All about patchwork and quilting

upcycling denim ideas

By Hatun Comak → Friday, October 22, 2021

Jeans must be the most comfortable and durable clothes in the world. There is something indispensable with jeans and when our jeans are too worn to wear them, we look for ways to upcycle them.

From DIY home accessories to refashioned goods, there are enough ideas to upcycle these lovely jeans. Below I collected a bunch of upcycling denim ideas. Some of these works belong to me and some of them are from others that I added here with the aim of giving them a try in future. In a way, these collections are to-do lists for me.

DIY denim pouch

You just need a pair of old jeans and a zipper to make this denim pouch. For a detailed tutorial, check HERE . Adding a little sashiko work makes it perfect and unique.

DIY denim rug

From floor to ceiling in your home, there are upcycling ideas. This denim rug is perfect for your bathroom. You can get the details HERE.

Recycled jean planter

We use every scrap of jeans while recycling them. Using denim pieces, you can make this lovely planter. On one side I used strips of denim in different colors and on the other side I used just one big piece. So by turning the planter, you can have two different models.

Denim coasters

You can make a set of upcyled denim coasters with the pockets of the jeans. These are great as gifts. You can get the free tutorial HERE

DIY jeans bag

Jeans are the most frequently upcycled to make jeans bag and this one is my favourite. The tutorial for this denim bag is HERE

Sashiko denim bag

Here is another denim bag that I made using old jeans. It is a great way to use little pieces to make this sashiko bag. If you are into embroidery, I highly recommend you to try sashiko. It is a kind of Japanese style embroidery which looks great. You can see the details HERE.

sawtooth star quilt block

sawtooth star quilt block tutorial

By Hatun Comak → Monday, March 29, 2021

The Sawtooth Star is a traditional eight point star and one of the most classical and popular one amongst the quilters. It possibly have some other names also. It is a versatile quilt pattern; with color and fabric variations you can create amazing quilts.

There are various methods of making sawtooth star. One of the methods is using half square triangles and the other one is using flying geese for the points. Since it is more practical besides reducing extra bulk and unnecessary seams between the points, flying geese is mostly preferred.

You can make flying geese with no-waste method to create four flying geese at one time which are perfect for Sawtooth Star Blocks.

For a more detailed tutorial you can check my MAKING NO WASTE FLYING GEESE UNITS TUTORIAL.

With this method of making flying geese, there will be no waste in fabric while making four flying geese at a time.

Sawtooth Star Quilt Block Cutting Instructions

Using the chart below, you can choose the needed measurement to make your quilt block. Here the instructions are given for 6"×6" finished size.

Check the measurements on the chart.

Cut all the pieces needed to make the sawtooth star quilt pattern.

Sawtooth Star Quilt Block Tutorial

Let's start with making flying geese blocks. For flying geese units you will need one large square (goose) and four small squares (sky). One large and four small squares will make four finished flying geese units.
Draw a diagonal line on the back of the four squares.

Place two of the small squares on the large square right sides together; as in the image below.

Sew two points squares to background square in opposite corners on both sides of the diagonal line. Then cut this unit in half through the drawn line.

Press seams allowances through the little triangles.

Place another remaining of the four squares on the corner of each unit and sew them with 1/4" seam allowance on both sides of the line.

Cut again through the lines and press seams toward the small triangles.

Now you have four flying geese units. You need to square up your units because they can be a little bigger than the desired size. This may look extra work but it is necessary to assemble the blocks easily.

Once flying geese units are finished, lay them with the center and corner squares.

First sew the units into rows. Press seams and then press the three rows together.

And you have finished! This sawtooth star quilt block is not only so versatile but also easy to scale. You can make it smaller or bigger according to your needs. Knowing how to make sawtooth star quilt pattern will definitely be helpful.

Hope you enjoy and make use of my tutorial.

denim coasters

DIY denim coasters

By Hatun Comak → Monday, March 22, 2021

If you are a fan of jeans like me, you must have a pile of old, worn jeans waiting to be upcycled. I never throw worn jeans, not a little piece of it, since there are numerous ways to upcycle old jeans into something new.

This time, using the pockets, I made denim coasters. They are not only easy to make but also practical to use. What's more, they are great to be gifts.

The back pockets are turned into denim coasters and the result is amazing. They are so easy to make using your worn jeans.

How to make denim coasters

Each pocket makes one denim coaster. The stitching design on the pocket of the jeans make a unique design on the coaster.

You will need:

Denim pockets

Quilt batting

A circle template of cardboard

Cut out the back pockets including the two layers, so it will be easier to work with.

Make two circle templates using paper or cardboard. One of them should be 3.5" and the other 4".

Place the larger circle on the pocket. Draw around the circle and cut it out from the both layers of denim.

Place the smaller template on batting and cut it out. Make the quilt sandwich; place the batting piece between denim pieces and pin it.

Sew around the circle with 1/4" seam allowance.

With seam ripper, slit around the circle to make the frayed edges.

And it is ready! The coasters are practical to use, so that you can protect your table. They can also be the part of the decoration in your living room. Or a bunch of these denim coasters make perfect gifts.

Whatever they are for, enjoy the work you have made!

rose patterns

free rose paper piecing patterns

By Hatun Comak → Tuesday, March 16, 2021

It is finally spring and we need some fresh starts. It is always good to be working with flowers. I especially love roses.

If you are new to paper piecing, have a look at this tutorial first. It teaches you the basics of paper piecing.

foundation paper piecing tutorial

Some of these patterns below is quite easy and some of them needs some specializing in paper piecing method. Once you master the paper piecing method, you can make any pattern.

