Sewing Machines: what is right for you.

Sewing Machines: what is right for you. I thought I would talk about my sewing machines today, what I love about them, what features I can’t live without, and where to start in purchasing or upgrading a sewing machine. I also have some sewing machine reviews from friends as well as some polls from Instagram so you get a more well rounded view of what sewing machines people use and love.

Figure out what you need in a Sewing Machine

First let’s talk about what you need in a sewing machine. Figure out what you will be sewing. Quilting cotton, fleece, faux leathers, vinyl, thicker projects? It is good to determine your main focus in sewing and also look to the future at things you might like to try. If you are mostly sewing straight seams while quilting you could probably use any machine. But should take into account if you want to sew bags or clothes in the future. In that case you may need something a little more heavy duty or that has the capability to sew through a bunch of seams at once. Look at reviews to see what people have sewn with, how many layers a machine can easily sew through, what needles they use, and personal experience is the most helpful in my opinion.

Questions you might ask yourself? Do you want an automatic thread cutter? What sort of presser feet do you need? How many different stitches do you want? Or do you want any fancier stitches? All things to chat with a sewing machine sales person about. But also great things to ask friends, or people you admire on Social media. Crowd sourcing is the best thing.

Here’s a very basic overview of parts of a sewing machine.

My Sewing Machine Progression

I started sewing when I was young. My mom sewed, and she taught me when I was under the age of 10. It was just part of our life. In Middle School and High School I sewed a lot on my moms old Pfaff sewing machine. At the time I was making doll clothes, stuffed animals out of faux fur, and home decor for my room. Then I went to college and didn’t sew for a few years, but ended up borrowing her machine for a little bit and got back into sewing home decor, mostly pillows.

When I graduated college and got married my parents bought me a Janome 4623 le plus sewing machine It was great. It had all the basic stitches, was computerized. But not a ton of bells and whistles. It sewed well and was hardy. At the time I sewed pillows from upholstery fabric, small crafts, and I actually learned to quilt on it too.

After my son was born and I was quilting more and more and my husband bought me a Janome Horizon 7700 and it was amazing! It upgraded me to bigger throat space, added on a bunch of fun stitches, added an automatic thread cutter, a dual feed walking foot (a janome thing), I felt fancy. I loved that machine. I really never had an issue with it.

Several years later I got a travel machine. My Janome Horizon was to big to travel on a plane with so I got a Janome 4120 qdc. It is great. Some things that were a must for me when I purchased it were an automatic thread cutter and a 1/4″ foot. Those two things are my most important sewing machine features and I can not compromise them. This Janome is light weight. Fits in a carry on suitcase and has a great stitches. I have made many a quilt on retreats with it.

A few years ago I traded my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 7700 in for a larger model, A Janome Memory Craft 9400 qcp. Mainly I upgraded fore more throat space as I was quilting a lot of quilts at the time. Let’s just say it’s not my favorite. It took me a long time to figure out that I had to use Janome brand needles for it, I had never had to do that before. Maybe because it has more bells and whistles it is more finicky about everything. When I used it regularly I had it serviced every year. But I don’t use it much anymore due to my next and current machine.

I got a Juki TL 2010q about a year and a half ago and I love it. Now I would not recommend this for a one and only machine purely because it just does a straight stitch. It has a thread cutter, a walking foot, a back stitch of course, but it only goes straight. If you purely straight stitch 100% of the time then it will work. But if you ever want to go beyond straight stitching you can’t with this machine. I also don’t love the 1/4″ foot on it and the regular foot is not a 1/4″ foot either. It is just slightly off. So I have to keep that in mind when sewing quilts. I do love how fast it is. So much faster than any other machine I have owned. It is my daily piecing machine now.

Okay lastly, along the way I acquired a Janome Serger which is great. It very basic and just helps me out with clothing and inside pillows or things I sell so they hold up better.

I was also gifted a nice singer that I have since passed along to someone else.

