Category Archives: Patterns for Sale

DIY Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Home Accessories, Paper Crafts, Patterns for Sale by

2016 holiday by Lori Miller Designs

I enjoy making handmade gifts for the holidays to give to family and friends.  Some years they are elaborate and some years, well, they are quick and easy.  It depends on how busy I have gotten with projects to finish.  I have put together a round up of my free tutorials to make diy holiday gifts. They range from super easy to confident beginner, from quick to more involved.  I even share a few of my for sale holiday patterns at the end if they should perk your interest.  I hope you will be inspired to try some homemade gifts this year.  Just CLICK on the picture for all the details.

Holiday Yo Yo Ornament

P1050148 002

Create fun holiday yo-yo ornaments for a homemade gift for a teacher, music instructor or bus driver.  A nice sewing craft for older children to learn some basic sewing skills, even how to sew a button.  You can make it even faster with some hot glue at the finish.  Plan an afternoon to put these together for holiday gifts or your own homemade decorations.

Tissue Holder

Mini tissue cover Lori Miller Designs 1

Here is a cute quick gift you can stitch up in multiples for holiday party favors, stocking stuffers or just a little something for someone special.  I used holiday and Christmas fabric but you could tailor them for boys or girls with masculine prints, sporty fabric or another cute novelty print.  There is really very little sewing so it is perfect for a beginning stitcher.  It doesn’t take much fabric either, so use up some of your scraps or stash.

Easy Holiday Fleece Pillows

Here are a couple of ideas for some last minute holiday gifts to stitch.  You probably have a stash of fleece somewhere in your sewing room from a sale 3 years ago, if not, find yourself a couple of remnants and get sewing.  Cotton works fine too.  These are some clever and creative pillows for big and little kids to enjoy. They stitch up in a snap so they are quick and easy for a beginner to make.

Upcycled Christmas Card Bookmarks

upcycled bookmarks by lori Miller Designs

I received one of these upcycled Christmas card bookmarks as a little gift and it is just too clever not to share.  This bookmark is an ingeniously folded old christmas card.  I took it apart to figure out the pattern and I am gladly spilling its simple but intricate secrets.  Make a bunch for stocking stuffers, for an afternoon craft with the kids or to mail to friends far away for the holiday.

Holiday Table Runner

Here is a free tutorial for a project designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company.  This Holiday Table Runner uses one of the built in blocks colored with traditional Christmas colors to create a lovely item for your home decor.  Just make three simple blocks to quilt up a beautiful center piece for your table.

Paper Snowflake Garland

P1050259

Here in Michigan, we manage to get our own share of snow.  I would much rather deal with these paper snowflakes from inside my warm and toasty house instead.  And the plan is to sew them together into pretty garland, so you get a little sewing and fun mixed together.  When did you last make a paper snowflake?

This would be a great afternoon activity with the kids to cut out snowflakes and drink some hot chocolate. You can even use up all that junk mail or scrap paper to make them. I love traditional white flakes, but you could mix them up with any color to make a very cool statement.

Patterns for Sale

Here are a couple of holiday patterns I have for sale in my shop.  I hope you like them too.

Gingerbread House Pincushion, Ornament and More

LMDesigns trio of gingerbread

This is my original pattern for a Gingerbread House Pincushion.  I have even added bonus instructions to make it into a soft tree ornament or a Gift Card Holder to hang on your Christmas tree.  This adorable holiday gift idea might look familiar.  It was featured in Quilting Arts Holiday Magazine in 2014.  It holds a special place in my heart because this was the very first original pattern that I had published in a Magazine.

Poinsettia Pop Throw Quilt

It is called Poinsettia Pop and it is a generous lap size to snuggle under when the weather turns cold.  The bright and cheery poinsettia blocks dance across the quilt bringing cheer to whoever receives it. This quilt is made using large 15 inch finished blocks that stitch up quickly.  You only need to piece seven Poinsettia blocks so you can whip it up in time for last minute gifts. I even included some speedy techniques to save you some time.  The bright hot pink fabrics, text print background, and alternate grid pattern give this block a very modern look.

Mini Mitten Coasters

Mini Mitten Coasters by lori Miller Designs

I am pleased to share my latest published work, mini mitten coasters!  They are super cute, easy to stitch up and you can use some cute coordinating holiday prints or make them super scrappy with some leftover holiday fabric.

