tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89051755116701969852024-03-14T00:46:13.753-05:00Dixie West DesignsSewing,Tutorials, Recipes, Quotes, and more.Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-29598379459437018772015-09-03T16:05:00.004-05:002015-09-03T21:21:52.745-05:00Liebster Award!<div style="text-align: left;">
<img alt="Liebster-Award-2-1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-452" src="http://www.evseats.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Liebster-Award-2-1.jpg" height="320" width="640" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<br />
Guess what?! I've been nominated for a Newbie Blogging Liebster Award by Evi from<a href="http://www.evseats.com/leibster-award/" target="_blank"> Ev's Eats</a>! Check her out, she has some awesome recipes! </div>
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<h2>
What is the Newbie Blogger Liebster Award?</h2>
The Newbie Blogging Liebster Award is an award given to new bloggers,
usually for those who have less than 200 followers, by other bloggers
as a way to support each other in our journey to growing and building
our blogs. <br />
<h2>
<a name='more'></a>What are the rules?</h2>
<ol>
<li>Post your award to your blog.</li>
<li>Answer the questions you were given by the person who nominated you</li>
<li>Nominate a small group of other new bloggers you’ve discovered</li>
<li>Create 10 new questions for the nominees</li>
<li>Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their blog. </li>
</ol>
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<h2>
Here are Evi's questions for me:</h2>
<ol>
<li><b>Why did you start your blog?</b><b> </b></li>
</ol>
<b> </b> I've always been super crafty and I enjoy helping others learn how to make new things! I'm really enjoying discovering new blogs and new ideas!<br />
<br />
<b>2.Who are some of your favorite bloggers and why?</b><br />
Nicole from <a href="http://www.notimefordiy.com/" target="_blank">No Time for DIY</a> ~ I am a little bit biased on this one. Nicole happens to be a close friend of mine, but she is totally rocking her blog. Her kids are adorable and she has amazing tutorials! She has a great eye and is one of the sweetest people I know.<br />
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Jenny <a href="http://www.thebloggess.com/" target="_blank">The Blogess </a>~ She is one of my blogging idols. She is so hilarious, it is completely impossible not to die laughing reading her work. She is also completely open about her own struggles and insanely generous.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodenufmommy.com/" target="_blank">The Good Enuf Mommy</a> ~ She is so funny and has a great, realistic, down to earth perspective on parenting.<br />
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<b> 3.What are your short-term and long term goals for your blog?</b><br />
My short-term goal would just be to get myself on a consistent blogging schedule, lol. With homeschooling, Girl Scout troop leading, prepping for craft fairs, etc... I'm still figuring out my scheduling. Long-term, I would love for this to lead to gaining some great friendships and networking.<br />
<br />
<b> 4.If you could live anywhere in the world; where would you live? </b><br />
<b> </b>There are so many places I would love to visit, but I really love Texas. I can't wait until we have a nice big piece of land to spread out on!<b> </b><b> </b><br />
<br />
<b> 5.What are your current top 5 favorite things?</b><br />
I love <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V52G6B4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00" target="_blank">these quilting clips</a>! I very rarely use pins while I'm sewing anymore.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b>My <a href="http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2084064/candies-anna-floral-cargo-backpack.jsp" target="_blank">favorite bag.</a> I know it's a backpack, but seriously I carry a lot of stuff (what mom doesn't?)<br />
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My new<a href="http://www.dixiewestdesigns.com/2015/09/craft-fair-apron-tutorial.html" target="_blank"> craft fair apron</a>....so many pockets!<br />
<br />
Ashland Sugar Cookie Jar Candle. Mmmmmm. (I bought it from Michael's last year and it's amazing)<br />
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My Kitchenaid stand mixer. My amazing husband got it for me for Christmas last year. It's pale pink like Monica's from friends!<b><br /></b><br />
<br />
<b> 6.What’s your favorite food city and why?</b><br />
<b> </b>I've never actually visited a city specifically for the food. I like figuring out how to make things at home, so I guess my city!<br />
<br />
<b> 7.What’s the easiest and hardest part about blogging for you?</b><br />
The easiest part of blogging for me is figuring out what I want to write about. Generally, I constantly have ideas floating through my head (thanks, ADD). The hard part is remembering to write them down before I forget. Then I spend the rest of the day trying to remember what I forgot. It's a vicious cycle really.<br />
The hardest part about blogging for me is setting the time aside to edit pictures, and write everything out. Really, the picture editing is so time consuming and I'm not even doing any major work to them. <br />
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<b> 8.Name one thing you cant live without. </b><br />
<b> </b>Caffeine. Usually coke, sometimes coffee. Don't judge.<b> </b><br />
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<b> 9.What motivates you to continue blogging?</b><br />
<b> </b>Seeing people enjoy my creations or making their own! I love it!<b> </b><b> </b><br />
<br />
<b> 10.Relationship status? Any kids (2 or 4 legged)?</b><br />
<b> </b>Married! I have 3 kids (two girls, 14 and 12, and a boy who is 9) and 2 dogs (doxies).<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Who I am nominating:</h2>
These talented people have worked really hard to create some really great blogs! Check them out!<br />
<br />
Sarah from <a href="http://lovesarah28.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Love, Sarah</a><br />
<br />
Samantha from <a href="http://www.graceloveandcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Grace, Love, Coffee</a><br />
<br />
The ladies at <a href="http://www.themainstreetmoms.com/" target="_blank">The Main Street Moms </a><br />
<br />
Kayla from <a href="http://www.kelanabykayla.com/" target="_blank">Kelana by Kayla</a><br />
<br />
Debbie from <a href="http://www.mountainmamaonline.net/" target="_blank">Mountain Mama</a> <br />
