Stitchin At Home

Sunday, 19 February 2023

Love to Read

Project 14.4 had us making a project inspired by books. I started thinking about the many books I've read. The most rewarding of them all was reading to my children when they were younger, and now to my grandchildren.

a very small selection of my grandchildren's favourites

For my project I decided to make a reading pillow for my youngest granddaughters.

I appliqued the letters to the pocket

I printed the letters on some Steam-A-Seam 2 and followed the directions of simply peel, stick, cut and press. I did a buttonhole stitch using MonoPoly from Superior threads as I know the pillow will need to be able to be washed without worrying about the applique ever lifting off.

straight line quilting of the front

Bright and cheery fabric for the front of the pillow.

I added a handle at the top to make it easier to carry around

The pillow is 16 inches square and I used a 14-inch pillow form to keep the pillow soft and comfy to snuggle up with a good book.

Sunday, 5 February 2023

Project Quilting 14.3

Challenge 3 of season 14, hosted by Kim Lapacek, was the 54-40 or Fight block. We were to be inspired by traditional '54-40 or Fight block.' It consists of four-patches and triangle-in-a-square blocks. I choose to be more traditional with the block.

first up do I paper piece or use the 'tri recs tool'

I choose to use the tri recs tool to make the triangle-in-a-square blocks.

blocks coming together

For those of you who have read my blog before, you will notice not a bit of green in this project. This challenge project is for my daughter and her favourite colour is blue.

This was a quick project to piece so why did it take me until this morning to get it finished. I procrastinated over the quilting, my daughter didn't want it over quilted.

I tried to keep it a little simpler

Straight lines and curves in the triangle-in-a-square blocks. Swirls in the squares of the lighter blue and more straight lines in the dark blue squares.

I didn't have enough of the dark blue I used in the topper for the binding

I was 10 inches short of the dark blue to use as a binding, thankfully I had another piece of fabric that I think worked pretty darn good.

The finished topper is 20'' by 20'' and I used my favourite batting for table toppers Thermore by Hobbs.

Tuesday, 24 January 2023

Villa Rosa Designs Fast and Fun Blog Hop

Hello, and welcome to my turn, on the first-ever Villa Rosa Designs Fast and Fun Blog Hop, a week-long event that celebrates five patterns from Villa Rosa. The blog hop features a collection of five different patterns: Snow Goose, Nantucket, Baby Zip Tease, Hillside Charm, and S’Witched.

The instructions fit on one side of a postcard, what a great idea! I had never heard of Villa Rosa Designs, but wow do yourself a favour and check out the designs they are only $2 each.

My choice was Snow Goose, it is a great pattern to use up leftover jelly roll strips, or in my case scrap pieces.

scrap selection

I pulled out some of my green scraps, no shortage of those around here. As I was invited late to the party I didn't have a lot of time to play with the pattern. I must say however that the pattern does go together quickly. I decided on making a table runner, but I didn't make as many blocks as called for in the pattern. I think with more blocks this would make a lovely bed runner.

a fun variety of greens

For the quilting, I decided I would like some curves for a little bit of visual movement. In the sky section a curvy vine with leaves and in the goose section orange peels.

I used a variegated green thread for the curvy vines

Check out all the blogs for chances to win prizes!

January 19

Villa Rosa Quilts (Blog Hop Kick-Off)

January 20

January 21

Little Penguin Quilts

January 22

Quilt with a View

mmmquilts

January 23

Cheryl’s Teapots 2 Quilting

Devoted Quilter - That's me!

Quilts of Valor Foundation

January 24

January 25

Jo’s Country Junction

Keepsake Quilting

Stitchin At Home

January 26

Villa Rosa Quilts (Blog Hop Wrap-Up)

There are several opportunities for you to win prizes during the blog hop:

Individual bloggers may be hosting giveaways on their blogs for you to win. Please visit these bloggers to find out about their giveaways and how to register.

Villa Rosa Designs is giving away a 2023 Blog Hop Rose Card pattern collection on each participating blog.

Everyone is eligible to win prizes. Please note that winners outside the USA will receive a digital set of the 2023 Blog Hop Rose Card pattern collection. To enter just leave a comment.

There are two Grand Prize Boxes overflowing with quilty goodness. Check out the photos at VRD blog. Every blogger will be selecting two people from their comments to enter that drawing.

Please note: If you are a no-reply blogger (or aren’t sure whether you’re a no-reply blogger), please leave your email address in the comment.

Amazing Sponsors

Moda Fabrics

Hoffman California Fabrics

Timeless Treasures Fabrics

Saturday, 21 January 2023

A little oops, this was supposed to publish on Thursday. Someone not saying who may have put the wrong day.

The Fast and Fun Blog Hop has already started but you still have time to visit the bloggers and get your name in for the draws. My day is Jan 25, 2023. The hop features postcard style patterns from Villa Rosa Designs, using quick and simple designs.

The lineup of bloggers is shown below. Be sure to visit each one for loads of inspiration as well as the chance to enter and win some very generous prizes.

01/19/23 Thursday	Villa Rosa Quilts – Hop Kickoff and Info
01/20/23 Friday	From Bolt to Beauty Kathleen McMusing Jaftex Companies
01/21/23 Saturday	Pieceful Thoughts Little Penguin Quilts
01/22/23 Sunday	Quilt with a View MMM Quilts
01/23/23 Monday	Cheryl’s Teapots 2 Quilting Devoted Quilter Quilts of Valor Foundation
01/24/23 Tuesday	Needle and Foot Am I Shouting Yet? Electric Quilt
01/25/23 Wednesday	The Crafty Quilter Jo’s Country Junction Keepsake Quilting Stitchin At Home
01/26/23 Thursday	Villa Rosa Quilts

Check out the cool sponsors, with some very generous prizes.

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Pink Tint

Thanks to Kim Lapacek of Persimon Dreams for Project Quilting. The rule in this challenge is that some shade of pink must dominate the project. With 6 granddaughters, let's just say I have pink.

a few pinks

The block I made was a simple plus block.

I pulled some 2 1/2'' white squares from my stash

As you can see in the next photo, I switched my background choice to a background fabric with pink.

12 blocks later

I made a doll quilt for one of my granddaughters, it finished at 18'' x 24''. I wanted to keep the quilting simple. I stitched in the ditch and 1/4'' in all the pluses and curves and orange peels in the background squares.

Sunday, 8 January 2023

Project Quilting 14.1

It must be a New Year as Season 14 of Project Quilting has started. The first one is indeed the 'First One'. All that's been going through my mind since I first read the challenge has been 'One singular sensation' from 'One' by Marvin Hamlisch. The lyrics praise a singular star, oh I can work with that. Stars are one of my favourite blocks.

quilted and ready to put together

Now what to make with a single star. I pulled some scraps and made a 3'' finished star. Okay, that was easy, but what to do with it. Why not make something useful, I've been thinking of making a rotary cutter cover, to put my rotary cutter in when taking it to guild. Time for some more scraps. I used a scrap piece of Thermore batting and a scrap fabric for my quilt sandwich. I did a crosshatch for the back of the rotary cover and some stitch in the ditch for the star. Sew the front to the back, add a single fold binding, and one singular rotary cover is done.

getting ready for the next project

I don't know if it's a singular sensation, but I think it turned out okay. Plus a few bits of scraps are put to good use.

Monday, 5 December 2022

Virtual Cookie Exchange 2022

My favourite hop of the year is the Christmas Cookie Exchange, Blog Hop, hosted by Carol at Just Let Me Quilt. I know there will be delicious cookie recipes shared and inspiring projects to be seen.

The recipe I'm sharing this year is one for Snickerdoodles. Snickerdoodles are traditional Dutch-German cookie that are usually covered with cinnamon and sugar. My paternal grandfather was German and that may explain why I love these cookies.

yum

Snickerdoodle Cookies Small Batch

INGREDIENTS:

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

1: Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together with a whisk.

2: Cream butter and sugar.

3: Add in egg and vanilla until mixed.

4: Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

5: Using a small cookie dough scooper, make 12 cookie dough balls. I made 15. Roll them in the palm of your hand, then in the sugar/cinnamon mix.

6: Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leaving a couple inched between them.

7: Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and soft, they will continue baking as they cool down on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.

8: Enjoy

My Christmas project this year are stockings. For every grandchild I make them a Christmas stocking the year they were born, my newest granddaughter was born in March of this year. The first stocking I made was for my oldest granddaughter, who is now 17. I have 6 granddaughters and 2 grandsons. I have made each one their own snowman stocking.

Erin and her juggling snowman stocking

I used Swarovski hot-fix rhinestones, which I understand Swarovski is no longer making, to add a little bling around her name and also the juggling balls for the snowman. On the snowman, I hand-sewed the beads for the tummy, eyes, and mouth.

My daughter wanted a stocking for herself, making this a two stocking Christmas project year.

a little lace for a little more elegant look

To make the berries show, I used my Inktense pencils to do a little shading and add some dimension. I also added some Swarovski hot-fix rhinestones around her name.

Sit back relax with a cuppa of hot chocolate and enjoy more recipes and projects from my fellow bloggers.

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