My Fabric Obsession

Happy Birthday to ME!

2012-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

I recently celebrated my 40th birthday - woohoo! My whole family knows I don't like parties and presents, so while my husband and I were out on a birthday date one night, unbeknownst to me, my kids were recording me a song!

It was the BEST birthday present EVER!

My 17 year-old played the drums & did the recording & editing. 15 year-old played guitar, wrote the lyrics & sang. Two younger kids were fabulous back-up singers.

Here's a link to their song. Note, the Korean reference is their way of teasing me about my love of Korean dramas:)

I love my kids!

Fabric as Inspiration

2012-01-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

It all started with this dress

I was getting ready to re-carpet and paint my 15 year-old daughter's room, and when I saw this dress I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the room.

Keep in mind, this child is always moving - whether she's playing soccer, dancing, singing, playing guitar or just driving us all crazy - she never slows down.

I wanted to create a room that would reflect her vibrant personality, but also create a space that would help her unwind.

Now, 5 months later....

We are loving this! The stripes are fun, and modern (her two criteria), but the aqua brings a calming effect, perfect for a bedroom.

We also painted her bathroom cabinets in the same aqua

I kept the opposite walls white because I thought putting stripes on every wall would feel confining. But white walls are too stark for my taste, so I added this string tree, again a modern, but whimsical touch. It could have been left plain as shown below...

...but we wanted a fun way to display her pictures, movie stubs, etc. The tree is able to serve as a kind of "art", adding a pop of color and visual interest, while also being functional.

I got the idea for it here. This was a simple project because I was able to do it free-form. The strings are held in with clear push pins. I started by creating a basic tree skeleton by pinning the string close to the wall. Once the basic form was made, I started looping the string around the clear part of the push pins in any random direction.

Little knots in the trunk were created by adding more pins in one concentrated area and concentrating the string more densely in that area.

I would have gone a lot more crazy with the string, but I ran out! I'll probably order more soon and fill in the tree a little more. I used orange and white striped baker's twine, which can be found easily on Etsy.

So that's it! One picture of a dress made in a beautiful stripe fabric helped dictate the design and function of an entire bedroom!

Dish Towels Made Pretty

2011-11-21T12:36:00.001-08:00

Take a plain, ordinary dish towel and make it pretty!

The possibilities are endless with these embellished dish towels. The first style has a nice finished look with the fabric band along the bottom of the towel, topped with ric rac trim. The second style is more casual and fun with a raw-edged ruffle. This project is a great way to use up scraps!

You will need plain dish towels to start with. I used flour sack dish towels from Walmart.

For the fabric band style, you will need 5" strips of fabric (the width needs to be 1" longer than the width of your dish towel). You will also need rick rack.

For the ruffle style, you will need 2" strips of fabric. I used 2 strips of fabric per ruffle. The number of strips you use depends on the amount of bunching you do as well as the width of the dish towel.

Step 1: Iron the dish towels. If you use the flour sack dish towels, you will need to use a lot of steam. They are soooo wrinkled! This was the most time-consuming part of the project for me.

Step 2: Let's do the fabric band style dish towel first. Take your 5" strip of fabric and iron each side under about 1/2 inch. You will need to trim the length to fit your dish towel.

Step 2: iron under edges

Step 3: Top stitch the band of fabric to the top of your dish towel. Since you ironed all edges under, there is no turning involved.

Step 3: stitch band to front of towel

Step 4: Sew the ric rac on. Be sure to tuck the ends under.

Step 4: Sew on ric rac

You're done!

Now for the ruffle dish towel...

Step 5: Decide where you want the ruffle to go on your towel. My bottom ruffle was about 2" from the bottom of the dish towel.

Step 6: Lay the fabric strip on your towel where you want it to go. Tuck under the end where you are going to start sewing.

