Happy Wednesday! Today I have a few recent lined drawstring bags to share and some shop news.

After almost a year and a half of waiting, I finally was able to restock the Beehive Wooden Beads in my shop! I've been patient, never quite giving up that I could get them again. I'm excited to be able to use them in my projects and share them with you too. They come in two sizes, 3/4" and 1". Both have a 5/16" hole, so they work great with lots of drawstring bag tie options!


For reference, here is the 1" bead on 1/2" twill tape.

You can find both bead sizes in my shop here: Beehive Wooden Beads


Now onto the projects! The first drawstring bag I have to share is this spooky one. I've been making at least one Halloween drawstring bag every year for the last few years, so I was due to make one for this year. You can see past Halloween projects here: Handmade Halloween Project Round-up. For this bag, I used one of my very favorite fabrics, Magic Meows* by Alexander Henry. I have yardage of this print squirreled away to back my next Halloween quilt, but I also have a smaller piece that I cut into for this bag.


This is the project size bag made using the bottom accent variation included in the expansion pattern, and I already have a knitting project in it!


I finished off the bag with some black twill tape and one of my custom woven labels.


The other drawstring bag I made recently was to wrap a baby quilt that I gave to a friend. This one is the artist size from my pattern, which is my go-to size for wrapping baby quilts. The star print (from Hello Love* by Heather Bailey) was already used for a drawstring bag a few years ago: Lined Drawstring Gift Bags. I still had some left, and it coordinated with the quilt so I decided to use it again.


For this bag I decided to use paracord and some wooden beads to make it a little extra special.

Happy Sewing!

*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Large Keep Turning Quilt

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a new quilt to share! I finished it over the summer but only just got photos of it this past weekend. Feels like it's been forever since I've shared a quilt finish.


I don't even remember when I picked up these two Carolyn Friedlander Palette Pick Bundles*, but I know I let them marinate in my stash for a while. Finally this past spring I decided to cut them up and make a large size of my Keep Turning Quilt Pattern. I didn't realize it until I was looking at the photos this morning, but these colors are very similar to the first Keep Turning Quilt that I made. No wonder I thought these bundles would look good in that pattern!




These blocks are so fun to make and take advantage of strip piecing. They really come together quick. I did make a slightly error when working on this quilt. I cut and made blocks and was surprised by how quickly I got them all sewn. When I went to lay out the blocks I realized I had only cut/made enough for the small throw, despite my intentions to make a large! I wasted no time in getting more fabric cut and sewing the rest of the blocks.



This is a nice healthy throw size quilt at 64"x80". I paired the bundles with an older print from Sprinkle by Cotton and Steel* for the background. I like how from far away it just looks like a neutral background, but up close you can see the neon pink sprinkles.


The quilting was done by Katie of Autumn Moon Quilting. I chose one of my favorite quilting designs for it, Malachite. I think this is my fourth quilt I've had quilted in that design. It's just so good!


For the backing I dug deep into my backing stash for this floral from Noe by Erin McMorris*. I wish I would have been able to pattern match the back, but it wasn't meant to be this time around.


I wanted the purple prints in the quilt top to pop, so I chose a purple print from Widescreen by Carolyn Friedlander* for the binding. I used it to back myinterlaced quilt years ago, so I had lots of long skinny offcuts to use up!


I love how this quilt turned out. It felt good to cut up those bundles, and to use some long-term stash for all the rest! I really liked that the bundles weren't just quilting cottons, or prints. There was a gingham mixed in, some solids, a couple metallics and other wovens too. It makes me want to be a little more adventurous when choosing fabrics for future projects. We'll see!


Pattern: Keep Turning Quilt Pattern
Fabrics: Carolyn Friedlander Palette Pick Bundles*, Sprinkle by Cotton and Steel*, Noe by Erin McMorris*, Widescreen by Carolyn Friedlander*

Happy Quilting!

*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

High Contrast Fabric Baby Book Sewing Tutorial

Happy Wednesday! I wanted to start sharing some of the projects I sewed for Baby P, starting with these soft, high contrast baby books! This was one of the more fun projects I made, where as most of the other things I sewed for her were a bit more on the practical side. I didn't see a tutorial for one of these (specifically high contrast), so I quickly drew up my own design for it and thought I'd share it as a little tutorial. I think these would make a great gift! Give it on it's own, or alongside a quilt, clothes or board books.


I'm sharing two versions, a pieced quilt block version and a simple version. The pieced quilt block book uses 6.5" quilt blocks made in black and white solid fabrics. I'm sharing instructions for the six blocks I made, but you could make any 6.5" blocks you want! You don't have to use black and white fabrics either, if you don't want to. The simple book uses 5" charm squares in a variety of black/white prints. Again, you could use any fabrics or colors you'd like. Both versions come together quickly and can be made entirely from scraps!




Here is a look at all six quilt block pages!


A few other modifications you could make:
- Add tags! Fold short pieces of ribbon in half and sandwich them between the page layers so that they stick out.

- Make it a noisy book! Add a layer of crinkle paper* to each page.
- Fussy cut novelty prints for interior pages to make an I-spy book for toddlers or older children!

One quick note as you make your fabric book. The interior "pages" are slightly less wide compared to the exterior "cover". This is so that when the book is closed, the interior pages don't stick out! This is acheived by the different width strips for the "spine".

Disclaimer: Always supervise baby or child when playing with a book made from this tutorial. If you decide to add ribbon tags or other embellishment, be sure to secure well to the book so that it doesn't come loose and become a choking hazard. Be careful to trim all loose threads and firmly secure stitching. Follow these instructions at your own risk and use your own judgement to decide what is right for you.

Simple Fabric Baby Book

Materials:
(2) 5" squares colorful print (for exterior cover)
(6) 5" squares black and whtie prints (for interior pages)
(2) 1.5"x5" strips (for exterior spine)
(2) 1"x5" strips (for interior pages)
(2) 10"x4.5" pieces of fusible fleece
(2) 9.5"x4.5" pieces of fusible fleece

Optional:
(1) 10.5"x6.5" piece of crinkle paper*
(1) 10"x6.5" piece of crinkle paper*

Simple Fabric Baby Book Construction

*Use a 1/4” seam allowance unless otherwise noted.*

1. Arrange (2) 5" exterior cover squares with 1.5"x5" strip in the middle. Sew squares to either side of the strip, press seams open. Arrange two 5" interior page squares with 1.5"x5" strip in the middle. Sew squares to either side of the strip, press seams open.

Apply 10"x4.5" fusible fleece to the wrong sides of the cover and interior page, centering the interfacing.

Place cover and interior page right sides together. If using, add a 10.5"x5" piece of crinkle paper up against the wrong side of the cover.

Sew around all four sides, leaving a small gap open for turning. Trim seam allowance at the corners. Turn right sides out, press well. Topstitch around all four sides, closing the gap.


2. Arrange (2) 5" interior page squares with 1"x5" strip in the middle. Sew squares to either side of the strip, press seams open. Repeat with remaining squares and strip.

Apply 9.5"x4.5" fusible fleece to the wrong sides of the two interior pages, centering the interfacing.

Place interior pages right sides together. If using, add a 10"x5" piece of crinkle paper up against the wrong side of an interior page.

Sew around all four sides, leaving a small gap open for turning. Trim seam allowance at the corners. Turn right sides out, press well. Topstitch around all four sides, closing the gap.



3. Place cover side down on your workspace. Place interior page on top of the first piece, centering it on the cover. Pin or clip pages in place. Sew down the spine through both the cover and interior page to secure together using a 3.0 stitch length.

Care: Book can be washed by hand or machine with warm or cold water. Let air dry.

Quilt Block Fabric Baby Book

Materials:
(1) fat quarter or 1/4 yard black solid
(1) fat quarter or 1/4 yard white solid
(2) 6.5" squares colorful print (for exterior cover)
(2) 1.5"x6.5" strips (for exterior spine)
(2) 1"x6.5" strips (for interior pages)
(2) 13"x6" pieces of fusible fleece
(2) 12.5"x6" pieces of fusible fleece

Optional:
(1) 13.5"x6.5" piece of crinkle paper*
(1) 13"x6.5" piece of crinkle paper*

Make Quilt Blocks
*Use a 1/4” seam allowance unless otherwise noted.*

Cross Block

From black fabric:
(4) 2.75" squares

From white fabric:
(2) 2"x2.75" pieces
(1) 2"x6.5" piece

1. Arrange pieces into three rows. Sew pieces together in each row, press seams open. Sew rows together, press seams open. Trim block to 6.5" square.

Hourglass Block

From black fabric:
(2) 4" squares

From white fabric:
(2) 4" squares

1. Using a marking pen or a pencil, draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of both white squares. Place one white square and one black square right sides together. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the marked line. Press and cut apart on the marked line to create two half-square triangles. Press seams open. Repeat with remaining squares. Trim half-square triangles to 3.5” square.

2. Arrange pieces into two rows. Sew pieces together in each row, press seams open. Sew rows together, press seams open. Trim block to 6.5" square.

Striped Block

From black fabric:
(6) 3.5"x1.5" pieces

From white fabric:
(6) 3.5"x1.5" pieces

1. Arrange strips into two columns. Sew pieces together in each column press seams open. Sew columns together, press seam open. Trim block to 6.5" square.

HST Block

From black fabric:
(2) 4" squares

From white fabric:
(2) 4" squares

1. Using a marking pen or a pencil, draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of both white squares. Place one white square and one black square right sides together. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the marked line. Press and cut apart on the marked line to create two half-square triangles. Press seams open. Repeat with remaining squares. Trim half-square triangles to 3.5” square.

2. Arrange pieces into two rows. Sew pieces together in each row, press seams open. Sew rows together, press seams open. Trim block to 6.5" square.

Pinwheel Block

From black fabric:
(2) 4" squares

From white fabric:
(2) 4" squares

1. Using a marking pen or a pencil, draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of both white squares. Place one white square and one black square right sides together. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the marked line. Press and cut apart on the marked line to create two half-square triangles. Press seams open. Repeat with remaining squares. Trim half-square triangles to 3.5” square.

2. Arrange pieces into two rows. Sew pieces together in each row, press seams open. Sew rows together, press seams open. Trim block to 6.5" square.

Nine-patch Block

From black fabric:
(5) 2.5" squares

From white fabric:
(4) 2.5" squares

1. Arrange squares into three rows. Sew squares together in each row, press seams open. Sew rows together, press seams open. Trim block to 6.5" square.

Quilt Block Fabric Baby Book Construction
1. Arrange (2) 6.5" exterior cover squares with 1.5"x6.5" strip in the middle. Sew squares to either side of the strip, press seams open. Arrange two 6.5" interior page blocks with 1.5"x6.5" strip in the middle. Sew squares to either side of the strip, press seams open.

Apply 13"x6" fusible fleece to the wrong sides of the cover and interior page, centering the interfacing.

Place cover and interior page right sides together. If using, add a 13.5"x6.5" piece of crinkle paper up against the wrong side of the cover.

Sew around all four sides, leaving a small gap open for turning. Trim seam allowance at the corners. Turn right sides out, press well. Topstitch around all four sides, closing the gap.

2. Arrange (2) 6.5" interior page blocks with 1"x6.5" strip in the middle. Sew squares to either side of the strip, press seams open. Repeat with remaining squares and strip.

Apply 12.5"x6" fusible fleece to the wrong sides of the two interior pages, centering the interfacing.

Place interior pages right sides together. If using, add a 13"x6.5" piece of crinkle paper up against the wrong side of an interior page.

Sew around all four sides, leaving a small gap open for turning. Trim seam allowance at the corners. Turn right sides out, press well. Topstitch around all four sides, closing the gap.

3. Place cover side down on your workspace. Place interior page on top of the first piece, centering it on the cover. Pin or clip pages in place. Sew down the spine through both the cover and interior page to secure together using a 3.0 stitch length.

Care: Book can be washed by hand or machine with warm or cold water. Let air dry.


I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! I have lots of other tutorials for everything from quilts, pillows, bags, and holiday items to informational series and techniques. Find all my tutorials here: Tutorials. My online shop is filled with patterns for quilts and bags. Find my patterns here: Jeni Baker Patterns

If you make something using one of my tutorials or patterns, I hope you'll tag me @jenib320 and use my hashtag #jenibaker on instagram!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference! :)

Happy Sewing!

*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Welcome Baby P + Summer Catch-up

Happy Monday! After spending the summer away from this space, it's time to slowly make my way back. It was an eventful summer and we have a lot to catch up on!


First and foremost, the main reason I took time away from posting is because we had a baby! This summer we welcomed a daughter to our family and we've spent the last few months getting to know each other and figuring out how to be parents. Many times I thought about sharing my pregnancy here and on social media, but I just never figured out a way that I was comfortable with. I was not a particularly happy pregnant person and keeping it private felt like the right thing for myself and Michael. On that note, I don't plan to share much about her here on the blog. She'll be "Baby P" to preserve her privacy. I will share some of the things I've sewn (and will sew in future) for her! That has been fun, to be able to make things for her. Look for a post soon with some baby-related sewing projects.


I've had a lot of fun shopping for second-hand baby clothes, and have found so many cute things at the thrift stores. Almost her entire wardrobe is thrifted! I love having new things to look for when I have the opportunity to go thrifting. There seems to be no shortage of cute stuff!


Despite having a brand new baby, I did manage to mostly take care of the garden this season. It's definitely done better other years, but most of that has actually been the weather. We have gotten an incredible amount of rain and parts of the garden have drowned. The wet killed nearly all of our pepper plants, and even a tomato plant. Thankfully we still got a lot of tomatoes, enough to put some in the freezer for soup this winter.


The dahlias started to bloom around the time Baby P was born, which was really nice to come home to! I made sure to get out and cut some just about every week. A lot more blooms went to the bees and pollinators than usual, but that's not a bad thing!


I've tried to squeeze in some crafting here and there where I can. I finished up a baby quilt, pieced a baby quilt top, made some blocks from scraps, and sewed a few other odds and ends.


I also started working on some crochet projects, specifically amigurumi. I've always wanted to be able to make them and I'm finally doing it! So far I've made a cat, a turtle and a pear. It's nice to have small projects that I can easily pick up for a row or two. Being able to finish things feels really good too!

Cat and turtle are kits from The Woobles, and the pear pattern is from Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion*.


Dusty is doing a great job being a big sister. She is loving all the time we're spending at home and even the late nights. She'll often come help us feed Baby P in the middle of the night, and demand pets of course.


Now that I'm dipping my toes back into posting, I thought I'd share a little of what you can expect from me going forward. My current plan (goal is probably a more accurate word) is to try to post once a week. I'm hoping to share a monthly favorites post and one tutorial/informational post a month, and fill in with project posts. We'll see how that works out. Sometimes it may be less, sometimes more. I'm giving myself grace during this season since my time is so limited.


I am still planning on hosting a Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along this year. I'd love to know what you'd like to see for this year's sew along. If you have any specific post or tutorial requests, please let me know in the comments! You can see past year's posts here.

I think that's everything I wanted to catch you all up on today! I hope you had lovely summers and are enjoying the first weeks of fall. I'll be back soon with a project post.

Happy Making!

*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.