Friday, August 30, 2013

My Quilty Back Pockets Tutorial!!!...


Today I want to show you what I put on the back of my Quilty Fun quilts...
this is my "Town Square" quilt pictured above.

I call them my 
"Quilty Back Pockets"



I sew them into the corners 
when binding my quilts!

(I sew them into all four corners 
making them easy to hang from any side) 


I came up with my  "quilty back pockets" because
 I wanted more options for 
 hanging and displaying my quilts...
and I think this is a simple solution!


I always keep a quilt hanging on one wall
 in every room of my cottage and I usually use curtain rods and clips...


But since adding my Quilty Back Pockets I have more options!
Like hanging the pockets over the hooks
on these cute hangers I used for my 
Quilty Fun photo shoot.


 I have even more YouTube videos that were released this morning.
To see todays new episodes...


to see all of them together...


to see the Quilty Back Pocket episode!

Let me know if my YouTube videos are helpful to you and if so...
what you would like to see next!

Have a quilty kind of day...
xx
Lori


Thursday, August 29, 2013

New YouTube Tutorials from My Studio...



Well guess what?...
I'm on the tube again!





You can see me 
in my studio showing you several
 short quilty fun segments about things like
 chain piecing...
why I keep knitting needle protectors
 in my sewing kit ...
a favorite ruler of mine... 
and things that I use every day
 in my studio...etc 



All of the segments were filmed right here
 a few weeks ago
 during the photo shoot for my new book! 


 Lessons in Scrappy Patchwork
by Lori Holt
of Bee in my Bonnet



The Jolly Jabber has blogged about the first half of my videos...
and the second half here.

to see my latest episodes:)

Have a quilty kind of day!
xx
Lori

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

From my Quilty Studio...How I Save My Fabric Scraps...and All About Bonus Quilts!!!


These are my quilty scraps.

Also known as -
 my little bits of happiness:)
They are cut from all of my quilty project leftovers.
I use them all the time and make lots of fun projects from them.


These are the shelves in 
my studio where I keep my fabric.
I keep my fabric in baskets by color.

You can see the smaller baskets on top...
inside those are my little quilty scraps!

When I buy fabric...
I usually buy fat quarters and sometimes 1/2 yard cuts.
It all goes into the larger baskets
 when I bring it home from the quilt shop.

I buy larger cuts of fabric for sashings, borders, 
binding and backing
 as I need them per project.


When I am cutting for a project and I happen to have used most of a fat quarter...
instead of returning it to it's color basket...
I cut it into smaller strips or even just a square or two...
if that's all that is left.

I do not throw it out unless it's smaller than 1 1/2".


No...this is not a garbage can:)
It's where I put all of the leftovers that are
 too small to go back in the large baskets. 


When it's about halfway full,
I go through it, 
cut up the pieces that I haven't cut into strips and squares yet,
 and put them all into my scrap baskets according to strip or square size.

 It's a good system for me that has worked
 so well throughout my quilting years:)


The three sizes that I use the most and keep in these small baskets are
1 1/2" strips and squares...


2 1/2" strips and squares...




And 3 1/2" strips and squares.

(I also keep 5", 7" and 10" squares in one of the larger baskets on my shelves)


These are my go to baskets when I am making any scrappy project.


I go to these first so that I don't have 
to cut one or two little squares out of my larger pieces.

I hate that!!

Using and buying fabric in this way
gives me a great variety in color and prints. 
And
it makes my mom and my grandma's proud!

Use it up
wear it out
make it do
or do without...:) 





I just love having precut squares and strips at
 my finger tips at any given time...
all cut and ready to sew
 in all of my happy colors.

For me...
just having a stack of 3 1/2" squares like these
 means the possibilities are endless!

Having them gives me the same feeling that
I had as a little girl
 with a new box of crayons:)


So let me tell you about one of the ways that I use my little bits of happiness.
I make scrappy blocks of course! 
Lots of scrappy blocks.
I make them into what I like to call
"Bonus Quilts"

For example...
just yesterday I posted
 for my Bitty Scrap Around Block.
I cut it out of my 1 1/2" and 2 1/2" scraps.




I had several of these blocks made already
because I have been using them as my current
bonus quilt project.

