I Spy Quilt FREE Pattern & Tutorial!!!

I Spy Quilt 5" Charm Packs are NOW AVAILABLE in our fabric shop!!! These quilts are SO much fun to make, and the special little in your life will have hours and hours of fun playing I Spy! These quilts are fun to cuddle on the couch with, a really fun addition to a bedtime routine, as well as really fun in the car!!! I keep one in my car at all times and my kids have been well entertained while waiting for appointments as well as road trips. Can you tell I'm excited about this Free Pattern & Tutorial!?!

Our I Spy Charm Packs contain 80 - 5" squares of super fun kid fabrics, no repeats! Currently we are offering separate Boy & Girl versions, and throughout our Christmas In July Sale we are offering these amazing little charm packs for $30 each, or $25 each when purchasing two or more! After our Christmas In July Sale these charm packs will return to our regular value price of $35 each. Even if your schedule is full and you are lacking sewing time this summer, I highly recommend purchasing your charm pack(s) while supplies last!

Shopping List:

- I Spy Quilt 5" Charm Pack (includes 80 different 5" squares)
- 1/4 Yard of Frame Color #1
- 1/4 Yard of Frame Color #2
- 1/4 Yard of Frame Color #3
- 1/4 Yard of Border Fabric
- 1/2 Yard for the Binding
- 1.5 Yards for the Backing
- Batting of Your Choice (I use Warm & Natural)

Cutting List:

7 - 1" Strips of Frame Color #1
7 - 1" Strips of Frame Color #2
6 - 1" Strips of Frame Color #3

5 - 1.5" Strips of Border Fabric

5 - 2.5" Strips for the Binding (or whatever size binding you prefer to make)

I Spy Quilt FREE Pattern & Tutorial:

Step One: Arrange all 80 charm squares into groups of four.

Step Two: Sewing in groups of four, sew two squares together, then the other two squares together. To save time I don't stop between each pair, instead I chain stitch (continue stitching without overlapping) both pair. For the duration of this project, all seams are 1/4".

Step Three: After sewing the two pair of squares, iron the seams opposite so that one will lay to the right, and one will lay to the left.

Step Four: Carefully match the center of each seam in the middle, pin, then sew both sets together. Iron seam down.

Step Five: Repeat for the remaining 19 blocks of four squares each.

Step Six: Arrange the 1" strips in whatever color pattern you prefer. I arrange mine in a diagonal, but this is entirely up to you and what you like the look of best. This is the time to be picky and arrange them and rearrange them as many times as you like!

Step Seven: Add the frames around each block. I begin with the right seam, then the bottom, the left, and lastly the top seam.

Press all of your seams out and flat. Here is a peek at the back of my block:

Repeat this until each block of four squares has the frame sewn. Then, sew all of the blocks together!

Step Eight: Add the border strips. Before you begin, cut one strip in half, and sew each half onto another strip so that you have two strips that are 44" in length, and two strips that are 66" in length. Starting on the right side, sew the border strip. Next, sew the bottom border, left border, and lastly the top border.

Step Nine: Make your quilt sandwich. Begin by ironing the backing fabric for the quilt. Lay our the backing, wrong-side up. Add the batting. Then add the quilt top, righ-side up. Baste your quilt however you like. I have yet to quilt this sample because I am waiting for my brand-spankin'-new longarm quilting machine to arrive!!! If you have a longarm, awesome. If not (the following is how I have quilted ALL of my quilts together for the past 15+ years) use safety pins and secure your quilt sandwich. I pin through all three layers about every 4". This is entirely up to you, but I am very, VERY fussy about not making puckers and folds while quilting, so I pin, pin, pin. If you can't find your safety pins at the moment DO NOT use straight pins, get into your car (or Amazon!) and get yourself some safety pins. Not to be bossy, just been there and done that, and I couldn't give my first few quilts away when I first started because they were soaked in my blood - all from using straight pins! Yes, my first few because I'm a slow learner! ;-)

Step Ten: Quilt however you like. If you like to free-motion quilt, great! If not, ANY kind of quilting will be great, just make sure you follow your batting instructions and quilt the suggested minimums. For me, I like to "stitch in the ditch" or stitch between all of the squares on their seams, otherwise I really like the look of stitching through the squares on the diagonal. Want to be really fun and creative - try quilting waves or random straight lines! This is a FUN quilt so do what you love or try something new!

