Sewing With Nancy

cc "Sew Circles" around past methods of making circular shapes. Stitching symmetrical circles is really quite simple. To inspire you to add circle motifs to home decor or quilting projects Donna Fenske, Sewing with Nancy designer is with us once again. Donna, you've become a stitching in circles expert. Thank you, Nancy. Thank you for having me on Sewing with Nancy and for the opportunity to share these creative techniques. This table runner features the basic circle stitching. Satin stitched and appliqu circle accents are ideal points to showcase. "Circles Sew Simple," that's what's coming up next on Sewing with Nancy. Sewing with Nancy, celebrating 30 years of sewing and quilting with Nancy Zieman

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Baby Lock, a complete line of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines and sergers. Baby Lock, for the love of sewing. Madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting and special-effect threads because creativity is never black and white. Koala Studios, fine sewing furniture custom-built in America. Clover, makers of sewing, knitting quilting and embroidery products for over 25 years. Experience the Clover difference. Amazing Designs and Klass needles. To learn the basics of circle stitching we'll start with just a satin stitched circle or an appliqud circle. You'll be amazed at how many different ways or applications there are for that simple technique. We have three ways of making symmetrical circles. The low-tech way is to use a thumbtack and some masking tape. Tape the thumbtack adjacent to the needle. Then we have the fabric backed with a stabilizer. You just tack it down. I'm just going to straight stitch around just to show you how fast you can sew a circle just very, very quickly. You don't even have to guide it. Now, the thumbtack has its limitations because it shifts sometimes a little bit but it's a good first attempt. The other attachment that you can get that goes with your sewing machine that's very high tech, with metric information. You can slide it down. It screws to the bed of your machine with a screw, or course. Here you can see a close-up of satin stitching. I have the machine set with a satin stitch just completing a much larger circle. The third way is to use a tool. Donna has the tool attached to her machine. It has little divots so that you can get the thumbtack in the right spot whether metric or inches. Donna, you can make big or small circles. Right, you can make circles as small as two inches all the way up to 27". You made this little sample. It really shows the versatility of sewing with circles. Contemporary or traditional you can add circles to a lot of things. Over here on my machine what I have, is I have the circle base of the tool attached. But prior to attaching it we have a little template that comes with the information. It aligns my needle with the tool. There's a little dash mark that lines up the template to the tool. The template, or the tool base also has double-sided tape along these edges on the underside. It will then adhere to the bed of the machine. We also have inserted our tack. At this moment, I have it covered with the crossbar. It has two types of tack covers a firm one and a lighter tack cover. For today, I had already stitched a circle and started to trim it. I also put a target sticker on the center of my appliqu. This enables me to reposition my appliqu after trimming. You just really put that on before you removed the fabric from your machine. Right. Then you can simply use the cover. I'm going to be trimming the rest of the appliqu fabric away. I'm just going to kind of bevel my scissors and trim the additional portions away. Now I'm simply going to then do my satin stitch. Again, it has a firm hold and it will give me a really nice satin edge by using the tool itself. So if you stitch it on first with just a straight stitch and then trim, as Donna said, by beveling her scissors having them on the same plane as the fabric then you set it for a satin stitch what width do you have there, Donna? Actually, I go fairly wide. I'm at about a "7". Sure, and it covers the edges. Make sure it covers the edges. And your stitch length? My stitch length is at a "0.4" so it's a very tight stitch line because I want good coverage. Usually, what I do when the appliqu ends I also kind of tie it off with my machine with the tie off, as well. So you can see it's not difficult to sew in circles to get them symmetrical if you use one of the three techniques or tools that are available for your sewing machine. You can overlay the stitchings. You can mix appliqus into place. These are the basic premises of working with circles. Now we'll show you other creative ways that you can use quilting, or embroidering, or satin stitching, all with circles. Incorporate appliqud circles and a quilt-as-you-go technique to make super-sized blocks for a bed quilt. Designed by Donna, this queen size quilt features 13 fabric coordinates and gives you permission to go crazy for circles. This is a great design. It's contemporary, fun. You can make it large. Donna, you have how many circles