"Patchwork in the Heart" Mini Quilt

Greetings friends - happy February! You are visiting on a great day - I have a heart-filled project to share with you…my "Patchwork in the Heart" scrappy mini quilt. Poppie Cotton is sharing Valentine projects this month while spotlighting their fabric ambassadors....and if you follow them on social media, then you are aware that today the spotlight is on me.😊 Many of you know that I have been blessed to work with Poppie Cotton for years and have created with almost every single collection they have released...so I came up with a special project to highlight a large selection of prints.

“Patchwork in the Heart” measures 24” x 24” and every single fabric in this quilt is unique. There isn’t a pattern, I just made it up as I went along – a pattern could definitely be created, if there is some interest (drop me a note or comment if you would like to see me write a pattern).  I cut 2.5” squares from all the pink and red prints from at least 36 different Poppie Cotton Collections - there are 144 prints represented in this quilt, plus Country Confetti for the background and binding. I made 36 4-Patch blocks, cutting half of them into hearts for fusible appliqué – then alternated the appliqué blocks with the remaining 4-Patch blocks. It is kind of an “I Spy” quilt of Poppie Cotton fabrics. I added hanging tabs…or it can be used as a table topper. 

I think I cut 182 unique 2.5” red and pink prints, so I had a few remaining squares that I used to create this cute project bag. I made another appliqué heart block and inserted it into the patchwork. I used a cheerful Poppie Cotton pink daisy print on the back, with a white zipper and pink zipper pull.

There will be a reel on my Instagram page that shows the assembly of my mini quilt…with a longer version on my YouTube channel...look for these on Wednesday evening.

I hope you have been inspired by this mini quilt, stitched with love, and filled with Poppie Cotton history. Thank you for visiting and sharing my passion for all things created with needle and thread!♥️

Final Countdown to Christmas Packages

Greetings friends - happy day after Christmas! I hope your holiday was merry and bright and filled with love and joy. It was a quiet day here, just me and my hubby - lounging and watching Chiefs football, pizza and wine, a little extra sleep, and a good movie - all in all the perfect holiday. Today it was business as usual, a few errands to run and back to work.

Before I share the last presents from the Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar, I have to share what my hubby got me for Christmas. My regular readers know that our household is still on a night schedule...and my sleep tends to be all over the place (yeah, it's been almost two years and I am still not a fan of this schedule!). My husband sleeps like a baby with his eye mask and ear plugs; I don't feel comfortable wearing ear plugs to sleep (I want to make sure I wake up if there is an issue or the dogs need out, etc.) and my eye mask is pretty flimsy (it came from an airline on a recent overnight flight). My husband knows I put in one AirPod and listen to a book every night to fall asleep. He loves his Manta Sleep Mask...and gifted me the Manta SOUND Sleep Mask! It has super-thin Bluetooth headphones, nestled within a ventilated strap and has raised C-shaped eye cups that enable me to open my eyes, while providing a blackout seal. At first I thought it looked cumbersome, but once I got it adjusted for my face and set-up the Bluetooth with my iPhone, I found it to be super comfortable and the sound quality is wonderful. I used it last night and it works so good (even for this side sleeper!) - and I did notice a difference in the quality of my sleep. Let's hope this is a game changer for my sleep patterns!😴😊

Onward with the advent countdown. I wanted to stop in today and share the final 10 days from Jenny's Countdown to Christmas Box with you. It has been so much fun opening a stitchy/quilty gift each morning in December through Christmas...and every day has been useful and special! If you are not familiar with this box, it is a sewing advent calendar from the Missouri Star Quilt Company with 25 numbered and wrapped presents. I previously shared the first 15 days. Today's post includes days numbered 16 through 25. Before I go any further, this is not really a spoiler, as everyone who has this box should already have all the gifts opened - but if you do not want to know what was in each of these packages, stop reading/looking now... Click on images, if you want a larger view...

Day 16: Reusable Bowl Huggers Pattern with Fabric and Elastic

Day 17: Jenny Makes Quilting Sew Easy Button and Stickers

Day 18: Bellissimo by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake 5" Fabric Stacker

Day 19: Chenille Star Pillow Pattern and Chenille 
(uses fabric from day 18)

Day 20: Sewing Machine Brick Building Set

Day 21: Felted Wool Gnome Pincushion

Day 22: Monogram Accessories Felt Kit with
Page Marker Leather Blanks.

Day 23: Love in Every Stitch Ceramic Mug

Day 24: Jenny's Holiday Quilt Block Patterns (4)

Day 25: Cutting & Pressing Mat Travel Folio
(each side is 12" x 12") - FABULOUS!

That's a wrap on the 2024 Jenny's Countdown to Christmas Box from Missouri Star Quilt Company. A HUGE thank you to my stitching sister that sent me this incredible gift - I am still blown away by your kindness - what an incredible month it has been!

