Welcome to the ByAnnie corner of Michael Miller Fabric’s Nursery Blog Hop!
We are so excited to join in on the fun and share a number of the projects we made using “Rainbow Dino” by Liza Lewis and “Animal Alphabet” by Edward Miller.
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The complete line of “Rainbow Dino”, includes a number of the playful 
prehistoric prints on super soft minky.
About the fabric line: “Rainbow Dino, by Liza Lewis, was created during lockdown and was inspired by all the wonderful rainbows that were drawn and displayed in windows around the world in support of all key workers. The main panel, plus 18 coordinating designs will captivate and entice little ones into discovering a wonderful world full of bright Rainbow Dinosaurs.”
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The complete line of “Animal Alphabet”, includes a number of the prints on minky for a roaring good time.
About the fabric line: “Animal Alphabet from designer Edward Miller explores letters and animals from alligator to zebra! Check out the cute panel with complementary prints suitable for quilts or wall hangings in classrooms, playrooms, or bedrooms, and for other DIY projects. This versatile collection can be a fun way for kids to learn animal names and the alphabet. The collection is inspired by Edward’s interest in creating illustrations that engage kid’s curiosity and encourage an enthusiasm for learning.”
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Catch All Caddy 2.0
With multiple bellowed dividers, slip pockets, and a single zip pocket this handy helper makes a fantastic gift for a new parent.
Fill it with board books, formula, diapers, and more. You’ll be surprised how much it can carry! Soft handles make this utilitarian caddy easy to carry from room to room or even to the park.
As Baby grows up, the caddy can also transition to holding snacks on a family road trip, or games and electronics.
“Rainbow Dino” was the perfect fabric for this caddy. We fussy-cut the dinosaur border print for the pockets and inner dividers — so fun!
We loved that the fabric had lots of light and dark colors so we could contrast the outer pockets (in the lighter fabric) with the body of the caddy (darker blue fabric) behind.
We used an Emerald Green handbag zipper to match, but Pumpkin, Papaya, or Turquoise would have also been great options.
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Changing Station 
One of our favorite features of this on-the-go baby clutch is the removable changing pad!
Because we use Soft and Stable in our projects, everything is machine washable and will hold its shape after a run through the dryer. For a parent, that means an easy toss into the wash after a diaper change gets a little too exciting.
The clutch that holds it all features zippered pockets inside and out. An exterior quilted pocket is perfect for keys and a phone. Inner mesh pockets hold wipes, tissues, extra diapers, and a toy or book to keep little hands busy and out of the way.
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Siesta Fiesta
We also used the soft minky fabric to make a Siesta Fiesta nap mat. With small and large sizes, you can make a mat for a baby, big brother/sister, or even mom and dad!
The weather is warming up, this would be a great project to bring along to the park.
A parent could have it on hand for when the 
crew gets tired of the swings; it makes for a perfect picnic station to sit and enjoy snacks.
Siesta Fiesta rolls up and can be carried over the shoulder with its strap.
This mat is super convenient, easy to store in the trunk for spontaneous adventures, and can be cleaned in the wash if it gets a little scuffed up.
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It’s A Cinch
This small size It’s A Cinch bag (the pattern includes three size options) is perfect for holding small blankets, burp cloths, teething rings, bath toys, and so much more.
The sack cinches shut when you pull on the straps, which are also great for hanging off a hook or throwing over your shoulder.
The lightweight mesh fabric (we used Pumpkin on the top and Blastoff Blue on the bottom) provides roomy stretch and breathability.
This fabric line was so colorful we couldn’t choose just one color to work with!
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Little Charmers
A nursery blog post wouldn’t be complete without a blanket!
Little Charmers is a fun little baby quilt that features playful ribbons and tags as well as a patchwork block to keep a little one busy and occupied.
We made the most of the “Animal Alphabet” fabrics with this one. Isn’t it adorable seeing the different animals represented on each of the squares?
The blanket is a perfect size for hugging, dragging, and snuggling, and the baby will love the soft minky fabrics used on front and back.
Colorful ribbon and fold-over elastic loops around each side make it easy for the baby to grab and hold.
Gripping, holding, squeezing, stacking, and poking help children strengthen the muscles in their body and enable them to develop better eye-hand coordination.
And it’s so darn cute to watch them explore and learn!
