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I’ve had my eye on making a map quilt for a while, and I finally tackled it on a cozy day at home with a good movie playing in the background. If you’ve been thinking about making one, too, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process.

Whether you want a US map, a different country, or even a world map, the technique is the same. You just need a clear map, some fusible web, and fabric scraps. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Print Your Map at Poster Size

First, print your map as an enlarged poster so you can use it as a template. Here’s how:

1. Open the map file and click Properties in the print settings.

2. Select the Page Setup tab.

3. Look for the Tiling/Poster option and select it.

4. Click Specify, then set Image Divisions to 16 (smaller divisions make tiny states like those on the East Coast harder to cut).

5. Print and tape the pages together, making sure everything lines up correctly.

This is the map I used but if you prefer a different map or want to do a different country or the world map, you can find a nice clear map and follow the same steps. Printable PDF

Step 2: Prepare Your Appliqué Pieces

1. Trace the map – Use Steam-A-Seam 2 (or your preferred fusible web) to trace each state or section of your design. Numbering your pieces helps keep things organized.

2. Cut out your shapes – Carefully cut out each piece along the traced lines. These are amazing scissors for applique or fine cutting.

3. Fuse to fabric – Peel off one side of the paper backing and press the fusible web onto the back of your fabric.

Step 3: Assemble Your Quilt Top

1. Position the states – Arrange the pieces on your background fabric, either lining them up exactly or slightly overlapping.

2. Press in place – Once everything is where you want it, use an iron to fuse the pieces securely.Optional: While Steam-A-Seam 2 holds the fabric in place well, you can also stitch around each state for added durability and a decorative touch.

Optional: While Steam-A-Seam 2 holds the fabric in place well, you can also stitch around each state for added durability and a decorative touch.

For a personal touch, I added little fabric hearts to mark where my family has lived and where each member was born.

Step 4: Add Borders and Quilt

1. Cut (46) 3.5-inch squares from coordinating fabrics for a scrappy border.

2. Piece the border and sew it around your map.

3. Quilt as desired – I chose a meander quilting pattern over the states and an outline stitch around the background.

Final Quilt Size and Finishing Touches

The finished quilt measures approximately 42” x 32”—perfect for a wall hanging, learning tool, or unique home décor piece.

I love how mine turned out, and I’d love to see yours! Share your creations with the hashtag #FourRobbinsQuilts on social media.

Happy quilting!

Krista

The post How to Make a Map Quilt – Step-by-Step Sewing Guide first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

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Introduction

Quilting is more than just a craft—it’s an opportunity to create something beautiful with your own hands, whether for yourself, your home, or as a special gift for someone. But, if you’re new to the world of quilting, it can feel a bit intimidating. There’s so much to learn and so many tools to gather, but don’t worry—this guide is here to help you every step of the way!

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll walk through the essential tools you need to get started, some helpful tips to make your quilting journey smooth and enjoyable, and a few simple steps to help you dive into your first quilt project. Ready to start quilting? Let’s go!

Essential Quilting Tools for Beginners

Before you start your first quilt, it’s important to have the right tools. While quilting does require a few specific supplies, you’ll soon find that the tools help streamline the process and make each step easier. Let’s go through what you’ll need to create your first beautiful quilt.

1. Rotary Cutter, Ruler, and Mat

• Rotary Cutter: This is an essential tool for cutting your fabric with precision. The sharp, circular blade allows you to cut fabric quickly and accurately, and is perfect for making straight lines and shapes. Find it on Amazon here.
• Ruler: A quilting ruler helps you measure and cut fabric with accuracy. The markings on the ruler help guide your cuts, ensuring they’re perfectly straight. A 6″ x 24″ ruler is ideal for beginners as it gives you plenty of space to measure and cut. Shop for quilting rulers on Amazon.
• Cutting Mat: Protect your workspace and extend the life of your rotary cutter with a self-healing cutting mat. These mats repair themselves after each cut, which ensures they last longer. Buy a self-healing cutting mat here.

Or you can get buy a three piece set.

Why It’s Essential: These tools are the foundation for cutting fabric accurately and safely, and they make the entire quilting process faster and more enjoyable.

2. Sewing Machine

While hand-sewing is a viable option, using a sewing machine is far quicker and more efficient—especially for quilting! Look for a sewing machine with basic stitch functions, such as straight, zigzag, and reverse stitches. Find a beginner-friendly sewing machine on Amazon here.

