Homegrown Preserves Fabric Tour

Greetings, friends!

Welcome back to my little corner of the stitching and sewing world. Today I'm delighted to share projects created with the lovely Homegrown Preserves collection designed by Sheri McCulley for Poppie Cotton.

From the moment I unfolded these fabrics, I found myself thinking of country kitchens, baskets of freshly picked fruit, shelves lined with jars of homemade goodness, and the simple pleasures of preserving the harvest. The collection is filled with beautiful florals, fruit-filled prints, charming labels, and coordinating basics that work together effortlessly.

As many of you know, I rarely use patterns and prefer to create organically. Rather than starting with a detailed plan, I let the fabrics guide my creativity and allow each print to suggest its own possibilities. For this collection, the fabrics led me in several different directions, resulting in three unique projects inspired by the sweet harvest theme woven throughout the collection. No patterns were used for any of these projects, just a little playtime in my studio and a willingness to see where the fabrics would take me.

A quick note: some of the links you’ll find in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). That support helps keep this blog running and ad-free for everyone—thank you for being here!

🍓Jar Covers and Gift Bag

My first project was a coordinating gift set featuring a pair of ruffled jar covers and a fabric gift tote.

When I spotted the labels in the Farmer's Market Blue print, I immediately envisioned jars of homemade jam being tucked into a handmade gift bag for a friend or neighbor. The gift bag measures 6" wide by 6.75" high by 3" deep and was designed specifically to complement the jar covers.

I fussy cut the Homemade Preserves label from the Farmer's Market Blue print and machine appliquéd it to the front of the bag using HeatnBond Lite from Therm O Web. Cotton webbing handles provide durability while keeping the design simple and functional. The coordinating wide-mouth Ball canning jar covers (I had so much fun making a pattern and creating these) complete the set and add a charming handmade touch to any gift of homemade preserves.

Did you notice the wool felt fruit shapes that fill my jars? these are fun Wool Felt Shapes from Benzie Design!  I used strawberries, berries, plums, clementines, peaches, and apples. Aren't they perfect?!

🍐Sweet Preserves Mini Quilt

My second project became my favorite piece from the collection, a mini quilt that I call Sweet Preserves.

Measuring 15" wide by 24" high, this quilt combines foundation-pieced Eight-Pointed Star blocks with appliqué jar blocks. The stars add a traditional touch while the jars bring the playful harvest theme to life.

For the appliqué blocks, I used Bellwether 100% Wool Felt and Wool Blend Felt (both from Benzie Design) to create the fruit and jar lids. To give the jars a realistic appearance, I incorporated clear vinyl, creating the illusion of glass jars filled with colorful preserves. This added dimension makes the jars especially fun and interactive.

The background and binding fabrics come from the Country Confetti collection, which provided the perfect complement to the more detailed prints in Homegrown Preserves. Twill tape tabs were added along the top edge so the quilt can easily be displayed.

Like all of my projects, this quilt was not created from a pattern. It evolved one block at a time as I explored ideas inspired by the fabrics themselves.

🍒Zippered Pouches

My final projects were a pair of quilted zippered pouches.

These pouches combine several prints from the Homegrown Preserves collection with Essex Linen (from Benzie Design), creating a wonderful blend of color, texture, and practicality. Each pouch features a fussy-cut label from the Farmer's Market Blue print that has been appliquéd into the design (again, using HeatnBond Lite).

Both pouches were constructed using the new VersaFoam from Therm O Web, which gives them a soft but sturdy structure. The foam also helps accentuate the quilting, creating beautiful texture throughout each piece.

To finish them off, I used colorful baker's twine as zipper pulls, a small detail that perfectly complements the farm-to-table feeling of the collection. These pouches are ideal for sewing notions, embroidery supplies, cosmetics, or any of the little treasures that seem to need a home.

🫐Freshly Picked Inspiration

Homegrown Preserves was such a delightful collection to create with. The variety of prints offered endless opportunities for fussy cutting, appliqué, and combining colors and motifs in creative ways. I especially enjoyed incorporating the market labels throughout my projects, as they helped tie the entire group together.

Whether you're planning quilts, bags, home décor projects, or seasonal accessories, I think you'll find plenty of inspiration in this collection. The fabrics beautifully capture the warmth and comfort of harvest season while providing versatility for a wide range of sewing projects.

Thank you for stopping by today and joining me for another Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour. Homegrown Preserves is shipping to quilt shops this month, so be sure to watch for this delightful collection at your favorite quilt shop!

Until next time, happy creating...🍓🍐🍒🍑💗

Nutcracker Magic: Focal and Four Tote Bag

Greetings, friends! 