Step 6: Lay fabric strip down and tuck under end

Step 7: Slowly stitch down the center of the strip. Create the ruffle by bunching up the fabric as you go. If you run out of fabric, simply tuck under the end, add a new strip, and keep sewing. It will just look like more ruffle. Stop when you get about an inch from the end of the towel. Trim the excess strip, tuck under the end, and finish sewing the ruffle.

Step 7: Stitch ruffle, bunching fabric as you go

Step 8: If you want a second ruffle, lay the strip right next to the first ruffle and sew just like the first one.

Step 8: Add second ruffle

Step 9: Run the ruffled towels through the dryer to make the strings come loose on the raw edges. Trim the strings.

Now you have beautiful dish towels!

Joel Dewberry Meadow Spirit Skirt: Pattern Review

2011-10-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with the Joel Dewberry fabric and sewing patterns when I saw them at Quilt Market. This weekend, I finally got a chance to sit down and sew myself a skirt using the Meadow Spirit Skirt pattern.

I was very nervous, because my experience sewing with clothing patterns is very limited. The Meadow Spirit Skirt has an interfaced yolk, pleats, and a zipper. Sounds scary, huh? Actually, I was able to finish the skirt successfully in a surprisingly short amount of time. The instructions were thorough, accurate, and easy to follow. And guess what? The skirt actually fits! :)

Crochet Flower: The pattern has instructions for the crochet flower as well. I don't know how to crochet, so I didn't do that part. If you don't crochet but still want the flower on the sash, you can get crochet flowers at The Dizzy Daizy and Flannel Queen.
Where to purchase Joel Dewberry patterns: The Dizzy Daizy and Flannel Queen
Fabric Used: In my skirt, I used Michael Miller Charcoal Dandy Damask and Riley Blake Essential Dots.
Jewelry: The necklace I am wearing is handmade by Ellabelle.

Garden Quilt Show, Part 2

2011-09-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

More pictures from the Garden Quilt Show! If you missed Part One, go here.

This quilt's bright colors kept catching my eye.

A fun way to hang the stockings.

Notice the rough edges. So neat!

Quilts from "Bee in My Bonnet"

How cute is this quilt?

I love all of the details.

Aren't these quilts inspiring?

It's a Garden Quilt Show!

2011-09-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Dog Kennel Quilt Guild in Highland, Utah does a garden quilt show each year to display what they have been working on. Every available surface is covered with amazing quilts. Take a look...

Quilts lined the fence...

Quilts hung around the trampoline enclosure...

A bed was brought out to showcase a quilt...

Quilts were everywhere!

I love this quirky Christmas Tree quilt.

This purse quilt is absolutely amazing.

Each purse in the quilt has buttons and other details.

Another one I love.

Someday I want to make this American Flag quilt.

This quilt was very sweet. I love the scalloped edge.

Can you believe this quilt?!?

I had to get a close-up of a circle. Simply amazing.

This cherry quilt is so cute. Look at the neat border.

Beautiful colors in this quilt.

I also love the ric rac.

This heart quilt is pretty from far away...

...and even more beautiful up close. Each heart has unique details.

I have more pictures to share. Stay tuned!

Calling All Artists!

2011-07-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up on a great opportunity for aspiring fabric designers! There is a contest going on over at Connecting Threads with a $2,000 prize and an opportunity to design your own line of fabric.

I seriously wish I knew more about Graphic Design as this is an area I'd LOVE to try my hand at. C'est la vie! I'll live vicariously through all of you talented artists out there!

Here's a link for more info:

Fabric Design Contest

Repurposing: Jeans to Shorts

2011-07-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

As I was doing laundry this week, I came across a pair of jeans and a pair of capris belonging to little T - both of which had holes in the knees. Since she is in need of some shorts to play in, I decided a little re-purposing was in order.

Of course, as usual, I forgot to take "before" pictures, so you'll just have to imagine that the above shorts were once a pair of well-used jeans and the shorts pictured below were a pair of capris that had been handed down to her from her now 14 year-old sister. Now they've been given new life!