Why It’s Essential: A sewing machine helps you piece the layers of fabric together easily, making the entire process much more efficient, and it ensures precise stitching.

3. Fabric

Choosing fabric is one of the most exciting parts of quilting. For beginners, start with cotton fabric as it’s durable, easy to sew, and comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

• Tip: You might want to use pre-cut fabric bundles like charm squares, fat quarters, or jelly rolls. These options provide a variety of colors and patterns without needing to cut the fabric yourself, which is perfect for beginners.

Why It’s Essential: The fabric you choose is the canvas for your quilt. Cotton fabric will give you a solid, durable quilt that will last for years.

4. Pins and Clips

• Pins: Quilting pins are longer than regular pins, making them perfect for holding multiple layers of fabric together. They help ensure your fabric stays in place while sewing. Buy quilting pins here.
• Clips: Fabric clips are great for thicker fabrics, like batting, and are a good alternative to pins. They hold your fabric without leaving holes. Find fabric clips on Amazon here.

Why They’re Essential: These tools help keep your fabric aligned and in place while you sew, preventing it from shifting out of place.

5. Thread

The right thread ensures your quilt will hold together beautifully, even after it’s washed. Look for quilting thread or all-purpose cotton thread, as they’re designed to be durable and work well with most fabrics. Find quilting thread here.

Why It’s Essential: Thread is the glue that holds your quilt together. Using the right thread guarantees your quilt won’t unravel after a few washes.

6. Quilting Needles

Quilting needles are designed to work with multiple layers of fabric and batting. They’re stronger and have a slightly rounded tip, which helps prevent snags and ensures smoother stitching. Shop for quilting needles here.

Why It’s Essential: Quilting needles are specially designed to handle the tough job of sewing through thick layers, so you won’t break needles or damage your fabric.

Basic Quilting Tips for Beginners

Now that you have the essential tools, it’s time to get started on your quilt! Here are some tips to make the process easier and more enjoyable:

1. Start with a Simple Pattern

Begin with something simple, like a basic patchwork quilt or a four-patch design. These beginner-friendly patterns will help you learn the foundational skills of quilting without overwhelming you with complexity.

• Tip: Look for patterns that have fewer pieces to sew together. As you gain experience, you can move on to more intricate patterns.

You can also begin with something small like a pillow or throw. I have a few in my shop that are good for beginners.

2. Cut Fabric Accurately

Accuracy in cutting is critical in quilting. Even small mistakes can cause misalignment later on. Always measure your fabric carefully before cutting and double-check your measurements to avoid any errors.

• Tip: Use your rotary cutter, ruler, and mat to make clean and precise cuts. Accuracy here will make the whole quilt come together much better.

3. Press Your Seams

Pressing seams is crucial for achieving a smooth and flat quilt top. As you sew, press your seams open or to one side to make sure everything lines up properly.

• Tip: Be sure to use an iron set to the correct temperature for your fabric, and use steam to help press your seams flat.

4. Pin and Sew with Precision

Take your time to pin and sew your fabric carefully. Pinning helps keep your pieces aligned, and sewing slowly ensures that your stitching is even and straight. Be consistent with where your seam lands, 1/4 inch from the edge of the fabric is the standard with quilting.

• Tip: Don’t rush the process—taking breaks to maintain focus is key to achieving beautiful, consistent stitches.

5. Square Up Your Blocks

Once you’ve pieced together a block, make sure to square it up by trimming any excess fabric to ensure it’s the correct size. This ensures all your pieces fit together perfectly as you progress with the quilt.

• Tip: Use a quilting ruler to make sure everything is aligned and squared up before moving to the next block.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. If you make a mistake, don’t panic! Quilting is all about learning as you go, and most mistakes can be fixed with a little patience.

• Tip: Embrace the process and keep a positive attitude. You’ll get better with each project you complete.

Conclusion: Start Your Quilting Journey Today!

Quilting is a rewarding craft that allows you to express your creativity while creating beautiful, functional pieces. By gathering your essential tools and practicing a few basic skills, you’ll be well on your way to completing your first quilt. Remember, quilting is a journey—take your time, make mistakes, and enjoy the process of creating something unique. Grab your tools, pick out your fabric, and start quilting today!

