Day #8 Christmas and Holiday Challenge and Blog Writing Challenge Too! - Tablerunner Freebie Pattern!

Christmas Squared Jelly Roll Table Runner

Perfect!!!!

This is perfect for a project to be completed in a weekend. Literally - you could sit down and have one of these completed for your own home decor and probably make another to give as a gift this Christmas season.

The ideas and color patterns are unlimited with this easy to follow pattern that is provided by those wonderful gals over on the Moda Bake Shop Blog. A Jelly roll, 1/2 yard of backing fabric, little bit of batting and a small amount of fabric for the binding and you are on your way.

This is another one of those great things you can make and could be given as a gift this holiday season and it won't break the bank.  Teachers would love this. Your co-worker would be thrilled.  And remember me bringing up a community member that might need his or her spirits perked up a bit - this may do the trick.

It's ok to play Secret Santa and brighten someone else's day every now and then. I am a firm believer that no good deed goes unseen and does come full circle eventually.

I saw a quote months ago on Facebook that has stuck with me and been in my mind ever since I first saw it.  I fell in love with it instantly and I remind myself of it constantly when I go about playing Secret Santa or if maybe I might do something out of the ordinary for another person.  I love this little ditty...

It's ok to do something for another person for no reason at all and expect nothing from them in return and the world doesn't need to know about it.  Not one thing.

Day #7 No-Sew Fabric Angel Ornaments Tutorial

No Sew Christmas Angel Ornament Tutorial

This tutorial is just so sweet. I love angels, especially Christmas Angels. And talk about simple to make. I love the old time Christmas feel these Angels have, love the burlap and raggedy muslin look and feel of them.

This sweet little denim angel would really make a cute addition in a farmhouse or old fashioned themed Christmas decor.

Sweet little angel ornaments.

Just precious.  We all have bits and pieces of muslin laying around. Get a little creative with these, have fun and try something new.

While you are on this gal's blog, peruse around a little and enjoy her offerings. She has some fantastic photography skills, some wonderful sounding recipes and just have fun!

Day #6 Christmas and Holiday Challenge and Blog Writing also! Christmas Ornament Pattern

Scrap Busting Christmas Ornaments

Day #6 of my Challenge!!!

Are these ornaments not the cutest! (Just click on the link above!)

I can literally dive into my own personal stash basket of scraps and be able to make a bunch of these ornaments up in no time at all!  The gals over at the Moda Bake Shop posted this pattern a while back and I'm glad I found this little treasure!

Just think - you could make these for ornaments for your own tree. Or give them as gifts to a couple that is newly married and might want a few keepsake type ornaments for their new Christmas Tree. Or - the other idea I had for these - Christmas Gift Tag hangers - You could easily make these ornaments as a gift also and use them as a Christmas Gift Tag by using a Pigma pen to write on the back of the ornament. For Example:

To: XYZ

From: Grammie with Love

2018

See - wouldn't that be cute!

Or - If you know of someone in your community that might need a little bit of a "pick me up" in their spirits this holiday season. Well, here ya go. Make up a few of these cute little ornaments.  Drop them down in a gift bag with a sweet little note of encouragement stuck in a Christmas Card and play Secret Santa and leave it hanging on their front door or in a special place they will be surprised to find a treasure awaiting them!  A co-worker - leave them a surprise on their desk.  Need a teacher's gift..... here ya go!  I could go on and on when I get on a roll....just ask my kids.

I'm off to spend my day sewing. I have a million pieces awaiting me at the sewing machine and my fingers are itching to be off this blasted computer and sitting at my sewing machine, with my puppies laying on their blanket next to me as I sew, the woodstove with a good fire burning in it, a pot of coffee and some soft country music playing in the background! I've typed my self-imposed goal of 3,000 words for today in the book I am writing and now the rest of the day is mine to enjoy!

Have an awesome day!

Day # 5 Burlap Stocking Tutorial

Burlap Christmas Stocking Pattern

I am so excited about this little tutorial and pattern I found to share with you!  I love burlap. I love the vintage and old feel it adds to my Christmas decor.

I love the little ball trim added to the cuff of the stocking. I think homespun fabric would make a beautiful cuff fabric on these also & paired with the burlap fabric - a complete vintage, old-fashioned Christmas look!

The link I provided above will lead you directly to the instructions to make these clever stockings and the link to download the pattern sheets. She has a few other pages on her blog attached previously to this page that I had to dig through to get to the pattern page so you may want to backtrack a little if you feel like doing some reading and perusing.

Enjoy my friends!

Day 4 Christmas & Holiday Quilting Fun and the Blog Challenge!!

