Fall Goody Bag

Isn't this a sweet little soft candy bowl? And you can whip it up in no time flat!

We modified our easy instant gift bag slightly to create this candy dish.

Supplies

1 piece orange fabric 16" square
1 piece green fabric 16" square
1 piece reinforced batting (such as Battilizer) 16" square
Edgestitch foot
Mettler Silk Finish 50 Weight Cotton thread in a contrasting color for topstitching
Mettler Silk Finish 50 Weight Cotton thread in a matching color for assembly
1 1/2 yards brown 3/8" grosgrain ribbon

Instructions

Start by cutting the fabrics and batting to 16" square.

Place the two fabrics right sides together with the batting on top.

Stitch all the way around the square through all layers, using a 1/4" seam. Leave a 5" opening on one side for turning. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end.

Clip the corners and turn through the opening.

Tuck in the opening and press. Edgestitch all four sides of the square using a triple or other heavy straight stitch. Stitch the opening closed as you topstitch.

Place the square orange side up. Fold the four corners of the bag toward the center as shown. The folded corners should measure 4" from the fold to the triangle tip. Press in place.

Stitch 1/2" from each folded edge of each flap to form a casing for the ribbon. Backstitch at the beginning and end of each flap.

Thread the ribbon through all four casings, using a large safety pin or bodkin to pull it through.

Pull the ribbon tails tight and gather the casings. Tie in a bow and your goody bag is ready to be filled with treats!

Applique Pumpkin Tea Towel

This simple and sweet applique project will bring a little autumn to your kitchen in no time! Find the pattern and instructions below.

Supplies:

• Mettler Web Bond Temporary Adhesive Spray
• Mettler Silk Finish 60 weight cotton in white or neutral color
• Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight orange (sample used 0902)
• Mettler Silk Finish 60 weight brown (sample used 0618)
• Mettler Silk Finish 60 weight green multi (sample used 9818)
• Scrap of orange fabric (8" by 6")
• Scrap of green fabric (4" square)
• Scrap of brown fabric (3" square)
• Lightweight Tear Away stabilizer (at least 9" square)
• Sharp embroidery needle
• Sewing machine with applique foot
• Cotton Tea Towel (such as Dunroven House Tea Towel in Dijon)

Instructions:

Print the Pumpkin Applique Pattern. (Click here to download the pattern.)

Roughly cut out the pattern pieces for the leaves, stem, and pumpkin.

Spray the back of the paper patterns with Web Bond temporary adhesive spray.Apply the paper patterns to the RIGHT side of the applique fabrics and cut out.

Mark the center of the towel by folding it in half lengthwise and pressing it lightly.

Spray the wrong side of the applique fabrics with temporary adhesive spray.

Place the pumpkin in the center of the towel, approximately 2" from the bottom of the towel.

Add the stem and back leaf, tucking them under the pumpkin shape. We put the pumpkin down first to make it easier to center.

Add the second leaf.

Lightly spray a piece of lightweight tear away stabilizer with Web Bond. Place it on the back of the towel, centering it underneath the applique fabrics.

Press the applique fabrics onto the towel to flatten the fabrics and secure the temporary bond of the Web Bond spray.

Trace or sketch the pumpkin vines onto the applique fabrics and towel with a temporary marker.

Select Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight thread in colors to coordinate with your applique pieces. You will need orange, brown, and green.

Thread the machine with Mettler Silk Finish 60 weight cotton neutral colored thread in the bobbin. Thread the top with brown Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight cotton.

Use a 3.5 mm wide satin stitch to stitch around the top three sides of the pumpkin stem.

Thread the machine with green Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight multi. Satin stitch around the top edge of the back leaf with at 3.5 mm wide satin stitch.

Narrow the satin stitch to 2 mm and stitch the back pumpkin vine.

Thread the machine with orange Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight in orange. Stitch around the outside edges of the pumpkin with a 3.5 mm satin stitch.

Thread the machine with green Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight multi. Stitch around the remaining leaf. Narrow the satin stitch to 2 mm. Stitch the remaining pumpkin vines.

Tear Away the excess stabilizer and remove any temporary markings.

Your applique towel is finished and ready to use!

Straight and Even Quilting Stitches - Tips from Paula Reid

Are your stitches not as straight and even as you would like them to be — even when you are using a walking foot?

Two things help make your stitches straight: a single whole throat plate for your machine and using the right needle.

Most machines have a single hole throat-plate available. This plate will have a small single hole for the needle to go in instead of an oval or rectangular slit that is normally used for zig-zag stitching.

 (In the photo below, the straight stitch plate is on the left, a zig-zag plate on the right.

The single hole prevents flagging of the fabric and thread down into the wider hole, giving you a cleaner stitch. Do make a note if you change out your plate though - if you try to zig-zag with it in place, you will break a needle!

Speaking of needles, it's been my experience that a universal needle is too rounded to stitch perfectly straight; it merely finds the point of least resistance and stitches there.

I find that a denim/ jeans needle (I use a Schmetz Denim/Jeans, size 80/12) will punch right through needle-punched cotton batting so that my stitches are straight and even. Try it!

For more tips from Paula, visit her website at http://www.battsintheattic.com/

Free Motion Filler Tutorial - Brick Pattern

In this video, we will demonstrate how to create a brick wall pattern with free-motion quilting. This makes  fun filler, or it can be used to create architectural details on an applique or landscape quilt.

Mini Card Holder Tutorial

This small business card holder is the perfect size to slip in a bag and keep a few of your cards on hand. It would be a great little case for your rewards cards too!

Supplies Needed:

• 5" x 6 1/2" fabric for outside of case
  
  
• 5" x 6 1/2" fabric for lining
• 5" x 6 1/2" piece of lightweight batting

• 2" elastic cord or decorative elastic
• Pins
• Tailor's chalk or marking pencil
• Button
• Transfil Monofilament thread
• Mettler Silk Finish 50 weight cotton thread (should contrast with outside fabric)
• Mettler Web Bond Temporary Adhesive Spray

Lightly spray the piece of batting with Web Bond and place the outer fabric on top.

Draw a line down the center of the outer fabric with the chalk marker, dividing the fabric into two narrow rectangles.

Set your machine up for a hand-look quilt stitch (see this post for more info), using Mettler Transfil in the needle and Mettler Silk Finish Cotton in the bobbin.

Stitch a line of hand-look stitching 1/4" to the right of the chalk line.

Continue to stitch quilting lines 1/4" apart for the entire right side of the rectangle.

On the left side of the rectangle, stitch lines 1/4" apart going in the horizontal direction.

Make a loop with the elastic cord or decorative elastic and pin in place at the bottom center of the fabric.

Place the lining fabric right sides together with the quilted piece. Repin elastic as necessary

Sew the two layers together 1/4" from the edge, leaving an 2" opening on one side for turning. (Don't leave the opening on the side with the elastic loop!). Clip the corners.

Turn the case through the opening and press.

Top-stitch around the entire project, tucking in the seam allowance of the opening and closing it as you stitch.

Stitch a button in the center of the right side of the case, 1" from the edge on the side opposite the elastic loop.

Fold the bottom edge (button side) of the case up 2 1/2" (lining sides together).

Stitch the sides of the case closed, following the topstitching.

Slip your cards inside. To close the case, slip the elastic loop over the button.