Scrappy Log Cabin Pinnie Tutorial

A few years ago I did a Log Cabin Pincushion Tutorial. I like to make these little pinnies to give as bonus gifts with swaps, bee blocks, at sew days, etc. It's a quick project, and it's a great way to use up tiny scraps.

Project Quilting Challenge 9.6 this week is "SCRAPtastic". I'm running low on my stash of pin cushions, so I decided to make a new rainbow batch. This time around I decided to use muslin as a foundation to make the process quicker and easier (less trimming and fuss this way). Here's another quick tutorial on how to make this version of my scrappy log cabin pincushions.

Supplies:
One 5" x 5" piece of muslin or white/cream fabric for the foundation.
One 5" x 5" piece of fabric for bottom.
A bunch of small scraps.
Poly-Fil

You'll also need general sewing tools & notions such as:
Sewing Machine
Iron
Thread
Scissors
Quilting Ruler
Rotary Cutter
Hand-sewing needle
Pins 

Finished size after stuffing: approximately 4" x 4"

*Note: I like to roughly trim my scraps into square/rectangular shapes for this method. The pieces and seam allowance don't have to be perfect. That's the beauty of using the foundation.

Step 1:
Select two similarly sized small scraps. Place them right sides together, aligning the raw edges on one side, onto the foundation near the center. Stitch along that lined-up raw edge with 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 2:
Turn & Press.

Step 3: 
Working clockwise (or counterclockwise if you prefer), select another scrap that is approximately the length of the first two after they have been stitched together and pressed. Place the third scrap right sides together, perpendicular to the first seam and line up the raw edges along one side. Stitch. Turn & Press.

Step 4:
Continue in this manner until you have worked all the way around and covered the entire foundation. It's OK to go over the edges of the foundation.

Step 5:
Trim back down to 5" x 5".

Step 6:
Place the log cabin rights sides together with a 5" x 5" piece of fabric for the bottom. Stitch around all four sides, leaving a small opening in the center of one side for turning. Clip the corners.

Step 7:
Turn right sides out through the opening. Gently poke out the corners with a turning tool (knitting needle, chopstick, etc). Fold in the seam allowance at the opening. Press.

Step 8:
Fill with Poly-Fill.

Step 9:
Hand-stitch the opening closed with a slip stitch (ladder stitch) for an invisible seam.

Hooray! You're done! Tag me on Instagram @trina_peterson. I'd love to see your awesome Pinnie. :)

Slopes: a Tutorial

One of the Modern Quilt Guild Quilt Con challenges this year was to use a Darlene Zimmerman triangle template to make an original quilt design. I signed up for the challenge and got the 45 degree (2.5") template in the mail, and this is what I came up with.

I named it "Slopes", because it reminds me of a ski hill. Please ignore the sub-par quilting; I'm still a novice free-motion-quilter. But hey! At least I'm trying, am I right?! 

My goal was to make a simple quilt that would make a fun design for kids. I thought these small bits of printed fabric strewn across a solid quilt would be fun for a kid to explore. Although my choice of white might not be ideal for kids, this quilt design could be made up in any color. I just had a lot of white kicking around, and I thought it would look great with some blue scraps. Personally, I'm OK with my son getting stains all over it as long as he enjoys it.

The finished Slopes quilt measures about 42" x 60", and here's how you do it:

1. Cut 30 (2.5" x width of fabric) strips from your solid. 

2. Use your triangle template to cut 30 triangles from print scraps.

3. Lay out your strips and use your template to cut out one triangle from each strip in random spots. Replace each solid triangle you just removed with a print triangle, and piece it (sew) in place.

4. Sew your strips together lengthwise: 1 strip = 1 row. 30 rows total with one triangle randomly placed in each. 

5. Voilà! You're done with the top! Now just quilt and bind as desired.  

This quilt is so easy and fast, and it would make a great baby gift. 

I think it would also make a fun Jelly Roll quilt. You could reverse the pattern to use prints for the strips and solid triangles. 

You can get an acrylic triangle template like mine here. Or you can make your own with some cardboard by drawing a 2.5" tall triangle with two 45 degree corners on the bottom (use the 45 degree line on your quilting ruler). 

If you decide to make your own Slopes quilt, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or send me a pic!  

Pillow Cover with Zipper Tutorial

Here is the (long over-due) pillow cover with easy zipper tutorial that I promised would follow my pillow form tutorial. I hope this helps at least one person get over his/her fear of zippers!!

© 2014 Trina Peterson

To view/print this tutorial in PDF format, please click here.

This is home-dec fabric from Ikea. Cheap and fun!

