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My new rulers are finally here!!

2/4/2023

4 Comments

 

I can't believe the day has finally come
​to share my new ruler designs! 
Update:  Combo sets are sold-out but I am taking pre-orders!
Expected shipping March 1st-15th

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Hey Quilty Friends, if you have been following me a while you know I love to share long winded posts, what can I say, I have the gift of gab. Well, today is no exception because I am excited to share the story behind my new ruler designs! 

I started quilted back in 2002 and I was terrible, I mean really terrible!  I used bad scissors, cardboard rulers and had no idea what baste meant, I would make a giant pillow case looking thing and actually crawl inside the open end to get the batting to reach the 4 corners!  ha ha 

I was self taught so I didn’t know the “right” way to do anything, and I never really seemed to improve from one bad project to the next!  But my biggest failure in the process was definitely the binding, I tried everything, I was so bad!  I bought pre-made bias binding strips from Hobby Lobby and just wrapped it over the edges for a long time and then I learned I could make my own, but I still couldn’t figure out how to get it to look decent.  I actually cried real tears! 

So after about 10 years of thinking & struggling, I finally came up with an idea, I needed something that was simple, without any math to figure, that I could actually do, and so the Binding Boss ruler and his big brother The Scant Trimmer ruler were born!  I am so excited to share my new designs with you because I know after you watch my new YouTube video you will learn to love the binding process too.  It really is the best part, because you spend all that time on the piecing and the quilting, you really should enjoy the feeling of finishing that beautiful quilt!! 
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UPDATE: All combo sets are sold out, but I am taking Pre-Orders. Thanks so much for the amazing response I have had, I am so thankful for all of you, wow!!  Pre-Orders should begin shipping March 1st-15, yay!! 

So now it is time to grab your favorite device and watch my new YouTube tutorial so you can learn how they work!  I will be kicking things off with a SALE all weekend to get you started with my rulers, use Promo Code "PerfectBinding" at checkout for 20% your Combo Ruler Set (This coupon will only work for the combo set) Then, make sure you Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss my upcoming videos!  We will talk about some new ways to try trimming your quilts and getting the binding perfect every time.  We'll also learn how to do hand binding, as well as machine binding, and I will walk you through all kinds of tips along the way..  
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Please Subscribe! 
First we are going to chat about the rulers, and then we are going to learn how to use them. This video is a little long, but I like to be able visit one video when I am frustrated and trying to find some help, so here's how it all breaks down...
Get Started- 5:38
Trimming- 6:35
Trimming close up- 9:20
Review - 10:08
Preparing Binding- 10:42
Attaching Binding - 12:42
Attaching Corners - 15:43
Sewing the two ends: 21:10
​Pressing Matters - 29:30

Tap the button below to shop for my new rulers, and don't forget the Pro-Code to get the discount on your first set.   Please keep in mind my t-shirts are filled from a third party company and my rulers are shipped by me, so if you place an order with rulers and t-shirts they will be delivered from different locations and be in multiple shipping packages.

Here are the supplies I use around my sewing room:
FREE Ruby Star Pattern - www.rubystarsociety.com/blog/rss-summer-sewalong
Ruby Star Charm Packs - shrsl.com/3wqgk
Panto - www.karleeporter.com/shop/digital-designs/shapes/blocks/flower-chain/
Mini Fig Tree Cutting Mat - shrsl.com/3wqhs
Red Olfa Rotary Cutter - shrsl.com/3wqhv
Quick Press Seam Roller - shrsl.com/3wqi1
Frixion Pens (removes with iron heat) - shrsl.com/3wqi5
Clover Glass Head Pins - shrsl.com/3wqif
Reliable Steam Iron Station - amzn.to/3l2gVFu
Silicon Iron Rest - shrsl.com/3wqiv
Wool Pressing Mat- shrsl.com/3wqjb
Gingher Scissors (I have several sizes, I love them!) - shrsl.com/3wqj2

Tap to Shop my Online Store

Don't forget, I am also a long arm quilter and I would love to quilt for you.  If you have a special quilt that is ready for lots of beautiful quilting textures please check out my services.  You can mail your quilts to me, or arrange to drop them off at my studio just North of Austin Texas. I can't wait to see what you have been working on!! 
Tap for Longarm Quilting

I have dreamed of being a long arm quilter and selling my own products for many years,
​so I truly appreciate your support and love as I start this journey!
Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns,
I want all things that come from Thread Graffiti to make you smile! 
Thank you sew much!!! 

