Reusable fabric gift bags? Yes, please! Head over to the tutorials page for instructions on how to make a handmade fabric gift bag that will wow the receiver. They’re reusable and easy to toss in the wash if needed, which is always a plus.

I can’t believe we’re at the end of another year! The world has seen a lot of ups and down the last year and a half. May you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas filled with peace, love and kindness.

This past month I decided to tackle one of my unfinished quilt projects. Unfortunately I have quite a few of those lying around. I started this Hourglass Lumbar Pillow quite a few months ago, but for some reason it never got finished. Maybe I was just waiting for inspiration to hit me.

One would think that pink and orange don’t go very well together. In fact I’m pretty sure that I won’t wear pink and orange at the same time. On the other hand, sometimes you’ll see a beautiful sunrise with pinks and oranges lighting up the sky! With this pillow, the two colors plus the addition of yellow work well together. The end result, a pretty and vibrant little pillow that will brighten up any spot.
 
I started out by cutting 1 ¼ inch wide strips in a variety of pinks, oranges and yellows I purchased from connectingthreads.com a while ago.

Then I arranged the colors to my liking and pieced four strips at a time together.

I used a triangle shape to cut triangles that would form a square when sewn together. Then I arranged the triangles with darker and lighter colors so they would form little “hourglasses”.

I needed six of these squares to form the top of the pillow.

Once I assembled the six squares, I machine quilted in between the seam lines with a variegated pink thread.

For the back of the pillow, I made a simple envelope style closure. This is always a fast and easy method, with the added bonus that you can still remove the insert in case you need to wash the cover.

Dimensions of pillow: approximately 18 x 12 inches (46 x 31cm)

When I was planning a post for this month, I realized I’ve never shared this little mug rug I made quite a while ago.

If you’ve never heard of a mug rug before, it simply is a little mini quilt, smaller than a placemat, but bigger than a coaster. It’s just the perfect size for a cup of coffee (or tea) to rest on with some extra space for a cookie. These quilted mug rugs make wonderful little gifts. Take a look here at some Christmas mug rugs I made last year.
 
For this specific mug rug I appliqued a design onto the one side of the mug rug. I added a pieced strip on the right side, quilted the little quilt and added binding.
 
For the applique (picture) part, I first drew the design on paper. As I’m no great artist, this always takes me a bit of time.

Once I was happy with the design, I used Heat ’n Bond Lite to adhere the separate pieces of the design to the background fabric. Some people complain about this product gumming up the sewing machine’s needle, however I did not have that problem. 

Once all the pieces were in place, I machine stitched a blanket stitch around all the edges. I also machine “embroidered” the structure and ladder below the vanes of the windmill. Then I added the side pieces which include a couple rectangles of corduroy to give it some extra texture.

After I’ve layered the mini-quilt, I outline quilted the applique and added some straight stitching on the side panel.

Lastly I added the binding. As you can see this is another great scrap buster plus you can really be creative and add any design you want - like this cute bird/heart design.

Back to school is always a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me as a mom. Our home is too quiet, even our dog is out of sorts! After months of summer and basically no real structure, everyone is back to routine (which is good) and other activities.

Maybe it’s because we’re in back-to-school season, but this laptop bag was just the right project (or should I say therapy) for me to tackle this month. It is quilted for protection with enough space for a laptop or other device, a notebook or two as well as a few other supplies.

For the outside of the bag I chose a black cotton fabric with small white plus signs. I used Essex yarn dyed linen in the color black for the inside. Initially when I bought the fabric, my idea was to use the Essex linen on the outside and the plus fabric on the inside. Once I got busy making the bag, I decided on the opposite.

After cutting the main panels for the inside and outside, I layered the cotton, batting and linen. I straight line quilted the panels.

Then I added a pocket on the inside, wide enough to fit a notebook. 

For the opening of the bag, I used a 22 inch zipper, which I lined with fabric on both sides. I extended the zipper panel with a 2 inch wide quilted panel so it would fit all around the bag.

Before I assembled all the panels, I added 1 inch cotton webbing to the top (short side) for the handles.

Once my bag was finished, I only needed to finish the seams on the inside of the bag. I decided on using the plus fabric for binding and covered all the raw seams.

Finished size: 16 inches tall x 13 inches wide (41cm x 33cm)

I have many fond memories of playing dress-up as a little girl. In fact, I still have a picture of my little self in my Mom’s very 70’s hat and purse. So cute!

When my boys were little, they liked to dress-up as superheroes, firefighters, handymen or Dad. Experts say it is important for your child’s brain, language and emotional development among other things. Who knew?

This month’s mini tote bags will come in very handy when playing pretend!

For these totes I used the quilt-as-you-go (qayg) technique. In short, with this method of quilting, the piecing and quilting are done both at the same time. For larger size quilts, this means that you can piece and quilt individual blocks through all three layers or just the top and batting layers, before you piece the blocks together.

