Printables + Downloads

Learn more quilting by doing! Check out these Printables + Downloads for inspiration and ideas for learning new skills.

4 Important Things to Include When You Gift A Quilt

Quilts are wonderful gifts, aren’t they? It is a gift that keeps on giving through chilly nights and can be passed down from generation to generation to show more and more love. There are four Important Things to Include When You Gift A Quilt! (don’t skip #4, ok?)

Most people don’t know of the behind the scenes work that goes into making a quilt… waiting for the moment of inspiration to hit, the planning, finding the perfect pattern, the shopping for the fabric, the time it takes to piece, rip apart, piece again, trim, quilt, bind, etc. etc etc. And it goes on and on.

Us quilters, we get it. It is a literal work of blood sweat and tears on every project…

What keeps us coming back again and again?…

We love it.

I may utter some different phrases while I’m holding my seam ripper for the 1000th time, but I love it. Taking scraps and pieces of string and making into something beautiful…

4 Important Things to Include When You Gift A Quilt
1. 1. A Quilt Label
    
    It can be as complex as a custom embroidered label or as simple as a printed label.
    
    This is an example from one of my quilts.
    
    Before I was able to embroider my own labels, I put one of these on each of my quilts. I purchased them from an Etsy shop. You can find labels of all sizes and shapes that are easy to order and personalize.
    
    I found these cute labels on Amazon that were a good buy and were so cute! I’ll be ordering these as soon as I go through my etsy stash!
2. A Key or short explanation & Quilt Care Instructions

If this is a quilt that you’ve added special touches to you need to write it down. Even if the person receiving the quilt isn’t the sentimental type, this quilt is a part of you and no doubt you’ve made several choices that affected the outcome of the final piece.

A lot of people will see just a quilt. But you will see 1,000 decisions made one by one.

If you chose the rose-colored border because it reminds you of the flowers your grandmother grew in her garden, you should tell her.

If a quilt is made from scraps and pieces from various pieces of clothing, document it! There are stories for quilts out there that have been lost with the generations before us because no one thought to tell them!

Don’t be like them!

You also have to include quilt care instructions with your quilt! I have seen so many quilts ruined in the wash simply because people didn’t know proper quilt care… and that is just not ok!

I have created a FREE download that you can include with your quilts to solve this problem! It also includes a bonus Quilt History sheet as well!

Fill out the quick form below and I’ll e-mail you a copy for FREE! 🙂

3. A Gift Tag

I have a free download to some really fun gift tags.

This was created one day to not only to act as an icebreaker when people received a handmade gift from me but because they made me laugh. I constantly go through this cycle of creating gifts with my hands that aren’t always easy to create, and you know what?… sometimes I would just like it to be acknowledged.

That is all. You’re welcome to use them too because I like to share! 🙂

Click Here to Get Access to the FREE (truly honest) gift tags

Edit: Because my sassy gift labels have been such a huge hit, I created a few more downloadable printables! There is another pretty file just for us crafty creatives with 3 pages of fun labels as well as a Christmas themed file too! I also included a “care” tag so your recipient will know how to take care of their newly sewn quilt/gift when the time comes… thanks to a suggestion from another one of my lovely readers! Thank you!

4. Remember to take Photos!

Make sure that you take photos of the quilt before you gift it – Last but not least… This is for your own records.

I promise you, as tough as this quilt was to make and no matter how much you think you’ll never forget it… take photos. Take lots of photos.

* Quilt folded nicely
* The quilt front and back in its entirety
* A “beauty shot” of it nicely thrown over a pretty chair
* At least one picture with you and the giftee and the quilt, if you can.
Years down the road you’ll be so glad that you did!

If you remember to check off these 4 things to do when you gift a quilt you will have years of your work documented. You will be so happy you have left your legacy of little quilts as best as you possibly can!

Now, go make some more beautiful things! <3
Free Walker Bag Pattern & Carry all

I’ve got a bit of a different project for you today. This Walker bag pattern came into being because of a sweet sweet dear friend of mine.

God Bless her, but she isn’t one to sit still for very long!

When she made the courageous decision to have back surgery, I knew I had to make something special for her.

