Verity Vintage Studio

Vintage Style Quilts with Poppie Cotton's Market Day

I've been eagerly anticipating when the time would arrive to sew with my sample yardage of Poppie Cotton's new fabric line Market Day, and it finally happened!

 

I love this line so much...definitely another top favorite of mine. So many sweet designs, pretty colors, little berries and florals and wreaths, buntings and dolls!

 

I couldn't stop with one quilt, so I made two! First I noticed that the fabric was a good match to the colors I had used to embroider these Sunbonnet Sue blocks I started as a teen and finished up the first year I was married (before I had taken up quilting, so I just stored them until later).

 

There are plenty of flaws from my less-experienced needlework days, but I still think the blocks are super cute. In order to turn the embroidered blocks into a crib size quilt, I alternated them with a print block.

 

I settled on deconstructed hourglass blocks, since those are fun to make. I had to do some tests first to come up with the correct size to pair with the embroidered blocks.

 

After sewing them together, I only had a few weeks left to quilt it, so I was hand quilting every spare moment in order to meet my deadline - and I finished it up by sewing the binding the very same day I had to take and send in the photos!

 

I custom quilted around each of the Sue blocks (the one with the parasol is my 2-year-old's favorite!), adding fun little details in some of them, and did all the star blocks alike. It was quite a bit of hand quilting in a short time, so now I'm ready to take a break before I start the next project!

 

This was also my first attempt at a scalloped border. I've wanted to make one for some time, and finally decided to just tackle it. It actually was fairly easy, thanks to online tutorials like this one, and now that I've done it once, I expect it will be even easier next time.

 

The scallops finish the edge perfectly, making it such a fun little girly quilt! I had to hang it up in my living room so I can enjoy it for a while.

 

But I also had a second idea I wanted to make, if I could squeeze it in. Teapot wall hanging!

 

For this one I used Lori Holt's Granny's Teapot pattern, making 4 teapot blocks, and adding my own border to make the size a good one for my space (and to add in more of the cute prints). 

 

I actually made this one from start to finish (except for one teapot block) in one day, so it went pretty quickly. 

 

I love how the large size of the teapots show off some favorite prints! Now if I could just find some REAL teapots with chintz prints like this...

 

I machine quilted it all over with a double line diamond grid, and really love how it looks. I think I'll use this for a larger quilt when I have one I want to machine quilt.

 

So many pictures in this post, but I was so pleased with both these projects that it's hard to narrow it down!

 

There have been so many adorable projects using this new fabric line, in this blog tour. I hope you check them out, and ask your local quilt shop about the availability of Market Day! It's honestly the cutest.

Monday, August 19	@elliebugmakes	Ellie Bug
Tuesday, August 20	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com	Dori Troutman
Wednesday, August 21	http://prettybyhand.com/	Kristyne
Thursday, August 22	https://charismascorner.com/category/blog/	Charisma
Friday, August 23	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/	Lisa Garlic
Monday, August 26	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/	Kristen Clay
Tuesday, August 27	creamcraftgoods	Karen
Wednesday, August 28	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com	Belinda Karls-Nace
Thursday, August 29	https://www.mollyandmama.com.au/blog/	Lauren Wright
Friday, August 30	charisecreates.blogspot.com	Charise Creates

 

Gingham Placemats with Cottage Charm

Today I get to show you some fun little crafty projects I made with a new Poppie Cotton fabric called Cottage Charm. I selected a just a few prints from this new fabric line to sew with. 

 

Of course the little cottage prints called for fussy cutting, so I featured them along with some coordinating florals to make a set of 4 gingham placemats. 

 

I think they are perfect for setting a summer or fall table!

 

I cut 3" squares and made a super basic patchwork panel, so it went quickly. 

 

I like how the gingham frames the little cottages. 

 

Of course you can mix up the colors, but I think it's fun to have them in color groups like this. 

 

There wasn't a pale aqua floral, so I chose one of Poppie Cotton's basics to go with this one.

 

For another small project, I took my favorite little cottage and embellished it with freehand embroidery. It adds some cute texture and detail. 

 

I'd never done anything like this before, but I've seen it done - and I think mine wasn't too bad for a first attempt!

 

We can always use placemats in our house, so these will come in useful - and the hoop will decorate my sewing room.

 

If you like whimsical prints in earth tones, you should definitely check out this new fabric.

