Colorful, casual and easy rag quilt

Kristin from the blog, Write It Down, wrote about this awesome and colorful rag quilt she made using a tutorial from Creations by Kara.  The freyed edges reminded me of a technique I used for making denim appliques that created fluffy edges by the washing fabric many times until the desired effect resulted.

It seems like since we have had a cold snap and I have become very attached to the only "throw" I own, I need to make more out of old fabric scraps from clothes I was going to donate.  This is why I hate throwing anything away! There is usually a way to recycle it.

Although I would love to make a colorful throw similar to this quilt, I would also love to make one out of denim.  I especially love recycling denim! 

I found this example on Pinterest, but the link was broken.

This is the perfect project for a quilting beginner!

Click here for an excellent tutorial from Creations by Kara.

Creative inspirations

Yes, my craft and sewing room is still a huge disorganized mess, but my creative side has been screaming to create with all the inspiration I find online.

The photos in this post are for inspiration only.  They are the creations of Carole Brungar, who has a beautiful and inspirational blog, Madness and Mess.  I love the way she layers her creations with free motion stitching, embroidery and three dimensional features.  She offers classes if you are interested in learning her techniques.

Layering and fabric embellishment is one of my favorite crafty projects.  The techniques used in these projects can be duplicated in your own style, especially if you are an experienced sewer.  Your imagination is always your guide as you pick up awesome inspirations from creative people on the internet, the ones you meet at the arts and crafts shows and specialty boutiques.

My projects have typically utilized sparkly things as I love hand beading with a passion, but layering lace on fabric, adding buttons or embroidery is another way of adding dimension to your creations.

What I love about these projects . . . no confinement to a particular project, like quilts, purses, t-shirts, wall hangings, art journals, home decor, dish cloths and pot holders . . . I could go on and on.  You can create anything your heart desires using the same techniques.

There are lots of ladies who work at home on their creations and sell them on internet websites such as Etsy.  In another lifetime, I ran a specialty boutique selling my creations, those of others and the supplies needed to create unusual projects.  Many sewers and crafters love selling at arts and crafts shows, which puts you out there in public as much or as little as you want.

Photo from Stitching Step-By-Step
Instructions for stitching, click here

I miss being creative in a bad way, but I will continue to post those projects that inspire me and hopefully will inspire you too.