Tomorrow, I will be back with my final Christmas post - I will share photos from our annual Christmas Eve outing and give a bit of history on our tradition.

Calico Cowgirls Fabric Tour

Happy Monday - welcome to my stop on the Calico Cowgirls Fabric Tour - thank you so much for stopping by for a visit. I am thrilled to be sharing these bright and vivid fabrics from Poppie Cotton. I have a couple very special projects lined up, created with the new Calico Cowgirls fabric collection designed by Lori Woods for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these colorful prints. This brand new fabric collection (shipping to quilt shops this month) has a happy and vibrant feel to me. As with all Poppie Cotton fabric lines, the entire collection is filled with tiny details and the sweetest little motifs. There are lovely florals, succulent strawberries, a whimsical paisley, and unique vintage wallpaper prints. The color palette is bursting with bright reds, pinks, corals, fuchsia, yellows, teals and purples - perfect for brightening up your project pile!

First, I created a fun and funky "Cheerful Chicken" mini quilt. Normally, a chicken quilt would be out of my comfort zone (and not really my style), but I challenged myself  and I couldn't be happier with the results. This project doesn't have a pattern - it was just me playing around in my studio. My happy chicken mini measures 12" x 12" and has rick rack around the perimeter. It is traditional piecing and machine appliqué. I used HeatnBond Lite Iron-On Adhesive to adhere my chicken shapes and used a machine blanket stitch to appliqué them in place. I adhered HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to the back of my mini quilt top, then quilted it before adding rick rack and backing fabric. I thought this tiny quilt turned out super cute!

Next, I thought this fabric collection would work perfectly with my Big Blooms Table Runner pattern. This patchwork and machine appliqué runner measures 24" x 64" and does a great job of showing off the 32 colorful prints in this fabric collection. It is fat quarter and 5" precut (charm square) friendly - perfect for this large assortment of fun prints. I used Country Confetti (also from Poppie Cotton) for the background and binding. This bold runner fits my large farmhouse table - it would also be a lovely bed runner or wall hanging. The pattern contains basic machine appliqué instructions, appliqué templates, and comprehensive/detailed instructions with all sorts of color diagrams. 

I created this runner with a fat quarter stack of Calico Cowgirls - plus, ¾ yard Country Confetti (Marshmallow New White) for the background and ⅓ yard Country Confetti (Sea Glass Mint) for the binding. I used HeatnBond Lite Iron-On Adhesive, backing fabric and batting. The pattern gives a nice breakdown of materials, should you want to use a charm pack or precuts...or change fabric collections.

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1611372045
Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1597211682

I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the fabric tour and are feeling inspired - thank you for visiting with me today. For more creative projects using the Calico Cowgirls fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop and request it - Calico Cowgirls is shipping this month.

I already have my projects in progress for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour in November - my day is November 12th. That tour will be showcasing the fabulous, upcoming "Home Sweet Home" fabric collection by Elea Lutz (click to see a preview). Plus, I will have a new project tutorial posted on the Therm O Web Blog on October 28th…so, be sure to stop back soon for more creative inspiration...

Pink Pumpkin Quilt SAL

Greetings friends! Have you been sewing along with Poppie Cotton this week? They have been hosting a Pink Pumpkin Quilt Sew-Along...and while I didn't have room in my jam-packed schedule for a full-size quilt, I did manage to sew along. I made four pumpkin quilt blocks and added sashing and borders to create a floating pumpkin pillow. I used fun fabrics from the Kitty Loves Candy Collection by Lori Woods for my pumpkins and Country Confetti in Waffle Cone Yellow for my background. Poppie Cotton has the Pink Pumpkin Quilt Pattern, designed by Lori Woods, available on their website for FREE (visit their website and click on the free tab). I used the pumpkin quilt block from the pattern and then designed my own pillow. I think it turned out super cute and it will be a fun addition to my Halloween/fall decorating...

You can read more about the Pink Pumpkin Quilt Sew-Along on the Poppie Cotton Blog.

Happy creating!

Market Day Fabric Tour

Happy Wednesday - welcome to my stop on the Market Day Fabric Tour - thank you so much for dropping by for a visit. I am thrilled to be sharing these darling fabrics from Poppie Cotton! I have a very special project lined up, created with the new Market Day fabric collection designed by Amy J. Delightful for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these soft and charming prints. This brand new fabric collection (shipping to quilt shops this month) has a warm and vintage feel to me. The entire collection is filled with tiny details and the sweetest little motifs. These soft-palette prints feature matryoshka (nesting) dolls, buntings, mini strawberries, doilies, flowery trellises and fabulous floral motifs. The colors are lovely shades of pink, blue, mint, red and white. I enjoyed doing some fussy cutting of these charming prints.

