Back to retreat: Meg provided us with the tiny clasps, and Kristen let us borrow her hot glue gun. It was a real team effort, and we had lots of them completed in no time. 

I was so delighted with these tiny bows that I specifically modified the Divided Tablet Tote pattern (releasing May 2026) to add a hanging tab.

Now every bag needs a coordinating bow!

Tiny Bow Tutorial

Want to make one of your own? Follow along with the steps below, or download the PDF instructions for future reference. 

Supplies required: 

• 10" square of fabric + small scrap
• Rotary cutter and ruler
• Fabric marking tool - I like SewLine's Air Erasing Pen
• Scissors
• Pointy object - I have a Purple Thang, but a chopstick will also work
• Iron
• Binding clip
• Sewing machine
• ½" Swivel snap hook / clasp - see below for details
• Hot glue gun

You'll probably have to order the swivel snap hooks. I bought these ones on Etsy (they ship from China), and these are the ones Meg shared with us at retreat. Emmaline Bags (in Canada) sells a different style, and a few ladies bought these ones from Stitch Supply Co while at retreat.

Don't overthink this purchase - just add to cart and get on with it!

Skill level required: beginner-friendly

Cut Fabric

Using a rotary cutter and ruler, cut out the following:

(Dimensions are width x height)

Main Fabric:

• 5" x 5" Bow Tails
• 3 ½" x 5" Bow Body

Accent Fabric:

• 2" x 3" Center Tie

Create the Bow Tails

Fold the Bow Tails in half WST, and then in half again to form a square approximately 2 ½" x 2 ½".

Draw a curved line from corner to corner, closest to the raw edges.

Cut the curve using scissors, being careful not to cut off either of the folded edges.

This will create a circle. 

Fold the circle in half RST and mark lines approximately ¾" away from the vertical fold.

The lines will be 1 ½" away from each other.

Sew ¼" away from the raw edges of the semi circle, leaving a 1 ½" gap between the marks.

Backstitch at the start and end of the gap to secure the stitches. 

Turn the semi circle right side out, using a chopstick or other pointy object to carefully push out the corners.

Use your fingers to tuck the fabric between the gap towards the inside. There is no need to stitch the gap closed. Press.

Mark the center of the arc along the curved edge.

Create several accordion-style folds along the long edge of the semi circle, making sure that the gap in stitching is towards the back.

Hold in place using a binding clip. 

With the center mark on top, bring the Bow Tails to your sewing machine and sew a few stitches, securing all the folds in place.

If this is too many layers for your sewing machine, you can always hand stitch it. 

Set aside for now.

Create the Bow Body

Fold the Bow Body in half RST, bringing the short edges together.

Mark a gap approximately 1 ½" along the top raw edge.

Sew ¼" away from the raw edges of the rectangle, leaving a 1 ½" gap between the marks.

Backstitch at the start and end of the gap to secure the stitches.

Trim the fabric near the corners using scissors, being careful not to cut into the seam allowance. 

Turn the Bow Body right side out and use a pointy object to carefully push out the corners. Tuck the fabric between the gap towards the inside. Press.

Mark the center of the edge with the gap in stitching.

Create several accordion-style folds along the long edge of the Bow Body, making sure the gap in stitching is toward the back.  Hold it in place using a binding clip. 

With the center mark on top, bring the Bow Body to your sewing machine and sew a few stitches, securing all the folds in place.

Both the Bow Body and Bow Tails will now have stitches securing their folds. 

Place a small dab of hot glue on top of the center mark of the Bow Tails.

Press the Bow Body to the Bow Tails, bringing the two center marks together.

This should ensure that both gaps in the stitching are at the back of the bow.

Use a binding clip to hold in place while the glue dries. This is now called the Bow.

Create the Center Tie

Fold the Center Tie in half, bringing the long edges together WST. Press.

Unfold the Center Tie and fold each long edge towards the center crease WST.

Fold in half along the crease, bringing WST (hiding the raw edges). This will create a rectangle that measures ½" x 3". 

Top stitch ⅛" away from the long edges of the Center Tie, or use hot glue if you’d prefer to have no visible stitches on your bow.

Create the Bow

Place a small dab of hot glue on the back side of the Bow (the side with the gaps in stitching) on top of the folds, and press one short end of the Center Tie in place.

The Center Tie should be extending below the Bow. 

Wrap the Center Tie underneath the Bow Tails to the front of the Bow and thread a ½" clasp onto the Center Tie. 

Use scissors to trim approximately ½" from the free end of the Center Tie. 

Place a small dot of hot glue along the free end of the Center Tie (on the back side of the Center Tie). 

Fold the free end of the Center Tie on itself by approximately ½".

Place a small dot of hot glue along the folded short edge of the Center Tie. 

Press the glued end of the Center Tie to the other end of the Center Tie and press in place. This encloses both raw ends of the Center Tie and finishes the Bow.

Tada! You’ve just made an adorable Tiny Bow!

Not sure what to do with it? I think it would look great hanging from a Divided Tablet Tote (releasing May 2026). Wink wink!

I specifically designed this bag with a hanging tab so you'd have a place to attach this cutie (or a bag charm, your car keys, hand sanitizer, or anything else your heart desires). 

Want to save this tutorial for future use? Tap on the image below and I'll email you a PDF copy!

Retreat Planning (and Choosing the Right Pattern)

I go to a quilting retreat with my sewing besties in Altoona, WI twice per year. Since my sewing time is constantly interrupted (by chatting, snacking, and admiring everyone’s projects), I’m always looking for simple patterns that don’t require too much concentration. 

I find that Emily Dennis’ patterns fit the bill perfectly, and I make a LOT of them. Lucky Links was on my to-make list for October 2025’s retreat, so I did a quick online search for new fabric that I could use for this project. 

I immediately fell for the colours and textures of the Garden Variety line by Anna Maria Textiles. It’s a yarn dyed “woven” collection, which means that it contains a variety (no pun intended) of different thicknesses, textures and finishes. 

I used quotation marks for the word woven because all quilting cottons are woven, but this is the term people use to describe this type of fabric.

I ordered a fat quarter bundle for the main blocks, and yardage for the chain blocks, backing, and binding. 

Falling for Fabric… Online

I live in a very small town and do the majority of my fabric shopping online. Mostly this turns out fine, but sometimes I like the way something looks on my screen more than I like the way it looks in real life. 

Such was the case when I purchased this fabric. Womp womp.

I totally understand that different screens show colours differently and that it’s impossible to 100% accurately portray something online, so I’m not blaming anyone in this situation, but I just didn’t *love* this line when it arrived at my house. Hoping that it might grow on me, I decided to proceed regardless. 

Based on the advice of many quilters on Instagram, I decided to pre-wash this fabric before cutting it (because wovens tend to shrink more than regular quilting cottons).

Preparing my Lucky Links quilt

The last project I made using any woven fabric was my Log Cabins quilt, and I recalled it being a bit tricky to get accurate results, so I stitched up a test chain block before fully committing. It didn’t turn out perfectly, but it was pretty close to the intended size which was a huge relief to me. 

Emboldened by the mostly-accurate result of my test block, I sewed up the rest of the chain blocks. They came together fairly quickly thanks to strip piecing, and in no time I had a nice stack of blocks. Emily’s patterns often have pressing directions which let you nest all of your seams, saving even more time (because you don’t need to pin). 

I cut out the rest of the quilt using the fat quarters, then tucked them into a Stitch Supply Co project bag before heading out to Wisconsin. 

Sewing the Quilt Top at Retreat

Since I was least excited about this project, I decided to sew it first. Sometimes my  willpower astounds me!!

The lighting inside the building is atrocious so I don’t take many in-progress pictures, but I did share this quick snap to Instagram.

At this point, I still wasn’t very excited about the colours or how they looked together in their piles. But did I give up? No! I cracked open a Diet Coke and got to work.

According to the obligatory “victory lap documentation” photo on my phone, I finished the quilt top by the end of the first full day at Retreat (Tuesday). My friend Angie helped me take some glamour shots outside, and once I was able to see the whole thing together I completely changed my mind about this project. 

Now I love it! 

It’s funny that seeing a pile of the chain blocks next to the main blocks did nothing for me, but once they were sewed together, it looked totally different. Somehow, the sum is more than its parts. Have you ever had a similar experience with a project? Let me know in the comments!

Once I had the quilt top completed, I tucked it away in a bag and then forgot about it for a few months. 

A Slightly Nerve-Wracking Longarming Test

In mid-December 2025 as I was longarming the final client quilt of the year, my machine had a complete freak out and started acting very oddly. In the end it was only a burned out lightbulb, but it caused the machine to act erratically. I replaced the bulb and the issue seemed to be resolved, but it still left me a bit leery.

The client quilt wasn’t damaged at all, but I didn’t want to load the new year’s first quilt without testing it on one of my own beforehand. Since a (very small) part of me was concerned that the machine might wreck whatever I put on there, I looked in my stack of quilt tops for the one that I cared about the least. 

You guessed it: my Lucky Links quilt won. I guess I didn’t love it *that* much.

Just after Christmas, I seamed the backing fabric, trimmed the eleventy billion loose threads on the back, tossed the quilt top on the frame with some batting, and let the machine do its thing. 

There were no issues whatsoever, and my Gammill stitched out Liquid (a pattern by the Longarm League) without incident. 

I felt so relieved, (and I’ve since quilted a handful of client quilts with no problems). Phew!

A Happy Binding Surprise

When it came time to attach the binding, I looked in my stash to find the Garden Variety yardage that I vaguely remembered purchasing. I was dismayed when I only found a pink print that was super thick and would be difficult to use as binding. 

I started cursing Past Shelly for only buying one binding option, when I realized that’s not like me at all. When shopping online, I usually order at least two different binding options (because sometimes one will match the project much better when I see it in person). 

While giving the pink fabric the side-eye, I pulled out my phone and looked up the online order receipt. It said I had bought ½ yd cuts of TWO different fabrics: a pink and a blue option. Huh. 

I searched my stash high and low, but could not find the blue yardage anywhere. On a whim I checked my sewing cart, and found the blue fabric which I had already cut, sewn together, pressed in half, and wrapped around a binding spool. Jackpot! I STILL have no recollection of doing this, but I’m glad I did!

Here’s a fun fact: in googling the fabric for this blog post, I see that the striped fabric in this line was meant to have “whiskers” on the right side of the fabric. I must not have not known / forgotten that, because I sewed every colourway of this print with the whiskers on the back of the fabric. Sorry Anna Maria for not respecting your creative vision!

Machine Binding with Wovens

Part of me hoped to get this project finished before the end of the year (so I could add another number to my “2025 finishes list”), but I got distracted by puzzles and only added the binding on January 3 2026. I guess it’s the first finished project of 2026!

I started by sewing the binding to the front of the quilt, and then I wrapped it around to the back, kept it in place with Elmer’s School Glue, and secured it by stitching in the ditch on the front of the quilt (catching it on the back in the process). 

I’ve been finishing a lot of my quilts this way lately, and I’ve gotten quite proficient / reliable at this skill. However, the thicker material of the woven fabric meant I had to adjust my seam allowance, and I didn’t apply / wrap it perfectly around the entire perimeter of the quilt. As a result, I had to go back and fix a couple of spots by adding some stitches on the front of the quilt. 

I was very glad to have an Aurifil spool in my collection that matched this fabric well, but the stitches are more visible than I’d prefer. Since this isn’t up to my normal standard, I won’t be selling this quilt. That’s fine - it can hang out here and be snuggled on the couch. 

Equipment I use for binding:

Sewing machine: Janome MC 6700P

Feet: AcuFeed 1/4″ Seam Foot and AcuFeed Ditch Quilting Foot

The First Finish of 2026

In the end, I’m glad I made this Lucky Links quilt. Even though I had a few moments of doubt (and felt willing to potentially destroy it), it turned out lovely. 

The woven fabric is super soft and drapey, and this quilt will be a snuggly, squishy dream come true.  

Please enjoy the many photos of it that I took!!

At the start of this year, the only thing on my mind was bags. I planned to release four different patterns this year (I managed two), and was not thinking about quilts at all.

But, things change, I guess! 

Choosing a Quilt Pattern

I go to two quilting retreats every year in Altoona, WI with a group of friends who have become very dear to me. When I attended our March 2025 session, the only thing on my mind was my next pattern (a bag that would later be named the Altoona Tote). I spent that entire week working on this project, fine tuning the design. Then I spent the next few months sewing samples of it. 

But by mid-year, I was kind of burned out on bags and wanted to make a good ol’ fashioned quilt. I spent the summer making my Twinkle quilt, and then wanted to keep the ball rolling. 

When my retreat friends asked me what projects I had planned for our Oct 2025 get together, I was stumped. Although there are a MILLION amazing quilt designs out there, I wanted to use one of the patterns that I had already purchased. I looked through my binders and Google Drive folders and found only two patterns that I had purchased and not yet made. 

One of them was the Swoon Sixteen, so I said what the heck and jumped in!

For anyone dying to know: the other pattern was Emily Dennis’ Lucky Links Irish Chain pattern. But that’s a story for another day.

Picking Fabrics

The genius of the Swoon Sixteen pattern is that it only takes 16 fat quarters (plus a bit  of background fabric and some sashing) to make a nice large quilt. The finished project measures 74” x 74”.

Off to my FQ filing cabinet I went! As I mentioned in this video about my modest stash, I keep all of my fat quarters (a cut of fabric that measures approx 18” x 21”) folded in a large tub in my closet. I love pulling out the bin and seeing all of my cute little fabrics at once.

You can see that I’m well stocked in the pink and yellow department, and am sorely lacking in other areas (green? Never heard of her!) 

I wanted to use what I had on hand, so I picked out a selection of yellows, peaches, pinks, and caramels. For each colour way, I chose two solids and two prints, and tried to pull a range from light to dark colours. 

I loved the initial pull, but after looking at the pattern decided it might look better with some blue fabrics mixed in. Both options looked great to me, so I put it to a vote on Instagram, asking my audience which they preferred. 

That’s when Tasha came through with a great suggestion: use the original pull, but add blue fabric for the sashing. GENIUS!!

I found some lovely blue yardage (it’s an out of print Ruby Star Society design called Grid) in *just* the right hue in my stash, so I committed to this combination of fabrics. I was in love and couldn’t wait to get started!

Cutting Pieces

Around this time, I started to realize what an undertaking this quilt was going to be. 

First of all, whenever I mentioned on Instagram that I was making a Swoon Sixteen, several people would send me direct messages letting me know that they had *started* one of these quilts, but had never finished it. Huh.

I started to receive SO MANY messages like this that I got a bit concerned about the amount of work it would take to follow through with this pattern. 

Then I cut out all the fabric and thought “this sure seems like a lot of pieces for only sixteen blocks!”. I later did the math and realized that each block required 57 different pieces of fabric. Fifty-seven. That's not a typo. 

I mean… I understand there are a lot more detailed patterns out there that have more pieces per block, but this seemed a bit daunting.

Not to be deterred, I decided to sew a test block and see if maybe it would come together faster than I thought. 

Dear reader, it did not. 

Sewing a Test Block

The test block almost made me give up on this project entirely. 

