All the Buttons Quilt Tutorial

It's been ages, friends, I know...

Back in the middle of June I shared on Instagram that I was taking a break from social media for the summer, and it has been the BEST THING EVER. Don't get me wrong -- I love chatting with so many lovely people on Instagram and getting to see all the beautiful projects they're working on. But I've been trying to focus my attention on what's right in front of me these days, the family and friends I love who need me the most right now. After running through my days at breakneck speed for so long, becoming numb to everything except the demands of my to-do list, I almost thought it wasn't possible to live life any other way.

I'm so happy to tell you that I was wrong about that. Life has become a hundred times simpler, slower, quieter, and more peaceful than it's been for years. Suddenly I have time again to read, to talk with my husband, to sew with my girls, to play, to think, to dream. It's been a balm to my soul and a treasure that I can't imagine giving up lightly. So for now, I'm continuing my break from social media, though I did want to drop by this space to say hello, catch up with a little news, and share a quilt tutorial that I promised myself I would give you before the summer was over.

Little Joe at 2 weeks

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll remember Little Joe, the tiny tabby kitten I found abandoned in the middle of the parking lot at my local Target. He was about two weeks old, lame in his back paw, and very near death when I rescued him that day and took him home.

Teeny tiny Joey

At the time, I had no clue how much care and commitment is involved with raising young orphaned kittens. It's truly like taking in a newborn baby. I spent weeks bottle feeding him through the days and nights, keeping him warm, massaging his back legs, relying heavily on videos by The Kitten Lady and on help from my vet to face each new challenge.

Joey at 3 months

I promised Joey's many fans that I would give an update on his progress during the summer so that you could see how much he's grown. He's now 3 months old, and not only are his legs perfectly healed, but thankfully we've also been able to set up a room for him inside our house despite my parents' and husband's cat allergies. A special air filter in the room and weekly baths have kept the dander at bay. My husband loves to have coffee with Joe every morning while he feeds him his breakfast, and Dad pops in to cuddle with Joey every afternoon. Watching my men together with this cat just melts my heart. I'll always be his mama, but I think he saves his loudest purrs for the guys.

Joey is still a rambunctious little goofball who loves to climb and play with his toys and my girls every day. But my favorite moments are when he climbs up into my lap and touches his wee nose to mine just to say "I love you." We are so incredibly grateful to have him in our family, and seeing him happy and playful in his special room just brings me all kinds of joy.

I also wanted to share with you these sewing kits I made for my girls, who all wanted to practice sewing hexagons this summer. I let them each choose their main fabric from my stash, and then I picked coordinating prints to go along with that.

The pattern is the Double-Zip Clutch from my first book Sew Organized for the Busy Girl which I shrank down to about half size. It makes an absolutely perfect travel sewing kit. I made one for myself years ago which I've taken on plane trips for easy-to-pack sewing on the go. I love that it has a spot for all the supplies and every tool I need to bring along. Right now the girls are sewing Laundromat Coin Pouches from my book Patchwork USA, and they're having so much fun.

And now on to the pattern! This quilt was originally going to be published in my abandoned Carnival of Patchwork book. I had dreamed for ages of making a quilt with a ton of little button blocks on it, and it was so much fun to see that dream become reality in this project. It took me three long months to sew this one together, but I'm absolutely crazy about it. My friend Jennifer at Farm Fresh Stitches did the gorgeous quilting in a classic baptist fans motif. This block would look darling on so many other projects too: a tote bag, a zipper pouch, a pillow. Even if you don't feel like making a whole quilt, try it out on something small and have fun with it!

