Let's Talk Table Runners / Beauties Pageant 272

In the 10-plus years I’ve been quilting, I have made a total of three table runners. On one hand, I have limited places in my house I’d display a runner. My children (and/or dogs) may do bad things to a table runner (there was an applesauce incident on the kitchen table just this past week!). And putting covers on my pretty table tops doesn’t seem really “me.”

On the other, if I made more runners, I would have more-frequent finishes, and wouldn’t that be nice?

When designing my Ornament Collection pattern (releasing next Tuesday, November 19), I added a runner option. The sample I’ve made so far is the throw, and it’s a generously sized throw at that. But I figured that some people might want a smaller, faster finish. What I didn’t consider until Anne (@batiksbythebay) mentioned it to me on Instagram is that people who live in the southern hemisphere celebrate Christmas in the summer. They have little need for a Christmas-themed throw. Of course! Why didn’t I consider that? Needless to say, all future Christmas designs from me will include the option of a smaller finish for that very reason.

Me with a freshly longarmed Ornament Collection. Picture and quilting by Ophelia Chang.

Because I am a runner newbie, however, I had to ask Anne how she would orient the ornaments in a runner.

Should they all be right side up (as I would prefer on a runner displayed on a console placed against a wall)?

Or should the baubles be upside down (as I would prefer on a runner displayed on a kitchen island)?

Anne said both, and that’s what I’ll do. : )

So, what other runners have I made up to this point?

There was the runner I made for the sideboard in my dining room (and still resides there).

There was the runner I made from Modern Plus Sign Quilts and gifted to a friend.

And then there was the runner I made from a free pattern on Moda Bake Shop and gifted to another friend.

You knew this was coming ... I am soliciting any and all thoughts on quilted runners. Do you sew them? Do you display them? What are your thoughts on the issue of orientation? Thank you in advance!

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Beautiful Things (That I Did Not Make Myself) / Beauties Pageant 239

I’ve realized something in the past year: I cannot make all the things. I may have the fabric and crafty know-how to make all the things, but I do not have the time. So I’ve been purchasing beautiful finishes from other makers, and it brings me so much joy!

This isn’t to say that I’ve gone hog wild buying up all sorts of handmade loveliness. I am very deliberate with my choices, and I use and/or admire both of the creations that follow every day.

First up: the cheerful rainbow mini quilt, pictured above, from Amy Chappell of Ameroonie Designs. The Etsy listing billed this beauty as a mug rug, but there was no way I was going to put a drippy coffee cup on it. Instead, it’s pinned to the bulletin board above my desk, and I have that splash of color within view whenever I’m working at my computer.

I enjoy keeping tabs on Amy’s projects and new patterns. All of her projects are on the smaller side, and she incorporates a lot of applique in her work. You may remember the cutie-patootie mug rug I made back in 2022, pictured below. That’s one of Amy’s patterns.

Another item I’ve bought is this thread catcher from Cristi of Duval Quilt Co., who sells items from @cristiclothier_shop on Instagram. I used to have a brown paper bag under my sewing table for cut threads and such. This thread catcher is not only prettier, but it’s also more convenient to have right next to my machine. I adore it!

Again, could I have made this myself? Sure. But I really loved the combination of natural Maker fabric and the color gradient strip. Why try to replicate perfection when I could buy the very thread catcher I wanted?

I love having these objects in my life, and I love the idea of supporting other crafters. Do you have any recommendations on other crafters whose wares I should check out? I’m not interested in buying quilts but smaller objects, and I’m specifically in the market for a new pincushion. (Items would need to be able to be shipped to me in the US.) Thanks in advance!

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

More Pouch Patterns for Gifting / Beauties Pageant 236

 

 

So many of you reached out to me here, on Instagram, or in person to share that last week’s post might as well have been written about you. What can I say? We like to complicate things, but our gift giving is the better for it, right? 

In my last post, I sang the praises of Jeni Baker’s Lined Drawstring Bag pattern and an accompanying sew-along that starts next week. Just to make sure you have some ideas in your back pocket, waiting for an opportunity to level up the presentation of a holiday gift (or 12), I have a few additional patterns to introduce you to. 

In true let’s-complicate-things form, you could wait until you have a gift on hand before embarking on your next pouch-making journey. There is something to be said, however, for setting up your own little production line and banging out a few at a time, so there’s always one at the ready.

Sotak Handmade’s Drawstring Bag Tutorial

I first made Sotak Handmade’s Drawstring Bag tutorial back in 2015. The casing for the drawstring is unique and is what I think makes the bag something special. The directions walk you through making a 8-inch by 9.5-inch pouch, but it’s a pattern you could easily modify for the gift on hand. I recommend using a fun contrasting fabric for the casing and finishing these beauties off with a little faux leather cording.

