PB Inspired Bakery

When I saw this in PB catalog I got in love of it, but as you can see it is pricy, so I got the idea I could make one for my children. I draw an sketch and use PVC pipes for the frame, and the fabric was from the $1.95 section of Fabric.comI use embroideries from here, here, here and emblibrary.com.

I love to see my children playing with it. They love it.

Have a good day
Darlette

Candle Mat

I started this mat last year and I just got finished a couple of weeks ago. I still have to quilt another mat an two table runners with the same design. I wonder if this will sell on Etsy? What do you think?I am still quilting my other project(a massive queen size quilt). Hopefully I'll be done this weekend to show it to you!
Cheers
Erika

Darlette's Christmas present for me

She probably thinks that I did not like my Christmas present, but I was waiting for permanent ink to show you what she made me.
First she made beautiful paintings that she turn to cards and she gave me some as stationary I just love them. Also she made me this amazing stamp.
I will be using it to sign my projects.
I do not have much time I have been quilting for the last few days and no way near finishing.
Cheers
Erika

Sewing Machine Mat a Tutorial

I saw a mat for a sewing machine that I like and the lady that had it told me it was just so easy to make so here it is:

I modified, but I will give you the instructions she gave me.

You will only need 1 yard of fabric.
1 Fold the fabric with the right side facing each other sew it all over leaving an opening of about 5 to 6 inches to turn.
2 Press to set the stitch and turn the fabric inside out.
3 pick the corners (I do it with a pin)
4 Press and top stitch around. I press with the seams not at the edge so the seam goes to one side and then when you press on the edge it is easy to have a clean press like the second picture down.
5 You will have a piece that measures about 22'' wide by 36" long.
6 Fold the end of the fabric to measure 7 1/4"and press.
7 Top stitch the sides and then decide how many divisions you want mark them and top stitch them (remember to reinforce the stitch when you start) I went for three separations.
and there you have it.
I hope this tutorial was helpful since I realized that there are a gazillion tutorials for bias tape. anyway.
Have a great Day (I am enjoying the snow here)
Erika

Easy way to make Bias Tape – Tutorial-

I have these two bias makers. They work okay, I prefer the pink kind but it just works when you make the 18mm size. Then one day a friend taught me an easy way to make bias tape without fancy gadgets.

Tengo estos dos aparatitos para hacer bies. Funcionan bien (prefiero el rosa) pero se limitan al tamaño que pueden hacer (18mm y 25mm). Un dia una amiga me enseno como hacer el bies sin ninguno de estos aparatitos.

NOTE; this is the way I learned how to do it (I am self thought). You may have a better way to do it.

NOTA: esta es la forma en la que yo hago el bies (aprendí solita). Talvez tu tengas una mejor forma de hacerlo.

First of all you need to calculate how much bias you’ll need. Measure the perimeter of your quilt (each size) so if you quilt is 60” x 70” you will add 60 + 60 + 70 + 70 = 260” add 10” for a total of 270” that will help to sew it on the quilt.

To calculate how much fabric you’ll need I calculate the following:

Considering the width of fabric as 42” or 110cm and the width of the desired bias (in this case 1 ¾ this is the width I usually do my bias) I divide 270/42 It will give me how many strips I’ll need for a total of 6.42 ~ 7 strips times the width of the bias (1.75) = 12.25” Rounding up we’ll need 13” in other words:

Sides of quilt A+B+C+D= E Total perimeter of quilt

E+ 10= F Total inches of bias needed

F/42 (width of fabric) = G Number of strips

G*(width of bias strip) = inches of fabric you need

Lo primero que necesitas es calcular cuanto bies necesitas. Mide el perímetro de tu acolchado (cada lado). Si tu acolchado mide 150 cm por 180 cm vas a sumar 150 + 150+ 180+180= 660 cm agrega 25 cm mas para un total de 685 cm esos 25 cm te ayudaran a terminar de agregar el bies al acolchado.

Pata calcular cuanta tela necesitamos vamos a calcular lo siguiente:

Considerando que la tela mide 110 cm de ancho y el ancho del bies 4.5 cm (este es el ancho que yo normalmente utilizo) dividimos 685/110 que nos dara la cantidad de tiritas que es 6.22 lo redondeamos a 7 tiritas por el ancho de las tiritas (4.5cm) = 31.5cm redondeado 32cm.

So with your measurements done, cut the strips in my case 1 ¾. Sew all you pieces on the width right sides together and press open the seams. (I do this to diminish bulk).

Con todas las medidas calculadas, cortamos tiras de 4.5 cm (en mi caso) coser las tiras a de la parte delgada con los derechos juntos y planchar las puntadas abiertas (esto es para que no tengamos mucho bulto)

Next finger press on half just the first few inches.

Despues con las uñas marcar la tela a la mitad.

Press the fold.

Planchar el doblez (unos 10 cm)

Open and again fold it the edges towards the middle.

Abrir otra vez, doblar la tela hacia el centro por los dos lados.

And press, this is just to the first few inches

Planchar, solo unos cuantos cm.

First on your ironing table (I cannot do this on my small Teflon cover tableL) pin from edge to edge as shown.

En el burro de lanchar (o tabla) Pinchar como se puestra en la foto justo a la orilla del bies.

Make sure it does not have room to make the bias wider (I hope the pictures are self explanatory

Y Pinchar a la otra orilla del bies asegurarse de que no sea mas ancho para que el bies sea uniforme todo lo ancho. (espero que las fotos sean mas explicitas que mi explicación)

Pull just enough tape to have the iron on and enough so you can pull the end with your fingers (sorry for the crappy pick). Keep pulling and help feed the tape under the iron with your other hand (I usually do not need to press the iron I just leave it there and pull the tape.