For this fabric tour, I focused on designing a new quilt pattern, which I call "Bunting and Berries." This quilt measures 50" x 50" and is a great throw or lap quilt size. It's the perfect size to snuggle up with in a recliner or on a sofa...or to take on a picnic...or to curl up with on a cool, outdoor evening. I wanted to create a fat quarter stack friendly pattern...and I wanted focus on the delicate prints in the collection. I enjoyed fussy cutting the centers of each star with a wonderful focal fabric (Nesting Dolls) and I cut the Bunting Prints to point towards the center of the quilt. It truly was a joy to create and put together. It is traditional piecing with Rising Star Quilt Blocks and Sashed 8-Patch Quilt Blocks (a simple quilt block I created for this specific project). One of the things I love about this quilt is, it can be as planned as you want (like I did the model with fussy cutting) or as scrappy as you want. You can find this new pattern in my Etsy Shop in both paper and digital format. See my blog post from yesterday for more details.

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1770515606
Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1770518918

I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the fabric tour and are feeling inspired - thank you for visiting with me today. For more creative projects using the Market Day fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop and request it - Market Day is shipping this month.

I already have my projects underway for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour - my day is September 23rd. The next tour will be showcasing the "Painted Blossoms" fabric collection (click to see a preview). Plus, I am working on my next tutorial for Therm O Web (a collaboration project with Benzie Design!). I also have a few other projects up my sleeve to finish up before I travel out of the country in September...so stop back soon to see my latest creations...

Focal and Four Tote Bag - New Quilt Pattern

Yes, you read that title correctly - I have another new quilt pattern! This is my “Focal and Four" bag - a large-sized tote made with four-patch blocks and focal fabrics (perfect for showing off a very favorite fabric!). This versatile tote has two bottom-pointed pockets on the outside (one on each side) and two large pockets inside. It measures 15" W x 15 H x 5" D and has a handle drop of approximately 8". It's the perfect size for a stack of cross stitch project bags, or as a daily tote, or a trip to the farmer's market. The pattern contains comprehensive/detailed instructions with all sorts of color diagrams and a template for the pointed pocket. This 13-page pattern is designed to easily use your favorite fabric collection, is precut friendly, and is good for all skill levels. You can find this new design in my Etsy Shop, in both paper and digital format...

I designed this tote bag several months ago and made my first sample bag with Finding Wonder by Sherri McCulley for Poppie Cotton - you got a sneak peek of this design in March on the Finding Wonder Fabric Tour.  I already have an oversized tote bag pattern (Forty-Five Tote Bag) and a medium-sized tote bag pattern (Mini-Medi Tote Bag) in my current catalog...and this one fits in-between as a large tote. It has a fun shaped pocket on the front and on the back, the perfect size for a cell phone...and has large pockets inside, both measuring 9-inches square. 

The model bag was created with Mushroom Blooms by Jill and Rani for Poppie Cotton (shipping to quilt shops this month). This fabric has a wonderful mushroom print (Shroomies Mint, Shroomies Pink, and Shroomies Yellow) that I knew would be my focal fabric for the tote. This collection also has wonderful florals, dots and stripes. Plus, I knew the color scheme would be perfect for this new bag! I had fun creating the patchwork, putting this extremely useful bag together and writing the pattern...and I hope you will add it to your design collection.

I used a fat quarter bundle to create my model, along with 1 1/4 yards of coordinating fabric for handles, pocket and bag linings, and the bag base (Country Confetti - Strawberry Lemonade Light Pink). It also uses 1 3/4 yards of HeatnBond Fusible Fleece, my favorite for a soft, but structured bag! If a fat quarter stack isn't your speed, a 10" precut stack (layer cake) gives you all the variation in fabrics. This bag also works great for scraps - I am hoping to make a scrappy version from my scrap bins soon. I really want to showcase how easy it is to create this pattern in any fabric collection (or scraps!) and how versatile it really is! 

You can still find the pattern in my Etsy Shop in both paper and digital format.
Digital: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1743028230
Paper: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1762265076 

Thank you so much for visiting with me today and checking out my latest quilt pattern. I will be back tomorrow for my turn on the Mushroom Blooms Fabric Tour, where I will show of this tote bag and what I made to put inside of it! Then, stop back on Wednesday to see my latest project for Therm O Web...and it is a beauty...

For now, I am back to the studio...I am scrambling a bit right now to get things done...I have EXCITING news...I will be accompanying my parents on a trip to Paris and London in September. I just found out about the trip a week ago and I was not prepared to travel out of the country for a couple weeks (in a little over a month). I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be going on this trip and my head is swirling! I have a lot to do in a short amount of time. More all about this in a future post...