My quilt is done and here’s the post about it! Click here for part 1. Since the first post, I decided to add another 15 blocks because I wanted all four corners to have a 9 patch block. With …
Our newest pattern Orchard Stars is here! If you haven't seen, the Cover Orchard Stars is up on the blog too! Today, I am sharing our Satsuma Orchard Stars! This quilt showcases our Two Color Design option. I have always enjoyed a two color quilt and this design felt like it needed a two color option. It makes the cou
Happy Wednesday! Today I wanted to share my secret for preventing fabrics from bleeding when I wash my handmade quilts. I'll also share my basic instructions for washing/drying quilts. I have mentioned this "secret" a few different times over the years, but I wanted to share it in a dedicated post. As a quilter there are few things worse than pulling your finished quilt out of the dryer to discover that the fabrics in your quilt have bled. When I've experience issues with washing my quilts in the past it has felt pretty devastating. For me a quilt isn't finished until it's had a trip through the washer and dryer, so when something goes wrong during this "last step" it feels like I didn't stick the landing! That satisfied feeling I'm expecting to feel quickly turns into frustration and sadness. I think it's safe to say we all want to avoid that! Before we dive in I want to preface this advice by saying that I typically do not prewash my fabric for quilts. Specifically quilting cottons. When I'm making quilts from fabric that's intended more for garments like double gauze, chambray or lawn, I always prewash the fabric before making the quilt. You could follow the steps below for pre-washing fabrics for a quilt if you'd like! While we're on the general topic of avoiding quilt washing issues, save yourself some trouble and do not use a water soluble/disappearing ink marker on a visible part of your quilt. I learned the hard way that it's removal is not always straightforward (short story: don't mix disappearing ink markers with stain fighting products and hot water). Read more about that incident here: Sherbet Pips Quilt & a Lesson Learned. The fabric bleeding mishap that was the last straw was my Mendocino Dreams Quilt that I made back in 2012. It was a big quilt, so I used two Shout Color Catchers* when I washed it. And I still had fabric bleeding in a few places. I was so upset (this quilt was easily 40+ hours of work), I knew I needed to figure out a different method for washing my quilts to avoid this in the future. The secret is... table salt! No more expensive color catchers for me, just plain old table salt. I've used iodized, non-iodized, name brand, generic brand and it doesn't seem to matter, they all work. I have not tested this with kosher or sea salt. I'm happy to report that since I started using this trick, I have had ZERO issues with fabric bleeding. I think I started doing this around 2013, and I have made a lot of quilts since then. Here's how to use it when washing your quilt: Disclaimer: The results I've acheived using the following steps have worked for me, but I cannot guarantee that they will work for you. Please follow these instructions at your own risk and use your own judgement to decide what is right for you, your quilts, and your washing machine. 1. You'll want to start with a finished quilt! I am always so excited to wash mine so I usually get right up from my machine when I finish binding and head for our laundry nook. 2. Add your quilt to the washing machine. For either a top loading (what I've got!), or a front loading, add 1/2 cup - 1 cup of table salt to the machine, right in with the quilt. I use more or less depending on the size of the quilt. (I usually only do this step the first time I wash a quilt, but if I'm particularly worried about bleeds I'll do it on subsequent washes too.) 3. Add your preferred laundry detergent. I like to use a laundry detergent without fragrance or dyes (I use these tablets* specifically). It's surprising how many conventional laundry products have dye in them. If your liquid (or pod) detergent has a color to it, it most likely is from a synthetic dye. I recommend avoiding this if you can, when washing a handmade quilt. This is the liquid detergent* I used for years before switching to tablets, which is available at most big box or grocery stores. 4. Set your machine to a gentle cycle and wash with cold water. 5. SET A TIMER. This is so important. Probably the most important thing you can do to prevent fabric bleeding in your quilt. You want your wet quilt to sit in the machine, after the wash cycle has finished, for as little time as possible. In my experience, letting wet fabric sit against wet fabric often results in fabric bleeding. 10-15 minutes shouldn't be anything to panic about, but I would try to avoid anything longer than that. Definitely would not recommend throwing a quilt in the wash before you go out to run errands or something! 