Thursday, November 28, 2013

Quiltsy Team Members ForgetMeNotQuilteds and QuiltsFabricandmore

Happy Thanksgiving!  We've had a quiet day with lots and lots of food and just one of our brood home.  Different, but we are learning to roll with the changes that adult children bring...  Being flexible helps, and just enjoying each opportunity to spend time with our young ladies!

Todays featured shops are full of wonderful items as well, so let's take a look!
quilted-wall-hanging-abc-primary-colors
I love this colorful alphabet quilt from ForgetMeNotQuilteds.  I think the bright colors are so fun, this would be great for a playroom or even a classroom.  I really like the jumbo ric-rac that Jennifer added - such a fun touch.

christmas-presents-table-runner-quilted
I think this whimsical wall hanging would be great for the holidays!  A perfect way to add a touch of fun to your home decor, so festive!  It would make a neat gift, too.

quilted-elegant-holly-and
Isn't the quilting on this table mat by QuiltsFabricandmore beautiful?  I love the simplicity of the fabric and how it lets the quilting show so beautifully.  This is just so elegant!

-diamonds-and-stars-quilt-with
And this one is just stunning!  (This pattern is definitely on my bucket list of quilts to make!)  With a minkee back, this would just be the ultimate snuggle quilt for a chilly night!  Hats off to you, Becky - this is definitely a quilt that I would be proud to own!  (And do check out her fabric supplies as well - lots of goodies at great prices....)

Hope you've enjoyed this peek at some wonderful quilt sellers on Etsy.  I'm sure proud to be a member of the quiltsy team!


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Quiltsy Team Members mountainquiltworks and marymackmademine

Time to showcase a couple more shops from my online group - Quiltsy Team!  I can't believe how talented these quilters are - so many fun things in their shops that it's hard to choose which ones to feature!  Onward with today's selections...
 Snowman Joy Christmas Wallhanging
An adorable winter table runner by MountainQuiltworks!  We don't get a lot of snow here on the Oregon Coast so I love snowy themed decor for the winter time.  The colors in this are so pretty - and the quilting is lovely on it.  Definitely liking this one a lot!
 Microwavable neck wrap
And here is the perfect Christmas gift for a quilter!  A microwavable neck wrap!  I'd like mine with flax seed and lavender - I think it's so great that you can customize your filling on these, what a wonderful way to sell them.  A nice warm neck wrap is just the thing after a long session of free motion quilting - relax those tight necks and shoulders so you can get back to quilting later :)

 Lap Quilt Roses Carnations
At first glance I thought this was a Christmas Quilt, but it's really not!  MaryMackMadeMine used beautiful red flower prints in this for a great year round beauty of a quilt!  Love how the black sashing sets the colors in the blocks off.
 Batic Blues
Love the colors in this zig-zag quilt!  I think this quilt would be perfect for snuggling under while I watch tv in the evenings!  Batik quilts are always so lovely, and this one is no exception!  It is even pre-washed and ready to be enjoyed - I'm sure it would make a delightful Christmas gift for anyone!

Thanks for joining me on this tour of different Quiltsy team members shops.  This is really a delightful group of fellow quilters and I am happy to share their work with you.  I'll have a couple more shops to share tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Quiltsy Team Members ColoradoQuilts and RedButtonQuilting

I'm back with day 2 of our Quiltsy Team promotion!  The two shops I am featuring today are ColoradoQuilts and RedButtonQuilting
 Hollyhock Wallhanging
I just love this little wallhanging from ColoradoQuilts!  So cute - and it's on sale :)  Patti is a versatile quilter, love the variety of things in her shop -
This bright and happy quilt is another wonderful selection - and it has a matching pillow!  Another thing that tickles me about her shop is that I was born and raised in Colorado, so I just love thinking about these lovely things being made in my home state (silly, but true!).

This dynamic red and black table topper is from RedButtonQuilting!  Joan has a great selection of items in her shop as well - I just love the way the white sets off the colors in this one.
And this baby quilt!  So pretty!  The quilting really pops on this one, makes me want to touch it and enjoy that lovely texture.

So - that is two more of my talented team members to enjoy - go visit their shops and check out their wonderful work - you won't be disappointed!


Monday, November 25, 2013

Quiltsy Team Members KeriQuilts and Secondsanctuary

This week I am doing a group promotion with my online Etsy Quilt Group (Quiltsy Team).  I thought as part of my promoting I would do a blog feature on the other members that I am promoting each day - I love seeing what other quilters are offering in their shops!

KeriQuilts is on the list for monday - she has a large selection of items to choose from in her Etsy shop!  I love this baby quilt:
 Modern Baby Lap Quilt
And this mini Cathedral window is so adorable - love the colors!
 Mini Pillow Cathedral Window
But my favorite thing in her shop is this pillow.  I would love to find this under the Christmas tree next month!
 Cathedral Window Pillow
If you like these, too make sure you go take a look and see some of the other pretties she has up for sale - I'll bet you find some items for you Christmas list as well!