Happy Quilting 
​Gina Tell 

This is not a sponsored video, but may contain affiliate links. Thank you for the support!
4 Comments

Let the Barn Star Sampler Quilt along begin!

1/27/2023

1 Comment

 
I have had this Barn Star Sampler quilt on my to-do list in my mind since I first saw it, so I was really excited when Fat Quarter Shop asked me to join in and sew along with them! 

The Barn Star Sampler Quilt book was designed by Shelley Cavanna and it has sold like crazy, so the hard copy books have been on backorder, but should be available in March, in the meantime you can still buy the EBook and sew along with us, that's what I am doing.  I just printed my book out and put it into a binder, or you can cut and sew right from the screen of your favorite device. 

​Now let's talk about the fun stuff... FABRIC!!
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This sampler pattern is just so fun, I felt like it was totally necessary to use Tula Pink fabrics to give it that bold and modern look I always love!  So I have pulled a variety of Tula Pink fabrics from my stash (I love Tula solids!)  Plus, I am also going to join in some new Everglow as soon as I can get my hands on it, I paid my reservation fee so I'm hoping to have it for my March or April blocks.  But, in the meantime I am trying to make my first few blocks with fabrics I think will blend best with the Everglow once I have it! 

Here are my blocks for January and February, we made 2 of block one and 2 more of block two, I am totally in love with them! These blocks are huge, and such fun to make, I shared a couple reels of my bad hair #behindtheseams while I did the sewing one of the block two.  I decided to use a black and white feature in the centers, because I am planning to incorporate some black and white within the rest of the quilt later, Oh... I used Kona Dove for the background and then a variety of Tula prints and solids.  
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Block #1
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Block 2

Throughout the year, we'll be sewing all the Barn Star Sampler Quilt blocks in the same order as they appear in the book. This Queen-sized quilt finishes at 80.5" x 100.5" and is written for traditional piecing techniques, but if you would like to use foundation papers, Fat Quarter Shop has created a collection of Triangles on a Roll for you to use.  
​Quilt Along Schedule
 I'll be following this FQS schedule when I share my blocks to social media. 
There won’t be a tutorial for these blocks, as all of the instructions are in the book, but I will have YouTube tutorials for the quilting, trimming and binding portion later in the year! 

Month/Blocks/Date
January Make two of Block 1- January 27
February Make two of Block 2 - February 24
March Make two of Block 3 - March 31
April Make two of Block 4 - April 28
May Make two of Block 5 - May 26
June Make two of Block 6 - June 30
July Make two of Block 7 - July 28
August Make two of Block 8 - August 25
September Make two of Block 9 - September 29
October Make three of Blocks 10-15 - October 27
November Make four of Blocks 16-20 - November 17
December Backing and Finishing December 15
I can't wait for the finishing, it's my favorite part!
Who’s Sewing Along?
You can follow all the makers on social media for inspiration and tips.
  • Anne Boundy, Said With Love, (@said_with_love)
  • Kim Lapacek, Lapacek’s Orchard, (@lapaceksorchard)
  • Melanie Call, A Bit of Scrap Stuff, (@abitofscrapstuff)
  • Rebecca Bird, One Wee Bird, (@oneweebird)
  • Reece Ortolani, Hurricane Quilty Stitches, (@hurricanereecequiltystitches)
  • Melissa Corry, Happy Quilting, (@happyquiltingmc)
  • Pat Sloan, (@quilterpatsloan)
  • Gina Tell, Thread Graffiti, (@gina_tell_threadgraffiti)
Thanks for stopping by my blog, I would love for you to check out my new online store while you are here, and if you have a pile of quilt tops laying around you really should consider getting them quilted, I love long arm quilting! 

