Monday, August 3, 2020

Prim Sew Along - Bee Prepared!!

Today is the day for the 
"Bee Prepared" 
post that I do in preparation for my
 appliqué sew alongs using my 
Sew Simple Shapes 
and my latest fabric collection.

This one is the 
PRIM SEW ALONG
and I'm so impatient for it to start!



We will be making the 
Prim Quilt which finishes at
 72" x 90"
It has twelve 16" appliquéd blocks
 which we will be using my 
Sew Simple Shapes to make...
and there are fourteen 
rotary cut and machine pieced 
Prim Steps Blocks for the borders...
and also four - 10" Prim Corner Stars
 that are rotary cut and machine pieced.


My Sew Simple Shapes Sew Alongs
 always take place here on my blog
 and they are on Monday's.

This one starts August 24th... 
just three weeks from today!!!

How do you join the sew along?

1.You simply grab yourself a
 PRIM Quilt Fabric Kit

2. You will need the
 PRIM Sew Simple Shapes and
 the Sew Along Guide

3. Gather up supplies needed 
to make the quilt

4. Come here to my blog every Monday 
during the sew along 
(starting August 24)
where I will give you the 
free step by step tutorial 
for that weeks block.

Please read ALL of the information 
within this post telling you all that 
you need to know about this sew along.

Once the sew along has begun...
each of my weekly posts will be 
tutorials about actually 
making the blocks and so I am
 telling you here all about the supplies
 and other things necessary to get started.


There is no pattern to purchase...
basically the
 are the pattern and the instructions on
 how to use them for each block 
are shown weekly here 
on my blog during the sew along.


Along with the shapes you will 
need to download the handy dandy 
Prim Sew Along Guide
for the free download.

In the guide you will have:
 A print out of the finished quilt...
the schedule of what blocks
 we will be doing each week 
during the sew along...
(in this photo the number 8 shows up
 twice lol the dates are correct)

Also in the guide you will find
 fabric requirements for the quilt...
and notion requirements for the quilt
 as well as suggested notions 
that I use when making mine.



You will also find instructions 
for cutting each and every 
piece of fabric in your kit!

It will tell you what that piece is for...
which Sew Simple Shape it is used with
 and what block it belongs to.

This way you can cut ahead of time
 and make individual block kits for
 your quilt and have them all 
ready to go each week!


As with any sew along...
organization is really the key.

I like to have this information 
ready for you ahead of time 
so that each week we can 
simply make the block!!

You will also find the cutting 
measurements of the Sew In Interfacing 
that goes with each Sew Simple Shape 
so that you can have that all cut
 and ready to go:)



I like to put my Sew Along Guide 
in a binder and decorate it 
for the sew along...
after all I will be using it 
for at least 13 weeks and 
it needs to be cute!

With that being said...
I have given you a page and a half of "PRIM" Clip Art 
to decorate your binder!

I am also a paper crafter and planner girl
 at heart because I never have 
grown out of the cutting and pasting era
 of my childhood and I know a lot of you 
have not either...
which makes us kindred spirits:)

You can also use this clip art to
 decorate your planner...
make bookmarks...
or tags for organizing and gifts.

 If you are a shop owner 
you have my permission to use my clip art
 to tag your PRIM items and kits 
that you are selling in your shop.

I have put each of the 
12 Prim Applique Blocks into a circle...
you could use these to
 put within each block kit 
to label them...
the possibilities are endless!
I hope you enjoy them:)



And as always I have designed a page
 for "PRIM Notes" so that you can 
jot anything down from my blog posts 
each week during the sew along.

You can print as many clip art or 
note pages as you would like 
for your own personal use...
just keep in mind that they are
 copyrighted and they are not for re-sale.

They are meant as a gift to you 
from me for joining the sew along
 and to add even more fun!

P.S. I do recommend copying the clip art pages onto card stock 
for paper crafting and decorating:)



Okay...enough about the guide...
let's talk about the fabric!
The collection that we are using 
for the Prim Quilt is of course...
PRIM!!

"Take a step back in time with my 
latest fabric collection called PRIM.
My inspiration for this line of fabric 
comes from an earlier period of history
 which was reminiscent of gentler times,
 when things were simple and homegrown 
and handmade with love...
when friends and neighbors
 worked and worshiped together...
and put their hands to work 
and hearts to God.
Pull up a comfy chair, 
make yourself at home...
and allow PRIM to tug at your heartstrings
 as well as your creativity!"


