Hello, Autumn, Darling Quilt

Hello, Friends!

Are you enjoying autumn as much as I am?

It makes me want to curl up with a new quilt,

for keeping cozy on these cool evenings.

I was stricken with All-Hallows-Eve fever

from the moment I discovered this beautiful fabric

from Fig Tree Quilts.

I first saw it used with the "Merry Christmas, Darling" quilt pattern

from Cotton Way, and it shot to the top of my must-make list.

I found this pattern to be extremely enjoyable to sew.

At first, I planned to stick with the color arrangement

shown on the pattern cover.

Pretty soon, though...a random design took over,

since I had orange, gray and black blocks

instead of the two-color palette.

I found it to be just as appealing, if not more so.

I think I love the all-black star best.

{It reminds me of a Halloween kitten.}

Before quilting, I pinned the quilt sandwich together with pins.

This part is not my favorite step in the process.

{Does anyone out there like making a quilt sandwich???}

The machine quilting process was much more fun!

I used a set of long wavy lines,

in the style of my sister of Susie's Sunroom.

The backing is a charming pumpkin colored floral print. 

For the binding, I selected the orange peel print.

It complements both sides. 

I don't ever mind stitching on the binding by hand,

because the big finish is worth it!

It's just scrumptious, when it's all rolled up, don't you agree?

If you enjoy sewing, I have a great resource for you to explore.

The website is called "Do You Sew?" and is fun for

anyone who sews, no matter your experience level.

Sign up here to receive their newsletter!

Now I'm all set for the month of October.

How about you?

Pin It

First Crush Coffee Cups - Mini Quilt

Do you know my sister Susie,

who blogs over at Susie's Sunroom?

She has a February birthday,

so I made a little mini quilt for her present!

I decided to make a mini quilt

that she could display in her kitchen,

on this sweet little quilt stand.

Susie likes coffee,

so I decided to make up 4 coffee mugs

using the Mug block from Quilty Fun,

by Lori Holt.

{Lori Holt calls them Cocoa Cups, and they're just super cute, no matter what is in them.}

Fabric selection for Susie's gift was really easy...

I chose First Crush by Sweetwater for Moda.

I have lots of fabric left from my layer cake

that I've been using for other projects,

like my Hugs and Kisses pillows.

I made up four mug blocks in no time...

which one is your favorite?

The first one is bold and dark, like a good cup of coffee!

Next we have a text print...

so cute to remind someone how special they are.

I think this one is my favorite...

it showed that this gift was made with lots of love.

A mug with hearts can't be beat for Valentine's Day,

or any other day of the year.

Our family name is Love, so red hearts are a "yes, please!"

for the Love girls!

 You can see from the photos that I got a lot of practice 

with free motion stippling.

The print designs are very forgiving.

The stitching shows up very clearly, though,

on the solid gray background and backing.

No pressure...

I used my own free tutorial for Machine Binding.

I must say it was a quick, neat finish.

My present was made in record time!

I nearly gave Susie a "heart" attack,

when my package arrived the day before her birthday!

Next time you need a gift for someone special,

think about a mini quilt!

Pin It

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

Pin It

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!!!

Pin It