MPG16_cover_NPC

They are featured on page 34 of Modern Patchwork Gifts 2016.  This is the third year I have been published in the holiday issue and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

I hope you found an idea you could use for some holiday gifts or just to make for yourself.

 

 

 

 

New Pattern: Calico Table Runner and More

Posted in Finished Projects, Patterns for Sale by

This festive fall table runner features a harvest of Calico Corn.  I supersized my ear of corn quilt block from my Grandma Town block of the month quilt and added the colors of fall.  Make it scrappy or planned, but this lovely table runner will look wonderful on your fall table or even as the star attraction of the Thanksgiving table.


I have also included instructions for a large hot pad which is large enough for a casserole dish or cake pan.

The two small hot pads use the 6” version of the calico corn block.  Both hot pads would make lovely mini quilts as well.  A nice idea for a hostess or holiday gift.

Finished Sizes are Table Runner – 36 ½” x 12 ½”; Large Hot Pad  – 12” x 16”; and Small Hot Pad 8” x 8”.

I started with my ear of corn from my Grandma Town Block of the Month from 2015.  I started playing around with my design in EQ7, the quilt design software.  I ended up ditching the bottom part of the ear of corn.  It added complexity to the block, was hard to get the alignment just right, and without it I had a square block.  And in the design, you do not even miss it.

calico-corn-hot-pad-sm

Here is my updated ear of corn in fall colors with my multicolored calico corn.  It was easy to play around with the different parts of the design in the software.  I decided I wanted a much larger 12″ block to make a table runner, so I resized the block.

calico-corn-hot-pad-lg

Here is the larger 12″ block with the extra borders for the large hot pad.  It was so easy to add a pieced component to the corn itself with the EQ7 software.

To make piecing the ear of corn easier, I used scrappy fall 1 1/2″ strips in groups of four and sewed them together.

Then I cut them again into 1 1/2″ strips and mixed and matched randomly.

I made 16 patch units to assemble the large ears of corn.  You need 3 – 16 patch units for each one.

I used three large ear of corn for the table runner and quilted hash lines through the corn and a free motion echo on the husk.

I quilted little loops all through the background so it looks like small stippling.  It makes the calico corn the star!

For the small hot pads, I just kept the hash lines through the whole thing.  I did add a layer of Insul Bright heat resistant fabric, so the extra quilting made it lay nice and flat.

The large hot pad is perfect for a casserole dish or cake pan size item.

Wouldn’t this hotpad make a great mini quilt to hang on your door for Thanksgiving too?

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You can find lots of great patterns like this and Add-on EQ8 Block Libraries for AccuQuilt in my shop.

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Thanks for letting me share!  Tag me on Instagram and Facebook @lorimillerdesigns, I would love to see your version!

New Pattern: Gingerbread House Pincushion and More

Posted in Patterns for Sale by

lori miller designs gingerbread house pincushion

I am pleased to share that my original pattern for My Gingerbread House Pincushion is now available for sale.  I have even added bonus instructions to make it into a soft tree ornament or a Gift Card Holder to hang on your Christmas tree.  This adorable holiday gift idea might look familiar.

SONY DSC

It was featured in Quilting Arts Holiday Magazine in 2014.  It holds a special place in my heart because this was the very first original pattern that I had published in a Magazine.

SONY DSC

I was inspired to grab my holiday scraps to come up with a gift idea for my small sewing group.  Each year, we like to exchange home made gifts for Christmas.  We are all quilters and since I am totally addicted to pincushions, the idea took shape to make a Gingerbread House.

Lori Miller Designs supplies

I thought the jumbo white rick rack was a stroke of genius to mimic the snowy icing.
It made an adorable pincushion and I use some very easy techniques to piece it all together that make it a jiffy to stitch up in an afternoon.  You can make multiples at once very easily.  Finished size is 5 ” square.

One of the bonuses I added to the pattern is to create a soft ornament for your tree.  You just add a ribbon hanger and only lightly stuff the little Gingerbread House.

The second bonus instructions included is to add a little pocket on the back of the Gingerbread House to make it into a Gift Card Holder.  You can tuck in a couple of gift cards, a note from Santa or even a candy cane for fun.

