August Christmas Corner

I made quite a bit of progress on this UFO from 2015, completing the star sashing and adding some borders.

Auditioning some borders and binding

I wish I had a little more to show but this will have to do for now.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts; and NTT

Sewing Room Decorating for Fall and Salt Water Taffy Candy tutorial

Autumn is just around the corner.  Well, not really but decorating helps to get in the mood for some Autumn sewing and get a head start on things.

I hosted my sewing group for the 3rd time and while tidying up, I decided to add some Fall decor for fun.

I need to get a stick big enough to display my Bats in the Pumpkin Patch or actually it's a topper, but I was thinking of doing another one with all the pumpkins on the lower part for a wall hanging.  I could add a black cat too!

I got all 25 blocks sewn together and displayed on the design wall along with some candy blocks.  Trying to decide how I want the border. Maybe some piano keys alternating with some candy blocks as one of my sewing friends suggested.

Here is a Four inch (unfinished) Salt Water Taffy Tutorial  (my daughter pointed out I should make some with white twisty ends and pastel centers, so I will)

Cutting instructions 
(1 each) 2 1/2 inch colored and background to make the half square triangle twisties
2 inch square for the center
Background:  (2) 1 1/2 x 2" rectangles
(2) 1 1/2 x 3" rectangles
(1) 1 1/2" square cut diagonally

To Round the Taffy Center

Lay the background triangles (1 1/2" square cut diagonally to make two triangles) as shown on the right and stitch with a 1/4" seam then press out.  The picture on the left isn't very good but trim to 2"

To Make the Twisty Ends

Place the 2 1/2" squares together (one background and one color) right sides together and stitch around the edge, then cut diagonally twice, which will make (4) 1 1/2" half square triangles.  I pressed the one in the top right corner open and trimmed it. Use two of them for the twisties.

Lay out your pieces as shown.

Sew the half square triangles to the 1 1/2 x 3" rectangles as shown and sew the 1 1/2 x 2" rectangles to the taffy center as shown.  Then sew the 3 pieces together and trim to 4" square

Here is one I forgot to round the center and so the center ended up square.  It's sort of cute, but I'm going to fix it.

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict; From Bolt to Beauty; and the Peacock Party

Scrappy Halloween Fun and Mini Candy Corn Block Tutorial

I wanted to make something scrappy with on hand Halloween fabrics

I took some charm squares and cut out some 5" squares and added colorful strips (2 1/2 x 5"; 2 1/2 x 7" (two of them); and 2 1/2 x 9") around them to make 9" blocks.

 

Then I made black sashing strips:  2 1/2" x 9" and 2 1/2 x 11" and a 2 1/2" orange corner stone

I think it will be cute to use mini candy blocks in the border.

Here are some cutting instructions to make a mini Candy Corn block 3 1/2 x 4"

To make the candy corn blocks, sew 1 1/4" strips together as shown.  Then lay the 60 degree line on your ruler onto the bottom edge and cut along the other edge as shown.

To make the sides for the candy corn, cut a rectangle 3 3/4" x 2 5/8".  Again line up the 60 degree line on the ruler as shown and then cut diagonally.  Then you must cut another pair with the wrong side up.

Sew on the sides

Sew on the bottom strip which is 1 3/4" x 3 1/2".  

Trim up the block to be 3 1/2 x 4"

Be back later with tutorials for the other mini candy blocks.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; and Wendy's Quilts and More

Christmas Corner July 2021

I made these blocks with the Fat Quarter Shop Little Joys Quilt Along back in 2015.  You can follow the link but they no longer have the free tutorials but they do have a PDF pattern you can buy for $5.98.

I made my wreaths different for some reason. Here's a link to my original post which has a link to the free wreath tutorial (also Fat Quarter Shop and still available).

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them so auditioned some red sashing, but nah.  Although on second thought, that would've been very cute if I'd done that and made the stars green, like packages and bows.  Oh well!  Oh, and I added tree trunks as I prefer them on my Christmas trees.

Then I thought putting a few red stars and sashing might be just the right touch.  Not overwhelming but not so plain either.

