Little Star Reversible Playmat Quilt & Fabric Bundle Giveaway

I'm so thrilled to start July with a new project tutorial and a BIG fabric giveaway to go with it! First up is today's new free pattern project: a Reversible Play Mat Quilt.



I created this how-to as my first official design project for Team Timeless a few weeks ago and am now sharing it here too.  The front has a sun ray shaped design with an octagonal center. 



And it reverses to this cute block side featuring sweet bunny stripes and polka dots:

The lovely soft yellow & grey shades are the perfect neutral to mix well for boys or girls:

The 32 inch square size and layer of poly batting gives it the body and space for use as a play mat,

but it's still small enough to be used as a crib or stroller quilt.  My littlest guy has confirmed that babies find it cuddly:

It also folds up easily for travel:

This is a new licensed fabric collection from the famous Bunnies By The Bay (designed for Timeless Treasures).  I've been a long time BBTB fan - their bunny Original Cuddle Coats & plushes are legendary baby items.  We've had several over the years and I'm passing ours down to our newest arrival:

And after the tutorial, I'm also giving away TWO bundles of this fabulous fabric collection to some lucky Sew Can Do readers!

Finished Size:

32" x 32" 

Materials:

- 1/2 yd cuts of 12 fabrics.  Mine are the entire Little Star Collection

- 1 yd medium loft batting 

- Paper, pencil, yard stick, rotary cuter, iron, disappearing marker, mini clips, quilt basting spray, matching thread

Make the following pattern pieces from paper/cardboard for the front panel:

Cutting Instructions:

Front panel

- Cut (1) octagon from Bunny Bees (Bunnies-C6455 Yellow)

- Cut (1) trapezoid piece from each of the following 8 prints:

Shooting Stars (Bunnies-C6450-Grey), Sunshine (Bunnies-C6449-Milk), Smiling Moons (Bunnies-C6456-Grey), Bunnies and Little Ones Grey (Bunnies-C6453-Grey), Dots Yellow (Dot-C1820-Banana), Bunnies and Little Ones Yellow (C6454-Yellow), Packed Bunnies (Bunnies-C6492-Grey) and Happy Bunnies (Bunnies-C6451-White), mirroring and flipping the pattern piece as needed to make the design shown below.

Back panel

Cut (2) 16 1/4in squares from Bunny Stripe (Bunnies-C6452 Grey) and (2) from Dots Grey (Dot-CF1820-Grey).

Assembly:

Along the shortest side of each trapezoid piece (which will match up to the octagon center), mark 1/2 inch inward from each corner with disappearing marker.

On the octagon piece, mark 1/4in inward from each corner.

Start piecing the quilt together by taking one trapezoid panel and, with right sides facing, match the markings on one side of the octagon with the top of the trapezoid.  Stitch together between markings.  Repeat with the next trapezoid in order on the next side of the octagon.

With right sides facing, stitch together the coordinating side of the two panels.  

Note: Stitch sides just up to the stitching of the octagon - do not cross over it.  This will keep the seams laying flat when pressed.  Repeat this pattern of stitching the next two panels to the octagon and stitching the matching sides until all pieces are sewn together. 

Take completed front and press seams to one side and entire panel smooth.  Fold in half and trim raw edges to be perfectly square.

For back panel, stitch the squares together as shown, press seams to one side and press smooth. 

Flip so right side is facing down and spray with quilt basting spray.  Cut a piece of batting 32in x 32in and lay it on top of the back panel to attach the layers and smooth out any ripples or wrinkles.

Spray top side of batting with basting spray and place the front panel, right side up, on top and smooth.

Trim off any excess batting around edges.

Make 1 1/4in wide double fold bias tape for the edge binding from the Dots (C1820-Silver). Cut 5 inch wide strips on the bias.  Sew binding strips end to end using diagonal seams to make one continuous piece. Press in half, lengthwise, wrong sides together.  Open and fold raw edges toward fold on wrong side and press again.  Total length of binding should be 130 inches.

