Archive for the ‘Design’ Category

You guys, I’ve been busting for the past week and a half—I made the most adorable baby doll quilt for my niece and haven’t let myself share it with you…Christmas secrets are SO hard to keep! Anyway, I think it’s very funny that this little scrappy baby doll quilt it one of my most favorite projects so far—I tried some new things on it and was really happy with the result! I’ll be sharing those things with you in the very near future, so read on to get all the adorable (scrappy) details and your Scrappy Baby Doll Quilt pattern for free! (Continue reading…)

This past weekend, my aunt, sister, and I went to an amazing little spot in Lancaster that we just love! It’s called Henry’s Greenhouse and every time we go there, we squeal with delight, “these are our people!” They’ve always got the most amazing plants, adorable ideas, and I love their selection of succulents. These amazing little plants are just about the only thing that I can keep alive as far as foliage goes— and don’t they just have a fresh, modern look to them!?

Photo by Sara Bittner.

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the perfect wallet pattern

It’s zipper day people.

This will probably be the most helpful part of the sew-along for you—i’ve got pictures of every step here to help you through the terrible tube of zippers! (I promise you’ll feel like a genius when you’re done with it though!). (Continue reading…)

1:8 inch topstitch

Let’s start sewing and get making this wallet, shall we? Today we’ll start sewing the wallet together and creating the card pockets. It’s right about here that I start getting really excited about making these precise little creations. (Continue reading…)

Cutting out your fabrics

Alright, now that everything is picked out, it’s time to cut this puppy out! I bet you’re just imaging all the things you’ll stuff your wallet with and how you’ll have it organized. And the reaction you’ll get from the cashier when you say, “Oh thanks for noticing—I made this myself!”

But that’s enough daydreaming for now… let’s start by cutting out all your template and interfacing pieces…

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Perfect Wallet Christmas Sew Along

Welcome to Day 1 of the Perfect Wallet Sew Along! I’ve got a week of efficient Christmas sewing in store for you & can’t wait to get started! Make sure to show us your progress on Instagram and Facebook, you might just be the winner of one of our fantastic giveaways!

Today is all about shopping and gathering materials! Here’s what you’ll need to make the Perfect Wallet: (Continue reading…)

The best list of gifts for quilters and sewists, just in time for Christmas!

No matter how many ideas I had throughout the year, I get to the Christmas season and can’t think of a single thing to get for the people I love! I just never know what to get when it comes down to it. So, I always end up endlessly searching for the best lists out there to give me any ideas or inspiration for gifts. So, whether you’re looking for a great gift for your quilting wife, friend, or family member or you need to give your special somebody a nudge in the right direction, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve compiled the best list of Christmas and birthday gifts for the quilter, sewist, or creative in your life. The best part: it’s all on Amazon, so you can add it to your cart, have it shipped, and you’ll be ready for Christmas day! (Continue reading…)

Late one night, searching the ends of the world wide web, looking for a daybed, I came across this lovely little pillow on Birch Lane’s website—I just had to have it!

$39.99

Yeah right!

I got the itch to make this little lovely, so I whipped out my Cricut Explore Air and got to work. I have a ten-month-old and it only took me one nap to whip this sweet little pillow up! You got this! If you don’t have a Cricut, you should seriously consider getting it for your craft arsenal—I use mine all the time and it’ll save you a lot of cutting. But if it’s not in the plan for now, never fear! I’ve got instructions for you too. (Continue reading…)

I was getting set for the Erie quilt show this fall and while designing the layout for my booth, decided that it needed some character. I dug out my old steamer trunk that’s been sitting around, begging to be updated for at least 10 years now and got to work!

I pained for hours (not exaggerating) over what to recover this awesome old antique in. I wanted to preserve the beauty of this piece and had a hard time not overwhelming it with something too bright or too modern. After sifting through pages and pages of wallpapers, I finally came to the decision to cover it in cork (I told you I was obsessed—if you don’t believe me, make sure to check out my sewing with cork post or my cork wallet review!). I priced out options for covering the trunk in cork fabric…let’s just say it was a little incredibly pricey, so I did a little research and found metallic cork shelf liner for a much better price. I figured since this trunk was mostly for display, I’d give it a try! I’m tickled with the results and so glad I did. I’d love to show you my process! (Continue reading…)

18 Free sewing patterns that make perfect Christmas and Birthday gifts

I love budgeting…I have no idea why, but numbers and budgets really get me going. Unfortunately, when Christmas season comes around, no matter how much we set aside throughout the year, we quickly realize that we didn’t budget nearly as much as we would have liked for Christmas gifts. So, this year, I’ve compiled a fantastic list for people like you and me! I’ve gathered 18 of the best FREE sewing patterns I could find. Many of these can be created using the endless piles of scrap fabric that you have tucked away. Between the free pattern and little-to-no investment needed for fabric and supplies, our Christmas budget is looking quite a bit healthier this year! I hope that this list will inspire you to create one of these patterns for your loved ones this year, or maybe it gave you the push you needed to make something totally original! (Continue reading…)