Halloween is approaching and I want to show you how to sew a stunning little
Trick-or-Treat bag with one of my quilt blocks... and best of all its really easy.

 Finished bag size :  8.5" wide, 9.5" high and 4" deep at the bottom

Fabric/ Materials needed: (all measurements are width x height)
>   1 FPP quilt block 8.5" x 8.5" (ghost pattern shop here)
>   2 strips of fabric on each side of the FPP block 2.5"x 8.5"
>   2 strips of fabric for bottom panel 12.5"x 3"
>   2 strips of fabric for top panel 12.5"x 2"
>   1 piece of fabric for back 12.5"x 8.5"
>   2 pieces of fabric for lining 12.5"x 12"
>   Fusible interfacing 2 pieces 12.5"x 12"
>   2 strips of fabric for handles 2,5"x 12"
>   2 strips of fusable interfacing 2"x 12"

Instructions:
-Sew your Foundation paper pieced quilt block - I chose the little ghost .
( shop Halloween patterns here ) the block will measures 8.5"x 8.5" when sewn together.
-Cut out all the fabric, lining and fusable interfacing pieces.
-Attach the side strips to the quilt block. Then attach the bottom and top panel to the quilt block and fabric for the back ( see picture above).
Interfacing gives your bag more structure and stand.
Iron on the fusable interfacing to your front and back exterior main pieces of your bag.

- Quilt your exterior pieces to your liking.
- I did some diagonal straight line machine quilting.
- I drew the lines with a washable fabric marker ( this one can actually just be dusted off,
   it's a dressmaking chalk pen, that comes with several different color refills)
- Then I machine quilted the front and back exterior fabric pieces with diagonal 1" squares.

Sewing the handles:
- iron on fusable interfacing on fabric strips of handles, center to width of fabric,
leaving 1/4" seam allowance on both long sides of the fabric strips.
- Fold over 1/4" seam allowance on each side of the fabric strips and clip in place -
  (I use only orange and purple clips, to stay in the Halloween spirit :-)
- Now fold the strip in half and clip in place again. Then sew along the clipped edge with a small seam allowance to finish off the handle strip.
- Repeat for second handle.

- Attach the handles at 3" from the outer edge to the top of exterior front and back fabric pieces. And clip in place.
- Lay lining fabric right sides together on top of outer bag pieces and clip in place at top edge. Handles are now sandwiched between lining and outer piece.
- stitch along top edge with 1/4" seam allowance.
- fold exterior and lining pieces open.

- lay both trick-or-treat bag pieces on top of each other, right sides together
 - Clip or pin the raw edges in place, matching up each seam and clipping or
 pinning the matched up seams.
 - Leave a 4" space at the center of the bottom end of the lining, this is your opening
 for turning the bag later.
- Then sew along the four open sides.  Do not sew the 4" opening at the end of the lining pieces.

- For a  flat bottom of your bag, you need to box all four corners.
Two corners of the lining and two corners of the exterior fabric.
Starting with flattening the corner, the seams, bottom seam and side seam should be on top of each other. Then measure 2" from the top corner with an acrylic ruler and draw a line across with your fabric marker or a water soluble pen.

Stitch along that line and  trim off the corner, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
(Repeat this for all four corners)

- Turn your bag by turning the pieces right sides out, pulling through the opening in the
 lining. Push out the corners nicely. Press the lining opening under 1/4" and
 stitch closed with a small 1/8" seam allowance.

- Fold lining into bag and stitch along top edge of bag to secure handles and lining.

Et Voila.... your cutest ever quilted Halloween TRICK-OR-TREAT bag is all done.

How are you all celebrating Halloween this year? Let me know ....
Ingrid xo

This year Hallooween will be very special.
A full moon, a blue moon, daylight saving time, Saturday celebrations plus the unprecedented events of this year will make Halloween 2020 one day/night to remeber.
So much has changed, but the love for spooky, scary and fun delight is as strong as ever.
So lets see how we can celebrate this Halloween in a safe, fun and special way.

1. Small group Party
Invite a small group of your closest friends or family and have an unforgettable get together under the light of the blue moon. How about a Halloween picnic or a Halloween hide and seek?

2. Zoom Party
Why not coordinate a neighborhood Zoom Party with a costume contest, games and scary stories? Everyone can plan goody bags ahead of time and they can be dropped off on doorsteps in advance.

3. Candy games with your kids
Use your imagination and hide candy all over the house, maybe even inside and out.
Kids can win prizes for finding the candy. How about you create different theme rooms in your house and organize a Halloween scavenger hunt? Make a gift certificate to stay up late and watch a movie.

4. Fun and memorable photos
This year will be a very special Halloween. Don't forget to take 'once in a blue moon Halloween' photos. Make sure you show off all your fantastic Halloween decorations.
Now is the perfect time to sew some of your favorites. Use these photos to mail out some fun Halloween cards. Anyone will be happy to receive a spooky card at any time.

5. Scary memory videos
How about some fun, spooky and scary Tik Tok videos. Show off your fantastic costumes.
Maybe dress the family as a theme or all members the same?
Let your imagination run wild!

6.Halloween Karaoke
We all have those Halloween hit lists with Thriller or Monster Mash. Organize a Karaoke night with your family inside or with a small group of your closest friends in the backyard.
Your neighbors might enjoy to cheer you on.

7. Pumpkin carving Party
Every family member or friend carves his won special pumpkin. Organize a contest with prizes, photos and videos.
May the best carver win.

8. Halloween Pinata
Pinatas are always a fun way to entertain children. Fill your favorite Halloween Pinata with tons of candy. Organize a game night for your kids and the pinata will be the final prize of the night!

9. Cook a bloody Dinner
Don't just cook the Halloween dinner beforehand, but make it a dinner cooking Halloween night.  Your could make feet loaf, hot dog mummies a pumpkin puking guaamole or a berry eye ball punch. Dress up and cook together, celebrate the cooking and stay in your character, with the language, accent and more. Take tons of photos to remeber this special night.

10. Online murder mystery Party
Invite your friends and family to dress up in their costume and join the mystery fun. Design your own murder mystery party or sign up for one online.

Do you have any more ideas for a 'once in a blue moon Halloween night' ?
Let me know your suggestions....

Shop all the HALLOWEEN patterns here.
And show me your makes with #jjmhalloween

Most of all have tons of fun this year
Ingrid xoxo

What's the difference between Halloween and Dia de los Muertos?
The two are related somewhat, but Dia de los Muertos and Halloween differ greatly in traditions and tone.
Whereas Halloween is a dark night of horror and mischief, Dia de los muertos festivities unfold over two days in an explosion of color and life affirming joy.
The theme for the annual event is death that's true, but the point is to demonstrate love and respect for the deceased family members. And isn't that beautiful?

The festivities of Dia de los Muertos are full with symbolic meaning.
The more you know and understand about this feast for the senses,
the more you will love it too.
Here are 3 essential things about Mexico's most colorful annual event.

History
Several thousand years ago , Dia de los Muertos originated with the Aztec, Toltec and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. Death was a natural phase in life's long continuum, for theses pre-Hispanic cutures. I find this way of honoring the dead both reassuring and beautiful. The dead were still members of the community. They were kept alive in memory and spirit and during Dia de los Muertos ,they temporarily returned to Earth.
Today's Dia de los Muertos celebration is a fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts.
It takes place on November 1 and 2, which is also All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day on our Christian calendar.

Altars
Built in private homes and cemeteries the altar is the centerpiece of the celebration.
These aren't altars for worshipping the way we know altars, they're meant to welcome spirits back to the living. Therefore they're loaded with offerings, water and food for hunger and thirst after the long journey, family photos and a candle for each dead relative.
The sacred mexican heart is one of the most common motifs in religious folk art created in Mexico. The idea is that the physical heart of Jesus is a symbol of his devine love for humanity.
The Mexican sacred heart comes in various forms. It comes with flames around it, with a crown and sometimes with a crown of thorns. They and all represent the same thing, Jesus' compassion for humanity.
And of course, you know that almost everyone in Mexico is Catholic so these images are commonly seen throughout the country.
Again you can see the blend of pre-Hispanic tradition and Christian beliefs.

Calaveras/ Sugar Skulls

Skulls go all the way back to pre-historic times, where the skull was a predominant figure in Mesoamerican ( todays central America )societies and cultures.
These civilizations believed in a spiritual life after death so the skulls were offerings to the god of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli -don't ask me how to pronounce this :-)-.
He would then assure a safe passage into the underworld whee he ruled.
 
With the arrival of the Spanish conquerors and Christianity, these traditions were lost in it's original form, and yet a part of them was kept alive by maintaining the figure of the skull in a sweet confection that can be placed on altars as part of the offerings to the deceased.

