Looking for a way to use the scraps of batting you've been saving from past quilt projects?  Or the little pieces of ribbon you've collected over the years because they were just too pretty to throw away?  Do you LOVE fabric and have a bunch of scraps lying around?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I have a tutorial for you!

Hanging Fabric Hearts!  They're festive, easy, quick, and fun to make!

Plus, they're a great way to put your scraps to good use!  

I (along with several employees of the quilt shop I work at - Maker's & Co. in American Fork, Utah) made a bunch of hanging hearts to warm up the store for January and February!

We also wanted to show our appreciation to our awesome customers for 

supporting us in the first few months we've been open!

I'll be sharing a simple photo tutorial below or you can go to the end of this post for a printable PDF.

NOTES: 

Use two different pink or two different red fabrics for each heart.  For a pink heart, use

pink thread.  For a red heart, use red thread.  You can get about 8-10 hearts from two 

¼ yard cuts of fabric (less with certain directional fabrics).

To make these Hanging Fabric Hearts, you will need:

- HEART TEMPLATES

- Red and pink fabric scraps (1” bigger than the heart templates)

- Thin batting scraps (1” bigger than the heart templates)

- Coordinating ribbon or lace (optional)

- Red and pink thread + invisible thread or fishing line for hanging

- Frixion pen, straight pins or 505 Temporary Adhesive Spray for Fabric, sewing machine, iron, scalloped pinking shears, needle, and heavy spray starch

- Clear packing tape, push pins, or removable poster mounting putty for hanging 

1. Cut out the paper HEART TEMPLATES.

2. Use a Frixion pen to trace a heart onto the right side of a pink or red piece of fabric.

NOTE: The Frixion pen's ink disappears with heat.

3. Lay a coordinating piece of pink or red fabric on your work surface, right side down.

Then lay a piece of thin batting on top of it.

Then lay the fabric with the traced heart on top of the batting, right side up.

4. Follow the directions on the 505 Temporary Adhesive Spray

or use straight pins to baste the 3 layers together.  I tried it both ways.

I thought pinning worked just fine, but if you find your fabric is puckering or shifting,

you could try pinning more, using the spray, or using a walking foot.

The spray is a little bit messy, so use a plastic bag or cardboard to cover your

workspace if you try it.  It definitely bastes everything together, well!

5. Stitch on the drawn lines around the heart with a simple straight stitch.  (If you’re adding ribbon or lace, center the top edge of the ribbon/lace at the base of the “valley” of the heart.  Start and end your stitches at the bottom edge of the ribbon/lace to secure it in place.  I use a piece that is 3-4 inches wider than my heart.)  Avoid the ribbon/lace when sewing around the heart.

6.  Remove the straight pins, if used.

7. Starch both sides of the heart with spray starch and set with a hot iron.

This will stiffen up the heart so it stays flat while hanging and will remove the traced lines.

8. If using ribbon/lace, tie the two ends into a knot.  Trim as desired.

9. Use scalloped pinking shears to cut out the heart 1/8” away from the stitches.

Be careful to avoid the ribbon/lace.

10. Thread a long piece of invisible thread or fishing line through the heart at the base of the “valley” (through the stitches, right above the ribbon/lace).  Attach the two ends of the thread/fishing line to the ceiling with tape, putty, or stick a push pin into the ceiling and tie a knot around that (that's what we did!)

You could also hang these as a garland on one long piece of ribbon or twine.

I think they would be super cute on a mantle or staircase banister!

We even hung some on the porch outside the shop!

I hope you found some inspiration here today!  Please let me know

if you decide to use this tutorial.

Click HERE for the printable PDF tutorial.

Click HERE for the Heart templates.

Vintage Valentine Quilt

 I have a new pattern to share with you guys today!

I've been working on it for a couple of months now and it's finally ready to share!

And oh, I hope you love it as much as I do!  Let me introduce...Vintage Valentine!

Vintage Valentine is a timeless heart pattern that is fat eighth/fat quarter friendly

and comes with instructions for 4 different quilt sizes!  I have actually been working on

two different versions (the lighter, cover quilt version in Riley Blake Designs Confetti Cotton

Solids) and a darker version that I'll be sharing today.  (And don't worry, I'll be sharing

the cover quilt soon.  Do I have any solids lovers out there?)

