Saving the universe one project at a time!
I made these fun little tote bags for quilt market and they are the perfect size for Trick or Treating, a library bag, or a car ride to grandma’s house!
I used my Library Tote Bag tutorial. They sew up fast and you can use your favorite fabrics!
Click HERE for the tutorial.
I love everything leopard print! It reminds me of Mufasa my cat who is also leopard print!!!
I was in Los Angels a while ago and I found this super cute leopard print vinyl! It has a little gold shimmer to it even! I sewed up these fun little pencil pouches and here is how you can make one! The bag is inspired from my friend Jennifer’s tutorial.
Cut the vinyl 8″ square
You will need a zipper that is at least 12″ long. The zippers I buy are the same price for any length so I always buy 20″ ones!
Pin one edge of the vinyl square along the zipper as pictured above.
Using a zig zag stitch, sew along the edge of the vinyl.
I found it helpful to use an open foot so I could see where the needle was sewing and how the vinyl was lining up.
Pin the opposite edge of the vinyl to the other side of the zipper, making sure both sides are even. Pin in place and sew with a zig zag stitch. This is where a longer zipper is helpful so you can unzip the zipper to sew the second side.
Trim the zipper ends to 1″ overhang and tuck them in the sides. Pin to hold. Sew each side using a zig zag stitch and backstitch to start and stop.
That’s it! You can totally make one in 5 minutes! Ready, set, go!
You can use any kind of vinyl. Here are some pencil pouches I made with clear vinyl, colored zippers, and colored thread.
I am in a few scripture study groups and I wanted to make something meaningful for all the ladies. The theme of Jesus as our shepherd comes up so much – we are his sheep! So I knew I wanted to make a sheep ornament (plus I love sheep!). I began to make THESE ornaments, only to realize I made the sheep to big! The sheep would not fit in the jar lids! It was midnight so there was no turning back! This is what they turned into! And I love them! Here’s how you can make them:
Supplies:
2 charm squares (5″)
5″ square Heat n Bond Fusible Fleece
Scraps of white and black fabric for the sheep
Heat n Bond Lite
Heat n Bond Ultra
Fiber Fill
Ribbon
Begin by selecting your charm squares – I love projects that use up what I have on hand!
Trace the sheep body on to Heat n Bond Lite. Trace the sheep ear, head, and feet onto Heat n Bond Ultra.
Heat set the pieces onto the wrong side of the fabrics. Let cool. Cut out each piece. Peel off backing paper.
Position the sheep pieces onto the center of one of the charm squares. Heat set into place.
Sew around the sheep body with a straight stitch. I used the ultra heat n bond for the feet, ear, and head – which require no sewing. Of course you could sew around each piece – I had to make a lot and now it was 1:00 am!
Heat set the sheep square to the fusible fleece. Then layer them together as pictured above.
Cut a template out of cardstock of a circle just under 5″ in diameter. You can see how it fits right inside of the charm square. Pin and cut the circle through all 3 layers.
Pin all the layers together and tuck a little hanger in the top.
Sew a scant 1/4″ seam around the circle, leaving a 2″ opening to stuff. Add a little fiber fill and then sew the opening closed. Sew around the ornament a second time – I like how it looks when the two seams are a little off – it also helps round out any areas that aren’t perfect!
Tie a little bow and sew into place (or in my case, 1:30 am, hot glue that thing and then go to beed!)
Now go and sew a pasture of sheep! And don’t forget that Jesus loves you 🙂
I love this adorable valentine inspired fabric called Hello Sweetheart by Riley Blake Designs! Seriously the cutest valentine fabric ever!!!
I was so inspired by the clever little valentines that I wanted to turn them into actual valentines you can mail! These are super easy and would be fun for your kids to help make!
Supplies:
Hello Sweetheart valentine panel by Riley Blake Designs
4″ x 6″ pieces coordinating fabric
Heat n Bond heavy weight fusible stabilizer
Spray n Bond basing spray
Paper postcard (see download link)
Thread
Using scissors, cut out the valentines you want to use. There are so many cute ones!!!
Cut each background fabric 4″ x 6″
I had fun mixing and matching the valentines with the background fabric. This is what I choose.
Using Spray n Bond basting spray, spray the wrong side of the valentine and position it on the 4″x 6″ fabric. Sew around the valentine.
Cut (2) 4″ x 6″ pieces of Heat n Bond heavy weight fusible stabilizer. You will use 2 pieces per postcard.
Fuse the first stabilizer to the wrong side of the fabric postcard. Let cool. Then fuse a second piece. Let cool.
Download the postcard template by clicking here. Cut on the gray line – it should measure 4″ x 6″.
