Earlier this year, I put up a poll in my Instagram stories asking if people preferred to keep their fabric color cards intact or to cut them up into swatches. I assumed most people would choose 'swatches' as their preference. It was surprising that it was about a 50/50 split.
So, why cut up a perfectly good fabric color card?
Because the resulting fabric swatch cards are fun to play with, look nice attached to a magnetic board, and make choosing fabrics for your next pattern that much easier!
One of my favorite things do when starting a new pattern is to play with my fabric swatch chips. I don't consider choosing colors one of my biggest strengths so I find it really helpful to see the fabrics side by side when deciding on a fabric pull.
I recently started using Cotton Couture solids by Michael Miller, and they have quickly become my favorites! I got a color card from them at the beginning of the year as part of my Brand Ambassador welcome package. It has taken me a few months to get around to it, but I'm finally turning my color card into fabric swatch chips. I'm going to show you, step by step, how I did it. So you can do it too!
- Color Card - I'm using Michael Miller's Cotton Coutures for this post, but the process would be similar for most other popular brands (except Kona Cottons as they come already attached to card stock)
- Heavy Weight Card stock or Comic Book Boards
- Pen
- Iron
- Ruler/Cutting Mat/Rotary Cutter (use an old rotary cutter blade as you will be cutting through card stock)
- Adhesive Magnetic Sheets (optional)
1. Cut cardstock or comic book boards into 1.75" x 1.5" chips. There are currently 214 Cotton Couture colors so that is how many chips I cut out.
I cut my comic book board into 1.5" strips, then sub cut those into 1.5" x 1.75" chips.
2. Write fabric names on the bottom of the card.
Alternatively, you could use your rotary cutter and cut the names out of the swatch book. I like my handwriting though, so I chose to handwrite the names onto the cards.
I wrote ALL of the names on the individual cards before moving onto the next step. To stay organized, I wrote down one row at a time making sure to keep everything in the right order. I just made sure to keep all of my stacks in line.
3. GENTLY peel the fabric swatch from the book. The edges may curl up a bit so I liked to press it flat.
At this point, I worked down each row and did one fabric swatch at a time. Again, making sure to keep everything in the same order.
4. Add a thin layer of glue to the front of your color chip covering the most of the surface area above where the name is written.
Gently press the fabric swatch onto the glue. Fold the fabric swatch over the card and glue down the backside as well.
I personally did not have any issues with discoloration of the fabric. As long as you use a thin layer of glue with no clumps, there shouldn't be any issues. However, if this is a concern for you, double sided tape works here too! Just do a strip of tape on the front and back.
5. Give your new fabric swatch card and quick press (front and back) with a hot iron to help set the glue.
Optional Steps:
6. Add a magnet to the back.
7. Attach to magnetic board and admire!
I had a hard time deciding what to make with these fun fabrics! I wanted to make a Rivermill, but I hated the idea of cutting up these beautiful prints. After playing with several mock ups, I finally settled on a Noughts and Crosses quilt. The center squares of this pattern are perfect for fussy cutting, and these prints are perfect to be fussy cut!
For the main fabric, I used the Darling Bouquets print. Combined with the white background, I love the softer, more subtle overall impression it gives the quilt. Plus, the pots are super fun and make a great feature.
In addition to the fussy cut llamas, I chose the blue and yellow florals to coordinate without being distracting.
And don't worry, I didn't forget about the sugar skulls! I loved this print so much I used it for the backing so I didn't have to cut into it at all! Haha!
I quilted my go-to serpentine stitch about 1.5" apart. I love this stitch because it gives a little bit of extra dimension without free motion quilting. Plus, it's quick!
To finish it off, I used the orange tie dye print for binding. I just love love love this quilt. It would be perfect for a baby girl!
After I finished this quilt, I had just enough extra sugar skulls fabric to make two matching pillows. Adorable, right!?
See the entire La Vida Loca collection here! Michael Miller sent me these fabrics as part of their brand ambassador program. :)
I'm excited to introduce my latest pattern: Rivermill!
