A Sweet Baby Quilt

4 Charm Packs-Sweet by Urban Chiks

1/2 yard fabric for binding

Batting that measures at least 47″ x 56″

2 2/3 yards of backing fabric

First, make your template. To do this, I used the cardboard that came in the back of the charm pack. How handy is that? Measure in one inch in from each side at the top and make a dot. Connect that dot to the lower corners and cut out your template.

Using your template, carefully cut out your blocks. You will be using all but 4 charms, so if you care to use those for a different project, set them aside now. You can cut up to 4 charms at a time-any more than that seems to compromise accuracy.

Chose any two blocks…

and prepare to sew them together. They will need to be offset the slightest bit, so when the seam is opened up, the blocks will form a straight line.

Press the seam open. Repeat making rows 13 blocks wide. Make 12 strips of 13.

Layout the rows and make sure they are in a pleasing arrangement. A digital photo really helps for this step.

Take the first two strips, line up the seams, pin at each intersection and sew.

Open up the seam and press.
Continue this until you have sewn all the rows together.

Trim the edges of the quilt square. (You could eliminate the trimming step and bind the angled edges, which would require bias binding.)

And your quilt top is complete.

Baste, quilt and bind.

For quilting, I echoed the seam lines on each side using the edge of my walking foot as a guide.

One sweet baby quilt that measures 45″ x 54″.
by amandajean of crazymomquilts

Candy Buttons Quilt

 Designed by Vickie Eapen

• 2 Charm packs of Sweet by Urban Chiks
• 1 1/4 yard background fabric Moda Bella Solid Snow sku# 9900-11
• 2 yards border Sweet Sugar Creamsicle sku# 31056 28
• 4 yards backing Spots Cream Bright sku#31054 11
• 1 yard Sweet Candy Stripe Gumdrop sku#31057 17 bias binding
• Sizzix Die cutter & Circle #1 and/or other 4 inch acrylic circle template (Omnigrid)
• Clover large orange Yo-Yo maker
• Batting 55 X 55 inches

Gather all your supplies, 2 charm packs of Sweet, a 4 inch circle cutter or template, and background fabric.

I used a Circle #1 for the Original Sizzix machine to cut my circles. I can cut 5 charms at a time. I know there are several other companies that make die cutting machines (Accu-Cut) and templates (Omnigrid), if you do not have access to a Sizzix. As long as it is a 4 inch diameter circle it will work.
• cut 36 charm circles for the blocks
• cut 25 charm circles for the yo-yo’s

I used 6.5 inch background squares to finish to 6 inches.

• cut (36) 6.5 inch background fabrics
• layer the circles onto the backgrounds and pin in place.

• sew around the circle edge with a 1/4 inch seam for all 36 blocks. Leave a raw edge.

• Lay out the circle blocks on a design wall or bed, 6 blocks X 6 blocks.

Begin sewing 2 by 2 until you have 6 rows of 6. At that point the cross rows can sewn together.
Once the main quilt is sewn then prepare the yo-yo’s for applique.

The 4 inch circle fits the large yo-yo perfectly.

• Then applique the 25 yo-yo’s at the background fabric intersections.
• Cut 4 strips of orange border fabric approximately 6 inches X 48 inches

(measure your quilt top as seam allowances may vary)
• Then sub cut 2 of the 4 strips 6″ X 36″

• Sew the 36″ border to top and bottom of the quilt

• Then sew the 48″ border to the sides.

This quilt was custom by Jackie in CT. She quilted the swirls in the circle centers and meander around the yo-yo’s. The raw edges of the circles were NOT quilted to allow them to fray a bit for added dimension.

The quilt will be square 47″ X 47″.

• Next take a 5 inch acrylic Omnigrid circle template and line the curve with the corner of the border.

• Using a rotary cutter trim the point off the quilt.
Make bias binding with your favorite method and sew to quilt. Make sure to ease binding around the corners.

A quilt about 47 X 47 inches.

