When I learned Fat Quarter Shop was getting ready to launch their second round of Jolly Bars, a 5” x 10” precut that is exclusive to them, I jumped at the opportunity to design a quilt using the rectangles. At last, here is Country Road, with pieced houses, machine appliqued details, and lots of quilting! The Jolly Bars are now available in four different Moda Fabrics collections: Petite Prints by French General, Lakeside Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings, The Boat House by Sweetwater, and … [Read more...] about Jolly Bars and Giveaway!
Handmade Christmas Decorations Blog Hop
[Another blog hop and giveaway info at end of this post!] I was invited by the folks at Stitch Craft Create to participate in the Handmade Christmas Decorations Blog Hop, and I am so glad I said Yes! They publish such wonderful craft books, and have a page with craft eBook downloads, very convenient for when you want to make a last minute gift and need fresh ideas immediately. I chose to crochet a Christmas decoration, so they sent me Crochet your Christmas Baubles eBook (oh, the … [Read more...] about Handmade Christmas Decorations Blog Hop
Sunset on my Garden
Here is my latest wall hanging, with bright colors as the backdrop for country-inspired wool applique. At first I wasn't sure the red and yellow half square triangles were going to work out as part of this design, but now I am glad I went ahead with it. Here are some specs: This wall hanging measures 35" x 15". For the wool applique and embroidery I used matching DMC floss. The shapes were fused with HeatnBond Lite (I love this product, and it is the only one I use for applique). I quilted … [Read more...] about Sunset on my Garden
Wool applique and embroidery
This is my sister's Christmas gift for this year. She has two dogs but has fallen in love with cats. Hopefully, she will like this wall hanging. I had no idea what to do for the border. Then, looking through my stash I found this fabric which had all the colors of the applique. Plus, the yellow brightened the piece. I had made the center block a little while ago, but revisited it by changing the color of the cat's facial features, adding borders and quilting it. I did quilt all around the … [Read more...] about Wool applique and embroidery
Reinventing the wheel: innovative quilts
It is often the case that traditional things, ways, solutions serve as foundation for the new, the out-of-the-box, the fresh, and unexpected. I was just going through a book I received for review and was struck by how many amazing quilts we can create if only we would forget for a little while the 'right' way to sew a block, to cut a line, to assemble a project. Imagine Quilts by Dana Bolyard not only features beautiful modern projects, but it also helps you look for inspiration in your … [Read more...] about Reinventing the wheel: innovative quilts
Landscape quilt
Just finished this small (13" x 11") landscape quilt, inspired by a cloudy October day. This mixed media wall hanging features machine applique with monofilament, free motion quilting, free motion embroidery, Prismacolor markers, and Prismacolor colored pencils. The clouds were the last thing I did, even after the binding was applied. The three leaves are hanging on to the tree just like the ones which remained through the entire last winter through wind, rain, and snow, on a tree right … [Read more...] about Landscape quilt