I whipped this up one night to help her carry her things and various notebooks from room to room as she worked towards recovery.

It has proved to be so useful for her that I’m sharing it with you too.

I found a few other options out on the internet for walker and wheelchair bags, but honestly, most of them were way more complicated than they needed to be, in my opinion.

So I kept it simple.

All my walker bag needs to do is give easy access to the things we normally carry in our hands or our pockets.

Plus maybe a little more room for the occasional stray remote or water bottle.

I also made it sturdy and quilted so the fabric wouldn’t be flimsy or wrinkly.

You can download the FREE Pattern here.

One last photo peek… Look at that cute flamingo fabric! 🙂

Pay It Forward

I would like to urge you to always pay it forward if you can. If you have a friend who just had surgery or if you have a friend or relative in a nursing home, make a few and share the love!

Tell me what you think! Leave a comment below. Is this something you plan to make in the near future?

I’d love to see it. You can tag me on Instagram @iseestarsquiltling

Happy Sewing!
Waterfalls Pattern (Another one!)

I shared pictures last week of my double throw sized Waterfalls Pattern. (If you didn’t catch it, you can read it here Waterfalls Pattern) Today, I’m going to share the pictures from the regular throw sized waterfalls quilt that I recently whipped up to give as a gift to a nephew!

*static noise* Mission: Create a gift for a 12-year-old boy.

Let me preface this by saying all I had to go on were his favorite colors. – Blue and Green – I decided to just go with a jelly roll because I happened to find one that was just perfect. (absolute lucky score!)

Here is the finished quilt – I was feeling spacey on this one.

The backing for the quilt is really soft flannel that I scored for $2.18/yard on a labor day sale at JoAnns Fabric.

Tangent – Did you know fabric stores celebrate labor day? I didn’t… but I swiped the whole bolt of this because… who doesn’t love a little cosmos in their life?

This is what I also came home with that day if you’re interested… (yes, those are me cleaning out the whole bolt of fabric, not little bitty stacks) I felt like a kid who just went on a spending spree at the candy store… which I guess I did technically. Or at least, the adult crafty woman version of it.

Waterfalls Pattern – The throw Version Pictures

This is a picture of the quilt before it left my house… Very simple straight line quilting, but I love the way it just folds so easily.

Then I decided to take way better pictures of the quilt once we arrived at my brother-in-law’s house because… just look at the view! This is their backyard! Wow, right? You better believe that the stars shine so bright at night without any city lights around!

The cosmos backing of the fabric echoes the silver moon shapes on the front of the quilt. Here is a slightly more detailed picture of the front fabric and quilting detail. See the “moon” shapes? They’re a metallic silver print and they shine so pretty!

One last little thing that I want to make sure everyone takes a second to see. My quilt label! Do you see it in the corner?

I was having a conversation with some of my quilting girls the other day (several of which are much older and have been quilting longer than I have) and one girl mentioned how there was this really sad trend in the quilting world that was happening.

There are quilts that have been made by generations before us that have lost their story/meaning. No one knows who made them, or who they were for… what occasion or what family they belong to. There are no labels and the word of mouth stories are being forgotten by family members.

I’m not going to lie. It broke my heart.

My greatest passion in making these quilts for my family is because I want them to know how much I love them and even long after I am gone, they will always have this part of me with them.

I have a quilt that is tattered and torn and well-loved and worn from my great-great-grandmother. I cherish it even though I never had the opportunity to meet her. But in another few generations, I don’t know that her story will pass on. It is a bittersweet pill to swallow.

Anyways, quilt labels are a post for us to discuss on another day.

The young man who I made this quilt for was overjoyed and loved snuggling up in it.

Mission: Complete.
10 FREE Beginner Quilt Patterns That Every Quilter Needs

You know the nights when you get the itch to sew but you don’t know what project to start next? Which quilt pattern should I use? Should I go with an old favorite or try something new? Do I even dare browse Etsy or Pinterest for something new to work on? What if I end up not liking it or worse, can’t do it? These 10 FREE Beginner Quilt Patterns that Every Quilter Needs is going to save your tail, my sweet sewing friends!

These patterns are all either 1) I have tried it myself and loved it or 2) I have sewn something else of the designers and I loved his/her style.

