It’s time for the second block tutorial in the Whitney Sews Sampler Sew Along! Haven’t heard about it yet?!? Each month I’ll be sharing a step by step tutorial to make a traditional quilt block as well as how to sew the blocks together to create a sampler style quilt that finishes in a great lap quilt/baby quilt size.
This week I’m sharing a tutorial for the Friendship Star Block. A lot of historical blocks are based on start designs and the Friendship Star is one of easiest.
I share the step-by-step instructions from cutting to sewing this block in the video HERE!
Don’t forget to share a pic of your finished block with #SamplerSewAlong so we all see it!
If you want more details on the supplies I use in my videos, you can find them all HERE! I set up an Amazon storefront so all my most used items are in one place and if you use my link to purchase anything I get a small percentage for referring you and that goes to help create more quality content like this video tutorial.
A few weeks ago I FINALLY got myself a new serger to replace the one that broke last year! You can watch the serger unboxing HERE. Even though I’ve owned a serger before it was a second hand one that I didn’t really know how to use other than basic finishings. So as I’m learning how to use my new one I want to share that info with you all!
This week I wanted to share how I got my serger set up, threaded and ready to use. Check out the video showing all that HERE!
BTW I have already used my serger to make one project! I made a fully finished Jedi costume. I’m pretty sure it’s the most professionally finished garment I’ve ever made!
I’ll have another video in the future with more details about the costume.
What kinds of things do you want to learn about using a serger? Let me know in the comments 🙂 Until next time, Happy Sewing and Serging!
This week I wanted to share a fun upcycling project. I have been making a lot of pillow shams lately using upcycled materials and wanted to share the process with you all. Since I was without a serger for about a year I came up with a way to make these shams fully finished inside and out so they are very durable and completely washable.
My go to pillow size is 18 inches because that is a very common throw pillow size. My shams finish a little smaller so that once the pillow is inside it will look more full and fluffy.
To make the pillow sham you will need 8 squares measuring 6.5 x 6.5 inches and 2 rectangles measuring 6.5 x 3.5 inches. I interfaced all of my patchwork pieces because they were from thin cotton shirts, but that step is totally optional. (I use this interfacing HERE and yes, I buy a bolt at a time because I use it for everything from memory bears to t-shirt quilts and so much more.) You will also need a piece for the lining measuring approximately 19 x 19 inches and 2 pieces for the backing measuring approximately 19 x 13 inches. If you don’t want to use as much fabric you can skip the lining.
Anyway, enough chit chat, check out the step-by-step pillow sham tutorial HERE!
I hope you liked this tutorial! I love making pillow shams so much. If you want to see more of the shams I make check out my Whitney Sews Memories page.
A few weeks ago I shared a post where I talked a little bit about the large number of DIY tutorials I’ve shared on my channel. With over 700 videos on my channel it makes sense that people want to know what I do with all those projects. The truth is that I sold some, gave some away, threw a few away…but a lot of them I still use! You can see what DIYs I use EVERY SINGLE DAY in this video. Many of you wanted to know about the other DIYs that we don’t use every single day, but still use on a weekly or monthly basis.
Click HERE to find out what handmade items we use at our house each week or monthly.
Were there any tutorials on the list that you haven’t watched yet?!? You can find all of them in a playlist right HERE!
Want to see my favorite sewing supplies and other items I use on a regular basis?!? You can find them HERE!
What DIY items do you use regularly? Also, what are your favorite sewing supplies? I would love to know!
This week I have an exciting unboxing to share! I finally got a new serger to replace the one that broke last year! I finally decided on THIS Juki serger and I can not wait to start using it.
It’s time for the first block tutorial in the Whitney Sews Sampler Sew Along! Haven’t heard about it yet?!? Each month I’ll be sharing a step by step tutorial to make a traditional quilt block as well as how to sew the blocks together to create a sampler style quilt that finishes in a great lap quilt/baby quilt size.
This week I’m sharing a tutorial for the Broken Dishes Block. This block has been around since the 1790s and is the earliest recorded and most commonly used historic quilt block. It is a simple block made of only 4 half square triangle units.
I share the step-by-step instructions from cutting to sewing this block in the video HERE!
Don’t forget to share a pic of your finished block with #SamplerSewAlong so we all see it!
If you want more details on the supplies I use in my videos, you can find them all HERE! I set up an Amazon storefront so all my most used items are in one place and if you use my link to purchase anything I get a small percentage for referring you and that goes to help create more quality content like this video tutorial.
I am so excited to announce that the Whitney Sews Sampler Sew Along is starting and I would love for you to join in! Each month I’ll be sharing a step by step tutorial to make a traditional quilt block as well as how to sew the blocks together to create a sampler style quilt that finishes in a great lap quilt/baby quilt size.
Not sure what a sampler quilt is?? Sampler quilts become popular in the mid 1800s when quilts were broken down into grid like units (or blocks) for piecing for the first time. Each block in a sampler quilt is a unique design, but often all the same size. This allowed the quilters to have variety in what they were sewing and practice precision piecing without sewing the same blocks over and over again. Sampler quilts also allow the quilt maker the opportunity to test out several blocks before choosing one or two to use for their next quilt.
