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This tutorial will teach you how to make Jockey Silks pillows, a perfect way to add a bit of Kentucky Derby decor to your home! Included in the directions are options for sew and no-sew pillows. To make this project as easy as possible, we’ve even created a free jockey silks applique pattern for you….
Create a unique and colorful centerpiece for your table with our Derby-themed Win, Place, Show Paper Award Rosettes. Several years ago I created a set of Win, Place, Show paper award rosettes to add to my Kentucky Derby home decorations. I shared this article at that time, but without detailed instructions for how to make…
Whether you’re attending the Kentucky Derby or just a Derby party at home, no Derby outfit is complete without a fabulous hat! Learn how to make your own Derby hat with our easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorial. The first time I attended the Kentucky Oaks (the race the day before the Derby, the one that most “locals”…
Get yourself Derby-ready with a colorful and creative fascinator hat. Learn how to make a Fascinator with our step-by-step, easy-to-follow tutorial. I’ve been running a DIY blog for over 12 years and can’t believe it has taken me this long to write a post teaching you how to make your own fascinator. If you’ve been…
Jumping on the Kentucky Derby bandwagon today and sharing a few ideas for some fun Derby Craft Ideas. If you’re looking to add a bit of Derby Style to your home or your Derby party, then I think you’ll love these Derby-inspired SVG files designed to work, especially with your Cricut Machine! If you’re not…
If it’s the first Saturday in May, it must be Kentucky Derby Day! Whether you’re celebrating at home with friends or with family and kids, we’ve got 21 Creative Kentucky Derby Party ideas ready to share with you! Many of these projects feature free Derby printables as well. With the weather as cold as it…
Today I’m excited to introduce you to Erin Harris, the author of the House on Hill Road blog. She’s a talented maker and author and I’m so excited to be sharing her work as the last stop on the Derby Day Fabrics blog hop! She is sharing how she created this Derby Day Medallion Quilt…
Looking to create a quilt inspired by the state of Kentucky or the Kentucky Derby? We have 4 colorful, fun, and creative quilt patterns ready to share with you today. I didn’t grow up in Kentucky but have grown to love it. The longer I live here the more I appreciate all that is great…
Today I am so excited to introduce you to my new fabric collection, Derby Day! It was inspired by the Kentucky Derby and all of the fun things that go along with it! I’ve also included some sneak peeks for my new sewing and quilt patterns that coordinate with Derby Day Fabric and are due…
About Derby Day Fabrics The Derby Day Fabric line is a follow up to my 2015 line, Derby Style and is inspired by the sights and sounds of the Kentucky Derby. The Derby Day line tells a story taking you through a day at the races. It includes fabric prints featuring all the things you see…
Free Printables perfect for your Kentucky Derby Party! All of our downloads are FREE for our email subscribers. It’s free to join our email list! Our email subscription arrives once a week and contains LOADS of fun ideas and projects. If you are already a subscriber, just enter your email again. You will NOT be…
A few years ago after we got home from the Kentucky Oaks, ideas for a fabric line started swirling in my head. Â You see I had spent the last two weeks surrounded by brightly colored pants, gingham shirts, polka dots, bow ties and all kinds of southern charm. Â Here in Louisville, the weeks leading up…
If you’re looking to add a little something to your Kentucky Derby-themed decor this year, why not start by stitching up this Derby Jockey Silks Table Topper? If you like this tutorial then you may also like this tutorial (and free Cricut cut file) for these DIY Kentucky Derby Pillow Wraps. Several years ago (actually 7 to be…
The Kentucky Derby is ONE week from today! It seems like it completely snuck up on me this year.  I couldn’t let another Derby season pass me by without adding one more Kentucky Derby Decoration to my stash.  This DIY Paper Flower Wreath Tutorial is really cute for the Derby, but could easily be adapted for…
Today I’m excited to announce my latest Tote Bag Sewing Pattern, the Derby Tote. It’s a great simple tote bag that is easy to sew and can be customized a bunch of different ways. This tote bag pattern is perfect for beginners. I hope you’ll like it whether you’re just learning to sew or are…
Today  I’m sharing with you a little update on my Prize Ribbons Quilt Pattern.  If you are curious about the fabric used on this quilt hop on over and read about my line with Riley Blake Fabrics, Derby Style. You ever start a “to do” list then it gets to be so overwhelming that you…
Today I’m excited to share with you some great ideas for your Kentucky Derby Party. If you like this post then you may also like this post with Kentucky Derby Party Ideas and Printables or this post for Derby Pie Inspired Cupcakes! Last week I got an email from a friend of mine that she…
Pillow Wraps are a great way to “spruce up” an old set of pillows on your sofa! You can keep the pillow and then swap the wraps for the various seasons. Today I’m going to show you how to make a set of Burlap Pillow Wraps just for the Kentucky Derby! It’s a quick and…
Okay, first up we need to chat…. the Kentucky Derby is May 2nd. Â That’s about 2 weeks away. It’s a HUGE deal here. Â The stores are all stocked with Derby Day party items, you find hats and fascinations all over the mall, and Derby talk pretty much dominates every tv broadcast. Â The next couple of…
I am so happy to announce that the PDF of my Prize Ribbons Quilt is now available for purchase!! It took a bit longer than I was expecting to put it all together but I’m happy to say that it’s done now (I wanted to make sure that all of the directions were clear…
Last Friday I got home from running errands to find a very nice surprise waiting for me.  My Derby Style fabric yardage had arrived! If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed that it was hitting stores last week. I was so excited to share the good news with everyone yet fighting back…