Not because it wasn’t cute - it’s obviously SO CUTE. But it showed me that I lacked some of the skills required to sew this block accurately.

It started well enough. I picked three colours at random and sewed all of the small units together. The pattern had clear directions, and this video provided some additional visual support. I was in love with these little units - SO CUTE!

But what I didn’t realize was that they were all different sizes. Some of them were off by ⅛”, and some were off by more. I only figured this out when I tried to sew the units together and saw how wonky they were. 

I tried my best to cheat some of the smaller seam allowances, but my finished block ended up nearly ¼” smaller than it was supposed to be. If you know anything about me at all, you know that this is NOT OKAY. 

It wouldn’t really bother me that my blocks or the finished quilt weren’t the “right size”, but I really do not enjoy trying to sew things together that are different sizes. Not only is it stressful, it results in a lumpy quilt that doesn’t longarm well. 

Wanting to spare Future Shelly any undue frustration, I decided to improve some of my skills before tackling the rest of this project. 

Also? That one test block took for-ev-ER to make. I still wanted to work on this project at Retreat, but quickly understood that it would take me the entire week if I didn’t do any pre-sewing. So I set about making all of the sub-units before I left. 

Assembling Sub-Units

The first thing I sewed were the Half Square Triangles. I’ve made a million of these in my quilting life, and have got the technique down pat. I love to make them slightly oversized and then trim them using a Bloc Loc ruler. Perfect results every time! 

Luckily, the pattern was written using this exact method which made this step easy peasy. 

Then came the flying geese. 

I love the four-at-a-time no waste method because it’s fast, accurate, and works perfectly for directional fabric. This handout gives you the dimensions required to make slightly oversized blocks which you can then cut down using a Bloc Loc ruler (or other tool of your choice) to get really precise results. 

Unfortunately that’s not how the pattern was written, and I didn’t notice until I had cut out all of my pieces (at which point, there was little to no leftover fabric). Always read the pattern carefully before you begin cutting!

If I was to make this quilt again, I’d definitely try to make the FG units using the four-at-a-time dimensions. Have you ever modified the cutting for this quilt? Is it possible with a fat quarter? Let me know in the comments!

In any case, I knew I had to make my flying geese (and every other part of the blocks) using the snowball corner method. 

Mastering Snowball Corners

Sometimes referred to as the stitch-and-flip method (and I’m sure many other names), this technique has you attach a small square to a corner of a larger piece of fabric by sewing from corner to corner, trimming the excess, and then flipping the smaller square over (towards the cut-off corner). 

If you do this to all four corners of a square, it resembles a snowball (hence the name). 

It’s a method that *seems* simple but actually requires a fair amount of precision in order for the final unit to turn out the correct size. I know this because every single unit I sewed for my test block (with the exception of the HSTs) turned out the wrong shape / size. 

There are a million different ways to accomplish this, and please believe me when I say I went on a JOURNEY to find the method that works best for me. I made a tonne of stories in real time and saved them to a highlight on Instagram.

My Step-by-Step Snowball Corner Method

You may have a completely different way to create accurate snowball corners (and I love that for you and encourage you to continue using that method), but what works best for *ME* is to:

• Lay my smaller piece of fabric on top of the larger one (RST)
• Place the ¼” line of my Creative Grids ruler one thread-width to the right of the imaginary line that runs corner-to-corner on the smaller piece of fabric
• Trim the excess fabric
• Sew the cut fabric using my ¼” foot with guide
• Cut between chain pieced blocks using scissors
• Set the seam using a dry iron (I LOVE my Reliable Velocity 270IR)
• Manually press the fabric over using my fingers
• Set my iron on top of the seam and use steam once in place.

Did I mention that this is a finicky technique?? 

But once I unlocked these steps, my snowball corners turned out SO precise. Like, every time. 

I went from despising this method to looking forward to sewing the other bajillion units for this quilt. No joke - I had so much fun making all the other parts, and I was so proud of myself for mastering this technique. 

What a great feeling!

On Quilting Perfection

The last thing I want is for you to read the above section and feel discouraged about your own precision / quilting practice. I truly want everyone to make quilts exactly the way they want to. 

Believe it or not, striving for the most accurate quilt blocks I can make actually brings me joy. That’s just the way my brain works. If your brain is wired differently, I think you should respect that and embrace it. 

There is no right or wrong way to make a quilt, and however you go about your quilting practice seems awesome to me.

Also? If anyone ever tries to tell you that your quilt isn’t “good enough” (even if it’s yourself telling you this!) I want you to give me their name so I can give them a stern talking to. 

If you spend time making something you love, then it’s amazing. Period.

Okay, back to this quilt. 

Staying Organized at Retreat

Once I had all of my small units sewn, I packed them all up and headed off to Retreat. 

I love to use my Stitch Supply Co project bags to corral small pieces and keep them organized while I travel. You fit a tonne of these small project bags into an All The Things Tote (size large) which feels like a perfect use of a handmade bag. 

I brought several projects to sew at Retreat, but decided to save my Swoon Sixteen quilt for last. I was really excited to work on it, but wanted to get a few projects that I was less enthusiastic about out of the way first. 

Like with any mix-and-match quilt pattern (where you cut all the pieces required for one block from each fabric), I like to use the paper plate method. I first saw Libs Elliott use this approach, and it’s so simple it’s genius. 

You take all the pieces you’ll need to make one block and put them on a single paper plate, then repeat for all the other blocks. I had made my test block at home, so I needed to make an additional 15 blocks at Retreat (hence the 15 plates). 

Then you can stack all your plates on top of each other and they take up very little space. When you finish one block, you just grab the next plate and you have everything you need. I love it!

Sewing my Swoon Sixteen Quilt

Taking the time to learn to make accurate snowball corners really paid off when I went to assemble my blocks. Everything came together so smoothly and easily, it was legitimately a joy to sew these blocks. I didn’t even have to use any pins and nearly all the points matched perfectly!

I was so happy every time I finished a block and was able to put it up on a design wall. It did become a bit repetitive around block 12 but I pushed through and got all of my Swoon Sixteen blocks made by lunch on Saturday. 

Deciding on the final layout of the blocks is never my favourite part of making a quilt, but I had the help of my quilty friends to figure out this final placement. Don’t tell me if you think I should have swapped any of these to different positions, okay? 

Sashings and borders are also not my favourite, but I really wanted to get this project finished before heading home, so I persevered. 

Can you even BELIEVE how different it looked once I added the blue fabric? Colour is magical, I tell you.

Longarming Inspiration

I brought my quilt top home and then let it linger in a closet for a few weeks while I decided what pantograph to use. In search of inspiration, I scoured Instagram for photos of completed Swoon Sixteen quilts, and found this picture that really spoke to me.

I thought “wowee, that’s a good lookin’ combo!” and then I thought “those are some really nice photos of that quilt!”

Upon closer inspection, I saw that this was a client quilt that I had longarmed (and those were my photos that I had posted to social media). Oh man, at least I know what I like! 

The quilting was super fast and easy. Although this design looks complicated to realign, it’s actually quite simple to accomplish. Plus, I love the look of this classic quilting design on this more traditional-looking quilt pattern. 

Adding the Binding

For the binding, I wanted a fun pop of colour that would stand out against the blue borders. Hot pink to the rescue!

I used Starry in Vivid Pink and love that it reads as a solid from far away - you really only see the stars if you’re up close to the quilt. 

I chose to machine bind this quilt, and you can see that my furry friend Claire was a big helper with this step. She supervised as I attached the binding to the front of the quilt using my Janome MC 6700P sewing machine. 

You can see in these photos that I used a near-solid peach print for the backing. I have no idea what fabric this is… I keep a stash of 5 yard cuts for backings, and then just pick one whenever it’s time to longarm one of my quilts. 

