My EPP Toolbox

Since I’m almost finished with the base of Henry’s Toddler quilt. I thought I’d show you how I store my supplies. Since I am always having to move my supplies around or away from the toddler I need a box I can easily close and move. I like to use this Sterilite box that has three different compartment layers and in the top layer there are removable compartments.

While making the hexies my box looks kind of like this with a compartment for scrap fabric, a compartment for recently trimmed hexagons and a compartment for finished hexagons. I keep my glue stick, punch and scissors in the second layer.

When I have finished making the hexies my box looks a little different. I keep completed hexies, clips, thread, small scissors, and a pincushion on top and the current sewing on the second layer.

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A Quick EPP Tutorial

It is day two of #the100dayproject and as I continue with making hexagons for my quilt project I just wanted to pop in with a tutorial on how I make them.

Make templates. There are plenty of places to print these or buy these but my favorite method is to use a punch. I used a Fiskers 2” hexagon punch. The paper I use most is actually junk mail. So those mailers that are like postcards and the paper is like card stock. I used an insert from my recent shipment from Floret so its extra pretty.

Glue. I like to use a washable glue stick. You only need a little bit to glue the hexagon to you fabric.

Trim. Cut around the hexagon about 1/4” to 1/2” all the way around.

Glue down edges. You can actually do this two ways. I like to work my way around gluing as I go and using a clip to hold the edges down. You can also sew around the hexagon.

I will actually do this in batches with multiple hexagons at a time.

Now I just have to make a million more! These are all ready to be sewn together in whatever pattern you choose.

Toddler Quilt: A 100 Days of Scrap Fabric Project

One of the first projects I intend to be working on as part of my 100 day project is a little quilt for Henry’s toddler bed. Since most of my day is spent watching him I don’t have access to my sewing machine and I can appreciate a project that I can work on while watching tv. So to combine the two and I decided to do some EPP.

Pattern: The pattern I created for this project inspired by a floor tile design using hexagons. This is just idea to start and I haven’t decided on how I will finish the quilt.

Photo by @ihavethisthingwithfloors on Instagram

Fabric: The fabric I’m using for this project is scrap fabric from my play leaf project and some scrap linen.

Technique: English paper piecing or EPP is great for working on the go or in front of the tv. It’s also great if you just enjoy hand sewing. If you want some history on EPP I wrote a little bit about it here.

#the100dayproject 2021

I was prepared for 2020 and then well, we all know what happened. So here I am again re-doing my 2020 plan, 100 Days of Scrap Fabric. This will be my second time participating in the the project and I really want this year to be more interactive. So I will be sharing more on each day and what patterns or techniques I’m using.

First things first. I’ve been gathering all my scraps together, getting some inspiration, and making some plans. I really wanted to focus on some of the smaller pieces that seem unusable. I started by listing some fabric I for sure wanted to use and some projects that I for sure wanted to make.

To organize all of my thoughts, inspiration, and plans, I made a Pinterest board and some worksheets. Included in the worksheets is a brainstorm page, an ideas page, some pages to document along the way and a habit tracker to use as you go along. To get a copy just click to download below.

Download Worksheet

Henry’s Bookplates

I don’t get many chances to flex my design skills and when I do they usually don’t make it outside of my computer. I finally got a chance to take a project to print with these cute bookplates I made for my son’s book collection. Henry, who is only 18 months, loves flipping through his many books friends and family have given him. These include a large collection of books from his Meme’s classroom (she recently retired from teaching kindergarten and acquired a large collection through the years). He may be too young to read the words but I wanted a way for him to look back and see where each book came from.

First I wanted labels that would withstand the test of time and at this point in time, toddler chaos, that means waterproof and durable. So paper labels were pointless and my printer is not able to . They also had to be large enough to fit all the information I wanted to include. Enter MOO. Their rectangular labels were perfect. Made from vinyl and at approximately 2×3 inches I could fit all the information I needed. Bonus? They allow you to print multiple different designs. The smallest pack is 50 stickers and you can have a different design on each one!

To make these labels all you have to do is download the template from their site. In addition to these rectangles they also have small circles and squares. Then you can open the template in whatever editing program you choose, I used Adobe Illustrator. Add your own design, save, and upload it to their site. I made one version that I could write who gave him the book and date and another version with two teeny plates that I could cut out for adding to smaller books. I also made a few notebook labels for myself to distinguish them from one another.

This is not paid at all, just love how these turned out. The process was super simple but if you have any questions let me know!