Where is Chatterbox Quilts?

Hi everyone:


I was recently reflecting on how many fellow quilters and fabric enthusiasts I've met through my blog and my Facebook page. I've enjoyed making new friends on-line and appreciate the support that you've given me. I've also found that it's a great way to keep in touch with existing friends across the country. 


It occurred to me that while some of you may know where I am on-line, there are probably others who aren't aware of all the places Chatterbox Quilts is on the web. So I thought I'd bring you up to date. Are you ready? Here goes:


You're already following my blog, so you know I'm here.

Manga Kitty appliqué template by Jamie Hirst for Chatterbox Quilts

Did you know that I have a personal Facebook page, as well as a Chatterbox Quilts fan page? I try to keep my fan page for quilt related items.


I'm on Twitter as CBQuilts, if you like to tweet.

I have a Youtube channel, although there is only one video there - yet!

Learn how to make Vintage Hearts from my Youtube video

I also have an Etsy store, where you can find both my epatterns and my paper patterns. I also have appliqué templates, embroidery patterns and stuffie patterns there. 

Frog face appliqué template available at my Etsy store

I have a website where you can find out more about me as well as listen to some of my earlier podcasts. 

Hoot appliqué template available at my Etsy store

If you're a quilt shop owner, you should know that you an order my patterns wholesale from The Pattern Peddlers. 

You do know that I have some free projects available, don't you? You can find them on my blog and on my website.

FREE Flourishing Hearts pattern - available on my blog

Whew! I think that's it - at least for now. 


I hope that you find something entertaining, interesting or educational wherever you find me on-line:)

WIWOW - August 24, 2011

Hi everyone:

Can you believe that it's already August 24? Wow, where has the summer gone? While I always have high expectations of accomplishing many quilting related items - such as actually quilting, the reality is that life often intrudes and sometimes I don't get as much accomplished as I had hoped to. I did get to go on vacation, visit with friends, spend time with my children and organize my quilting studio, so I guess it wasn't such a bad summer after all!

This past week I've been shopping with my children to get new clothes and items for school. I've also been busy cleaning getting ready for a visit from my parents next week. 

In my organizing and cleaning frenzy, I've come across a few projects that weren't quite done. I made some binding strips for several quilts that needed them. They're not actually sewn onto the quilts yet, but hey, you can't do everything at once, can you?

Cute Circus Cat fabric

I also re-discovered a small quilt that I had made using a pattern in Pat Sloan's Favorite Techniques book. The pattern looked fast and easy (it was) and I thought it would be perfect  to showcase some cute fabric that I had in my stash. I quilted it using free form stars and circles, which suited the central fabric. In addition to showcasing the novelty fabric, this pattern would allow me to try a single fold, machine binding technique. The binding is stitched to the back of the quilt on each side one at a time. You then fold it over to the front and machine stitch it down. It sounded pretty straight forward and I wanted to see if this would be quicker than my usual double fold binding technique. 


Of course I also had to add a sleeve to the quilt and this took a little bit of time. 


I also thought that it would be nice to zigzag the binding down, rather than just using a straight stitch. Really, so much more interesting.


I discovered that it really takes a bit more time and effort to use a zigzag stitch for this technique.

Front side of quilt showing zigzag stitches to hold the binding down

I also realized that this technique wasn't quite as quick and easy as I had thought it would be - at least not for me. I think that the stitches were supposed to catch the binding seam on the back of the quilt - mine didn't. Perhaps if I'd chosen the straight stitch instead, that might've been better.

Back side of quilt showing how the zigzag stitches
don't overlap the binding as it should - oops!

Sorry, Pat, but I think I'll be sticking to my double-fold-stitched-on-the-front-folded-to-the-back-and-hand-sewn-down-binding technique. It might take me a bit longer, but I like the finished product better and that's really what it's all about.

Portion of the quilt all done and ready to be hung

Do you ever machine stitch your bindings down or are you a hand-sewn-binding type of quilter?

WIWOW - August 17, 2011

Hi everyone:


Sorry I missed my Wednesday post, but I have a good reason. Really, I do! I was working on a gift for my daughter's birthday. I couldn't show you what I was working on or it would ruin the surprise. Since it was her birthday on Friday (Happy Birthday, Sarah!) and she has received her gift, I can now post it.


Since Sarah is a huge Harry Potter fan, I made her a Harry Potter doll. Here's a quick tutorial on how I did it.


I used the Harry Potter design from her embroidery pattern (you can find it here - FREE!) and increased it to 140% before embroidering it on muslin. 


I then selected some appropriately wizardly fabric for the back of the stuffie and cut out a rectangle approximately 11" x 5".

I created a template for the back of the stuffie by tracing about 1/2" outside the embroidery lines on the embroidery pattern. 

I then traced this back template on medical paper (see through, sort of like onionskin paper - for those of us who are old enough to know what that was). 

I centered this traced template over the wrong side of the embroidered design - it's transparent enough to do this - and then placed the rectangle of back fabric, right side up, underneath it all. The sandwich was: back template, embroidered design, wrong side up and then the backing fabric, right side up.

I stitched on the traced line of the back template, leaving an opening at one side for turning. I used pinking shears to trim about 1/4" away from the seam allowance, ripped off the paper template, turned the stuffie right side out and then stuffed it firmly. When it was plump enough, I hand stitched the opening closed. 


Here's the result!

Sarah was quite pleased with the doll and it was very quick to do. You can see how well Harry fits in with Sarah's other Harry Potter paraphernalia. 

I have also used a similar technique to create my FREE Flourishing Heart pattern. 

Flourishing Hearts in two colourways

I am also working on a pattern for a family of owl stuffies, which will be published in a few weeks.

Hoot - the dad

Screech, the mom and Whoobie, the baby

Do you like to create stuffies for those special little people in your life - or even for yourself? I'd love to hear about your creations.