I am so happy to share something special with you today! It's one of my video tutorials from my website, A Good Quilt, and it includes a printable instruction sheet that goes along with lesson!
I wanted you to see an actual video from the library inside A Good Quilt, where currently, over 70 tutorials are organized into categories. And...new things are added every Friday! So, hop on over and enjoy this little treat from me to you. There is no obligation whatsoever!, so, enjoy! Maxie. https://www.agoodquilt.com/peek-inside
Maxie Makes Subscription Sewing Box - August 2018
Want a peek inside the August 2018 Maxie Makes Subscription Sewing Box? Click the video below! This month features Bonnie Christine's newest fabric line, Gathered, for Art Gallery Fabrics. We brought a project that was requested several times when I polled earlier subscribers: Paper Piecing! Whether you love it or avoid it at all costs, with the help of my friend, Sarah Overton, you'll overcome any hesitations quickly with her expert tips and attention to detail in her original patterns. This month we make the Tony Danza Mini Quilt!
Just to give you a glimpse of the planning that went into this month's box, one of the first steps I usually take is to create a mock up of the project. The one above, left, was made in EQ8, quilt design software. I imported images of Bonnie's fabrics and and had fun creating with Sarah's block design. With a few final changes, the outcome, right, was fairly predictable!
Because Sarah is such a great teacher of paper piecing, I asked her to help with the video tutorial and we had so much fun that day! There were plenty of giggling bloopers, but we ommited them for the sake of respectability.
Join the learning fun! Click here to subscribe! Thanks for stopping by!
Happy sewing and God bless! Maxie
Cricut + Simplicity Patterns = Clever Companions!
I've posted before to acclaim the Cricut Maker's ability to help me sew, and maybe you even downloaded my slipper .svg file and made a pair or two for yourself! Cricut's exclusive new Rotary Blade is what makes this precision cutting possible, cutting fabric with no backing or stabilizer. Did you know that Simplicity Patterns has chummed up with Cricut to make sewing patterns available in .svg format for your Cricut Maker Machine? When I decided to give that duo a try I came across this sweet doggie dress that I knew would be perfect for my Pinkie!
Click photo, above, for more information about the Cricut Maker Machine.
Making her dress with Art Gallery Fabric's "Wonderful Things", designed by my daughter, Bonnie Christine, would make it even more perfect! Look how accurately the rotary blade cuts! And...the marking pen precisely marked each piece for ribbon, pocket and velcro placement. Click on the photo for a close-up view.
One of the best things about Cricut Maker and Cricut's Design Space, is how user friendly they are. They work together so easily and all the guesswork is taken out because you just choose your design, click "Make It", and follow the prompts! It's that easy, and Cricut has an abundant supply of videos and tutorials to help with most any situation that could arise.
- Bottom Left: Sewing the leash ribbon in place.
- Bottom Center: Sewing the gathered ruffle in place.
- Bottom Right: Stitch around treat pocket on fold line. Clip to line in corners. Tip: Glue seam allowance in place and press well. Sew to the front of the dress as shown in the top photo.
- Top Photo: Finished and ready for velcro. Click to enlarge.
What do you think?
Sewing with Cricut Maker has many benefits; to name a few:
- Cutting and marking accuracy.
- No hand fatigue from scissors or rotary cutter.
- Youngsters can sew small projects without having to use sharp cutting tools.
- Much easier for handicapped or arthritic hands.
- It's fun!
Can you tell how much I love my Cricut Maker? Thanks for visiting today! Happy Sewing and God bless!
Maxie
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
How The Cricut Maker Cuts Fleece! (A Free SVG File for You!)
You read it right! The Cricut Maker is equipped with a rotary cutter, giving it the capability to cut fabric without the need to adhere a stabilizer or fusible on the wrong side! Other cutters utilize a dragging knife blade that, when dragging over the surface of UN-stabilized fabric, would distort the fabric and make cutting curves and corners a nightmare. But, could Cricut Maker cut any type of fabric? I decided to put it to the test with stretchy, lofty fleece! It passed with flying colors!
These fleece booties are made from a pattern I drafted on paper a few years back and I suppose I've made about a hundred pair from that pattern. Cutting can be a bit of a challenge though, (due to stretch and fuzz) so I I thought that if Cricut could pass this test we would remain close friends forever!
The first step I'd need to take would be to create the pattern in an SVG file for the machine. My Adobe Illustrator skills were very lacking, but thanks to the new Immersion Course by Bonnie Christine (my daughter!) she brought me up to speed quickly in only the first week of lessons. So, thank you, Bonnie, for that! (If you're in want of those skills, you might like to check out her classes on Skillshare and Creative Live, as well. Her Immersion course registration is closed until next year, but you can register for the notification list.)
SVG file complete, now to put it to the test. I connected my laptop to my Cricut Maker, opened Cricut Design Space and followed the very simple prompts to upload my designs (there are two: the ankle portion and the toe/sole portion). Being a new Cricut user, this was my very first cut fabric project, and I approached with guarded confidence, wondering if I would have a very long learning curve. Nope. None. Cricut guides you through each step: choose your fabric type, load your mat, touch the cut button. It was that simple! I can't sing the virtues of this machine loudly enough!
Want a Cricut Maker of your very own? The cost is $399.99 and a voluminous value, considering the capabilities of cutting hundreds of materials including silk, cotton, leather, wood, and every type of paper! Click the image above to purchase! If you purchase the Cricut from the links in my post, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut, and contains my opinions.
These booties are only in one size, but roomy enough to fit Women's 7-9. Download the written .pdf directions for constructing them here, and the SVG files for your cutting machine here. You'll be snuggling up with them in no time! Photos below correspond with the .pdf instructions.
Back to the Adobe Illustrator drawing board to make more SVG files for my Cricut Maker!
Thanks for visiting! Happy sewing, and God bless! Maxie
These booties are only in one size, but roomy enough to fit Women's 7-9. Download the written directions for constructing them here, and the SVG files for your cutting machine here. You'll be snuggling up with them in no time!
Fun with Labels!
January's Maxie Mail Subscription Sewing box was all about labels! Have you ever admired a quilt that had no label? I know I have. I own several antique quilts and a few that were passed down through my family that have no labels. I only wish I knew the history of that quilt and its maker, especially those that my grandmothers made. Quilts passed down through families can loose their meaning when no connection can be made to the maker. As for current quilts, recipients need to have that visual reminder of the love that brought that quilt to them.
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