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Spin The Pins – Microwave Bowl Holder

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Well it has been a while, with lots happening in the Nanny and Poppy house but the other day, while making rolled oats for my grand children for breakfast, I decided the time was right for a Spin! You see I was making the ‘porridge’ in the microwave and very nearly burnt myself and I remembered seeing these great microwave  bowl holders AND I wanted to make something from our Swap Squares so this was the project for me!! Nanny’s take on microwave bowl holders!!
 
Note: I am making mine to fit a ‘Corelle’ bowl which is about 61/4″ in diameter and 41/2″ across the base.  Please check your dish for size and adjust accordingly.
You will need:
 
i) 4 x 5″ squares – (I am using some from the Black & White Swap.)
ii)1 x 9″ square (you could use more squares if you like – I just want to use the same fabric to make a ‘set’ and I am cutting from a Fat Quarter so it has to be 9″
iii) 2 x 8.5″ squares of 100% cotton wadding – I am using ‘Warm Tater’ which is recommended for Microwave projects as it doesn’t contain any resins or glues. (important for my Fibromyalgia!!)
NOTE:  You will need to sew with cotton thread as well – no polyester!
 
Let’s Sew!!
 
1.  Select 4 squares and join them in pairs
 
2.  Join the squares.
 
 
3.  Take a square of wadding and pin to the wrong side of your squares
 
 
4.  Quilt as desired – I am just going to follow the seams – nice and fast!  I used white thread on the white background and black on the black.  (I have swapped to my second one here hence the change in fabric!)
 
Trim your  2 quilted squares to the same size.
5.  Now we have to shape it.  Using your bowl as a guide, measure across the base – I will be using 4.5″ (you want your bowl to be able to sit in the holder )
 
 
6. Mark that measurement along the seams each way. 
 
 
Transfer the pin marks to the wrong side
 
 
7.  Fold along the seam line and sew a dart – I went to the 2nd row of my quilting which is about 3/4″ and taper to the mark you just made.  Do that on each seam.  
You now have a bowl shape.
 
8.  Repeat that process on the other quilted square.
 
9. Place the ‘bowls’ right sides together and stitch around the edges leaving an opening for turning. ( I came around a corner, finished with a back stitch and left it open to just before the dart then started with a backstitch and continued.)  Clip corners and turn through to the right side.
10.  Topstitch around the edge to finish!  
 
I love it!!!  Thank you to ‘belmer from Minnesota’ for the inspiration – these will be greatly used down here in Australia!!
 
You can have it this way up:
 
 
or this way!!
 
Enjoy your new microwave bowl holder !  I have to finish that other one now so Poppy doesn’t feel left out! 😉
 
Until next time
Nanny xx
 

Spin the Pins – A Mouse Pad Makeover

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Today I have a very quick SPIN the PIN!   Take a look at my Mouse Pad – my granddaughter, visiting for a few days pointed out to me “Nanny, your mouse pad doesn’t look very nice – it’s gone all yucky!!”  So my ‘spinning’ for today stopped right there!!
 
I knew I had ‘pinned’ a Mouse Pad  so I sought it out.  It was a tutorial by Little Birdie on making a mouse pad from fabric.  Mmm after reading the start of the tutorial, I thought ” No, I have a mat – it just has a crappy top!”   
 
So this is how I fixed my mouse pad!
 
1.  Cut a piece of chosen fabric with a little extra around all edges.  My grand daughter chose the butterflies!
 
2.  Carefully peel the old topping away from the rubber pad.
 
 
 As you know by now, I don’t use spray adhesives because of my Fibromyalgia, so I thought I could probably use vliesofix. 
 
3.  Using a hot iron, press the vliesofix  to the fabric.
 
 
4.  Trace the outline of the rubber pad onto the paper and cut out the shape
 
 
5.  Peel away the layer of paper from the fabric.
 
6.  Lay the fabric, right side up, onto the rubber pad.
 

7.  Press with a hot iron to adhere.


 8.  Trim away any excess like on my corner

 
9.  Enjoy your new Mouse Pad!!
 


What a great result in less than 10 minutes!  I love my new mouse pad – my favourite colour and lovely butterflies!!

