Operation Lap Wrap – Bear Paw Block Construction

This is how the Bear Paw Block comes together for the Lap Throw I am designing for Operation Lap Wrap.

Sew the dark side on top.

Make sure your seam allowances are 1/4″. I am using a quilting foot which is 1/4″ from center to edge of foot. I just line up the edge of the foot with the edge of the fabric before I start to sew.

Continuous sewing. Sew everything you can in one pass.

When you get to a piece that will have a point make sure your needle goes through the point of the triangle.

On this block, except for the triangle pieces I open up my seams on everything else. To match up the seams I use two pins. I have found this works better than using the technique of putting 1 pin in the seam line. Having 2 pins keeps both seam allowances on either side down and the fabric does not shift.

When you get to the pins take them out one at a time before sewing over them. The world won’t come to an end if you do, but be careful as you could break your sewing needle if you hit it. Try to get them out before the feed dog grabs them.

Alright, here’s one corner finished. Do 3 more just like this.

Next up is sewing the center pieces to each of the 4 corners.

Sew with the solid piece on the underside. You want to be able to see those triangle points to sew through!

Perfect corners.

The block is now sewn. Just need to press it!

I start by opening up the seams and pressing them. Just place the iron on the seam and hold it there for a couple of seconds. Continue to work around the block.

Here’s a triangle I forgot to trim. These little triangles just get snipped off as you work. Snip them flush to the seam allowance. Doing so reduces bulk and having them show through to the top of your quilt.

Flip over and press the right side.

Nice and flat. Here’s what the underside will look like.

Make 3 more just like it. I’ll show you how we’re going to quilt each block separately by machine then put them together. This quilt is designed so a group can put all the pieces together and end up with a quilt ready to go.

Here is the pattern for the half square triangles used in this quilt.

Speedy Half Triangles – Use for Bear Paw

Operation Lap Wrap preparation

National Quilting Day is March 15th. For this day I’ve decided to organize a quilting event for Operation Lap Wrap. Oh where’s my “stop me before I volunteer again” button! Seriously though this is going to be fun.

I’ve designed a couple of lap quilt patterns and I’m working out one of them which is going to be a patriotic colored Bear Paw. I’m designing my own because I really couldn’t find anything in the many, many books I have looked at. The benefiting organization USACares.org requires that the quilts be no larger than 45″ x 45″. This is pretty tough to find!

So I’m putting my designer cap on and getting to work. Hmmm, maybe I should put a little book together while I’m at it! I guess I’m a little late in the game but better late than never. There are still many many service members that this will benefit!

However, a funny thing occurred. Well not so funny. I really began to think I was losing my mind, which I’m sure will happen soon enough but I swear I followed all my design principles to a T! I used my little CAD program to work out the design of the Bear Paw and printed it out. All looks good. Then I create a .pdf file thinking “oh, this will be great! I’ll be able to just upload the pattern!”.

My pieces weren’t matching up and I couldn’t figure it out. I thought I must be taking larger seam allowances, or just totally screwed up in the head with my math skills (both perfectly logical — captain!). Alas, today I figured it out the the .pdf version of the pattern is smaller than the Visio file. Man! I thought I had something there! Now I have to find a solution so my patterns will be as I draw them. But at any rate, here’s my first block. It’s going to be beautiful when finished and I can’t wait for the 15th.

To visit the Suburban Stitchers Meetup group find them here:

http://sewing.meetup.com/199/

Charity sewing for the little ones…

Do you happen to know what an isolette is?

Well I don’t either.

About a week ago I received an email from my friend Laura asking if I was interested in helping with some charity sewing. Immediately thoughts race back to my little “stop me before i volunteer again” button but I’m a true believer that the only way to happiness is to do something you love in the service of others (thanks Covey!). So I said sure, what the heck.

Well the next day I received a phone call from the AT&T Pioneers group and I told the coordinator to send whatever she needed over and I’d work on getting it done. Just one at a time. These isolette covers were something of great importance and they need about 28. I ticked off one. BTW, the isolette is the little incubator that a preemie baby stays in when they are in the NICU. The cover helps muffle the noises and keeps out the glaring light. Gives them a little cocoon to help them grow!

Here’s the finished product – albeit over some of my storage containers. My two thoughts were first wondered why they don’t have velcro on the front but I suppose this is the way it’s supposed to be and secondly I wondered why they chose to cut the fabric out in such odd patterning. I’m sure there are reasons. Hopefully someday I’ll see a photo of it actually in use at the hospital. I’m sure I’ll be making more.

Charity Sewing

Yesterday  I was contacted by the AT&T Pioneers to help put together some isolette covers.  I don’t mind and thought this might be something usefull.  I first had to find out what an isolette was.  If you don’t know it is the incubator that a premie occupies while they are at the hospital.  The covers help keep the bright lights from disturbing their growing eyes and muffle the noises.

I commented to Laura why with all the things in hospitals this wasn’t something hospitals would already have on hand?  I even found posts from mothers looking for them (there’s a business opportunity for ya!).  It is rather a sweet gesture though to have these made for a community hospital.  I hope that it helps the parents and baby more than the hospital though.  It seems hospitals are incredibly greedy with how much they charge these days.