Words to Live By Blog Hop with Benartex {Chit Chat Placemats Tutorial}

Today I'm your host for the Words To Live By Blog Hop with Benartex!

This new line designed by Cherry Guidry is a fun combination of prints, including text, keys, and daisies!

I'm always looking for new ideas for quick and easy projects like table runners and placemats that are easy gifts. These kinds of projects are perfect for using batting scraps too! I decided to make some simple placemats using 3.5" squares using these fabrics. Let's get sewing!

Yardage required:

2/3 yard background fabric -- I used Modern Lace White
1/2 yard total accent fabrics -- I used four different fabrics -- Happy Medallion Yellow, Daisy Turquoise, Tiny Words Red, and Keys Charcoal
1 1/2 yards for backing and binding -- I used Trellis Grey

From the background fabric cut:
Four (4) 12.5" x 9.5" rectangles
Eight (8) 12.5" x 2" rectangles
Sixty-Four (64) 2" squares

From your accent fabrics cut:
Thirty-Two (32) 3.5" squares TOTAL (I cut eight from each of my four colors)

From your backing and binding fabric cut:
Eight (8) 2.5" x WOF strips
Four (4) backing rectangles approximately 15" x 20"
Note: If using one fabric for your backing and binding, cut your binding strips first from your 1.5 yard cut of fabric, then cut your remaining fabric (approximately 34" long) into four quarters for your four backing pieces.

To opposite corners of each 3.5" square, use the stitch and flip method to add a 2" background square to the opposite corners. Some people call this unit a "half snowball" some people call it a "pop bead" -- whatever you might call it, you'll need eight of them for each placemat and 32 if you're making a set of four placemats like me.

Sew your pop bead blocks into sets of four, making eight sets of block strips. Since I am using four different colors, each of my sets has one of each color. I made half in one pattern and half in a second pattern.

Arrange two 12.5" x 2" rectangles, two pop bead block strips, and one 12.5" x 9.5" rectangle as shown below. Sew together to complete the top of your placemat. Make four placemat tops, which should measure 12.5" x 18.5".

Quilt as desired and bind.

Thanks for allowing me to share this quick and easy tutorial! This would make an easy gift and a great way to use some of those seasonal fabrics that you always have hanging around in your stash!

Now for the giveaway! Enter to win a set of 8 fat quarters of this fabric line! Comments for entries:

--Leave a comment and tell me your favorite type of quick-and-easy quilting and sewing projects.

--If you follow me in some form or fashion, leave a second comment. (Facebook, Instagram, Bloglovin, Etsy, or whichever way you prefer!)

--If you follow Benartex fabrics on Facebook or Instagram, leave a third and final comment.

Giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday, September 16th. Thanks for visiting and check out the other posts on this hop!

Congrats to our winner, Lisa Marie!

Words to Live By Hop Schedule:

Tuesday: Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts

Wednesday: Benartex Design Team

Thursday: Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt

Friday: Mary @ Needled Mom

Sharing at Linky Tuesday, Let's Bee Social, and Needle and Thread Thursday!

Little Twinkle {Starstruck Quilt}

Our September Island Batik Ambassador theme is *Starstruck*! Quilters love star quilts!

For this project, I decided to work on a baby sized version of my Twinkle quilt using the layer cake of Paisley Dot that came in my most recent Island Batik Ambassador box. As an Island Batik Ambassador, I am provided with samples of various lines of Island Batik fabrics to use and share with you!

Now is a perfect time to remake this pattern -- This pattern is now available on Etsy and PayHip!! As a refresher, here's my original Twinkle quilt, made with the Mountain Majesty collection from Island Batik:

I pulled pink and teal fabrics from the layer cake above to make nine Twinkle star blocks for a baby quilt.

Nine blocks and a few spacers sewn together and the quilt top is done! This setting with spacers gives a quilt that is 42" x 36".

I will need to make a quick trip to grab some flannel for the back of this baby quilt. But in the meantime, let's do another giveaway of some great Island Batik goodies!

I still have 2/3rds of my Paisley Dot 10" stacker, so I will be giving away a dozen 10" squares (which comes out to just under a yard of fabric) in the color scheme of your choosing! I've used the pink and the teal squares, but there are still plenty of beautiful colors of 10" squares!

To enter, just tell me which colors you would pick -- or just tell me your favorite colors and I'll put together a great combo for you! My suggestion would be either the primary colors or the cool colors! Giveaway will close on Tuesday morning!

The giveaway is now closed and our winner is Carol! Good luck with your baby quilt!

Boot Scootin' Baby {Pattern Premiere}

We have quite a few new Honey, Bunny, and Doll patterns in the pipeline and I am so excited to share the first of those with you today!

Introducing Boot Scootin' Baby!

Our Ready, Set, Soar! pattern has been such a huge hit we decided that we needed to come up with a "companion pattern" that uses 2.5" strips! This quilt is constructed differently than Ready, Set, Soar! but still has infinite options for the applique of your choice! 

The original cowboy and cowgirl quilts were made with the Howdy line from Moda (which you can still find in a few places!) as well as some stash fabrics mixed in. The pattern includes the full directions to make the quilt top from 2.5" strips and yardage for the center, in addition to the templates for the boots and horseshoe. 