6. Check your quilt for stains or bleeds before drying it. It's easier to deal with them before they head into the dryer and get set. 7. Dry your quilt. There is a lot of room for personal preference here. For me, I absolutely love the wrinkle crinkle on a finished quilt, so I dry my quilt completely in the dryer, usually on medium heat. I used wool dryer balls* to help it dry evenly, minimize static and make it nice and fluffy! If your quilt is particularly delicate or you want to minimize shrinking, I would recommend drying it on lower heat and pulling it out of the dryer early to let it air dry the rest of the way. An interesting thing about this trick is that if you search "salt fabric bleeding" or "using salt in laundry" it actually pulls up a few "laundry hacks that didn't work" type of articles. This is a good reminder that it may not work in every situation for every person. I feel confident sharing this trick anyways because it has worked for me for the last 50+ quilts I've made. Just remember to pair it with good quilt washing practices like using cold water and not letting the quilt sit wet in the washer for too long. I wanted to share a few specific quilts as testimontials to this method. The following quilts were washed using these steps and came through unscathed with no bleeds. A few were quilts with blocks made by a group of people (so a large variety of fabrics), and or quilts with high-contrast and/or deep colors. Black and White Heart Quilt for Amanda Fantastic Leftovers Quilt Finished Scrappy Pineapple Quilt Tula Pink Kaleidoscope Quilt I hope you've enjoyed this informational tutorial! I have lots of other tutorials for everything from quilts, pillows, bags, and holiday items to informational series and techniques. Find all my tutorials here: Tutorials. My online shop is filled with patterns for quilts and bags. Find my patterns here: Jeni Baker Patterns If you make something using one of my tutorials or patterns, I hope you'll tag me @jenib320 and use my hashtag #jenibaker on instagram! Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference! :) Happy Sewing! *Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
This month's Toad-Spo is inspired by my wedding colors! We're tying the knot at a summer camp, and the theme is reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film. I believe these colors capture the essence of early fall, reflect our personalities, and align perfectly with the adventurous spirit of the entire wedding weekend. Naturally, I couldn't resist creating some quilty palettes inspired by this theme because I'm absolutely obsessed with it!
FABRIC: 1 yard Yellow Ochre, 1 yard Raincoat Yellow, 2 1/2 yards Raw Oats, 1 3/4 yards Putty Gray of Purl Soho's Spectrum Cotton SIZE: 36½ x 53 inches
Happy Monday again! I created this coloring sheet to use for the #HillsideHousesQAL to help you decide the placement of your colors if you're making it different than mine. It's also a good reference to use no matter how you decide to make it because it all the houses are numbered and I'll be referring the numbers during the quilt-along. Enjoy! To download a PDF copy, click here.
Inside you'll find an easy Gee’s Bend Quilt art lesson for how to make a paper quilt project with your kids. Grab it for your classroom now (it’s free!)
Making a t-shirt quilt for the first time can be daunting + overwhelming! Check out all the steps for how to make a t-shirt quilt in this detailed tutorial!
Learn how to make these Amazing Potato Chip blocks with scraps to create a beautiful scrappy quilt. Free Printable Tutorial Download!
Hello hello! I've been lucky enough to have had the chance to play with Tilda's new fabric range Harvest over the past few weeks. It's such a pretty collection of colours and prints and today's the day I get to share what I've been making as part of the Blog Hop 2 Green
Tying a quilt is an easy and quick way to finish a quilt. Tying a quilt means using thread or yarn to attach all three layers of a quilt together. This is a great option for beginner quilters as well as more advanced quilters! To add some extra interest, ties and quilting can be used...
I love modern quilts and have since I was a little girl. I especially love quilts with a lot of white space – not surprising!...
A quilt back does not have to be boring. Sharing my 18 ideas for a pieced backing for quilts to make the design process a little easier.
Last year for my son's High School graduation, I made him this T-shirt rag quilt. I didn't save all of his T-shirts for 18 year...
Learn how to make the Hidden Wells quilt block with this tutorial. is very fast and easy to make and each time you make it.
Learn how to make a puff quilt. Sew a bubble quilt with this puff quilt tutorial and pattern! Easy tutorial for a colorful quilt
Imagine my excitement when I learned Renee Nanneman (fabric designer for Andover and publisher for Need'lLove) chose my Cotton Daisies pattern to create this beautiful quilt using her new fabric line, Beehive. And...it's hanging in the Andover booth at Quilt Festival in Houston! Cotton Daisies quilt pattern can be found on my website: Laughyourselfintostitches.com Digital Downloads and Mailed Patterns Renee was so gracious to take a couple photos for me and i asked her to make sure she was in each picture!! She is the kindest person! Renee added a gold flange to her Cotton Daisies quilt, which adds such a nice touch! The quilting is gorgeous too! I can't take any credit for it...but whoever quilted this for Renee...it's wonderful! Here is my Cotton Daisies quilt. I literally pulled fabrics from my stash to make this and when i saw Renee's quilt, oh my gosh!! I loooove the softness of her Beehive fabrics! And the pattern cover...showing an alternative colorway...i think this quilt has soooo many color options! Looking for the pattern? I have it available in instant pdf's or mailed copies. Find them in My Etsy Shop And if you wait a bit, (Renee is at market right now) I bet she'll be offering some Cotton Daisies kits using her Beehive fabrics/pattern included! Thanks for stopping by! Learn, Share, Quilt! ~karen
The bargello technique can be used to create backgrounds for applique, to showcase landscape prints, and to use up your stash. In a previou...
