I love love love to design my own quilts. And I ALWAYS do it on graph paper… well, actually MOST of them are on graph paper. Some of my favorite quilt ideas are scrawled on the back of a grocery receipt because creativity doesn’t often wait until you have the time and supplies to let it flow, right? …Do what you have to do!
However, if you can help it… the best quilt planning is done on graph paper!
It doesn’t have t be fancy! Get out those fun markers or colored pencils and have fun with it. Make a rough draft and then finetune it in your final draft.
I’ve made this quick download pack of printable graph paper pages that you can use to work up your own quilt designs!
There are 5 different pages within the PDF that will help you put your most amazing quilting ideas down on paper!
I hope you have fun with these! Please give me a shout out in the comments if you like these! I love to create more useful things for my readers and the only way I know what you like the best if if you TELL ME! 🙂 Happy Sewing!
Let’s admit it… Quilting is pretty great! But it can get expensive… Who doesn’t love to put a few beautiful FREE Modern Quilt patterns in their project folder for a rainy day sewing session??
So I’ve scoured the web for some and some of my favorite quilters… I have added links to the free patterns for you! Get ready to be inspired with all this Modern Quilting goodness!
First off, I can’t share all my favorite FREE patterns with you without mentioning that I have a FREE Modern Quilt Pattern to gift to you as well!
I actually have several free patterns… You can click here to see all my FREE pattern posts in one spot and load up on your goodies from me 🙂
…More FREE Modern Quilt Patterns!
Fun Flamingo Quilt FREE Pattern
If you are looking to chase those winter blues away… dream a little of summer with me on this fun Flamingo Quilt from Bev from Flamingo Toes. You can get the pattern and tutorial for this Flamingo Quilt Here on her guest post on Fabric.com
I was enchanted by the minimalist design in this pattern from the moment I saw it and its one of my favorites. It is a really quick sew too 😉 You can download the pattern here.
It’s All Black and white by Rachael Godfrey of Sew Today, Clean tomorrow. She is such a sweet blogger who sews up all kinds of lovely goodies!
Warrior Quilt Pattern
If you haven’t yet discovered Suzy from SuzyQuilts.com, you’re missing out! You can get her FREE Warrior Quilt Pattern here. You wont regret it!
Modern Hashtag Quilt
Whats more modern than hashtags, right? And its such a great tutorial and step by step on this pattern too! The pattern creator is Caroline over at sewcanshe.com. You can download the pattern here.
Strip & Flip Baby Quilt
This one is such a fast sew but has endless potential to customize it and make it your own…. (I would die to see an ombre teal version!)
CluckCluckSew has beautiful easy to follow patterns! You can snag this one here.
Side note, but she is also the designer of this beautiful quilt that I made a while back – Shimmer Quilt Pattern Review.
(not free pattern but totally worth it!)Modern Ombre Triangle Quilt
If you haven’t seen this one floating around Pinterest, I would love to know what rock you live under and visit you from time to time.
This is another baby step pattern to get you through your fear of sewing triangles. Think of it as baby step #2… It comes rigth after baby step #1 which is deciding that a silly little triangel isn’t going to get the best of you and YOU ARE A QUILTING BOSS! You won’t regret it! 🙂
SeeKateSew does a great job in her tutorial too! You can grab this pattern here.
I also have a different version of a Triangle Quilt Pattern that is free as well… just, you know… shameless self-promotion, because I can 😉
This quilt is so lovely! It has that classic old-timey charm to it, but would be so fun with some letters on the banners too! An all black and white version would be stunning!
First, wow. Second…. holy wow! You can download this free pattern with tips on fabric selection here.
Hourglass Quilt Blocks
Another from CluckCluckSew! The hourglass tutorial can get found here.
Simple Hearts Quilt
Ok, I might be obsessed – Nobody judge me, ok? – CluckCluckSew Can you blame me? Just look at this cute quilt! You can download the Simple Heart Pattern Here.
I could keep going but honestly, someone has to make dinner in this house or we will all starve. — I’m apparently the only one capable of such a miraculous feat, or so I am told… *ah, sweet motherhood*
I hope you enjoy these free patterns! Until next time… Happy Sewing!
I absolutely adore quilting. I can’t picture what my life would be like without this outlet that I have (actually, yes, I can… but it is not very pretty)
I love to share all the tips and tricks with you that I learn through my experience (i.e. – when I learned how NOT to do something) and things that I just think everyone should know.
