Verity Vintage Studio

Spring Quilty Projects with Hollyhock Lane

It's my day on the Hollyhock Lane fabric tour! This lovely new spring collection by Poppie Cotton has so many pretty florals and pastels.

 

I debated for a while what I wanted to make, but I knew it had to use the cute panel (would be so adorable for fussy cutting on a quilt block!) Finally from time constraints I opted for a couple of smaller projects.

 

First up – a reversible tote bag! I didn't use a pattern for this, but it was super fun and easy.

 

For one side...I cut two sections of panel, making the repeat come out even. For the other side, I did two pieced panels the same size and quilted each to a piece of cotton batting.

 

I sewed each pair of tote sides together with a 2” strip of fabric for the bottom and sides. You have to clip the corners of the connecting strip, but otherwise very simple.

 

Then I just had to place them inside each other with wrong sides together and bind the top like I would any other quilty project. Instant reversible, with the inside just as cute no matter which side is out.

 

To make the handles also reversible, as well as add decoration, I used purchased round handles from my stash and sewed them down with a folded small doily. The doily halves make the perfect reversible handle holders, plus add pretty details.

 

I think my sister made these for me a while ago, and this was the perfect use for them!

 

When the tote was finished, I wanted to play more with the panel possibilities, so I used a section of the panel and stitched it to a section of pieced strips to make a placemat. This didn't make quite a large enough placemat size, so I thought about adding a pieced border on the top and bottom, but then had the idea for ruffles.

 

It was a very happy thought and I'm so pleased with how they turned out!

 

The ruffles add the required extra height, as well as some really fun little details. Plus they go so well with the fabric style.

 

They look so pretty on my table now that it's springtime, and my children love to look at the pictures while they are eating. The ones with ducks are an especial favorite.

 

Technically these could be reversible too if you want (I just used a piece of print fabric to back them), if you take care to sew the ruffle neatly so there is no obvious wrong side.

 

We use placemats constantly to help keep the tablecloth clean, so these will get a lot of real use! It's such a pleasure to make things that are both practical and pretty, especially with such lovely fabric. Thank you Poppie Cotton!

 

Check out the other beautiful things made with this new line from the other makers on this blog tour

Monday, April 3

Instagram: @emmas_crafternoons

Wednesday, April 5

[email protected]

Friday, April 7

[email protected]_vanessaward

Monday, April 10

http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, April 12

http://www.linenbouquet.com

Friday, April 14

 theredfeedsack.blogspot.com

Monday, April 17

https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/

Wednesday, April 19

https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/

Friday, April 21

https://goodvibesquiltshop.blogspot.com/

Monday, April 24

Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com

 

Early Easter Dresses with My Favorite Things by Poppie Cotton

Poppie Cotton comes out with lots of cute fabric each year, but this has to be the best yet, by someone who is quickly becoming a favorite designer. My Favorite Things is aptly named as it has all of MY favorite things too! Vintage prints, florals, roses, adorable novelty prints with teacups & roses & ice cream sundaes, lovely candy colors...

 

I had so much fun sewing with it. So far I've made a quilt (can't show you yet!) and the projects you see here.

 

I had intended to make a different set of dresses for my girls for Easter, but when I saw how cute these turned out, I decided to save them for Easter instead. So you get an early look at what they will be wearing.

 

For my 3 year old, I used the blue novelty print and a vintage pattern, paired with my favorite little floral for the yoke, and some vintage lace. 

 

I altered it to button the whole way down the back, and inserted the belt in the side seams instead of doing a front sash, but otherwise followed the pattern. And I was very pleased with it - I'm finally figuring out how to get a good fit for girls' sizes. 

 

My 3 year old adores the dress. She kept checking on its progress, and loves to pick out her favorite things in the novelty print (generally the little animals, of course). She was SO excited to try it on for photos.

 

For the 1 year old, I used a 1930s pattern that I've made before and is one of my favorite size 1 patterns. It has a curved yoke in the front, and little tucks in the back.

 

Naturally, it was difficult to get her to sit still, so just had to grab what photos I could get! Hopefully on Easter Sunday I can get better pictures of the two together.

 

She is still pretty small for her age, but thankfully these loose fitting dresses are pretty easy to adjust.

 

I love how they coordinate without being completely matching! 