Tinkalong Pouch

Cheri Lehnow’s Tinkalong Pouch pattern comes in two sizes: small and large. During a past sew-along, I printed the small size at 65%, making it perfect for holding a gift card. I used OG Cotton and Steel fabric and black cotton cording in the four bags I sewed to give them a polished look.

Popcorn Pouch

I found Amista Baker’s Popcorn Pouch to be a fast and easy sew, even for zipper newbies (not that I am one, but if you wait long enough between zipper projects, it’s easy to feel as if you’re tackling zipper for the first time again). I’ve been known to make several at a time ... I’ve used my Popcorn Pouches to wrap presents. I’ve slid a card into one, presenting the pouch itself as a small token of thanks. I’ve even packed my charging cords into that blue and mustard beauty, below, as I headed out the door on a quilt retreat.

I think a call to action is in order, so go forth and sew some pouches! And when you’re done, please report back to us about your triumphs. : )

Coming Soon

I have so much to share with you before the end of the year ... my Legendary quilt (pattern by Elizabeth Hartman), my Patchwork Sky quilt (Camille Roskelley), my Sandhill Sling (Anna Graham). So. Many Projects!

I am also participating in a specially curated bundle and wanted to get that on your radar screen today. The Bountiful Bundle will be available next Wednesday, November 22, through Monday, November, 27 (that’s EST, or GMT-5). 

It includes 10 PDF patterns for $19.99 (or $2 per pattern). Each design is beginner friendly and comes from a different designer. I am sure you’ll recognize some favorites in the collection, including Laura Piland’s Exploding Heart, Emily Dennis’s Quilty Trees, and my own Irish Twist. Stop by next Wednesday (or newsletter subscribers, keep an eye on your inbox) to get your bundle!

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Let's Complicate Simple Tasks! / Beauties Pageant 235

One of my special talents is turning a simple task into a more complicated and time-consuming one. I truly excel at this, friends.

Exhibit A

Let’s consider the case of my niece’s 14th birthday gift.

I decided to get her a Crumbl Cookies gift certificate because she’s such a fan of the store’s sugary offerings.

Most people would order the gift certificate online and call it a day. But do you know what’s better than an emailed Crumbl gift card? A physical gift card and a fancy pink Crumbl cookie cutter.

And do you know what’s better than a physical gift card and a fancy pink Crumbl cookie cutter? A physical gift card and a fancy pink Crumbl cookie cutter … in a handmade drawstring pouch! (Darn you, presentation—you get me every time!)

In other words, what I could have accomplished in two minutes at my computer (and what would have arrived on my niece’s actual birthday) ended up requiring a trek to Crumbl, a sewing session, and a trip to the post office … two days after her special day.

And that’s how I roll!

Project Specifics

If presented with a comparable wrapping conundrum, you may be tempted to draft a quick pouch pattern yourself. Do not bother: The Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern from Jeni Baker of In Color Order has all the math we need. It includes many different sizes, so it’s easy to home in on one for the gift at hand. 

I sewed the snack bag size, tweaking the measurements for boxing the bottom so that the fancy pink Crumbl cookie cutter would fit.

I wish I could give you information about the fabric, but all of it came from a collection of fat eighths I won through my guild, and there wasn’t a printed selvage among them. Perhaps the star of the project isn’t the fabric, though—it’s that awesome mint-colored flowery twill. My niece prefers black, gray, and white, so that twill tape adds a subtle and sweet bit of color to the project. 

If you find yourself in need of some mint-colored twill, it’s available for purchase through the designer’s website. Check out KP Creates for all the details. (All of my stash suggestions are just to enable your purchases. There is no affiliate anything on my site.)

The Lined Drawstring Bag is a well-loved pouch pattern. It was released a full 10 years ago, and I know that I am not the only sewist who considers it her go-to for making pretty pouches. It just so happens that Jeni announced a Lined Drawstring Bag Sew-Along on her blog recently. The fun begins on November 22. Both the original pattern and expansion pack are on sale through November 28. (Again ... just here, aiding and abetting your sewing purchases. You’re welcome!)

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Patchwork Ghosts / Beauties Pageant 191

I’m not a fan of celebrating Halloween, but The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt is a seasonal story I can get behind. Are you familiar with this picture book? Written by Riel Nason and illustrated by Bryon Eggenschwiler, The Little Ghost is the charming story of a ghoul whose patchwork sets him apart from his friends. The happy ending and it’s relatable message make it an enjoyable read for kids and adults alike. Take a peek at one of the book’s illustrations, below. Super sweet, right?

Another quilter transformed the book’s hero into stuffies last Halloween, and with this year’s holiday on the horizon, I knew I needed to follow suit! 