Supplies Used:

*old jeans/capris cut off at or above knees

*Farbenmix woven ribbon

*Riley Blake Pom Pom Fringe

*Applique - Note: the applique is iron-on, but I stitched it down as well to insure that it would stay put through multiple washings and wearings.

Pee Pee Tee Pee Guest Post

2011-07-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

I posted a tutorial for these cute little Pee Pee Tee Pees over at Riley Blake Designs Cutting Corners blog. They are super easy to make and take just a few minutes! Check out the tutorial with printable instructions HERE.

One Pattern - Two Dresses

2011-07-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

So, I dug up this vintage 1960's Butterick 3056 pattern from my stash & decided to make it for little T - just because:) I couldn't decided whether to make it in a solid or a big, mod print - so I decided to do both! I loved seeing how the fabric & trims I chose completely changed the dress!

This first dress I made from Riley Blake's Sea Breeze fabric.

I added brown piping around the collar, took out the front tabs called for in the pattern, and instead added brown ric rac up the front and back seamline, & a brown polka dot bow at the top of the pleat, topped with 4 matching vintage buttons.

She loved it!

Next up, I picked this very mod Gray & Citron daisy print from Michael Miller.

I felt like it would be too busy if I did the sleeves in the same fabric, so I instead opted to make them out of Michael Miller's White Cotton Lawn fabric. I also made the collar out of the cotton lawn. On the collar and sleeve cuffs, I added a 1/4" yellow ric rac. I did add the front tabs to this dress, along with some big, white buttons to add to the 60's feel of it.

I decided to add a contrasting Citron Polka Dot to the pleat inset as well. You can see it in the photo below.

In the end I was really happy with both dresses. The simplicity of the solid with the contrasting ric rac gave the first dress a very youthful, innocent feel. The second dress has a similar feel, but with a lot more "pop"!

When choosing fabrics, it's always good to think about how it will look and come across in the finished garment. In my opinion, children's clothing shouldn't overtake or drown the child in a bevy of colors, ruffles & bows, but rather they should highlight the child's natural beauty and innocence. With so many beautiful prints out there, it's a good idea to reign ourselves in - use solids to break it up and give the eye a resting place - and keep it simple. Happy Sewing!

Freddies Friends

2011-05-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

At Quilt Market, Julia and I saw Freddies Friends softies in several different booths. They are quirky and cute! I love the bright, bold fabrics used on each one.

Visit The Dizzy Daizy or Flannel Queen to purchase the Freddies Friends softie patterns.

Bee in My Bonnet

2011-05-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the quilt patterns from Lori Holt at Bee in My Bonnet? They each have character and charm. I love them! Take a look...



The Sew Hexie cushion is calling my name!

McCalls 6697 Girls Pajama Set

2011-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to making little T this cute pajama set! She loves when I make her cotton nightgowns, which are so hard to find nowadays, and I probably still will make her one, but this pattern was just screaming to be made from Riley Blake's Daydream fabrics. The soft, buttery colors had retro p.j.'s written all over them!

I used this 1960's McCall's 6697 pattern:

Here is the finished product:

Okay, so my kids can only last so long with the picture-taking thing:)

I stuck pretty closely to the pattern. The only things I altered were making the yoke, pockets & button facing all out of the coordinating floral fabric. I also scrapped the neck facing and instead made my own bias tape out of Daydream's Sea Breeze fabric. I think when making kids clothes, less facing is more. They don't like the clothes to feel "weird" or complicated in anyway. And the more the item looks store bought, the more likely they are to wear it:)

The bias tape is super easy to make. I'll try and make a tutorial for that soon!

Pattern: McCalls 6697

Fabric: Riley Blake Daydream Collection - Coral Dots, Coral Petit Floral, Sea Breeze Solid

Level: Intermediate

Summary: Pattern was clear & easy to follow. Finished garment turned out just as I hoped. 100% satisfied.

Don't Look Now!

2011-05-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite booths at Quilt Market was Don't Look Now. Kellie Wulfsohn is a delightful lady from Australia. She has the most beautiful applique quilt and pillow patterns. Take a look:

Can you believe the detail in these quilts? Wow!