Here I collected some paper pieced rose patterns which are all free, thanks to their designers. You can choose your favourite below and start making it. This collection is also my to-do list and as soon as I finish making them, I will replace their photos here.

Bring spring into your home!

The Rose by Lori Kennedy Quilts

Rose by Yvonnes

Rose by Hiswordinpictures

Wild Rose by Yvonnes

Scrap Flower by Onwilliamsstreet

foundation paper piecing

circle of flying geese pattern

By Hatun Comak → Saturday, February 6, 2021

The circle of flying geese pattern has been on my to-do list for a long time. This week finally the time came for this lovely pattern. As you might have seen around, there are many variations of flying geese. This is a paper pieced block pattern. I really like paper piecing. It is a kind of addiction. When you see these lovely patterns, you can't help giving them a try.

The pattern is shared by Piece by Number. You can find the free pattern HERE.

If you are new to paper piecing, have a look at this tutorial first. It teaches you the basics of paper piecing.

Foundation paper piecing tutorial

Once you master the method, you can make any paper piecing pattern. The circle of flying geese pattern is easy to make. The trickiest part is that it involves some turning. It is easy to get confused and make a mistake. So just pay attention to the directions of the triangles while assembling the pieces.

I used rainbow colors for the triangles and black for the background. You need to make pieces to complete the pattern. The finished size is 12"×12". It is big enough to make a cushion. I haven't decided what to make of this circle of flying geese pattern yet. It is so nice to be a wall hanging also. I love it with dark background.

Flying geeese is a such a versatile pattern that it can be used either to make a complete quilt or to complete another quilt pattern. As I have mentioned before, there are other ways also to make flying geese. If you are interested in other variations of flying geese, this may be helpful:

No waste flying geese tutorial

thumbling blocks tutorial

thumbling blocks baby quilt

By Hatun Comak → Monday, January 25, 2021

It has been a long time since I started making thumbling blocks and put them aside. I had started making them without any plan in mind. Lately I need to make a baby quilt to be gifted and has been thinking of what to make. Then I remembered about these thumbling blocks and took them at hand again. I decided to make a colorful bunch of thumbling blocks for the baby quilt. Thumbling blocks is an appropriate pattern for a baby quilt. Especially the baby quilt with bright colors are perfect.

There are various methods of making thumbling blocks. I made them by english paper piecing. Using dark fabric on one side, medium on the other and and a light fabric on top enhances the 3D effect. Here you can have a look at my THUMBLING BLOCKS TUTORIAL and get the free paper piecing patterns.

Making these thumbling blocks take some time, and after completing thumbling blocks, the rest comes fast. I made 25 thumbling blocks in different colors. I planned to make it as lively as possible.

The next step is to sew the thumbling blocks together. After sewing them together, I pressed with iron and pulled out the basting thread and removed the papers. If you are new to english paper piecing this ENGLISH PAPER PIECING TUTORIAL might help you.

I chose a plain gray fabric for the background and I placed the blocks on the fabric, pinned them, did the basting and appliqued it to the background fabric.

The last step is making the quilt sandwich and quilting it. For background fabric I used pink flannel. I quilted it by stitching in the ditch around each block. Below you can see the back side of the baby quilt.

The baby quilt is for a baby girl so I used pink for the background and purple for binding. The finished size of the baby quilt measures 35"×50"

It is ironed lastly and got ready to be gifted. The bright colors will take the attention of the baby. Hope it will be loved.

If you like this baby quilt, you can give it a try. Playing with colors, arranging the blocks is the fun part. I like gifting my quilts since each is unique.

hexagon snowflake quilt tutorial

hexagon snowflake quilt

By Hatun Comak → Sunday, January 17, 2021

Well, it is winter time; perfect timing to make hexagon snowflake quilt. Actually, there is no snow around and it rarely snows where I live. So it will be nice having some snowflakes around. That is where I started my new project.

I not only made this lovely cushion but also prepared a tutorial in case you would like to give it a try.

Here we go!

Tutorial

You will need HEXAGON TEMPLATES. You can choose and pick up the sizes you want. There is from 1" to 5" hexagons in the link above. Here I made hexagon snowflakes with 1/2" and 1/4" hexagon templates. You can download 1/4" hexagon templates HERE.

Print your templates and start stitching your hexagons. Do you need help with stitching hexagons? Here is a tutorial to learn HOW TO SEW THE HEXAGONS. English paper piecing method is used for making the hexagon snowflakes. EPP is good for long winter nights. You can make your hexagons while sitting on your cosy couch and watching your favourite TV program or series. It is a good way of relaxing also.

Once I prepared my hexagon snowflakes, I pressed them with iron and removed the paper templates. For background fabric I used light blue fabric so that it could remind of the sky. You can play around the placement of the hexagon snowflakes. I made two 1/2" hexagon snowflakes and one 1/4" hexagon snowflake. When you are pleased with the appearance, pin down them to the fabric.

The next step is appliquing them. I hand appliqued the hexagon snowflakes down to the background fabric.

The next step is quilting. I did a little bit quilting around the shapes.

Then I did some embroidery work to give it the ambiance of snowy weather. I also like these little snowflakes.

Finally I sewed the back of cushion and it is ready. What do you think?

It is good for winter. If you are a hexagon lover, like me. You can make different shapes with hexagons. I like these hexagin snowflakes pretty much.

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