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Every stitch project has an ending. The way that you choose to close off your handsewn creation is largely dependent on your preferences. Here are four methods for securing a stitch that many crafters take when finishing off their artwork. 

Method #1: Looping Once

The goal of looping when closing a stitch is to create a knot that secures the creation. You begin this process by leaving no less than four inches of thread, but no more than six inches of the freestanding filament, out of the crafted piece. Then, do the following: 

• Lay the project on a flat surface such as a counter or dining table and turn the crafted piece over so that the backside is turned upward. 
• Carefully pick up the nearest stitch with your hand and pass it through the rest of the creation so that a loop is formed. 
• Use your freestanding hand to pass the threaded needle through the loop and slowly pull the combination tight. 
• The result should be a knot that secures your project. 

Method #2:  Winding 

As with looping, the winding process’s end goal is safeguarding the project by forming a knot. Such a task is accomplished by:

• Making sure the needle is sticking out of the project.
• Winding the remaining thread around the needle and holding it in place.
• Passing the wound thread through the fabric so that a knot is formed.
• Tightening the knot and trimming the thread that was not included.

Method #3: Multiple Loops

Creating multiple loops for a secure end is ideal when you make a blanket. You go about this procedure by: 

• Inserting the needle through the fabric near the final stitch of the project.
• Gently pulling the insert until a loop is formed. Do not tighten the loop but rather leave it loose and ready for the second loop.
• Passing the needle through the first loop to form a second of its kind. Keep the second loop free as well so as to prepare it for the third pass of the needle. 
• Passing the needle for the third time through the second loop to form the third and final loop. 
• Taking the thread near the first loop and carefully pulling it until a knot forms. You should be sure to keep the loop sequence straight so as to prevent twists and tangles in the closure. 
• Clipping off the remaining thread not included in the loop series. 

Method #4: Looping and Threading

The looping and threading process requires you to create space for a knot and use the needle to thread through the circle: Accomplish this form of end stitching by doing the following: 

• Pass the needle through the back of the finished project.
• Pick up 1/16th of an inch of the stitched fabric with the needle and pass it through the loop.
• Hold the loop with your index and thumb fingers, and use your free hand to thread through the loop with the needle.
• Keep the loop straight and slowly pull the thread tighter so that a knot forms. 
• Place your finger on the knot and continue pulling the thread through the loop to create a tight and secure knot. 

A Quick Note

Those who sew with double-threaded needles should be sure that both threads pass through the loop before attempting to tighten the knot. Failing to take this precautionary measure could result in a sloppy and even insecure knot. You do not want to see all of your hard work go down the drain because of shoddy stitch closures. 

Thanks for reading,

Sally @ Stitch and Sew

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Hello, Im Georgina from Sew in the Garden. I'm very excited for you all to be reading my first Minerva Crafts post!

As soon as I saw this embroidered cut work boarder print Cotton Lawn Fabric I knew it would make the perfect summer dress. The Christine Haynes Emery Dress Sewing Pattern has been on my to sew list for a few months now and decided they would work well together.

The fabric is lovely and light but is quite see through. The boarder detail has a scalloped edge and flower shapes. It is along one selvedge edge and measures approximately 7 inches.

I love wearing bright colours and although I love cream dresses the colouring isn't for me and I would end up looking filthy by the end of the day. However I had a plan... Hello sunflower yellow Dylon Fabric Dye!

I haven't dyed fabric since I was a teenager when me and friend use to customise our clothes. I remember it being messy and the results were always slightly patchy but that was probably because we weren't allowed to use the washing machine and had to do it in a bucket! Now I own my own washing machine I can fill it with fabric dye as much as I like!

Dying complete and I was very impressed with the results. The dye has take really well to the fabric. Some of the stitching on the back hasn't taken but you can't see that anyway. There is a small area of stitching on one of the sleeves where the front stitching hasn't taken as well as the fabric but unless you are standing very close and staring at my arm I don't think you would notice.

