Ten Totally FREE Scrap Friendly Projects

Staying at home can get a little monotonous, but we’re here to make it more fun. There’s so much you can do with the fabric you have right on hand. We’ve rounded up a few gorgeous quilt patterns from some of our favorite designers and guess what? They’re completely free! All you have to do is make sure you’re signed into your Missouri Star account, click, download, and start stitching. They’re sure to keep you inspired as you quilt from the comfort of home.

What can you make with your stash? Check out these 10 free patterns below and then click on the link to download them for free! There’s no way you’re going to be bored for one minute with all these amazing projects to keep you busy.

  1. Bounce by Heidi Pridemore for Timeless Treasures
    Bounce
    An engaging strip pieced quilt in batiks using fusible applique. Make it scrappy with your leftover strips!
  2. Starburst by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics 
    Starburst
    A lovely lone star quilt in eye-popping colors! Make it your own with any prints you have on hand for an eclectic result.
  3. Criss Cross by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts for Andover Fabric 
    Criss Cross
    A beautiful red and white quilt with X blocks separated by flying geese. Stitch it up in two tones or more with what you have in your scrap basket.
  4. Rue 1800 by 3 Sisters for Moda Fabrics
    Henriette Kit
    An elegant star quilt in a pastel color palette that could easily be made from assorted fat quarters. Mix and match them to make some quilting magic.
  5. Wiggle Room by Stacey Day for FreeSpirit Fabrics
    Wiggle Room
    A dazzling quilt in a spectrum of color. Try it in solids for a rainbow effect or in subdued prints for a completely new look, and it’s almost all fat quarters!
  6. Arrowhead by Ariga Mahmoudlou for Robert Kaufman 
    Arrowhead
    A striking pattern that uses just a few select solids. Change it up with any solids you have on hand or try subtle prints that range from dark to light.
  7. Clover Field by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman
    Clover Field
    A completely fresh take on a star quilt with extra pizzazz. Try it with a darker background and light fabric for stars or even use prints! Either way it’s sure to shine.
  8. Medallion March by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman 
    Medallion March
    A bold medallion quilt in a range of reds, but it could be any color you can imagine! What if you used all blue fabrics? Or purple? The possibilities are endless.
  9. Snookered by Kaffe Fassett for FreeSpirit Fabrics 
    Snookered
    A diamond quilt set on point in playful prints. Mix and match to showcase your favorite prints and see what happens! It’s bound to be fabulous.

     

     

  10. Coastal Getaway Quilt by Monique Jacobs for Maywood Studio
    Image result for coastal getaway quilt pattern
    A fat quarter-friendly quilt in soothing cool colors, but you can make it your own with any prints in your favorite color palette.

Bonus: Rounded Clutch Bag by Sara Davies for Riley Blake 
Rounded Clutch Bag
A cute clutch bag that could be made from any fabrics you have squirreled away. What about featuring a favorite print you’ve been saving right on the front?

Next steps after hitting “download” on your favorite free pattern:

  1. Make sure you are logged into your Missouri Star Account.
  2. Click on the “Account” button to the right of the search bar.
  3. Click on Patterns & Downloads.
  4. Select “View PDF” to download and/or print your free pattern.

Spring Quilt Market Recap

I’ll admit it, I’m a Quilt Market newbie. It was my very first time attending this amazing event and I left feeling inspired, exhausted, and simply in awe of all the beauty and talent I’d just witnessed. As a writer for Missouri Star, it’s not often that I make my way out into the public eye. I usually work behind the scenes, but when the opportunity came for me to attend Market in my hometown, I jumped at it!

I made my way through both Schoolhouse and Market with the fervor of a puppy, excitedly admiring my favorite designers and trying not to drool. There was so much to see and so little time to see it in, I hope this recap does it justice. All I can say is, we’re all in for a big treat this summer and fall when these incredible collections start coming into stores! I have a feeling you’re going to adore them.

Some of the Missouri Star gang met up briefly before we scattered to our various duties at Market. We’re always happy to see each other!

From right to left:

Nichole Spravzoff, Jo Hellberg, Rob Appell, Jenny Doan, Ron Doan, Nancy Rosenberger, and Karen O’Shea.