I know these designers. I know their style and the methods and the level of quilting knowledge you need to attempt these yourself. And complete full confidence can recommend them to you!

Also, If you are in the market for Free Quilt patterns, I’ll send you my own favorite design if you sign up for my e-mail list! No spam or millions of e-mails, pinky promise!

10 FREE Beginner Quilt Patterns That Every Quilter Needs

Log Cabin Quilt Pattern

There are a million different variations out there! I particularly like this version from Red Pepper Quilts because it is a great reminder that not everything has to be meticulously planned and strategically thought out. This one is a good mix of fun scrap fabrics.

A Log Cabin pattern is made up of small squares and rectangles that get progressively longer as they spiral out to the finished size. It is said that this pattern first originated in the United States after the Civil War began.

Image from RedPepperQuilts.com

Here is another version of the Log Cabin Quilts. My Busy Momma, Busy Baby Playmat pattern! Designed using Jelly Rolls, this pattern comes together super fast and easy!

You can download the Busy Momma, Busy Baby Quilt Pattern for FREE here.

Garland Quilt Pattern by ALEXIA ABEGG with Cotton + Steel

This one is easy! I love it so much! It is a really quick one when you want to show off your patterned fabrics too 🙂 You can see the Garland Quilt Pattern Here.

Image from Garland Quilt Pattern

Apricot Compote by Carina Gardner

Do you love half square triangles? Oh, you do?! well well well! how about this beauty! If you are looking for a pattern that is easy and stress-free but you would like to perfect your corner matching. ta-da! I seriously did choose this pattern then I finally realized I could no longer be afraid of triangles and needing my points to match up! It sure is a pretty one that looks less traditional than a lot of HST quilts.

Download the Apricot Compote here.

Image from Apricot Compote Pattern

Hello Love by Heather Bailey

Note this is not for the novice beginner quilter. The pattern suggests an advanced beginner quilting level.

How beautiful and full of love is this quilt?! oh, I could see so many possibilities with fabric choices and holiday prints!

You can get this Free Hello Love Pattern Here.

Image from Hello Love Pattern

Picnic Quilt by Melody Miller

I adore this quilt pattern. It is not near as complicated as it looks with all of those triangle points, I promise. You will be so pleased with yourself at the end of this one!

You can find the Picnic Quilt Pattern Here.

Image from Picnic Pattern

Blooming Fields by Dana Willard

Simple. Modern. classy and a beautiful way to show off your favorite fabrics!

You can find Blooming Fields Pattern Here.

Image from Blooming Fields Pattern

Rainbow Tiles By Riley Blake

Half Square Triangles (aka HST) are your friend. Learn to love them because you can create some beautiful patterns with them!

This Rainbow Tiles Pattern is all sorts of predictable unpredictability. It is fun and fresh and so so simple if you keep your pieces right. I have seen this quilt in a simple monochrome version as well that was absolutely breathtaking!

Image from Rainbow Tiles Pattern

Sugartown by Art Gallery Fabric Studios

This quilt may look a little more complicated than you are used to but I assure you it is beginner friendly and so much fun to play with fabrics!

You can find this Sugartown Pattern here.

Image from Sugartown Pattern

Star Gazing by Soft Day Quilt Patterns

This is a link to a Pattern from Craftsy. FYI, you can find tons of other patterns on their site. You can even join a membership program and have full access to learn just about any class you could dream of! I wrote a review on craftsy a little while back. You can click here to read my Craftsy review.

As for this pattern. It is super simple! and it comes together super fast! Just 3 main fabrics to deal with and a stunning star design as the result? Yes, please!

Click here to see this Star Gazing Pattern from Soft Day Quilt Patterns

Image from Craftsy.com

Fiesta Garden by Dana Willard

(Another pattern from Dana Willard. I really love her patterns for their clean and crisp designs)

If Sugartown is still too much out of your comfort zone, you can’t go wrong with Fiesta Garden! Its very simple but still makes for a stunning quilt!

You can download the free Fiesta Garden Quilt Pattern here.