There are 42 prints in the collection
 and I also designed 4 more prints
 to go into my 
Bee Backgrounds Collection 
that go especially well with PRIM.



In addition to the 42 prints ...
I have designed a "cheater cloth" 
called Prim Churndash.

I love this print!
Although we are not using it 
in the Prim Quilt...
there are certainly a lot
 of possibilities with this one:)



If you have not already pre-ordered 
your fabric kit and still need one...
 just do a quick google search of
 "Prim Quilt Kit" to find one...
google is your best friend lol...
easy peasy!!

For the quilt we will be 
using all 42 prints...



As well as two of the Bee Backgrounds
 and the "Clover" Confetti Cotton 
for the stems and "Beach" 
for the faces, arms and legs.

I developed another of my SHABBY prints
 to use for the background of 
each of the applique blocks.
So far I have 55 SHABBY colors and 
this one is called "Latte"
We will use the Pewter Ticking in the collection for the binding.



With each collection that I design...
I also design 3 wide back prints 
(108" wide)
 to use for the backings on any and all
 of your PRIM projects...
it's so nice when you don't have to 
piece the back!

Here are the 3 Prim Wide Backs.
You can choose whichever you would like 
for the back of your quilt...
they all match perfectly:)


This is the set we will be using;
PRIM 
Sew Simple Shapes

This is my biggest set so far...
big meaning the most pieces...
a whopping 62!!

Because I am a visual person...
I thought you might like to sew 
a photo of each of the supplies
 and notions that are listed in the guide.

 ***The following photos are some
 of my notions and other of my
 favorite notions that I am using 
to make my Prim Quilt.

You will see me using them in the
 tutorials during the sew along...
 so I thought I would tell you about 
each of them here...
 to answer any questions that 
you may have about them.

You can of course use what 
you would like...
these happen to be my favorites:


The Cute Cuts 10 1/2" Trim - It Ruler

 is used to trim up the border 
and corner blocks.
(Prim Steps and Prim Corner Star)


The 16 1/2" Cute Cuts Trim - It Ruler
 is used for placing and centering
 the applique blocks during preparation
 for applique and then 
trimming them up after applique.

(Backgrounds are cut larger to allow 
for working the block and 
then trimmed up later)


You will need close to 2 full packages
 of my Sew-In Interfacing.
Since starting my sew alongs that use
 my easy applique method...
 I have developed what I think is the 
perfect strength and thickness of 
interfacing for shaping the appliqués.

I also use the
 Point to Point Turner by Clover 
to shape each of my pieces...
I could not do without this handy tool!



I pin and then glue baste 
each block for applique prep.
I love love love this glue by Sue Daley
 and affectionately nick named it
 "Sue Glue"
It is water soluble...
dries clear...
keeps my pieces in place for applique
 but can be pulled off if I need to reposition...its a win win!

Here are the 2 sizes of the 
bias tape makers by Clover.
The green is 1/4" and the yellow is 1/2"



Here is a photo of my NIFTY NEEDLES...
they come in a card and also 
individual needle tubes as well.

There are 6 different kinds...
shown in the tubes are the ones 
that are relevant for this quilt.
Embroidery...applique and binding.

You can also use the sewing needles
 in one of the smaller sizes 
if the applique needles are 
too small for you.

It's really a personal preference...
they both work just as well and 
there are several sizes 
to choose from within each tube.



This is what the inside of 
my needle card looks like.
You can see that I have 
color coded each needle so that you 
can easily identify them when 
they are removed and placed 
into your pincushions or needle books.



And speaking of needle books...
I have done a tutorial on how to
 make my needle book with pockets
 using my PRIM fabric.
I recently joined YouTube and have 
started my own channel.
 That's where you will find the tutorial
 to watch and make one for yourself!
It's a perfect place to keep your 
needles for applique and your 
binding thread too:)


Let's talk thread.
I have a new Aurifil thread set 
out for Prim that includes
 10 colors that are new.
You can use them in addition with my 
other sets to match my fabrics!

The thread is 50 wt. and is used for
 APPLIQUE and NOT embroidery.

You can decide if you would like to 
machine applique or hand applique...
either way you will need to 
have matching thread for each applique.

This thread works for both!

If you are machine appliquéing
 you would use it for the top thread
 but you would not need to change 
your bobbin color as it would 
not show on the top.

There is a little bit of embroidery 
on a few of the blocks 
which uses all the same color.