 

Check out this list of participating makers to see all the lovely variety of projects featuring this fabric!

Friday, July 5	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Monday, July 8	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Wednesday, July 10	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 12	https://charisecreates.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 15	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Wednesday, July 17	https://bemandythings.com/blogs/news
Friday, July 19	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/
Monday, July 22	@elliebugmakes
Wednesday, July 24	https://www.sewmariana.com/
Friday, July 26	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Monday, July 29	http://www.creamcraftgoods.com/

Christmas in June with Poppie Cotton Prairie Christmas

I believe in enjoying the current moment, so I always prefer to sew or craft in the season I'm currently in - but when I need to work ahead of schedule, I find it's also nice to get a jump start on my later seasonal sewing! This month I took a few days to make some Christmassy projects with new Christmas fabric by Poppie Cotton, and it was rather fun...also nice to stock up on some gifts and decor before the seasonal crunch begins. 

 

This is a rustic Christmas line, and while it's not a style I would normally gravitate towards, I quite enjoyed these projects using it, and kept making just one more thing! The little town and farm scenes are especially adorable.

I started with a couple of 18" pillows. 

 

I used the Flower Love pattern by Sew Mariana and made 1 block in 2 different combinations, choosing my favorite prints to highlight in the bigger areas of the block.

 

I quilted them differently, and added a basic envelope back. This is so helpful if you have a lot of pillow covers but limited space. You can fold and store the covers flat, and reuse the same few pillow forms as you switch out the seasonal covers. 

 

I really love the bold flower block look. It reminded me of a giant Christmas bow, and really works well for Christmas with the star and heart center - perfect for this traditional collection. 

 

The edge finish provoked thought since I wanted something stronger than hand stitching a binding, but that looked nicer than a machine stitched binding - which I still have not mastered.

 

The answer was to hand stitch it through all layers with size 10 crochet thread. Super strong, looks nice on both sides, AND adds a lovely contrast stitching detail to the edge. Now I want to try this technique with a full size quilt. 

 

I'm looking forward to using these on the couch this Christmas season.

 

Then I grabbed the leftover fabric and made a slew of smaller scrappy projects!

 

I quilted two panels, cut them in a circle for potholders, and added a pocket for little gifts or decor.

 

I did my favorite quilt-as-you-go string blocks, sorting the strings by color. The green one I left as is; the white one I added little raw edge hearts on each corner and loved it! These are so quick and easy - sew your fabric strips together through all the layers, trim, and bind! Great for a quickly made addition to a gift basket.

 

I think my favorite potholder though was the log cabin - also quilt as you go, starting with a large center cut from the scenic fabric. I loved it so much I'm thinking about doing a whole quilt-as-you-go quilt like this, with fussy cut floral centers!

 

I love how they all coordinate but are all different and unique. 

 

The final project was one I've wanted to try for years, and this fabric line was the spur to finally make me get around to it - folded no-sew Scandinavian stars. I followed this YouTube tutorial and found it quite clear and helpful.

 

It was SO FUN and easier than it looks. I want to bust out my Christmas scraps and make more this year for sure! 

 

The one other thing I had made earlier were these easy gift placemats for our table this past Christmas, and really enjoyed how festive they were during the holidays.

 

I do wish Prairie Christmas had more red options in it, as I quickly ran low on the reds. But I'm still super pleased with the results of a few days of crafting. If you love rustic or country Christmas, this is definitely the fabric line for you. Stock up early for this holiday season, as it's shipping to quilt stores now!

 

Check out the other lovely Christmassy makes too. It's so fun to see everyone's unique spin and creativity using the same bundle of fabric. 

Monday, June 3	@sewmaryhappy
Wednesday, June 5	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 10	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Wednesday, June 12	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Friday, June 14	http://www.creamcraftgoods.com/
Monday, June 17	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/
Wednesday, June 19	@elliebugmakes
Friday, June 21	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Monday, June 24	https://bemandythings.com/blogs/news
Wednesday, June 26	https://ivoryspring.wordpress.com/
Friday, June 28	https://www.arabesque-scissors.com/journal
Monday, July 1	http://prettybyhand.com/

 

 

Nature Sings Blog Tour - Quilt, Apron, and an Easter Dress!

I have been anticipating for months sewing with the upcoming Poppie Cotton collection called Nature Sings. Finally the time arrived, I completed 3 out of 4 of my project ideas for it, and today I'm going to share them all for my slot on the blog tour!