 

While the dresses were my main project for this blog feature, I also decided at the last minute to make something else that would show off more of the fabrics, since I had a lot of favorites not used for the dresses. A simple patchwork runner was the perfect quick project!

 

I cut a bunch of 2" squares and simply alternated them randomly with white, added a border, and then hand quilted in a contrast thread on just the white squares. I love how it turned out. I often gravitate towards the simple classic quilts rather than the more impressive, complicated ones. 

 

I didn't fussy-cut the squares (though you easily could) but it was fun to see some of them turn out as if I had!

 

There have been so many pretty projects showing this gorgeous fabric, during the blog tour. I hope you check them all out!

Monday, March 6	https://www.elealutzdesign.com/
Wednesday, March 8	https://www.cloverandviolet.com/
Friday, March 10	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Monday March 13	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, March 15	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Friday, March 17	Faith Essenburg
Monday, March 20	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 22	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, March 24	https://goodvibesquiltshop.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 27	http://www.gigisthimble.com/
Wednesday, March 29	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Friday, March 31	http://www.abrightcorner.com/

 

Quick & Easy Rag Quilt Tutorial with Poppie Cotton

While rag quilts are indeed an honest-to-goodness type of quilt, they are so far simplified that they are super easy to make, even for those who are not into quilting. Also they are extremely fast – you could make a baby sized one from start to finish in a day if you wanted.

 

When I got the chance to sew with some of this adorable new fabric from Poppie Cotton, I wanted something quick and simple that would allow the sweet prints and colors to have center stage. A rag quilt was the perfect solution!

 

You can make it with pretty much any size of squares, or even some other basic shapes. Squares are the most common. Lots of folks use 5” squares so that they can use precut charm squares. I decided to cut mine 6” because that's the size of my favorite ruler, and cut 48 of them to make a baby size quilt.

 

For this style of quilt you also cut your backing at the same time. You can use an old sheet, flannel blanket, or of course quilting fabric. Just keep in mind that the backing fabric will show through to the front at least a little bit. I decided to make a random patchwork back out of the ivory colors in this fabric line. (It's called Poppie's Patchwork Club, if you want to track some down.)

 

Next cut your batting squares. They need to be 1” less than your fabric squares. Since my fabric squares were 6”, I cut my batting squares 5”. This is a very handy way to use up smaller pieces of batting!

 

Here is a handy visual.

 

Now you make your sandwiches. Place a backing square and a top square wrong sides together, with a batting square centered in the middle.

 

Next you quilt each sandwich. The most common method is to do an X shape from corner to corner, but you could try other shapes as well. Or if you feel fancy, free-motion a swirl or something in the center of each one. In any case, it's super fast and easy and cuts out the tedious basting step entirely.

 

I decided to do triple straight lines on mine. I used my regular foot with the pressure reduced a bit, and chain pieced all of them one line at a time. As you can see, the sandwich is reversible at this point.

 

No pressing or anything necessary! This method has so many short cuts, which is why it's so easy.

 

Now they are ready for the layout. You can go completely random and scrappy...

 

Or if you have enough of one color, alternate one color with the other colors for more of a gingham look.

 

I had the right amount to do a random diagonal layout, so that's what I went with. I also alternated the direction of the quilting lines for fun – and also so that it looks better if they don't line up.

 

It is always difficult to remember after many years of sewing that THIS time you have to sew WRONG sides together! The backing squares need to be on the inside, and when you open the seam, the seam has to be on the right side. Feels totally backwards! I always get mixed up and need a seam ripper at least once. :-)

 

For these you need to sew a half inch seam allowance instead of the standard quilting quarter inch. If you catch a bit of batting in the seam, that's ok.

 

Once the rows are sewn, sew them together the same way – wrong sides together and the raw seam exposed on right side. You can nest the seams or sew them open – it doesn't matter.

 

To finish the outside edge, you can bind it like a regular quilt if you wish. But the easiest method, which is what I use here, is to finish it the same as the rest of the seams. Sew 1/2” around the outside of the quilt.

 

All done and ready for that finishing step!

 

Now with a pair of sharp scissors, make cuts all along each seam, at abut 1/2” apart. Make sure you do not slash through the stitching line!