If you have my PRIM Aurifloss set
 for cross stitch you can use the
 1140 Raisin
P.S. Aurifloss is made by Aurifil and 
is a six stranded embroidery floss 
for handwork...not for the machine.

You do not use Aurifloss for applique...
but for embroidery or cross stitch.

You can also use DMC 3021 as it is
 a good match as well.
One skein is plenty!


Any embroidery patterns for the quilt 
are in the sew along guide.
You can tape that page to a window 
on a sunny day to trace directly
 onto the fabric for embroidery 
(I use a .05 mechanical pencil)
 or you can use a light box.

I use my Easy Trace Light Box.
 I'm excited to announce that 
it's time to produce them again!...
they will be exactly the same but I will 
do a different color this time 
just to change it up!


I use my washi tape for 
taping my embroidery pattern and fabric
 onto my light box for tracing.

I don't want my pattern or fabric
 to shift during this process.
For those of you who may not know
 what washi tape is...
it was developed for paper crafting and packaging but I also use it 
for sewing and quilting!

Just think of it as cute 
miniature painters tape.
It has a low adhesive so that it 
can hold temporarily and can be 
peeled off without leaving 
a residue on fabric.
Perfect for taping paper 
and fabric to the light box!

I do a set of four washi tape designs 
with each fabric collection 
and these are from my PRIM set:)


I have several different sets of 
Pretty Pins and these are the two
 that I use when making this quilt.

The Double Pins are used when 
piecing blocks and I will 
show you during that tutorial.

The Applique Pins are used for 
pin basting into the design boards 
and are essential to me!
These are just the right length 
for this task...
which is why I call them appliqué.

I also have "mini applique" Pretty Pins 
that are short and tiny and are 
used for hand applique 
when I don't glue baste.


And again...speaking of pins...
of course you need a pincushion 
for this sew along! 

I made this one to use 
when making my quilt...
I made it with one of the prints...
my Bee Cute Lace and a 
vintage silver sugar bowl 
that I thrifted for just a few dollars.

It has the perfect amount of wear on it 
and a beautiful patina.
I also did a tutorial on my 
YouTube channel on how I make my 
pincushions from vintage finds.
to go on over for a visit!


I use Bee in my Bonnet Design Boards 
when cutting and for pinning and
 glue basting each applique block.
The new PRIM ones come in
 three sizes...10" - 14" and 18"
There are 2 prints for each size.



You will need sewing scissors 
as well as embroidery scissors.
I use both...these are my
 9" Sewing Scissors (available soon)
 and my Stork Scissors 
that are available now.



You will need all sizes of 
cutting rulers and of course a cutting mat...
I have a variety of Cute Cuts Rulers 
in 4 different colors and shapes and sizes.


When I am cutting I use my 
Sew Handy Stickers for labeling 
my cut pieces and blocks etc.

They come in 5 different colors 
and are letters and a few
 number pages as well:)

These stickers adhere well...
can be ironed over...sewn over too...
but then they easily peel off 
without leaving any residue.

LOVELY!!


When I cut my blocks for this quilt 
I grabbed 12 of my small design boards 
(I have literally a ton of these lol) 
and I stuck a number sticker onto
 each one for that block.
(Now that I have my Clip Art ready
 I'll have to add these block circles
 to the blocks I have not done yet!)



As I cut I placed the pieces 
for each individual block on it's 
labeled design board...
then stacked them up!

The board keeps them safe and they are
 ready to go when needed.

Not pictured but added later was the interfacing pieces
 all cut and ready to go on
 each individual board as well:)



Here are all of my sashing strips...
corner stone squares and 
Prim Steps Blocks 
all cut and labeled 
with the correct letter.

I have assigned each Prim Steps Block
 a LETTER in the Sew Along Guide 
and have labeled accordingly with my stickers.



Here is just a visual about 
cutting strips ON THE BIAS.
Most of the strips are straight cuts 
and are specified in the 
sew along guide within 
each fabric cutting instructions.

Once in a while I will have you 
cut a square and then cut some 
strips diagonally from that square from corner to corner like this.

That is when those strips need to curve
 so they will need to be cut on the
 bias instead of just across 
the width of fabric.

This photo is when cutting the
 bias strips for block one.
These need to curve because they 
are the white stripes on the flag.

You will cut these 1" wide on the bias.
Whenever I have you cut 1" wide 
you will run the strips through the
 1/2" bias tape maker.
This info is in the guide as well.



