The Tied with a Ribbon Studio

The Tied with a Ribbon Studio

While I moved into my this studio more that 2.5years ago, I get asked a lot of questions about my studio and workspace.  So I thought it high time that I should put some pictures up to show and share my workspace and tell you some of the details I often get asked a lot about.

One of the things I love most about my room is how we converted what was the Theatre room of the house into my studio.  With a fresh coat of paint and with a large area to work with this was my first pic when we moved in to become my new studio.

It faces the street and as such has great morning light that streams through the windows and I can watch out and see the day go by busily.  

The only downside of this space is that as it was the Theatre, the front windows are the only source of light as it was built to be a dark space for great movie watching.  While I would love to put in some windows along the side I have actually used the wall space to my advantage and I will show you below.

My Cutting Bench is really the highlight of my sewing studio.  Hubby and I went to Ikea and custom built a Kitchen Island Bench to meet my needs and sewing requirements.  The bench is really deep so I have gained so much storage in it.  We configured a mix of draws and shelves so that some things I can have easily at hand and on display - and also have lots of my smaller pieces of equipment like cutting rulers, scissors, stationary etc neat and tidy in the draws so they don't spill out.  

We pulled the Benchtop to one end creating a "overhang" so that I could get a stool under it to sit at - this is now where I will do my paper work etc and I have put my stationary draws close by for this purpose.

I can now stand and cut at this bench (which is a great height and back-saver) comfortably.  My dad helped a lot with this and we have now even put the Island bench onto castors so that I can move it around my sewing studio when I need to to take photos or for larger work spaces.

The Rails that I hang quilts from, are Window Hanging Rails from Spotlight.

The Sewing Cabinet is a Horn - Sovereign Mk III.  This allows me to lower my sewing

machine to the bed height and then I can machine quilt with a flat surface and a nice big table space behind the quilts and projects.  I have a few draws and my Overlocker is also stored in the side of the cabinet.  My chair is also a Horn Chair - it's a gas lift and has great support for my back.

Underneath the extended side of the table is a set of draws - these are actually from Ikea and fit perfectly underneath the table extension so that I have all my notions, thread and equipment right on hand.  The drawer unit is called "Alex".

Inside the "Alex" draws my husband fitted peg board and then small dowls all from Bunnings to fit inside the draws.  On these I have organised all my threads in colour order of course.  

My Sewing Machine is a @tulapink Bernina 770QE. This machine helps me to make and create all my designs. She is well worked and that iridescent colour just always makes me smile every time I turn it on. And you know I am a massive @tulapink fan!⁣

Where I stash fabric - I have large IKEA Bookshelves (sadly these ones were discontinued years ago) where I put all my fabric stash. It is sorted into Types, Designer and by Colour. I love being able to see what I need at a glance.⁣⁣

Remember how I said that I had to find the a good purpose for the wall space.  This side wall doubles as to where my sewing design wall goes and also where I hang my quilts for photos.  This is why we put the cutting bench on castors so that it can be moved out of the way for when I have photo shoots in here.

My Design board

Happy Quilting

Jemima x 

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"Make" a Love Triangle Quilt

Have you seen the amazing work by Kristy at Quiet Play - I am sure that you have as she is not only a Pattern Designer who specialises in Foundation Paper Piecing but also a Rainbow lover, Online Quilting teacher and a Fabric Designer.

Make is Kristy's 4th Fabric collection for Riley Blake and it is full of all the amazing rainbow yumminess you have come to expect from Kristy.  This collection features all your favourite sewing and quilting notions think Sewing machines, seam rippers, scissors as well as fabrics featuring sewing and quilting words and other notions all showcased in rainbow colour order. It's made up of 24 prints celebrating those beloved tools of our trade.

                     

I was invited by Kristy to be part of the Make Blog Tour and be a part of working with this collection to showcase and to give you some inspiration for how you might like to use this collection which is now arriving in stores. 

