Oriental Wall Hangings

Japanese poppy squares used uniquely

Can you spot the Japanese poppy blocks on each Oriental wall hanging? They are so pretty with oriental fabrics. These are Michael Miller panels that I bought and added borders of Japanese parasols and the Japanese poppy blocks. I did "Sashiko quilting" (Japanese style quilting with large white cotton thread making each stitch the length of a grain of rice. I learned that in Japan a few years ago.
I am also giving you the pattern again for the block, that you can download from the blog. Check May 5, 2010 blog for directions. Happy Days!

March 1st St. Patrick's Day the 17th yeh

I have been under the weather with asthma and laryngitis.....no voice for 4 full days. Terrible for a lady to have that. I'm sure Mr. Whoozy even got tired of having to read lips. ha
Here's the Shamrock pattern for you to use for your Seasonal Quilt for the month of March. Click on May 5, 2010 on the right hand side of this blog and it will have "how to download" just one thing from the blog. You can use the pattern to make 3 Shamrocks for your plain blocks on your quilt. I am not using mine like a huge bulletin board. So handy. Just pin the things you want to remember to do on certain days onto the plain blocks. on a little piece of paper taped to the shamrocks. Neat.

TA DA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here it is! FOXY JACKET!

Since most of you know that this jacket will look differently for every person who makes it since there is no given pattern. That is the fun of making it. The one I have pictured here was made out of my "fabric collection" as I had to write the directions for everyone quickly and no time to go fabric shopping. Now that you have all of the directions for making this jacket, I shall start making one for myself that is totally different from the one pictured. Please try to follow the directions carefully, and yours will be yours only! Your own creation! You'll be so proud of it since YOU designed it! You'll find the complete directions: Part A is on Feb. 8th; Parts B & C are on Feb. 12th
Directions Part D & E: . Cut a 31/2" strip of focus fabric for the center of each sleeve and pin to the sleeve.
2. I chose to use only two fabrics other than the focus fabric on the sleeve. Decide which fabrics look nice with the fronts and back. Cut one piece for the left side of the focus fabric, and one piece for the right side. Pin pieces to the sleeve. 505 Spray Fixative may be used to hold all pieces to the sweat shirt until they are sewn down.
Part E. Preparing "Not Bias Tape" to cover all raw seams:
Cut 1 1/2" wide strips across the width of your darkest fabric. Once you have one strip cut, you'll need your 3/8" bias bar and a Zipper foot for your machine. Fold the right side of the fabric in half over the bias bar and pin horizontally in 3 places before starting to sew. Stitch as close as possible along the side of the bias bar. When you reach the end of the bias bar, push it through and repeat the process until you have stitched the entire strip.
With the bias bar still in the fabric fold, push the seam to the top of the bar and press with a hot dry iron. The bars are made to withstand heat. Keep pressing with the bar in the fold until you have finished the whole tube. Repeat with approximately 4 strips for the entire jacket. This process is shown on my blog www.funstitchery.com Stitch down each side of the tubing to complete the process. Once all of the tubing has been sewn into place, reassemble the jacket.
REASSEMBLING THE JACKET: Always use 1/2" seams. Sew shoulder seams together starting at neck edge. Press seams open. Pin sleeves into arm holes placing center point of sleeve at center of shoulder seam. Stitch sleeve into arm hole. Press seam toward neck edge.
Right sides together, starting at "cuff edge" of sleeve, stitch to underarm, turn, and stitch down side seam to the bottom. Press seams open. Repeat for the other sleeve.
Cut strips of darkest fabric 2 1/2" wide for binding. Fold in half and press with hot iron. Stitch binding around the entire jacket edge; flip to inside and hand sew the binding down. Bind edges of sleeve, also. Sew a decorative button to left front.
The use of the "tubing" as I call it since it is made using bias bars really makes the fabrics "pop." I had to come up with a pattern that anyone could use, whether they have a sewing machine or not. I have been making the tubing for ones in my "stitchery" group who have no machine nor any knowledge of one. I shall do the sewing for them on my machine so they'll have a completed jacket to wear! Thus, the pattern had to be one that called for VERY LITTLE SEWING!!!!!!!!!!! It's wonderful that we now have so many products to use that aid us in fabric construction.
Instead of Bon Appetite, I shall say, "Bon Sewing!"

Directions Part B & C of Foxy Jacket (see Feb. 8th for beginning of Jacket Directions

Directions for Part B. Foxy Jacket: Fronts
1. Place a "dot" 6" below neck edge. Use ruler to draw a "V" from neck edge down to that "dot" forming the V neck. DO NOT CUT OUT, yet!
Once you have arrived at the point of being ready to work on the fronts, draw a line from center of neck to bottom of jacket. DO NOT CUT APART, yet!
2. With focus fabric, cut two pieces:
Length__& Width 3 1/2". Both of these measurements include 1/2" seam allowance! Pin these two pieces side by side of the drawn center line.
3. NOW cut apart the two fronts on the drawn center line.
4. With a sheet of tissue paper lay the front left side on the sheet and trace the entire outline. This becomes your paper pattern.
5. Lay the other fabrics (excluding the darkest fabric) that you have in areas choosing what looks nice with what. This is called "auditioning" the fabrics. Once you have decided what looks nice, remove the auditioned fabrics and draw areas on the paper using gentle curves starting or ending at the outside edge or at the center front focus fabric. This gives the "stained glass" effect once the pieces are affixed to the shirt piece. Do not make sharp curves as this requires bias pieces to cover the seams.
6. Once you like the way your paper "pattern" is going to be, label each area with ABC's, etc.
7. Cut out each paper "pattern piece."
8. Pin pattern pieces to wrong side of fabrics adding 1/2" around all for seam allowances.
9. Using the 1/2" seam allowance, cut out each fabric piece.
10. Place the fabric pieces on the front left side of the shirt OVERLAPPING the seams!
11. Pin pieces in place.
12. Audition the fabrics to look nice with the front right side.
13. Repeat #8-11 with the different fabrics. This should complete the look of the front of your jacket.
Part C of Foxy Jacket: Back
1. Find the center neck point of back of jacket. Draw a line to the bottom of the jacket.
2. You will want to double the width size of the focus fabric strip (we'll call this piece Z) for the center back. If you used 3 1/2" on the fronts, use 7" on the back. Cut Z out for the center back of the jacket.
3. Pin (Z) to the jacket.
4. Using the same pattern pieces that you used for the fronts, audition the fabrics for use on either side of (Z). Repeat #8-11 of Part B.
Next week we'll learn how to do the sleeves and how to finish the jacket.
For more visuals, visit my blog:
www.funstitchery.com

FOXY JACKET PART B front strips and V neck

I used Valentine's Day fabric for this sweatshirt jacket, just for fun! You can see the two center strips easily, and the other fabric pieces that are cut using slight curves. All seams will be covered with a "tubing that will be discussed later." Notice how to cut the V in the center front.