Category: Pattern

FREE Pattern – Chenille Rug

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Today, I will still be talking about making chenille but now we are using homespun fabric.

Homespun is a great fabric to work with because it “blooms” so well.
What is homespun fabric? – I’m glad you asked! (Well, I’m sure that at least some of you asked) Winking 2

When homespun fabric is made they dye the thread and then weave the fabric. It also tends to be a little looser weave than a printed calico would be. Because it is a product that is woven after the thread has been dyed (instead of having the pattern printed on the top of the fabric), it will have a pattern that is easy to weave, such as strip, plaid, and occasionally hearts or stars will be in the pattern. Of course, it also comes in solids. Homespun fabric is 100% cotton.

The fact that the fabric is woven instead of printed means that you will be able to see the pattern on both the front and back sides of the fabric. But one side will always clearly be the front – so make sure you pay attention as you are laying out your fabrics!

Today I am going to share with you a rug that I made out of homespun fabrics.
If you have not already seen my post on how to make your own chenille, here is the link. It should help to clarify some items that are not fully explained in this post.

    1. You will need 6 layers of homespun fabric 45” X 25”.
    2. Lay the first layer facing down and 5 layers facing up. I wanted the plaid on the homespun fabric to still appear after I chenilled the rug, so I made sure that the plaid lines were stacked directly on top of each other before I started to sew.
    3. Using a washable fabric marker or pencil, draw a line diagonally from one corner of the fabric to the opposite corner.
    4. Stitch along the line you just drew.
    5. Continue to stitch approx ½” channels all across your project, using the first line you stitched as a guide.
    1. Next cut through the top 4 layers of homespun with the Olfa Chenille Cutter.
    1. Once you have the cut all of your channels, trim your project to the desired shape. In this case I wanted an oval rug. You can either make a pattern from an existing rug you have in your home or in my case I used newspaper and cut until I found the shape I wanted for the oval.
    2. After you cut to shape add a binding. In this case, since my rug was an oval I made my binding on the bias.
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    1. Wash and dry. Doesn’t this fabric just ‘bloom’ beautifully? And a picture really can’t show you how soft it is!
    1. Enjoy! This makes a great gift for yourself – or for a friend!

Love the feel of chenille? Be sure to check out these links for more ideas on making and sewing with your own custom chenille fabric:

Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

FREE Pattern – Chenille Baby Blanket

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My gift to you today, a free pattern to make your own chenille baby blanket. (This size blanket can also make a nice couch throw.)

If you have not seen my basic instructions and tips for making your own chenille, please read this post.

Flannel Chenille Baby Blanket – finished size approximately 36” X 42”
Blanket Fabric: Approximately 5 yards of baby flannel
Binding: 1/3 yd Fabric or 175” pre-made binding
Olfa Chenille Cutter

  1. Cut the flannel into 5 pieces, 36” X 42” each
  2. Lay first layer facing down – Layer the next 4 pieces facing up. (In my finished baby blanket I layered the same flower directly on top of each other in the top three layers so after I did the chenille work the flowers would still show. If I had not done this you would only see the colors in the finished piece, not the flower design.)
  3. Pin the layers together, if you feel like your fabrics are going to move around for you.
  4. (Optional) Use a walking foot on your machine.
  5. Channels should be 1/2” – 5/8” wide, so make your stitches that far apart. (For the best finished project, you want all the channels to be the same width, so once you have selected a channel width stay with it.)
  6. Use the chenille cutter and cut through the top 3 layers of the fabrics.
  7. Add the binding
  8. Wash and Dry
  9. ENJOY!

Below are some pictures to illustrate the process a bit better.


This is what the flannel will look like after you have stitched your channels
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Olfa Chenille Cutter in action (this image is from a different blanket I am making, not the final one pictured in this post)
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The look of the fabric after it “blooms”
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A closer look at the “bloomed” fabric
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Finished Project!

Just imagine what else you could make with your own, personally designed chenille fabric! Feel free to share any pictures of projects you have made from your own chenille! For more ideas on making and sewing your own chenille fabric, check out these posts:

Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

FREE Pattern – Easter Placemat

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Yesterday, I promised a placemat to go with your new Easter table-runner, and even better, this is my own pattern (with the exception of the appliqué in the center), so I can offer this as a free pattern to you!

You will need the following supplies to make 4 placemats –

  • white cotton fabric – 1 yard
  • colorful accent fabric – ½ yard
  • fabric for appliqué of your choice – depends on design chosen
  • small fabric squares for yo-yo embellishments
  • buttons
  • neutral fabric for backing – 1 yard
  • a strong, flat batting (I recommend using Warm & Natural, or Pellon Fleece) – 1 yard
  • coordinating seam binding – 8 yards

Pattern Image A Instructions that follow will walk you through the creation of ONE placemat, repeat as needed to complete your set.

  1. Cut a white square 12½” x 12½”
  2. Apply your applique to the center of the white square
  3. Cut the accent fabric 6½” x 12½”
  4. Sew accent fabric to left side of white square, using a ¼” seam allowance.
  5. Sandwich together design fabric (top of placemat), batting, and backing fabric.
  6. Using a ¼” seam allowance, sew around the placemat, trim edges, and add seam binding.
  7. Quilt, using a simple design that will not detract from your center appliqué.
  8. Your finished placemat will be approximately 12″ x 18″.

Image Pattern BMy placemat also included some embellishements – the yo-yos that run down the seam between the accent fabric and the white fabric, as well as buttons to secure the yo-yos. I recommend adding any embellishments such as these after step 4, but before you continue on to step 5. This way all of your stitches will be inside of the quilted placemat. You will need to take care in quilting the finished product to avoid any damage to the yo-yos. The image to the left shows how the yo-yos were placed, and the approximate placement of the egg appliqué I used from the book “Quilted Holiday Accents”.

The sky is the limit with a pattern of this type, you can add multiple small appliqués, or just put in one large one as I did for my Easter placemat.   The Easter Egg applique used on this sample you will find in the book “Quilted Holiday Accents” featured in the blog yesterday.  Pick a copy of that book at Hancock Fabrics in the quilting department. The accent fabric down the left side could be a space to embroider the name of the person sitting at that place – turning your placemats into name cards. (What a fun way to make a guest feel special for a holiday dinner.)

You can also use your imagination when embellishing, just remember that if you want to use the placemats at the table with food, you need to keep things fairly simple. But with that in mind, imagine making special placemats up for your own little princess – using a marabou boa to trim the side of the placemat. These would make a fun party favor for the guests to take home with them as well as a great memento for your little princess of her special day.

Well, now you’ve seen the pattern, and seen a few suggestions for ways to make your own unique placemats. Below is the image of the finished piece. I think it will look great with the table-runner – don’t you?

Finished Placemat

What’s your inspiration? I’d love to see what types of ideas you can come up with for this fun pattern! Enjoy!
Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila