Kaylin the Amazing!

I have an awesome in-law family (as you might know, Karen is my mother-in-law and partner in crime).  I’m married to the oldest of her 4 children, and 3 of them all decided to get married in a 5 month time frame.  Because of that, naturally we all had children together – there are 14 of them ranging from almost 13 down to 3-1/2.  Christmas time with all these kiddos are super fun and crazy.  Because of the number, we all draw names so each kid buys for one of their cousins.

Long story short, this year my oldest picked Kaylin, one of my adorable 4 year old nieces.  She has always been a kid who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to tell you.  So I decided to ask her what she would like me to make her.  She very specifically told me she wanted a pink and purple cape with a heart on with a “K”.

So, I found a great (and easy) tutorial on Pinterest and got to work.  I dug through my stash of Moda fabric and found the perfect pink and purple combo, along with a cute printed fabric.

Her nickname is “Bird” so we decided to use a decorative bird stitch to finish off the edge.

This project also allowed me to play with my new embroidery machine, so it was a double win for me!

~Happy Sewing!

A Snuggly Quilt for my Dad

My dad, like a lot of dads out there, is really hard to shop for.  So this year for Christmas, I wanted to do something for him besides just buying another gift card.

When we got our “Generation Gap” panel in featuring the Pickles comic by Brian Crane, I just knew it would be perfect for my dad.  So, I got out some of my Moda Jelly Roll strips and other coordinating fabrics and got to creating.

The smaller comic strip blocks weren’t completely square so I decided to do a reverse applique technique.  Hope this inspires you to make something for that special dad/grandpa in your life!

~Happy Sewing!

Christmas Manger Wall Hanging

Are you looking for a fun and easy Christmas project or gift?  Look no further!  We have created a beautiful wall hanging using our “Christmas Manger” panel and the Winterlude fabric line by Moda.  We have this kit for purchase on our website for $49.99 – it includes everything but the batting!

Kit Includes:

•  (1) Christmas Manger Panel (approx 17”x20”)
•  (1) 1-1/2” x 108” strip of Red Fabric
•  (3) 4-1/2” x 44” Strips of Green Fabric
•  (1) 4-1/2” x 22” Strip of Tan Fabric (for squares)
•  (1) 36” x 54” Piece of Red Fabric for Back/Binding
  

STEPS:

1.  Iron panel flat and cut per lines.
2.  Measure the width of the panel down the CENTER section.
   
3.  Cut (2) strips of 1-1/2” wide Red fabric the width of the panel.
4.  Pin in place and sew to the top and bottom of panel with 1/4” seams.
5.  Press towards darker fabric
6.  Measure the length of the finished piece down the CENTER section.
   
7.  Cut (2) strips of the remaining 1-1/2” strip of red fabric the length of the finished piece.
8.  Pin in place and sew to both sides of finished piece with 1/4” seam.
9.  Press towards darker fabric.
10.  Measure the width of finished piece down the CENTER section.
    
11.  Cut (2) strips of the green fabric the width of the finished piece.
12.  Measure the length of finished piece down the CENTER section.
13.  Cut (2) strips of the green fabric to the length of finished piece.
14.  Pin in place and sew the strips to the top and bottom of the finished piece with 1/4” seam.
    
15.  Press towards darker fabric.
16.  Cut (4) 4-1/2” squares of tan fabric.
17.  Sew the squares to the top and bottom of the strips for the length with a 1/4” seam.
    
18.  Press towards darker fabric.
19.  Pin in place and sew strips to the sides of the finished piece.
20. Quilt and bind to your preference.

If you would like to purchase the quilt kit, click HERE

~Happy Sewing!

Merry Christmas!

How are you spending your Christmas?  Spending time with family and friends, or a quiet day at home? Here in north Texas, we are enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime White Christmas… at least the first in my lifetime 🙂

We spent the day with Karen & Jim.  Our girls decided that we needed to play in the snow.

My little on with the biggest snowball she could make.

Then, of course, the snowman building began – it got too dark before it was finished.

I hope you enjoyed your day in your own special way.  From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

 

Blessings, 

Jill

Faith, Hope, and Love

Well, I have been at it again.  Playing with our Say It With Words Panels.  Today I wanted to show you the Faith Hope and Love Panel.  When I first saw this one I was really unsure what I wanted to do with it.  I had never made anything on point.  I dragged my feet, just a little, but I did.  So let me start by showing you what I had to work with…

First off…

Faith Hope and Love Panel.

Next…

Joy by Kate Spain Layer Cake

Then…and this was my favorite part…

Swarovski Crystals 4mm

When we went to the Dallas Quilt Market this spring, it seemed just about every quilt had these on them.  I would never have thought about putting crystals on a quilt.  They add a completely different depth to the finished project.

They are so easy to apply using this little tool…

Crystal Crafter Applicator

So…now for my finished project…

I was going for a Christmas tree look.  If you look closely, you can see where I applied the crystals.  When you step away from this quilt and look at it, it just sparkles.  

I would love to hear what you think of the quilt.  Hope you are having a great start to your week!