Step Eleven: Finish/Bind your quilt. I have made quilts with all different sized binding...some skinny and some fat. I love them all. For this particular pattern I suggest cutting 2.5" strips, sewing them all together, iron/press them in half with the right-side out, then I stitch them to the back, and top stitch them down using my machine on the front. I ONLY sew my binding on by machine, never by hand. Hand sewing is beautiful as well as traditional, but whenever sewing anything baby or kid related it is important to know it will be washed MANY more times than possible to imagine! Machine sewn binding is very sturdy and durable while hand sewn binding needs mending after multiple washes. As always, do what you like best, these are just my opinions and suggestions!

I have yet to quilt this I Spy Quilt because I am waiting for my brand-spankin'-new longarm machine to arrive! I'm SO EXCITED, can you tell!?! I have already prepared my quilt binding so I am ready to go as soon as I can finish the quilting, so the following picture is with the binding along the edges - when sewn it will be 1/4" skinny binding!!!

If you are interested in our I Spy Charm Packs and/or the additional fabrics, feel free to use the Shopping List at the top of this tutorial, or for convenience we offer the fabrics in a completion kit. Please leave a comment on this blog post, live chat with us, or message us on Facebook if you have any questions or if you would like to share a picture of your finished I Spy Quilt!

As always, you may use my Free Pattern to create and sell as many of these quilts as you like! No written credit to me is needed, but if anyone ever asks where you purchased your awesome fabric, please share our website!

Happy Sewing!!!

Two-Sided Minky Blanket TUTORIAL!

Last month I posted a picture of my 1yo grabbing all of my newly made Two-Sided Minky Blankets and running off with them. Such a helper! That picture ignited a great conversation about the challenges of sewing Minky, and having personally failed SO miserably sewing Minky myself, too many times to confess, I would like to share my tips for avoiding the seam ripper with the following Tutorial.

Supplies Needed:

- 2 "Fat Half" of Minky
- Straight Pins
- Walking Foot for your Sewing Machine
- Scissors & Coordinating Thread

Step One: Place One Fat Half Out, Right-Side Up.

Step Two: Lay the Second Fat Half on top of the first piece, Right-Side Down.

As you can see from the picture above, the two pieces of Minky are similar in size but not exact. Because of the stretch in Minky, I prefer to leave the excess as is, pin heavily (next step), and sew PRIOR to trimming.

Step Three: Pin, Pin, PIN!!! I pin every inch around all four sides. (I don't leave an opening, will be explained later!)

Step Four: Adjust your stitch length to a longer stitch. I usually sew at 2.0, so I increase my stitch to 4.0. This larger stitch is still very strong, and it is necessary to keep from stretching the Minky while I sew. Install the "Walking Foot" on your machine. Sew 1/2" seams around all four sides, beginning with a long side. With Fat Halfs, the long side has the biggest stretch. Pinning every inch, increasing the size of your stitch, and using your Walking Foot will all help you to sew quality seams with very limited stretch. If you do encounter stretch you will know by the end of this first seam, and can then rip it out and try again instead of ripping out all four seams to start over. Hmm, sounds like a lot of experience, right!?! If my seam ripper could talk, whoa! Sew all four sides and DO NOT LEAVE AN OPENING!

Step Five: Clip corners, and trim any excess Minky.

Step Six: Use your Seam Ripper, and gently make an opening in one of the sides, about the size of your seam ripper (just large enough to reach your hand into.

Step Seven: Turn your blanket Right-Sides Out.

Step Eight: Pin around all four sides, then sew 1/8" from the edge. This will close the opening you made to turn the blanket Right-Side out without the need for hand sewing.

Voila! Each of my finished blankets measure 28" x 35", a perfect size for your littles! Happy Sewing!!!

Do you have any Minky tips to add!?! Minky is one of my favorite fabrics to work with now that I've learned to increase my stitch length and pin, pin, pin! If you have any additional wisdom to share with the class, please comment below! Thank you for sharing!!!

Truck & Tractor Quilt FREE Pattern!

Two of our favorite little boys (twins) just turned TWO and since their new bedroom is being decorated with Trucks their mom asked for Truck Quilts for their birthday. Yay!!! I LOVE having a reason to get my scissors into all of the cute "boy" fabrics in the shop!

The good news is that the center of these quilts are a Panel! The bad news is that these collections are already discontinued and our stock is very limited! If these fabrics are perfect for a special little in your life, place your fabric order soon!

The panel, skinny strips, and binding are from the Ruff 'N Tuff Collection.

The other strips are from the Trucks & Tractors Collection.

The finished quilts measure 42" x 64". All seams are 1/4", and the strips all measure as follows:

The Under Construction Panel: 23.5" x 44" (one panel)
3/4 Yard of Diamond Plate for the Skinny Strips: 1.25" x 44" (cut 9 total) AND BINDING: 2" x 44" (cut 5)
3/4 Yard of Trucks & Tractors for the Yellow or Blue Strips: 5" x 44" (cut 5 total)
1.5 Yards of Primary Trucks 1-2-3: 5" x 44" (cut 3) AND 44" x 5" (cut 2 - for this piece a 44" x 44" piece is needed due to the direction of the print, plus the other two 5" strips)
2 Yards of fabric for the Backing
Batting measuring 45" x 67" (I purchase 2 Yards of "Warm & Natural" Batting, then cut it down the fold using one piece for this project, and the other piece for my next kid's size quilt)

These were such fun quilts to make!!! There is something about starting with a panel that makes the project feel like it is sewing up faster than it does! Every quilt this size takes me about the same amount of time, but that feeling of it going quicker always makes me feel like I'm being more productive, love that! Can you relate!?! I used a clear thread for quilting the top and coordinating cotton thread for the bobbin. I took my time quilting around the big construction vehicles and outlining the individual boxes. When it comes to quilting there is no right or wrong - it is all right, so quilt as you like!

Happy Sewing!!!

P.S. In case you haven't entered yet, please take a moment to enter our joint Giveaway with www.ILikeBigButtons.com by clicking HERE. Good Luck!!!

GIVEAWAY!!!

I am SO excited to announce this week's joint Giveaway: I Love Big Buttons & Stitch Stash Diva!!!

Gena over at I Love Big Buttons has generously donated the most popular Rainbow Spectrum Starter Pack including the following products:

Rainbow Spectrum Starter Pack:
1. KAM Plastic Snap Setting Pliers
2. 2 Metal Setting Rods (the installed rod sets snap sizes 14, 16, and 20; the wider rod sets size 19 and 22 snaps)
3. Cap Dies (for setting size 16, 19, 20, 22, heart and star shaped snaps)
4. Screwdriver (for changing cap dies)
5. Awl (for creating holes in fabric)
6. An Instructional DVD with How-To Videos
7. And 100 Complete KAM Snap Sets (10 Sets of Each Color): Zinnia, Bright Red, Orange, Bright Yellow, Spring Green, Kelly Green, Mirror, Royal Blue, Violet, and Purple

IN ADDITION to this fabulous prize from I Love Big Buttons, the lucky winner will also win 2 Yards of Flannel Fabric from Stitch Stash Diva!!!

This entire Giveaway was inspired by one of our customers, Heather, who wrote the most fabulous UNPAPER TOWEL TUTORIAL! Click here for Part 1. Click here for Part 2.

