Giddy

My girls came home on Saturday, giddy and exhausted after almost a week of having all kinds of fun at church camp. It was the first time all three of them had been away from me at once, and I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to deal with it. After more than sixteen years of motherhood, I'm a little out of practice at living life without kids around. But having enjoyed a quiet week of dinner dates, shopping trips, swimming, sewing, and long conversations with James and my parents, I feel like I've been given such a gift. I can appreciate all the joys of motherhood right now, enjoy watching my girls grow in confidence and independence, and know that there will still be a wonderful life waiting for me when they leave the nest someday. It's like getting a small glimpse of the future while still being so thankful for today. 

But truly, the sewing was fantastic this week -- hours all by myself in the loft finishing my Greek Cross quilt top while simultaneously starting another quilt that I designed years ago for my unrealized Carnival of Patchwork book. I sewed more in the last six days than I have in the last six months. Small projects have always been my specialty because that's usually all I have time for, and to some extent, I didn't have the patience or attention span for large quilts. But now I can really see the pleasure of working on extended projects. 

I'd like to think it's because I'm growing up a little bit in my forties, or maybe I'm just finally settling down. Either way, this seems like a good development, and I'm feeling rather giddy about it myself.

The Book That Might Have Been

First, let me say . . . thank you.

I wish I could put more into those two words. They don't even begin to convey how full my heart is after reading all the beautiful comments you left on my blog and Instagram account over the past week. I had no idea -- truly, none -- that I would receive so much love and encouragement from so many people. It was really helpful to listen to you talk about your own struggles with finding balance (Isn't it always such a relief to know that we're not alone?), and hearing how much my stories and patterns and books have touched your lives just meant the world to me. I wish I could take each one of you out for a nice long chat with coffee and cupcakes and all the hugs. You are such a blessing to me!

I took my last dose of antibiotics this morning, and it looks like my body is slowly returning to normal after getting pummeled so badly for the last two weeks. Scaling back on all my commitments will, I hope, keep it that way. I've been dealing with massive fatigue, partly due to the medicine, but my energy is starting to come back again. This means, of course, that my typical instincts are kicking in to go-go-go, and I have to keep reminding myself that that's not the way we do things around here anymore. I feel utterly ridiculous trying to explain to people that resting is hard for me, but it really is. The guilt, the restlessness, the crazy way my mind can't seem to get off the hamster wheel when I'm lying in bed at night -- it's hard to break those habits when I've been doing life this way for so many years. A friend of mine was telling me yesterday how excited he was for me to have this chance to slow down. And I said that I'm happy about it too, only I feel like I don't quite remember how to do it. It's like trying to get on a bicycle again when you haven't been riding for twenty years. You're pretty sure you remember how this works, but you feel pretty foolish when you first get started. For so long I've felt like a slacker if I'm not being productive every single second of the day. So learning that it's okay to, say, enjoy a movie with my kids without feeling compelled to keep my hands busy with another sewing sample while we watch it is kind of a big deal for me.

I promised that I'd tell you more about the book that might have been, the one that I've been working on for most of the last year. It was going to be called Carnival of Patchwork, and I've been living with it for such a long time that it's still hard to believe that it isn't going to happen. But if you all don't mind, I'd love to share a good bit of the finished content here on my blog over the next few months. It won't be as pretty as it would have been in print, but it will be something fun for you and me to enjoy together. The book was going to be all about playing with patchwork. I wanted to give you tips for playing with patterns, fabric, and thread along with some organizational ideas for your sewing room. And then there were the projects. I probably have at least a third of them done and several in process like the EPP blocks you see in the photos above which are destined to become a pillow. I'll be sharing these with you here and there and maybe giving you the gift of a tutorial once in a while. I would love to see some of these patterns come to life, even if it isn't in the way I'd originally planned.

One of my favorite parts of the design process is pulling inspiration from Pinterest to explain the style and feel that I want for a book. Here and here are the boards I had put together for Carnival of Patchwork. I'm just crazy about these colors and design elements, and they make me so happy every time I scroll through them. When I was on there today, I actually found a whole slew of secret boards leftover from when I was mulling over potential themes for fabric collections several years back. I've now made them all public, so be sure to drop by my Pinterest page to see all the new stuff if that's something you enjoy.

Well, I've got a small stack of papers to grade on my desk, so I'd better get to it before we have our evening TV hour with the kids. Right now we're going through episodes of The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko), and it's so much fun to hear my girls giggling like crazy over an old black-and-white show like this one. I hope your week is off to a lovely start, friends!

My Tea Party Quilt in APQ Magazine

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2019 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

It's amazing to me how many events in my life have been marked by a tea party. My mother loved to splurge at least once a year by taking my sister and I to a tea room in our small town when we were growing up, and sometimes my grandmother would come along too. For our first official date, my husband James took me to the Rose Garden tea room at the Huntington Library in California on a rainy January day. I remember walking around the gardens with him afterward, sharing an umbrella together as we laughed and talked and took our first steps into the most important relationship of our lives. I took my extended wedding party out for tea before I got married, joined my mother and mother-in-law for tea when James' parents came to visit from Arizona, and celebrated a bittersweet tea party with the women in my family before we left California for Texas. I've hosted special holiday teas in my home for friends and family each year, and I've enjoyed making tea and cookies for my daughters on Friday afternoons to celebrate the end of a long week. Every family has little traditions that become part of the fabric of who they are, and this has definitely been one of ours.

So it seemed like such a natural fit to design the Tea Party quilt featured in the June issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. I wanted to make a different kind of sampler quilt, something small that would be fun for fussy cutting, and I loved the idea of using tiny traditional quilt blocks to decorate teacup blocks. The flying geese border makes me think of a string of party bunting all around the quilt. It looks so happy!

There's nothing that I enjoy more than a scrappy quilt, and this project is perfect for emptying out the scrap basket, especially treasured little bits that are out of print now. Some of these fabrics were designed by wonderful friends and a few were even from my own collections, so that made this quilt extra special to me.

I think this mini would be so sweet to hang on the wall in a kitchen or dining room or even a child's room. Finishing at only 38 1/2" square, it makes a nice gift for a little one. I often made quilts this size for my daughters to use as play mats for tea parties or soft spots to cuddle up with a pillow and a picture book when they were young. If you don't have time to make a whole quilt, try turning one block into a cute mug rug (see the magazine for this adorable idea from one of their project testers). And wouldn't these blocks make such a darling set of little tea time placemats?

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2019 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

If you make one of these, please share it! You can add the hashtag #teapartyminiquilt, and be sure to tag me @fabricmutt. The June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting is out on newstands now -- isn't that cover quilt amazing?! -- so be sure to grab a copy while you can!

Bee Happy Blocks

There are people in this business who never cease to amaze me, and Lori Holt is one of them. She has an unending store of creativity with new ideas constantly on the horizon. It's so wonderful to see! Riley Blake asked if I would be a part of her Bee Happy Quilt Sew Along this month, and though I was afraid that last weekend's wonderful trip to Quilt Market would keep me from finishing my blocks in time, it all worked out in the end.

My assignments were the Pin Cushion and Coral Flowers blocks. I almost never do applique work, so it took me a while to get in the swing of things with this project. Once I hit my stride, though, I really enjoyed getting the chance to do some sewing by hand for a change. Instead of waiting for time at my sewing machine in the afternoons, I could work on this at my teacher desk while homeschooling my daughters. (Did I mention, by the way, that I have three desks? One is for sewing, one for teacher work, and one for designing fabric. No wonder I'm always running around like a crazy woman during the day!) It was a real treat to sew in the mornings during school, and I'm quite tempted to take up more applique in the future just so I can do more of this.

For my Coral Flowers block, I wanted to bring in more color than the original block called for, so I alternated red, pink, aqua, and navy around the corners with a yellow flower in the middle. The green leaves and stems balance it all out, and I like the way this has an almost folk art look to it. I started to quilt the flowers, but decided that I liked them better as they were.

Blue gingham paired nicely with the front, and I stitched a line just inside the edge of the pillow cover which gives the illusion of piping. This pillow looks just perfect sitting on a chair in our family living room.

The pincushion block is surprisingly intricate for such a small piece, but I love the way it turned out. I simplified the "Bee" inscription on the mason jar, using one line of stitching instead of the original pattern's two lines. I also left off the "pins" on the far left and right so that I could use just one button of each color to make a rainbow at the top. That fussy cutting on the lid makes me so happy!

I turned this block into the cover of a little kit for holding small notebooks and pens, almost a simpler version of my Stationery Kit tutorial.

These projects were such a pleasure to make, and I enjoyed getting the chance to broaden my skills a bit. Every new challenge, however large or small, is always exciting for me, and I think it's good to keep looking for these opportunities to grow. Just when I think I might be getting a little stale, I find myself falling in love with sewing all over again...

Desktop Sampler Quilt Tutorial

This December marks five years since I started Fabric Mutt.

It's been the most amazing journey. I've learned new techniques, sewed projects for friends and family, made items for blog tours and sample sewing. I wrote a book called Sew Organized for the Busy Girl, which thankfully is still helping people find the time to be creative. I was even able to visit Quilt Market not once but twice. This summer I had my biggest challenge yet, for those of you who haven't heard the news already, as I signed a contract to be a fabric designer for Penny Rose Fabrics. I am so thrilled to be taking this next step! With my first collection, Five & Dime, coming out next July, I know there are more adventures yet to come.

To celebrate this wonderful occasion, I've been working on a special Christmas present for all of you. My Hashtag fabric telephone mini quilt was a hit in the Riley Blake booth at Quilt Market this fall, and I had planned to release the tutorial for the block. When I sat down to write out the directions, though, I found myself sketching a whole mini quilt full of retro inspired office supplies. I know I'm not the only girl who loves the stationery aisle at the store or filling a planner full of activities (and stickers and page flags and colorful doodles), so I thought this would make the perfect gift for all of you lovely friends who have encouraged and supported me through the years. It seemed like it would be such a fun project to sew over Christmas break with the fresh start of a new year ahead of us.

The wonderful thing about this mini quilt is that you can make the whole thing or just use one of the blocks to decorate a pouch or some other small object. Cut the measurements in half to use a block for a cute little pincushion. Double or triple the measurements, and you could use the block on a book bag or a pillow. (Wouldn't a telephone pillow be adorable on a teenage girl's bed?!) Quadruple the measurements, and you'll have the right size for lap quilt. (I'm hoping to make one of those myself this year!) If you use any of the blocks from this quilt or make the entire quilt at any size, please share pictures on Instagram or online; I would love to see what you're making! Just be sure to tag me @fabricmutt and use the hashtag #desktopsampler.

I couldn't have made it these last five years without you, sweet friends. You've give me more joy in this journey than I could have ever found in it alone. Thank you with all my heart.

The Desktop Sampler Quilt

By Heidi Staples

Finished Size: 14 1/4 x 16 1/4”

This quilt is made entirely with scraps, so even though many of the fabric requirements call for a charm square, in most cases you can get by with less. The more prints you use, the more interesting this quilt will be.

Pattern Notes

• All seams are 1/4” unless otherwise stated.
• RST = right sides together
• Press seams open or toward the darker fabric.
• 
  

The Page Flags, Pens & Ruler Block

Fabric	For	Cutting
Green fashion print, charm square	Page flag #1	1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” 2 squares, 1 x 1”
Dark aqua text print, charm square	Page flag #2	1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” 2 squares, 1 x 1”
Aqua popcorn print, charm square	Page flag #3	1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” 2 squares, 1 x 1”
Lavender geometric print, charm square	Pen #1	1 strip, 3/4 x 3”
Purple geometric print, mini charm square	Pen #1	1 strip, 3/4 x 2”
Red text print, charm square	Pen #2	1 strip, 3/4 x 3”
Dark red text print, mini charm square	Pen #2	1 strip, 3/4 x 2”
Peach crosshatch print, charm square	Pen #3	1 strip, 3/4 x 3”
Orange diamond print, mini charm square	Pen #3	1 strip, 3/4 x 2”
Yellow text print, charm square	Pen #4	1 strip, 3/4 x 3”
Dark yellow dot print, mini charm square	Pen #4	1 strip, 3/4 x 2”
Yellow ruler print, 10” square	Ruler	1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 6 1/2"
Cream pindot print, fat eighth	Page flags background Background between flags Background between pens Background sashing	3 rectangles, 1 x 1 1/2” 2 strips, 1 x 3” 3 strips, 1 x 4 1/2” 1 strip, 1 1/2 x 4 1/2” 1 strip, 1 1/2 x 6 1/2”

Make the Page Flags

1. Place a 1” page flag square RST on the left side of a 1 x 1 1/2” background rectangle. Sew a diagonal line from the lower left corner of the square to the upper right corner as shown in the photo above. Trim the seam to 1/4” and press open.

2. Repeat with the other 1” flag square on the right side of the rectangle to make a single flying geese unit.

3. Sew the flying geese unit to the lower short edge of the coordinating 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” page flag rectangle.  

4. Repeat steps 1- 3 with the pieces for the other two page flags.

5. Arrange in a row from left to right: page flag, 1 x 3” background strip, page flag, background strip, page flag. Sew them together.

Make the Pens

1. Arrange your pen pieces in a column as shown in the photo above. Sew the right short end of the pen piece to the left short end of the cap piece.

2. Place the 1 1/2 x 4 1/2” background strips between the pens and sew them all together.

Finish the Block

1. Sew the 1 1/2 x 6 1/2” background strip to the right long side of the ruler piece.

2. Sew the 1 1/2 x 4 1/2” background strip between the lower edge of the page flags unit and the upper edge of the pen unit.

3. Sew the right edge of the ruler unit to the left edge of the page flags & pens unit.

The Clock Radio

Fabric	For	Cutting
Peach astronomy print, fat eighth	Clock main	1 strip, 1 x 2” 1 strip, 1 x 3” 3 strips, 1 x 4” 2 strips, 1 x 6 1/2”
Orange grid print, charm square	Speaker	1 square, 3 x 3”
Black star print, mini charm square	Knobs	2 squares, 1 x 1”
Cream text print, charm square	Clock dial	1 rectangle, 2 1/2 x 4”
Cream pindot print, charm square	Clock corners	4 squares, 1 x 1”

1. Sew the 1 x 3” clock main strip to the lower 3” edge of the speaker square.

2. Sew the 1 x 2” clock body strip between the two 1” knob squares. Sew this unit to the lower 3” edge of the speaker unit.

3. Sew a 1 x 4” clock body strip to the right long edge of the clock dial rectangle. Then sew the speaker and knobs unit to the right side of that strip.

4. Sew the remaining 1 x 4” clock body strips to the right and left 4” edges of the clock radio unit, and then sew the 1 x 6 1/2” strips to the upper and lower edges of the unit.

5. Place a 1” background square in one corner of the clock radio unit, RST, and sew diagonally across the square (NOT the diagonal that cuts across the square from the corner of the unit). Trim the seam to 1/4” and press open. Repeat with the other 3 squares in the rest of the corners.

6. Embroider the clock handles onto the dial by hand or machine.

The Tape Dispenser & Eraser

Fabric	For	Cutting
Yellow dot print, charm square	Tape roll	1 square, 1 1/2 x 1 1/2” 1 rectangle, 1 x 1 1/2”
Aqua geometric print, 10” square	Tape dispenser	1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” 1 strip, 1 x 1 1/2” 1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 4 1/2”
Dark pink text print, mini charm square	Eraser main	1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 2”
Light pink crosshatch print, mini charm square	Eraser shadow	1 strip 1 x 1 1/2”
Cream pindot print, charm square	Background	1 square, 1 x 1” 1 square, 1 1/2 x 1 1/2” 1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 2 1/2”

Make the Tape Dispenser

1. Place the tape roll 1 1/2” square on the left side of the the 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” tape dispenser rectangle, RST, as shown in the photo above. Sew diagonally from the lower left corner to the upper right corner of the square. Trim the seam to 1/4” and press open.

2. Place the background 1” square at the top of the tape roll 1 x 1/2” rectangle, RST, as shown in the photo above. Sew diagonally from the lower left corner to the upper right corner of the square. Trim the seam to 1/4” and press open.

3. Sew the left side of step 1’s unit to the right side of step 2’s unit as shown in the photo above.

4. Sew the background 1 1/2” square to the left side of the unit and then sew the 1 x 1 1/2” tape dispenser rectangle to the left side of that.

5. Sew the 1 1/2 x 4 1/2” strip to the lower edge of the unit.

Finish the Block

1. Make the eraser by sewing the small pink rectangle to the lower short end of the dark pink rectangle as shown in the photo above.

2. Sew the 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” background rectangle to the left side of the tape dispenser unit, and then sew the eraser unit to the left side of that.

The Planner

Fabric	For	Cutting
Striped text print, charm square	Label	1 rectangle, 2 1/2 x 3”
Green sprig print, 10” square	Cover	4 squares, 1 x 1” 2 rectangles, 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” 1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 5” 1 rectangle, 4 1/2 x 5”
Dark green X print, 10” square	Spine	1 strip, 1 x 7 1/2”
6 colored text print scraps, at least 1 x 1 1/2”	Tabs	1 rectangle each, 1 x 1 1/2”
Cream pindot print, mini charm square	Background	2 squares, 1 x 1”

1. Place a green sprig 1” square RST in each corner of the label rectangle. Sew diagonally across the square as shown in the photo above. Trim the seam to 1/4” and press open.

2. Sew the green 1 1/2 x 2 1/2” rectangles to the right and left edges of the label unit.

3. Sew the green 1 1/2 x 5” rectangle to the upper edge of the label unit. Sew the green 4 1/2 x 5” rectangle to the lower edge of the label unit.

4. Sew the dark green 1 x 7 1/2” strip to the left edge of the planner unit.

5. Line up in a row from left to right: 1” background square, 6 tab rectangles (1” ends touching), 1” background square. Sew these together in a row as shown in the photo above.

6. Sew the tabs unit to the right edge of the planner unit.

The Stapler

Fabric	For	Cutting
Red print, 10” square	Handle Base	1 rectangle, 1 1/4 x 6” 1 strip, 3/4 x 6”
Grey print, charm square	Carrier	1 strip, 1 x 4 3/4”
Black print, mini charm square	Anvil	1 square, 1 1/2 x 1 1/2”
Cream pindot print, 10” square	Background	1 square, 1 1/4 x 1 1/4” 1 rectangle, 3/4 x 1” 1 strip, 1 x 5”

1. Place the 1 1/4” background square in the left corner of the 1 1/4 x 6” stapler rectangle. Sew diagonally from the lower left corner to the upper right corner. Trim the seam to 1/4” and press open.

2. Sew the 3/4 x 1” background rectangle to the right 3/4” edge of the carrier strip. Sew the 1 x 5” background strip to the lower edge of this unit and then sew the anvil 1 1/2” square to the left edge of this unit.

3. Sew the lower long edge of step #1’s unit to the upper long edge of step #2’s unit. Sew the 3/4 x 6” base strip to the lower long edge of that unit to finish the block.

The Telephone

Fabric	For	Cutting
Blue floral print, 10” square	Receiver	2 squares, 2 x 2” 1 strip, 1 x 3”
Dark blue bow print, 10” square	Base	2 squares, 1 x 1” 1 strip, 1 x 3” 1 strip, 1 x 2” 2 rectangles, 2 x 2 1/2” 4 squares, 1 x 1”
White number print, mini charm square	Dial	1 square, 2 x 2”
Cream pindot print, 10” square	Background	1 strip, 1 x 2” 4 squares, 1 1/2 x 1 1/2” 2 strips, 1 x 2 1/2”

1. Sew a base 1” square to each short end of the 1 x 2” background strip. Sew the receiver 1 x 3” strip to the upper edge of that unit and the base 1 x 3” strip to the lower edge.

2. Place a background 1 1/2” square in the upper left corner of a receiver 2” square, RST. Sew a diagonal line from the lower left corner to the upper right corner of the square, trim the seam to 1/4” and press open. Repeat with the other 1 1/2” background square and the other 2” receiver square, but this time in the upper right corner, reversing the diagonal line as well (see photo above). Sew the first square to the left side of the unit in step #1, and sew the second square to the right side of the unit.

3. Place a 1” base square in a corner of the 2” dial square, RST. Sew a diagonal line across the square (NOT the diagonal that cuts across the square from the corner of the dial square), trim the seam to 1/4”, and press open. Repeat with the other 3 base squares.

4. Sew the 1 x 2” base strip to the lower edge of the dial unit.

5. Place a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2” background square RST in the upper left hand corner of a 2 x 2 1/2” base rectangle. Sew diagonally from the lower left corner to the upper right corner, trim the seam to 1/4”, and press open. Repeat with the other background square and base rectangle, this time placing the square in the upper right hand corner and sewing diagonally from the lower right corner to the upper left corner on the other square. Sew these to the left and right edges of the dial unit as shown in the photo above, forming the base unit.

6. Sew a 1 x 2 1/2” background strip to the left and right edges of the base unit.

7. Sew the lower edge of the receiver unit to the upper edge of the base unit

Finish the Quilt

Fabric	For	Cutting
Cream pindot print, 1/4 yard	Sashing	2 rectangles, 1 1/2 x 6 1/2” 2 rectangles, 1 1/2 x 6” 1 rectangle, 1 1/2 x 15” 2 rectangles, 1 1/4 x 15 2 rectangles, 1 1/4 x 14 1/2
Batting, fat quarter	Quilting	1 rectangle, 16 x 18”
Typewriter print, fat quarter	Backing	1 rectangle, 16 x 18”
Geometric print, 1/4 yard	Binding	2 strips, 2 1/4 x width of fabric

Note: The instructions below are for traditionally piecing together the quilt top, and then you may quilt and bind the quilt as desired (see general yardage and cutting measurements above for that). I decided to construct my quilt top slightly differently, using quilt-as-you-go methods -- you’ll notice the batting in the background and quilting lines on my quilt top in the photos below. Feel free to use whatever method works best for you!

1. Sew a 1 1/2 x 6 1/2” sashing strip between the Pen, Ruler & Page Flags Block and the Clock Radio Block. Then sew a 1 1/2 x 6 1/2” sashing strip between the Clock Radio Block and the Eraser & Tape Dispenser Block.

3. Sew a 1 1/2 x 15” sashing strip to the left of the 3 block unit that you’ve assembled so far.

4. Sew a 1 1/2 x 6” sashing strip between the Telephone Block and the Stapler Block. Then sew a 1 1/2 x 6” sashing strip between the Stapler Block and the Planner Block.

5. Sew the unit that you assembled in step #4 to the other half of the quilt as shown in the photo above.

6. Sew a 1 1/4 x 15” sashing strip to the left and right edges of the quilt. Sew a 1 1/4 x 14 1/2” sashing strip to the upper and lower edges of the quilt.

7. Quilt and bind as desired.