Sew-Easy Criss-Cross Coaster Tutorial {Halloween Edition}

Here's a sewing project that you can find all over a Google Search for "Easy Coasters to Sew" and "Coaster Sewing Pattern (or tutorial)".   My Mother-In-Law has a set in her living room, which were gifted to her, which led me on my search in the first place; accompanied by the actual need for coasters in our living room.  Once I made a set for myself, I felt the urge to make a set for Halloween... after all, it is Halloween Season, right?!

Each tutorial I came across had slight variations for using an interlining on the bottom fabric piece of the coaster.  Some chose batting; others used fusible web.   For my first set, I decided to forgo both, using only my fabric layers.  So far, they have done an awesome job of catching condensation from our glasses of ice water (my youngest daughter being the ultimate tester as she always has a glass of ice water which leaves puddles of condensation on my tables; these coasters have eliminated that completely).

I decided, though, that I like the cushy feel of the coasters when they do have some sort of interlining, so I decided to make the Halloween Edition with fusible fleece.

Anyway, here you go:

Sew-Easy Criss-Cross Coaster Tutorial {Halloween Edition}:

Materials Needed for one coaster:

- Six 4.5 in or 5 in charms of the fabric prints of your choosing.
(I cut 4.5 in squares from my spooky fabrics, also, I only had 5 spooky prints on hand, so I doubled up on two prints)
- Fusible Fleece cut into four 4in squares
- Thread

Planning to make a set of Four Coasters to gift?  You will need to cut four squares from he six prints you plan to use, for a total of 24 squares, plus four Fusible Fleece Squares.


Directions:
Fold four of the six squares in half, pressing the fold.  

Decide which of the remaining squares will be the base square of your coaster, and which will be the lining square (and probably not visible).  Iron your fusible fleece to the wrong side of your base square. 

Stack your base and lining squares with wrong sides together with your base piece (with fleece) on top.

Next, place your first folded piece onto the base fabric, lining up raw edges and being sure that the fold is towards the middle. 

Continue with the next three pieces, stacking and aligning each with the fold to the center and the raw edges lined up with your base piece.

With the final folded piece, you will lift up the edge of the fist folded piece and put the last folded piece beneath it... like so:

Make sure all of the raw edges of your stack are aligned; I then went ahead and placed a pin on each of the sides where the folded pieces overlapped, just to keep things from shifting.

Now, sew around your stack, using a 1/4 in seam allowance.  You will sew all the way around the stack.  

Next, clip your corners (be careful not to snip the stitches)... 

...and turn your coaster right-side-out through the center of the folded pieces.  

Poke out your corners with the tool of your choice (I use a mechanical pencil); finish with a good pressing and, Voila, you've made a coaster! 

 Now, go ahead and make three more for a complete set!

I gifted this set to my friend Andrea, of Keepin' It Thrifty, along with this personalized mug rug that I stitched and machine embroidered...

What a festive way to enjoy your coffee or beverage of choice, don't you think?! 

Happy {Halloween} Sewing!

XxOo~ Melissa

Ruffled Skirt with Appliqued Top {A Handmade Outfit}

I've been wanting to sew an outfit or two for my little chickies for quite some time, but am always hesitant; garment sewing freaks me out a bit.  So, before diving into all of the pretty patterns and kits that I've collected, I decided to try out an easy sewing tutorial to make a ruffled skirt for my youngest chick... of course I made a matching shirt to go along.

[The Project] 
Little Girl's Ruffled Skirt w/ Appliqued Tee

[The Skirt]
Pattern Used:
I used Tanya Whelan's Ruffled Skirt Tutorial, which I found on Pinterest.  I have also pinned the tutorial to my Sewing Board on Pinterest.

Fabrics Used:
Appleville Village, in Chocolate, by Suzy Ultman, for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. 
Tortoise Shell Coral, Saltwater by Tula Pink for Westminster.

[I love being able to keep my iPad open on the table while I work on a project!]

[Pieces cut]

[First Steps complete]

[Finished w/ elastic in the waist and hemmed]

[The Shirt]
Embroidery Machine Used:
Singer Futura CE-150

Embroidery Design:
Bella Frame Applique from PlanetApplique.com
Monogram from my Singer Software

Supplies:
Thread: Floriani & Isacord polyester embroidery thread
Stabilizer: Floriani Fusible Mesh & Oesd lightweight tear away
Fabrics: Same as I used in the skirt
White Tee from Target

[Hooped & stitching]

[With Monogram and trimmed]

[The Verdict]
This outfit was sew fast, easy and fun!

I quickly stitched the skirt while my little chickie was at preschool, on an abbreviated schedule, meaning I got the skirt cut and sewn within two hours!!

I completed the Tee in one evening; using my embroidery software's font feature, I was able to put little chick's Monogram within the Bella Frame Applique design.

I love the way this outfit turned out and the colors are perfect for fall.  We will add tights and a cardigan for chilly fall days.

I think it's safe to say that my little chick loves this outfit, too, because she has worn it several times since I've made it.  Success!