Vickie E

Grocery Bag Dispenser

1 sweet charm pack
two 19″ x 3 1/2″ strips white bella solids
20″ x 20″ piece white bella solids
20″ x 20″ piece warm & natural batting
30″ of 1/2″ wide elastic

ribbon &/or rick rack

lay out 16 of your fav charms from your charm pack in a 4×4 layout.

sew the 1st row. pressing seam to the right.
sew the 2nd row. pressing seam to the left.
sew the 3rd row. pressing seam to the right again.
and then sew the 4th row. pressing seam to the left again.
{this will ensure perfect seams.}

join row 1 & row 2. press.
add row 3. press.
add row 4. press.

layer with the 20″ x 20″ piece of bella solids & 20″ x 20″ batting.
baste.
and quilt as desired. {i went with good ol’ stipple quilting.}
then trim off your edges just like you would if you were about to complete a quilt.

take your two 19″ x 3 1/2″ strips of white bella solids and fold them in half like you would binding. press.

with the opening facing outwards on, just like binding, sew your strip on.

you’ll want to do this to the top and the bottom of your little quilt.
yours should look just like mine.

cut 12″ from your elastic and place a safety pin at one end, like so.

feed the safety pin end of your elastic through the strip on the TOP of your quilt.

once you pull the pin through to the other side, you’ll need to remove the pin and secure the loose end of your elastic by sewing over it.

trim it nice & neat once it’s secure.

here’s what your top will look like once it’s done.
now cut 10″ from your elastic and do this process again for the bottom.

after you’ve sewn your elastic into place, you’re gonna have a funky looking quilt like this.

take the remaining 8″ of elastic and fold it in half.
this will be for you to hang your dispenser by.

{you can use ribbon, rick rack or even fabric here instead of elastic.}

take your little quilt, right sides together and start to sew down the long, open side.
the ends of your elastic are gonna be a little finicky, but you can do it!!!
promise.

before you go too far, take that folded elastic from the previous step and slide it in place with the opening facing outwards near the top of your quilt.
{i placed mine about 1/2″ from the bottom of the white fabric.}

after you have sewn down the side, this is what your little quilt will look like now.

now flip that bad boy right side out …

and you are done.
{unless you want to wash it & dry it for that straight from the dryer crinkly goodness like i did.}

now all you have to do is add your grocery bags and enjoy!!!

did i mention it takes less than an hour to whip up one of these???
so go whip up a few for you, your mom, your sister & your neighbor…they’re all gonna want one once they see yours!!!

rachel of p.s. i quilt

Sweet Secret Stars

 Here’s my attempt at an artful shot of my Sweet Secret Stars quilt top. I’m no Camille, that’s for sure. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from trying this Sweet project!

For this project you’ll need a Sweet Honey Bun, Layer Cake, 3/8 yard of pink Bella solid, 3/8 yard green Bella solid and 1 yard of the Sweet border of your choice.

If you can bear it, unwrap your cute honey bun and cut the strips in half at the fold. Take as much time as you need, I can wait!

Select 4 of your favorite strips and stitch them together making a strip set. Press seams in one direction.

Make a minimum of 16 strip sets. Vary the placement of lights and darks as this will make your blocks more interesting.

Cut each strip set into 1 1/2 inch segments. You will need a total of 200 segments.

From your Sweet Layer Cake, cut (49) 4 1/2 inch squares. (I cut 2 from each of the 40 layer cake pieces so that I would have plenty of choices when I laid out my blocks.)

Cut 160 pink 1 1/2 inch squares for your snowball blocks and your half snowball blocks. Draw a pencil line diagonally across each pink square, place on larger square and stitch on the line. OR stitch across using your favorite method. For your snowball blocks stitch a pink square on each corner, for your half snowball blocks stitch a pink square to two adjacent corners. Press away from square to create a corner triangle, trim excess from back of block.

This is where I suggest the line method, so you will have nice points that match up with your patchwork blocks. Unlike mine, which match up, some of the time.

For this quilt you will need 31 snowball blocks, 50 patched blocks and 18 half snowball blocks.

Layout your blocks as shown in the photo of the quilt below. The half snowballs blocks have their pink points facing inward. Begin and end row 1 and all odd rows with a patchwork block, alternating blocks. Row 1 and 11 will have only half snowball blocks, row one facing down, row 11 facing up. Even rows will begin with a half snowball facing to the right and end with a half snowball facing left.

Borders

From Bella Solid green cut (5) 1 1/2 strips. Measure length of quilt, stitch 3 strips together and cut two strips for side borders. Stitch to sides of quilt. Measure width of quilt, using remaining strips cut top and bottom inner border. Stitch borders to top and bottom of quilt.

From Sweet Border print cut (6) 5 inch strips. Stitch 3 strips together for one long strip. Measure length of quilt. Cut two strips for side borders. Stitch to sides of quilt. Stitch remaining 3 strips together, measure width of quilt, cut two strips for top and bottom borders. Stitch to quilt.

This quilt would be called Sweet Not So Secret Stars had I reversed the green and pink, the green is a higher contrast and would show off more. But I like the subtle nature of the pink.. so there you go. You can decide for yourself which you like best. You could use your squares plain and it would be just as Sweet!

Fresh from the garden

One 56 x 48 inch Sweet Quilt top!

