I get a lot of questions about how to make a quilt hanging sleeve, so here (finally!) is a tutorial. 🙂
1. Cut a strip of fabric 4 inches wide and as long as the width of your quilt. You’re going to hem the edges and that will bring the sides of your hanging sleeve in a bit from the edges of the quilt – which will allow you to hide the hanging hardware if you want.
3. Fold the strip in half, right sides facing out. Press.
If you’re going to use a really fat rod to hang the quilt, you might want to fold it not-exactly in half, so that the sleeve pouches out a bit in back to make a little extra room for the rod. I always use a fairly slender curtain rod, though, so I just fold it in half.
4. Line up the raw edges of the sleeve with the raw edge of the top of the quilt and pin or clip in place.
The pieces are designed to make an applique that fits in a 10 inch block. That makes it really easy to resize as needed. Do you want to make a 4 inch coaster? Print the pieces at 40% size. Do you want to make a tote bag that’s 17 inches square? Print the pieces at 170% size.
The question is – where can’t you use a jolly old elf?
A Little Extra Help
If you’ve never done any applique before, or are new to my method) there’s a free video workshop here. You can work through the lessons using any pattern – including this Santa.
There’s also a single video here that takes you through all the basic steps of my method.
You can find loads of single-topic tutorial videos here, and also by using the search box at the top of the page.
Prep Your Block
Cut an 11” square of fabric for the background, and an 11 inch square of batting.
Press the quilted block again (with steam) and let it cool.
This video has a general intro to my Quilt As You Go method, along with complete instructions for how to assemble the block. It’s a long video, but there’s timestamp info to help you skip to the specific instructions you want.
Cut Your Pieces
Download the template pieces and placement guide here.
If you have an electric cutting machine, you can use it to cut your pieces. Download the SVG file here.
The image in the SVG file is NOT reversed. If your cutting machine has you cut your pieces fabric side up, leave the orientation as it is. If your cutting machine has you cut your pieces fabric side down, you’ll need to flip the image horizontally.
Different cutting machine brands import the image at what seems to be totally random sizes. To fit the appliqué on a block that finishes at 10 inches square, check to make sure the small square in the image is one inch, and resize if necessary before ungrouping the pieces. Delete that square after resizing so your machine doesn’t try to cut it. 🙂
Print your templates.
If you’re cutting everything by hand you’ll need to print the reversed and exploded templates. If you’re using printable fusible adhesive (I use Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts) you can print those pages directly onto the paper side of your fusible.
If you’re using a lightbox you’ll also need to print the placement guide.
Roughly cut around each shape. Leave a little bit extra all the way around each piece.
Follow the package instructions and fuse each piece to the wrong side of the fabric.
Cut out each piece neatly, directly on the solid lines.
Cutting after you fuse ensures that the adhesive goes right to the very edge of the fabric.
Trace the dotted lines onto the fabric. If you hold the pieces up to a window, the light will make the lines very visible – even on dark fabric.
If you want to skip this step, this video shows how to use a light box. If you use a light box, you only need to transfer the smile.
Put It All Together
Peel off the paper backing and arrange the pieces on your background block. Fuse in place according to the adhesive package instructions.
This video shows the assembly with me explaining how I’m layering the pieces.
This video shows the same thing – but using a light box to guide placement.
Stitch all the edges down. You can use any stitch you like, in matching or contrasting thread. I really love the cartoony look of a simple straight stitch with black thread.
I mean – it’s lovely. A paper-chain inspired garland of hand-embroidered felt rings with hook & loop closures so you can store them easily. It’s sooooo beautiful and looks so warm and cozy and wintry. I’m absolutely enchanted with how it turned out!
But seriously. Hand-embroidered felt garland rings? Twenty-four of them? This is hours and hours and hours (and hours!) of hand embroidery. Of course, I enjoyed every minute of it. But I’d be the first to admit that I’m a little crazy about hand-embroidery on wool felt. This is a project that will keep your hands busy for a LOT of cozy evenings.