Happy quilting!

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Quilting: Must-Have Tools and Simple Tips to Get Started first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

Here is a round up of some Valentine’s Day crafts and treats that caught my eye.

Diy Art

Painting is not really in my wheelhouse but I think these Love Letters from We Lived Happily Ever After are just gorgeous and would love to give them a try.

I’ve always wanted to do one of these string art projects. This one is over at Green Wedding Shoes is really cute!

How about some Scrabble tile inspired coasters from blue I style?

Hand Sewing

I just LOVE these mini hoop hearts by Laurenmakes. They are super simple but striking. I think they are so adorable and they are on the top of my make list right now!

And how cute is this little felt love note hoop by Amy Chappell from Ameroonie Designs at the Polka Dot Chair.

Machine Sewing

I also found a couple of adorable pillows to add to my Valentine pillow collection. First up is this adorable Love You Pillow by Amanda at JediCraftGirl guest blogging at Amy Smart’s Diary of A Quilter.

And how about this cute heart pillow by Anna from Noodlehead guest blogging on U-CreateCrafts.

I don’t really sew plushies but these Love Koi by Sew Desu Ne? on Blueprint are making me rethink that!

I also saw this felt heart table runner at Pottery Barn Kids. This would be so simple and cheap to make and they want $39.00 bucks for it?

I LOVE this one by Center Street Quilts. I might need to make one of these!

Sweet Treats

How about some delicious treats? I love a quick and simple yummy treat and this bark from Lauren at Delish looks amazing.

And who doesn’t love a yummy Rice Krispy treat? These from Midwest Living look so good!

I’ll wrap up this post with these Cookies ‘n Cream Strawberry Cheesecake Bars from Creme de la Crumb look amazing! I think I may be able to get Sam into making these with me!

You can find my treat bag tutorial here.

My Valentine pillow covers sew up quick! You can find the patterns here. They are on sale all through February.

And if you’re looking for a little bigger project, try out this Flying Home pattern. It is 30% off all month long.

I’ve also been meaning to make a Valentine version of my Christmas Cards quilt using some reds and pinks and calling it Love Notes. Can you see it? You can find the pattern here.

I hope these ideas have you inspired! I know I am, and I think I have a few ideas of my own!

Krista

Shop Related items

The post Four Robbins Round-Up of Some of the Best Valentine’s Ideas for You to Make this Year first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

I came across an ad the other day in a craft magazine for these cute little muslin bags for Valentine’s Day. They were so cheap, I thought, “They’ve gotta be super easy to make!” So, I decided to give it a try. Turns out, they really are quick and simple to whip up. The best part about making them yourself is you get to use better quality fabric and add your own personal touches, like embellishments. I did use a sewing machine, but honestly, you can totally hand stitch these bags if you prefer. I’ve included links to the supplies I used and recommend throughout the post. Just a heads-up, those are affiliate links, so I might earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you!

Getting Started

The first thing you want to do is to prepare your fabric. For this bag, my fabric measures 5-1/2 inches wide by 14 inches long. I’m using Kona Snow but you could use muslin or novelty fabrics or whatever you like. First, I like to go ahead a press approximately 1/4 inch in on each side to the wrong side of the fabric so I know where my seam is going and I know how much room I have to play around with applique, embroidery or whatever else I want to do.

Next, fold the top down 1/2 inch. Press and then fold down another 1/2 inch. Then fold in half, wrong sides together, and press your bottom seam.

Embellish Your Bag!

For this bag, I decided to do some applique. First, I cut out a 2-inch circle. I like to take just a tiny bit of invisible Elmer’s glue on my finger and apply it to a few spots on the back of the applique piece and then press with a hot iron. That way my shape stays in place while I stitch and I don’t have to mess with pins. Stitch around the edge. Note: Make sure your seam allowance is open and does not get caught in your stitching.

Next, I cut out a little heart and repeated the glue, pressing, and stitching.

I cut out strips to make an X. I did my glue and press with the first strip and then the second and then I stitched into place. Again, be sure your seam allowance is open and doesn’t get caught in your stitching!

Assemble Your Bag

Stitch up each side using 1/4″ seam allowance back stitching at the top and bottom. Stop approximately 1 inch below the bottom pressed seam line so your top tubes don’t get caught in your seam. Backstitch athe pressed top seam. Clip bottom corners.