The Dizzy Daizy has several Don't Look Now quilt patterns in stock. Are you up for the challenge? :)

Partay!!!

2011-05-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

As local retailers of Riley Blake Fabrics, Sara and I were invited to a seriously fun 80's party hosted by Riley Blake on Saturday night. It was so fun seeing the designers and owners of Riley Blake. But the most fun was seeing everyone dressed up in their TOTALLY RAD 80's outfits!

Sara and I took the challenge to dress up VERY seriously. Are you loving the blue eyeshadow? And how about Sara's Rubix Cube necklace?! So are you wondering whose arm is poking out from behind us?

It's Amanda Herring from The Quilted Fish! :) Amanda designed the Sugar and Spice line for Riley Blake Designs, which we are LOVING! So here she is behind us again -- this time we get to see her face!

Julia, Amanda Herring, Sara

Here are some "normal" pictures of us with Amanda at her super fun booth at Quilt Market...

Amanda & Sara (and a huge bowl of sugar!)


Amanda & Julia (are those hats great or what?)

Amanda had so many amazing details in her booth (the hanging lights, Mad Hatter quilt, cupcakes, etc). Visit her blog for more info.

Stay tuned for more tales from Quilt Market Spring 2011!

Quilt Market - Wow!!!

2011-05-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Julia and I had a great time at Quilt Market. Can you say sensory overload?!? So many amazing fabrics, designs, patterns, colors, textures, clothing, pillows, decorations... the list goes on and on. All I can say is WOW!

I will go through my pictures and blog about some of my favorites in the next week or so. But for now, here's a picture of me and Julia:

We are at the the Riley Blake Man Cave booth. No pink allowed in this room! The fabric collections shown: Back Country and Play Ball. The pattern used for the tie quilt: Sunday Best by Quilted Fish. We were grateful to sit for a minute, rest our feet, and keep Mr. Man Cave company.

Vogue 5253 Dress

2011-05-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

So my 14 year old told me she has no Sunday clothes that fit her. She came close to regretting those words. You see, my poor 14 year-old has a love/hate relationship with my creative moods. And right now I'm in a creative mood -- so why go buy a dress when I can sew one -- using a vintage pattern no less?

This is where the love/hate thing comes into play. As any seamstress knows, sometimes the patterns turn out beautiful, great fitting clothes, and sometimes, well not-so-much. The problem is that it takes time for me to admit defeat when my creation doesn't work out. Then I get annoyed that she doesn't like it, and she gets annoyed that I'm being unreasonable......

The poor girl was probably having an inner freak-out when I pulled out the above pictured pattern. It's a circa 1950's Vogue 5253 pattern. Isn't it cute? This child, however, doesn't like "cute." I know she thought it looked far too juvenile for her tastes, but being the visionary seamstress that I am, I could picture this made up in a simple dot fabric that would be perfect, and not too juvenile, for summertime.

Well, was I right or was I right?! How cute -or not cute- is she?!

We decided to add a black belt and she can wear a little black sweater currently residing at the bottom of her dirty clothes basket. She wants me to take in the darts about 1/2", so the bodice is a little more fitted, which isn't a problem.

Hooray for success!!! Do you have any idea how hard it is to please this child? And this is where she tells me that I'm pushing my luck & I'd better put the camera down or there will be mutiny....

Fabric: Red Contrary Dots by Riley Blake Designs
Pattern: Vintage Vogue 5253
Binding: Joann's
Belt: Target

Featured on Riley Blake Cutting Corners!

2011-05-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Riley Blake has a website called Cutting Corners College, where they have guest instructors share tutorials and techniques. They asked me to share the stacked circles flower tutorial. Of course I said yes! I love their fabrics, and it was so fun to work with their Daydream fabric collection designed by Samantha Walker. Beautiful!!! (Julia has several of the Daydream prints available in her shop The Dizzy Daizy) Anyway, head on over to Cutting Corners to see the tutorial!