Calavera means 'skull'. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, calavera was used to describe short, humorous poems, which were often sarcastic tombstones epitaphs published in newspapers that made fun of the living. These were called literary calaveras.
In the early 20th century, Mexican political cartoonist and lithographer José G. Posada created an etching to go with his literary calavera.
Posada dressed his personification of death in fancy French clothes.
In 1947 artist Diego Rivera ( Fried Kahlos husband) featured Posada’s stylized skeleton in his masterpiece mural “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.”
Posada’s skeletal bust was dressed in a large feminine hat, and Rivera made his female and named her Catrina, slang for “the rich.”
Today, the calavera Catrina, or elegant skull, is the Day of the Dead’s most prominent symbol.

Frida Kahlo
Who do we all associate with Mexico?
Exactly, Frida Kahlo... the great mexican painter or better yet great Mexican artist.
She's known for her many portraits and self-portraits.
Her paintings often have strong autobiographical elements mixed with realism and fantasy.
She was born in 1907 to a German father and a Mestizia Mother and spent most of her childhood and adult life in her family home in Coyoacan 'La Casa Azul' the blue house.
Although the was disabled by polio as a young child Kahlo had been a great and promising student headed for medical school until she suffered a bus accident at the age of 18 which left her lifelong suffering and medical problems.
In 1927 she met Mexican artist Diego Rivera, whom she married in 1929 and spent the next 20 years painting and travelling in Mexico and the United States together.
Throughout the 1940s, Kahlo participated in many exhibitions in Mexico and the United States and worked as an art teacher.
Her always fragile health began to decline in the late 1940s.
She had her first solo exhibition in Mexico in 1953 shortly before her death in 1954 at the age of only 47.

So what better way than to combine the two .... Dia de los Muertos and a Frida Kahlo inspired quilt block pattern .... in a stunning quilt, that features not only the bright colors of Mexico but also Frida and all the amazing Mexican symbols.....
I am still working on mine, it might take a little while until I'm all finished, so stay tuned on news of this fun project.....

Let me know what you would make with these patterns? I can't wait to see all of your
fantastic creations.

Best
Ingrid xx

This is still very unreal for me, my first book.

ADORABLE ANIMAL QUILTING
a very fitting title for this fun quilting book.

I was approached by Page Street Publishing last spring. Caitlin Dow and Sarah Monroe,
my editors, had seen my Instagram account and fell in love with my animal quilt blocks.
So they sent me an e-mail asking me whether I would be interested in publishing a book.
I read the e-mail, but did not take it seriously.
My insecurities got the better of me, and thoughts like:
me a book, no way.... they probably just want to sell something... it would be cool, but I am not good enough for a book... entered my mind, and so I didn't answer the e-mail and forgot about it.
But Caitlin was persistent and inquired again two weeks later, and suggested that we have a conference call to discuss details.
I was still hesitant because I did not know what to expect, but my first phonecall with Page Street Publishing  was absolutly fun and to make a long story short....
I signed my first book deal a few weeks later.

We agreed on 20 patterns for the book, so I went ahead and spent last summer
drawing, designing and sewing my adorable animal quilt blocks.
I needed to get the patterns tested , so I asked my  pattern testers if they would be willing to help, and they were all absolutely fantastic and super excited to be part of this.
Thanx you guys for all your support and great work.

My son, Jonas took all the photos in the book, I am so proud of the work he did.
It was not always easy to work with me, I am a virgo after all, and I drove him crazy at times.
But I think the result is fantastic and I want to say a huge THANK YOU JONAS for your patience with me.

My editor Caitlin and Sarah were fantastic to work with as well as the rest of the Page Street team, thank you so much you guys for making a dream come true.

So here it is, let me take you on a journey around the world with these adorable animal quilt blocks.
Check out the pre-order links here on my website.... and best yet, you'll get Hilda the hippo pattern for free with each pre-order of the book.

August 18th can't come soon enough.
I can't wait to see all your makes.... use #adorableanimalquilting so I can find your makes on social media.....

Happy sewing
Ingrid x

Pillowcases are easy and fun, and the perfect way to redecorate your home without having to invest a lot of money.
Everybody that knows me personally, has seen, that I am a tiny bit of a color freak and also like to rearrange and redecorate things in my home. Especially seasonal changes, from spring to summer, fall and winter/ christmas.
My patio and garden get a makeover every year.
I love different 'looks' and love to play with fabrics and colors.

I designed my Chinese Lunar New Year pattern series back in January but I think
this series works all year around.
Especially the lantern patterns are perfect for any patio decor.

These are extremly easy and quick to make.
And yes, the paper lantern pattern is easy to follow as well.

Materials needed:

- a 8" x 8" quilt block , paper lantern or any other ( 8 1/2" unfinished)
- 48 2 1/2" squares ( the squares you cut will be 2 1/2" so they are 2" finished)
- two pieces of fabric for the back 13" x 17"
- low volume fusable batting 17" x 17"
- thread and needle for handquilting if you decide to do that.

Seam allowances are 1/4" unless mentioned otherwise.

This is the quilt block that I will use for this pillowcase it's the 8" x 8" version of the balloon paper lantern pattern.

1> Place your squares around your quilt block the way you feel they will look good
( photo 1)
This is a fab way to use up your fabric scraps and do some cute fussy cutting.
Then sew together those squares.

2> I usually sew them into strips first and then join the strips.( photo 2 )

3> Your can either seperate your seam allowances and press them each seperatly,
or press the seam allowances in opposite directions before joining your
fabric square strips. This is really easy and quick. (photo 3)
You press one strip in one direction and the other in the opposite direction,
this will help with nesting your seams and having accurate corners and matching points.

4> Nesting your seams is the easyest way to get accurate matching seams. 
if you pressed your seam allowances into opposite directions, this is quite easy.
The seams sort of fit together automatically ( photo 4)

6> Join the 2" squares blocks with the foundation paper piecing quilt block.
First attach the top and bottom 8 x 2" blocks to the paper lantern quilt block .
Then you add the side panels of 16 x 2" squares to either side of the FPP quilt block.
Press the seam allowances and iron on the fusable batting.

Now is the perfect time to do some hand quilting if you want.
You could also quilt some straight lines with your sewing machine, or machine quilt the entire pillowcase top.

This is how I hand quilted this top, some 'straightish' lines and just one line of stitching around the paper lantern.

7> To make the back of the pillow, place one of the 13"x 17" fabric rectangles wrong side up, fold over the long edge ½” twice, press, clip and stitch in place. Repeat this to make the second one. Align the backing pieces, right sides up and raw edges aligned.
The hemmed edges should overlap aprox 6". Trim to 16 1/2 " x 16 1/2" same size as pillowcase top.  Clip the backing in place and machine baste ⅛″ from the edge on both sides.

Have I mentioned, I like to recycle fabric? There are soo many beautiful fabrics out there and they do not belong in the garbage. Especially cotton woven fabrics such as shirts, sheets, douvet covers etc.
My husband used to work in the fashion industry as well and still has tons of awesome shirts that are of great quality, so I use them as backings or linings for all sorts of sewing projects. ( here as well)

8> To finish the pillowcase place front and back right sides together and stitch these two together along the outer edges. Cut off the corners as shown in Photo 3 at a 45° angle.
this gives you nice and crisp corners for your pillow.
Turn inside out and VOILA.....

Here it is all done and pretty :-)
What do you think? Especially pretty with the quilted book cover right?

How to easily sew a simple, quilted drawstring bag with a paper pieced quilt block?
And there's a bonus: it's lined and with inside pockets.

I mean seriously is there such a thing as too many drawstring bags?
I am sure we all agree ............ ABSOLUTLY NOT :-)
You can use them for everything and everywhere. Use them for gifts or as storage,
as a cute little decor, you name it.
So let me show you how to sew a drawstring bag with any one of my quilt block patterns.

Finished bag size :  9.5" wide, 11" high and 4" deep at the bottom
(Size small if you’re using a 6"x 6" quilt block: 7" wide, 8" high and 3" deep at bottom)


Fabric/ Materials needed: (all measurements are width x height)
> 1   1 FPP quilt block 8.5" x 8.5" (beach ball) (6.5"x 6.5")
> 2   2 strips of fabric on each side of the FPP block 2.5"x 8.5" (2 1/4"x 6.5")
> 3   2 strips of fabric for bottom panel 12.5"x 3" (10"x 2.5")
> 4   2 strips of fabric for top panel 12.5"x 4"(10"x 4")
> 5.   1 piece of fabric for back 12.5"x 8.5" (10"x6.5")
> 6   2 pieces of fabric for lining 12.5"x 14.5" (10"x11.5")
> 7   Fusible interfacing 1 piece 12.5"x 22" (10"x 17")
> 8   2 pieces of rope, ½" twill, or ½" fabric tie (I used blue rope) 40" each. (30")
> Optional: Inside pocket 1 piece of fabric 12.5"x 10"  (10"x 7.5")

Before you start:
Read through the instructions, thats always best so you get a feel of the sewing beforehand.
Seam allowance is always ¼" unless mentioned otherwise.
One more note: 
The quilt block sizes are 8"x 8" ( 6"x 6") finished, they are 8.5"x 8.5" ( 6.5"x 6.5") unfinished.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Lay out your pieces of fabric as shown in the chart above,  
    and sew them together into one long piece.
    Start with sewing the two side strips (2.5"x 8.5") to the quilt block,
    then add the other pieces of fabric in the order above.
    Order from left to right:
    Lining, top panel, quilt block with 2 side panels, bottom panel, bottom panel,
    back (exterior), top panel and finally lining again. Press seam allowances open.