You purchase  my Gingerbread house Pincushion and more pattern  as a PDF download by going to MY PATTERNS tab and following the link to My Etsy Shop!

Thanks for letting me share!  Tag me on Instagram at lorimillerdesigns, I would love to see your version!

New Pattern – Pinwheel Pincushions

Posted in Finished Projects, Patterns for Sale, Sewing Accessories by

I am pleased to offer my own pattern for this adorable pinwheel pincushion.  It was featured in Quick to Stitch Precuts Magazine in 2015 and I have had a wonderful response for this useful and cute pincushion.  It is really very easy to stitch up in pairs using mini 2 1/2″ square charms.

I made these delightful versions using Color Theory charms by V & Co.  They coordinated beautifully so it was easy to make the pinwheel shapes.

I used vintage buttons and stacked buttons in the centers of the pincushions for some extra pizazz.

For these pincushions, I used tiny newsprint for the neutral background.  I think it makes them very modern and bright.

These pincushions measure 4 3/4″ x 4 3/4″ x 1″ finished.  I hope you enjoy the pattern.

You can purchase my Pinwheel Pincushions pattern as a PDF download by going to MY PATTERNS tab and following the link to My Etsy Shop

Thanks for letting me share!  Tag me on Instagram at lorimillerdesigns, I would love to see your version!

Grandma Town BOM #11 – Apron Quilt Block

Posted in BOM, Finished Projects, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by

Can you believe it?  This is the last block for the Grandma Town Row by Row.  It is the green gingham apron my Grandmother wore.  She always cooked wearing an apron and I have a lovely green calico apron that I made her for a gift that was given back to me as a keepsake.  It is a cherished item.  This large apron block finishes at 12″ x 12″.  You will only need one apron block for this quilt and it is centered between the pies and canning jars.

grandma town Apron

 

Grandma Mabel’s favorite color was green.  I always thought that was strange as most girls said they loved pink.  I actually am more in tune with Grandma now and love the freshness of a bright apple green color.   I can still see Grandma rolling out some pies or working on Sunday dinner wearing her faithful aprons to keep her dress clean.  I have a collection of vintage aprons and they make me think of my special Grandma.

Are you sewing along?  If you are, post it on Instagram and tag me @lorimillerdesigns and #GrandmaTownBOM so I can see what lovely things you are stitching up.  A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Apron block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!
grandma Town Quilt A

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots.  I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa.  It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”.  It was a loving tribute that stuck.  This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook.  Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm  or your own grandma in my quilt.  You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.

 

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB  Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

MAR  Block 2 – Sewing Machine

APR Block 3 – Nine Patch and Color Block Rows

MAY Block 4 – Ear of Corn

JUN Block 5 – Sweet Hearts

JUL  Block 6 – Canning Jar

AUG Block 7 – Barnyard Double Block

SEP Block 8 – Pie Quilt Block

OCT Block 9 – Home Sweet Home Double Block

NOV Block 10 – Chicken and Egg Block

Grandma Town BOM #10 – Chicken and Egg

Posted in BOM, Finished Projects, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by

chicken and egg


Are you sewing along?  Grandma Town Block of the Month continues with this cute little chicken and egg.  On the farm, Grandma raised chickens for the eggs and for Sunday dinner.  There was a large hen house behind the house.  I never helped gather eggs, maybe grandma thought I would break them.  We did get to throw the food scraps and potato peelings over the fence for them and sometimes some cracked corn.  There were all kinds of chickens including little banny hens that ran around everywhere.  The Chicken blocks finish at 8” x 7”.  The Egg blocks finish at 3” x 7”.  You will need 6 chicken block and 5 egg blocks for the row of the quilt.

Grandma Town Chicken&Egg

Grandma’s favorite chicken was a big red hen she named Molly.  Molly laid large colored eggs, they were sort of grayish green color.  Grandma also made delicious fried chicken, but the best was a scalloped chicken that she made which was kind of like chicken and stuffing.  It was crispy on the top and tasty all the way through.


I know my grandparents raised their own chickens, but luckily I did not ever have to experience how they got to the table.  This chicken pattern reminds me of Molly and her jumbo eggs.