<br />
<h2>
My questions for you:</h2>
<ol>
<li>What is your favorite part about blogging?</li>
<li>Who is your biggest inspiration?</li>
<li>What is your favorite way to relax?</li>
<li>What are your top three favorite books?</li>
<li>Who is your blogging hero?</li>
<li>What is your 6 month goal for your blog?</li>
<li>What is something that few people know about you?</li>
<li>What is a new skill that you want to learn?</li>
<li>If you could go anywhere, where would you go?</li>
<li>Relationship status? Any kids (2 or 4 legged)?</li>
</ol>
Congratulations Y'all! I can't wait to see your answers!<br />
<br />
~Melissa<br />
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<b> </b>Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-18321071428332471452015-09-02T16:32:00.001-05:002015-10-23T15:21:01.553-05:00Craft Fair Apron TutorialHey there! How have you been? Around here we are gearing up for craft show season to start in about a month (eeek!). Nicole from <a href="http://www.notimefordiy.com/" target="_blank">No Time for DIY</a> (check her out, she's awesome) and I will be hitting the circuit together. I've done craft shows before, but it's been a while, so I thought I would give you guys a glimpse into how we put things together along the way.<br />
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Last week, I decided to make us some pretty craft fair aprons. I had found a few tutorials online that I liked, but they weren't exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to make something really sturdy, that will last a long time. I liked the basic structure and size of <a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2011/10/utility-apron-tutorial.html#_a5y_p=1333178" target="_blank">this one at Sugar Bee Crafts</a>, but I wanted it to be heavier weighted, and I made a couple of tweaks to the stitching. The back and pockets are lined with canvas! I tend to stick pointy things in my pockets, so this should help the apron hold up to my day-to-day abuse. Here's what I used:<br />
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Duck Canvas (a light blue-ish-grey color is what I used) in the following cuts:<br />
12"x19"<br />
8.5" x 19"<br />
6" x 19"<br />
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Pretty fabric cuts:<br />
12 "x 19"<br />
6" x 19"<br />
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Solid color cuts:<br />
8.5" x 19"<br />
3.5" x 3 yards (or whatever length you prefer for the ties) Made into bias tape. (Alternatively, you could purchase the appropriate amount of pre-made 1" double-fold bias tape from the store).<br />
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I forgot to take pics of making the bias tape, but here is a pretty good tutorial for making bias tape <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TxwfCWGUkY" target="_blank">with a bias tape maker</a>. <br />
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Have all of your pieces cut? You do? Good Job!<br />
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First we're going to work on the pockets. Lay your 6" piece of canvas down and lay your 6" piece of pretty fabric face down on top. Line up all the edges and clip or pin in place. <br />
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Sew a 1/4" seam across the top (long) edge of your fabric. <br />
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Then flip your fabric so that the right sides are facing out. Iron your seam flat. <br />
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Top stitch 1/4" along your nice, neat edge. Isn't that pretty? <br />
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Repeat with your 8.5" pocket pieces. Lay your canvas down with the solid color piece on top. Sew, iron, flip, topstitch. <br />
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Lay your 8.5" finished pocket down, face up, with your 6" pocket on top, also face up. Line the bottom (raw) edges up together and clip or pin: <br />
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Now we are going to sew the pocket dividers. First, find the center line (black dotted line below). This should be 9.5" from either side. Make a mark at the center point of the bottom of the 6" piece and at the top of the 8.5" piece. Draw a line connecting these points using a marking pencil. Now measure 4.75" from either side and draw a line <i>only on the 6" piece </i>(See the blue dotted lines below). This will give you 2 big pockets on the top row and 4 smaller pockets on the bottom row.<br />
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Sew the outer pockets (blue lines) from the bottom to the top of the line. Do not sew the center line yet. <br />
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When you get to the top edge of the pocket, sew just over the edge, backstitch to your topstitching line, and stitch back up again. This will secure your pocket and prevent the pocket from pulling apart with frequent use. <br />
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Ok, lay down your large piece of patterned fabric, face up. Lay your pocket piece down on top, lining up the bottom edges, and pin/ clip. Now sew the center pocket line from the bottom up, and don't forget to backstitch like you did on the outer pockets.<br />
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Yay, your front panel is done! Now, lay your large canvas piece down and flip your front panel face down on top of it. Line up all of your edges (make sure all the pockets are laying flat and lined up with the edges). Pin or clip all the way around. <br />
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Starting at the top right-hand corner, sew 1/4" seam down the right side, across the bottom, and up the left side. Do not sew across the top edge. Backstitch at the beginning and end. When you get to the corners, make sure that your needle is down and pivot the fabric. Clip the bottom corners being careful not to cut through the stitching, and turn the fabric right side out. Press all of your seams flat and top stitch 1/4" on the seams you just made.<br />
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All that's left is to add your ties! Find the center of your bias tape piece and the center of your apron panel. tuck the top raw edges into the bias tape, lining up your center points. Clip in place. <br />
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At the ends of your bias tape strip, fold the edge over 1/4" and stitch down. This will give your ties finished ends. Fold up the bias tape again. <br />
