Notecards!
No collection of paper goods would be complete without notecards. These cards are printed in the U.S. on 130# Sandshell paper with archival inks. The cards measure 4.25" by 5.5" and include a coordinating envelope. The inside of the cards are blank allowing you to include a personalized message.
My designs were quilting inspired! Arrangements of half square triangles and flying geese started the collection. Then came "I Made this for You" - it's the perfect card to include when gifting a quilt! And when you just need to say hello to a friend, the final card has you covered!
Shop notecards here.
Stickers!
Okay, while technically not made from paper, these vinyl stickers are a fun addition to the collection! Whether you choose a quilting themed sticker or delicate flowers, any of these stickers would look great on your sewing machine, laptop, notebook, or water bottle.
Shop Stickers here.
Art Prints!
Positive reminders for your home, studio, or office. A reminder to keep doing the work to achieve your goals, a reminder that mistakes are inevitable and to keep making, and a reminder that you are, in fact, a Maker.
"Do the work" has been a personal mantra and motivator for me. It reminds me to put my head down, avoid distractions, and focus on what is going to get me to my goals - the work.
Shop Art Prints here.
Each print is offered as an 8"x10" digital download or a physical art print.
I am so excited that this collection is finally available for you! I hope this collection brings you joy and allows you to share that with others!
]]>Shop the Color Crush Bundles Here.
Let's talk about color crushes! Do you have a favorite color or combination of colors? Are there colors you find yourself using over and over again, or are you constantly falling in and out of love with colors? Do you consider yourself a color expert, or could you use a little help? Keep reading to see my top four tips for choosing colors! Follow the tips and you just might fall in love with your next color crush!
If you've followed me for any amount of time, you probably know that I LOVE mixing patterns, colors, and textures in my quilts and bundles. There are few quilty things I love more than a good scrappy patchwork quilt or bundle. So these new solids bundles may come as a bit of a surprise to you! If I'm being honest, they came as a surprise to me, too.
So how did I come up with these seemingly out of the ordinary for me bundles? A crush. That's right. I found myself having a crush on colors. How did that happen? Late night online shopping. Browsing the internet, sitting in a dark bedroom, waiting for my daughter to fall asleep, about to order a jacket I really didn't need, but loved. I stopped myself and thought, "why do I want this so much?" The answer: the colors!
I wrote down my idea and the next day, I started combining fabric swatch photos to build a bundle in Illustrator. As usual, it was a mix of prints and solids, but it just didn't feel quite right. I pulled the bolts and tried again. I took away the prints, et voila! There it was - that falling in love with colors feeling. I loved the range of colors and the combination of the warm pinks and oranges with the cool blues. Removing the patterns allowed the colors to blend and pop in all the right places.
I decided to challenge myself to create another all solids bundle starting with two colors I was being drawn to: lavender and lime green. This time, I kept the colors in a cooler range, sticking to lavenders, greens, and blues (funny enough, it ended up being the blues from my "reject" pile for the first bundle). As it turned out, the bundles look incredible paired together, too!
With an infinite range of colors to choose from, combining the right ones may seem like an impossible free for all. Here are my top four tips for narrowing the options, and finding your next true color crush.
1. What do you love? Is it a shirt? A piece of home decor? A painting? A coffee mug? A printed piece of fabric from your stash that you refuse to use until the "perfect project?" (we all can relate to that, am I right?). What stands out to you as you browse the aisles of Target? Look at the colors of those things. If you pay attention, you'll start to see your own color trend. Use those colors!
2. Nature! Nature is a source of endless inspiration. Are you drawn to the beach? The mountains? The colors of the leaves as they seem to ignite in the fall? Spring flower blooms? Snowy trees? Take a picture, look at the colors, and go from there!
3. Color psychology! Think about the mood you're trying to communicate. Do you want to make a quilt that feels full of energy, peacefulness, boldness, or happiness? I admittedly know very little about the science of color psychology, but I have (as I am sure you have, too) anecdotally experienced how colors can affect your mood. In the Army, I was surrounded by every shade of muted tan and green. Let me tell you, not a whole lot of uplifting feelings from those colors! I compensated by having the most colorful office supplies and a bright pink notebook. When your surroundings are otherwise drab, a little color goes a long way to bring joy. Which brings me to my final tip.
4. Add an unexpected pop! This is one of my favorite things to do! I say an unexpected pop, but once you choose the right one, it's like it was meant to be there all along! One of my favorite colors to use for this pop is a warm orangey brown (think Kona Roasted Pecan or Freckles Acorn). Finding the right "pop" might require some trial and error. Throw some scraps on the table and see what you like!
If you keep your mind open, color inspiration can come from anywhere! Tell me in the comments where you find yours!
]]>Shop the Flicker Fat Quarter Bundle here.
I can tell you a story about nearly every quilt, quilt kit, and bundle that I make. Sometimes the story is about a color or pattern, and other times it's about a person or place. The story behind this quilt and kit starts with a person.
I moved to a new school in third grade and M was the first friend I made. Despite not knowing anything about me, she left a note in my desk introducing herself and calling herself my friend. Remember how elementary school desks were arranged in groups to make little sections? M and I became so close that our desks were eventually pushed together into their own little pod in the back of the room. We remained close throughout elementary and middle school.
We fell out of touch after high school, but thanks to social media and my mom sometimes working with M, I know that M is expecting her second baby. One of the best parts of quilting is being able to give my friends and family personal, handmade, heirloom gifts. I am so thrilled to be making this quilt to help her welcome her second baby into the world - especially since she has no idea that I’m making it.
Star blocks and patchwork are two of my absolute favorite quilty things. Taralee Quiltery’s Flicker quilt is such a perfect blend of both and has been on my “to-make” list since it was released (anyone else have one of those lists? Does yours shrink or grow?).
I knew I wanted to included some deep purples and light blues in this quilt (I made M a quilt for her first baby that was pink and gray - actually the first quilt that I made on my then-new sewing machine! - and I wanted to do something different this time around.). Little stars, rainbows, and flowers found their way into this fabric pull along with some golden oranges - one of my favorite warm colors to add to an otherwise cool pull. Keep reading for the complete list of fabrics in this bundle!
I paired the bundle with Kona Lingerie for the background because I want this quilt to be used! I’ve found that white backgrounds can be a deterrent to throwing a quilt on a floor and letting a baby crawl around on it (even though it shouldn’t. Use your quilts, friends!).
I tackled the star blocks first, and then moved onto the patchwork. The blocks came together so quickly! The pattern has a super helpful diagram to help you layout each of the blocks.
Before I knew it, the top was together! Time to get this quilt quilted, bound, and off to M in time for her new baby's arrival. Check back for pictures of the finished quilt!
The fat quarter bundle I used for this quilt is now in the shop! You can click here to shop and see even more pictures. It includes eight fat quarters, one of each of the following fabrics:
I paired the bundle with 1 yard of Kona Lingerie to make this Flicker quilt top. You can shop the Flicker quilt pattern from Taralee Quiltery here.
]]>
Wow, it's been a while! Thanks for stopping by. I am going to share more of the stories behind the products I have in my shop. I love reading other creative's stories, and I hope that you enjoy what you find here.
I made a sixteen patch baby quilt for my golf-loving friend’s new baby with small pieces from my scrap bins. It was the first quilt I ever started with no plan, and no pattern. I kept browsing my quilt pattern library (yes, my collection has grown to what I can honestly call a library), but nothing felt quite right! Too many colors, or not enough colors. Too modern, or too traditional. So I went back to what I know best - patchwork. Scrappy patchwork quilts are such a favorite of mine. I find them to be the perfect mix of modern and vintage, and so easy to make whimsical or sophisticated.
I grabbed some blues, greens, and neutrals, cut them into 2.5 inch squares. Because I do find I need some sort of structure, I decided to sort them into pairs, and sew them into sixteen patch blocks. The first quilts I ever made were scrappy patchwork, and this seemed like a way to "level up" that concept. I grabbed pieces as I went, pairing colors together, and making blocks. It was such a freeing project and I felt like I was really getting to use my creativity each step of the way. Even though I watched it come together, the look of the final quilt ended up being a surprise.
The quilt was so well-received that I wanted to make a matching bundle for the shop. The bundle is nearly identical to the fabrics in the quilt I made, but I did have to swap out a few fabrics that I didn’t have in the shop.
