Summertime parties have always been a favorite of mine. Growing up, there were a lot of warm weather birthdays in my family, so there were plenty of outdoor events where cake and rapidly melting ice cream ruled, and the world’s biggest problem seemed to be who got to lick frosting off the candles after the big blowout. The preparation ahead of the party was as just fun as the party itself. A pretty tablecloth fluttering in the breeze, bright napkins, icy cold lemonade and crepe paper hats – everything was homemade; of course.

So many people I've talked with have a similar nostalgia for long-ago summer parties. We hoped to recreate that charming carefree time using a mix of vintage colors and patterns with our beginner-friendly sewing projects. At the same time, we wanted our projects to appeal to all levels of capability for their to-die-for results.

Our Fabulous Fabric: Heather Bailey’s Freshcut

We think of the Patio Party projects as special-occasion pieces – lovely party accessories to warm up the patio... and the guests. We chose not to limit our options to rugged outdoor fabrics; instead looked for the most joyful, summery fabric we could find, knowing it isn't intended to sit out in the rain.

In the beginning, we had lots of fabric possibilities on the table, but Heather Bailey's exquisitely designed, vintage-modern, Freshcut fabric collection from Free Spirit met every criteria brilliantly. It completely won our hearts and minds. As a designer myself (although not fabric), I have a seasoned appreciation for excellence in design, and Heather Bailey certainly achieves it with her Freshcut collection. I understand how much effort goes into creating each element of every design, and the complexity of creating a collection that works together so flawlessly. It's painstaking and time consuming, but a good designer knows when it finally zings!

Once we decided on Freshcut, we chose our projects and began to create the palette of fabrics we would use. The Freshcut collection is made up of 40 different fabrics; we narrowed our palette down to just nine. We knew we had it right when, during the photo shoot, every single person involved went ga-ga over it.

Below is the Patio Party fabric palette. The good news... the way the collection is designed, you can feel free to mix and match fabric in ways that you like. That's one of the great appeals of using a fabric collection from such a clever designer.

Patio Party Projects: The Tutorials

Most patios have either a rectangular table or a round table, chairs, and a lounge or two. Set them up for eating and easy conversation. Place your chairs around the table or facing inwards on the patio. Make sure there's plenty of food and cool drinks, and your guests will do the rest.

Strips & Stripes Tablecloth: A beautifully banded tablecloth that uses three fantastic fabrics to create a colorful tabletop. Cute accent: ties in each corner.

Round-Table Wedge Placemats: These clever wedge-shaped placemats allow one extra place setting on a round table. We say, the more the merrier!

Sitting Pretty Chair Cushions: They're almost too pretty to sit on... almost. Beautiful mix-and-match chair cushions add charm (and comfort) to the patio.

Festive Pennant Banner: Here's a great use for leftover fabric scraps: a festive party banner. We added inexpensive colored blocks to the equation for a fun project the kids can help make.

Flirty Floral Napkins: Pretty fabric napkins are perfect for a party or just for everyday. It's a easy way to spruce up a place setting.

Groovy Hostess Apron: Who wouldn't want to be the hostess in this charming vintage-look apron. So easy to make, so fun to wear!

Side Table Drape: Doesn’t everyone have a little side table on the patio? If not, use one from inside and drape it with this quick one-piece project. No one will be the wiser.

Sunny Toss Pillows: We tossed them on the plain everyday lounge chairs and, voilà, the lounge chairs joined the party.

Patio Party: Setting the Scene: With planning and accessorising tips from the S4H staff.

How to Create a Fabric Palette: One sewing pattern; gazillions of possibilities. See our fabric palettes and find out how we make choices.

For More Information on Freshcut

• Heather Bailey's Store
• Heather Bailey's Blog
• Free Spirit Fabric - Freshcut

Where to Buy

• QuiltHome.com
• Fabritopia
• EPB Dolls
• Fabric.com
• Etsy

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