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Sew 1/4" along the bottom (open) edge of the bias tape, from end to end. <br />
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Then sew 1/4" along the top edge, again along the entire length of the bias tape.<br />
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And that's it! You. Are. Finished! I made a red one for Nicole: <br />
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and a purple one for me! <br />
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These aprons are perfect for craft fairs, but they are also great for gardening, painting or other crafting, cleaning, etc. The list could go on forever, and we all know how I love lists!<br />
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Let me know what you think! Are you going to make one of these great aprons? I'd love to see your creations!<br />
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~Melissa<br />
<br />Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-79023424891063394792015-08-26T00:34:00.000-05:002015-10-23T15:19:21.987-05:00Journal Cover TutorialI am a list maker. I have to do lists, to buy lists, lists for homeschooling and girl scouting and menu planning. I love nothing more than to see all those items crossed off *sigh*. I so look forward to back to school shopping season and all of the fresh, clean notebooks and supplies.<br />
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On that note, I also like to personalize the things that I use on a daily basis. I love a composition notebook, but the standard black and white cover leaves something to be desired. So, I made these beautiful, reusable, washable journal covers. The cover has a pocket inside the cover to hold your pens and a ribbon bookmark to hold your place. These make for beautiful diary covers and when you fill one book, just swap it out for a new one!<br />
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You can use the same fabric for the whole project if you'd like, but I used a solid color for the liner and pocket and a pretty pattern for the outer fabric. For this project you will need the following pieces of fabric (make sure that you wash, dry, and iron your fabric before cutting!):<br />
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-2 pieces of 11"x16.5" (one in pattern, one in solid)<br />
-4 pieces of 6"x11" (two in pattern, two in solid)<br />
-2 pieces of 4.25"x6" (this is for the pocket, I used the solid liner color for both pieces for contrast)<br />
-1 14" piece of 3/8" ribbon <br />
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First things first, line your two smallest pieces up together, faces together. Sew a 1/4" seam along the top (long) edge.<br />
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Flip the fabric so that the faces are on the outside and the raw edges of the seam you just made are on the inside. Making sure that your edges are all lined up again, press that seam and sew a 1/4" topstitch.<br />
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Take one of your 6"x11" outer sleeve pieces and lay it down face up. Lay the pocket piece that you just made face up on top of that, like so:<br />
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Now add on top of that one of your sleeve liner pieces, face down and pin or clip making sure to line up all of the edges. Sew a 1/4" seam along the left side of the stack.<br />
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Flip, iron, and topstitch that seam, just like you did on the pocket. Take your 2 remaining sleeve pieces and repeat, except this time you want to sew on the right side. You should end up with 2 sleeve pieces that look something like this:<br />
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Take your large liner piece and lay it down face up. Line up your sleeve pieces on top face up. The sleeve with the pocket should be on the left, and the seams that you made should be in the middle.<br />
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Lay your large outer fabric piece on top, face down. Clip or pin all the way around. Sew 1/4" from the edge, all the way around the perimeter, leaving a gap between the sleeves at the top.<br />
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Snip the corners, being careful not to snip through your stitching. Reach through that hole that you left in the top (carefully), and turn the cover right side out. Push the corners out completely using anything pointy but not sharp (chopstick, knitting needle, etc). <br />
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Press your cover really well, tucking the raw edges of the gap so that it lines up with the top. Insert your ribbon bookmark 1/2" into the center of the gap. Sew a 1/4" topstitch around the entire outer edge of the piece. Start your stitching right before the bookmark and end right after, so that you end up securing the bookmark ribbon with 2 layers of stitching.<br />
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That's it! All that's left is to add in your composition book!<br />
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I've made a few of these and my kiddos are loving them. My 12 year old is using hers to keep track of her sewing projects as she learns to use her sewing machine. Here's the one I made from my left over fabric from my <a href="http://www.dixiewestdesigns.com/2015/08/fast-and-easy-ironing-board-cover-diy.html" target="_blank">ironing board cover tutorial</a>.<br />
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These are a perfect back to school surprise for the kids! You could make some covers in each child's favorite colors to help them stand out from all of the blah black and white. Have fun with it!<br />
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~Melissa<br />
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14400835/?claim=3yma5ej3sum">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-71425733486385273182015-08-24T15:58:00.000-05:002015-10-23T15:22:02.821-05:00Fast and Easy Ironing Board Cover DIY<div style="text-align: center;">
I honestly can count on one hand the number of times that I have used my ironing board for clothing. 99.99% of the time it is solely used for my sewing projects....which means that it is still used on an almost daily basis. My poor ironing board was looking rather ragged, so I decided to make a new cover. New cover for me, quick new tutorial for you!</div>
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All you need is a 2 yard length of fabric, kitchen twine (or you can reuse the string in your original cover), pins or clips and thread.</div>
