Halloween Candy Corn Quilt

I love Halloween! I've wanted to make a Halloween quilt since I've started quilting, and I still have two more to make...there's always next year. But this year I managed to make my first one! This quilt uses embroidery files I purchased about two years ago from a company named Charming Station Embroidery. This company designs mylar embroidery sets. 

Here's a link to their website:
http://www.charmingstation.com/

Here's a link to this embroidery set:
http://www.charmingstation.com/SpecialSets/Specials17/Specials328.html

On their website, there is a very thorough description of what mylar is, what mylar embroidery is, and how to use mylar in your embroidery projects. Here's my quick explanation. Mylar is a sheet of shimmery plasticy material (similar to vinyl but much less stiff). You can order it in packs from a person linked on their website which allows you to get the type that can go in the washer and dryer. The color that I used and that they recommend is opal iridescent.

Here's how you use the mylar in your embroidery design:

You hoop your material as usual. You tape (or hold) the square of mylar in place as the machine tacks down the outside edge of the design. That's it! Then you go through the rest of the design as usual. When you've completed all the steps, you rip the excess mylar right off the outside of the design. 

The designs that are produced by charming station are not dense, which allows the background fabric and the shimmer of the mylar to shine through the stitching. Personally, I LOVE these designs! 

Here's a closer look:

There are 12 designs total. And the stitchout time is not very long - maybe 15 minutes for the longest one. 

Here's all of them pre-quilt:

Next, I had to decide how I wanted to put them together. I chose to sew two borders around each one, a dark Halloween fabric, and an orange fabric.

Then came the most tedious part. Cut strips the length of the each block to create the sashing between the rows and sew them together so they are all in long rows. Also, remember to make sure the fabric goes in the same direction...let me say that again...make sure you're sewing the sashing fabric on in the same directions (I can't imagine why that would be worth mentioning twice...). Finally I cut long strips to sew in between assembled rows. When this was complete it came out looking like this...

Finally, I pieced a back, sandwiched, and quilted by stitch-in-the-ditch along all of the sashing pieces. My least favorite part, binding time. I chose the orange so it would contrast with the black border, and machine stitched it on, using a blanket stitch on the front.

Still not perfect...but I've gotten much better!

And finally, done. And ready a whole month before Halloween! I still need to make a label for it. I think I'll name it "Trick or Treat," unless I can come up with something more clever. I love this quilt!! It has a seat of distinction on my couch between a Halloween pillow my mom made and a crazy quilt pumpkin I made....until Halloween anyway.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fall Mug Rugs

I'm a member of the Molly Pitcher's Stitchers guild in my town, and during the course of the year we sign up to bring in door prizes for the monthly meetings. Door prizes can be fabric, sewing tools or accessories, or handmade items. I decided to make fall themed mug rugs for my door prize.

My mother has a Anita Goodesign membership and there is a pretty fall set in the current collection. The design pack is called "Autumn 1, 2, 3." You can check out the collection here: https://www.anitagoodesignonline.com/product/autumn-123/

Anita Goodesign's 1, 2, 3 collections are amazing embroidery tools. You can mix and match borders (some with embroidery on them!), embroidery designs, and stippling or background stitches from a fairly large collection of options.

Here are some close-ups of the designs I chose to use.

I don't like the coloring of the bird's face. If I were to stitch this one again, I'd alter it somewhat to make the features stand out better.

This one is my favorite.

Here's the process:

1. I stitched all the designs on a piece of fabric.

2. I decided how big I wanted the mug rugs to come out. 

When they were completed, they were about 5x7.

3. I cut them all to the same(ish) size.

4. I found a coordinating backing fabric, and cut pieces to match. 

5. I sandwiched it with some batting inside.

6. I made binding, and machine binded it like a quilt. I used a leaf pattern decorative stitch and brown variegated thread to bind the front. 

Things that I didn't do that I should have:

Binding things that are small is difficult and annoying. If I made these again, I would have cut the back pieces of fabric larger than the front and used a wrap around binding method to finish them.

All in all, I'm happy with how these came out and would probably make them again as a quick gift.