All the Buttons Quilt Tutorial

Finished Size: 53’’ x 60’’

Finished Block Size: 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Materials

From 97 5’’ squares of various colored prints, cut from each:

- (2) rectangles, 1’’ x 2’’ for button blocks (A)

- (2) rectangles, 1 1/2’’ x 2’’ for button blocks (B)

- (2) rectangles, 4’’ x 1 1/2’’ for button blocks (C)

From 2 yards of white solid, cut:

- (2) rectangles, 1’’ x 2’’ for button blocks (D)

- (4) squares, 1 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ for button blocks (E)

- (98) squares, 4’’ x 4’’ for alternating squares (F)

- (4) rectangles, 4’’ x 53’’ for borders (G)

From 2 yards of wide batting, cut:

- (1) square, 70’’ x 70’’ for interfacing (H)

From 2 yards of 108’’ wideback fabric, cut:

- (1) square, 70’’ x 70’’ for quilt backing (I)

From 1/2 yard of pale blue floral fabric, cut:

- (6) rectangles, WOF x 2 1/2’’ for quilt binding (J)

Make the Blocks

1. Sort the pieces for each button block into 100 stacks. Each stack should include 2 A rectangles, 2 B rectangles, and 2 C rectangles from a single Colored Print. It should also include 2 D rectangles and 4 E squares from the White Solid

2. Sew a D rectangle to either long edge of an A rectangle. Cut the resulting piece in half through all 3 rectangles as shown in the illustration above.

3. Sew the pieces from step 2 to the upper and lower edges of the remaining A rectangle. Sew the B rectangles to the right and left edges of the block.

4. Sew the C rectangles to the upper and lower edges of the block. Use the E squares to snowball the 4 corners of the block, to yield a finished block as shown above.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 with the pieces for the remaining blocks, giving you a total of 97 blocks. 

Make the Quilt

1. Arrange the button blocks and F squares as shown above, organizing the colors in whatever order you like best. Sew the blocks and alternating squares together in rows. Then sew the rows together.

2. Sew a G rectangle to the right and left edges of the quilt top. Then sew a G rectangle to the upper and lower edges.

3. Quilt and bind as desired.

All warm and crinkly after coming out of the wash...

If you make anything with this tutorial, please share your photos! You can use the tags #fabricmutt and #allthebuttonsquilt. I'll be back on Instagram sometime in the fall to check in, so be sure to tag me @fabricmutt so I can see it then.

I hope you're all having a beautiful summer and doing the things you enjoy best. Most of all, I hope you're getting time with the people you love. Enjoy every minute of it!

Parenting, Perfection, and Perseverance

A pair of cardinals has set up housekeeping in the small sago palm tree beside our backyard swimming pool. James spotted three speckled eggs in a tiny nest almost a week ago, and several days later they were replaced by a trio of fluffy chicks that look so much like miniature plucked turkeys to me that I grin every time I see them. Since we've had a sudden run of summer weather, we've been taking a dip in the pool every evening before dinner, careful not to bother the new family while we do it. I was worried that maybe our presence would scare the parents away, but a few nights ago as the girls were taking turns doing handstands in the shallow end, we suddenly saw the father swoop down to check on the babies. He lingered for a few seconds, flew back up into the nearby oak tree, and was immediately replaced by the mama bird who did the same thing. For the next ten minutes or so, I couldn't take my eyes away from watching those two birds take turns looking after their little ones. It reminded me so much of James and I as we shepherd our girls through this strange time together at home. There are moments when he picks up the burdens because I'm feeling weak, and then I turn around a few hours later and do the same for him. Sometimes we tackle frustrations at the same time with grit-your-teeth determination, and other times it's all so ridiculous that we can't stop laughing. But we're facing it together, and I love that. Teamwork: it's a good idea whether you're parenting cardinals or strong young women, and we're getting a little better at it each day.

Yesterday I spent almost two hours working on a new pattern I've been wanting to write, and it ended in failure. I walked away from it until later in the evening, started from scratch, and promptly failed again. Sigh . . . it's all part of the creative process, of course, and you can't let it get you down. So I put that new pattern away for another day, and this afternoon I'll be working on something that I know I'll enjoy. Because that's part of the creative process too. You have to know when you're up to a challenge and when you need something pleasantly simple, and today is a day for comfort sewing, I think.