I’m so happy you’re here for a visit— it's Therm O Web Blog project day! Today is my stop on the Nutcracker Tradition Blog Tour!

Christmas may still be a few months away, but it's never too early to start planning holiday sewing projects! Today I'm excited to share a festive new post that's now live on the Therm O Web Blog as part of the Nutcracker Tradition Blog Tour. This project combines my Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern, innovative products from Therm O Web, and the enchanting Nutcracker Tradition Collection by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs to create a bag that's filled with holiday charm and a touch of sparkle.

Sewing Up Some Nutcracker Magic

The Nutcracker Tradition collection captures all the magic of the beloved Christmas story with elegant nutcrackers, graceful ballerinas, adorable Christmas mice, beautifully wrapped packages, ornaments, stars, and coordinating seasonal prints. Rich holiday colors and storybook-inspired illustrations make every fabric in the collection a delight to sew with. Whether you're a longtime fan of The Nutcracker or simply love festive fabrics, this collection offers endless inspiration for holiday projects.

The beautiful focal prints in the collection were a perfect match for my Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern. Designed to showcase larger-scale prints while combining coordinating fabrics in a fresh and eye-catching way, the tote highlights all the wonderful details Jennifer included throughout the collection. The finished bag is both practical and beautiful, making it ideal for holiday shopping, carrying sewing projects, gift giving, or simply adding a little Christmas cheer to your everyday routine.

A Little Holiday Sparkle

Of course, no Nutcracker-inspired project would be complete without a touch of magic! For this tote, I added glittery accents to the outside pockets using the Nutcracker Tradition Sparkle Stencil and Sparkle Paste by Jennifer Long for Therm O Web. The sparkling details add just the right amount of glimmer and beautifully complement the festive fabrics. It's a simple technique that creates a big impact and makes the tote feel extra special.

To help make construction easier, I also incorporated several of my favorite Therm O Web products throughout the project. From accurate cutting with SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray to adding structure and professional finishing touches, these products help create a polished tote that you'll enjoy using for years to come.

Supplies to Make Your Tote Bag Sparkle

A quick note: some of the links you’ll find here are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). That support helps keep this blog running and ad-free for everyone—thank you for being here!

• HeatnBond Fusible Fleece
• SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray
• HeatnBond Sparkle Stencil–Nutcracker Tradition by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story
• Nutcracker Tradition Sparkle Paste Bundle by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story (or your favorite coordinating color)
• Pressing Paper Fabric and Craft Sheets
• A Selection of Fabrics from Nutcracker Tradition by Jennifer Long of Sew a Story for Riley Blake Designs (model used fat quarters, but the pattern is 10” precut friendly)
• Coordinating fabric yardage for linings, handles, and outside bag base (model used Dapple Dot from Riley Blake Designs C640-SUGARPINK)
• Focal and Four Tote Bag Pattern by Blue Ribbon Designs (available in my Etsy Shop) Digital or Paper Pattern
• Palette Knife or Craft Brush
• Basic Tools (sewing machine, coordinating sewing thread, iron, wonder clips or pins, cutting tools and rulers, etc.)
  
  

Focal and Four Tote Bag Pattern
Paper Pattern — Digital Patten

See the Blog Post

If you'd like to make your own Nutcracker-inspired tote utilizing dependable products from Therm O Web, be sure to visit the Therm O Web Blog for my helpful hints, supply list, and plenty of project photos. You'll find all the details needed to create your own version, along with tips for adding sparkle and showcasing your favorite prints from the collection.

https://www.thermoweb.com/blogs/blog/nutcracker-tradition-blog-tour-focal-and-four-tote

I had so much fun combining these beautiful fabrics with a little Sugar Plum Fairy-inspired shimmer, and I hope this project inspires some holiday sewing of your own. After all, the best time to start Christmas stitching is before the holiday rush begins!

Thank you for stopping by today! If you make your own Focal and Four Tote Bag, I'd love to see it. Until next time, wishing you inspiration, creativity, and plenty of happy sewing!

Bluebells & Buttercups Fabric Tour: Sweet Stitches

Greetings, friends!

I’m so happy to be joining the Bluebells & Buttercups Fabric Tour featuring the newest collection from Elea Lutz for Poppie Cotton. If you've followed Elea's fabric lines over the years, you already know how beautifully she combines sweet vintage-inspired motifs with fresh, cheerful color palettes. This collection is no exception. Bluebells & Buttercups includes 18 coordinating prints filled with floral bouquets, ribbons, berries, cherries, charming little birds, and other whimsical details that feel as though they've stepped straight from a treasured storybook.