Curling Iron Travel Pocket Link

It's day 4 of my Christmas & Holiday Quilting Fun, self-imposed challenge and the Blog Writing Challenge that I joined.

I'm super excited about this free pattern I'm sharing with you that I found on the Moda Bake Shop Blog today.  Personally - I love giving homemade gifts for Christmas and for Birthdays and just because.  I think any teen girl, a college girl or even us Moms would love this!  And it looks super easy to make.

With all those cute Moda Charm packs and the fabulous prints I've seen them produce this year alone - I just bet you could make up a few of these in a Christmas theme, then make up a few in the gift receivers favorite colors. Then if the receiver of these adorable curling iron pockets goes to college ---go for the college colors - or her high school colors for that matter if she's still in high school!

AQS Countdown To Christmas Sew-A-Long

Here is another treat I have to share with you today.  I found this amazing sew-a-long a couple days ago on the AQS Blog.  Isn't this quilt gorgeous!

Visit the AQS Blog for all the details and be sure you go back and visit daily to print out or save each PDF file of the new pattern introduced daily through and including on Christmas Day!

This past weekend I enjoyed some nice quiet hand stitching time.  I worked on quite a few different things, testing out some quilt stamps and some other templates I drew out.  I've enjoyed using some of the fabrics I recently received in a fabric exchange I was part of.  I loved playing with the new prints that I didn't already have in my stash!

Have a good one ya'll!

And remember - Be Fierce, Be Strong because YOU are worth it!

Day #3 Redwork Stitchery Ornament & Lollipop Ornaments Tutorial

Redwork Stitchery Ornament Tutorial

I love these little ornaments! So cute and quick to stitch up! The tutorial is a nice full-color download for you.

and then I also found another cute ornament tutorial for you today.....

Lollipop Ornament Tutorial

Don't these look fun and so clever!  Easy enough to whip up in no time at all to decorate your Christmas Tree!

I love the buttons in the center as added dimension and the ribbon tied around the lollipop stick!  What's that - no ribbon on hand you say?  Never fear - just use some of the fabrics you do have on hand a cut a small strip of fabric!

I really like the idea of some bright and cheery fabric lollipops added to a Christmas tree, especially if you have little girls and boys in your household that would delight in seeing the added pop of color on the tree.  But if you are a bit more traditional.....

The fabric combinations are endless.

Look at that aqua and red fabric combination in the bottom row, center photo. I love aqua and red together - such a cheery fabric combination! 

  

  

 

  

  

Oh and don't get me started on how cute these little lollipops would be in my favorite civil war reproduction fabrics!  Oh, be still my heart, I may have to go dig into my collection of Pam Buda's luscious greens and reds and creams from her lovely fabrics! (an awesome fabric designer for Marcus Fabrics, which I'm sure you already knew that!)

And speaking of Miss Pam, have you seen her new book? It's called "Vintage Patchwork" and it's the most delightful and lovely book.

Vintage Patchwork Book on Heartspun Quilts Website

 Packed with the loveliest projects and clever????  This whole book is organized around the thought that you can create the projects within using just one of her 10" square bundles of fabric. She designed this fabric called Prairie Basics And Shirtings and it is just luscious!

And above is a little look at the projects in the book! Earlier, I shared the link to her website which will lead you directly to her page where you can order the book only.  This link just below will show you the "Grand-daddy" present for yourself - go order the book and the fabric bundle because you are worth it my friend!

Vintage Patchwork Book & Fabric Bundle Link

Have fun with this tutorial I shared today and I hope you can dig into your own fabric stash and find some treasures to make a couple or three lollipops for your Christmas tree this year!

Day #2 Peppermint Swirl Christmas Tree Skirt Free Pattern and Blog Writing Challenge continues....

Peppermint Swirl Tree Skirt Freebie Pattern

Oh My Gosh - I found this freebie pattern over on the Moda Bake Shop blog and I knew I had to share this one today on my 31 Day self-imposed blog challenge for Christmas and Holiday Fun!

Ladies (and gents if you follow) I love this. If you start now I'm sure you could have one made in time for your Christmas tree this season. Plus - I like the idea in the photo also - it could be used on your table also - imagine that - beautiful!!

Those Moda Bake Shop gals never cease to amaze me and if you don't follow their blog - go over and follow this link also because they started the annual Countdown To Christmas yesterday and the block pattern called Country Winter looks super cute! (block is shown below and the link to the first day of the Countdown To Christmas for 2018 is just below the photo!!!)

