Inspire. Empower. Create.
Imagine the perfect neighborhood. Are the homes quaint and colorful? Are the streets lined with stately oaks? (Is there an ice cream shop on the corner??)
Best of all, who lives next door? Is it your dearest friend? Your grandkids? Maybe it’s Jenny Doan!
This week you can stitch up the neighborhood of your dreams with tiny houses, big houses, two-story houses, and even trees made with the scraps! Click HERE to learn how to make this quick and easy layer cake pattern!
Are you watching the Big Game soon? Chances are, you or someone you love is! Whether you love the game or not, you can’t deny that it’s a great chance to get together and be surrounded by friends and good snacks!
In the Doan family, we take any chance we can get to get together and throw a party. We love a good theme and going all out! In that spirit, here are a few projects that you can whip up in no time and make extra special, with the addition of some fabric representing your favorite sports teams.
Turn this apron into your favorite Game Day kitchen adornment with just a switch up of the fabric! Choose some solids or print fabrics in the colors of your sport team or choose some sports logo fabric for your apron and boldly show off your love of your team! All you need is one yard of fabric to get started. Sew up this project with Misty here!
You can never have too many pot holders around the kitchen—and you surely can’t go wrong with a potholder made out of your favorite team’s fabric! In this easy tutorial, you simply take a block you already have (or stitch up a new one quickly), layer some insul-bright, add a piece for backing, and stitch them all together! Sew up this project and find the material list here!
Carry your hot dips and snacks to the party in style in a casserole carrier! Grab some fabric celebrating your team and stitch up your new favorite potluck buddy. Learn how to make one for yourself or gift one to your #1 football lovin’ cook here!
It’s always cold in Hamilton, Missouri when the Big Game comes around. What better time to snuggle up and watch the game in a new blanket? Stitch up this “Blipper” Quilt in your favorite fleece and get ready to cozy up and cheer on your team (or laugh at all of the great commercials!). This is no normal quilt – this one comes with an added pocket for your feet! Make one for you or a loved one here.
Do you enjoy watching sporting events with family and friends? Have you made anything quilty to support your love of the game? Leave a comment and let us know!
Never judge a quilt by its name—even if that name is Swamp Angel, Corn and Beans, or Oklahoma Boomer.
Because if wack-a-doo names scare you off, you will miss gems like this week’s new quilt: Hearts and Gizzards. (Yep, Hearts…and Gizzards.)
Hearts and Gizzards is a gorgeous, old-fashioned layer cake pattern composed of pretty hearts that form flowers (or gizzards?). It’s dainty. It’s feminine. And its name is absolutely weird!
Click HERE to watch the tutorial, and keep an eye out for a bonus table runner at the end!
Love is more than turning a blind eye when an unexpected shipment of fabric arrives. Love is a gift. Valentine’s Day is closely approaching and this year, share your love of quilting and crafts with someone special in your life. Gifts made from the heart are the best kind of present; nothing is more treasured than a handmade Valentine that shows the time and commitment of the crafting process.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your Valentine this year, look no further! We’ve collected six of our favorite quick and easy Valentine’s Day projects that you can make today. Whether you’re creating a beautiful new quilt to snuggle under or a scrap busting token of affection, remember to add each stitch with love!
What’s the perfect complement to a Valentine’s Day homemade candle lit dinner? An adorable table setting! The Zigzag Place Mats and Napkins project is a quick and easy addition to your Valentine’s Day celebration that creates a beautiful atmosphere to get lost in your sweethearts company in. By using your favorite 5″ squares of precut quilting fabric, you can add a truly individualized touch to this fantastic table setting.
If you’re looking for inspiration or just wanting to go all out (it’s cute when it’s over the top isn’t it?), consider picking up a heart themed charm pack to really tie your place mats together. Heart to Heart Batiks Stamps by Kathy Engle for Island Batik are a sweet chic collection of groovy hearts, check, dots, and much more in a red, black, and white color scheme. These classic colors and symbols of love are perfect when illuminated by candle light!