Press side seams open. Press your top tube down again .

Finally, turn right side out. Stitch along the bottom edge of each top fold to create a tube in front and in back to place your ties.

Finish the Bag

Using a pin to secure the end of the ribbon or cord. Feed one end of your ribbon into the tube and out the other side and then into the second tube and out the other side so that your ends are both coming out of the same side of the bag. You are basically making a U with the ribbon, with both ends coming out on the same side.

Tie ends together. Repeat with cord or ribbon going the opposite direction.

Have Fun and Add Your Own Style

These little bags are perfect for party favors and Valentine’s treats! You could even use them as part of a table setting, with personalized names on each one and little surprises tucked inside. Another fun idea is to use them for Advent gifts, just add numbers to the bags. I’ve put together a cute assortment using different fabrics and ties (like ribbon, cord, and twine), and I love how versatile they can be!

Finally, I embroidered this bag with some cute hearts. This bag starting fabric measurement was 5 inches wide x 11 inches long. I used a water soluble marker to draw my hearts and 12 weight Sulky thread for the stitched hearts.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial! These little bags are seriously quick and fun to make, and I’m already working on a few more myself! Ready to dive in? Check out my recommended products and get started on your next project today!

Krista

The post Make These Quick Sweet Drawstring Bags for Valentine’s Day first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

I was part of a monthly bee, Sew Bee It, through my local quilt guild, St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild.
If you are not familiar with a bee, basically it is a small group, usually up to 12 members.  Each member gets assigned a month and during that month all the other members make a block or blocks of her choosing.  They may provide fabric or part of the fabric and the rest is pulled from your stash.

One of the blocks in our bee this round was an improv bird block.  Improv is not really in my comfort zone and especially having to look like something when it’s done so I procrastinated big time.  Turns out not only was it easy, it was really fun and went together fast.   We only needed to make one but with it being that quick and easy, I made a second.  

And then, of course, living in St. Louis and being a Cardinals fan, I had to make one for myself.   I used some leftover scraps of Baby Jane by the Comstocks for my cardinal and low volume and text prints for the background.

Want to make one for yourself?  This is the tutorial from Pie Lady Quilts. I modified the head to look more like a cardinal.  I also added extra fabric around the perimeter so my finished square would measure 12.5″.

The block I contributed for my beemate, @stlcaverly, became this beauty!

Isn’t it great?!

Have a great day!

The post Improv Cardinal Mini Quilt Block first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in making some things for the Mediterraneo fabric line by Katarina Roccella for Art Gallery Fabrics. The fabrics were so gorgeous, I couldn’t wait to get started!

Forgive me for the photo quality. I was trying to get everything sent off quickly but I’ll be updating these with better photos soon!

I really needed some pretty new kitchen accessories and I thought the theme of Mediterraneo would be perfect! So first I decided to make some potholders.

For these four potholders, I decided to let the fabric speak for itself and quilted around the designs so they would stand out. I then bound them with a complimentary fabric.

Next, I decided to get a little more creative. I love how these turned out and think I might need to make a couple more!

Want to make your own? Follow these tutorials below! (Printable PDF)

Single Print Potholders

You will need:

(1) 9″ square front fabric

(1) 9.5″ backing fabric

(1) 9.25″ batting fabric

(2) 9.25″ Insul Bright

(1) 2.25″ x 39″ strip for binding

Place backing fabric right side down. Place on top one of the Insul Bright pieces, then batting, then the second Insul Bright piece and finally the front fabric face up. Baste and then quilt as desired. Trim to 9″ square and bind to finish off.

Pinwheel Potholder

You will need:

(4) 2.5″ x 5″ pieces background fabric

(1) 6.75″ piece background fabric

(1) 6.75″ pinwheel fabric

(1) 9.5″ backing fabric

(1) 9.25″ batting fabric

(2) 9.25″ Insul Bright

(1) 2.25″ x 39″ strip for binding

1. Place background and pinwheel 6.75″ squares right sides together. Mark lines diagonally. See Fig. 1.

2. Next, stitch on either side of marked diagonal lines. See Fig. 2.

3. Finally, cut in half as indicated by the red lines. See Fig. 3.

4. Press seams open and then trim half square triangles to 2.5″.

5. Stitch together as shown below.

Place backing fabric right side down. Place on top one of the Insul Bright pieces, then batting, then the second Insul Bright piece and finally the front fabric face up. Baste and then quilt as desired. Trim to 9″ square and bind to finish off.