Keep up with my progress by following @gina_tell_threadgraffiti on Instagram and don’t forget to use #BarnStarSamplerQAL to share your progress on social media, so we don’t miss seeing your quilts!
Happy quilting!
Gina 
​
​Blog Posts may contain Affiliate Links - thanks for your support. 
1 Comment

Woo Hoo!  My Support Group Quilt raised $1050 on the Ebay Auction!  Thank you to all who have donated!!

10/20/2022

0 Comments

 
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Each year I try to donate toward some kind of cancer research.  I have lost friends and family to a few different types of cancer, and this year my focus is on breast cancer.   When Fat Quarter Shop asked me to make the sample quilt several months ago for their new Support Group Quilt Along I was honored.  I made the quilt above that was photographed for the pattern cover, and I knew from the beginning I was planning to auction it off to raise money, so I was really glad that Fat Quarter Shop agreed to do the auction for me. 

Below I will share a few of the pictures I took while putting this quilt together, and once complete I loaded it to my Handi Quilter long arm machine and did the long arm quilting with the Daisy Delight digital pantograph, those little flowers are only 2" big so it is covered with lots of beautiful texture!  After quilting I prepared super scrappy binding & then attached it and finished the final stitches by hand.  Tons of love went into this quilt, and I look forward to seeing how much we can raise for those women we love!   Link to bid below, thank you for bidding!  
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To read all the details, or make a donation before the fundraiser closes, visit the Jolly Jabber for more info!
​Tap Below

Jolly Jabber Blog
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If you know someone who is struggling through the tough times of cancer please wrap them up with the love of a quilt.  The Support Group Quilt pattern was designed by Lori Holt in honor of her mother, who survived breast cancer, with literal symbols of support.  The pattern is available for you to use the prepared fabric kit, or you can purchased the pattern and sew with fabric from your stash.   
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Please join me as I auction my quilt, with Fat Quarter Shop and Lori Holt, lets push to reach our $20,000 goal to help women at every step of the breast cancer journey.  (Fat Quarter Shop & Lori Holt will match up to $5,000 of the donations raised) 
    Thanks SEW much!!
    Gina 
    0 Comments

    Let's make a quilt for your table with Tabletastic! 3 by Doug Leko

    7/30/2022

    141 Comments

     
     Hey Y'all! I'm SEW excited to share another fun book I have been working with, it's designed by my friend Doug Leko!  The new book is called Tabletastic!3 and it's the 3rd book in his table topper series, and it is packed full of 20 small projects that you can really go crazy with!  I was so excited when Doug asked me to be part of his Instagram Hop, he is such a wonderful and fun person and working with him is always great because he is so creative, plus he has generously given me a copy of his book to GIVE AWAY to y'all so be sure to read all the way to the bottom for your chance to win! 
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    When Doug asked me to make something from his book to share with all of you I couldn't decide at first, because I honestly loved all of them and could realistically see myself making any one of these to put on my own table, but I kept going back to the Queensbury pattern.  It was so unique and I loved the shape of the design, plus I had just gotten a new Nantucket Summer Layer Cake precut so I knew it would all be fantastic together! 
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    Here it is, I totally LOVE how it turned out!  I used 13 different prints from the layer cake precut and some Bella White for the background, then I paired it with some tiny floral quilting and striped binding.  The panto design is called cornflower and it comes on my Handi Quilter Prostitcher, so I scaled it way down since this quilt is only 24x26 and I love how it turned out.  I wanted to pick a design that would look good no matter what direction you look at it, I think it will be pretty no matter what seat you take at the table!  
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    Doug's patterns are easy to understand, and that is so important to me, I have purchased patterns before that seem more complicated than necessary, but Doug's are perfect, so don't worry about this one being too hard. You're gonna love it! 
    Ok, so I couldn't stop at just one pattern, I know y'all are thinking I am crazy, but I had to make two patterns from the book!  As I was looking and planning I ran across the Fireworks & Freedom Panel that I had in my stash and I decided it would be perfect in the Somerset pattern!  I love panels - they are a great way to make a themed quilt that alway turns out super cute! The Somerset pattern in the book is 32" square but there are so many panels that would work with this great design, the possibilities are endless! Check this one out! 
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    This panel is still available if you want to make some to match mine, and I also linked some other fun panels above, if you see green just click on them to go directly to the items I have used, let's do some shopping!

