Charm Pack "Sit Upon" Tutorial - Happy 100th Birthday Girl Scouts!

WOW ! The Girl Scouts are 100 years old today ! In honor of this milestone birthday, the MBIAJ Sewing and Quilting Dept thought a "Sit Upon" tutorial was in order. (As you can see, the bear was the only willing subject to model our "Sit Upon") What IS a "Sit Upon" you ask ? Well, it's water proof .... it's padded .... and it has ties for around your waist so you can sit at a moments notice and not get a wet butt when you are out on a hike with fellow Girl Scouts !

So, here's what you need to make one the MBIAJ way .....















-16 Charm squares (or single piece of fabric 20" x 20" )

-20 1/2" x 20 1/2" piece of laminated fabric, oilcloth, (or any water proof fabric)

-two pieces of 20" x 20" quilt batting (to make it xtra soft for sitting upon!)

-one piece of fabric (for tie) 4" x 44" (or whatever length is needed to tie around
waist - sorry, I forgot to put this in the picture - I used 100% cotton fabric)

-Pearl cotton #5 embroidery floss

-large eye needle

First sew the 16 charm squares together 4 squares across x 4 squares down (using 1/4"seams) . Next layer the pieced top with the 2 batting pieces,making sure the batting pieces are even with the edges of the pieced top (just trim any excess batting)



























Make your "quilt sandwich" by positioning the oilcloth (i.e. laminiated fabric) face down, then the 2 batting layers, and then the pieced top (the oilcloth will extend beyond the pieced top and batting by 1/2").



Trim the oilcloth even with the pieced top and batting on ONE SIDE ONLY (leave other 3 sides alone)




To make a mock binding, wrap the oilcloth edges around to front of the sit upon on 3 sides enclosing the pieced top and batting (use hair clips NOT pins to secure the binding)




At corners fold one side down ....







.....then other on top and ....









...trim away any edge that peeks out at the corner.













Using a long length of the pearl cotton embroidery floss (knotted at the end, hiding knot between layers of Sit Upon) stitch around the 3 bound sides, using an overlay stitch (stitches should be approximately 1/2" apart)

























To make the tie :

cut one piece of fabric 4" x width of fabric (approx. 44") - or whatever length you need to tie around your waist.




press under (to wrong sides) 1/2" on each end



press in half length wise to find center, then unfold





fold each long edge in to center fold line ....











and press












fold again to center and press to make long binding / tie strip








matching center of binding /tie to center of Sit Upon, open folded binding/tie and wrap around unfinished edge of Sit Upon



(tie will extend beyond each side of Sit Upon for tying around waist)













stitch the binding/tie to Sit Upon starting at one short end of long binding/tie , along lower long edge , across Sit Upon and continue on to other short end of binding /tie.
















Now all you have to do is tie your Sit Upon around your waist and you're ready to sit upon your Sit Upon !!!

Happy sitting ! and Happy 100th Birthday to the Girl Scouts !

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)