Block 37: Fixer Upper

I live in a fixer upper. I will never forget that first month and all the sweat it took to rip out carpet, linoelum, baseboards, old wallpaper, etc. Of course, all the work was worth it, and I ended up with a beautiful, blank canvas. Over the last couple years, I’ve been adding to it little by little and love the home it’s become.

I decided to create a little quilt block as homage to those early fixer upper days. I started with a simple square and kept building upon it to look like a charming little tile square. Here it is--just as satisfying as a real home project (but much less time and mess).

Click here to download the Block #37 "Fixer Upper" (for Moda Blockheads 3).

My sample block is the 6" finished size and uses a Bloomington bias stripe print + the aqua floral from Lollipop Garden fabric collection.

To check out my final layout for the blocks (and an updated archive of the blocks), check my original post here.

I hope you enjoy making this one! For my September deal, grab a copy of my Square Dance pattern (pictured below) for just $5 (PDF or printed booklet) or save $5 on my bestselling book: Jelly Filled - 18 Quilts from 2 1/2" Strips.

Stay tuned in October for a peek at new fabric, the release of 4 (!) new quilt patterns, and watch for Folktale to arrive in shops. To stay up-to-date with me, follow me on Instagram or Facebook @lellaboutique or subscribe to this blog. Stay safe, friends!

Square Dance

  

September 19th is National Sew a Jelly Roll Day. You know I can get behind a celebration of Jelly Rolls. Who can resist those scrumptious 2 1/2" strips rolled up in a concentric, cinnamon roll style? I've decided to make Square Dance the $5 pattern of the month for the occasion.

 

The Square Dance pattern is perfect for any skill level, looks great in any fabric collection, and is available in PDF or printed booklet format. Grab a Jelly Roll and get started today!

Looking for more Jelly Roll quilt ideas? Check out my newest book: Jelly Filled - 18 Quilts from 2 1/2" Strips (Stash Books). It's just been restocked in the shop and has been marked $5 off in September. That's only $1.17 per pattern!

Block 23 - Lucky Penny

Happy Wednesday! If you're looking for the newest block for Moda Blockheads 3, you've come to the right place. Block no. 23 is "Lucky Penny."

 

When I was a little girl, I believed I was lucky any time I found a penny on the ground. Now that I am grown, I don’t pick up many coins - but I get that same happy feeling every time I sit down to sew. This block is like a batch of scrappy little pennies, reminding us of the little things that make life good.

DOWNLOAD BLOCK NO. 23 "LUCKY PENNY" HERE.

My block uses a mix of Lella Boutique fabrics including prints from my Bloomington, Lollipop Garden, Farmer's Daughter, Sugar Pie, and Garden Variety collections. The only tip I would have is to press the seams open in Step #4 to reduce bulk--it helps when sewing all those teeny snowball blocks together.

I've accumulated enough sampler blocks by now to start sewing them into Mama's Linoleum blocks. (Full instructions for my "Mama's Linoleum" layout here.) I'm currently trying to decide if I should make the background charcoal or white.

 

There are a few other new things around here since my last Moda Blockheads 3 post. The first is a new fabric collection called Folktale for Moda Fabrics arriving October 2020.

Folktale fabric by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics

And of course, new fabric = new quilt patterns! Read about the new Folktale quilts in this blog post .

 

 

One of those new patterns, Starstruck 2, is June's $5 Pattern of the Month. I'm currently picking out red + white + blue scraps to make a patriotic version.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Starstruck in June

There's a new $5 pattern-of-the-month in town and it's got me starry eyed.

 

With 4th of July coming up, it was obvious that this one should be the new $5 pattern for June. It's called Starstruck 2 and I want to drop everything I'm working on and start sewing one up in red, white, and blue. Deadlines, schmeadlines. ;)

This one is from the newest batch of quilt patterns using my Folktale fabric collection with Moda Fabrics. The fabric won't ship until October--but who says you can only make one? ;) The pattern is in the shop as a PDF download or printed booklet. 

But that's not all. This is a sequel to my original bestselling Starstruck pattern--which will also be on sale for $5 this month. The difference between the two patterns is the finished block size... Starstruck = 9" x 9" finished block, and Starstruck 2 = 6" x 6" finished block. There is also a PDF pattern option for a mini wall hanging version. 

Coated Prints 101: Sewing with Laminates

The Bloomington collection has hit shops... and with it, Moda added something a little extra--coated prints! In case you're wondering, coated prints = cotton prints coated with a laminate layer. (I'll use the terms "coated prints" and "laminates" interchangeably.) As you might guess, laminates come with their own set of rules, so today I'm sharing a few tips and tricks about working with laminates in general.

One of the perks of working with laminates is they are extra durable and easier to clean than traditional quilting cotton. This makes them ideal for bag making, which is why I came up with my first ever bag pattern, Kiss & Makeup, the hanging travel bag you see here.

Sewing with laminates comes with a different set of rules than working with regular cotton prints. Let's talk about some of those special tools you should invest in to sew with them. As it turns out, they make a HUGE difference in the quality of how your projects turn out. Most (but not all) of the tools I'm about to mention are pictured below.

Polyester thread.  I didn't think it would make much of a difference what type of thread I used, but it did. I initially used a high quality Aurifil cotton thread I had on hand. I was surprised to find the stitching looked uneven and messy. I switched to the Mettler brand polyester and had a visibly nicer result. Because the Kiss & Makeup bag has a lot of top-stitching (an example below), it was important to me that the stitching look as nice as possible.

Teflon/Non-stick Sewing Foot. Laminates have a tendency to stick to your sewing machine. One source of resistance is the machine's standard metal feet; look for a non-stick Teflon foot to invest in. Mine is Bernina's "Zigzag foot #52." You will want to research what Teflon non-stick foot is available/compatible with your specific sewing machine. 

Tissue paper.  Another source of resistance is the bottom of the project--it will stick to the sewing machine bed and feed dogs. To remedy this, place a scrap of tissue paper underneath the project. This will help it glide through smoothly. Yes, I'm suggesting you sew the tissue paper to the bottom of the project. It sounds like a strange thing to do, but it's really not a big deal. Just tear the tissue paper away afterwards and discard.

Wonder Clips. Because laminates/vinyl retain holes from pinning, one great way to avoid this is to use binding clips to hold the layers in place. I used them almost exclusively for all my pinning needs in my bag project.

1/4" Wonder Tape.  There were a couple exceptions where I couldn't use Wonder Clips to 'pin' things in place for the project... One example came in positioning the zippered pockets in place on the bag lining as seen above. The Wonder Clips held everything in place at the sides, but I needed something to "glue" the bound areas of each pocket down. This is where Wonder Tape came in handy. Since Wonder Tape is a double-sided adhesive, I added a skinny strip underneath the bound edges in place so I could stitch them down. And Wonder Tape dissolves after being washed (in case that matters to you, I felt it was a moot point here since the skinny 1/4" width remains out-of-sight).

Microtex Needle.  This sewing machine needle is extra thin and sharp. It's a game changer for working with laminates. It penetrates the layers easily and was another factor in making the stitching look clean and clear... which I learned the hard way through testing, of course.

Hera Marker. Some laminate projects require markings to be made. If yours does, consider using a hera marker to make your markings. (It marks creases instead of ink.) Ordinarily, I love using a Frixion (heat removable) pen for markings, but ironing laminates is a no-no...

Which bring me to the last topic I want to discuss: PRESSING.

First things first, DON'T directly iron a laminate, it will melt. IF you need to remove wrinkles, use a low heat setting over the BACK (cotton side) of the laminate. All laminates are going to be slightly different in the level of heat they can handle. The Moda brand gave me no problems when it came to removing wrinkles, but every manufacturer is different. I was actually able to add a light shot of steam to help remove the wrinkles and spent probably 4-5 seconds over each wrinkled area at the most. (I didn't need longer than that.) It would be best to test a scrap of your laminate to see what level of heat it can handle. 

