Midlife Quilter

Simple Tote Bag Tutorial

Simple Tote Bag Tutorial

Simple Tote Bag (for beginners!) Hello everyone!  It’s finally time for me to add a bag to my tutorials.  Fun fact: bags were one of the first things I learned to make.  Once upon a time, I could make pretty much any bag.  Then I fell in love with quilting, and it re-wired my brain and now I find some bags tricky.  Lol So if there are any of you out there, who are like me, and want a simple pattern with no pockets or special hardware…this is for you. This bag was inspired by the simple canvas bags I...

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How To Make a Puff Pet Bed

cat bed diy dog bed pet bed puff bed puff quilt

How To Make a Puff Pet Bed

Hello, my fellow makers! This week I'm introducing you to the best little project for our fur babies--a puff pet bed! This is an easy project and a great intro to making a puff quilt!  With it's mini size, its a project that can be done quickly and with scraps from your stash. See how much Agnes loves hers?  She couldn't even wait for me to put the backing and binding on here.  The little bit of puff is enough to make it feel luxurious without adding a lot of weight, making washing harder. Please note:  Do not leave your...

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DIY Simple Patchwork Sewing Machine Cover

DIY Simple Patchwork Sewing Machine Cover

Happy New Year everyone!  For the New Year, I was inspired to refresh my sewing space and FINALLY make a sewing machine cover. As I looked around, many tutorials were a little too complex for me.  And as I started making my own, it became clear that I wanted something simple and easy for everyone to make.  I had to modify my original design, because it was more important to make a functional, easy tutorial than to get really intricate with it. I was inspired by this vintage pattern by Simplicity.  I decided to skip the pockets, but add a...

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A Guide to Sending Your Quilt for Longarm Quilting

A Guide to Sending Your Quilt for Longarm Quilting

Longarm quilting by Katie @thirdcoastquilting Hello all! Well it’s that time of year again!  Everyone is gearing up Christmas sewing. I wanted to write a blog for those of you who may be sending your quilts to a longarmer for the first time (or, if you are like me, just want to make sure you are doing it right).  So I contacted a couple of my friends who own their own longarming businesses and picked their brains about how the process works, what to expect and what we, as quilters, can do to help them longarm our quilts.  I spoke...

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Free Pattern: The Cozy Trellis Runner

Free Pattern:  The Cozy Trellis Runner

This Cozy Trellis Runner is the perfect scrap busting project for the holidays!  It’s a very simple runner made with strip sets that will create a big impact. Here is what you need to make it: 1 yard of background fabric (Minimum needed is 32.5 inches.) 10 different 1/8 yards of fabric for the “trellis” squares ½ yard of binding 1 ½ yards of backing Want to make the accent fabric extra scrappy?  You will need (68) 2 ½” squares and (56) 1 ½” x 2 ½” rectangles.   Cutting instructions: For the background strips, I've created a guide so...

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