Happy Friday! Today I want to share a little Halloween project I made this week and revisit past projects too!


We are sad that we won't be able to participate in trick or treat in our neighborhood this year, but that didn't stop us from buying some candy. I wanted to make a small bag to hold a little secret stash of candy to keep upstairs in my sewing room. You never know when you'll have a candy emergency and need a piece of chocolate!


I made the tiny size from my lined drawstring bag pattern. I was working at warp speed on this project, and went from picking out fabrics to finished bag in less than 30 mintues! So satisfying. I love this cute ghost print from the Spooky n Sweet* collection from Art Gallery Fabrics. If you turn the top edge over a bit, the bag morphs into a little bin! Perfect for easy candy access :)

Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern


These days it's all about finding little things that can bring us joy. Making this goofy little candy bag made me feel better, even if just for an hour or so. I have a feeling I'll smile whenever I see it though. Pretty good for 30 mintues worth of my time!

I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the Halloween projects I've made over the years:


Paper Pieced Coffin Quilt Block Tutorial


Trick or Treat Tote Bag


Halloween Nine Patch Quilt


Halloween Lined Drawstring Bag


Spooky Town Wall Hanging


Webbed Quilt Pattern


Candy Tote


Patchwork Halloween Projects

Have a Great Weekend!

*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.

September Monthly Report

Happy October! It's time for September's monthly report. See past reports here.

Dahlias I picked from my garden last weekend. Varieties are Linda's Baby and Jowey Winnie.


I did quite a bit of sewing this month, which felt good! One of my late September projects was this little spooky wall-hanging I made to go above our mantle. Eventually I want to hang a big frame above our mantle, but I still haven't gotten around to getting one. It feels so empty up there, so for Halloween I decided to make a wall hanging. I'll probably do something similar for Christmas too.

I used Dana Bolyard's Ghost Town Quilt Pattern to make these houses. It was really fun to pull fabrics and fussy cut the doors. I did a scrappy sashing and bound it completely in binding scraps which felt good! I made most of it in a weekend, so a nice quick project.


I seem to make a new drawstring bag every few weeks and I stitched this one up right at the beginning of the month. This print from the Heather Ross 20th Anniversary Collection* felt Fall-ish, and was begging to be a bag. This is an Everything size made with a mini accent, which is an option in the expansion pattern.

Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern
Cotton Twill Tape


The other drawstring bag I made this month was a personal challenge. I've had this beautiful moth fabric by Jessica Swift* in my stash since 2014. I challenged myself one Friday to make something (anything!) from it. So, a bag it became. Now that I've cut into this fabric, I think it will get used more. Funny how that works! This is also an Everything size.

Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial


Made more masks of course! Still using Dana Willard's tutorial.


Last but not least, my biggest make of the month were my bear paw pillows and pattern! I've been wanting to remake these pillows and write the pattern for a long time so I feel very happy that I accomplished that last month. Already thinking I may make a Christmas pair. We'll see!

Bear Paw Pillows Pattern


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I track my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track here. Here is how I did in September:

September Fabric
Used up: 8 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: -8 yards
Year to date: -18 yards

September Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: 0 yards

Considering I didn't finish any huge projects like a quilt or anything, I'm quite pleased with the amount of yardage I used this month! Lots of small-ish projects added up!


In non-sewing related making I made myself a plant stand! I wanted something that would hold a bit more than the bench I had under this window before and this fit the bill. I've had it pinned for years! I used this tutorial to make it.


It's a little early for snowflakes, but I finally bought a set of cookie stamps and tested them out this month! My Mom discovered this gingerbread cookie recipe. They're really tasty, and I've getting the hang of using the stamps! These are the ones I bought: Nordic Ware Frozen 2 Cookie Stamps*


George bunny! Still shedding a little, but almost done thankfully! He's looking fluffier these days now that it's a little cooler in the house.

Have a great month!

*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.

New Pattern: Bear Paw Pillows

Happy Friday! Today is the release of my new pattern, the Bear Paw Pillows Pattern!