When it comes to pressing seams or creating folds, you can use weight or a seam roller. Wonder Clips can also be helpful, especially when it comes to bindings. The Kiss & Makeup bag involves binding the edges of zippers, vinyl pockets, and eventually the perimeter of the bag It would have been ideal to use an iron in creating the binding creases, but obviously wasn't an option. Instead, I used a combination of weight + Wonder Clips to create and hold the binding shut.

And that's it. I can't emphasize enough the importance of each of these tools. I made at least 6 tester bags to test all of these tools and can personally attest to the effectiveness of having the right tools for the best looking end-product. 

A Fresh Batch {Folktale Quilts}

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." - e. b. white

Five brand new quilts--crisp quilting, freshly bound, and ready for their day in the sun. These projects are made with Folktale fabric, arriving to shops October 2020. I'm already dreaming of more happy things to make in this collection. The new patterns you are about to see are available NOW in the shop. Through Monday 5/25/20, enjoy an automatic 25% off in the shop.

SPRING FLING

Here's a geometric flower quilt sure to brighten your day. Like most of my patterns, Spring Fling uses a combination of beginner techniques like half-square triangles and easy-corner triangles. 

 

I usually have a favorite quilt in every batch, and this one is it. Spring Fling finishes at 78" x 78" and is made with (9) assorted fat quarters for the flower petals + (9) assorted fat eighths for the flower centers + (6) assorted half-yard cuts for the leaf-and-stem units. Don't forget to choose a background print to make your fabric garden pop! Quilting by Kaitlyn Howell.

Quilt: Spring Fling
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Kaitlyn Howell

For some reason, this one makes me think of an old nursery rhyme book I liked to look at as a child. You've heard the old poem about the whimsical garden full of silver bells, cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row. I remember it seemed too magical to belong to such an ornery caretaker. 

Quilt: Spring Fling
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Kaitlyn Howell

It's worth nothing that the Folktale collection includes a couple charming basics perfect for backgrounds, borders, accents, etc. If you look closely at the blues below, you will see the sweet dainty multicolor "Magic Dot" print used for the background in Spring Fling, as well as the Sparkler quilt you'll meet momentarily. The skinny stripe was also used for the border here. 

Folktale fabric by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics

SUN SHOWER

Next up is Sun Shower, a pattern inspired by one of my favorite muses--a tile floor. Make this one with (24) fat eighths or (12) fat quarters, depending on how scrappy and colorful you'd like to make it. Finished quilt size is 66.5" x 66.5".

I've used the white "Magic Dot" for the white background in this one, but really all the quilts in this collection. The blue skinny stripe makes an appearance again for the sashing.

Quilt: Sun Shower
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Marion Bott

The quilting by Marion Bott really makes this one sing.

Quilt: Sun Shower
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Marion Bott

SPARKLER

This little charmer finishes at 82" x 82" and is made with (1) Layer Cake (32 assorted precut squares 10" x 10"). The blue "Magic Dot" shows up again for the background.

This is a quick and easy one to piece, really great for a newer quilter. Quilting by Marion Bott.

Quilt: Sparkler
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Marion Bott

STARSTRUCK 2

Here's a sequel to my ever popular Starstruck quilt. The main difference is a smaller finished block (6" square) and a whole lot more of them. Make it with (2) Layer Cakes (60 assorted precut squares 10" x 10") or (24) fat quarters. Finished quilt size if 68" x 80".

This one does also technically have added corners to each sawtooth star unit. The golden skinny stripe is used as that corner accent print, as well as the border. It gives this quilt such a warm and bright disposition, don't you think? Quilting by Kaitlyn Howell.

