Making a Quilt, the Easy Way

Cooking is fun, messy, and can be very delicious. Gardening is quite rewarding because its fun to watch things grow. Sewing, however, is my main jam! I love making bags, gifts for others, clothes, and so much more. Sewing is definitely my most beloved hobby. However, I was never a fan of quilting. To me, quilting and sewing are two different hobbies. Are you team sewing or quilting? 

I never loved making those strip pieced table runners, or small quilts. Too many rules to follow. Too many tiny pieces of fabric to cut. Cutting all of those small pieces to then sew them together again, is my absolute nightmare. But, something wild and crazy happened during this past Fall. A  Halloween quilt came to life! I don't remember what planet I was visiting, but I decided to make a quilt. Spoiler alert, I made a Christmas one too. And, I loved every minute of it. It was so much fun! Why did I change my mind? Well, I didn't follow a pattern. I did my own thing entirely and loved the process and final result.

If you're not a quilt fan, I beg you to try making a quilt following your own rules. Read along for some easy tips to create your first (or next) quilt. Am I a quilter now? I don't think so. But, I did enjoy making both of the holiday lap throws. As you read, you'll notice more of the Halloween quilt. I took more process photos of that one but, there are some Christmas ones too. 

Disclaimer: I am not a professional quilter. I probably do some cringe-worthy things here but, this is how I made my two quilts. The best part? I didn't want to set them on fire in the process. Sewing is supposed to be fun and not stressful. And, after all, it's just fabric and we all own a seam ripper or two. Let's get quilting!

Supply List:

1. Fabric. Lots and lots of fabric. 1-3 yards for the backing. 2-3 yards of various coordinating colors, patterns, and styles of fabric. It might be easier to start with 4-5 different fabrics first.

2. A package of batting

3. Rotary cutter and mat

4. Quilting rulers

5. 2-3 Spools of thread

6. 3+ bobbins

7. Quilting Gloves (I use Grease Monkey auto ones)

8. KK-100 Spray adhesive

9. Free motion quilting foot

10. Sewing machine 

11. Patience and lots of snacks

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All the Fabric Pieces

A quilt is a fabric sandwich, more or less. You have a top, which is all the pretty pieces. The middle is the batting layer. The bottom or backing is the fabric on the back. It is usually a solid or printed piece. If you make a larger quilt, you'll need to have a seam or two running along the back. 

• First, decide on the size. Are you making a table runner, or a lap quilt, or going for the gusto and making a Queen bed-sized one? You don't need to stick to this exact size but, a general idea is good. Keep in mind the size of your backing as well. Quilting cotton comes in 44" widths so unless you want a seam or two running down the backside, you might want to keep it smaller. 

• Next, you want to decide on shapes. Do you want rectangles, thin strips, squares, or more intricate shapes? 

• You'll need to also include border strips. These will frame your inner quilt pieces. Traditionally, you add these to the sides first, then the top, and then the bottom. However, it's your quilt. You have my permission to make it however you want. Go ham!

• Be sure to choose similar colors or patterns. For a first quilt, it may be easiest to purchase fabric in the same design family. That's what I did for the Christmas one. The fabric was all made by Singer and I bought it from Michaels.

• Decide on a rough layout, it doesn't need to be set in stone, it's just to get you started. Then cut the pieces using a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler. Example: You can start out by cutting 10 pieces of red, 10 of yellow, 10 of blue, 10 of checks, 10 of polka dots, etc. You can always add more or take it away. This just gets you started. You can also buy a set of pre-cut squares to make it even easier. Set each pile aside. You'll work from the piles.

  
  *For reference, I'm going to use my own lap lap-sized quilts I made, which were roughly 4'x6'.

This Halloween one has squares and long strips.

The Magical Layout

This, in my opinion, is the most important part. Yes, crooked seams want to be avoided along with wonky stitching but, the fabrics need to look pretty. So, this step is very important. 

• Clean off a huge area on the floor and start laying out your pieces. You usually want it longer than wider but, again, your quilt. 

• Lay the squares down in a rough pattern. For my Halloween one, I did 6 across, and 7 down. I didn't want the same colors or patterns touching. This can be impossible sometimes. Switch them around until you get something you like. If you're losing your mind over this part, walk away and come back later. It can also help to have a second opinion. Ask a family member, text a photo to a friend, or DM an Instagram bestie to ask for their opinion. I even found that just taking a photo and looking at my quilt in the photo helped me fix a few snafus. Call me crazy, but the layout can make or break your quilt. I've seen some less desirable ones that could have been saved by a different layout. 

• I decided to make my quilt larger than my original planned size. To do this, I cut 3" wide strips the length of my top piece, and sandwiched them vertically, between the squares. This is easy to do and it can make it longer or wider. After you stitch all the small pieces together, your quilt shrinks quite a bit. Who knew a 1/4" seam allowance was so big? Haha

• Place your long border strips on the top and bottom. They frame your quilt and "seal the deal", so to speak.

