little quilt monday~~~4 hearts mini quilt

Little Quilt Monday

I have a WIP that has been patiently waiting for my attention.  The heart appliqués are begging to be hand stitched before Valentine's Day : )  The four hearts are raw edge appliqué and the fabric is an older Moda line called Paris Flea Market.

I am going to use bright pink crochet thread for my hand stitching on this little beauty.  The big stitches are going to look great.   Although this is not the most modern looking little quilt in the world, I am linking up to Sew Modern Monday.   I think the big stitch quilting will make it a thoroughly modern mini....hehe.

I think this 4 hearts mini quilt is going to be a cute addition to my Valentine decor this year, and it always feels good to finish a WIP that has been hanging around for a while!

Now it is your turn to link up something to

Little Quilt Monday

1.  This link-up party is for any small project.  For example, mini quilts, doll quilts, baby quilts, place mats, mug rugs,

wall quilts, table runners, etc.

2.  They can be a WIP(work-in-progress) or finished.

3.  If it is something from the past there is no need to write a new blog post, just link the one that you have already written, and, please link back to my blog post.

4.   If you are interested, you can add your pictures to my flickr group here, or join my Facebook group here. 

Let's inspire each other!

piece,

elizabeth

more baking

I am not spending time sewing, but I am still baking : )  My blog will be quieter than usual as I spend time with last minute details preparing for family this Christmas.  These pressed cookies are supposed to look like trees.

The recipe for these spritz cookies is so easy....

1 C shortening

3/4 C sugar

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 C all-purpose flour

green food coloring(for Christmas trees)

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add egg, dry ingredients, flavoring and then a few drops of food coloring.

Mix well.  Now using your cookie press form cookies.  Add sprinkles if you would like.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees(preheated oven).

These taste great with a cup of coffee!

I so hope to have a new mini quilt to start the New Year off on Little Quilt Monday! 

Remember,  Little Quilt Monday will start again on January 2, 2012.

Merry Christmas!

piece,

elizabeth 

candy cane cookies

Today I am baking spritz cookies and wrapping gifts.   I made candy cane cookies on Sunday afternoon.  They are a family tradition and one of my favorites : )

The recipe comes from the Betty Crocker cookbook, although we don't sprinkle with sugar or candy after baking.

I got better at rolling the dough and shaping the canes as I went along, but they all taste the same....yummy!

piece,

elizabeth

little quilt monday~~~checkerboard trees

Little Quilt Monday

This little quilt was made years ago from a magazine pattern.  It measures 24 X 24 inches.

I hand quilted it and I always enjoy getting it out at Christmas time and I either hang it on the wall or use it as a table topper : )

This will be the last Little Quilt Monday of the year, and we will resume next year on Monday,

 January 2, 2012.  

I have so many more techniques that I am going to try on a mini quilt next year.  If you have something to link up today, that would be wonderful.  I will leave the link up open all week, so we can add to it at any time.   Let's continue to inspire each other!

piece,

elizabeth

fun mail

I have received two lovely packages in the mail recently!  This first block is from the Block Swap Adventure swap.

This block is called Bachelor Puzzle.  I now have enough blocks for a quilt, so next year I am going to ask for a different block....what will it be?!?  I haven't decided, but I know I will once again ask for bright fabric : )

Carolyn included one of her darling scissor cases.

The second package was from the holiday mini quilt swap.  I asked for a Christmas mini quilt and here is the wonderful little quilt that I received from Maree in New Zealand.  She also included several extra goodies.

I consider these awesome swaps and fun mail, indeed!

piece,

elizabeth

little quilt monday~~~christmas past

Little Quilt Monday

Here is a little quilt that I made years ago, and always enjoy getting it out when I begin my decorating for Christmas.

The quilt measurements are 24 X 24 inches.

The pattern is from a magazine and I will continue to look and hopefully find the pattern so I can give them credit : )  I hand-quilted with off white quilting thread, and of course, if I was quilting it today, it would be with crochet thread and a big stitch! 

I have been out-of-town, and unable to use my machine, although I have had a chance to do some handwork.  How about you?  Do you have something to link up to

Little Quilt Monday.

Let's inspire each other!

The winners of the lapel stick and charm squares were Heather D. and sunny...congratulations!

piece,

elizabeth

fun memories

I always enjoy decorating for Christmas with things from the past.  They bring back good memories and joy, and feel so comfortable and sweet!  This quilt is from a swap that I participated in when I first began patchwork.  I have always liked the log-cabin quilt block and it really makes a pretty red and green quilt.