If I haven’t talked you out of it yet, here are the instructions. . .
The pattern includes six different band decorations and they all fit on one piece of Magical Embroidery Stuff (aka Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy). So I did six bands each of four different felt colors for a total of 24 rings. That made a chain 42 inches long. For the materials below I’ll assume you’ll do the same crazy thing. 🙂
What you need
wool-blend felt – 2 sheets of each color you plan to use (I used grape jelly, babbling brook, denim, and ruby red slippers)
embroidery thread in matching and contrasting colors (I used DMC #550, 502, 336, 600, 3746, 522, 726 and 3846)
Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy (optional, but very strongly recommended)
You can find a list of my favorite supplies (with links to where to buy them) here.
Throughout the pattern, the links go to video tutorials teaching that skill. If it’s a new stitch or technique for you, just click through to see how to do it!
Here’s how to make it. . .
1. Print the pattern.You can download it here. Print the pattern at 100% size onto four sheets of Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy (aka The Magical Embroidery Stuff).
2. Peel the backing off and stick the stabilizer/pattern transfer onto the felt.
Cut the pieces out on the lines.
Embroider the designs right through the stabilizer.
I didn’t embroider the designs the same way every time – preferring instead to just play around. You should play too! You can find tutorials for plenty of stitches here. . .
cross stitch (the little stars are just cross stitches, with an extra stitch taken across the middle)
By all means – don’t be limited to these stitches! They’re just what I used. You can find lots more stitch tutorials here.
3. Soak off the Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy. I soak mine in cold water for at least an hour, then rinse off the mushy stabilizer under cold running water. Don’t rub it to remove any stubborn bits – just hit them with a kitchen sprayer if needed.
Lay the pieces flat on a towel to dry. Do not wring, twist or even smoosh them. Just set them sopping wet on a towel and let them be. I promise they’ll dry. 🙂
4. Finish the bands. Cut second piece of felt for the back of the band. I just laid the front band down and cut around it so the back would match the front exactly.
Sew a small piece of hook & loop tape to the blank end of the top of the band, and to one end of the back of the band.
I used a sewing machine, but you could do it by hand if you prefer. I left enough space on the embroidered side to use the narrowest big-box-store hook & loop tape (like you see on the top band) but if you order one of my kits you’ll get the special less-bulky skinny hook & loop tape I prefer (like you see on the bottom band).
Put the front and back together so that the hook & loop tape is on opposite ends of the band and sew the pieces together around the edge. I used whipstitch, but you could certainly use a sewing machine – especially if you want to finish before the end of the year. 🙂
5. Wrap them into rings and build your chain.
In the photo above you see the six designs in the pattern, stitched up on purple felt.
Make this sweet little elf ornament! Hang her on your tree or attach her to a package for someone special.
It’s a free pattern!
Here she’s a Christmas elf. But she doesn’t have to be! I made a couple of “everyday” pixies that you can see here, along with their holiday friend.
Make a bunch of them in a rainbow of colors!
And did I mention they’re posable? They have a pipecleaner “skeleton” so you can bend and pose them however you like. This little cutie is sitting on a spool of thread.
Want the pattern? Here’s the link to download it. It’s free!
The holidays are super-busy and stressful. All that shopping! All that traveling!
And a lot of us crafters feel the added pressure of making handmade gifts for those that we love.
I know this is going to be a controversial post… but I’m going to encourage you to think twice before making handmade gifts for friends and family. Think about whether the person will actually want and appreciate the gift. Otherwise, you’re spending a lot of your time on a gift that just doesn’t work… trust me, I’ve been there!
A Story
My mom is over-the-moon excited that she’s going to have a granddaughter. Seriously. I think if she won a million dollar lottery, she’d be only 10% as excited as she is right now.
And she’s a keen shopper and bargain hunter. The trouble is that she’s purchased a number of items that are either just plain impractical for our tiny home. (for example, we don’t have space in our living room for a stand-alone bassinet… it’s already a room that doubles as my office and shipping room!)