Moda Bake Shop Countdown To Christmas

I am off to enjoy some hand piecing this afternoon and enjoy some movies on the Hallmark channel.  Yes - I am one of those girls and love me some Christmas Hallmark movies.  I don't indulge in much TV time, but I do make time when the new movies appear for the season!

I've got some special hand piecing projects I've started working on as I've been recovering from my surgery last week. I'll try and take some good photos soon to share with you! Promise!

31 Day Blog Writing Challenge-- 31 Days of Christmas and Holiday Quilting Fun!

(keep on reading - see those cute ornaments above - I found the pattern for ya'll!)

3 1/2 years. That's a long time - but it's been 3 1/2 years since I've written any words on this blog space.

The reasons are varied and I will you spare you the boredom of the long detailed saga of reasons I've compiled for not blogging. But just to jingle your curiosity a bit and get a few gossip tongues going (inside joke -life has taught me a quick lesson in the art of what a few gossips can do to create a flutter amongst their boredom! So please - if you must talk, be kind and make it good folks - I love a good story! Everything comes back around..... and I'll just stop right there.... ) Here's the short but quick list of my life in the past 3 1/2 years:

*Moved to Beautiful West Virginia 

*Divorce

*Car Accident - Almost Took My Life - Then Almost Took My Leg - But I Won That Battle (well - almost that is - this little pain in my rear saga is on-going and surgeries continue to correct the damage! The most recent having been this past Monday and it went very well!!)

*Moved to My Mountain Top Dream Cabin and Named Her - Quilters Ridge - a good 25-minute drive from civilization (and yes this decision was made by choice and has been a dream of mine for years - don't judge - it suits me perfectly!!!! --- Just imagine quilting all day and looking out your big picture windows at the gorgeous mountain scenery, breathing clean air, no neighbors in sight, wild animals coming and going and just peace and quiet!!!)

*Continued To Quilt Amongst All Detours in my Life

*Kept Close Ties With My Quilting Community Friends via Facebook, Instagram, Email and good old fashioned letter writing and card sending!

*Learned Hard Truths About Life and Love and I'm still learning

*Started Writing a Book (yep - more on that later!)

*Sent a Kid Off To College (Fairmont State University)

*Saw Another Kid Succeed and Struggle a Bit - But He's Doing Awesome Now
*Empty Nester / Hasn't Really Bothered Me / My Kids Were Raised to be Independent and Spread Their Wings and They've Done Just That / I Did My Job, It's My Time Now

*Gardening and Canning Goddess On My Mountain Top Home

*Continue To Have Furry Pets Adopt Me as Their Momma - They...Just...Keep..Finding..Me... and

Now that all this is out of the way and off my chest  - let's get on to the fun stuff.

I accept this 31-day blog challenge and if you blog, haven't blogged in a while or would like to start blogging - hop on over to this link (just below) and have a quick look!  It won't hurt a bit and it appears to be a fun challenge!

http://muppin.com/wordpress/index.php/the-2018-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

For me - not only will this be a personal challenge to blog for 31 days about whatever I darn well feel like - I am extending this challenge on myself to also blog each day and link to or post a fun Christmas or Holiday themed project for you!  Now, won't this be fun!!!

I've also got a few other few things to share, and of course, if you've been following me on Facebook or Instagram, you've seen that I'm a Part of The Splendid Sampler II group.

See those cute blocks above? Those are four of this past weeks blocks we worked on in the Splendid Sampler group!  The book is out now and it's awesome!

Then, I've been working on the Moda BlockHeads 2 blocks....

I've been working on those beautiful fun blocks from the Moda gals diligently. I've just been lazy about posting my blocks every week as I get them done.  Maybe with this blogging challenge  ---- I'll share some of those here with you also!

Now, onto this self-imposed 31 Days of Christmas and Holiday Quilting Fun!

I cannot guarantee all these projects will be freebies, but I'm going to try my hardest to scout out the internet for some great ideas for us Quilters to use as inspiration for our holiday decorating, gift-giving or just personal projects to make for ourselves - because after all - YOU are worth it! Basically, I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this one folks. I decided on this personal challenge at the last minute, so this should be rather interesting!

And here is what I found for you today - from one of my favorite magazine publications - American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine!

Cute Pieced Ornament Pattern

Are these not the cutest!  I fell in love with them as soon as I found them on Pinterest (don't you just love Pinterest for ideas!!!) Just click on the link below the photo of the ornaments and it will send you over to AP&Q's website. There you can print out the page for the paper piecing patterns!  Just like that - you can be making these cute, adorable little ornaments for your tree!

Until tomorrow!

Have a great day!

And remember, be good to yourself, be fierce, be brave ---- because you are worth it my friend!