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First, take your cover existing cover off of the ironing board. Set the layer of foam to the side. Lay your fabric out on the floor face down and set the ironing board upside down on top, like so:</div>
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Now, draw a line around the ironing board, about 3" away from the edge. Cut it out! Please note that if your ironing board has the iron rest on the end like mine, draw your line just around the board part where your cover goes. When you cut it out, it should look something like this:</div>
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Ok, now grab a big pile of pins or clips and your string. You're going to create a casing around the perimeter for the string. Fold the edge down 3/4" and then over again by an inch. Leaving a 12" tail, tuck the string into the fold as you go, and pin or clip into place.</div>
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Make sure you are keeping the string pulled to the top!</div>
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Continue around the entire edge and when you get all the way back around to the beginning, snip a spot for your strings to come out. Leave another 12" tail on this end too.</div>
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Lay it over your ironing board to make sure that it should fit.</div>
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Now all that's left is to sew that casing up and put your new cover into place. Sew 1/4" from the bottom (inside edge) of the hem, starting at the opening you created. Make sure that you back stitch at both the beginning and end, going over the raw edges.</div>
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That's it peeps! Put your foam back on, then cover with your brand new ironing board cover! Tighten the cover down very well by pulling on those string ends so that it doesn't slide around or lift up while your are using it.</div>
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So pretty....and cheap! I found this fabric in the red-tag clearance section at JoAnn's. Less than $5 to make this, and I actually only used about half of the fabric width. I don't know about you, but everyday tasks are more fun for me when I have something lovely to look at. With the excess fabric, I made this:</div>
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Tutorial for the Reusable (washable!) Journal Cover coming soon! I've made a few of these now and I am hooked!</div>
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~Melissa</div>
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<br />Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-43436188682258212342015-08-23T23:22:00.000-05:002015-08-23T23:22:00.648-05:00Somebody Told Me...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-47309895818914490412015-08-16T22:39:00.000-05:002015-10-23T15:23:46.575-05:00Rag Quilting<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey, Y'all! This week has been crazy busy! We are in the middle of building up our homeschool co-op, I have taken up a volunteer position with our Girl Scout service unit (plus, actually just gearing up for our troop to start back up for the fall), we are prepping for our craft shows coming up soon, all on top of the normal mom and wife day-to-day activity. </div>
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I did however manage to churn out a lovely little crib size rag quilt for some friends who just had the sweetest little baby girl. Since I was already making the quilt, I figured I would put together a tutorial for you! I tend to do things a bit differently, so this is just the method that works best for me and has given me the best end results. I have made several of these quilts at this point, so you get the benefit of learning from my (many) mistakes. :)</div>
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First things first, the supplies. This quilt is crib sized (measured 47.75" x 52.25" when it was finished), but you can always make it to whatever dimensions you wish. These are the fabrics I used: </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3 yards solid color flannel fabric, cut into 110 6" squares </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3 yards backing fabric, cut into 110 6" squares </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> 1 yard each (28 6" squares of each) of four coordinating top fabrics</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8i5OkGTDayQW2Hr5jdSs5ZMBGHvTMSJkSYE4QviYIPmjJ1KvwWqUdph3-t0D6NuR63XatqbJ47ck3xVzJLGMh9j3DEpIOkYmV3Ub_M4uszkxSuUauKP6NovnA2-e9CkiqarI_WzhEXL5/s1600/Rag+quilt+fabric+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8i5OkGTDayQW2Hr5jdSs5ZMBGHvTMSJkSYE4QviYIPmjJ1KvwWqUdph3-t0D6NuR63XatqbJ47ck3xVzJLGMh9j3DEpIOkYmV3Ub_M4uszkxSuUauKP6NovnA2-e9CkiqarI_WzhEXL5/s200/Rag+quilt+fabric+4.jpg" width="200" /></a><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWDeI8c2bwwtgBmtY0dbz028lbLN0ugLYgbsMqndz83HslV4kICSJ43MHyWi5TdrCOuiZPNK_vpobFNr-jsgZegY5j6_bzRFCgjb4L-A5OCED29pJOrULr1_eB-vrN7cO-hrZB9XQBPIU/s200/Rag+quilt+fabric+3.jpg" width="200" /><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"> </span><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIv1o_6oFSfpgcpj5WA2t6R63CnfXgWs-zBiDgvs5q6nYk5reuOtniRn60eaT5Fe56LGNFfRbCHTCpOgvhTE2d-gDFkou2FXeZyCRPn8f_W_rC2xRFDTNTJY3Luu5goHG-2FQpdT3Ou4Z2/s200/Rag+quilt+fabric+2.jpg" width="200" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSN8iKdhJeMoXN8cGiBfkzFYxodS3JofXDzsjme2ti0h_zqJ3O670waiBBt0QKCPgkb5FZKwYXnKdDyh81v08JK1OYmtOIueclJoqNsf-OnmANORU7tb6w15n6_0adMqOcGO5BjuDeT1-/s1600/Rag+quilt+fabric+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSN8iKdhJeMoXN8cGiBfkzFYxodS3JofXDzsjme2ti0h_zqJ3O670waiBBt0QKCPgkb5FZKwYXnKdDyh81v08JK1OYmtOIueclJoqNsf-OnmANORU7tb6w15n6_0adMqOcGO5BjuDeT1-/s200/Rag+quilt+fabric+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Bear in mind when picking out your flannel and backing fabrics, that they will show on the front of the quilt, so they need to coordinate with the top fabrics.</div>