To complete the binding, I wrapped it around to the back of the quilt, glue basted it in place, and then secured it by stitching in the ditch on the front of the quilt (and catching the binding on the back in the process). It’s a pretty slick technique that produces a really secure binding with almost no stitching visible on the front of the quilt. I have every confidence that this binding will stay in place for many years to come!

Admiring the Finished Quilt

I know I say this every time, but I honestly think this is my favourite quilt I’ve ever made. 

It was such a roller coaster to make this thing… I started out hopeful (naive, maybe?), then felt really discouraged when I realized it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted. But I buckled down and learned a new technique so I could finish this project with precision and pride. By the end I was having a grand old time putting my blocks together, and would even consider making another one!

I mean… look at how pretty it turned out!!

Please enjoy the many pictures I’m about to share. 

Lessons for Next Time

Would I make this quilt again? Possibly, yes! 

I only say “possibly” because there are a lot of fabulous quilt patterns in the world, and I want to make a lot of them. Repeating a pattern is not something I do often, but I felt so amazing after finishing this one that I would entertain the idea. 

BUT! If I were to do it again, I’d definitely take the time to see if there was enough fabric to make the flying geese four at a time. 

Would I recommend this pattern to a beginner quilter? Probably not! I think it's a BIG undertaking, and it might result in a new quilter becoming discouraged / abandoning the project.

I feel that this project is better suited to intermediate quilters who either want to improve their snowball corners or show off their already-precise corners. If you're not concerned about your points matching, this will still turn out to be a beautiful finished quilt. 

Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever made a Swoon Sixteen (or if it’s on your quilty bucket list)!

Choosing Fabric 

While running my weekly errands in Brandon, I popped into Fabriculous and found they had lots of Christmas fabric. Since my last bow was made with “traditional” colours (red and green), I wanted something a bit different for this version. 

I happened upon nearly the entire Christmas in the City collection from Art Gallery Fabrics and was immediately drawn to the bold pink! It wasn’t a collection I was familiar with, but as far as I can tell it was released in 2022. The online selection is limited, but I found some on Etsy. 

I made my last bow using six prints and one solid, but for this foam patchwork bow, I chose seven prints (plus a solid white) for the patchwork and one print (Fa La La) for the back of the ribbon tails. This collection is particularly well-suited for this project because there are so few repeating patterns.

All eight of these are different prints - love that!

Using Foam Instead of Batting

The patchwork came together easily and quickly using strip piecing, and I took the time to swirl my seams on the back. I love how flat the seams turned out, and it always gives me a little thrill to see the pinwheels as I press my work. Do I need to get out more? Possibly.

Instead of using batting, I chose a foam stabilizer called Soft and Stable. I’ve used it in a lot of bag and pouch projects, and I thought it would give my bow a nice shape. 

Notice that for this bow, I skipped the SF 101 interfacing. It wasn’t necessary (because the foam gives it so much body), and I was glad for the time I saved by not having to interface all my fabric before cutting. 

It was super fast and easy to baste my patchwork panels to the foam using spray adhesive. If glue in a can isn’t your thing, it would be easy to pin baste the panels instead. 

Quilting my Foam Patchwork Bow

Whenever I mention that I’m using Soft and Stable in a project, I get a lot of questions about how it quilts. The answer is: amazing. 

Soft and Stable glides through my machine so easily that I can even quilt it using my Juki TL 2010Q sewing machine (which I famously despise for quilting). 

You can even longarm this stuff! Clients will sometimes send me large pieces of fabric, and I’ll quilt them into panels (with Soft and Stable as the “batting”) which they’ll later turn into bags. If you’re making a bag with large pieces, I can 100% recommend getting some panels made up. 

Assembling the Bow

Once my quilting was complete, the rest of the bow came together really quickly and easily. I did make one change this time, and that was to clip the inside angle on the bow tails before turning the project right side out. 

Last time I missed this step, and I do think that the few little snips gave a more professional look to the finished project. 

The Verdict

Like Latrice Royale, my foam patchwork bow is large and in charge, chunky yet funky, bold and beautiful. She’s GORGEOUS!

There is not a hint of droopiness nor floppiness about my bow - it stands up beautifully and holds its shape to a tee. Or a bow. 

Although the Soft and Stable adds some cost to the project, I think the result is well worth it. I wouldn’t want to make a bow any other way! 

Also, side note: I bought this fabric because I thought it looked soooooo different from the combo I used for my first bow. But when seen side by side, the two are very similar! Whoops - I guess I like what I like!

Want to make your own Patchwork Quilted Bow? Here's the link for you one more time! 

Bow Mantra

Since I had never made a bow before, I chose to be kind to myself and embrace any “oopsies” along the way. You’re *supposed* to make mistakes the first time you try something new, right? Right. 

< Can you tell I struggle with perfectionism??? >

In any case, I consciously decided that there was no wrong way to make this project and that I would just go for it and enjoy the process. 

And you know what? I think that attitude served me really well because I had SO MUCH FUN making this bow!

Fabric Selection

Right away, I knew that I wanted to make this bow with a “classic holiday” colour scheme. I was happy to learn that I could make the pattern using fat quarters (of which I have many), but my stash is really light on both red and green fabrics. So off to the quilt shop I went!

I figured that one of the stores in Brandon MB would carry some cute Christmas fabric, and I wasn’t wrong! Mama Bears had a display of the entire line of Cozy Wonderland by Fancy That Design House for Moda at the front of the shop.

In order to get the maximum visual impact, I chose fabrics that read as mostly-solid. I picked out a lighter and a darker print in the red, green, and blue colourways, and added a pop of white (Moda Bella Solids in Off White - 200). In total, I used seven different fabrics.

They all looked so nice together, I knew I was going to love this project!

Interfacing the Fabric

The pattern indicates that you might want to use EasyPiecing Grid when creating the patchwork. I assume this is to a) speed up the piecing process, and b) add some structure to the finished project. 

My biggest concern was making a floppy Patchwork Quilted Bow, so I decided to err on the side of caution and interface the fabric. 

I didn’t have any EasyPiecing Grid on hand, but I had plenty of Pellon Shape-Flex (also known as SF101). With a quick pass of my iron, I adhered it to the back of all my fabric before cutting it into strips. 

If you’ve never used SF101 before, it’s a lightweight fusible interfacing that gives your fabric a bit more stiffness and body. It’s often used in bag making and garments, and it worked like a treat for this project. 

Creating the Patchwork

My favourite thing about this project is that it’s made up of patchwork, just like a quilt!

Since efficiency is my love language, I used strip piecing to speed up the patchwork process. Whenever I found myself agonizing over the placement of a fabric, I told my perfectionist brain to relax and JUST GO FOR IT. 

Claire was a big helper at this stage, as you can tell.

In total, I created six different strip sets, then I chopped them up into smaller strips. I pressed all of the seams in alternating directions so they nested perfectly when I assembled them into the panels required for the pattern. It even allowed me to swirl the seams, which made for a (somewhat) flatter panel. 

I love it when I can avoid using pins!

Quilting

Since I *really* didn’t want my bow to be floppy, I made sure to use a thicker batting. I debated using Soft and Stable, but didn’t have a big enough piece in my pile of remnants. Then I found a perfectly-sized scrap piece of wool batting, and decided to just go for it and use the (very expensive) batting. 

The pattern mentions that Poly-Fil Hi-Loft batting would be a good choice, and I have to agree. This would be a great project to use up any extra scraps you have of this product. 

I basted the patchwork panels to my batting using Odif 505 spray, and then quilted them using my Janome MC 6700P sewing machine. I chose to quilt lines on both sides of each seam (I did both horizontal and vertical lines), and I like the overall handmade look. 