As I've never made the Emery dress before so I was aiming for this to be wearable toile. I finally mastered the FBA and it has definitely changed my sewing life. There are still some adjustments I need to make to the dress, hence no full photographs of me wearing it but I will get it altered and worn this summer! Dying the fabric has made the fabric less see through but as I had enough fabric I have lined the bodice and made a shorter skirt lining so that you can still see the cut work boarder detail.

Instead of hemming the dress I very carefully, and I mean very carefully, cut along the scalloped detail in the boarder. This gives the dress and sleeves a pretty finishing detail. I did spend some time trimming all the loose fabric on the inside of the embroidered boarder as I didn't want them sticking through the cut work.

When sewing with this fabric I noticed that my pins kept catching. I would definitely recommend using finer pins and pinning within the seam allowance. To finish the seams I used French seams, I do love a French seam. I would normally use my overlocker but it wasn't threaded with the right colour and I was being too lazy to rethread!

I would definitely recommend this fabric for wearable toiles and it would make the perfect throw on dress when hanging out in the garden or on the beach. It's also great if you want to give fabric dying a try. 

Thanks for reading,

Georgina @ Sew in the Garden

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Hi Everyone! This is Lara from Handmade by Liz and I’m so excited to be on the Minerva Crafts Blog for another guest post!

I have been eyeing the Laurel Sewing Pattern from Collette since I first started sewing and decided to finally take the plunge and give it a go! The top version really caught my eye as it is such a great “work week” basic. You could have it in a million colors and prints and always have something fun to wear to work. I found this really vintage feeling floral Poplin Fabric on the Minerva website and felt like it would be a perfect fit!

Having never sewn any of the Colette patterns before, I was a little bit nervous about the fit of the pattern block on me. I sewed up a quick toile version and it seemed to be a good fit and decided to dive straight into my fabric from Minerva. I chose to sew up the top version but added on the ruffle sleeve because I thought it would be a fun addition to this vintage look.

I made only one modification to the pattern and removed the center back seam of the top, but other than that, I sewed the pattern as is. I sewed the entire pattern with French Seams which is my favorite way to finish a garment.

My favorite part of the pattern is the finishing of the cuffs. The way Colette has you finish and assemble the cuffs is so beautiful and a clean finish.

The Laurel Pattern is nice because it comes with a couple different variations including a dress and a top version, the option for an underlining on the dress, and the option for patch pockets. I am always opting for patterns that have a variety of different views in order to be able to make the same pattern a couple different ways – once you find a pattern that fits, you should make multiples, right?

My favorite finishing on the neckline is always a bias binding so I was excited to see that this pattern was drafted for a bias binding. If a pattern has a facing, I usually substitute bias binding for it anyways! I used a pre-made bias tape in a fun design similar to this here. I also finished the hem with bias binding which is also my preferred method – no burning of fingers trying to turn the hem under!

When I made my toile, I used a lighter weight fabric and the stiffer fabric of the floral poplin made for a bit of a tighter fit. I still love it, but I think if I make another version in a poplin or stiffer, I might size up or decrease the seam allowance a bit. I also am dreaming of making a version in a drapey Rayon Fabric – I think it would be beautiful. I’ve got my eye on this Fabric too! I might also add an inch or inch and a half to the length as well in my next version.

I am really thrilled with the way this has turned out and so glad I decided to give the Laurel pattern a try!

I’d love to see your versions of the Laurel Pattern – make sure to reach out to me on Instagram or connect with me on my blog! Thanks for stopping by today!

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Hi everyone,

I'm Diane and I blog over at Dream Cut Sew. It’s a lovely opportunity for me to be part of the product reviewing team for Minerva Crafts and today I’m reviewing this lightweight embroidered Cotton Lawn Fabric. I chose the silver grey colourway and I’m glad I did because light grey is a great neutral for me in Spring and Summer.

The pretty embroidered border runs down the selvedge edge on one side of the fabric only and with that in mind I asked for 1.8m so that I had enough of the border to play with. 

