Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I'm currently working on a new quilting project. This year for my birthday, my mom really wanted to pay for me to take a beginners quilting class and she offered to pay for it as a birthday gift. I have already made several projects at this point but both her and I agreed that it would be good to make sure I have all the basics down before I move onto tougher projects and develop poor habits. So, I enrolled in a 3 session course for a beginner's sampler quilt and began last week. We were asked to pick out 8-10 fat quarters and bring in our supplies, fabric and sewing machine. Having no idea what the pattern was going to look like, I simply chose fabric that I liked the look of and figured I could make it work no matter what the pattern was. I was immediately in love with Moda Nature's Cherish and my mom bought me 9 fat quarters as an addition to the class fee as my gift. 
I've now attended 2 classes at Cool Cottons in the Hawthorne District of Portland. Great shop with wonderful staff and an amazing collection of trendy fabric! Right off the bat, it was obvious to me that I am no longer a beginner. I've been taught a lot of tips and tricks up until this class and this class has really helped reinforce the fact that I know what I'm doing and I'm on the right track. Next week is the final class and we'll finish up the project. I'm going to add a border onto what I've finished so far and then wait until the class is done to judge the complete project. I'm more of a regimented quilt sort of person and to make quilt blocks that are all different has been very hard for me. I guess that's why it's a perfect class for me...it teaches me how to be more random! More pictures to come once I get closer to finishing but this is the work in progress!
I finished 2 sets of these wooden baby blocks in the last couple of weeks. I’m very pleased with the results and the project was surprisingly easy. The total cost of this project was around $20 so it is within most people's budgets and it is such a personal, thoughtful gift for any new mother. 
I found the general instructions here Using these instructions as a general guide, I made some slight changes to make it “my own.”
I used a set of scrapbooking paper that came with cutouts, stickers, etc to match the paper. I thought about coloring on some images (duckies, sun, apples, etc) but then realized I’m not a very good artist and it would keep the look uniform if I used the matching supplies. I purchased a 6 foot length of 2x2 wood at Home Depot which cost no more than $1.75. I then had a friend cut the wood into 2” blocks and left them all unsanded. I pre-cut all paper to slightly smaller than 2x2 so that I could center it one the block side but still leave exposed unfinished wood on the edges and corners. I really liked the look of this since it makes the blocks look slightly “worn and well loved”. After using Mod Podge to glue on the paper, I added the stickers, letters and numbers. Essentially, letters should be opposite of one another and images or stickers should be opposite of one another. That leaves 2 more sides that are simply left with colorful paper with no image or letter. After this step, I literally Mod Podge the crap out of these things. I covered my countertop with aluminum foil (drying Mod Podge doesn’t stick as much to it), used a sponge brush and applied 10-15 layers of Mod Podge to cover all sides and edges of the blocks. For more info on Mod Podge and it’s amazingness, look here. You can pick some up at any craft store as well as Wal-Mart or Target. I used Mod Podge Hard Coat since it is used for items that will get more wear and tear and it is ALL childproof and water based so gnawing babies won’t get sick if the blocks are used for a functional purpose rather than décor. Lastly, I sanded down any sharp edges with cheap-o sand paper (it doesn’t matter what the coarseness is). Sanding will also rid the blocks of any over hanging paper, if the pre-cuts were slightly too big or you had too much wine and you glued the paper on crooked. This really helps finish off the look. After one last sanding, I give the blocks another good coat and then it’s done! I usually only let the blocks dry for like 15 minutes in between coats so realistically, you can get this project done in a day. I highly recommend using a scrapbooking kit since it made everything really easy. Of course, it you are giving these blocks to a child who is CRAZY about Mickey Mouse or whatever, there are plenty of scrapbooking supplies out there so that you can pick and choose what you’d like to use and customize it to the kid. 
Super fun project, really easy and I’m very happy with the result. I’ve already received 2 requests from friends for a set!
;;
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)