Here you see the whole long piece sewn together.  
(I folded the lining pieces under for the photo.)
Make sure you place directional prints with the 'top' of the print facing towards the top of the bag ,towards the drawsting- and lining pieces.
The bottom of the drawstring bag is at the center of the bottom panels.

 Interfacing gives your bag more structure and stand.
 Iron on the fusable interfacing.
 Use interfacing only on the exterior main pieces. If you’re using it on the 4" drawstring
 panel, your drawstring might get caught in the material and it will not let you tie your bag
 as nicely. I measured the interfacing a little bit generous, so trim it down to where the drawstring panel starts.

Now you can quilt the front and/ or back outer fabric panel to your liking.
I would recommend to only quilt the paper pieced block and/ or the back
fabric block. Not the bottom part or the drawstring panels. The bottom will have boxed
corners anyways.
And it’s best to leave the drawstring panel plain, as any stitching might interfere with the
drawstring.
I love hand quilting, so I decided to just stitch around the star. I will leave the back without
Quilting, since the fabric with the letters is pretty busy as it is.
But in general straight line machine quilting would look really nice on a less busy pattern.
Plain lines, squares or diamonds always enhance solid fabrics.

If you’re adding an inside pocket fold over the 12.5" ( 10") side of the inside pocket
fabric ¾" twice and clip or pin in place. And sew along the clipped edge.

Place the pocket fabric panel onto the backside lining panel. Wrong side of pocket fabric
against right side of lining panel, matching the raw outside edges . Clip or pin in place.
Draw two vertical lines 4"(3" for the small bag) from the outer edge with a water soluble
pen or fabric marker.
Then sew along those lines, backstitch at the beginning and at the end. These will be your
three inside pockets.
If you’d prefer two inside pockets, draw just one line in the middle and sew along
that line. This gives you two inside pockets.

 Fold your sewn strip in half, right sides together, matching the lining ends.
 Clip or pin along the raw edges in place, matching up each seam and clipping or
 pinning the matched up seams.
 Leave a 4" space at the center of the bottom end of the lining, this is your opening
 for turning the bag later.

On both sides, of the drawstring panel mark a 1" opening in the center of the panel.
First mark the center of the panel and then mark ½" to both sides. This gives you small
1" opening sections on both sides,  these will be left unsewn, creating the opening for the
drawstrings.
 
Then sew along the three open sides.  Do not sew between the 1" opening you marked
on both sides or the drawstring panel or the 4" opening at the end of the lining pieces.

For a  flat bottom of your bag, you need to box all four corners of the drawstring bag.
Two corners of the lining and two corners of the exterior fabric.
Starting with flattening the corner, the seams, bottom seam and side seam should be on top of each other. Then measure 2" (1.5"for the small bag) from the top corner with an acrylic ruler and draw a line across with your fabric marker or a water soluble pen.

Stitch along that line and  trim off the corner, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
(Repeat this for all four corners)

Turn your bag by turning the pieces right sides out, pulling through the opening in the
 lining. Push out the corners nicely. Press the lining opening under 1/4"and
 stitch closed with a small 1/8" seam allowance.

Fold the lining into the exterior of the bag. Press along the top edge.

Mark two thin lines onto the drawstring panel with a fabric marker or a water soluble pen.
One line at the top of the 1" opening for the drawstrings, and a second line at the bottom
of the 1" opening for the drawstings.
Mark those line all the way around the top of the bag. This will be your drawstring casing.
Sew along those two lines all the way around the bag.

Attach a safety pin to one end of your rope, ribbon or fabric tie. 
Insert the safety pin into one of the side openings. Work it through, pulling it all the way
back around the whole bag and out the opening where you started.
Even out your the ends and tie them  into knots seperatly or together.
Repeat with the other tie, starting at the opposite side opening.

Aaaaaand YAAAAAY..... all done.

And here are some more inspirations on this bag, with all sorts of blocks from my small collection of quilt blocks ....
Share your makes on social media ... use #quilteddrawstringbag so I can cheer your creations, and if you want I can share them here on my blog.

Sometimes connection happens in the most unexpected ways.
This happened when I first saw Natalie Santini's profile on Instagram @sewhungryhippie
you could even say it was love at first sight, literally.