Diamond Potholders

You will need:

(23) diamonds

(1) 9.5″ backing fabric

(1) 9.25″ batting fabric

(2) 9.25″Insul Bright

(1) 2.25″ x 39″ strip for binding

Using this diamond template, cut out 23 diamonds of assorted fabrics.

Stitch together in rows as shown below being careful to not stretch the bias edges.

Sew rows together and then square up, trimming to 9″.

Place backing fabric right side down. Place on top one of the Insul Bright pieces, then batting, then the second Insul Bright piece and finally the front fabric face up. Baste and then quilt as desired. Trim to 9″ square and bind to finish off.

I also made these beautiful flour sack dishtowels to match!

To make them, I purchased flour sack towels from Amazon. I pressed them using spray starch and cut them to the same size. Then, I bound them using 1.5″ binding.

I hope you like them! If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you!

Products I used:

The post Pretty up your kitchen today with these fun, easy, and quick potholder tutorials! first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

You can make a mini quilt to hang on your wall or make a bunch of them and put them together for a bookshelf quilt. You can add selvages for the book titles as I did in this one, hand or machine embroider titles, or leave blank. You can add a shelf underneath like the one above, string a few blocks together and then add your shelf, or leave it off. This is also a great project to use up some of those scraps!

If you want to add selvages as the book titles, you can cut your strips in half, add a piece of the block fabric to the top and bottom of the selvage like shown above so you just have a small piece showing your title. Add it to the center of the two strip halves and then trim the strip. This takes the quick out of this project but it is still easy! This tutorial is going to show you how to quickly make this block on the fly without really measuring anything. So, let’s get started.

First you’ll need some long trimmed strips in various widths and a large piece of background fabric with a straight edge. I cut about a 10″ or so by width of fabric of white Kona. Line the background fabric up on your machine and place a strip short edge down as shown. Stitch and add another.

And another…. and sew on until you’ve added all your strips.

Next, finger press strips open.

Now, turn and line up your ruler and beginning cutting out each strip.

Once you’ve cut out each strip, you can play with the layout making some books taller than others. I’ve kept out 4 strips, 3 to set sideways and 1 to lean.

Once you’ve arranged them to your liking, we need to trim. So line your ruler up along the bottom and trim.

And now the top.

Now, you’ll sew your strips together and press.

Now that we have our upright books done, we can add our sideways books. Focusing on the outside edge of the books, align as desired.

Now, line your ruler up and then add 1/4 inch for your seam allowance.

Carefully move the upright books leaving your ruler in place and trim. Now, sew these books together.

Now, we need to add background here. Place your ruler and add 1/4 inch seam at the bottom where it will meet the sideways books. Note your measurements. Mine were 9.75″ tall x 10.25″ wide.

Cut a piece of background fabric to that measurement.

And sew the background piece to your sideways books and then add this section to the first as shown.

Now, we are going to add our leaning book. Arrange your book as desired being sure the top is even and extends past the top of the others as shown so when you trim, it won’t be too small.

Trim the bottom even with the other books as shown.

Add some of the background fabric you cut away earlier to your leaning book on the side that will attach to your upright books. Don’t worry if it looks like this! We will be trimming again soon.

Now, lay your book block on top and adjust it as desired lining up the bottom edges of all the books.

Lay your ruler on top and add 1/4 inch seam allowance. Move your original block and trim the leaning block.

Here it is trimmed. Now you can sew this to the first piece.

Next, we need to add a little more background fabric to the outside edge to finish it off. Sitch a wide piece of background to the slanted book as show. The top edge needs to be wider than the bottom so we can square it off.

Now, trim and square it up. Your block is done!

You can embroider book names on the spines if you desire or leave them as is. I decided to make a mini quilt with this block. So, I made my quilt sandwich with my top, batting, and backing fabric. (If you’re new to this, make sure your backing fabric is right side DOWN. Make sure your batting is a little bigger than your block and your backing is a little bit bigger than your batting.

Baste as desired. I typically use pins.

Quilt as desired. This is a fun spot to practice different free motion quilting designs since you’re working with a little area and it makes the books all look different.

