Kona Club Challenge - Candy Dish Tutorial by Stacey Day

Stacey from Stacey in Stitches took the Kona Club Challenge this month.  Stacey used the colors we sent out in December 2012 for Kona Club and made this fun Candy Dish. We hope you enjoy this tutorial and make one of your own!

We are giving away the fat quarters that Stacey used in this tutorial so be sure to leave a comment on this post to win!

Candy Dish 

Hi, I’m Stacey from over at Stacey in Stitches. I am very excited to be a guest here at Sew Sisters, to share my Candy Dish tutorial! I live in Beautiful British Columbia with my husband, son, and slightly neurotic cat. I have been quilting and sewing since I was about 6. My grandma and mom taught me almost everything I know, and instilled a love of art in me that manifests itself in quilting. I have my diploma in Fashion Production from Olds College, and I dabble in knitting, crochet, and watercolour. I started blogging last year when my son was born, and I am so inspired by the myriad of talented quilters and fiber artists out there! I am also a member of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild.

It’s that time of year again when the stores start selling a yummy assortment of candy and snack size chocolates bars in preparation for the holiday season that kicks off at Halloween and doesn't stop until just after New Year's. With all the entertaining to be done, why not keep the crystal in the cupboard and show off your superb sewing skills with a set of quilted candy dishes? They are easy to make and give away as gifts, and can be made for every candy-filled holiday throughout the year, from Halloween and Christmas, to Valentines Day and Easter. The template can be enlarged or shrunk for a great variety of sizes, and you can utilize some of the fancy stitches on your machine to sew wedges together.

So let’s get started!

You will need:

• 4 Fat Quarters of Kona Cotton Solids - I used Amber, Evergreen, Wine, and Burgundy
• 1 Neutral Kona Solid of your choice for the inside of the dish. I used Kona Black
• 1/4m fusible fleece 
• Template Sheet

Kona Club Bundle - December 2013 and Kona Black

Instructions: 

Print your template sheet and cut out the wedge and bottom templates. I glue mine to old manila folders or cardboard for extra strength before cutting. The #1 wedge template should measure 5 ½” from top to bottom when printed.

From the short side of each fat quarter cut 3 strips 1 ¾” wide. Take one strip of each color and sew them together, lightest to darkest, pressing the seams open. You will have 3 strip sets.

Take your #1 wedge template (this template includes the seam allowance) and cut 16 exterior wedges by rotating the template 180 degrees after each cut. You will have 8 exterior wedges with the lightest fabric at the top and 8 exterior wedges with the darkest fabric at the top. This is enough to make 2 dishes.

From your neutral cut 16 interior wedges in the same manner, plus 4 bottoms. This will be the lining and bottom of the candy dish.

Cut 16 wedges from the fusible fleece using the #2 wedge template and 2 bottoms using the #2 Bottom Template. Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the main wedges, centering the fleece 1/4” from the raw edges. Fuse the fleece bottoms to the wrong side of the neutral bottoms in the same manner. Set all the bottoms aside.

Sew your main fabric wedges together in pairs, matching seams. Press open. Sew the pairs together to form 4 semi-circles. Sew the semi-circles together on either side to form a closed circle. Press all the seams open. Repeat for the lining. You will have 2 main shells and 2 lining shells.

Pin a main shell right sides together at the bottom to a fleeced circle, matching the corners to each wedge seam. Sew around the bottom, stopping and pivoting on the seam at each corner. Sew slowly and carefully to avoid puckers.

Press the seam by using a tailor’s ham, or by placing the shell over the end of your ironing board as shown. Repeat for all shells

Place a lining shell inside a main shell right sides together, matching the seams and pinning in place.

Sew completely around the top of the shells, pivoting slightly at each seam, leaving a 2” gap and back stitching at each end.

Flip the dishes right sides out and press the lining into the dish. Hand sew the gap closed and press around the dishes so that they are smooth and the lining cannot be seen over the top of the dish. Tack the lining to the main fabric at two opposite points in the seam at the bottom of the dish to keep the lining in place. Press.


Voila!

You have two lovely finished Candy Dishes ready to go!

You can easily customise the dishes by adding seasonal or personalized appliqués to the wedges, using decorative stitches around the top of the dish, or quilting each wedge before sewing them together. Enlarge the templates for a Candy Bowl, just be sure to increase the width of the fabric by the same amount (double the template size, double the strip width. Triple and triple, and so on). The possibilities are endless!

I hope you enjoy your candy dishes as much as your guests will enjoy the candy!



Happy Stitching!

Stacey

Giveaway!

You could win 4 fat quarters of the Kona Cotton Solids Stacey used to make her Candy Dish!
Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.

Stacey chose the colors we sent out in December 2012 to our Kona Club Members

If you are no-reply blogger please leave your email id in the post.

We will leave the giveaway open till Monday, October 14th, 2013.
Winner will be announced Tuesday, October 15th.
Good luck everybody and enjoy making your very own Candy Dish!