More than Christmas Postcard Tutorial

I am a Christian and celebrate Christmas, but people I love dearly celebrate other holidays. I'm having so much fun making Christmas postcards, but I can't send them to all of my friends.

I asked a close friend if it was appropriate for me, a Christian, to send her, my Jewish friend, a Hanukkah card.  She said that she'd be delighted if I did.  So I shall.

I scoured Pinterest to get ideas for Hanukkah cards and decided to make a Menorah.

Before I tell you how I made this Menorah card, I'll tell you how NOT to make this Menorah card.

First, get out some circle quilting templates* and draw your Menorah on 6"x6" of gray fabric:

Layer with stabilizer, thread your machine, and attempt to satin stitch in a small circle smoothly:

Realize that the picture in your head isn't going to work on fabric (at least today), and move on to plan B.

Trace Menorah onto Steam a Seam 2* and cut out the pieces.  Then iron onto a 5"x6" piece of blue fabric because blue is your friend's favorite color:

Layer with stabilizer:

Thread your machine with my FabuLux Mellow Yellows and blanket stitch carefully around each curve:

Then begin the "quest for fire."  Consider appliqueing fire, but remember that the Menorah is only 1/4" thick and the pieces of fabric for the fire would be very very very tiny.  Grab some fabric markers and practice drawing flame on the edge of the postcard (the part that will be cut off).

Carefully draw flames on the postcard:

Tear away stabilizer. 
Fuse to 5"x6" Peltex and 5"x6" backing fabric.
Trim to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" or use Postcard Trimming Tool.

Thread machine with FabuLux Blue Heaven thread and satin stitch the edging.

Write a message of love, address, pop it into an envelope, and mail it in time for Hanukkah.

Deck the Halls Postcard Tutorial

I'm decking the halls.  Well, not my ACTUAL halls, but the halls of my Christmas postcards.

Let's all pause a moment to enjoy the insane sweetness of this card, shall me?  

Awwwwwwwwwwwww.

OK, so here's how it all started.  I keep a bag full of 1 1/2" squares of fabric (of course I do!) and I decided to use them to make Christmas tree ornaments.

I picked out some fun fabrics (cough*Hello Kitty*cough) and fused them to some Steam a Seam 2*:

I traced around coins to make the small circles:

Steam a Seam 2 is tacky on the back so I could stick the ornaments to the fabric without using an iron.  Then I drew lines for the ornament hangers.

I grabbed my FabuLux Mellow Yellows thread and stitched a 3.5mm zigzag stitch over each line.  I peeled back the ornaments so the zigzag ended behind each ornament and then stuck the ornaments back in place.

After I stitched each of the hangers, I stitched a 2.5mm blanket stitch around the edge of each ornament.  My HQ Stitch 710 machine is always up for the task!

I thought that this was cute, but not nearly cute enough.  So I added bows.  Because if bows are good enough for Hello Kitty, they are good enough for me!  I threaded a big needed with 12 weight thread and took one big stitch at the top of each ornament.  Then I fumbled through tying the bows with these clumsy fingers of mine.

Then I tore apart my sewing room looking for Fray-Check*.  Then I tore apart my remote quilting supply storage roomd ining room looking for Fray-Check.  Then I tore apart my sewing room another three times.

An hour later, I dropped a dab of Fray-Check on the knot of each bow so that they wouldn't come untied and waited for them to dry.  I covered the postcard with a pressing sheet and pressed it.  Still using the pressing sheet, I fused the postcard to Peltex and postcard backing and trimmed with my Postcard Trimming Tool.

I stitched a 5mm satin stitch around the edge of the postcard.

And then I stared and petted this postcard because of all of the adorableness.

I need to make a bunch more of these, but I might just have to stick this one in an envelope and mail it back to myself!
_____
* Affiliate Link.  If you purchase through an affiliate link I may, at no additional cost to you, receive a small commission to help keep this blog and website running.

Snowflake Postcard Tutorial

In an effort to clean up my cutting table, I've been stitching with my scraps.

I just made some Snowflake Postcards:

Materials:

5" x 6" Blue background -- scraps pieced together
White snowflake strips -- 1/2" x 4 1/2" scrap strips
5" x 6" Peltex stabilizer
5" x 6" white fabric for backing
DecoBob for bobbin thread
FabuLux Blue Heaven for satin stitch
Envelope for mailing

Watch the video:



How many postcards will it take to clear off this cutting table?

Millions, I suppose.

Cutie Quilt: Share and Share Alike

I have been playing with my walking foot on my home machine lately so I pulled out some Country Days fabric from Heidi Boyd (affiliate link*) and pieced a Share and Share Alike Cutie Quilt just so I could quilt it.  That's perfectly normal, right?  Lie to me.