As I mentioned in my "Work in Progress: Bear Paw Pillows" post, this design was originally published in an issue of Quilts & More magazine. Since then I've been wanting to turn it into a standalone pattern.


Currently the pattern is only available as a PDF download, but I do have plans to release a paper version later this year. For now you can find it in my online shop here: Bear Paw Pillows PDF Pattern

The pattern features two views, 1 & 2. They're made the same way, the only difference is the fabric placement. I love how a few changes can totally mix up the look! The pillows finish at 20" square.



View 1


View 2


There are two pillow backing options included: envelope style and a zippered style. The zippered option is my very favorite way to finish pillows, I've been using this method for years. I'm excited to finally be including it in a pattern! It was time.


There are also three finishing options: pom pom trim, binding, and neither. I am partial to pom poms, but I wanted to give you plenty of choices!

Included on the last page of the pattern are blank diagrams and a guide to laying out your own color scheme.


I've included fabric requirements for each view individually and requirements for making both views if you want to make a pair like I did!


You can find the pattern here: Bear Paw Pillows PDF Pattern

Happy Quilting!

How to Add Pom Pom Trim to a Pillow

Today I want to share a step-by-step photo tutorial of how I attach pom pom trim to pillows in advance of my new pattern releasing later this week!

I personally love adding pom pom trim to pillows. I think the result is really cute and gives pillows a little something extra! I've purchased pom pom trim from lots of different places including independent quilt/fabric shops, big box stores (like JoAnn) and from Etsy shops online. A quick search on Etsy.com for "pom pom trim" brings up a lot of different options. It comes in all kinds of colors and sizes!


Just like everything else, there are lots of different techniques for sewing in a trim like this! This is simply the way I prefer to do it. If you have another method that works for you, that's great! Attaching the trim the way I outline below completely encases the trim strip (not the pom pom part) into the seam, so that the only thing showing is the pom poms. Personally I find the finish a little neater this way.

Sewing Level: Intermediate

Materials Needed:
- Pillow top
- Pillow backing
- Pom pom trim*
- Coordinating thread
- Clips
- Zipper foot

*To determine how much pom pom trim to buy for your pillow: Measure all four sides of your pillow and add them all up. Divide this number by 36. This is the exact amount of yardage you'll need. I recommend adding around 1/4 yard so that you have plenty of wiggle room.

For example: My pillow measures 20.5" on each side. 20.5" multiplied by 4 = 82". 82" divided by 36" = 2.27 yards. Rounding up, I would order 2 1/2 yards to complete my pillow.

Instructions:

1. Lay out a length of pom pom trim against one of the edges of your pillow top. Cut piece to length.


2. Trim away any pom poms that are within 3/8” - 1/2” of the corners, so that they don’t get in the way.


3. Place trim piece on the right side of the pillow top, lining up the edge of the trim with the edge of the pillow top so that the pom poms are towards the center of the pillow. Pin or clip trim in place. Using a zipper foot, sew trim in place using an 1/8” seam allowance.


Repeat this process with the three remaining sides of the pillow top. You may choose to trim away excess trim at the corners to reduce bulk.


Optional: Before attaching the pillow backing to the pillow top, I like to finish the edges with my serger (a zig-zag stitch on a regular machine works great too). This gives my pillow a nice clean inside seam.


4. Place pillow backing right sides together with the pillow top, sandwiching the pom poms in between the two layers. Start by clipping at all four corners, pushing the pom poms out of the way as needed. I like to use clips for this instead of pins because the clips help push the pom poms away from the seam.


Next, clip in the center of each side. Then clip in the center between the clips, and continue on in this way until the all four sides have been properly clipped. I find this method helps ease the layers together evenly.



5. Starting in the middle of one of the sides, slowly stitch around all four sides of the pillow with a zipper foot, securing all the layers. Typically I use a seam allowance slightly larger than 1/4" in order to catch the trim completely in the seam. Take your time and gently push the pom poms away from the needle as you go to avoid stitching into them. Turn pillow right sides out and check trim, make any adjustments to the seam if need be.


I hope this tutorial was helpful! I am looking forward to sharing more about my pillow projects and pattern later this week. Stay tuned!

Happy Sewing!