Follow the Star

It's amazing to me how often I turn to FABRIC

to help me out!!

I found a beautiful Nativity set last week

at the thrift store.

You know how much I love shopping there!!

The only problem with the nativity was....

It needed a BACKDROP.

NOT my white wall.

It wasn't easy solving my little problem....

But FABRIC...in the end....

was the ANSWER!!!!

I began by making a QUILT.

A SMALL quilt.

 ;)

Something with stars to hang behind the nativity set.

It was a GOOD idea.

BUT....

the QUILT didn't turn out quite right.

(sorry I didn't think to add a photo of REALITY)

That big gold star is ALL that's left of my FIRST try!

I CUT that big star out of the quilt.

and then began making little stars.

I layered fabric with batting...

just like a quilt

and then machine outlined a star.

I cut around leaving raw edges.

MAYBE someday I'll buttonhole stitch around these guys.

:)

My stars hang on a wrought iron wall piece.

It's perfecto!

(you can see it peeking out of the third photo)

;)

This is what GREETS me as I walk into the house.

I LOVE IT!

If at first you don't succeed...

TRY TRY again.

And....

 If the quilt isn't the answer to your backdrop issues.... 

Cut it UP!

Ha!

Quick and Easy Gift Ideas Blog Hop

Hi Friends!

Today I'm joining a great BLOG HOP

hosted by Sew in Love (with fabric).

A BERNARTEX fabric company blog.

During the next week there's

a GREAT line up of projects and ideas you'll want to

watch out for!

There will also be a giveaway at EACH stop along the way.

 A Win Win situation.   ;)

I received a selection of prints from the 

ORIGINS line of fabric

and designed this great set of coasters

ALONG with a "berry basket" to hold them in!

I LOVE the BRIGHT green in the center of my coasters!

Plus...

that little bit of green stitching

makes them EXTRA special

and takes just a little bit more time.

;)

The Origins line of fabric also includes

these ROUND motifs

that are SUPER simple to construct

and also FIT in the handy dandy basket.

I had a hard time deciding which set to make....

so ....

I made them BOTH!

The tutorial for this project is over at the Sew in Love (with fabric) blog today.

I hope you'll make a few 

and give something....

or....... a WHOLE bunch of SOMETHINGS

that are HOMEMADE away this holiday season!!!

For a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Origins, make sure you're signed up to follow the Benartex blog either by email or through a blog reader (see both options in the right hand sidebar at Sew in Love with Fabric). Leave a comment letting me know you are, and leave a second comment if you follow Benartex on Facebook. In your comment, let us know if you're making any handmade gifts for the holidays this year (and if you are...where are you in the process? Idea stage? Halfway done? Already wrapped?). The giveaway will remain open through Tuesday, December 9th at 11:59 pm EST. 

Polyester

I brought a quilt top home today.

I felt sorry for it and knew I could find it a happy home. :)

It's laying on my floor screaming 1970!!

I don't mind the sound.

The vivid color has me wanting to scream along!

I'm going to leave it spread out.

The noise is making me happy!

Thank you friends

It's not 2015 yet....

but I already have my 2015 quilts going!

Thanks to KIND blogland friends....

quilts for the high school seniors

will be EXTRA special this year.

Thank you

Emily, Megan, Victoria and Mary!

Don't these blocks look FUN together???

The "HOW to" for this scrappy block

is here .....

and then there's a second idea  HERE.

(I have a second post about making it even scrappier!)

I made mine with old shirts

thinking they would be great for the boys.

Mary sent some pink and orange.

I'm sure she didn't want the girls to feel left out.

;)

I will be making at least 4 quilts this year.

IF I have enough extra blocks.....

I'll make more and donate them to the local hospital chaplain.

I'd love to add some QUILTY love from BLOGLAND

into these FUN quilts!!!

*I'll send my address if you leave a comment letting me know

you're interested in sending a block.

(I'll be accepting blocks for a long time...

haven't settled on an END date yet!)

:)

Thank you in advance for being

the RIGHT kind of NEIGHBORS

in this little corner of the world

I like to call BLOGLAND!!!

Friday finish

I'm not sure why.....

But I seem to get more sewing time in when I'm busy!

Strange.....but true

This little baby quilt using scraps was a great diversion from all the "have to do" things this week. ;)

Amazingly enough....

It's d.o.n.e.

Yeah!

Love the back!

Those little orphan blocks are the perfect addition to that blue/yellow stripe!

They look so cute all lined up there.

I love baby quilts. 

I love scraps.

I love done.

:)

I shared how I made these simple blocks HERE

Thanksgiving

Giving thanks with a grateful heart today.

Scraps on Monday

It's a scrappy

dump and sew kind of day!

Lay out the scraps

and

SEW!

Today I had to do a little

DIGGING before

I dumped the scraps on the table.

Here's my new scrap basket

and a little model to give you an idea of SIZE!!!

I didn't want to dump the WHOLE thing!

Well??

Do you think it's big enough???

Will I have enough to finish my baby quilt???

Ha ha!

:)

Each block begins with a 4" center.

Strips/scraps are sewn together

and cut into 3" wide segments

fitting them around the square

log cabin style.

Block is trimmed to 8 1/2".

(the transportation print is also cut into 4" squares

surrounded by muslin strips 3"...

trimmed to 8 1/2")

**note: my measurements

are 1/2" too big.

It's less stressful.

and fits into  my

HURRY SCURRY

kind of quilting style.

;)

I'm calling this my scrappy

TRANSPORTATION quilt!