Fabric Folding and Flat Rate Box Storage Tutorial

Eep! I made a promise and I intend to keep it. What did I promise? Why, a fabric folding tutorial! When did I do this? Well, you can look back at my organization post and see. But I’m going to keep that promise today.
Ingredients:

    Cloth to be folded that is LARGER than 6”x6”
    6”x13” (or longer) ruler. I use Sharon Hultgren’s Easy Rule. You could just as easily use a piece of thick cardboard, plastic, or even a thin piece of wood or metal that has smooth edges (so not to pick the fabric) and is reasonably stiff.
    A flat surface. I usually use my ironing board.
    Used Flat Rate Box. 11”x8”x5” size.
 

Step 1: Make sure your cloth is laundered. Nothing is worse than going to sew and discovering that your fabric is gross.

Step 2: Find the grain of your fabric. It doesn’t really matter what size it started out as long as you fold it in half if it was MORE than 20” in one direction. This makes it more manageable.
 
Step 3: Fold the fabric in half its longest way (or selvedge to selvedge if it has selvedges) on your flat surface. I don’t stress about wrinkles TOO much, as I’m going to have to iron it before I use it anyway. That’s me. You might be more… particular… than I am and want to iron it. That’s all you

Step 4: Place your ruler so that you have about an inch hanging off your selvedge edge.

Step 5: Fold your fabric over your ruler.

Step 6: Continue to roll your fabric around your ruler until you have it entirely rolled up that direction.

Step 7: Carefully pull your ruler out.
 
Step 8: Place your ruler so that it is perpendicular to how you were rolling before.

Step 9: Begin rolling your fabric around your ruler again until you have it entirely rolled up into a 6” square.
 
Step 10: Set your fabric aside.
Step 11: Take your USED Flat Rate Box (FRB) and fold in all the flaps from the top.
Step 12: Sit your FRB on its side.
Step 13: Put your fabric in the FRB so that you can see the edge of your fabric.

Okay. So there are a FEW things I should point out.
First, you can only use FRBs that have been PREVIOUSLY used for a shipment, per the federal requirements. So you will want to clean your boxes out really good, or else you’ll get ick.
Second, FRBs are NOT acid-free. So if you are really particular about how your fabric is stored, then you should devise a DIFFERENT method than used FRBs. I cycle through my fabric at a reasonably high rate, so I don’t worry about long term exposure. My fabric is lucky to sit unused for a month. And my piece come out and go back so often that I don’t worry about dust, either. If you do, I would suggest hanging something like lining or sheers in front of your fabric. I like to use the vacuum, so when I do, I often use the wand attachment to brush the fronts of my shelves, just in case. But I LIKE to vacuum. :)
Third, this method works GREAT for anything over 6”x6”. I keep everything UNDER that size in large zip top bags divided into fabric categories. I have used this method on everything, including silk, voile, flannel, faux fur, cuddle, fleece, even gnaugahyde. I have a REALLY diverse stash. The largest piece I’ve used this method on so far was a duck cloth (heavy weight woven) that was 11’ by 60”. That was DIFFICULT. I wouldn’t suggest it, as it gets to be a real workout! But I try not to have bolts around. My twins climb them. That ISN’T helpful.
Last, this method works BEST if you have shelves to put your fabric on. You could always use this if you keep your fabric in drawers to make separate areas to lift out. You could always start with a different size ruler and end up with a different size square. But this is what I have found works best for me. The box gives just enough resistance and structure to the fabric that it doesn’t all go everywhere when you pull a piece out.
I’m hoping someone out there finds this useful. I know when I was trying to get organized, I searched EVERYWHERE and couldn’t find much that actually helped with my diverse and odd sized stash, since I don’t typically have the same fat quarters as all the other quilters out there. :)
And please check out my other entries this month for my giveaway! Chances are really good that you’ll get a used flat rate box out of the deal to try this method on! :)

Sunday Favorites: Valentine’s Cards

Forgive my horrible writing and linking… I’ve learned so much in three months. But I wanted to share this project with my new readers.