Are you sewing along?  If you are, post it on Instagram and tag me @lorimillerdesigns and #GrandmaTownBOM so I can see what lovely things you are stitching up. A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Chicken and Egg block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!
grandma Town Quilt A

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots.  I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa.  It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”.  It was a loving tribute that stuck.  This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook.  Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm  or your own grandma in my quilt.  You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB  Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

MAR  Block 2 – Sewing Machine

APR Block 3 – Nine Patch and Color Block Rows

MAY Block 4 – Ear of Corn

JUN Block 5 – Sweet Hearts

JUL  Block 6 – Canning Jar

AUG Block 7 – Barnyard Double Block

SEP Block 8 – Pie Quilt Block

OCT Block 9 – Home Sweet Home Double Block

Grandma Town BOM #9 – Home Sweet Home Double Quilt Block

Posted in BOM, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by


This month’s Block of the Month is Grandma’s house and a couple of the large black walnut trees that lined the driveway.  It was a modest little house but it certainly felt like home from the moment you entered it.  This is a double block that finished at 15″ x 10″ and it is part of the center of the quilt in the same row as the Barnyard.  There are only two more blocks after this one, we are on the home stretch!

grandma town home sweet home small

Grandma’s house always smelled of delicious food.  She was always cooking and baking.  She loved to cook and would design her own recipes, especially cookie recipes.  A local radio program would sponsor a contest and Grandma’s homemade cookies won every time.   Do you remember Kitchen Klatter out of Shenandoah, Iowa?  We would listen to the program together and try to write down all of the recipes.


The trees depicted in the picture are black walnut trees.  My Grandpa would gather them up and pick nut meats all winter.  Black walnuts have a unique flavor and they tasted wonderful in a cake or eaten straight out of the bag!
Are you sewing along?  If you are, post it on Instagram and tag me @lorimillerdesigns and #GrandmaTownBOM so I can see what lovely things you are stitching up. A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Home Sweet Home double block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!
grandma Town Quilt A

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots.  I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa.  It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”.  It was a loving tribute that stuck.  This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook.  Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm  or your own grandma in my quilt.  You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.

 

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB  Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

MAR  Block 2 – Sewing Machine

APR Block 3 – Nine Patch and Color Block Rows

MAY Block 4 – Ear of Corn

JUN Block 5 – Sweet Hearts

JUL  Block 6 – Canning Jar

AUG Block 7 – Barnyard Double Block

SEP Block 8 – Pie Quilt Block

New Pattern: Cedar Lake Tote Bag

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Patterns for Sale by


Introducing my latest pattern, the Cedar Lake Tote Bag.  Designed in two sizes, this cute and versatile tote bag will carry all of your goodies in style.  It is the perfect design to highlight a favorite fabric for the main body of the bag, you can simply add coordinating fabrics to the paper pieced economy block topper to create a sophisticated look.  This lined tote has one or two inside pockets and sturdy handles attached with D rings for the perfect accent.  Cedar Lake has a special meaning because that is where we go to spend our summers in Michigan – up north!

 

Yes, the economy block is paper pieced, but with my directions and cutting hints, you can easily master this block.  I give you generous pattern pieces to make the piecing so much easier.  You can use scraps or have a coordinated look, but the result is simply stunning.

The design adds a little whimsy with one of the paper pieced blocks by reversing the dominant light and dark prints.

The inside of the large tote features two pockets that you can subdivide to hold pens, pencils or even a cell phone.

The small version of the bag is just as versatile in a more petite shape with only 3 paper-pieced blocks on each side.  I had this great black cat graphic print and loads of black and white scraps for the economy block topper.  I even fussy cat a little kitty for the center block on one side.  Go bold with a lot of color or keep it in a two color simple look like this one.

The small Cedar Lake Tote features just one inside pocket.  It is sized to hold regular size 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets of paper or a notebook easily.  Just toss in a few things and go.

 

You can purchase my quilted Cedar Lake Tote Bag pattern as a PDF download by going to MY PATTERNS tab and following the link to My Etsy Shop.

Thanks for letting me share!  Tag me on Instagram at lorimillerdesigns, I would love to see your version!