I love to hear back from people and read the comments on my posts.
I received an email this past week that said…
“I don’t know how you do it all… I can barely find time to breathe, much less make a whole quilt. I feel like I’m missing something that other quilters have in making this work.”
First off, I’m flattered that someone would think that I can do it all, even though you are so dead wrong! haha You should just drop by for tea sometime and look at my house… wait, no. I take that back. Don’t do that. It is such a mess here. It is more like a circus around here than not!
But here’s the thing: I also have it on my heart to tell you the honest truth in everything too.
You know I will be real with you. This is an open letter to you & to my people – my quilting friends.
This is a list of a few words of advice that I wish more of us would listen to. Read it, put it into practice and I promise you that your quilting and your well being will improve. *that is worth a pinky promise even!*
There is no rule that says you have to have it all together.
I have looked for the magic answers. I tried to solve all the tetris scheduling hacks and morning routines etc to make myself more productive. My stack of self-help and productivity books is a collection that I secretly love and am not ashamed of. 🙂
A lot of them will get you organized and help you get a handle on your to-do list so that (at least some of) it gets done.
You can get kind of close to having it all together. However, if you are looking for perfection you will always be looking for that missing piece.
Please take to heart that the only person demanding you to have everything ‘all together’ is… you. If you wouldn’t expect anyone else to be able to handle your schedule, job demands or parental requirements without falling apart… then that should clue you in that maybe, just maybe… you’ve got too much on your plate.
You can’t pour from an empty cup
Every single person is a caretaker.
The quilting community is full of the most generous and kindest people I have ever met.
You might be a wife, a friend, a teacher You may be a momma to little kiddos. You may be a momma to bigger kids or even grown adults now… I believe we are all called to be caretakers in one form or another.
However, you are completely useless if you run dry and empty.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. The other half of that statement is: Take care of yourself first.
Personally, one of the lowest “empty cup” moments in my life was when I had thrown myself into trying to work again after the birth of my second baby. I was a few months in and I cried… a lot. I couldn’t pin point what it was. Hormones? Was this the point in my life where I just lose it? Was I always going to be like this now?
I remember that I decided enough was enough and I looked at myself like I look at my toddler. Then I said (outloud to myself in the car) “Would you like a snack and then maybe a nap?” to which I answered with a sobbing ‘yeeessssssssss‘ and I did just that.
I was empty and I set out to pour some self-love back in my soul. (This was in the form of a snickers, some yogurt and a 30 minute nap. Don’t go thinking I ran off to the beach for the weekend!)
This point in my life was when I really got into quilting. 🙂 Quilting became my outlet. I make things for my family and for the people I love but the time spent at the machine is mine.
Quilting is whatever you want it to be
Don’t let anyone tell you how you should quilt. If you think the polka-dots look fabulous with that black and white stripe… it totally does. Call it bold modern art and embrace it!
Quilting is an art. And I love the art world because absolutely no one can tell you what to do. 🙂 Just ask Picasso, Dali, Seurat, Pollock (I love art history… I could go on)
So go be the boss of your quilts and be proud of them and be proud of yourself as a fabric artist!
If you regularly practice these few tips for self-care, you’ll notice a big difference
Self care looks a little different for each person, but for me the times when I focused on getting these into my weeks vs just trying to survive… it is night and day for my stress levels.
Eat like you would encourage your kids to eat – i.e. take in a few veggies every now and then. Make an effort to get a balanced diet.
Sleep – Pick a decent bedtime and try to shoot for within 30 minutes of that time every single night to stay consistent.
Schedule your fun like you schedule your work – We have a running Friday night movie/pizza night appointment in our house. And every other Saturday we do a big family fun day. We also schedule random game nights and I’ll throw in a Mom & Dad date night when we need it too.
Make a playlist of your jam songs for when you need it – put on some fun music and crank it up. This is a wonderful way to pump up your funky moody days
Make your space smell nice – Its just an easy boost to your mood when all your senses are engaged 🙂
Long hot showers are a gift to yourself – Not every day, of course (no one has THAT much extra time) but if you have an extra minute. Get it steamy and breathe deep. Force yourself to relax.
Take a cozy night in to dream – these are my favorite. I get out my spiral, a pen, and my planner. I look at my calendar and plan out my next projects according to any holidays, birthdays etc… or just make time for something I want to try. Allow yourself a little time to dream and then make a plan!