They are so cute!
Once they are all stabilized, spray a little basting spray on the wrong side of the stabilizer and position the paper postcard. This is to hold it in place while sewing.
Now that the postcard is assembled, you may need to trim up the edges if the stabilizer of paper are showing. Using a zigzag stitch, sew around the postcard 2 times, sewing near or off the edge.
Now start writing notes to the people you love!!!
Being a California girl I LOVE all things citrus!! Oranges, lemons, limes….I can’t get enough! This fun fabric line called Limonella by Blend Fabrics totally stole my heart! I made this scripture cover for a friend who is new to California!
I started this blog to keep track of all my patterns and I love going back and following my own instructions! Click Here and Here for my scripture cover tutorials.
Of course fresh squeezed lemonade was in order and luckily my sweet friend had a tree full of these delicious Meyer lemons! Seriously the best!!
I’m so excited to be a part of Shari Butler’s blog tour for her upcoming line of fabric In The Meadow for Sweet Bee Designs!! This fabric has such a fresh and whimsical feel – it’s perfect for spring and summer! I originally thought to make a wall quilt or a table quilt but I kept cutting and sewing and it turns out I’ve made myself a new throw quilt!!
Aren’t these fabrics so HAPPY!!!!!! I wanted to make a quilt that felt fun and relaxed just like summer should feel! I call it Pinwheels & Patches and I’m going to share how you can make this quilt!!
The quilt measures 54″ x 72″.
And a little secret, this quilt is made using only 1 quilt block repeated over and over! Cool!!!
Fabric Requirements:
1 red fat quarter (pinwheels)
1 blue fat quarter (pinwheels)
1 yellow fat quarter (pinwheels)
3 low volume fat quarters (pinwheels)
16-20 assorted fat quarters (yellow, pink, red, blue prints)
2/3 yard binding fabric
3 1/2 yard backing fabric
Instructions
all seams 1/4″
WOFQ means width of Fat Quarter (measuring 21″)
Press all seams open
Make the Half Square Triangles (HSTs)
Begin by cutting (3) 5 3/8″ x WOFQ strips of the red, blue, yellow, and three low volume fat quarters (all the pinwheel fat quarters).
Subcut them into (8) 5 3/8″ squares of each color:
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each low volume 5 3/8″ square. Or you can use one of these rulers to draw the 1/4″ lines.
Pair a low volume and a red, yellow or blue 5 3/8″ square, right sides together. Sew 1/4″ along both sides of the diagonal line.
Cut on the diagonal line.
Press seams open. Continue making (16) HSTs of each of the red, yellow, and blue:
The HSTs should measure 5″ at this point.
Using the 16-20 assorted fat quarters, cut a total of (144) 5″ charm squares. This is a scrappy looking quilt, so no need to plan, just cut and go!!
Once you have the (144) 5″ assorted squares cut and the (48) HSTs made, you’re ready to assemble the blocks!
There are 12 large blocks in this quilt each made up of 4 smaller blocks.
Choose (3) 5″ squares and 1 HST. Lay them out like this:
This is the basic unit of the quilt. You will make 48 of these. You can lay the whole thing out, or go totally random and just choose fabrics from a pile! That’s what’s so fun about this quilt!
Sew the squares together as you would a 4-patch, pressing seams open.
Continue making this block unit until you’ve made 48. Next, select 4 block units with matching pinwheel colors, and make a larger 4-patch. Notice how the block is rotated to form a pinwheel! Press seams open.
Continue this process until you’ve made (12) large blocks:
Of course, you can lay out the whole quilt and sew it together row by row. I was excited to find a different method of getting this look!
Once all the blocks are completed, sew them together in rows. Then sew the rows together, making sure to always match and pin at seam intersections.
Pressing seams open throughout the process allows you to mix up blocks and not worry about which way they are pressed!
All that’s left now is to quilt and bind!
My quilting is always done late at night with Mufasa’s help…..he looks really helpful!!!
I love how it turned out! It’s exactly how I wanted it to look and feel! The fabrics lend themselves to a patchwork feel. I love that there are large, medium, and small prints in the collection. It just makes me happy to look at it!
And who doesn’t love a striped binding!!!
It’s easy and breezy!!
You will be surprised how fast you can put this together!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Be sure to follow along on the In The Meadow Blog Tour! You won’t want to miss what these amazing designers have in store for you!!!!
I can’t get enough valentine sewing! I think its just the pick-me-up I need during wintertime! I created this fun mini quilt that is perfect to hang on a wall, put on a table or give to someone you love.
The finished quilt measures 26″ square and is made up of 4 quilt blocks that measure 10″.
