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?

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Hello, Autumn

Hello, Friends!

It's been quite a while since I've posted.

Something happens every year,

that refreshes me and recharges my creativity...

it's called Autumn.

Here in Pennsylvania,

fall shows up for a day or two here and there,

before the leaves change

and summer goes away for a long long time.

It's perfect weather for a caramel latte

and some homemade pumpkin bread.

The colors of fall lift my spirits,

and they show up in flowers as well as on the trees.

My husband and I recently bought a Cricut Maker.

I hope to share lots of projects in the future.

I made my sign to usher in my favorite season.

I started with a round unfinished board from Lowe's,

which I sanded along the top edge.

I stained the board in a traditional finish.

Next I used painter's tape to create 

an antique white band with chalk paint.

Now I was ready to make my stencil using the Cricut Maker,

some removable vinyl.

I had fun picking out the fonts and a sweet saying. 

{I prepared the surface with some Mod Podge, to prevent bleeding of the letters.}

I hot-glued a pretty fall floral pick that I bought

from Michaels. I love the interesting colors of the pumpkins.

I popped in some little berries and a few loops of burlap ribbon.

There are loads of videos and how-to posts out there,

that anyone can use to spark their creativity.

It's been really fun to figure out how to make various

projects, and we're just getting started.

I hope you'll meet me back here later for more projects!

What are you working on?

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Fancy Little Mug Rugs from Solid Stars

Hello, Friends!

I have a fun little gift project to share today!

I made three little mug rugs, using

some 6 1/2" star blocks that I made

a short long time ago. 

{Ahem...time flies.}

You can read more about the Moda Sweetwater solid bundle

of fabrics that I used, in this post.

I had such fun stitching up these solid blocks!

I used one of them on the back of a little table runner,

and it's featured in this post.

Hmmm...solid blocks do tend to show "mistakes", 

don't they?
I'm pretty sure I've always had some issues,
but busier prints tend to mask them better.

A little miracle occurred when I pressed some fusible fleece

to the back of the stars. Everything flattened out nicely!

I had some little iron-on labels in my stash,

also from Sweetwater, so I decided to use them to

dress up these little orphan blocks.

It didn't hurt that the tiny houses also disguised those imperfections!

The little labels were easily ironed and stitched into place.

I used a Frixion pen to mark quilting lines.

I used a different quilting design for each block, 

just for added interest.

When the quilting was done, a quick press

with a hot iron removed the Frixion lines.

I trimmed up the blocks and prepared them for binding.

I used some leftover jelly roll strips, cut to 1 1/5" width,
to bind each block with a different print.

I used my own tutorial for "Machine Binding"

to finish off these little beauties in no time.

Feel free to try it - you'll love it!

It's a single-fold binding that works great for

small projects like mug rugs or mini quilts!

{I made one slight modification to the tutorial

and used a straight seam, instead of a diagonal seam, 

to attach the ends of the binding together.}

I chose a pretty print from Treehouse Club,

also from Moda Sweetwater, for the backings.

I still have lots of my fat quarter left over.

I only needed 3 7" squares...yay!

I wish I had time to make dozens

and dozens of these!

Little mug rugs are a great way to show off individual blocks.

That's one reason I like to join sew alongs,

even if I don't expect to use the blocks in a quilt.

Blocks can be made into special gifts

for friends, whether they are quilty friends or not.

These little orphan blocks will find their way to loving homes.

How do YOU like to use extra blocks?

Let me know in a comment!

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The Patchsmith's Sampler Sew-Along - blocks 1, 2, and 3

Hello, Friends!

Have you ever joined a sew-along?
I would highly recommend one that is going on right now
over at The Patchsmith's lovely blog:

To get started, order your copy of the book,
The Patchsmith's Sampler Quilt Blocks here on Craftsy.
There are 50 amazing blocks,
fun for anyone to create, 
whether you are an experienced stitcher, 
or someone who is just developing your sewing skills!

The book is priced at only $12.99 - what a bargain!
It's in PDF format, and you can choose to print any or all pages.
I'm just using the computer or my phone for instructions, only printing
template pages as necessary, for applique pieces.

Photo from The Patchsmith blog, showing patchwork and applique blocks

If you're just starting out on your sewing journey as a beginner,
DoYouSew.com is a wonderful resource with some great information!


Today I'm sharing my first three blocks from the sampler book.

For my blocks, I've been using some leftover jelly roll strips
from a line called Simply Sweet by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup.
I've had it in my stash for a good long time.

{Like...9 years!!! hahahaha}

Block 1 - Brick Wall,was the perfect place to start.
There were lots of little pieces, but no seams to match.

For the Guiding Star block (#2),
I selected four different colors of stars to make.
My background for the blocks is a tonal white dot print,
and I like the way it sets off the bright prints.

The third block was a Watermelon block, mostly patchwork,
but with a tiny applique accent.
I love to cut out my pieces when I have time,
then stitch them up in no time.

This little block comes together quickly,
from the inside out.
Look at the finished patchwork - very cute, huh?

And now...The Patchsmith adds her design magic...
little black appliques for the "pips".
What a difference they make!

I'll be continuing my sampler journey here on the blog,
and I would love to have you join me!

Find more photos by following me on Instagram.
I am @eamylove.The Patchsmith and I are no strangers to sew-alongs.
We became fast friends as a result of the Zakka Style Sew Along
years ago...maybe YOU can meet lifelong friends through the Patchsmith's Sampler Sew-Along!

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