 

This can be tedious, so I like to listen to or watch something, prop up my feet, and work on it. If my hand cramps from the scissors, I lay it aside to work on later. A large quilt will take a while, but a baby quilt isn't so bad.

When you are done, you will have each raw edge full of clips like this.

 

It's almost finished...but the final step is to throw it in the washing machine! This crinkles it a little and frays all those little cuts, which makes the perfect little fuzzy border around each square.

 

This type of quilt is extremely forgiving. If you have imperfect quilting or didn't match a square properly, or have uneven edges, no one will be able to tell. Plus it's extra sturdy and soft, which makes it perfect for babies and toddlers, when a regular patchwork quilt might not stand up to constant hard use and washing.

 

Plus it's basically reversible.

 

My finished size is 30 x 40” - I used a layout of 6 x 8 squares cut at 6” but sewn with 1” seam allowance to subtract, so finish at 5”. It's a great size for a small child to drag around in the car or stroller. I'm sure it will get lots of use...and I love seeing this adorable fabric around the house!

 

 

Songbird Serenade Project Tour – Patchwork Dress & Applique Runner

 

This sweet new fabric collection called Songbird Serenade from Poppie Cotton has the loveliest soft colors and prints. Of course my three-year-old was entranced by the “birdie” fabric, so I decided this would be a good time to try an idea I had in mind. An idea for a challenge. Could I make a dress out of a fat quarter bundle?

 

I picked the light peach color way, set aside two FQ for the skirt, and cut the bodice front and back out of two different FQ. I used the same pattern as I did for her sailor dress for the bodice, but with different sleeves.

 

The skirt I didn't use a pattern for, just gathered the width I had into the waist. The collar I cut from a 5^th FQ for a bit of contrast.

 

When assembled, I think it was a success! Using the same color palette keeps it from being too crazy, but the patchwork element is still there, and super cute for a little girl. It's fun to get a garment of this size out of the smaller quilting cuts, just as a fun little challenge.

 

As you can see from her face, she quite likes her new dress.

 

Showing mommy the birdies.

 

But there are so many other pretty prints and colors in this collection, I had to showcase more of them, so I also made a table runner.

 

I've seen vintage quilts with applique petal fans and always think they are so cute, so that was my inspiration. I cut out my own chunky orange peel shaped template, and attached them to background blocks with a dense zigzag on the raw edges. Super easy and fast.

 

The diamond shape was appliqued by hand.

 

I hand quilted it, which went pretty fast. I wanted to quilt it as larger blocks of 4 instead of individual blocks, so after going around the petals and doing the decorative corner bracket, I added a few rows around the exterior.

 

It's a generously sized runner, with 8” blocks. I just love the soft pastels.

 

It was a great pleasure to make these two ideas come to life in such pretty fabric. 

 

Check out the other lovely stops on this blog tour – and make sure to ask your quilt shop about this beautiful fabric collection!

 

Monday, October 10	http://prettybyhand.com/	Kirstyne
Wednesday, October 12	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/	Kristen Clay
Friday, October 14	https://thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/	Sherri Falls
Monday, October 17	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/	Lisa Garlick
Wednesday, October 19	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/	Lisa Jo
Friday, October 21	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com	Belinda
Monday, October 24	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/	Melissa Corry

 

Blog Tour of House & Home Fabric: Wall Quilt with Poppie Cotton

 

I've been working on something special with some new Poppie Cotton fabric, and get to show it off today as I kick off the blog tour for House and Home!

 

This has to be one of my top loved of their collections so far. It has a wide color range, so it can have many different looks. I chose to use only the pastels and picked my top favorite 5 prints to use for a softly shaded wall quilt in some of my very favorite colors.

 

I used Gigi's Thimble free pattern for her 2 Stars a Day quilt; though I couldn't participate on the quilt along she hosted, I loved her idea & mockup, and made a smaller version for myself with 2 stars in each fabric for a total of 20 stars, divided with 10 on each background color.

 

This was my first time making flying geese units, believe it or not... Her tip to press the seams open was very helpful, though I quickly gave up on matching the star points. (I'm definitely going to invest in a quarter inch machine foot so I can be more precise in the future - but luckily I'm not a perfectionist.)

 

It was fun from start to finish. I've found I really love making smaller quilts. You still get to play with a variety of fabrics and blocks, but without so many you get tired of making them. They are so much easier to wrangle when piecing the top, pressing, and quilting. And allover a much faster finish, which suits my instant-gratification urge very well!

Mine finished out at 34 x 42 inches, so it's a good size for a wall hanging, but could totally be used as a baby quilt too. 

Star blocks ready to sew together.

The finished quilt top!

 

I have a spot on my kitchen wall where a window was taken out and badly patched...too big for a picture to cover well, so a quilted wall hanging is the perfect option. I have one that's been up year-round, but have been wanting to make one for every season (probably will end up with one per month! :-)  - so this was the ideal project to quickly finish and hang up to enjoy while it's still spring! 

I love getting to look at it every day. 

 

I just adore the periwinkle floral and all the little toile and sprig prints. I had enough of the pink toile to use as a background, and I have to say I love the alternating block background colors in Amber's pattern. I will definitely utilize this feature again! The only change I made to her pattern was to add the sashing to the outside edge to finish the pattern, instead of the solid border she sketched.

A small quilt in a big world.

 

The 6" stars are small enough to be dainty, but large enough to show off a lot of the fabric. 

 

I hand quilted it - an easy project that went pleasantly fast - and added a couple of hanging loops to the top under the binding.

 

 

To bind it, I cut two strips each from 4 of the green color way fat quarters and stitched them end to end. This makes a subtly scrappy binding - a great option for someone who doesn't have enough of one coordinating fabric for binding, or who doesn't like a more obvious scrappy binding.

 

It was such a fun project, each step of the way. Thanks to Amber for a great pattern, and to Poppie Cotton for giving me the opportunity to create with such dreamy fabric! I hope this inspires you to sew your own version.

 

Check out the other makers on this blog tour:

Monday, May 23	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Wednesday, May 25	[email protected]
Friday, May 27	http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 30	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 1	[email protected]
Friday, June 3	Instagram: @emmas_crafternoons
Monday, June 6	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, June 8	[email protected]
Friday, June 10th	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Monday, June 13th	https://www.goodvibesquiltshop.com/blog
Wednesday, June 15th	www.freshdewdrops.com

 

 

Easy Infant Cheater Puff Quilt Tutorial with Poppie Cotton

When I saw the adorable panels by Poppie Cotton for their new Hopscotch & Freckles fabric line, I knew immediately I wanted to make a cheater version of a puff quilt.

 

I chose my favorite color way of the cute pictorial panel, as well as some backing and binding. To make this size quilt, you will need around 1 1/4 yards of each fabric for front and back, and just over 1/4 yard for binding. 

 

Start by pressing the front and back fabric. Then lay out your front fabric. (You can of course use a non-panel fabric, but then you will have to mark your own grids. This panel has a grid of 3 x 4". A larger grid could work, but I don't recommend going smaller.)

Since I am working within the limits of the fabric print, I didn't get an exact yard cut, since I wanted to have complete pictures. So I just measured the closest to 36" in each direction, and trimmed the fabric about an inch farther out.

 

You will be stitching your final row on these two lines, and trim off the excess later. 

 

Now get your backing. This quilt will be reversible, so you can use a basic like I did, or mix it up with another fun print. Keep in mind that you won't be able to keep it straight though, so a striped fabric, for instance, will probably end up looking crooked.

 

Lay them out wrong sides together and put a few pins in to keep them in place for now. The backing should be a little larger than the top fabric to allow for shifting. 

 

Now we are going to stitch the first row of lines. It's so handy to have the lines to follow on the fabric! We will stitch the horizontal lines first, starting in the middle, and stitching each one across the fabric. 

 

When you get to the last row on the grid, go ahead and stitch it. The rest of it will be trimmed later.

 

Here is my fabric with all the horizontal stitched lines. You won't need any more pins, as this quite secures the two fabric layers together. 

 

Now it's time to start making and stuffing the pockets! We again start in the middle, and stitch the first vertical line.

 

Now that a 3 sided pocket has been made, it's time to stuff it and stitch it closed, which also makes the next pocket. This is the PERFECT use for leftover quilt batting that has been trimmed from your quilts but isn't wide enough to reuse easily. 

You will need to experiment with how much to use. Start with less, as it's easier to add more than to take some back out. Stick it in the first channel and tamp it down with a ruler or some such object. (Even this small of a quilt, the first rows are a bit harder to do, so if you cut your fabric larger for a bigger quilt, be prepared for the center rows to be challenging.)

 

Once you're satisfied with the fullness, hold it down with your hand and stitch about 2/3rds of the way across it.

 

Stop with the needle DOWN, and stuff the next one.

 

Continue all along the first row. Here is my first row. You can see that it will draw up the fabric so it's no longer flat and straight. The good news is that if you stitch a crooked row or something, it won't be noticeable at all. 

 

Continue working from the center out, stuffing each pocket and stitching it closed. Here is my first half done.

 

Now rotate the quilt and work from the center out in the opposite direction. It will get pretty bulky but this size is still small enough to handle fairly well. 

All done!

 

Now trim with a scissors about 1/2" from the edge of the outer stitched line.

 

You can see it is ruffled, and thus if you do a regular quilt binding, it will ruffle too. I have a tip for that, so hang on.

 

Cut and press your binding strip just like for a regular quilt. I cut mine 2 1/4" wide, joined them end to end, and pressed in half. Since I wanted to machine stitch this binding, I'm sewing it to the wrong side of the quilt.

As you sew the binding, take a pinch out of each pocket section, and pleat or fold it over. This will use up the extra fabric and keep the edge from ruffling.

 

All finished! Look at the fun plush texture.

 

While it can be used as a crib blanket or comforter, my main goal was to make a floor quilt that has more padding, so that when an infant has tummy time, the little head is more protected from the hard floor. Of course I had to try it out with my own baby girl.

 

Got a few smiles too!

 

Look at the adorable pictures and the fun puffs.

 

Mine shrank down to about 31-32", but that's still a good size for an infant.

 

It's the new favorite play blanket of my older children as well. And I made it from start to finish, even with taking photos, in a few hours. I hope if you try one you let me know how it turns out!

 

Check out the other creations on this fabric tour:

Monday, February 21	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, February 23	https://charismascorner.com/
Friday, February 25	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Monday, February 28	https://bretquiltdesigns.com/
Wednesday, March 2	http://www.abrightcorner.com/
Friday, March 4	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Monday, March 7	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 9	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, March 11	http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/

 

Christmas in June: Reversible Placemats with Poppie Cotton

When I got the chance to play with a little of Poppie Cotton's upcoming Christmas line, Snuggle Up Buttercup, of course I jumped at the chance. I mean - little retro pink pickups! How can you not??

 

I have been so busy this month and juggling so many deadlines, that I had to figure out something relatively quick and easy to make for my blog feature when it came my turn for the Snuggle Up Buttercup tour. A reversible placemat set was the answer!

 

I use a lot of placemats for everyday use, on their own or on top of a table cloth where the children sit. It is so much easier to toss a placemat in the wash than change a tablecloth due to one spill. And I have a lot of lovely floral ones, but as I discovered last Christmas, nothing suitable for the holidays. I was happy to change that.

 

I picked out 4 my favorite prints from the fabric line and used them for the solid side, then divided the measurement in 3rds, added a half inch for seam allowance, and cut out 3 strips to piece together for the remaining side. I used exactly 8 fat quarters, since the leftovers after cutting the strips were just enough for binding.

 

To finish it, I used some smaller pieces of leftover batting and did some big stitch quilting using size 10 crochet cotton in several coordinating colors. Big stitch quilting both quilts and adds a decorative element - plus it looks great on both sides so it works well for a reversible project like this.

 

Instantly I have all these different looks for my table. I made 4 placemats, but I actually have 8 options here. I can use all the pieced side...

 

...all the solid side, or alternate them! Each one gives a different look to a table setting, yet they all coordinate.

 

The exact same placemat on one side...

 

...and on the other. 

 

I like how simple these are and quick to make - truly beginner friendly. And the large strips mean that the fabric really shines, rather than being cut up into small blocks. So it's ideal for showcasing your favorite prints!

 

Of course, the binding still has a "right side" and a "wrong side", but I make sure to hand stitch the binding invisibly using tiny stitches, so it's as unobtrusive as possible. 

 

So that's it for my fun holiday project right as summer is ramping up its heat! Make sure to check out the other lovely creations during the project tour for this adorable fabric line.