As this collection is all about the sewing and Quilting notions it seemed very appropriate to make a Love Triangle Mini Quilt that I can hang in my sewing studio.

I decided to use the "Snip Snip" print in Black for all the shadowing on my lettering.  This design uses EQ Triangles and is such a loved design of mine.  Paired with the 'Snip Snip' I used the more Solid style fabrics to create this fun and vibrant colour palette.  For the Background fabric I used "Maker" in White.

This Love Triangle Quilt was so fun to make and I love how quickly this design works up and packs such a much.  Perfect for Sewing spaces, Quilting Studios or even to make for Mini Quilt swaps or for your sewing/quilty friend then you will love making this design and with such beautiful fabrics you will want to be adding "Maker" to your next fabric purchase. 

And how perfect is Kristy's "Rainbow Stripe" in Black.  I love how this print is so great for Binding and how well it ties together in the colours from this collection.  I mean you can never have enough stripes in your fabric stash let alone Rainbow Stripes, am I right! And of course I couldn't help but add one of my LOVE Woven Labels for the perfect finishing touch.

Make is now available in stores - check out your Local Quilt store and make sure you add some to your stash.

Pattern - Love Triangle Quilt

Happy Quilting

Jemima x 

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Quilt Goals with Fat Quarter Shop

As a Quilter one of the most exciting things you can hear from a friend is “Can you show me how to make a quilt?”  All the emotions start running as you know that the adventure ahead for your friend is going to be amazing and hopefully the start of their own loved and long quilting journey.

I have been invited by Fat Quarter Shop to participate in the Quilt Goals 2023 Challenge and my Goal was to help a friend with Quilting for the first time.  I thought that it might be helpful to share with you, my top 5 Tips for Teaching a friend to Quilt.

 

1. Keep is Simple

For someone starting out in quilting – choose a pattern that is simple in design but big on impact.  Repeated blocks work well as you can focus on teaching them the importance of a 1/4in seam allowance and how to sew one block – which they can then gain confidence in sewing by repeating and seeing their skills grow as they make the blocks.  They will love seeing their stack of blocks grow and it spurs their enjoyment of quilting.

 

This design is my Liberty Belle Quilt and it uses a repeated block pattern to achieve this stunning quilt.  How amazing are the colours from Melody Millers Curio Collection for Ruby Star Society.

Get the Liberty Belle Quilt pattern here

2. Colour Confidence 

This takes time for quilters to develop and will grow and change over time.  Start out using collection. These already have colour combos worked out and work really well together. This means at this early stage for a new quilter they can work on their skills of sewing rather than being worried or unsure of what colours work well together or if it will turn out ok.  Fabric collections take out the guesswork.

3. Get the right Equipment 

Setting up the sewing machine with a 1/4in foot will be such a game changer.  Often when people are new to quilting, they take the machine straight out of the box or dust it off (a gift from a great Aunt) and start quilting and soon run into trouble when all the points and blocks don’t line up.  While this isn’t about perfection – it is about having the machine “Quilt ready” with the correct foot for quilting. 

4. Borders – make or break!

Not all quilts have borders but when they do this can be the make or break of how a quilt looks.  Make sure you correctly teach your friend to measure and then cut the Border strips to fit the quilt top measurements.  Just sewing border strips to the quilt top, then cutting off the excess can result in flared or buckled quilts once quilted.  By doing it this way you can be adding length to the quilt top and this is why the borders then flair out.  It is important to measure and cut each border strip to size.  You can watch here to see how to do this.

 

How to get Perfect Borders – 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbxLmNXDZWD/  

 

5. Binding is fun!

I know it can often be that part that many quilters aren’t that over the moon about but I wanted to share a couple of my favourite ways to Bind so that you can easily love binding yourself and show your friend how it can be relaxing and that last final touch to a quilt. 

