Soda Pop Shop Quilt Finish

I just took a walk down to the end of our driveway to see if the mail was here. Our mailbox was empty, but it was absolutely worth the trip. Texas is looking gorgeous today. After a rainy weekend, the trees and plants are looking lush and green again, and the sky is pure blue. My neighbor has hopped on her riding mower next door (my husband will probably be doing the same thing tonight after he gets home from school), and I can smell that amazing scent of cut grass in the air. There are butterflies dancing on the wildflowers, horses grazing in the pasture behind our property, and birds chirping at each other in the trees by my front door. Best of all, the temperatures are starting to warm up enough that we just might be able to try a dip in the pool this weekend. The girls can't stop talking about it and were already laying out their swimsuits last night in excitement.

My Soda Pop Shop Quilt came home from Farm Fresh Stitches last week, and I just can't say enough about their quilting. I asked for a Baptist fans pattern, something I've always wanted on one of my quilts. Wow, was I thrilled with the results. It looks so beautiful, and the texture is amazing. I cut up the last of my green and blue plaid from the Perfect Party collection for the binding, and it stretched exactly long enough to fit. James helped me take some photos of the quilt outside after we got home from church on Sunday. By then the thunderstorms had stopped, and all the trees were dripping wet but lovely in the background.

After long thought, I decided to give this quilt to my youngest daughter. Mouse has always been such a little thing that most of the quilts I've made for her have been on the small side -- perfect for cuddling but not quite large enough to cover her bed properly. This one is a wee bit small, but much closer to the right size. She was perfectly delighted to get it and keeps telling me how much she likes it, especially the quilting, which she says makes it so much more "comfortable." I'm just always content to see my projects in use and well loved.

I've gotten so many requests for the pattern for this quilt, and whether it winds up in a third sewing book or gets released some other way, I promise I won't forget to share it with you at some point here in the future. I'm so happy that you guys love it too.

Finding the Fun Again

Yesterday was the first day of spring and, as it so happens, the last day of our spring break this year. We took a few extra days off after our annual week of vacation because my sister's family drove out from California to spend some time with us. Being together is always such a treat, especially for our daughters. I had all five of them in my minivan yesterday afternoon as we went on a special "cousins shopping trip," and it was so much fun. It's amazing to me to see how quickly they're all growing up into beautiful young women.

As I was driving my girls home last night, we were listening to the soundtrack for the Curious George movie which was such a big hit with them so many summers ago when they were little. Just hearing the music took me instantly back to a dozen vivid memories -- seeing them scamper around the vegetable garden with their Daddy, helping them swim in their little plastic pool on the patio in the afternoons, watching cartoons with them in the evening as the smell of warm grapes drifted in the back door from the arbor outside, tucking them and all their stuffed friends into their toddler beds at night.

I remember it all like it was yesterday.

Back then I would clean up after dinner and then get my machine out on the dining room table so that I could get in a little bit of sewing before bedtime. It was such a challenge back then to get any time to sew, and I treasured every chance I had to do it. So much of what I made was for the girls -- play quilts, floor pillows, book bags. All of it was well used and well loved. I was cleaning out our guest room the other day and found a whole stack of those little quilts in a wire basket, too small for my growing girls now but full of memories from when they were just the right size.

I can't escape the fact that, in many ways, I was having a lot more fun with my sewing back then. It was always exciting to look for the next project I had never tried. Fabric collections were fewer, and fabric designers were like rock stars. I remember counting the days until the release of Nursery Versery by Heather Ross (where the mouse print from her current Trixie line made it's debut), Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House, and anything from Melody Miller's early Ruby Star years. Blogs were still newish, and there were so many sew alongs and swaps back then, all of them administered by chatty, happy Flickr groups. I remember large groups of us sewing through entire books like Zakka Style by Rashida Coleman-Hale and Patchwork, Please! by Ayumi Takahashi. (Does anybody even do that sort of thing anymore? Do any of us have the time to do it??) Working through these books in online communities wasn't just about doing what was popular, but it was also about learning new things with other people who enjoyed it as much as you did.