Have you ever started a quilting project with no plan or pattern? Did you enjoy the process or make you feel a little bananas? How did it turn out?
You can purchase the Fairway Fat Quarter Bundle here.
]]>You can purchase the Sugar Pop Quilt Kit here.
When it comes to commissioning quilts, my mom is my best customer. Funny enough, she is the one who taught me how to make a quilt, and the one who was always gifting quilts to new babies when I was a kid. The great thing about my mom as a customer is that she has few requests, basically giving me full creative freedom!
So for this project, she asked me to make a baby quilt for her friend's granddaughter. At the end of last year, I made a list of all of the quilt patterns I own, but have not made yet. Without getting into details, let me tell you, it's a long list (insert laugh/cry emoji here). I narrowed it down to a few and started thinking about the colors I wanted to use. I figured, why not start the year with an unapologetically pink-a-licious fabric pull? I thought the Sugar Pop pattern from Suzy Quilts would be perfect.
I really can't believe it took me this long to make a Sugar Pop quilt. If you've ever made a Suzy pattern, you know they are so well-written and easy to follow. Added bonus for this quilt? It came together super fast!
I think this pattern ended up being the perfect design to feature all of these pinks (and purples, too!). I loved incorporating a low volume background fabric into this kit and the Kitchen Window Wovens Lingerie backing made this quilt super snuggly.
Have you made a Sugar Pop quilt? Do you have a favorite Suzy Quilts pattern?
You can purchase the Sugar Pop Quilt Kit here.
]]>Shop the Stash Builder Series here.
Build your stash of modern fabric with the Stash Builder Series! I am so, so excited to launch this series of bundles! Each of the six bundles includes five or six fat quarters that can be used on its own, or be mixed and matched with the other bundles in the series! Combine all six to make this ultimate 31 piece bundle!
These bundles are budget friendly, so versatile, and the type of thing that really makes me excited about quilting! When I started quilting, I made patchwork baby quilts using five or six different fabrics. I would spend hours in the fabric store pulling bolts to find the best combinations - and I absolutely loved it! These small bundles remind me of those times!
Okay, so why would you need a small bundle of fat quarters? Maybe you’re working on a scrappy project, or trying to balance your stash. You might need just a few more pieces of one color to complete your project!
A lot of modern, fat quarter friendly quilt patterns require A LOT of fat quarters. If you’re looking for a large bundle, but don’t want to go through picking ten, twenty, or thirty individual fabrics, you can mix and match the bundles! These introductory six bundles are curated to be combined! Each product description in the shop includes photos of different combinations to help you visualize the endless possibilities!
If you’re looking for half yards, each bundle description lists the fabrics included so you can shop them individually! Or, you can always send me an e-mail and I would be happy to put together a custom order for you!
Quilty friends are the best friends, and a stash builder bundle would make a great gift for a fellow quilter!
Ready to shop the Stash Builder Series? Click here to see the full collection! I intend to add more of these small bundles to the series each month, so stay tuned for more color features!
]]>Shop the Flutter and Grow Bundle here.
Flutter and Grow is the second bundle I curated for the month of January. It's full of butterflies and flowers in soft and sweet colors and has me looking forward to Spring.
This bundle is special to me for a few reasons. First, it features the Monarch print from Rifle Paper Company that is on the back of my daughter’s patchwork quilt. Every time she walks by the fabric cabinets she makes sure to point and tell me “butterflies!” It’s a constant reminder that these twinkly beauties are here and ready to fly their way into more bundles and projects.
Second, I came up with the name “Flutter and Grow” from the butterflies and flowers that you see on these fabrics, but these words also represent two things I would like for myself and my business this year. I want to “flutter” creatively by putting together fabric bundles that just feel like me. I really want to express my creativity through the fabrics I choose for the shop and the projects I choose to create. I hope to continue to grow this little fabric shop, help more people find creative inspiration, and fulfill their fabric needs.
So let me tell you a little more about the fabrics!
Monarch in Peach Lawn Metallic is a cotton lawn fabric from Rifle Paper Company’s English Garden collection. Cotton lawn is a fine, high thread count fabric that is more lightweight and smoother than regular quilting cotton. The multicolored butterflies set on a soft peach background are adorned with metallic gold.