'I believe we're all interconnected, to each other and to the Earth-more than we realize.'- this is Natalie's quote and she's 100% right.

I love her quirky, fun and colorful sewing projects, photos, patterns and general approach to life.
She has some fantastic items and projects in her shop, and the thing that really caught my attention are her fun and bright colored vinyls and patterns with them.
So immediately there was a pattern idea that popped into my head and Natalie was on the same page right away.
And we created the ' TWO PIECE POUCH' #twopiecepouch

a super practical and pretty wet bag for BIKINI/SWIMMSHORTS

This is a fab combination of foundation paper piecing and vinyl.
Natalie's fantastic way of sewing a beautiful pouch with vinyl
and two of my summer, beach quilt block patterns make some useful and fantastic pouches.
I am sure it happened to you as well, you spend all day at the beach, want to pack your things but all the swimsuits are still wet, so you wrap them in the towels.
When you get home, the towels are moist, the pages of your book or magazines are wet and roll themselves.
And to top it all off, one of you ( I'm not pointing fingers :-) forgot to close the lid of your sunscreen all the way, so it's spilled nicely all over your beach bag.

Needless to say these problems will all be solved, when you store your wet bikini or shorts perfectly in this pretty vinyl pouch.
Your beach bag and all the rest of your stuff stays nice and dry, clean and safe.
Plus you will be the hit at the pool or beach with this adorable #twopiecepouch.

This pattern shows you step by step how to sew a vinyl pouch, as well as two
unusual quilt blocks . The instructions are for two different quilt block sizes each,
as well as two diffferent pouch sizes.
The pouches don't have open vinyl seams, but awesome binding covered seams inside.

Get your sewing machine ready and make yourself some stunning
beach-bikini-swimmshorts wet bags.
Shop the pattern here.
And if you share them on social media why not use #twopiecepouch
so we can cheer your makes :-)


happy sewing
Natalie and Ingrid xx

How to recycle pre-loved fabric? And most importantly, how to use pre-loved fabric?

Of course we did not invent recycling. Recycling is as old as history of human kind. Our ancestors did it out of necessity. I remember my grandma and also my mum keeping leftover anything, and I am not just talking food. Maybe that's why I became a
'keeper of everything' as well.
Recycling is finally a 'THING' again and an important one at that.
And nothing combines importance, necessity and beauty quite like a quilt or a mosaic. Have I told you that I am collecting broken dishes and tiles as well, nicely sorted by color? But that's a story for another time.

We're talking fabric today.

Why recycle fabric?
There a a few reasons why we should recycle fabric:
1. fabrics are pretty expensive:
We all know, especially if you've been sewing for a while, sewing isn't a cheap hobby.
A yard or meter of fabric can easily cost between 18-24 Euros. And depending on your project this can get really expensive.

2. for environmental reasons :
The cost of the fabric isn't everything, let's talk environment.
Fabric has to be produced, that means cotton fields, pesticides, lots of water etc.
Then it has to be bleached and printed, packed and shippped worldwide.
This is just the quick version , but you get the drift, if puts a strain on our environment.
So even if we can reduce this by a little bit it makes a difference in the big picture.

3. memories / history:
Some of the items , that we recycle remind us of people, places or experiences, and are so worth keeping. Your dads favorite shirt, your daughters first dress, your grandmas sheets, whatever it is, it can turn a sewing project into a very special gift or keepsake.
And even if it's not a personal memory, it can be a 'feel' of time or history.

and last but not least 
4. the beauty of vintage prints
This is my favorite, since some of those vintage fabrics, just have the nicest and coolest prints, weaves or textures.
They will turn your sewing project into an awesome item.

Where do you find 'pre-loved' fabric for quilting?
There are numerous places to find beautiful used fabrics.
But not all of them are useful for quilting or sewing projects.
Look out for anything cotton or cotton blend.
You will probably find wash care labels in clothes, but it's harder with fabric remnants or home decor fabrics.
Cotton fabrics are usually stiff and can be crushed easily and the crease will stay in the fabric. Whereas man made fibers such as polyester, nylon and rayon etc. are smoother and creases will not stay as much in the fabric.
You can always test the fabric with burning a little corner, if you're really not sure.
Natural fibers will burn as opposed to man made fibers that will melt.

Thrift stores:
Here you can find anything from clothing to fabric remnants, pillowcases, table linnens, curtains/drapes and sheets.
Fine cotton sheets are awesome for the backing of quilts. Coarser cotton sheets can be turned into bags, pouches dish towels and much more.
Let your imagination run wild and try to experiment, you'll be surprised at what you will find.

