Category: Tutorials

Project Jelly Roll

September 10, 2024

Quilt Love: Exploring the Joy of the “Tiddlywinks” Jelly Roll Pattern

Are you ready for Moda’s Project Jelly Roll Day? 3rd Saturday of September every year.

But first……

I cannot help but dedicate this years Project Jelly Roll to a friend of mine that was part of the inspiration on the development of Moda’s Jelly Rolls, Daniela Stout. Daniela recently passed away from a 4 year battle with Ovarian Cancer. Daniela was the owner of Cozy Quillts, in El Cajon, California. She was the creator of a program and patterns named, The Strip Club. Daniela inspired us with the opportunity to create wonderful quilts using 2 1/2″ strips but also allowed us to poke fun at our craft. Just imagine leaving the house and saying I am headed to the StripClub. Daniela was instrumental in creating the need for strips and Moda took it one step further, Strips that are precut.

Here we go….

This past week the team at Moda Fabrics (thank you Annie and Kelsey) shared a quilt I made in anticipation of National Sew A Jelly Roll Day. I guess just for long term documentation, I wanted to share this on my feed also. I love, love, love Anne Sutton’s fabric lines. For this project, I knew the signature print was perfect for wide sashing so I dove right in.

If you haven’t already, check out this fantastic tutorial video on Tiddlywinks here, where I break down the process step by step. Spoiler alert: you’ll fall in love with how easy and fun it is!

Why the Tiddlywinks Pattern?

The Tiddlywinks pattern is perfect for those days when you want a light-hearted, cheerful quilt but want to try something a little different for a creative challenge. This pattern stand outs in whatever fabric choices you use.

What’s So Special About Jelly Rolls?

For those of you who are newer to the quilting world, Jelly Rolls are collections of pre-cut Moda fabric strips (2.5 inches wide) that take much of the prep work out of the equation. That means less time cutting and more time stitching! There are jillions of ways to cut, slice and dice JellyRolls and tools and gadgets to make this easier.

Key Tips from the Tutorial

Efficient Strip Cutting: Jelly Rolls make strip piecing a breeze, and the Tiddlywinks pattern uses this technique to its full advantage. The video explains how to cut your strips into neat units, ensuring your hexagons will assemble into smooth and precise shapes..
Row Assembly: The tutorial walks you through method for stitching the rows into bite size sections. There are small manageable steps, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Plus, with the pre-cut strips, you can focus on the creative process rather than stressing over accuracy.
Pressing for Success: There’s an emphasis on pressing your seams correctly, which is especially important for this design. It’s the little things that make the blocks lie flatter and look sharper, and this video tutorial really drives that home.
Choosing Fabrics: Tiddlywinks quilt uses a playful combination of bright, happy fabrics, but one of the best parts of working with Jelly Rolls is that you can pick any combination that speaks to you. I combined 2 different JellyRolls plus a few scrap strips to add some geometric. I have saved some of the strips as a possibility for binding.

My Experience with Tiddlywinks

As soon as I saw this pattern, I knew it was exactly what I needed. The Tiddlywinks quilt is such a joyous project, and the circles created by the Jelly Roll strips make the pattern feel fresh and modern, while still honoring classic quilting techniques. I chose a Jelly Roll with a mix of vibrant prints and softer tones, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.

Working on this quilt has been such a refreshing change of pace. The hexagons add a playful touch that makes the quilt feel romantic and full of movement. And honestly, the ease of using pre-cuts gave me more time to just enjoy the process—no stress over cutting everything perfectly!

Are you going to be sewing anything on Jelly Roll day?

Until next time, happy stitching, and may your quilts always be full of joy!

modalissa

Creating Faded Vintage Fabrics: A Guide to Overdyeing and Bleaching

4 Comments

June 20, 2024

Are you a fan of the vintage aesthetic? Do you find yourself drawn to the soft, worn-in look of aged fabrics? If so, you’re in luck! Achieving that perfect faded vintage look is easier than you might think. With a few simple techniques, you can transform modern fabrics into timeless treasures. This blog post will guide you through the processes of overdyeing and bleaching to create beautifully faded fabrics. The examples shown in this blog post only cover the bleaching process. Depending on the results and what the final outcome I would then overdye so I have included all the steps.