If you’ve browsed through my shop, it’s probably pretty obvious that I love Rifle Paper Company floral fabric. Rosa is such a classic print of theirs, and the Chambray Metallic from the Garden Party Collection fits perfectly in this bundle. It adds just a little more shimmer to the butterflies and features a blue shade reminiscent of cozy blue jeans. Additionally, Tapestry Lace in Blush complements Rosa, adding little pink blossoms to the bundle.
Another one of my favorite fabric designers is Bonnie Christine. Crocus in Raven is from her Wild Forgotten collection that has such a sweet story. Every word and illustration in the collection represents a word that was recently taken out of a children’s dictionary—the collection helps to keep those wild words alive. The deep green here helps ground and balance this otherwise whimsical bundle.
Kitchen Window Wovens in Lingerie is a just barely pink gingham by Elizabeth Hartman for Robert Kaufman. The strands of this fabric are dyed and then woven to form the pattern (this is in contrast with most other quilting cottons where the designs are screen printed onto the already woven fabric). This fabric has a soft drape, and the gingham print complements the garden prints.
Soft pink, deep hunter green, lavenders, blues, and a golden brown pull from, and complement, all of the prints in this bundle. All from Kona Cotton, the colors are Ballet Slipper, Hunter Green, Lilac, Orchid, Sky, Spa Blue, and Leather.
Pattern Suggestions
Love the bundle, but not sure what to make? Here are some suggestions!
(Note: these patterns require additional background fabric, but the bundle would cover the accents.)
Thank you for stopping by and reading about the Flutter and Grow bundle! Ready to shop? Click here to get your bundle. What will you make with yours?
]]>Shop the New Beginnings Bundle Here.
New Beginnings is one of two new bundles I curated to start the month of January. I promise this is not a “New Year, New Me” bundle or post—it’s more of a literal recognition that it’s the beginning of the New Year (and, if anything, it’s a “New Year, Old Me” kind of bundle). I fell in love with modern, geometric quilting fabric around 2015, and I absolutely love mixing prints from different fabric collections, brands, and designers to create unique fabric pulls. This bright, high contrast, and somewhat busy fabric bundle just feels like me, and is reminiscent of all of the prints and colors that brought me into the modern fabric and quilting world.
So let’s break down all of the vibrant goodness in this bundle!
The Prints.
Untaped Splatter - Spark is from the Chalk & Paint collection by Sew Caroline for Art Gallery Fabrics. The collection is inspired by art covered streets and the designer’s thoughts and observations of her surroundings. I love the combination of irregular geometric shapes in this one!
Block Stencils - Pop is another vibrant print from Sew Caroline inspired by urban murals and metropolitan beauty. Block Stencils is part of the Here Comes the Fun collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, and it certainly does bring the fun to this bundle!
Sugar Crystals - Sour is part of the Playing Pop Collection by AGF Studio. It's an upbeat print featuring modern shapes and a candy-coated color palette.
Mishmesh is one of my favorites from the Cotton + Steel Basics line. The linear print in Purplexed (a deep, saturated fuchsia) is a perfect addition to the main prints.
The Solids.
Kona in Sassy Pink, Riley Blake Confetti Cottons in Apricot Blush, and AGF Pure Solids in Honeydew, Tender Green, and Verve Violet. If it’s wrong to mix solids from different brands in a quilt, then I don’t want to be right! If you’ve only ever used one brand of solids, fat quarters are a great way to try out a few new ones with little risk!
This solids combination adds punches of bright pink, orange, and yellow, and is balanced with a slightly less vibrant green and another deep fuchsia. The solids pull colors from Block Stencils, Untaped Splatter, and Sugar Crystals, and tie all of the prints together.
The High Contrast.
These three prints really bring the drama to the bundle! Prisma in Jet Onyx and Mudcloth in Sable are from Art Gallery Fabrics, and the Black and White 1/4 Inch Stripe is from Riley Blake Designs (this fabric also makes a great binding!).
The Extras.
If you’re looking to expand this bundle, here are some fabrics that would coordinate nicely!
Quilt Pattern Recommendations. Love this bundle, but not sure what you could make with it? Here are some pattern suggestions!