A few years ago I also acquired a Grace Company 15r Qnique long arm machine with frame that has negated my need to quilt on my domestic machine and I no longer NEED a large throat space.

My personal requirements in a sewing machine

Decent size throat space: The space between the presser foot and the right side. A larger throat space helps with ease of sewing larger items or when you have to assemble a whole quilt top.

Automatic thread cutter: An automatic thread cutter is a button or a click of the foot after a seam that cuts the thread for you before you lift the presser foot. I like it because it typically saves time as well as thread. If you don’t have an automatic thread cutter you would finish your seam, lift your presser foot, pull your fabric out with the threads still attached, and then grab scissors and cut those thread with tails hanging out of the machine.

Different presser feet: I think a machine needs several presser feet. A standard foot equal on both sides. A 1/4″ presser foot is amazing for quilting. This usually has a guide on the side, or the edge is 1/4″ away from the needle, zipper foot, blind hem foot, button foot. There are quite a few that are pretty typical to get with a machine.

Walking foot: A optional foot that helps feed your fabric through evenly.The perfect foot to use for thicker projects and straight line quilting. My personal favorite for zippers.

Different stitches: Having a range of stitches is very nice. Basic machines tend to have straight, zigzag, knit stitch, blind hem, button holes, Some of these having multiple options. A lot of machine will have a handful of decorative stitches as well and of course the fancier the machine the more fancy the stitches can get.

Intuitive to use: This might be a tough one. There is a little learning curve if you’ve never used a machine. But I have sewn on machines that I needed to look at the way to thread it every time and I have sewn on machine that I just get the feel of how it works and where to thread.

There are just so many things that we could talk about with sewing machines. I encourage you to reach out if you have any questions and seek out a local quilt shop or sewing machine sales location near you to really dive in.

Reviews

These are all reviews by friends.

Kate @shecansew on Instragram wrote this about her machines.

Bernina 350 SE (Tula Pink): This was purchased as my first upgrade from a Kenmore machine on which I learned to sew. It has great stitch quality and a large library of decorative stitches, but I didn’t use those very often. I like the quick-change feet on Berninas and the 37 foot in particular–it has a 1/4″ seam guide that is remarkably accurate. I have since upgraded but still love this machine. 

Bernina 480 SE: I wanted something with a little more throat space and an automatic thread cutter, and this model is a step or so up from the 350. I can use the feet I already had for this machine, which is great, and it has a jumbo bobbin, which supposedly holds 80% more thread than a standard bobbin. I just like that I don’t have to wind a bobbin very often. I use this mostly for piecing when I need an accurate 1/4″ seam and for sewing garments because it has a free arm. I wish the extension table was a little bigger.

Juki TL-2010Q: I bought this machine used, but it was very close to new. I needed more of a work horse for handling thick items like bags and also wanted even more throat space to do some quilting on a home machine. This fits the bill. Straight-stitch only, but it does it well, a larger extension table, automatic thread cutter, and the option to sew FAST. I have a walking foot for this machine, but I don’t use it, instead opting to adjust the presser foot pressure. The only thing that keeps me from using this machine exclusively for quilting is the inaccurate 1/4″ seam.

Stephanie @patchanddot on Instagram wrote this about her machine.

“My sewing machine is the Bernina 350 PE (Patchwork Edition). It’s the
first new machine I ever had, and after almost eight years of sewing
with it, I feel like it’s the only one I’ll ever need. As a quilter, I’m
constantly using the “37” foot, which is perfectly sized for those
quarter-inch seams. I also opted to get the walking foot add-on, and I
use it to quilt anything baby-sized or smaller. Tip: If you play around
with Bernina’s stitch #4  – the running stitch – extending the length to
at least three, and the width about 9 mm, it creates a nice wavy line
that’s perfect for quilt tops.

Katie @loveofewe on Instagram wrote this about her machine

I love my Bernina 770QE (Quilter’s Edition). This is my second Bernina I’ve owned. The first I bought around 2004 and is one of their smaller Activa series. I still have it as a back up machine. Once I started completing full size quilts and top quilting them myself it quickly became obvious I needed a machine with a larger throat (is that what it’s called?!). The 770QE has been great for this! You can easily fit full size quilts to top quilt in the large throat area – 10 inches of space to the right of the needle. It comes with a dual-feed foot that works similar to a walking foot and can be used for top quilting. I also have a walking foot that I use for patterns that have a lot of seam bulk. This machine is very high tech, everything is operated by buttons and the main screen. The feet are recognized by the machine and it will tell you if you need a special needle plate or anything else you may need to change to accommodate that foot. I love that it lets you know when your bobbin thread is low, and that the bobbin is large and holds more thread than most other bobbins. When I first got the machine and wasn’t sure of what I was doing it was super helpful that it had everything from the manual a finger click away on the main screen. I’ve had this machine for about 7 months and I’m still learning new things everytime I use it.

Robin @robineggbluegirl on Instagram said this about her machine.

“I use a Babyock Melody. I’ve had it for 10 years. it is my main machine and my travel machine. Love it!”

I also asked on Instgram stories what people had, if they like it, and how long. Here are some answers I got.

In conclusion

Sewing Machines: what is right for you. I hope this post has taken you a step closer to finding out what is best for you. There is a lot of info out there and a lot of different machines and price points. So check out those recommended sewing machines and start finding the right machine for you.

None of the links in this post are affiliated. I just link so you can easily see and find them. All opinions in this post are mine and not sponsored. I have purchased all my machines myself. The gifted one was from a family friend not a company of any sort.

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if you purchase a machine on any of my or my friends recommendations.

Penguin Social Quilt Pattern Release

It has finally arrived, the Penguin Social Quilt Pattern Release is today!

This adorable Penguin quilt is a pleasure to make and anybody who loves penguins is going to love it.

Find the Penguin Social PDF Quilt Pattern in my woollypetals Etsy shop here.

The pattern is for a throw size quilt measuring 62″ wide by 68″ tall. With the background being a fulling patchwork background it is super easy to change the size. The Penguin Social Quilt pattern is so versatile. You can make just a couple penguins, make a quilt, or make a mini quilt with a single penguin.

The Penguin Social Quilt Pattern is traditionally pieced. It includes one printable template you must use to create the right angle for the wings of the penguin. Due to a few techniques in the quilt including the angled seam of the wings I have labelled the pattern at intermediate and above.

Stan the Penguin

Stan is a front-facing penguin and is rather social. There are 9 Stans in the quilt to encourage socializing and so you can see all their cute faces nice and clear.

George the Penguin

George is a side-facing penguin and he is definitely a rule follower. You can make George left of right facing and I encourage you to have a variety in your quilt.

The nice things about both Stan and George is that you can kind of mix and match to your hearts desire and make quilt full of your favorite or make the quilt as shown in the pattern. It’s really up to you.

Here are a couple other mock ups using Electric Quilt 8.

A Rainbow background can be achieved by selecting 17 colors and making 2 rows in each color. Either using a solid for each color or a myriad of scraps in that color.

A medium to dark purple background is very striking. This uses 12 different colors to achieve a perfectly plum look.

I mean were can you go wrong with rainbow? This time I made the penguins the rainbow. Each penguin has a Ruby Star Society Hole Punch color as the top half and a coordinating solid as the bottom half. I just arranged them in ombre rainbow order on a low volume background and they look so happy.

This last one is a pretty in pink version using all Ruby Star Society Pinks with a mustard thrown in there for good measure.

I’ll be sharing more mock ups on Instagram the next couple days so stop over to the woollypetals feed to check them out.

Purchase the pattern as a PDF Download only in my Etsy Shop as of February 28th, 2023. Pattern is available after download and etsy also emails you a link to download the pattern from the email you use to purchase.