10 minute declutter sessions – declutter something. anything. It doesn’t have to take all day or be the whole house at one time. Just start with one drawer or one pile.
Make double of a favorite dinner and swap one with a friend or freeze – Same amount of dirty dishes to make 2 meals as it is to make 1 and you get a night off later 🙂
Use the good stuff – Yes, those dishes that are for when company comes over, that wine that you’ve been saving, the pretty table linens. Use it. wear your pearls (mine are the plastic kind but I still feel chic). Be fancy and enjoy it!
I hope that gives you a few little things that you can put into practice to today to make sure that your cup doesn’t run dry…
…because you are worth every single drop of a full cup! 🙂
What do you do to fill yourself back up when you’re running low? Please share with me in the comments so I can draw from your experience too!
Hi there! Do you know what it feels like to have it all together? Like really, all together… Your life is perfect. It is amazing! You have the time to quilt and you’ve already learned all the skills to perfection. YOU are a master quilter now!
Do you know how perfect that feeling is!?
………………….. yeah, me either.
I can guess that you maybe DO know the feeling that you’re struggling and the pattern you once felt joy for suddenly now might as well be in Greek…. and if you have to pull that seam ripper out ONE MORE TIME… ARGH! (Well… let’s not go there right now)
If you are looking to gain confidence in your quilting skills…
This is the real truth is this…
You’re not alone! We all feel less than confident from from time to time. I have seen it in every single quilter that I have ever met.
In fact, I was having a conversation with a quilter friend just today. She has been quilting A LOT longer than I have and I watched her struggle with matching some of the pieces in her pattern. the planets were all out of line and for whatever reason… it just wasn’t working right.
It just was one of those days.
I thought that as much quilting as she had under her belt and as many years experience in classes etc, SURELY she must be so confident in her skills that she never ever second guessed herself! No way!… I was apparently wrong.
This really brought about a new feeling of love and appreciation for quilting for me. We’re all the same and we all struggle with confidence, no matter how long you’ve been quilting!
5 Actionable Steps to Gain Confidence in Your Quilting Skills:
1. Give up on perfection.
(Hear me out, ok? I’m not telling you to give up everything and quit.)
When you take perfection off the table as an option, things always get a little easier.
Just strive for being better than you were yesterday. I promise you will be amazed at what you can accomplish if you work in small steps!
How do you eat an elephant? – One bite at a time.
As for your quilts – we all want them to be the absolute best they can be! Especially if your quilt recipient is a really cherished loved one.
Really be honest with yourself and know your limits. If you’ve only made 1 or 2 quilts so far, a king sized quilt maaaaay be a bit of a leap for you instead of the small step you should be looking for (hello, me in 2013 – I speak from experience on this one)
2. Step just slightly outside of your comfort zone
Cliff notes version is this: Stagnant water grows stinky and yucky. Its not flourishing with life and new amazing things!
If you feel like you even sort of have an idea what you’re doing, it is time move forward to kick it up a notch!
If you see a new pattern or idea that kind of scares you a little bit, but you love it… figure it out as you go. Challenge yourself and learn how to make it happen.
I’m not saying it is going to be easy, but imagine how amazing you’ll feel once you’ve finished it. It will be worth it!
3. Take a class
blow the dust off and g learn something new! Make your brain work a little bit.
This is a great way to build your confidence! The more comfortable you are with a variety of different skills, the less daunting some of the others will seem.
Me, when I figured out how to do the quilt binding and it actually looked good? – boom! I was ready to take on the world! hallelujah! note: I made a video to show step by step how I do my quilt bindings.
You can check out your local quilt shops and see if they can point you in the right direction for local classes or you can check out a few online classes. I personally really love Bluprint (formerly known as Craftsy). You can search absolutely everything there.
4. Teach
You don’t have to teach a whole lecture in front of 100 people!
Just find the kid down the street who seemed interested in your sewing machine or invite another friend over who is curious about quilting with some of the old fabric she has laying around.
Bonus points if they already know how to sew a little bit and you can learn from each other. Work on a project together!
5. Don’t let failure scare you
This is a hard one to learn sometimes, but goes along with what I said earlier on shooting for small steps forward instead of frustrating big leaps.