Stitch your segments into units of 4. This is where you’ll thank me for suggesting you press those strips in one direction. You will need 50 blocks.

Braided Rag Rug

please click here for kits available to make this rag rug

1 honey bun of your choice (featured is “sweet” by urban chiks) and

4 yards of white fabric

cut your 4 yards of white fabric to 1 1/2 inch widths (yup ALL of it)

once it’s all cut up get three strips of fabric and sew them stacked on top of each other (i wanted the middle of my rug to be all white)

safety pin your three sewn strips anywhere you can be comfy (you are going to be there for a while! i did mine attached to my runner on my dining room table) this is the start of your braid.
start braiding your white fabric
****EDITED****
****you need to make sure your braiding is SUPER LOOSE. do not make your braids tight at all. if they are tight they will make your rag rug curl up when you try to sew it together.******
once you get close to the end of your braid you are going to fold over the end of your strip and snip with your scissors a slit.

like so, and then you will do the same to the next strip that will be the following strip to lengthen your braid (do this to each of the three strips)

you will take the next strip and place it on top of the braided strip

grab the end of your new strip (the end without the slit) and pull through both slits (from behind)

this will adjoin your strips and you will be able to continue your braid
this is what it should look like, now keep braiding.

once you get close to the end of your braid you are going to do the same as you did before and make a slit at the ends of your braided strips and at the beginning of your next strips this time wanted to add color so i took one strip of the honey bun and two of the white strips i cut out.

it should now look like this. this will be what you do through out the whole process of braiding your rug. one color in the middle and two whites on the outside.

as you continue to braid your braid will get too long so unhook your safety pin and re-pin it closer to your end.

this is how it should look as you continue to braid. make sure your fabric “folds” with the right side out and continue to braid it loosely

once you have completely braided ALL your strips together. you are going to sew you braid “shut” this tail will be tucked at the very end and you wont see it.
now that you have a whole mess of a braid going on…we are off to hand sew it together.
get some sturdy thread (i recommend one you use for upholstery) and a needle and you are going to start off by coiling your start of the long braid (the whites)

start by hand stitching your coil center like so. (start in the very center of your coil first and work your way out)
*****EDITED*****
make sure once you get your center started and going…place your coil on a flat surface. this will ensure that your rug lays flat with each coil.
also make sure you do not overlay the braids at all. they need to be laying flat and to be sewn side by side to each other.

you are going to continue to hand stitch your braids together, do this for the whole rug. what you are sewing is your back, when you are done, the stitches should be fairly hidden from the top. (the other side)

when you get to your end, make sure you tuck and stitch the end of your braid so that the tail is on the bottom of your rug and hidden when you turn it over. (snip the extra part of your tail if you like)
****to make your rug a little sturdier, i recommend adding a felt backing to your rug.
first start off with placing your rug on top of your large piece of felt, (you can buy it at walmart for pretty cheap off the bolt you will need aprox 1 1/2 yards (just in case so you can piece a little if needed)) and cutting out the same size as your finished rug.
next hand sew around your rug on top of the felt.
and then at random places adhere your rug in the middle (and all over) by doing big stitches through your coils.
look what you made! isn’t it pretty? and it will look so great ANYWHERE! (make some smaller circles to make bar stool seat covers!)

1 rag rug with width of 32 inches

if you’d like to purchase a kit to make this rag rug please visit this site

*****

to clean your rag rug properly we advise you to wash your rug and lay flat to air dry

******

instructions by vanessa from V and Co.

Sweet Candy Quilt

Featured Fabric collection Sweet by Urban Chiks

Main Block Bkgd: 9900-23 5 yards
Main Block Fan: 2 Jelly Rolls™or 80–2½”xWOF strips
Main Block triangle & quarter circle:5 assorted tonals ½ yd. EA
Inner border: 31057-14 ½ yard
Final border & binding: 31052-15 2 yds.

The complete pattern to make this quilt is posted on the moda website under the Fun Stuff/Free Patterns tab.

Print copies of the the fan shape on lightweight or typing paper. You will be using the paper to flip and sew the fan shape. Cut the jelly rolls into approx 5″ long strips. Arrange 8 strips for each fan. (make sure your birds are going right side up!)

To use any paper foundation method or flip and sew technique, it is best to use a very small stitch. This will almost perforate the paper and be easy to tear off just like tearing a page from a tablet. Lay 2 pieces of fabric right sides together and lay them on top of the fan piece. Align the edge of the fabric along the solid line. Sew 1/4″ from the edge. Flip the fabric open and finger press. Fold the edge of the fabric back and cut using the next solid line as your guide. Add another piece of fabric right sides together and sew. (as shown below) I just started sewing from end of the fan to the other. You will notice the fan template has you start in the middle, flip and sew in both directions. Both directions will work.