I hope you love Stan and George and the Penguin Social Quilt just as much as I do. I can’t wait to see all the Penguin Social Quilts everyone makes.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hearts All Around Quilt Pattern Release

The Hearts All Around Quilt Pattern Release is today. What a fun quilt this is for Valentines Day. But it’s also a great quilt for everyday use, a wedding gift, a baby gift, really anything.

Purchase the PDF Pattern in my etsy shop here.

Art Gallery Solids paired with Ruby Star Society Starry in multi and scrappy carmel fabric X’s make this a bright and fun large block with X Star middle Hearts All Around Quilt.

The Hearts All Around Quilt comes with with two block sizes. a 12″ block that makes a 66″ square quilt with 25 blocks. Also a 16″ block that has two middle options and makes a 69″ square quilt with 16 blocks. This pattern would be super easy to customize a size with as well by adjusting the amount of blocks and sashing.

Free Spirite Solids paired with Ruby Star Society’s Purl line of fabric give a whimsical look to this small block Hearts All Around quilt.

I originally designed the Hearts All Around Quilt in 2022 for newsletter subscribers to use a large square center. Specifically the Ruby Star Society Stay Gold Panel. I decided to revisited it this year to improve and add to the pattern. I love the addition of the X Star middle. It’s add a super fun detail to the Hearts All Around quilt.

I pulled lots of peach and pink Ruby Star Society, Citrus and Mint, Annabel Wrigley, and Heather Ross fabrics from my stash. Using a Micheal Miller neon yellow and an Art gallery coral for the center. The black hearts are Anna Maria Horner fabric. This is the large 16″ block with the X Star middle.

This quilt is lovely to play around with the fabric placement. You can see the 1st quilt above is the 16″ block with the single fabric background, solid hearts, and the X Star middle. While the 2nd quilt is the 12″ block using Ruby Star Society Purl fabric, with a multi fabric background layout. This 16″ block right above with the scrappy pink background shares how beautiful this pattern is when made in a scrappy look.

Please check out all the fun blocks my testers made on Instragram. I hosted a little valentines day mini swap among my testers to spread some love this year. The blocks are being shared on Instagram in the hashtag #heartsallaroundquilt.

Thanks so much for letting me share my Hearts All Around Quilt Pattern Release with you. I hope you love the pattern and will enjoy sewing it up this Love season.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project Tote Tutorial

Today I am sharing my Project Tote Tutorial today! It’s Free and it’s fun! This is a tutorial for how to make a large tote with short webbing handles. The Project Tote measures 20″ wide X 16″ tall X 8″ deep and holds a lot. The pattern uses 4″ finished squares (cut at 4.5″) and can easily be adapted for other size squares. With just a little math to reduce or enlarge the lining pieces for the new size squares. I share instructions on how to do that in the pattern.

My To the Stars pattern is the perfect Compliment to this Project Tote Pattern. You can purchase that in my Etsy shop if you desire to make some stars to go on your bag. I used the 4″ stars in both Big and Little.

I have linked the Download for the Woollypetals Project Tote at the bottom of the post. Download and use on your device or print out a paper copy.

The pattern uses quilting cotton cut into squares. Cotton Duck Cloth for the lining. Cotton webbing for the handles. It also requires SF101 and Fusible Fleece interfacing. If you have all that on hand you can easily whip this up quickly.

Fabric and Supplies:

66 – 4.5″ squares (sub in stars from the “To the Stars” pattern for squares as desired)

1 yd of Cotton Duck Cloth (assumes non directional)

2 yds of SF101 (or comparable fusible light weight interfacing)

1 yd Fusible Fleece

38″-40″ Webbing for handles

The woollypetals project tote holds A LOT. I threw 2 quilts, 2 knit projects, and a pouch with my thread, needles, pincushion etc. the other day when I went to a Chicago Sewing Social and it held it all with ease. The handle is the perfect length to hold in your hand or slip over your forearm.

Plus it hold the woollypetals See Through Project Bags perfectly. You can see that free Tutorial here.

Download the PDF Woollypetals Project Tote Tutorial Here and get started making!