It wasn't that long ago, really, but those days seem so innocent and naive to me now. Somewhere along the line things changed...or maybe I changed. It's the tradeoff you make with turning your hobby into a business. You get so many opportunities to do amazing things, but that inevitably leads to more deadlines and less time to play. Trying to balance your creative work time with your creative play time, and then figuring out how to balance all of that with your family time -- it's a tightrope I walk every day. Even now as I write this post, I'm trying to alternate between typing and being a guest at my youngest daughter's imaginary diner, where she's serving cardboard blueberry pancakes and rubber chicken. Yes, I'm running short on time this afternoon. Yes, I'd like to get this up on the blog before I have to take the car to the dealer for maintenance. But how many more years will she be willing to put on an apron and serve me plastic food? Some things are too important to wait.

So one of my goals for 2019 is to find the fun again. When it comes to creativity, I want to be able to work hard and play hard. This month I'm looking to one of my most inspiring friends to help me get back on track with that. The unbelievably talented Mary of Sunny Day Supply is running a just-for-fun log cabin sew along on Instagram starting next week. It's not too fussy -- any kind of project featuring any kind of log cabin block will do -- and it will be a wonderful chance to get out my fabric and play. I decided to start early, making a little courthouse steps block that finished at 6" square. It's scrappy and playful and quilted entirely by hand. I added a bit of black and white gingham to the back and turned it into a tiny pillow. Not, of course, because I need another pillow, but because just looking at this little bit of handmade joy makes me so happy that I almost want to cry. I'll be putting it up on a shelf where I can see it every day, reminding myself to find my way back to where I began in this hobby that I love so much...

Big Bear Cabin Pillow

My friend Susi & I have been known to swap once in a while -- fabric, little sewing projects, gummy bears...all the good stuff. This time we took requests. She made me an incredibly adorable mini featuring a felt bunny, bear & mouse (in honor of my daughters' nicknames), and I made her a scrappy pillow version of my Big Bear Cabin Quilt. I played with dimensions a bit to give this a different spin, and I really like the way it turned out. It's definitely going to be hard to let go of this one...

I always enjoy pairing random rainbow fabrics and low volume prints. It was also nice to work in a bit of brown, which can often be a neglected color in my stash. These warm brown tones for the bear paw corners feel like autumn, and I love the contrast with the other colors. 

I chose a flowered teapot for the center of the pillow. It came from a darling vintage greeting card print that I bought from Sunny Day Supply -- so much cuteness!

I quilted 1/8" from either side of the low volume strips in the blocks and in the center. The back of the pillow is a canvas print from Cotton + Steel that falls somewhere between gray and brown.

It's hard to let go of a project that you love, but it's a whole lot easier when you know it's going to live with a dear friend.

Fussy Cut Sampler Block

I was so excited when I saw that Nichole Ramirez and Elisabeth Woo had written a book called The Fussy Cut Sampler for Lucky Spool Media. Fussy cutting is something near and dear to my heart, and I've long hoped that someone would write a book about it. Nichole and Elisabeth have done a phenomenal job putting together a collection of unique blocks with detailed tips for cutting and placing fabric within each design. So much thought and care went into every page of this book, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

For today's tour post, I was assigned a block from chapter 11, which is all about creating a narrative in your blocks. Block 44 is called "you in a block," encouraging the maker to pull together prints that show different facets of her personality and life that reflect who she is.

For my feature print in the center, I used some of the last scraps of a Japanese fabric that I've been saving for over five years. So much of my time seems to be spent shopping or cooking, so it was fun to pair these two pieces together. I especially liked the balance of the two girls facing each other. I sprinkled both a large and small floral in the block since I love flowers in any form. Blue and green are two of my favorite colors, so I needed to include them. I also added in two prints from my new Five & Dime collection. My favorite pink price tag fabric shares some of the optimism I try to bring to my dealings with the people in my life every day, and the green checklist print reminds me of the many lists I use to keep myself organized. The vintage newspaper print at the corners is a nod to my love of retro style.

Rather than keep this as an orphan block, I decided to turn it into a table mat for my nightstand. I backed it in more of the blue Denyse Schmidt floral (one of my all time favorite prints) and quilted 1/8" from either side of every seam in the block. The binding is a black and white diamond print from Uppercase 2.

I love this mat. It feels simple and sweet and almost like a more grown-up version of myself. It also goes beautifully with the blue and white toile duvet cover on our bed. I couldn't be happier with it.

If you get the chance, check out the #fussycutsampler hashtag on Instagram. There are beautiful things happening there, I promise you...

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.