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BLOCK OF THE MONTH- APRIL

April 10, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

BLOCK OF THE MONTH- APRIL

BEAR PAW QUILT BLOCK

The bear paw block is a beautiful quilt block that looks complicated but is relatively easy to make. I really like this block because it only uses 2 fat quarters and it makes a 12.5″ block. I am so happy to share this amazing block with you! Our sampler quilt is going to be amazing! Block of the month #4 is one of my favorite quilt blocks to date.

MEASUREMENTS:

4- 4.5″ x 4.5″ Main Color Square (Main Square Block)

4- 4.5″ x 4.5″ Main Color Square (1/2 Square Triangles)

4- 4.5″ x 4.5″ Light Color Square (1/2 Square Triangles)

4- 2.5″ x 2.5″ Light Color Square (Corner)

Please watch the tutorial below for instructions on how to put this block together. Finished measurement should be 12.5″ x 12.5″

#quiltblockofthemonth #quilting #bearparquiltblock #bearpaw #thecraftyauthor #blockofthemonth #aprilblockofthemonth #bom #charmpacks #fatquarter #12″bearpawquiltblock

SEW ALONG FREE PATTERN

March 25, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

SEW ALONG FREE PATTERN

Welcome to my sew along! If you are here, it’s probably because you watched my YouTube video during a time when we are being quarantined due to a nasty virus that is affecting the whole world. In an effort to keep us all sane and to keep in touch with those that may not have a whole lot of interaction with people, I wanted to do something for the community and my contribution is this sew along.

You are free to use this pattern or continue working on one of your own. I am just putting this one out there in case you’d like to make the same quilt that I am. 🙂

The sew along will be LIVE on YouTube daily at 5pm. We will sew along for 45 minutes to an hour together and then you are free to continue sewing or if you want to wait for the following day to commence. I will not be doing the sew along on Saturday and Sunday, as I also need time to relax and plan for the week. Please be patient with me as I am still working my full-time job, recording videos weekly for the channel in addition to this project. :).

I haven’t decided yet if I will be adding borders to this quilt, but more than likely I will because I love the look of borders on a quilt. I just feel like it brings it all together. However, sometimes less is more and I will need to make that decision once I have everything pieced and put together.

This diagram shows the cutting instructions for a finished 12” block. Please be sure that once you have your squares for the star points sewn together, that you square them up to 3 1/2” or else your block will not turn out the correct size. I have a video on how to assemble this block and you can view it below. Please also note, the star in the video is smaller than this one, but the construction is the same.

Sawtooth Star Block

We will be making our Sawtooth Star Quilt, Lap Size. It will measure 48” X 60” without any borders or binding. I will be making 2 star blocks of the same color and I will have 4 rows across and 5 rows down.

I will add to this post as we go along and if there are any changes to the block, you will them right here. 🙂

Happy Quilting! Stay Healthy!

DIY FACE MASK WITH FILTER POCKET

March 22, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

DIY FACE MASK WITH FILTER POCKET

In this tutorial, I am going to teach you how to make your own surgical mask with a filter pocket. You can use this to protect yourself and others when you are not feeling well or want to protect your own self. Please note that this should NEVER be mistaken as a medical grade mask as it is not! This is for personal use only and you should always consult your physician if you have questions surrounding the effectiveness of making your own mask.

MEASUREMENTS & SUPPLIES FOR MASK:

1 Each- Fabric (Main) 10″ X 8″ (This includes seam allowance)

2 Each- Fabric (Lining) 7.5″ X 5.5″ (This includes seam allowance)

You will also need elastic. I used 3/8″, but you can use any size. You will want to adjust the pattern if you use a larger size of elastic.

Sewing Machine

Thread

Scissors

Quilt Clips or Pins

Iron

In order to create the pattern, I used my ruler to draw the measurements on card stock, then cut it out and traced it on fabric and then cut it out. I was able to re-use my pattern over and over. You may also want to laminate the pattern if you plan on making a lot of these.

This is the link to the original video where I got this idea from. I did make changes that I feel made it easier to understand in my tutorial and that made it easier for me to complete my masks.

https://youtu.be/S9RWII2-5_4

#thecraftyauthor #surgicalmask #covid19 #diysurgicalmask #surgicalmaskwithfilterpocket

BLOCK OF THE MONTH- MARCH

March 5, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

QUILT BLOCK OF THE MONTH- MARCH

SAWTOOTH STAR QUILT BLOCK

Welcome Quilter’s! I am so excited to be doing the Block of the Month this year. Each month we we’ll be making a quilt block that will be put into a quilt sampler at the end of the year. There will be 12 blocks in total and some will be easy and some will be difficult. I will teach you how to make each one via video instruction. Make sure that you are following me on YouTube and are Subscribed so that you can be notified each time I upload a new video.