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Other supplies you will need are your rotary cutter and mat, ruler, iron, coordinating thread, pins or quilting clips (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V52G6B4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00" target="_blank">these are awesome</a>) and snips:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5gAAl4tpiIJyCZTzAdNdE_KpH8Co0zscnD0KSNrxgU_rEezfDPOHpj0FNj1AlK8OrCg3o9DlG1OH7hJHFOxs7QkELygJ49hqgJh9ukSRW2xLDdvcVmc5mum5G-fxdQ6PX01wckkVJrqW/s1600/Rag+quilt+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5gAAl4tpiIJyCZTzAdNdE_KpH8Co0zscnD0KSNrxgU_rEezfDPOHpj0FNj1AlK8OrCg3o9DlG1OH7hJHFOxs7QkELygJ49hqgJh9ukSRW2xLDdvcVmc5mum5G-fxdQ6PX01wckkVJrqW/s640/Rag+quilt+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Titanium-Micro-Tip-Action-Scissors/dp/B00114TK46/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1439782198&sr=1-1&keywords=fiskars+snips" target="_blank">These snips</a> and your iron will be your new best friends.....not hide-a-body best friends, but more of a saved-me-from-a-carpal-tunnel-flare-up bestie.</div>
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Ok, the first step is to cut all of your fabric into 6" squares (yes, you can adjust the sizes however you prefer, this is just my method). If you are new to quilting and want a good tutorial on squaring up your fabric and using a rotary cutter, this is a good one by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcpzwJMVTbc" target="_blank">Leah Day on Youtube</a>. You will need a total of 110 squares for each layer, so 330 all together. After you have everything cut, you need to line them up. Lay you backing fabric down face down, then your flannel, then your top fabric face up, making sure that all of the edges line up together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNJxY5McEY229gWTKkr2NnhpfCxhfnNAJ7LtWVG5Id_5w73OnH-ZXaxA2Ptb0sF8Q2M7Jo_qP0LXPflKojFpe8XIPZnGl2uvqXG65i-tYEsR8NcSrRdQjmDfkhFCgXfI3bL7d402PNzak/s1600/Rag+quilt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNJxY5McEY229gWTKkr2NnhpfCxhfnNAJ7LtWVG5Id_5w73OnH-ZXaxA2Ptb0sF8Q2M7Jo_qP0LXPflKojFpe8XIPZnGl2uvqXG65i-tYEsR8NcSrRdQjmDfkhFCgXfI3bL7d402PNzak/s640/Rag+quilt+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you are done, you should have four piles of 28 squares ready to go (you will have 2 left over at the end). I always stack mine catty-cornered so that they are easier to grab while I'm sewing:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MQdD6CcIf7zo5RdOu6dbkESWhfWYh4q2BbiF3keULVs_NKaqoTim6PGvJhM6ii9DEv5vzbwRlV8OXB68RD_lRYKiVajDjTe9ngiMIIhE0MkLqkxeXxQ_7XmKaJrhoHC2v_LV5PQt9dU7/s1600/Rag+quilt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MQdD6CcIf7zo5RdOu6dbkESWhfWYh4q2BbiF3keULVs_NKaqoTim6PGvJhM6ii9DEv5vzbwRlV8OXB68RD_lRYKiVajDjTe9ngiMIIhE0MkLqkxeXxQ_7XmKaJrhoHC2v_LV5PQt9dU7/s640/Rag+quilt+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ok, now tippy-toe over to your machine (if you are like me and sew while your kids are asleep). Now you are going to sew diagonally from corner to corner on each square. Make sure all of your edges are lined up and then off you go. When you get to the corner of each square, rather than stopping and cutting and starting again each time, just pull the square back a bit and start the next one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLRFw0BzlqMraJKanizOgr27g_opjdZ6V42vMwPJxTahbm42Gc4ECbyV_p4icRtVUFyd13X_SLmio3tnngvv8iaPX06blaZWKS4Qshf054oCdMx9hLU21lVt4C2qgXEWYKblmpImM5gdB/s1600/Rag+quilt+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLRFw0BzlqMraJKanizOgr27g_opjdZ6V42vMwPJxTahbm42Gc4ECbyV_p4icRtVUFyd13X_SLmio3tnngvv8iaPX06blaZWKS4Qshf054oCdMx9hLU21lVt4C2qgXEWYKblmpImM5gdB/s640/Rag+quilt+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you are done you should have a big pile, something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBEO8FLjRcR9if-DbOPIZSLpBRC5eEKIHda_6ao_A1KHTLQhTaLf1P9gmgHxzwxUmdnG1fX5YBStgdIXYcDwxpok-uXmzArVr5faO7yodiSQ6zSIuk-JRBAKXG3KmakcCY2cIVEQSxWQk/s1600/Rag+quilt+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBEO8FLjRcR9if-DbOPIZSLpBRC5eEKIHda_6ao_A1KHTLQhTaLf1P9gmgHxzwxUmdnG1fX5YBStgdIXYcDwxpok-uXmzArVr5faO7yodiSQ6zSIuk-JRBAKXG3KmakcCY2cIVEQSxWQk/s640/Rag+quilt+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now you just need to sit down and snip the squares apart and trim the threads. Use the snips, embrace the snips, I promise you will thank me. I've tried regular scissors (first rag quilt, 2 weeks in a wrist brace afterward), spring-loaded scissors (just as bad), and then I tried the snips. No wrist issues whatsoever. </div>
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Once you are done trimming up the threads, the squares should look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTyCg5mcJurTkigLnEplR5WGcOTDGtPAT7t3mm1vgRw-HkFNwd18E055zf7borfVcbmq-THgyF3khtUYXyHWzTInsNnImrDH2N1f2w5XQJVL4e0WL7ElBadCv3vYt8tZPr3CLmXMasf7Z/s1600/Rag+quilt+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTyCg5mcJurTkigLnEplR5WGcOTDGtPAT7t3mm1vgRw-HkFNwd18E055zf7borfVcbmq-THgyF3khtUYXyHWzTInsNnImrDH2N1f2w5XQJVL4e0WL7ElBadCv3vYt8tZPr3CLmXMasf7Z/s640/Rag+quilt+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, repeat the diagonal line in the other direction and trim again. Then it should look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs6RsR13WeY-sVcZ94ls_AOHXCh5qy9oqZEcAkeDMBflu2ZXXFNJhq6AwqBfXD4WRnkUPYDVbGCTq0VLR9ipaH6EA7QCKmCQ0wL0Dj1HdPrRCbI7ZNZiW9gQ6qtSXZEdcris25nJI90Uy/s1600/Rag+quilt+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs6RsR13WeY-sVcZ94ls_AOHXCh5qy9oqZEcAkeDMBflu2ZXXFNJhq6AwqBfXD4WRnkUPYDVbGCTq0VLR9ipaH6EA7QCKmCQ0wL0Dj1HdPrRCbI7ZNZiW9gQ6qtSXZEdcris25nJI90Uy/s640/Rag+quilt+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All done with all 110 squares? You are? Yay! Congratulations! Now, lay all of your squares out on the floor in whatever pattern you would like...to get my dimensions I did 10 squares across, 11 rows down:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFeCsGwJHwdLRB4A62FYKimDxJhsfrn5dFpW8iH732Ooe5LYYb7Veyc2xbI7HuAU2y2Mx4IXt311rJIj2S95h6NYZydUJo6hjwqhLcxeaMe_pEU6u7Qw_60O-pABOEmDPb7HzkbOHOkxU/s1600/Rag+quilt+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFeCsGwJHwdLRB4A62FYKimDxJhsfrn5dFpW8iH732Ooe5LYYb7Veyc2xbI7HuAU2y2Mx4IXt311rJIj2S95h6NYZydUJo6hjwqhLcxeaMe_pEU6u7Qw_60O-pABOEmDPb7HzkbOHOkxU/s640/Rag+quilt+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now starting at the top left-hand corner, stack up your rows from left to right. Label each stack with the row number as you go, so that you can keep them in order. You should have 11 stacks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwjkQqK-T4mkZ5UJAFkwNV7seBprvD0-gJic8yZ5ndkVg69KvVnKBdWwsO0UDDkh7aBXsXWGNODa-FcRiFUt3Iz6a10KY3hKZLO88UIgc_C85kufXg1oLQSgOmM-B8zjlzjmUIP7Os9Vl/s1600/Rag+quilt+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwjkQqK-T4mkZ5UJAFkwNV7seBprvD0-gJic8yZ5ndkVg69KvVnKBdWwsO0UDDkh7aBXsXWGNODa-FcRiFUt3Iz6a10KY3hKZLO88UIgc_C85kufXg1oLQSgOmM-B8zjlzjmUIP7Os9Vl/s640/Rag+quilt+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's time to put