 

Continuous Corner Binding Tutorial – https://www.blog.tiedwitharibbon.com/2018/01/how-to-sew-your-quilt-binding.html

 

How to invisibly sew down your Binding - https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgwNv3ljYwF/

 

 

With these tips, you and your friend will absolutely love quilting up a storm together.

Liberty Belle Quilt Pattern

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Happy Quilting

Jemima x 

Amour Granny Square Bag Tutorial by Amy of Happy Hippie Studio

Hey there! I’m Amy from Happy Hippie Studio , and I am stoked to be bringing you a tutorial for the Amour Granny Square! This pattern combines my two favorite things: yarn and fabric. 

A little backstory: 

I started crocheting when I was eleven. My family lived in Montana where the winters were long and there wasn’t much to do other than drink coffee and crochet (let’s not talk about how I developed a caffeine addiction at eleven!) For many years, I only used fine thread and made so. many. doilies. As I got older, I wanted to make things that were utilitarian as well as beautiful, so I ventured into making blankets and bags. 

I didn’t start quilting until 2013 when my oldest was a baby and I was a stay-at-home-mom struggling with depression. Making simple quilts gave me the quick wins I needed to feel like a productive adult again. 

Now that the kids are a little older, I’m enjoying taking the time to dive deeply into both crochet AND quilting, and finding unique ways to combine them! Just don’t ask me to knit anything. It will likely take a really long time. 

This tote bag is a fun combination of crochet and machine sewing. Yes...you can absolutely use your sewing machine to sew through crocheted items! It’s not scary, I promise. 

Just grab your copy of the tutorial at the link here and get stitching! 

Are you nervous about sewing fabric to yarn? Don’t be! Here are a few tips to help it go super smoothly: 

1. SLOW DOWN! Put your machine at half speed or less. 

2. Pins are your friends! The heat from the iron won’t penetrate the thick yarn,   so use lots of pins. Seriously. If you think you have enough, use more anyway. 

3. Use a longer stitch than normal. Mine is set at 2.7 mm. 

4. Don’t change the tension. 

5. Use a thread that matches the background fabric on your bag. This will make seams disappear.

6. Use a 1⁄4” seam. I’m lazy, and don’t like taking off my quilting foot, so this pattern was written with 1⁄4” seams. If you’re a quilter, this will save you a step since you’re accustomed to using your 1⁄4” foot for, well, everything. 

The variation in thickness will hide a lot of flaws, and look really artisan. Perfection is so overrated anyway! 

Grab your copy of the free tutorial and get started ASAP here! 

While my style tends toward the vibrant and scrappy, this tote would be GORGEOUS in a neutral palette (hello, earth tones!). If you make it in neutrals, please don’t forget to tag @happyhippiestudio and @tiedwitharibbon so we can feature your work on our accounts and use #amourgrannysquare and #tiedwitharibbonpatterns

Thanks for sewing along, Amy

Piece. Love. Quilt. 

Guest Blog Post by Danielle @the.reds.quiltco all about her Heatwave Quilt

Guest Blog post by Danielle of @the.reds.quiltco

When Jemima reached out to me about testing her Heatwave Quilt pattern, I knew that I wanted to use a variety of prints and solids in the same colour family. Blue is my absolute favourite colour of fabric to work with so it was an obvious choice! I knew I would have a good variety of blues to choose from in my stash and they also played well on the wave design of the pattern. 

I gathered about 10-12 potential fabrics and then narrowed them down from there to the seven that I used for my quilt top. A last minute additional pop of navy polkadot for the binding made for eight blue fabrics in total. I wanted to add variety to the texture of the fabric as well, so my final pull was made up of quilting cottons, chambray and even a muslin print that tied the light and dark blues in the quilt together. 

Making the Heatwave Quilt pattern was the first time I had ever used a triangle template to cut out my fabrics. I really had no idea how using a template would compare to the regular cutting process but I was so pleasantly surprised! With each fabric starting out as strips then getting cut down into the exact same size triangle, I couldn’t believe how quickly the cutting went. Plus, it was a welcome change for me from cutting rectangles and squares!

