Category Archives: My Patterns

Post Market Cool Down

May 19, 2015

Things have been quiet in this space for a week or so, but it hasn’t been so in real life. I’ve actually done more sewing in recent weeks in preparation for Quilt Market than I normally do in a month or more. I feel like I can’t even pack that whole experience into a single...

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Handmade by Humans

April 23, 2015

This post has taken a good bit longer for me to write than I anticipated, but its an important one. I hope that at the very least it will cause you to pause and think. Beyond that, I hope you can leave here inspired and more driven. I’m going to be using myself as an...

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CarlaApril 23, 2015 - 1:10 am
So many pretties here Meredith. You do lovely work! How is your friend? The one who is getting the Liberty quilt.
I just have a need to work with my hands. Love to create with fabric and wool.ReplyCancel
SarahApril 23, 2015 - 4:16 am
I loved reading this post, it really hit home with me. My man and I talk often about why we both pursue our hobbies, mine quilting & his painting miniatures, and I think the pleasure of allowing our creativity to have free reign is not to be ignored. I quilt as a hobby and I have a small Etsy shop and can attest to not waiting until retirement comes knocking before putting your plans in motion, I find great enjoyment working with my customers to make an heirloom quilt that their children will cherish just as I do making place mats for our table at home. For me it’s about broadening my creative horizons, legacy as you say & I simply get a kick out of working with beautiful supplies!ReplyCancel
Andrea MApril 23, 2015 - 8:39 am
Well said! People often suggest that I sell what I make. I sew and crochet because I love to (plus it’s a good way to relax and de-stress after a busy day of working full time and having 3 young kids). Nearly everything I make I give a way as gifts (making baby things are so much fun!). I do make things for my self once in a while, but I love gifting the items, whether they are appreciated or not. I love to see the mini quilt I gave my mother-in-law used as a table runner, or the tote bag I made my mom come to my house with her every time she visits, or my infant daughter chew on her lovey blanket I made her. Those images plus the personal enjoyment of the craft, make it worthwhile and incredibly important to me. Keep up the beautiful work, and thank you for encouraging crafters to think about why they create – it’s such an important part of the process!ReplyCancel
emilyApril 23, 2015 - 12:04 pm
what a thoughtful article! i’m looking at the patchwork pouch I bought from a few months back and it says “meticulous, beautiful and happy”!

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Cynthia WalkerApril 23, 2015 - 1:34 pm
Hi Meredith!
I’ve been a reader for a while now and have loved seeing the quality of your work and the lighthearted passion you put into it. It always seems like your quality control is impeccable and that you have a balanced and stress free way of accomplishing what you set out to do. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post. I just posted my first blog post this week, with it being Kids Clothes Week, and your post really touches on some of the things I’ve been juggling with trying to learn to sew on my own and also pushing to get projects accomplished, sometimes at the cost of quality. In the last few months, with the assistance of some wonderful Oliver + S patterns :), I’m starting to have a more balanced and PATIENT! mindset to sew because I love it, and sew because I need to (my kid caught up to our hand-me-downs source who is 2 years older!). I’m also learning when to accept that I’m a student of sewing and when to get out the seam ripper and commit to a quality garment. I haven’t attempted quilts yet, but I loved your Anna Maria feather quilt. I hope to attempt one sometime before Christmas. You’re inspiring and your taste in fabric combinations and commitment to quality is top notch. I’m sorry you got some poor feedback. It’s a rare legacy these days to believe in taking care of what we have instead of just treating everything as disposable and to be so disciplined as to mindfully work even the smallest of tasks with a sense of artistry and craftsmanship. I look forward to your next post as it is 100% applicable to where I am with sewing!ReplyCancel
Terri AnnApril 23, 2015 - 3:51 pm
What a lovely well articulated post. I’m definitely in the category of creators where some thing I make are temporary but always for a reason, which is why I’m glad you pointed out that no style is wrong as long as consideration is put into it. I’m in a fortunate position where the cost of materials is “just money” and it’s my time that is more valuable. I will tinker with an idea to learn something from it and possibly not have a high quality product yield from that experiment. To me, that’s not only acceptable; I encourage that out of myself because that’s how I’ve always grown creatively. A series of mini failures is better than any school lesson I’ve learned and then from that craft room education I am able to take what I have discovered with my own two hands and apply it thoughtful to something more lasting and truly meaningful.

