Christmas in July Blog Hop: Day 4

Christmas in July continues with a week of holiday-themed tutorials! Stop by each day this week to see the featured tutorial and find out how you can enter to win the fabric line being used!

Today Cynthia from Quilting is more fun than Housework (and yes, it is!) is sharing the perfect quick and easy gift idea for the holidays. She's made double-sided napkins using the Holiday Cheer collection by Maria Kalinowski for Kanvas. These novelty prints are sew much fun!

Here's Cynthia:

Welcome to my stop on the Benartex Christmas in July Blog Hop.  Benartex has so many fun collections coming out for the holidays it was hard to choose a favorite.  But when I saw the Holiday Cheer collection, I immediately had the perfect project in mind.

Bright colored candies and cocktail treats....This collection was screaming to be made into party napkins!  They are pretty easy to make so I thought I would include a tutorial in case you want to get started on your holiday sewing.

The first step is to get the fabric pre-washed (to remove shrinkage) and then pressed.  I use either starch or a starch alternative like Best Press to get it really nice and flat.

 You will want to remove the selvages and square up the pressed fabric to the size you desire.  

 

When cutting your fabric to size, you will need to compensate for the 2.5" you will lose in the finished edging. For my 14" napkins, I cut a 16.5" square.

 At your ironing board, fold down 1/4" and press to the wrong side around all 4 sides of the cloth..  I use a small ruler to help with this.  

You can also mark your fabric with a light pencil line on the wrong side if that is easiest to follow.  

(Using Best Press on this step will help to ensure the fold doesn't open up in handling.)

  Next, with the 1/4" still pressed down, you will fold in and press an additional 1" on all 4 sides of the cloth.  Once again, the use of starch or Best Press will keep the folds from opening up.

On a flat surface, open up the 1" fold but keep the 1/4" fold, down.  In the corners, draw a line at 45 degrees through where the fold marks intersect.  I use the 45 degree mark on my ruler to line up with either the edge of the cloth or the fold mark.  Remember to mark all four corners.

Now fold the corners right side together (keeping the 1/4" folded down).  The outer edge of the cloth should be lined up and come to a point. Sew on the pencil line, remembering to back stitch at the beginning and end of the stitch line.  Sew all four corners.

 

Trim the corner about 1/4" from the stitched line.  I may also trim away some of the bulk at the corner where the fold is to help keep the points sharp.

 Now just fold in and you will get a nice mitered corner with a sharp point.  I use one of my cutting rulers to slide into the point to push them all the way out.  Give all the edges another press.

At this point, you can choose not to line your napkins and just top stitch around the mitered edge (see below) - or you can get even more festive and line your napkins with a coordinating fabric.

I cut a 13" square and tucked it under the mitered edge.  I then pinned all the layers around the edge to make top stitching a little easier.

 

In a nice contrasting or complimentary thread (your choice), stitch along the inside fold about 1/16" from the edge.  Remember to backstitch when you start out.  To turn the corners, put the needle down right in the miter, lift the presser foot and turn. I also backstitch at the end.

And there you have it - fun holiday napkins!

Perfect little gifts for that favorite hostess...

 Or put them away for use at your own holiday party.  

Aren't the prints adorable in this Holiday Cheer collection!

Thanks, Cynthia! Head over to Cynthia's blog to enter for a chance to win a FQ bundle of Holiday Cheer fabric! 

Don't miss our Christmas in July tutorials all this week!

Monday: Chris from made by ChrissieD, featuring Jolly Penguin and Friends

Tuesday: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts, featuring My Little Chickadee

Wednesday: Alison from Little Bunny Quilts, featuring Sparkle

Thursday: Cynthia from Quilting is more fun than Housework, featuring Holiday Cheer

Friday: Benartex blog design team featuring Joyful

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Burlap Brights Block Hop: Day 9

Welcome to the ninth day of our Burlap Brights Block Hop! We hope you are enjoying the eleven block tutorials our designing friends are sharing here this week and last week. Be sure to stop by each day to see a new block and have a chance to win some Burlap Brights for yourself!

Today, Cynthia from Quilting is more fun than Housework is sharing a block made using Flying Geese using blue, red, orange, and yellow. Check out her tutorial (she also shows the block in green and purple!) and then head over to her blog to enter for a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of the six Burlap Brights prints featured in our hop.


Hello -  I'm Cynthia of Quilting is more fun than Housework.  I often realize how blessed I am to make a living doing what I am passionate about...and that is quilting.  I am a longarm quilter, pattern designer and quilt instructor.
  I have the Best. Job. Ever!

 

When I was recently approached by Benartex to design a block for their Burlap Brights, I was thrilled!  I love color and to have the opportunity to play with these bright fabrics made my "job" even better!

I mean take a look at this bundle!  
With such intense colors, I knew I wanted to make something that played with both the hot and cool colors that were provided.   And I am happy I get to share the tutorial for my block with you!

 So lets get started.

I will be using the cool colors for my background and the hot colors for some flying geese. 

For each block you will need to cut the following:

2 ea - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles (Red)

2 ea - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles (Orange)

2 ea - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles (Yellow)

12 ea - 2 1/2" squares (Blue)

1 ea - 8 1/2" x 12 1/2" rectangle (Blue)

Mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 12 background squares.

 Align one square as shown on each of the colored rectangles and sew on the marked line.  I always sew from the middle down to the point (so the point doesn't get sucked down into the machine or distorted with sewing)

  Trim the corners off 1/4" above the seam and press toward the background.

Add a second square to the other side of the rectangles using the same method. 

 Once again, trim and press toward the background.

You end up with a pretty geese component like this one!

 To make the finished block, you will be making 2 red, 2 orange and 2 yellow geese components.

Once your geese components are finished, they need to be laid out in this configuration.  

To sew the strip, you just join the components.

When I sew two geese together, I like to have the component with the point on top so I can see the point of that triangle so I know where to sew.  This will help to ensure you don't lose those points. 

Once you have the strip sewn, you just need to join it to the right side of the large rectangle.

Here is the finished block. It measures 12 1/2" and will finish up at a 12" block.  

It might look a bit plain...

 ...but the magic happens when you start playing with the layout!  

Here is one quick option but there are many more to discover.

Not a fan of blue, these block look great in the purple and green too!

I have enjoyed my day here on the Burlap Brights Block Hop. It was great fun playing with these wonderful fabrics.  

If you happen to use my block tutorial for a project of your own, I hope you share it with me.  

Thanks so much!  Cynthia


Thanks Cynthia! Head over to Quilting is more fun than Housework to enter to win a fat quarter bundle of the six Burlap Brights she used to make her blocks. 

Make sure you check out each day's tutorial!

Day 1: Chris from made by ChrissieD

Day 2: Mary from Mary on Lake Pulaski

Day 3: Alison from Little Bunny Quilts

Day 4: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts

Day 5: Kristen from KD Quilts 

Day 6: Benartex design team

Day 7: Stephanie from Stitched Together Studios

Day 8: Julie from The Crafty Quilter

Day 10: Jessica from Quilty Habit 

To see the entire schedule, click here.

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