Make it: T-shirt quilt - Recycle Devon

We know we are not alone in our hoarding tendencies; we all have a stack of clothes that we can’t bear to part with, but know we will never wear again; for me it is a bunch of fun logo t-shirts I used to wear when I worked in my local pub. I had a uniform of black combats, turquoise hair extensions and cute t-shirts, don’t judge me it was like 2002! I didn't keep all of them but I have kept a hold of my favourites, the ones that carry the best memories. They have been in a box in the loft for ages so when we were approached by the lovely people at Recycle Devon about an up-cycling post I knew exactly what I wanted to do. This t-shirt quilt gives you the opportunity to make use of those old clothes whilst keeping a hold of the memories, which is a winning combination for me!

You will need:

At least nine old t-shirts, an old throw or fabric to use as backing, fabric scissors, needle and thread, pins, embroidery thread and a sewing machine (optional)

Step 1. Use the t-shirt with the largest logo and cut a square around it.

Step 2. Use that as a template to cut the other t-shirts to the same size.

Step 3. Once you have cut all the t-shirts to size lay them out on the floor and arrange them in a display that you like, balancing the colours and logos until you are happy with it.  

Step 4. Take a photo on your phone to remind you how you laid it out then place the top left and top center t-shirts right sides together.

Step 5. Pin down the edge of the two squares.

Step 6. Sew with a slight zig zag stitch along the edge you have pinned about 1cm in from the raw edge.

Step 7. Open out the pieces

Step 8. Then iron the seam flat then join the next square to the two you have already sewn together.

Step 9. Move on to the next row joining the first two squares then the third square in to strips. Once you have all your strips ready you can place them right sides together matching up the seams.

Step 10. Pin the strips together and sew all the way along the edge. Then unfold and pin the next strip in place and sew.

Step 11. Unfold and you should have the front of your quilt.

Step 12. With right sides facing pin the front of your quilt to the throw or your backing fabric of choice then pin and sew around all four edges, leaving a small gap in one edge so you can turn it through.

Step 13. Trim away any excess seams and the corners to make the edges less bulky then turn it right side out by pulling it through the gap you left open in the edge.

Step 14. Hand stitch the gap close with some neat hand sewing.

Step 15. To stop the layers sliding around take a length of embroidery thread and at the corners of the squares stitch the thread through the fabric.

Step 16. Tie the length of thread in a double knot and trim the ends to about a centimeter long.  

And there you have it, the perfect memento to snuggle under and read a good book. I am actually going to keep mine in my husband’s car to snuggle under on our road trips. We want to know what you have in your home that you can’t bear to part with. Give a thought as to how you could re-purpose it and make it in to something you can love all over again.

Sammy and H xxx  

Bloglovin / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Google+ / Instagram

Top Ten Sewing Machine Feet

I am aware that there are in fact twelve feet in the picture above and even worse there are actually more than ten feet mentioned in this post, I never have been able to stick to a budget! I have been asked alot recently after introducing the Teflon foot in our Pastel and Neon clutch bag tutorial about sewing machine feet. There are lots of different kinds of presser feet depending on what you need to do and which machine you have. I thought today I would just run you through my ten...sorry twelve most used machine feet.

I have three machines, a Janome 525s a Babylock 1600 and a mint green John Lewis mini and I am lucky enough that they all take standard low shank snap on feet. I have used contrasting threads to make it easier for you to see what each foot is capable of. 

Zig Zag foot

The zigzag is the most versatile of all the feet that come with your machine. This is the foot that you cannot live without. With the ability to stitch almost any stitch through the oval opening, you would be lost without this little one.

Zipper foot

For sewing zips into anything a zipper foot is essential. Depending on your machine, your foot or your needle will shift from side to side to be able to get up close to the zip coil without the foot veering off the edge of the zip and without damaging the coil, so that you can attach your zips with neat straight stitches.

Concealed zip foot

You don't need a concealed zip foot to insert a concealed zip but it is jolly useful if you do. The foot helps to roll the coil of the zip away whilst you stitch so you can get as close to the edge as possible to make a neat closure with no stitching showing on the outside of the project. 

Teflon foot/ Walking foot

These two for me count as one foot, as they are both designed to aid in moving sticky, slippery or bulky fabrics through your machine. The Teflon foot is recommended for fabrics like PVC and leatherette where the surface has a tendency to stick to the underside of a metal foot. The walking foot can also help with this issue, but it can also be used for sewing bulky fabrics and slippery fabrics like Minky fleece which tend to shift when sewing with a regular foot. In the photo above you can see the results sewing on Minky fabric with the walking foot on the left and with a regular foot on the right. So much better with the walking foot I think you will agree. 

Blind Hem Foot

The amazing invisible hem that you can achieve from this foot and its corresponding stitch is brilliant. Sometimes practice is required to truly appreciate what a wonder this foot can be, but once mastered it is a skill you won't forget. 

Embroidery/darning foot

If you have a need to be free with your stitching, an embroidery or darning foot will be your best friend. Once you lower the feed dogs (the little rough teeth that move the fabric through with your other feet) the bouncy foot will hold the fabric whilst the stitch is being made but will jump up so you can move the fabric in any direction you wish. Great for creating stitched art, appliqué and free motion quilting. 

Gathering foot.

Again a rather specific use and a little temperamental but good fun if you are in the mood to play around a little. This foot will stitch and as the name suggests, gather your fabric as it goes. I find that it does better with light weight fabrics and small amounts, but it is a time saver when sewing long lengths of trimmings. 

Piping foot

You can get different sizes of foot depending on the size of your piping, but basically the groove in the bottom is designed to hold the cord in place whilst you stitch the casing or cover in place. You can also use it when sewing the covered piping between two layers of fabric. Like the zip foot with zips, it is designed to get the stitch as close to the piping as it can, so as  little of the stitching is visible on the finished product. 

Button hole foot/guide

As the name suggests it is there as a guide when sewing a button hole by machine. It usually has markings on it so that it is easy to judge the size you need whilst sewing (if you have a manual button hole stitch). It also holds the fabric in place all the way around the button hole area whilst stitching to get a neat even finish. 

Bias binding foot

Designed to make the dull task of sewing on bias binding a little easier. It holds the fold of the bias in place with consistency to get a straight line when sewing your binding on the straight or round a curve. You just wheel the guide in to place and sew!

Roll Hemming Foot

A simple and efficient way to get a narrow neat finishing edge is to use a roll hemmer. It is a little fiddly at first but once the technique has been mastered you will love it.  Really good for finishing edges on silk scarves and fine or sheer fabrics. 

There are a couple of things I would suggest if you are thinking of trying or buying any of these feet for your own machine. Make sure you buy the right foot for your brand of machine. Keep all your feet and accessories together in one place and keep it in a safe, clean and dry environment. If you are using a foot for the first time, or for the first time in a while practice on some scrap fabric before you sew on your final project... just in case.

If you are nervous about even approaching your machine check out our post about how to fall in love with your machine. Want to find out more about other sewing machine feet and more on how to use any of the feet specifically? You can head over to our friends at the Sewing Directory where they have more articles about all the feet I have mentioned and more.

Do you have a tool or technique that you love?  Is there something about sewing or crafts you have always wanted to know about?  Let us know, we would love to write some more posts like this.  Look out for my much requested 'Bias Binding' Top Tips special coming up next week.

Sammy xxx

Bloglovin / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Google+ / Instagram