During the next few weeks I have a couple more on my list to make for other things so we may be sewing together. If you make one please share your project tote on social media and tag me. #woollypetalsprojecttote and #woollypetalstutorials

Thanks for stopping by!

To the Stars FPP Pattern

I have a new pattern and it’s fun and so versatile. It’s called To the Stars FPP Pattern and is all about the stars!

The To the Stars FPP Pattern comes with 16 stars. 2 sizes of star in each block size 2″ – 9″. Pretty much a star for every situation up to 9″.

Have a project that needs a little boost? Add a star. Want to make a simple patchwork quilt but desire a little something extra? Add some stars. Any project that has a square within the size range can have that square swapped out for a star square.

What can you make with the To the Stars FPP Pattern?

Above I made a 12″ sawtooth star block and replaced the inner square with a 6″ big star block. I will share the dimensions for this block and a couple other projects here on my website for free during the month of December.

This patchwork tote is a fun project coming soon to the woollypetals website that uses 4″ squares and is a BIG tote to carry around all those projects. I subbed in some 4″ squares both big and little for some of the squares and boom! A little twinkle was added to the tote. Project coming soon!

This digital mock up is a fun way to use the Stars to make a pillow or wall hanging. It uses 3″ stars, both big and little. You make rows of each size alternating colors to achieve a striped look. It finishes at 18″ square so you can finish into a pillow or a mini quilt.

A more organic approach is this pillow option. It uses every star size at least once. A pretty quick sew up with some blank fabric spaces thrown in to finish off into a 20″ square.

Both these pillow mocks will be available soon on this website with a quick easy tutorial and one page download to easily sew it up.

Need more ideas? Check out the hashtag #tothestarsFPP on Instagram to see some projects my testers made. Add you project to the hashtag to inspire others.

Get the To the Stars FPP Pattern in my Etsy shop here.

Be in the know for pattern releases, coupon codes, free projects and more. But not to much. By signing up for my newsletter. Link on the side bar. Don’t worry I am really not great at sending things so you won’t get to much junk mail. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Ghost Pillow Tutorial

Learn how to sew an easy squishy soft ghost pillow using the Ghost Pillow Tutorial below.

Follow the Ghost Pillow Tutorial below to make a soft squishy ghost pillow. Download a printable version of this tutorial, along with the pattern file below.

Printable woollypetals ghost pillow tutorial

Printable woollypetals ghost pillow pattern pieces

Note: None of the links below are affiliated. I like to share what I used so it’s easier to find things if you are not making from your stash.

Supplies:

Ghost pillow measures roughly 13” w x 15” tall.

1/2 yd of fabric (I used fluffy fleece like this one)

Tiny scraps of black felt (I used a glitter felt from Benzie Handmade)

Fiber fill (I used Pellon Perfect Loft)

Thread to match fabric, and eyes and mouth

Sewing Machine, scissors, printer etc.

Pattern Assembly:

Download the Pattern Pieces file and print the 4 pages.

Tape the pages together by aligning the lines as stated on the pattern.

Cut out the pattern on the cut line.

Cut out the eyes and mouth pattern pieces as well.

Cutting:

Using assembled pattern Cut 2 Ghosts from fabric of choice. 1 Ghost should be in reverse or a mirror image.

Tip: I like to fold my fabric in half with right sides together and cut out both ghost pieces at once.

Cut 2 eyes and a mouth from black felt using separate pattern pieces.

Sewing:

On the front of the ghost, lay the eyes and mouth where you would like them to be.

Tip: you can use the paper pattern as a guide.

Top stitch the eyes and mouth onto the ghost front, sewing slightly in from the edge with a standard straight stitch. Back stitch at the beginning and end.

Note: Because felt doesn’t fray you are able to straight stitch this material on. If you would like to use a cotton fabric, I would recommend ironing a stabilizer like SF101 on the back of the eyes and or mouth and using an applique stitch or a blanket stitch around the edge.