Sewing Vintage 1960's

2011-04-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

After being in a creative slump for nearly a year, I think I'm getting my mojo back! Hooray! I started cleaning/de-stashing my sewing room this weekend and dug up this cute little sewing pattern from the 1960's. It's Butterick 9911.

T. "needs" another Sunday dress, so there was my excuse:) I used the Cream Polka Dot from Riley Blake's Daydream collection. It's really a lovely Butter Yellow. Perfect for Easter.

I liked this pattern a lot. The midriff was something I've never done before & it was fun learning a new technique. I got too impatient to photograph the midriff assembly, but here are a few photos from construction.

I chose to sew View B, which has the lovely Bateau or Boat Neckline. Normally I do a lot of top-stitching in order to give my finished garments a clean, crisp edge, but I didn't think it would look just right with this dress, so I opted to understitch the neckline.

This basically means you are stitching the facing and seam allowance together. Very clear, I know. Check out Collette for a great little tutorial on understitching. The top will look like this...

This dress came together in an afternoon and little T. loves it! She wants to wear it 24/7. I like it, but I'm not sure if I LOVE it. The midriff is the part I'm unsure about. Maybe I should have kept it all one fabric. Maybe I should have left out the hanging sash. Not sure.

Also, one thing you learn with these vintage patterns is that the pictures always show VERY poofy skirts, when in fact the finished products are a much toned-down version of the artists interpretation.

Contest!

2011-03-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that Riley Blake Designs is running a contest right now and the winner will receive a gorgeous Beach Cruiser Bicycle! Seriously - I have seen it with my own eyes and it's awesome! All you need to do is submit one or more photos from an APPAREL item you have made with any Riley Blake Fabrics. Easy!

You can enter on facebook, or on their website. Everyone who enters will automatically be entered in a later drawing to win a Cruise Vacation as well! So hurry up and enter - and tell your friends!

Janey's Dress Pattern by Olabelhe

2011-03-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to have found Olabelhe! Olabelhe is a new line of patterns designed by Dawn Hansen. What I love about Olabelhe patterns is the feeling they evoke - one of innocence, simplicity & the simple joy of childhood.

I decided that my daughters 1st Grade Class' "Abigail Adams Celebration" would be the perfect opportunity to try out the "Janey's Dress" pattern. It has an old-fashioned, Regency Era, flair to it, and just as important, it looked quick & easy to make!

One thing I love about Olabelhe patterns is that they ask you to hand pleat and hand gather everything. I really dislike creating pleats & gathers, but when you do them free-form by hand, there is no pressure to measure them or make them perfect at all. I found the process is MUCH faster this way, too, and comes with much less frustration and profanity:)

You can see the sleeve gathers. Again, these were all done free-form by just eye-balling it and creating little pleats where I wanted them.

The top-stitching detail (around the neckline here) always gives a garment a clean, professional look.

The pattern doesn't call for a ribbon, but because I used all white fabric, I felt it needed a punch of color. I liked the gingham one, but T liked the bright blue velvet ribbon. Any color would work and the great thing is that the ribbon can be changed as often as she likes.

The pattern has you sewing the skirt into a tube, to form a bubble dress. Very cute, but not quite the look I was going for. I wanted 2 layers with the bottom layer a bit longer. The top is a Cotton Lawn Swiss Dot and the bottom layer is a solid white Cotton Lawn. I also wanted the dress longer than the pattern called for. So I made some very simple adjustments to achieve the look I was going for - again, I love these patterns because of their simplicity in design -- it makes it very easy to personalize them and tailor them to your specific needs.

Above, you can see the pleating - all done by hand. It's a little scary to think of pleating by hand - you may think it will look sloppy. I can assure you the look is really lovely. I always say that pressing your garment is the key to making it look professional. Make sure to press the seams every step of the way. It makes all the difference.

I have many more Olabelhe patterns in my shop - be sure to check them out. And stay tuned - Olabelhe is coming out with lots of new, gorgeous patterns this Spring!