 

Friday, June 18	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 21	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Wednesday, June 23	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, June 25	https://thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/
Monday, June 28	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, June 30	http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 2	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/

 

 

Tutorial - Easy EPP Hexie Potholders 2 Way

This charming flower shape made with hexagons is a common and favorite motif for quilters. Called "Grandmother's Flower Garden", it's one of the easiest and most recognizable shapes to make with hexagons (usually using the English paper piecing method), and there are so many varieties possible depending on fabric choice and placement. 

 

Did you know that you can do Grandmother's garden flowers 2 ways? 

For these appliques I used fusible leave-in templates by Hugs 'n' Kisses, but the traditional card method would work too. I first chose some prints from the lovely Blue Stitch line by Riley Blake Designs, then fused 1" hexagon papers to the back. I fused 7 for one flower, and 6 for another.

 

Next I cut them out with an approximate 1/4" allowance.

 

Then folded the edges over and glued them down. If you use craft glue like I did, make sure it is water soluble.

 

Once all the hexagons are glued, they can be assembled. You can either do it by hand or machine. I did mine by machine because that was fastest, but the stitches aren't as neat - I do prefer to assemble by hand. 

Assemble the 7 in a flower shape, and the 6 in a ring, leaving the center open.

 

The open ring method not only saves time, but allows for some fun customization. You can see here that it makes a good chance to do some variety in placement if you simply appliqué on a floral piece of fabric, which would be a super quick way to finish.

 

I decided instead to appliqué on a plain white piece, and freehand embroider the center instead, drawing inspiration from one of the prints in this fabric line.

 

I placed each appliqué on a center of a square of fabric and a square of cotton batting, appliquéing through both of those layers. You want to use the blind hem stitch on your machine, with the straight stitches right beside the EPP, and EPP caught with the swing over of the needle.

 

The solid flower can be just appliquéd around the edges and you're done. The ring flower needs to appliquéd in the center as well. It makes such a cute frame!

 

Next they can be trimmed to size - I did mine 7" square - and then placed against a piece of backing cut the same size and bound, just like any other quilt project. 

 

It's ok to not quilt through the backing since it's such a small project, but if you prefer to add more quilting that's up to you! It would look great with some big stitch quilting outlining the flower shape.

It's so fun how they coordinate perfectly yet are different. 

 

As you can tell, it would be a great scrap project to use up small pieces. And how sweet for a housewarming gift? 

 

I like the one with embroidery - it seemed fitting to use blue stitches to decorate a line called Blue Stitch. :-) You get the same overall look as the solid flower, but with less time and effort, plus a little more versatility for decoration. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial of how to make one of the favorite beginner EPP shapes two different ways! Of course you can use the appliqués on anything...quilt patches, bags, pillows, etc. The limits are endless.

Tutorial: Quilted Crochet Hook Caddy with Poppie Cotton

I have a bad habit of making all sorts of new and exciting things that I use occasionally, meanwhile wearing something I use all the time to tatters because I technically could make a new one but just don't get around to it. Finally a need became something exciting! Meet my new crochet hook caddy.

 

I'm so excited to be able to share some projects with you during the next few months, partnering with Poppie Cotton for some blog tours. I have a lovely stack of their prints to play with, and my first project was quick, easy, and practical!

 

I've needed new crochet hook storage in my crochet bag for a long time. (That same tattered and threadbare crochet bag is a separate issue...) Combine that with the prettiest prints from Poppie Cotton's new Dots and Posies fabric line, and it was the perfect way to showcase a few of my favorite prints and meet a need.

 

If you're in the same boat, here is how I made this adorable roll-up caddy in just a few hours. Handy tip: if you don't crochet, it can be used for paintbrushes, or a pencil case instead.

It would be the perfect gift for a special crafter in your life.

 

For this project I cut two pieces of fabric to measure 19” x 8 1/2”. One will be the outside, one the inside. (If you are making a caddy for something longer than crochet hooks, cut these panels as high as your tallest article, plus a couple inches.)

From a third print I cut a piece measuring 19” x 10”.

 

I cut some cotton quilt batting the same size as to the first panel and made my quilt sandwich.

 

I highly recommend spray basting for this step.

 

Once basted and smooth, press the larger 19 x 10” piece in half lengthwise. This will form your pocket.

Lay it along the bottom of your sandwich on the inside, all raw edges matching and the fold toward the center.

