Saltwater Mini Quilt

Hello, Friends!

I've been back at the sewing machine,

and I've got lots of new things to show you.

 Today I'm sharing my Saltwater Mini Quilt,

made from the pattern by Thimbleblossoms.

I was craving a mini quilt, 

and this design looked like such fun to make.

I was not disappointed when I made it

from a few fat quarters of Hello Darling

by Bonnie and Camille.

I made this block first, and I was hooked.

The apple green looks so sweet with the

pink strawberry print.

Hmmm...I wasn't sure I liked the "busy" blocks...

but they've grown on me.

They're just little blocks, so they have to grab attention.

This one is actually my favorite, with the dots.

I put them all into place, with some bright white sashing.

For the quilting, I used some wavy lines.

This type of quilting is my new method of choice.

I think I like the lines going horizontal on this project.

This mini quilt would make a cute topper for a small table.
It would fit in with modern Christmas decor,
but it's just right for any season.

Have you made any mini quilts lately?

I can't wait to make some more!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday #279 at Quilt Story

and 

Crazy Mom Quilts "Finish It Up Friday 9/30/16

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Norway Mini Quilt

Hello, Friends!

While I'm waiting for my hand to mend,

I'd like to share a project that I had made earlier this summer.

It's a mini quilt,

made from the Thimbleblossoms pattern called Norway.

Photo credit: Thimbleblossoms Big Cartel shop

I purchased a kit for this project from Connecting Threads.

It came with everything I needed.

In fact, aside from the background, there was enough fabric

left over to make another one!

Photo credit: Connecting Threads website

This kit is still on sale, and if you need a little pick-me-up,

I highly recommend this fun kit.
I enjoyed practicing some free motion quilting.

All the small pieces present a bit of a challenge,

but that made it a great opportunity

to sharpen my sewing skills.

I love Nordic themed projects

that can be used for Christmastime

and beyond.

It feels great to have my Norway mini quilt

all ready for winter decorating!

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Mr. Sunshine Mini Quilt Pattern - Supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

A brighter future lies ahead...

Someday we will wake up to a world

where the words, "You have cancer"

do not send people into a panic.

I'd like to do what I can to help

make leukemia and lymphoma treatable,

by supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

My husband is an only child,

but he's had a best friend, Dan Chianese,

for over 50 years. They are like brothers.

"Dan the Man" was diagnosed with leukemia

two years ago.

Dan is fighting back as a candidate for the

Man of the Year with LLS Suncoast.

One dollar equals one vote, from now until May 7, 2016.

The Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY) campaign is a spirited fundraising competition in communities across the U.S. in which participants build fundraising teams to compete for the title of Man or Woman of the Year. They raise funds for LLS blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year. The titles are awarded to the man and woman in each community who raises the most funds during the ten-week campaign; the top local fundraisers in the country also win the national titles. You can support their efforts by donating to or joining their campaigns, because everyone wins when cancer loses!

In Dan's honor,

I designed the Mr. Sunshine mini quilt.

Dan lives in Florida now,

so I decided to put some sunglasses onto

a sunburst design.

You can buy this pattern on Craftsy for only $3.00.

I will donate all of the sales of this pattern from now

through May 7, 2016 to Dan The Man's campaign for Man of the Year.

You can also make a direct donation here.

The future is so bright that

even the SUN needs sunglasses!

Linking up to Bits N Bobs Design Board Monday!

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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!

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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.

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