Personalized Christmas Ornaments
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Create fun and useful quilts you will be proud to call your own! |
We've had a day or two of cooler weather - at least in the morning. Afternoon seems to warm up, although not getting too hot.
But m. mouse is starting to find some nice warm spaces around the house and stake them out - warning his buddy, Jackson, to stay away!
It's pretty funny to watch, and always amazing to see how they find the 10 square inches of sun - no matter where it happens to be.
With cooler weather also comes a renewed interest in starting quilting projects.
If you are in search of some fun traditional quilt patterns along with techniques that will make them easier to put together, check out The Practical Guide to Patchwork.
This brand new quilting resource from our friends at C&T promises to be a quilting classic - full of great information about the basics, as well as techniques using supplies and materials available today.
If you haven't already reserved your copy, there's just a short time left. Wednesday, September 30 is the deadline. These will be delivered mid-October.
Click here to reserve a copy of The Practical Guide to Patchwork
Happy Quilting!
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| m mouse has a position in the sun - he must be dreaming of fish! |
The Most Popular Item at the How-to-Quilt.com
Booth at the San Diego Quilt Show:
Machine Quilt your Fat Quarter Quilt
Who knows whether it was because of the bright colors, or whether the quilters discovered that they could get everything they need in this fabulous quilting resource in order to create any fat quarter quilt - PLUS get a solid foundation for every quilt they want to make (and machine quilt, too).
This certainly has been a popular item with our online quilting friends as well, but I was quite surprised and pleased to see quilters gobble up this resource.
After all, I believe that it is the most complete instruction on machine quilting that we carry.
Did you know that in Machine Quilt Your Fat Quarter Quilt you will learn how to:
- set up your home sewing machine for beautiful machine quilting
- layer and baste your quilt to eliminate unwanted puckers and pleats as you machine quilt
- decide how to choose a quilting design that is easy to sew and will enhance your quilt
- glide your quilt under the needle so your stitches are even and you will be proud to show your finished quilt to an experienced (or even a professional) quilter
In addition to all of the valuable information about machine quilting, you also get information about:
- how to choose the fabric for your quilt
- how to know how many fat quarters (and yards of fabric) you need for your quilt
- how to sew triangles and squares so you get perfect corners and pointy points
- adding borders to your quilt is square!
- add beautiful binding on your quilt
If you haven't already invested, today is the day.
Using this instruction, you can create this quilt in any colors - using fat quarters or fabric from the bolt.
One quilter who loved the quilt and invested in the video said she was going to make hers in Christmas colors and hang it in her house for the holidays.
That's a great idea! And it's easy to do.
Because you get tons of information about drawing quilt blocks and quilts, simply color in the outline of the quilt in the colors you choose. Then figure out how much fabric you need, using the fill-in-the-blank sheets; make a quick trip to your fabric shop. And you will be ready to cut and sew!
Remember all of our videos and guidebooks give every bit of information you need to be successful in creating that quilt - as well as giving you valuable quilting techniques you can use in any quilt project.
Check it out:
From Cutting to Machine Quilting and Binding . . .
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Personal Christmas Ornaments
If you are looking for a unique quilted gift to give family members this year for the holidays, why not try quilting some small personal Christmas tree ornaments.
Find old family photos and scan them into your computer. Print them out on fabric using your ink jet printer. Ornaments are generally no bigger than 4 or 5 inches. You should be able to print at least two on a sheet of 8x10 fabric fed through your printer.
Once the photo has been printed on fabric, embroider on some special details. Include the name of the person and the year or special occasion. You can do this with hand or machine embroidery. You might even try using fine tip fabric markers to write this information on.
Cut the photos out and select a backing that you will use. Using the pillow case method of quilting, attach the batting and backing but leave the top of the ornament open. Turn the fabric right side out through the top. Whip stitch the top closed and quilt around the subject in the photo.
To finish the photo ornament, slide a jewelry jump ring (a small metal circle found in packages in the jewelry finding section of your favorite craft store) onto a piece of cording that coordinates with your ornament fabric. Center the jump ring, then stitch the cording to the top of the ornament to hide the whip stitching. The jump ring provides a loop in which an ornament hook can hang the item. Add tassels or fringe for other embellishments.
These type of ornaments are great gifts for family members. Consider giving each family member a gift of one or two of these photo ornaments every year. Pretty soon you will see that your ornaments become as big a part of your family’s holiday traditions as the party or dinner itself. Over the years, your family members will develop a series of ornaments that will be long treasured by them and future generations.