here for this queen size quilt? I have 25 circles. The finished size, I do believe is a 19" square. Each block has maybe a different number of appliqus anywhere from five to three. What fun fabric combinations you have. You wouldn't have to make blocks this big. You can make them smaller. But what you need to consider is that no matter what tool you're working with that you need to determine the sizes of your circles. The middle circle would be a four inch and then the outer circle would be about eight inches. So, you're going to do some configuration. But it's kind of as you're stitching that you'll make these decisions and Donna will show you that. So, you're going to start off with a quilt-as-you-go technique. You're going to embellish and quilt at the same time one block at a time. To do this, we have cut the top layer and the batting the size of your finished block whether it's 19", 9", or 6" whatever the case may be. The backing fabric is cut two inches larger so that there's one inch on each edge of the block. We have fusible batting so you could simply just fuse the layers. If you had sewn batting just pin the layers together. Steam this together, so that they stay. We're going to be doing a lot of stitching. Let's do it one more time. A lot of stitching, so this fusible portion is a great idea. Nancy, also in the instructions book we do have a fuse technique, as well. Right. We showed you how to make a basic appliqu. Now we're going to put it on steroids!

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What I have here on this sample it shows that I just finished an 8" circle. What we do, is we use what we call target stickers. We put it over the tack because we're going to be reloading this block several times for all of the different appliqus. We also have the target sticker on the back, as well. This one showcases that I have done a straight stitch and that I've also started to trim. Prior to trimming, though, I do a marking on my block. Just make a little nip. That enables me to maybe get my scissors in there to trim out the inner circle. So you're going from a 7" circle down to a 6". That's where you put the little mark. Right, and what we're trying to achieve is all of these fabrics that we're trimming away that we can use as additional appliqus for other blocks. Again, they have the little stickers on them, as well. Donna, you didn't always-- It's not a special sticker. You can just buy office supply tickers. You can use masking tape. It's just a sticky substance. Right, and on my machine right now I have showcased that I am using masking tape as my placement. Again, I'm going to just finish doing the satin stitching. When the satin stitches meet I also like to kind of tie them off. It would be really nice to have them tied off. Then I'm going to simply cut and reposition my tool. I'm at a size seven circle. Now I'm going to move down to a size six. Nancy will show you how that really works. Right, it's kind of hard to see with the fabric covering it. There are little divots in here. You just kind of release this. It has a little stickum on the backside. You just slide it over to the number six. It fits in the divot again and then you just stick it down and it will stay in place. If you're using a different tool just move that tack. You've moved it and are ready to sew the next appliqu. Right, and I changed my machine back to a straight stitch, because I just need to have that straight stitch to complete the circle. We'll just speed it up a little bit. The magic is, you know, the stitches line up perfectly. What I had already started was this little clip in my fabric that was there already. I'm going to now take my scissors and since I have a little opening I simply bevel my scissors and start trimming spinning the block leaving it totally attached to the circle base tool. This will give me a really nice clean finish for trimming because I'm leaving it positioned. It gives me a really quick, clean cut. What I'm doing with all of these circles that I trim away I save it as an appliqu component for another block. I simply remove the tack. Here are some of Donna's options for appliqus. As you can see, it's kind of fun just to play. You don't necessarily plan out your design in advance. No, it's very spontaneous. I kind of do a visual audition as I go. Now, after I would've turned this center one again I would make sure that I would cover my tack and begin satin stitching. A lot of times, too, before I satin stitch depending on your machine you might want to do like a triple straight stitch zigzag. That kind of holds the fabric flat underneath. You have a lot of layers there. The final stitch would be the appliqu which is what I'm doing right now at this moment is appliquing the center. It will take a while for it to go around and be completed. We can just make believe. This is virtual, "we've already stitched that." Right. The magic of television. Then what I would do, is I would simply audition some of my other cuts that I have already removed from previous appliqus. I simply remove my tack, load my circle in. I would also have to reposition on the crossbar to make it a smaller