tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31220795088698281342024-03-07T23:45:25.097-08:00Crafting with ChristieChristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03223838859196620998noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3122079508869828134.post-67013526834828638152011-02-01T14:28:00.000-08:002011-02-01T14:28:51.810-08:00Sewing Tip - Mitered corners on a blanketIf you can sew a straight line, you are going to love this tip for creating a beautiful, professional looking, baby blanket with mitered corners. Sound complicated? Don't worry it's not!<br />
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Start out with two fabrics - one cut larger than the other. For my blanket, my outer fabric measures 20" by 20" and my inner fabric (minky) measures 14" by 14". When finished, your blanket will be as large as your inner fabric. This 14" square size is perfect for a lovey or travel blanket. A more appropriate napping blanket would be somewhere in the 40" square range or larger. <br />
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Place your fabrics wrong sides together - layering the inner fabric on top of the outer fabric. Center your inner fabric.<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_230.jpg" /><br />
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The difference between my inner and outer fabric is 3" all around. Start by folding 1 1/2" of the outer fabric up (or half the difference between the two layers of fabric) so that the edge of the outer fabric meets the edge of the minky or inner fabric.<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_232.jpg" /><br />
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Fold up again another 1 1/2" and pin. Tip, place the ball point of your pin towards the outside of your blanket. This gives you easier access to remove it while sewing.<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_233.jpg" /><br />
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And this is where pictures are going to be very helpful. Moving clockwise, fold in the left corner of the outer fabric so that it meets the minky and forms a triangle.<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_234.jpg" /><br />
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Finger press and fold in the left strip of outer fabric just like you did in the first step so that the outer fabric edge touches the minky.<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_235.jpg" /><br />
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Fold the whole package over once more and secure with a pin. <br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_236.jpg" /><br />
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You did it - your first mitered corner! Now continue around the blanket using the same process.<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_237.jpg" /><br />
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Take the blanket to your sewing machine and sew 1/4" in from the folded edge of the outer fabric. By the way - I added some ribbon tags for fun!<br />
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<img height="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_239.jpg" /><br />
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Ta Da! A quick, tailored baby blanket! Give it a quick press and you are done!<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_241.jpg" /><br />
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Another tip - if you have access to an embroidery machine, I love using minky inside of appliques. It adds such a nice texture!<br />
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<img width="600px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/MiteredCorners_242.jpg" /><br />
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Have fun sewing your mitered corners!<br />
Fabric: Amy Butler Sweet Jasmine NaturalChristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03223838859196620998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3122079508869828134.post-87155607886485957842011-01-22T21:36:00.000-08:002011-01-23T10:47:04.608-08:00Basement WorkspaceWelcome to my home away from home...or actually, my home inside my home. This is where I spend all of my time sewing and embroidering. Thankfully, I get natural light from a sliding glass door so it feels less like a basement. It's not the most glamorous workspace (obviously - ha!), but it gets the job done.<br />
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<img width="810px" src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_156resized.jpg" /><br />
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My super comfy work chair and desk make sliding between my sewing machine and serger a breeze!<br />
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<img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_152resized.jpg" width="810px" /><br />
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<img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_151resized.jpg" width="810px" /><br />
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Fabrics by the bolt on the right, fabrics by the yard on the left. I know it looks a little chaotic, but it makes sense to me!<br />
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<img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_155_1resized.jpg" height="810px" /><br />
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This little 10 drawer rolling tray sits next to my desk and is perfect for holding all my sewing notions.<br />
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<img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_153_1resized.jpg" height="810px" /><br />
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These rolling bin racks are perfect for helping me keep embroidery blanks, ribbon, key fob hardware, and rolls of chiffon organized!<br />
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<img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_150resized.jpg" height="810px" /><br />
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This is where I do all my cutting. I just love my Olfa cutting mat and rotary cutter. I consider these to be some of my must have tools. These are actually Craftsman work tables pushed together. I love the height - 36" - perfect for standing at. Also, notice the low profile Utilitech flourescent lighting. My dad and I installed 4 of these (8 bulbs total). What's great about these is you can choose the type of light output and they use a fraction of the energy required by standard bulbs. I love working under natural lighting so I'm using the daylight bulbs.<br />
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<img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/craftiechristie/Workspace_154_1resized.jpg" width="810px" /><br />
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Finally, this rolling cart stores all my finished goodies.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03223838859196620998noreply@blogger.com0