Each of the blocks I will be teaching measure 12 x 12 inches when finished. I chose this larger size because it’s easier for beginners to work with larger pieces when learning how to piece quilts together. The first block of the series will be posted next Wednesday, so make sure you have some fabrics picked out so you can start right in!
Find out the rest of the details, including how many fabrics you’ll need, in the video HERE!
I hope you will join me in the Sampler Sew Along! If you do, make sure to share a pic of your blocks with #SamplerSewAlong so we can all see your wonderful blocks! Until next week, Happy Sewing!
I started making youTube videos 9 years ago…that means there are currently 726 videos on my channel! That means I have made lots and lots of DIYs. So I get questions on occasion (understandably!) about what I do with all the things I make for tutorials. For the first few years of youTube I sometimes made DIYs that I thought other people wanted to see, instead of things I was truly interested in making. After a while I realized the only way I was going to stay excited and happy with my channel and my videos was to make things I’m interested in making and the right people will find my channel. Surprise…that works! I have been on youTube longer than any job, any relationship, or anything else in my life and I’m currently less than 8,000 subscribers away from 100,000 (more on that later)!
Lately instead of trying to do what I think will perform well or be popular I make what makes me happy, or I make things that are useable and fills a need. This is why my tutorials tend to skip around in theme – quilts for a month or two, then memory bears for a month or so, then on to something else. Anyway, my point is I try not to make things that don’t serve a purpose. That purpose may be a literal purpose, such as a bib or cloth pads that get used all the time or to teach a new technique or skill, unlike THIS video that had no purpose and was only made because I thought people wanted more t-shirt recons and the finished item went in the trash a few days later.
So I guess that’s a long story to say the answer to what I do with the projects I make is use them! We use a lot of my DIYs in everyday life at our house. I actually went around the house recently and made a list of every handmade item I noticed and share that list with you all in this week’s video. I’m sure the list doesn’t include everything, but it will give you an idea of DIYs we use EVERY single day at our house.
Were there any tutorials on the list that you haven’t watched yet?!? You can find all of them in a playlist right HERE!
There are even more things that we use regularly, but not every single day. If you’re interested in seeing a video of all the DIY items we use on a weekly basis, let me know and I can do a part 2.
Want to see my favorite sewing supplies and other items I use on a regular basis?!? You can find them HERE!
What DIY items do you use every day? Also, what are your favorite sewing supplies? I would love to know!
This is a tutorial I’m so excited to share! I started making my own cloth pads about a year ago to use some flannel scraps from my stash and to see if I liked the idea of reusable pads. We already use cloth diaper for our two kiddos, so it made sense for me to ditch disposables too!
Over the course of a few weeks I made 6 or 7 different patterns to see what size, shape, etc I preferred. I also tried out a few different materials and levels of absorbency in the pad’s soaker.
After I year of using cloth I can safely say I LOVE them! They are more comfortable than disposable pads and cheaper because I only used fabrics from my stash. Plus there are TONS of options for materials to fit your needs and budget! You can obviously buy pad specific materials (like zorb), pull fabrics from your stash (such as flannel), or upcycle items you no longer need (like flannel receiving blankets, old towels, etc).
BTW these pads aren’t just for your menstrual cycle, they can also be used for any sort of bladder incontinence or as a basic panty liner. You can tailor the pads to suit your needs.
Since we can’t help what Mother Nature sends our way I am offering two of my favorite patterns for FREE! You can find them on my shop page. The first is a great daytime pad, especially for heavier days, and the second is a fantastic panty liner size. So head over to the shop, download your FREE pattern, and check out the video to get started!
In the video tutorial I cover everything from material suggestions, step-by-step sewing instructions, and washing tips.
I mentioned a lot of items and resources in the video, they are all linked below for your convenience.
Whew! That was a lot to cover! If you have any questions please leave them in the comments and I will post a second video if needed. Until next time, Happy Sewing!
I found this beautiful, vintage tablecloth at my local thrift store a while back. I fell in love with it and knew I needed to take it home with me. I didn’t want it for my table…I wanted to wear it! I knew that I wanted to cut a waistband in it and transform it into a skirt. But even though I had a plan from day 1, it still took me over a year (if not closer to two) to be brave enough to cut into the tablecloth.
This was been a trend in my life for so long! I have several items stashed away that I love, but can’t use in their current state, but am fearful of cutting into them because I’m afraid I will mess them up and ruin them. But at the same time I am getting zero joy from having them stashed away and in fact am causing myself to have more clutter. So I’m trying to challenge myself to be brave and take on these projects. Last week I finally resized a skirt I had been hanging onto for almost 9 years! You can check out that video HERE!
That skirt turned out so amazing and definitely encouraged and motivated me to work on this one!
Since my table cloth was an oval to start with I folded it twice to find the center point and treated it like I would any material I was using to create a circle style skirt. The only difference is I’m not actually having to cut or hem the bottom edge.
The skirt was quick and easy to make and looks so amazing. Watch the step-by-step tutorial HERE!
Let me know in the comments what item you have been hanging onto for a sewing project. I hope this post encourages you to create something you’ve been wanting to work on. Until next time, Happy Sewing!
