Saturday, October 4, 2014

Rag Love

Rag Quilt Tutorial


1. Gather:
  • Fabrics [DO NOT pre-wash]
  •      0.25 yd. each of 9-10 different colors/prints 44"-45" wide cotton [front]
  •      1.75 yds. 44"-45" wide cotton muslin [middle]
  •      1.75 yds. 44"-45" wide cotton flannel [back]
  • Cotton sewing thread
  • Scissors
  • Rotary cutter/mat/ruler
  • Sewing machine [walking foot would have been great]
  • Fiskars Softouch Spring Action Micro-Tip Scissors

2. Strip
  • Use rotary cutter to slice a total of 21 colored/print cotton strips 2.5"wide x44/45"long.
  • Lay muslin flat and smooth on wrong side of flannel.
  • Use rotary cutter to slice a total of 21 muslin/flannel strips 2.5"wide x 44/45"long.
3. Sew
  • Set a short [2.0] stitch length on your machine.
  • Make a 'sandwich' with a flannel/muslin strip + a colored/print strip [right-side up] on top.

l-r: flannel [wrong-side up] + muslin
+ print/color fabric [right-side up]










Here's the 3-layer 'sandwich' all ready to stitch.

  • Stitch the 3 layers together down the middle of each strip. Repeat with all 21 'sandwiches.' 
Stitch all 3 layers together
down the middle of the strip with a short
[2.0] stitch length.
No need to mark the middle or
pin the strips before stitching.
This is a very imprecise, charming quilt.








Chain stitch one strip after another to save time and thread.
 

A 2.0 stitch length is short enough to hold the layers together
without a lock or backstitch to start or end each strip.
Chain stitching is such a time saver.

Random rag sandwich strips
after being stitched down the middle
 

The back of every strip
is a soft, starry blue flannel

4. Design

Cut to free each 3-layer 'sandwich' strip from the chain.
You now have 21 3-layer 'sandwich' strips;
Each is ~2.5"wide x ~44/45"long.

The dining room table is a great place to design.
I needed to balance all the prints/colors
even though I wanted it to look
very random and scrappy.
5. Assemble
Join strip sandwiches flannel sides together with .5" seam.
This is where I missed my walking foot!
It's a challenge to sew 6 layers of fabric together
without a pucker or two . . . or 5.
I pinned and did lots of talking.


First, navy was joined to print, then print to green.


In order to keep the design straight, I used a paper clip
to mark the top left corner of the first strip.
After joining each strip, I laid it back on the table
with the paper clip in the right place,
and then picked up the next strip to join.

First 7 strips joined! And yes, the raw edges are
visible on the top of the quilt.
This is so counterintuitive for those who sew!
The top is raggedy;
the [back] flannel side is finished.




Another 7-strip unit starts with another paper clip
on the upper left corner of the first strip.
BTW I chose to assemble 3 units of 7 strips
because it's just easier to handle.
 
The final step in assembly is joining unit 1 to 2,
and then unit 1/2 to 3. Last 2 seams--so exciting!
Don't worry about all the wonky edge randomness.

Use Olfa ruler and chalk or pencil to mark fabric.
Trim uneven sides with scissors.
Again, perfection is not required.

Stitch around perimeter of quilt .5" from edge
with a 2.0 [short] stitch length.

All 4 sides in one continuous line.

Before moving on,
time to pause for a small celebration!
I love the colors and happy vibe.
Hopefully it will keep our grandson
company for many years.
Now for the . next . step .
 
6. Snip Snip Snip Snip [sorry, no pix]
In order to encourage all raw seam edges to ravel and get all cute and fuzzy, the tedious task begins:
  • Use very sharp [preferably Spring Action] scissors.
  • Carefully snip perpendicular to each raw seam edge every 1/4" or so.
  • CAUTION! To keep seams strong, stop each snip before cutting the thread that makes the seam.
  • CAUTION! To avoid snipping holes in the quilt strips, hold seam edges flat enough to cut only the raw seam edges. 
  • Use good task lighting and break up the task into manageable chunks. Some like to work with a movie on; my old eyes and gardening hands need strong light and a gentle pace.