I pre-washed my fabric length because of it being 100% cotton and I used a short wash with a medium temperature setting of 35 degrees C. The fabric was a bit creased when it came out of the machine though it ironed nicely. I would recommend ironing whilst damp for best results. The weight is very fine and a little sheer so if you planned on making something like a breezy summer dress or skirt I think an added cotton lining would be advisable. With the deep border (approximately 8” deep) a floaty maxi skirt or a boho style dress or even a tunic would be lovely style ideas and the border could be used on the hems. Also what about a pretty dress with a full gathered skirt on a plain bodice for a little girl? This would be fabulous for beach cover ups too.

For my project I wanted to showcase the embroidered borders for bell shaped sleeve cuffs and a gathered bodice hem on a little Spring top. I used New Look Sewing Pattern number 6434 and did a little pattern hacking to it. I lengthened the sleeves and added the gathered border along the front body and on the sleeves. When you buy this fabric you really need to consider where you’ll want to use the border detail too and be sure to order enough length to cater for that. I knew I wanted sleeve frills and something along the front….1.8 was the perfect amount for me.

So, for my top, I wanted a bit more detail on it besides the borders and I decided that some decorative tucks were the way to go. 

I made eight tucks down the front and six on each sleeve. The advantage of the front tucks is that they provide a little more modesty so I don’t necessarily need to wear a camisole underneath, just a flesh toned bra would be fine. 

As I worked on it, the fabric stitched up like a breeze using a standard universal size 70 needle in my machine and it pressed well too. You can see how nicely the tucks lie in these pictures and I’ve also shown how I measured out for each one. I pressed a line 2cm from the stitching of each tuck and used the edge of my machine foot as my width guide along each fold line.

I made a really narrow stitched hem for the sleeve and body hems….for a while, I did ponder the idea of cutting close to the scalloped embroidered edges of the fabric in order to showcase the curves along the lower edge, but I decided against it in the end. I was a little worried that after a couple of washes there could be a bit of fraying, so I think If you want to try this for yourself it would be a good idea to practise on a scrap of fabric first and wash it a couple of times to see what happened. 

Finally I just used a simple bias binding for the neckline. You definitely need to think delicate and fine with necklines and hems when working with this cotton lawn. 

I’m really pleased with how my top turned out and the fabric feels soft on my skin, plus I think it’ll also be nice and cool to wear. I really hope you feel inspired to sew something yourself.

Thanks for reading,

Diane @ DreamCutSew

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You know when you just love something - that thing you have found that you are so passionate about, but not many people understand? We know what you mean. When it comes to being a seamstress, it seems as if we have our own language. It is almost like living in your own little world that only you and a few of your friends can understand.

As a seamstress, Fabric, sewing needles and our handy-dandy sewing machine are our thing. Just like a nice football is to an athlete, our tools are our prized possessions. While everyone around a seamstress can appreciate a nice, finished project, only the seamstress themselves can appreciate all the work and each and every aspect that actually went into the process of making the completed piece.

There is just something so pleasing about the materials that we use and the feelings that our tools provoke – in addition to the feelings provoked by the hobby itself. A great sewing needle, or the smell of brand new fabric that you have just been waiting to get your hands on - these are the things that only a true seamstress can understand and appreciate. The joy that you feel when you learn how to finish that new stitch. All of these things are so pleasing, but only to a select few.

Other things that we have learned to appreciate as seamstresses are the everyday habits, our do’s and don’ts and the things that we might even forget to do when we get into the sewing zone. Being a seamstress can be a full-blown lifestyle, rather than just an occasional hobby. For those who aren’t that engulfed in the field, it can seem a bit confusing.

Check out these 15 things, that Wunderlabel have narrowed down, that only a seamstress can truly understand! 

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Hey Gals and Guys,

I’m Kten. If we haven’t already met… Hiiii nice to meet ya :o)! I normally blog over at Jinx & Gunner, my e-home-away-from-home but this month I’ve come to pay Minerva’s e-crib a little visit because they were nice enough to send me some project materials (Thank you Minerva!!) and I wanted to do a little share-sies with you fine folks. Hope you like it:

I hate to so publicly pat-myself-on-the-back buuuut isn’t she a beaut?? This is the Nascha mini skirt by Named Patterns. To best highlight the strong diagonal design line and triangular slit across the front, as well as the exposed zip in the back, I knew I wanted a striped fabric to work with. So Minerva sent me 2yds of this gorgeous hand printed Batik Fabric and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out (pat pat ;o) ). However, if I’m being completely honest, after all the effort I put into pattern placement on the front and back, I wasn’t quite able to pattern match the sides. Oh well … sometimes something’s gotta give, right?