We each signed our block and added our hometown in the light side of the cabin.  Here is the block that I made for the swap.  We each made 20 log-cabin blocks.

piece,
elizabeth

 

november in review

Here is a mosaic of some of my November projects.  It has been a colorful month : )

faux piped binding mini, lazy bargello mini, jungle mini
colorful pincushion,  Christmas swap mini, picnic quilt
merry little bunting, yo-yo mini, button tree

I am linking up to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts.

piece,

elizabeth

wip~~~button tree

I saw the cutest framed button tree while shopping and decided to make one with my button collection.  The inspiration piece had some embroidery and used only white/off-white buttons.

First I placed the buttons on the charcoal grey(it looks blue in my pictures) flannel.   I put a little glue on each one, making sure that I didn't get any glue in the holes.  Then after the glue set, I sewed each button on with red thread.

Now I need to decide what embroidery/stitching to add.  I need a tree trunk too : )

When it is finished, do you think I should make it into a mini quilt or frame it?  I am not usually one to use embellishments, but this was so fun and easy, and at this busy time of year that makes it a perfect project!

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

piece,

elizabeth

merry little bunting

I made my first bunting to decorate our outdoor fireplace mantle for Christmas.  I have always wanted to make a bunting after seeing so many cute ones on other blogs.

I used my Go!Baby to quickly cut out the triangles and then I sewed them to some red cotton bias tape.  This was so easy : )  I am really enjoying my new dies for the Go!Baby.

I am just beginning to decorate for Christmas.  It is so much fun to bring out the different decorations that I have collected over the years.  The Santa plate on the mantle was painted by my mom and always brings me joy when I see it and think of her.   

Well, it's a lovely day to be decorating, so I better get with it~~~

I am linking up to Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

piece,

elizabeth

little quilt monday~~~mini holiday quilt swap

Little Quilt Monday

I joined the 15 Minute Holiday Swap.  The rules for the swap were to make a 12 X 12 inch mini quilt for your partner in the holiday theme of their choice.  My swap partner picked Christmas as her theme.  If you have ever read the 15 Minutes Play blog then you know that the idea is to use scraps and orphan blocks to make fabric to use in quilting, while you create and play : )

I am entering the 2011 Christmas Quilt Show with this little Christmas mini quilt.  I hope you will go check out all the wonderful entries at SewCalGal's blog!

I am new to this type of creative freedom!   I enjoyed the process, and I will do this more often because we all know that there are always scraps of fabric left over from other projects.  Making fabric from scraps is really lots of fun.  Do you ever make fabric from scraps?

I hand stitched with red crochet thread in the big stitch style that is becoming very comfortable for me.

I hope my swap partner likes her mini Christmas quilt.

Remember to add your pics to the Little/mini quilts flickr group or the Mini quilts Facebook page : )

I am linking up to Finish It Up Friday.

Now it is your turn to link up something that you have been working on.  Let's inspire each other on this

Little Quilt Monday!

piece,

elizabeth

wip~~~pinecones

When I saw these pinecones at Sew Mama Sew!  I knew I had to make a few.  All you need are some 2.5 inch styrofoam balls, flathead pins, and fabric cut in 2 inch squares.

First you pin one of your 2 inch squares on to the ball.

Then you fold the fabric in half(rectangle) and then in half again and it will be a square.  You will start pinning the folded squares around and around the ball starting at the pinned fabric square.

Here is a finished pinecone(mine looks like an artichoke) and another one that I have just started.

Here is the bottom of the finished pinecone so you can see how I put my final fabric square on it.

I think these will be a fun project to have around when I am watching television : )  I can see them all piled up in a bowl, or pinecones with Christmas fabric would look great in a wreath!

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

piece,

elizabeth

fireworks from front yard

We decided to sit in our front yard last night instead of going to our usual spot to watch the firework display in our neighborhood.  It was so lovely with the moon sliver sitting to the side taking part in the beauty of the night : )  My camera doesn't take the best pictures at night, but I caught a few pretty fireworks that I will show you!

It was wonderful.....and we didn't even have any mosquitos to bug us....glorious!

On a quilting note, Lily's Quilts is having a wonderful giveaway from the Fat Quarter Shop.

piece,

elizabeth