I've blogged several times about how I use starters and stoppers when I sew...
 to see one of those posts if you don't know what I'm talking about!
(I'll wait...:)


Okay...got it?
Now back to the Bitty Scrap Around blocks.
As I said...
I always have a scrappy 
starters and stoppers project going and I'm now making several of my 
Bitty Scrap Around blocks.

Above are the pieces that I cut for the 
blocks from my 2 1/2" basket....

2 1/2" squares for the centers
 and 
1 1/2" x 2 1/2" strips for the sides.



I cut the additional pieces for the blocks 
from my 1 1/2" basket...

4 1/2" strips and
 6 1/2" strips.


I don't really count how many pieces that I cut...
I just cut up a bunch in the sizes needed for the block.

 When I'm running low...
I simply grab my baskets and quickly cut more to
continue with the same blocks.

After one particular project is complete...
I decide on a new one and start cutting again!!!


I keep this vintage muffin tin next to my sewing machine 
when I am chain piecing
 so that the pieces are handy to just pick up and 
use as my current bonus quilt project. 


You can see that by using starters and stoppers
 each time I'm sewing...



I quickly have a pile of 
scrappy happy blocks to make into
 a bonus quilt...
a runner...
a bag...
or even a pillow!


When one size of my
 "little bits of happiness" 
basket is getting a little full...
I plan a project that will use up several
 of that strip or square size
and cut pieces for my 
next bonus quilt.


That's why I chose to
 make these small blocks and call them
"Bitty Scrap Around's"...
(they finish at 6")
because my 1 1/2" basket was getting pretty full!


This is a quilt that I call my 
"Scrap Around" quilt.
 It's really big 
(it's folded for the photo)
and our favorite go to quilt for snuggling when watching a movie.

I made it several years ago. 
 I used my 5" square scraps...
  my 2 1/2" and 1 1/2" strips to make it.



I love to put a really fun and
 colorful backing on my scrappy quilts:)


Now you can see why I heart my 
baskets filled with little bits of happiness...
and why I save them!
I LOVE making something beautiful out of leftovers...
AND
I LOVE saving time and thread by
 using starters and stoppers.


I hope I've inspired you to do the same!
 Save your Scraps.
The secret to "using" them 
instead of just "saving" them 
is to cut them into usable sizes and keep them organized.
Once you've done that...
you will be surprised at how many
scrappy happy projects you can make!


Let me know what you think about the
 latest "from my quilty studio" tutorial.

Do you believe in saving scraps?
  
My next tutorial will be all about using my vintage irons!


Have a quilty kind of day!
xx
Lori















Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Quilty Barn Along...Barn Number 11 and my Bitty Scrap Around Block Tutorial!!!...


Yes...
I know it's Tuesday and not my regular day for  
but now that my summer is officially over...
it's back on the farm for me!!!

This is Quilty Barn #11...
only one more to go for 
this quilty red barn quilt:)


I chose to put my
Bitty Scrap Around Block 
on the side of this barn.


I have made this block in several sizes 
and many versions like it over the years...
completely from my scraps!!!

Tomorrow I will be posting more about how I
 keep my quilty scraps and how I use them every day.
But for now...
let's move onto the
 Bitty Scrap Around block tutorial.


This is my basket of leftover 2 1/2" strips and squares.
For my Bitty Scrap Around block...
I grabbed a 2 1/2" square for the center.


This is my basket of leftover 1 1/2" strips and squares.
I easily cut the rest of the strips from this basket 
because they already measure 1 1/2" wide...
so I just needed to cut the length of each piece.


Cut 2 - 2 1/2" long
Cut 4 - 4 1/2" long 
Cut 2 - 6 1/2" long
Lay them out on your design board until you
 like the placement of color and pattern.


Sew a 2 1/2" long strip to each side of the center square.
(press towards the strips throughout the entire block)


Now add a 4 1/2" strip to the top and the bottom.



Add the remaining 4 1/2" strips to the sides...


and finally add the 6 1/2" long strips to the top and bottom...
 to finish up the
Bitty Scrap Around Block!
It should measure 6 1/2" at this point. 


Add your barn fabric strips around it...


And build your Quilty Barn #11!
(click here for my original barn tutorial)


I thought it would be fun to add a scrappy window in the loft!
I just used 4 - 1 1/2" squares from my scrap basket.


I think Quilty Barn #11 looks scrappy happy...
don't you?

Tune in tomorrow for my Quilty Scraps post!!!

And have a barn buildin' kind of day...
xx
Lori