DISCLAMIER: this was just an experiment and I never know the final result. This is the fun art of this experiment.

What is Overdyeing and Bleaching?

**Overdyeing** involves adding a new layer of dye over an existing color. This technique can create rich, complex hues and can help tone down overly bright colors. When combined with bleaching, it can give fabrics a beautifully worn and aged look.

**Bleaching**, on the other hand, involves removing some of the original color from the fabric. This can create a variety of effects, from subtle fading to dramatic contrasts, depending on the technique and amount of bleach used.

Materials You’ll Need

– Fabric (natural fibers like cotton, linen, and wool work best. I used 100% cotton Moda- Layer Cakes)
– Fabric dye (your color of choice)
– Bleach (liquid bleach or bleach pens)
– Plastic containers or a sink for dyeing and bleaching
– Rubber gloves
– Protective clothing or apron
– Plastic sheet or old newspapers (to protect your work surface)
– Measuring cups and spoons
– Stirring sticks or spoons

Some of the Bleached fabrics

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Preparing Your Fabric

Before you begin, it’s essential to prepare your fabric. Wash it to remove any sizing or finishes that might interfere with the dyeing process. Do not use fabric softener as it can prevent the dye from penetrating the fabric evenly.

2. Overdyeing the Fabric

Overdyeing is a great way to create a base layer of color.

– **Choose Your Dye:** Select a dye that complements the existing color of your fabric. If you’re aiming for a vintage look, consider using muted or earthy tones. I use Ritz Dye and combine tan and taupe. Always start light and you can make darker as needed.
– **Prepare the Dye Bath:** Follow the instructions on the dye package to create your dye bath. Typically, this involves mixing the dye with hot water and a fixative like salt or vinegar.
– **Dye the Fabric:** Submerge your fabric in the dye bath and stir continuously to ensure even coverage. Leave the fabric in the dye bath for the recommended amount of time, then rinse until the water runs clear.
– **Dry the Fabric:** Allow the fabric to air dry completely.

3. Bleaching the Fabric

Once your fabric is dyed and dried, it’s time to create that faded, vintage look with bleach.

– **Prepare Your Work Area:** Lay down a plastic sheet or old newspapers to protect your work surface. Make sure the area is well-ventilated.
– **Dilute the Bleach:** Mix bleach with water to create a diluted solution. A 1:10 ratio of bleach to water is a good starting point, but you can adjust this depending on how much color you want to remove.
– **Apply the Bleach:** There are several techniques you can use:
– **Full Submersion:** Submerge the fabric in the bleach solution and monitor it closely. Remove the fabric once it has reached the desired level of fading. The majority of the fabrics during this experiment I left in the bleach solution a tad bit too long. They came out out lighter than I was hoping for.
– **Rinse Thoroughly:** Once the fabric has lightened to your satisfaction, rinse it thoroughly in cold water to stop the bleaching process. Keep in mind that the wet fabric will be appear darker than the final dried version. Wash the fabric with a mild detergent to remove any remaining bleach. You can also through the fabric into hydrogen peroxide to stop the bleaching process.
4. Finishing Touches

After bleaching, you might want to overdye the fabric again to add depth to the color. Repeat the overdyeing process as needed until you achieve the desired look. Once you’re satisfied, wash and dry the fabric one final time.