When that’s done, add your binding. I like to stitch to the front and had stitch to the back.

And here it is!

This really is such a fun project! I hope you enjoyed and I’d love to see yours! If you’re on Instagram use #bookshelfblock and tag me @fourrobbins so I can find you!If you have any questions, let me know! I’d be happy to help.

The post You can Easily Make an Adorable Bookshelf Quilt Block with This Tutorial first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

I wanted to make some more for my house and to put in my shop and thought I’d share as coasters are such a great way to use up scraps – fabric and batting – in a useful way. Plus they are super quick and easy to make.For these, I stitched together long strips of scraps in different widths from 1.25″ to 2.25″ to measure about 5+ inches wide. Then, I subcut them to 2″ x 5″. The top strip is 1.5″ x 5″ and the bottom is 2.5″ x 5″. Stitch together and press.

Cut out a backing and batting the same size. Place the front on top of the batting and then the backing right sides together with the front.

Stitch 1/4 inch seam all the way around, leaving about a 2″ wide gap so you can turn right side out. Trim your corners.

Turn right side out and push out your corners and press.

Fold fabric 1/4″ under at the space you left open. Press.

Stitch 1/8″ around all four sides.

Leave as is or quilt as desired.

Now, you can also use some Pellon Lite EZ Steam II to applique leaves. (See my Applique Tree Mini Quilt Tutorial for more on using EZ Steam).Note: if you are using purchased leaves rather than fabric, never iron them directly or they will melt. When pressing, press from the EZ Steam side or back side always!

If you’re using fabric, trace your shape, whatever shape you want. If you are making multiples, stack your fabric and cut out two or three at a time.

Arrange your leaves as desired. Press into place by pressing from the back side to adhere your EZ Steam.

Assemble your coasters as above.

Again, as above, turn right side out, push out your corners and press. Fold your open edge 1/4″ under and press. Stitch 1/8″ around your coaster and quilt as desired.

You can do the same thing with your hexies to make flower coasters. Cut batting and backing into the same shape. Remove your papers and assemble as above.

Stitch 1/4″ around leaving a gap. I would suggest leaving the gap on a petal instead of where I did. This was a little bit of a pain to get my corners right and everything pressed under.

Turn right side, press out your corners. Turn your open edge 1/4″ under and press. Stitch 1/8″ around your coaster and quilt as desired. Sorry my quilting is a little wonky here but I did this coaster and the leaves real quick this morning so I could add them to this blog post!

These are fun to make and great to gift and a good way to use up some of those scraps! If you make some or have some other fun coaster ideas, I’d love to see them! Tag me on social media @fourrobbins

Have a great day!

The post Use up your fabric scraps with these quick and easy coaster tutorials. first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

Last year was rough all around. There was so much fear and pain and frustration and anger and loss with us and all over the world. And so many things changed. We also had a few good things. Tom had both his hips replaced, one in February and one in August. It’s hard to believe watching him now when we walk our dogs that this time a year ago he had difficulty walking to the other room and was living with chronic pain. He worked so hard through his physical therapy and is moving around better than ever. Andi was accepted into and begins the nursing program this semester. Sam started college and is doing really well with school. We got a new puppy, Gracie, who is super energetic and has really gotten us moving!

For me, I went back to school to work toward a career change. It has been exciting and has kept me really busy. I wasn’t able to spend as much time creating as I would have liked last year, but I did manage to make some fun things!

I have a quite a few pillow patterns but these Valentine Pillows are my favorites of the bunch and live on my couch most of the time. You can find the patterns for these pillows here to make some for yourself!

And of course, like all of you, made some masks.

I did some bee blocks for my Sew Bee It quilting bee friends. I sure miss being able to meet with them all in person! I also have a handful I need to catch up on this month!

I joined in with some Sashiko sewalong fun with @surrur_sunday and @amandalovestocreate on Instagram. These coasters are still on my WIP list.

But I did finish a couple cute bags as well!

I made some fun drawstring bags for goodies. They are super quick and so cute. You can find a tutorial and make your own here!

I also made a valentines day version of my Flying Home quilt pattern. I love this pattern and making 8 half-square triangles at a time makes this quilt a very quick make! You can find the pattern 40% off now through Valentines day!

