Finished Scarecrow Hanger

Awhile back I posted a Quilt Inspiration Post about my scarecrows. I had started working on a door hanger however, when I posted it, I had not finished the hanger. I wanted to show everyone the finished door hanger and how it came out.


Here is where I left off. I had the scarecrows appliqued on and I was starting in on the hand sewing of the scarecrows faces.

Heres some of the faces done, but still a few more pieces to do. I appliqued on some pockets for each scarecrow.

This is the pair, after I finished. I put a few patches on their clothing, and their faces are complete!

Heres the male scarecrow.

Heres the female scarecrow.

I then did some free motion quilting all over the open areas, around the letters, and around the scarecrows.

Time to finish the binding up on this door hanger and add the triangles to hang it!

Complete and up on the door.

They came out so cute, and I have gotten a few compliments from some of my guests.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the finished scarecrow door hanger for fall! I hope I helped inspire your next project.

Welcome To My Home,
Sarah

September Give Thanks, Week 4

September 22:
     Thankful that I get to try a new paper piecing pattern and give it a review! Its so exciting.

September 23:
     Thankful that I get to start school today. Now I get to see if age helps or doesn't help me!

September 24:
     Thankful for a wonderful group of mommys that motivated me to get out of the house with the kids and send a afternoon at the pumpkin farm! Not only was it a ton of fun, but the kids passed out as soon as I put them in their car seats. It was a great adventure.

Tandem wearing for the first time. The boys loved it!

My oldest enjoyed the petting zoo area. It was a lot of fun.

September 25:
     We all need a little help every once in awhile, we all need someone to talk to, and we should always seek help when we know something isn't quite right. I am thankful that today I took just 30 minutes to talk with someone (not related and doesn't know me) and it really helped open my mind to so many fresh, clean, beautiful thoughts. I am a mom and I don't often take any time for me, so today was nice. 30 minutes may not seem like a lot, but it was probably the nicest 30 minutes I have had in weeks!

September 26:
     Thankful for such amazing group of growing friends! I am so happy that I can meet such wonderful moms here in California. Its always hard to find/meet friends, so when we do, its just a wonderful thing!

September 27:
     I am so thankful that I have time in my life to enjoy such a hobby as quilting. I find new and creative quilts to try and for the years that I have been doing it, I am still discovering new quilts to try! Its such a great hobby!

September 28:
     I just love a fun day at the park with my husband and kids, it really reminds me how thankful I am to have them in my life.

Give Thanks,
Sarah

Portable DIY Mini Ironing Board

I was having a friend come over and we were about to do A LOT of ironing (as I was going to show her how to make a quilt top). We both have 2 kids and they play great with each other but, they are 2 1/2, 2 1/2, 1, and almost 1. So the older ones need to be monitored as they sometimes like to pick on the little ones. In which case, we needed to be down stairs with them and not in my sewing room where I have the ironing board. I didn't want to bring the ironing board down, because I know our kids would knock it over real quick. Instead, I thought "I'll make a small mini portable ironing board and just place it on the table". That way the kids can't knock it over, pull on it, or do anything to hurt anyone or themselves!

I grabbed a long piece of wood about 3 feet long, and about a foot wide. You will need batting, a staple gun, cotton fabric, and elastic.

Heres the board I used (left over from my cutting table, my husband made).

It can be any board, just nothing real flimsy. You need something thick, so it won't bend.

 Grab a few layers of batting. I was using scrap batting from the leftovers of quilts, hence the variations of batting. When you cut them, make sure they are long enough to go over the edge and wrap to the back of the board.

Batting is long enough to wrap over the sides and onto the back (about 4-6 inches extra).

 I then start with all the corners and pull the batting over the edge and staple, with my staple gun.

Then stable to smaller ends, and remember to pull the batting at taunt as possible.

Once you have the two small ends done, work the long sides. I did the center, then the ends and then moved back and forth from left to right, until all of it was stapled down.

The back should look something like this.

I then lay my fabric choice on the ground, right side face down. I place the board top side down. I then cut the fabric with about 4-6 inches on all sides.

Make a mark where the corner of the board meets the fabric. Use a ruler to mark a two lines out to the sides. Then cut that square out of each corner. Like the picture below.

 Place the two cut sides (of ONE corner) RIGHT sides together and sew.

Do that for each corner.

Then make a hem for the elastic. My elastic was about 3/4 of an inch so I needed to make about an inch or larger of a hem.

Fold the fabric over and pin.

 Then sew the hem along the farthest point on the left side. Leave a small hole about 2 inches wide at the start/finish.

Use a safety pin to pin the end of the elastic, and slip it through the opening in the fabric you left.

Push the elastic all the way around until it comes back to where you started. Put the fabric on your board, and pull the elastic taunt. Make sure you can remove and put the fabric on and off the board. Then pin the two pieces of elastic together. Stitch with a zig zag and or several straight stitches along the area where the two elastic pieces meet. Pull the elastic into the fabric, and sew up the hole!

Slip the cover over your board, and get to work!

Ironing away...

Now I have a mini portable ironing board for when I need to iron something down stairs, or work on small projects! Its perfect to use at my sewing table when I just have a lot of little pieces, or small hems I need to iron down. I love this project, and the best part is the cover comes off and you can wash it on gentle and clean off any gunk!

