Nursing Cover Scarf & Tutorial

I am so intimidated by all the STUFF that comes along with having a child. I'm naturally not a "stuff" kind of gal, and a lot of what I have serves me in multiple ways. Enter: the multi-purpose Nursing Cover Scarf.

I am linking this project to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday this week! 

Pop on over there and see what everyone else has been up to!

Baby arrives in November - prime scarf season. Chances are, when we finally get around to exiting the house, I will be more likely to wear a scarf than to pack a nursing cover.  Just one more thing the diaper bag doesn't need.  I used a combination of voile and lawn because they are so buttery soft and lightweight with lots of drape, and I think Baby's heat will be cozy enough for me.

I love this scarf just as a scarf. I made it extra long (71" around) because I like my scarves to have some roominess. And bonus - just unwrap it, throw it over one shoulder, and you have a nice cozy nursing cover. I think it also looks a little more natural, and I won't have to search around for a blanket or something else to use. And if the whole nursing thing doesn't work out as planned, I still have a cute scarf.

Here's how to make your very own!

Nursing Cover Scarf Tutorial
This pattern is intended for personal use only - please do not sell finished products or reproduce the pattern or portions of the pattern. Feel free to link back to the tutorial here, though!

Finished Size: 22.5" wide & 71" around
Fabric requirements: 2 yards voile or lawn. I used 1 yard of Notting Hill Kaleidoscope voile in Poppy by Joel Dewberry (front), and 1 yard of coordinating aqua lawn (back). You can use quilting cotton, but please note that your finished scarf will be slightly narrower in width and slightly bulkier.

Seam allowance is always 1/4"

Step 1:
(A) If you are using a continuous 2-yard piece of material, cut a rectangle 45.5" x 72", and skip to step 3.

(B) If you are using two coordinating 1-yard fabrics, cut two 23" x 36" pieces from each.

Step 2: 
With right sides together, sew the two front pieces together along one of the 23" sides, creating a 23" x 71.5" piece. Press this seam open. Repeat for the back. (for my scarf, the front is the Kaleidoscope print, and the back is the aqua solid)

Step 3:
(A) Following step 1, with right sides together, fold your rectangle in half lengthwise (72" side to 72" side) and sew along the long open edge, creating a 22.25" x 72" tube.

-or-

(B) Following step 2, with right sides together, sew the front to the back along both long edges, creating a 23" x 71.5" tube.

Step 4: 
Turn your tube right sides out.

Step 5: 
This is the trickiest part. With right sides together, matching side seams to side seams, begin sewing around the tube ends. Continue sewing around, leaving a 3" - 5" opening (following the dotted arrows and bold lines in the diagram below).  As you sew around the tube, you may have difficulty with the seam closing in on you. If this is the case, just leave a larger opening.

Step 6: 
Press the seam allowance of the remaining opening toward the wrong side, and close this opening with a blind stitch (or if you want it done quickly, edge stitch the remaining opening).

Step 7:
Topstitch around the long edges of the scarf to help keep the width in tact through washing cycles without having to press it.

And there you have it! Your very own nursing cover, or scarf, or nursing cover scarf :)

QAYG Block Finishing Tutorial

When I was first considering the quilt-as-you-go technique, I spent a good chuck of time checking out other tutorials and tips to make the QAYG block finishing successful. There are a lot of good tutorials out there, but most involve either (1) a large amount of hand sewing [especially if you have a queen-sized quilt], or (2) some amount of quilting after all your quilt top blocks are quilted and assembled. I will admit, both of those are excellent options, I just did not have the time or patience to hand sew or to wrestle with my quilt post-assembly.


Enter: an all-machine complete QAYG block finishing technique.  Bear with me, this is my first tutorial...constructive criticism is welcomed :)



For this tutorial, I am using the red fabric as the quilt top and the black fabric as the quilt backing. Similar to regular block piecing, you want your top and back piece to be 0.5 inches bigger than your finished size. Your batting should be the same size as your desired finished block. So, if you want your block to be 12" square when the quilt is completely finished, your quilt top and back piece should be 12.5" square, and your batting piece should be 12" square.

Once you are ready to quilt your blocks, layer the top, back, and batting by offsetting the batting to the lower right-hand corner. You will end up with a half-inch gap of no batting on the top and left side of your block.



Next, use your desired quilting pattern to quilt your block over the batting only (do not quilt into the half-inch gap).



When you place two blocks side-by-side, the right-hand block should have a half-inch gap on the left, while the left-hand block should have batting up to the edge.



Now to attach the two together. Place the two blocks back sides together. For the right-hand block only (or the block with the half-inch gap), fold the top piece back and do not sew through it. Use a quarter-inch seam allowance to attach the two blocks. (Note: In the photo below, I am stitching from the bottom of the blocks to the top of the blocks. I have folded the red piece back on the upper block so that my presser foot does not catch it).



When you finish sewing two blocks together, they should end up something like this.



Time for your iron. Press the seam you just sewed toward the half-inch gap (right-hand block). Then, press the remaining unsewn half-inch flap of your quilt top under by a quarter of an inch.



 This is where I veer a bit. Normally, you could hand-stitch the flap down and create an invisible seam.

Instead, I used an edge stitch to keep the pressed flap down. (Again, I am sewing from the bottom of the blocks to the top)



Using this technique, you will end up with a visible top-stitch on the front and back of the block (pink in the photos below, if they are clear enough on your screen).



If you are smarter than I am and you use a non-linear-on-the-seam quilting pattern, this visible stitch will create a kind of "frame" around your blocks. Or, you could choose a matching thread so that it fades into your fabric.



And that's about it. I completed entire rows for the quilt I made, and then stitched the rows together using this technique as well (matching bottom-to-top rather than right-to-left).

If you have questions, please let me know :) I hope you all find this useful! Good luck in your QAYG endeavors...

Happy Friday!
Mary

the raincoat.

here it is, my first garment!



And a peak at the lining...


I worked my butt off to finish this in time to make use of it during our five-day streak of rain. What do you know, the day I am ready to photograph, it is finally sunny out. Never did I think I would wish for rain quite like I did when this photo was taken :)



So pretty!



Did YOU know how easy covered buttons are? When I first read the pattern, I thought about all the modern gadgets and gizmos I would need to make covered buttons, and how much that would cost me. Turns out it is an extra buck. One dolla, make me holla. WHAT?! You seasoned sewers are probably rolling your eyes and clicking next by now...for the rest of you, check out how easy it is!



The package with the mold runs about a dollar more than the package without. Seven buttons (plus an extra) cost me $4.98 plus tax. Much cheaper than the big plastic buttons I was thinking about.

Here's to hoping that it does not rain too much, but just enough to be able to admire my handywork every now and then :)

Mary