Once the face is stitched down align the ghost front and ghost back rights sides together.

Sew together with a ½” seam allowance around the outer edge leaving a 3”-4” opening on one side, as noted on pattern. Back stitch at the beginning and end so your stitches don’t unravel.

>>>>>>Before you turn your ghost right side out. Clip the curved seams. Take your scissors and clip little slits along the seam allowance on any curved section about every 1/2”-1” apart clipping through the seam allowance almost up to the actual seam but not touching it or clipping through the seam. If you are unsure where to clip look at the seam allowance on the pattern pieces, there are dashes in all the curved sections that show you approximately where to clip. This clipping will allow for the fabric to ease around the curves and give a more finished look once turned.

I highly recommend this step as it makes a big difference on your finished product.

Finishing:

Turn your ghost pillow right side out by pulling it through the opening left in one side. Smooth all the curves and seams out flat.

Stuff with fiber fill to desired softness. I like to make it plump while still being flatter like a pillow. Using matching thread and a needle, whip stitch that opening closed.

Cuddle your Ghost Pillow.

Fun Alternatives:

I used an iron on glitter and added that to the felt before I cut the eyes, I also used the same iron glitter in gold and added the stars to my cotton fabric ghost in the picture above. Google iron on glitter and you can find some. Or use glitter felt which you can get at Benzie Handmade, I linked it in the supply list. I purchased my iron on glitter at Benzie Handmade but they currently only appear to sell glitter felt.  

You can use a quilting cotton, a faux fur, or any fabric you are comfortable with as the ghost body.

Extras

Corrine Sovey has a similar free pillow tutorial this year for a patchwork ghost pillow. Check hers out on the Bernina We All Sew blog and make a coordinating pair.

The star fabric ghost pillow in the last picture is my own fabric design called Starry Eyed, this color is caramel, available via Spoonflower. Check it out here including lots of other colors available. You can have this design printed on all the fabrics Spoonflower sells inclduing fleece or minky.

Happy Sewing! Please Please tag me and use the hastag #woollypetalstutorial if sharing on social media. It brings me such joy to see all the projects made from my patterns and tutorials.  

Ghost Party!!! Quilt Sew A Long

Let’s have a Ghost Party!!! Quilt Sew A Long. A very casual let’s all just sew together Sew A Long.

To join in the fun just grab your copy of the Ghost Party!!! Quilt Pattern from my etsy shop here.

Once you have the pattern, sew a long with everyone on Instagram, sharing whatever you want to share from your process. Use the hashtags #ghostpartyquilt and #ghostpartyquiltSAL and enjoy the community a Sew A Long creates.

I will select a winner at the end of the Ghost Party!!! Quilt Sew A Long who has a finished quilt (top only counts too) and has posted to the hashtag #ghostpartyquiltSAL. The prize will probably be a bundle of fabric. I will select a few people that have participated for some smaller prizes as well!! Ghost Party!!! Quilt Sew A Long ends October 31st. Winner will be selected first week of November 2022.

Really this is very very casual. I will be sharing each week what I am working on in my own Ghost Party Quilts I am currently making. That will give you an idea of where in the process you should be to be done in time to use the quilt by Halloween!

This is NO PRESSURE! Just have fun, sew some Ghosts, and enjoy everyone’s posts.

Ghost Party!!! Quilts I am making this month.

Because it’s fun to see what others are making… the whole point of a Sew A Long right? Here’s my plan.

Despite trying to reduce the amount of fabric in this fabric pull, I still ended up here. With a giant stack of fabric. But it’s going to be cool! So that’s fine.

I started with a bundle from Sewtopia and added quite a few in. They don’t have the specific bundle I bought available anymore but this Cottage Witch Bundle would be a good start to a fabric pull and is very similar to mine.

Oh and I may try and make one of the ghosts in this quilt black. We will see how that works out.

Obviously I can’t make just one Ghost Party!!! Quilt at a time so I am going to expand on the Ghost in a Garden Block I made.

