This post is part of the Sewing Back-to-School series, 30 days of helpful sewing articles by guest bloggers. Feel free to check out the original Sewing Back-to-School post for schedule and previous posts!
Meg has a great blog, and just recently wrapped up her Finish It Up Challenge in an effort to get everyone to finish up their WIP’s (works in progress). She also makes a lot of really cool bags (this one is my favorite) that I am very jealous of!
Hello! I am Meg of Fashioned by Meg. Sara was so kind to invite me to share with you all about some patchwork basics. Patchwork is so inspiring. It can be used in a wide variety of projects: quilts, pillows, bags, toys, and all sorts of accessories. Change up a simple pattern that you own with a little bit of patchwork, and it adds some great charm. There is something so satisfying about transforming your scraps into something useful and beautiful. Here are some beautiful patchwork projects to inspire you:
So lets get started! Patchwork is a great way to use up your scraps, so head on over to your scrap basket and pick out some of your favorites! You can choose randomly, but I find that I do like coordinating my fabric choices. For example in this placemat I chose a peachy colorway. All the fabrics are not necessarily peach, but they all go well together and have more neutral tones.
I also like the look of just using one color. For this tea towel I only used red scraps.
So after you pick your fabrics, it is time to start cutting! I am going to show you how to make a little four patch block, and you can apply the principles you learn here to use patchwork in other projects as well.
First, you will need two different fabrics. From your two different fabrics cut two 2 inch squares. (If you need help with cutting accurately, please refer to Lindsay’s great post she had on using rotary cutters.) I like to cut my fabrics into 2 inch strips and then cut them down into squares as seen below.
So, take your four squares and head on over to your sewing machine! This is where you find a quarter inch foot a very useful tool. This is what mine looks like. When I place my fabric on the edge of this foot, it gives me a perfect quarter inch seam. If you don’t have one of these feet, you should definitely consider investing in one or you can make yourself a seam guide by sticking a piece of masking tape exactly a quarter of an inch away from the needle. For a few projects it doesn’t necessarily matter if your patchwork comes out too big or too small, but for most projects you are going to be pulling out your hair because things are not matching up. So although it may seem like an easy step to skip, making sure your seam is accurate really can make or break your project.
Another thing to take into account with your seam allowance is that in patchwork when you press it to the side it is best that your seam allowance be slightly less than an exact quarter inch. This is called a “scant quarter inch”. So I usually set my machine a few slight notches over to the right. This way you don’t lose any of your seam to the thread or the space that is taken up when the seam is pressed to the side.
Now take two of your squares and place them right sides together.
Now sew them together using a scant quarter inch.
Open up your two squares and press the seam allowance to one side.
Sew your other two blocks together and press the seam allowance to the opposite side.
Now we are going to make our little block. Place your two pieces together so that the seams are nesting together. One seam is going to the right and one is going to the left, as shown below. Pin these in place and sew together.
Now open up your block and press the seam allowance to one side, and you are finished!
You are now the proud creator of sweet little four patch block.
Patchwork is lots of fun! So, I hope this was helpful and please stop by and visit me at Fashioned by Meg!
In this video, I will show you some fun woven labels that you can add to your bags or pouches. The labels add a little bit of extra special to your projects. You can find the woven labels here: https://tinyurl.com/2mepk36n
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tazjMmFr1Io]
In this video, I will demonstrate how to use Pellon SF-101 Shape Flex interfacing in order to "take out the stretch" so that you can use a knit or garment fabric for bag-making!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtfNqX9eau0]
In this video, I will show you how to make a Rolled Handle for a bag. You can use Cork fabric, faux leather, leather, or vinyl - any material that can be cut and left raw.
Before beginning, please download the templates: Rolled Handle pattern pieces
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqKuAD5U5y4]
In this video, I will show you how to install a twist lock, a piece of purse hardware that looks beautiful on the flap of a bag.
You will need a small Phillips-head screwdriver and fabric glue (I recommend Beacon 3-1 or Beacon Fabric-Tac).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeSM6opRt0k]
In this video, I will show you how to make a quick 10-minute bi-fold wallet. You can use cork fabric or any other fabric that does not fray, such as leather, vinyl, or wool.
Find cork fabric here: https://tinyurl.com/y6w7arsy
Click Here to Download the Template - Cork Wallet
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsi0o2Zrjm0]
Happy sewing!
Electronic devices, especially cameras, need a bag with extra padding; and that's where the Ansel Camera Bag pattern comes into play! The Ansel Camera Bag is one of our newest online workshops now available for purchase!
The video for this pattern is 1 hour 46 minutes long, and I'll walk you through the entire process from start to finish. I'll...
Everyone needs a travel bag - perfect for an overnight trip or to fit under your seat on the airplane! The Aeroplane Bag is one of our newest online workshops now available for purchase!
The video for this pattern is 1 hour 23 minutes long, and I'll walk you through the entire process from start to finish.
This pattern is available...
Here's a free video tutorial on how to make a Selvage Zipper Pouch. Zipper pouches are really easy to make and are a great start into bag-making for all of you potential bag ladies out there! And who doesn't have selvages!
Before you start the video, please download the cutting instructions and template here by clicking on the blue text:
Selvage...
March is Craftsy Month here on Sew Sweetness! If you are not familiar with Craftsy, it is a series of hundreds of online classes for learning techniques and projects. There are free classes to try out, and any classes that you purchase stay in your account forever so that you can reference them at any time! My love affair...
Traditional magnetic snaps with prongs and invisible magnetic snaps, which are encased in clear vinyl sleeves, are two pieces of purse hardware that can be used to easily add top closure in your bag or to finish a bag's flap.
I'm pleased to share this post, which I wrote for the Craftsy blog, which features a step-by-step photo tutorial on...
This is a little view of some of the things that went down here at Sew Sweetness in 2014! Initially, I wasn't going to write a post like this (a lot of things leave my being the minute I finish making them...I guess I'm more interested in the actual making than in the finished project, lol), but I've been...
Today's post is brought to you by Liz from Moments... She is an avid sewer of faux leather, and I thought it might be nice to pick up some of her tips for sewing with leather, as it's not something I commonly do (but would like to!).
pleather, PVC leather, fake leather ...whatever you call it ... is way easier...
Just found your blog and love all the great info, but this article on Patchwork Basics has a problem with the photos not displaying. Will be checking back to see if they have been fixed. Thanks so much for sharing. Shannon [email protected]
It seems that Meg really like stitching squares which I find wonderful!
Beautiful work – I’m an inspired newbie!
I’m off to visit her blog. Thanks.
Just found your blog and love all the great info, but this article on Patchwork Basics has a problem with the photos not displaying. Will be checking back to see if they have been fixed. Thanks so much for sharing. Shannon [email protected]