 

The fabric was so pretty, I had a hard time narrowing it down to what I did make. Such dreamy florals and a pretty color scheme. It's not quite my usual style, but when I had it in my hands I was struck by how pretty it was. 

 

One thing I knew was that I was going to do a dress for my 4 year old in the purple bird print, and I ended up making it in time for her to wear for Easter.

 

I used a more modern (but still classic) McCall's pattern, and did a contrasting bodice in the gingham. I couldn't figure out how to do the collar since I didn't have enough bird fabric for it, and more gingham didn't look right on top of the gingham bodice. I feared adding yet another print would make it too busy, but I think it works for a little girl's dress! I was able to squeeze the collar out of one of my fat quarter pieces.

 

It's such a cute sailor collar style. I really like how it looks with the square back and tapered fronts. 

 

I added a touch of bird fabric to the sleeves to tie that in, and then when she tried it on I realized the skirt was pretty short, so I ended up lengthening it with a strip of the gingham since I was out of bird fabric. It all worked together quite well, and she loves it! 

 

You can see how cute her Easter outfit was, with the little pink vintage bonnet. :-)

 

As usual, when I make a garment, I want to also make something quilty so I can play with all the rest of the fabrics I didn't use. This time I was struck by a photo of a kit by Shabby Fabrics for a rag quilt. I had never seen a rag quilt that wasn't just basic squares or strips, and was quite intrigued by the fact that you can also do this with basic patchwork, in a slightly more elaborate design. 

 

I made up my own pattern, inspired by the photo, and scaling it to fit with the fabric I had to work with. 

 

I used a floral flannel from JoAnn for the backing, and a pink solid flannel for the center layer. The last time I made a rag quilt I used batting for the center, and I really liked using flannel instead. It still has quite a nice drape and weight like a regular batted quilt does, but the triple layers fringe better, and they were easier to stack and stitch. 

 

It was very nice to finish the piecing and then go straight to binding with a nice finished back - no basting or quilting an unwieldy quilt sandwich! I usually gravitate toward traditional quilt making, but when I do a quilt-as-you-go project like this it's refreshing for a change. 

 

It makes such a pretty, sturdy, spring-colored throw blanket!

 

My 3rd and final project with this fabric was an apron. The large scale floral in blue just begged to be made into an apron, so I made up my own pattern, using 1/2 yard of the blue, trimmed with lavender gingham. 

 

The gathered top is so flattering! I was very pleased with how it turned out, especially when paired with the wide waistband. 

 

A gathered pocket with a wide gingham band pulls it all together. I will probably try this idea again with some tweaks, but for not having a pattern I quite like the finished product. 

 

So there are my 3 most recent projects - I was sewing up quite a storm there for a few weeks! 

 

I hope you've been following along with all the other gorgeous projects made from this fabric! It never ceases to amaze me how many different looks can be created from the same fabric, depending on the individual taste of the creator. There's always so much inspiration in these blog tours, and I'm delighted to be a part of it. 

Early Easter Projects with Finding Wonder Fabric

Today I get to show you what I made with some of the happiest spring fabric around! It's my slot on the Finding Wonder blog tour hosted by Poppie Cotton to promote their new fabric line, and honestly, it was just my style. So much so that I had to make TWO projects with it, and thoroughly enjoyed each stitch on each project!

 

It has just the cutest retro prints (obviously right up my alley!), and a lovely color range. The prints work well for baby and/or girly projects, but without being super infantile, so they are quite versatile.

 

I'm not often a big yellow girl, but the yellows in this line were definitely some of my favorites! 

 

I looked forward to sewing with it for months, and then when the time finally arrived I had my projects all planned out. First up, I used this adorable 1930s vintage toddler dress pattern to make a dress for my 1 year old. 

 

I chose the blue bird medallion print and accented it with the pink star, which also stretched my amount of fabric enough to make the dress feasible.

 

Of course there had to be pockets! She is a big fan of pockets. 

 

It is a loose A shape dress that slips over the head, and the sash fits it at the waist. It was nice to need neither buttonholes or a zipper on this one. I also like how doing the sleeves in a contrast show their unique construction. 

 

Plus it's very breezy and cool, so really perfect for the warm spring weather we have been having already. It would be a great summer sundress pattern, so I may make it again before she grows out of the pattern size.