I have loads of floral fabrics, but tend not to use the larger prints as much. I have also added a little to my stash for this one too. Lol. So it’s going to be very scrappy.

Which of these two are you most excited to see come to life? I’m just not sure myself, but maybe I am leaning towards the Ghosts in a Garden version. Time will tell.

Sponsor

Knot and Thread is amazing and offered to Sponsor this Casual Ghost Party!!! Quilt Sew A Long by offering a 20% discount to anybody who sends her a Ghost Party Quilt before December 31st, 2022. Check out her beautiful Quilting here. Kaitlyn just released an amazing Patchwork Duffle bag pattern, that I am dying to make, and has been hosting a Sew A Long for that you should check out too!

Thanks so much Kaitlyn!

Don’t forget

Also feel free to share the graphic at the top on Instagram to announce your sewing along. I will be posting it on Instagram too.

Sign up for my newsletter on the sidebar or the popup on my site. I share pattern releases, special coupon codes (at least moving forward ;), and a fingers crossed quarterly newsletter typically with a free pattern. Sometimes that free pattern is a quilt. Hint Hint, I am working hard on the fall newsletter and am really hoping I can share a free quilt pattern.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ghost Party!!! Quilt Pattern Release

It’s October 1st so you know what that means?? It’s time for the Ghost Party!!! Quilt Pattern Release. This quilt is such a fun quilt to make and the result is super super cute.

Purchase a Ghost Party!!! Quilt PDF Pattern in my Esty Shop here.

The pattern is a traditionally pieced with the option to FPP the pieced squares if desired with the included FPP pattern pieces. The little stars are FPP or Applique only. The pattern is written to sew up the whole quilt of individual ghosts to make a mini quilt, pillow, or pieces a few together for a table runner or banner. The quilt measures 60″ wide X 72″ tall. The individual ghosts measure 18″ wide X 24″ tall. The difficulty of the pattern is recommended for a confident beginner and up.

The Ghosts

BOOne, jACCK, and AHHnna consecutively are a fun fraid…. ever heard that a collective group of ghosts is called a fraid? Pretty cute right? They all have a different personality visible with their features.

BOOne is made with eyes staring off to the side and smirk of a smile. jACCK is small but mighty and his mouth is ready to say the perfect BOO. Lastly AHHnna is made with wide eyed wonder and a sweet smile. The three ghost are all similar but with different features have their own personalities. Furthermore the pattern is easy to mix up the features to make your own unique ghosts.

Ghosts by Testers

I asked a few of my regular testers to whip out a couple ghost quickly for me to make sure this pattern was ready for the pattern release today.

Tracey of @tracybitsnpieces made these adorable ghosts that remind me of mermaids. She is added more and sharing as she does so definitely check those out.

Jane of @jenkaa55 made this super sweet ghost and she is also making more modeling them after her grandchildren and sharing on her social media.

Regina of @stargirl.leo made this bright and fun Ghost with a wide and happy smile. I love seeing ghosts made with a single fabric too.

Brittany of @bmariedavis made a single fabric ghost and background and her fabric combos never disappoint. I added applique stars to the pattern after her suggestion as well.

Stephanie of @stephkthomas made this awesome quilt using Tiny Treaters by Jill Howarth as the background adding in a few coordinates. She used solid white, creams, and beige for the ghosts.

More Ghost Party!!! Quilts and Blocks

I have made a few more versions and if time weren’t an issue I would make a million more. When I first started sewing up these block I used a fully scrappy black background and tested a few ideas with the softly colored ghosts on black. So that became a smaller quilt with some additional rows of squares to make it a small throw. The official BOOne, jACCK, and AHHnna blocks are in this quilt as well.

Below I played around with a ghost in garden and really really think it needs to be a quilt. I need to figure out how to get more florals like these into my stash. This ghost is a combo of BOOne’s eyes and AHHnna’s body, with a BOOne smile. Also showcased in this block are the applique stars.

