Milk Money Quilt Block Tutorial

The project I'm sharing with you today is the most fun I've had in ages. I could not stop making these cute little blocks. If you like fussy cutting, you're in for a treat today.

Do you remember bringing a quarter to the cafeteria every day to buy your pint of milk at lunchtime? I do. This quilt block brings together my love of retro packaging, fussy cutting, and downright nostalgia. It's also a great way to use up tiny scraps of special prints that I keep stashed in a drawer because I just can't bear to throw away even the littlest bits. 

I had so much fun working thematically on each block, picking a main color and theme for each pint of milk or fruit juice. I joined my six blocks together with pale pink sashing and strawberry squares, adding a thin border of red and white polka-dot print to give the illusion of piping around the edge. 

The backing is a pink retro floral dot. The finished cover is a little smaller than the 12 x 16" form that I was just barely able to cram inside, but it gives me a beautiful overstuffed pillow for my breakfast nook. I'm absolutely crazy about it, and I wanted to share the pattern with you so that you can make something fun for yourself. These little blocks would be adorable on a lunch bag, water bottle carrier, table runner, coaster, or even a baby quilt. Here's the tutorial!

Milk Money Quilt Block
Finished Block Size: 3.5 x 3.75”

Materials

From white solid cut:

• (2) 1 x 1” squares (A)

• (1) 1 x 1.5” rectangle (B)

• (2) 1 x 3.25” strips (C)

• (2) 4 x 1” strips (D)

From navy hexagon print cut:

• (2) 1 x 1” squares (E)

From navy stripe print cut:

• (1) 2 x 1” strip (F)

From navy gingham print cut:

• (1) 2.5 x 1” rectangle (G)

From floral print cut:

• (1) 1.5 x 2.25” rectangle (H)

From feature print cut:

• (1) 2 x 2.25” rectangle (I)

Instructions

1. Sew the right edge of the H piece to the left edge of the I piece. Sew an A square to the right short edge of the F strip.

2. Using the photo above as a guide (different colors because this was taken after I finished the navy block -- sorry!), position an E square on the lower edge of the B rectangle with right sides together (RST). Place the other E square on the left end of the G rectangle RST and the other A square on the right end of the G rectangle, also RST. Follow the drawn lines on the squares in the photo above to see which direction to sew in order to create half square triangle edges on the rectangles. After sewing the diagonal lines, measure 1/4" from the stitched line and trim off the rest, pressing the seam open.

When you're finished, the pieces should look like the photo above.

3. Sew the lower edge of the A/F strip to the upper edge of the E/G/A strip.

4. Sew the right edge of the E/B strip to the left edge of the piece you made in step 3. Then sew the lower

edge of that combined piece to the upper edge of the H/I piece.

5. Sew a C strip to the right and left edges of the block.

6. Sew a D strip to the upper and lower edges of the block.

And that's it! If you make one of these and share it on social media, please tag

it #milkmoneyquiltblock and tag me @fabricmutt. I would love to see your work.

Have fun!

Darling Gift Bag: Birthday Edition

I restarted my Instagram page this week after a pause of about three years, and it's been a whole lot of fun. Chatting with old friends and seeing all the gorgeous projects on there has been amazing. I'm trying to find a way back into my happy sewing time again this summer, but carefully...lest I fall back down the rabbit hole of obsession. It's a fine line to walk, so I'm constantly checking myself. I really miss sewing with friends, but I want to do things right this time around -- or at least better. One day at a time, as they say...

I've been wanting to try resewing a few of my patterns and tutorials, starting with the most recent: the Darling Gift Bag tutorial.

I put together a fabric audition based on the colors of a birthday candle print from Buttercream by Emily Taylor for Cloud 9 Fabrics, which is the sweetest little retro collection. I've always been partial to a color scheme of white, red, blue, and pink, and these colors look so sweet paired with a polka-dot cream linen from my stash. 

The patchwork squares finish at 1". I love them so much.

A tiny picnic gingham from Buttercream makes cute handles, and I used the candles print for the lining. 

Normally the tutorial calls for an elastic and button closure on top, but I really loved the way the bag looked before sewing the button on -- sort of like a mini grocery tote bag -- so I just snipped off the elastic I had sewn on earlier and left it as is. I'll probably end up gifting this to someone, but for now, I'm just so happy looking at it on the table beside me while I plan my next sewing project.

The Darling Gift Bag Tutorial

I love putting together themed gift bags and care packages for friends and family whenever I get the chance, and this tiny patchwork bag is perfect for that sort of thing. Pick a theme -- stationery supplies, beauty items, sewing notions, sweet treats -- and fill this mini tote to the top with small treasures. I find that aside from the winter holidays, late spring is usually the time when I most need gifts for Easter, birthdays, Mother's Day, and the inevitable celebrations as we head into summer. 

It's always fun to make the bag itself part of the present, and you can customize the fabric you use for your patchwork squares to fit the recipient. If you need a whole lot of bags in a hurry, try replacing the patchwork panel on each side with a single fabric rectangle for faster sewing. I hope this hardworking little pattern will be incredibly useful to you in the months ahead!