If you know if your heart that you are not quite ready for a quilting skill or pattern, but still really want to try it… go for it. You may surprise yourself. -or- you may fall flat on your face in a heap of ‘well that didn’t work out‘. ouch.
Either way, don’t let it deter you from setting it aside to come back to it later and move on to trying other things!
You never know if you don’t even try, right?
In conclusion, confidence isn’t something you just inherantly have. It is something you build over time.
If you want to gain confidence in your quilting skills, you’re going to have to work at it. Give yourself win after win and really allow yourself be proud of what you accomplish!
Quilting isn’t always easy and we all have our struggle days… but the more you can move forward with these 5 steps, the more you will really let that confidence flourish inside of you.
Hey! Let me know what you do on your worst quilting days and how you give yourself a pep-talk when things aren’t going your way. I would love to hear it! 🙂
So you’ve got your quilt 85% complete and you are rocking this whole “quilting thing”! Congratulations! … now it is time for the binding. You may be feeling a little uneasy about it all, possibly even dreading this step because you haven’t figured out a method that really works flawlessly for you, yet? Would you laugh and say that a fool-proof quilt binding method doesn’t exist? — oh it does, and I’m going to show you how!
With my first several quilts, I struggled with the binding so much. There are so many different ways to do it and everyone claims their way was ‘fool -proof‘ — which really left me to wonder just how big of a fool I am if I couldn’t do it, right? yikes.
So I did what I normally do and became hyper-obsessed with figuring out how to hack this quilt binding method thing into something I could do without stress.
I really do love quilting, but it’s not ok to gift someone an 85% finished quilt! I knew I would have to figure it all out eventually…
So, I started doing my research, I watched video after video on youtube. This also included looking at other bloggers that I admired to try and gain their wisdom.
I asked all my quilting friends and I even approached a stranger in the fabric store that looked like she really knew her stuff (totally true story).
What I wound up with was a quilt binding method that wasn’t complicated. It didn’t require me doing any gymnastics or pulling out my magic wand. It isn’t rocket science and I certainly didn’t re-invent the wheel here!
But it works. And it works well… every single time. Flawlessly.
So what is my secret no stress, Fool-proof binding method?
If all of the above rings true for you and you’re maybe starting to feel a little defeated by this whole quilting world… I want you to stop. Stop it right now.
Sit up a little straighter and puff out your chest a bit.
Do it.
I don’t know why, but if you can fake a little confidence, you actually really do gain just a little bit. Fake it till you make it! 😉
You got this. I promise!
You know that I have a desire to make all the complicated hard parts of quilting accessible and attainable for the beginner quilter. – Everyone should really enjoy quilting!
I made this video that goes over step by step – everything you need to know – detailed explanation of how to sew your quilt binding on. No extra fluff stuff, I promise. 🙂
Video highlights:
Calculating fabric needs
Common binding sizes
Connecting binding pieces together
Attaching it to your quilt
How to be the boss of those corners – perfect corners every time!
Alternatives to sewing a straight seam
Ideas on ways to make it your own!
Really, this is THE video you need to watch on quilt binding. 🙂
Check it out. Let me know what you think! Leave me a comment that lets me know your thoughts. Give my fool-proof quilt binding method a try and see if you stress a little less with your next quilt binding!
If you would like other tips on how busy people fit quilting into our days, check out the FREE download below! It is one of my most popular downloads! You can also join the ISeeStarsQuilting Community and stay up to date on all the fun tips and videos that I share as well as when a new pattern is released 🙂
How wonderful and sweet the gift of a handmade quilt is! It is the gift that can live on for a lifetime… Today we’re going to discuss how to wash and care for your quilt so that it does last a lifetime!
I’ve also included a FREE printable card with quilt instructions that you can download and print out that you can gift with your quilts! [you’ll find it at the bottom of this post!]
Many quilts can live on to be heirloom/family quilts… unless you don’t care for them properly, in which case it can end up ruined… 🙁 – But don’t let that scare you! The worst care I’ve ever seen for a quilt is being tucked away in a closet where no one will ever see it or use it! *gasp* Absolutely tragic, I tell you!
The fact is that most people who aren’t like you and me… you know… “quilters” simply don’t understand. And we can’t fault them for that, but we can educate them!
There is no way to gently tell the person that you’re giving a quilt to how MUCH WORK goes into make a quilt. Like, so much work. Hours are spent planning and shopping, prepping and cutting before you even put one single stitch into that fabric.
