Mix Tape Mule - by 3 Wishes

Anyone who ever made a mix tape will know the feeling this fabric brings back: the rewinding, the hand-written labels, the careful track order. Mix Tape Mule takes that nostalgia and adds a mule, from the Play That Donkey Music collection by Jim Baldwin for 3 Wishes. It’s retro, cheeky and a little bit silly, which is exactly why it makes people smile.

This is 100% cotton fabric in a quilting weight: smooth, soft and breathable, and it cuts and sews cleanly. It’s 110cm (44") wide, the standard width for quilting cotton, so it suits patchwork, bags, crafts and clothing projects.

A mix tape print is an easy win for birthdays, a teenager’s room, a music teacher or anyone who remembers the 80s and 90s. A cushion, a pouch or a zip bag in this fabric is a quick make that suits them.

What to make

• Quilting and patchwork: quilts, wall hangings, table runners and cushion tops, with the tapes as a feature in blocks
• Dressmaking: casual shirts, skirts, children’s clothes and pyjamas for music fans
• Bag making: tote bags, pencil cases and zip pouches, with a pocket for the headphones
• Home décor: cushions, bunting, tea towels and storage baskets
• Crafts: gifts, tech cases, patches and anything for a music-loving friend

Planning your cut

The tapes and the mule are feature motifs, so it’s worth deciding where you want them to land. For bags, quilt blocks and cushion fronts, cut each piece individually and centre a tape or the mule where you want it. Lay your pattern pieces on the fabric before you cut, to see how it will look.

Sewing tips

• Pre-wash before cutting, as cotton can shrink
• Use a universal needle and a medium stitch length
• Press on a medium to hot heat, on the reverse

• Width: 110cm/44" (approx)
• Composition: 100% cotton
• Colour: Multicoloured
• Fabric Type: Cotton
• Range: Play That Donkey Music
• Designer: Jim Baldwin
• Brand: 3 Wishes

✔Machine washable at 30°C
✔Wash with similar colours for the first few washes, as bright prints can bleed
✔Do not use bleach
✔Tumble dry low or line dry
✔Iron on a medium to hot heat, on the reverse
✔Always test a small sample first to check your preferred washing method

Cotton is a natural, renewable fibre, and a good quilting cotton like this is made to be washed and used for years. At the end of its life, it’s biodegradable, because natural cotton breaks down in the right conditions.