Add strips to lengthen your quilt.

Most machines come with a quarter-inch sewing foot, have marks on the machine plate, and some might even have a quilting guide bar. Make use of one or all of these.

• Use a 1/4" seam allowance at all times, for all the pieces. It might seem small but, it creates less bulk. You don't trim the seam allowances like you would in garment sewing.

• Use cotton or polyester thread. I used polyester. I've honestly never sewn with cotton thread. You'll have to do your own Google search on that if you're interested. (I think purists use cotton thread but, I could be wrong. Again, not a professional).

• Start by sewing the first vertical row from left to right. You'll sew the squares to form a really long strip. 

• Press each seam to one side. Don't press open like you do with garment sewing. For example, press each seam to the left side in this row. 

• For the second row, sew all the squares (or strips) to each other the same way you did with the first row. 

• Press each seam to the right side. Give a quick press to the front side of the seams too. 

• Sew the second row to the first row making sure to line up the seams perfectly. Press seams to one side.

• Repeat this until you're at the end of the length. 

• If your quilt is easier to sew the strips/squares across, do that and work your way down.

• You could use a walking foot to sew your pieces if you'd like. It helps to "walk" both layers evenly at the same time. I used the quilting foot my machine came with for the Halloween one. For the Christmas one, I didn't. Both turned out beautifully without issues.

After the middle portion is completed and you're standing in shock and awe at the small sized quilt, you might want to make it bigger. I know I did! Ha! I still can't believe how much it shrinks after sewing all the pieces together. 

If you'd like to make it bigger, you can sew a few extra strips to add to the sides, top, and bottom. In that order. My Halloween quilt shrank after I sewed the middle area together. I didn't realize how much a tiny 1/4" seam allowance would eat the fabric. 

Sewing the Pieces Together (in photos)

Strips and squares.

Press those seams flat. I press on the back and front.

Press seams to one side. Alternate to avoid bulk.

Halloween Quilt

This is the finished top. You can see where I added length with wide strips at the top and bottom. I created a thin strip border to add width as well.

Christmas Quilt

This is the Christmas quilt top. I love the red and aqua color combo. I used thin strips on the sides, top and bottom. I love how this one turned out.

Batting (the middle layer)

Batting is the layer that gets sandwiched between the quilt top and the quilt backing. This is not the fluffy layer your grandma or great-grandma made your baby quilt with. This is a thin layer that has some weight to it. It's easy to sew through and adds heft to your quilt. 
**You want to cut your batting piece a few inches bigger than your top and backing pieces because it can shift during quilting.

There are lots of different types of batting, including that fluffy layer Grammy made your baby quilt with. Use it if you'd like but, I wanted to share some other options. 

• The old stuff is 100% polyester and is on the thicker side. It has a habit of falling apart and clumping after a few washes. It's very inexpensive and it shows. Use at your own risk. Can you tell I'm not a fan? Haha

• 100% Cotton batting. This is my preferred batting. I only buy this kind of batting. It comes in different sizes, colors, and weights. 

• Cotton/Poly blend. It can be the best of both worlds. Or, the worst. ;)

Here's an in-depth blog post all about battings. It has the pros and cons of the different types. You can make your own decision on what type you want to use.

Bonus tip: buy a larger size than you think you need. You can get a couple of smaller quilts out of one package. And, use the large scraps for bag making. 

This is my preferred batting.

Cut batting 3-4" larger than your top. you'll trim afterwards.

Last Layer

Now that you're ready to add the last layer, you'll want to grab your spray adhesive. I prefer KK-100. 

• ​Lay your backing down on the floor, wrong side up.

• Then, add the batting on top. If you use the cotton type, the seedy-looking side goes up. 

• Then place your beautiful top onto the batting, right side up. It's a quilt sandwich.

Now, there are different ways to go about this next step. Some people prefer to use safety pins to hold the layers together. I found that spraying each layer with KK-100 spray adhesive worked perfectly. It held the layers together and I was able to quilt over everything without any issues. I have a video of how I did this on my TikTok and Instagram reels. @Sewingtothemoon

I started by spraying the bottom layer while having the top layers rolled up. I'd spray about 6" down, across the whole top, and then roll the top layers down. I proceeded until I got to the bottom. Then, did it again for the top layer. Smoothing everything down as I went. It helps to watch the video to get a better idea. This whole process takes about 15 minutes or so.

You can use safety pins instead if you'd like. You just pin every so often through all the layers. I don't use this method, but a quick Google will show you how to use the pins.

The fabric didn’t fit, so I ended up sewing 2 pieces together.

The fabric is very busy, you can't tell there's a seam.

See the seam? Shh, don't tell anyone.

