Halloween Cat in the Pumpkin Challenge Block

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As a member of Carol Doak’s online group, I was so excited to see her posting a new miniature block for Halloween with a cat!! I had my orange quilting cat with me, and he “assisted” with picking out the fabric.


This block is tiny, measuring 3 inches by 3 inches before I added the green fabric border. Since it is so adorable, I’ve decided to make some more of these blocks, sew them together, and create a whimsical wall hanging for my front door for Halloween this year.

You can join Carol’s group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarolDoakQuiltingGroup/.

Enjoy!

~Jennifer~

Deer Country Quilts in Seeley Lake, Montana and Hiking!

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Since my last post, I went on a long journey to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Montana and then over to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks for some sightseeing and hiking. I traveled with my husband, son, and nephew. Since the guys outnumbered me, I managed to convince them to stop at 2 quilt shops during the trip.

The first quilt shop was Deer Country Quilts in Seeley Lake, Montana. While all the guys went fishing, my sister and I got to spend some quality time with all the wonderful fabrics in this shop.

Quilt Shop in Seeley Lake, Montana

This shop had a great selection of batiks that I drooled over for a while before selecting a few pieces to add to my stash. I’ve also been really interested in paper piecing lately so I picked up a kit featuring some vibrant purple and green fabric called Twilight.

I tried to take a picture of the inside of the quilt store, but it came out a bit dark.

Inside the Shop!

The interior just invites you to explore all the great fabrics! Wish we would have had more time, but we had to meet up with the guys and have dinner.

During the next week, we spent a good portion of each day hiking in Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP. We experienced quite a bit of smoke in the area due to wildfires throughout the west so our views were obscured, especially in Grand Teton. We definitely had a great trip!

Happy sewing!

~Jennifer~

 

Halloween Dracula Vampire Block

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In my continuing quest to finish a Halloween quilt, I have finished a second block from Amy Bradley’s Happy Halloween pattern.

See my Bat block post to see the first one that I created a couple of weeks ago.

Presenting a very cute and fun looking vampire for a change! Nothing scary or creepy about this Dracula:

Vampire Block – Happy Halloween Quilt

I used a purple print with satiny dots for his collar to give him a bit of sophistication. I think he looks really charming with his muppet-like nose and little pointy teeth. The button eyes won’t be sewed down until I’ve finished the quilt.

Hope you enjoy and happy sewing!

~Jennifer~

 

Hulk Birthday Card

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My son was recently invited to a birthday party. Boys in his age group are over-the-moon for superheroes. I went to the store to find a suitable greeting card, but didn’t see a card that grabbed my attention. Plus, birthday cards are getting expensive at $3-$4 a piece.

I decided that I could put together a birthday card pretty quickly with supplies on hand. First decision – the design! The birthday kid will be receiving this awesome superhero toy:

Hulk Birthday Present

Why not make the birthday card match the gift? Now I’m not an artist, but I managed to free-hand draw some basic shapes using the picture on the toy as a guide. I ended up with these pieces:

Hulk Pieces

Next, I selected some cardstock from my stash and set out to trace the pieces and cut them out. I glued them together, added some ink detailing, added a Happy Birthday sign, and here you have the completed card:

Finished Hulk Birthday Card

Hopefully, the birthday boy will enjoy his one-of-a-kind card!

Happy paper crafting,

~Jennifer~

 

6 Year Anniversary Block

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In this earlier post, I mentioned that I’m a member of Carol Doak’s Yahoo group. Her group recently had its 6th year online anniversary and Carol designed a fabulous block to celebrate the event!

I have a small piece of  cute butterfly fabric in my stash, and I really wanted to be creative and incorporate the little butterflies throughout the block. I may have been too eager with this block because I’m not entirely happy with it.

Here’s a pic of it (a little crooked since the wind kept blowing it around outside on my lawn):

6 Year Anniversary Block

I really love the purple and blue tones in this block. However, I think the butterflies are a little lost against the white fabric.

Here are my ideas for using this block:

1. turn it into a pillow

2. add more blocks to either side to create a table runner

3. make a small wallhanging

4. give it away

5. other?