Tips and Tricks

– **Test First:** Always test your dye and bleach on a small swatch of fabric before applying to the entire piece. This will help you gauge how the fabric will react.
– **Use Natural Fibers:** Natural fibers like cotton, linen, and wool absorb dye better and react more predictably to bleach.
– **Experiment with Techniques:** Don’t be afraid to experiment with different dyeing and bleaching techniques to achieve unique effects. The beauty of vintage fabrics lies in their imperfections and individuality. I saved a piece of each fabric before bleaching. Some prints did not change much until they were compared side by side to the original. Others changed greatly so I have shared some side by side comparisons here.

Before and After

Conclusion

Creating faded, vintage fabrics is a rewarding and creative process. With overdyeing and bleaching, you can breathe new life into modern fabrics, giving them a unique, aged look that’s perfect for home décor, fashion, and quilting projects Now I just need to decide what project I want to use these in. Any suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know if there is a perfect pattern to use these fabrics.

I still have quite a few fabrics to sort through.

Please keep in mind this was just some mad, crazy, lab experiment. I never suggest to use bleach in washing quilts.

Enjoy- Modalissa

Hugs and Kisses

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January 19, 2024

Hugs and Kisses, X’s and O’s just another reason to start a quilt. What is it about Valentine’s Day that makes me want to start another quilt? Duh, as I type this I realize what a silly question that is. I always want to start anther quilt regardless of the day.I am knee deep in Quilt-Alongs, Moda Blockhead’s, samples for work and a few overdue baby gifts but I stumbled on my block from the Blockheads 3 series and remembered I had always wanted to make this as an overall quilt.

I was going to go scrappy at first, because that is usually what I do, then I was all in to some simple Bella Solids, but game time decision and I ended up going with Moda Crossweaves. Crossweaves are a woven fabricant has the slightest bit of texture. It is a lightweight dreamy feel. This is where I wish blogs could have touch and feel ability. The end result will be a lightweight, drapey feel. I am using Crossweave Cherry 12216 14, Carnation 12216 15, and Off White 12216 34 for corner squares and border.

I starched my fabrics since these are woven and can ravel a bit with excessive use. I also used the June Tailor Quarter Cut ruler to submit my 1 1/2″ corner squares. Shown above is 2 strips 44″, then folded in fourths. I was able to accurately cut 56 squares in about 15 seconds. Using the quarter cut ruler helped make sure my squares stayed square and I didn’t slip and slide any when cutting. Click the link for a video on how this ruler is a must have.

Sorry for the blurry pic, but wanted to share this great seam guide tape by Primitive Gatherings. It has several markings for guides and eliminates the need to draw lines on your fabric.

The rest is mindless repetitive sewing. Add a corner square to opposite sides of the reds and pinks. Trim and Press.

Then depending on how you sew the sections together you get either an X block or an O block. Join 4 together to make a block.

The blocks shown here are the 8″ blocks on the instructions. (the X is 4″and the O is 4″) The instructions have several size options so be sure and follow the 8″ block cutting info.

If you are making an overall quilt, this can be assembled in rows but I am going to make blocks and then join those, so it is not so fiddly to match seams.

Here is my plan and the instructions to make the block.

8″ blocks

6 across x 8 down

6″ borders

to download the instructions, click here.

A random bit of research on where the X and O symbolism came from…. the X symbolizes a kiss, often traced back to medieval times when illiterate individuals would sign documents with an X and then kiss it as a display of sincerity. The dual meaning of X’s and O’s – the X representing a kiss and the O symbolizing a hug. These symbols have become a sweet and simple way to express affection, whether in written form or as physical gestures. In the digital age, the XOXO continues to be an abbreviated text message of love.

Sending you hugs and kisses or XO XO. Now back to sewing my blocks.

Enjoy!- Modalissa

JELLY ROLL Big Heart

3 Comments

September 21, 2021

I recently shared a quilt that my friend made for her granddaughters 10th birthday on my IG feed. Several of you asked for the pattern, so I am sharing my notes. It is not officially a pattern because we made it up as we went along. So here is the story behind the quilt.

My BFF, Kay has decided to make each of her grandkids a quilt for their 10th birthday. She has 9 grandkids, 1 is starting college, 2 just turned 10, and 6 under 10. You may remember when I shared Piper’s quilt a few months ago.

