Winner of Christmas in July Bundle Announced

 

Congratulations to JoyceM for winning the Christmas in July Fabric Bundle!

Joyce, please email me your address so that I can send out your fabric.

I am very thankful to all who joined my blog this month, and to all of my followers.  I appreciate every one of you.



Happy Sewing ♥

P.S. Don't miss the 20% off sale going on right now in my fabric shop.  This is the biggest sale yet.

Customer Appreciation

One of my lovely customers shared this picture of a quilt she made with fabrics purchased from my shop.  Cats and quilts just seem to go together. 

Happy Sewing ♥

New Batiks

Newest Batiks are in from Hoffman's, and they are gorgeous!

Sparrow

Persimmon

PLUS - I have my biggest sale ever going on right now!  20% off everything in my shop, even the new fabrics.  Check it out here.  It is time to clear the shelves to make room for the new Fall Fabrics.

The perfect colors to start your autumn projects, don't you think?

Happy Sewing ♥

52 Week Challenge - Week 30

This week, I finished a beaded stocking. One side is pieced with triangles, and the reverse side has been left as whole cloth to showcase the beautiful Jason Yenter Wintergraphix fabric. Since it is double sided, it can be hung with the toe pointing left, or right. The beads and gold fruit trim were added as part of a quilting challenge being hosted by Kim's Crafty Apple.

Christmas in July is almost over.  Have you entered the giveaway for a fat quarter bundle yet?  Just follow my blog, and leave a comment here.  If you are already a follower, leave a comment also.  The winner will be selected by random number generator on July 31st.

I would enjoy seeing a recent project you have finished.  You can leave a link by clicking on the Linky Tool below.

Let's get busy,

Treasured Tuesday

These are all clickable links, so shop away!

Thankful Sunday

Today, I am thankful for birthdays.

This weekend we are celebrating my son's birthday. The whole family is here. We are enjoying the pool, going to church together, and of course lots of good food.


I don't mind having a birthday because it means that God has given me another year to be alive.

Enjoy This Day!

Front Page Treasury!

Yesterday Etsy featured one of the treasuries I've made on their Front Page.  What a thrill!  This is a first for me.

Congrats to all the featured shops!

Plus,  it is a Christmas in July Treasury, which makes it even better because of CIJ being my theme all this month.

Thank you Etsy!

Lazy Man's/(Woman's) Chocolate Covered Pretzels

I cannot take credit for this recipe.  My daughter in law, Karen, shared it with me, and I also found it on the  Family Fun website.

What I can do is pass it on.  If you are a chocolate pretzel fan, you will like this quick and easy way of making them.  Unwrapping the kisses is the most time consuming part of this recipe, and I guarantee it will be worth the effort!

Only Three Ingredients

Ingredients

• Bite-size pretzels
• Hershey's Kisses

• M&M's candy

Instructions

 

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with foil, or parchment paper if you have it. Put pretzels on  sheet and top each with a hershey's kiss. 

 

Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the chocolates feel soft when touched.  

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, and press an M&M's candy

into the center of each Kiss while the chocolate is still warm. 

Put into refrigerator to set chocolate.
These can be kept in the refrigerator, or in a cool place.

Enjoy!

 These would make great holiday treats to share or to wrap up pretty, and give as gifts.

Happy Snacking ♥

52 Week Challenge - Week 29

I finished a simple project this week.  We had our granddaughter visiting all weekend, so most of our time was spent entertaining and enjoying her company.

These little star ornaments were easy to do.  I used my accuquilt cutter to cut the shapes out of wool felt.  The green star was the first one I made.  I sandwiched cording and a tassel between two layers of felt, and then attempted to free motion quilt through all layers.  It was not fun, but once I started, there was no going back.  For the other two, I quilted each side separately, and then glued them together with fabric glue.  That worked much better.

I would love to see what you have been working on this week. You can leave a link of your finished project by clicking on the linky tool below.

Treasured Tuesday

Click on any picture to go to the shop where the item can be purchased.

Thankful Sunday

Yesterday while I was gluing stuff in my craft room, I started thinking about how wonderful skin is.   No matter how stained or gluey, after a good wash, my fingers will be good as new again.  How amazing skin is that it is washable, sensitive, protects us, warms us, cools us, warns us of danger (hot stove), and how a tender touch tells us we are loved.

Actually, I am amazed and thankful for our entire body -whether it be lean, fat, tall, skinny, short, or flabby.  I could go on and praise every sense we have, and every part of us from our toes to our hair.  How awesome God made us.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Psalm 139:14

What are you thankful for today?

Simple Gift Card Envelopes Tutorial

I like to send a thank you card, and my business card or magnet with orders I send out, and these are perfect.  You could use these little gift card envelopes to adorn your holiday packages.

Here's how you make them.