On the topic of fabric pattern, lets take a quick minute to discuss this batik deliciousness shall we? It’s listed as a medium-weight cotton on Minerva’s site, but truth be told, when it arrived it was a little bit lighter than I expected. I think this is probably due to the tension of the weave as opposed to the thickness of the fiber. It’s not loose by any means but also doesn’t have that stiff/crispness that comes with a tight weave and ultimately what I was expecting from ‘medium weight cotton’. Does that make sense? Either way the fabric was definitely still solid enough for this application, but for future reference it may be better suited for a top or loose fitting summer dress. Just my opinion, but by all means go get some and then let’s discuss, lol.

The fabric itself has a slightly wrinkled texture to it that I think comes from the wax treatment used in the batik-ing process. In a way it’s almost similar to seersucker… but better, I mean look at those thick juicy stripes! Also these are hand painted stripes folks, so every once in a while you’ll see where they don’t quite match up, and even more rarely where the wax must have accidentally dripped during the creation process. I loooove these parts…insert all the heart eyes. For me it really plays up having a one-of-a-kind piece. Those subtleties plus the ability to manipulate the stripes with such a modern structured pattern made me like a kid in a candy shop!

Minerva sent me 2 yards to play with and even though I was cutting all my pieces on the bias to accentuate the design lines, I had more than enough to make a size 34. In addition to this I was also sent white cotton lining and a metal zip. I pre-washed the two fabrics together and my white lining definitely came out looking ever so slightly blue, so color coordinate if you wash this fabric people. For me, however, at the end of the day, these two fabrics will always be washed together now that I have bound them together for life, so it’s all good in my book. Now, I just have a perfectly matched lining ;o)! I requested a metal zip since it would be exposed and I just think they make a project look so profesh (I know, here we go again, pat pat).

If you’ve read about this pattern before on other blogs, then you probably already know that it is an amazing puzzle of a pattern that comes together very cleverly. Not an unfinished seam in sight. Truth-be-told there isn’t even a finished seam in sight because everything is enclosed within the lining. The last step of the entire skirt has you hand sew the lining to the exposed zip and the front slit, but that’s it for hand sewing, so it’s a pretty quick make as well.

As I mentioned earlier this is a straight size 34. When I was muslin-ing the pattern I made a size 32, and while the waist was pretty good, because the whole skirt pegs slightly and I not only have hips, but also thighs that ‘don’t lie’ I felt a little limited in my mobility…like… could-only-take-dainty-steps limited, lol. This one is waaaaay more comfortable, but also sits a little lower on my hips because the waist is a tad too big. Next time I might grade between the two sizes but I’ll see how this one ‘performs’ over a couple washes before deciding. You never know if a little shrinking is in the cards with a natural fiber and I’m already pretty happy with the fit, so we shall see.

Anyways, I think I’ve probably already written more than you all signed up to read so I’ll just leave you with one more pic showing my pattern matching skillz (pat pat pat) ;o)

Happy sewing peeps. It was a pleasure to meet ya!

Later,

Kten

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Hello Everyone!

It's Alex here again and I am super excited to be writing my second guest post for the Minerva Crafts Blog!

In a few weeks, I will be travelling to the streets of Paris in 1899. This fictional trip to Montmatre is to attend the latest Secret Cinema event, a recreation of Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge! Having attended other Secret Cinema events in the past, I know that dressing up is all part of the fun. The only thing that could make it even more fun is sewing your own outfit. As with other events, I received an email with my character and costume details. I will be a journalist, and I need to wear a white shirt with red bow tie and top hat and a long red skirt. This is pretty tame compared to the other costumes I have seen! As I already had a white shirt, I decided that I would make the skirt, and what could be better for a fictional trip to Paris than a Sewing Pattern by Deer and Doe, who are actually based in Paris?

