Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop



When Joan of MooseStash Quilting announced she was hosting a Blog Hop to showcase some of the free quilting patterns to be found online, I jumped at the chance.  It is so much fun to participate in blog hops with a bunch of talented bloggers, and the patterns are FREE!  So if you love quilting and free patterns, you are in the right spot!  THANK YOU, Joan, for hosting this fabulous blog hop!

Today I get to show you my Fabulous Freebie!  Long gone now, Quilt Soup used to be one of my favorite blog sites to visit.  Barbara Jones, owner of this website, made the greatest projects.  They were so creative and always fun.  Barbara now designs fabric for Henry Glass & Co., Inc.  I feel so lucky to have found her FREE patterns on the Henry Glass website.

For my project, I have chosen a quilt she designed called TV B.C. (Before Cable) and uses fabric from her Clean Living line.

Clean Living Quilt 1 by Barbara Jones of QuiltSoup

You can find the pattern here:
http://www.henryglassfabrics.com/php/catalog/fabricshop.php?a=projects&project=576

This is an oh-so-cute quilt made up of 5 retro TV's.  As a a product of the 50-60's era, I remember televisions (sans remote) with "rabbit ears" sitting on top.  As the youngest in the family, I was the designated channel changer.

To make this quilt, I found a couple of yards of the Henry Glass fabric used in the original pattern.  I used this for the background and picked out vintage-looking colors from my stash to make the TV sets and the side panels.  (Does anyone else remember Olive and Harvest Gold?  These were popular colors in the 70's.)



This is an easy quilt to make using patchwork and applique.   The TV set is pieced and goes together quickly.  

 


Once the screen part of the TV is made, the antenna, channel knobs, and legs are appliqued to the blocks using fusible web.  To keep it simple, I used the raw-edge method to sew my fused pieces in placed.





I added the colorful strips panels to the sides and bound the quilt with a lime green border.  The finished size of this quilt is 44" x 52," the perfect size to snuggle under when binge watching your favorite television programs.

I think this would make an adorable Memory Quilt by substituting the screen fabric with favorite family photos that have been transferred onto fabric.  Wouldn't that be cute to send with our kids when they go off to college? 

I had so much fun making this quilt.  If you choose to make this adorable retro quilt, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Now go see what other Fabulous Freebies these talented bloggers have found for you.

Monday August 20
Just Let Me Quilt
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Days Filled With Joy
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats

Tuesday August 21
Life in the Scrapatch
Songbird Designs

Wednesday August 22
Just Because Quilts (you are here)

Thursday August 23

Friday August 24

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Monday, August 20, 2018

Decorating Cookies

I'm always ready to learn something new, so when a local cookie decorator offered classes to teach us her method, I jumped at the chance.

My favorite holidays are Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I have been known to get a little crazy around that time.  Full moons make me shiver with delight, pumpkin pie spice makes me itch to bake, and Christmas sparkle puts me over the top.  Cloud Nyne Designs (her Facebook page is Cloud Nyne Bakery) has the cutest cookie cutters for all three of these holidays.  My first class was how to decorate Christmas cookies.  What fun!







You can tell from these photos that I am no cookie decorator, but my grandkids will love them just the same.


 We ran out of time and were not able to finish the candy cane, but not before she showed us how to airbrush the color onto the icing.  (My fingers were red for a week!) 

My husband was so impressed, but he said the proof was in the tasting, so he gobbled up the green Christmas bulb.  The cookies were delicious and the icing was soft and tasty. 

Guess what I will be making for Christmas this year?

A lot of these cookie cutters are her own design and are for sale.  She has cutters for all occasions.  If you are interested in some of these cute cookie cutters, she sells them on her Etsy site.  You can find her under Cloud Nyne Designs

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A Week of Fabulous Free Quilt Patterns

Today starts the Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop hosted by Joan at MooseStash Quilting.  There are scores of free quilt patterns just waiting for you.  You won't want to miss all the fun and inspiration!  Come see what Fabulous Freebies these talented bloggers have found.

Monday August 20
Just Let Me Quilt
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Days Filled With Joy
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats

Tuesday August 21
Life in the Scrapatch
Songbird Designs

Wednesday August 22

Thursday August 23

Friday August 24
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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Christmas in July Blog Hop




Welcome to the third day of

Christmas in July Blog Hop 

hosted by Carol Swift of Just Let Me Quilt.  


Today is my reveal day and I'm so excited to show you what I've been working on.  I always try to start my Christmas projects during the summer.  The weather here is always HOT in the summer and venturing outside is just not an option.  Staying indoors under a cool air conditioner is the only way to survive.  And what could be better than getting a head start on Christmas!

It's no secret -- 
I love snowmen!


For my project, I decided to make Snowman Gift Swap Quilt by Cleo and Me.  It's not a new pattern, but one I have always wanted to make.  Carol's Blog Hop was just the nudge I needed to complete this adorable lap quilt.

This is a quick and easy quilt made up of 12 snowball blocks.  The snowmen's top hats are quickly constructed from differently sized rectangles.




 A simple strip separates the rows of snowmen and creates a secondary design.



Once the snowmen blocks are assembled, there is a little embroidery and applique necessary to finish them.

Each snowman gets an appliqued carrot nose and button eyes.  Instead of using fusible web, I dot a little Elmer's glue on the wrong side of the nose to hold it in place while I zip around it with a straight stitch on the sewing machine.  The button eyes are sewed on next.


Three strands of black embroidery floss are used to make a cross-stitch mouth.



The gift is appliqued next and then the arms.








To finish the blocks, you need to make 6 yoyo's and sew them to the gift boxes.  Finish with buttons sewn in each center.