Savanah turned 10 last week so she got a quilt from GRANNY KAY. Kay sewed and sewed and sewed jelly rolls together to make a big square 65″. We didn’t have an exact size of quilt to make, but just big enough to throw on the end of the bed.

Kay picked Jelly Roll strips that reminded her of Savy and the colors she liked. Next step was to join the strips together to make a long strip.

Cut one strip 65″ and then start adding. It is best to add strips alternating sides of the starting strip and alternating what direction you sew. This is not absolutely crucial but does help prevent the strips to be wavy and stretch while sewing. If you have a walking foot for your machine, this also helps. Sew 14 strips together for one half of the heart and repeat for the other half. ( I added a strip to each side of the background fabric so the heart could float a little before the pieced border- this would make strip 15)

At this point Kay and I tagged teamed the quilt. She sent me the heart strips and I added the backgrounds and borders. You know what it is like to be under a deadline and we had to get this off to the quilter and still have time to ship it back to Kay before the birthday.

3 yds background, I cut the borders first so I did not have to piece them.

Shown below is 45″ x 108″. Less yardage is needed if you don’t mind piecing your borders.

Adding the triangles to the strips can be a bit tricky only because they are so big. The measurements for the triangles are oversized so the quilt can be squared up once it is completed. Follow your favorite technique to add the triangles. Save the strips that are cut away when adding the triangles. These will be used for inner border.

Repeat to make the other half paying close attention to where the triangles are added. You don’t want to end up with the other half upside down, speaking from experience!! Trim your heart! My heart was just a tad over 60″.

Using the leftover strips from adding the triangles and subcut them into 2 1/2″ sections. Join them together and add to all 4 sides. ( 2 borders with 30- squares and 2 borders with 32 squares)

Outer border- add top and bottom first. ( I had you cut your borders a tad longer since you may have trimmed up your quilt a bit differently than mine)

Repeat with 2 side borders.

I cut binding also from the leftover pieced strips. This is a tad bit bulky because of all the seam allowances. I was okay with that since I thought that was a perfect ending for this quilt.

Kay puts so much meaning into everything she does and this quilt was no different. She contacted close family members and asked for a few words that described Savanah. These words and phrases were quilted throughout the quilt. ( Thank you Maggi Honeyman for working your magic.)

Have fun and hope this info helps when making A BIG HEART quilt.

Thanks to KAY letting me be a part of this special gift.

Enjoy,

-Lissa

what can you make with…?

5 Comments

June 22, 2017

What can you make with a Moda Charm pack, a moda candy and a few yards of bella solids?

I am pulling this blog post out of my draft section because I share a free little pattern download at the bottom of the post but also wanted to share the incredible quilting.

A charm pack (42-5″ squares) and a mini charm pack (42-2 1/2″ squares) So easy. Start sewing with the precuts to make a quick project during balancing all the summer schedules. Plenty of room for autographs for a family reunion project.

WOWSER! Feathers Galore!

Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of summer.

Here in Texas the heat and humidity has hit us.

If you want the pattern, click here for a free download.

Pattern includes a larger version that uses 2 charm packs and 2 mini charms.

I would love to see what you make. Share your pic on FB or IG and tag me, @modalissa.

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Splendid Sampler- Day 57

8 Comments

August 27, 2016

I am 57 out of 100.
This is not my class rank or my finish in the last 5K I participated in.
It is my block number in the Splendid Sampler.
I call it the Super Splendid Sampler. (triple S)

It seems like yesterday that I met with Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson as they were cooking up this idea. What a idea it was, bringing together 100 different people from the quilting community from all over the world to make 1- 6″ block.

Sounds easy enough! I had fun playing with a 6″ block, but tying it to a story about me got a little tough. Where to begin?

