Christmas in July - Then and Now- blog hop

Wow.  Here we are, less than 5 months until Christmas.  And I have a lofty goal of 9 quilts, 1 for each grandchild by Christmas.  I keep saying I won't be sewing on Christmas Eve every year and guess what?  I still am.   I don't have any of their quilts done.  I guess I better get started.

This blog hop is being hosted by Carol @ justletmequilt.blogspot.com.   I have loved looking through the ideas.   So many fun things to do.

Carol made this hop easy by saying we could post things we made in the past or now. So I want to share a variety of throw pillows I have made.

I love these snowmen

Pillow back

And I want to share a quilt I just finished quilting.  I still need to bind it, and I will hopefully get it done this weekend.   This quilt was made from a free pattern, which unfortunately is no longer available called Cookie Jar treats.  It was designed to match a fabric line.

I love the texture on the back. 

I really wish my quilting would have shown up better.  On the snowball blocks I did holly leaves and my red corner squares are poinsettias, both designs I learned from @ lorikennedyquilts.com.   in my nine patches I did wishbone and I tried some dot to dot quilting which I learned from Angela Walters @ quiltingismytherapy.com.   thread used is glide by @ habanddash.com which is my favorite.   

Thank you for joining me today.   I love to read your comments. 

Please check out the other bloggers for today:

July 31

Just Let Me Quilt

Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

Den Syende Himmel

Quilt Fabrication

Sew Many Yarns

Just Sew Quilter

Shirley C.

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Christmas in July Then and now blog hop

Wow.   Christmas is in less than 5 months.    Hard to believe.   And here I was going to try to make bed quilts for all 9 grandkids and the majority of them are in twin beds.   I may still have time, we will see.

This week a great group of bloggers will share some fun Christmas projects they have worked on. 

Thank you Carol @ justletmequilt.blogspot.com for putting this blog hop together.

I will share my project with you on Friday, but until then all you get from me is a sneak peek

And a list of the bloggers who are sharing some fun projects this week.   I can't wait to see all of them.

July 27

Creatin' in the Sticks

Just Because Quilts

Words & Stitches

Quilt In A Not-Shell

Ms P Designs USA

 Scrapdash

Selina Quilts

Days Filled With Joy

  

July 28

Life in the Scrapatch

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Karrin’s Crazy World

Vroomans Quilts

Quilted Delights

Songbird Designs

Websterquilt

 Karen's Korner

  

July 29

MooseStashQuilting

Beaquilter

Day Brook Designs

Seams To Be Sew

Little Penguin Quilts

Bumbleberry Stitches

Samelia's Mum

Canyon Rim Quilting

  

July 30

Quiltscapes

Mary Mack Made Mine

DesertSky Quilting

For The Love Of Geese

Quilt Schmilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel

Quilting Gail

  

July 31

Just Let Me Quilt

Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

Den Syende Himmel

Quilt Fabrication

Sew Many Yarns

Just Sew Quilter

Shirley C.

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Until then enjoy the hop and I will be back on Friday. 

Heart pincushion - pincushion parade blog hop - day 28

Hi!! And welcome to day 28 of the pincushion parade blog hop hosted by Crystal @ www.daybrookdesigns.com.  This has been a fun blog hop and it has been neat seeing so many fun pincushion designs.

Today I am sharing another quick and easy pincushion with you.   It is a heart shape pincushion.   A fun gift to gift and tell someone you love them, just because.

Supplies needed:

2 pieces of fabric.  Size depends on how big tour heart is.
A heart template.  You can use a cookie cutter, a pattern online, or draw your own (you know, like we did in school?).

Stuffing

Basic sewing supplies

Start bygetting your template ready.  I drew mine by hand.  I folded a piece of paper in half and just drew half a heart. 

Then cut it out.

After I cut it out, I opened it up and it looked like a heart.

 Press your fabric.    Place your heart template on the fabric, pin and cut.

With right sides together, stitch around the heart, making sure to leave a small opening to turn right sides out and stuff.

I like to clip around mine, just to the seam line to get it to turn nicer.

Press and stuff. 

Stitch the opening closed.  You now have another fun pincushion.   Be sure to tag me at www.instagram.com/kathyskwiltsandmore.  And Crystal @ www.instagram.com/daybrookdesigns.  Use the tags #pincushion parade #pincushionparadebloghop

Thank you for joining us this month.  2 more days of pincushions.

I will be back soon with some fun quilts to share.  Just not sure when.  We just finished a remodel on Friday (about 6 weeks) and I am now spending my time putting things back together.

Pincushion parade blog hop day 23 - the flower pincushion

Hi and welcome back.  It has been so fun seeing all these neat pincushions.  I have been wanting to see along, but with no where to set up my machines, I haven't been doing them.   But I definitely will as soon as I get things set up.

Today's pincushion is a little flower Pin cushion. 

So, let's make one!!!  Or a few!!!! These are so easy.

Supplies needed:

2 circles.   Mine were 4 inch.   You can use whichever size you want.   Use a glass, mug, etc for your template.


Stuffing:  I used just regular polyfil.

2 strands embroidery floss.  You can use matching or contrasting.

Needle.   Long - could be just an embroidery needle or a farming needle.

Basic sewing supplies.

Button or a hexie (like you would use for app).  I used a 1 inch hexie.

With right sides together, sew your circles with a 1/4" seam.

  Leave an opening for stuffing.   Turn right side out and stuff the pincushion.   Sew your opening closed.

Take your embroidery floss and a long needle and find the center of the pincushion bottom and push the needle theough and up through the top.   Take your floss and wrap to the bottom and put your needle through the center and up through the top.  Decide how big of a petal you want and repeat.   Repeat until all petals are made.  Tie off your thread.

