These wonderful checkbook covers are super fast and easy to make.

You will need two 7" by 13" rectangles of fabric, one for the lining, and one for the outside. If desired, you can also add a rectangle of interfacing.

For striped checkbook covers, sew enough 13" long strips together to equal 7” in width. This will then be your outside rectangle.

To easily cut one 7" by 13" rectangle, line up the fold of the fabric at the 6.5" mark on a 12" square ruler, and line up the left edge of the fabric at 7". Cutting along the ruler’s right side & top edge will then give a 7" by 13" rectangle. (See photo)

Sew the two rectangles, right sides together, leaving a 4" opening on one long edge for turning.

Snip the corners, turn, and iron smooth. While ironing, take care to fold in the edges of the opening so that when you top stitch later the opening will get sewn closed.

Fold in 2.75" inches on both short ends to form pockets to hold the checks and check register. Pin in place.

Top stitch a scant 1/4" from the edges all the way around the outside being careful as you approach the pocket edges because there will be 4 layers of fabric there.

Insert your checks and check register and enjoy.

 

I have posted 8 new free designer quilt patterns on my web site.  These patterns by famous quilt designers are available for download in PDF version.  Click the images below.

 

I’ve been playing with Electric Quilt 6 design software all day today. I’ve working on quick and easy quilts to make for kids.  These would also make great quilts for charity.

I have several more designs I'm working on so I won't post these EQ projects on my web site just yet, but they'll all be up there soon. (On the EQ Library page.)

Here is a sneak preview of the ones I've finished:

I found these fabrics at www.spoonflower.com. At this web site you can design your own custom fabric and if other people buy it too, you get 10% of their purchase.

Wouldn’t the fabrics above make a cute steampunk look layered with a black underskirt?

What is steampunk? Wikipedia says:

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc.

A Steampunk-Themed Photo:

The Electric Quilt project file for my newest quilt design, Skinny Frames, is available for download on my web site.  Click here to go to the web page.

Here’s a really fun thing I found over at The Quilting Gallery. They have a weekly themed quilt contest with prizes!

Here is the link listing the 2011 weekly themes: http://quiltinggallery.com/quilting-fun/weekly-themes-2011.asp

You make your quilt and post your photo, then everyone votes and the winner takes the prize.

I found many cute quilt patterns today at www.patbravo.com.  Pat Bravo is a fabric designer and she has several free quilt patterns at her site.

The pattern above is called Organic Obsession. It is fast and easy--my favorite kind of quilt! (Click the quilt image, or HERE to view the PDF instructions.)

Below is another really cute pattern from Pat Bravo that she calls St. Tropez. It too would be fast and easy to make. (Click the quilt image, or HERE to view the PDF instructions.)

My favorite, though, is the pattern below that she calls Posh Flowers. It is made from 5.5” strips and would be perfect for beginning quilters. Even though it has a little appliqué, it would still be easy and fast to make. (Click the quilt image, or HERE to view the PDF instructions.)

Visit my web site for many more free quilt patterns: www.chickenladyquilts.com.

I just finished some checkbook covers I made from the tutorial I found today at Crazy Mom Quilts blog. It is so amazingly simple that I whipped out 2 covers very quickly today.


First I made a simple one with some scraps of the dog fabric I've been collecting for years.

If you look at the bottom left corner of the inside of the red cover you can see the double line of stitching that can happen if you follow the tutorial steps exactly.

So on the second checkbook cover I made a modification to the instructions. I waited until I folded the pockets in (2.75") to do the top stitching. I think it looks better, and it was easier to do anyway.

(I also did not use any interfacing in either of my covers.)

Choosing and sewing together all the strips to make the 13” x 7” rectangle took longer than sewing both covers put together! I sure like how it looks though.


You can find this tutorial at Crazy Mom Quilts blog.

Hmmmm. I don’t think it is supposed to look like that.

I'm not going to rip the stitching out and re-sew these because 1) The bias edges will get even more stretched, and 2) I'm lazy.

Whatever. Now it's time to trim the top and bottom so it will look like a quilt top instead of a uphill picket fence.

For those just joining my blog, this is my Pastel Braid quilt. The EQ6 project I made for it can be downloaded from my web site on the EQ Project Library page. (HERE)

I found these darling free patterns at www.this-n-thatfabrics.com. There are several more patterns, and a few of them, such as the Candle Mat below, have kits available.

Click on the picture to view and download the patterns and instructions in PDF format.

Pink Perfection

www.this-n-thatfabrics.com


I really want to make this one! But I want to turn it into at least a lap-size quilt.

Jingle Bells

www.this-n-thatfabrics.com

I’ve added several new links on www.chickenladyquilts.com to sites with more free block and quilt patterns. (At the right side of the home page.)

McCall's Quilting Freebies

Quilt in a Day Freebies

www.PatternsFromHistory.com

About.com--new patterns weekly

www.ScrapQuilts.com

Quilts & Blocks by Nadine Edwards

www.MaryQuilts.com

Quilt Patterns for Stained Glass

It’s Saturday and I’ve finally got the chance to trim the points from the columns for my Pastel Braid quilt that I sewed Thanksgiving weekend.

I used colored plastic strips to stick to my ruler to mark the correct line to I align with the center points so that I cut all the tips exactly the same.

The next step is to sew the four columns together, but I discovered a problem. When I was ironing as I sewed the strips into columns, I didn’t pay attention to the direction of the seams. (A quilter usually knows better than that!) I should have alternated, one column with seams up, and the next with seams ironed down.

I tried ironing the seams the opposite direction on one column, but with the tips already trimmed off the stitches are coming out at the ends of the seam. So I am having to pin all my seams (which I hate, I rarely use pins.) flipping the seam allowance on the back as I go. Oh well. It's not like I never had to do that before…

The Fall issue of Quilts & More magazine features the cutest project called Perk Me Up designed by Veronica Koh Eischeid. There are instructions and a template for making cup wraps which fasten around your cup with a loop and button.

In the EQ blog's August 10 post they've posted information and a free EQ7 project file that you can download to design your own personalized version of these cup wraps.

What great gifts these would make. It would be so cute to make seasonal cup wraps, and ones to match different holidays like Valentines Day, or Halloween!

 

 

I think watering cans are so cute so I drew one in Electric Quilt 6 and designed a wall-hanging for it. The flower appliques were already in EQ, but I traced the watering can into EQ from a photo of one.

The EQ6 project file and applique templates for this wall-hanging can be downloaded from my web site: www.chickenladyquilts.com/dlwateringcan.asp.

(The 12" applique templates are already included in the EQ6 project file, but the templates can also be downloaded separately in PDF format if you don't use Electric Quilt.)

Enjoy!

I found another wonderful, quick, and easy Christmas quilt on the Moda Bake Shop blog.

The beauty of this quilt is that it can made be from pre-cut 10" charm squares (Moda calls them Layer Cake Squares). That makes this quilt super fast to cut and piece.

The instructions are available HERE from the Moda Bake Shop blog, or you can view and download a PDF version HERE.

I finished the 4th braid today, and added 4 more strips to each braid to make them a bit longer.

Next I'll trim the edges so I can sew the 4 columns together. Since I've never made this kind of quilt before, I'm not sure of the easiest way to trim them... (And I ALWAYS want to do things the easiest way.)

I don't have many 7.5" strips left so I hope there's enough for the border of square patches I have planned...


(The Electric Quilt 6 project file for this quilt and a link to instructions for assembling the Braid block are posted on my web site: www.chickenladyquilts.com/dlpastelbraids.asp)