Quilt top construction is pieced rows that eventually join together to make the full design. My design wall wasn’t big enough to hold the full layout for the quilt so I just kept my fabrics organized in stacks on my cutting table and pulled from them one row at a time. I sewed and pressed each completed row fully before moving onto the next one and was able to stay really organized throughout row construction. I also made sure to take the extra time to pin each set of rows before sewing them together. I don’t always have the patience for pins but to ensure that the rows all met up perfectly and the wave design finished in crisp, solid sections, it was well worth the time spent.

Once the top was finished, I chose to do 3/4 inch straight-line quilting on the diagonal to mimic the angles of the wave design. I wanted the quilting to add a lot of texture and eventual crinkle, while not distracting from the bold lines of the design itself. I chose a white thread that stood out in some sections and blended in for others, depending on the fabric colour it landed on. I backed it in a warm cozy flannel because I live in Canada and the winters can be long here! Happy to report that my Heatwave Quilt is currently the most fought over one in our living room - so I’d say it was a very successful project!

Such a BIG thank you to Danielle for sharing all about her Heatwave Quilt.  You can check out Danielle on Instagram here at @the.reds.quiltco 

Heatwave - it's getting HOT in here!

Nervousness, excitement, trepidation... Thankfully, release time is also SUPER busy, so I'm able to channel those emotions into the work that has to be done in the lead-up. 

Of course, as I'm releasing one project, I'm always working on something else behind the scenes, and it's been no different this time, but this week it's all about Heatwave! 

Heatwave is here (and it's SUPER HOT!) Designed for maximum impact, the Heatwave Quilt works well with a range of fabric choices - a combination of your favourite bold solids, the prints in a specific fabric collection, or fabric scrap magic (like my Anna Maria Horner version below). 

Three sizes are included in the pattern: Baby quilt - finished size 49½in x 52½in or 126cm x 134cm Throw quilt - finished size 69½in x 71½in or 177cm x 182cm Large Queen quilt - finished size 98½in x 104½in or 250cm x 265cm. 

There are clear set out instructions with illustrations and photos to help you with your machine piecing of this quilt. Suitable for beginner quilters or quilters of any level. This design is made using Equilateral Triangles. And there is even a Bonus Pillow pattern included for you to complete the set.

The Heatwave Quilt Pattern includes: 

• Illustrations and photos
• List of Fabric requirements
• Cutting Instructions
• Sewing Instructions
• Pressing Tips
• Layout and Assembly instructions
• Binding instructions
• EQ Template pages
• BONUS Pillow Pattern

Whether you want to give Equilateral Triangles a go for the first time (don't worry, they're not as tricky as they seem!), or you've tried one of my other designs (End Game, Labyrinth or Love Triangle) you now have a new EQ design to add to your project list! 

To keep things really easy, you can buy the matching EQ templates in my store. They've had a bit of a glow-up with new packaging and are looking pretty schmick, as you can see! And don't forget the BONUS pillow pattern that's included! 

Check out all my tips for sewing with equilateral triangles in my blog post here.

“This design is modern, fun to piece, and comes together quickly with Jemima’s clear instructions and step-by- step diagrams. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to cut and piece the triangles that make up this pattern. It’s a thing of beauty, sewing friends!” Lauren @sewlosew

"This was my first time working with equilateral triangles in a quilt. The strong visuals and clear instructions in the pattern helped me to feel confident at each step of the process and made piecing triangles a breeze. I couldn't believe how quickly the quilt top came together once I got going!"    Danielle @the.reds.quiltco

The Heatwave Quilt pattern is out now.

Available as a PDF Pattern or Paper Pattern in my Store.

Wholesale customers can purchase through Creative Abundance or Checker Distributors.

Please tag me @tiedwitharibbon with your #heatwavequilt so that I can see the beautiful versions you make.

Happy Quilting 

Jemima x x