The farm animals and crops on this fabric make me want to live on a farm (or at least buy more of this fabric).   And they make me want to quilt carrots.  Oh how I wish I were kidding about that.

I've always been intrigued by quilting spirals.  Fortunately, the fabulous Pat Sloan taught me how to quilt a spiral with my walking foot in her Teach Me to Machine Quilt book! (affiliate link*)

I threaded Hedwig, my HQ Stitch 710 machine, with my FabuLux Rocking Horse thread

and started quilting my spiral.  This thread color is my secret weapon.  It seems to blend with everything, but it would be more precise to say that it has blended with everything I've tried it on thus far.

This quilt is now bound and in my giveaway pile, but I'm not sure who shall receive it.  When the right person comes along, this quilt will be waiting for them!

Yesterday was day one of thirty-three days at home.  I am more excited than I can possibly express to be home for 33 straight days!  During that time I'm trying to find my cutting table.  It may take all 33 days, but I'm committed to the task.

I am working on On Ringo Lake and stitching up the scraps from my table into little Strippy Charm Pouches

Maybe if I make 1,000 pouches, my sewing table will be cleared off?
_____
*If you purchase something using an affiliate link I may, at no additional cost to you, receive a small commission to help keep the quilty love flowing.

On Ringo Lake -- part 2

I'm late for Sunday's link-up for On Ringo Lake, but I have a great excuse!  I just got home from my last teaching trip of the year at Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, FL.

As soon as I got home, I made a single flying geese block.  Only 199 more to go!

Check out everyone else's progress HERE.

I hoped to make more blocks tonight, but I will admit to being plum tuckered out.  The quilters occasionally wear me out, but the travel is actually the hard part.  If you don't believe me, believe my suitcase:

I wore this wheel down to the point where I had to drag it to my car today.  I'll look into replacing that wheel... after I get caught up on my sleep!

I'm home for 33 days and will rest a bit, but stay tuned for some fun quilting news.  I hope to reveal some of my top-secret projects soon!

Florida Wildlife

I am flying home from teaching at Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, FL today.  I am a bit nervous about these flights, though.  I was packing my luggage this morning and noticed a few specimens of Florida wildlife smuggled themselves into my suitcase and I'm worried about what TSA will do!

Thanks so much Susan!!!

The porcupine and owl will each hold bobbins, scissors, and pins on the side of a sewing machine.  I think that one will live on Errol at home and the other will live on Hedwig at home and travel with Pigwidgeon when we travel.

If they don't violate the wildlife regulations of the airlines.

Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, FL day THREE

I spent another excellent day at Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, FL.

The Handi Quilter Amara was behaving beautifully as Susan was quilting carrots:

For some unknown reason (cough* Bits N Pieces students *cough), I teach about carrots A LOT!

A student gave me a Dove chocolate after class and this was the message inside:

Who wants one of these "permission slips" while in a quilt shop?

One of my students challenged me to quilt her shirt today:

Challenge -- accepted!  Stay tuned to see what I can do with this.

A little behind the scenes look into my wild Friday night.  I was in bed with these before 8pm watching Netflix:

My students wore me out yesterday!

Today is my last day of teaching.  This has been a wonderful trip and I hope I get to come here again some time soon!

Guess What Day It Is?

It's the first day of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge!

I'm teaching at Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, FL this week.  The quilters here are FABULOUS.  And there are cupcakes.  And it's Florida.  So I might never go home.

I had a great opportunity to swap cards with one of my students.  She makes the most beautiful notecards:

I am grateful for the gift and was thrilled to have a fabric postcard with me to exchange with her!

Thanks, Tari!

The Sweetest Job Ever

If you asked me what my dream job would be, it would be to teach quilting and be associated with great companies like Handi Quilter.  I'm living that dream!

Some days, though, my job is even sweeter than others.

I am teaching Handi Quilter classes this week at Tomorrow's Treasures in Ocala, FL.  The shop and quilters are, of course, fab!  But there's a little something "above and beyond" about this shop:

IT'S LOCATED NEXT TO A CUPCAKE SHOP!!!!!

What's a quilter to do?

This quilter did this:

And she enjoyed it very much in her hotel room last night!

I can't wait to learn what they will be selling today!

They Know How to Make a Girl Feel Special

For about a decade, I've taught several times a year at Bits N Pieces in Pelham, NH.  These folks are like family.

Aren't they a friendly bunch?

They have a very active longarm quilting club and members of that club pulled together a sweet surprise for me:  each made a copy of one of my quilt patterns, Arbor, and quilted it with techniques I taught them over the years.  They interrupted my trunk show with some show and tell of their own:

We grabbed an outdoor photo between the raindrops:

Cutie Quilt: Sweet Tooth

One of my favorite Cutie Patterns is Sweet Tooth.  Apparently it's one of your favorites, too, because it has already beaten two other quilts and is still in the running for the Cutie Madness contest.