Jalar suficiente bies para que la plancha pueda ser puesta y suficiente para jalar (lado derecho) con la mano. (Lo siento por la mala foto). Seguir jalando y pasando el bies por debajo de la plancha. Ayuderse con la otra mano para que el bien siga pasando por el pin y la plancha.

And there you have it Bias tape to be bind. (Sorry, I did not make lots of this bias it was for the sewing machine cover top)

Y aquí lo tienen bies listo para poner (lo siento no hice mucho bies de esta tela pues la utilice para la cubierta de mi maquina de coser.) Espero que este tutorial haya sido de ayuda si tienen algún comentario o pregunta no duden en preguntarme.

I hope this tutorial was helpful.

Cheers

Erika

Sewing Machine Cover

Have this happened to you? You want to make something very special but you are afraid you are going to hate it if you do. This is what happened to me every time I thought about making a sewing machine cover. so I thought and I thought and the idea came in black and white and later evolved to this:
I got the bunny Hill fabric as a scrap piece it was enough to do this. I just love it! with all my previous circle quilting practice on my last project I was kind of confident to try to do this flowers like Laurraine Yuyama that I love. Then as I was looking on her Flickr site i found that by cover has some of her influence. To each flower I added a button to make it different.
I do not think I will get tired of it, but if i do, I just turn it outside in and I'll get a totally different look.
Cheers,
Erika

Utility Fabrics

The other day I was at Joann's and I "found" the utility fabrics section, I knew some of the things they had there but not all. I discovered that they have Teflon fabric for ironing boards. I have been wanting to redo my small ironing board, so when I "found" the fabric I decided this was the time to do it.
I do not have the before picture but I only recovered the board I added some cushion to it with some fleece and it works great.
El otro dia estabe en el Joann's y que me "encuentro" la seccon de telas utilitarias, sabia de algunas de las cosas que tenian pero no todas. descubri que tienen la tela de teflon para los burros de planchar. Desde hace algun tiempo queria cambiar la tela de mi pequeno burro pero nada que lo hacia y cuando vi esta tela supe que era el momento de hacer algo por mi burro.
No tengo la foto de antes pero solo la recubri y agrege un poco mas de cojin con tela polar que tenia y eso ayudo a que no estubiera tan plano.I used some upholstery staples and that was all. Maybe you already found this section, if not go ahead and find some utility material for your next project.
Use grapas de tapiceria y eso fue todo. Talvez ustedes ya encontraron esta seccion, si no vayan a ver que se encuentran para su proximo projecto.

Have a great weekend
Erika

Tree skirt re-do

It was one of the first projects I blogged about it was this tree skirt I made in 2008 (you can find it here). I love the stitchery, but I hated the quilting.
Este fue uno de mis primeros trabajos que mostre en el blog en el 2008 (Pueden encontrarlo aqui). Me encanto el bordado, pero no me gusto el acolchado.
Back then I wasn't skillful about free motion quilting so I did my best but obviously it wasn't enough. Last year I thought about quilting it, but didn't happened. This year as I was putting all the Christmas decorations away I decided it was it so I totally undid the quilting and the finish which wasn't even a bias or even a great finish and I open the skirt for those times when we'll get a natural tree.
En esos tiempos no estaba tan familiarisada con el free motion quilting asi es que hice lo mejor que pude pero oviamente no fue suficiente. El ano pasado pense en hacerle cambios pero no lo hice. Este ano al estar guardando todo lo de navidad decidi que este era el momento de hacerlo, asi es que lo desmonte todo junto con el intento de bies qie ni era bies y lo acolche. Tambien lo abri para que pudiera ser usado con arboles naturales.
Needless to say that I am very pleased with the end result. I love the quilting which gave me a great curve practice and I really enjoy it. I started quilting from the top and I when gradually down to the lower part of the skirt, I also did not cut the skirt until it was all quilted and that help to be more stable and manageable. Now the stitchery can be appreciated better and each stitchery pops by its own.
No es necesario decir que me encanto el resultado. Me gusto el acolchado que me dio buena practica de circulos. Empece a acolchar de arriba en forma circular hasta llegar abajo eso ayudo a que estubiera mas estable. La avertura la hice despues de acolcharlo y eso ayudo a que fuera mas manejable. Ahora el bordado se puede apreciar mejor.

Have a great week
Erika

Not so good of a Day

Yesterday wasn't my day at all. Doing house work going up and down stairs one of those trips I badly landed and my hips and leg hurts. After that I decided to slow down and finish working on my quilt. I did finished the free motion quilting and I switched to add the bias when I switched something happened and my sewing machine jammed. Today Hubby send it to the doctor and it will be back in a week. He called me and said that he arranged for me to have a temporary sewing machine from the shop. I am happy and sad. I am so attached to my sewing machine... silly? I do not think so, when you love what you do you really get attached to your tools.

Ayer no fue mi dia. Estaba trabajando en las labores del hogar, subiendo y bajando las escaleras cuando termine en el piso, me cai y me duele mis caderas y una de mis piernas. Despues decidi tomare el resto del dia mas tranquilo y me puse a terminar un acolchado. Termine el free motion parte y cuando cambie mi maquina para hacer el bies algo paso que mi maquina se trabo y nada que se mueve. Totalmente debastada, lo bueno es que mi esposo llevo mi maquina a que la repararan, estara alli por una semana. Lo bueno es que mi esposo me traera una maquina temporal.
Saludos
Erika

Welcome 2012!

Welcome new year, new challenges, new opportunities to do better and create.
I hope we all have a wonderful year

Erika