December 31, 2013

Disappearing 4-Patch Tutorial - Attack Your Scraps

I'm not gonna lie, I've been in a funk for quite some time now, months really. You would think that spending so much time with family over all the holidays would've helped pull me out of it. I have been so very blessed to spend a lot of time with family lately!!

Truth be told, I was simply on a medication to help manage nerve pain and it turned me into a Zombie. I'm thinking I'll just have an advantage when the Zombie Apocalypse comes. Hahaha....

Today was the very first time I've woken up at 5am and gotten out of bed (for something other than just to pee) since about August. When you have 5 kids that's usually one of the only times you have to sew: when the little people sleep.

I wanted to play with something simply, but that would also have an awesome end product. I think I hit the nail on the head!

This is simply a version of a disappearing 4-patch:


Being lazy, uhh I mean being productive to use leftover 5 inch charm squares, I ended up with an 8 inch block.

I love how it turned out!

Want to make some?? It's super super easy, I mean 5 am easy.

Start with a 4 patch, or two if you're going for super scrappy:


Using your ruler, cut 1 inch from the center 4 times. After I cut the first time, I just turned my mat (or ruler) and cut the next one, etc. It was very very helpful to have a small mat to cut on & rotate. Like so:




Swap around the parts however you like. For example:

Before swap:


After swap:


I picked up the triangle parts in the middle of the sides and swapped those between the 2 blocks. Then I grabbed the center piece, turned it 180 degrees, and swapped it between blocks also. (I love love how they turned out.)

Then sew and press and ta-da!

See, SUPER easy!! And, you can start with any size squares for the 4 patch, you'll just end up with a different size finished block. Can we say pre-cut AND scrap friendly! Oh Yea!

One of the reasons I find scrappy quilts so cool is the juxtaposition of modern prints next to vintage-y florals and such, like that green log print next to the brown floral. I just love it!

Edited to add:  I would LOVE to see any blocks/projects you create with this tutorial! Feel free to join & share in my Flickr group: Your Lyanna Jean Designs.

December 5, 2013

Oh, Emmaline

Have you seen the Emmaline apron??

This has got to be one of the absolute cutest aprons out there!


I joined a holiday apron swap, so of course I had to get a new apron pattern. Well, I actually ended up with 2 new patterns. I bought the Emmaline and the Gathering aprons from Sew Liberated.

There was so much lovely Christmas fabric to choose from, I had a very hard time picking only 2 prints, so I ended up making 2 Emmaline aprons.






















I already have a fabric picked out to make myself a Gathering apron this spring. I'm quite excited!

The best part about the Emmaline apron was that the pattern was printed on regular paper, none of that lightweight tissue yuck! I was a little sad to discover that the gathering apron was printed on tissue type paper, super sad face.


The two Emmaline's worked up really quickly. The worst part was all the pressing of the washed fabric, I'm not a fan of ironing (kinda funny that I love to sew/quilt but really don't like ironing).

I'm really loving all these quick projects that I've been getting done this year in between the quilts I've been working on. Makes me feel all productive ;)

Honestly, I'm a little gaga over the Clara Dress. Maybe I just need one of those too....

What's your favorite apron pattern?


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