I made a Sew Kind of Wonderful Metro Hoops quilt. The fabrics are Kona white and red cottons and April Rosenthal‘s All Weather Friend. I love how it turned out and I really enjoyed making it. Sew Kind of Wonderful’s pattern instructions were very clear. This quilt was gifted to someone special.

With the left over All Weather Friend fabrics, I made a free pattern by by Happy Zombie called Lawnchair Quilt. I used Essex Linen for the backing fabric. I love how it turned out. It’s one of my favorites. The linen background really makes it.

I also put out a new quilt pattern, Pinwheel Star. My friend and neighbor was nice enough to hold my quilt for some photos. This was also a quick quilt to make. I used white Kona and Mister Domestic‘s Loved to Pieces fabric line. The link above will take you to a digital copy. If you’d like a paper pattern, let me know. This quilt was also gifted to someone special.

I also started working on a large version of Sew Kind of Wonderful’s Metro Rings Quilt for our daughter, Angela. I’m suing a light gray and darker gray Kona cottons and two neutral jelly rolls including a Blueberry Park Neutrals by Karen Lewis.

I did a little home sewing by making some cushions for our patio table. I just kind of winged it with these making upper and lower cushions and adding ties. I used an outdoor fabric to make it last longer.

I also participated/am still participating in a Traveling Quilt Bee. This has been fun. Each person makes a starter block and sets their theme, color, style parameters. Then each person in the been takes a turn and adds to your quilt. This was the first I worked on for my friend Gayle. I added the top, bottom, and sides. Gayle’s quilt parameters had to do with color and styles.

Next was Annie’s quilt. I added the left column and the bottom with the bear paw prints. Annie’s parameters were our interpretations of her travels she had taken.

Finally, I added the top and bottom rows to Marie’s quilt. Marie’s parameters were more classic style blocks and using her Cotton and Steel fabric collection.

I have two more quilts to work on and will share them when I finish!

I also did a little crocheting and finished this Earl Gray Wrap by Two of Wands. Alexandra has some gorgeous knit and crochet patterns.

Finally, I made a quick tree skirt and extra large stockings with some fleece I had on hand. I didn’t really use any patterns. For the skirt, I cut a large circle. I folded it into qurters and cut out a center circle and then cut along the radius I bound all the edges with left over binding from Tom’s quilt from a few years ago.

For the stockings, I taped together some printer paper and then traced a stocking. I cut out the stocking way bigger then the outline and just stitched up wrong side. I folded the top over twice and top stitched and added a wired ribbon for the loop to hang them up.

I also got into a little cake baking and decorating. I have so much to learn but it has been fun. Here are a few of my yummy creations.

Anyway, that’s about it for my creative round up. Now, to finish planning out my projects for this year!

Have a great day!

Krista

The post Four Robbins Year in Review plus grab your next Valentine’s project on sale now! first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.

In getting organized, I discovered just how many scraps I really have so (yikes) so you can expect to see a lot of scrap buster tutorials in the future!

Since I’ve been on the fall pillow kick, I thought I would make a couple of quick applique pillows to add to my #fourrobbinspillowofthemonth collection. And I love leaves!

• Birch leaves PDF
• Maple Leaf PDF
• Sharp Scissors
• Scrap Fabric
• Backing Fabric
• Lite EZ Steam II

Cut out your leaves to use as templates then follow the instructions from my mum tutorial substituting your leaves for the mum petals. It will show you step by step how to use the EZ Steam for your pieces. I cut out the large birch leaf and then just two (2) of the other smaller ones to cut out the six smaller leaves. For the maple leaves, my pillow has about 21 leaves. I quilted these with a layer of batting behind but no backing. I used Aurifil 50 wt. #2340, which is a golden tan color. The birch leaves idea came from this beautiful free photo by @chrislawton

I tried to follow a similar look with my quilting.

Next, for the maple leaves, I laid them out in a heart shape. To quilt, I free motioned hearts over and over in multiple sizes and then free motioned fall over and over as well.

To finish the pillow backs, you can use my hidden zipper pillow back tutorial or turn them into minis to hang up.

I think they turned out so cute!

If you make one, I’d love to see! Post using #fourrobbinsscrapbuster on social media!

The post Wow Your Friends and Family with these Beautiful Fall Leaf Pillows Made from your Fabric Scraps! first appeared on FOUR ROBBINS.