I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I’m going to tell you a truth about gift-giving: the best gift is one that the recipient actually wants or needs.
Otherwise, your gift becomes a burden for the recipient to manage instead of the bundle of joy you intended it to be.
You see, we often give gifts that we want to give instead of giving gifts that others want to receive. Keep reading… and I’ll tell you why this insight has saved me oodles of time this holiday season!
Let’s get honest about handmade gifts
A few years ago, I used to make handmade gifts for everyone on my list. Knitted hats, sewn stuffed animals, you name it. I spent weeks making gifts for everyone on my list.
I often made presents that I secretly wanted for myself, but I poured all of my energy into making them for other people.
And then I learned that not everyone wants a handmade present.
I was so hurt! How dare they not appreciate the valuable gift I was lovingly making!
But then I realized… I was actually being selfish by foisting my desires onto them! I love making presents, and it was what I thought showed the most love. But in reality, I was ignoring what people actually wanted.
Now, I only make presents for a very few special people who appreciate and want a handmade gift.
What’s the lesson?
It’s good news: you don’t have to kill yourself this holiday season making gifts for everyone on your list! If someone didn’t appreciate your hand knit gift in the past, take the opportunity to reconsider. Maybe they really would rather get a gift certificate to a book store.
And take all that extra time you save and make something lovely for yourself! You deserve it!
It’s a 12 point star, and even though the pattern isn’t terribly well-written, I’ve gotten the hang of it and I’m really enjoying it!
And some bead crochet…
I’ve also been into doing some bead crochet… here’s a little progress photo:
I’m hoping to show you some finished items, soon!
That’s what I’ve been up to this week… how about you? I hope you have an awesome Wednesday, and get some great knitting/crocheting done this week!
If you want to check out more Work-In-Progress posts, please check out Tami’s Ami’s Blog, who’s been organizing a great WIP Wednesday blog theme! And, don’t forget to come back for FO (Finished Object) Friday!
Here it is – the last ornament in the 2014 Christmas Club collection!
I saved the snowman for last – hoping that at least some of us might have snow by now. Ha! We’ve had two snows already – and I know some of you have too.
Here’s the whole collection. . .
And now that the whole collection is out, you can no longer sign up for the club. But you CAN buy the whole collection – all twelve patterns for $29.99. That’s less than $3 for each ornament!
I realized that I didn’t have much diagonal action in the quilt yet, so I’m correcting that with the next few blocks.
Here’s block #13 in the Controlled Chaos Quilt!
What You’ll Need
48 two-inch squares in color A (shown in purple)
52 two-inch squares in color B (shown in yellow)
Instructions
Use 1/4″ seam allowances for all sewing.
Press all the seams. I’m pressing mine open for this quilt. I think it will make things simpler in the end.
Arrange your squares according to the diagram below.
For this block I sewed things up in rows. First we’ll sew some groups of like colors together. . .
1. Sew up 12 sets of three purple squares.
2. Sew up 14 sets of three yellow squares.
3. Sew up 4 pairs of two purple squares.
4. Sew up 4 pairs of two yellow squares.
Use the diagram above to sew those groups into rows.
Then sew those rows into one fabulous block. 🙂
That’s 13 blocks done – just 7 more to go!
I still haven’t decided whether I’ll use sashing between the blocks or not. If I do it will be in a nice slate grey. If I d0 use sashing it’ll be 310 seams I don’t have to match up – a major plus in my book. 🙂
As much as I love to cook, and as much as I love the flavor of gingerbread, and as much as I love candy and fussy details – I’ve never made a gingerbread house. Until now.
Maybe the problem is that I know a real gingerbread house is not really edible, even thought it’s made of edible goodies.
No such illusions with this little house made of felt and embroidery thread! You get all the pretty decorations and fanciness and it will last for years. Plus you can make it on your couch in front of the fire instead of in the kitchen. 🙂
Here’s what you’ll need. . .