The collection offers a lovely range of coordinating colors and prints that make mixing and matching effortless. Whether you're creating quilts, bags, home décor, or small sewing accessories, the fabrics work together beautifully and provide endless opportunities for playful patchwork and creative embellishment. You can view the entire collection on the Poppie Cotton website here: https://poppiecotton.com/pages/bluebells-and-buttercups.

For my stop on the tour, I couldn't resist making several smaller projects that highlight the sweetness and versatility of the collection.

🌸Mini Medi Tote Bag

My first project is a Mini Medi Tote Bag, one of my own designs available in my Etsy shop:

Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1743028230
Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1743026780

This pocketed patchwork tote measures approximately 12.5" wide x 12" high x 3" deep, with a 5.5" handle drop. I had so much fun combining ALL of the Bluebells & Buttercups prints to create the patchwork exterior. One of my favorite things about this tote is how an entire collection of fabrics can be showcased in a single project.  The smaller-scale prints really shine in the patchwork, while the coordinating Country Confetti fabric provides the perfect finishing touch for the lining and handles.

🍒Cherry Project Bag

Next up is a Cherry Project Bag, measuring approximately 12" wide x 10" high.

This little bag features patchwork piecing accented with miniature rick rack and a wool felt cherry embellishment. To add an extra handmade touch, I used pink baker's twine for the zipper pull. The bag is both lined and backed with Country Confetti, which complements the collection perfectly and provides a nice visual contrast to the feature fabrics.

The cherry-themed fabrics inspired this project from the start, and the wool felt embellishment was the perfect finishing detail. I didn't use a specific pattern for this bag, just creativity.

🍓Blissful Bloom Fabric Bowls

I also created two fabric bowls using my Blissful Bloom Fabric Bowl Tutorial, which is available free on the Therm O Web website:

https://www.thermoweb.com/blogs/blog/blissful-bloom-fabric-bowl-featuring-bliss-batting

For these versions, I decided to give the original design a Bluebells & Buttercups twist. Instead of the wool felt flowers featured in the tutorial, I created wool felt strawberries and cherries to coordinate with the fabrics (of course, as always, I used my favorite Wool Blend Felt from Benzie Design).

For the strawberry bowl, I embellished the flowers using ¼" buttons and a seed bead in the centers, adding even more texture and dimension. These little bowls are perfect for organizing sewing notions while also adding a cheerful decorative touch to the sewing room.

🍅Tomato Pincushions

No sewing-themed fabric collection would be complete without a few pincushions! 

I made several tomato pincushions, using my own method rather than a formal pattern. The hand stitching was completed with DMC pearl cotton, which adds beautiful texture and detail. The tomatoes are stuffed with fiberfill, while the attached berries are filled with emery sand to help keep pins sharp.

Wool felt was used for both the tomato leaves and berry caps, creating a classic look that pairs perfectly with the vintage charm of the collection.

These may be small projects, but they are such a delightful way to showcase favorite fabric prints.

🧵Covered Tape Measures

My final projects are several covered retractable tape measures.

I used standard round 60-inch retractable measuring tapes and covered them using fabrics from the collection. These quick projects are both practical and fun, making them perfect gifts for sewing friends or charming additions to a sewing basket.

The smaller prints in Bluebells & Buttercups work especially well for projects like these because every side reveals a tiny glimpse of the collection's sweet details.

Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in a tutorial on how to cover a round retractable measuring tape...

🌷Final Thoughts

Bluebells & Buttercups captures everything I love about an Elea Lutz collection—sweet motifs, beautiful coordinating prints, and plenty of opportunities for adding handmade details. From bags and bowls to pincushions and sewing accessories, every project was a joy to create.

I especially enjoyed incorporating wool felt embellishments (my signature), trims, and hand stitching alongside these fabrics. The collection lends itself beautifully to projects that celebrate traditional sewing techniques and thoughtful handmade touches.

Thank you so much for visiting my stop on the Bluebells & Buttercups Fabric Tour. Be sure to visit the other talented makers participating in the tour for even more inspiration, and don't forget to take a look at the full collection from Poppie Cotton—it's shipping to quilt shops this month. I can't wait to see what everyone creates with these delightful fabrics!

Happy sewing! 🍓🌸🍒🧵

Smitten Chicken: Feathers, Florals & Fabric Fun

Greetings, friends! Welcome to my stop on the Smitten Chicken Fabric Tour!

The Smitten Chicken fabric collection by Lori Woods for Poppie Cotton has such a lighthearted, countryside feel—it’s the kind of collection that instantly makes you smile. With its playful mix of florals, ginghams, and the sweetest little chickens sprinkled throughout, it’s full of charm. The color palette of reds, pinks, aquas, and crisp whites feels fresh and inviting, and it was the perfect jumping-off point for my projects.