The Darling Gift Bag Tutorial

Finished Size: 6 1/2" x 7" x 3" (including handle)

All seam allowances are 1/4".

Materials

From assorted scraps, cut...

- (12) red squares, 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" (A)

- (12) low volume squares with red accents, 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" (B)

*Note: for a faster project, replace all the 1 1/2" squares with 2 rectangles, 4 1/2" x 3 1/2", cut from the same feature print.

From 10" square of vintage floral red print, cut...

- (2) squares, 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" (C)

From fat eighth of low volume music print, cut...

- (2) rectangles, 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" (D)

- (2) rectangles, 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" (E)

- (1) rectangle, 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" (F)

From long scrap of red scallop stripe print, cut...

- (1) rectangle, 12 1/2" x 2" (G)

From fat quarter of batting, cut...

- (2) rectangles, 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" (H)

- (2) rectangles, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" (I)

- (1) rectangle, 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" (J)

From low volume floral print, cut...

- (2) rectangles, 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" (K)

- (2) rectangles, 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" (L)

- (1) rectangle, 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" (M)

Additional supplies: button, 5 1/2" piece of thin white elastic cord, matching thread, adhesive basting spray, binding clips.

Directions

1. Split the A and B squares in half into 2 groups of 12, 4 squares across and 3 squares down, alternating the A and B squares as shown. Sew each group of 12 together. Note: If you are using 2 rectangles, 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" instead, you may skip this step.

2. Spray the back of each patchwork piece with adhesive basting spray and attach to the lower edge of an H batting rectangle. Quilt as desired. 

3. Line the lower long edge of a D rectangle up with the top of the patchwork piece from step 2 with right sides together (the D rectangle should be upside down) and stitch them together along the edge (see photo). Flip the D rectangle up and away from the patchwork so that the wrong side of the piece is against the upper half of the batting. Press. Topstitch 1/8" from either side of the seam. Repeat with the other patchwork piece and D rectangle to give you 2 finished main panels.

4. Spray the back of each C square with adhesive basting spray and attach to the lower edge of an I batting rectangle. Repeat step 3 directions, using E rectangles to finish the 2 side panels.

5. Spray the back of the F rectangle and attach it to the J batting rectangle to finish the bottom panel. 

6. Fold the elastic piece in half to make a loop, placing the raw edges centered on the top edge of the back main panel. Stitch back and forth over this 1/8" from the edge to hold it in place.

7. Make the handle by folding the G strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and press. Unfold and then fold each long edge in to meet in the center and press again. Without unfolding, refold along the first line so that the raw edges are trapped in the middle. (You are actually making double fold quilt binding.) Topstitch along each long edge to hold the sides together and create a strap. Cut the strap in half so that each piece is 6 1/4" long.

8. Use binding clips to hold the raw edges of a strap in place along the top edge of a main panel piece so that the outer edge of the strap is 3/4" from the side edge of the panel. Stitch in place 1/8" from the edge. Repeat with the other strap on the other main panel.

9. Line up the lower edge of a main panel with a long edge of the bottom panel, right sides together, and sew together. Press the seam towards the main panel. Repeat with the other main panel on the other long edge of the bottom panel.

10. Line up the lower edge of a side panel with a short edge of the bottom panel, right sides together. Sew along the lower edge of the side panel first, stopping 1/4" from each corner and backstitching. Do the same on the other side with the other side panel.

11. Line up the side edges of a side panel with the side edges of the main panels and hold them together with binding clips as well (see photo), carefully matching up the seam that goes down the middle of each panel first. Sew along the side edges, starting at the top of the panel and going just past the 1/4" mark before the lower edge before backstitching. Repeat with the other side panel. 

You should now have a finished bag exterior. Turn the exterior right side out.

12. Now repeat steps 9-11 with the K, L, and M rectangles to create the bag lining with ONE EXCEPTION: when repeating step 9, leave a 3" gap in the middle on one side as you stitch the main panel to the bottom panel so that you'll be able to turn the bag right side out. 

Do NOT turn the bag lining right side out when you finish this step.

14. Place the bag exterior inside the bag lining so that the right sides are together. Carefully line up the side seams and top edges, making sure that the straps and elastic loop are sandwiched between the exterior and lining.

15. Stitch all the way around the top edge of the bag. Gently pull the bag right side out through the gap in the lining. 

16. Tuck the raw edges inside the gap in the lining and stitch it closed, backstitching at both ends.

17. Push the lining inside the bag, press carefully as needed, and then topstitch 1/8" from the top edge of the bag. 

18. Center a button on the D rectangle of the front main panel (adjusting the position depending on how tightly you want the bag to close when fastened) and stitch in place by hand. 

Now just fill the bag with goodies and share it with someone you love. Enjoy, friends!