I played wth fabrics and decided Starting Point was the perfect description for my journey as a quilter. I started quilting in 1980, pre-google, pre online shopping, pre-almost everything! I am a self taught quilter, trying to figure it out as I went along. This was my Starting Point.

The Block instructions are posted on the Splendid Sampler website. I snagged this picture from the site. I had completely forgotten that I wrote the silly note on the envelope when I mailed it to Pat.

In 1989 my SIL gave me a book, It’s Okay to Sit on My Quilt by Mary Ellen Hopkins and an Olfa rotary cutter. Game Changer!! I was hooked. Many books, classes and quilts later, I am still as passionate about the art of quilting as I was then. I continue to learn and be inspired and hope the Splendid Sampler has inspired you.

If you are making the sampler, keep going, you can do it. Hopefully, you have learned a few new things and met some quilty friends along the way.

ONE FINAL THING
Organizing and supporting such a project has been borderline miraculous for Jane and Pat, or maybe a better description would be as if they were herding cats. Thank you to Pat, Jane and all of the designers contributing to this project. Hop on over to Splendid Sampler to download my block instructions.

-MODALISSA

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Peaks- the quilt

3 Comments

November 18, 2015

I recently posted a picture of this quilt on my Instagram because I love it.
I love the colors.
I love the pattern.
I love the quilting.

I love, love, love it.

Someone asked me about the pattern and colors so I thought I would share it here. When I went to hunt down

the good pics, I remembered it was featured in the April May 2013 QUILT magazine.

So here are their nice styled, color corrected pictures from 2013.

And here are the details if you want to make your own version using Bella solids.

9900-51- Buttercup,

9900-81 Goldenrod,

9900-83 Grey,

9900-125 Betty’s Brown,

9900-147 Coral,

9900-162 Amelia Apricot,

9900-171 Etchings Charcoal,

9900-185 Zen Grey

9900-209 Clementine,

9900-210 Strawberry,

9900-213 Mustard,

9900-244 Harvest Gold.

A fat quarter of each.

The background could be anything but I used 9900-182 Porcelain (4 1/4 yds.)

I refer to this type of quilt as a 12 pack, not a 6- pack that is something completely different. Pick your favorite 12 colors, add background of your choice

and the possibilities are endless.

Choose all shades of greens and browns for trees,

blues and greens with a little white on top for snow capped mountains,

30’s prints for a retro quilt

or just a combination of all your funky favorite fabrics as a scrap buster!

I shot a pic of the quilt with my Iphone as I zipped by the quilt laying on an unmade bed at my sons house.
The quilt looked even better washed and used. I love it when a quilt has been put to good use.

Tag me if you make a version of this quilt. I would love to see it.
Here is the pattern for your use.
Enjoy!!

-modalissa

how many slices in a pie

7 Comments

February 17, 2014

I have never really liked baking pies.
I love eating pies.

My mom’s coconut cream is to die for, but baking pies for my crew never seemed to be enough
food so it was not my go to dessert.

So when I was playing with the Dresden plate project sheet that Moda was doing with Printemps by 3 sisters, I wondered how many ways can you slice a Dresden plate. See where I am going this…..

I knew the width of the strip used would make a difference in the overall size of the blades which determines the size of the Dresden plate. All this really in depth research was performed using one ruler, Simplicity/EZ Easy Dresden by Darlene Zimmerman.

Complete instructions on how cool this ruler is, shown here.

Using only one ruler I knew that my angle would be the same
and I would need 20 blades.

Enough with the stuff I should have paid more attention to in high school geometry,
lets get to the fun part.

look closely at the difference in the pic above
and the pic below.

The only difference is whether you start measuring
with the top of the
ruler or the bottom of the ruler.
(it is okay to look at the pics again.)

Here is an example of the two blades stacked on top
of each other. Since I cut them from
the same width of fabric they are the same length.

The plate blocks measures 18″ across with a
5 1/4″ opening in the center.

This one measures 15″ across with
a 2 1/4″ opening in the center.

