Garden Path Pillow

Often I have many projects in the works. Ones I make to share, patterns I have for sale, projects for a booth display, and designs slated for a magazine. It's the magazine features that kill me because I have to keep them a secret until they are published. It's alway exciting when an issue comes out with my project in it so I can finally share it with you! 

The April/May 2016 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts is now on the newsstands and features my Garden Path pillow.

This modern pillow design is made using my Sketchbook fabrics and Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Elements. Perfect for adding a fresh new look to your home (or patio) the Garden Path pillow will be a fun addition to your home. 

The staff at McCall's liked this pillow design so much they put together a free Garden Path Baby Quilt for you. Find the free pattern here.

Free Garden Path baby quilt from McCall's Quick Quilts

Free Garden Path baby quilt from McCall's Quick Quilts

What a cute idea, right?!? This makes a perfect, uni-sex baby quilt and has nice open space to show off some pretty quilting. 

I am affiliated with FW Media Craft of Quilting and you may be interested to find kits for several of the projects I have had featured in McCall's and other FW Media magazines like Calliope featured in Modern Patchwork Winter 2016 issue which is also made from Sketchbook fabrics and Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Elements and blenders. 

Quilt Kits, Fabrics, Patterns and More from Craft of Quilting

Coastline Blog Tour Week 2 Recap

I'm as happy as a clam! Although I really have no idea how a clam might feel, I am so thrilled with the projects being made for the Coastline Blog Tour. Aren't they awesome?!! In fact, there were so many projects this week I had a real tough time getting them onto one recap image! 

Yeah, I know, right! There were 6 amazing makers this week, all sewing with fabrics from my new Coastline fabrics collection from Art Gallery Fabrics. Projects were made from the variety of different substrates available from Art Gallery Fabrics (AGF) cotton, knit, voile, and canvas. Since this is only a recap and cannot do full justice to each blogger, be sure to visit each blogger to read more details about the projects and patterns used to create this beautiful pieces. 

I want the thank the following bloggers for their professionalism, extremely amazing sewing skills, and creative talent in making my prints look beyond beautiful. 

Monday was a special "two-fer" day on the tour when good friends Sue Stone owner of Needle in a Fabric Stash and talented clothing designer Alexis Wright of My Sweet Sunshine Studio paired up to photograph their work on the San Diego beach. Sue designed and made the drool-worthy Beachcomber quilt (kits available on Sue's website) and the Noodlehead's Bucket Bag from Sand Bar canvas and Trade Winds Harbor cotton. My friend Alexis and her two beautiful children brought us the Violet Field Threads Cosette Dress and ModKid Keagan boys shirt made with Beachcomber Nocturnal, Sand Bar Driftwood, Netting String, Netting Twine, and Tradewinds Port prints.

Jennifer DeShazer of Jennuine Design has designed the fun and flirty Naples Dress for children. She used the Tropical Breeze voile to stitch a dreamy pattern that every girl (me included!) will be wanting to wear this spring. Stop by Jennifer's blog to learn more about this pattern and all the other beautiful projects Jennifer has to offer on her website.

You can't help but smile and share the joy and excitement with Kristen Wright of Two Blondes and a Sewing Machine as she shares her makes with us. Kristen made her baby bump self a AGF knit top with my High-Flown and Trade Winds Port knit prints with the Linden Sweatshirt pattern by Grainline Studio, baby leggings using Sand Bar knit with the Just Hatched Baby Leggings by Made by Rae, and an adorable baby outfit with Sailcloth Quietude and Netting Twine prints with the Purl Soho pattern. 

If you flipped through the pages of the Coastline fabrics AGF Lookbook you may have seen the adorable outfits by Katie Skoog of The Simple Life Company and her two too cute daughters. See even more of these to die for Bella maxi dress in Tropical Breeze voile and the AGF canvas Bermuda shorts and Conchology Dune cotton top summer set on Katie's blog. 

