12 Months=12 Projects

It's amazing and a bit embarrassing just how much "stuff" one accumulates without thinking about it. Maybe you are a scrap booker, maybe a quilter, stitcher or maybe like me, a dabbler in several creative excursions, but eventually we all end up with loads and loads of "stuff".





Every so often I think I should just put a lot of it on Ebay and sell it. I pick the pattern or object up and then fall in love with it all over again. After all, I bought it with the original intention of making something out of it, so how could I get rid of something that has so much potential?

 
 


So here and now I'm going to publically set a goal. I'm specifically going to focus on the growing fabric pile in the corner of my room. My goal is to work this entire fabric pile into usable items by December of next year. This pile will be changed into quilts, rugs and various items by the end of the year. If Eleanor Burns can make a quilt in a day, I should be able to at least make a project or quilt top a month.

 

Laying on my mother's bed back home is a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt that she received after one of my grandmother's passing. The individual hexagons were made out of shirtings from one of the grandfather's old shirts. I love the concept of waste not, want not and nothing illustrates that more than this quilt.

 

But while, I've always loved the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts with their little hexagons but with my busy life, sitting there and stitching each little patch isn't going to happen. Also, I've never liked the busyness of the final quilt when it's patched together.

 

 

My first project is going to be out of Ms. Burn's book, specifically her "Egg Money Quilts".

This uses up various bits and bobs of materials and looks so stellar when it's done. Unlike the old quilts, this one uses a cheater's method to get a similar look without as much effort. Truly a win-win!

 

 

 

The first step in making this is to get some template plastic at your local craft store. It'll be found near the quilting notions and the cost is really reasonable. Trace your three patterns onto the template plastic and cut out as so:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, on the wrong side of your fabric draw your shape and cut it out. Taking some interfacing, I used craft weight, put your right side down on top of the bumpy side of the interfacing. Sew your piece to the interfacing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut out and on the interfacing side, make an incision with your scissors. Turn the right side out. I use my fingers to turn it out as much as I can then the closed scissors to gently pick out the points.



Turning it inside out.

Once you have it picked out I also tug on the legs to make sure that they are as straight as I with my mediocre sewing skills can muster. I then lay the background square and each piece down until I've created a "flower" I like.

 

Lay down the flower pieces until you have a "flower" you like. Mix and match!

 

 

 

When you have the result you like, press that puppy down to secure it!

 

 

 

 

 

Then sew around the outside edges. I like the blind hem stich and park the walking foot right on the edge so it "bites" into the fabric at intervals. I used black thread to mimic the old 1930's quilts.

Blind Hem Stitch

 

Riding the edge.

 

 

 

 



 When it's securely down, now take the smallest template and mark where the 'hexagon' is. Stitch straight lines to mimic the look that each one was pieced.

 

 

 Stitch:

 

When you have a variety of patches, determine the layout. I'll show you mine next week. 

 

 

 This is a great patch to use up odds and ends. That is why our grandmother's loved this quilt.

 

Have fun!