It is another great way to use up all those extra scraps from your scrap bin. The thing I like about it, is that you never quite know what the end result will look like. Plus, the repetitive stitching can be quite relaxing for some people.

For each tote, I decided on a specific color - coral, blue, pink and light green. I dug through my stash of scraps and picked out fabrics I thought could work. (This process of going through my stash is like meeting old friends - fabrics I used in previous quilts and perhaps have forgotten about.)

Basically, the totes consist of two quilted panels (fabric plus batting) for the body of the bag, two panels for the inside lining as well as the straps.

I started with laying out a panel of batting. Then I arranged the fabrics more or less in an order I liked.

Once I was happy, I started in the middle of the batting, stitching the first piece of fabric onto the batting. I quilted ¼ inch straight lines. I continued all around the centerpiece with different fabrics, until I covered the whole batting panel.

Then it was on to the second panel, whereafter I joined the two quilted panels to form the outside of the bag.

After that I added the straps as well as the lining.

The qayg method is a fun alternative to “traditional” quilting. It is not a quick process, especially if you use small scraps of fabric. Still, I had so much fun making these colorful totes. Now off to my next project!

Dimensions: approximately 10” (25cm) wide x 7” (18cm) inches tall

Have you ever wondered who came up with the idea for a flag for the first time? According to Google, the origin of the flag is unknown, but it probably originated during a war. Don’t worry, this post is not about war, but about celebrating special days and occasions.

Almost every country and organization has a flag nowadays, but it is also used for decorative purposes. Just think of the many occasions that call for a flag like certain holidays, birthdays, a new baby, Christmas, graduation, etc.

If you are in the mood to sew a flag like this, head over to my Tutorials page for instructions on how to do it.

We’ve had quite a few rainy days lately, so I’ve had a good excuse to start working on a new quilt.
 
Sometimes I’ll start out on a quilt without a real plan or design in mind - which can lead to a lot of frustration and tears. They do say, failure to plan is planning to fail, or something along those lines. Fortunately for me, that wasn't the case with this quilt. While I was playing around with some fabrics and trying to think of a design that would work for a baby quilt, I remembered a design I had designed years ago. I figured I would try it out. Nothing complicated - exactly what I had in mind.
 
This is the original hand-drawn design:

The fabrics I chose were mostly low volume neutral colors with pops of green, red and brown here and there. I used 100% cotton fabrics, some from my stash, and others from an online store as well as my local fabric store.

I made nine patch squares which I alternated with large 9x9 inch (23x23 cm) squares. I arranged the fabrics in such a way that it formed plus signs. Keep in mind, this is a baby quilt, so I wanted it simple and sweet, but also a bit whimsical with a touch of romance.

For the backing I chose a creamy floral fabric. I added a pieced strip down the middle, for which I used some of the same fabrics as for the top.

I used 100% lightweight cotton batting. After I layered the quilt, I quilted a crosshatch quilt design all over.

For the binding I chose one of the fabrics I used for the top - small brown plus signs on a very light taupe background. At first I didn’t realize how that complimented the larger plus designs in the quilt, but while I was attaching the binding to the quilt it struck me how perfect it was!

I think it turned out dreamy!
 
Dimensions: 35x52 inches (89x132 cm) - crib size

A few years ago a friend asked me to make a memory quilt from her childrens’ baby clothes and t-shirts. Even though I’ve been quilting for a long time, I’ve never made a memory quilt up till that point. What I learned was that a memory quilt is a quilt “type” in it’s own right and making one can be a very creative and rewarding process. At the same time it was also a little nerve-wracking since you’re cutting and sewing someone’s loved one’s clothing.
 
All that being said, memory quilts are a meaningful way to preserve memories of a loved one that has passed or of a certain phase or occasion in someone’s (perhaps a child’s) life.
 
When making a memory quilt, the sky's the limit creatively speaking. Basically anything made out of fabric can be used, for instance baby onesies, receiving blankets, t-shirts, men’s shirts, neckties, jeans, pillowcases, etc.
 
The picture on the left is of my friend’s quilt. The one on the right is a sample quilt of baby clothes I made at one point.

The steps in making a memory quilt are more or less the same as when making a “regular” quilt, although there are a few things to keep in mind:
 

• It is a good idea to pre-wash the garments before you start cutting. Avoid fabrics that are dry clean only.
  
•  When making a quilt from baby clothes or t-shirts, you sew with knits. And since knits are stretchy, it helps to stabilize the fabric with a very lightweight fusible interfacing. Use a jersey-type needle for sewing.     
• This type of quilt takes more time to make, since you have extra cutting to do. Sometimes you have to take seams apart or cut out certain parts like pockets, applique, etc.
  
• The fibre content of the different fabrics might not all be the same, so take that into consideration when piecing fabrics together.

For the Worn & Washed quilt I used a simple Bricks pattern. I picked around ten shirts for the top of the quilt, focusing on blues and whites with a pop of orange and pink here and there.

This pattern consists of two rectangular blocks - longer ones that make up the majority of the quilt and shorter ones for the beginning and end of every other row.

I began by sewing rectangles together until I had 20 rows, whereafter I pieced the rows together to form the top.

Then it was time to layer the quilt. I used regular 100% cotton batting as always. For the backing I chose a twin size bed sheet, with a very tiny blue and white plaid design.

I quilted straight lines one inch apart all over that ran the length of the quilt.

I finished the quilt by adding a striped binding in navy, light blue and white. 

Size: approximately 70x90 inches (twin size)

This past month I took a break from quilting and focused on a few other sewing projects.
 
Lately I’ve been loving the look of natural dyed fabrics. The thought of using natural materials like onion skins, berries, black beans, tea bags, avocado skins, etc. to dye fabric intrigued me. I’m not sure exactly why, perhaps the idea of using organic material to produce beautiful earthy colors.
 
For my first attempt I decided on using avocado skins and pits. This was a fairly simple process and the fabric turned out a beautiful dusty pink.
 
First I had to wash the 100% white cotton that I used. Then I washed two avocados’ skins and pits and added it to a large pot which I filled with enough water to cover skins, pits and later the fabric and brought it to a simmer.

While simmering, the water started to turn pink. For some reason I thought the water would turn green! After that I removed the skins and pits and added my still damp fabric.

I let that simmer for about 90 minutes and then removed the pot from the stove and let it sit in the dye overnight.

The next morning I removed it from the dye, rinsed it and let it dry. Then I ironed it with a warm iron and decided to use it for this pretty drawstring bag.

Drawstring bags are so handy and fun and can be made into any size you want. You can use it for traveling purposes, storing your crochet project, as a gift bag, et cetera.
 
I started by cutting white, pink and coral fabrics into 3 x 3 inch squares. (It seems like I just can’t stop myself from cutting up fabric into squares!)

I alternated the white and pink/coral, and sewed it into three rows.

I added the dyed pink to the top half to form the outside of the bag. For the lining I used a pretty pink floral fabric for the top half and the dyed pink for the bottom half.

Once I’ve attached the inside and outside, I sewed a casing for the drawstring.

I added a decorative stitch that looks like hand stitching just above the top row of squares.

For the drawstring I used white ribbon and added a couple of white beads to give it some sparkle. 

Dimensions: 14.5 x 13.5 inches (37 x 34 cm)
 
*****
 
Back in December I embellished some tea towels in pretty Christmas colors. I still had some tea towels left from back then, so I decided to make a couple to celebrate spring. Take a look! And if you’re interested in making your own, take a look here for an easy tutorial.

As a quilter my eyes are frequently drawn to designs around me for use in my quilts. Perhaps, in a way similar to a photographer who’s always on the lookout for a photo opportunity. This month I found a quilting design on toilet paper of all things! Some companies even go so far as to call it quilted TP with all the different designs on it. Well, the ones we buy have pretty flowers “quilted” on it, so I thought I would try and mimic this flower design on a quilt. 

I decided to make a whole cloth quilt to showcase the flower motif. You might be new to the quilting world and wonder what I am talking about. A whole cloth quilt is simply what the name says: a quilt made out of a whole piece of fabric instead of pieced fabrics. It still consists of the quilt sandwich - top, batting and backing. And in this case it’s reversible.
 
While this is certainly different from a regular patchwork quilt, it is still beautiful with the focus, in my opinion, on the quilting design, whether you choose to hand or machine quilt.
 
Since this was the first time I attempted a whole cloth quilt, I decided to keep it small and make a baby size quilt. With spring in mind, as well as the flowery TP, I went to my local fabric store and bought a white muslin for the one side and a white polka-dot on peach cotton fabric for the flip side. For the binding I chose a pretty peach fabric with small white and black flowers. I figured the quilt design would be more visible on light colored fabrics.

I started drawing out the flower design in one corner of the white fabric with a water soluble fabric marker and continued doing that all over the white. Then I layered the quilt the same way I would have done with a patchwork quilt. After that I started quilting in white thread.

While making this quilt, I learned a few valuable lessons:
 

1. Planning is key! Decide on the size quilt you want to make and buy enough fabric accordingly. Since it is called a whole cloth quilt you might need to buy extra wide fabric.
2. Plan and measure out the quilting design as well as the spacing in between the designs. I just started drawing the design on one side and didn’t space it out over the whole piece of fabric.  Rookie mistake!
3. I should have quilted the flowers closer to each other or perhaps added another design in between the flowers. I ended up with some “loose” fabric in between flowers. Another rookie mistake.
   
4. The flower design was very time intensive to quilt. It would have been faster to use free motion quilting, but I chose to quilt with a walking foot.