 

You could pin it in place if you like – I didn't have trouble with mine shifting.

Next I marked the center with a vertical line in a water soluble pen.

 

On each side I marked again lines at 1” intervals, until the whole piece is covered with vertical lines.

 

Now stitch these lines. This does double duty of both quilting and making your pockets.

I started in the center and stitched every other line first, to keep it in place, then went back over and stitched the between lines.

 

Square up if needed.

 

Next cut a 4” piece of elastic (I used elastic lace because it is prettier) and pin it to the center of one end with the raw edges together. This will be stitched in with the binding and make a button loop for closure.

 

Bind just like any other quilt project. The binding will both finish the edge and stitch closed the bottom of the pockets. Make sure to catch the elastic ends and all the layers when you stitch this spot.

 

I needed to cut 2 2 1/4” strips WOF to have a long enough piece of binding. I stitched with the pocket side facing, but since both sides of this project are basically the right side and will be visible, it's up to you.

 

On the other side I made sure to take small invisible stitches to keep it as finished-looking as possible, since like I said there is no real wrong side to this project.

 

Fill with your crochet hooks and roll it up before you decide where to place the button.

 

All done! So nice that I can see them all at a glance. The smaller hooks can even be doubled up in the pockets if necessary, but when rolled up they are fairly secure and don't fall out easily.

 

Since I crochet quite a lot, I love that now I can handle some of this pretty fabric frequently, as well as have a solution for my crochet hook storage!

 

The elastic loop works perfectly to hold the roll secure with a little give if I don't roll it quite exactly the same tightness. Also this is a great way to use up one of those orphan vintage buttons!

 

I just love the giant rose and polka dot print, as well as the aqua polka dots...so happy to be able to use them a lot and give them a place to shine. This is just the prettiest line of vintage-inspired fabric!

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will share photos if you try one yourself. Now I'm off to crochet!

 

Simple Squares: Romantic Pastel Patchwork Runner

This is a simple project that brought me a disproportionate amount of happiness. :-) 

 

Last summer I picked up a baby quilt at an antique shop. It was just a lot of squares pieced together randomly, and hand quilted. I hung it over my baby's crib and enjoyed picking out my favorite 1930s prints while I rocked the baby.

 

I realized there are a lot of possible patterns that could be made just by color placement in a simple patchwork design like this, so when I saw Riley Blake Design's new Rose & Violet's Garden fabric in its dreamy pastels and romantic florals, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. 

 

I cut out a bunch of easy 2 1/2" squares. I had quarter yard cuts to use, but of course a precut 2 1/2" strip bundle would work for this perfectly. (For those interested in the details, I ended up using 35 pink squares, and 95 other colors to make a runner 14" x 36".)

 

Then I laid out just the pinkest squares in an Irish Chain design, filling in the rest with the other colors. It was very relaxing and simple! No complicated blocks or pressing headaches...I would lay out 3 rows at a time, not even stressing out about directional prints or thinking too much about print placement, then chain piece them and join them in short rows.

 

It grew quickly, even with working on it only ten minutes or so at a time.

Once it was large enough (and the design was finished out), I gave it a good press and quilted it just like my inspiration quilt - in crosshatch diagonal lines across the squares. 

 

I just eyeballed it, and didn't even bother switching to my walking foot. Perfection was not the goal - rather just fun sewing. I had recently finished a more complicated quilt top and was feeling a little burnt out, so this more mindless pleasure quilting was exactly what I needed.

 

And I was so pleased with the result! The pink design is subtle, and all the fabric prints are so lovely. I usually gravitate toward brighter fabric, but when I first saw this collection coming out, I was captivated entirely by it and wanted so badly to make something with it, especially since it is the exact right color palette for my baby girl's room. Thanks to Riley Blake that dream came true!

 

All those gorgeous toiles, polka dots, handwriting, roses, colors...just perfection! Reminds me of Victorian gardens.

 

It goes so perfectly on her vintage 1950s pink ripple-front dresser!

 

The original inspiration and my version. I used larger squares as you can see.

 

More projects for the nursery out of this fabric line will be upcoming, I'm sure...but for now this runner makes me smile every time I walk past. And it's a great reminder that you don't always have to make something elaborate. Sometimes simple is best (and more enjoyable) after all.