As an avid Cotton + Steel fan, I feel like I should mention their last collections with RJR Fabrics first. These ladies are truly wonderful and I can’t wait to see what they’ll do next!

Their brightly-colored booth was a standout in the center of Market. With coordinating thread and a wall of rainbow-hued fabrics from all their collections, I could hardly restrain myself! Each of their new collections is just as wonderful as ever.

Kimberly Kight’s latest collection, Steno Pool, is the epitome of vintage office cuteness! Imagine slipping into that darling frock before heading off to a day in the typing pool with that bag on your arm to boot! I wouldn’t mind one bit.

Rashida Coleman Hale’s collection, Akoma, has a lot of heart. It’s all about patience and tolerance, featuring Adinkra symbols originally created by the Akan of Ghana and the Gyaman of Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa. To me, it definitely says, “Girl power!”

Moonrise is a serene collection of quietly bold fabrics, infused with the magic of the moonlit hours. Eclipses don’t happen too often and neither does a collection as special as hers.

Front Yard by Sarah Watts completely delighted me with its whimsical toadstools and gnome prints in bright, bold colors. I couldn’t walk past without smiling ear to ear.

Melody Miller has such a playful style. I could imagine Carol Brady herself wearing this sweet, yellow dress adorned with flowers while whipping up a meatloaf for a family of eight. It’s simply adorable. See more from her Freshly Picked collection HERE.

Alison Glass was not to be missed at this Quilt Market. Her collection astounded me with its spectrum of beautiful, yarn-dyed solids. Like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, her smaller projects were wonderful little surprises that accented her main collection perfectly. Who wouldn’t want to make a few of these darling mini quilts designed by Guicy Guice? Hehe!

Next up, I have a feeling that Wolf Abstractions by Violet Craft will be a howling success! This majestic, geometric wolf is king of all he sees.

And Violet hasn’t stopped there. She’s gone back to her roots and created a collection inspired by her home state, Kansas. As she likes to say, “You can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can’t take Kansas out of the girl.”

Her Farmland Series includes an udderly cute cow, a perky EPP rooster, and a sunflower table runner.

 

Our friend, Tula Pink, is here with a new fun, funky collection called Zuma. It seems to be equal parts ocean-inspired and laid-back hippy, which I totally love. It has a strong nautical theme with bright, neon accents throughout. I could practically squeal over those Volkswagen bus pillows! (I think I did.)

Big props to Valori Wells, one of the first designers who inspired me to quilt. Her 40th fabric collection, Marmalade Dreams, is simultaneously light and breezy, with a lot of history behind it. She simply oozes creativity and finds inspiration in exotic locales and block printing, another one of her artistic outlets.

This fantastic Trip Around the World quilt includes pieces of each of her 40 fabric collections. It truly has been an incredible journey for her so far and I’m excited to see where her travels will lead her next!

Quietly powerful, Carolyn Friedlander’s newest collection, Polk, has a homespun sensibility with all the appeal of Modern design. I adore her color combinations with that bright pop of melon in the mix.

And I know you’re all excited for another awesome collection from Elizabeth Hartman! Her latest designs feature the cuddliest little penguins, narwhals, polar bears, foxes, and other creatures of the Arctic in cool, muted colors.

I could really go on and on about all the fabulous collections I saw at Market, but for your sake and mine, I think I’ll go take a little nap and dream about all the exciting things that will be on their way soon! I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into a beginner’s first experience at Quilt Market.

Until next time, Happy Quilting! —Nichole

 

10 Quick and Easy Handmade Gift Ideas!

Have you bitten off a little more than you can chew this year with your holiday projects? We all love giving homemade gifts, but sometimes we forget how much work goes into making them! Well, jump right into the festive MSQC spirit, watch a few fabulous tutorials, and in no time you’ll be full of holiday cheer and ready to tackle that gift list you’ve been avoiding!

10 handmade gifts pinnable

Here is a list of ten simple projects that are truly quick and easy. You’ll be able to finish any of these gifts just in time to sneak them under the tree! And here’s the bonus: Each one has a FREE VIDEO TUTORIAL to teach you how to make it step by step!!