Finishing the Patchwork Quilted Bow

The next steps in the pattern were clear and easy to follow, and in no time I had myself a finished bow. It was a really different construction method, but was fun to do and the finished project looks just like the pattern. #winning

I added the optional piece of string so that I could attach it to the wreath on our door. It was super easy to tie it on, and I love the way the two look together. It would also look great without the wreath, but in this instance I feel more is more. 

Every time I come in or out of the house, I give a little squeal of delight. I’m waiting for one of the neighbours to compliment my amazing bow so I can say “Thanks, I MADE IT!!”

Advice for Next Time

My bow is nice and structured, and holds its shape well. No drooping décor at my house! It helps that it’s -15°C (5°F) outside (because it’s frozen solid), but it was looking great before I hung it outside as well. Promise.

The SF101 and wool batting combo might have been overkill, and I’d be curious to see if the following would produce an equally-sturdy bow:

- SF101 interfacing and “regular” (low loft) batting

- No interfacing and Soft and Stable for batting

If I were to make another one (trust me, the temptation is real), I’d probably start with the first option and see how it turned out. 

*** UPDATE *** I couldn't help myself. I made a second bow using Soft and Stable instead of batting, and I have strong feelings about it. Check out the blog post here. 

This bow took me the better part of a day to complete (although I spread it out over several sessions), but I would imagine the second one could be finished in a morning or afternoon.

I would 100% recommend this pattern to anyone looking to add some handmade charm to their decorations. While I made mine for Christmas, it would look cute for any other holiday as well! 

Have you made a Patchwork Quilted Bow (or are you now going to)? Let me know in the comments! 

Choosing this project

The Lucky Log Cabins quilt pattern is a VERY popular design that’s been around since 2020. It was designed by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love, and I’ve seen countless version in my Instagram feed since its release. 

After years of hearing how fast it was to make, I finally decided to make one of my own in the fall of 2024.

Fabric Pull

This quilt looks good in almost any colour combination. Want proof? Check out Emily’s blog post about this design. She shares a tonne of inspiration, and has a lot of suggestions on pulling a cohesive bundle together. 

When it came time to pull my fat quarters for this project, I went way outside my comfort zone and created a mix of green, peach, yellow, and orange colours (with a splash of purple). Green and orange are the two colours that I use the LEAST in my quilts, so I’m not sure what possessed me to use them both in the same project. 

The pull was vibrant and wild, and definitely stood out compared to my “typical” colours. 

You gotta live a little every now and then, don’t you?

Taking to Retreat

I packed up my fabric and headed to a sewing retreat in Altoona, WI. I was so confident that this quilt would come together quickly that I didn’t even bother to cut out the pieces in advance. 

In hindsight, this was a mistake, because…

A word of caution about fabric requirements

If you use fat quarters for your project, you’ll need strips that are a full 21” long. Most fat quarters are advertised as being 18” by 21”, but the length often includes a printed selvedge that can be quite large (Ruby Star Society fabrics: I’m looking at you). 

When I cut out my fabric, a LOT of the strips included chunks of printed designs, and in some cases the pierced edges of the selvedge. That meant they’d end up visible in my finished project. Not ideal.

If I had pre-cut the fabric at home (or even consulted the pattern) before packing up and leaving for Retreat, I probably would have chosen different fabrics for this project. I would have picked fat quarters that had “regular” selvedges, or were generally bigger. 

But since I was at Retreat and didn’t have any alternative fabric to use, I decided to embrace the printed selvedges. I chose to believe that they added to the overall character of the quilt. 

Piecing

As expected, this Lucky Log Cabins quilt came together QUICKLY. I only snapped one picture during its construction, and I love that it accurately depicts the snack situation at Retreat. As in: I am constantly munching (and hydrating, thanks to my giant water bottle). 

After sewing the final seam, I wanted to capture the quilt with the beautiful fall colours. This isn’t the best photo, but I do like that you can see the vibrant red leaves in the background. 

Autumn in Wisconsin is breathtaking!

Making a Backing

I chose a citron yellow backing fabric to keep with the bright and punchy theme of this quilt. Since it had a pronounced design (blouses), I took the time to pattern match the fabric. 

Pattern matching is actually quite simple to do, and produces “wow, I’m proud of that!” results. If you’ve never tried it, I’d recommend checking out my YouTube tutorial which walks you through the entire process from start to finish. 

Quilting

After creating the pattern matching video, I let the quilt top and backing languish in my WIP (work in progress) closet for a few months. I used to be more diligent about finishing a project before starting the next one, but I currently have a few quilts waiting for me to finish them. 

I chose Good Vibrations #1 as the pantograph for two reasons:

1 - It’s a nice, clean, simple design that doesn’t compete with the loud fabric and busy piecing. 

2 - My machine had been acting up, and after I felt I had solved the problem I wanted to test out a pantograph that used mostly-straight lines. 

Fun fact: long, horizontal-ish lines going from right to left are often the most challenging for longarms. If you're going to have an issue, you'll find out *pretty quickly* if you use a panto like this.

Thankfully my machine did really well (no problems whatsoever), and I love the way it turned out!

Binding

In an effort to use what I have on hand, I chose a peachy fabric that I felt worked well enough for this quilt. 

I always attach bindings to the front of my quilts using my Janome MC 6700P because I LOVE the way the AcuFeed system pulls all the layers through the machine evenly. 

Over the years I’ve purchased several different feet for this machine, and literally could not attach the binding without the AcuFeed 1/4″ Seam Foot. It gives me such consistent, accurate results. 

I usually flip the binding to the back of the quilt and then attach by hand using either a typical “invisible” stitch (like I did for this quilt), or the Big Stitch technique (like I did on this, this, and this quilt). 

But I wanted to finish this quilt quickly, so I chose to finish the binding by machine. I wrapped it around to the back of the quilt, secured it in place using white glue, and then stitched in the ditch on the front of the quilt, catching the binding on the back. Of course, I used the AcuFeed Ditch Quilting Foot and it worked like a charm!

It had been a long time since I finished a quilt this way, so my results were not 100% perfect, but I think it turned out really well. Like with the selvedges in the quilt top, we’re saying it adds “character”. 

Finished Lucky Log Cabins

Now the quilt is all finished up and ready for duty! I don’t have any plans to use this one or to gift it, so it will be stored away in a cupboard with the rest of my “for no reason” projects. 

Would I make this quilt pattern again? Absolutely!

It was really fun and fast, and it’s really efficient at using *every* square inch of the required fabric. I think it would look great in almost any colour combo, and I can think of several others I’d like to try.

Have you ever made a Lucky Log Cabins quilt? Let me know in the comments! 

Sign me up!

Ruby Star 10 Years of Magic Panel

First things first, I knew I’d need a 10 Years of Magic Panel. I ordered mine from Birdie and Dot Fabrics in June of 2024, and it only took me another 11 months before I chopped it up and started to work on this project. 

Image credit: Moda Fabrics

I needed 66 different motifs for the centers of my quilt blocks - 18 large, and 48 small. I cut out my favourite designs, trying to get a mix of different colours that I thought would work well for the quilt. 

The designs were a little undersized for the large blocks, so I ended up cutting a bit of fabric from the next motif in order to get the correct size squares. If I want to use the remainder of my panel for a future project, I’ll need to make smaller blocks than the ones in my Twinkle quilt. 

The medium motifs worked perfectly for the small blocks, and I still have some left over for other quilts (plus all the small motifs). 

The panel is now out of print, but it may be possible to find it online somewhere. I wish you well with your search!

Fabric Selection

I loved the palette that Emily used for her Twinkle quilt, but when I went to pull fabric from my scrap bins, it quickly became apparent that I wouldn’t be able to recreate hers very closely. 