Peanut Butter Quilting Time

I couldn't help it, I have the song Peanut Butter Jelly Time stuck in my head. 
Do not use peanut butter for quilting! Haha. Could you imagine? Ack!

Now that your layers are securely together, it's time to actually quilt. There are so many different ways to go about this. Quilting is the top stitching that keeps all those layers together. And, after you wash it the quilt puffs up between the stitching creating a beautiful heirloom piece. It gives life to it. 

• You can drop your quilt off or mail it to a quilt shop/company. They quilt it for you for a fee and then send it back to you. This can be expensive. However, they have quite a few stitching designs to choose from, and it will give your quilt a professional look and feel. 

• You can sew straight stitches on each side of the seams. This is a simple and painless way to quilt. You could also stitch in the ditch. 

• Free-motion quilting is another option. Your machine may or may not be able to do this. If your machine can do free-motion, it will have a special foot for doing so. You will need to set your feed dogs to the lowest setting. Check your manual for all the settings, every machine is different. My sewing machine can do free motion, I did a short simple review of it here. 

I chose to free motion my quilts and it was such a fun experience! If you choose this route, make a small tester quilt first. A mug rug is a good starter size.

Here are some tips:

• Go slow at first, then go faster. It's a learning curve to combine the perfect foot pedal speed with the speed of your hands, to move the fabric around.

• Try sitting or standing.

• Keep both hands on the fabric, guiding it around and around. Stitch to the edges.

• Sew in random swirls or another design and make sure to not cross over any previous stitching lines. 

• It's easiest to start in the middle and work in quadrants. Divide the quilt into fourths and free motion one-quarter at a time. Use a pin to mark the center.

• Preload a few bobbins, it takes a lot of thread! 

• Use a coordinating thread color if you want to hide the stitches. You can use a different color on top and the bottom. 

• They sell quilting gloves for a reason. Gloves help grip the fabric as you handle it. It seems silly but, believe me, you're going to want some gloves. I used a new pair of Grease Monkey gloves that the auto shop sells, for my Halloween quilt. They worked wonderfully. I purchased actual quilting gloves and they were useless! I have a latex allergy and I bought the latex-free ones. Perhaps the latex-full ones work better? I'll never know. ;)

• Some stitches will be longer and some will be shorter, don't stress over this. It's a handmade quilt after all. If you want absolute perfection, then send it to a quilting shop. 

All in all my quilts aren't perfect. But, I enjoyed the process of making them and didn't stress too much. I whipped each one out in about 3-4 days. I spent one day cutting and laying out everything. One day sewing the top together. Another day spraying and quilting everything together. The last day was for finishing the free motion quilting and sewing the binding on. 

Make a tester piece with some scraps before you attempt to free-motion your quilt. 

Make top, cut backing, batting, then layer.

Spray each layer, separately.

Smooth out fabric. Make sure you don't get puckers.

Close up of the free motion. It's not perfect, but I'm okay with that.

Expert Tip

After you finish the free-motion quilting, go get a massage, facial, manicure, or anything to pamper yourself. It's a killer for the neck, shoulders, and back.

Binding the Edges

Last but definitely not least, it's binding time. It's the fun part! Yay! Your hard work is almost done. Soon, you'll be gifting your new handmade quilt or curling up, underneath it. The binding is pretty easy. And, unlike garment binding, it does not need to be cut on the bias. Woohoo!

• Cut long strips the width you want the binding to be. There's probably an exact measurement the quilting Gods go by but, I found that I preferred a 2.5"-3" wide strip.

• Measure around the quilt to figure out the length you need and add a couple of inches for overlapping.

• Cut the strips the width of your fabric selvage to selvage. You may need to cut and sew a few strips together matching the short ends. 

• Fold in half and press. 

• Now, decide which side you want the binding to fold towards. I'm sure there's a right and wrong way but, I had mine folded to the back. I wanted to machine sew it on and figured if there were issues, I'd have the ugly be on the back. Ha!

• To do it this way, pin the raw edges of the binding to the raw edges of the quilt top. Sew and do your best to create nicely mitered corners. 

• Then, flip the folded edge of the binding to the backing. Pin/clip it all down while creating nice corners. 

• Hand-sew the other side or run it through the sewing machine.
  
  

And... holy moly, chips, and guacamole, you're done! 

Binding is added and clipped. Raw edge to raw edge. Ready for sewing.

After first side is done, fold over, clip. Sew again.

The back looks like this. Sew the other side “stitch in the ditch”. Use coordinating thread. You can also hand sew instead.

My finished Halloween quilt in all her glory. I love how it turned out and I’m extremely proud.

Can you believe how easy it can be to make a quilt? Are you excited to start one now? Do you dislike quilting as much as I used to? Share in the comments below! Also, if you have useful quilting tips to share, please do so.
 