1. Classic Zipper Pouch #dontfearthezipper

If you’ve never used zippers in your projects before, you’ll be amazed at how easy it truly is! Watch the tutorial once and you’ll find yourself making little pouches of all shapes and sizes for the whole family! It takes so little time you could practically make them on Christmas Eve!

2. Drawstring Gift Bag

gift bags straight on

This tutorial is so much fun and you won’t believe how awesome the results are! It takes about half an hour to make one of these cuties. Fill them up with something special (or yummy!) and give them out to a dozen of your friends!

3. Fabric Catch-All Box

holiday boxes 1

These little fabric boxes are so simple to make! Make them big or little! Fill them with anything you’d like! They are great for gifting and for organizing clutter around the house.

4. Burrito Pillowcase

Sewing a beautiful, personalized pillowcase is such a thoughtful, fun project and it doesn’t take much time at all! Make the holidays even more special with pillowcases for the whole family and you won’t have trouble pleasing everyone on your gift list.

5. Tech Case

ipad cover tutorial

Everyone seems to be getting new technology for Christmas, but what will they put their tablets in? That’s where you come to the rescue! It’s a practical and thoughtful gift for the techies in your life!

6. Fabric Scrap Dog Bed

Don’t forget man’s best friend! This simple pet bed is like a pillowcase stuffed with all your fabric scraps! It’s the perfect way to use up all the excess fabric and batting you have around the house. It will keep your pet comfy and cozy all winter long!

7. Improv Tote Bag

tote5 copy

This great tutorial teaches you how to make a stunning tote bag from a jelly roll! Once you get going, you might not be able to stop! You’ll be finding any excuse to make another! They are a lot of fun to put together and take less than a couple hours to finish!

8. No Sew Blanket

Don’t have time to sew a quilt this Christmas? Jenny Doan’s got the perfect solution for you! Quick, personalized, no sew-blankets will help you survive the holiday rush! Everyone loves cuddling up with their favorite blanket. This is a project even the kids can help with!

9. Action Figure Holder

action figure holder

Do you know a child with loads of action figures? Control the clutter by making a special place to keep them! This handy action figure holder has clear pockets on the front and holds 24 figurines. That’s 24 fewer to step on! It hangs on the wall or folds up for easy storage. 

10. Crocheted Headband

crochet headband for blog

Make cute headbands for all the ladies in your family, and a few for yourself too! They are super easy to make and customize!

Find more quick and easy projects here:

New Missouri Star Website Features You’ll Love!

Have you switched over to the new MSQC site yet? It’s fresh and bright with bigger pictures, clean lines, and clearer categories. There’s plenty to love! Give us a little time and you’ll feel right at home.

We’ve been gearing up for the past few months to roll out our new website. It’s on it’s way pretty soon! We’re so excited, we can hardly wait! It’s packed with awesome new features just for you. Here are the top five reasons you’ll fall in love with it too!

Top Five reasons you’ll LOVE our new MSQC site!

1. Faster to use! Browse without lagging and when you click on an item and return to the page, your cursor will stay right where you left off! 

2. Improved searchability, just start typing and what you’re looking for appears!

Screenshot 2015-12-10 12.45.00 (1)

3. Keep track of your favorites with personalized wishlists.

Screenshot 2015-12-10 12.46.32

4. Now you can “heart” items that you love and view them in your very own list of “items I love.” The more you heart, the better the site becomes for you!

 

 

Screenshot 2015-12-10 12.46.49

5. BLOCK subscriptions are easier than ever to manage—gift subscriptions too! Click on the shiny new BLOCK category and you’ll find everything in the same place.

Here’s some other handy features we think are nifty.

Save time. When an item is out of stock, you’ll see it before you even have to click on it.

Screenshot 2015-12-10 12.45.49

Digital downloads are easier to access and keep track of now! 

Screenshot 2015-12-10 12.49.28

Keep checking back for new features. We’re always improving!

Keep an eye out for…

Better browsing and filtering options!

Simplified category searching—when you start typing in the search, the category appears!