This one I will save for Easter (nice to be ahead on my Easter sewing!), but took photos for this blog post before I put it away for a few weeks. 

 

As always, though, a garment doesn't use enough of my favorite prints so I like to make something quilty in order to get a chance to play with more of them. One of my ideas stashed away was this chunky Dresden quilt by The Crafty Quilter. It was the perfect pairing for this fabric!

 

Making only 4 large Dresdens meant they worked up very fast, and then I just top stitched around the edge onto a 17" square of fabric. After that it was easy to add basic sashing and borders, so it was a very quick quilt top.

 

I fussy cut some of the bird medallions for the centers, of course!

 

Since it worked up so fast, I decided to take the time to hand quilt it. I had about two weeks, and I worked at it pretty diligently - and made my goal, finishing it the day before I had to get photos. (It actually was a good lesson to me that even though hand quilting is a slower finish, it doesn't have to take an age - if I am diligent. :-)

 

I used a heart stencil for the Dresden corners, and a diamond scallop border; otherwise just let the Dresdens guide the quilting, so there was less marking. 

 

It was really fun to make, especially during the gray days of February. Quilting on my sofa corner with such cheery fabrics under the needle was a great mood booster; and because I kept at it, I didn't have time to grow tired of it. (Hooray for the motivation of deadlines!)

 

These are the quilting tools I used. The thimble is by Dritz, and my favorite of the quilting thimbles I've tried - it's cool, comfy, doesn't slip, and absolutely SAVES my fingertips! And after some frustration with my thread knotting mid-stitch, I remembered my trusty beeswax, which helps tremendously with minimizing thread tangles. 

 

I debated doing a scrappy binding, but ended up deciding to save my fabric for something more fun and use more of the pink star. But I think it would have been cute with a scrappy binding too!

 

Anyway, now I have both a little Easter dress and an Easter-ish quilt to enjoy!

But as always, you need to check out the other makers on this blog tour, since there is SO much creativity and cuteness to be seen. 

 

Monday, March 4	http://www.creamcraftgoods.com/	Karen Pratt
Wednesday, March 6	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/	Lisa Jo Girodat
Friday, March 8	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com	Belinda Karls-Nace
Monday, March 11	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com	Dori Troutman
Wednesday, March 13	https://www.sewmariana.com/	Mariana
Friday, March 15	http://www.abrightcorner.com/	Andy Knowlton
Monday, March 18	@elliebugmakes	Ellie Bug
Wednesday, March 20	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/	Kristen Clay
Friday, March 22	@arabesquescissors	Ali Phillips

 

Pastel Pumpkin Runner for Moonbeam Dreams Blog Tour

It's my turn on the blog tour for the new Poppie Cotton fabric line called Moonbeam Dreams. It is not what I would normally be drawn to, so I was surprised at how much I ended up loving this fabric once I saw it in person, and how much I enjoyed sewing with it!

 

I was in the mood for fall sewing, and this is a lovely autumnal line with some of my favorite cooler-toned fall colors. It took me a while to settle on a project, but eventually I decided on a pumpkin table runner to be finished before Thanksgiving. 

 

Our Thanksgiving Day dinners usually end up with so much food on the table there isn't much room for decorations, but I still love a festive touch, so a table runner is perfect. 

 

The next problem was settling on a pumpkin block that I liked, since I'm not generally a fan of them. I ended up loving this free tutorial by Woodberry Way, and quickly made 6 of those big pumpkin blocks out of my 6 favorite pinks, adapting them to join side to side as a runner.

 

My temporary sewing station in action!

 

It ended up as a very long table runner, so it will only really fit my table when it's fully extended. But that's ok! This was the closest I could get to a photo of the whole thing.

 

The pumpkins were made with a little bit of improv piecing - my first ever attempt. It was rather enjoyable!

 

I quilted it with my walking foot, with an all-over wavy grid that I could do freeform without taking the time for markings. It's a very forgiving quilting design that still gives great texture. 

 

Then the extra hand quilting touch was done in a burnt gold size 10 crochet thread. I used a bowl to draw one curve on each side, and then drew the other by eye. Of course they aren't all uniform - but then, neither are real pumpkins uniform! And I am also NOT a perfectionist. :-) 

 

The colors go together so well! I love the dusty blues and pinks and golds, the florals and moths and stars.

 

Since I only used a selection of fabrics in this runner, I also whipped together a large zipper pouch, just for fun. I still have some fabric left, so maybe I can come up with something else fun to make. The green moth print is a favorite, and would be perfect for fussy cutting!