Why? Because I have almost no green in my stash, and certainly none of the dusty, soft greens that she used in her quilt. 

Not to worry - I still had plenty of other beautiful fabrics in my scap bins. I dumped them all out and started pulling from a few different colourways. I pulled primarily pink fabrics, and added in some cream, peach, yellow, and a small amount of blue. 

When I cut out all of the required pieces, I was in love with the overall effect, and decided this was going to be one CUTE quilt!

Snowball blocks

The first thing I did was pair up all of the fabrics that would create the points of the stars. This step is always tricky because I like to create as much visual contrast as possible, and not end up with any pairs that are of similar value. I want my star points to stand out!

Then I created my star points by snowballing all of the corners. Can I just tell you that this is not my strong suit? After snowballing the two corners, my little units ended up pretty wonky. Like, when I held them next to the squares that I had cut precisely, it was obvious that my star point units were not the same size / shape. 

I decided that they were “close enough” and that I could fudge it during block construction. In the end, they turned out fine, but my order and precision-loving brain didn’t enjoy seeing how misshapen they were. 

When I mentioned on Instagram that I had struggled with this step, so many different people suggested that I try the Antler Quilt Design Simple Folded Corners ruler. I added it to my cart immediately and can’t wait to try it out! Results to follow. 

Pressing dilemma

I started with the large star blocks because I wanted a quick win, but I soon ran into a problem. 

The pattern mentioned that the sewist may want to press their seams open so that the final assembly will go smoothly. But did I listen to Allison? No, I did not. 

I decided that there MUST be a way for me to press my seams to the side (where all the seams would nest). It’s my preferred method because it goes quickly, and the interlocking seams mean that you don’t need to use any pins. Win win!

However, despite my many many attempts and belief that I could crack the code, reality showed me that seams pressed to the side would yield lumpy, ugly results. As far as I can tell, it just doesn’t work with this pattern. If you know a way to do this, I’d love to hear it. 

I gave up and started pressing all of my seams open from that point forward. 

Surprisingly, the sky didn’t fall down. Huh!

Once I had my large blocks done, I tackled the 48 small star blocks. I found that working in groups of six-ish blocks was the right tempo for me. It took me about 30 minutes, and it allowed me to do a small amount of chain piecing. 

I just loved seeing these small piles of blocks start to populate my “design wall” (which is just a piece of cotton batting that I thumbtacked to the wall). 

Trimming Quilt Blocks

One unintended consequence of pressing my seams open was that all (and I do mean ALL) of my  blocks ended up slightly oversized. I used my various Stripology rulers to cut them down to the correct size, and was feeling very grateful that there were no star points out at the edges of the blocks. Thank you, Allison! 

I was particularly delighted to be able to use my Stripology Mini to trim the small star blocks. Yes, I could have used the bigger ruler, but it’s fun to be able to use the cute notions in the sewing room from time to time. 

Assembling the quilt top

Since I wanted my Twinkle quilt to be as precise as possible (even though it was made from scraps and slightly undersized units), I decided to use pins for every single intersection when assembling my quilt top. Again, nothing bad happened. It took a little bit longer, yes, but the results were quite nice!

Am I an open-seams convert? Nah. I’m going to stick with my seams to the side wherever possible. Old habits are hard to break!

Making Backing

My first instinct was to use one of the 5 yard cuts of fabric in my closet. I like to stock up on these when I find them on sale, and keep a stack on hand for just such an occasion. 

But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that a single-fabric backing would be too plain for this wild and scrappy Twinkle quilt. 

So I grabbed some yardage and some large scraps of fabric and started piecing a back together. I started with this little chunk and it grew from there. I love that I took the time to do this, because it feels like it added something really special to this project. 

Here it is after quilting (I forgot to take a picture of it before). 

Quilting

As I was making my Twinkle quilt, Instagram showed me lots of longarmers using the Honey, Honey pantograph on their clients’ quilts. I loved the look of it on quilts that used solid fabrics, and debated whether it would look too “busy” on this scrappy quilt. The photo that convinced me that it would be fine was this one (you’re going to want to see it).

Dang, that’s a cutie, eh??

So I purchased the pattern, loaded the quilt on the frame, and quilted it out. I think it turned out amazing and am glad that I trusted my instincts.

You can watch the longarm in action here.

Binding

For a minute I debated whether to create a scrappy binding for this project (like I did for this quilt), but decided that a single-fabric binding would pull the whole thing together. 

I searched my stash and found this sweet pink fabric from the Ruby Star Society Carousel line, and had it attached to the front of the quilt in no time. 

My heart told me to hand-stitch the binding to the back of the quilt (rather than machine bind it like I do in this course), and I quickly realized that it had been a LONG time since I hand-bound a quilt. 

Is it weird for me to admit that I referenced my own YouTube video about hand binding multiple times during the process? I hope not! The video has lots of great tips, including some that I had forgotten. 

The quilt is now finished and is draped over our couch for snuggles. I love love LOVE how this turned out, and hope you do, too!

So I grabbed my Ruby Star Society scraps and sewed up this fun patchwork Altoona Tote! I am in LOVE with how it turned out, and plan to make more in the future. Plus, when I brought it with me to an industry trade show, so many people complimented me on this fun, rainbow bag. I said “Thanks, I made it!” so many times that I was grinning ear to ear. 

When I shared this version on Instagram, I received a LOT of questions about how I modified the pattern to achieve this look. So today I’m sharing all my secrets (and the math) for a patchwork version of my popular Altoona Tote.

This is a real hack

Let me start by saying that I made this patchwork version differently than I normally make my Altoona Totes. I had to modify some of the construction methods, as well as the size that I cut one of the pieces. I’ll outline all of the changes I made below, but I just want you to know that you do have to alter the pattern in order to achieve this look.

Quick aside: I much prefer the methodology set out in the pattern as it’s written. I think it leaves more room for error and is generally less fiddly. And that’s why I didn’t include the patchwork instructions in the pattern itself - I wanted to keep things nice and simple. 

Also? This bag turned out a slightly different size than the pattern indicates. 

If you’re cool with the above issues, I hope you’ll follow along and make your own patchwork version of the Altoona Tote! I know I couldn’t help myself!

Choosing fabric

I knew right away that I wanted to make my patchwork panels from Ruby Star Society fabric. It’s what I sew with the most, which meant that I had the most variety of colours and prints. Plus, I had a stack of mini charm packs from different lines that I was eager to put to use. 

When I laid out all the 2.5” squares I had on hand, I debated whether I should create a “refined” colour palette or just go full rainbow. In the end, I chose to use allllll the colours and I have no regrets!

Laying out patchwork panel

I laid out my squares in a 11 W x 4 H grid with a diagonal rainbow ombre pattern, using my design wall (a piece of batting that I thumb tacked to the wall two years ago) to decide on my square placement.

There’s an unlimited number of colour combinations and designs that would look great here - I can’t wait to see some of them popping up in my Instagram feed!

Sewing and pressing patchwork panel

Once I was happy with my placement, I sewed the squares together using the webbing method. This made the job go so quickly, and in no time I had a cutie patootie panel. 

Whenever possible, I like to press my seams in a swirl pattern. This results in a much flatter quilt / bag which makes my longarmer heart happy. I was delighted when I realized that I could swirl these seams!

After I had one completed panel, I created a second one (the same size and shape, but using different fabrics). One panel will become the front of the bag, and the other panel will be the back. 

I like that I managed to get horses into both the front and back of this bag! 