Starting on one side, sandwich the quilt into the binding, using clips to hold it in place.

Edge stitch all the way to to one corner and stop, fold over binding on an angle to miter the corner, and clip to hold it, then stitch along next side.  Repeat all the way around and fold under and stitch raw end of binding at end to finish.  

Now this versatile quilt mat is ready for little ones to love!



These prints were so cute I had to whip up a pair of matching pants with the leftover Bunny Bees fabric:



Now onto the giveaway!!  One winner will receive this 10 piece bundle of 1/2yd cuts of the Little Star collection:

And a second winner will receive this 8 piece fat quarter bundle of the collection:

So much beautiful, sweet & sunny fabric!!!  Wouldn't it be great if it were yours?  So enter for a chance to win!

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Moses Basket Redo - Bedding Tutorial

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I had a Moses basket from when my 3 yr old was a newborn which had been really handy as a light & portable alternative to clunky, space hogging bassinets & cradles. I've planned to reuse it in a few weeks, but felt it needed some sprucing up. It was a basic, no-frills one for about $35, but the bedding that came with it was pretty cheap, thin and well, kind of blah:

I have been AMAZED at how pricey a lot of Moses baskets are when they are all about the same basket-wise. The difference between my $35 & the $140 ones? The bedding. And some have way cute bedding, but seriously who wants to pay that kind of $$ for something that will be outgrown in a few, short months?!? So, here's a quickie tutorial on how to make your own super cute, custom bedding for a fraction of the cost!

You need:

- 1 3/4 yds of fabric (got mine with coupons @ Joann's for under $7)
- Crib size (36"x45") quilting batting
- 1 yd of 1/4in elastic
- 3 3/4yds of ribbon/bias tape for the ties (I used grosgrain ribbon - $1 for a big spool)
- Thread
- Paper to make pattern (I use the Ikea kid's easel paper: cheap & much more sturdy than tissue)

Start off by making the fitted sheet pattern - it's super easy. Take out the basket's oval pad and trace around it. Add 3" all the way around & cut out.

Now make bumper side pattern by measuring one side of the basket. Start at the middle of the top of the head end of the basket and pull your measuring tape along one side to the middle of the foot end of the basket. Mine is the standard size, but is a bit higher in the front than the back, so I also measured the height to see how much it sloped down and where. Mark paper with dimensions (height, length, slope) and use yard stick to draw out lines. Add 1 in seam allowance and then cut out. My dimensions were 37" long, 8" high at head end, 6" high at foot end.


Cut out pieces. You'll need to cut 2 side pieces each of the batting and the outer fabric and cut it so the bottom of the pattern is along the fold of the fabric. Open pieces, matching head & foot ends with right sides of outer fabric together and layer batting over each side & pin those sides together:


You may want to try it out in the basket just to make sure you have the length right before the you stitch up the sides. If it seems the right length, stitch sides together, so you have a giant oval.

Then fold wrong sides together so the open ends are at the top.


Fold layers inward 1" inch and pin together for your top seam.

Measure your ribbon/bias tape to make the ties. Cut 6 pieces that are each 22" long and fold each in half. Take each ribbon and sandwich the folded end into the bumper about 1/2" down & space each equally around the bumper (1 at each end and 2 on either side). Top stitch about 1/4" from edge all the way around the bumper top, so it looks like this:


I choose to make a few seams down each side so that the batting won't get bunched up after repeated washings:


Now your bumper is done and can be tied onto your basket. To make the fitted sheet, sew on elastic around each curved end on the wrong side of fabric, about 1" from the raw edge, pulling the elastic taut while you stitch so it will "bunch up"& cut off excess elastic at end.


You can either leave it as is or to make it look more finished, fold the raw edge over the elastic and along the sides and then stitch to make a finished hem. Place on mattress pad and ta-da! Your new, stylish Moses basket is ready!