These bias strips will be used 
for the  curved handles in the vase 
on block six but I had you cut one extra 
on the bias too for the 
brim on the mans hat in block four.

Even though the brim is straight 
I like the way the gingham looks
 on the bias across the hat for the brim:)

All strips are cut 5/8" wide 
for using the 1/4" bias tape maker.


Sorry about this photo lighting but
 it was dark and I did not have 
natural light for this photo:)
Anyhoo...this is the bias strip that 
you will cut for the 
curved strawberry basket handle 
in block two:)

All of this info is
 in the guide but again...
visual photos are a help to me and 
I hope they help you as well.



In the background of this photo
 you can see all of my blocks 
and border blocks cut and stacked.

Now I'm cutting across the half yard 
of Clover Solid to use for 
all of the flower stems.

Most of the stems are curved 
which is why we are 
actually cutting on the bias.

Some stems are straight like in
 block 5 but its okay to make 
straight stems from bias cut strips.

These will be cut 5/8" wide 
for the 1/4" bias tape maker.



After cutting a few you can 
actually fold down your fabric ...
lining up the cut edges evenly
 and continue cutting 5/8" wide strips...
the fold would go across the top.
The strips end up the same length...
this is just so that you can 
use a shorter ruler...
making it easier to cut.


I'm just keeping my cut stem strips 
together in a pile and 
pulling them out as needed for each block.



I also wanted to show you a picture of
 my cut blocks for the 
Prim Corner Stars
I have them separated and placed 
on my medium design board until sewing.


And speaking of sewing...
you do not need a 
fancy shmancy sewing machine
 to make the applique pieces from the 
Sew Simple Shapes.

Just a good straight stitch 
is all you need...at just a regular
 stitch length or just a bit shorter.

I am using one of my vintage
 Singer Featherweight machines
 for making this quilt.

You can see my 
Seams Sew Easy Guide
 taped to my machine...
(I use washi tape for that too)


I use my Seams Sew Easy Guide
 when piecing all of the border blocks 
for adding the easy corner triangles
 and an accurate 1/4" seam allowance.

I'll show you during those block tutorials:)



Also...a note about ironing.
I do not use steam in my iron 
and you want to make sure not to
 after you have sewn your shapes
 and are pressing them.

Just a good and dry hot iron works well
 and I have found that a 
seam roller works fabulous for
 pressing my shapes after shaping as well.

I don't like to "smoosh" them down
 and iron them too flat.
I like a little poof in my shapes 
because it gives my applique a nice finish.


So here is my Block One 
already cut and ready to sew and shape!



Here's a little peek at my
 Block One in progress.
I have been working ahead so that I 
can prepare the tutorials for you...
I am about 5 blocks ahead right now 
and let me tell you...
I love love love each and every one!!

I will meet you right back here 
on Monday the 24th for the 
step by step tutorial for block one:)

Relax and have fun while 
preparing your block kits 
using the guide instructions.
It's not a race...take your time!

When I have a lot of cutting to do 
I like to listen to an audio book 
or binge watch something.
While I cut all of the pieces
 for my Prim Quilt 
I binge watched "Anne with an E"
on Netflix.
It was the perfect companion for Prim!

Sew with you soon...
xx
Lori





7 comments:

  1. I`m looking forward to this and have ordered my Prim Shapes but these could be awhile before I receive them in NZ. Happy stitching.

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  2. Beautiful fabric collection as always Lori! Can't wait to start sewing with you, once my kit arrives in Scotland of course!

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  3. I am ALWAYS late to the party!! lol! Just starting the BEE PATRIOTIC...but, I will watch and enjoy this SAL and maybe make one too!!! Thank you for your WONDERFUL inspiration!!! Your endless energy and enthusiasm is contagious!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is my 6th sew simple shape sew along. I may not make the exact same quilt but I really enjoy making the applique blocks! I feel like I have made hundreds of flowers! You are an inspiration! Can't wait to make these prim blocks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow!! Your post is the most perfect prep I’ve ever seen!!! This makes me want to move into my sewing room and never come out!!! AWESOME! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looking forward to this new sew along. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I am staying at home almost all the time, so a new quilt is something to look forward to! Love the new fabrics, but will have to use my stash for this one. This is my 4th sew along (Bloom, Farm sweet Farm, and Bee Happy). Thanks.

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  7. Lori I'm sew excited about this Sew Along! You have the most generous warm heart! Great thanks!!

    ReplyDelete