If you weren't already ready for it to be summer, you will certainly be counting down the days till you can sit poolside once you see Friday's Coastline fabrics tour project! Cristy Stuhldreher of I Love You Sew used Sew Caroline's Kimono pattern to make this oh-so-flattering swimsuit coverup from my Tropical Breeze voile. Cristy modified the pattern in clever ways and added the perfect fringe to the kimono for a positively perfect touch. Cristy gives us some tips for sewing with voile and has an amazing website so be sure to visit her blog for more wonderful sewing. 

Only one more week left of the Coastline Blog Tour. Keep following along as 5 more days of inspiring projects are brought to you from amazing sewist from around the globe!

Don't forget to repost Coastline Blog Tour images on Instagram to enter into a chance to win a 20 piece Coastline Fabrics fat quarter bundle!

RULES TO ENTER:

  • Be a public Instagram user 

  • Repost your favorite image(s) from the Coastline Blog Tour on your Instagram account and include the hashtag #CoastlineFabricsGiveaway in your post to qualify - enter as many times as you like - entries from outside the USA are also welcome to enter 

I love getting comments here on my blog posts but sorry, those comments will not be counted as part of the drawing entries for the fabrics. So you will want to head over to Instagram and follow me there to see all the projects, easily follow your favorite makers, and repost your favorite tour pics to enter. Don't forget to also include the hashtag #CoastlineFabricsGiveaway when you repost!

I will randomly select the winner from the #CoastlineFabricsGiveaway hashtag pool on Friday, February 19th at 6:00 pm EST. The winner will be announced on my IG account and also here on the blog on Saturday, February 20th. 

Folded Star Potholder

It seems as soon as October rolls around you are baking clear through till the new year. Treat yourself or your favorite chef to a pretty Folded Star potholder. This is a great project for using up fabrics from your stash and is fun to make. If you've never tried this folding technique before, you're in for a treat. 

Find the free pdf pattern for this Folded Star potholder on my Free Patterns page. Illustrated instructions will get you folding and stitching up your hot pad in no time.

I will wrap up (no pun intended) my A Week of Sewing blog post series tomorrow with a gift idea you can use all year round or give as a hostess gift. Thanks for joining me. Happy folding and sewing!

Holiday Cheer

Friends and family gatherings are a big part of the holidays. Bringing a bottle of spirits to the festivities is a perfect way to thank your host and hostess. Why not show-off your crafty cleverness with a bottle gift wrap made by upcycling garments. It only takes a few minutes to whip up a bottle cover. Have fun adding embellishments to compliment a theme or add that extra touch to a gift basket with a custom-made wine bottle cover.

 
 

Wine Bottle Sleeve

Finished size approximately 12"H x 5"W

You will need:

  • Women's shirts of desired fabrics size small to medium
  • Needle and matching thread
  • Ruler
  • Embellishment suggestions: raffia, bottle stopper, (1) 2" x 19" strip of cotton batting (for scarf), jingle bells, curling ribbon

Step 1 Slip shirtsleeve over bottle and lay on its side on a flat surface. Determine how high sleeve cuff will extend to top of bottle. Hold cuff in place at bottle neck and pinch sleeve to center of bottle base with other hand. Remove sleeve from bottle while holding pinched base. 

Step 2 Lay pinched sleeve against a ruler and measure from end of cuff to pinched-off part of sleeve. Add 1/2" to this measurement. 

Step 3 Press sleeve flat. Cut section of sleeve from cuff to determined length. 

Step 4 On raw edge, press 1/4" under to the wrong side of sleeve. Knot end of a double length of thread. Hand baste a running stitch 1/8" from edge, hiding knot inside sleeve. Pull thread to gather. The edge will be pulled to the center. Flatten the gathered closure and secure thread with a double knot on inside of sleeve. 

Step 5 Slip bottle into sleeve and tie embellishments around bottle neck to complete.