I fell in love with these prints while working at my new job

(a cute little fabric shop that just opened in American Fork, Utah!

It's called Maker's & Co.  It's such a fun store; you should come visit!)

I thought the dark magenta fabric would really make the heart fabrics pop!

It's got a subtle print on it so it's got some interest, but doesn't take away from the hearts.

I made 56 hearts for a queen-size quilt!

And then...this is where the magic happens...the sashing!

High contrast for a big impact!

And once I got the quilt top made, it was off to my longarm quilter for some beautiful quilting.

Jen Ostler in Highland, Utah quilted it with the Almost Plaid panto by

The Quilting Mill.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I was being pretty

indecisive about which panto to use, but I kept coming back to this one because

I thought it worked so well with the design of the sashing.

I usually like my thread color to blend with my background fabric as much as possible

so I knew this quilt would be tricky because there is so much contrast between the

dark and light fabrics.  After some debate about different thread color options,

I decided to just use the magenta color.  There's so much of it that I knew it would blend

on most of the quilt and that I was going to have to be okay with it popping

on the cream fabric.  I think it turned out great though.  Thanks Jen!

As many of you know, Jen always hides a little object in the quilting

for a fun game of hide and seek.  This time, she quilted a little heart into the design,

which was perfect!  I found it when I was sewing the binding on.

Once I got the binding sewn to the front, I sewed one of the personalized quilt labels that I get from Ever Emblem onto the back.  They're so easy to attach, I don't have an excuse to not label my quilts!  I get the 2" cotton, fold-over, sew-in labels.  If you want to get some for yourself, you will just have to pick one of their basic cotton labels and customize it from there.  I always machine stitch my binding down around the labels because it's hard to hand stitch through them.  But this time, I continued with the machine binding all the way around the quilt because I was in a hurry to get it done!  It's going to be on display at Maker's & Co soon (where we'll be selling the pattern and kits!)

I love how this quilt has more of a "sophisticated" look,

which is perfect for my daughter's room (she's 20).  

I just wish I had some big magenta euro shams to really complete the look.

Maybe with ruffles!?!  How cute would that be?  Maybe someday I'll get to that project!

As I said before, this pattern is fat eighth and fat quarter friendly.

But I think it would be awesome to make the hearts even scrappier.

You could use 10" squares or just fabrics from your stash

to make all of the hearts different.

One last photo...

Thank you to my boys for helping me get an outdoor shot!

It's not every day that I get two good-looking, tall men to help me with my job!

Well, that's it!  My new pattern, Vintage Valentine!

I'd love to hear what you think.  Please leave a comment below if you feel so inclined.

Vintage Valentine is available as a paper pattern HERE or a PDF pattern HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today!

A Not-So-Scrappy Scrap Jar Stars Quilt

 Hi friends!  I'm happy to share a recent quilt finish with you today!

I made this just for fun as I thought it would be beautiful in my own home.

Towards the end of August 2025, I got a wild hair to take one of my most popular patterns,

Scrap Jar Stars and make it not-so-scrappy!  I love two-color quilts and thought it would

be fun to see a simplified, timeless version it!

It was love at first block!  And it brings me so much joy every time I look this quilt because

all of the fabrics are fabrics I designed!  The background fabric is called Sketchy Leaves

in the color Linen from my Feels Like Home collection with Riley Blake Designs. 

The blue fabric is called Daisies in the color Sky from my collection Honey Locust

with RBD.

I got most of the quilt top put together at a quilt retreat that I went to in September.

(My friends and I did a photo shoot with all of our quilts on the last day of our retreat.)

I am not gonna lie, it's all I got done at the 5-day retreat (besides our daily walks,

chatting, floating a river, cooking and eating, shopping, a few naps, etc.  It was a GREAT retreat!)

I brought a bunch of other projects but unfortunately, this took the majority of the time.

I added the border once I got back home.

This pattern comes with 4 quilt-size options - baby, lap, twin, and queen.

I added on one row to the twin size to make it a little wider.

My friend Jen Ostler in Highland, Utah quilted it with straight lines.

Those are always a win in my book!

The backing fabric is also from my collection, Honey Locust with Riley Blake Designs.

It's called Hydrangeas in the color Sky.  I hand-bound it in the blue daisy fabric.