Construction was super easy: I sewed 3-inch squares into 4-by-6 panels, quilted them, added the mouths and eyes, and squared the bottoms. I then stuffed the bodies with a little polyfill and whip-stitched the bottoms ... Voila! Two cuties!

Rooting through my scraps and selecting fabric for the patchwork was fun, as was making the felt faces. A circle die on my AccuQuilt Go made cutting the eyes easy, and a little embroidery added some life to them. I will be shipping both stuffies, with a copy of The Little Ghost, to my nieces.

Are you sewing anything for Halloween? If so, I’d love to hear about your project in the comments.

My Halloween sewing is over. I’m in the mad rush to finish up QuiltCon submissions (which happens some years despite my best intentions to avoid it) and working on a new pattern release. If you enjoy testing patterns, this one is easy. More details are in my latest Instagram post here.

 

Follow Me On ... 

 

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Three Popcorn Pouches, One Easy Zipper Project / Beauties Pageant 183

Please note: This is my last post of the summer. I’ll be taking a break in August, to return on September 2 with a series of finishes and giveaways!

 

For the past two years, a bag full of prepped Popcorn Pouches has been living in my fabric chest. Whenever I open the bottom drawer, I move this bag out of the way and carefully replace it before I close the drawer back up. It’s been so long since I selected the fabric for these pouches and cut the necessary pieces that I can’t remember my plan for them, but surely I envisioned something better than moving their pieces from here to there and back again!

There’s something to be said for having projects at the ready, though, because when my guild held its bimonthly sewing bee, I knew those pouches were the perfect project to cart there.

This is not my first go-round with the Amista Baker’s Popcorn Pouch pattern (available here). I did make a slew of these little numbers back in 2020, four of which are pictured in this post. I added some bling to that bunch and sent them off as Mother’s Day gifts and as thank-you gifts for pattern testers.

The latest round includes three pouches—one in the mini size and two in the small. If your zipper stash is getting unwieldy, this is a quick and easy pattern to put those zips to good use.

 

My advice for easy zipper installation is to use Steam-a-Seam 2, a double-sided fusible tape that’s a quarter-inch wide. I find that using this tape, and then adding some Wonder Clips for good measure, keeps my zippers in place as I stitch. The skinny adhesive gets hidden away in the seam allowance. I also use it to keep the back side of my binding strips on these pouches neat and tidy.

My other tip: If you’re making multiple pouches, try to find one thread color to do all the work. I used the same off-white Gutermann thread for everything except finishing the bindings. The limited number of bobbin changes and rethreading episodes made the process go faster.

For you fabric nerds out there, the selections represented here are all oldies but goodies. In the pics throughout this post, you’ll see Persimmon by Basic Grey, Turkish Delight by Josephine Kimberling, and Lark by Amy Butler.

I am signing off for the month of August. Come back in September for new posts, the latest linky, and some giveaways! Wishing you all a wonderful end to the summer!

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

An Ameroonie Designs' Mug Rug / Beauties Pageant 181

 

My happy place is throw-size quilts. Why? Throw-size quilts are practical! Throw-size require less time to complete than bed-size quilts! You cannot have enough throw-size quilts in your house!

Every so often, however, I’ll take on a small project and think, Hey, that didn’t take long at all—maybe smaller projects are where it’s at. 

Consider the mug rug I made this week. Based on a pattern from Ameroonie Designs, it was a small and satisfying sew. In fact, I have a second, almost identical, one that’s in the home stretch of completion.

The challenges I encountered making this mug rug and its twin were minor. First, I had a hard time cutting the tiny pieces as cleanly as I would have liked. The issue may have been related to the scissors I used for that task moreso than my technique, though. Then there was the problem of keeping tabs on all of those little pieces. When I couldn’t locate one, I was never sure whether it was hiding somewhere on my sewing table or whether a certain naughty puppy ate it. (This dilemma pertains to many missing-in-action items in my life.) It was only after binding the mug rug that I remembered Yvonne’s recent Instagram post about making a quick and easy portable design board, which would have kept everything together.

I rarely incorporate any applique into my projects, quilts or otherwise, so the raw-edge applique strawberries were a fun departure from my usual piecing. I recommend this pattern—which also includes watermelons, lemons, and cherries—and instructions on different quilt-as-you-go options.

For more projects for Ameroonie Designs made by Beauties Pageant regulars Nancy and Bonnie, check out these links:

By Nancy:

• Bring the Love SAL 1 
  
• Bring the Love SAL 2
• Sand Dollar Mini Quilt
• Rainbow Sunset Mini Quilt
  

By Bonnie:

• Pincushions
• Sand Dollar Mini Quilt
• Rainbow Sunset Mini Quilt
• Rainbow Mini 
• Home Mini
  
• Valentine Mug Rugs

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday!

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter