We’re more into sewing than crafting, but when I saw paper-covered pumpkins in one of my mom’s magazines I thought, why not with fabric!  I actually think applying fabric to a curved surface was easier than paper would be. We used real pumpkins because we knew we’d want different fabrics next year, and I loved the idea of seeing a real stem and ridges but a fabric body. Though you could definitely use fake ones if you want them to be reusable. You can see what you’ll need and our tips to decoupage your own fabric pumpkins right HERE.Our pumpkins feature fabric from the City Weekend and Bon Vivant collections.

I’ll admit it. I’m lazy. Maybe that’s why I like the exposed waistband skirt project and have made so many. Though it was inspired by a skirt from Anthropologie, it’s fast and simple.  My friend Elin and I both own the original and wear it all the time, so we got together to recreate it. It’s got pleats for kicky fullness and an exposed elastic waistband that looks great worn a bit high-waisted. Wear it with a tee for comfy running around, or dress it up with a blouse and cardi.  We’ve included instructions along with some ideas for variations right here.

We get a lot of questions about what to do with pre-cut fabric, so I thought I’d share one of my favorite and most easy projects to do with pre-cut squares like Layer Cakes and Charm Packs: half-square triangles! These are so fun to make and it’s a simple way to enjoy the fabrics without too much fuss about a quilt pattern. And yet, there are some fun variations with these triangles.

The above quilt takes one printed Layer Cake and one solid Layer Cake, and makes close to a queen sized quilt.  (It features last year’s Kate Spain Christmas collection. Her 2011 Christmas collection, Flurry, will be arriving in a matter of weeks!)

Below is a baby quilt made with 2 Charm Packs. Your solid squares don’t have to be white though, these days Moda makes solid charm packs in all sorts of neutrals and color combinations so you can find the perfect one to match your prints.

To read more about half-square triangles with pre-cuts, including full instructions for these quilts, visit the Half-Square Triangle Quilt Tutorial Page.

What do you do when you don’t want the parties of the holidays to end but you do want the coldness of the Winter to end?  Make some party bunting with bright Springy fabrics and stay inside!

Mom and I made two of these late the other night, one with the Sugar Pop collection and one with the Hideaway collection, both recently arrived from Moda. They sure do brighten things up.

There are a lot of variations on this classic banner, we like our version for a few reasons: very few scraps, very little sewing, and you get to use a scalloped rotary cutter!

We’ll show you how we made ours on the Party Bunting Tutorial page.

scarf #1 barely finished

I made the first one with Lovesme Lovesmenot in Golden Velveteen on one side and Mixed Signals in Cornfield Voile on the other side, especially for my friend Ali on her birthday. Before wrapping it up I had to try it on and I almost couldn’t let it go.

Ali models hood style

I promptly made another just the same for myself.  But of course I needed another combination…  This one features Maybe in Memory Velveteen and Shattered in Sun Voile.

scarf #2 all for me

Then Erica conconted this combo with Woodcut in Crimson Velveteen & Designer Solids in Water Voile for another gift, which I’ll be needing to make for myself as well, of course.

We love them so much, and have had enough requests, that we’ve cut kits for these scarves.  Each one takes a length of 2 yards each of velveteen & voile, but doesn’t use the full width of fabric, so cut into kits this project much more affordable than having to buy the yardage.  We have made our scarves slightly more narrow than AMH’s, which cuts the cost a bit more, but still keeps the scarf plenty full.  These 3 combinations are available now, with more to come soon (and/or as requested).

The kits are cute enough that you wouldn’t even have to sew it up before giving it as a gift, give them the box and they can make it themselves!

Check out our scarf kit selections, and visit Anna Maria Horner’s blog to learn how to make the Figure 8 scarf. And if you make one, show us how you style it to make it your own! Take of photo modeling your scarf and add it to our Flickr pool!

I’m not joking. That’s how long it look me to make this skirt.  I just HAD to have something  ASAP out of the velveteens from Anna Maria Horner’s new collection, Innocent Crush.  They are just calling out to be made into Wintery party clothes, and at this rate there’s time to make several more.

And as it turns out, these 100% cotton velveteens are a dream to work with. They take a light steam iron very well–we had our doubts but the result was quite pleasing.   Since velveteen is a new texture for many quilters, and we’ve never had it in the shop before, you may have a few wonderments about it.  (Yes you can wash it… expect 5% shrinkage lengthwise…) Thankfully, Anna Maria spells out the basics of working with the velveteen on her blog–pretty  much everything I would have mentioned here so definitely check it out.

If you want to try your hand at this very simple project, visit the 1 hour velveteen skirt project page.

Remember my adorbs sister Rosie?  Well we are turning her into a fabric addict yet.  Last week she made a lovely European pillow sham with a soft double-gauze Fuwari from Kokka and some shot cottons.  She even turned the project into a tutorial.

Here Rosie shows off the contrasting strip on back at the overlapping closure…

and demonstrates the comfiness of the pillow.

For Rosie’s pillow sham tutorial, visit her blog.  (Btw, after looking at these photos, I want to do some Pendleton/Native inspired patchwork. Perhaps something on that coming soon.)

Can you believe that Christmas fabric is arriving already? Here’s a little peek at BasicGrey’s brand new Christmas collection for Moda, Fruitcake.  Even though it’s only June, it’s beautiful enough to motivate a person to start early on holiday projects, like this quilt.

These reverse appliqued circles remind me of vinyl records. Ooh how I loved breaking out the Christmas vinyl as a kid.  But no, it’s still too early for that… right?

Go ahead and check out the entire Fruitcake collection or download the free Fruitcake quilt pattern.

Owlie here helped us celebrate our first anniversary recently. And now he is a free embroidery pattern! Go to the owlie embroidery pattern page to get full details and download the pattern!

I realized that I haven’t gushed about Little Folks yet on the blog, and I’m shocked.  You may have seen it around. This is Anna Maria Horner’s newest collection, and rather than regular old quilting cotton, it’s printed on the most luscious, silky voile. (Rhymes with wall, toile…)  There are also coordinating flannels, oilcloth, dobby dots, and solids.  I squeal inside whenever I look at them.

When the collection arrived, Jennifer knew just what she wanted to do with it first. Before we could even put the bolts out on display, she was working on a scarf inspired by this one from Anna Maria’s blog.

She has since made more, as have many of our shop friends, and how could they not! It only takes about an hour and it’s such an easy way to use and wear a favorite print.  To make your own, check out the Little Folks Voile Scarf Tutorial.