The baby blanket is, in my mind, the perfect gift for new parents. It's thoughtful, practical and, with the right mix of fabric, cuter than a pile of kittens. Our version gives you plenty of real estate for one cute fabric on the front, another on the back plus a third accent fabric as a dense ruffle all around. Our original project design was done up in Pillow & Maxfield's Pretty Bird collection for Michael Miller Fabrics, which gave the blanket a sophisticated splash of color and a chic artistic flair. When we selected this project as one of our R&R opportunities, we decided to dial up the cute factor with three fabrics from David Walker's Get Together collection for Free Spirit Fabrics. What's R&R you ask? "Re-imagine & Renovate," we answer. We took a classic project and re-made it in a new fabric to create an entirely different look and feel. We chose David Walker's bears and birds in blues and greens, and absolutely love how his designs look like little paper cut-outs dancing across the fabric. This is a blanket with a story to tell, "Once upon a time there was a bear, who jumped up high into the air, higher than the pair of marshmallow trees..."

This plush throw is framed with patchwork and pom poms. Even if you've never done any patchworking, you can make this project. The fun part is picking all the squares: 72 of them in this case. It's like coloring with fabric; you mix and match, combining colors and patterns from square to square. The Heather Bailey Pop Garden & Bijoux fabrics we used create a vibrant border, but you could shuffle your choices to be more subdued or even more zany. The jumbo pom pom trims adds a playful touch, and the center of the throw is super-soft, double-sided Minky. Colorful, cute and cuddly in one great project!

Recently, movie star and trendsetter, Nicole Kidman was photographed holding baby Faith wrapped in a plush pink baby blanket with a lush satin ruffle. Dozens of commenters on the photo demanded to know where she got that adorable blanket. Nicole's not telling, but no worries because we have an even cuter design you can make yourself. It's part of our new S4H Series sponsored by Fabric.com: the lush-est, plushest, most trendy fabrics for Fall and Winter. Mar Bella Minky and rich satin combine today for this double-sided beauty!

What does GQ suggest for the best-dressed bed linens this season? Formal flannel of course! Welcome to our newest S4H Series: we're diving into the lush-est, plushest, most trendy fabrics for Fall and Winter. Sponsored by the friendly folks at Fabric.com, we have a range of projects, tips and product reviews to get you working like a pro with flannel, Minky, faux fur and faux leather. Today, we have the perfect gift for the guy on your list: our 'well-suited' pillowcases in Tailor Flannels by Timeless Treasures from Fabric.com. They're stylish yet soft, and are such a clever way to wake up the snappy dresser in your life.

Do you remember your childhood bedspread? Most people do. Maybe it's because we always felt so safe and cuddly under those covers. And we all know when you pull the bedspread over your head, you are instantly protected from any monsters who might be trying to get you! Moving from a crib to a 'big boy bed' is a momentous occasion in a toddler's world, and deserving of a special bedcover. Our twin size patchwork quilt tutorial fits the bill. The Gang fabric within the Lil' Rascals collection by Chloe's Closet for Moda Fabrics is a fantastic easy quilting pick because the design already includes a four-patch motif, making your finished quilt look like you're quite the piecing professional.

The contest for the kit ended 10/7/11. Even if you didn't win, you can still make the cover with Bari J's terrific tutorial...

Yay! Bari J. is back with another adorable sewing pattern. After everything your sewing machine has done for you, isn't it time you surprise it with a chic evening cover-up with flirty pom-pom fringe?! You could not find a more perfect fabric collection for this sewing machine cover than Bari's magnifique Paris Apartment collection, her first for Lecien. Merci, Bari, for providing our Sew4Home friends with such a delightful free project, plus the chance for one lucky person to win a kit to make their own Paris Apartment sewing machine cover. 

It's the world's greatest protective shield... from things that go bump in the night, chilly morning air or the I-miss-my-mommy blues. There's nothing like a thick, snuggly blanket to make everything better. And, there's nothing easier than our blanket tutorial. A handsome binding in alternating fabrics is set against a field of creamy white polar fleece. We personalized the project with our lil' boy's name embroidered in the corner. Even with this extra embellishment, the steps are fast and easy. Today's bound blanket is just one of the eight projects in our new Storybook Lil' Boy's Room Series sponsored by Moda Fabrics and featuring the nostalgic Lil' Rascals collection by Chloe's Closet. From a chubby-cheeked cowboy to a bespectacled pug dog to a mischievous monkey... the characters of Lil' Rascals are all up to something.

