Quilting to Start the New Year

The past few months of 2019 were somewhat stressful for me and didn't leave much time to sew. Now that hubby is healing well from a total knee replacement, the daughters and their husbands have come and are headed to their homes, quilting and sewing are on my to-do list.

2020 One Day Mystery Quilt

I am looking forward to New Year's Day when I begin work on the 2020 Merry Mayhem Mystery Quilt. You can find the instructions for each part of the mystery on the internet HERE, or on Facebook HERE. The quilt pattern is named, Just Around the Corner and can be made in lap through king size. 

The instructions for Part 1 and 2 are available now. Each hour, beginning at 10 AM EST Time (NYC time), the instructions for the following parts will be posted-one at a time. Print or save the directions because they will not be available after January 1, 2020. Invite your friends to participate, but tell them they must download instructions on their own computer, etc. A lot of work goes into the creation of a pattern and are copyrighted. It is a privilege to access a free pattern. As a designer, I hope my free patterns introduce my blog to quilters.

Scrappy Traffic Jam Quilt

Pat Sloan has a pattern for a quilt she calls Scrappy Traffic Jam. You can find the introduction HERE. I am happy to have hundreds of 2-1/2" squares alread cut, saved from many scraps over the past few years. I think this will make a fun charity quilt.

AQS Quilt Along 2020

While I like to design my own patterns for quilts, it has been awhile since I sewed 12" blocks for a quilt. AQS has a quilt along (HERE) where they will present one block each month. Their plan is to make a quilt a month using the block of the month. I want to make one block each month and combine them into one sampler quilt. I am signing up for the email to remind me of the block each month.

Have you found any quilt alongs to work on in 2020? 

I'd like to hear if there are others I might be interested in. 

Happy New Year to you, may it be filled with happiness and lovely quilting experiences. 

Turnstile Quilt Finished-November UFO

I finished the Turnstile Quilt that I started in a class about 3 years ago. (I only needed to have it quilted and then bind it.) The Tall Pine Quilters Guild had Debbie Grifka present a trunk show and the following day she taught the Turnstile quilt class in 3 hours.

My rendition of the quilt was made using a charm pack I had purchased online (I don't remember the fabric line or company) and a solid peach for the background. It was fun to make. I like sewing a specific quilt pattern with a group of people because everyone can see how the quilt looks with different fabric choices.

I found a flowery/leafy print that worked well with the solid background fabric on the front.

My friend, Michelle, quilted it with an organic flower motif.

And in my stash I found a 1/4 yard cut of  this peach cross-hatched fabric to use as the binding.

I'm linking up to Meadown Mist Designs' Favorite Monthly LinkUp and The Crafty Quilter UFO  & WIP Challenge this month. Click the link button at the top left of my blog to see what other finishes people have shared.

Fleece Bear Pillow Gift Finished

Today I sewed this bear pillow.

It was very quick to make.

The fleece is a bit darker brown than the photo shows. 

I think the little one-year-old will like this. 

If you'd like to make one, visit. Crafting Cheerfully

Blog Hop Put Me In Pillow-Making Mode

The Sew It and Gift It Blog Hop was fun last week. I was amazed by all the wonderful ideas for gifts. I hope you found something to make for someone special.

I was in pillow-making mode and today I finished this Unicorn Fleece Pillow following the directions from Crafting Cheerfully HERE.

This weekend I am going to make the Polar Bear fleece pillow following her directions. If I use brown fleece, it will be a brown bear and probably just as cute. These pillows will be for two little tykes of a friends I know. 

Saving $ on Fleece

I have been purchasing fleece from the remnant bin at JoAnn's stores. When fleece is on sale at JoAnn's it is the best time to buy it. I found the sale price is applied to the remnant and then an extra 50% is taken off of that price at the register. So for $1 or $2 I can get enough for stuffed animals and pillows!

This pillow doesn't use much fabric, so it was very inexpensive to make. Oh, except for the 12" square pillow. I did get 50% off during a sale, but it was still over $5 with tax. I'll accept the savings on the fleece and be happy.