Image from Fiesta Garden Pattern4

This should get you well through most of your quilting projects 🙂 I hope you found this list useful and found some new quilt patterns to add to the workload pile!

Let me know in the comments if you decide to make any of these or if I missed any of your favorite Freebie quilt patterns!

Happy Sewing!
Busy Momma Busy Baby Playmat Pattern

Think you’re too busy to quilt?

Does a time-consuming pattern leave you feeling less than inspired to quilt?

Wish there was a way you could make your quilting look impressive without the added confusing pattern or learning new techniques?

The Busy Momma Busy Baby Playmat is your answer!

This Busy Momma Busy Baby Playmat Pattern is a game changer in the pattern world! (Yes, I’m offering it for FREE right now) Are you ready for it?

I created this pattern to be both quick & easy. It is a no-fail when you need something that comes together fast and looks like you spent a lot of time on it. (Guess what? … you will spend less time than you think!)

Let’s face it. Gone are the days where we have the ability to sit around for 8 hours and gossip with our friends while we work on a quilt together.

We live in a fast-paced, busy world and time is precious. We all need a pattern like this in our arsenal for when we need a quick baby gift or playmat for our own kiddos, right?

This pattern is my gift to you. Stay strong and keep quilting, mommas!

Keep the quilting art alive, kick it up a notch with some modern prints and share the love with your family and friends. <3

Happy Quilting!

-Christen

PS – Don’t forget to tag me in your projects! I’d love to see what you’re creating You can check out my Instagram: @ISeeStarsQuilting #ISeeStarsQuilting #BusyMommaBusyBaby
A Busy Girl’s Guide To Quilting In The Midst Of An Already Full Life

Things have just been really…really… busy lately. Like, crazy busy. I feel like my head barely hits the pillow before the alarm goes off again and I have to get up, put on some concealer, and start the day. There are work duties and mom duties and “oh &$*@ I forgot to do_____!” duties.

Does this sound like you?

We all have grown up responsibilities. But no one ever tells you when its ok to play and do things you want to do… like create beautiful things and sew and quilt.

This elusive idea of what the ‘mom blogs’ call “balance” in life is something that I’ve been in pursuit of for a while now…

Four years ago… I was laughing at the idea of sewing anything more complicated than a pillowcase. Not too long after, I was upgrading my machine to one that can handle more quilting, and now I have so many beautiful (if I do say so myself) quilts under my belt.

How do you get from point A to point B without losing yourself or your sanity or your family/job?

First thing… and I will be blatantly honest with you here… the whole “mom-balance” idea is a bunch of pish-posh oodle-noodle bologna! Throw that theory out the window and kiss it goodbye. *gasp*

If you have a to-do list that is all crossed off and finished and you are struggling with how to fill your free time… Panic... You’ve probably forgotten something. Something …big.

The world feels like it is moving at a furious pace and I’m just barely able to keep up.

…Until I stumbled upon an idea that has changed everything for me.

I want to share it with you because… girls... the world needs more of this and less of the “she seems to have it all together, why can’t I do it?” mentality.

So what is a girl to do, you ask?

HOW did I finally do it??

How is a girl supposed to get ANYTHING done in the midst of the insanity that is just day to day life?

Throw in the towel and give up? – No.

Abandon everything else in pursuit of self-made happiness? – No.

Read all the books out there on time management and try harder? – Nope again. But you still might learn something if you do.

Get up earlier to savor the quiet house? – Heavens, no no NO. (On a side note, what is a quiet house?)

If this speaks to you and is something, you need more of in your life… I’m giving you the little break that you need to find a way to make sewing & quilting work into your life.

This is my gift to you.

I wrote it all down and created a little e-book just for you. It’s simple. It’s short, and it has actionable steps you can start today.

There is nothing that I hated more than to have someone promise me answers of a glorious mascara and pearls motherhood advice only to read it and end up back in my leggings and flip flops because it wasn’t something I could actually do.

If you want to sew one tiny baby quilt for a friend or if you want to make heirloom quilts for all of your children… here is how you fit it in!

Submit the form below to download the e-book. Give it a read and let me know what you think? If you have any questions or need a little extra pep talk… feel free to contact me.

I have total faith in the beautiful things that you can create! 🙂