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Blue and green concentric diamond quilt block

by kustomkwilts

Mock Stained Glass Mini Quilt Tutorial

Happy New Year!  Well, this post is a day late and a dollar short, but it's here :)I usually post on Tuesdays, but this one got away from me!  Sometimes winter blues can get you down (although here, in Texas, it was nearly 80 degrees yesterday and looked WAY more like spring than winter!) and it helps to have some fun and easy projects to get you through the weather.  I hope you'll take a look at the free tutorial I teamed up with Janome to create.  It's listed on the APQS blog and is a great free pattern for a mini quilt--or-- if you prefer not to quilt it, hang it in a window that gets lots of light for a stained glass effect.  Either way, it's a great way to add another technique to your arsenal of skills.  Find the free tut HEREHave a great week!

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A red bowl of cookies and a quilted heart shaped bag.

by kustomkwilts

Quilted Oven Mitt Tutorial (Free project)

Yikes!!  So I'm a little late on sharing this, but it will be here for future reference ;)Do you love a fun (and quick) project for Valentine's sewing?  Check out this sweet tutorial I teamed up with Janome to create HERE .  This is a great project to incorporate some low volumes with a great print that you've been saving (I used Liberty of London), but you might now have a lot of! The oven mitt tutorial can also be customized--you can leave out the reverse applique option for a simpler finish and enjoy your new oven mitt quicker.Happy belated Valentine's Day!

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Two bags with a blue and white pattern on them.

by kustomkwilts

Quilting on unconventional fabrics - Quilted Notebook bag tutorial

Happy, happy 4th of July!  I hope you're able to enjoy the holiday with your loved ones and make some great memories.  Today, I'm excited to share a free tutorial that I created with the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9400 for an awesome project bag.  I'm always scouring the house for bags to load up with notebooks, sketch pads, folders, or whatever I'm currently working on to squeeze in a few extra minutes of work on the go, and this bag has a little extra depth to really protect all those items.  It's also reversible, so you can make one side to go with the fall season and the other a little brighter to work with spring and summer! Reversible Notebook Bag Plus...we'll take a look at quilting on a thicker fabric than your usual quilting cotton.  I do a lot of quilting and embroidery on leather and faux leather fabrics, and there is a lot of hesitation when it comes to that from some.  When I started sewing, I didn't take a bunch of classes...rather, I just dove in and experimented to find what worked for me.  I didn't have anyone there to tell me I shouldn't try something, or that it wouldn't work, so I think that was a huge benefit.  For this tutorial, break out that walking foot (or your free motion foot) and try your hand at some geometric quilting.   Janome Dual Feed Foot quilting geometric lines on faux leather If you haven't tried quilting on leather or faux leather before, I'd recommend getting a few scraps of some cheap faux leather--my local Joann's has lots of remnants on clearance that I grab whenever I can--and do some quick samples.  I usually do my best work on "trash" fabric when there's no pressure to mess up expensive fabrics.  I'll make sure my pieces are big enough to make a little cosmetic bag or something with later on, because 9 times out of 10, I end up wishing I could save my sample!  This really is a quick sew--and you can easily alter the bag measurements to make the bag any size you like, upgrade it to add some pockets on the interior and exterior, or whatever your needs are.  Check out the full tutorial on the American Quilter's Society Blog and have fun with it!  Go and conquer your fears of quilting on some different fabrics, and happy sewing!

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A book with some colorful pencils on it

by kustomkwilts

Select a size iPad Clutch free pattern

Good morning!  Things have been a whirlwind in the last month!  I have some really exciting things that I've been working on at Kustom Kwilts & Designs that I can't wait to share with you in the very near future, and I'm so excited that I can finally share this free tutorial with you that I teamed up with Janome to bring you.  Find the full tutorial HERE- at the AQS blogThere are some specific things I look for when creating a handmade gift for someone.  I like a quick project that looks like it took a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time.  This is one of those!  The supply list is fairly short, so you can easily grab a few fat quarters from your stash and get this project going today, in time for Mother's Day next week, or whip up several for those really awesome teachers in your child's life.  The tutorial allows for you to select from several sizes of tablets, so you should be able to select the size your person uses and get going right away!  I've been sewing on the newest Horizon Memory Craft 9400QCP, and this machine is a true workhorse.  I love everything about it, and quilting on this machine has been a lifesaver.  It creates absolutely beautiful stitches and really makes my projects look professional.  I hope you'll take a minute to check out this free pattern--you'll love the simple style and elegant finish you can achieve with basic or complex quilting.  You can really make this your own and put your special touch on it to brighten someone's day.  I hope you enjoy your weekend!  XO,Joanna

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A blanket on the grass with clown faces and checkered pattern.

by kustomkwilts

Summer Picnic Quilt

Summer Picnic Quilt tutorialWhen summer arrives, I always get the itch to make a quilt.  Nevermind the fact that I live in Texas and it is sweltering, to say the least.  Also, disregard the fact that I have quilts coming out of my ears...what is that saying...you can't swing a cat without hitting a quilt?  (Surely that isn't the saying, but I think you catch my drift!)  So when I am thinking about making a new quilt...I need to have a reason for it, aside from just being functional to keep you warm.  I also love to sew with materials that are a little unexpected.  So I teamed up with Janome and American Quilter's Society to bring you a free tutorial for a great summer picnic quilt.This pattern is great for many reasons.  It's layer cake friendly, which makes it a super quick sew.  The blocks are large enough to feature those great prints you've been holding on to for a special quilt.  The quilt is large enough to accommodate a family picnic at the park.  The backing can be made from laminated cotton (or regular quilting cotton, if you choose), so it won't pick up dirt as easily as standard quilting cotton.  You can just as easily throw it in the wash as you can a regular quilt (line dry to be on the safe side).  So grab two layer cake packs and your favorite sewing and quilting notions and get ready to sew your socks off!  Follow the link to the American Quilter's Society blog to get started on your picnic quilt.  This is a great quilt to fold up and keep in the back of the car for unexpected outings (and if you have a little one in diapers, you can always use the laminated cotton side as a quick changing station on the go!).  I quilted this with some large meandering loops on my Janome MC9400, and was done with the quilting in under two hours.  Since the back of my quilt uses laminated cotton, I slipped a Supreme Slider onto the bed of the sewing machine and it really helped glide the fabric easily under the needle.  This isn't something you have to do, but it certainly makes the task a little easier.  I tend to use one anytime I'm quilting something larger than a mini quilt.  Put on your favorite podcast/Netflix and get ready to sew up a storm!  Happy sewing :) 

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