February can be a cold month, especially here in Hamilton, Missouri. Although the days are short and the nights are frigid, we can always count on our quilts to keep us warm. Keep it simple this Valentine’s Day and create a new quilt to cuddle under with your loved one! The Inside Out Heart quilt is a stunning geometric design that will not only be perfect for a Valentine’s Day at home, but also for a spring picnic when the weather is warm.
Jenny suggests using a colorful solid layer cake for this pattern as to not draw attention to the fabric and away from the design. The pastel spectrum will be your friend for this pattern, creating a muted and soft design that you just can’t help but smile at. Confetti Cottons Pastel 10″ Stackers for Riley Blake are perfect for this project; they are exactly the vibrancy you’ll be looking for and offer a wide variety of color choices! Don’t forget to expedite your quilt making with a Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmer A to get this 36″ x 36″ lap quilt done in time to celebrate.
Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >
Loads of Love Tea Towel
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be fun, it doesn’t have to be all candlelit dinners and roses! Spruce up your home this season with a Loads of Love Tea Towel featuring an oh-so-cute applique truck that is loaded with love! This project can be completed in a day and the applique pattern is completely free and ready to print!
You’ll need a tea towel for this project, but don’t be afraid to just use one that’s been in your kitchen for years. With just a little scrap fabric and some Heat N Bond, you can upcycle it into a treasured seasonal decoration that you’ll use for years to come!
Love is in the Air Wall Hanging
If you’re looking for more traditional décor, a Love is in the Air Wall Hanging is the way to go! This project is simple to create, like the Loads of Love Tea Towel, because it comes together quickly by using applique. Classic Valentine’s Day elements such as hearts and sprawling vines come together to create this piece of art that will be the perfect addition to your home or sewing room.
You’ll need a Layer Cake for this project, but you can certainly have some fun with the fabric! From the Heart 10″ Stackers from Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake feature red and cream 10″ squares of flowers, hearts, stripes, and other Valentine’s Day prints that are perfect for the mood of this project. These fun designs will better complement this project as they mirror the design!
Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >
When in doubt, the Mug Rug is a great go-to project for any level of quilter! There’s almost nothing better than a hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa and now you can make each cup extra special by serving it on a custom made Mug Rug that’s stitched with love. Not only will this quick and easy project protect your table from the heat and condensation of your cup, it makes waking up each morning extra special!
Bust out your Wacky Web template and a love-inspired Charm Pack and you’ll be halfway done with this fast moving project! If you’re gifting this project to your Valentine (we won’t judge if you want to make one for yourself) then Sending Love 5″ Stackers by My Mind’s Eye for Riley Blake will help bolster the emotional appeal of the season. As this can easily be an everyday use item however, you can always get a little creative and use a favorite color palette or design!
Watch the Free Mug Rug Tutorial >
Artsi2 Valentine’s Quilt Board
Turn your fabric stash into art with an Artsi2 Valentine’s Quilt Board! These no-fuss boards require no sewing at all and can be ready in a flash to help decorate your home for the holiday. Using the back of a small seam ripper, just tuck your pieces of fabric into the precut grooves of the adhesive backed quilt board and there you have it; a unique decorative piece of art with little effort!
Quilt boards are great for inspiring others to start crafting, so instead of making this one for your secret admirer (or not so secret!), make it a date where you both can share the fun of creating something together.
Hugs make us happy.
A good snuggle releases oxytocin, a chemical associated with happiness and less stress. But I wonder…can quilts do the same?
This week Jenny, Misty, and Natalie showcase 3 new projects based on the classic X’s and O’s quilt. And these hugs and kisses are almost as sweet as the real thing!
Jenny’s Design
Jenny calls her quilt “Social Distanced Hugs” because the O’s are separated with a fun sashing. (What a unique way to remember these “unprecedented times!”)
Natalie’s Design
Natalie adds Wonky Star legs to her quilt, creating a kaleidoscopic rainbow of diamonds, and Misty replaces her O blocks with hearts for a pretty Valentine’s quilt AND bonus table runner!
Misty’s Design
Click HERE to watch this hug-filled Triple Play tutorial!