Continue sewing all 8 petals of the fan. Make a template for the fan that includes the seam allowances. Lay it on top and trace to get your cutting lines.

This is what the back of the fan will look like with the paper. Small stitches and the paper will tear off very easily.

Follow the pattern from the website to make the entire quilt.

I was playing around with some options. The picture below is featuring ric rac so you have a nice edge turned under with 1/2 the ric rac peeking through. Sew the ric rac on top of the fan (pictured here) I loved this.

Turn the ric rac under and press. Now you can machine or hand applique the fan in place with a ric rac edging. Next time I will use a larger ric rac so more shows through once I have turned the edge.

I also played around with other bella solid colors as backgrounds. Who doesn’t love the bubble gum pink? I also couldn’t resist putting 4 fans together to make a Dresden plate type pattern.

What about good ol’ 30’s green?

lots of options…………………Sweet by Urban Chiks

thank you to Angela Worrell for letting me use her quilt in progress for photos

Baby Burp Cloths & Bib Set

4 Fat Quarters – featured Sweet by Urban Chiks

3 cloth diapers with absorbent padding

1/2 yard Pellon Fusible Fleece

16″ of 7/8″ or 1″ ribbon or trim for bib strap

Buttons (min. 2) – featured April Cornell Star buttons for Moda.

2 – 1″ Suspender/Mitten Clips by Dritz

Clover YoYo Makers – featured sizes 30mm and 45mm

Craft Glue

Hand Needle

Coordinating thread

Any additional fabric, ribbon, buttons, etc. for bib embellishments.

Gather all your ingredients.

BURP CLOTHS

Step One:

Three of the four fat quarters will be used for the burp cloths and bibs. The fourth fat quarter is used for yoyo embellishments and any other embellishments you desire.

From each of the three fat quarters, cut a 6″ wide strip from the shortest length. Your strips should be about 22″ long.

Step Two:

Iron all the fabric pieces and the burp cloths.

Step Three:

Iron the 6″ strips on all four ends. On the longest sides, fold and iron to the wrong side about 1/2″. On the shorter ends, fold and iron about 1″ or whatever it takes to fit on the burp cloth.

Step Four:

Center and pin the fabric to the middle of the burp cloth. the fabric should be aligned with the absorbent padding on the cloth diaper.

Step Five:
Sew about an 1/8″ all the way around the fabric onto the cloth diaper.

Step Six:
Do this on all three diapers with your three different fabric choices.

Step Seven:

Fold the diaper end in towards the back of the burp cloth and fold over so the fabric side is facing out.

BABY BIBS

Step One:
Using the same fat quarters that you cut from for the burp cloths, cut two 10 1/2″ squares from each of the three fabrics. Place two of the fabrics of the same fat quarter, right sides together.

Step Two:

Using the 30mm YoYo maker as a guide, cut the four corners so that they are rounded.

Step Three:

Place one of the fabric pieces face side up on the fusible side of the fleece. Iron to adhere the fleece to the wrong side of the fabric.

Step Four:

trim the fusible fleece so that it is the same size of the fabric. Re-align the other piece of fabric right sides together to the fused piece of fabric.

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to add any embellishments to the bib before it is sewn together, do so now. I like to add any embellishments such as ribbon and letter applique’s now so my stitching does not show on the other side of the bib. Any YoYo embellishments I like to add after the bib is all sewn together so I don’t have to worry about any bulkiness while sewing. I add all my embellishement to the fabric that is fused to the fleece for stability. It then becomes the front side of the bib when completed.

Step Five:

Sew 1/4″ seam all the way around the bib leaving about a 3″ opening to flip.

Step Six:

Because the corners were rounded there is no need to snip the corners. Flip the bib right side out and press. Fold and press the opening to match the rest of the bib. Sew a 1/8″ stitch all the way around the bib. This will also close the opening so there is no need to whip stitch closed.

Step Seven:

Add any other embellishments you wish to complete your bib cloth.

Repeat these steps for the other two bib cloths and embellish as desired. I used my fourth fat quarter for accent embellishments such as the “C” applique’ and the YoYos.

Step Eight:

Weave the 16″ piece of ribbon or trim through one of the sides of the suspender clip. Roll the end of the ribbon down hiding the raw edge of the ribbon and stitch down as close to the clip as possible. NOTE: Be sure the rolled edge of the ribbon is on the same side as the back side of the suspender clip.