Happy quilting!
​Annette

Valentine’s Gifts to Sew

Love is in the air. I can feel it, and I can smell the chocolate. Now, I know Valentine's Day isn't for everyone. But it's for me! Is it for you, too? Pulling out the pink and red decorations is the highlight of my February. Or, sometimes late January. I love DIYing the next few holidays that are coming up too. I'm excited for Easter, St. Paddy's Day, and even the 4th of July. 

Valentine's Day is all about hearts, hearts, hearts. But, you don't necessarily need heart themed fabric to sew Valentine's projects. You'll see some heart fabrics were used in these projects, but anything red or pink will do just fine. Sift through your stash and scrap bin to give those red and pink fabrics some new life.

If you have little ones, they can help with decorating the house and making their Valentine's gifts too. I wanted to share some quick and easy things that you can sew for Valentine's Day, that shouldn't take a whole day. A few of these were made in previous years, and some were made this year.
Let's get our love on! 

Gift Card Holder

Sew up some cute gift card holders for teachers, neighbors, or friends. We know everyone could use a little extra love these days. Grab a $10 coffee, fast food, or bookstore gift card and slip one inside.

​If you have kids, stick a fro-yo, makeup store, online gaming, or other gift card inside.

The gift card holder isn't my pattern. It's by Anne at OrangeBettie.com, and I found it here. Print the free sewing pattern and follow her directions on how to make your own. I skipped the snaps because I was lazy. But, add the snaps or a button or not. Make it your own. 

Stick a giftcard inside.

Easy Fabric Basket

​Make a simple fabric basket as part of the gift. Fill it with candy, bath salts, a candle, toy cars, a small Lego set, some tiny dolls, a plant, or something else. These really make your gift extra special when paired with something.

This fabric basket is super simple. It doesn't require interfacing, only two layers of fabric. If you'd like something a little more stable, grab my tutorial here. But, if you just want a quick basket, keep reading.

Instructions:

The basket takes about 30 min from start to finish. Less if you're a speedy sewer. Gather your pink and red fabrics. 

• 2 Fat Quarters of non-directional fabric

• Ruler and air/water soluble marker 

• Thread and other sewing notions

• Sewing machine

Cut your fabric into one long rectangle, the length, and width you want. I folded a piece of fabric I had in half and trued up the sides. Don't overthink this, it's supposed to be quick and easy. Read: last minute gift ;)

For example, I cut mine about 16" long by 9" wide.

Fold in half to make it squatty, then even up the edges with a rotary cutter, if needed. Cut your lining fabric the same size.

Mark your squares for the boxed corners.

Take your ruler and mark a square in the bottom corners. You can measure 1.5" by 1.5" or 2" by 2", etc. It's up to you. Play with different sizes if you're making a few of these.

Sew down each side of the lining and outer fabrics.

Backstitch at the beginning and end.

With right sides facing, pin or clip the open sides together (not pictured). Sew, making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. I used a 1/4" seam allowance. You can use 1/2" if you'd like.

Open out the corners with your fingertips. Then, pinch back together so the seam matches the center of the bottom. 
Pin or clip the edges together and sew, backstitching at the beginning and end. Do this for both corners.

Sew the corner seams.

Your corner should look like this. This is the side view of the fabric basket. It forms an upside down T.

After it's sewn, it should look like the photo above. Do the same thing for the lining fabric. 

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Now take your lining and turn it right side out. You're going to stuff this inside the other fabric bucket. Pin or clip, matching seams. Make sure to leave a 2-3" gap for turning out. Sew.

Lining and outer pieces.

Lining gets stuffed into outer, Right Sides Together.

Clip in place. Leave gap for turning out.

Leave larger enough gap for turning. This was too small.

Now it's time to bag out the basket. Start pulling the fabric through the gap you left, gently. It takes a little patience if you have a smaller hole. Be careful not to tug, or you'll rip open a seam or worse, your fabric!

Once it's opened out, your fabric will look like a wrinkly hot mess-express. This is fine. Poke out the corners with a chopstick. 

Stuff the lining inside the outer piece. I decided to use the pink fabric for my outer after completing my basket. To change it later on, I just have to flip the basket inside out. It's reversible! 

Give it a nice good press. Topstitch around the top, closing your opening.

If you want to add something extra at this point, add a short loop for hanging. Grab a piece of ribbon or make one from a fabric scrap as I did. Pin in place, then sew. 

​Having a loop gives you more usage options for the fabric basket.

Add a ribbon or fabric loop for hanging. They work great as car trash bins, or makeup brush holders.

Basket Filler Ideas

Fill them with little gifts, candy, and small toys, and give them to teachers, a friend, or a child. I filled mine with fabric clips. Happy Valentine’s Day to me. Haha

I usually use interfacing for these, but for a quick gift, they are fine without it. Of course, you can make a few of these to decorate your house too. Place them on the coffee table, console table, kitchen counter, etc. Make them bigger or smaller. The sky is the limit!