The blocks lined up beside each other
showing the 3″ difference between the size.

This is them on top of each other showing
how cool a layered dresden plate would be.

combining two of the most popular and forever
classic dresden plates
There doesn’t seem to be much difference in sizes
of the overall Dresden plate and the centers.
I measured them and it was about a 3″ difference
which really adds up.
Big Dresden plate measures 18″ with a 5 1/4″ center opening.
Smaller plate measures 15″ with 2 1/4″ opening.
Adding paper pieced hexagons makes this

into one shabby chic quilt.

quilt made by Debbi Duckworth

Printemps is headed to stores now so ask for the fabrics and patterns at you fav store or just dive into your scraps
and have some fun making all sizes of Dresden plates.

I wonder how big to cut the blades for one huge Dresden plate?

All this is making me hungry. I think I will call my mom and see if she has some pie.

Enjoy
-modalissa

Travel Pillowcases

2 Comments

December 14, 2012

Travel Pillowcases

I have been having so much fun making travel pillowcases.

All you really need is 14″ of fabric plus a band.

It is pretty cool how the construction of this pillowcase is done.

Don’t get me wrong making the standard pillowcases with the

sausage technique is absolutely amazing.

The travel pillowcases are made completely different using 1 width of fabric.

These are fun to keep in the car for road trips or the occasional road side pillow fights!

How about using them as pillowcases/gift bags!

FABRIC SUPPLIES

Body- 14″ by 44″

Trim- 1 3/4″ x 14″

Band- 8″ x 14″

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trim- Fold in half lengthwise and press

2. Band- Fold in half lengthwise and press

3. Lay the body of the pillow case face up and layer the raw edges of

the trim and band. Pin in place.

4. Sew along the 14″ side keeping all the layers together .

5. Press

( this is where it can be a bit tricky to understand from written directions)

6. On the opposite end of the pillow case, fold under 6″.

Press. Fold under 1/4″ of the 6″ and press to create a hem.

look close at the words on picture

7. Fold body right sides together.

8. Fold the flap over the top of the band creating an envelope and pin in place.

9. Sew the 2 side seams.

10. Trim corners to eliminate any bulk.

11. Turn the pillowcase right sides out. The envelope flap will hold

the pillow in

place and cover the top 6″ of the side seams.

12. Press and add a 12″ x 18″ travel pillow.

thank you Carolyn Tover for the machine embroidery

Doing some research on travel pillows and found that the size of

pillows can vary by manufacturer. You may want to decide what size

your travel pillow is before cutting and vary the pattern slightly.

For some of the pillowcases I used flannels.

top-Apple Jacks by Tim & Beck

Marmalade by Bonnie & Camille

bottom 2- Cottons from Bear Country School by Berenstain Bears

Sleep tight!

-modalissa

Ombre Jelly Roll quilt

2 Comments

December 10, 2012

Have you fallen in love with Vanessa’s Simply Color fabric line?
I know I have.
Vanessa has ombre mini jelly rolls that include only her ombre fabrics.
The jelly rolls are a little misleading because at first glance they look like a nice
little set of spring colors. Once the jelly roll is opened, the colors burst as the
ombre colors flow creating a full pop of color. The quilt shown below
was made from 1 ombre jelly roll and a bella solid background.

Look how cool the binding and border is using a ombre fabric also.

Now for the backing…
Just as colorful as the front.

Of course I had to use fat quarters from the Simply color collections for my quilt back.
Are you nervouse about just chopping up a bunch of fabrics to piece your backings?
Lynne Wilson has come up with patterns to help you through the process.
Each of the patterns will make a backing up to a certain size.
What a great way to use up your stash! OR use new fabrics like I did!! Ha ha!
I have a reversible quilt that is full of color!
The pattern line is BACK IT UP.

For the pattern to make the quilt top, click HERE.

I also made a version with grey solid as the background. These fabrics are so addictive

that I couldn’t make just one!!