INTERIOR DESIGN CHATTER : The Smallest Sparrow -Fussy Wall Art

Since I am still sick with this blasted flu bug my wall art project still hasnt begun, so instead I thought I would share another fantastic free tutorial instead. This one comes from blog page The Smallest Sparrow. I love this blog page and highly recommend it for any serious crafter to follow. Set up by the incredibly talented Erin McCarthy in chicargo, she is a keen crafter, quilter, designer, artist and amateur photographer. This FREE tutorial takes you through how to copy her Fussy Cut Wall Art. Her blog page is full of fabulous ideas I advise you to take a look for yourselves and have a peek also at her website http://www.thesmallestsparrow.com/
I shall certainly be watching Erin closely for more free tutorials and fabulous ideas.
Thanks Erin

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Free Tutorial - Fussy Cut Wall Art

I've been hard at work creating some fun wall art for my kids' rooms and writing up a tutorial so that you can try it yourself! I hope these instructions make sense. If you have any problems or questions, please feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to help. Hope you have fun with this project!

Free Tutorial - Fussy Cut Wall Art

(assumes some sewing knowledge)

Materials:

One matted picture frame with an 8" x 10" opening (usually an 11" x 14" frame), glass removed
One 3" x 3" square of quilting fabric, fussy cut to show off a design or motif (fabric A)
Two pieces of 3" x 2" white cotton quilting fabric
Two pieces of 5 3/4" x 2" white cotton quilting fabric
Two pieces of 5 3/4" x 4" coordinating / contrasting quilting fabric (fabric B)
Two pieces of 12 1/2" x 2 1/2" coordinating / contrasting quilting fabric (fabric B)
Two pieces of high loft batting, one cut to approximately 9" x 12" and the other cut to approximately 6" x 9"
8 1" pieces of painter's or other masking tape

This is a very simple project -- one that can be whipped up in less than an hour. You are simply sewing a basic quilt block, taping that to the back of a mat, adding some batting and hanging. There are so many fun fabrics on the market that would work beautifully for this project. I used Jillian Phillips' "To the Rescue" by Hoffman California International Fabrics for my son's room and Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom as well as a print from Joann for my daughter's room.

The first step is to cut all of your fabrics. I like to use a rotary cutter but it's not necessary. You could just as easily trace your pieces with a fabric pen and ruler and then cut with fabric scissors.

Fussy cut your 3" x 3" square of fabric. Fussy cutting simply means to center and cut a particular design or motif.

Next, sew your 3" x 2" white cotton strips to the top and bottom of your fussy cut square using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open.

Then sew your 5 3/4" x 2" strips to the opposite sides of your fussy cut block, again using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams open.

Now take your two 5 3/4" x 4" pieces of fabric B and sew them to the top and bottom of your quilt block (1/4" seam). Press seams open.

Then sew the longer 12 1/2" x 2 1/2" strips to the opposite sides of the block (1/4" seam). Press seams open.

Now remove your mat from your picture frame and place wrong side up on your work surface. Flip your quilt block and center on the back of your mat.

Take your masking tape and gently tape the block to the mat as shown above. You'll want to tug ever so slightly as you do this but be careful... too much tugging can warp your seams. Flip over to see your work and make adjustments as necessary.

Now flip back over and place into your glass-less picture frame right side down. Place your larger piece of batting on the quilt block, topped with the smaller piece of batting.