 

Sew, mama sew http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=4778 has an incredibly inspiring tutorial and contest for Valentine's Day. So I decided to participate, as I was just that inspired. I decided to do Valentine's Day cards from my 14 month old twin sons to the special people in their lives (mostly grandparents and such). Each card is two layers of fabric on the front and one layer of fabric on the back with two layers of stabilizer inside, as I embroidered each side independently and then sewed them together. The two layers for the front allowed me to embroider a monster on the underneath layer that then appears to be ripping through to the front. Each envelope is two layers (with the exception of the green one). I machine-embroidered the cards using files from http://www.urbanthreads.com. I LOVE their work. It stitches out so perfectly each time. The monsters on the backs of the cards are actually stuffies, but I turned them into appliqués for this project. I did one monster for each of my twins, though I didn't try to match the monsters too much to my actual sons. :)

Set #1

Set #2

Set #3

Set #4

Set #5

I don't really care if I win, though it would be cool. I really enjoyed making them. I also got to thinking about how easy it would be to make them out of quilter's layer cakes, since they are already laser cut into 10" squares, which is PERFECT for the envelopes. Then you'd just have to cut down the pieces for the cards, which wouldn't be that big of a deal. Getting the envelopes perfectly square is the hardest and most important part. If that first square isn't ideal, then you'll end up with weird envelopes.... don't ask how I know this. Maybe I'll post pictures of that some other time :).

Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design

May You Be Inspired Days: Ear Ring Display Frame

I love earrings. I love dangly earrings. But I don’t love storing them. I hate the things that sit on your counter and take up valuable space while collecting dust in mesh that can’t easily be cleaned. I hate the boxes and holders that hide my jewelry away until my silver tarnishes (even though they CLAIM to prevent tarnish…whatever.) But I LOVE this earring collector! It hangs right next to my mirror (you can see the frame of my dressing table mirror on the left edge of the shot). This allows me to immediately select the earrings I want WHILE I’m getting dressed! And it’s right by my bathroom door, so I can hang my earrings up easily on my way to wash up each night, so no more hunting for AN earring!

I can’t take credit for this fabulous idea, though I wish I could. It’s just so darn brilliant! I mean, who would have thought a can of spray paint, one rusted mirror frame, some extra batting, the remnant of a bridal piece, and a dollar spool of ribbon could solve so many problems! Just when you are making yours, make sure your little ones AREN’T helping. Then you might get your rows of ribbon straight (oops…). I’ve got to make more of these, for certain! So off to who I got the BRILLIANT idea from:

The Idea Room pretty much covers many of the options of how to display jewelry. The Recessionista definitely knows her ways to store her gems!

Remodelaholic has a wonderful version that features a frame I LOVE from IKEA (but they were sold out of it in Atlanta the last time I got to go shopping… le sigh). It would look pretty darn fabulous in my bedroom, too.  And she also had a totally different guest, Alissa, who did a cork board version. Also, brilliant!

And this one is fresh and new, but a great way to use an IKEA bit to do the same thing (in case fancy isn’t your go to style).

I’m sure there are more out there I am overlooking, but feel free to link them in the comments!

And don't forget! I'm gonna give away one of the items from this month's inspirations (okay, obviously not today’s, as I’m really attached to it) on June 1st! All you have to do is:
1. Become a Follower of StressTheSeams
2. Comment on one of the posts this month telling me what you would love to win!
International readers will have to pay their own shipping, but American followers will get it for free!
I'll close entries at 1am eastern standard time on June 1st and use the fabulous random number generator to select one wonderful winner. The prize will be a surprise for the reader, but I might just be looking at what they say....hint, hint! :)
So go become a follower and comment! And there will be other ways to get extra entries as the month goes on, so don't miss a day!

Ack!!! Where did the week go?

So I'm sure I'm not the only one looking at the CALENDAR and wondering where it went (forget looking at the clock...that thing moves WAY too fast these days). So hard to believe that it's nearly April.... jeeze.