Vintage, Retro, Old School... or simply, "Hey, I remember that!" Designs with a nostalgic flavor go by many names, but are universally appealing. We start a new tutorial series today called Storybook Bedroom. It's sponsored by our creative friends at Moda Fabrics and features Lil' Rascals by Chloe's Closet. From a chubby-cheeked cowboy to a bespectacled pug dog to a mischievous monkey... the characters of Lil' Rascals are all up to something. Don't know about you, but I want to collect my graham crackers and milk, find my favorite picture book, and settle down for a much-needed afternoon nap. Over the next few weeks, we'll unveil eight tutorials to outfit a toddler's bedroom. We envisioned a boy's room, but this collection's soft color palette and playful designs would work for any lil' rascal in your life. Today's project: easy pillowcases sure to make everyone look forward to slipping into the land of nod.

A beautiful quilt thrown across a country fence to catch the golden summer sun and a gentle breeze. A pretty picture to be sure. But even better is the fact that this quilt tutorial is simply the easiest way ever to make a queen-size quilt! It's perfect for a beginner. The Fat Quarters, which we cut for our blocks, make it look like you've been saving scraps for years. And, a machine-stitched binding keeps the overall time requirement pretty darn low. 

The gateway drug of quilting is the baby quilt tutorial. Once you try one of these easy, itty-bitty marvels, you'll be hooked, and small pieces of fabric will begin stacking up all over your house. This handsome quilt is just one of eight tutorials in our modern, baby boy nursery series, sponsored by our good friends at Michael Miller Fabrics and created using their new Color Story concept. Designer Alicia Thommas picked out the best and the brightest of the bold geometrics in our chosen Citron-Gray Color Story. With names like, Feeling Groovy, Play Stripe and Disco Dot... you know it's going to be a fun tutorial. We added a custom monogram to the bottom right corner square, which personalizes the project and will make it a cherished keepsake. However, first it has to be dragged around the house for a few years, cried into, and cuddled with; only then can it be a real keepsake.

One of the top tutorials here on Sew4Home has alway been our crib bumpers. It seems there are a lot of people our there looking for bumper patterns and instructions, and ours just happen to be the easiest... and the cutest. We started with our original winning design, then up-cycled it with all-around, jumbo piping and added a stylish monogram. This back-by-demand tutorial is just one of eight pieces in our new nursery series sponsored by our good friends at Michael Miller Fabrics, and is created using their new Color Story concept. We chose the Citron-Gray Color Story for its warmth and it design 'wow' – beautiful and bold geometrics that are endlessly interesting. Think gray doesn't belong in nursery? Give it another look; it is one of the loveliest neutrals available. In fact, Feng Shui experts say, "Warm, silvery gray can bring a beautiful, clear and centering energy into a room."

A crib skirt has two main functions: 1) it looks cute as can be, and 2) when it hangs all the way to the floor, it creates a secret, under-bed storage space. For our sleek and modern baby boy nursery, we choose a crisp pleated skirt rather than ruffles. This helps with arguments down the road, such as when my son claims deep emotional scars from wearing his older sister's ruffled overalls (it was one small ruffle on the pocket and he was two... come on!). This crib skirt tutorial is just one of eight pieces in our new nursery series sponsored by our good friends at Michael Miller Fabrics, and is created using their new Color Story concept.

You can never have too many baby bed linens. Changing the crib several times in one day is not unheard of... let's just say babies are kind of "leaky." This super simple crib sheet takes just a couple yards of fabric, a length of elastic and about an hour of your time. Why settle for boring old white sheets when it's so easy to add color and design? Today's project is just one of eight pieces in our new nursery series sponsored by our good friends at Michael Miller Fabrics, and is created using their new Color Story concept. Unlike most fabric collections that are filled with coordinated prints in multiple colorways, color is what this story is all about, like our selection: Citron-Gray. This baby nursery has a sleek, modern style yet is still wrap-your-arms-around-it warm and cozy.

Pretty Pretty Patchwork Week continues today with four beautiful quilts and one amazing duvet. Again, there's something to inspire folks at all different skill levels. When you step up to bed-size projects, the complexity is not necessarily in the patchwork itself, but is more about trying to muscle around a number of very large layers. If you're brand new to the party, start with a baby quilt. In our five selected projects, you'll see the real cleverness comes in how you put your cuts together into blocks, your blocks into larger sections, then assemble those larger sections into the finished project. Thus, from the simple square, the king size quilt is born.

This past January, we introduced you to a great new book from our good friends, Kaitlin Witte and Alison Newman: thread & bobbin: 21 simple sewing projects ($18, All American Crafts). The first thing I noticed about the book, which hit store shelves just a few months ago, was the variety of projects. Often, books tend to focus on just one category of type of item: all quilts, all pillows, all kids clothes. Kind of an 'all or nothing' approach to sewing. But when you're just starting out, it's way more fun to dabble with a potpourri of items. Proving this variety is never-ending, the authors have teamed up to bring us a book bonus in the form of a Sew4Home Guest Tutorial: the beautiful Deep Purple lap quilt.