These fun little projects are PERFECT for practicing all those skills.
Little Charmers would be such a fun gift to give at a baby shower for any gender. Or, omit the ribbons, add more blocks, and give it as a soft blanket for a soon-to-be older brother or sister.
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Room With A View
Parents are always looking for ways to organize, and if the organization can be fun then it’s even better!
We sewed a set of Room With A View bins using “Animal Alphabet” and can envision them being used for home-school supplies, games, blocks, toys, clothes, or blankets.
The vinyl windows make it easy to see what’s inside and the zippered lids make it simple to keep everything contained. Soft handles on the top and sides lay flat for easy stacking and allow the bins to be carried from room to room.
Inside the top of each lid is a zippered mesh pocket which is great for storing manuals, labels, name tags, instructions, and more. We used White mesh and Black zippers with colorful zipper slides on the bins to coordinate with the fun animal fabrics.
In “Animal Alphabet” we loved that the “Silly Dots” design could be used as both a main fabric and a coordinate. It’s so joyful and reminds us of confetti — or a birthday party at the zoo!
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ANNIE’S TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SEWING BAGS WITH MINKY
We asked Annie directly for her thoughts on sewing bags with minky and this is what she had to write about it:
When Michael Miller originally sent us images of the Minky fabrics in their fun “Make A Splash” (Lisa Glanz) and “I Want A Monster fabrics” (Elise Gravel), our thoughts immediately went to using these extra soft fabrics in baby projects!
For this Changing Station, we quilted the minky with Soft and Stable, treating it just as if it was a cotton fabric.
The Soft and Stable gives great stability to the piece and enabled us to work with it just as we would work with quilted cotton.
Any baby is going to LOVE getting their diapers changed when you put them on this soft, warm pad!
If working with plush fabrics is new to you, here are a few tips:
The fabric has a nap so keep that in mind as you cut. You can “pet” the fabric to see which way to position the nap.
One nice thing about Michael Miller’s fabric is that it has a really deep print saturation. This means that it still looks great when “pet” in the opposite directions.
The fabric produces a bit of fuzz as you are cutting. However, this low pile print minky had much less fuzz than deeper piles on plush fabrics that I’d used in the past. Clean your machine often as you sew, as the fuzz and lint can build up.
I just kept a vacuum cleaner handy to vacuum up any loose pile when I finished cutting. I really haven’t noticed any extra fuzz once the pad is assembled. If you do, just toss it into a dryer on fluff or no heat and the lint trap will catch any extra fuzz.
Minky is 100% polyester and won’t shrink, but it has a 2-way stretch. So, pin or clip it 
generously as you’re working to reduce slipping.
Because this is a knit fabric, it’s generally recommended that you sew with a 80/12 stretch (ballpoint) needle and use a slightly longer stitch length (3.0)
We used our usual topstitch needle which has a slightly rounded tip like a universal but you’d probably get better results with a stretch needle.
If your machine has the option to change the pressure on the presser foot, set that at 40. Sew using a straight stitch and, when seaming, use a ½” seam. Use a walking foot or dual feed foot to ensure that layers feed easily.
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We really loved working with this new printed minky from Michael Miller Fabrics. It is SO SO soft and its low loft makes it easy to cut and sew. The shorter fibers mean less mess when cutting and less slip when sewing multiple layers together.
There’s a huge selection of amazing prints on minky featuring some of Michael Miller Fabrics' best designs.
We had lots of fun mixing it with cotton for fun versatile projects! What projects should we sew next using minky? Let us know in the comments!
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BLOG HOP SCHEDULE 
Check out these fun creators!
- April 6th - Lindsay Chieco from Linzentart
- April 8th - Kristi McDonough from Schnitzel & Boo
- April 11th - Lisa Ruble from Love to Color My World
- April 12th - Penni Domikis from Cabin in The Woods Quilters
- April 13th - Suze Vinton from Beralus Vinton Design
- April 15th - Annie Unrein from ByAnnie.com
- April 18th - Natalie Crabtree from Crabtree Arts Quilts
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Working on an exciting ByAnnie project? Be sure to submit it to our Monthly Photo Contest for a chance to win a ByAnnie shopping spree worth $50! Learn more HERE.
---- Happy Stitching!
NURSERY BLOG HOP WITH MICHAEL MILLER FABRICS