For the past few days, I've been working on cleaning out my guest room/office which has been in desperate need of some purging for some time now. Going through the stuffed drawers of the dresser in there feels something like conducting an archaeological dig of my life, and the various piles that I've been sorting read the same way: here lies Heidi the fabric designer, the artist, the antique collector, the writer, the interior designer, the teacher, the quilter. I look at all the pieces of myself spread out across the guest room bed, and I'm reminded again of one of the character traits that I constantly struggle with in myself: that dreaded perfectionism. I want to try absolutely everything, but I want to do it all really well. And this stubborn streak often paralyzes me so that I can't get past the excitement of the planning and into the actual doing, turning me into a first class procrastinator. Hence the gouache paints that have never been opened and the journals that have only a few pages of writing and the stack of sewing patterns that I've never started. So I'm choosing to see this time at home as a chance to grow, to play with some things that I normally wouldn't have had the guts to try. Step one: some day in the next week I'm going to break out those paints and see what happens.

Part of my cleaning in the office has been going through the book samples and props that have been stored in containers for so long. I always like to spread the quilts and pillows around the house, but a lot of the small things wind up in storage for future trunk shows. Well, no more of that. I'm saving a few items for future gifting, but it's nice to pull more of these happy little pieces out into the open where I can enjoy them. For instance, the pencil cases in the photos above were designed for Carnival of Patchwork, and I love seeing them out on my desk. I wanted a mix of fabrics that was both cheerful and a little bit vintage, and it turned out just the way I hoped it would. Incidentally, that red print is from the Lola Dutch collection by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller Fabrics, which my girls adore. My mother bought them all the picture books in that series for Easter this year, and they've been taking online drawing classes with Sarah Jane ever since the quarantine started. I love watching my daughters not only develop their artistic talents but also start to gain a creative fearlessness that I want more of myself. It's so easy to encourage them to just have fun and enjoy it without getting hung up on perfection, (funny how it's always easier to speak those words to others than it is to say them to ourselves), and seeing them do that makes me want to do it too. We may be stuck at home for now, but it doesn't mean we can't still find ways to spread our wings and fly.

Over 20 Fun Ideas for Organizing Your Sewing Space

One of the big projects I wanted to tackle during this time at home has been reorganizing my sewing area. After months of going full speed on one project after the next, my work space was a complete disaster area, and it's taken me weeks to get things back into shape. I'm not finished yet, but the changes I've been able to make so far have already made me ten times happier every time I walk in the room. It's always amazing to me how a pretty space makes me feel so much more excited about sewing. I know that some of you are working on organizing your creative space too, so today I'm sharing some of my favorite tips with you.

Your sewing space and how you organize it are completely dependent on who you are, how you sew, and what you love to make. If you want a detailed plan on how to give your room a total overhaul, check out my book Sew Organized for the Busy Girl, but if you just need a quick refresh, making one or two changes can be enough to make a real difference. When it comes to any of the organizational ideas you pick up from me or anyone else, I can’t stress enough how important it is to:

• Be honest about what your organizational needs are and what you can actually maintain given your time and situation.

• Find a solution that looks like a good fit.

• Give that system a test run of at least a week or two.

• Be willing to adjust or start from scratch if it isn’t working.

It’s tempting to give up when something you try doesn’t work the way you thought it would, but you probably just haven’t hit on the right answer yet. Don’t stop looking for it. The time you take to find the best solution for your situation is more than worth the satisfaction you’ll have when sewing becomes a pleasure instead of a chore.



A sewing space is usually divided into four main stations: storage, cutting, sewing, and pressing. The more room you have, the more clearly separate these stations probably are. If you’re working with a small area, however -- maybe in the corner of your family room or on a desk in your bedroom -- things get tricky. It’s even more difficult if you have no real space to call your own. I remember my early days of sewing on the dining room table, timing myself so that everything could be cleared away in time for dinner and scrubbing the table after each meal so that my fabric wouldn’t end up with spaghetti sauce all over it!

Challenging situations are always a great opportunity to see how creative you can be. I’ve learned that it’s helpful to have some portable options for organizing your sewing materials whether you have a lot of room to work with or not. Listed below are some ideas for making your work space more organized and, yes, more fun. A lot of these can be done using things you already have around the house, so there's no need to buy something new unless you really want to. I personally like to use family antiques and vintage finds in my sewing room because I love them so much Wherever I can, though, I've included links to special items that I've bought myself and found useful. Ideas are classified according to the four stations above, but there’s definitely overlap, so adjust these as needed to make them work for you in any part of your creative space.