Pennant Banner

I made these years ago and still put them up every year. Pennant banners are my favorite type of decoration. They are simple yet make a big statement. You can make yours with two layers of fabric sewn and turned out, or a single layer one. Nobody will see the back if it's displayed on a wall or cabinet. 

There are tons of free pennant banner templates online. Do a quick Pinterest search, and hundreds will come up. 

However, to make your own pennant, grab a ruler, some paper, and a pencil. 
My triangle one is 5" wide at the top and 8" long. We'll use those measurements for this example.
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1. Draw a 5" long line at the top of your paper. 

2. Mark the 2.5" spot.

3. Draw an 8" line straight down from the 2.5" spot. 

4. Connect the end of the long line to each end of the short line, forming a triangle. 

5. That will be your template. It's easy, right?

6. Make an odd number of them. For some reason, an odd amount looks better than an even amount of pennants.

Use your own measurements to make it longer, wider, shorter, etc. Trace onto your fabric scraps. Sew a ribbon or bias binding on top to connect the pennants. Leave long tails at each end for tying onto something.

Draw line at top of paper. Divide in half, mark.

From that spot, measure length you want. Mark.

Connect marking to form a triangle.

Ways to change up the look:

• Pink the edges for a fun retro look

• Leave the edges raw and let them fray a little bit. (They won't fray much because they are cut on the bias). 

• Sew different style fabrics together to make it reversible.

• Sew multiple sizes on top of each other to create a layered look

• Use embellishments, ribbons, tassels, etc.

• Make one for every holiday.

Below is another one I made out of felt. I added buttons and other embellishments to add some pizazz.

Table Runner

I made this simple table runner many moons ago. It's an easy strip quilt design that was pieced together using fabric scraps I had on hand. The whole thing took around 2-3 hours from start to finish.
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• I sewed the long edges together.

• Used spray adhesive to temporarily attach the backing (ugly scrap fabric)

• Stitched in the ditch along the seam lines.

• Attached the binding by machine.

• Wah-la! Quick and painless table runner.

Measure the table you want to add some Valentine's Day decor to and make it for that size. Table runners are usually a little bit shorter than the length of the table. I don't know the exact math, but Google probably does.

Easy peasy! It goes on my coffee or kitchen table, depending on my mood. 

Pillow Cover

Last but not least is a pillow cover. 
They are fun to make, and you can use different fabrics to cover your already existing throw pillows. Again, adding embellishments, embroidery, or other trims will make it extra fun. 

Below, I cut out letters from fabric and sewed them on. Nothing fancy, but it was quick and easy. This pillow cover is over a decade old, and the style is a bit dated, but I still use it. As I was taking photos, I realized how worn the letters have become and my stitching is subpar. Sometimes, it's fun to go back and look at old sewing projects. It's nice to know my skills have improved over the years.

If you've never made a pillow cover and don't know where to start, head to this blog post. I share some Halloween pillows I made and how to use an invisible zipper.

I hope I've inspired you to decorate for Valentine's Day and create some handmade love-themed items. Remember, sewing for a holiday should be quick and painless. Take a shortcut here and there when you can. ​All in all, just have fun with it.

Happy St. Valentine's Day and Happy Sewing!
​
XOXO,
Annette

Handmade Christmas Gifts in No Time

The holidays are here and it's time to whip up those handmade gifts. Eeep! Hopefully, you started sewing for the holidays back in the summer but, if you're on team procrastinator, I got you. These are all quick sewing ideas and range from baby to grandpa.

Below you will find some tutorial links and free patterns. Although, I've created this list to get you brainstorming and ideas flowing. Less talking and more making.

​Get ready, get set, sew! 

Baby Items

There's always someone who's having a baby. You can whip up a bib, burp cloth, and blanket in about 30 minutes. All you need is some fabric and a snap or velcro for the bib fastener. Read my baby items post here. 

• There are tons of free bib patterns you can find online. Or make a bandana-style bib. 

• Here's a super easy burp cloth tutorial. Hint: it's just a rectangle.

• For an easy blanket, cut one square yard of flannel and one of cotton fabric. Sew them RST, leaving a gap for turning out. Topstitch the opening closed, and you're done. Sew easy!

• If you have more time, you can make a fabric alphabet set, baby outfit, fabric book, or sleeper bag. You could even add an easy-to-sew teether, pacifier clip, or mittens. Pinterest is your friend. LOL

• Fabric letters are a fun gift idea too. Print out a boxy font A-Z and use as a template. 2 layers of fabric and add a layer of fleece in between to add some bulk. Sew around and cut with pinky shears.

Toiletry Bags

Do you have a zipper and some scrap fabric? Sew a zipper pouch in less than 30 minutes. Follow this tutorial for an easy refresher on zipper installation for a makeup bag. Make them as big or little as you want. 
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Teens love these. Little kids love these. Everyone needs a zip bag for something. They work great for tools too. I’ve sewn a few for my husband’s random things he wanted to protect from rolling around inside the toolbox.

Keychains

Sew a quick keychain following Melly Sews tutorial. Grab some lip balms, lotions, and hand creams to complete a gift set. This is perfect for the babysitter, pre-teen, teacher, or neighbor. Heck, even Dad uses lip balm.
All you need is a scrap of fabric and a metal keyring. If you have a pack of key rings, batch-sew a few of these for gifts. Lip balm holders for everyone!!

Infinity Scarf

Have a yard of 60" wide stretch knit fabric? You can make one with soft flannel or even crushed velvet for a luxurious scarf.  They make great gifts for moms, aunts, teachers, etc. This length creates a single-loop scarf. 

1. Cut the yard in half, lengthwise. You can make 2 scarves from one yard.

2. Grab one piece and fold RST. Sew the long side. Use a ballpoint needle, zigzag stitch, and 1/2" seam allowance.

3. Reach your arm through and grab the other end, keeping RST (right sides together) pull the ends together, matching seams.

4. Sew around the seams, leaving a 2"-3" opening for turning. Then, hand-stitch the opening closed. Wah-la!

Use for hand warmers, aches and pains, or freeze to use as an ice pack.

Rice Bags

Your family members all spend lots of time on laptops, phones, and other devices. Their sore muscles could use a little TLC. This is another scrap-busting gift idea. Yay!!

• Cut squares or rectangle pieces from cotton fabric in any size you'd like. Add a 1/4" seam allowance. 

• Sew the pieces right sides together.  **Use cotton thread if you plan on microwaving these. 

• Leave a 2" gap for turning out. 

• Fill with rice, flaxseed, or corn. Topstitch around the whole bag, watching out for kernels. 

 Store in the freezer and use on tired eyes. Microwave for 20-second increments until you've reached the desired temperature, for sore muscles. These make great hand warmers for chilly walks, too.

Aprons

Have a baker or chef in the family? Pick a pattern style from the links below. Pick an apron that matches his or her needs. Each highlighted link leads you to a different FREE pattern.

Aprons make nice gifts for little ones and adults. They are completely customizable. Add ruffles. Make the straps longer or shorter. Sew on some extra pockets.

Some Different Styles:

• Make a simple rectangle style with pockets and make a tool apron for the person who fixes everything. The littlest mechanic would love one filled with plastic tools. Leather would work for a metal worker. Canvas can work for wood or other jobs.

• Have a gardener in the family? They could use one as well. Aprons can be so diverse with a tweak here and there. A half apron works great for gardening. Make sure to add lots of pockets.

• Egg Gathering aprons are a Godsend to folks with ducks or chickens.

Aprons usually take one yard or more of fabric so, this might require a trip to your local craft store. Oh darn! You need extra white thread anyway, make a fun trip out of it. ;)

Home Decor Baskets

          "A place for everything and everything in its place."
                                                                                               -Benjamin Franklin

We all have stuff. Lots of stuff. And the stuff needs a home. Fabric baskets make great homes for stuff! They're easy to make and versatile in size.

​Here's what you'll  need:

• Fabric for the outside and fabric for the lining 

• Interfacing: I like fusible foam for bigger sizes, fusible fleece for smaller sizes and stiff interfacing works well enough for medium sizes if you don't have foam.  *If you don't have interfacing but, have denim or canvas, use that as the lining. It acts as an interfacing. I've done this a few times in a pinch and loved the end result. It works in small  to medium sizes. You could make a large blanket basket but, it won't stand up on its own. It will be floppy.

• Decide on the size you need or just wing it. Use a template to make boxed corners or box them after the side seams are sewn. 

• Add handles for carrying or a loop to hang the basket. 

• I don't have a particular pattern to share with you because I usually wing it on sizing. But, here is my favorite tutorial on assembly. 

These are great for small toys, stuffed animals, kitchen and pantry items, craft rooms, makeup, bathroom counter organization, and keeping socks organized inside dresser drawers. The sky is the limit!

More Ideas

These things shouldn't take more than 30-45 minutes to make. You're not going for a blue ribbon here. You're going for Handmade in a Hurry! 

• Box bag for Dad's toiletries

• PJ pants for kids are easy

• Kitchen towels

• Cloth napkins (set of 4 or 6)

• Table runner

• Hair Scrunchies

• Apple watchband scrunchie 

• Eye mask 

• Head scarf ( follow my tutorial)

• Glasses Case

• Gifts for pets

• Mug rugs or a set of coasters

• Stuffed animals or pillow animals

This is a Bonbon Pet by Dana, I made using her pattern.

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Embroidery Machine Gifts

If you have an embroidery machine, you can buy towels, shirts, bags, etc., and personalize them. It's handmade in a hurry! I usually keep a few tea towels or makeup bags lying around to create a quick gift. People love personalized items. And, having your name on something is always fun.
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Here are a few ideas:

• Tea towels with funny sayings, bible quotes, holiday designs, family last name, etc. 

• Purchase large makeup bags and embroider the recipient's name or makeup designs on the front.

• Personalize luggage tags. Or, the actual luggage.

• Bathroom towels with funny sayings or monograms.

• Purchase an inexpensive blanket and embroider the family name on it.

• Buy stockings and add names to them. 

• Buy small stockings and create a name file to add to the mini stocking. We are doing this for our homeschool teacher this year. 

• Pillows are easy as well. Buy a pillow cover and embroider a design on it. 

• Toilet paper! Yes, you can embroider a funny design on a roll of toilet paper. It's easy and makes a great gift for the joker in the family.

The possibilities are endless here. I like to set up my embroidery machine to stitch out a design while I'm busy sewing other things. I'll usually make a Saturday out of gift making- a few days before Christmas. Ha! As I said, I'm team procrastinator. Face-palm!

The trick to sewing quickly is to not overthink it. Just cut and sew. Put on happy music or a fun podcast, and you'll whip out handmade gifts in no time. Make sure to eat something! Food gives you energy. ;)

Are you going to make some of these gift ideas? Share in the comments what you plan on making or other ideas that aren't on the list. We all need quick sewing gifts we can make. 

Happy Holidays,
​Annette

Bat Wing Top

Halloween is almost here! Do you know what that means? Halloween project time. Whether you plan on sewing costumes, home decor, spooky gifts, or something else, it's time to dust off the sewing machine. 

It's finally October, which is Halloween month. We start decorating around mid-September and my whole house is transformed into a "haunted mansion". Halloween is my most favorite holiday ever!! After Thanksgiving of course, because... mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Yum! 

This is a fun top that you can make in a jiffy. You can wear it at home or around town, to the office, or trick or treating with your little ones. I recently made it and had to share it! It's too dang cute to keep it a secret.

Quick, grab the FREE Gone Batty top from Patterns for Pirates here. Then, click here for the sewing tutorial. It's the cutest!! Talk about a last-minute costume that's appropriate for work and/or school. You can wear it as an everyday top as well. It comes in one size that fits most, so no fussy fitting issues to worry about. All the wins with this one! Yes, please!!

I've had a long history of bats through caving experiences and I've grown to love them most of all. Bats are my favorite Halloween creature. When I saw this pattern last year (why did I wait so long??) I had to have it. Umm... a shirt with bat wings, yes, please! Bonus, you could even sew white topstitching thread to make it a spiderweb instead, if you wanted. Ooh maybe that'll be next year's project. 

Supply List

• P4P Gone Batty PDF pattern 

• 1 5/8 yard of Knit fabric

• Sewing machine with zigzag stitch

• Sewing supplies and notions

• Halloween music playing in the background (this is a must)

Put your PDF pattern pages together matching the letters at the ends. Tape the pages together and then cut out the pattern shape. Make sure your knit fabric is washed. Knit shrinks. Toss it in the wash on a quick wash setting and warm water. Dry your fabric on a warm setting too. Get all the shrinkage out of the way first.

The top is cut out like a circle skirt. You fold your fabric in half and then, in half again. You can use the whole pattern or use the cut-out shapes to make the "wings" along the hem. Sounds simple, right? It is! 

I did the full size PDF. It taped together nicely. No issues.

Cut out the pieces.

Should look like this.

The pattern was a smidge larger than the fabric amount I had.

Top and neckband.

So, I ran into a teeny-weeny problem. The knit I bought was 60" wide. Well, after I washed it, it shrank about 2". In the above photo on the left, you can see the pattern runs off the fabric. I traced that scallop to the end of the fabric. See... ya gotta make sure you wash your knit. It shrinks like crazy. 

Time to Sew

The pattern instructions have you take your high hip measurement and divide it by 4. I got 9". You find the center line and draw a line out to the side from that. 
Then, you make an angled line 12" up from that line. There weren't any exact measurement points for these, so you eyeball it. 

Now, this is where I urge you to use a chalk marker and baste where your stitch lines are supposed to be. I found out the hard way, the top would not fit me according to these loose measurements. I was blessed in the bust department and couldn't get the top over my body. LOL! After unpicking black thread on knit fabric for 30+ minutes, I wanted to share this little piece of advice with you. 

• Sorry about the blurry photo, but this is how much I had to unpick. I re-drew the line and tapered it out about 1 inch. This gave me 4 extra inches total and ended up fitting perfectly.

• You can see the slightly angled-out seam. This is the side seam and I needed more room than the instructions gave.
  
  

The instructions have you use the stretch stitch, which is the one that looks like a lightning bolt.

​I urge you to baste your side seams first. That stretch stitch is a pain in the butt to unpick. Especially when using the same color thread on knit fabric.

Save your eyeballs, please! 

After you've tried it on and it fits correctly in all the right places, go back and use the stretch stitch to sew your side seams. 
Then, sew the rest according to the directions. I used the stretch stitch for this too. 
​

Onto the neckband:

Sew the short sides together. Then fold over, RST.

Stretch a little, catch all 3 layers.

I don't remember reading the instructions anymore after this part. Oops! But, I went ahead and topstitched the neckband onto the top. I like the finish it gives. Use a regular zigzag stitch to do this if you'd like. 

It had some rippling but, the iron took it out after a good press.

I had so much fun making this top. And way more fun taking my photos!! I had fun music playing and danced around in my batwing top. I think I'll live in this for the month of October! I love, love, love it!!! I was channeling my inner ghoul. 

So, what do you think? Are you itching to make one? 

If you need more Halloween sewing inspiration, make Trick or Treat bags or DIY your own Halloween home decor. I also made a Fall circle bag. It was a little fail, but cute nonetheless.


See ya later, I've gone Batty!! 

Sew a Circle-Shaped Bag

The air is crisp and the leaves are sprinkling the ground as I type. Apple picking season is among us. I tried to hold on to summer but, there's no escaping it. Fall is here. Yay! I am ready, bring on my favorite season.

My creative side has been lacking lately so, I wanted to try something new. Usually, I only share patterns that I love or have created myself. But, I wanted to shake things up around here. So, I'm sharing one of my sewing fails. Yes, a fail. A major sewing fail. Face-palm.
​Here's the circle bag.

I wanted to try my hand at something new for the upcoming season. I saw a circle bag in a shop and knew I wanted to make one. I had light brown vinyl and planned on using it for a cute Autumnal bag. After scouring the interwebs for a free pattern, I settled on what I thought was a good one.  Welp, the pattern was not great. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus so, I'm not saying where I got the pattern. But it was "meh" at best.


I knew from the beginning this was going to be an experiment. Yay for experiments! I created a fall-themed embroidery file to place on the front, just in case the purse turned out cute. I didn't want a boring brown circle bag. 
The embroidery design has leaves, pumpkins, and a scarecrow. Fun! Although, the scarecrow was a little wonky.... don't look too close. ;)

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Following the instructions, I gathered everything that was needed and cut out the pieces. I embroidered on the front circle only, that's the only area everyone will see. I used mismatched hardware for the strap (it's what I had on hand) and I used a brown zipper. Fall bag, here I come!

The seam ripper was using a lot. I horribly sewed a piece of fabric to cover the embroidery. Next time, I’ll just leave it alone.

Putting The Purse Together

The pattern didn't call for a stabilizer, which I thought was odd. But, hey, I've never made a circle bag before so, I forged on. 


You start with the zipper and long fabric strips that get sewn to the zipper tape. I didn't get a photo of this part. 

Then, you take the bottom bag piece and sew it to the zipper at the short ends. This makes a long loop that connects at the zipper ends.


You're then going to take a circle piece and clip the heck out of it, to your piping. I just used pre-made piping from the craft store. You can find it next to the bias tape. The instructions didn't include piping but, long story short... you need piping in a circle bag. ;) 

I used my zipper foot to sew closely around the perimeter of the bag. You have to work with the vinyl during this part. I found it easier to use tons of clips and pull as you go. I didn't use as many clips during the first round and it was more fiddly to work with.

Using the zipper foot helped to get closer to the piping.

Clip the edges.

After both circles are sewn on, turn the bag out and cry. Ask yourself why it isn't round and perfect like the picture. Retrace your steps and check if you missed something. Nope. You did it all. You followed the directions perfectly. The bag just wants to be rude and un-round. Major face-palm moment.
Carry on to the long shoulder strap anyway. Attach the hardware and add the strap. This part is easy. And, you're done!

It was an easy bag to make, but so disheartening. Why isn't it a perfectly round shape? I think it's because this is a 2020 bag. That's the only logical explanation. This bag, along with all of 2020, stinks. LOL 

So, what was learned from this experience?
Piping is your friend and foam interfacing should have been used. Vinyl and faux leather are stiff, but they benefit from something added.  

I will use this bag throughout the Fall season because it's cute. It's not perfect by any means and I'm somewhat embarrassed to show it to you. But, as sewists, we know there are wins and sewing fails. 

The circle bag has not defeated me though. I've accepted the challenge and will conquer this bag! Stay tuned for a pattern that will be free to you and will work! I'm creating and experimenting as you read this. 

Have you ever made a circle bag? Was it amazing and round? Or whackadoo and rude like mine?

Please, share any tips, tricks, or fails in the comment section. We're all in this together! LOL

If you'd like a quick pattern that is a no-fail one, click here. You're welcome. 

Ugly or not, I’ll still use the bag. Maybe.

Happy fall sewing ya’ll,

Annette