The four stars in the center of the nine blocks didn't seem quite enough so I'm adding more along the border but that's more labor intensive because then 12 more are needed AND you have to do another outside border for the final outside star points.  So a lot of work but still will be worth it I hope.

This is a great scrappy Christmas project!

I'm getting quite a few completed Christmas projects.  Two runners, two quilts, two oven pads.  I didn't include a small topper I wasn't happy with, so added the little snow man I made back in 2013 (includes a tutorial)

Not finished yet, but got a good start!

Linking up with Off the Wall Friday, SOS Scrappy, and From Bolt to Beauty

Spools Birthday Wallhanging

 

My friend, Cheryl, is having a birthday today.  She loves aurora borealis colors so I chose these batiks and my little quilting group friends helped me choose the black and white print for the spools which gives it a modern flair.

I used a tutorial from Wedding Dress Blue.  My spool tops and bottoms are a little shorter due to an error on my part, but they are still darling (can I say that?) lol! 

I was able to personalize it with some free motion stitching

And this is the label on the back also with free motion stitching.

This was last year's gift -- kind of matches.

Linking up with From Bolt to Beauty and The Peacock Party

Poppies, Design Wall, and Sewing Get Together

 Happy Friday and Weekend almost here!

Last week a neighbor invited me over and we had a lot of fun talking and sewing.  We decided to take turns hosting.  What great motivation to clean and tidy and organize all week!  Here's a short tour

Little shelf that was my daughter's long ago, at the top of the stairs, flanked by quilts.  Plan is to make more quilts for the stair well and lots of wall space left.

A Patriotic corner

Some Halloween things on the bottom two shelves of this curio cabinet

Even the top of the cabinets is tidied up

I met a new friend, Sara, who was working on a murder mystery quilt block that comes with a new pattern and chapter of the story each month until the end of the year when there is a raffle, the mystery quilt is revealed, and the murder is solved.  My friend, Trish was working on some cute sampler blocks, and I worked on my 3D poppy border.  I didn't invade their privacy by asking to take photos of their work, but maybe will get the courage to ask later.

As I was refolding and organizing stacks of fabric and projects, I found this half square triangle quilt top, I made a few years ago and put it up on the design wall as it's a pretty back drop and hope to get it quilted soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with Alycia Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, From Bolt to Beauty

Stars and Stripes and Triangles

 Happy Independence Day!!!

A couple finishes for today.  Actually, the pillow is a rework.

I made this pillow back in 2017 but have been dissatisfied with it because it looked too tall.  Here is the original post with the links to the tutorial and I love hers but I think I added extra stripes or something??

  

Recently, I saw a pillow with the stars in the center and a light bulb went on.  So took the pillow apart, cut the stripes in half and sewed the cut half to the other side.

Now the pillow is a different size and my friend was recently telling me she was looking for an odd shaped pillow and couldn't find one, so I suggested she make her own.  So I snapped a few pictures to send her and am including them in case they might be helpful for someone.

Cut out some muslin (or any fabric) the same size as the pillow cover.

Stitch around the edge leaving a place for turning.

Turn right sides out and add scraps and/or poly-fil until nice and full and then stitch the opening closed by hand or by machine

Lastly, here is a duck I saw a few weeks ago when it was much smaller, that was following this white turkey around and when I walked by the little farm this morning, sure enough that duck is still following it's "Mama" wherever she goes!  I can't tell if the turkey minds being a mother duck.

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; From Bolt to Beauty;

More Red, White and Blue

 I have another coworker retiring and since I got last minute notice (and may not be up to making big retirement quilts anymore, anyway)

 I gathered some blue stars I've been making and made a patriotic table runner.  I used the free star pantograph by Urban elementz again as I used on the triangle quilt

On the back I used some Christmas fabric so it's reversible

I found this card I made back in my card making days and pinned on a little tag.

All wrapped up and ready to give away

If you want to make one, you can use the 6 1/2 inch star tutorial found in this post and just cut 2 inch strips for the stripes.  The short stripes are 5 inches and the long ones are 15 1/2 inches.  If I made it again, I might put a white strip between the stars. 

Linking up with  Confessions of a fabric addict and From Bolt to Beauty and For the Love of Geese