You can find links to sources for all my favorite tools and supplies here.
scraps of wool felt (I used Tahitian sunset for the gingerbread and lavender, grass skirt, blue bayou and fuchsia for the decorations)
matching embroidery thread (I used DMC floss in white, 3858, 3746, 550, 907, 699, 326, 601, 603, 3846)
1 sheet of Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy (optional, but recommended – will make two ornaments)
small amount of polyester fiberfill stuffing (a few cotton balls will do if you don’t have it)
scrap of string or yarn for the hanging loop
Throughout the pattern, the links go to video tutorials teaching that skill. If it’s a new stitch or technique for you, just click through to see how to do it!
Here’s how to make it. . .
1. Print the pattern.You can download it here. It’s formatted to give you the pieces for two houses – make one for yourself and one for a friend. Print the pattern at 100% size onto a sheet of Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy (aka The Magical Embroidery Stuff).
2. Peel the backing off and stick the stabilizer/pattern transfer onto the felt. I used Tahitian sunset for the gingerbread, fuchsia for the pink lollipops on the sides of the door, grass skirt for the green stick candy sills, blue bayou for the door, and lavender for the purple candy.
Cut the pieces out on the lines.
Embroider the designs right through the stabilizer.
I used the following stitches and colors. . .
For the snow along the roof I used U-stitch and 4 strands of DMC #white.
For the snowflakes I used 2 strands of DMC #white.
For the center window I used backstitch in 2 strands of DMC #white, with French knots in the same color below it.
For the candycane stripes on the windows and door I used whipped backstitch. Backstitch the lines first with 4 strands of DMC #white, then whip with 2 strands of DMC #326.
For the lollipop sticks on the sides of the door I also used whipped backstitch. Backstitch the lines with 4 strands of DMC #699, then whip with 2 strands of DMC #907.
For the swirls on the purple candy I used chain stitch and 2 strands of DMC #550.
3. Soak off the Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy. I soak mine in cold water for at least an hour, then rinse off the mushy stabilizer under cold running water. Don’t rub it to remove any stubborn bits – just hit them with a kitchen sprayer if needed.
Lay the pieces flat on a towel to dry. Do not wring, twist or even smoosh them. Just set them sopping wet on a towel and let them be. I promise they’ll dry. 🙂
4. Layer the small applique pieces onto the house. The stitching makes such a nice guide to help position everything!
I usually just hold them in place while I stitch them down, but this time I experimented with using a fabric glue stick. I used Prym brand and it stuck really well, but there was also a noticeable hardness to the glued bits. It wasn’t so hard that it was difficult to sew through – especially since I was mostly just sewing around the edges and I put a dab of glue in the middle of each piece – but I’d be careful not to use too much.
5. Use whipstitch and matching thread to applique each piece in place.
Add a tiny bit more detail stitching because there wasn’t enough already. Really – if you can’t go overboard on a gingerbread house then when can you? It’s supposed to be slightly insane. 🙂
I added little diagonal stripes on the green stick candy with 2 strands of DMC #699. I also added little starbursts in the centers of the pink lollipops using 2 strands of DMC #603.
6. Layer the ornament front and back together and whipstitch all around the edges.
Whipstitching the edges of the felt is a little different that whipstitch applique, so it has its own video. You can watch it here.
Leave the bit under the door open for stuffing.
7. Add a few pinches of stuffing through the hole, then switch to matching blue thread and sew up the opening.
Thread a 10″ piece of string through the peak of the roof and tie a knot to form a hanging loop.
Finished!
Like all Shiny Happy World designs – you’re welcome to sell items you make with my patterns, but please don’t sell or distribute the patterns themselves.
If you like this free pattern, sign up for the Shiny Happy News! Subscribers get a weekly newsletter with updates, special offers and links to happy things. Sign up here.
This ornament is the same style and size (and difficulty level) as all my other holiday ornament patterns. Here are the first ten ornaments in this year’s Christmas Club collection.