Storage 

• Picnic baskets and small suitcases can hold a surprising amount of fabric, and some even come with special pockets where you can store your notions. Best of all, they have a handle for carrying and a lid that shuts everything away from view. These can be really helpful if you're working in a smaller space.

• Spice jars are the perfect size for storing buttons and small pieces of hardware like magnetic clasps, rings, snaps, and zipper pulls. (Bonus points if you store them in a cute spice rack!) I also like to repurpose our jam jars for this job too, because who can resist a red and white gingham lid?

• Old photo drawers or card catalogs are a great fit for fabric scraps, notions, and small precuts. I use one for my charm squares, and it's the perfect size. You can easily label the drawers too, giving you the chance to sort materials by style, color, designer, or manufacturer.

• Mason jars and clear candy or cookie jars will store anything from scissors to thread, and they will always look beautiful while doing it. Best of all, you can see at a glance what supplies you have on hand.

• It took me years to find the best system for storing and organizing my quilting fabric, but I couldn’t be happier with the results. I prefer to organize my quilting cotton prints by color in identical tall woven plastic baskets measuring approximately 15” x 12” x 9”. Every print (usually half a yard or less) is folded to a width of about 5” and placed in the basket with other prints of the same color (red, orange, yellow, etc.). I can fit 2 layers of 2 long rows in each container, and I can always start a new basket if one fills up. The containers are stored on a pair of long, double shelf carts in my sewing room right beside my cutting table. It’s like having my own personal fabric shop right there whenever I need it! I also keep a reproduction soda crate for storing my solid fabrics, a metal cart with drawers for my linen and canvas prints, and a larger drawer unit for quilt backings and other special substrates like rayon and lawn. Almost all of my fabrics are arranged by color because that’s how I like to choose fabrics for my projects. This system makes finding what I need easy and fun, and that’s exactly how I like it.

Cutting 

• A desktop office supply organizer makes a fabulous tool center for your cutting station. Rulers can be sorted by size in the larger sections, and there’s usually a small compartment that’s just right for your rotary cutter and extra blades.

• Have a return basket for your cutting table. Once you finish cutting what you need from a larger piece of fabric, fold it and place it in the basket. Take five minutes each week -- or every other day, depending on how often the basket gets full -- to return all the folded fabrics to their proper spots in your fabric stash.

• Keep a scrap basket on your cutting table for all the little pieces that are too small to stash but too big to throw away. Whenever the basket gets full, find a home for the contents. Share them with a friend who loves scraps, hold a giveaway on social media or at your sewing guild, or celebrate a full basket by using them to make a scrappy project of your own.

Sewing 

• Wire baskets are a wonderful way to showcase bundles of fabric that you don’t want to separate. I also love using them to hold sets of fabric that I want to keep together for upcoming projects, including ones that are labeled by number so I can easily organize them in the order that I need to finish them. Just recently I ordered a rolling cart with removable wire trays that I can slide out and set on my sewing table while I'm working, and I absolutely love it. When it’s time to start working on a project, I just grab the tray and get to work. If I need to take a break, everything goes back in the tray so I don’t lose anything while the work is in progress, and it slides easily back into the cart, leaving my sewing table clean.
• Ceramic containers for kitchen utensils are the perfect place to store packaged zippers.
• I keep a small cutting mat just to the left of my sewing machine so that I can do quick seam trimming without having to get up and walk over to my main cutting table. This really comes in handy when I’m working on blocks like half square triangles.

• Tins and lunch boxes make fantastic travel sewing kits. The hard sides of the box keep everything inside from being crushed, and there’s plenty of room for all your supplies. 
• I keep a small ceramic basket filled with stuffing next to my machine for projects like pincushions and stuffed animals. It takes up less room than a full bag of stuffing (which I store elsewhere), but is nice to have at hand when I need it.
• A pretty soap dish makes a quick landing spot for embroidery scissors and binding clips next to your machine.
• A lap desk with a lid is the perfect organizational accessory for English paper piecing or hand quilting. I keep one in my bedroom so that in the evenings I can pull out my latest project, have a nice flat surface in my lap for sewing while I watch a movie with my husband, and then slip everything back inside when it’s time for bed. A small serving tray will work just as well in a pinch when balanced on a pillow in my lap.

