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Blog Hop beginning TODAY!!

I’m participating in a Blog Hop that is starting today!  My friend Lindsay Mayland of Happy Hour Stitches has organized the hop to last just this week and featuring a different designer each day.  SO, I wanted to give you a heads-up to check out the other blogs and designers all week long!  We have each made a project with a free downloadable pattern Lindsay has available.  It will be fun to see everyone’s interpretation and fabric collection, using mini charms!  And just as a tease, I’ll start the day off with a cute pick of a three-year-old tucking in her baby!

December 5: Lindsay Mayland of Happy Hour Stitches  (happyhourstitches.com)

December 6: Tracie Henkel of Ricefors Streams (ricefordstreams.com)

December 7: Vanessa Lynch of Punkin Patterns (punkinpatterns.com)

December 8: HollyAnne Knight of String and Story (stringandstory.com)

December 9: Sheila Sinclair Snyder of License To Quilt (licensetoquilt.com)  That’s ME!!

December 10:  Pat Sloan (blog.patsloan.com)  We’re in the presence of QUILTERLY GREATNESS now!!!

So there you have it!  It will be easy for you now, to check out all the projects, and come up with a few ideas of your own!  Have a fun sewing day!

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Love making Table runners!

Black Eyed Batik

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I’m just like a lot of you, I love a quick project now and them sprinkled in with the more complex quilts I work on.  Table runners are one of my go-to projects, when I just want to FINISH SOMETHING…….., ANYTHING!  These pics are of table runners, and one horizontal wall hanging that have helped me keep my sanity that way!  I love rich saturated colors, and making a small piece gives me a chance to work with different fabrics and colors I might not automatically choose otherwise.  I can see how they work together, and that will give me confidence to use them in a larger piece as well.  All of these runners were designed in collaboration with Lisa Bee-Wilson over at Towerhouse Quilts, so be sure to check her site to get a look at her versions.   Click here to download the FREE patterns for each of them! The wall hanging, Waves of Hospitality is an art piece I did a few years back, and of course I teach classes in this technique, and have added my signature pieced borders to this one.  Hope you enjoy seeing them!

For previous posts about these runners:

One Hour Table RunnerBarber Pole Table RunnerPiano Key Table Runner Summer Star Table Runner.

The featured image at the top of this post is a table runner from “Perfect-Fit Pieced Borders” called “Black Eyed Batik”, another colorful favorite!  That book is out of print, but I have copies available on my shop page.

 

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Cozy Flannel Quilts!

wintergreen quiltJust noticed that All People Quilt was featuring some cozy flannel quilts on their weekly newsletter today! I thought I should check it out, and what did I find but MY QUILT Wintergreen featured on the first page! What fun to see it again in a wonderful setting. This quilt is on my guest bed right now, awaiting our company for Christmas. It is made of flannel, and homespun, both plaids and prints, and even a stripe thrown in for good measure! I used a shot cotton backing as I wanted to keep it light, but I used a wool batting for the warmth. The quilting is pure fun: a large paisley in the plain blocks with contrasting thread so it would show against the print, and horizontal zig-zags in the background. My good friends helped me meet the deadline: Wendy Fast pieced the quilt top and Lisa Bee Wilson of Towerhouse Quilts did the quilting on this one. It’s fairly loosely quilted so the loft of the wool is maintained, and believe me, this is a cozy one. All People Quilt is offering it as a free download now, but originally it was published in “Quilts and More“.
I hope you will send me a pic when you finish yours!

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Deviating from the norm! Sewing vs. Quilting

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I just can’t decide!  What do I like best, sewing or quilting??  It depends on my mood, how much time I have available, and what project strikes my interest at the time.  I started out doing a LOT of garment sewing over the years and then got seriously into quilting.  Now, I like to do some of each!  The FREE project for this month is a fun Picnic Napkin Pattern!  You know, the kind you take with you to a pot-luck or picnic, where you’re supposed to take your own table service.  This is so fast and easy to make, and what I love best about any project–it is functional!  Hop on over to Lisa Bee Wilson’s blog to see her versions.  We’d love to see yours too, and let us know what events you’re taking them to!

Find some spunky fabric–you know it has to suit your personality–or make a statement!  You’ll have it done and ready in no time.  I’ll be using mine for the first time this Saturday at my quilt group.  When I come home, all I have to do is put the silverware in the dishwasher, and throw the napkin in the laundry!  Make a bunch of these, enough for the whole family, and then start planning your next picnic!