And if you’re looking for background fabric recommendations, here you go! If you want to keep with the high contrast look, I would choose Kona - White. For a softer, neutral look, I would go with Kona - Ash. To add even more color for pure fun, I would choose Kona - Spa Blue (my favorite!) or Kona - Lilac!
I hope you loved reading about the New Beginnings Bundle! Did you find this blog post helpful? What will you make with your New Beginnings Bundle? Let me know in the comments!
]]>Eloise Quilt Pattern from Penelope Handmade available here.
Strip piecing is such a versatile method to create patchwork designs. It can greatly reduce the amount of cutting and piecing required to make small patchwork patterns. The first time I used strip piecing, I was pleasantly surprised with the reduction of effort, but my pieces were pretty wonky and hardly any of my points matched. I've used the method several times since then and have compiled my tips and methods to help you avoid those wonky strips and mismatched points!
I start by pressing any large creases out of my cuts of fabric, leaving the fabric folded along the width with selvedges together. I use a dry iron and a spray bottle with water in it to remove any harsh creases.
Before cutting my strips to size, I trim the edge from which I am starting to make sure both layers are aligned. I use the marks on my cutting mat to trim just enough of a strip to even out the edges and give me a nice straight edge from which to start cutting my strips.
Using the vertical marks on your ruler, align your freshly trimmed fabric edge with the size needed for your project. My project called for 2.5” strips. I align the bottom selvedge of my fabric with a horizontal mark on my ruler to make sure my strips are square.
If you notice as you’re cutting that your strips are no longer square, simply cut your strip slightly larger than the size you need. Then, flip your strip over and align the edge you just cut with the size strip you need. Trim off the excess.
Piece your strips right sides together. To avoid your fabric getting “eaten” by your machine or your threads knotting on the back, you can start sewing slighting away from the edge in the selvedge (since the selvedge will be getting trimmed off anyway), or you can use a “leader.” A leader is just a small scrap of fabric that you place under your presser foot, behind your needle. You don’t sew any stitches into the leader, it just helps get your fabric fed through the machine.
I also like to begin and end my strips with a securing knot. While ultimately these securing stitches will be cut off, I think it helps keep the stitches secured while pressing the seam. If your sewing machine does not have a securing knot feature, you can simply reduce your stitch length and make three very small stitches at the beginning and end of your strip, or backstitch over your first and last few stitches.
Press your seams as desired. I generally follow Suzy Quilts’ pressing tutorial to get my seams nice and flat. You want to avoid stretching your strips of fabric so pressing (placing the iron on the seam and lifting to reposition) vice ironing (keeping the iron on the fabric and sliding it along the seam) is very important here.
When strip piecing, you’re typically dealing with long, thin strips of fabric which have a tendency to stretch. For this reason, many quilters use starch to stiffen up their fabrics before cutting. I have never starched my fabric (I honestly just don't want to place anything sticky near my iron, fabric, or ironing board!), but if you're noticing a lot of stretching, it may be worth exploring starch.
Now it’s time to cut your strips! Start by trimming off the selvedges on either side of your pieced strips to create an even cutting edge. Align that edge with the vertical marks on your ruler for the size needed for your project. For me, that is the 2.5” inch mark. Now, here’s the important part! Align a horizontal mark on the your ruler with the SEAM of your strips to keep your pieces square. In the photo below, I have the 4.25" mark aligned on the seam.
The first time I used strip piecing, I aligned the horizontal mark of my ruler with the bottom edge of my fabric instead of the seam. I ended up with wonky strips that didn't match up. While the quilt is obviously still usable and well-loved, things would have been much, much better aligned (and less frustrating!) had I used the seam as a guide.
If, as you’re cutting, your notice your pieces get wonky, don’t worry! This usually happens to me as I get close to the midpoint of the strips and is generally due to any stretching of the fabric. Keep a horizontal line on your ruler aligned with the seam, and slide your ruler over to cut slightly larger than the size you need for your project. Turn the piece around, align the edge your just cut with the vertical mark for the size needed for your project and trim off the excess “wonkiness.” Most patterns provide for enough excess that these small sliver trims won't cause you to run short.