The Crafty Author on YouTube

Fabric Needed:

I am using a fat quarter bundle that I have had laying around for a couple of years. You can use whatever you have in your stash. I recommend having a half yard of each fabric color so that you have enough fabric on hand and in case you make an error, you will still be able to make the block. It is always better to have more fabric on hand than to not. Also, I recommend having a variety of lights, darks and mediums.

About the Quilt Block:

This month we are making the Sawtooth Star Quilt Pattern. You can make several designs and variations with the Star Pattern.

Below is a photo of the Sawtooth Star Quilt Block that I made for our sampler quilt.

This has always been one of my favorite patterns and I am so excited to be putting it into our sampler quilt. I would like for you to note that the measurements I will be giving you are for a 10” block. Please DO NOT be alarmed by that as we will be doing doing a variation of things with your Sampler and the measurements are smaller on purpose and I have a reason for it. I just want to give you that heads up because once you finish the block you are going to visibly notice that it is smaller than the others that we have made so far.

Fabric Measurements for Cutting:

1- 5 1/2” Square

4- 3” Squares (Corners) I suggest a darker fabric

4- 3 1/2” Squares (These are for the 1/2 Square Triangles) Dark Color

4- 3 1/2” Squares (These are for the 1/2 Square Triangles) Light Color

That is all you need for cutting. :). Remember, it will finish at 10” not 12”. I hope you enjoy making this block as much as I did. It really was a lot of fun! Happy Quilting!

Anisa

#quiltblockofthemonth #quilting #sawtoothstarquiltblock #sawtoothstar #thecraftyauthor #blockofthemonth #marchblockofthemonth #bom #charmpacks #fatquarter

SCRAPPY DRUNKARDS PATH

February 17, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

What do you do on a Saturday night when you’re battling a severe case of Vertigo and boredom? Create a scrappy drunkards path quilt hanging of course.

With all joking aside, the Vertigo is really starting to get to me. I have been dealing with it for months and my Dr. has prescribed medication for it, which helps, but doesn’t make it go away. I will be starting Physical Therapy in March, which was the soonest they could get me in to try and treat it. I pray that they can get this under control, because it is hard to basically do anything when you’re always dizzy. This includes walking in the mall. If you know anything about me, you know how much I love to shop! This stuff is driving me crazy!

Alright, enough about me! Let’ talk about quilting. I was bored and since I have unfinished space on my walls, I figured I would make something for the empty wall behind me where I record my YouTube videos. I wasn’t sure what I was going to use, so I just pulled some random fat quarters and fabric that I had in my stash. I was actually kind of worried because the fabrics that I chose didn’t go together at all. But I thought, “what the heck,” so I decided to give it a try.

Why am I rambling? Anyway, to make a long story short, I used my AccuQuilt Go BIG to cut the pieces out. The Drunkards Path die was new to me, as my husband bought it for me for Christmas. I just hadn’t had the time to open it up and use it. Well…I’m glad I finally did because it was so easy and turned out amazing. I cut 6 layers of each piece at one time. All perfectly cut! I absolutely love my AccuQuilt! It is one of the Best things that I have ever purchased for myself. If you have ever considered getting one, I highly recommend it. It makes cutting so much easier and faster and allows you more time to sew.

If you are interested in purchasing an AccuQuilt, click the link below.

Fabric Cutters

Here is what I put together. I literally took me an hour to cut and sew the entire thing together. I’m not finished with it, but an hour to cut, piece and press is pretty impressive and honestly, since my Vertigo was in full swing, an hour was about all that I could handle.

I just love the way that this turned out! It is absolutely stunning and I cannot wait to make more. I’m thinking maybe a quilt throw next time.

I love the pattern this creates. There is so much going on in this block. I did cut mine down to 13” blocks, so it is perfect wall hanging size. I’m wanting to add a border, but I will need to play with it, because sometimes less is more and that might be the case with this one since it is so busy.

If you are interested in purchasing the Drunkards Path Die, you can get it here: http://shrsl.com/24gwr

Please note that if you purchase through any of my links that I will make a small commission as these are affiliate links and I am an affiliate. I always appreciate your support as it helps me to purchase items for tutorials and upgrade equipment I use to teach you new techniques. 🙂

That’s all I have for now. Check back on my YouTube channel. I am considering making this as a tutorial. Happy Quilting! Keep on Craftin’!

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Anisa

#drunkardspath #drunkardspathquilt #accuquilt #accuquiltdrunkardspath #thecraftyauthor #wallhanging #scrapquilt #quiltinfluencer #socialmediainfluencer #keeponcraftin #howto

BLOCK OF THE MONTH- FEBRUARY

February 7, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

QUILT BLOCK OF THE MONTH- FEBRUARY

SHOOFLY QUILT BLOCK

The Crafty Author on YouTube

Fabric Needed:

About the Quilt Block:

This month we are making the Shoofly Pattern. You can make several designs and variations with the Shoofly Pattern.

