In honor of my collaboration with Madame Sew, I’ve put all my yoyo patterns on sale. Try one!!
Happy to Gladiolus Platter Pad #CC2012
Glad Not Nana’s Yoyos wall hanging #CC 2100
“Glad to Have Scraps,” a slightly smaller version of the pattern above, made of thefabrichut.com “fat fifths.” Part of “Glad Bundle” #CC 3000
Glad Jacket (made from sweatshirt) #CC 2202
Here’s the ringer!!! The TIRES of these race cars are yoyos. I added a button on top!
Fast Track, single bed quilt #CC 2312
Yoyos are sewn by hand, but the fun part is that they are so small that they’re easy to carry with you to meetings, doctor appointments, ballgames, etc. Also, you can make them from scraps. I LOVE using up the scraps, don’t you?
Thanks for checking out my guest blog! If there’s a place to leave a comment, I appreciate a kind word.–Libby
Bundle of gladiolus patterns and a lap quilt pattern. Made of yoyos, the glad is 3D on a hot pad, wall hanging or sweatshurt jacket. The lap quilt is a crowd of bright flowers. Christensen Creations at sewgocreate.com
I’ll be on Facebook LIVE again, but you have to get a membership on the Facebook group–TheFabricHut (be sure to add THE because it’s different from Fabric Hut.) All you have to do is ask and they’ll let you in–it’s a fun group of quilters/sewists from all over the world, sharing opinions and showing pics of beautiful quilts that make your heart smile!! I’m now designing some special quilts for them and will be doing a show-n-tell FB LIVE for them every month.
What I’ll be doing Aug. 19 is showing how to make a gladiolus out of yoyos and some tips on fabric fusing–definitely low-sew techniques for this wall hanging:
The pattern above was tweaked to use the SCRAPS!!! from the fat fifths in www.TheFabricHut.com’s “Telas Bundle” after I had already made the quilt and pattern below. I simply added the 2nd pattern at the end. They send those two to you free if you order the Telas Bundle of 35 solid colors.
“Bundle of Blossoms” by LJ Christensen
I had already designed the glads for the wall hanging below that is just a little bit bigger, called “Glad Not Nana’s Yoyos.” Also, just a tad more complex, mainly more leaves and buds:
“Glad Not Nana’s Yoyos” by LJ Christensen
Because this month is my birthday–you have to cry or celebrate, right?–I’m celebrating by offering a special bundle of patterns: GLAD bundle! It includes all my gladiolus patterns–both wall hangings, the “Bundle of Blossoms” quilt, a sweatshirt jacket (ANY size), and a huge 12″ Platter (HOT) Pad, (last two below) all for half price, $10, and ON my birthday, you’ll get a slice of cake! (More on THAT later!)
“Glad Jacket” by LJ Christensen
You can decorate ANY size sweatshirt and turn it into a jacket! AND easiest of all, the “Happy to GLADiolus” hot pad is 12″ and could also be a quilt block.
“Happy to GLADiolus” Platter Pad by LJj Christensen
Just imagine a quilt with these in every color! Glads are amazingly colorful!
Aren’t they beautiful? Choose YOUR color!
I’m NOT a gardener, but I love flowers. So I have to make them with fabric. I hope you’ll do so, too! It’s fun!
Remember 8/19, but if you miss, it’s OK because the recording is left up on the FB page to watch any time as is the one on “Bundle of Blossoms.” What fabulous new technology!
Christensen Creations collaborates with http://www.fabrichut.com to create a vibrant floral quilted throw pattern and gladiolus wall hanging our of the scraps from the Telas bundle of fat fifths. The patterns will be revealed on Facebook LIVE with tips and techniques by Libby Christensen/
I am revealing my 100th pattern that I designed in collaboration with http://www.thefabrichut.com It’ll be live on their Facebook page. They have a vibrant community of quilters from across the globe–literally, it’s fun discussion from US and Canada to Australia The company is known for a great buy on titanium rotary blades and collections of fat fifths (about 15″x19″).
In fact, my challenge was to design a quilt to use their fat fifths, so I picked a beautiful collection called the “Telas Bundle,” full of bright pinks, spring greens, blues and purples. The fabric is very light and silky but has a high thread count so that it’s not sheer. Wonderful for a lightweight quilt and currently on sale. If you buy it, you’ll get two of my patterns for free along with the bundle.
I do my reveal tomorrow at my Christensen Creations Studio in Wetumpka for the LIVE event, along with tips and techniques. However, I’m giving MY followers a sneak peek. Here’s my summery throw called, “Bundle of Blossoms.” The fabric is silky and since it uses a delicate crib batting (cheapest buy at Walmart or Walmart.com)–it feels like a cloud.
“Bundle of Blossoms” Throw CC2324
If you prefer to use your own fabric, I just warn you that there are 27 colors used. In fact, that’s the issue. The piecing is actually fairly straightforward, but keeping track of the colors takes some attention. I’ve named and numbered every color, though, and I’ve created a separate graphic for each block. It looks complex, but it’s actually just two blocks.
