Tutorial: Fabric Covered Tin Can

I have been obsessed about covering tin cans lately. It all started about a month ago when I was looking for affordable yet beautiful containers to organize my sewing room. When I blogged about my fabric covered tin cans I got such very lovely comments that I decided to write a tutorial on how to make them.

This is what you need:

• 1 tin can rinsed and all labels removed. Make sure it has no sharp edges on the rim
• A piece of linen fabric at least 10X6 inches
• Fabric scraps
• Batting
• Embroidery floss

Measure the circumference and height of you can. The can I used is a 16 oz can and it measures 9 1/4 inches around and 3 5/8 inches high so all the measurements will be based on that.

Cutting fabric:

Background: Cut 1 piece 10X3.5 inches of the linen.

Closing End: Cut 1 piece 4.5X2 inches of the linen

Binding: Cut 2 pieces 10X1.5 inches of a contrasting fabric

Hexies; Fussy cut 4 pieces from your fabric scraps and make 4 2 inches hexies

Batting: Cut 1 piece 10X3 inches 

Trace the bottom of your can on the felt to cut a circle

Assembling the pieces together:

• Lay your batting on our table, then place the background fabric on top, then place a piece of of your binding fabric right side facing down and align  to the edge. Sew all pieces together using a 1/2 inch seam. Repeat on the other side. Fold the binding fabric outwards and iron the seams. You are going to have bout 1/2 inch of fabric overhang: fold over the back of the panel and iron. Now your binding is complete.

• Now we are going to attach the closing end. Fold your fabric that you cut for the closing end in half and iron. Attach to one end of the panel using a 1/4 inch seam, fold over the seam and iron. Then fold the overhangs from each side underneath the panel, iron and hand stitch to the back to secure.

• Arrange your hexies the way you would like them on your panel. Hand-applique them to the background fabric. Optional; using embroidery floss quilt around the hexies using a running stitch.

• Almost done... Warp your finished panel around the tin can making sure the the side where you sewed the closing end sits on top of the unfinished side. Using a blind stitch, sew the edge of the closing end to the panel. Then place the felt circle that you cut earlier in the bottom of the can.

And there you have it a beautiful container to keep things organized.

Martha

Dresden Mini Quilt

I finished my Dresden Mini Quilt today. It is a tiny one... it only measures 10X10 inches. But I have never done a Dresden before, so I wanted to start small. The Dresden is hand applique to the background fabric and I used Perle cotton thread for the hand quilting. I really like the way it turned out. It makes me think of a sunny summer day every time I look at it. I am going to hang it in my sewing room to add some cheer to my wall. 

I hope you are having a great week!

Martha 

Work in Progress

Some of the things I started to work on this weekend: a dresden mini-quilt and a scarf. I had not done any knitting for a while and last Friday I visited my local Jo-Ann store and I couldn't resit this yarn. It feels so soft and cozy I immediately thought it will make a great scarf to keep me warm this winter. I just hope I can finish it in time!

Martha

Sunday: Out and About

Today was a good day. My husband and I went to IKEA; that is always fun. I bought some fun fabric there. I still don't know what I'm going to do with with... maybe some pillows or a skirt for my cutting table. On our way back we took a different route home and drove through a neighborhood near the mountains and this is what we saw. Deer hanging out in people's yards. This little guy was strolling around with such ease and was not bother at all by me taking a picture.

I hope you had a good weekend, too.

Martha. 

New In My Sewing Room

I want to introduce you to the new addition in my sewing room. A coworker was giving it away, his wife is not much into sewing and they both insisted I should have it (a free sewing machine I will take it!). It is a Kenmore 12 Ultra Stitch; I took it for a test run and all the stitches work and it sews beautifully on heavy fabrics and bulky seams. I don't know how old it is, but what it is for sure is that its previous owners took really good care or it: it even came with its original box of presser feet and attachments. I'm a lucky girl! I think it will make a good companion to my Janome.

Martha.
 

September Around The Garden

This weekend was kind of a lazy weekend. I did finish the quilt top of my Jacob's ladder quilt, but that was about it. My main focus this weekend was taking care of my baby. Mona (one of my dogs) got sick. I took her to the vet and she prescribed Mona some medications. So right now we are just waiting for the medications to work. 

This afternoon we took the girls (that is how we call our dogs) out to the garden to play and I took some pictures of how the garden is looking right now. The planting beds are starting to look bare and many of the plants are starting to die out. We picked some peppers and tomatillos (I might make some salsa tomorrow). Though, the lemon trees look beautiful; full of blossoms and promising a good crop for this year. The first sings of fall are beginning to show in the garden; some leaves are turning and my fountain grasses are giving a great display of fall colors already.

Martha.

A Picture... A Moment

Good bye summer... mornings have been cool, the air feels crisp and it even smells like fall. Summer is slowly slipping away and fall will be here soon.

Martha.

Work In Progress

It was really great  having and extra day off from work. I had been really looking forward to this holiday (Labor Day) for a few weeks already.  I was able to catch up on household work and  made a lot of progress on my Jacob's Ladder quilt. I got all of the cutting and most of the piecing done. I would had been able to finished the quilt top, but I had I minor set back... on a few of the patchwork blocks  I sew the stripped fabric in the wrong direction. Oops!. It can be easily fixed, and I was able to catch it before  I sew those blocks to the quilt. But it takes time to undo the seams and sew them back again in the right direction. I'm almost done fixing the blocks and I will be back on track. I hope to finish the quilt next weekend hoping I have no more set backs.

I hope you had a good weekend as well.

Update: I'm linking to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced
 

Martha.