You see the barn quilts, but do you know the barn quilt meanings? Barn quilt patterns are large, colorful, geometric designs painted on the sides of barns or other structures. These patterns have gained popularity as a form of rural art and storytelling.
The Grow quilt pattern focuses on strip piecing – a quilting technique that creates a modern design. Included are sewing tips and color variations!
May is here and finally is is nice to be outside. Our weather has gone from 40's to 70's in a matter of 2 weeks. It's pretty nice out there. But, I am stuck inside for a few more weeks, at least mos
Explore the enchanting Baby Lion King Quilt Pattern – a captivating sewing project for your child's room! This 80cm square quilt wall hanging, composed of 12 soothing neutral colors, adds a whimsical touch to the art of nostalgic crafting. Embark on a delightful sewing journey, transforming the DIY process into a tapes
There is something so classic and simple about a patchwork square quilt. It feels homey, vintage, yet simple enough to be classified as
Download our printable quilt size chart with the dimensions for all the standard quilt sizes. Save for all your future quilt size dilemmas.
Assemble a 12" square Rail Fence quilt block.
Meet Blue Whale! My newest quilt pattern inspired by the amazing Year of the Fat Quarter Navy Bundle!! Navy blue has been my favorite color all my life! It’s so fitting that Fat Quarter Sh…
The horse is a recurring theme among quilters. It represents freedom, beauty, and power. I wanted to pay tribute to the life force of this animal in a simple representation, made of natural colors, suitable for adventurous beginners. This meticulously crafted pattern features vibrant hues from the Robert Kaufman Kona C
I’m so happy to announce that I have another quilt published in a major quilting magazine! My Color Catcher pattern is in the January/February issue of McCall’s Quilting! Color Catcher is a quilt I whipped up from my scrap stash. It is a very quick make – with the help of my AccuQuilt Go! I … Continue reading Color Catcher Quilt
The photo above found on Pinterest Challenge yourself and create a mesmerizing twelve-sided masterpiece with the Jack's Chain quilt block. This captivating pattern, designed for intermediate quilters,
Exhibition of Wall Quilts, ArtsPost Galleries, Hamilton While we stich, life is not elsewhere. In a world that is increasingly connected with non-stop news, quiltmaking does not happen in soli…
Tutorial on how to use scraps of fabrics to make a magic quilt that sews itself as you are making another quilt.
This particular quilt has gotten so much attention over the past year that I decided it was time to write a tutorial to go along with the pattern. A little back story as to why a tutorial is needed rather than just following the pattern… I blame my husband. After I finished AND PUBLISHED the pattern
Original quilt pattern design by Lindlee Smith of Plains and Pine. This design is a variation on the Commonwealth Star Quilt, but instead of a single star the Backcountry Star quilt is made up of multiple star blocks. Skill Level: Intermediate - This is an Intermediate quilt pattern because it involves strip piecing, accurately cutting and sewing on a bias, sewing with a consistent ¼” throughout, and precision when matching diamond points. Includes instructions for six sizes (Wall Hanging, Baby, Lap, Throw, and Bed). Wall Hanging (23" x 23") Baby (45.5" x 45.5") Lap (45.5" x 68") Throw (68" x 68") Bed (90.5" x 90.5") The pattern includes a Multi-Color Version and Two-Color Version for the Stars as well as Multi-Color and One-Color Background options. Unlike most Lone Star Quilts, there are no Y seams in this quilt pattern. Please share your progress pictures with the hashtags: #backcountrystarquilt and #plainsandpinepatterns This is a downloadable PDF pattern that will be instantly available to download and will be delivered via email upon purchase. You are limited to number of downloads so save the pattern to your computer after it is downloaded. All Plains and Pine Patterns are for one person use only. Do not copy, redistribute or sell. Duplication of any kind is prohibited. Selling your quilt using this pattern is permissible on a small, independent scale. Please give design credit Plains and Pine. All digital files are non-refundable.