Flea markets :
As with thrift stores, check out anything that catches your attention. A cute cotton dress with a flower print, a nice cotton mens dress shirt with an awesome stripe, some 70's table linnens with huge orange flowers.... the possibilities are endless.

Garage sales:
Same as the above, when you see items that catch your attention, check for stains, holes or tears. Depending on what you'll be using the fabric for you can still use one that has some imperfections. Sheet especially need to be checked in the middle they are often faded or thin in the center from longer use. It might not be a big deal , because you decide to cut it up anyways, but knowing what you get is always good.

Now that you found a whole bunch of fabrics what's next?

First of all I like to wash the fabrics. Most of your finds might be washed already, but I like to make sure I wash them again for two reasons, one, I want to be sure there are no bugs, dust, smell etc. and two, I want to make sure none of the fabrics bleed after I've sewn them up.

For pre-loved clothing I cut the items up into usable fabric pieces. This means I will cut off collars, cuffs, buttons etc. and fold the usable parts as I would fold my fat quartes.

For sheets etc. I will cut stained or teared parts and fold the rest as well.

Then, being a color freak I like to sort the fabric by color so I can easily find them when
I want to use these treasures for new sewing projects. 

Here are a few projects I made with pre-loved fabric:

These are just a few of the quilts I made with recycled or pre-loved fabrics.
All the white fabrics are pre-loved sheets, the blue quilt is almost entirely made with mens dress shirt fabrics and sheets, I just added a few quilting cottons to give it a more modern look.
What do you think you guys? Wanna go fabric thrifting?

A quilted fabric book cover is not only extremly pretty on your coffe table,
it also comes in very handy if your reading is as 'deep' as mine.
Life is serious enough, so I sometimes enjoy 'easy' literature also called romance novels.
Especially on holidays, or to wind down after a long day.
But obviously not everyone needs to know what I'm reading, right?
Literally no one needs to judge my book by it's cover :-)

So why not sew yourself a fun and easy, adjustable, quilted fabric book cover
with the sunglasses quilt block pattern of mine?
Perfect right?

Materials/ fabrics needed:

> the finished sunglasses quilt block ( or any other )
> fabric for the outer book cover (approx. 10"x 20" including quilt block depending on book size)
> fabric for  the lining ( approx. 10"x 20" depending on book size)
> fusable light weight batting ( 10"x 20" depending on book size)
> 10" elastic band
> ruler, clips, scissors, thread and sewing machine

I use a 1/4" seam allowance unless noted otherwise.

The size of your fabric depends on the size of your book.
I made my book cover to fit most average size hard cover novels,
which is roughly 5 1/2 "x 8" with a 1" spine. The book cover is adjustable in length.

This is how you calculate the total size of your fabrics and batting needed:
> total length will be:
   book front + spine + book back + 2 x 3 1/2" fold + 1/2" seam allowance
> total width (hight or top to bottom) will be:
   hight of book + 1" .

The sunglasses quilt block I used is 8"x 8" finished, I added a strip of fabric 2 1/2"
to the right and a piece of fabric 9 1/2" to the left.
I also added a 1" strip of some very cute selvage to the bottom.
The finished piece of outer fabric is 9" x 19 1/2" , same size for lining and batting.

Iron on the fusable batting to the outer book cover fabric then clip the elastic band at about 2" from the back edge of the book (if your size is different then this one) or 6" from the outer edge ( the short side of the fabric).
I did some hand stitching around my glasses, you could also quilt the outer fabric with  simple straight line quilting, or what ever quilting you prefer.
Now place outer fabric and lining, right sides together and clip or pin
( I prefer clips) in place.

Stitch all the way around and leave a 4" opening at the side (the one that will be folded into the book's back) for turning.

Cut off the edges for nicer corners.

Turn the book cover through the opening on the side, and close the opening,
by folding the seam allowance inside and stitching the opening close with a 1/8" seam from edge.
Fold in the front pocket 3" - 3 1/2" and stitch top and bottom with 1/8" seam.
Fold the back pocket under the elastic.


And well done your adjustable, quilted book cover is finished.

This quilted book cover will be a wonderful addition if you're gifting a book
or will work just as well for a diary or note book.
Any other ideas? Let me know.
I cant wait to see what you guys come up with. Share your creations on social media and use #joejuneandmae so I can cheer your makes.
happy sewing
Ingrid xx

What is fussy cutting patchwork and how to use it in Foundation Paper Piecing, English Paper Picing or quilting in general?

