More Christmas in September

It might be a bit too early to start thinking about Christmas in the rest of the world, but in the quilting world, the time is now!  We've got 3½ months to gather ideas, shop for fabrics, and make quilted projects to decorate our homes and to give as gifts.  Plenty of time!!

And I've got a great place for you to start!  Quilters Newsletter's latest special issue, Best Christmas Quilts 2016, is available in print or for download now at the Quilt and Sew Shop and wherever quilting magazines are sold.  It's a beautiful issue, with 26 projects of all shapes and sizes to help you celebrate the Christmas season.

I've got a couple of fast and fun projects in Best Christmas Quilts 2016.

On page 58, you'll find my Mittens oraments.  

These darling little mittens are easy and so much fun to make, and the best part is that you can stuff them with treats just like a stocking!  Use them to decorate your Christmas tree, string them up as a garland, or tie them to a gift.

Each mitten takes only a fat eighth of fabric plus a small scrap for the mitten's cuff, so you can easily make them with fabric from your stash.  And you can use your imagination for the hanging loop—try cords or ribbons in white or other colors, or even metallics.  Careful though, these mittens are addictive!

My second project is found on page 60 of Best Christmas Quilts 2016.  It's a 12" x 20" pillow called Sweater Weather that was inspired by Nordic sweaters and perfectly named by my daughter.

I love the monochromatic color palette of this blue on blue version of my pillow, but I think it would look beautiful in burgundy, red and ivory:

Or maybe traditional red and green:

Or a more modern red and green:

Or even blue and gray:

And if solids aren't your thing, this pillow would also look great in batiks or prints—the possibilities are endless!

Happy quilting!

Quilters Newsletter's Best Christmas Quilts 2014 Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 1 of QN's Best Christmas Quilts 2014 Blog Tour!!

Available now in quilt shops, in bookstores, on news stands and on-line at Quilt and Sew Shop, Best Christmas Quilts 2014 is loaded with beautiful and colorful projects designed to fill you with Christmas spirit.  No matter your style or skill level, you'll be sure to find the perfect project to make as a gift or to decorate your home for the holidays.  Quilters Newsletter has even included stocking stuffer ideas for the quilter in your life -- even if that quilter just so happens to be you!

If you're looking for a fast and easy project, check out page 18 for my Tiny Trees Christmas ornaments.

These sweet little ornaments are a snap to make and the possibilities are endless!  Use your favorite modern or traditional quilting fabrics or try something new like corduroy or velvet.  Keep them plain or simply pieced or embellish them with buttons, beads or even embroidery.  Top the trees with star buttons or crystal beads.  Just have fun!

Here's my homespun tiny tree topped with an oversized wooden star button for a primitive look:

And here are my scrappy strip pieced tiny trees:

If you'd like to take on a bigger project, try my Christmas Ribbons table runner found on page 47 of Best Christmas Quilts 2014.

Christmas Ribbons is a scrappy quilt made using straightforward patchwork with just a bit of simple piecing thrown in to create the bow.  One of my favorite things about this quilt is the binding, yes, that's right, the binding!  I couldn't decide if it should be bound in white, red or green, so I bound it in all three.  Check out the right edge in the photo below:

I think this table runner would also be perfect for Easter!  Just change the ribbon and bow to pink:

or purple:

or blue!

Finally, check out page 74 for my Merry & Bright lap quilt -- perfect for settling down for a long winter's nap!

I used a fat eighth bundle of Kate Spain's In from the Cold fabric (love the turquoise blue!) for this throw, but the 5" x 5 3/4" cascading ornament blocks are a great opportunity to show off your favorite Christmas fabrics.

Simple machine piecing and a strip pieced border make this lap quilt fun, easy and fast to put together.

And now, in the spirit of the season, here's your chance to win a bundle of Christmas fabric from Quilters Newsletter.  To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm MDT tonight (8/25/14) by clicking on the word "comments" below.  You'll be redirected to a "Post a Comment" window.  Once there, click "Jump to Comment Form" and follow the directions to leave your comment.  I'll draw one name at random, so please make sure I have your email address.  This contest is open to anyone who hasn't won something from QN in the last 90 days.

***This contest is now closed.  Thank you for all of your comments and don't forget to visit the QN blog every day this week (8/25 - 8/29) for links to other designers' blogs and more chances to win!  Good luck!***

Quilters Newsletter's Best Christmas Quilts Blog Tour

Welcome fellow quilters!

"On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three french hens..."

Ok, so it's not the 3rd day of Christmas, but it is the 3rd day of QN's 12 Days of Best Christmas Quilts blog tour and while I don't have french hens, I do have calling birds! 

And they are sew sweet - perfect for adorning your Christmas tree or to add a little something extra to a beautifully wrapped package!  The pattern for my quick and easy ornaments can be found on page 24 of Quilters Newsletter's special issue Best Christmas Quilts 2012.  Best Christmas Quilts 2012 is available now on newsstands and in bookstores and quilts shops.  It's also available through www.quiltandsewshop.com in both hardcopy and digital editions.

Also featured in Best Christmas Quilts 2012 are my Let it Snow table runner and pillow.

I actually made the pillow version of Let it Snow first as a Christmas gift for my mother.  When she opened her gift and started to laugh, I looked at the pillow and realized that I'd forgotten to give the snowmen arms.  I was horrified, but it turns out that she was laughing because she had also made a snowman pillow for me - go figure.  She didn't even notice that the snowmen didn't have arms!  Needless to say, they have arms now!

I loved making the snowman panels for the pillows (yes, I made one for me!) so much that I decided to adapt the pattern into a table runner, something that I could keep out not just for Christmas, but for the rest of winter as well.  Because of the hand work in the snowman panels, I decided to keep the patchwork in the center of the table runner simple.  I chose homespuns because I think they instantly convey warmth, but these projects would be equally charming in any fabric that suits your taste or decor.

Here's a close-up of one of the snowmen.  Isn't he cute!  I made him out of felted wool and appliquéd him to the background using a whipstitch.  Super simple and fast.  But you can use whatever material and appliqué method you prefer.  Change up the color of the hats, add whatever embellishments speak to you, and have fun -- just don't forget the arms!!

And now, the moment you've been waiting for (and thank you for your patience), your chance to win a fat quarter bundle and two panels from the Too Many Men collection from Red Rooster Fabrics.

Look close... closer... closer still... yes, that's right, snowman fabric!  If only I knew of a pattern for say a table runner or even a pillow to make with snowman fabric, hmmm. 

If you'd like a chance to win this adorable fabric and a copy of Best Christmas Quilts 2012 leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. MDT tonight (8/22/2012) by clicking on the word "comments" in the blue box below.  I will draw one name at random (just please make sure I have your email address).  Only one comment per person, please, and the contest is only open to those who haven't won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days.

Enjoy the rest of the blog tour and good luck!

Thank you for all of your comments.  This contest is now closed.