Stitch It and Gift It Blog Hop Pocket Pillow Tote

Carla announced her Stitch It and Gift It Blog Hop on one of her blog posts a few months back. It's fun joining Carla on her blog hops and this one fit right in to what I was working on at the time. I hope you have been following the blog hop and enjoying it. Thank you, CARLA!

If you are a list keeper, Spoonflower has a free Hand-Made Holiday To-Do List that can be printed to keep track of projects to make and who you will recieve them. I am finding lists are very helpful for me this time of the year.

So, I'm here to share with you The Pocket Pillow Book Totes I have been making for gifts. These are easy to make. The hardest part is deciding how to coordinate the fabrics!

I'll go through how I make my totes, but I've written an instruction sheet to share with you. Grab it HERE.

FIRST, before I give the instruction rundown, I'll give the list of the other bloggers participating in the Stitch It and Gift It Blog Hop right now.

Monday, November 11th

Just Let Me Quilt

Selina Quilts

Homespun Hannah's Blog

QuiltFabrication
Domestic Felicity
VroomansQuilts
Karrin's Crazy World
Storied Quilts

Tuesday, November 12th

Life in the Scrapatch

Alycia Quilts

Kaholly

Words & Stitches
Quilt’n Party 
Patchwork Breeze
desertskyquilts

Wednesday, November 13th

MooseStashQuilting

Pampered Pettit
Mary Mack Made Mine
The Quilted Snail
Days Filled With Joy
Melva Loves Scraps

Limeleaves

Thursday, November 14th

Beaquilter

RidgeTopQuilts

Cynthia's Creating Ark
Songbird Designs
Farm Quilter
Kathy's Kwilts and More
Bumbleberry Stitches
Quilt Schmilt

Friday, November 15th

Quilted Delights

Seams To Be Sew
Ms P Designs USA
Just Because Quilts
Inquiring Quilter
Susie’s World

Creatin' in the Sticks 

OK! Here we go!
Besides your cutting mat, rotary cutter, pins, and sewing machine, you will need:

1/2 yard main print

1/2 yard coordinating fabric for pocket

14” pillow form

Thread

Follow these steps: 

1. From main print, cut one 14-1/2” x 14-1/2” square and two rectangles 10” x 14-1/2”.

  

2. From coordinating fabric, cut one 14-1/2” x 14-1/2” square and one 6” x 14-1/2” rectangle.

3. Fold and press the 6” x 14-1/2” rectangle in half, open it, fold the edges to the middle, press in half to form a strip that is about 1-1/2” x 14-1/2”. Stitch along both folded edges.

Fold the coordinating 14-1/2" x 14-1/2" fabric in half with wrong sides together. Press and top stitch 1/4" from folded edge. 

4. Hem the two 10” x 14-1/2” rectangles along one 14-1/2” edge of each piece by folding one edge 1/4" and again 1/4" for the hem, pressing and pinning. (If using directional fabrics, hem the top edge of one piece and the bottom edge of the other.)

Now you are ready to put the layers together and sew the pillow!

Place the main 14-1/2” x 14-1/2” piece, right side up on table. 

Find the top center of this piece. Mark 3-1/2" to the left and to the right of the center. 

Pin the 1-1/2” x 14-1/2” handle in place on the top of the main print, with the outer edge of each handle touching that 3-1/2” mark from the center.

Align the pocket with the bottom of main print, matching raw edges.

Place the 14-1/2" raw edge of one hemmed rectangle along the top edge, over the handles, aligning all raw edges.  Re-pin the handle so the pins are now on the outside.

Place the raw edge of the lower hemmed rectangle along the bottom edge, aligning raw edges. The two folded 10" x 14-1/2" pieces will overlap about 3". Pin around all four edges.

Stitch around all edges with a 1/2” seam allowance. Reinforce the handle edges by re-stitching that portion of the seam allowance.

Clip the corners.

Turn right side out through the back opening, push corners out. Insert pillow form. I have an easy way to turn the corners of pillows out and very seldom do I have to use something to poke them out! CLICK HERE for a short instruction. 

What a great gift for a child. They can tote their pillow and book to the sitter's, grandma's, on a trip, to bed. These would be great for donating to a children's charity as well with a book in the pocket. Let me know if you make one or more and how you gifted it. 

Happy Thanksgiving!