Hello, Happy Monday Morning to y’all!  Today it’s my turn for the Riley Blake Fabric Designer Blog Hop! If you came here from the previous stop,  Lori Whitlock‘s blog welcome!  I thought that I’d start by introducing myself. My name is Melissa Mortenson, I live in the Louisville Kentucky area with my husband and 2…
Today I’m insanely excited and insanely terrified to tell you about something that I’ve been working on for most of the summer. My very first line of quilting cotton fabric! I actually came up with the idea for this line of fabric 2 years ago but then just sat and let the idea “simmer” for…
Happy Derby week y’all!!! I hope that you have enjoyed the Kentucky Derby Party Ideas and Printables that I posted this year. Â I have one more quick idea about Kentucky Derby decorations to share with you today. Tomorrow is the Kentucky Oaks (which I’m going to !!!) and Saturday is the Kentucky Derby! Â If you…
If you’re hosting a Kentucky Derby Party this year, you’ll want to check out our Free Kentucky Derby Printables. With the printables, you can make an easy Run for the Roses banner and a set of cute cupcake picks. The Run for the Roses Derby Banner Printable If you’d like to make a Run for…
Plan a fun and stylish Derby party with our unique Kentucky Derby party ideas and free printables! It’s spring in Kentucky which means only one thing, it’s Derby Time!! I know that you’ve heard me say it before, but Derby time in Kentucky is one of my favorite times of the year. There are loads…
The first Saturday in May around here means one thing: It’s Kentucky Derby time! To celebrate, I’m excited to share these DIY Derby Horse Necklaces, which would make great party favors! The city of Louisville rolls out the red carpet once a year and welcomes the world. The two weeks leading up to the Derby…
When we host Derby parties in our home we love to invite everyone in the family! If you’d like to host a kid-friendly Derby party, I’m sharing all of my best Derby Party ideas with you today! Living in Louisville, Kentucky one thing is for sure, you celebrate the Kentucky Derby every year like it’s…
A few years ago, my daughter got the idea to turn the flavors of Derby Pie into a Cupcake. We tried a few different versions and came up with a Derby Cupcake Recipe that we love! These brown sugar, pecan & chocolate chip cupcakes would be the perfect thing to serve at your Derby Party!…
It’s Spring here in Kentucky… which means one thing… Derby!! This also means it’s time to make my kids their own Kentucky Derby T-Shirt! Anyone who has seen the movie Secretariat this year probably has heard a little bit about the “most exciting 2 minutes in sports.” Â Well, it’s a pretty big deal here! Â The…
Today welcome Ali as a guest contributor, she is here to share with us a tutorial on how to make your own kids Kentucky Derby Hat! If you’re looking for more Derby ideas you may also love this post with Derby Party ideas or this post on how to make a Kentucky Derby Fascinator! …
Learn how to turn a few pieces from a fabric panel into an adorable, feminine, quilted tote bag perfect for all your spring and summer adventures! Follow along with our easy-to-follow step-by-step sewing directions to create your tote bag! In the last few fabric collections I’ve designed, I’ve included a panel specifically designed to make…
Project Index The Polka Dot Chair blog was founded in 2008 and features thousands of free sewing, quilting, & crafting tutorials & projects. We invite you to take some time to explore all of the great content you can find here. Browse by Project Type Cricut Embroidery Gift Ideas Bag Sewing Patterns Disney Holidays Quilting…
We love to sew and quilt as much as you do! Look for new projects posted every week. Sew Quilt Craft Quilt Along Get the latest in your inbox! Get the latest in your inbox! Browse By Category Cricut Embroidery Gift Ideas Bag Sewing Patterns Disney Holidays Reader Favorites This week’s picks Derby Crafts See…
Learn how to make a custom quilted sewing machine mat! This handy mat sits under your sewing machine and contains pockets to hold all of your notions. Our free sewing pattern even includes instructions to convert this sewing machine mat into a roll-up sewing tool organizer! I am the worst at staying organized when I…
Does the start of the school year have you itching to make something new? If so, then you may love today’s post. I’ve scoured the web to find more than 20 cute things to make for Back to School. Many of these items make fantastic Teacher Appreciation Gifts as well! If you like this post,…
Learn the definitions of some of the most commonly used Quilting terms and sewing terminology with our free comprehensive guide to common quilting terms. We’ve even included a free printable quilters cheat sheet! Do you ever read a sewing or quilting pattern and feel like you are totally lost??? It seems simple enough, but then…
This free zipper pouch pattern with a flat bottom (sometimes referred to as a gusset), is a part of my “learn to sew series.” A series of simple sewing projects aimed at helping you learn how to sew or improve your sewing skills! These zippered pouches are my “go-to” handmade gift and were one of the…
This triangle quilt is speedy to sew and a great project for a beginning quilter. It can be made from scrap fabrics or from a precut Fat Quarter package of fabric. If you like this quilt project, you may also enjoy this Free Hexagon Quilt Pattern. Several years ago, I made a quilt for my…
Have you ever started a sewing or quilt project only to get stuck when it comes to picking the colors and fabrics for your project? Does color theory overwhelm you a bit? I’m breaking down my best tips and tricks for picking and combining fabric colors for sewing and quilting projects. (fabrics above are from…
Padded, braided, and knotted headbands are very trendy right now! Learn how to make a braided, padded headband with our free sewing pattern & tutorial. I always joke that my best ideas come from my kids. I think I need to stop joking, as many of them come from my kids. Several years ago I…
Create a Halloween quilt one week at a time when you join our Spooky Sampler Sew Along! I am so excited to be hosting a quilt along for my Spooky Sampler quilt pattern with Pat Sloan! If you don’t know Pat, you should! She’s an author, fabric designer, and well-known figure in the Quilt industry,…