Other personal ornament ideas include quilted monograms. Use trendy fabrics and cut the recipient’s initial from fabric, backing, and batting. The front and back can either match or simply coordinate. The fun thing about these is that they can be as wild or as simple as you would like.
Use a blanket stitch to sew the monogram initial front and back together, wrong sides facing and batting in between. Add the quilting stitches. Sew on sequins, tassels, fringe, buttons, or any other embellishment you like. Trim with marabou or cording for an extra festive touch. Stitch one of the jewelry jump rings onto the top to create a sturdy hook hanger. You can also simply add a loop of embroidery floss through which the hook can hang.
You can use both these ideas to create custom Christmas stockings as well. If printing photos to create a stocking you can actually print the stocking pattern onto the fabric, too. By printing the stocking pattern, you can actually lay out your photos to create the look of custom designed fabric. You can fill the stocking’s front with as many photos as you can fit in the stocking outline. You can even personalize a name by printing it onto the fabric during the design process!
Once you print the stocking front, quilt it and the back side for extra stability, then attach the front and back sides together.
If using the monogram idea for a stocking, select your fabrics, quilting both the front and back fabric choices. Add the monogram to the front and blanket stitch around to complete the personalized appliqué.
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| A fun quilted Christmas stocking |
Quilt Show in New York
And speaking of history, quilter Diana Heeman sent me a message about a quilt show at The Major's Inn in Gilbertsville, New York.
The show takes place the first weekend in October. The hours are:
Friday, October 1 10am - 5pm
Saturday, October 2 10am - 5pm
Sunday, October 3 11am - 5pm
The Theme is "Picture Perfect," and features quilter Marilyn Belford whose specialty is pictorial art quilts. The quilts are displayed throughout the 52 room inn, which is listed on the Natonal Register of Historic Places.
Other award winning quilters will be displaying their works, as well as beginning quilters. And there are always antique quilts, some with documented histories.
This is a non-juried show, as the group feels anyone who would like to show their quilt can. There is no charge for entering, but a $5 donation is encouraged. All proceeds go toward restoring the Inn.
They expect more than 100 quilts, and will serve a lunch consisting of homemade soup, sandwiches, salads, homebaked desserts and a beverage. Lunch for all three days is $6 - quite a deal for some yummy treats.
For more information, call CeCe at 607-783-2067 or email Diana at albud@citilink.net
Postcard Quilts for the Troops
Halloween Roundup Next - Deadline September 29!
Wow! We sent more than 1,900 fabric postcards to the Middle East for the 4th of July!
Thanks to everyone who participated in this worthy event. I know it will mean a lot to the soldiers who receive those greetings of thanks on the 4th of July.
This year, we've decided not to do the Birthday Roundup, and focus our efforts on Halloween and the end of the year holidays.
So the next Roundup is Halloween -
Halloween, like the 4th of July, in Iraq or Afghanistan is just another day unless it becomes something different by virtue of quilters' intervention!
Now you can send postcards for our Halloween Roundup. This is just a fun time of the year - with Trick or Treat fabric, memories of Halloween costumes and marching around the neighborhood begging for candy.
You can bring those memories back for the soldiers stationed abroad by sending them tiny quilts - fabric postcards decorated for Halloween.
We want to keep Diane doing the Penny's Postcard Posse project, but she is terribly allergic to smoke. So, if you can be sure that your fabric postcards are smoke-free, it will be much appreciated!
Check out the postcard patterns on www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com I will continue to add designs, and patterns for the fabric postcards are always free.
To make the Halloween deadline, get your cards to Diane by September 29
Please send your cards to:
Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149
Diane is doing a fabulous job keeping the pictures updated, and if you have sent cards in, let your friends and family know that they can see pictures of them here: www.Fabric-Postcards.com
Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com
Last week, the Sugar Bowl quilt block pattern was left out of the packet - whoops! It's there now - so if you missed it, just click to download again.
These free October FREE quilt block patterns will make your summer quilting fun. These quilt blocks include easy blocks as well as some that are a little more difficult.
Click here to download your October FREE quilt block patterns
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Basket Weave |
Bat Wing |
Crow's Nest |
Duck Tracks |
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| Fish Tales | Fox Chase Biloxi | Leap Frog | Pinwheel Square |
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| Modern Flame | Sugar Bowl |
Click here to download your October FREE quilt block patterns
Hundreds of quilt block patterns to choose from. Patterns include full size templates and rotary cutting layouts. Click Here
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