I chose to make the Fumeterre Skirt Pattern. This is a high-waisted maxi skirt, with a choice of button front or a fly front zipper.  I decided to go for Version B which has the fly front zipper. My fabric choice was a lovely lightweight linen blend in a vibrant red. I chose this particular Dressmaking Fabric because I was keen to wear the skirt again during the Summer, and this has a really summery feel which stops it feeling like a fancy dress item. I decided to cut the pattern a size up from my usual size based on my waist measurements, and I'm really glad I did because the fit is pretty snug. The sheer volume of fabric required for this skirt is quite overwhelming, and tracing off the pattern pieces and cutting out the fabric took a good couple of hours. The skirt is made up of triangular panels, with pockets added to two of the front panels. Piecing them all together was straightforward, but I had to lay al the pieces out so I didn't get confused and attach them together in the wrong order!  

Making the fly front zipper was a new technique for me, and I found the instructions confusing at first. I had to edgestitch the fly front from the wrong side of the fabric, rather than topstitching on the right side as I couldn't get it to lie flat. I used co-ordinating thread, so the finish was similar. If I decided to make this again with contrasting topstitching, I would baste in place first from the wrong side to avoid this problem. I really like this effect, and am pleased with how it turned out once I finally understood what I needed to do.

Attaching the waistband was straightforward. The pattern suggests inserting elastic into the back of the waistband, but I decided to skip this as it was a good fit already. The bottom of the skirt is finished with a facing rather than a turned-up hem. This is the first time I have finished a hem like this. In order to shorten the length, I knew I would need to cut off the excess, leaving the seam allowance in place. I was nervous about cutting it too short, so I asked my Mum (a very experienced seamstress!) to pin it up for me, so I would know that the length was right. It was 4.5cm too long, so I ironed it wrong sides together at 3cm so I had a clear cutting line to allow for the seam allowance.

My only slight niggle with the skirt is that the waistband wasn't sitting quite straight at the button fastening.  At my Mum's suggestion, I added a popper to hold it together at the top, and this solved the problem.

I'm really pleased with the final skirt - it works well for my Moulin Rouge costume, but the fabric choice makes it really wearable and I can definitely see me wearing this in the Summer.  If I was to make it again, I would choose a light denim chambray and I would take the time to use contrasting topstitching which would give a really professional finish.

Now I'm definitely ready for my trip to the Moulin Rouge - Au Revoir!

Thanks for reading,

Alex from Alex's Adventures in Fabric

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Hello,

It's Sarah here from Alabama Sews and I am here today on the Minerva Crafts Blog to show you a tutorial on how to make your own circle skirt.

Circle skirts are one of my favourites to make and wear. They are super quick to sew and flatter every body shape. Plus they can easily be dressed up or down. For my nautical version I went casual with a self drafted ponte roma jersey top and trainers. 

Supplies:

·      Paper or card at least 30” square, depending on size of skirt.

·      Marker pen(s).

·      Long ruler.

·      2m of 60” wide Dressmaking Fabric. (More or less fabric may be needed depending on the size and length of your skirt).

·      1/4m of Lining Fabric.

·      1/4m of Interfacing that matches the weight of your fashion fabric.

·      9” Dress Zip or Invisible Zip to match fabric.

·      1” Button or skirt Hook and Bar. 

Measuring

1.     Measure your waist. This can be your natural waist, or the point at which you would like your skirt to sit. 

2.     We will use our waist size as the circumference of our circle. To be able to draft our skirt, we need to calculate the radius of this circle. 

The formula for this is Radius = Waist/2 Pi

Or if maths isn’t your forte you can use the handy table I prepared earlier!

3.     Using two long lines, draw a right angle. (Start an inch or two away from the corner of your paper as we will need this space later). From the corner, mark your radius length on each line. 

4.     From the corner of your right angle, starting at one side, measure out the distance of your radius and mark. Continue marking from one side to the other until you have a curve. 