One lesson that touches on this topic is also to know when it’s okay to cut corners and “just finish” and when it’s time to really rip out those seams and do it over. I think it’s fascinating hearing different creators take on where that line is for them!ReplyCancel
Kelly O.April 25, 2015 - 8:26 pm
I create as therapy. And I love to belong to a community of quilters that get what they need from their craft as much as I do from mine for varied reasons… I saw a quote the other day that I love and I plan to have it made into a sign for my sewing room….
“They are all there in that quilt — my hopes and fears, my joys and sorrows, my loves and hates. I tremble when I remember what that quilt knows about me.”
Truthfully, my quilts are a part of me.ReplyCancel
RosieApril 28, 2015 - 11:22 am
Wow! I REALLY needed to read this today. Thank you so much for such true and sincere words. I am just starting out on this blogging/crafting journey and am in the process of seeing how viable it is for my family for me to pursue something like this full-time.

I feel so humbled by your words of using the best that you can and also doing your best work. I tend to rush through projects because I have so many bouncing around my head that I want to move on to the next thing, but I still need to do my best, because I really do want to create that legacy for my children. My inspiration came from my husband’s grandma and I love seeing my kids wrapped in creations that her hands made. I need to slow down and love the process of creating not just the finished product. Thank you!!ReplyCancel
My guide to buying quality fabric | Olivia Jane Handcrafted – BlogApril 29, 2015 - 12:02 am
[…] I want to you get from this post is really the same tone I set out to communicate in “Handmade by Humans”: be purposeful in the things you do. Don’t clutter your creativity with unneeded things. If […]ReplyCancel

Opposite Attract Quilt : Cotton + Steel

March 27, 2015

I finally get to show you the finished Cotton + Steel Opposites Attract quilt top! This one is twin sized and will most likely be finding a home on Layla’s bed. I’m no even going to attempt to quilt it. I want it done soon, so I’ll likely send it out to the uber talented...

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HST Redux : the coaster tutorial

March 25, 2015

What to do with leftover triangle scraps? Make the world’s most useful scrap busting project: COASTERS! Use this free step by step photo tutorial!

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PattyVSeptember 15, 2015 - 9:07 am
These are so cute and look super easy to sew. Watch out scraps, here I come!ReplyCancel
Judy PSeptember 15, 2015 - 2:44 pm
These are really cute, the only problem I have with the cloth coasters is that they are so absorbent and I have a glass of ice water or tea with me at all times. I could probably go thru a couple of dozen of these in a day!! LOL What would be a good suggestion for something to either go in the middle or on the bottom to be water proof for your furniture? Otherwise, I really like them.ReplyCancel
- MeredithSeptember 16, 2015 - 3:40 pm
  Hi there, Judy. I only have glass cups that sweat a ton too, which is why I make my coasters with cloth. I use a layer of 100% cotton batting in the middle, and have never experienced a leak or wet furniture. I’ve been using the same set for about five years. If you are really concerned with the coasters soaking and leaking, try using a double layer of batting, and just be sure it is 100% cotton. My favorite is Warm N Natural. Happy crafting!ReplyCancel
SandiSeptember 16, 2015 - 2:07 am
it’s about time to start on some scrap busting projects and this looks like a good and easy one. who can’t use a set of coasters!
thanks for the idea.ReplyCancel
Handmade Holidays Nov. 9: Making Many (Multiple Gifts at a Time) | Sew Mama Sew | Outstanding sewing, quilting, and needlework tutorials since 2005.November 9, 2015 - 11:14 am
[…] Half Square Triangle Coasters Olivia Jane Handcrafted shows you how to use your scraps for these happy Half Square Triangle Coasters. […]ReplyCancel
rstNovember 9, 2015 - 1:13 pm
Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call these quarter square triangles?

either way, super cute, and thanks for the tutorial.ReplyCancel
- MeredithJune 9, 2018 - 10:02 am
  I refer to them as Half Square Triangles because they are scraps from making HSTs. But yes, in this project, I am using them as quarter squares to make the coasters.ReplyCancel
Janet BursonNovember 14, 2015 - 9:18 am
New to embroidery. Happy to find this site.ReplyCancel

Finding inspiration for a new beginning

March 23, 2015

I was recently asked to be a part of the Traveling Threads Bee which is a small group of women who are mailing out blocks each month on a circuit. At the end of the year, the blocks and the additions made by the group will circle their way back to the original owners who...

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Category Archives: My Patterns

Post Market Cool Down

Handmade by Humans

Opposite Attract Quilt : Cotton + Steel

HST Redux : the coaster tutorial

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