What do teens like better than sleeping 'til noon? Sleeping over with friends... where there is usually no actual sleeping until noon. Perhaps this pretty pillowcase will tempt them into dreamland. It's a version of our favorite easy-as-pie instructions we've used a number of times to create pillowcases for holidays and other special occasions. The main difference this time is we only made one case, and we cut separate pieces for the front and back of the main body, requiring three full seams instead of just two. But that extra seam was worth it, because it allowed us to feature the beautiful flying birds of the Bonnes Aimies fabric swooping right through the middle.

We have a small series starting today called Teen Pretty Pack, three easy projects that would be perfect additions to a teen bedroom. Actually, we'll let you put them in any bedroom you want. All three feature gorgeous fabrics and super soft Minky accents. To start things off is this easy big bound blanket. At nearly five feet square, there's plenty of cuddle room for all. In fact, our Official Cushiness Tester, Big Ollie the orange cat, certified it as worthy of non-stop pushy-pulley paw kneading and a ten on the purr-o-meter.

When we're little, we simply have no idea have wonderful it is to be able nap. I remember how hard I tried to keep my peepers open all day long, and my kids struggled against daytime dreams as well. If only we could still sneak away for nap time now. Not to mention a carton of milk and some graham crackers. This soft and sweet nap time pad with its own built-in blanket just might make afternoon slumbers a little bit easier. Believe me... everyone here at Sew4Home wanted to try out the sample when I finished it!

There simply isn't an easier way to make a queen-size quilt than this! It's perfect for a beginner. The Fat Quarters, which we cut for our blocks, make it look like you've been saving scraps for years. And, a machine-stitched binding keeps the time requirement pretty darn low, especially considering you'll be able to show off a quilt that fits your entire bed. Practice these responses to the compliments that are sure to flood in, "Why YES, I did make this quilt myself. Oh... you're too kind, but it is pretty isn't it? No, you can't have it... back away from the bed."

"She used to say she could taste sleep and that it was as delicious as a BLT on fresh French bread." I love that quote. It's from Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. I'm a good sleeper, and I firmly believe there's nothing better than nodding off on a new, freshly laundered pillowcase. Our pretty pair of pillowcases is a great beginner project. So fast and easy, you can start at noon and be napping by 3:00.

Babies need blankets. When my kids were small, I liked to think of my blanket collection as little baby drop cloths. Because, just like painters, babies are often in need of their own little piece of clean real estate, which they can then destroy as they choose. In my mind, a cute baby blanket is always the perfect gift. Our adorable design is super fast and easy to make, especially if you have a ruffler attachment.

We provide a pattern download that gives you the perfect wedge shape to create the pinwheel design of this pillow. You can easily cut two wedges from each 10" x 10" Layer Cake square, which means you'll use just six Layer Cake squares for this project. Or... spread your creativity around to friends and family, and make SEVEN pretty pillows from the 42 squares in a standard Layer Cake pack. I'd say that's quite enough for a grand scale pillow fight.

One of the best ways to add both height and drama to your bed linens is with pillow shams. They sit in front and cover up the more ordinary pillows. Just like in real life... the pretty ones are always in the front row! There are two traditional shapes, regular and Euro. A regular full size sham usually measures around 20" x 26", a regular king approximately 20" x 36", whereas the Euro sham is square, usually about 26" x 26". Our Fresh Linens Euro Shams feature an easy yet elegant patchwork center made from a Charm Pack, plus a lovely flange in a coordinating solid.

The first time we saw the Fresh Cottons Collection by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts for Moda Fabrics, we wanted to take a nice, little nap. Not because we were bored... because we were instantly transported to the front porch of a rose-covered cottage by the seashore, where we swung sleepily in our hammock as a freshly baked apple pie cooled on the window sill. The buttery soft vintage colors and endlessly mixable prints are a magical blend of old and new. Fresh Cottons is absolutely the best name; when grouped together, they create the perfect picture of crisp linens drying in a summer breeze. With their welcoming, garden-fresh look, we thought it was the spot-on fabric choice for a guest room make-over, and we created nine tutorials to freshen up your home. Open the windows and enjoy.

Love, love, love this double-faced, pre-quilted fabric from Joanna Figueroa's Whimsy collection for Moda Fabrics. There are two, reversible patterns to choose from. We selected the option with Whimsy Vintage Flash Cards in Milk on the front and Whimsy Dot in Milk on the back. Then we trimmed the whole thing with coordinating Whimsy Ric Rac Stitching in Multi. I used a fancy decorative stitch to attach my binding, which takes a little longer to stitch, but adds an extra-special touch. Since all you do for the center of the blanket is cut a square, and the binding is a faux-mitered technique, this blanket is SO easy, I even simplified the name to: EZ!