You will need:
8 1/2 x 11 Paper - regular 20 lb copy paper is what I used for these.
Glue stick
Edge punch - this one is from the Martha Stewart line.
Paper cutter
Wax paper
Cutting mat or ruler
Cup of your favorite brew (these are addicting, and you might be here awhile)

Cut your sheet of paper into quarters (each will now be 4.25 x 5.5)

Using the edge of your cutting mat for sizing (or a ruler) fold short edges so that they overlap in the center and width is reduced to 2.5 inches.

With wax paper underneath to protect your work surface, run a glue stick down top overlap edge, and bottom long edge.  Fold short overlap edges to center, and then fingerpress to secure glued edges.

Sorry for the glare, I hope you can see well enough to follow

Now fold bottom edge up about 1/2 inch, run glue along the inside, and press to secure.

All that is left to do now is edge punch the open end of your envelope through both layers at once.

Voila!

You will probably want to make a bunch because they are easy and fun and look fab!

Happy Crafting ♥

52 Week Challenge - Week 28

Continuing on with my Christmas in July theme, I made a quilted Grinch wall hanging this week.

It has been heavily quilted as you can see in this detail picture

My husband came up with the brilliant idea of making it a Christmas Card holder when I was showing him how I wanted to taper the bottom and add a tassel. I love things that are decorative and have a purpose too, don't you?

What have you been up to this week. I would love to see. Just leave a link using the Linky Tool below.

Let's get busy,

Treasured Tuesdays

All these treasuries are clickable links, so shop away!

The Non Quilt Challenge Starts Today!

KimsCraftyApple is hosting her off season summertime Project Quilting challenges.  

And guess what!  I am hosting the 4th challenge, which runs from July 10 - 31st.  You can read about it and find out how to enter here.   A fat  quarter bundle of the fabrics pictured below will be awarded to one of the entrants chosen by random drawing.

So you can have the fun of joining in the challenge, PLUS be eligible to win a prize.  No pressure, just FUN!

Be sure to check out Kim's blog for all the details, entries, and information on how to enter your creation in the challenge.  There have been three challenges so far, which you can catch up on here.

Sunday Treasures

The pictures in these treasuries are clickable links, click on any item to find out more about it.

June Round Up

Summer is here with all its busyness, and the 52 week challenge makes it to the halfway point .  Thank you to all those who have continued to post their projects during this month.  It is fun to see what you come up with each week - whether it be a birthday celebrated, a festive banner, a place visited, a pattern made, or a quilt finished. I appreciate them all.

Fabric Fascination

Life Lessons

Sweeter Than Sweets

SisterBatik, Final Clothes-Out, Goodbye City Hello Suburbs,  

LoveNYarn,  BeautifulSeams, Playing with Fiber

July is already here. I can't wait to see the new projects it brings.

Let's get busy,

Simple Hostess Gift - Potato Bag for the Microwave

The first of the simple gift and decoration tutorials for my Christmas in July celebration.

Have you heard of the Potato Bag?

Potato Bags are a popular microwave tool for steaming vegetables, and reheating items like rolls or tortillas.  Completely washable and dryer safe, these attractive and practical bags make great hostess gifts.  Plus they are easy to make, and take a minimum of time and materials.  You will probably want to make one for yourself as well as some to give as gifts.  So let's get started.

You will need:
2 Fat Qtrs of 100% cotton fabric
Warm Tater 100% Natural Cotton Batting*
Cotton Thread

*You can probably find this specialty batting at your local quilt or craft shop.  I also have it available in my fabric shop.

Cut:
Cut the fabrics and batting each 11" wide x 22" long

Layer and baste with your favorite method. 

I use curved safety pins.

Quilt in any pattern you like.  This is a good time to practice your free motion quilting because there isn't any bulk to fit under the machine.  Check out a tutorial for free motion quilting here.

I used an all over stipple

Serge or zigzag all four edges.

Then turn short sides to inside 1/2" and stitch with a straight stitch to hem.

With the decorator fabric inside, fold both sides of bag into the center, overlapping seamed edges by 1".  Using a straight stitch and a 1/2 seam allowance, sew both side of bag shut. 

A walking foot is very helpful to keep these quilted layers from moving while you are stitching.

Turn right side out, poke out corners, and voila!  Your potato bag is finished.  Easy right?  You will probably want to make several more.  These are a great stash buster project too.  You could even piece the cover piece, or use a block that has been sitting in your UFO pile.

Be sure to wash before use

Happy Sewing ♥

52 Week Challenge - Week 27

Christmas in July is this month's theme.  To start the month off, I've made several Christmas stockings as this week's project.  Two will be for sale in my kimbuktu shop.  I also plan on offering a pattern for this stocking in my fabric shop.  The stockings are simple and fun to make, and you can add all kinds of detail to make them your own.

Feel free to add a photo and link to a project you've finished this week.  I would love to see it.

Let's get busy,