I have Tanya Whelan's book, Sew What You Love, and I like her quick and easy-to-sew patterns.  Have you visited Tanya Whelan's website?  Have you seen her book?  Let me know if you try this Ruffled Skirt Tutorial!

You can find Tula Pink's SaltWater Collection in my Esty Shoppe.

XxOo~ Melissa

Summer 2013 {Weekend Wrap-Up}

This summer year has been crazy, an adventure, but crazy... to say the least!  While the fabric shop has reopened and is doing well, I thank you bunches and bunches, I have been totally lame in the "work" department.  I am trying not to feel too guilty for that though, as I have been really enjoying settling in to this new place with my family, enjoying the summer with my little chicks and thinking about where I want to go from here on out, with SoChick.  More on the latter in another post.

This is my long overdue first Weekend Wrap-Up, aka Summer Wrap-up, post from the mountains of WNC...

I quickly found a Local Quilt Shop and picked up some Geekly Chic prints, which I paired with some Jennifer Paganelli fabrics from my Fabric Shoppe.  This project was a practice in piece/quilt as you go, which I've yet to complete.

This is one of the first views we had when we moved to WNC, from the balcony of our temporary apartment.

We've taken several drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway, here is a view of Looking Glass from the Overlook on the BRP.

Across from the Looking Glass Overlook on the BRP, we hiked to Skinny Dip Falls.  We came back another time to try to swim here... no thanks, I'm not ready for icy mountain water. Brrrr!

My youngest chickie was completely bummed about not having "pretty" jammies to wear to bed, so we took a trip to a local fabric store, they picked out their shabby chic fabrics and I got busy drafting and sewing my first set of girly summer nightgowns.  I'm not going to be making children's sewing patterns anytime soon, but it was much easier than I anticipated.  Let me know if you're interested in the tutorial by leaving a comment below!

This past week I sewed these coasters for our living room.  These were sew easy, my little chicks even sewed their own coasters to use on their nightstands, for their nighttime water.  The girls used Geekly Chic scraps, from the above project, for their coasters.

XxOo~ Melissa

A New Finish in a New Place {My #ScrappyTripAlong Quilt}

Let's think back to New Years Eve and the first week of the new year when I pieced this Scrappy Trip Along lap quilt for my youngest daughter.

From January

Now that we have moved and are hanging out in our temporary residence, I am finishing up projects and am happy to announce that my #scrappytripalong quilt is complete!

My littlest Chickie chose to have her quilt backed with Eloise in Sky, from Jennifer Paganelli's Happy Land line, and I chose to quilt in a grid pattern mimicking the pattern created by the scrappy blocks.  I alternated rows of single stitched lines and triple stitched lines... and I am so happy with how it turned out!

I really, really love Jennifer's Eloise print and was excited when my chick picked it... as with all of my quilts so far (this is my third finish), I finished by hand-stitching down the binding.  I think this will be something that I continue throughout my quilting as I really love adding that touch; I feel like it keeps me connected to where quilting has come from.  Of course my opinion may change once I hand-stitch the binding on an extra large quilt... *wink*

After a light wash and fresh from the dryer, my little chickie soaked up the warm snuggly-ness of her new quilt.

My best attempt at capturing the cuddly-ness of a fresh quilt.

  I am hoping to have another quilt finished before we move into our new home and am excited to share it with you.

What have you been sewing lately?

XxOo~ Melissa

What is a "Scrappy Trip Along"? { aka #ScrappyTripAlong}

Here's my quickie post so that all of you who are seeing my Instagram or Twitter Feed, or my posts on Facebook (because you may not necessarily be on either one of the other social sites (why!?!?)), know what the heck I'm talking about while i'm showing off these scrappy blocks I just randomly (seemingly) started stitching.

It's not really random at all... 

You see, sewers/quilters all sort of gravitate towards one another, we share a passion, and if one of 'us' starts something and is having a blast, we all want to jump on the wagon and stitch our hearts out, too! (Right?! Can someone back me up on this?)  New to sewing? Oh, you'll soon understand.

Anywho, on New Years Eve I noticed that a few of the peeps that I follow via Twitter were madly stitching these scrappy quilt blocks and sharing them (via Instagram and Twitter) with the Hash Tag (#) ScrappyTripAlong.  I did a quick search and learned that it was started by Megan (from Lucy and Norman) and Brenda (at Just A Bit Frayed)... read about it on Brenda's blog, HERE.

I jumped in on the fun and have started sewing my blocks.  What a fun, impromptu Quilt Along!

You can find the original post for the Scrappy Trips Around the World Quilt in Brenda's post above, or on Quiltville.com.

And, here is another post from Brenda explaining how many scrappy strips (2.5 x 16 inch strips) are needed to make a given size quilt.  I'm still undecided on how big I'll go.

Are you going to join in the fun?! Share your instagram/twitter info in the comments, I'd love to follow along!