Rivermill is my take on the classic pinwheel block. I've been wanting to do a pinwheel block for a while now. After playing around with many (many) variations, I finally settled on this block.
I really like mix and match style blocks, so I made sure to include that with this pattern. As a bonus, I added the option to use half yards or fat quarters for a scrappier overall effect.
When I was trying to come up with the colors for the cover quilt I kept getting drawn towards blues and browns. I've never worked with brown in a quilt before, and I have to say, I'm obsessed with this ten color palette. It reminds me of the cold, snowy winter here in Michigan.
As always, I sent my quilt to Jill at J. Coterie for quilting. She chooses the best designs that complement the quilt top and really elevates the quilt to a whole new level.
I am currently in the process of making a new quilt for my oldest daughters bed. Since I am making her a new quilt, it only makes sense to make coordinating pillow shams too, right!?
For this project, I picked two pinks, two purples, and two teals from the new Michael Miller basics line, Coco. It was inspired by Coco Chanel and the subtle texture of the prints are beautiful! They still read as a solid, but if you get up close you can see the dimension in the print. I really enjoyed playing with these fabrics!
For the focal point of the pillow sham, I chose my Desert Charm pattern. It is a big block so it works well in the center. I also added flying geese to each edge to increase the size, but also because I liked the extra element versus just adding more background fabric.
Anyway, read on to see how I made these. :)
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1. Make your pillow sham quilt panel. A standard pillow sham is 20" x 26" so your quilt top should measure 20.5" x 26.5" unfinished.
2. Make a quilt sandwich with quilt top, batting, and backing. Spray or pin baste.
3. Quilt as desired. (I did 1/2" straight lines).
4. Set aside.
1. Cut (2) 17" x 20.5" pieces from the backing fabric.
2. On one 20.5" edge, fold over 1/4" and press, fold over 1/4" and press again. Then top stitch that edge.
3. Repeat with the other fabric piece.
1. Lay your quilted pillow front right side DOWN.
2. Place the raw edges of the pillow closure pieces right side DOWN on top of the pillow front (so these pieces are wrong sides together).
3. There will be about 5" of overlap.
4. Use pins or wonder clips to hold all the pieces together.
5. Sew around the edge with a scant 1/4" seam (so that this seam is hidden by the binding)
6. Bind as usual.
7. Stuff a pillow inside and enjoy your work!
Meet Square Burst 2.0!
It is exactly the same pattern as the original Square Burst just brighter and happier. Don't get me wrong, thought the fabric in the original quilt was cute, but I love this brighter one just a tad more. It feels more ME!
Coming up with 21 Kona solids was a bit of a challenge, but it ended up being fun. I started with my current favorite colors (Windsor and Foxglove) and started adding from there. When I had 21, I would start swapping out one or two until I was happy with the final result.
In the end, the final 21 Kona colors were: Evening, Dusty Blue, Blueberry, Blue Bell, Windsor, Sage, Aloe, Berry, Plum, Mulberry, Amethyst, Lupine, Princess, Lilac, Dusty Peach, Blush Pink, Deep Rose, Rose, Ballet Slipper, Sea Glass, and Carribean.
I sent this off to my favorite long armer, Jill, to work her magic. She chose the Birds of a Feather panto, and its just lovely! I really enjoy sending her my quilt tops and letting her choose the quilting design. Its always a fun surprise to open my quilt back up when it gets home and see the result. Jill hasn't steered me wrong yet!
For the binding, I went with the striped fabric that is in the Minimalist version. Striped binding is my favorite and I will always choose that if its an option!
Now for pictures!
If you want to read about the rest of the Square Burst 2.0 series, you can do that here!
The Cornerstone Square Burst quilt is the second quilt in Square Burst 2.0 series!
Fun fact, when I was coming up with the quilt design, this was the original coloring placement I was going to go with. When I design patterns, I like having a feature/accent fabric that is the same across all blocks that helps tie them together. The super scrappy variation came from a desire to have a fat quarter friendly option!