These fabrics from Moda are sure to brighten your day! The line is called Just Another Walk in the Woods – and it’s ADORABLE!!! Don’t you just love cracking open a Jelly Roll! It’s a little bit magical!
1/2 a Jelly Roll (or equivalent)
1/3 yard background fabric
Aurifil Threads – 2530 &
Heat n Bond® Lite EZ print sheets
1/2 yard for backing
1/3 yard binding – or you can use left over Jelly Roll Strips
Click Here to download the heart Pattern
All seams 1/4″
Begin by cutting 15-18 of the jelly roll strips into 2 1/2″ squares.
Cut the background fabric:
Select (4) groups of (4) fabrics for the hearts. I selected like colors for each heart but you can make it scrappy if you want! Sew the group of 4 fabrics together in a 4-patch, pressing seams.
Print (or trace) 4 hearts onto Heat n Bond Lite.
Cut out 1/8″ around each heart.
Center the heart on the wrong side of each 4-patch. Heat set.
Cut out each heart and peel off the backing paper. Fuse hearts to the center of the (4) white 6 1/2″ squares. Sew 2 times around each heart with a straight stitch. Set aside.
You can make the HSTs however you prefer. I used my Sizzix machine for quick cutting. They need to measure 2 1/2″ when they are finished. You will need a total of 32 HST to make the 4 blocks.
(Quick HST instructions: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the (32) 2 1/2″ back ground squares. Pair right sides together with a 2 1/2″ square cut from the jelly roll fabric. Sew along the diagonal line. Trim 1/4″ along the seam and press toward the dark.)
Follow the chart below to construct the block:
Use the (16) background 2 1/2″ squares for the block corners and (16) low volume 2 1/2″ squares from the Jelly Roll for the center squares.
Make 4 blocks. I chose a color for each block, but you could totally mix up the colors and make them all scrappy!!
Once the blocks are finished, take the remaining 2 1/2″ squares from the Jelly Roll and piece the sashing and borders. Press all seams open.
Sew (2) strips of 5 squares for the short sashing. Press
Sew (3) strips of 11 squares for the top, middle, and bottom sashing. Press
Sew (2) strips of 13 squares for the side sashing. Press
Make sure to match each seam and pin.
Use Spray n Bond® for quick basting! I can’t live without it!!!
Quilt as desired. Bind.
I hope you love making this!!
I am so totally excited to be a part of the Enchanted Blog Tour sponsored by Riley Blake Designs! You can see the entire collection designed by Dodi Poulsen of Two Sisters at Squirrel Hollow by clicking here 🙂
When I saw this new fabric line from Riley Blake Designs called Enchanted, my heart stopped. I took one look at this pink, navy and white plaid and immediately I was transported to a Cape Cod dream! Sailboats, lobsters, quaint homes and preppy boys on vacation from Harvard 🙂
Ok Ok, so I’ve never been to the Cape but a girl can dream right? I knew I wanted to design something that let this preppy plaid be the focus and something that would be perfect for my sailboat (hahaha).
I came up with a simple quilt pattern that uses plaid, navy and white. When only two prints arrived in the mail I began to panic wondering if I had made a terrible decision to make a quilt using only two prints! I decided to go with my instincts and make the quilt……and I am totally in LOVE!!!!
This quilt really lets the plaid shine in and it’s a great pattern to use if you fall in love with a single fabric print. The accent blocks are made of 4 half square triangle blocks.
…..and the quilt fits nicely inside this preppy plaid whale tote bag – made with denim, plaid, and Heat n Bond Fusible fleece. So, are you ready to set sail for the Cape? Grab your fabrics and lets get sewing!
Preppy Plaid Quilt
1/4″ seams
Supplies
2 yards plaid print
1 yard navy print
1 yard white
Begin by cutting the plaid into (40) 6.5″ squares.
Using the navy blue print and white print sew (160) half square triangles (HST) that measure 3.5″. You can use any method you like. I use my Sizzix half square triangle dies! It is super fast, super easy and no squaring up – just perfection!!
Die cut 160 navy HSTs and 160 white HSTs.
Sew the navy and white HSTs right sides together using 1/4″ seam.
Press seams open. Continue until you have 160 HSTs. It’s probably a good idea to put on a movie while doing this!
Lay out 4 HSTs to make the pattern above. Sew together as you would a 4-patch. Press seams open. Finished block will measure 6.5″. Make 40 of these blocks.
Cut 40 squares measuring 6.5″ out of the plaid.
Sew the blocks together (1/4″ seams) as you would a checkerboard, alternating each block. Make sure the pieced blocks are going the same direction. Press the seams toward the plaid. There are 8 blocks across and 10 rows down.