 

I'm looking forward to using this on our Thanksgiving table next week. In the meantime, follow Poppie Cotton on Instagram to see all the pretty makes using this lovely fabric line!

 

Sewing with Garden Party Fabric by Poppie Cotton

 

Today I get to show you what I made when playing with the lovely new Poppie Cotton fabric line called Garden Party! I really wanted to get this all quilted in time for my blog slot, but we've been moving house and it took waaaay too much time out of August and September, so I had to just take photos of the top to share.

 

But as a result, I now have a lovely yard and garden spot for photos! And what better place to photo fabric called Garden Party then...in a garden!

 

I've been looking forward to sewing with this line for a long time. I adore the little strawberry prints especially, but all of them are cute and they coordinate so well. 

 

I have really been enjoying making wall quilts for my house - they have all the appeal of making a quilt and you can still play with blocks and color combinations, but are small enough that I can actually finish them quickly, and hand quilting them doesn't take forever. Plus I can enjoy looking at them on my wall! (Of course, they are also crib sized if you want to use them as baby quilts instead.)

 

So for this one, I settled on making a small version of the Stars and Windows quilt pattern. I rescaled the blocks to an 8" size, and used the yellow color way for the diamond blocks. The blues and pinks were paired for the stars, making each one unique. And the blue-gray made the perfect cornerstone color.

 

I also have some extra of the blue strawberry fabric that I was going to use as a border...but I simply couldn't decide what I wanted to make with it since there's enough to make an apron or a baby dress or something. So I'll save that for another day since I haven't had time to sew lately!

 

Aside from the strawberries, the picture prints are the CUTEST and perfect for fussy cutting if that's your jam.

 

Looking at this really makes me miss my sewing space and time to stitch - but I know this settling-in phase will pass. Meanwhile I am starting to feel caught up with all the unpacking and organization at the new house, so hopefully I can get this basted soon! I have it all planned out how I want to quilt it. Follow along on Instagram @verityvintagestudio if you want to see the progress.

 

There have been SO many cute makes this month with this beautiful fabric, so I hope you take a peek at everything that has been featured, and if you love it check with your local quilt shops since it is shipping to stores now!

 

Wednesday, September 6	https://www.sewmariana.com/
Friday, September 8	vanessaward
Monday, September 11	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Wednesday, September 13	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Friday, September 15	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Monday, September 18	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, September 20	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, September 22	@elliebugmakes
Monday, September 25	www.cardinalcreekquilting.com
Wednesday, September 27	@bemandythings
Friday September 29	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/

 

Country Kitchen Accessories - Prairie Sisters Homestead Blog Tour for Poppie Cotton

Fabric speaks to me. 

When I received my sample bundle of Prairie Sisters Homestead fabric by Poppie Cotton, I put it on my shelf with a plan to make a couple of woven pot holders out of it at least. More recently I had an idea for an apron made from 2.5" strip precuts. But when I went to cut out my projects last week, I ended up suddenly needing to also make a patchwork apron and some patchy potholders too!

 

So I went to town with all the cute kitchen items, as you can see. 

We are in the process of moving house this month, and one of the things I wanted to do is upgrade all my disliked or yucky potholders. I bake a lot, and am a big proponent of things being both pretty AND practical - so why give drawer space to pot holders I don't like when I can replace them with cute ones? They may eventually also get yucky and need to be tossed, but they are so easy and fun to make, and will be fun to use in the meantime.

 

I made two basic 16 patch potholders with 2" squares, following color schemes instead of going all scrappy like I originally thought. The yellow I arranged a little; the blue I just did random. 

And does it ever match to perfection the vintage tablecloth I just got my mom for her birthday!

 

The 3rd potholder in the mint color way I decided on impulse to do a fussy cut square in the center - some of these prints are PERFECT for fussy cutting! - and do the smaller mint patches around the edge.

 

I layered them all with a double layer of cotton quilt batting so they would be extra thick, and quilted them all differently. I love each of them, and enjoy seeing them side by side so you can see what a difference a little arrangement and quilting can do to a basic design. 

 

Also you have to love the coordinating chicken backings, and gingham bindings!

 

I did in fact do a woven hot pad too, though! I had seen a tutorial ages ago from Art Gallery Fabrics and have been wanting to try it ever since. Finally did it, and it's super cute! Also very little actual sewing.

