Tool Time Tuesday...Paint Chip Fabric Match

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This week's TTT will be a short one, but oh so helpful. We're having another party this weekend...this time for Courtney's high school graduation...we've invited over 80 people, so I've been running around like a maniac. I'm having a carnival theme with booths, games, prizes, a moon bounce, cotton candy machine and a full dinner. I ought to have my head examined, but you only graduate from high school once. Ok, back to Tuesday's helpful hint.

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Paint chips...love the free paint chips. We've been painting for the party, so I grabbed these paint chips while at the hardware store. She wants a blue and yellow theme, because those are the colors of the university she will be going to in 25 days (lump in throat).

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Now I know there is a TTT in these paint chips somewhere...

Woo Hoo!!
How about matching the chips to one of the fabrics that you already have in your stash and then just take the paint chip strip with you to the quilt shop. You can then match any range of colors to the fabric, because you already know it matched the strip.
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This really takes the guessing out of picking and matching colors, because Benjamin Moore has already done the color work for you.


Hope you like this short, but sweet Tool Time Tuesday.
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I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments and emails. I really miss visiting your blogs, but I know my life will slow down soon...this summer has been a crazy one. I will try and get back to you after this weekend, so don't think I've forgotten you!!!
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By the way...if any one has any suggestions for more games for our carnival, I would love it if you could share. Well, I'm off to bed...see you next week. I'll try to remember to take pictures of the carnival to share.
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Have a great Tuesday,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Sewing With Coffee Filters

I found this coffee related quote, but I don't know who said it...
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"You know when you've had too much coffee when

you can thread a sewing machine while it's running"

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I had a "brewed" awakening one morning when I found a package of coffee filters that I don't use anymore. What to do? What to make? I couldn't just throw them away...how about sewing with them! I am so flying by the seat of my pants on this Tool Time Tuesday. I have never made a crazy quilt block or used any type of foundation when quilting, so if there is anything that looks like I need help...please let me know.
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Here we go... first up...the paper coffee filters
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One paper coffee filter ironed very flat.

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Gather up all your odd shaped scraps or just cut some up like I did. (still have some pieces of my favorite Moda's like Wuthering Heights...love the browns and reds)
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randomly place a piece on the filter right side up.

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Take another fabric scrap and place it on top of the first piece, right sides together.

Stitch with 1/4" seam, sewing through the 2 pieces of fabric and the coffee filter.

Here is a close up of the seam.

Open up the top fabric and press with hot iron.

Here it is pressed open.

Select another piece of fabric and place right side down on the 2 first pieces. Play with the placement, so they aren't going all in the same direction.

Sew again with 1/4" seam.

In this close up, you can trim the extra fabric that sticks out beyond the 1/4" seam to reduce the bulk.

Iron the new piece open.

In this picture you can see that it doesn't matter that the scraps extend beyond the shape of the circle.

Keep adding scraps right side down on the last sewn fabric. Press each piece open after sewing it down.

When you have completely covered the coffee filter, it will look like this. (I know...it looks like a mess, but you'll see).

This is a picture of the back.

Trim the excess fabric up to the coffee filter.

Dampen the coffee filter with a spray bottle of water or just soak it in the sink like I did (flying by the seat of my pants...not knowing what I was doing here, but it worked!!) This helps the filter just melt away from the seams. Tears off very easily.

Press again with the iron and there you have it...a perfect "Crazy Coffee Circle". All you need to do is applique it to a pillow, make several more and blanket stitch them to squares of fabric and make a quilt with all these scrappy circles. You can also cut a square out of it if you wanted to. The size of my filter when it's ironed flat is 8 inches across.

I started this project after work on Monday night, another late night project as usual. I had no plan of action...just grabbed some fabric and sewed away. I think I'll pick out more fabric and make a bunch of these. Can't wait to see what a full quilt of circles sewn to different squares looks like.
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These were very easy to make, so I hope you can join me in making these fun circles. I looked up the definition of a "Coffee Klatch". It is a casual social gathering for coffee and conversation.
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~Karen~

Bucket of Half Square Triangles To Go...