New Pattern – Poinsettia Pop Throw Quilt

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Patterns for Sale by


I am excited about my new holiday pattern now available in my shop.  It is called Poinsettia Pop and it is a generous lap size to snuggle under when the weather turns cold.  The bright and cheery poinsettia blocks dance across the quilt bringing cheer to whoever receives it.

This quilt is made using large 15 inch finished blocks that stitch up quickly.  You only need to piece seven Poinsettia blocks so you can whip it up in time for last minute gifts.  I even included some speedy techniques to save you some time.  The bright hot pink fabrics, text print background, and alternate grid pattern give this block a very modern look.

The Poinsettia is actually a variation of the traditional Providence block.  I am not sure if it is named after the city in Rhode Island or has a deeper meaning of the manifestation of divine care, but it is a lovely thought for a holiday gift.poinsettia pop

The layout creates some additional designs and star patterns.  You could use my design as a base and let your imagination run wild.

You can find my Poinsettia Pop Throw Quilt pattern for sale by following the link for My Patterns.

Thanks for checking it out!  Tag me on Instagram, I would love to see your version!

 

Grandma Town BOM #8 – Pie Quilt Block

Posted in BOM, Finished Projects, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by

Pie is a glorious thing.  I choose it over cake or even chocolate.  My Grandma was a master pie maker and she taught me the secret art of a light and flaky crust.  This month’s Grandma Town Block of the Month is a PIE, of course.  My favorite pie is Gooseberry.  It is the green, tart cousin of the red currant.  It is simply heaven.
Grandma Town Pie Grandma always made two pies at a time and I have the recipe memorized.  She taught me how to spin that rolling pin on a giant wooden board that pulled out of an old spice cabinet hutch.  Her pies were the highlight of any meal, made with real lard and served with vanilla ice cream.  I think of her every time I pick gooseberries and make a tasty, sour lip smacking pie. You can make any kind of pie you like, I made blueberry and cherry. Are you sewing along?  If you are, post it on Instagram and tag me @lorimillerdesigns and #GrandmaTownBOM so I can see what lovely things you are stitching up. A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Pie block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy! grandma Town Quilt A

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots.  I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa.  It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”.  It was a loving tribute that stuck.  This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook.  Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm  or your own grandma in my quilt.  You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.

 

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB  Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

MAR  Block 2 – Sewing Machine

APR Block 3 – Nine Patch and Color Block Rows

MAY Block 4 – Ear of Corn

JUN Block 5 – Sweet Hearts

JUL  Block 6 – Canning Jar

AUG Block 7 – Barnyard Double Block

Grandma Town BOM #7 – Barnyard double block

Posted in BOM, Patterns for Sale by



The Summer is flying by and it is time for another Grandma Town Block of the Month.  This month is a bonus double block called barnyard featuring a barn and grain silo.  Even though this quilt is called Grandma Town, I would be remiss if I did not include some memories of my Grandpa.  He was a short, tough guy who wore OshKosh Overalls and used a red bandanna as a hankerchief.   I would get to help with the chores and followed Grandpa around as we fed the animals and took care of the farm.

 

Grandma Town Silo
We would get ground corn from the grainery and Grandpa would hand me a galvanized bucket to scoop out the feed and take it to the cows and pigs.

Grandma Town barn

My brother and sisters and I often played in the barn. I would also help Grandpa milk the cows on a little wooden 3 legged stool.  We even threw the hay bales down from the loft down to the wagon.


Both of these blocks combine to make a jumbo double block for the center of the quilt.  You will only need one of these jumbo blocks.

Grandma Town Barnyard


Are you sewing along?  If you are, post it on Instagram and tag me @lorimillerdesigns and #GrandmaTownBOM so I can see what lovely things you are stitching up. A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Barnyard block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!

grandma Town Quilt A

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots.  I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa.  It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”.  It was a loving tribute that stuck.  This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook.  Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm  or your own grandma in my quilt.  You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.

 

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB  Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

MAR  Block 2 – Sewing Machine

APR Block 3 – Nine Patch and Color Block Rows

MAY Block 4 – Ear of Corn

JUN Block 5 – Sweet Hearts

JUL  Block 6 – Canning Jar

Published – Mod Selvedge Cushion

Posted in Finished Projects, Patterns for Sale, Published by


I am thrilled to share my Mod Selvedge Cushion published in the first anniversary issue of Make Modern Magazine.  No, I did not spell it wrong, Selvedge Cushion is how you spell Selvage Pillow in Australia where Make Modern is published.  This online quilt magazine is created by Jane, Lara and Kristy and is filled with delightful modern quilt and sewing patterns.  Make Modern is a digital magazine put together by quilters for quilters who are passionate about modern quilting and sewing.