Tools & Supplies:

• Fabric (measuring & cutting instructions in Step 1)
• One Zipper - at least as long as your pillow form (no metal teeth, as you will be sewing across them)
• Sewing Machine with all-purpose foot and zipper foot
• Thread & Marking Pen
• Scissors & Tape Measure (or Rotary Cutter, Mat & Gridded Ruler)
• Iron & Board
• Optional: Pinking Shears or Serger

Seam Allowances are identified within pattern.

Step 1: Measure across the fullest part of the pillow from side seam to side seam, and then from top seam to bottom seam. Add 1" to each of these measurements. These are the measurements for your two main panels: cut 2 of these. Also cut 2 zipper tabs: 2" x 3" (regardless of pillow size).

Step 2 (Optional): Serge, Zigzag, or Pink all raw edges of fabric.

Step 3: Place zipper alongside bottom edge of one main panel. Measure in 1.5" from each side of panel and make a mark on the zipper tape. Cut off zipper at mark. Be sure not to cut off the pull!

Step 4: Fold zipper tab (right sides together) over end of zipper, lining up edges of tab and end of zipper to make a sandwich (zipper tab is 2" x 1.5" folded). Sew 1/4" seam from edge. Turn tab right sides out and press. Repeat with other tab and zipper end.

Step 5: Lay one panel right side and bottom up (if you want zipper to be at the bottom of pillow). Pin zipper unit with pull facing down (right sides together) to panel, lining up edges of tabs with panel. The zipper tape should be approximately 1/4" below panel edge.

Step 6: With zipper foot, sew from edge to edge, close to zipper, stopping to move zipper pull out of the way. Backstitch at both ends.

Step 7: Turn and press panel away from zipper. Topstitch close to seam.

Repeat Steps 5-7 with second panel and other edge of zipper.

Step 8: Open zipper before continuing!

Step 9: Place panels right sides together, lining up the three remaining edges and pinning. Sew 1/2" seam all the way around the three edges. Backstitch at both ends.

Step 10: Clip corners, turn right sides out, and press.

You are finished. HOORAY! Cover your pillow form and admire. :) 

Pillow Form Tutorial

You know what I hate?  Pillow forms that cost a boat-load.  You know what else I hate?  Pillows you buy in stores that don't have a removable, washable cover!  Gah!  Sometimes, I just want to wash my pillow covers, ya know?

If you hate these things even half as much as I do, here is a reasonably-priced, fun solution:

Make your own!

Muslin and Fiberfill are CHEAP.  (I bought a 5 lb box of fill today at Jo-Ann for $11 after a 50% coupon; that will make like a ga-jillion pillows.)  So here is a quick tutorial for how to make your own pillow forms.  Soon to follow this will be another tutorial to make a pillow cover with an easy-to-install zipper.  I know this type of project is incredibly simple - no directions required - for a lot of my sew-y friends.  However, when I first began sewing, I had a hard time finding directions for really simple stuff that I had no idea how to do.  So these directions are for all the newbs out there.  Welcome to the wonderful world of stitching!

I'm still a newb at writing these tutorials and patterns and such.  If you have any comments, questions, or find anything that is unclear, please email me!  I'd love to get any feedback!  trina at trinapeterson dot com

If you'd like to download a printable copy of this tutorial in PDF format, please click here.


Finished Size: approximately 15" square

Supplies & Tools:

• 1/2 yd Muslin
• Polyester Fiberfill
• Rotary Cutter, Gridded Ruler, Cutting Mat
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Straight Pins

Cutting Instructions:

• Cut 2 pieces of Muslin 16" x 16"  

Step 1:

Place the two pieces of muslin one on top of the other.  Place two pins 5" apart in the middle of one side.

Step 2:

With a 1/2" seam allowance, begin stitching at the pin on the right and continue all the way around to the other pin on the left.  Back-stitch at both ends.

Step 3:

Clip the corners to about 1/4" from the seam.  Turn the pillow right sides out through the 5" opening.  Poke out the corners with a small blunt tool (like a chopstick).  Press flat, making sure the raw edges at the opening are tucked inside matching the rest of the seam allowance.






Step 4:

Using the 5" opening, stuff the pillow with fiberfill to your desired firmness.  Pull the fiberfill apart in little bits when taking it out of the bag/box, so that it fluffs up.







Step 5:

When fiberfill is in place, pull the edge with the opening taught until the two sides of the opening align. Pin in place.












Step 6:

Using an 1/8" seam allowance, stitch the opening closed.  Back-stitch at both ends.  You will need to push the fiberfill aside and hold the edge flat to maneuver under the presser foot.









You are finished!  Enjoy your new pillow form, and prepare to make an easy, custom, washable pillow cover with zipper with my next tutorial!