Copenhagen Pillow Crochet Along

Not too long ago,

I came across a blog called

Sew Well Maide.

I found all kinds of delightful

projects, tutorials and information there.

I think that's how I learned to add my signature to my posts.

Karen is one busy girl, and I like to see what she's up to.

She has joined in a Crochet Along,

hosted by

Lisa and Cubby House Crafts

and her sister

Jane at Sweet Cinnamon Stitches.

The free pattern they featured is for

the Copenhagen Pillow,

designed for Red Heart yarns by Yvonne Eijkenduijn.

{I cut and pasted her name.  She must be a good speller.}

Image from Red Heart

I know, I know, I know...

I barely even know how to crochet,

and I'm already working extra hours at my "real" job

and taking part in lots of other sew alongs!

But THIS...was...irresistible to me...

because I had actually already made my crocheted block

before I ever even knew about the sew along!

I checked with the crochet-along hosts,

and they are the best!  

They said it was fine to join in, even though I had a jump-start.

I used the recommended yarn,

Full O' Sheep from Stitch Nation,

choosing similar colors those featured in the pattern.

I added some brown, so the pillow will match our couch.

I showed the crocheted pillow block to my mom,

and somehow or another, I coaxed her into

pulling all of those loose tails through and clipping them away.

The.Worst.Part.

{What an awesome mom I have!!!}

Now I just need to stitch the crocheted block to my background 

and finish off the pillow backing. 

I happen to have the perfect fabric,

and I will use my very own free tutorial for a

Covered Zipper Pillow Backing!

Back of my Signature Pillow

So now you have three new blogs to check out!

Enjoy, and stop back soon!

Pin It

Beat the Winter Blues Giveaway!

Don't let the Winter Blues

get you down...

keep your spirits up with the

Quilting Gallery Blog Hop Party,

where you'll have dozens of chances to win prizes

and find new and wonderful blogs!

Yesterday, I wrote a rather lengthy post

about my one-year blogiversary...

I hope you'll pop over to read it and find out

what my blog is all about.

I've been blessed all year to meet

so many readers and bloggers,

and I want to thank everyone

with a giveaway!

The winner will receive this brand-new

springtime juicy fruity

mug rug!

{Yes, I know that teapot is adorable, but I'm keeping that!}

And I had a few minutes to make up this little pincushion,

to sweeten the pot!

International entries are welcome,

and the contest runs until March 14th at midnight

Eastern Daylight Savings time.

To enter...it's so easy...

just leave a comment to tell me what your favorite post

has been during the first year of my blog.

{Just one comment per person, please.}

My blogiversary is officially on March 11.

I would really love to have 50,000 page views by then,

and 100 followers.

Won't you help, by telling your friends about my blog?

{That would make me smile!}

Good luck, everyone!

Pin It

My First Blogiversary!

This month marks my 1st blogiversary,

and to celebrate,

I'm joining the Beat the Winter Blues

Quilter's Blog Hop Party!

{There's about to be a giveaway...stop by again between March 8 - 14!}

Whether you've come here to see my blog before,

or are a newcomer via Quilting Gallery

Blog Hop Party,

I hope you'll linger and come back often.

I'm going to take this opportunity to share one

photo from each month

of the past year.

My first post ever was a description

of why I love sewing and featured
a camera bag I made for my sister,
who soon started her own blog at Susie's Sunroom!

April marked the beginning of the Zakka Style Sew Along,
which featured heavily in my blog over the six months
we sewed along.

{That event was a life-changer for me, introducing me to many new friends and their talents!}

In May I made this lovely pencil case for the Zakka Style Sew Along.

{It's still available for sale in my shop on Etsy...eamylove.}

In June I shared photos of the mug rugs
that Amanda and I swapped,
and since then, we have both become addicted
to making mug rugs.

{I can prove it...keep on reading!}

July brought gardens bursting with fresh zucchini,
so I shared my favorite zucchini bread recipe,
along with photos of my zakka bread basket!

August was a landmark month for my friend and sister-in-blog
Amanda, the Patchsmith.
Now that she knows what mug rugs are,
she has not stopped designing new ones,
and they are all available for sale on Craftsy.

Here's my own version of her Scotty Dog Mug Rug.

In September the Zakka Style Sew Along came to a close,

with the final project being nesting boxes.

October featured another favorite recipe of mine,

which has been a star on Pinterest...