I have been saving my selvages for a while, I even have a few friends saving them for me.  I don’t know if I will ever use them all.  This whole large bin is full of them.

I pulled just the black, white and cream ones strips of selvage for this pillow.  You create the selvage fabric by sewing them together in an overlapping fashion.

After you have sewn together a bunch of them, you start to see the cool fabric.  I alternated with lighter and denser pieces of black and white selvage.

I used a bright solid red for the accent.  Then I started quilting.  I think you could use multicolored selvages and use a neutral gray or white for the accent for another cool take on it.

Here is a picture of the pillow top up close. Don’t you love the striped accent? That was a last minute bit of whimsy.

Back of pillow

Here is the back of the pillow, I used a large newspaper print to play off the black and white.

 

Issue 6 cover

 

There are 14 great creative modern projects in this issue including my Mod Selvedge Cushion.  You can easily purchase the downloadable issue of Make Modern Issue Six online HERE for a very reasonable price.  There is also a free newsletter that you can sign up for.

My Modern Selvage Pillow is now available FOR SALE as a pattern in My Shop for instant PDF download.

 

 

 

Grandma Town BOM #6 – Canning Jar

Posted in BOM, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by


Can you believe that we are half way through the Grandma Town Block of the Month?  Are you sewing along?  If you are, post it on Instagram and tag me @lorimillerdesigns and #GrandmaTownBOM so I can see what lovely things you are stitching up.  This month we celebrate the start of summer with a cute little canning jar.  My Grandma had a large garden, grew her own vegetables and canned just about anything you can think of.


She made the most delicious pickles and relishes as well and they all went into canning jars we could savor all year long.

Grandma Town Canning Jar

She even made sauerkraut in a great big stone jar, I love sauerkraut to this day.

You will need eight blocks of the canning jar for this quilt.  They sit on either side of the little apron.

My friend, Carol, whipped up this little canning jar full of hot peppers for me as another example.  You can fill them with whatever you like!

A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Canning Jar block along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!

grandma Town Quilt A


Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots.  I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa.  It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”.  It was a loving tribute that stuck.  This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook.  Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm  or your own grandma in my quilt.  You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.

 

Released Blocks – 2015

FEB  Block 1 – Forget Me Not Flower

MAR  Block 2 – Sewing Machine

APR Block 3 – Nine Patch and Color Block Rows

MAY Block 4 – Ear of Corn

JUN Block 5 – Sweet Hearts

Quick and Easy Kids Dishcloth Apron (free tutorial)

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Patterns for Sale by
apron 1

Here is a quick and easy project for that special little one in your life — a cute kid’s apron that assembles in a jiffy using only a dish towel and bias tape. My son always loved to help in the kitchen, and I made this little apron for him when he was a tot. He liked to feel grown up and wear his apron right along with mom while we made dinner or a yummy batch of cookies. The dish towel was thick and absorbent for any spills and he loved the little pockets too.

Materials Needed:

P1050036-001 apron

  •  Dish towel (preferably not a directional print or design)
  • 1 package of double-fold bias tape/quilt binding (7/8 inches wide) to coordinate
  • Coordinating thread

 Measure and Mark

  1. Open up and iron your dishtowel flat.
  2. Mark the center point of the top of the dish towel
  3. Measure and mark 4½ inches to the left and right of the center point.
  4. Measure down 7 inches from the top on each side of the towel and mark it.
  5. Measure up 7 inches from the bottom of the towel and mark it on each side and in the center.

apron-a

apron b

Cut

Now you are ready to cut the towel. (see diagrams above). Cut the top corners off of the towel according to your markings. Cut the 7 inch strip off the bottom of the towel, this will become the pockets.