This collection truly sparks creativity, blending a classic look with a touch of whimsy. It made it easy to play and explore as I worked. Whether you’re drawn to the charming chicken prints or the pretty coordinating patterns, everything mixes together effortlessly. I found myself moving from one project to the next, letting ideas develop naturally (no patterns) while still keeping a cohesive look across each piece.

Working through a fabric collection like this is so satisfying, especially when creativity leads the way. Instead of following a set plan, I spent time in the studio pulling prints, mixing textures and embellishments, and letting each project evolve naturally. It’s one of my favorite ways to create, and this time it resulted in a sweet group of coordinating pieces, each with its own unique personality.

What ties them all together, of course, are those special details I love so much—hand-dyed rick rack, bits of wool felt, and a touch of hand stitching here and there. These small elements add texture and charm, and they’re what really make each piece feel finished, thoughtful, and personal.

A quick note: some of the links you’ll find in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. That support helps keep this blog running and ad-free for everyone—thank you for being here!

Posh Petal Pillows

These 12" square porch pillows were such a fun starting point. I created reimagined Dresden Plate quilt blocks—loosely inspired by the traditional block, but with a more relaxed, creative approach. Each center is accented with wool felt flowers, hand stitching, and coordinating buttons (Cute Little Buttons from Lori Holt) for a soft, dimensional look. I used HeatnBond Lite for the appliqué and HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to give my pillows structure—AND, I used PeelnStick Basting Tape a magical new product from Therm O Web to attach the rick rack on all of my projects.

Hand-dyed rick rack from Lady Dot Creates frames the perimeter, adding just the right amount of detail and movement, while the envelope backs are made with classic Jailhouse Stripes for a clean, tailored finish. These came together entirely without a pattern—just a bit of inspiration and a willingness to experiment.

Pretty Patchwork Pinboard

This project grew out of a simple need for a pretty and practical place to keep notes and inspiration. I had a vision in mind and decided to bring it to life, starting with a traditional corkboard and transforming it into a functional piece of patchwork art.

The front features diagonally pieced blocks using a variety of prints from the collection, creating a diamond-style layout that feels both dynamic and balanced. I padded the patchwork with HeatnBond Fusible Fleece and wrapped it over the existing board, keeping the original frame, and added hand-dyed rick rack over the seams for added texture and detail. Coordinating decorative thumb tacks are placed at each intersection, securing everything in place while allowing photos and notes to be tucked neatly underneath. Like the pillows, this piece came together organically—no pattern, just a creative solution to a need.

Berry Blossom Pincushion

This sweet pincushion might be small, but it’s full of charming details. One half features Smitten Chicken White fabric, while the other highlights a hand-stitched wool felt strawberry.

Hand-dyed rick rack trims both the center seam and the outer edge, tying it in with the other projects. The strawberry blossom is accented with a petite ¼" button, and a bow made from baker’s twine and cording adds a final touch of texture. I used HeatnBond Fusible Fleece and Poly-Fil Fiber Fill for construction. Of course, I couldn’t resist finishing it off with a few decorative pins from (my favorite) Puntini Puntini. It’s a simple project, but one that really celebrates the joy of slow, thoughtful making.

Chicken Charm Zippered Pouch

Last, but definitely not least, is this zippered pouch with a boxed bottom—perfect for holding sewing supplies or everyday essentials. Measuring 11" x 5½" x 3", it’s just the right size for tossing into a larger bag or keeping close at hand in the studio.

The front combines Petits Fours Red and Check-a-Roo Pink prints, separated with hand-dyed rick rack for a bit of texture and dimension. I added a petite wool felt Dresden plate appliqué, with a carefully fussy-cut chicken from the Smitten Chicken White print at its center—such a fun little focal point. The back is Ric Rac White fabric, and a bright red zipper with a coordinating zipper pull finishes it off. As always, I used HeatnBond Lite for the appliqué and HeatnBond Fusible Fleece during construction. Like everything else in this collection, it was created without a pattern—just an idea that evolved as I worked.

Smitten Chicken Summary

Creating this group of projects was such a good reminder that not everything needs to start with a plan. Sometimes the best ideas come from simply spending time in your space, working with materials you love, and letting things take shape naturally.

I love how these pieces coordinate without being overly matched—they feel connected through color, texture, and detail, but each one stands on its own. It’s a collection that feels both cohesive and creative, and that’s always the goal.

Smitten Chicken is shipping to quilt shops this month, so be sure to visit your favorite LQS or online shop to find this flirty, farm-style fabric collection.

Thanks so much for spending a little time with me—I hope this inspires you to pull out your favorite fabrics and make something just for the joy of it.