Attach panels and lining fabric to stabilizer

Here’s where things started to differ from the pattern. Instead of cutting a larger-than-needed piece of lining fabric and stabilizer, I cut my stabilizer (Soft and Stable foam) and my lining fabric to the size indicated in Step 1c of the pattern. I used Odif 505 Adhesive Spray to stick the lining fabric to the foam and then flipped it over so the bare side of the foam was facing up.

Next, I affixed my patchwork panels to the ends of my piece of foam (making sure that they were facing away from each other). As you can see in the photo, this left a large piece of foam in the middle which was not covered in fabric, which is quite different from what the pattern instructs you to do. 

Why leave a gap?

There was no way I was going to create a giant patchwork panel the size of my Stabilizer and then cover a big chunk of it up with the Contrast Bottom - I wanted to show off every inch of my pretty squares!

So why not write the pattern this way? It would certainly save a bit of the Exterior Fabric. However, I found it more difficult to explain this method, and I personally don’t enjoy quilting the panel this way. It also requires more precision when there’s a gap in the Stabilizer, because the Contrast Bottom HAS to be the correct size to cover the raw edge of the top / bottom fabric (patchwork) panels. 

Overall, I decided it was much simpler to write the pattern using a large piece of Exterior Fabric and then cover it up with the Contrast Bottom. You are of course welcome to modify the pattern in any way that you like!

Creating the quilted panel

With my lining fabric and patchwork panels attached to the foam, I marked my quilting lines using a Sewline Air Erasing Pen. I chose to do a simple cross hatching pattern, with the quilting lines running from corner to corner in the fabric squares. 

I started by marking and quilting all of the lines in one direction, then I marked and quilted the lines going in the opposite direction. 

When it comes to quilting anything larger than a fat quarter, I like to use my Janome MC 6700P sewing machine. Its dual feed system makes quilting a BREEZE!

Cutting the Contrast Bottom

Since my patchwork was so wild, I decided to keep my contrast fabric nice and simple. I opted for an Essex Yarn Dyed Linen (in Black) and loved the touch of class that it added to my patchwork Altoona Tote. 

Because of the size of the patchwork panels, I needed to cut my Contrast Bottom slightly larger than what the pattern suggests in Step 2. I cut every other piece of the Contrast Fabric the size that was indicated in the pattern, and pressed the long edges of the Contrast Bottom under ½” as per the pattern’s instructions.

Preparing Handles

Since I was using decorative webbing (Ruby Star Society Starry in 1” wide) for the handles, I was able to skip a few steps in the pattern. However, if you were making fabric-covered handles for this project, you would follow the pattern’s directions for the size and method for creating them. The only difference for the handles is the placement. 

Handle placement

I followed the pattern’s instructions for Step 7b and marked the panel, measuring from the top and from the sides. I aligned the cut edges of the webbing according to the pattern’s directions, which meant that the ends of the handles extended past the patchwork section. Excellent - that’s what we want! 

For the distance from the sides, I chose to center the handles over one of the vertical seams in the patchwork (using the seam that was closest to the marked line). I personally think it looks more intentional this way. 

Finishing the patchwork Altoona Tote

From this point, I followed the pattern directions as they were written. I attached the Contrast Bottom, prepared the Quilted Panel, and attached the bindings as instructed in the pattern. 

Main differences

The changes that you need to make for the patchwork Altoona Tote are:

• Create two patchwork panels
• Cut the Stabilizer and Lining Fabric to the size indicated in Step 1c
• Leave a big gap in the Stabilizer when attaching your patchwork panels
• Cut the Contrast Bottom to a different size
• Adjust the Handle placement so the ends extend past the patchwork panel and are centered on a seam. 

Not too bad, right?

I’ll include all the details below so you can easily reference them if you choose to make one of your own:

Specific changes for each size

Mini

• Create two patchwork panels in two 8 W x 2 T grids using 2.5” squares. This will require a total of 32 2.5” squares. Each panel will measure 4.5” T x 16.5” W.
• Alternatively, you can create two patchwork panels in two 16 W x 4 T grids using 1.5” squares. This will require a total of 128 1.5” squares. Each panel will measure 4.5” T x 16.5” W. 
• Cut the Stabilizer and Lining Fabric to the size indicated in Step 1c
• Affix the patchwork panels to the Stabilizer, arranging them at each end (facing away from each other).
• Cut the Contrast Bottom 11” T x 16.5” W (this is actually the same size in the pattern)
• Using the measurements in Step 7b as a guide, arrange the Handles so that the ends extend past the patchwork panel and are centered on a seam. 

Medium

• Create two patchwork panels in two 11 W x 4 T grids using 2.5” squares. This will require a total of 88 2.5” squares. Each panel will measure 8.5” T x 22.5” W.
• Cut the Stabilizer and Lining Fabric to the size indicated in Step 1c
• Affix the patchwork panels to the Stabilizer, arranging them at each end (facing away from each other).
• Cut the Contrast Bottom 17” T x 22.5” W.
• Using the measurements in Step 7b as a guide, arrange the Handles so that the ends extend past the patchwork panel and are centered on a seam.

Large

• Create two patchwork panels in two 14 W x 6 T grids using 2.5” squares. This will require a total of 168 2.5” squares. Each panel will measure 12.5” T x 28.5” W. 
• Cut the Stabilizer and Lining Fabric to the size indicated in Step 1c
• Affix the patchwork panels to the Stabilizer, arranging them at each end (facing away from each other).
• Cut the Contrast Bottom 17” T x 28.5” W.
• Using the measurements in Step 7b as a guide, arrange the Handles so that the ends extend past the patchwork panel and are centered on a seam.

Final thoughts

I’m so happy with how this patchwork Altoona Tote turned out, and I was even HAPPIER when I got it finished in time to bring it with me to Chicago! I was attending h+h Americas (an annual crafting trade show) and was so glad to be able to show it off to the ladies in the Ruby Star Society booth. 

Obviously, it was a big hit! 

Will you be making one of your own? 

Let me know in the comments! 

Why I made this

I love a good tote bag - they’re just so darn PRACTICAL, which is my love language. And the Altoona Tote is one of the most practical items I own!

I suppose it’s because I have a lot of stuff to haul around. Whether I’m travelling to a retreat, doing the groceries, heading to the post office, or just making a trip to town, it seems like I’m always lugging stuff with me. Can you relate?

Why Altoona?

Why did I name it the Altoona Tote?

Altoona, WI is the name of the town where I attend a quilting retreat twice a year. It's where I learned to make bags while surrounded by helpful, interesting, intelligent women who encouraged me to try designing patterns. They literally changed my life.

More recently, it's where this specific pattern was developed. With each step in the journey, I consulted my friends and asked their opinions about features, sizes, and styles. I incorporated their feedback and came up with this adorable and practical bag.

In short: this bag would not exist without Altoona and its twice-yearly visitors. I couldn't think of a more perfect name for this specific pattern!

Also? I really like the double "t" sound with toona and tote. My friend Meg tells me this is a real thing, and that I should indeed be pleased with it.

Sizes

The Altoona Tote pattern includes directions to make it in three different sizes (because who doesn’t like variety!?)

The Large measures 18"W x 10"D x 15"H and is a great size for taking to the beach or for carrying large (but lightweight) items. It will swallow up six towels and have room to spare, or you can stuff two standard size pillows in there (with a bit of smooshing). 

The Medium measures 14"W x 8"D x 12"H and is perfect for your everyday running around. I recently brought a Medium bag to a quilt show and had plenty of room for all the fabric, notions, and fabric that I purchased. 

The Mini measures 10"W x 6"D x 6"H and is ADORABLE. I mostly use mine for storing / displaying fat quarters, but it would also make a great Easter basket. 

Skill Requirements

The Altoona Tote is perfect for beginner bag makers. It’s a simple but beautiful design that doesn’t use any complicated techniques (such as sewing around curves), and uses skills that will be very familiar to quilters. 