    Here are a few more of my #BehindTheSeams pictures AND a new YouTube video tutorial with some of my tips to make this Queensbury pattern just perfect! I really had a lot of fun making both of them!  Share your projects using Hashtag #Tabletastic3 #ginatell and @DougLeko 

     GIVEAWAY CLOSED!! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Doug Leko have generously providing a copy of the Tabletastic!3 Book for me to give away to one of you, PLUS another winner will get a $50 OFF coupon from me to use towards the long arm quilting for any project you make with Doug's book! 
    MY WINNERS:
    KAREN HANSEN
    IA BRENDA 

    Huge shout out to all who have stopped to check out what I have been making with Doug Leko!  It was a super fun week and I can't wait to see what y'all make with the new Tabletastic!3 Book!! 

    ​Oh and don't forget to Subscribe to my new YouTube channel too, lots of fun new stuff planned this fall....
    Thanks SEW much!
    Gina Tell
    141 Comments

    Fun patterns from Pat Sloan's new book + book giveaway!

    5/24/2022

    522 Comments

     
    Hey Y'all! I'm SEW excited to share a couple fun new projects I have been working on from my friend Pat Sloan's new book!  The book is called Tantalizing Table Toppers and it is packed full of 12 small projects that you can really have some fun with!  I was so excited when Pat asked me to be part of her book tour, she is such a wonderful and fun person and working with her is always great because she is full of positive energy, plus she has generously given me a copy of her book to GIVE AWAY to y'all so be sure to read all the way to the bottom for your chance to win! 
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    As many of you know, I am a full time long arm quilter with 2 Handi Quilter machines, so I spend a lot of time standing to finish client quilts,  so when I got the opportunity to sit and piece I had to jump in with both feet and make TWO of the toppers from Pat's fabulous book!  I made "Life's a Picnic" & "Breakfast Club" - Check them out!  
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    My "Life is a Picnic" runner is on the left and I used Corey Yoder Spring Brook fabric from my stash with Smoke & Rust Background & Lori Holt Prim Backing.  I love to mix fabric collections to get a unique and fun look.  I made 3 of the star blocks as Pat designed them in the book, but I added smaller friendship stars in between since my picnic table is long and skinny.  Then I decided to quilt this one with a floral pantograph that I have not used before, it's called "Friday Flowers" I felt like it added the perfect touch to Corey spring fabric!  
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    The second topper that I made is pretty special because I tried some new things!  First, I used Pat Sloan's new fabric collection coming soon called Bird Song, because I wanted to celebrate her talents all together, but I really wanted this star to stand out with some contrasting colors so I picked a couple fabrics from my stash too!  After I finished all my piecing I loaded it to the long arm with another new panto I have never used before called "Gingham Posey" it's a fun textural combo of crosshatch and flowers that I really thought was unique, then I added big stitch hand quilting, OMG y'all I think it's my new favorite thing!  I got some 12wt threads and I outlined the center stars with matching thread.  I decided not to do a big contrast with thread colors since I do not have the big stitch length consistency mastered yet, but I plan to do more practicing in the future for sure!  
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    I also have a fun third project to show you too! Since I do a ton of the long arm quilting & binding for Fat Quarter Shop I am sharing Kimberly's runner after I finished it.   She made the "Tea Time" runner from the book and I added a small Baptist Fan design on the long arm for lots of texture, it's a really great pattern, I might make it next!  To see more about this one check out the Fat Quarter Shop blog post today.