Amish Ham Casserole.

I love making casseroles,

almost as much as making Aunt Ellie's Casserole Carriers!

{I even have my own pattern available for purchase

on several websites, including Craftsy.}

In November, Susie's Sunroom,
The Patchsmith, and my blog
launched the Across The Pond Sew Along.

Each month we choose a theme or pattern to sew and share...
no prizes, but no pressure, either!
 :)

Feel free to join us at any time, and share your projects in the Flickr group.

In December I shared a personal accomplishment...
completing my Winter Dresden quilt in time for Christmas.
All year long, I featured updates, and here is the finished quilt.

I took some time to indulge myself in January,
and I made a bunch of Cathedral Window pincushions,
just because I adore them.

And I really {heart} the month of February...
I made a whole bunch of pretty projects 
in pinks and reds from one stack of fabric.

I hope you'll take some time to go and see what else I made!

Here was my Valentine Mug Rug...

Stop by again tomorrow, when I'll announce my giveaway prize!!!
As always, I'm so glad you've stopped by my blog.

Pin It

Mission Accomplished - A Charm Square Scarf

In my last post,

I described the March project for the

Across The Pond Sew Along,

the Charm Square Scarf,

selected by Amanda The Patchsmith.

Amanda's and Lea's beautiful scarves in the forest via The Patchsmith blog

The original tutorial can be found on Moda Bake Shop,
as presented by Trish of notes of sincerity.

Here's my finished Glace Charm Square Scarf!

And here's how I made it...

I started with 34 of my favorite charm squares,

half of which were mostly green.

I paired each green square with another color.

{I had a piece of green tone on tone Glace

that was long enough to use for the backing,

so green was my main color feature.}

Here they are, all lined up.

And here they are after chain-stitching

all the pairs together.

I pressed each pair toward the green square.

Then I arranged them in an order that I liked

and stitched all the pairs into a really long strip.

As I said, my backing was super long,

leftover from my Winter quilt.

I decided to cut the scarf backing about 8" longer

than the scarf front, which gave me a pretty finish

at each of the shorter ends, about 1 1/2" wide.

{That's my favorite detail on this scarf.}

The fun part is figuring out how to wear it.

I like it folded in half and looped through.

{I put the square with that beautiful bird in that spot on purpose.}

Or tied with a single knot...

but I'm barely tall enough for that one.

I had to stand on a bench to take pictures

of myself wearing my new scarf!

{How do you like my bathroom mirror shots?I'm copying off of the kids and their Facebook profiles.Hmmm...guess I'll have to upload this one to my Facebook page,just to be cool.}

And just so you know I'm not kidding,

here's an uncut version,

complete with bathroom sink, lotion and toothpaste.

:)

{Aren't you glad I know how to crop?}

To be honest,

I really wish I had gone with my instinct

and made my scarf about half as wide,

the way Susie did for hers on Susie's Sunroom.

I really love the skinny look!

{Susie's my sister...she has ALWAYS been taller and skinnier than me,

so it's only right that she pulled off the skinny scarf!}

Susie's skinny scarf via Susie's Sunroom blog

Nice bathroom photography, sis!

:)

Pin It

March - Across The Pond Sew Along - Charm Square Scarf

March came in like a lion here in Pennsylvania,

and I woke up to a fresh coating of snow today.

What a perfect day to introduce

the March project for the Across The Pond Sew Along,

selected by The Patchsmith.

Amanda went to the mother lode of tutorials,

the Moda Bake Shop, choosing

 a fast, fun, and fabulous Charm Square Scarf pattern
by Trish of notes of sincerity blog.

If you are ever at a loss for ideas and instructions 

for making something special

from precut Moda fabrics,

Moda Bake Shop is there to help.

{While you're there, visit my recipe for Simply Colorful Coasters!}

I just happen to have quite a few charm packs in my stash.

They are so cute and compact and easy to hoard store.

In fact, I have about a pack and a half of Glace charms,

a Christmas line introduced by 3 Sisters in 2009.

I guess they've had enough time to ripen,

and I'm going to use them in my project.

{I'm choosing the prints without holly, so I can wear my scarf any time of the year.}

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is:

1. Head on over to Amanda's blog to see

two beautifully finished scarves for inspiration.

2.  Make your own version, and share it on the

Across The Pond Sew Along Flickr page,

to inspire others.

3.  Check back here at my blog to see how mine turns out!

Pin It