CHRISTMAS EVE PROJECT - GIVEAWAY of EIGHT FAT QUARTERS OF lA BAMBA FROM ISLAND BATIK

THE WINNER OF THIS GIVEAWAY IS KAHOLLY......KAHOLLY.......COME ON DOWN!!!

Trust me it truly was not easy cutting up these fabrics....sob sob...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today I got up to my husband doing dishes.  He even made lunch.  So I have the whole day to sew.

Sew........I am using this Omnigrip  3 1/2" square ruler

To square up these squares

Using these awesome fabrics!!!  I just love these Island Batik fabrics  called La Bamba.  I am working on a project for the Island Batik Sock Hop Blog Hop starting Jan. 12.  My day is January 14th.  I do hope you join us then.

So in the mean time, I am going to giveaway eight fat quarters of this amazing fabric.  Don't think this will be an easy task for me to do.  I just love these fabrics and I am crying inside on choosing to give some away.

So....Merry Christmas to all of you.  Let's say Dec. 30th will be the end of this giveaway.  Just leave a comment!

Oh, before I forget......This is all that is left of the carmel bars I made yesterday....now you know they truly are the family favorite....you can find the recipe below or here:

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

TUTORIAL - PUTTING A ZIPPER INTO A PILLOW BACK

Remember this pillow?

 Here is the back, some of you asked for a tutorial.....

 So let us begin!

I can not show you the front of the pillow just yet but I can show you the back.  This is batik from Island Batik, fabric line is La Bamba.

• My pillow top is an 18" square.  Your pillow can be any size but add 1" to the top and bottom.  In my case, I have added a 1" square on all sides in case I forget and cut the fabric the wrong way....ummmm  did I just say that?

• So...this will be an 19" square.  

• Cut in half

• Then turn under 1/2" on the side you cut (both sides).  Iron

One thing I love about batiks they take to an iron marvelously...no starch is needed.

• Now that you have both sides turned under, find the center of the zipper and center of the fabric.
• Match zipper up to fabric.
• Sew one side on first, then do the same thing to the next side.

• You can glue your fabric to the zipper, pin, or like I am doing here....free floating.  

  Notice that I am not using a zipper foot.  For me it is easier to just use a regular foot.

• Do the other side the same way.  Simple so far?

 Here it is finished.

 There is a whole on both sides of the zipper ends and so we are going to cover them now.

• I just used some scraps about 1" wide.  Fold to the middle on both sides and iron.

• Place the right side of the fabric strip to the right side of the pillow back fabric centering over the zipper.  Sew across as you see here.  As you can see here that the stitches are reinforced by going over them several times.

One note of caution:  Be careful of the metal brackets on the zipper.

I have my trusty Lapel Stick, use a glue stick, pins or nothing...your choice.

Flip the strip over the zipper and glue over the fabric on both sides.

•  Top stitch down as shown here.  Then trim to match the edge of the pillow fabric.

•   Size up your pillow back to the pillow top by placing right side facing each other.  Trim the excess fabric from the pillow back. 
•  Sew all the way around your pillow leaving no hole.
•   You are done!!!

Be sure to leave the zipper open some when sewing or you will have trouble opening the zipper when the pillow is done.

OHHHHH LA LA!!!

 I received these awesome fabrics in the mail today from Island Batik.  I can't tell you how much I love love love these fabrics.

I hope you join us

SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN

I know I said I would have these done by the end of Nov....no such luck.  Today I finished them up and since taking this picture I put the hanger on them.  There are 45 of these puppies and I will have to say "I am so glad I am done!!!"   Here is the last post on this and the link for the pattern

It seems this month barely started and it is just about over...

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

With sons coming in and out, parties to help with the list goes on and on.  Have I been sewing?

Not really....sometimes when I have the time I am too tired so maybe next year?

Or next week?  I have a son leaving for Japan this Sunday and then another son coming the week after he leaves.

Am I complaining?  No way, as all of us moma's know, we love it when our babies comes home....so off I go and maybe tomorrow I can get some sew time in?  We will see!!