it all together! Grab your Row 1 stack. Take the top square and the second square and line them up <i><b>back sides together. </b></i>Pin or clip them together, first square on top, second square on bottom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbRejclQNxpfzPaCRlL17MqJLq1QQHDGANVrDgIT7tiDvHqTm_NU6QNC-eIEvZy9jeGaLOCcbZGKElMt8iPUaHQFIv5A0PK_aC1nqAphihmASDEynXH2iCA2HcJemyXFyRRbO3DIwdB6_/s1600/Rag+quilt+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbRejclQNxpfzPaCRlL17MqJLq1QQHDGANVrDgIT7tiDvHqTm_NU6QNC-eIEvZy9jeGaLOCcbZGKElMt8iPUaHQFIv5A0PK_aC1nqAphihmASDEynXH2iCA2HcJemyXFyRRbO3DIwdB6_/s640/Rag+quilt+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sew along the right side with a 5/8" seam allowance using a STRAIGHT STRETCH STITCH (sorry about the caps, but this is super important!). Using this stitch will keep your quilt from coming apart in the wash, and prevent you from spending hours repairing holes in the seams. Make sure to hold your fabric flat while using this stitch, as the back and forth motion of the feed dogs tends to create wrinkles if you try to go too quickly. It looks like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzCJuJ_fxa3e2z19wkU9_giURCnLC8Cki21Fugm1GTOV_yiKq3LVsleFakDfpgtBP3km3ADh5tKdvUarcagAPMviXnK37Bh0nmFjeWrBvLcRyzlujN5_1RLpHtmfnl_SttZ4cqe6HkM9C/s1600/stitch-249_straightstrch.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzCJuJ_fxa3e2z19wkU9_giURCnLC8Cki21Fugm1GTOV_yiKq3LVsleFakDfpgtBP3km3ADh5tKdvUarcagAPMviXnK37Bh0nmFjeWrBvLcRyzlujN5_1RLpHtmfnl_SttZ4cqe6HkM9C/s320/stitch-249_straightstrch.gif" width="147" /></a></div>
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Then open them up and clip the third square to the second one:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisozRQr5gYdfPGqMaXL-vFkw2zF1daFXJZGfjh0rcsp5oT4TgNnzsk2yGCgKD79WeGaOGpah8_Uku7YGUm5cg0W6KgpODxWbLOzSkKrt2OCrKcfwPfwIau3J_OpOeQ4ngcl7-Uo_ENV3iU/s1600/Rag+quilt+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisozRQr5gYdfPGqMaXL-vFkw2zF1daFXJZGfjh0rcsp5oT4TgNnzsk2yGCgKD79WeGaOGpah8_Uku7YGUm5cg0W6KgpODxWbLOzSkKrt2OCrKcfwPfwIau3J_OpOeQ4ngcl7-Uo_ENV3iU/s640/Rag+quilt+12.jpg" width="640" />A</a></div>
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Again, sew along the right side with a 5/8" seam. Keep your Row Number pinned to the first square of each row. This will help later on with keeping your pattern straight. Then add the fourth square to the third and so on until you get to the end of the row. Lather, rinse, repeat with the other 10 Rows. The rows should look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgfzkWh9KxGDbRsp8IbIFsw07B0-4OybC4oynhsb2akGlK-OPXMDHgFUq1eLUAZ_QbWbFkYvHsY8B0M5dqWyvSHgC7JnIzGv66TajpdCvo7kiZYKJEpzrtCZJwE26GBxcEX9CpGDPcqSR/s1600/Rag+quilt+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgfzkWh9KxGDbRsp8IbIFsw07B0-4OybC4oynhsb2akGlK-OPXMDHgFUq1eLUAZ_QbWbFkYvHsY8B0M5dqWyvSHgC7JnIzGv66TajpdCvo7kiZYKJEpzrtCZJwE26GBxcEX9CpGDPcqSR/s640/Rag+quilt+13.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Then fire up your trusty iron. Seriously, the only reason I own an iron
is for my sewing. Ironing clothes? Who has time for that? Open up those seams and press them open. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJapvRAQQbJ2Kl-mduKNF63Sst72xET4-_fzGJEjdK503Nr5sTCtkTald-1PjNV3cTRgzeEfrC9wFNdAMAdJ0ff5dU47RXBF1F2469S65Drb65qlTDhtGecoad_apyo93gSPFRLWQADpc/s1600/Rag+quilt+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJapvRAQQbJ2Kl-mduKNF63Sst72xET4-_fzGJEjdK503Nr5sTCtkTald-1PjNV3cTRgzeEfrC9wFNdAMAdJ0ff5dU47RXBF1F2469S65Drb65qlTDhtGecoad_apyo93gSPFRLWQADpc/s640/Rag+quilt+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then flip the row over and press the back of the seams.</div>
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After you have all of your rows pressed, it's time to put the rows together. Conventional process would tell you to start at Row 1 and work your way down until you get to the bottom. I, however, like to put 3 rows together at a time and then attach the sections together. This alleviates a lot of the struggle with trying to manage the bulk of the fabric. To put your rows together, line up your seams and pin or clip them together. Remember to keep your rows in order and make sure that you are matching up the ends with the Row Number Labels together. Row 1 should be on the bottom, Row 2 on the top here:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Oy-4-RDpf-Z-FhXqfnZm26nkPyYvS1xvrJpHBPILiC6SrQEcNLjuUb9x6izo6yRTC-D0XUNsDpTLlOIYQoXmpfiSfKLccoOuK4tEtR31jeo3ZBHarcS0iI7BRuXPqSnpnuOb0olkQQ7e/s1600/Rag+quilt+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Oy-4-RDpf-Z-FhXqfnZm26nkPyYvS1xvrJpHBPILiC6SrQEcNLjuUb9x6izo6yRTC-D0XUNsDpTLlOIYQoXmpfiSfKLccoOuK4tEtR31jeo3ZBHarcS0iI7BRuXPqSnpnuOb0olkQQ7e/s640/Rag+quilt+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sew them together using a 5/8" seam allowance and the straight stretch stitch again. When you go over those bulky seams, make sure that the seams are opened flat. You are already sewing through 12 layers of fabric, you don't want to add any more to it. Take your time here and let the feed dogs do most of the work. if you try to pull too hard on the fabric or go too fast you could bend or break your needle. I've actually bent my needle housing due to my lack of patience before. Thank goodness for my handy hubby.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyfNaPI4TRl2ZyPv7ktgi0Pr4Ba7eQ-DwZ8zLxBAsOWl7NPGBKuXzzEELB1wXqKzUCQCAxU-DeLEhVyk1bHzot5kqiBzE8VZe2Q3cb0Gq97ghhvc-uTa6y4nk0N3O76sbyxQtSwH4tsPe/s1600/Rag+quilt+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyfNaPI4TRl2ZyPv7ktgi0Pr4Ba7eQ-DwZ8zLxBAsOWl7NPGBKuXzzEELB1wXqKzUCQCAxU-DeLEhVyk1bHzot5kqiBzE8VZe2Q3cb0Gq97ghhvc-uTa6y4nk0N3O76sbyxQtSwH4tsPe/s640/Rag+quilt+17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After you sew each row, stop to press it out, front:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXIhahiJb4qKjKa99vV8aLjAGXS2Bu7wWM96FQZTIX_7GqSps5etCHUOjawVED7qOc27XF3jGuMaTlpmmygZCc3XM8c1qDPbFy6ZtlvHLzcjmuwci2vqoi6tiTGpUBbmv6SwAXRLe8E0C/s1600/Rag+quilt+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXIhahiJb4qKjKa99vV8aLjAGXS2Bu7wWM96FQZTIX_7GqSps5etCHUOjawVED7qOc27XF3jGuMaTlpmmygZCc3XM8c1qDPbFy6ZtlvHLzcjmuwci2vqoi6tiTGpUBbmv6SwAXRLe8E0C/s640/Rag+quilt+18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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and back...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVAwf8G6_UDg6QvHi0J2KNOyserbPnhrPcfdi9UGjs1MFOrBuCBTjeNn4FcWtbcps3Ky2zFryL9oqp0DcKcEWzNoYDmzTqcKt4G3qf7qFHXwQ-SIJymW1mCH30oqyPcmGqYZn1Nt2EMad/s1600/Rag+quilt+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVAwf8G6_UDg6QvHi0J2KNOyserbPnhrPcfdi9UGjs1MFOrBuCBTjeNn4FcWtbcps3Ky2zFryL9oqp0DcKcEWzNoYDmzTqcKt4G3qf7qFHXwQ-SIJymW1mCH30oqyPcmGqYZn1Nt2EMad/s640/Rag+quilt+19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sew rows 1-3, then set that section aside and sew rows 4-6, then 7-9, and finally 10-11. You should have 4 sections of quilt. Sew section 1-3 to section 4-6. Then sew section 7-9 to section 10-11. Now you have two halves of a quilt, right? Right. Only a few more steps, you're almost there!!! Sew that top section to the bottom. Please, please, please make sure that your pattern is lined up correctly! </div>