For me a bucket of anything to go is good, but a bucket of half square triangles is even better. Do you remember a few posts back when I was making the 1930's spool blocks? I had mentioned that whenever I am sewing squares on the diagonal, I take the time to sew the extra seam and it gives me all the extra half square triangles (remember the bucket of them in the clamp Tool Time Tuesday). Well, here is a little tutorial on how I square up the little 1.5 inch half square triangles without using a rotary cutter. With this technique, you can square them up while watching tv, out on your porch, in the car or like me today...at the beach. I get antsy at the beach, so I always need something to do!!!!
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Here's the spool block.
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The 2 outer rectangles of the block are white and have 2 squares placed on each end. I drew the black line so you could see the direction of where the stitching will be.
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I sewed the first stitching line from corner to corner. Then I sewed again a 1/2" away from the first stitch line. I use a piece of blue painters tape to mark my machine so it goes faster.

Now simply cut between the 2 stitch lines.

For each of the 2 rectangles that you need for the spool block, you will get 4 little extra half square triangles.

The 2 on the left are for the spool and the 4 on the right are your extras, all ironed and waiting to be squared up.

Here's my bucket to go!!!!

The next few pictures are the tutorial for squaring them up without using a rotary cutter.
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Take a piece of medium weight plastic, somewhat see through. I used a notebook divider. You can also use template material.

Cut a square to your desired size. Mine will be 1.5 inches. With a permanent thin tipped marker, draw a line from corner to corner.

Now place your plastic square on the fabric half square triangle and match the black line to the diagonal line of the seam.

With little sharp scissors, trim the excess fabric and the little pieces that are sticking out.

Here you have a finished half square triangle that will finish up in a quilt at 1 inch. Tiny I know, but oh so cute in a mini quilt!!

The next few pictures are different arrangements to use them in mini quilts or borders.

These last 2 pictures are of a little quilt I made using this technique. This was made with the extra half square triangle from a Thimbleberries quilt. I trimmed them all to 1 inch and the finished squares are 1/2 inch. The mini quilt is 7" x 9" with a matching pillow sham. I certainly didn't waste any fabric on that one!!!

I hope you can use this idea the next time you have to trim your squares. Just imagine yourself in a comfy chair, instead of hunched over your rotary mat with a pile of half square triangles staring at you.

Hope you have a great day,

~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Clamps

Hi everyone...can't believe it's been a week already. I have so many things to post about, but the days just fly by. How does that happen?
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Do you remember in last week's TTT post, I had mentioned I bought a little item along with the magnet and tape measure from the automotive store.

Here she is. It's a little baby spring clamp, that's also a key chain.

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Here are her big brothers and sisters...you can find them in most any store, in many different sizes. Below are a few uses for them.
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This first picture is for the little spring clamp key chain. You can clip it to the top of your purse, so you know exactly where your keys are in the morning when you are rushing out the door.
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If you don't want to clip it to the top of your purse, you can clip it to a pocket on the inside. It's so much better than digging through your whole bag searching for your keys.

Let's move on to the sewing room...how about clamping your rotary mat to the table so it doesn't move around. They do stick out a little, but mine are on the side where no one walks by.

This next picture is helpful for basting your quilt. You can clamp your backing material to the table, then layer your batting and then the quilt on top...baste as usual. I always tape my backing material to the floor in the kitchen, but using clamps will help keep it taught on a table and eliminate bending over on the floor. You may need more clamps and maybe test it out first if you are using you dining room table!! This table below is a great old table in my sewing room, so I don't care if it get dinked.

The next use I thought of is to use it as an extra hand. There are so many great blogs out there that have made braided rugs or baskets with braided fabric. Now you can clamp the 3 pieces of fabric together on the table and braid away.

See...fast and easy.

This next idea is one that I use alot. When I'm sewing and I make all the extra triangles or use leader and enders, I squeeze a clamp right next to me on my sewing table and hang my little bucket there (also from Home Depot in the paint section). When I make all these extra pieces, I just throw them in the bucket. Before you know it, the bucket is filled and I have the makings of another little quilt in there or squares for a border.

The intended purpose of the spring clamps is for woodworking, but I'm sure there are so many more uses for them in our sewing and crafting world. If any one else uses these or can think of another idea for them...I hope you can share your thoughts with us!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday,

~Karen~