Hugs and Kisses - A Pillow Set

Here's comes Valentine's Day!

Are you going to be ready?

This year, I'll have lots of fresh and lovely

handmade items,

including this new Hugs and Kisses pillow set.

I used a layer cake of First Crush fabric by Sweetwater,

to create a whole bunch of 4-patch quilt blocks.

Before long, I had designed an X block...

and an O block, using a nice basic black blender for the background.

I like the charcoal gray undertones with the black.

My blocks finished at about 16 1/2",

which is just the right size to make a pair of pillows.

Here are the blocks made into pillow covers,

with zippered backings, to make cleaning easy.

I referred to my very own

free tutorial on making backings with covered zippers.

I love the way the red Moda Swirl fabric

jazzes them up.

I finished them off with my "eamylove" label.

{Unfortunately, I think my supplier has stopped making labels.}

These pillows look so cozy and inviting on my couch.

I couldn't resist taking some glamour shots

in the morning sunlight.

These pillows are plump and full...just the way I like 'em.

Has anyone else been sewing with First Crush fabrics?
I'd love to see what you're making.

In fact...I'm going to do a little experiment to see

how much stuff I can make from this one lovely

layer cake, plus some coordinating yardage.

{Maybe I'll make some more of these pillows!}

Linking up to Quilt Story - Fabric Tuesday

A New Sponsor! Kimberly's Fabric Stash

Hello, Friends!

I hope everyone made it through the

Blizzard of 2016.

So many of us in the USA were affected!

Here at my house we had about 8" of new snow.

I kept busy throughout the storm by sewing,

as I'm sure many others did.

I made (yet) another Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug

using my new pattern.

{For now, I'll give you just a glimpse...more photos in another post to follow.}

I also made this little snowman.

He's cute already, but he needs to be made up

into a finished project.

Some buttons and eyes would do wonders for him.

{Tutorial: by @beelori1 on Instagram #mrSNOWMANtutorial}

Check out the fabrics I've been using!

They are from a layer cake of First Crush,

Sweetwater's new line for Moda.

As I mention often, my maiden name was Love.

That makes me automatically a fan of all things

with hearts, love, romance, hugs and kisses.

That's one reason I love First Crush.

I also love the limited color palette

of red, black, and gray.

I got my First Crush and a couple of coordinating blenders

from my new blog sponsor,

Kimberly's Fabric Stash.

You'll always find her button on my blog,

over on the left-hand sidebar.

Just click the button to go there 

and see what Kimberly's got in her stash today!

You'll want to join Kimberly's Fabric Club,

where you'll get all kinds of perks,

including 20% off of your first order!

I've got more First Crush projects to share very soon...

be patient...it won't be long.

I'll leave you with a sneak peek for now.

{If you can't wait, follow me on Instagram as @eamylove.}

Be safe and warm, everyone!!!

Fresh Valentines from Birch Farm Fabric

Hello, Friends!

Are you getting ready for Valentine's Day?

My maiden name was "Love"...

so naturally I really adore all kinds of hearts.

I've been stitching up lots of hearts lately,

using my new "Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug" pattern.

For this particular set of hearts,

 I chose fabrics in the teal, taupe and black range,

from Birch Farm by Joel Dewberry.

I started with 5" squares,which are always in abundance, right?

Think "Charm Packs"...

I cut them into 2 1/2" squares to create patchwork pieces

for a set of 3 similar, but distinct hearts.

For the quilting step, I had fun trying out a few different designs.

I also used different colors of ric rac to make each one special.

For the first heart, I chose a dark taupe ric rac as the edging.

For the quilting, I did some stippling...

a little piece like this is a great opportunity

to practice free motion quilting!

I think the colors make these Hershey kisses

into an irresistible little pick-me-up snack.

For the next mug rug, I selected teal ric rac edging.

I quilted a casual, loopy design.

This was my first attempt, and I'll be practicing

this method more in the future.

Take my word for it...it's totally fun!!!

Want to see this one on the other side?

I used Elementary fabrics, by Sweetwater for Moda.

Yes, it's reversible!

For the last mug rug, I used some black ric rac.

I chose to cut out the heart shape, positioned to set the squares "on point".
I stitched about 1/8" from each side of the seams.

This one looks so smart and sophisticated.

Must be that little barn owl...

So, let's have a few glamour shots, shall we?

The little stack of ric rac is always impressive.

These little quilts are just too much fun to make!
They don't require a lot of time or materials,
and the finished mug rug is always adorable.

Spoiler alert...
there will be many more heart mug rugs in upcoming posts!

Do you have some charm squares or scraps,

just begging to be made into a sweet heart?

Stop by my Craftsy pattern store and pick up the how-to

for only $2.99.

Pattern Launch: Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug

Any Pinterest fans out there???

Me, too!

One of my most popular posts

has been spreading like wildfire on Pinterest.

Maybe you've seen this Be My Valentine Mug Rug.

I figured a lot of people would like to make their own

versions of these sweet hearts,

so I wrote a tutorial-style pattern with lots of photos and tips.

It's now available in my shop on Etsy called eamylove for only $3.00,

as an instant download.

Believe it or not, I first made these mug rugs in 2013.

Since then, I've created many more of these

adorable quilted hearts, edged in ric rac.

You can find them here...

and here...

and here...in my blog.

Oh, there will definitely be more in upcoming posts.

I have sew much fun creating these!!!

If you make them, too, I hope you will send me pictures!

A Favorite Christmas Present

Hello, Friends,

and Happy New Year!!!

I wish each of you a very healthy

and prosperous 2016.

I never make official resolutions for the new year...

but I do hope to do more blogging in the coming year.

It's exciting to wonder what lies ahead,

and I hope to have lots of new projects to share with you.

For my first blog post of 2016,

I'm going to share one of my favorite Christmas presents

that I received, from my sister Susie.

Susie chose to create a Deluxe Pincushion for me,

from the book called

Sew Organized for the Busy Sewer,

by Heidi Staples.

I adore the little prints of Miss Kate,

featured in the patchwork square.

The quilting adds texture and durability.

This lime green print looks fantastic with it,

for the background and backing.

{Isn't the label adorable???}

I've got a lime green pair of scissors

that fits inside the little pocket.

The Clover Wonder Clips come in handy

for so many tasks. 

{And they're just so cute, too!}

That fabric tape has such sweet pictures,

and the words make me smile.

{Perhaps there was something lost in the translation...

they don't make sense to me, but that's why I find them irresistible.}

I won't be afraid to use this little pincushion.

I want to keep it near me for inspiration,

while I sew and smile.

Susie has been busy making lots of these pinnies.

Visit her blog at Susie's Sunroom

to see all kinds of good stuff!

Every Deluxe Pincushion I've ever seen

has been charming, but THIS one...

stole my heart!

I'm so glad it's mine!

Have you received a special handmade gift for Christmas, too?

Please comment about it below, and feel free to

include a link if you shared it on a blog post, Flickr, Instagram, etc.

I hope to see you often in 2016!