You may wish to add some Fray stop – I didn’t bother!


Until next time
Nanny xx

Rainbow Machine Cover – Tutorial 3 – Sewing the Squares

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How exciting!  Our squares are all trimmed so Let’s Sew Along!!  🙂

NOTE:  This is not the only way to do this but it is the way I have chosen to: explain; demonstrate; and keep it simple.  If you prefer to follow a different method, that’s fine!  Enjoy!!

1.  SEW – Take your board with squares laid out to the machine.  Start with the two left hand rows and take the first square from each row.  Using a 1/4″ seam, sew them together but don’t remove them from the machine. Instead, take the next two and continue sewing – keep doing this to the end of the rows.  This is called ‘Chain Piecing’ and it is a great technique – time saving, cotton saving and a huge help in remembering what goes where!!


When you are finished, they can get all over the place but will still be ‘chained’ in the correct order! Don’t cut them apart until you are ready to move on to the next step.


2. PRESS – Lay your chain along the ironing board the same way up that you sewed, and press. ( I haven’t cut them apart yet – it will make showing you another step easier) This will set the seam.  Remember don’t iron back and forwards – just press down and up.



3.  OPEN – Open the squares up so that the seam is on top and press one seam to the right and the next to the left and so on along the chain. This is a difference between regular sewing and Quilting/Piecing – you rarely press the seams open unless the design/quilting work requires it. Usually, you try to press the seam towards the darker fabric, so that seams aren’t as visible through the fabric, but for this exercise, I am not worrying! 

4.  CUT – Cut the first two from the chain and  put right sides together, matching the seam lines. (Make sure you have them right way up to get the layout to match the colour chart)  

You will notice, that when one seam is pressed one way and the other the opposite way, that it forms a little ridge that lets you ‘lock’ the seam join in place.


While holding the seam joins together, place the pieces in the machine and sew.  Keep your finger on the seam join so that the lock is in place as it enters the needle area.

Take the next two and chain and then the next two.  You will have one left over.

5.  PRESS – Press as  before to set the seam and when you open it out, you will see that your seams match!!  No pinning required! (Please give it a try but if you feel you need to pin, then of course that is up to you)



If they are a little bit out, you have two choices – Don’t worry about it OR unpick and redo!  Like anything, you will get better as you go but, if it’s any help, I won’t be undoing any of mine! ( I’m not putting the cover in a competition or anything and you won’t notice little differences in the overall effect!)

NOTE:  I am referring to a mismatch of a stitch width – it is important to keep your edges matching and of course, it is preferable to have your joins precise, as it is this precision that will result in your finished project sitting flat and looking its best!!

Now, before we start on the next rows, we need to take care of the double colours in the green row and the pink row. (remember – we are matching the colour chart)  Take the two greens and two pinks and sew together, press and open.


6.  TRIM – We now have to trim these to a 4″ square.  Place your rule on the rectangle so that the 2″ line runs down the seam line and trim excess away.  Turn and do the other side.



7.  REPEAT – Now repeat the chain piecing for the next two rows.  For the last row, sew the first 2 and so on up the row. How are your seam ‘locks’ going – getting better?


8.  ACROSS – Now work across the chart.  Take the 4 patch on the left and join it to the green/blue one to it’s right and then add the purple.  Continue doing this as you work your way up the chart.


9.  JOIN –  Join the rows right across, locking your seams as you go, and before you know it:


You have a completed rectangle which is a replica of the colour chart for the Quilters Solids.  (Or you have completed the rectangle to fit your project)

10.  CELEBRATE – Well done!  

It is from this point that we will be following different paths according to what we are making.

I will post further instructions for each.