I wrote up a post yesterday to show a lot of mock ups with different fabrics and exact fabric requirements. Click over to check it out here.

Ghost Party!!! Quilt Mock Ups

Ghost Party!!! Quilt releases tomorrow October 1st. so I am sharing some Ghost Party!!! Quilt Mock Ups with you today so you can start picking fabric.

Here is the standard yardages for the Ghost Party!!! Quilt below along with the individual ghosts in case you want to make something different than the suggested quilt.

This mock up below is the exact of solids I used in my quilt mock up and on the cover quilt that hasn’t been shown fully yet. ;) I picked a comparable group of low volume to what I used since I just grabbed low volume scraps from my stash bins.

I mocked up the Ghost Party!!! Quilt in Ruby Star Society Spooky Darlings and it looks like it would be an adorable make. I hope someone does this or something similar. I used the low volumes and light pinks from the Spooky Darlings line for the ghosts and then all the rest for the background.

Next I mocked up a version in Ruby Star Society Starry line of fabric. Using all the colors. I did light pink scrappy ghosts in the version. It is such a fun vibe while still feeling very Halloween.

Mock ups without specific yardages.

I made some more Ghost Party!!! Mock ups without specific fabric requirements. You can use the standard yardages and make up your own combos.

Orange scrappy solid ghosts on a scrappy black background. This mock up uses all the dark Spooky Darlings for the background.

Swapping the ghosts for low volume/whites made for a more classic look. More color could be added to the background or the stars to add a little extra punch on this version.

For a spookier vibe I had to Mock up a black ghosts look. This one uses a low volume scrappy background with orange stars. I did use a pink solid for the eyes as well for a slightly softer look.

Similarly here is a mock up in solid black ghosts with white eyes and some of the Spooky Darlings for the background. It is a fun spookier look.

Would I even be a quilter if I didn’t mock it up in some sort of rainbow look? I used the same Low Volume Scrappy look as above but made each ghost a mix of light solids in the same color. I arranged them in rainbow color order and made the corresponding stars a little darker shade to coordinate with the Ghosts.

Whatever you make is going to be amazing! I hope you enjoyed this Ghost Party!!! Quilt Mock Ups. The Ghost Party!!! Quilt Pattern will be available in my Etsy Shop on October 1st. 2022.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Share your plans for your Ghost Party!!! Quilt here or on Social Media using the hashtag #ghostpartyquilt and #woollypetalspatterns

Stargeese Quilt Pattern Release

Today is Stargeese Quilt Pattern Release Day! Yay! You can find my newest quilt Stargeese in my etsy shop for immediate purchase and download. There is a sale over Labor Day weekend that is buy two patterns get 25% off so take advantage.

The Stargeese Quilt is a Fat Quarter Quilt, but will work for yardage and scrappy as well. The sizes I am showing are the throw size measuring 60″ wide x 75″ tall it is an ample throw quilt. The pattern also shares yardages and cutting for a baby size and a twin size with the construction being the same for each. You can easily make a custom size as well with yardage per block given.

I love the Star center surrounded by flying geese! It is a unique star quilt look and a unique way of construction. This block plays well with a single fabric background and a scrappy background.

While the Stargeese Quilt Pattern shares a specific way to make the Stargeese quilt block in terms of fabric placement. Although you can easily modify the block to have all matching stars or centers with the detailed cutting directions.

Check out Instagram for lots of amazing versions by my testers. The hashtag #stargeesequilt should share a lot of them. Make sure to check out #woollypetalspatterns if you are taking advantage of the sale and want to see lots of examples of my other patterns.

I hope you have enjoyed reading a bit more about the Stargeese Quilt. And maybe even start sewing soon! Come join in the quilt parade on Instagram the rest of the week where I will be sharing more quilts and mock ups!

Thanks so much for stopping by for the Stargeese Quilt Pattern Release!

Don’t forget to grab your Stargeese Quilt PDF Pattern today in my Etsy Shop.