Project Time,
Sarah

DIY Ironing Board Cover

I needed a new ironing board cover, as the one I had was a hot mess. I was tired of getting my iron stuck on it and it sticking to my fabric, etc. It was one that was clamped on by metal, so I couldn't wash it. I decided I would just make one to match my new room decor. I then cut off the strings from the old iron cover and used the cover as a guide.

The old ironing board cover.

 I then cut a bunch of strips and large squares of fabric, and sewed them together to make one long piece. I then laid the old top on the fabric and cut it out.

All the fabric sewn together.

 I then used the pad that was on the ironing board to cut out extra batting. This batting was getting really thinned out and I needed a little more padding to help with all the pressing I do with quilting.

Be sure to cut the fabric with a little extra on each side (about an inch or two).

I then cut out 4 extra layers of batting. This has helped out so much. I no longer get the grates through the ironing board!

I then iron/pin the edge a half in over. This is where I am going to slide the string to tie the ironing board cover on. Be sure to leave a hole about an in or two.

Stitch as far to the left as you can.

Take a safety pin and pin the string or rope that you are using.

Using the hole you have in the fold you just sewed on, slide the safety pin into the side, and push it all the way around until it comes back out through the hole.

Then pull the string or rope, leave a decent amount on the ends.

Place the padding you have and the extra you cut out on the grates of the ironing board. Then add the cover and slowly and carefully pull both ends of the string. I had to sit under the ironing board and kind of shimmy the cover and strings around. Finish it up with a knot or two, or 5!

Stand back and love on your work...

Or your fabric!

I also covered a piece of cardboard with some of the matching fabric, so I could use the wire shelf that was below the ironing board. It works well!

Its just that easy! If you have like 2 or 3 yards of fabric, and are only using one piece of fabric, all you have to do is use the old cover to make the new one, and add the hem and put your string through it. That would be even faster.

This is a great weekend or an hour or two kind of project. I think it took me about an hour and a half or so, as I was sewing a bunch of strips together, and wanted it to be cute.

Time to Press Some Fabric,
Sarah

Serger Cover

I have a cat, and she is not a helpful cat. She pulls thread, and unwinds bobbins. I needed something to cover up my serger because she keeps pulling the threads (all 4 of them) and I have re-threaded my machine too many times! I got tired of it, and decided Ill just use some of the fabric I have and some that I used for the sewing machine mat, and make a cover. Simple, easy solution!

Its a really easy layout. I cut out two large squares for the sides that were big enough to cover the machine. I then cut ONE long strip that was as wide as the machine, and long enough to go from the front of the machine, over the top, to the back. (In other words, long enough for 3 sides of the square, with a little extra).

I then sew the squares on, stopping 1/4 of an inch from each corner, so I can turn the to fabrics and continue sewing. If you want to see something closer to what I did, check out the appliance covers I made awhile back (just take out the piping).

It was done with in an hour and I added some interface to give it some stiffness. My cat has not touched my threads!! Problem is now solved. Yahoo.

Make a Cover,
Sarah

Blog Around the World Tour

I was nominated by Cheryl from Sweet Dreams Quilting who is apart of my Quilt Inspiration 365 group. Be sure to check out her post (which was last week), and leave a comment.

Now on to the questions:

What am I working on?
 I am in the middle of several projects (as I am almost all the time). I am working on our bedroom decor (quilted comforter), blocks for a block swap, a Halloween door hanger, and a few Halloween costumes.

Quilt top almost done.

Quilt top done, just needs to be sandwiched with the back and quilted.

Part of a block swap I am doing.

In the middle of this Halloween door hanger.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I try to get away from the "old school" styles, and I try to just bring a lot of my "on the fly" style into all my works. I am a little modern with a small love for some of the traditional items, but I am into working on stuff that you don't see a lot of. I like making door hangers (instead of wreaths), I enjoy making burp cloths (from scratch) and bibs too. If I see something I like, but can't afford it, my way around it is to try and make it! I'm that kind of "style".

Why do I write/create what I do?
I do it because its my passion. I want to help others, I love to share my ideas, and I love to know that what I am doing could have some impact (if only one person), its an impact! I love giving, and I feel like when I make something homemade, that its like I am giving them a piece of who I am, and what I want them to remember me as. I want them to feel loved because I didn't just rush out and buy something, I spent time making it. Thats why I make these quilts and projects, and write these posts. We all should be thankful for what we have, and remember that so many others need more. I just want to make a change somewhere, even if its small, its a change.

How does my writing/creative process work?
I am kind of inspired by almost anything. A car, a bike, a color, a style, another persons project, etc. Once I am inspired by something, I google, jump on pinterest and any other media site I can; and thats where I dig deep to find patterns or other ideas. Once I have a full blown idea of what I want to do, I draw it out. I then check my stash, and create. When I am writing; I am a little more unorganized. I kind of just work with what the audience wants to see, and then fill in around those posts. I eventually blog almost everything, but just takes me time!

I am nominating Megan over at Sew Stitching Cute . You have a week, please answer the questions above, and post your post on September 29.

I look forward to all the wonderful post!

Thanks For Checking My Blog Out,
Sarah