So I've been working furiously this week, just not blogging. I know, bad me. No cookie. (Ha ha... I already had PIE!)

I finished up the hand work on my Primate Party quilt. It's hanging out on my Etsy if you want to look at it http://www.etsy.com/shop/stresstheseams . I'm really happy with how it turned out, as are the boys, so I won't be too unhappy to make another. :) And it's available for a song (okay... a little more than a song, but compared to the work and material cost....a song), so I'm hoping someone will snatch it up or ask me to make one for them... a girl can hope for more monkey time!

I've also been using up fabric scraps, as my scrap stash was getting pretty darn deep between the monkey quilt and the quilting classes of late. Lots of odds and ends. So I've started a spring bouquet that isn't far enough along to share yet and a quiet book for the twins. Okay, so it's gonna end up being more of a quiet trilogy or so. I've got lots of plans! You can check out some of the places I'm getting my ideas from by clicking the buttons on my sidebar. I'm so happy to share them with others!!! Here's a short (haha) list of some of the pages I have planned!

Colors (I've at least started these pages!)
Count to 3
Zip, zip, zip up
Match the shapes
Unwrap a present!
All buttoned!
Pick a Basket of Fruit
Put Teddy to Bed
What time is it?
Traffic Light
Tie my shoe
Chalkboard (I've got the chalkcloth!!!)
Dress me up
Lace the football
Color match balloons
Compare Textures
Numbers 1-10
ABC's
Backseat driver (steering wheel)
Parts of the Face
Parts of the Body
Sewing
Hot or Cold?
Animals in their Habitat
I spy
Who is it? (pictures of family)
Mailbox
Rocketship
My name is . . .
Family Tree
Flower garden
Barn with Farm Animals
Picnic Basket with Table Setting
Weave a blanket
Make a cherry pie (also weaving)
Fishing
Bake me a cake
Road map
Closet (for the dressup pages)
Write me a letter with fabric envelopes
Build a burger
Tic Tac Toe
Fish Bowl
Climb the Stairs
Build an ice cream sundae
9 piece square puzzles
Counting Beads on strings
Laundry Day (with clothes on a line)
Color Wheel
Drive the car (with car window that changes)
Seasons (changing scenery)
Peekaboo (face with flap hands and googly eyes!)

Topics I need ideas for actual pages:
Weather
Months
Days of Week

Some of these are stolen from places like:
http://kmckaydesigns.com (who also has an awesome idea using drawerpulls and can lids that I want to do in the kitchen!!!)
http://naptimejournal.blogspot.com (who has a great easter egg decoration up today!!)
http://creatingbycami.blogspot.com (who has reminded me that I need to use some of my flannels and such to make chennel!!!)

Please visit them and my buttons! They all ROCK! Must go get the boys dressed now, though. The husband has promised me a thrifting trip and grocery shopping tonight! Nothing like an EXCITING Friday night!!! :) Maybe I'll be able to post awesome shots of my thrifty finds tomorrow. Here's hoping for good stuff and cooperative toddlers.

Pirate Quilts

So I spent large portions of today working on quilt blocks for the twins' pirate bedroom. Before they move into twin beds from their cribs, I want to have their pirate quilts, bedskirts, and shams done. This shouldn't be a big deal, as they are only 14 months old.... but I have been working on these quilts since before they were born. Insert deep sighs here.

So I've put the spurs to this project and managed to pump out a crazy amount of squares today. They are all 8" squares currently, with all kinds of crazy patterns and combinations. I wanted the quilts to look very hodge podge, like pirates made them from scraps of their booty! :) So far, I would say I am definately succeeding in making them look random. I'm hoping to lay them all out tomorrow and see where I am as far as sizes. I'm trying to decide how I'm going to do divisions between the blocks, so maybe I'll get that done tomorrow too. I can't even think about bindings or backings yet. I'll post some pictures of the blocks as well.