Quilt: Starstruck 2
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Kaitlyn Howell

Quilt: Starstruck 2
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Kaitlyn Howell

I have wanted to resize the block of the original ever since I made a Starstruck Mini wall hanging (exclusive to the Quilter's Candy Box years ago). I will be making another Starstruck 2 to mimic the Farmhouse-y charcoal colors of that wall hanging.

Quilt: Starstruck 2
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Kaitlyn Howell

CHATTERBOX

This is an reprint of an oldie. I've updated it to make it bigger--finishing at 72" x 80" with more blocks. Make it with (2) Layer Cakes (72 assorted precut squares 10" x 10") OR (2) Jelly Rolls (72 assorted precut strips 2.5" x WOF) OR (24) fat quarters.

This one was quilted by Marion Bott. I ran out of the white "Magic Dot" at the last minute and substituted this low volume geometric instead.

Quilt: Chatterbox
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Marion Bott

Quilt: Chatterbox
Fabric: Folktale by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: Marion Bott

Fabric is so magical, isn't it? I am amazed what it can make me feel just looking at it. These days, it's definitely a welcome bit of eye candy. Hope you enjoyed this preview, mark your calendars for October when the fabric arrives.

 

Folktale (a new fabric collection)

Come along for a walk on an old forest path. The sun is heading to bed, scattering the last bits of light in and around the trees. It is a wild wonderland; a thick woodland brimming with enchanted blooms of pink, white, and gold. Look for the dainty little posies, scattered at random, beckoning to be collected. This collection is a romantic backdrop for an older time, one of fanciful tales and lore.

Folktale collection by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics. Shipping October 2020. 

I get a lot of inquiries re: the Moda Bella Solids/Grunge coordinates, so I've included a list below... Keep in mind there are already a couple great basics built into the Folktale collection! Add a little extra sparkle to your backgrounds with the sweet multicolor "Magic Dot" print, or consider using the "Skinny Stripes" for sashing, accent blocks, borders, and bindings. They are a pretty sweet near-solid option that already matches the group perfectly.

• Bella Solid #9900 178 "Etchings Stone"
• Bella Solid #9900 97 "Bleached White"
• Grunge #30150 91 "Vanilla"
• Bella Solid #9900 103 "Golden Wheat"
• Grunge #30150 115 "Elafin"
• Bella Solid #9900 88 "Bubble Gum"
• Bella Solid #9900 172 "Circa Celadon"
• Grunge #30150 274 "Vert"
• Bella Solid #9900 207 "Glacier"
• Bella Solid #9900 41 "Chocolate"

Do you have a favorite print? I'm always a sucker for a dainty floral.

Kiss & Makeup (May's $5 Pattern)

Here's to dreaming about future travel plans! Meet Kiss & Makeup--May's $5 pattern. It's a hanging travel bag perfect for toting your favorite knick knacks near and far.

This is my first bag pattern. The idea came about when Moda added a few coated prints to the Bloomington collection. At the time, I also found myself in need of a new travel bag. Kismet. 

When I started designing the bag, I had a hard time tracking down the right hook hanger hardware I had envisioned. Long story short, I ended up having my own manufactured and have them available in my shop now.

This was my first time using coated prints (aka laminated cottons). Coated prints are wonderful for bag-making since they're durable and easy to clean. These Bloomington coated prints have a matte finish and are excellent quality. I'll admit, I was intimidated using them at first since I'd never worked with laminates of any kind. I did a lot of experimenting and ended up loving the quality. If you'd like to use coated prints for your bag--I've shared all the good information right in the pattern. I'll also be sharing tips + tricks on the blog this month. Of course, you can use anything you'd like to make this bag--cotton, canvas, coated prints--or a mix!

The pattern is 10 pages, full color, with lots of photographs and diagrams. I'm excited to have a pretty new travel bag, and this makes a great gift as well. And good news--Bloomington fabric is arriving in shops now! Check in with your favorite local or online shop for the coated prints or regular yardage.