5.     Join the marks to form a nice smooth curve. This is your waist seam. 

6.     Decide on the length you want your finished skirt to be. From your waist curve and starting at one side, mark your skirt length continuing all the way round to the other side. 

7.     Join your points to form a smooth curve. This is your skirt hem. 

8.     Along both sides and above the waist, add 5/8” seam lines. Add 1” seam line below the hem. 

9.     Label your pattern piece if you haven’t already done so. I like to mark my patterns with all the details I might need in the future. Like the size of the seam allowances, the size, side seams, centre front, centre back, grainlines and how many pieces of each I need to cut. I know from experience, it’s easy to forget! 

Waistband

Your waistband size will be your waist measurement plus 3.25”. (So if you measured your waist at 32”, your waistband will be 35.25”). 

1.     Draw a rectangle that measures your waistband size by 3.25” high.

2.     At each end of your waistband, mark lines 5/8” in to show your seam lines. 

3.     At one end, mark a line 1.5” in from your seam line and label it the centre back.

4.     Halfway between the centre back (CB) and the seam line on the other end, make a point and label it the centre front (CF). These marks are to help you later when attaching the waistband to the skirt. 

Pockets

*If you don’t want to add pockets, skip this part and move onto cutting your skirt.*

1.     Using a small piece of paper, draw around your hand. 

2.     Join the two ends of your pocket with a straight line.  Draw a 5/8” seam allowance around the pocket and a 3/8” seam allowance at the side seam. 

Cutting your skirt

1.     Using your skirt piece, fold under the seam allowance on the centre seam only. Place the centre seam on the fold of your fabric and cut 1 piece. 

2.     Unfold the centre seam allowance. Cut 2 from your fabric using this pattern piece. 

3.     Cut 1 waistband from your fabric, 1 from your lining and 1 from fusible interfacing. (You can use your outer fabric for the lining if desired). Iron your interfacing to your outer fabric waistband piece.

Sewing your skirt

*If you are not adding pockets, skip ahead to step 5. You can finish your seams at this point if desired.* 

1.     Mark a point 3 inches down from the waist on each side seam. Place a pocket piece on the side seam at this mark, right sides together (RST). 

2.     Sew the pocket to the side seam using a 3/8” seam. 

3.     Repeat for each pocket. 

4.     Fold pockets out and press.

5.     Place front and one back piece RST. Sew side seam using a 5/8” seam.  If you have added pockets, sew down the side seam until you reach the pocket, then sew around the pocket and continue back down the side seam to the skirt hem. 

6.     Repeat for the other side seam.

7.     Sew an invisible or lapped zipper in the centre back and finish the centre back seam. I chose a handpicked lapped zipper for my skirt.   

You can find an invisible zipper tutorial here and a lapped zipper tutorial here. 

8.     Place your outer waistband onto your skirt waist seam, right sides together, lining up the centre front and centre back markings. At the centre back, one end of your waistband should extend 5/8" past the back of your skirt and the other end should extend 2 5/8". 

9.     Sew your waistband to your skirt using a 5/8” seam, starting and stopping at the centre back of your skirt. Fold waistband out and press seams towards waistband. 

10.  Place your waistband lining on your waistband, right sides together. Using a 5/8” seam, sew the waistband and lining together along each side and along the top. 

11.  Trim seams, clip corners and turn waistband lining to inside. Press.

12.  Fold all seams to inside of waistband. Either sew the waistband lining down by hand or stitch in the ditch on the outside of your skirt.

13.  If you have opted for a hook and eye, sew these to the waistband and the overlap. 

If you have chosen a button closure, sew a buttonhole in the overlap of your waistband. Sew your button onto your waistband. 

14.  We’re nearly there but have one important step left before we finish the hem… hanging your skirt! Because circle skirts are cut on the bias of the fabric, they have a tendency to stretch. Hemming it now would mean you eventually end up with a wonky hem. If you want a nice even hem on your skirt, it is really important to let it hang for at least 24 hours. The longer the better! Either leave your skirt on a tailors dummy (if you have one) or on a hanger. 