7. Wash/Dry/Shake
  • Shake out the quilt and throw it in the washer.
  • Wash on a permanent press cycle with cold water and mild soap.
  • Remove from washer. Take outside and shake quilt to free loose threads.
  • With dryer set on medium heat, dry quilt. Stop dryer frequently to clean lint filter and shake quilt outside.
  • Repeat wash*/dry/shake process. *Skip the soap this time.
  • See how the raw seam edges get all fuzzy
    after snips and laundering?
    The flannel back is finished and smooth.
    It's like a big hug!

 
8. Share
A quilt for California


 
D's Skinnamarink Quilt
I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening, and underneath the moon!
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink. Skinnamarink-a-doo.
I love you!
 
 
 

Friday, October 3, 2014

One More Visits


Ola! Hi! It's me, Daniel. I have a story to tell you, okay? Once upon a time September was a time for lots of "one more" visits. 
 
See, I was moving to California. Papai already went to California on a big airplane because California is far away. He took all my toys. He took my bed and my limon--that's what we call the big green squashy pouf where I like to read before I go to sleep. Papai took my chair and booster seat to California too.
 
But before Mamae and Daniel flew on a big airplane, we stayed with GiGi and HeyYea. There was time for lots of "one more" visits with my friends and other people who love me a lot.
 
One More Story Time with Mrs. V 
Mrs. V is my friend.
She tells stories at the library
every Tuesday morning.
We counted, sang and danced too.
Bye bye, Mrs. V!

One More Times with Hunka Cheese
Hunka Cheese and I got to be crazy one more time.
I gave him a deer bone for his head
and I was a scary dinosaur-see my scales?


I showed him how to do 555555555555555
on the calculator.




He showed me
how to make my foot disappear.
Hunka Cheese is my buddy. Bye bye, Hunka Cheese!
 
One More Times with Josie and Papi
Josie really likes to read.
And she really likes me, too.

We shared books and hugs.
Bye bye, Josie and Papi.


At Chick Fila, I got a surprise!
Fire trucks and police cars!!


Papi teased me. After I lined up my cars just right,
he kept turning one the wrong way.
Papi, are you teasing me?!

One More Times with HeyYea

Crayons

Popsicles

Raspberry Lemonade

One More Times with Nana and DoDo
Cheeeeez! Uncle DoDo

Mamae and Auntie Nana


Bye bye, Auntie Nana and Uncle Dodo.


One More Times in My Rede
After naps, GiGi and I liked to sit in the rede.
We would swing and laugh when
it made a squeeeak sound.
She told me
OnceUponaTimeWhenDanielWasaBaby stories.

I was sad because
the rede had to stay in Texas.
Bye bye, rede.

Mickey and I went to California,
so I read stories to Teddy and Puppy one more times.
Bye bye, Teddy and Puppy.
One More Times in GiGi's Garden
I found this awesome hummingbird
when Mamae and I were shopping
one more times.

This blue dragonfly landed on a dragonfly! in GiGi's garden.
He was telling me bye bye, Daniel!



This red dragonfly was not working.
Papai and I saw a dinosaur
at the museum that was not working too.


GiGi and I found this bee in my
blue pool. It was not working.
See his stinger?!
And how fuzzy he is?
My friend Anthony saw it,
and said it was a dead bee.
Bye bye, Dad Bee.

Bye bye, GiGi's garden.
I'll come back to explore in November.




And that's . . .
The End AND The Beginning! 
 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

On the Way to Oz

The past two months have been a blur.
In that undeniably predictable way, the weeks have picked up and moved on.
So have Cecilia, Will, and Daniel. Their move to California is complete.
 
This is about the umpteenth time I've tried to post,
and I'm out of words.
No mellow metaphors--no slick similes.
Just pictures. 
 
 



 

waiting for the movers

I *AM*A*ROBOT

 
Texas? California? Los Angeles? Houston?


 
Trying to make some order



when life hands out raggedy things.




D discovered how to become a dinosaur.
add scales


R O A R !

Yep.


Stegasaurus

Daniel Dinosaur


the start of a quilt for California



 
Two of my loves

Papai in California

get the Mickey Mouse garden gloves?!
Practicing for LA traffic

Wish we all could be California guys

Flying away
 
Daniel, since before you were born,
you've turned GiGi's world upside-down.


And that's the Beginning