I have been quilting for a long time, and I remeber the days when I was cutting fabric for a quilt and was giddy with joy when the pattern of the fabric ended up centered in the shape I was cutting.
Little did I know back then, that this was actually 'a thing'.
It's not only a thing, it also has a name........
It's called FUSSY CUTTING.

As I went on, on my quilting journey I noticed that some people were really 'lucky' and got their print centered all the time.... really lucky indeed.
I have to confess till then, I was still trying to use up as little fabric as possible and it didn't even occur to me, that someone would deliberatly just cut an image out of a piece of fabric.

So there is was, FUSSY CUTTING .
A whole new world opened up to me.

Fussy cutting is when you cut your fabric to showcase a specific area of a print rather then cutting random pieces.

There are different reasons for fussy cutting depending on your project or quilting technique.
You use fussy cutting to:
1. Feature a particular part of a print
or you
2. Use a specific part of a print in your quilt pattern to enhance the pattern.

These reasons also determine the techniques and tools you use.

So lets start with featuring a particular part of a print:

1. This method is usually used with English paper piecing, but also with squares, triangles or other geometrical shapes.

You can use acrylic templates to cut your shapes or make your own templates out of cardboard.
The advantage of acrylic templates is, they're easy, reusable, see through and include a 1/4" seam allowance.
If you make your own template, which is absolutly fine, draw your shape on cardbord and add 1/4" seam allowance, cut out the desired shape and you're left with the seam allowance 'frame' , which you then use to cut your fabric along the outside line.
Either way, place your template on your particular part of your print and cut along the outside lines with your rotary cutter or fabric scissors. I prefer a rotary cutter, so the fabric can stay put on my cutting mat and I don't move the template by accident.

For geometrical shapes its best to use an acrylic ruler, these can be easily placed on top of your print and your design can be centered accordingly.
Make sure you don't forget the seam allowance, trust me it happened to me more than once, that I cut a cute image only to notice afterwards that I had fogotten the seam allowance.

Fussy cutting to enhance your foundation paper piecing pattern:

2. This is a bit more tricky , as you're not only working with a mirrored image, but also with weird angles in the pattern sometimes.
Let's start with the easier part placing a particular part of a print on your foundation paper piecing segment.
This can be done to give an eye more life by using a dotted fabric, or by adding some print detail to an otherwise simpler background, as I did with the seals in the orca pattern.
This is fairly simple if the part of the segment that you wish to place the print on is part 1,
as shown in the photos below.
I always use a fabric glue pen, it just makes your life so much easier.
The dolphin and the orca pattern are featured in my new book. Which can be pre ordered here.

It becomes more challenging if it is any other number of a particular segment and has weird and pointed angles on top of it. But there are a few tricks.

1. First you place your segment wrong side (unprinted ) on wrong side of fabric.
Here I chose the pirates for part B1. I use a fabric glue pen, and glue the segment onto the fabric (glue only B1).
If you're planning on doing this a lot, a light box comes in very handy, but for starters just hold your segment and fabric against a light or your window.
2. Cut out, with aprox 1/4" seam allowance, around the perimeter of B1. You can use a ruler to do this and a rotary cutter, I usually just use fabric scissors and eye ball it.
(I trim the seam allowance after sewing part 2 and 3.)
Then sew part 2 and 3 with your chosen fabric for those parts.

3. Trim the seam allowance. I am using here the add-a-quarter-ruler, since I want this particular seam allowance to be super accurate.
4. Now place the segment part B4 (wrong side of paper on wrong side of fabric) over your fabric folding back the seam allowance of B3 and glue in place. ( just glue B4, with just a little bit of glue, you'll remove it later)

5. Cut out roughly and mark with water soluble pen, where fabrics should align.
6. Then trim along the raw edge of  B3. Use a ruler and rotary cutter you want this to be accurate.

7. Place your pattern segment printed side down and flip the clued(yes un-glue!) fabric backwards. Right sides together with the previous fabric. Align raw edges and he marked lines. Then sew along the line between B3 and B4.

8. Fold the fabric over, an its exactly where you want it to be .
Finish this segment and then all the other segments, assemble your quilt block and
voila your little happy boat isn't just a happy boat, it actually tells a story. 

Fussy cutting in foundation paper piecing takes for some practice but it is extremly rewarding and turns a simple quilt block into a stunning make.
You find all the boat patterns including the little happy boat here.
Is this something you guys would want to try?
Or do you  have other techniques for fussy cutting?
I'm really curious so cant wait to hear from you all.
Ingrid xx