The second shop I'll show you today is Beverly from SecondSanctuary.  Love her banner - Sewing for Art and Soul!  What a neat statement on what she does.  

 King Size Patchwork
Here is a wonderful King Size patchwork quilt.  I love the fun scrappy look of it - very nicely put together with so many fun colors and prints!
If you are getting married, or you know someone who is - this is a wedding gift that will be absolutely cherished for years to come!  You can choose your colors and have a keepsake that is beautiful and one of a kind!
 pastel quilt
And if I were choosing something for myself, I think it would be this one - it would look lovely in my bedroom!  I'll bet it is as warm and cozy as it looks!  

Hope you enjoyed getting a look at these shops!  I must say, I have - I am always amazed at the versatility of the members of Quiltsy team on Etsy!  

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Selvage Chair Cover - 6 months review

For some reason, my Selvage Chair cover has gone a bit viral on facebook - I've enjoyed seeing it pop up on my newsfeed and I see it is getting a lot of shares, so I thought this would be an appropriate time to let you all know how it is holding up and if it is working like I thought it would.  I am happy to report that it looks as good as ever and stays on my chair seat and back perfectly!

Oops, just noticed that my calendar still says September!  Guess I'd better get it up to date - time flies, doesn't it?  I'm really glad I used the cord locks because I can snug up the elastic when it gets a little looser.  I like being able to easily take the covers off.  I use this chair when I cut my husband's hair, so I like to take them off so they don't get all icky when I do that.  Then I just put them back on, easy as pie!

As you can see, there hasn't been any noticeable wear at all.  It still looks just as bright and fresh as when it was first made 6 months ago.  If you missed my how-to post you can see how I made this cover here.  Let me know if you make one of your own, I'd love to see it!  Anyone made anything fun out of selvages lately?  I think I'm ready for a new project, but haven't decided what yet.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Mixed Emotions

My husband and I finally went on an outing we've been looking forward to for a while, but haven't gotten around to.  We went to Leaf's Treehouse - a local flea market/antique shop.  People rent spaces in there and sell their wares - it's huge and lots of fun to poke around in and find lots of treasures!  We wandered around most of the store and found ourselves in a small niche at the back when I spotted something that looked quite familiar.

"That's funny - it looks like a table runner I made for the quilt shop, then later sold.  I wonder who bought the kit and make one like it."  Then I looked closer.  "Wow, they quilted it like I did.  That looks pretty good!"  


Then I picked up the end and looked at it really close...."Wait a minute!  This is the one I made! How much are they asking for it?"

$65.00 - I don't remember, but I hope I got at least that much out of it - it was a lot of work!

I'm not really too sure how I feel about it, but it sure was an interesting find!  It has obviously been well cared for because it still looks as beautiful as when I sold it....I guess you never expect to find something you worked hard to create for sale in a flea market.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

DIY Quilted Gifts in a Hurry

I love giving handmade gifts, but over the years have discovered that my procrastination gene really messes up this plan - it's a little hard to start in November and make 20 different people a nice handmade gifts plus decorate, bake and clean up my house!  This is one of the reasons I have fallen in love with pre-cut quilt pieces...Jelly Rolls, Charm Packs, Layer Cakes.  By starting with one of these you cut your work in half and get right to fun part - sewing.

With this in mind I have been working on creating a series of fun projects using a Charm Pack (which is quite economical at under $10.00 most of the time).  All of these projects can be finished in an afternoon or evening - including quilting!


This is my Fall Charmer pattern.  I made this using a S'More Love Charm Pack.  (by Cosmo Cricket for Moda Fabrics)  The piecing is really simple, and it allows for lots of creative fun as you arrange all the squares to suit yourself - you could do it so many ways!   

Shuffling around the squares is half the fun! I think it would be striking to make one with one leaf in all orange fabrics and the other in yellows, then using the browns and blues and greens for the background.  Hmmm - now I might have to buy another Charm Pack.  (See, they are addictive!)


For the back you only need a half yard of fabric!   I'll bet you have something in your stash that will work - or you could always piece together a couple of fat quarters.   Then the binding only takes a quarter yard.  I squeezed this one out of a scrap of fabric that was the perfect green - it has a few more seams, but the piece was just big enough - hurray!  (I love being able to work out of my stash - which seems to be mostly bits and pieces less than a half yard.)


Quilt it up with a simple overall design like this spiral - it doesn't take long to do a piece this small!  Or you could do some straight line quilting to make it even easier.  Add your binding and you have a wonderful gift that will delight the recipient (don't forget to make a label for the back with your name on it so they will always remember who made them this beautiful quilted gift!)

You can see all 8 of my Charm square patterns by clicking the link below - any one of them could be used to make a quick gift that would be perfect for someone special!  If you have never purchased a pattern on Etsy before, it's very easy and your pattern is available as soon as you pay!  You can actually download your pattern and start your quilt today - talk about instant gratification.  Take that, procrastination gene - we are getting our gifts done early this year!