Take your button or other embellishment and stitch on the center of the too.  You could put a magnet on the bottom of the pincushion.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I can't wait to see your pincushions.

Pincushion parade blog hop day 17

Hi and welcome to day 17 of the pincushion blog hop hosted by Crystal from www.daybrookdesigns.com.

   This has been such a fun blog hop.   I have enjoyed seeing so many different pincushions.



Today's pincushion uses the basic pincushion that I posted last week. 

You can find it here https://kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2020/06/pincushion-blog-hop-day-10.html?m=1.   The only difference is the size of the square.  I cut it 5 1/2 x 6.   You could also do a 6 x 6.    Then I put a fun epp hexie flower on the top, before I stitched it together.

  I stitched this pincushion totally by hand as I am still under construction in my house.

I have a tutorial on my blog for epp https://kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2020/06/english-paper-piecing-epp-tutorial.html?m=1.  For this project I used 3/4" hexies and I stitched it on with a whipstitch using aurifil thread #2311 in a 50 weight.

You could also use embroidery floss 2 strands) and do a blanket stitch to put it on.

You could also put some polyester batting behind the flower to give it a bit more puff.

I can't wait to see how you all  decide to embellish your pincushion.

English Paper Piecing (EPP) - A tutorial

My English Paper Piecing Tutorial

Hi welcome to my blog.   I love EPP (English Paper Piecing). 
This week, because I have some projects coming up that use it, I want to share some things I have learned for EPP.   I love EPP.  It is a very portable project that you can take with you in the car, while you are waiting for appointments, sporting events with the kids, or whatever else you may be doing.  I even take it on vacations, whether we are in a hotel, or whether we are camping, this always gives me something to do when I want some downtime.

What Supplies are needed:

First off, you need to get some supplies.   You need needles.  I use just regular quilting needles.  I am currently using the John James quilting needles size 8.

Paper pieces.  You can by these pre cut or if you don't mind cutting your own, you can download, print on cardstock and cut your own. A couple of sites I like are http://moxyideas.com/downloads/  and https://www.thelittlemushroomcap.com/free-resources/.

Thread - I am not picky about my thread, until it comes to my free motion quilting.   I use what I have on hand.  Currently I am using some aurifil 50 weight thread.

Glue stick.   Another one that I am not picky about.  I have used elmers glue sticks and a fons and porter glue stick.  This is optional if you don't want to glue your fabric edges to the paper shape.

Clips - These can be the clover clips that so many use for holding the binding or you can use binder clips.

Last but not least, your big bin of scraps.   Depending on the size of your shapes you don't need big pieces. 

So, lets get started. 

Pick out the shape and size you want to do.  The smallest I have done is a 3/4" hexagon.  Trace your shape onto the fabric or do a rough cut.   You want about a 1/4" - 3/8" allowance of each side.    Cut out.   I usually cut out several pieces of the shape I am using at one time.   Take your fabric and a paper piece, and lay the paper piece on the wrong side of fabric.  Run your glue stick along the edge of the shape.   Fold your fabric over and stick down.   You will need to put a small dab on your fabric to hold it all down.

   Another option is to thread baste.   Use a clip to hold your fabric and paper piece together.   Fold an edge of your fabric over the shape.  Taking a needle and thread, tie a knot at the end of the thread.  Take your shape and on the back side, go through your fabric, not catching the paper, and make a stitch, then go to your next section and take a stitch.  Continue folding and stitching all around. This is my favorite method to use and the one I use most often.

  

After you get a good amount of shapes done, you are now ready to start sewing your shapes together.  Take two of the shapes you are working with and put two edges together.   Take your clip and put at the top, making sure both pieces are tight together and held by the clip.   Now your pieces are flat and you can do a back and forth stitch, or a ladder stitch. 

What can I make with my EPP pieces?

You can make so many fun things with the shapes.   You can do flowers. 

You can sew them in rows for a fun throw pillow or quilt.

I hope you have had some time to play with EPP and are learning to enjoy it.  It is fun and relaxing.


If anything is unclear, please leave a comment and your email address and I will get back to you right away.

Thank you for joining me and I hope you will follow me.  I love quilting, it is my passion and I want to share it with you.

Pincushion blog hop day 10

Sorry for the delay.  My life is crazy right now.   This is what 1 of our bathrooms look like.

 It is so exciting to get home each day and see what has been done. 

This is how I cook breakfast and most meals.   I an up by 3:45 a.m.  so we can still be to work on time.

Now for the real reason you are here, you need a new pincushion.  I am really loving this pincushion blog hop being hosted by Crystal at www.daybrookdesigns.com This one is so easy.  Sometimes we just need easy, but it can still be fun and cute.

You can make this square or you can make it a rectangle.  I am sharing how to do a  rectangle one today.

You need:
2 fabrics cut at 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches.  You can also make them bigger. 

Stuffing - polyfil, sand, crushed walnut shells

Take your 2 pieces of fabric and sew right sides together. 

 Leave an opening (I like to leave it on the long side) and turn right side out. Poke out the corners with a pencil or one of the point turner things. Stuff with your choice of filling and sew your opening closed.    You are done with your 10th pincushion. 

I really enjoy seeing your pincushionss and I love hearing from you.  Be sure to tag me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/kathyskwiltsandmore as well as Crystal at www.instagram.com/daybrookdesigns

I will be back on the 17th and 23rd with 2 more and hoping to find a fun one for the 28th.

I plan to sew all of the pincushion that are being shared, but I have to do all by hand or wait until I can get back to my machine again.