circle. So as you're doing that I'll show that you just moved the divot released the guide. The vertical positioning stays secure. You'd release it, get in a divot, lock it and then you can do the stitching. Right, and sometimes what I do is I test the circle cut to make sure that it will be complete. Again, I'm going to do a quick straight stitch and just show you the straight stitch process. After sewing the complete circle I would trim the excess fabric off. Then I would also apply my satin stitching. This is such a clever way of putting together a quilt with the circles. Donna completed quilting the layers together rather than satin stitching just in straight stitches around the perimeter and around the area of this quilt block. Square up your quilt block. Make sure it's nice and square. Meet the backing of the quilt blocks together. Stitch along that one-inch seam. Make sure it's nice and straight. After you've done the stitching then you're going to press under half of the seam allowance. Just turn the edge to the stitched seam and press. I've kind of done that in advance. Then topstitch the layers together. This way, you can quilt as you go. We have a blue backing fabric. On the finished quilt, it's a white backing fabric so when that seam is brought to the front it looks like part of the design. It all depends what colors you choose. You can go crazy with circles making blocks and making a quilt. Quilt a vintage pattern with an updated twist. What's different? Circles are stitched to perfection with a circle stitching tool. We'll show you how to create a circle that is an envelope and it uniquely transforms into a reversible quilt. We're working with a quilt that Donna designed. Donna, traditionally the orange peel design which is in a quilt-- It's basically two colors. Right, and now we have five colors. I just had this moment where this idea came how to make a scrappy orange peel. It's basically using a four patch. The block that you have, you've cut 5-1/2" squares Right, and the base block is ten inches. Then we created a four patch. I pressed open all of the seams. Then we would go to the sewing machine and sew the circle. Here you can see that I have the tack at the center intersection of the block. I'm sewing a nine-inch circle all the way around. You can make it any size you like. Here we have the completed circle. What I need to do is simply press it. It's been partially pressed. What I'm doing, is I'm pressing all of the fabric to the interior. I would do that on both sides all the way around the circle. The reason for that is it makes it easier when you're turning it right side out. The next step would be either to use a pinking rotary blade or a pinking shears and trim the complete circle about 1/4" away from the stitching. This pinking will make it easier for turning the circle, as well. It's a great way of grading. So we've made kind of the same circle technique that we had before. If you'd like a little batting in your quilt what we can do is use a flannel. People who live in warmer climates, this is a great quilt. It's not so heavy. You'd definitely have to pre-shrink the flannel. We're going to simply glue it in place on the seam line. It gives us a really good reference point to line up the little points of the flannel. Also what helps is if you've used different colors that would help to prevent the shading through a fabric. This is an envelope but this envelope right now doesn't have a flap. Right, so what we're going to do is determine where that should be. We basically fold it back onto the solid side. Position it so we have part of the four patch. We'll be turning that, that area right there. Don't worry, this is going to be concealed. You don't have to worry about this. You just need an opening. About an inch from the stitching line. It's kind of hard to make that first cut. Right, then it's very magical turning it. We sometimes use a turning tool once it's partially turned. You mean that would be my cue to find the turning tool?! I think so. Once it's partially turned this really helps to bring out the seams. Since they were pressed ahead of time it makes it really easy to get a nice crisp edge. So once more, I'll just run this edge. Then you just do a little pressing. We have some that are already pressed. Then, from the wrong side, you can see some stitching really, it's the background side. Donna, you stitched in the ditch. We stitched in the ditch. That helps secure the flannel inside. Also, it gives us a point of reference for marking our seam allowances. The last marking step is to connect the outer edges to make it into a square. Correct, this little orange peel will turn into a square. Here's how it goes together. You lay out the designs so that you have matching fabric colors. Meet right sides together, and then pin along this box. You see the box that's there, or the marking. I'm just going to pin this area. You would sew along the straight line. One more pin. And once you have them pinned then you'd go to the sewing machine and do a straight stitch, right on that marking. This has been stitched and then topstitched. Right, and then we would make row after row