Celtic Knot Table Runner

Little Red Truck: A Christmas Classic

I'm not a vintage car enthusiast, but I love old trucks. I think this Little Red Truck is one of my cutest appliqué patterns yet. The finished pillow measures 20" x 12" and has a envelope back. The piping finishes it off nicely but this is optional. If you love the look of piping but not sure how to do it, the pattern has a link to a video tutorial on how to make and add piping to a pillow.

Round Table Placemat

If you have a round dining table, why not make of these elegant-looking "round" placemats. They fit beautifully on a 42 inch round table. The placemat patterns come in three styles that are very easy to make: a reversible, seven-spoke, and nine-spoke placemat. All the templates are full page printable.

Garden Breeze Table Runner

Here is my newest table runner pattern, Garden Breeze, just in time for summer. I designed this project using the half-hexagon whirligig block in floral prints. The whirligig block is a traditional favourite and so simple to foundation piece. Anyone new to foundation piecing will love making this table runner.

MY GARDEN

My hubby loves to garden. We don't have a big yard,
but he turned it into a little piece of heaven. This is the
pond that we put in a few years ago.

Here is Teddy taking a dip in the pond to
cool off. This little guy is a real character!

Feather Your Nest Table Runner

I had a great summer! I finished up some UFOs and I have some beautiful new patterns to launch in the next few months. I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do.

My new pattern launch for this month is my Feather Your Nest table runner pattern. I had been seeing the feather block all over the internet and had to make my own pattern for it. My method for making the feathers is simple. My instructions are thorough and easy to follow, so don't be afraid to jump right in and give it a try. This pattern is great for using up your scraps. The finished table runner is 38" x 14". The pattern also includes instructions for making a single 12" x 12" block shown below.

Springtime on the farm means babies!

This spring I'm launching two new placemat patterns, Baby Jersey and Little Piglet. Aren't they adorable? I'm sure your child or grandchild would love one of these to make mealtime fun. These placemats are easy to make using fusible appliqué and simple straight line quilting.

     

 

My Easter Egg table runner featured at Connecting Threads

This is my second pattern to be kitted by Connecting Threads. It's my Easter Egg Table Topper. The Easter fabric Eggstraordinary by Connecting Threads was perfect for this project. Buy the kit at Connecting Threads.  Buy the pattern HERE.

Candy Carousel Table Runner

My newest pattern, Candy Carousel, was inspired by Christmas peppermint candies. This table runner pattern is simple and modern. It would make an excellent project for the confident beginner. Pattern includes instructions for making quick pinwheel blocks.

Halloween Decor 2017: Beautiful Halloween wreath

A couple of years ago I posted a Halloween floral arrangement that I made for my home. This year, I made a Halloween wreath for my front door. I turn 60 this October and I love Halloween, so I'm having a birthday/Halloween party for my big day. I wanted a pretty wreath on the door to greet my guests. I saw some beautiful wreaths on Pinterest with skulls and ghoulish stuff, but I wanted a floral wreath. Everything I used to make this wreath is from the dollar store. It cost about $15 to make which proves you don't need a lot of money to pretty up your home for Halloween.  Happy Halloween one and all!

Little Puppy Placemat

Last week I launched my cute Kitty Cat placemat pattern. This week I'm introducing its partner, my new Little Puppy placemat. Both placemats are great for kids or grand-kids, but could also be used as hot pads in the kitchen. They are simple to make with basic fusible appliquè. This pattern is perfect for the confident beginner who wants to learn bias binding and fusible appliquè.

Kitty Cat quilted placemat

My favourite cat is the orange tabby. I had an orange tabby when I was young. Her name was Abby; Abby the tabby! I loved her, and it broke my heart when she didn't come home one day. Later in life, I developed an allergy to cats, but I still love them to pieces. I designed this cute Kitty Kat placemat pattern for a child, but a real cat lover could also use it in the kitchen as a hot pad.

A Taste of Honey Placemat Pattern: Honouring our precious pollinators

Who doesn't love the sweet taste of honey? These stylish and modern hexagon placemats showcase the Bee Creative and Bee Inspired fabric collections by Deb Strain. But no matter what colours you use, these placemats are sure to make a statement.

I love the quilting on the back. It reminds me of sacred geometry.

OUR HONEY BEES ARE IN DANGER!

After being here for thousands of years, their population is declining and one species of bee is on the endangered list. It’s scary to imagine what would happen if all our honey bees were gone. Most of our non-grain foods are dependent on honey bee pollination. There are 90 different food plants that depend almost exclusively on the honey bee. When my husband and I heard several years ago that the bee population was declining, we planted more flowers and plants that would attract and feed them. Also, we use only non-toxic, natural pesticides.

Photo by Monica curry

Here are five things you can do in your garden to help the bees:

• Plant bee-friendly flowers and flowering plants in your garden and yard.
• Honey bees love weeds, i.e. clover, dandelions, so leave a few in your yard.
• Don't use chemicals and pesticides to treat your lawn or garden.
• Buy local, raw honey.
• Bees are thirsty; leave a tray of stones and water to give them a place to drink.

Here are three good websites with information about honey bees and honey bee populations:

http://www.panna.org/our-campaigns/save-our-bees
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-lists-a-bumble-bee-species-as-endangered-for-first-time/
http://foecanada.org/en/

Wooden Scissors Pattern Now Available!

About a year ago I posted my wooden scissors project that my husband and I worked on (see post HERE). This was such a popular post, I decided to make the pattern available for sale in my Etsy Store.

These would be a great gift for the sewist or quilter in your life. They would be a wonderful addition to any sewing studio. I think it would also be a great project for a woodworking student learning the basics of using a scroll saw.

Hexagon Colour Wheel Mug Rug Patterns

I'm introducing three new mug rug patterns to brighten your home for spring. The bright primary colours against white, black,  and grey is a crisp combination. You could use these as potholders as well as mug rugs. They would look lovely in a modern kitchen. They would also be a great gift for an artist or art student. This is a good project for quilters just learning to foundation piece. Instructions assume basic knowledge in foundation piecing. The pattern includes instructions for all three mug rugs.

  

My Urban Pathway Table Runner Kit at Connecting Threads

The Connecting Threads Spring 2017 catalogue came in the mail this week and I was excited to see my Urban Pathway table runner quilt kit there. The kit uses Shiny Objects by Flaurie & Finch for RJR. The line has a gorgeous metallic print. Thank you Anita and all the gang at Connecting Threads!

Update: July 20, 2021

This kit is no longer available at Connecting Threads but you can still buy this pattern at my Etsy Store.

Image from Connecting Threads Pattern Catalogue

Image from Connecting Threads Pattern Catalogue