We’ve been highlighting some of the projects in the recently released Janome Lookbook. Two weeks ago I shared with you how to start making this fun Quilty Target Toss game and today I’m back to share with you how to make the targets.
Part 1’s post left off with the sandwiched quilt top sewn together. From there you can stitch in the ditch to quilt your top.
Next up is creating the targets! You can customize this area of your target toss game in so many different ways. If the recipient likes flowers and girlie things, this is perfect! But maybe they would like something sports related? Or what about for the young ones who are learning shapes, you could do a square, a triangle, a circle… the list goes on! Whatever you make the targets, just make sure you are considering something with a simpler outline as you will have to appliqué around it!
I was inspired to create wonky flowers as the targets for this toss game because it was fun and the colours seemed to suit my two nieces, who I made this for, to a “t”!
There are five targets on my game but you can add more or less. You can also make the targets different sizes to increase or decrease the skill level of this game!
To add stability and to fuse your targets to your quilt, I applied Steam-a-Seam Lite to the back of the fabric. Trim your fabric to the desired shape – but don’t cut out the inside hole that you will use for the target toss just yet! But do mark the circle where you will make your hole for your game.
Follow the instructions on the Steam-a-Seam lite and fuse to the top of your quilt. I measured out to make sure my middle target was centred and the others were evenly spaced.
Using a straight stitch, stitch on the line of the mark you made for the hole of each target (check out the diagram below if this gets confusing). NOW you can cut out the centre. Yes, this part is a bit painful. Leaving a 1/2 inch margin on the inside – cut through your target appliqué AND through your quilt. (eee! – remember the bigger goal – the fun Quilty target toss game!).
Clip around all edges of your margin (almost up to but not touching the straight stitch you made earlier). Press the margin under your quilt with a hot iron using the stitched line as your guide for the edge. Using a straight stitch or an appliqué stitch, secure the flap into place. Yes, it will be a raw edge on the underside but no one will see it.
Use an appliqué stitch to finish the edge on the outside of your target designs.
I don’t know if you’ve had issues with double sided fusible webbing before but I have. Sometimes the adhesive gums up with needle and causes stitches to skip and thread to break.
Fusible Webbing Tips
A couple of quick tips that I’ve learned to help alleviate this issue.
- Keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol handy. When the needle starts to get gummed up, moisten a cotton pad with rubbing alcohol and use it to clean the adhesive off your sewing needle.
- Make sure you are using steam a seam lite. This is specifically meant for appliqué and is suppose to have a light adhesive (aka. less to gum up your needle!).
- Consider using a Janome titanium coated needed. These help glide through any adhesive that might stick.
The final piece to this project is to make a few bean bags so you have something to throw at the targets. I like to fill my with fibre fill and about a half a cup of rice or beans (uncooked!) just to give them a bit of weight.
Now you are ready to play!
What fun things do you have on your sewing to-do list for summer? What are your favourite summer games to play outside?
Janome Life 