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Once all of your rows are sewn together and everything is pressed flat, Sew a 5/8" perimeter around the entire blanket using the same straight stretch stitch. Start in the middle of one side, and when you get to a corner stop, lower the needle, raise your presser foot and turn the blanket to the next side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3M4rojpixEtwM_TXz30_SsIcHDzCW9Zsq99ZoreG31Er7hgfUjRC44vcLH7e3AWBlY-JvrMEjY0hla_SY-YaIPr6qespzV_ONOYagwtByLDlchLNC0z5zll2QxdX_uxJpA35QfgVE5pg/s1600/Rag+quilt+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3M4rojpixEtwM_TXz30_SsIcHDzCW9Zsq99ZoreG31Er7hgfUjRC44vcLH7e3AWBlY-JvrMEjY0hla_SY-YaIPr6qespzV_ONOYagwtByLDlchLNC0z5zll2QxdX_uxJpA35QfgVE5pg/s640/Rag+quilt+21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You're all done sewing peeps! You're quilt should look something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvJxuBY35KwryryENxK-K-BEm9B7WMLXAXB4SLfw9fkaBg1xlnopglNY482K-RGsDpH23HmY9L9DX6H-UpO3vgmuNOpIEP1krStp1ySon2mDaAhRS9tKxLtUO7x5ev832rr7aOivuSSqN/s1600/Rag+quilt+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvJxuBY35KwryryENxK-K-BEm9B7WMLXAXB4SLfw9fkaBg1xlnopglNY482K-RGsDpH23HmY9L9DX6H-UpO3vgmuNOpIEP1krStp1ySon2mDaAhRS9tKxLtUO7x5ev832rr7aOivuSSqN/s640/Rag+quilt+24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Alrighty, grab your tv remote and a margarita and settle in for the long haul. Pick your favorite show on Netflix to marathon and get to snipping. All the way around the perimeter... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisr-ELw3DU7ufXMC-hHSJQjTCIO9WVdIRDzlNsAK5E77eWjB8X35uQ-iha-8cElLcjiZcZkE64hGYNwHBD0DBwoZ0FOPOnn93D2LQlCdFU_H71hAeuL44GqBJlOxbcLIXxaEQLAqMezx5k/s1600/Rag+quilt+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisr-ELw3DU7ufXMC-hHSJQjTCIO9WVdIRDzlNsAK5E77eWjB8X35uQ-iha-8cElLcjiZcZkE64hGYNwHBD0DBwoZ0FOPOnn93D2LQlCdFU_H71hAeuL44GqBJlOxbcLIXxaEQLAqMezx5k/s640/Rag+quilt+22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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and every single center piece, being very careful not to cut through the seams.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaX8LIa3Djo9twrwwL8llCuK7963L2nrz2dIykrAPeGedxMa_Y45fCzyHsxUhhxVzaorhr_nWm2UVs6saaPDt1KhPKJq1DH6wQll0miCB26h82EPVlBk4ZHmxOb2HE0z_Ra0cqHLkWfuE/s1600/Rag+quilt+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaX8LIa3Djo9twrwwL8llCuK7963L2nrz2dIykrAPeGedxMa_Y45fCzyHsxUhhxVzaorhr_nWm2UVs6saaPDt1KhPKJq1DH6wQll0miCB26h82EPVlBk4ZHmxOb2HE0z_Ra0cqHLkWfuE/s640/Rag+quilt+23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you're all finished snipping, you should have this!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqHxrhbjSdYBA6xpa2BZoUOaRCAj-KCoTMDtQiHwfy-BCpYdbgQbV9HaebffOySK_RhYAbjlqrNDQYN8ehCwF3scRv54Fd-ZO1vIaYG0YvnupbJyyVwLgCRn9I_Iy7IOJQdSOzW7usZcC/s1600/Rag+quilt+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqHxrhbjSdYBA6xpa2BZoUOaRCAj-KCoTMDtQiHwfy-BCpYdbgQbV9HaebffOySK_RhYAbjlqrNDQYN8ehCwF3scRv54Fd-ZO1vIaYG0YvnupbJyyVwLgCRn9I_Iy7IOJQdSOzW7usZcC/s640/Rag+quilt+25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lay your quilt out and double check to make sure that you snipped everywhere. Now toss that bad boy in the washer and dryer! Make sure that you empty your lint trap every 5-10 minutes the first few times you wash your quilt. It will fill up very quickly. Once you are all nice and dry, take your quilt outside and shake it out. A lot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqWP-TLGi3l7sDxA5e-GupYXfI1yNVZZOxJobJIyiAWxr3T2udRQAC9_DG8kG414W2izF-ocgn8EP-Cg1yI2iC7PybV2HfLJ9IwX2_M085M1P-abjfF4xkx60uKfnn8mox1NvxJlqd8SS/s1600/Rag+quilt+27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqWP-TLGi3l7sDxA5e-GupYXfI1yNVZZOxJobJIyiAWxr3T2udRQAC9_DG8kG414W2izF-ocgn8EP-Cg1yI2iC7PybV2HfLJ9IwX2_M085M1P-abjfF4xkx60uKfnn8mox1NvxJlqd8SS/s640/Rag+quilt+27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's it! You're all done! Thanks for hanging in there! I love the colors in this quilt. The pink backing fabric only shows through on the seams so it's not too overpowering. These quilts are by far my kids' favorite blankets. They use them on their beds, take them on road trips, wrap themselves up in them like burritos. Even the teenager. Have fun, ladies and gents and see ya soon!</div>
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~Melissa </div>
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Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-41437762628859176992015-08-03T15:17:00.001-05:002015-08-30T14:17:17.113-05:00Building Castles (and a Vistaprint review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week I started getting the basics for my business together. I went to <a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/" target="_blank">Vistaprint</a> and ordered my business cards, banner, and even a couple of T-shirts with my logo. I've ordered from Vistaprint before, but I figured I would give my opinion on the products I received. I am not affiliated with Vistaprint in any way, and they are not reimbursing me for my review in any way.<br />
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First the business cards:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v7FFjbvOTAqJYHQIyhCVLlURyDfN-HdrxEWJs2NV17tZxGzrsvK193qJEF7dy9ZJZSYwdG1AFy3D09Bnjxw-fmjTZyouNaLwNxWoCDVxhNprHUxA1HvawB_dyFR3pYyTl-zUcqv3NxKa/s1600/Business+Card+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v7FFjbvOTAqJYHQIyhCVLlURyDfN-HdrxEWJs2NV17tZxGzrsvK193qJEF7dy9ZJZSYwdG1AFy3D09Bnjxw-fmjTZyouNaLwNxWoCDVxhNprHUxA1HvawB_dyFR3pYyTl-zUcqv3NxKa/s640/Business+Card+Front.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of card....</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzmueipFWrTqQGSo7sWEaFC9JBY9JTd0Ug12tIcAqhqie_MjgP67PiNvFqPef-s2dsf0JkVUBJRNiDfJPtpaTdbb4KWfs_SdtNi9toGOnt6chzOLbilfofrsZhO5_OYpcKNMRyPW7MM1D/s1600/Business+Card+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzmueipFWrTqQGSo7sWEaFC9JBY9JTd0Ug12tIcAqhqie_MjgP67PiNvFqPef-s2dsf0JkVUBJRNiDfJPtpaTdbb4KWfs_SdtNi9toGOnt6chzOLbilfofrsZhO5_OYpcKNMRyPW7MM1D/s640/Business+Card+Back.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and the back.</td></tr>