Mostly Practical

Exactly one week ago I went to bed feeling a little off, not realizing that I had acquired an extremely nasty case of strep throat which is still raging as I type this evening. I'm on antibiotics, but it's going to be a slow recovery. Speaking and sleeping without coughing are a real challenge, and I've been utterly dependent on my husband who was off all this week on spring break. I'm both sad to have lost the week of activities we had planned and thankful that he was here to run the house and take care of me while I've spent the week in bed reading books and binge watching Remember WENN, an old favorite show that came out when I was in college. I like to think that I'm pretty good about going with the flow, but this week has definitely stretched my limits on that front.

I was thrilled to hear how many of you would like a tutorial for the little bag I shared in my last post! I have all the pieces cut out and waiting on my sewing table, and as soon as I'm well enough, I'll be putting it together and writing up the pattern for you. 

Since I don't have anything brand new to share, I thought I would show a few pictures of sewing projects I finished during my absence from the blog this past year or so. I'm afraid these photos aren't the best quality since they were originally just meant for family viewing. (I would retake the pictures, but at this point, these pieces are not quite in the same condition they were originally. Let's just call them "well loved.") The pillow at the top of the post was a quilt-as-you-go project I did for fun using some fabric I printed on Spoonflower using digital art I purchased from one of my favorite shops on Etsy after getting permission from the artist. Her retro designs are absolutely adorable, and I knew they would be perfect for fussy cutting. I had originally intended to keep this pillow upstairs in my bedroom, but it's become my husband's favorite back pillow when he's sitting in the family room at night.

The next pillow is made up of patchwork squares from my Heather Ross collection which I made for the girls. Every evening our family reads a chapter of a book together (right now we're doing Little Women) and then we watch a show or movie before bed. During our movie time, my youngest daughter Mouse loves to curl up in front of the fireplace on her Test Tubes Quilt using this pillow as a headrest. 

A few months back my sister came to me asking if I could make a cover for her Bible since the paperback cover was coming apart. She gave me total creative freedom, but I tried to insert little details that fit my sister well. This was another quilt-as-you-go piece, and I absolutely loved making it.

I've found that my sewing of the last few years has been mostly practical -- making things for which there is an actual need rather than just for fun -- but I love that the practical can also be beautiful. I have a few more useful sewing projects in mind for the months ahead. We'll see how many I can actually accomplish, but it's fun to think about them. The planning stage is still my favorite after all these years.

Hoping that you're all healthy and happy today, my friends.

A Bit of Sewing

It's been a busy week, but I managed to fit in a bit of sewing each day. I've been wanting to play around with a new pattern that I had sketched out on graph paper between grading papers and working in the kitchen. This cute little bag is the result. 

It's small -- those patchwork squares finish at 1" -- but it holds more than you would think. Wouldn't these be fun for little Easter baskets or party favor bags or sewing retreat gifts? You could even swap out the patchwork panel for a single print on the front and back to make a faster finish if you're in a hurry.

So you tell me, friends...would you like a tutorial? I'm happy to just sew these up for my girls, but if you'd like to make some for yourselves, I can pull out my notes and write something up for the blog. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Happy Monday!

Having More Fun

It's another 5 A.M. morning at my house. Having a puppy has put me back on newborn baby hours, and I'm feeling ever so grateful that I finished having children in my early 30's because I am definitely too old for this now. Still, despite the exhaustion that starts hitting me around 8:00 every night, there's something I'm coming to love about these quiet mornings with my Bible, journal, laptop, and coffee. There's a peace here before the whirlwind of the day begins, and getting to watch the sun rise outside my dining room window every morning is a nice bonus. My oldest daughter turns 15 tomorrow -- how is that even possible?? -- so today's to-do list is a bit longer than usual. I have dozens of balloons to blow up for her That Thing You Do! 1960's themed party, chocolate chip Heath bar cookies to bake for her ice cream sundae bar, and a whole lot of decorating to do. But this is the sort of thing I enjoy. Our family loves to celebrate everything, every chance we get, and we've made a lot of great memories over the years doing it. 

My sewing output has gone way down in the last 2 years, but I can honestly say that I'm having more fun with what I make. One of my favorite finished projects was actually for a sewing swap I did with my friend Angela almost a year ago. We each made a large version of the Booklet Pouch by Aneela Hoey for each other after we exchanged information about favorite fabric, colors, styles, etc. I decided to go with a retro theme in a rainbow of colors.

The outer panels are made with linen and canvas for more stability. Instead of using just one fabric, I used rows of squares in a fun mix of prints. It would be embarrassing to tell you how long I spent rearranging these squares until I got them exactly the way I wanted them. There's something in me that just can't leave well enough alone until I'm satisfied that I love it. 

I added a thin strip of fabric along either side of the zipper, and it wound up looking just like piping. Such a happy accident! I need to do this kind of thing more often. That zipper pull might just be my favorite thing about this project, aside from the patchwork exterior. 

A vintage text print for the inside cover was a great contrast with the bright, candy colored prints I used for almost everything else. The small pocket on the front inside cover holds a needle book and pair of snips, and I tucked some goodies inside the zipper pockets too.

It was unbelievably hard to send this one off in the mail, but I knew it was going to a good home where it would be well used and loved. And that's what we want for our creations, right? 

Happy weekend, friends!