    Here is a peek of some of Pat Sloan's pictures from the new Martingale book....
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    If you'd like to see more of the projects in Pat's book, follow along on the book tour to see  what several designers have made for their tables this week!
    ​(each day will also have a chance to win a copy of the book.)


    May 23
    • Martingale, Martingale Blog
    • Bonnie Hunter, Quiltville
    • Andy Knowlton (that's me!) A Bright Corner​
    May 24
    • Becky Thompson, Power Tools With Thread
    • Beverly McCullough, Flamingo Toes​
    May 25
    • Carolina Asmussen, CarolinaAsmussen.com
    • Jane Davidson, Quilt Jane
    May 26
    • Aurifil, Aurifil Blog
    • Pam Vieira-McGinnis, Pam Kitty Morning
    May 27
    • Kristin Esser, KristinEsser.com
    • Melissa Mortenson, Polka Dot Chair
    May 28
    • Gina Tell, Thread Graffiti
    • Kimberly Jolly, Fat Quarter Shop​
    May 31
    • Pat Sloan, Pat's blog​​

    Now for the giveaway!
    Pat & Martingale have generously providing a copy
    ​of the book for me to give away to one of you! 


    To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment below letting me know if you have a table topper displayed in your house right now, or if you need to make one from this new book! 
    • Leave a comment below on this post to enter
    • Giveaway ends on June 01, 2022
    • Open to all - both US and international (US residents will receive a printed copy of the book, E-book (PDF) for international)
    • I will notify winner by email so be sure to include your email address in your comment.​​

    Good Luck, and thanks to all who have stopped to check out what I have been making with Pat Sloan!  

    I would love for you to come follow me on Instagram and Subscribe to my new YouTube channel too, lots of fun new stuff planned this fall....
    Thanks SEW much!
    Gina Tell
    522 Comments

    Let's make a group fundraiser quilt for St Jude!

    4/21/2022

    19 Comments

     

    Saddle Up St. Jude, we are starting a group quilt and it's going to be FABULOUS!  

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    A couple years ago I organized a group fundraiser quilt to be made by lots of my quilty friends that went back to my hometown area in Illinois to raise money for St. Jude.  The charity organization is called  "Saddle Up for St. Jude" and each year in November they hold a big auction to raise money to help childhood cancer and this year I would like to do the same thing, only bigger!
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    Ok y'all, this is how it is all going to work...
    I have created a YouTube video to share some tips on making scrappy square-in-a-square quilt blocks so that we can each make a couple blocks and they will all come out exactly the same.  The papers will make it much easier for me to put all the blocks together since so they will be super square and perfect and I can't wait to see all the big scrappy quilts they will create for St. Jude!  My goal is to try to make two quilts, one with the 3.5" papers and a second quilt with tiny 1.5" papers. 
    **The only RULE is to keep the center blocks all light in color (white, linen, cream, light grey) while the 4 corner pieces are all the same color fabric, any color is great, I want lots of color variety, use whatever you have in your scrap bin! 
    **It is ok if you leave the papers on, or take them off, whatever you prefer.  
    Dont have the foundation papers yet? Click HERE

    UPDATE: We have all the blocks we need for this charity, but make sure you join my Charity Facebook Group so you don't miss out on the next group quilt! 
    Join my chairy Facebook group to post pictures and meet new friends!

    I will be sharing the finished quilts on my YouTube Channel the end of October 2022 just before the auction, I would love for you to Subscribe so you don't miss the auction! 
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    Here is some information about the Southern Illinois Saddle Up For St. Jude charity, you can follow their Facebook page, and each year in the fall they will post more details on the auction items.  The annual auction takes place the first Saturday in November and in the last 11 years the action has raised $294,253.12 total, which includes private donors and the auction.  100% of the proceeds from this benefit go to St. Jude Children Hospital, let's keep that number growing!! 

    Check out the quilt we made for the
    ​November 2020 Auction! 

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    ​You can click the links to check out my 2020  Instagram post for more photos, and to download the Rainbow Taffy free pattern.  Our quilt made by around 50 people and was included with many other auction items to help raise $37,500 to be sent to St. Jude in the 2020 benefit! 
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    Feel free to share this blog post with friends, and please share pictures on social media with the hashtag #SaddleUpGina #SaddleUpStJude 
    I am so excited to do this charity together, thanks so much for stopping by! ​

    This post contains affiliate links, but I only share links for products I love! 

    Have more questions? 
    ​Tap the links below to contact me.  

    Thanks SEW much! 

    19 Comments

    Game Night with Gina tell #ginasgamenight

    4/4/2022

    2 Comments

     

    What was your favorite board game
    ​when you were a kid? 

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    Board games were a big part of my life when I was a kid, because I am old (lol) we didn't have phones and video games to entertain us, we had game night.  I used to love to play Monopoly, UNO, Yahtzee, Scrabble and of course Checkers and Tic Tac Toe.  I can remember my brother and I with a pen and paper and a zillion little X's and O's on the long car rides, so I decided it would be the perfect gift for his daughter birthday coming up, maybe he will remember to tell her about the good times he had with his big sister...
    ​Probably not, but it's worth a shot.  
    I made this entire game set with fabric from my stash, it doesn't require much fabric so it's a super simple little handmade gift that you can do in any colors.
      
    First, I decided that I wanted to use some graffiti fabric that I had for the back side of the checker board since I had a few yards and she and I both love art! It is full of fun bright colors so I picked pink and aqua for the front.  

    I cut 2.5" strips from the solid pink and aqua fabric and sewed them into strip sets and then trimmed them down to 2.5" - this made it super fast and easy.  Or you can cut 2.5" squares and piece them all together, as long as your board is 8 rows of squares across x 8 rows of squares down, it will work! 
    You'll need 64 total squares for Checker Board:
    32 of one color  
    32 of another color  
    You will need 9 - 2.5" for the Tic Tac Toe Board:
    3 of one color
    ​3 of another color 
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    I wanted to make sure the board was as flat at possible so I pressed all my seams open and used my clapper to keep them super flat while I did my pressing! I have the Riley Blake Clappers but I have heard great things about all the brands Fat Quarter Shop stocks.
    ​**(If you see green letters, that means I link what I used and love)
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    Next, I added a black border, I cut it out 2.5" and then trimmed it down perfectly square after I did the long arm quilting on it.  I picked a panto that stitched out pretty dense so the board would not be flat in some areas and puffy in others, you could also do small diagonal crosshatch on your home machine. 

    When I loaded it onto the long arm I used some scrap grey fabric for the backing because it would be covered up by my graffiti focus fabric anyway. I picked out the "Dizzy Izzy" digital pantograph with 80/20 batting, & Glide 60wt thread so it would blend in and be super skinny! 
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    After the quilting, trim both pieces down to the size you like best, then lay your backing piece and your quilted piece good side to good side and stitch all 4 sides down with 1/4 seam and then leave a 4" hole on one side so you can flip it inside out.  This is also the hole you will tuck your straps inside if you want to be able to fold it and tie it closed for storage when you are done playing. 
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    It's now time to tuck in your straps and top stitch to secure, you can use anything you have for straps, or not add any at all, totally up to you.  You could used canvas straping, fancy rope, bias tape or make your own.  
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    Now it's time to work on the game pieces, I found some plain wood pieces on Amazon and I painted them to match, you can do that too, or just leave them natural color, I just used spray paint that I already had. 
    ere is what I got:
    Checker Pieces and Tic Tac Toe Pieces
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    Now you'll need a bag to hold your game pieces, right? So lets make a super simple small zipper pouch too! 

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    I cut extra 2.5" squares on purpose so I could make this matching bag, but I also made a YouTube video with some ideas for making one with scrappy strips, super simple with endless possibilities! 
    I hope you make the kiddos in your life some handmade board games, it sure is a fun little project packed with love and will make tons of memories! Share what you make on social so I can see them, I love that! #ginasgamenight

    Please Subscribe to my new YouTube Channel and be sure to follow me on Instagram too! 
    Happy Sewing! 
    ​Gina 
    2 Comments

    make a Planner Cover with Fat Quarter Shop & Gina Tell

    2/1/2022

    1 Comment

     

    The start of 2022 means getting organized, and hopefully adding a lot of fun things to the calendar!  

    We all know the last couple years have been rough with quarantine and sickness, but 2022 is going to be a better year, I'm sure of it!  We are going to start doing fun stuff again, and filling our calendars with events that bring giggles and big smiles! Color is my favorite thing, it makes me feel happy, I love rainbows, flowers and lots of bright saturations of color, so let's get creative and cover our Lori Holt Bee in my Bonnet Planners with our favorite colors!
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    I made this planner cover above for Kimberly at Fat Quarter Shop to celebrate their 18th year in business, but we had so many people ask for a tutorial so I made a few more to show all the fun ways you can cover your planner or composition book, or any book really!
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    ​The newest planner cover I'm making with you, it's from Lori's Spelling Bee Book and it's on page 140, I thought this would be adorable for my planner, my Grandparents had a phone just like this, only yellow, I loved it!!  I also made a 6” block from Lori Holts Farm Girl Vintage 2 book below, isn’t this zinnia adorable? But keep in mind you can use a 6" block pattern from any of her books to create a unique cover, even the Spelling Bee Alphabet book if you wanted to make one with your initials.  Check out the link HERE to order your planner, the discount is already applied!! It's 40% OFF Woo Hoo!! ❤️??✂️
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    It was so much fun to go hang out in the FQS film room again, so I really hope y'all enjoy it! I made several samples to show all kinds of different ways to make them, the cool thing about this video is that it will show you how to cover any size book, not just the planner, the pictures below are showing the process of using 2" scrap pieces to cover a composition book.  The possibilities are endless, so have lots of fun with it!  Watch the full video on the Fat Quarter Shop YouTube channel with the link below!
    AND....to celebrate, in addition to the Fat Quarter Shop putting the Bee in my Bonnet planner ON SALE, (it’s 40% off right now so hurry) we both will also have some BIG GIVEAWAYS on our social media with gift cards and lots of fun Lori Holt patterns and notions for the two makers with the most creative planner cover!!  Picture below showing all the good stuff I am giving away!  Use the links below to come follow me and enter to win!  Oh and make sure you post your completed planner cover pictures to social media using the hashtags #FQSPostYourPlanner #GinaTell  
    ​Instagram, Facebook and my new YouTube Channel, or click below for links.
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    I would love for you to follow me on social media too,
    lots more fun projects and videos coming soon!  
    Happy Quilting! 
    Gina Tell 
    At no extra cost to you, I earn a small profit on things you buy from my affiliate links,
    and I promise to use it to make more fun content like this! 
    1 Comment

    make a t-shirt quilt - Gina Tell & The Fat Quarter Shop

    1/18/2022

    1 Comment

     

    T-Shirt Quilts are a great way to display your memories,
    ​and never loose them!  

    Hey y'all, hope all of you are staying well!  A few months ago I shared a blog about making a T-Shirt quilt for my son, since he was entering high school I had plenty of memories from his elementary and middle school days to make him a nice big quilt for his bed.  Well, the Fat Quarter Shop saw my blog and asked me to come into the studio and film with them, how exciting is that?  Before Covid happened I used to go into the film room from time to time and help out while Kimberly was on vacation, so it was really great to get back in there and do some things I love!   Check out some of my behind the seams pics of the quilt below and then check out the YouTube link to watch the full video!!  
    Picture

    Click below to watch the full video on Fat Quarter Shop YouTube channel, and don't forget to subscribe!! 