 

I want to make another now and play around more with the color placement. But this one I'm very pleased with. Reminds me of apple pie. 

 

The pink apron was my "jelly roll apron" idea, made with 2.5" strips where the end was sewn like a Dresden plate to make points, and all of them joined side by side. I originally got the idea from a photo of a 1940s pattern for an apron with lots of flared gores and pointed ends, so this was my non-pattern version. 

 

I tapered the tops to make it a little more fitted and shaped, and chose the strawberry fabric for a waistband and ties. 

 

For my yellow apron, I did something quite different. I cut 4 yellow FQ in half and sewed a half of each into a large patchwork rectangle, which I then gathered into a waistband. (Yellow just seemed to be the right color for August sewing - but now I kind of wish I'd made a blue one too.)

 

Add a fussy cut pocket and ties, and a little bit of lace trim - and it's just the cutest! My mom and sister just about swiped this one from me. :-) 

 

Incidentally, it matches my mom's gorgeous yellow 1950s stove like a dream. 

 

I really enjoy working with fat quarter cuts. While they are intended for quilts, and certainly handy for that, it's also fun to work within the constraints of an 18 x 22" piece of fabric to see what all I can come up with, without extra yardage. And all of these pretty new kitchen things make me so happy as I prepare for upgrading to a new kitchen soon!

 

Check out the other bloggers on this tour to see all their makes with this sweet new fabric line:

Monday, August 7	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 9	Vanessa Ward
Friday, August 11	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Monday, August 14	www.cardinalcreekquilting.com
Wednesday, August 16	https://amerooniedesigns.com/
Friday August 18	http://prettybyhand.com/
Monday, August 21	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Wednesday, August 23	@elliebugmakes
Friday, August 25	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/

 

Christmas in June - Oh What Fun Tour with Poppie Cotton

I am very particular about the Christmas fabric I like, but I always love retro Christmas collections - and this new one by Elea Lutz for Poppie Cotton is one of my very favorites ever! I was so happy to get a chance to sew with it, even though it's currently a green and lovely June outside. 

 

(Actually, I assembled the quilt top while there was still snow on the ground, so that made it feel more Christmassy. :-)

I ended up making two projects with this beautiful fabric, and am excited to share them today on my blog tour slot!

 

I really loved the companion pattern for this collection, called Snowflake Heaven. It's so very vintage! So I decided to make a smaller throw size version out of my FQ bundle.

 

The colors are just so pretty. I always love pink and aqua mixed in with the traditional Christmas colors, and the touch of navy is such a great addition!

 

The blocks are slightly more complicated than I gravitate toward, but I really like how they look. Doing a smaller version, I was able to make each block out of a different fabric in the collection.

 

I had it quilted in a Baptist fan design to go with the vintage style. Often I find that vintage quilts are custom quilted because they are hand done, but the few times I do see an edge-to-edge design, a Baptist fan is one of them.

 

I backed it with a thrifted sheet in a classic dark green gingham which is a great choice for Christmassy backing, and bound it with another Elea Lutz fabric from a different line.

 

I'll have to store it away for now, but I can't wait to style it for this next Christmas!

 

I also went ahead and made my smaller daughter her Christmas dress. The plaid is perfectly classic, and I cut the yoke out of some of my leftover fabric. This is a 1920s or 1930s pattern and I made it once before. This time I made it with a few tweaks, and it has such a cute little smock shape.

 

It may feel strange to be sewing with Christmas fabric this time of year, but it also is nice to get ahead on my holiday sewing. She did not cooperate for modeled photos this time, but I will take more later when she wears the dress!

 

Enjoy all the other lovely projects using Oh What Fun, and keep an eye out for it arriving in quilt stores! It's soooo good - either for quilting or sewing.

Friday, June 2	http://prettybyhand.com/
Monday, June 5	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 7	http://www.abrightcorner.com/
Friday, June 9	https://bretquiltdesigns.com/
Monday, June 12	https://www.sewmariana.com/
Wednesday, June 14	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, June 16	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Monday, June 19	http://www.gigisthimble.com/
Wednesday, June 21	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Friday June 23	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Monday, June 26	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Wednesday, June 28	www.cardinalcreekquilting.com
Friday June 30	Instagram: @emmas_crafternoons

 

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

IG@sewmarianna

Friday, April 7

IG@_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