Repeat this step for the other side of the ribbon.

Step Nine:

Using the 45mm YoYo maker, make two yoyo’s out of the fourth fabric fat quarter using the instructions that came with your yoyo maker. Stitch on a button to the top of each of the yoyo’s to finish off.

Step Ten:

Apply a drop of Craft Glue to the top side of each of the suspender clips. Carefully place the yoyo’s on either side of the strap.

You may even want to open the suspender clip while drying so the glue does not leak onto the other parts of the clip. Let Dry.

Step Eleven:

Clip the bib strap onto one of the bib cloths. The bib strap can easily be transitioned to any of the bib cloths. When washing the bib cloths, simply remove the strap. I would suggest that you wash in cold water and then lay out to dry.

To Package your Bibs and Burp Cloths, simply roll the bibs and place ontop of the burp cloths. Then use the Bib strap to wrap around the set and clip the ribbon using one side of the clips, letting the other clip just dangle.

Makes 3 burb cloths, 3 bib cloths, and 1 bib strap.

Very quick and easy project to make when your in a pinch.

Personalize these adorable little cloths with a baby’s initial or name.

Enjoy!

Angela Yosten

Valentine Pennie Pockets

Four little nosegay Pennie Pockets of Valentine happiness. Fill with treats and love… hang on a front door handle… ring the doorbell… and RUN!

• 6 slices of a Moda Layer Cake (6 – 10″ x 10″ squares). Sweet by Urban chicks featured.
• 2 strips (2 – 1½” strips) from a roll of Sweet Honey Buns.
• Optional: Clover “Large” (orange) Yo-Yo maker.

• Pearl beads in assorted sizes.

1. Select 4 slices of Layer Cake (4 – 10″x10″ pieces) and cut each piece diagonally once for your outer pocket and liner pocket pieces.

2. Arrange your outer pocket and liner triangles into four units.

3. Select 2 slices of Layer Cake (2- 10″x10″ pieces) and cut in half horizontally and then in half vertically to yield eight 5″ squares for prairie points and yo-yo’s. Arrange 2 groups – four pieces for prairie points, and 4 pieces for yo-yo’s. Make four yo-yo’s according to the directions from your Clover yo-yo maker (or use your favorite yo-yo making method if no Clover tool is used).

4. Make 4 prairie points total by diagonally folding the wrong sides together of each 5″ square. Press. Fold over again diagonally. Press.

5. Cut four 1½” x 16″ pieces from two Honey Bun strips. (two from each strip)

6. Fold and press handle strip in half lengthwise with wrong side inside. Open and press long edges to center. Refold in half and press. Repeat for all handle strips. Top-stitch on outer edges to finish handles.

7. Pin a prairie point on center on it’s raw edge to the edge of the outer pocket piece. Pin raw edges of handle on each side of the prairie point.

8. Tuck the handle ends half way under the prairie point.

9. Pin liner pocket piece to outer pocket piece. Sew a 1/4″ seam to join pieces. Back-stitch beginning and end of seam.

10. Press unit towards the liner piece. Flip one pressed side about an inch in the opposite pressing direction and press (see photo in step 13). This will help your unit nest nicely in the step 12.

11. Tuck handle under prairie point. This will help keep your handle from migrating into the seam in the next step.

12. Fold over diagonally, right sides together. Stitch a ¼” seam around edge, stopping about an inch past the turn (right blue pin). Leave about a 3″ opening for turning, and continue stitching the edge (after left blue pin). Back-stitch all beginning and ending stitches.

13. Trim all corner points about ⅛” from seam to reduce bulk after turning.

14. Turn unit inside out. A chop-stick makes for a great turning/pointy poking tool, especially if it’s cute like my little strawberry one. Pin turn-opening closed, and top-stitch or whip-stitch edges closed.

15. Sew a pearl bead to a yo-yo center. Secure with knot. Sew yo-yo to the bottom point of the prairie point. Secure with a knot and hide thread tail between prairie point layers.

16. To attache dangle beads, take your chop-stick or turning tool and make sure liner point is as far down into the pocket as possible. With needle and thread, exit needle at the pennie’s point. Thread 3 beads, from large to medium to small. Make a “u-turn” and thread back into medium and then large bead. Pull taught (but not too taught). Enter the needle back into the pennie’s point and knot-off and hide thread tail in between layers of fabric.

17. Fill with candy, fabric, love coupons, sewing tools/notions, flowers, Cheeze-It’s, etc.

One package each of Layer Cakes and Honey Buns will yield 24 Pennie Pockets.

Ding-dong-ditchin’ good clean fun!
Monica/Happy Zombie