Baste (I always use Spray n Bond basting spray)
Quilt.
Bind.
Love.
Mufasa and I love sewing on rainy days!!
Tote Bag Instructions
I used my pattern, Quilted Tote Bag, for the measurements. I followed the pattern pretty closely with the following exceptions:
Supplies
Denim (2) 20″ x 10.5″
Plaid (2) 20″ x 9.5″
Lining (2) 20″ x 19.5″
Plaid for handles (2) 5″ x 28″
Heat n bond medium stabilizer (2) 5″ x 28″
Heat n Bond Fusible Fleece (2) 20″ x 19.5″
Piece of plaid for the whale
Heat n Bond Lite
Appliqué the whale Click HERE for the whale pattern.
You can print the whale directly on Heat n Bond Lite EZ print sheets, or trace the whale onto Heat n Bond Lite.
Heat set the whale to the wrong side of the plaid fabric.
Cut out the whale. Peel off the backing paper.
Press it onto one of the denim pieces, centering. Using 1/4″ seams, sew the denim piece to the plaid piece to make the bag front and back. Press seams.
Fuse the Heat n Bond Fusible fleece to the wrong side of the bag front and the bag back. Add some accent stitching along the seam.
Bag Handles
Fuse the stabilizer to the wrong side of each of the handle strips.
Press in half lengthwise. Open up and press the long ends in to meet the center. Press. Then press in half again. This makes a super sturdy handle!
Topstitch along both of the long edges of each handle.
Continue following the bag instructions from this tutorial to complete the bag. To make the bag bottom, cut a 3″ notch out of the bottom corners of the bag and the lining.
I am so in love with this tote bag! It is such a great size, and if feels sturdy and it is super preppy plaid cute!!
I’m ready for an Eastern Seaboard Vacation!!!
Together they make the Perfect Preppy Plaid Pair!!!!!
Be sure to check out these amazing designers to see what they’ve created using Riley Blake’s Enchanted Fabric!!!
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, Jan 23rd – Little Londyn
Tuesday, Jan 24th – Jedi Craft Girl
Wednesday, Jan 25th – Loose Threads
Thursday, Jan 26th – Meags and Me
Friday, Jan 27th – Pretty by Hand
Monday, Jan 30th – Tie Dye Diva
Tuesday, Jan 31st – Two Sisters as Squirrel Hallow
Wednesday, Feb 1st – Striped Swallow Designs
Thursday, Feb 2nd – Izzy and Ivy
Friday, Feb 3rd – Ellis and Higgs
Monday, Feb 6th – Aurifil
Tuesday, Feb 7th – The Crafy Quilter
Wednesday, Feb 8th – Two Sisters at Squirrel Hallow
Thursday, Feb 9th – Jina Barney Designz
Friday, Feb 10th – Riley Blake
You could win a bundle of Enchanted fabric by visiting Dodi’s blog, Loose Threads (www.sashgals.com) and leaving a comment.
One entry per blog post, per day of the Blog Tour, there on Loose Threads.
Enter every day to increase your chance of winning!!!
I am so excited to share this project with you!! I LOVE jewelry! (Especially Twisted Silver Jewelry) This is the perfect way to store your jewelry when you travel so it doesn’t get tangled or damaged. You can sew as many of these little pouches as you want and they all fit in this zipper bag. This would make such a great gift for Mother’s Day, Birthday, or Graduation. The full tutorial is over on the Therm O Web Blog.
All the fabrics are from Riley Blake Designs Vintage Market Fabric Line by Tasha Noel. I used Heat n Bond Fusible Fleece in the zipper bag and then a medium weight fusible stabilizer in the little pouches.
Each little pouch has a button closure.
I’m happy to share this delicious little quilt called Strawberry Jam. Living in Southern California, it’s strawberry season all year round! This quilt reminds me of fun times spent in the kitchen making popovers, biscuits, rolls, and anything else we could bake to hold our fresh strawberry jam on! YUMMY!! The Shabby Strawberry fabric line is brand new from Penny Rose. Let’s get started!
First make sure you have some hot buttermilk biscuits and fresh strawberry jam to keep you going while you make the quilt 🙂 For the full instructions hop on over to the Penny Rose Blog!!
I used my Sizzix Fabi machine to die cut the jam jar. This die is called Jar #2 by Lori Whitlock. It’s the cutest!
Iron Heat n Bond Lite to the back of the strawberry fabric. Then run it through the Sizzix Fabi with the jar die. Peel off the backing and heat set it into place. I did the same thing with the jar lid, it’s part of the die. 
Stitch around the jar and lid with gray thread.
I love how SWEET it turned out! 