Next comes the border and binding and this little quilt is done.  The overall quilt is 36 1/2" x 48 1/2" and perfect for snuggling under on a chilly evening.  I can't wait!


And what is Christmas without Gingerbread cookies?  

HO HO HO

Although I'm not very fond of eating gingerbread, I do love making them out of felt.  Won't this make a cute package topper?  I found a similar one on Pinterest and had to make some for my grandkids.  Of course you have to start in July to get them all done by Christmas!

To make this little guy, I found a free gingerbread man pattern that measured about 4" wide and 5" tall and traced it onto freezer paper.  I ironed the freezer paper to tan felt, then cut out 2.  I used a decorative stitch on my sewing machine to sew the 2 pieces together.


The alphabet beads come from Michaels and were strung together on a 6-strand piece of red floss which I sewed to each hand.  Next I sewed two baby buttons to the chest.   Last I used Tulip Slick paint to make the face and set it aside to let it dry overnight.

I think my grandkids will love their individualized little cookie guys.


Thank you, Carol, for hosting this fun blog hop!  It's always a joy to get together with this group of talented quilters and see what they pull out of their scrap bags! 

Thanks so much for stopping by 
and be sure to visit the other bloggers.  
You're in for a treat! 

July 25
Just Because Quilts -- you are here


Until next time!

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Curiousity Quilted the Cat

Here Kitty, Kitty

Quilts and cats just go together, don't you agree?  My dog Jack is not a fan, but I love kitties.  And apparently so does Emily of The Little Red Hen's Wooly Mysteries Facebook Group.  You can enjoy a FREE wool applique block each month (usually on the 15th).  The last month (December) will have the finishing instructions.


January's Block

Ask to join The Little Red Hen's Wooly Mysteries Facebook Group and join the fun.  



February's Block

March's Block
I am doing my cats in wool on cotton backgrounds, but you could just as easily make the whole block in cotton.  Your choice. 

As you can tell, I am a little behind, but these blocks go together quickly and I have included 3 of them for you to see.

Try making one for for yourself -- they are the CAT'S MEOW!

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Monday, July 23, 2018

Christmas in July Blog Hop


Today starts the 

Christmas in July Blog Hop 

hosted by Carol from Just Let Me Quilt!   

Find the list below of all participants and don't miss a day!  You're in for a treat!


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Thursday, June 14, 2018

Where Flowers Bloom Blog Hop







Hello!  And welcome to my reveal day 
for the Where Flowers Bloom Blog Hop.  

A big THANK YOU to Carla of Creatin' in the Sticks for hosting this hop.










For my project I chose a bright and colorful little quilt that is quick and easy to make.  This quilt is called Corner Flower Shoppe.  It comes from the book entitled A Batch of Quilt Soup by Barbara Jones.








The finished quilt measures 61" x 61" and is the perfect cover-up for cool summer evenings.  (Actually, where I live, there are no cool summer evenings, only hot and sticky nights, so I will save this quilt for the fall and winter.)




This is a simple quilt to make.  In fact, I have seen this exact flower on a couple of other sites in this hop.  The flower blocks are patchwork and the centers and leaves are appliqued.  The flower pots and stems are pieced.

To make this quilt I used a lot of my stash of scraps.  Smaller scraps would make a stunning scrappy quilt.  I thought this would even be a great looking quilt done in grays and blacks on a white background. 

The Stitch and Flip corner triangle method makes quick work of the flowers.  There are 13 flowers in all.  The hardest part is making sure the white triangles are in the appropriate corners.






 

 The stem piece is made up of three rectangles.  The quilt needs four of these sections.





The four flowerpot blocks have a contrasting color strip sewn to the top of a large rectangle.  Then white triangles are sewn on either side, using the Stitch and Flip method.  Excess fabric is cut away.

 All that is left to do is sew the three sections -- flower, stem, and flower pot -- together.



Leaves are appliqued to stem section.



The center of the flower is made by cutting two 3" circles and sewing them together, rights sides facing.  A small slit is cut into the wrong side of the circle, then turned inside out and ironed flat.  Center is then appliqued to the center of the flower.




The quilt is finished off with a border of two colors of green which make a sort of picket fence design.  The border also uses the Stitch and Flip method and goes together very quickly.  I pieced this quilt's backing together with some ladybug fabric I thought matched the garden theme and bound it all with another color of green.

Another project I made for this hop was a couple of potholders.  I always need potholders (mine are mysteriously singed) and I found a couple of really cute patterns in Potholders, Pinchers & More by Chris Malone.

The first to be made was a round potholder with a flower on top.  These were so easy to make.  I sandwiched an insulated backing (silver side facing heat source) between a top and bottom.   For the design I made 8 petals and a round center.







To make turning the small petals inside out, I used the old straw trick.  I positioned the petals around the potholder, then added the center using a blanket stitch.  I used purchased bias tape to make the binding.  I still need to add a button in the center. 



Using basically the same steps, I made a long potholder with pockets for your hands.























I just had to show off two of my favorite Hibiscus flowers that are blooming in my garden right now.  When we visited Hawaii a few years ago, the Hibiscus bushes were everywhere in every color imaginable.  When I got home, I planted a few Hibiscus in my back yard.  Their lovely blooms never fail to remind me of the good times I had in Hawaii.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing my projects as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you.

Be sure and visit everyone participating today.  
They are sure to delight you with their talent and creativity.

Friday, June 15th

Just Because Quilts (you are here)


 Regarding Comments:
It has always been a tradition with we bloggers that we support and encourage one another by leaving comments.  Sadly Google has changed its policy on directing comments to our email addresses and has made responding to your sweet comments a near impossibility.  Please know that I read and appreciate every comment, but that I might not be able to reply.  I am hopeful Google will fix this problem in the near future.   

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