Patterns By Jen: April 2026

Friday, April 3, 2026

How to Make Cloth Napkins (Beginner-Friendly Tutorial)

Do it yourself cloth napkins with a touch of whimsy.

Cloth napkins are such a great way to add a special touch to your table. Whether it's a holiday or every day, cloth napkins make a pretty addition. When you stitch a fun design around the edge, you've just upped your table setting. 🤣

Today's Snippets tutorial shows how to cut your squares and get a good press so you can finish these napkins really nicely.

Watch the full tutorial.

Supplies needed:

For one napkin

Two 16" squares

*******

For four napkins

Eight 16" squares

Close-up of folded cloth napkins in green and bee-print fabric, showing a decorative top stitch of small bees along the edge on a wooden table.

Finishing Tips:

Sew a 1/2" seam allowance, then clip the corners. Once you have turned it right side out give it a really good press before top stitching. Take this opportunity to use some of the fancy stitches on your machine if you have them. Use a contrasting thread to help them stand out. The larger seam allowance gives you a wider base for your stitching so have fun with it!

More projects you can personalize or use the extra stitches on your machine for:

Personalized Pillowcase - This is such a sweet project. It's very beginner friendly as well, and adding that personalization makes it feel really special.

Bowl Cozy - This makes a great gift! Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up in May. This was a much appreciated gift. Use accent thread to "write" a special message inside the cozy.

Go make something you Love!

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Wednesday, April 1, 2026

April 2026 Monthly Color Challenge

Hello April! Month four of the Monthly Color Challenge is here and ready for you to enjoy! Here in the upper midwest of the US we are seeing the Canadian geese making their way back north. I love the sound of their honking. While our color inspiration is coming from frogs, our block this month has us flying north, too.

2026 Monthly Color Challenge: A Free Block of the Month Program

We are pulling our colors this year from frogs all over the world. You may have noticed that our colors are slowly going from cool to warm as the year goes along, with a little neutral thrown in the middle. You can see what is coming up in the Announcement post if you missed it.

Light Blue Mexican Dump Frong sitting on a branch

This month our color is a light, or baby, blue and is inspired by the Mexican Dump frog. I don't know which is cuter, the name or the frog. 🤣 The Mexican Dump frog can grow up to 4", lives most of it's life up in a tree (jealous) and live off insects (not jealous). They lay their eggs on top of foliage over water and the tadpoles just roll into the water when they hatch. I think I would like to see that.

Blue plastic frog sitting on two folded pieces of blue fabrics, light and dark, resting on dark green patterned fabric

The fabrics I am using this year are Whisper Weave and Whisper Weave Too. They are basics from Benartex and have a wonderful texture to give these blocks some movement. This month's colors are Ice and Bluebells.

Each set of instructions includes a full how to video for that month. From first cut to last press, we make the block together. If you are a new quilter, this is the perfect Block of the Month program for you. If you are looking for more accuracy in your piecing, this Block of the Month program is for you. If you are looking for an easy going, no pressure Block of the Month, this is for you.

This month we are making Flying Geese units using the no waste method. I show how to mark your regular ruler to trim these Geese for accuracy and ease. These are some of my favorite units to make and I love how versatile they are. Just turn them and you get a new look.

Blue quilt block made of eight flying geese units, with a lily pad and blue frog in top left corner on a green patterned fabric background

If questions pop up at any point during the year, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at jen@patternsbyjen.com I truly love hearing from you.

Join the Quilt and Learn with Patterns by Jen Facebook group and share your blocks, cheer each other on, and ask questions along the way. If you post on Instagram, be sure to tag me and use #monthlycolorchallenge so I can see your fabric pulls and finished blocks!

Here’s a look at the full April block. You can download the pattern HERE and jump right in. I can’t wait to see what you create!

Flat lay of blue quilt block made of eight flying geese units, with a lily pad and blue frog in top left corner on a green patterned fabric background

If you’d like each Monthly Color Challenge block delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe using the sign-up link below.

The March block is free through the end of the month and available in my Payhip shop. If you’re finding this later, don’t worry, it will still be there for just $1.

While the January – April emails have already gone out, you can still sign up to receive the May – December blocks (plus the final layout!) delivered directly to your inbox. Join us HERE.

I’m so grateful to be continuing the Monthly Color Challenge this year, and even more grateful you’re sewing along with me.

Go make something you LOVE.