Patchwork Wash Mat

So simple and so practical

Mine was 12 inch x 16 inch

12 squares cut 4.5x4.5 inches

1 piece of old towel cut 13x17 inches

Arrange squares in a pleasing pattern in 3 rows of 4

Sew the rows of 4 together

Sew those rows together

Give a good iron. 

Lay down the towel, place the patchwork good side down on the towel. 

Use lots of pins and pin around, the towel will like to slide around so plenty of pins helps. Make sure to mark a 4 inch turning gap. This gap you will leave un-sewn.

Start sewing at one turning gap marker, sew all the way around to the other gap marker. Make sure to reverse stitch at the beginning and end. 

Clip corners and turn right side out. 

Make the corners look good and give it a good iron. Make sure to iron the turning gap so it folds nicely. 

Top stitches all the way around. If the corners are too bulky, skip the corners and just sew down each edge. 

Sew a top stitch along the center of the patchwork to secure both sides of the project together.

Finished!

The Ella Matt

Finished 10 inch 

  I use English Paper Piecing to make my mats. The papers are by Sue Daley, I use either her templates or for some I just made the template from card for fussy cutting the fabric

The fabric used here was Seaside by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake Fabrics

Fussy cutting: Precise cutting designs in the fabric. Place template on the image you want and cut.
To make a template: Trace your shape on card stock or thick board. With a ruler make an outline 1/4 inch around the shape and cut. Than cut the shape in the center.

Materials:
Paper Pieces
Shape templates for fussy cutting
Water soluble glue
Thread
Size 10 or 11 milliners needle for sewing
Batting
Backing
Sewing machine
Pencil

Shapes used:
1x  1 1/2 inch hexagon
6x  1 1/2 inch 6 point diamonds
6x  1 1/2 inch triangle
18x 1 1/2 inch squares
12x 1 1/2 inch 6 point diamond wedge
You can purchase the kit in my shop: Victorystitches.com

Pieces lay out

Note: when gluing or basting the 6 point star corners, fold the straight edges first, the curve last. When sewing the piecing together, make sure to only sew the straight edge. the curve part is used in seeming the project together.

1. Fussy cut all shapes and glue or stitch baste to paper. If you are new to English Paper Piecing, there are lots of well written and videos available.

2. Sew shapes together. I worked in this way: sewed the triangles to the first set of squares. Than worked in a circle sewing square with triangle attached to 6 point star, bring thread down to bottom and sew square to hexagon.. kept going in that manor. Next circle round was the 12 squares. Last round was the 6 point star wedge.

3. With shape completed. place on cotton batting and trace the shape. Cut out and put a side

4. Remove papers and fold the curved edges out. This is your seam allowance

5. Use a pencil and using the crease lines from the curves to draw a circle around the edge. this will be our sew line

6. Trim the batting circle so its 1/4 inch or so smaller than the sew line on the front piece. Use some water soluble glue stick to stick it to the back side of the front piece.

7. Cut a piece of backing fabric larger than the front. Lay out as follows: backing (facing good sides up)  front (facing good side down, batting side up)

8. Pin and sew along the marked sew line. Leave an opening for turning. My openings are small and never include an area where there is a seam, I also reverse stitch at the start and end so the seem doesn't rip when turning.

9. Trim an excess backing

10. Turn, iron and make the turning open nice and neat and hand sew shut.

11. Quilt as you want. I usually stitch in the ditch.

DONE!

Misc pictures

Sewing together


Finished, back of front piece before papers removed


Another mat showing the playout of pieces


Finished from the top



Finished look at the bottom

Spring Hexies

                                          

We finally got a fabric shop in town. We used to have a fabricland may moons ago, but they really aren’t modern by any means. Oh Look Fabric is not only an awesome name, but Andreas put together and amazing shop.  Modern fabrics, embroidery kits, local made crafts.. it’s a little piece of heaven. 

I picked up an array of spring prints and happily went to work. Lots of Dresden’s and hexagons. This is the first piece. Best thing about English paper piecing is fussy cutting. Picking out all those sweet images and sewing them together.

I made some half hexies to fill in the top and bottom gaps.  Trimmed the sides to make them straight.

 Hand stitched between them all so they would puff out

Sewed to an envelope style back.

Soooooo sweet!