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The quality is very nice, and everything came out crisp and clear. I added a QR code to my business cards that links directly to my website. People seem to really like it!<br />
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Next up, the banner:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJTVm_bamLEELLyir1IEWcKzwKmRSaOvJkXu9uSMJudYggvM7lt9bUo_e49QxgKbHZmRsvQykk2c_dpt5_f9R26TliB_xGCuhSsgw5ihCNAcyU9evZis0Ojl_qrQLBiUQyHh7qrXSwFxa/s1600/Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJTVm_bamLEELLyir1IEWcKzwKmRSaOvJkXu9uSMJudYggvM7lt9bUo_e49QxgKbHZmRsvQykk2c_dpt5_f9R26TliB_xGCuhSsgw5ihCNAcyU9evZis0Ojl_qrQLBiUQyHh7qrXSwFxa/s640/Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This is probably my favorite part of my order. The banner turned out quite lovely. The only issue i see is trying to flatten it out. It comes rolled up in the box and the box of business cards was on top of it, so I ended up with a bunch of creases. Weighing it down under some heavy books should do the trick though! I really like that the banner is a heavy-weight outdoor vinyl and that it comes with the grommets already installed. One less thing for me to do is always a plus.<br />
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Finally the T-shirts. I got a short-sleeve women's fit in white, and a long sleeve in black:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTQRuMcycMbsKrivpZe3mfRgwclwcoIUfICGopBFmTcf1iBt79aE1j7dDJskbmxpOWWoxfkasgqlzF108yAwONB1m2NVvci8N1fZ00hU_QKT2jmJ8cOxFVGB4mfVXL6-jd_ADQcaSTkN-/s1600/White+T-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTQRuMcycMbsKrivpZe3mfRgwclwcoIUfICGopBFmTcf1iBt79aE1j7dDJskbmxpOWWoxfkasgqlzF108yAwONB1m2NVvci8N1fZ00hU_QKT2jmJ8cOxFVGB4mfVXL6-jd_ADQcaSTkN-/s640/White+T-shirt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJfdDyU_Vh4BBeCHLdtvGR_NmVACZlIoxTs730kjq6sIdQQLymN2Sc2nAGoqGplht87J9VT_PgCVg0v8hJbxFaF7PXu3FP2-FBFDMVa0XNMEAsK4dB6o4A0rDv_jyQED5AyO8eFWy12MH/s1600/Black+T-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJfdDyU_Vh4BBeCHLdtvGR_NmVACZlIoxTs730kjq6sIdQQLymN2Sc2nAGoqGplht87J9VT_PgCVg0v8hJbxFaF7PXu3FP2-FBFDMVa0XNMEAsK4dB6o4A0rDv_jyQED5AyO8eFWy12MH/s640/Black+T-shirt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
As you can see, the one in white turned out great! I would suggest that if you plan on getting the women's fit that you size up. The black shirt I was a little disappointed with, but in all honesty it was definitely my mistake. I should have turned my wording white so that it showed up better. The peacock showed up great, but the wording was too dark to read from a distance. <br />
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I think the best part was that I ordered all of this on Monday, and it was delivered on Friday! I didn't even pay for expedited shipping. Also, I know from past experience that Vistaprint's customer service is pretty top-notch. Any time I've had any problems, they are very quick to fix it. <br />
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One of my favorite quotes is by Henry David Thoreau:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiKaFxb22bf_KfV26C6q5R1CUpsjxI0WoF8DB-bsGVsJ-ihuh2vrokpjuvlnjvmEw3-I-tUBDsF7TGxoue3J9kp3kuSsWVbfO2lQdbYVnGe8o-jhiesoe8raE1dFFMD53WIYbQzjCePbZ/s1600/Castles+Quote+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiKaFxb22bf_KfV26C6q5R1CUpsjxI0WoF8DB-bsGVsJ-ihuh2vrokpjuvlnjvmEw3-I-tUBDsF7TGxoue3J9kp3kuSsWVbfO2lQdbYVnGe8o-jhiesoe8raE1dFFMD53WIYbQzjCePbZ/s640/Castles+Quote+wm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I find myself drifting back to these words over and over again during different circumstances in my life. I am a dreamer. I tend to think big, have big ideas, and dive in head first. This is the fun part. Imagining exactly what my idea could turn out to be. Then comes the work. Figuring out how to make all those big plans happen. Researching and planning and rules. Finding closed doors and looking for open windows. It's all a part of building something even bigger than you could ever hope for. Running your own business, making that decision to do something that makes you happy and to find a way to make a living doing it, is not easy. There are a lot of decisions to make that you once depended on other people to make for you. The risk is all yours...but so is the reward.<br />
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My good friend Nicole from <a href="http://www.notimefordiy.com/" target="_blank">No Time for DIY</a> and I will be doing craft shows together this fall! I'm a little nervous, but really, really excited. We both have some great products and great visions for our businesses. I can't wait to see how we blend everything together for our booths! The next couple of months are going to be full of preparing inventory, so look for a bunch of tutorials! Also, I will show you how we are building our booth along the way and offering some tips on setting up your own booths. <br />
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Castles are built.....Time for the foundations.<br />
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~Melissa<br />
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Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8905175511670196985.post-30330570258701257562015-07-26T23:11:00.002-05:002015-07-27T08:31:04.722-05:00New Beginnings Summer is always a hectic time for our family and this summer is no exception. We just got home from a trip that involved 2 weeks of visiting family and another week at Disney World (courtesy of the girls being Top Sellers for Girl Scouts this year!) Oh, and adding to the fun is the fact that all 5 of us have our birthdays in July! Yes, that's right....all three kids, plus the hubby and myself.<br />
Somewhere in the midst of all the chaos I managed to start a business. So, welcome to Dixie West Designs! I will be posting about everything from sewing to recipes to homeschooling (yep, we do that too!). You might even see some woodworking!<br />
My kids (14 and 12 year old girls and a 9 year old boy) keep me on my toes, my husband keeps me grounded, and sewing keeps me sane. I will do my best to post at least a couple of times per week. :)<br />
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~Melissa Dixie West Missyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05112824712426600708noreply@blogger.com0