Piece your newly cut pieces as called for in your pattern, matching the seams. To keep the seams from shifting as I sew over them, I use a leveler to keep my presser foot slightly lifted. Before reaching the seam, I lift the presser foot and slide the leveler underneath, just behind the needle. Lower the presser foot onto the leveler and sew across the seam. Continue piecing your pieces, and press your seams.
And that's all there is to it! Have you tried strip piecing? Did you find this post helpful? Do you have any tips to share? Tell me in the comments!
]]>
What labels are you waiting to give yourself? Do you have a self-imposed level of achievement you have to reach before you will give yourself a title? Giving myself permission to call myself the things I aspire to be has certainly been a challenge—and not just when it comes to quilting. Even when I was running almost daily, I still didn’t consider myself a “runner.” I had self-imposed expectations that a “runner” was someone who runs faster and was able to run longer than I could.
A trend I have seen recently is a push to call quilts art—something with which I wholeheartedly agree. It got me thinking, if I’m making quilts, am I an artist? Perhaps, like me, you didn’t always think of quilts when someone mentioned “art.” I sewed in my home economics class, not my art class. Painters and sculptors were briefly discussed in history class, and drawing and painting were the focus of my art and design classes. Textiles as an art medium was just not something that was discussed, and was not the way I thought of quilts.
A quick google search of the definition of art makes no mention of textiles. Merriam-Webster gives the definition, "something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings." It follows that quilts are exactly that—pieces of art created from textiles.
Considering the definition of art, it seems pretty straightforward that quilts are art, and if you are making quilts you are therefore an artist. I would argue, however, that that's not how most of us quilters see ourselves. So what are some of the imaginary rules or criteria that may be preventing us from calling ourselves quilters, artists, or designers?
I, like many of you, generally follow a quilt pattern when I make a quilt. Following a pattern allows me to jump to the parts of quilting that I find most enjoyable: playing with colors, choosing fabrics, deciding fabric placements, and sewing the quilt. Part of what I love about quilting is the methodical practice of following instructions; a quilt pattern gives me a starting point to create something that is my own.
Let's consider the question from a strictly logical perspective. You made a quilt (which we have already established is art) from a quilt pattern that someone else designed—what about your part? You chose your fabrics, designed your layout, created a color scheme, considered textures, and, ultimately, you are the one who sewed the quilt together. It would seem that you used your "imagination and skill" to create something that is "beautiful" even though you used a pattern. Think about it, if you built a house using plans, would you hesitate to call yourself a builder? If you make cookies by following a recipe, are you not the baker? So yes, if you made a quilt using a quilt pattern, you are an artist.
Do we need to have made a certain number of quilts? Do we need to quilt all of our quilts instead of sending them to a long arm quilter? Do we need a certain number of followers on social media to be part of the quilting community? If you think strictly logically, the answer to all of these questions is no. But logic doesn't always win in matters of self-identity.
It's easy for me to logically argue that yes, without qualification, I am an artist (the lawyer in me hasn't quite gone away). From a mental and emotional standpoint, however, it can be so hard to accept and truly believe—especially when you did not think of quilts as art when you started quilting and now have to have a mindset shift.
What if we tried to let go of our doubts and fully embraced all the labels that we are, and those that we aspire to become? Setting imaginary performance levels before giving ourselves permission to call ourselves any given label, I think, stifles our progress and can make us feel "less than." If we are making quilts we are makers, quilters, sewists, creatives, designers, and artists. We should let logic prevail and embrace all of the labels that we are.
]]>Achieving a more even stitch length is something that I continue to try find ways to improve when quilting. Whether you are a beginner quilter, or more advanced, there are always ways to improve your craft. I know how hard and frustrating it is to see those uneven stitch lengths pop up on a quilt top, so I put together some tips that I have found to be the most helpful for moving closer to perfectly spaced stitches.
+ Slow down. This has made the biggest difference for me. While I would love to zoom through quilting lines, when I sew too fast it just results in a bunch of little stitches followed by a bunch of stretched out stitches. Not the result I’m going for!
+ Reduce the presser foot pressure. If your machine has this option, this can help all of those layers of fabric slide through more easily.
