Artquiltmaker Blog

After Sew Day, I decided to make one of the trays that Lynette showed in her Heavy Metals demo. I am thinking about making them for people attending the Flash Retreat in April.

The project also inspired me to get out my KamSnaps tool.

This is not a project that I invented. I know there are probably many tutorials out there. You can do searches to find others. This tutorial shows the way I made mine.

Supplies

• • • Sewing machine
    • BSK
    • 2 Squares of fabric the same size. 
    • DecorBond (Pellon 809) OR
      • ShapeFlex / SF 101 or ProFuse
    • Thread
    • Turning/poking tool
    • Sewline pencil
    • Ruler(s)
      • Creative Grids 4.5 x 8.5 inch
      • Creative Grids 9.5 inch square
    • Leather hole punch** or awl**
    • KamSnaps tool and snaps or SnapSetter or Rivet Press with appropriate snaps.

Optional Tools and Supplies:

• • • Modern American Vintage Point Turner/Hera Marker

These are easy enough to make several at a time. I used a Layer Cake that I had washed and divided into pairs, but hadn’t yet used.  I have no idea what I was going to do with the squares.

Any squares will work. Use a larger square for your first one. I would not use a smaller square than a 5 inch square, but try it out. I think you could also use rectangles.

Since I don’t use DecorBond much I used that for my first tray. It made the first tray really stiff, which has its advantages. I found it hard to turn. For my second one, I used ShapeFlex. The tray was a little more floopy, but still usable.  ProFuse would also work. The takeaway is that many different kinds of interfacing will work. Try what you have at home and see what you think. There is always more fabric, right? 🙂

 

Directions

Gather supplies and materials.

• • • You can use whatever color thread you like. Use a matching thread to make your stitches disappear when you topstitch. 

Cut interfacing 1/2 inch smaller than your squares to lessen bulk in the seams.

Note: in the photo above, I cut my interfacing 1/2 inch smaller, but it turned out that my layer cake squares had shrunk when I washed them and were more like 9.5 inches instead of 10, thus the interfacing is not as small as I normally like. I like to keep it out of the seam allowance if I can just to lessen the bulk.

Apply interfacing of choice to the squares according to the manufacturer’s directions. Since I don’t use DecorBond much I used that for my first tray. It made the first tray really stiff. It will still be usable. For my second one, I used ShapeFlex. Since I was making 14 or so of these, I took the opportunity to try some Featherweight Fusible (Pellon 811FF) I had on hand to see how that would work and how it would feel. 

Place the interfaced squares right sides together. 

Trim so the edges are square and all the threads are removed.

Draw a line 1/4 inch away from the edge of the fabric where you plan to have your opening for turning.

Start sewing perpendicular to the edge of your fabric for about 3 stitches or 1/4 inch.

Stop with the needle down.

Turn the fabric so you are sewing parallel to the edge of the fabric. Remember that you are going to leave an opening.

Sew around the edge using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving a 4-6 inch opening

Tips for Success:

• • • At the beginning and the edge of the opening, sew up to the 1/4 inch line from the edge of the fabric to stabilize the opening for turning
    • About 3 stitches before each corner, backstitch, go forward again and then turn the corner. After you turn the corner, backstitch again. this will reinforce the corner and make it less likely that you poke through the fabric or stitches when poking out the corners.

Leave a 4-6 inch or so opening for turning

Press seams open

• • • You won’t be able to press the seam on the side with the opening all the way flat, but do the best you can (enlarge the photo above to see more detail)

Turn the piece right sides out. Poke out the corners carefully. I use my Modern American Vintage Point Turner/Hera Marker. If you backstitched at each corner, it will help keep your tool from poking through.

Topstitch using 1/8 inch seam allowance

• • • sew over the starting point and backstitch.

Fold tray in half on the diagonal in both directions.

Make holes for Kam Snaps using your awl or leather punch.

• • • Measure 1.25 inches from the very tip of the folded square in towards the center
      • My friend, Lynette, uses a 1.5 inch measurement, so try both (on different trays) and see what happens.
    • Keeping the ruler in place, measure 3/8 inch down from the edge of the tray
      • My friend, Lynette, uses a .5 inch measurement. Again, try both measurements, on different trays, and see what works for you.
    • Using your Sewline pencil, make a dot.
    • Do this on all sides near each corner.

Follow the directions on your tool of choice (KamSnaps, SnapSetter or Rivet Press). You will need 4 caps, one Innie and one Outie for each corner.

 

 

This is a good project for your Quiltmaking Go Bag. You can store it flat and then use it at the side of your sewing machine while you are in class or on retreat for small tools and supplies, like snips and a seam ripper, or for trimmed threads. It helps with a little organization in unfamiliar spaces.

 

 

 

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