Yesterday I made my own set of half-sheet Unpaper Towels and I am in LOVE! I never realized how big of a paper towel addict I was until I was first introduced to this project. Now, in addition to saving money at the grocery store, I now have a colorful and environmentally friendly replacement, WIN WIN!!!

SAVE 10% Off Your Total Purchase at: www.ILikeBigButtons.com with Coupon Code: STITCHSTASH

To learn of ALL of I Love Big Button's SALES & PROMOTIONS, please LIKE them on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ILoveBigButtons

To view all of our Designer Flannel Fabric available in the shop please click here. To enter this Giveaway, please complete as many of the Rafflecopter entries as possible! Good Luck!!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pirate Treasure Map Quilt - FREE Pattern!

The Brand New Pirate Treasure Map Collection from Riley Blake arrived on Friday afternoon and from the moment I ripped open those boxes I knew it was going to be a late night! I quickly made bundles, took pictures...then I couldn't decide which bundle to start with! One of my biggest challenges to new projects is getting started because too many choices makes me SO indecisive!

I finally decided on this super cute Gray Pirate Treasure Bundle!

Gray Pirate Treasure Bundle

I opened up the panel (love, Love, LOVE this panel!!!) and set the other fabrics around it to create this pattern. The finished size of this quilt is 40" x 63", a really perfect size for kids to actually use! My "Kid Size" quilts are smaller than Twin Size quilts, intentionally. If I were making a quilt for a bed I would definitely make a standard Twin Size, but I make most of my quilts for kids to drag around the house with them! While I could definitely make my Kid Size quilts shorter, I really like the 60" - 65" length so that it is easy for them to use, yet long enough to grow with them.

The finished quilt, washed & dried!

I LOVE the "puckered" look that comes from sewing the unwashed fabric, then washing & drying the finished quilt. If you prefer a more traditional and smooth quilt then pre-wash and dry your fabric, and after future washes dry the quilt for 10 minutes on low-medium heat (to create the softness without the puckering), then remove from the dryer and hang or lay flat to dry. To me, the "puckered" look is the 'je nais se quois' that makes hand-made quilts priceless.

This Pirate Treasure Map Panel was SO much fun to quilt!!! I used a light gray thread and quilted around all of the fun map clues. After I quilted the Pirate Map, I underlined all of the waves and that is when the quilting started to make the images pop.

I already have two more quilts cut out and waiting to be made up, but for certain I will be making another Pirate Treasure Map Quilt in another colorway in the very near future!!! SO much FUN!!! To make this exact quilt the pattern is as follows:

Pirate Treasure Map Quilt

1 - Pirate Treasure Map Panel (36" x 44")
4 - 1.5" Strips of Red Treasure Search Lines (to frame the panel)[Purchase 1/2 Yard for framing strips and binding]
5 - 2" Strips of Red Treasure Search Lines (for the binding)
2 - 3" Strips of Skulls on Gray [Purchase 1/4 Yard]
2 - 3" Strips of Pirate Ships on Navy (I needed 8" to cut two strips with the pattern centered)[Purchase 1/4 Yard]
2 - 2.25" Strips of Gray Waves [Purchase 1/4 Yard]
2 - 5.5" Strips of Gray Pirates Kids [I used the same fabric for these strips AND the backing, so Purchase 2.25 Yards]
1.75 - 2 Yards of Fabric for the Backing
1 Piece of Batting 44" x 68" (I like the Warm & Natural Brand)

I trimmed the 1 yard panel just a bit, but other than that all of the seams were 1/4" and created a finished quilt of 40" x 63". Feel free to use these measurements as a base and customize your quilt to YOUR "perfect" Kid Quilt Size! One of my "perfect" qualifications is always that the quilt is 44" wide or less so I only need one length of fabric! ;-) That is just me, though!

We also have this bundle in two alternate colorways: Blue and Teal!

Happy Sewing!!!