What would you do with this block?

Happy sewing,

~Jennifer~

Halloween Bat Block

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In my last post, I talked about my ever increasing stash of Halloween fabric.

One of my favorite applique designers, Amy Bradley, has an adorable ‘Happy Halloween‘ pattern set. I decided that these patterns would be a perfect application for my stash! I purchased the pattern and it arrived a few months back (whoa, how time flies!).

I selected the Bat Block as my first one to do this week. The eyes are only on the block temporarily. I’ll add them later once I have the whole project quilted.

What a cute bat!

Happy Halloween Bat Block

I have 1 out of 12 blocks finished. Who knows if I can finish it for this Halloween or perhaps for next year?

Happy crafting!

~Jennifer~

 

Halloween Fabric Stash

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Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the traditions and fun associated with kids trick-or-treating and the crispness of the autumn air. I love carved pumpkins sitting on porches and the colored leaves as they blow across lawns.

I really love Halloween fabrics. There are so many cute designs that I just cannot resist adding a fat quarter here and a 1/2 yard there to my stash.

I looked at my Halloween stash recently and decided it was overflowing, and I need to pick a project already!

Part of My Halloween Fabric Stash

Hmmm, are you wondering what I’ll pick? It is a delightful pattern full of whimsy and mischief from one of my favorite designers. I’ve been working on the first block this week and will post a picture of it when I’ve completed it.

Here’s a hint . . . it’s the same designer who created this crazy cat quilt pattern set that I did a few years ago and is now hanging in my sewing room.

Happy guessing!

~Jennifer~

Mom, I want a Pokemon birthday party!

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My little guy will be celebrating his 7th birthday soon. He asked me for a Pokemon themed party. I’ve been looking at local stores for themed party supplies, but haven’t had too much luck. So, I thought I would make some of the party goods myself.

To start with, I’m going to surprise him on his party day with a special Pikachu shirt. Pikachu is his favorite Pokemon character. I picked up a plain white t-shirt, cut out some fabric scraps, and satin-stitched all around the design.

I think he will be very happy to have his own Pikachu shirt!

Next up, I plan to make some Pokemon themed goodie bags. Wish me luck!

~Jennifer~

Making a 30 minute cuddle blanket

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My almost 7-year-old son asked me recently if I could make him a new cuddle blanket for traveling and going to grandma’s house. I agreed. He then gave me very specific requirements: it must be soft and it must have birds on it! So off to the fabric store I went in the hunt for fabric.

I had a difficult time finding a bird print that wasn’t too babyish or too girly. I knew he wouldn’t want cute little owls on a pink background! As I was searching, I spotted the perfect fabric. It had crazy penguins and ice cream cones and it was a soft flannel.

I purchased one yard and took it home to wash it.

Next, I trimmed off the edges to make it even. I folded each edge in 1/2 inch and then a 1/2 inch again for a nice hem. I pinned it and sewed each edge using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. The whole sewing portion took under 30 minutes!

Here’s what the finished blanket looks like, a bit folded on my ironing table:

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And here’s what it looked like right before grandma arrived:

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That’s one happy kid!

I used a print called “Scooping Up a Little Happiness” number S#H4010 by Hoffman Fabrics.

These little blankets make great little gifts for kids!

Happy sewing!

~ Jennifer ~

Visiting Center Diamond Quilt Store

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This weekend, I went on a camping trip with my 2 favorite guys – my husband and our son. On the way down to the campground, I managed to convince them that I needed to stop at a quilt store. Lucky for me, they didn’t mind waiting for a few minutes while I browsed inside Center Diamond in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Center Diamond is a great little quilt shop along the Oregon coast. I particularly love their collection of batik fabrics.  It’s definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.

I was searching for a turtle batik for a while and happened to find one while visiting. I picked up several coordinating fabrics that just feel summery to me. Wonder what I’ll make?

Turtle batik and other fabric

Aren’t these little turtles just wonderful?

Happy crafting!

~Jennifer~