It had been a while since I've hand-bound a quilt and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it!

And per usual, I added one of the simple labels I get from Ever Emblem.  They're so easy to sew into the binding so I don't have an excuse to not label my quilts!  I get the 2" cotton, fold-over, sew-in labels.  If you want to get some for yourself, you will just have to pick one of their basic cotton labels and customize it from there.  I machine stitch my binding down around it because it's hard to hand stitch through it (but then I usually hand stitch the rest of my binding down to the back of my quilt).

I'm not sure where this quilt will "land".  On the back of a sofa, a chair, or on a bed?

But I know I will not regret having this timeless blue and "white" quilt in my home!

This one is definitely a keeper!

I want to give you the fabric requirements in case you want to make a two-color

version of Scrap Jar Stars.  First, you will need the pattern.  You can get the 

paper pattern HERE or the PDF pattern HERE.

All fabric requirements will stay the same, except that instead of using bright print fat quarters,

you will need:

Baby quilt = 1-1/2 yards of 1 accent color + the optional non-scrappy binding fabric

Lap quilt = 2-1/2 yards of 1 accent color + the optional non-scrappy binding fabric

Twin quilt = 2-7/8 yards of 1 accent color + the optional non-scrappy binding fabric

Queen quilt = 5-1/2 yards of 1 accent color + the optional non-scrappy binding fabric

Cutting will be a little different, so here are the number of 2" and 3-1/2" strips to cut for each quilt size:

Baby quilt = cut (8) 2" strips and (9) 3-1/2" strips

Lap quilt = cut (13) 2" strips and (15) 3-1/2" strips

Twin quilt = cut (16) 2" strips and (18) 3-1/2" strips

Queen quilt = cut (32) 2" strips and (36) 3-1/2" strips

Then cut the necessary squares for your chosen quilt size.

Hope that helps!  Let me know if you decide to make a two-color version!

Or even a scrappy version!  They're both so fun!  Who doesn't love stars and patchwork!?!

Happy quilting!

The Flying Geese Project

 The other day I got a wild hair to start a new project featuring Flying Geese.

I've made quilts before that have Flying Geese in them.  But not a quilt of just Flying Geese.

I've made a couple of Welcome Wreath quilts...

And, of course, some star and basket blocks incorporate Flying Geese.

But I think it's high time I make an actual Flying Geese quilt.  I would like to do this

in the same "block-a-day" manner that I've made a couple of other quilts, like my

2-Stars-A-Day quilt and an Hourglass quilt I posted about on Instagram a few years ago.

The block-a-day method is great because it forces you to get into your sewing room, have some creative time, and make a little bit of progress each and every day.  I've found that with this method, you usually end up doing more than just one block.  Sometimes getting to your sewing machine is the hardest part but once you get there you don't want to stop!  But even if you make just one block a day, you can feel good about your progress!  This is also great for someone like me (who is going through a bit of a sewing-slump and needs to get his or her "sew-jo" back!)

I've picked out some fabrics from my stash for this project... I have about 4-5 yards

of this beautiful cream with yellow flowers fabric that I'm going to use for my background.

I'm going to pair it with some pinks, browns, aqua's and greens that will really "pop"

against the background fabric.  I think it will be really scrappy and fun!

PLUS, it will be a great scrap/stash buster project.

And you are welcome to join me!

I have a cutting chart and two Flying Geese tutorials for you, below.

You choose the size blocks you want to make and the layout/pattern you want to make with them!

It will be fun to see what everyone comes up with!

Note: Because there are so many different-sized blocks and quilts that you could make

(and different methods you could use), I will not be able to figure out how much fabric

you will need for your particular quilt.  So sorry about that!  But when in doubt,

either make it scrappy or buy a lot of fabric haha!

Here's the cutting chart.  Click HERE for the printable PDF.

You can choose the method of Flying Geese-making that works best for you!

Minimal Waste 4-at-a-time or the Stitch 'N Flip 1-at-a-time method.

If you don't have very big pieces of fabric or very much time per day, I would recommend

the Stitch 'N Flip method.  If you have bigger pieces of fabric and a bit more time,

I would recommend the 4-at-a-time method.  It's up to you!