and then start attaching the rows. After you attach the rows you have a quilt that has the traditional orange peel in a very non-traditional way. When sewing or quilting for a community service project you can find projects to make that are large or small. Today's Nancy's Corner guest will show us that something very small a six-inch or less tall doll is very meaningful to women in domestic abuse shelters plus it gives us hints on how we can help others. Please welcome Brenda Hutchings who joins us via Skype. Nice to see you, Brenda. Hi, Nancy, nice to see you, too. Brenda, you have such a fascinating story to tell about the comfort doll project. Tell us how it started. The comfort doll project started with Pat Winters in 2007. She's a crazy quilter and she sent out dolls to domestic abuse shelters. Online crafters sent dolls to her and she would then send them out and adhering a tag to them. She had to close the project. I saw it online, let's see, in January 2010. She closed it in December, 2009. I saw it online and I'm like, okay, maybe I should do this. You can do it, right. I saw where her last donation went to and I'm like, okay, I'm in My brother lives there, let's do it. These dolls can be any size, any shape. But the size is important. Really, the size is important and actually, you can't go too small. What comes across is the love and care that each person puts into it. The reason for the size is that we want the people receiving them to be able to carry them around with them stick them in their purse and be able to get that tactile feeling that comfort from holding onto this doll. You have a pattern on your website that you can make these cute little dolls and our viewers can see that now. They can be made very simply. There a couple sizes on your site, correct? Okay, on the site, we have a pattern from Sew News that Lucy Blaire designed. You can follow that. You can reduce the pattern. Just put it on a copy machine and take a reduction of say, 70%. That'll just size everything down for you. Also, I have a couple of patterns and hope to add more patterns as I go to give variety, so people have more to choose from. We have an image of a really artsy doll. It looks very clever, and very adult-like. For a woman to feel comfort I think it's important that it isn't looking especially childlike here. This is a fun doll. People can send the dolls to you but you have another suggestion for us. Tell us about that. Really, what would be great is local. This is all about humans reaching out to other humans communities to their own communities. So if you have a local shelter you can have a sewing group, or just yourself. If you'd like to make 12 dolls, ten dolls, three dolls whatever you'd like to do. Just take them to your local shelter. They would love them. So, community to community, giving back within your own community would be great. You mentioned to me the other day that the postage, by the time they send the doll you'd rather have them donate money to the community shelter in their area. Right, the postage is outrageous. I understand. It's wonderful to see them coming in to me because you feel like you're-- It helps the person making the doll to feel like they're part of something really big. I'm happy to take them and pass them on. Also on my site, I have a card that you can copy. Feel free to use it and attach it to your dolls and take them to your local shelter. It talks about the comfort doll and what the purpose of this is. Brenda, thank you for picking up the doll project and carrying it forth. You've had almost 2,000 dolls made and distributed. It's exciting. Yeah, we got that this year, and it was wonderful. Thank you so much for having me on. You're welcome. If you'd like more information on the doll project you know that all things Sewing with Nancy are on are website at nancyzieman.com. You'll also be able to read our blog online and sign up for social media at nancyzieman.com. You'll be able to go to Nancy's Corner. At Nancy's Corner, all our guests are listed there so you can find their websites and find out more about how you can become involved in sewing and quilting by giving away your talents and enjoying the process as well. Well, this program of "Circles Sew Simple" ends our 30th Anniversary season on Sewing with Nancy. I thank you for joining us this season. Thank you to my special guest, Donna Fenske for joining me on this program.

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Thank you for joining me. Bye for now. Nancy's "Circles Sew Simple" tool and book can be used to create all the projects in this program. The tool and full-color book are $29.95 plus shipping and handling. To order the tool and book, call 1-800-336-8373

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sewingwithnancy.com/2626. Order item NZCSS "Circles Sew Simple." Credit card orders only. To pay by check or money order call the number on the screen for details. Visit Nancy's website at nancyzieman.com to see additional episodes, Nancy's blog, and more. Sewing with Nancy, celebrating 30 years of sewing and quilting with Nancy Zieman

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