15.  Once you’ve left your skirt to hang, the hem will need to be evened up. A little trick I use to get the hem nice and even is to lay my skirt out flat and lay my original pattern piece on top. The smooth hemline gives a guide to trim to.  

16.  Once you’ve trimmed any excess fabric, finish your hem in your preferred method. I usually opt for either a rolled hem or horsehair braid. For this version, I used 1” horsehair braid as it gives an extra bit of poof.

I hope you’ve enjoyed drafting and making your own circle skirt and I’d love to see all your creations!

Sarah x

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Hi Everyone,

Im Bianca and I blog over at Sleepless in Bavaria. I am delighted to be making a guest appearance on the Minerva Crafts Blog today.

If you've been thinking about taking up quilting and have found the process of making different quilting blocks daunting and maybe even a little terrifying, look no further.

In this tutorial you will be taught how to make perfect half square blocks that in return can be turned into a number of different shapes to make your own finished project versatile and intricate.

To get the best results you'll need the following tools, which you might already have in your sewing arsenal and if not we've linked in the products from the site that you might consider ordering. You can of course use normal fabric scissors to cut the fabric, however the more accurate you cut and sew the blocks, the better the end results.

• Rotary Cutter

• Ruler(s)

• Marking Pen

• Rotary Cutting Mat

• Scissors

• Sewing machine

• Fabric

Minerva Crafts offers a fantastic range of quilting cottons and poplins, which have a great quality and are easy to use, especially for beginners. For this tutorial, I will be using plain Cotton Poplin Fabrics that come in lots of colours. I recommend washing and ironing your fabrics before cutting into them, as they might shrink a little bit the first time they are washed.

For this very simple block you'll need to cut your fabrics into 5" squares. The best way to do this is by using the markings on your cutting mat as pictured below. If you fold your fabric to almost the size of the cutting mat and then cut the squares using your ruler and rotary cutter, you'll have made quite a number of squares very quickly.

Place two 5" squares on top of each other with the right sides facing and pin in place. Use your ruler and marking pen and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other. You will want to sew a straight line ¼ from the line on both sides of said line as seen below. (Pro tip: if you want to save time, you could first pin and mark all the squares you would like to use and then sew/chain stitch all the squares continuously) once you've stitched both lines, cut down the marked line turning the square into two triangles.

Press the triangles open making sure that the seam allowance is pressed onto the darker fabric, so it doesn't show through the lighter fabric.

You might also have noticed, that they all look a bit uneven or even jagged, but don't worry, we'll take care of that in a little bit. You'll want your finished block to be 4 ¼" , use your square ruler and match up the diagonal line on the ruler with the diagonal line on the block, making sure that the square will fit into the above mentioned dimensions. See how there's fabric protruding the side of the ruler? Use your rotary cuter and trim the excess fabric down (including the tails), do this with the other two sides of the square.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You now have 2 half square blocks. But first: make yourself a cuppa and have a biscuit, you deserve it!

Turning your Half Square Blocks into Sample Quilting Blocks

You'll be surprised to know, that you've already mastered the hardest part of the tutorial by making the half square blocks. You can now decide on what kind of pattern you'd like to make. Below you'll find a few examples of how to make different quilting blocks by using 4 half square blocks:

The Half Square:

The easiest block there is, just line up 4 half square blocks.

The Flying Geese:

Personally, my favorite block is the flying geese block, seen below it basically just two blocks put together that form a triangle.

The Windmill:

It looks like a rather complicated block, but all you have to do is make sure the half square blocks are places correctly as seen bellow and you're good to go.

The Parallelogram:

Just put 2 half square blocks together, on the right way around and one on its head and you'll have another difficult looking block put together.

Once you've decided on a block, lay out the half square blocks the way you'd like them too look and then always pin two blocks together making sure the right sides are facing each other.

Sew the blocks with a ¼" seam allowance and then press open. Repeat again to sew the top and bottom half of the block together.

The great thing about making different blocks in different colors, means that that a gazillion ways you could put the blocks together.