This quilt uses the same 21 Kona colors as the super scrappy variation with the addition of Essex linen in Chambray. I really liked how the texture of the chambray was a nice offset to the combination of colors. It looked like it belonged in the group without being overly matchy-matchy.
I quilted this one myself with a wavy stitch that is about 2.5" apart. In hindsight, I should've added another row of stitches in between, but that's okay! The less dense quilting makes the quilt soft and squishy. The drape is lovely and I think it will crinkle nicely when washed!
I used a gorgeous print by Rahsida Coleman-Hale for the backing from her Akoma line for Cotton + Steel. It is a beautiful teal color with pinkish/purple florals that compliments the front perfectly.
For the binding, I used Kona in Lilac that I had leftover from the backing of my cover quilt. (#thriftyquilting).
If you want to read about the rest of the Square Burst 2.0 series, you can do that here!
The Minimalist Square Burst is the third, and final, quilt in the Square Burst 2.0 series. This variation uses just two fabrics to create a more modern look!
Is this my favorite quilt I've ever made? Maybe.
I love absolutely everything about this quilt. From the texture of the Essex linens, to the softness of the Art Gallery print on the back, to the striped binding, and the overall sense of coziness I feel when I look at it. This quilt has my heart!
When I set out on the task to make this quilt series, I chose the fabrics for this quilt first. I looked at the Essex 1/4" Stripe colors available that had a matching solid to narrow my choices. I was debating between chambray (which I chose), a cream/tan color, or a black/gray color.
I knew I wanted to use one of the fabrics from this quilt as the cornerstone fabric of the Cornerstone quilt. Ultimately I chose chambray because it kept with the 'bright and happy' theme I was going for.
For the backing, I went with the cream and white floral from Art Gallery Fabrics Lower the Volume collection. It gives the quilt the perfect Joanna Gains farmhouse vibe when paired with the neutrals and stripes on the front.
Speaking of stripes, I used the striped fabric from the quilt as the binding. Striped binding is my favorite and I will use it any chance I get. ;)
I quilted it with a diagonal crosshatch about 1.25" apart. I think the simple straight line quilting adds to the timeless, classic look of the quilt!
Check out the rest of the Square Burst 2.0 series here!
While I loved the original Square Burst quilt, remaking the cover quilt has been on my To Do list ever since I made it. I wanted a brighter, more colorful quilt on the cover.
Not only did I remake the cover quilt, I also made other variations of the pattern with similar fabrics. Seeing these three quilts together brings me so much joy!
When I added the new cover quilt to the pattern, I also updated the layout inside. The cornerstones and minimalist variations used to be a bonus page, but now they are written into the pattern itself.
If you want to buy the updated version, you can do that here (paper or PDF). However, if you want to save a few dollars, you can buy the old pattern here (paper version). It is exactly the same information, it just looks different!
Back in February, I hosted my first quilt along with my Noughts and Crosses pattern. When the QAL ended, I packed my quilt away to prep for our move to Michigan. Well, I finally pulled the quilt out, got the binding added, and took some pictures. I am excited to finally share the finished quilt with you!
When I first saw this black plaid from the Riley Blake Winterberry line, I knew I had to make a Christmas quilt with it. I loved this print so much that I bought a five yard cut of it. FIVE YARDS. What can I say, it was an impulse buy after the Christmas season and it was getting hard to find. That's okay though, there is plenty if fabric leftover to make stockings, a tree skirt, and maybe a couple of pillows.
For my Christmas quilt, I used the plaid as my feature print and paired it with Kona colors Evergreen, Basil, and Rich Red. The background is Essex Linen in Metallic Crystal. Photos really don’t do this fabric justice, the sparkle is so pretty in real life.
The quilting was done by Jill of J. Coterie Quilting. I let her pick the panto and she chose the fun starburst/snowflake design. Jill also carries a selection of minky to use as backing, so I asked her to back it with a black minky. Oh my goodness, it is so soft! My toddler has claimed this quilt as hers and has also requested that all my quilts be the “cuddly kind” from now on.