Below is a photo of the Shoofly Block that I made for our sampler quilt.

For this particular block, you will either need to cut 5″ squares or use a charm pack.

You will need:

2- 5″ Light Colored Squares

4- 4 1/2″ Light Colored Squares

2- 5″ Dark Colored Squares

1- 4 1/2″ Dark Colored Square

After you have sewn the blocks together to make your 1/2 square triangles, you will need to trim your blocks down to 4 1/2″ squares.

VIEW THE FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL HERE:

#quiltblockofthemonth #quilting #shooflyquiltblock #shoofly #thecraftyauthor #blockofthemonth #februaryblockofthemonth #bom #charmpacks #fatquarter

EASY TUMBLER BABY QUILT

January 31, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

EASY TUMBLER BABY QUILT

Thank you for your support! This is my first attempt at publicly sharing one of my design layouts. Please note that the fabric was purchased from my local quilt shop and I used the AccuQuilt 3 1/2″ Tumbler die, which I will link to below in case you are interested in purchasing it. Please note that if you purchase through any of my links, I will make a small commission as I am an affiliate. I have also included a link via Amazon to purchase the Missouri Star Quilt Company Tumbler Set for those that do not have a cutting machine.

ACCUQUILT:

AccuQuilt Cutters, Dies and Mats

http://shrsl.com/23bmm

3 1/2” Tumbler (3” Finished)

http://shrsl.com/23bjq

Fabric Cutters I Use:

AccuQuilt GO ME : I use this for smaller projects and applique’

http://shrsl.com/23bm8

GO BIG Electric Cutter: I use this when I am cutting a lot of pieces or larger dies.

http://shrsl.com/23bmf

Missouri Star Quilt CO Tumbler Quilting Ruler Bundle:

https://amzn.to/2tfRUvO

I have created this design pattern so that you will know where to place each tumbler piece in the quilt. I have based this off of using 4 fabrics. You may use whatever fabrics you like and how ever many you would like. I have seen some beautiful scrap quilts made using this particular tumbler die.

VIDEO TUTORIAL:

Here is my video showing you how to assemble the blocks.

FREE PATTERN:

TUMBLER BABY QUILT PATTERN

#babyquilt #tumblerquilt #thecraftyauthor #accuquilt #freequiltpattern

FINISHED BABY QUILT – JUST IN TIME FOR MY GRANDSONS ARRIVAL 🙂

CRAFT ROOM OVERHAUL PART 2

January 30, 2020 By The Crafty Author Leave a Comment

CRAFT ROOM OVERHAUL PART 2

I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m about to spill the beans. I absolutely love organization and having a place for all of my crafting and quilting supplies in one place so that I have access to them when I need them.

However, this craft room overhaul has been a real pain in the butt. It has taken me far longer than I ever would have thought. I know, first world problems. I totally get that, but the struggle is real. Working full-time and coming home to work in my quilting room has been a challenge for me and it’s taken me about 2 weeks to get this far and I’m still not done.

I’m not complaining though. Just stating facts. So…if you decide to overhaul your space like I am, set some realistic expectations, because clearly, I thought I could have this all done in a weekend. Hahahahaha! I know, I’m laughing with you!

Moving along, here we have an old tv cart where I once stored notepads of paper, rubber bands and other miscellaneous items in my craft room. It was the perfect solution for what I had been wanting for a very long time. I just wasn’t sure how to achieve it until now.

And what I wanted was a mobile ironing and cutting station that I could have right next to my sewing machine. It sometimes takes longer to complete a quilt block when you have several seams to press and your ironing table or board is not near by. So, this was my solution to that problem.

We purchased 4 – 1″ Roller Ball Bearings at $1.99 each from Harbor Tool and Freight.

CLICK HERE FOR ROLLER BALL BEARING

Then my husband cut 4 wood blocks 2 1/4″ X 3″ so that we could accurately screw into the bottom of the tv cart without going all the way through the cart. The video will explain it better, I promise. Also, don’t be like me and split the wood. HA! I must admit, I was having way too much fun with the power tools.

So once the roller balls were on, then it was time for me to give the tv cart a little make over. So for this, I used Cricut Adhesive Foil. You will want to prep the wood before you do this, otherwise, it won’t stick to the surface and it will continually come up. That is a very important tip!

Anyway, back to the adhesive foil. I used Stainless Steel, Stainless Teal and Coral Pink in Matte, for the top of the cart.

FIND CRICUT ADHESIVE FOIL HERE!

That’s all there is too it! This was a really fun and easy project to do. Check out the video below.

CRAFT/QUILT ROOM OVERHAUL PART 1

And here is the final product! If you decide to make one of your own, please feel free to share your pictures with me at:

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#craftroomideas #thecraftyauthor #diyironing #quilting #diyfurniture #sewing #crafting #howto #fabricstorage