• Trays of all kinds are wonderful for organizing block pieces or small notions. My daughters gave me a retro cafeteria lunch tray for Christmas, and I keep it stocked with all the little things that I want to be able to find in a hurry when I'm at my machine.
• Vintage glass measuring cups are wonderful places to corral binding clips or basting pins, and I love that they come with a handle that's easy to grab when I'm working.
• I love using a tin picnic utensil caddy to store larger tools like scissors, chopsticks, pencils, notepads, and my sewing machine accessory kit.

Pressing 

• Use a small homemade ironing board for most of your pressing needs. There are great tutorials online for making both tabletop and TV tray versions of this little gem, and it allows you to keep your full size ironing board stored away unless you need it for a larger project. All you need is a board, batting, fabric, and a staple gun.

• I like to keep a small tray or basket next to my pressing board filled with spray starch, the small flask I use to pour water into my iron, a seam ripper, a hera marker, and fabric pens. It’s amazing how much time you can save when you get in the habit of grouping items together that you use at each station so that you can find them when you need them.

• After I finish pressing my strips of fabric for quilt binding and sewing them together, I wind the long strip into a small circle and place it into a heavy, clear glass cookie jar, pulling one end out of the jar to start sewing. The jar keeps the binding from unrolling and spilling all over the floor under my feet as I slowly feed it out and sew it onto the quilt. When I’m done, I put the leftover binding back in the jar. It’s not only a great storage spot for these extra pieces (which make fantastic scrappy binding), but it also makes a colorful display on my shelf. 

Finally, always remember that spotless and organized are not the same thing. We often think that our space isn't organized unless everything in it is perfectly clean, but a workspace is actually organized if it's arranged so that you can find everything you need quickly and easily. Discovering new creative ways to do it is just part of the fun!

Nine Patch Bunting Tutorial

There’s nothing so happy as a little string of bunting. It’s my favorite sort of party decoration, and it makes a sweet addition to any space -- especially a sewing room. With Easter coming in a week and all of us stuck inside, I thought it was just the right time for this Nine Patch Bunting Tutorial to give us something pretty to decorate our indoor spaces. The pattern will give you a short length of bunting as written (a little less than a yard), but double or triple the materials to make your string of patchwork happiness as long as you like!

This is a wonderful project for fussy cutting, especially for the tiny little details in a print that can be overlooked. I chose to pair light and dark shades of the same color in my 5 nine patch blocks, but you could also match up low volume and colored prints. Linen makes a sturdy backing and string, but you can also substitute different prints for the backing squares to make your bunting reversible. If you want to make the project even simpler, just use 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares for both sides of each flag on the bunting strips.

This is a great pattern to make with kids if you're looking for something to add to your homeschool activities this week. It also makes a sweet party or holiday decoration. Try making a different string for each month of the year to hang somewhere special in your house. It's a fun way to celebrate a new month and bring a little extra handmade love to your home.

Nine Patch Bunting Tutorial 
Finished Size: 29 1/2" x 3 3/8"

From a 5’’ square each of 10 Prints in 5 color pairings (light blue/dark blue, pink/red, light green/dark green, pale yellow/gold, lavender/purple), cut:

(5) 1 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ squares from the dark prints for nine patch blocks (A)

(4) 1 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ squares from the light prints for nine patch blocks (B)

From 1/4 yard Natural Linen, cut:

(5) 3 1/2’’ x 3 1/2’’ squares for block backings (C)

(1) 30’’ x 1 1/2’’ strip for hanging string (D)

Additional Supplies: matching thread, embroidery floss (optional), binding clips, chopstick

1. Sort the A and B squares into five groups, one for each block. Arrange the squares as shown. Sew the squares into rows, pressing toward the darker fabric, and then sew the rows together, pressing the seams open.

2. If desired, use embroidery floss to sew a cross stitch at the 4 corners of the center square on each block.

3. Place a nine patch block right sides together with a C square. Sew around the sides and lower edge, leaving the top open. Turn the piece right side out, gently pushing out the corners with a chopstick, and press. Topstitch 1/8’’ from the edge around the sides and lower edge. Repeat with the remaining 4 blocks.