The original Noughts and Crosses pattern doesn’t include borders, but I added a 5” border on all sides for this one. I wanted it to be just a tad bigger so I can cuddle up with my family on the couch with it. Let's be honest though, I really just wanted more blanket to cocoon myself with. (I'm not a very good at blanket sharing!)
You can find the paper pattern here and the digital pattern here if you’d like to make your own. If you do, tag me in instagram with #noughtsandcrossesquilt and @runningstitchquilts so I can see!
But now, pictures!
Full disclosure here: I am TERRIBLE about labeling my quilt. As in...I don't do it. Yikes, I know.
In my defense though, I am usually just so excited to finish the quilt I forget to make a label. Then, I'm so excited to move on to the next project, that it goes out of my mind completely.
Basically, I get excited by quilting and I can't be bothered to make or attach a label. Oops.
The short answer: so people know who made it!
Whether you are making quilts for family and friends (or yourself!), or selling them as a business, labelling the quilt with your name or business logo tells the world who made it. A ton of time, effort, and money goes into making a quilt. Why wouldn't you want to give yourself credit? (Talking to myself here...)
There are several different options when it comes to labeling your quilts. You can print applicable information on the fabric through a printer (no, really!). You can use a fabric marker and just write directly on the quilt, or on a separate piece of fabric that gets attached to the quilt. Or you can have custom labels made.
I wanted something easy that I could just grab and go without the extra work to create a separate label for each quilt. So I had custom labels made.
Spoiler: I LOVE THEM!
I had a 1.5"x1.5" cotton label made with my logo.
I attach these to the back corner of my quilt using a visible big stitch. You could also use an invisible whip stitch to sew them onto your quilt if you wanted something less obvious.
This straight forward label is perfect if you are like me and tend to forget about labels until the quilt is done because it can be added after the quilt is bound.
1. Place label in desired location and pin in place.
2. Attach label to quilt using a visible running stitch or an invisible whip stitch. Take care not to sew through the front of the quilt.
I also had 0.75"x1.5" satin fold over labels made. These have a raw edge and get stitched into the binding of the quilt. I chose my logo on both sides, but you could also do quilt care instructions, a sweet saying, your name, etc!
Of the two labels, this is my favorite style. I just have to remember to add it before binding the quilt!
1. After quilt sandwich is trimmed and squared, place label in desired location.
2. Sew label onto quilt sandwich approx 1/8" from the edge. You want to make sure this seam will get covered up by the binding.
3. Bind the quilt as usual!
I purchased my labels from EverEmblem. The website was super user friendly and easy to navigate. They have several styles you can choose from or you can upload a logo. The quality is fantastic and I can't recommend them enough! (Full disclosure, I am a brand rep for them. I don't receive any compensation, but I did get a discount on my order.)
If you want to try out EverEmblem for yourself, they are kindly offering 10% off by using the code RUNNINGSTITCH.
If you try these labels, come back and let me know what you think!
I don't make commissioned quilts very often anymore, but when a sweet friend from college asked me to make her nephew a quilt, I couldn't resist. For one, I love her. And two, I made a baby quilt for her first nephew a few years ago!
She gave me a theme (western) and asked that the quilt look similar to the one I made originally. Other than that, I had free rein!
I found this super cute John Wayne fabric by Riley Blake, and I paired with with a cream/red star print from my stash.
I didn't use a pattern, but I cut out 5" squares and sewed them in random order, and then I appliquéd the name and cowboy hats. I finished it off with straight line quilting 1/4" on either side of each seam.
Now...pictures!
The original inspiration for this quilt came from when I used to live with my boyfriend (now husband) at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. We hiked in the Franklin Mountains and enjoyed spectacular sunsets at night.
When I saw the Warp and Weft line by Ruby Star Society I knew immediately I wanted to use it for this pattern. The combination of orangey brown, light pinks and purples, and navy fabric is exactly what I think of when I think back to my time in El Paso.
I made the wall hanging size, and it turned out exactly as I imagined.
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Want a cute Mountain Valley sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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