Archive for the ‘Quilting and Sewing’ Category

how-to-make-a-ribbon-ruffle

Here we are, day 3 of the sew-along already! Now that we’ve chosen our fabrics, and gotten everything cut out, it’s time to start sewing! Today we’ll be focusing on creating the cuffs, which really make this little Christmas stocking shine. If you need to get caught up, don’t worry—there’s always room for one more. Hop back to Day 1 (fabric selections) and Day 2 (cutting) and get caught up in just a few minutes. Now, let’s get sewing! (Continue reading…)

christmas-stocking-fabrics

Here we are! It’s the first day of the Crap, it’s Christmas Stocking Sew Along! It’s not that we hate Christmas—it is the most wonderful time of the year after all, there’s just some projects that you’ve been putting off that just make you say, “Oh Crap!” (Continue reading…)

girl-christmas-stocking-pattern

Growing up, Christmas morning had a certain routine…a slow, relaxed, and perfectly wonderful routine. The morning always started with unpacking our drooping stockings—filled with lots of candy, fun little gifts, and of course; an orange in the toe!

Stockings are one of those things that really represent the Christmas season to me—it wouldn’t be complete without them! Although my family doesn’t have the beautifully knit stockings that we had growing up (hand made by my grandmother), we’ve got some pretty sweet stockings that I whipped up myself from fabric! With our little girl making her arrival right around the holiday season, I wanted to make sure that she had her own stocking, just incase she decides to show up early. (Continue reading…)

free-knoted-onesie-baby-sewing-pattern

It is always a good day for a free pattern release! With my sweet little baby girl almost here and ready to model all of my teeny tiny creations, it’s an even better day for a free baby pattern release. Today, I’d like to present you with my incredibly simple Knotted Baby Gown sewing pattern. The best part: I’ve also got a great little tutorial on making a matching headband—it really doesn’t get much better than this!

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a-step-by-step-tutorial-on-how-to-make-a-ruffle-from-a-ribbon-its-easier-than-youd-think-and-you-get-to-sew-all-your-own-custom-ribbon-rufflesTrim is so hard to come by. Unless you’ve got a secret fabric shop that sells amazing trims, the struggle is real! Finding the perfect ruffled trim is sometimes impossible. Your options are often too shiny, too large, too…just not right! Well, fear no more! Today, I’m going to show you how to make your own ruffle with flat ribbon. This technique is used in my newest pattern, the Sashay Christmas Stocking (releasing soon!), so I thought it would be helpful to teach this technique to you with step-by-step images and instructions. (Continue reading…)

erin-black-and-white-modern-newspaper-quiltToday we’ve got a breath of fresh air! Erin Biggers from Crafty Biggers has graced us with her presence today & I’m so excited. She’s been a relentless pattern tester for me from day 1 & I love working with her. She has a fabulous blog that you absolutely don’t want to miss out on, so when you’re finished reading this post, make sure you hop on over there and check it out! Today, she’s going to show you how she hacked my Crossroads pattern to include differently colored crosses. When she was first testing this pattern, she asked if she could do the crosses in different fabrics, I responded with a hesitant, “yes…but you’re crazy!” I’ve now learned not to doubt this girl—if she sets her mind to it—it’ll get done in the most fabulous way possible! Without further ado, I’m going to hand this post over to Erin!


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traditional-quilt-labelI’m creating an heirloom… have you ever thought that while you were wildly stitching away at a quilt? If not, start thinking it—because quilts are an heirloom piece! They have a long lifetime, function, and hold tons of meaning for the giver and receiver! But part of the heirloom quality of quilting lies in the label. Knowing who the quilt was made for and by (and maybe even why) is special for future generations that snuggle under those threads. (Continue reading…)

a-great-dictionary-on-sewing-and-quilting-techniques-that-every-pattern-assumes-that-you-knowOftentimes, quilting and sewing patterns assume that you know what you’re doing, the words that they are using, abbreviations, and that you already have the necessary tools to create your masterpiece. But what happens when you’re a new quilter, or faced with a new technique that you’re unfamiliar with? Today, we’ll cover some of the most used sewing or quilting wording and techniques that you might not be familiar with. If you’re looking for what tools you might need to get started on quilting, be sure to visit my Getting Started with Quilting Tools post. (Continue reading…)

Modern Star Throw Quilt“It was such a beautiful quilt, but…”

Over the years, I’ve heard this sentence end in a thousand different ways. You see, my mom owns a quilt shop and offers longarm quilting services. She sees hundreds and hundreds of quilts every year, and it’s surprising how many small techniques can make for an excellent, or not-so-excellent quilt in the end. I’m going to share with you how making small changes to your quilting techniques can make you a master quilter in no time! (Continue reading…)

celebrate-1-year-giveawayI cannot believe that it’s been a year already—can you!? That’s right, one year ago, I decided to stop pursing jobs where I punched a time clock for someone else, and work for myself! The hours certainly haven’t been any more forgiving, but oh my my, are they satisfying. If you read my blog a year ago, you’ll remember that some interesting circumstances had me looking for a new job. When, by God’s grace, I was swept away for a week of solitude, I realized that working for someone else wasn’t working for me anymore. I’m so pleased to be writing one year later, full of optimism, excitement, and big plans. (Continue reading…)