Not expecting a little cowboy or cowgirl? Exchange out the appliques to fit the nursery theme or interests of the child! Any of the applique templates that you've used for Ready, Set, Soar! will also be the right size and scale for the Boot Scootin' Baby pattern, like our free Whales on Parade template set!

You can get the pattern on Etsy and Craftsy! As with all of our patterns, we love to see your versions of our patterns, so please add pictures of them in our Honey, Bunny, and Doll Facebook group!

Quilter's Meet and Greet {Hello!}

Today I'm participating in the Quilter's Meet and Greet hosted by Victoriana Quilt Designs!

For those of you visiting my blog for the first time, hello! I'm Alison and I write here at Little Bunny Quilts about my quilting adventures. I am a co-owner of Honey, Bunny, and Doll Quilts, a pattern and fabric shop on Etsy and Craftsy. I've been quilting for over 15 years and have been designing quilts for nearly 10 years.

I enjoy working with lots of different styles of fabric, using a wide variety of techniques, and pushing myself to learn new things. Once a month, I post my "Brutal Honesty" list of all of my works-in-progress in an effort to curb my desire to continually start new projects.

I have a number of free patterns available on Moda Bake Shop, including my recently published Jingle Bell Rock quilt!

I am also an Island Batik Ambassador! My most recent project is a version of our Summer Patio pattern in Island Batik's new line Jungle Cruise.

I also really enjoy scrappy projects! I love sorting and cutting scraps and stretching fabric as far as I can! Here are a few of my recent scrappy projects:

Donuts Quilt (pattern from No Scrap Left Behind)

Drift Away Quilt (pattern from Happy Quilting)

On Ringo Lake (pattern by Bonnie Hunter)

Thanks to Benita for hosting this fun event! Check out the full post on her blog for lots of participating bloggers and to find out about the "great grand prize!"

Thanks for visiting me and I hope you visit again!

Brutal Honesty {September 2018}

Hello September! I got a lot done in August even though I didn't actually *finish* very much. I started some new things (yay!) and got a lot done while I was on retreat! I accomplished quite a bit of the things I had hoped to do in August!

Quilting in progress/taken to be long arm quilted:
1. Blocked Rainbow Quilt -- I took this to Michigan to be long arm quilted and it is going to have a grassy green backing.
2. Donuts quilt -- The top is now done! I also took this to Michigan to be long arm quilted but we need some additional teal or aqua extra-wide backing for it. My mom is in charge of picking out the backing for this one.

Completed tops:
3. Magnolia Mystery QAL -- Backing and binding have been purchased! The blue print is for the backing and the red twist is for the binding. I will need to get a batting for this one before I can quilt it.

4. Breezy Blooms C2C Bee -- The top is now done and I need to start thinking about backing, but I want to get my Magnolia quilt and my September/October Island Batik projects done before I start thinking in earnest about finishing this quilt.

Tops partially finished:
5. Double Delight -- Still trying to finalize what fabric I want to use for the border. It's been a struggle!
6. Drift Away Scrap Quilt -- I added the black skinny border and need to decide on an outer border fabric.
7. Bonnie and Camille C2C Bee Quilt -- No progress
8. Romantic Garden Quilt -- No progress
9. Monthly Wall Hangings -- No progress
10. Pineapple Stash Bee Blocks -- I need to get more white on white fabric to finish the vertical sashings and borders.

Just blocks and units:
11. Sew Kitschy Blocks -- No progress
12. Cubicle Quilts -- No progress
13. Happy Houses blocks -- No progress
14. Birthstone blocks -- No progress

Quilt alongs and long term projects:
15. Monthly Island Batik Ambassador projects -- My August project was my Summer Patio quilt in Jungle Cruise for our blog hop! Our September project is star-themed and I'm working on another baby quilt! I also started my October project while I was on retreat, an all blue version of Christine's Kitchen!

16. The Border Quilt QAL: This quilt along kicks off soon and I have started to work on the first few sections of the quilt! I hope that my scrappy version will end up approximately throw sized.

New Projects:

17. Secret Sewing project -- The top is done and now it needs quilted. Here's some pieces and parts put together for a sneak peek:

18. Radiant Jewel Quilt -- I did start on this project while I was on retreat! I have 9 of the 17 diamond blocks done.

For September I'll definitely need to finish my Island Batik project for this month and I'd like to be able to start the quilting on my Magnolia Mystery quilt as well. I have some piecing I'd like to do, but my main focus is going to be quilting up some projects. I already finished up my quilt for the October Fat Quarter Shop hop because the scheduled hop date is the day after we get back from vacation.

If you or someone you love is interested in purchasing a quilt that you've seen on Little Bunny Quilts, please email me (littlebunnyquilts@gmail.com) because I am willing to part with many of the quilts I have made in the last two years. It is not cost-effective for me to list everything that I'm willing to sell on Etsy with their current listing fee structure. Click on the "Finished Quilts" tab above to see finished items. At this time I am only accepting baby quilt commissions on a limited basis.