(I created these Honest Gift tags that add a little sass (and a lot of truth) to the handmade gift item that you’re giving! And they’re a free download too!)
Truth is, you are not doing all this hard work to have someone mistreat your quilt!
Here are a few things you need to tell your incredibly lucky new quilt owners.
1) I want you to use this quilt!
The best way to keep a quilt fresh and the fabric bouncy and non-stuffy smelling is to USE it! Keep it out in the open air and touch it. Just walk past it and pet it from time to time. Snuggle it!
This quilt is heirloom quality, meaning it will last a really long time, but please don’t seal it up and stuff it into a closet where it will never see the light of day! That is not what it was made for.
Quilts are best appreciated if you cover up with it and unwind after a long day.
2) If you have to wash it… ask yourself this…
Its totally ok to wash your quilt! (actually, gross if you thought otherwise) I have kids. For years my husband and I joked “this is why we don’t have nice things” when any of us trip or spill things… myself included. Believe me, if a quilt can survive toddler years at my house… you’re going to be just fine
Can I spot clean the quilt?
If you just have a little are where the quilt got some juice on it or grubby cheeto hands thought it was a napkin, try to spot clean your quilt first. (See Below for suggestions on products to use)
When was the last time I washed the quilt?
Unless you’re just a really messy person or using the quilt really hard all the time… you shouldn’t need to wash your quilt more than once a year. (Yes, you read that right.)
By all means, if it smells… please wash it – or hit it with a light spray of fabreeze if you’re just not ready for a single piece more of laundry. I won’t judge.
3) Can I machine wash it?
Yes! If you’ve decided that your quilt HAS to be fully washed, then you can do it by machine.
Set your washer on the most delicate setting it has, usually “gentle cycle”. And only use cold water.
Hot water will encourage those colors to bleed and we don’t want that.
Can I put it in the dryer too?
If you have the time and space, airdrying is preferred.
However, I usually put mine in the dryer on the delicate setting and get it MOSTLY dry. I’ll pull it out while it is still a little damp and then lay it out where it can air dry the rest of the way. It seems much flufflier this way to me.
4) What soap should I use?
Definitely no bleach. I shouldn’t have to say that… but you never know… so again, no bleach! You’ll want to use a mild detergent.
I’ve listed links to a few of my favorite brands and ones that I’ve seen other quilters swear by.
5) What do I do if I am worried about the Fabric Dye Bleeding?
This is never a fun experience to go through! Please make sure that if you have a really bright and colorful quilt (or do it even if you don’t have wild colors just to be safe) throw in a few Shout Color Catchers or Retayne in your wash. It is just a little insurance policy that will save your tail should the worst start to happen while the quilt is washing.
It is always a good idea to make a little quilt care package when you give it away to it’s new home. If you own some of the special quilt soap, add a few tablespoons to a marked container as well as a few color catchers! Your new quilt parents will be much more likely to use them if they have them laying around!
Shout Color Catchers look a bit like a dryer sheet. It catches dye that bleeds into the wash water and traps it on the color catcher so it sneaky bleed into your lighter colors. Retayne helps to seal dye into the fabric.
Yay you! Hand washing is actually really easy and I think the quilts actually prefer this method over being thrown in a big spinny machine!
If you have a vintage quilt or a quilt that is hand quilted with applique, you’ll definitely want to hand wash to increase the lifetime of your quilt.
You will need a big tub. Fill it with cold water and gentle detergent.
Completely submerge your quilt under the water. Agitate it gently for about 10 minutes.
Drain the soapy water, and then refill your tub with clean cold water again.
You can add ½ cup of distilled white vinegar to your water. The vinegar clears the quilt of any detergent residue.
Keep rinsing with cold water until the suds are gone.
Lastly…
I made this PDF download. It has all your quilt care and washing suggestions handy in 8.5″ x 11″ sheet that you can print over and over and gift along with your quilt!
I’ve also included a “history of your quilt” page as well. It is a wonderful place to explain why you made the quilt or chose certain fabrics and it helps ensure that the story of the quilt will not be lost with you.
I often find that it is really tough to remember what all I wanted to say when I’m giving away a quilt… mostly because I’m just so excited to finally see the quilt in their hands that I get distracted and forget! So I’ve been trying to take a few minutes and write down what I want to say on the card. It’ll be another treasured keepsake to keep with the quilt 🙂