Note: There are so many ways to make Flying Geese.  You can make them oversized,

the exact size, 4-at-a-time, 1-at-a-time, you can use trimming rulers, or you can paper piece them.

Find the method that works best for you, your fabric sizes, the gadgets you have or want to invest in, etc.!  You may want to do some more research online if neither of my methods

seem like they'll work for you.  I also suggest making some test blocks to see

what you think before you "lock in" to your method and size.

I might do a combination of both methods listed on my cutting chart, depending on my fabric.

I'll mostly do the 4-at-a-time method with my bigger pieces of fabric and then maybe

a few, using the Stitch 'N Flip method to use up some scraps.

Either way, I'll be making 3" x 6" finished blocks.

That works well for me as they're not too big or too small.

What size will you make?

For the 4-at-a-time method, you will need 1 large square of fabric for the Geese

and 4 smaller squares of fabric for the background.  Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner

on the wrong side of each background square.

Place two small squares in opposite corners of the big square, right sides together (RST)

as shown below.  (Notice the direction of the drawn lines.)  The two squares (and lines)

will overlap a little bit.  Pin in place, if desired.  Use a scant 1/4" seam allowance

to stitch along both sides of the drawn lines.  Then cut on the drawn lines to make 2 units.

Press the seam allowances as desired.  Note: I don't plan to use sashing in my quilt.

I also think most of my Flying Geese will be going in the same direction.  This means

that most of my seam allowances will be going in the same direction.  So I am pressing my

seam allowances open so there won't be as much bulk.  You are welcome to press yours

toward the background triangles if you prefer.

Next, place the 2 remaining small squares in the corners of the 2 units (RST) as shown below.

(Notice the direction of the drawn lines.)  Pin in place, if desired.

Use a scant 1/4" seam allowance to stitch along both sides

of the drawn lines on both units.  Then cut on the drawn lines to make 4 Flying Geese blocks.

Press the seam allowances as desired.

Square up the Flying Geese block to your chosen unfinished block size

(which is the finished block size + 1/2" added to both the width and height.

For example, the unfinished size for a 3" x 6" finished block is 3-1/2" x 6-1/2".)

Some people hate pressing seams open.  I don't mind doing it.

It makes for a flat block with less bulk.

If you follow my instructions (using a scant 1/4" seam allowance and the cutting chart above),

you will only trim off a tiny bit when it comes time to square up your blocks.

If you want more wiggle room, I recommend making one size bigger on the chart

(ie, instead of cutting for a 3" x 6" finished block, you could cut for a 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" finished block

and then square it up to 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" unfinished).  It will waste a little more fabric, though.  

That's what I did here, with this chartruse gingham fabric.  I'm going to stick with the original way

but it's up to you!

Note: Several people on Instagram recommended the Studio 180 Design

Wing Clipper Ruler for trimming Flying Geese.  I got it and am really happy with it!

Click HERE to check it out on Amazon.  There is also a video tutorial on how to use the ruler

on that Amazon listing.

For the 1-at-a-time method, you will need 1 rectangle of fabric for the Geese

and 2 small squares of fabric for the background.  Mark a diagonal line from

corner to corner on the wrong side of each square.

Note: This method is exact and you won't need to square anything up if you follow my

cutting chart for your desired finished block size.  Feel free to make them bigger though,

if you want room to square them up.

Place one small square on one end of the rectangle, right sides together (RST)

as shown below.  Pin in place, if desired.  Stitch on the drawn line and then trim 1/4" away

from the stitches.  Press the seam allowances as desired.

Repeat those steps with the remaining square on the opposite end of the rectangle.

Note: You will have some waste with this method.

The triangles you trim off could be used for a bonus project.

I hope you have found all of this information helpful!  Like I said, there are so many options for

how to make Flying Geese.  You can do your own thing but I hope you'll join me in this

fun, block-a-day project!  Please send me pictures of your finished quilt, if you do!

P.S. I don't really know how many Flying Geese blocks I'll be making.

I'll see how far my background fabric takes me.  If I run out of background fabric,

I'll either buy more of the same one or start using multiple background fabrics.

I'm not afraid to mix it up/make it extra scrappy.

Leave a comment below if you're going to join me and if you

have any questions or comments.  I'd love to hear details of what you plan to do!

Happy quilting!