Sew

apron-3a

apron-3b

  1. With right sides up and raw edges even, layer the 7-inch pocket strip and the towel.
    Sew them together with a ½-inch seam. Flip the pocket strip to the top of the towel and iron it in place.
  2.  Measure 5 inches from each side and mark them to sew the pockets.apron-4a
    apron-4b
  3. Sew each side close to the edge. Sew each of the pockets at the 5 inch measurement.  Double stitch the top of each pocket.
    apron ties
  4. Now sew the ties. Measure 68 inches of the bias tape.  Open up each end of the tape and stitch diagonally at a 45-degree angle from the open edge to the fold ending in a point. Trim and flip back around to form a neat point at the end of the tie.
    apron-6aapron-6b
  5. Find the center of the bias strip length and measure down 8 inches on each side. Mark with a pin. Using the pin as a guide, pin the bias tape along the slanted raw edges carefully covering them with both sides of the bias tape. Pin together.

apron 1

Starting with one end of the tie, top stitch close to the open edge of the bias tape. Stitch all around the tie, through the towel and back to the other side to the end. Trim threads.

apron 2

Now you have a very cute, quick apron for all your little helpers. It was so easy, I put together another one with this adorable blue daisy dish towel too. Wouldn’t this be a great holiday gift idea for your children or your grandchildren?  With so many dishtowel patterns, you could tailor them to every personality or to every holiday season!

Happy Stitching!

Modern 4th of July Table Runner (free tutorial)

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Home Accessories, Patterns for Sale by

Here is a modern patchwork table runner to stitch up just in time to celebrate Independence Day.  It looks improvisational, but it is really cleverly cut strips that give that illusion.  It is easy to piece and you can quilt with a free motion design or straight stitching.  I wanted something festive for the holiday for my table at the cottage when we have company and this fits the bill.  Fat quarter friendly too!

Finished size is 12” x 30”.

Materials needed:

  • 2 fat quarters of different red cotton fabric
  • 2 fat quarters of different blue cotton fabric
  • 1 fat quarter of white cotton fabric (I found a white star on white, perfect!)
  • 1/3 yd batting
  • 1/3 yd backing, cotton patriotic print
  • 1/4 yd red cotton for binding
  • Coordinating thread
  • Walking foot (optional)

Directions

Cut the Fabric

  1. From first red cotton fabric, cut 1 strip 4” x21”
  2. From 2nd red cotton fabric, cut 1 strip 4 ½” x 21”
  3. From first blue cotton fabric, cut 1 strip 4” x 21”
  4. From 2nd blue cotton fabric, cut 1 strip 5 ½” x 21”
  5. From white fabric, cut 1 strip 6” x 21” and 1 strip 4” x 21”
  6. Cut batting 12” x 31”
  7. Cut backing 12” x 31” (I found this great patriotic print with an eagle for the back.)
  8. Cut the binding.  3 strips – 2 1/2″ x wof (width of fabric)

Sew the table runner

  1. Sew the strips together.  The first 3 strips are the 4” red, 6” white, 4” blue.
  2. The second set of 3 strips are the 4 ½” red, 4” white, 5 ½” blue.
  3. Iron seams to one side and iron flat.
  4. Place one combination strip over the other strip, aligning the edges.  Cut 2” strips across them, you should have 10 – 2 “ strips.
  5. You will sew 5 sets of strips together with the 4” blue on the left top, and the 5 ½” blue on the left bottom.
  6. You will sew 5 sets of strips together with the 4” red on the top left, and the 4 ½” red on the left bottom.
  7. Now sew 1 of each set together to form a quilt block.  See picture above.
  8. Carefully remove lovey dovey kitty who thinks you should be petting him instead of sewing.
  9. Sew 5 of these blocks together.
  10. Then sew all the quilt blocks together in the same pattern.
  11. Make a quilt sandwich with the backing face down, then the batting, then the pieced top face up.
  12. Pin baste the table runner.
  13. Quilt it as desired.  I tried using a free motion design with stars, but you could also just do straight line quilting.  Use a stitch length of 4.0 mm and use your free motion foot for the straight line quilting if you have one to keep the fabric from slipping.
  14. Sew the binding pieces together and iron them  in half.
  15. Stitch the binding to the front of the table runner.  Then fold it over to the back and whip stitch it down.  Or use your favorite binding method.

The perfect modern 4th of July Table Runner in red, white and blue to brighten up your holiday table, foyer or side table.

 

Happy Stitching!