4. Fold the short edges of the D strip toward the wrong side of the fabric about 1/4" and press. Next, fold the strip in half lengthwise and press. Unfold and then fold the long edges to meet at the centerfold line, press, and then fold along the center fold again with the long raw edges sandwiched in the middle.

5. Slip the upper edges of the 5 nine patch blocks inside the folded D strip as shown, starting with the center block in the middle of the D strip, and then spacing the remaining blocks 1’’ apart from the others as you go. Hold the blocks in place with binding clips.

6. Sew just inside the edge of the fold closest to the blocks on the D strip, stitching the blocks in place and sealing the folded edges together. Backstitch at the start and finish to secure everything in place.

If you make one of these, be sure to share your photos with the hashtag #ninepatchbunting and tag me @fabricmutt. I hope this will bring some happiness to your homes this week!

Staying with Grace

I've been trying to write a blog post for over a week now, but the words keep escaping me. What can I say to you, friends, that you're not already experiencing yourselves? Yes, it's hard to stay home all the time. No, nothing much has changed in the past few weeks. Yes, some days are harder than others. No, I'm not handling everything well either.

Sometimes I think we're doing great. We already homeschool, so that was something stable in our little world. I'm grateful that we can stay in touch with friends and family through technology, and I'm so thankful that we can still get together with our church family on Sunday mornings online. Having James here with us, teaching from home, has been an absolute joy. He brings encouragement to all of us every day -- playing board games with the girls, giving my parents a hand when they need it, and always there to listen to me and make me laugh.

Other days I can feel myself coming apart a little bit. I give in to tears or make frequent visits to the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator when I'm frustrated or discouraged. I stay up too late at night and struggle to get out of bed in the morning. I had a near panic attack sitting in my car at the Walgreen's drive-thru last Monday as I watched the clerk bag up my dad's medication and place my change into an envelope, suddenly wondering if both were covered with the virus. James and I are the only ones who run errands right now so that my parents can stay safe, both of them being in the high risk group due to their age and health issues. I've had nights when I couldn't sleep for worrying over whether we're doing enough.

And then this passage from Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist spoke to me last weekend:

"It's easy to be liked by strangers. It's very hard to be loved and connected to the people in your home when you're always bringing them your most exhausted self and resenting the fact that the scraps you're giving them aren't cutting it....It seems to me that one of the great hazards is quick love, which is actually charm. We get used to smiling, hugging, bantering, practicing good eye contact. And it's easier than true, slow, awkward, painful connection with someone who sees all the worst parts of you. Your act is easy. Being with you, deeply with, is difficult. It is better to be loved than admired. It is better to be truly known and seen and taken care of by a small tribe than adored by strangers who think they know you in a meaningful way. We know that's true. But many of us, functionally, have gotten that math wrong in one season or another....Quick charm will always be easier for me than deep connection. People out there are easier than the ones in here. But quick charm is like sugar -- it rots us. It winds us up and leaves us jonesing, but it doesn't feed us. Only love feeds us. And love happens over years, repetitive motions, staying, staying, staying. Showing up again. Coming clean again, being seen again. That's how love is built....It's all in here, not out there."

I've wondered if one reason why this temporary life change is so difficult is because all the coping mechanisms that we've used for so long are being stripped away. When you're confined to your house with your family for days on end, there's no room for quick charm. Even worse, your quirks and irritations and insecurities have nowhere to hide. You have to deal with them and so do the people you love. And though right now we have no choice except to stay where we are, there's a big difference between staying resentfully and staying with grace. I can be a very generous, patient person on social media . . . over the phone . . . when I'm all by myself. It's harder to be any of that when the dogs are barking incessantly and the sink is full of dirty dishes and the girls are fighting with me and each other. My family needs my love, and the truth is that sometimes I feel so worn out that it seems like I can't even muster the will to try. But I have to keep trying, even when the best I can say is, "I'm cranky and tired and not happy with you right now, but I'm going to love you anyway because you're mine." I've told my girls so many times that love isn't a feeling; it's what we choose to do. I'm learning that lesson over and over again these days.

But like I said, there are good things happening at our house too. So let's talk about some of them...

1. Quarantine is delicious. I've been cooking so much more and making a greater variety of food. We've also been eating more meals together as a family which is wonderful. Preparing food for seven people each day can quickly become an endless job, so I've started making a large meal at lunch which can then be stretched for leftovers at dinner. Mom makes a loaf of her famous oatmeal bread in our bread machine almost every day, and we use any stale slices that don't get eaten to make croutons for salad. A big pot of soup or stew can last us for two days or more, and every now and then I'll make extra pans of pasta bake or enchiladas that can go in the freezer to be pulled out on a day when I'm too tired or busy to cook. All in all, I think we're wasting less food and making better use of our groceries than we have in ages, and that feels pretty great.

2. Time stuck at home is the perfect chance to tackle all the jobs that we've been putting off because we didn't have the time. James has been working on replacing old sink drains in the upstairs bathrooms. I'm deep cleaning our closet for the first time since we moved in five years ago and slowly getting my sewing space reorganized. It feels fantastic to get some of these jobs finished after they've been on my to-do list for so long. On the other hand, though, I'm not freaking out over dog hair on the floor and a cluttered pantry stuffed full of food and paper products right now because nobody's going to see it but us. So it's good to walk that balance between taking on some long overdue organizational projects while not going crazy over the day-to-day stuff.

3. Being together as a family is the best. For a few days the pool was (just barely) warm enough to go swimming, so we made the most of it. James has been taking the girls outside after lunch or in the afternoon to play basketball, soccer, foursquare, or just walk laps around the front circle. Sometimes we go for walks as a family, and sometimes my husband and I go out for a "date walk" while my parents stay home with the girls. Almost every night we watch a show or movie together. Since my eighth grader is studying World War II, we've been introducing the girls to some old movies from the time period that are favorites of ours. The girls have enjoyed To Be or Not to Be and Casablanca, and we had some great discussions about both films. I've also been reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder aloud to the family while the girls take turns practicing hairstyles on me in the evenings before bed. It's been interesting to talk about the Ingalls family's isolation brought on by blizzards versus our quarantine due to the virus. We all agree that we definitely have it better than they did.

4. Quiet time is good for the soul. I find that I make it through the day much better when I start and end with some simple encouragement. So before I face the news on my laptop in the morning, I read my Bible for a few minutes as I drink my coffee. And each night before I head to bed, I spend some time at my desk writing my thoughts down in a journal and reading a short devotion from Each New Day by Corrie ten Boom, a woman of deep faith whose writings have meant so much to me over the years (read her book The Hiding Place if you haven't already -- it's unforgettable). These small, quiet moments have been anchors for my soul. Some days they're the only thing keeping me from flying all to pieces, and they're habits I want to keep even after this crazy time is over.

5. Sewing still makes me happy. The days are busier than I would have expected, but I still try to sneak off to my sewing machine when I can. Making pretty little things just because I want to is such a wonderful way to spend an hour, and it always lifts my spirits.

I'm thinking of you often, friends. You're always in my prayers. Be safe and well, and know that you're loved.

Button Card Needlebook Tutorial

The only bright side to being stuck indoors during these crazy days of social distancing is that there's a lot more time for everyone to sew. That's why I've decided to take some of the patterns I've written over the last year for Carnival of Patchwork and publish about one a week on the blog as free tutorials over the next month or so. Hopefully this will give you something to look forward to and enjoy!

These Button Card Needlebooks are first on my list of quick, fun projects to share with you. I adore vintage button cards -- not just for the artwork on the cards but for the buttons themselves. They’re like miniature works of art, and I love looking at them. What better way to remember these gorgeous sewing notions from the past than with a cute little patchwork needlebook. Forgive my poorly lit photos today. It's been pouring rain all day, and I probably should have waited for the sun that's coming next week, but I wanted to get this tutorial out to you all as soon as possible!

Because you’re working with such small pieces for the cover art, this is a great place to let your fussy cutting skills shine. Try doing an online search for vintage button cards to get ideas for how you want to design your own. Illustrations are perfect for the feature print at the top, and I like to use narrow stripes on either side of the text scrap at the bottom to draw the eye to the words. You can use any number of buttons you like in any formation as long as they fit inside the solid square. Linen and canvas prints will work just as well as quilting cotton. The cover of the middle book above is made with pieces from my linen and canvas stash, and I love the added texture those substrates bring to the piece.

I used wool for the pages inside my books, but felt will work just as well if that's what you have on hand. These strawberry pins, by the way, are from my friend Vickie who sells the cutest notions in her Etsy shop. It's funny to me how these are called needlebooks, but I always want to fill them full of cute pins instead...

Alright, let's get to sewing!

Button Card Needlebook Tutorial

Finished Size: 3" x 5 1/4"

From scrap of feature print, cut: 

- (1) rectangle, 3’’ x 2’’ for front cover (A)

From scrap of coordinating solid, cut: 

- (1) rectangle, 3’’ x 3’’ for front cover (B)

From scrap of text print, cut: 

- (1) rectangle, 2’’ x 1’’ for front cover (C)

From scrap of striped print, cut:

- (2) squares, 1’’ x 1’’ for front cover (D)

From 5’’ square of white solid, cut:

- 2 rectangles, 3/4’’ x 5’’ for front cover border (E)

- 2 rectangles, 3 1/2’’ x 3/4’’ for front cover border (F)

From 10’’ square of geometric print, cut:

- (1) rectangle, 3 1/2’’ x 6’’ for back cover (G)

From 1/4 yard of batting, cut:

- (1) rectangle, 4 1/2’’ x 12’’ for interfacing (H)

From 10’’ square of floral print, cut:

- (2) rectangles, 3 1/2’’ x 5 3/4’’ for lining (I)

From 5’’ square of wool, cut:

- (2) rectangles, 2 1/2’’ x 5’’ for pages (J)

Additional Supplies: matching thread, binding clips, chopstick or turning tool, adhesive basting spray, buttons

1. Arrange pieces A-F as shown. 

2. Sew a D square to the right and left edges of the C rectangle. Sew this unit to the lower edge of the B square and then sew that unit to the lower edge of the A rectangle. 

3. Sew the E rectangles to the right and left edges of the unit from step 2, and then sew the F rectangles to the upper and lower edges. 

4. Sew a short end of the G rectangle to the upper edge of the unit from step 3. Use adhesive basting spray to fuse the wrong side of the cover to the center of the H rectangle. Quilt as desired and trim off excess batting to make a 3 1/2’’ x 11’’ rectangle.

5. Arrange buttons as desired on the solid square on the cover. Use needle and thread to sew the buttons on by hand or wait until after step 10. (The timing of when to sew the buttons onto the front is up to you. If you don’t want your stitches to show on the inside of the book, then add them as your last step when you finish sewing the cover. If you’re more concerned about having an easier time turning the book right side out and pressing it, then save the buttons to the very end. You can always cover the stitches over with something fun like this iron-on fabric stamp that my friend Cheri made for me!)

6. Stack the two J rectangles on top of each other and baste them together at one short end.

7. Stack in this order from bottom to top: I rectangle (right side up), J rectangles, I rectangle (right side down). Align all pieces at the upper edge where the J rectangles are basted together and sew them together along that edge. 

8. Open up the lining so that it lies flat and place it RST with the cover, holding them together with binding clips. Sew all the way around the outside edge, leaving a 3’’ gap in the side on what will be the back cover. Backstitch at the start and finish. Trim the corners.

9. Carefully turn the needlebook right side out through the gap, gently pushing out the corners with a chopstick. Tuck the raw edges of the gap into the opening and press the book while open and flat. 

10. Topstitch around the outside of the book 1/16’’ from the edge. Close the book and press one more time. If you waited to add the buttons, sew them on now to finish.

If you sew one of these, be sure to share photos with the hashtag #buttoncardneedlebook and tag me @fabricmutt. These look so adorable in a sewing space, and I think they make a pretty sweet gift for a friend too!

Incidentally, I posted a video on Instagram giving a few tips on surviving the quarantine with your kids at home. If you're not on IG, you can see it here. You'll get a tour of our homeschool setup, a few ideas for maintaining your sanity in a packed house, and a peek at my overflowing bookshelves in the upstairs hall. Let me know if you have any questions about anything I talked about. I'm always here and happy to help!