You could chose to just go with one block throughout the quilt and use different colors to make it more interesting to look at. Or you could use just one block and one color for a very modern quilt. It could look like something like this:

You could of course chose to use all the blocks and put the quilt together like a true sampler quilt, in which every block is different, it could like something like this:

At the end of the day, you are your own boss and can decide what you'd like your finished quilt to look like, there is no right or wrong and I am sure whatever you chose, it will be much loved and fantastic.

We'd love to see what you make with our simple quilting blocks so do tag us on IG with #minervacraftsquilts

Thanks for reading,

Bianca x

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Each era has its signature feature that it is identified or remembered by, and it seems that the iconic feature of our modern age is the infusion of technological innovations in all the components of life.

Earlier such advances were only seen in fields of science like medicine, engineering, astronomy etc. But today everything has been impacted by this, from fashion to fitness and beyond.

As we enter the fourth industrial revolution, one that is led by digitalization of everything, we see a blurring of lines between physical, digital and biological domains. AI, robotics, the Internet of things, autonomous gadgets, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy storage, and nanotechnology are changing the face of the world at an exponential rate.

The textile industry is also showing sign of changes and innovation with many new methods of manufacture and fresh fabrics being invented regularly. Some of these innovative examples are sure to leave you stunned.

Graphene+:

Graphene plus is a unique fabric produced by a company called Direct Plus which is being used in making sportswear items. This fabric is special because it acts as a filter between the wearer’s body and the environment around it. The thermally conductive properties of the material lets it disperse the body heat out in warm climates and evenly distributes it in cold surroundings.

G+ also facilitates top sporting performance due to its electrostatic and bacteriostatic qualities which reduce friction. Affordable, chemical free, natural and sustainably produced this fabric can be also used in commercial applications like tires, composite materials and making other smart textiles and environmental solutions.

Style 413:

This is an outdoor fabric that has been specially developed for protection against baby ticks, ticks and mosquitos while being breathable and offering ventilation. The fabric is also water repellent, fire resistant and fire retardant making it of great value to the tenting industry. The pure polyester thread is dyed with automotive dyes making it U.V resistant and hence slowing down degradation by the sun. The fabric made by Jason Mills is also being marketed to the bee industry to make protective clothing.

QMONOS: 

A very resilient and incredible natural fiber, spider silk is sometimes even more durable and elastic than any natural or synthetic fiber and is six times stronger than high-grade steel, per weight. Hence it’s no surprise that many tries have been made to create this material synthetically. Finally, QMONOS was created by a collaboration of the brand called The North Face which designed the Moon Parka, and a Japanese company Spiber, which created a brand new bio-engineered bacteria that looks and feels like spider silk.

Teijin Frontier's Polyester: 

This is a highly functional polyester material which has excellent water absorbency making it perfect for toweling. A soft textured material with a unique bulky but light feeling this material can be used for sportswear, functional underwear, and uniforms, as well as bedding and industrial products. The innovative material’s pile structure is durable and remains intact in its appearance, functionality, and comfort, even after countless washings.

The unique material offers 5 times greater water diffusion and moves the water rapidly from the human skin keeping it dry. It also boasts heat insulation that is three times higher than fleece because of its bulky fiber structure.

Adidas’ shoe yarn from ocean’s plastic waste: 

Showcased at UN’s Conference of the Parties in Paris, this shoe uses filaments and yarns which are refurbished and recycled from plastic ocean waste and recycled polyester. Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans, in creating new sustainable materials and innovations for their shoes. Keeping in account the global plastic pollution levels Adidas’ plan is to bring their industry to creating sustainable solutions with the hope of completely eradicating ocean pollution.

So if you are thinking of creating sports clothing based on the latest athleisure styling trend, or an unconventional shoe line, take cues from these innovators and their groundbreaking fabrics because they will be coming your way in the future!

Author Bio:

Carla Adams is an enthusiastic dreamer and a workaholic to achieve that. She is a blogger, writer, basketball player, technology and fashion freak. For all the updates follow her on Facebook.