+ Increase stitch length. I piece my quilt tops using a 2.0 mm stitch length. I do not recommend trying to quilt with nearly that short of a stitch. A stitch length somewhere between 3.0 mm and 3.5 mm depending on the thickness of my fabric seems to do the trick (e.g., if I am using a flannel backing, I will increase the stitch length to 3.5 mm vice 3.0 mm or 3.25 mm).
+ Do not pull the quilt through the machine - allow the machine to do the feeding while you guide. I struggle with this balance and it is something on which I constantly work. Along with slowing down, it has helped to take pauses throughout a line to make sure the quilt is not hung up on anything (e.g., your table, lap, chair, or your machine’s extension table).
+ Wear quilting gloves. These help you grip the fabric and reduce your pulling (added bonus - allows you to pretend to be a mime or Mickey Mouse).
+ Make sure the weight of your quilt is supported. This can be difficult to do if you are sewing on a small surface. If you have a small designated sewing space, consider moving your machine to a larger surface for quilting. A dining room table will give you more room to support the weight of your quilt and will reduce the drag that is caused by that weight pulling around your needle. For large quilts, you can also place a chair next to you as a sort of lap extension to support the weight. I sew on an adjustable height table and have found that lowering the table closer to my lap (thereby reducing the height distance from my lap to my machine's table) has helped as well. Experiment with this - there was a time when I sat on my couch and sewed at my coffee table!
+ Try quilting with wavy lines. Wavy lines are a great way to add organic elements to your quilt without having to take a dive into free motion quilting or sending your quilt top off to a long arm quilter. I decided to quilt my Desert Hills Quilt with wavy lines to add some organic elements to an otherwise very linear quilt pattern. My uneven stitches blended into the wavy lines and are hardly noticeable.
+ Remember that handmade items will never be *perfect* (and they will still be used and loved just the same).
Do you have any more tips to share? Leave them in the comments!
]]>Shop for the Critter Crew Fat Quarter Bundle Here
Scrappy patchwork quilts have a special place in my heart. My mom has always made patchwork square quilts, it is the first thing I learned how to sew, and what I envision when I think "quilt." I even made my daughter a patchwork square quilt after making her another quilt using a pattern. It didn't seem right to have a baby without a patchwork quilt!
When my aunt asked me to make a quilt for a family member who was having a baby, I knew I wanted to put together a modern patchwork quilt, with just the right amount of whimsy.
Baby Crew's nursery had woodland animal pictures on the wall and was painted a deep blue/green. The rest of the family's house was painted gray. I started browsing through Art Gallery Fabrics and came across the Pacha collection. Wild Friends caught my eye first - it was perfectly neutral, modern, and adorable. Then I came across Prickly Stroll and Mountain Pines from the Pine Lullaby Rediscovered collection - perfect for rounding out my selected woodland theme prints.
Since all of these prints were primarily black and white, it allowed me to mix in solid colors and prints to match the family's nursery decor. First, I added Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids in Northern Waters, Ocean Fog, and Mystic Gray. Then came Mindful Paths from the Luna and Laurel collection - it brought in the blue/green of the nursery walls, the black from the woodland prints, and added more geometric elements to the bundle. All of these cool tones needed to be balanced with some warmth, so in came Golden Bronze and Kantha Mica.
I now had a bundle of nine fat quarters that could be cut into 108 5" squares. My preferred layout for patchwork baby quilts is 9 squares wide x 11 squares long so I would need 99 squares to complete by quilt top.
Using a 1/4" seam allowance, the quilt ends up measuring approximately 40.5" x 49.5". This allows you to use crib size batting and does not require you to piece your backing. I've found this size is great to use on the floor with a baby and generously sized enough to use later as a toddler blanket.
I usually lay out patchwork quilt tops randomly, one row at a time. For this quilt, since I had nine fabrics to work with and my quilt was going to be nine squares wide, I decided to lay them out in the same order in each row, shifting their positions two columns to the right in each row.I chose to back the quilt with the snuggliest Mammoth Organic Flannel in Oyster (1 3/4 yards) and used Northern Waters for the binding.
I quilted straight lines 1/4" away from all of the patchwork seams, creating a grid pattern that looked great with the plaid flannel backing, and made the quilt oh so cozy after washing and drying.
Ready to make your own Critter Crew project? Click here to shop the bundle!
]]>