    I'd love to hear what you think of the video so please tap like if you enjoyed it, and comment if have questions!  Oh and I can't wait for you to make your own t-shirt quilt, so grab your list and order the supplies you need below.  Don't forget to tag us and share your t-shirt quilt on social media so we can see them! 
    #TShirtQuilt #MemoryQuilt #GinaTell
    At no extra cost to you, I earn a small profit on things you buy from my affiliate links,
    ​I promise to use it to make more fun content like this! 

    ​Thanks Sew Much!!  
    ​Gina Tell 
    1 Comment

    Total Beginner Quilt - Rag Quilt

    12/30/2021

    0 Comments

     

    The rag quilt is the absolute beginner quilt!

    In my opinion, the rag quilt is the best way to start learning about making quilts.  It teaches you about your machine, the basic 1/4 inch seam, and stitching several layers together, but it's very forgiving so you don't have to do anything perfect and it will still look great!  Plus making a rag quilt is pretty fast, so you won't get overwhelmed starting out with a project that is going to take months to finish! I'm going to share my techniques for making a quilt as you go rag quilt.
    Picture
    A quilt is made of 3 layers, the cotton fabric on the front, the fluffy batting in the middle, then more cotton fabric on the back side.  Typically a quilt is made by putting all the front pieces together first then making a sandwich of the three large layers and then quilting them all together.  But with this rag quilt we are going to put the front, middle and back together and quilt as we go for each piece, that makes it a lot easier to move things around as you learn, and since the seams are all exposed and deliberately frayed, the tiny mistakes that are often seen in a beginner quilt are hidden in the soft goodness. 

    Here's what you will need to make a small kids size quilt like the pic above:

    81 - 5"x5" Pre-cuts for the front
    81 - 4.5"x4.5" batting
    81 - 5"x5" Pre-cuts for the back (I used solids) 

    Check out some great 5x5 Charm Packs pre-cut at my favorite fabric shop!
    Or you can buy one 10x10 Layer Cake pre-cut and cut them down. 
    Two of my favorite Creative Grid Rulers I used here are Perfect 10 & Perfect 5 

    *Also: if you would like to make this a little puffy you can add a small handful of Polyfil on top of the batting inside the two pieces (and probably dont do the X in the center of each square) test it out and see what you like. 

    Picture
    Here is my pile for the new rag quilt I am working on with you.  I've had these cute precuts in my stash and I have a close friend that I am two babies behind on my quilt giving, so I am going to make a small one to throw over the baby car seat.  These are great gifts for kids, they can be spit up on, snotted on and curled up with and they will make it through tons of washings! 

    Check out this quick video to learn more....

    Ok, so if you watched the video above about adding the squares all together and you are all done and ready to add the borders here is the info for that.  First off, you can make them whatever size you'd like, or not add them at all, this is just what I decided.  My quilt is 9 blocks wide by 9 blocks high, so before borders it came out to be about 38"x38" and I did the top and bottom first, then the two side borders.  Video below explains my techniques...

    Borders:  3.5" x length of your quilt (plus a couple extra inches to be safe) 

    Mine still needs to be washed a few times to get the full snuggle effect going, but it is still very cute, and looks a lot like the puff quilts that have been so popular lately.  You could even stuff a little piece inside your squares as you make them to do a test and see if you like it.  Here are some finished pictures, have tons of fun!! 
    Picture

    I hope you will give this technique a try and let me know what you think! 

    Happy Quilting!
    Gina Tell 

    At no extra cost to you, I earn a small profit on things you buy from my affiliate links, I promise to use it to make more fun content like this! 
    0 Comments
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      ​Hey Y'all, I'm Gina Tell! I live on Lake Travis just North of Austin Texas.  I'm a full time long arm quilter and lover of all this art and outdoors!! 

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