Until next time
Nanny xx

Rainbow Machine Cover – Tutorial 2 – How to measure up!

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This ‘Let’s Sew Along’ is designed to utilise the sample squares of Quilters Solids. These samples have  determined the size of the squares we are using and the completed cover will fit a medium size machine.

If you are using your own squares, making a smaller cover, making an overlocker/serger cover you will need to measure up!   A cover does not need to be snug fitting so we will add a little extra to these measurements – an inch or two.

Sewing Machine:

This is my ‘Betsy’ ( a medium machine) – I will use her to demonstrate!

1.  Measure the length

making sure that you allow for the ‘bits’ that stick out at the end …

2.  Measure the width:

   
3.  Measure the height:

4. Calculate the dimensions of your cover – following the arrows you add height + width + height

So the overall dimensions of your cover will be : height + width + height  x  length of machine.  To cover Betsy, I would need a rectangle 31.5″ x 17.5″  (that was lucky – wasn’t it!!!)  We will add ends.
If your machine is bigger you can : use bigger squares; use more squares; or add a border.
Overlocker/Serger

I’m guessing that most overlockers/sergers will be a similar shape to mine:

Height:

 Width:


Overall length:

Dimensions = Height+width+height x length
(12 + 12 + 12) x 12
To cover mine, using the same size squares (ie 4″),  I would need 4 rows each with 8 squares plus ends.  The ends could be a single piece or more squares!

So you will need to measure up, decide what you are making, the dimensions of your squares if they are different and so on.  Please ask if you are not sure about any of the directions.

We will all proceed through the joining of the squares together.

Until next time
Nanny xx

Let’s sew Along – ‘Rainbow Machine Cover’ – Tutorial 1

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I am excited that we are finally ready to progress with the’ Rainbow Machine Cover’ Let’s Sew Along.  I am still using that title even though a number of you will be veering off along the way to complete small quilts to use as mats or to hang.
The object, as proposed, is to make a machine cover, using the sample pack of quilting solids available from The Oz Material Girls.
I ordered myself a set, and on receiving them thought “How can I keep these together so that when I want to colour match for an order I know :
(a)  where to find them; and
(b) how to keep them in the correct order for easy reference?”
This is my solution!
The schedule will be as follow:
Monday 5th May:                     
Introduction                                                
Measuring Up
                                  
Monday 27th May                   
Sewing squares together
Calculating end panels, wadding and lining requirements
Monday 3rd June                                
Sandwiching the main section
Monday 10th June                             
Applying binding
Monday 17th June                             
Sharing finished covers/mats/quilts
So Let’s Sew along!

Measuring Up
After checking the size of the samples, I have decided that we will be trimming all sample squares to 4″ square.  We have 47 samples, but will be joining two pairs to make a replica of the colour chart.  Therefore, we will be sewing with 45 x 4″ squares.
This will give us a rectangle 31.5″ x 17.5″(finished).  We will then adjust that rectangle to our own needs.
What you need to do this week:
Trim all samples to 4″square.

Place your rule on the sample so that it fits the 4″ square. 

Trim the right hand side and along the top.
Turn the fabric so that the top, right corner is now on the bottom left.
Place your rule so that that corner is at the 4″ mark across and down and trim the right hand side and top again.

 

Arrange them on a board or table, following the colour chart (use the link above and scroll down to the larger image)


 

You will have 5 rows each with 9 squares.
If you are using your own scrap fabrics, you will need 45 x 4″ squares.  You will need to ‘audition’ them (try them out/play with them/rearrange them) and decide on the layout that you prefer, following the same layout of 5 rows, each with 9 squares.
Have fun!
Until next time
Nanny xx

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All content and images belong to Nannycraft4u unless otherwise indicated. You are welcome to link back to my blog, but you may not copy whole posts, tutorials or photos without my permission. Please give credit for my work and link back to the original post at Nannycraft4u.com.au If you use one of my ideas, I would love to know about it. Designs and tutorials are for personal use only.