Every Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Veterans' Day I start piecing a patriotic quilt for Quilts of Valor.  A few weeks ago I pulled fabric for my Veterans' Day QOV:

Then the fun piecing began.  One of the fabrics I chose was a batik from Pat Sloan's Sunday Drive line.

After I finished strip-piecing all of my blocks and set them into my quilt, the REAL fun began -- RIBBON CANDY QUILTING!!!!

I quilted row after row after row of ribbon candy and it made me deliriously happy!  If you want to learn to quilt ribbon candy, check out my Craftsy Class.

This quilt is ready to be delivered to Quilts of Valor for distribution to a service-man or -woman.  

On Ringo Lake, Part 1 -- A Quiltville Mystery

Turkey.  Stuffing.  Gravy.  Family around the table.  The chattering of small children.  These are all annual Thanksgiving rituals.  The ritual extends to the next day when I start Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery quilt!

This year it's called On Ringo Lake.  I was able to finish step one in one day!

Check out everyone's progress HERE.  

I can't wait until next week's clue.  I'll be late but hope to catch up before Clue 3 is released!

Cutie Quilt: Share and Share Alike

I have been playing with my walking foot on my home machine lately so I pulled out some Dreamfield fabric (affiliate link*) and pieced a Share and Share Alike Cutie Quilt just so I could quilt it.  That's perfectly normal, right?  Lie to me.

The pattern calls for fat eighths and border fabric, but I had a half-yard pack.  I cut the blocks as instructed and pieced a border and binding from the rest of the half-yard pack.

I've always been intrigued by quilting spirals.  Fortunately, the fabulous Pat Sloan taught me how to quilt a spiral with my walking foot in her Teach Me to Machine Quilt book! (affiliate link*)

I threaded Hedwig, my HQ Stitch 710 machine, with my FabuLux Giggle thread

and started quilting my spiral!

This quilt is now bound and has already been given away.  A sweet woman in my church is confined to a wheelchair.  This quilt was the perfect size for her lap.  She loved it and that works for me, because I love her.
_____
*If you purchase something using an affiliate link I may, at no additional cost to you, receive a small commission to help keep the quilty love flowing.

This & That from Jillily Studio Blog Tour

I am so thrilled that today is my day on the Blog Tour for This and That from Jillily Studio for PennyRose Fabrics! 

I just returned home from the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.  Daylight savings time plus dropping temperatures in upstate New York have me yearning for some brightness and cheer in my life.  I swoon over every piece of fabric that Jill has ever designed but This and That is especially wonderful because of the text on some of the prints.  It is an absolutely bright and cheerful line!

I chose a pattern that would contrast a white background with the luscious prints.  As a machine quilting teacher, the design of the quilt doesn't end with the pieced top.  I used wool batting which has loft to help show the contrast between the quilted and unquilted areas.  I chose geometric and organic quilting designs and used white thread throughout.

I'm always asked "How do you know what to quilt on your quilt top?"  I thought I'd show you how I decided on the quilting patterns for this quilt.

STEP ONE:  Decide where the ribbon candy quilting will go.

I'm very serious about this.  I think ribbon candy quilting is the most perfect machine quilting design in the whole quilting world.  When I look at a quilt, my first decision is "Where does the ribbon candy quilting go?"  In this quilt, it went in the inner border and sashings:

This is a 3-inch border which is a little wide for plain ribbon candy, so I added some loops inside each ribbon to fill the space well.

STEP TWO:  Pick a background design.

After I placed the ribbon candy, I added feathers in the background squares.  The feathers give the background a really rich texture:

STEP THREE:  Throw in some high-contrast texture.

This entire quilt is bordered by a three-inch checkerboard.  I wanted to quilt the border, but not distract from the beautiful prints.  I chose to stitch continuous curve in each square.  This simple design stands out beautifully next to the densely quilted ribbon candy:

STEP FOUR:  Frame what you want to feature.

The last decision I had to make for the machine quilting was "What do I do with the large star in the middle of the quilt?"  I decided to leave a one-inch unquilted border around each star point and to fill the middle with a swirling pattern:

I thoroughly enjoyed working with this fabric and quilting this quilt.  It is now on my sofa offering some much needed cheer in my dark and dreary house:

Check out each stop on the blog tour for This and That by Jillily Studio.

Tuesday 11/7/17 -- The Clever Quilt Studio -- Crystal Delaney -- http://cleverquiltstudio.com/
Wednesday 11/8/17 – Ameroonie Designs – Amy Chappell – www.amerooniedesigns.blogspot.com
Thursday 11/9/17 – Debby Brown Quilts – Debby Brown – higheredhands.blogspot.com
Friday 11/10/17 – That’s-Sew-Kari – Kari Steiger – thats-sew-kari.blogspot.com