XxOo~ Melissa

My Thoughts on 2012 {Reaching Goals and Building a Dream}

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I love what I do.

When I started SoChick! in 2010 I was sewing bags and accessories, all the while growing this passion for fabric, sewing and handmade loveliness.  I knew it then, but began to realize it more and more, that my passion wasn't in manufacturing bags, as much as it was in creating, designing and sharing my passion for fabric and sewing in general.  I get so excited to look at and share beautiful fabric, inspiration and... what was that? you have a question about sewing??... I'm all about encouraging and sharing my knowledge!  I love learning new techniques as much as I love sharing ones I know.

I have a growing love for ALL things sewing related: bag making, quilting, and yes, even garment sewing (although its a newer adventure that I'm learning more about).

My passion for pretty fabric may have come from the extreme lack thereof in my local area.  While there are a few shops, none carry the fabric that I ♥.  So, I learned about and developed my taste for fabric by ordering online.  By purchasing small quantities of fabric online, I became familiar with designers and colors.  Also, annual visits to the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Atlanta, Ga, allowed me to touch/feel all kinds of fabrics, and I'm like a sponge when it comes to learning techniques!

Lets not forget to mention how much I ♥ getting my fabric delivered by Mr. UPS, and Mr/Ms USPS.  I know they think I'm some crazy fabric-sewing chick... that's okay.

In the beginning of 2012 I knew I wanted big things for my little business, every year has been a year of growth and goal reaching... this year, many of the little dreams, on the path to my big dream, came true. 

I released a Sewing Pattern for sale and have had major success on a free Sewing Tutorial (in my humble opinion). I taught a few sewing lessons to friends, one of whom is getting her first sewing machine in the very near future (Success!!).  And, my little sewing studio is bursting with bolts of beautiful fabric from my favorite designers, as I am now selling fabric by the yard in my online Fabric Shoppe.  Sitting down with my fabric rep and looking through fabric samples was a big dream-come-true... Yay! 

In 2013 I hope to add more fabric to my shoppe, complete an Epic Quilt Project, release more PDF Patterns for sale, and build my Blog's Virtual Shoppe community.

I can not give enough thanks to each and every one of my customers, blog readers, twitter/facebook followers, online friends and real-life friends (and family) for the support you have shown me and my growing business.  While SoChick! is still very much a small business, it has come so, so far... and wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for all of you!

I hope 2013 brings many awesome things to each of you, health, happiness, love, and perhaps some needle and thread... and of course, fabric!  

XxOo~ Melissa

Virtually SoChick! {The Blog, The Shoppe}

Imagine walking through a quaint little town full of pretty windowed store fronts.  The shoppes aren't big, but they are inviting.  The store window that catches your creative eye is filled with lovely sewn accessories: pillows, cushions, fabric bunting, a pretty handbag or two, and a few children's garments.  Behind the window display is a cozy slipcovered loveseat with a gorgeous quilt draped across the back, flanked by a few comfy chairs and a small table filled with sewing magazines.  Beyond that, in this cute little shoppe, bookcases filled with beautifully colored bolts of fabric catch your eye; you notice the shelves are sprinkled with a collection of small vintage sewing machines and apothecary jars filled with raw cotton and vintage sewing notions; this view is pleasing, not overwhelming; you decide you need to take a closer look...

{Vintage Sewing Notions via}
{make do and mend. via}
{cotton jars via}

Welcome to my "Sewing Shoppe"... from the comfort of your home or wherever you may be, this is how I want you to feel when you come to SoChick!, the blog and the fabric shoppe.  Grab a cup of coffee, or tea, whichever you please, and take a look around.

My blog is becoming my virtual Sewing Boutique, where I share my love for creating: sewing of all kinds, quilting, funky machine embroidery, and fabric.  Here you can browse tutorials, find inspiration and tips/tricks for sewing; read my Guide to Fabric, ask questions and get answers; learn about featured small businesses, whose items I'd gladly display in a real shoppe; join a quilt-along or sew-along, and find new SoChick! Sewing Patterns.  And, most importantly, browse a selection of fresh, modern quilting and lifestyle fabrics in my online Fabric Shoppe. 

I'm looking forward to your visits, and will be here at the sewing machine or cutting table, ready to greet you!

XxOo~ Melissa

{SALE Announcement} SoChick Fabric Shoppe

Happy Friday!  If you are signed up for the SoChick! Newsletter, you know that I need to make room in my studio for new fabric... to help with that I'm having a SALE in my Fabric Shoppe on Etsy!!

Through Thursday, November 15th, save 30% at checkout with coupon code ETSY30.  That means you can score Amy Butler prints for as low as $6.30/yard and cotton laminate for less than $12/yd!

It's a great time to grab up fabric and try any of these free projects that Amy shares on her website.  

Source: amybutlerdesign.com via Melissa on Pinterest

You can make beautiful gifts for giving over the Holidays or save it for stitching on a cold winter day, nothing beats the winter blues quite like beautiful fabric!


Enjoy and have a great weekend!


XxOo~ Melissa