfit. (See picture below.)
Her and her friends’ looks were priceless.
I simply moved on, found my hubby and our friends, and shared the story.  What was even more awesome was that it seemed this girl and I were destined to keep showing up at the same spots together until we left the farm!  I kind of felt sorry for the girl, who will probably never be able to wear those boots again.  Or at least, not without a quick vision of the bejeweled sweater!