“Bundle of Blossoms”–just two blocks.
If you want just the pattern, you can buy it on my website. I warn you, though, that you’ll get TWO because I adapted my gladiolus wall hanging to use the leftover scraps from the bundle and attached it! Here’s what I came up with:
“Glad to Have Scraps”
Now THAT’s how I grow summer flowers! Please follow me and post remarks. Coming soon I’ll be having a birthday bash in August. I have another surprise.
P.S. My flowers need rain, so I put raindrops on the back.
Even if you’re not a gardener, you can grow a beautiful garden and even WEAR it! I designed a really fun skirt that can be made to fit ANYBODY because it is turned sideways. Sideways? Yes, start with the length you need to get comfortably around your hips. The fold becomes the elastic casing or has buttonholes to string a thin rope through. Then you add fabric to the bottom to make the perfect hem length. If you use a blue top and green bottom, you suddenly have created a meadow, perfect for flowers! The flowers used in the pattern are pieces that have been quickly serged, but suit yourself.
OK, you don’t wear skirts. I get it, but I’m in Alabama, and I can tell you that a cotton skirt and sandals are a LOT cooler than jeans and tennis shoes!
Maybe you’re in a cooler state and need a light wrap on some summer evenings. As much as I still can’t believe it, it SNOWED in August when I first moved to Montana. That was a shocker for a Southern woman, let me tell you. Anyway, try a garden on a sweatshirt. Just turn ANY size sweatshirt into a jacket and add some glads. Note the flower pot pockets! Click here.
Glad Jacket cc2202
I like wearable art, but if you prefer to stick to walls, I have you covered… with this delightful wall hanging that always gets oohs and ahhs when I show it: click here.
Glad Not Nana’s Yoyos cc2100
If you’re not sure about the handwork of making yoyos, it’s explained with clear diagrams. You can use this big Platter (Hot Pad) as a starter project. It’s also a great project for a beginning quilter because it shows how to do a binding like a miniature quilt. Click here.
“Happy to GLADiolus” cc 2012
If you prefer a different flower, try a folded rose called “Origami Rose.” Click here.
Origami Rose cc1002
I even have a folded sunflower, which can be a wall hanging or a Platter Pad. Click here.
Sunflower Power cc 1003
These beautiful flowers are not hard at all, and they are all on sale through July 31, so go cultivate your garden!
May flowers”—-ooops! How did it get to be June so quickly? My bad. I’ve been ghosing my blog, but I have a great excuse. I just had a knee replacement, and though I’ve still been making face masks on request, I just haven’t been up to quilting too much.
So instead, I bring you yoyos, which are a time-worn handwork project. Our grandmothers made some lovely quilt tops. I haven’t made anything so ambitious, but I did figure out a way to turn them into beautiful gladiolas! I have three different precious patterns I’ve put on sale through the end of June:
The jacket above is simply a sweatshirt, cut, bound, with added pockets and potted plants. Do all three plants or just one–always YOUR choice! On sale through June.
Above is a single glad on a big platter pad, or it could be quilt block or just a single applique (only $1.50 on sale!)
Glad: NOT Nana’s Yoyos, a 3D wall hanging CLICK HERE
or…above, you can make a whole garden! (Just $3.50 through June–with a full-page color lay-out to follow, as well as directions.)
Yoyos are not hard, but they ARE hand work. Basically, you make a circle about twice as big in diameter as the finished product. How? Use a glass or cup or beer mug or round coaster and draw around it and cut! Ta da!
Next, thread a needle. I tend to pull my thread through to double and knot it, but the polyester-core thread these days doesn’t break like Grandma’s thread used to do.
Now sew a running stitch (in and out and in and out and….) around the edge about 1/8″ from the edge. When you get back to the beginning, gently pull the thread taut, tucking the raw edges inside and knot.
A classic yoyo will have a little hole on top because the tightly gathered fabric needs a little room to breathe. On mine for the glads, I continue with more stitching to close and add a bead, just for fun.
Other considerations for yoyos…some people may recommend folding over 1/8″ as you do the running stitch. Sure, if you want. That would slow you down but discourage raveling and shredding. (Not needed if you add a bead or perhaps a button!….but good if you’re going to tackle a whole throw.) It depends on the fabric and usage. Tightly woven, good-quality quilt fabrics may not be a problem whereas loosely woven “craft” fabric will need more attention. A throw you plan to wash…be more careful. A wall hanging–not a problem.
OK, that’s it, except did you pick up the “button” suggestion? How cute to add a little one-yoyo flower with a vintage button center and maybe a couple leaves! I suppose you could add yoyos as wheels on a racecar applique, too. I’ve used them to make snowballs, and if you add a tad of polyfill, you can make them into 3D balls. Sew go create!
Meanwhile, I’ll nurse my knee and try to come up with something new for next week!
Now collaborating with www.thefabrichut.com and https://madamsew.com! Dismiss