The inside of the bag is smooth and adornment-free which makes it even easier for beginners.

Never made a bag before? Start here and I promise you’ll be hooked!

Fabric Requirements

Since a lot of prints that would be perfect for a tote bag are directional, I made sure to include fabric requirements for both directional and non-directional fabric. No need for guessing games!

I love that the Mini comes together with two fat quarters and a half yard of fabric - something that you probably already have in your stash!

Supply Requirements

On top of the fabric, you’ll also need some stabilizer (I love and use Soft and Stable® exclusively) and webbing to complete this project. 

I love that the supply list is simple and doesn’t contain any hardware or zippers - we kept it really streamlined with this pattern!

* A ½ yd package of Soft and Stable® (18" x 58") makes:

• Two (2) Mini Altoona Totes

**A 1 yd package of Soft and Stable® (36" x 58") makes:

• One (1) Large, or
• Two (2) Mediums, or
• One (1) Medium and two (2) Minis, or
• Five (5) Mini Altoona Totes

A 2 yd package of Soft and Stable® (72" x 58") makes:

• Two (2) Larges and one (1) Medium, or
• Two (2) Larges and two (2) Minis, or
• One(1) Large and three (3) Mediums, or
• One (1) Large, one (1) Medium, and four (4) Minis, or
• Four (4) Mediums, or
• Eleven (11) Mini Altoona Totes

Polypro webbing vs decorative webbing

After I launched the pattern, I received SO MANY questions about the handles. Everyone wanted to know how I had made them, and what the heck polypro webbing was. I guess I’d better go over that information here!

The Altoona Tote provides directions for making your handles using two different ways:

1 - Using decorative webbing (such as these cute strawberries from Ruby Star Society). This type of webbing is pretty and already finished - all you have to do is sew it into your project and voilà, you’re all set!

2 - Using polypro webbing. This type of webbing is utilitarian - it’s strong yet pliable, but isn’t much to look at. It’s meant to be covered in fabric before you sew the webbing into your project. And while it does add a few extra steps to the process, it can be really fun to incorporate more of your favourite prints into your bag. 

The choice is yours! 

Suggested tools

In addition to the fabric and supplies, you’ll probably want to have a few tools handy. Here’s what I like to use when making bags:

Olfa Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 12 1/2" x 24 1/2" Ruler

Olfa 24" x 36" Self-healing Cutting Mat

Quilters Binding Clips

Sewline Water Erasing Pen

Size 90/14 Denim sewing machine needle

Tube Turner (if covering polypro webbing with fabric)

ByAnnie's Wooden Stiletto

And of course I like to stitch the whole thing together using my trusty Juki sewing machine. I find it sews through the layers of this project with ease.

Juki TL-2010Q Sewing Machine

USA

Canada

Need some help?

If you’re feeling daunted by this project, I’ve got you covered! The pattern includes step by step instructions, and I’ve created a series of YouTube videos to walk you through the process.

Let me know if you’re planning on making an Altoona Tote in the comments below! 

Grab your copy of the pattern here!

I’ve got some good tips and advice, as well as a link to a full-length YouTube tutorial below. My hope is that these tricks will help you sew this fun and practical project together in a flash. 

You can pick up your copy of the pattern here. 

Choosing Material

The great thing about this pattern is that it uses very little fabric. You can stash dive and hopefully come up with the three pieces of fabric you need pretty easily. I tend to stick with a tried and true recipe for picking my prints, and it’s worked well for me every time.

For the exterior fabric, I like to choose a fun, medium-scale print. Since the glasses pouch is so small, you only get to see a small amount of the fabric at a time. If you picked a large-scale print, you wouldn’t see very much, and it would be a bit of a waste. 

When it comes to the lining fabric, I almost always choose a light-coloured print. This is just a personal preference, because I enjoy the contrast of the bright exterior fabric against the more subdued lining fabric. Whether you choose to go with a light fabric or not, I’d suggest picking something that complements / contrasts with the exterior fabric. 

The binding fabric is only seen in very small amounts, so I like to choose fabric that has a small-scale print. The added bonus is that a busy print will hide any imperfections in your binding stitches. This might be especially useful if this is your first time sewing with bias binding. 

Choosing Stabilizer

When making your quilt sandwich, you can either choose to use batting or a foam product for your stabilizer. 

I’ve made lots of glasses pouches with both materials, and I think they both do the job.

However, given the choice, I’d pick a foam product over the batting. I personally enjoy the squishiness (and the perceived added protection) that the foam offers.

My preference for a foam product is ByAnnie’s Soft and Stable. I like that it has a fuzzy layer that makes the fabric stick to it. 

Quilting the Sandwich

Before I make my quilt sandwich, I like to mark my lines on my exterior fabric using either a pen or a Hera marker. Lately I’ve been leaning towards the Hera marker, and while the lines are sometimes hard to see when I’m sewing, I like that I don’t have to worry about pen lines disappearing / reappearing over time. 

I often choose a cross-hatch pattern, spacing my lines ½” apart. I think the scale looks nice on the size of the Sunny Glasses Pouch.

If you want the best results, you’ll either spray or pin your layers together before you start quilting. If I’m being honest, I often skip this step (sometimes to my detriment). Don’t be like me!

When quilting, I like to choose a longer stitch length (I set mine to 3.0) which not only quilts faster, but produces a nice clean look. 

Cutting the Sunny Glasses Pouch Pieces

The project is only made up of two pieces, and the instructions are pretty straightforward. I like to use my Creative Grids 12 ½” x 8 ½” ruler to cut out the front and back, and then my Creative Grids circle templates to round the corners. 

I’m not a fan of using a rotary cutter to cut around the templates - I prefer to mark the lines with my Sewline Air Erasing pen (such a nice dark mark, and the tip glides so easily on fabric!), and then cut the corners using a pair of scissors. My LDH 8.5” craft scissors are no longer sold, but these ones look similar.

Once the pieces are cut out, it’s a great idea to stay stitch around the perimeter to secure the quilting stitches. Again, this is a step that I skip when I’m in a hurry. 

Preparing the Bias Binding 

If you’ve never made bias binding before, it’s a snap, and you’ll feel like a champion for learning a new skill. 

The whole point of using bias binding is that it has a lot more stretch than typical binding (because it’s cut on the diagonal, instead of on the straight of grain). This stretchiness is what makes it swoop around curves cleanly, and (most importantly) without puckers. 

Once cut and sewn together, I like to place a pin in my binding every 3 - 4 inches. It holds it together nicely without creating a harsh crease down the center. This is a huge help in getting a clean look to your binding. 

Binding

I like that the Sunny Glasses Pouch pattern eases you into sewing binding onto curves by starting with the gentle slope on the pouch front. It’s as simple as sewing the binding to the lining side, then flipping it over and top stitching it down. 

The same steps apply when attaching the binding to the entire glasses pouch - you start by sewing it to the exterior side of the pouch back, then flip it around to the front of the project and top stitch it down. 

My favourite tool for this step is a stiletto (my preference is the one from ByAnnie’s). It’s lightweight, has a super sharp tip, and doesn’t roll off my table. 

I’ve heard from a few people that even though this was their first time using bias binding, they were very happy with the overall results of their pouches. Of course as with most new skills, practice makes progress. 

The one spot where I’ve heard people struggling is getting a clean finish on the join of the start and end of the binding. 

I’ve got a little trick that works really well - check out the 21:54 mark of my YouTube video (it’s saved as a time stamp in the description), where I share my tip for a nice tight join. 

Have you made a Sunny Glasses Pouch (or seven)? Let me know in the comments! 

Pick up your copy of the pattern here.