Recycle Old Jeans into Adorable Bibs

2011-02-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Don't throw away old jeans! Kristena from thimbly things gives a tutorial for absolutely adorable denim bibs. She used denim and ribbon on the front, and cotton on the back. She also used decorative stitching to give it that much more cuteness! I love how they turned out.

[photo courtesy of thimbly things]

2011-01-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Feeling Groovy!

Sara & I LOVE the fabric collections put out by Riley Blake Designs. Their newest line, Feeling Groovy, carries their signature look -- bright, youthful & always cheerful! I was at their warehouse the other day and they had just received a small shipment of Fat Quarter Bundles, so I snatched up a few. The full shipment is scheduled to arrive soon. So here's your sneak peak of this fun collection!

You can pick a bundle up at The Dizzy Daizy Quilt Shoppe.

I know it's shocking, but my favorite prints are the little tiny daisies. I also LOVE the little mushrooms & cloud print. The stripes are adorable, too - major cute factor here!

Stacking Circles Fabric Flower Tutorial

2011-01-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

I made this cute skirt the other day. I used the Pink Fig Stripwork Skirt pattern and fabrics from the Riley Blake Sublime and Rainy Days collections. When it was done, I decided it needed a fabric flower. So I added one!

Stacking Circles Fabric Flower Tutorial:

You will need: thread, needle, button, and 4 fabric circles. I free-handed the circles. They don't need to be perfect. Each circle should get progressively smaller so you can see all of them when you stack them.

Step 1: Take one of the circles. Fold it in half (right sides together), and fold it in half again. It will now be a 1/4 circle.

Step 2: Stitch a line (a few stitches) just above the tip of the 1/4 circle. This will make the circle pucker when opened.

This is what the circles will look like when opened.

Step 3: Stack the circles. Sitch one stitch through the middle to hold it all together.

Step 4: Now stitch the button onto the flower. You're done! The edges aren't finished, so they will fray naturally.

These flowers can be added to clothing, home decor (pillows would be really fun), hair accessories...

Have fun with them! I'd love to see your Stacked Circle Fabric Flowers.

Tips for quilting with flannel fabric

2011-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

I remember making a flannel quilt using 1/4 inch seams. It was beautiful until I washed it. Then it fell apart. I almost cried. Penny Hallgreen from how-to-quilt.com gives some very good advice (including seam allowances) for working with flannel fabric:

Nothing warms on a cold day or night like flannel.

Flannel brings to mind our favorite childhood footed pajamas or night gown or a favorite old shirt. Flannel is a great fabric choice for quilting because of its warmth and its association with good memories.

If you have never quilted with flannel, there are a few tips worth knowing before your first flannel quilting project.

Flannel varies by manufacturer. Always wash and dry your flannel before starting your project. Use the warmest settings possible considering the color of your flannel fabric on both your washer and drier.

Some flannel shrinks as much as 5 percent. It’s best to preshrink your fabric instead of getting it all done then having it shrink. Finish the pre-preparation work by sizing your flannel fabric.

Flannel frays easily, which is great for rag quilt projects, but not so great for other quilt piecing projects. To accommodate the fray possibility, cut your pieces a little larger to allow for a bigger seam allowance.

For instance, instead of the typical one-quarter inch seam allowance, consider bumping the allowance up to one-half inch. Press your seams open when you piece with flannel, too.

If you are using flannel for backing of your quilt project, consider running around all the edges of the fabric with an overlock or serging stitch first. This will help prevent fraying around the edges of your backing

If you are using your machine to piece or quilt your flannel fabric projects, you will need to keep your machine clean. Flannel creates lots of fuzz that can build up on your machine.

Keep your small machine brush handy and keep the flannel dusted out as you work. You will also need to change your needle periodically for the same reasons. Plus, flannel tends to dull needles quickly.

Rag quilts plump up beautifully when flannel fabrics are used. To make snipping the fabric easier, use spring loaded snippers instead of traditional scissors.

The spring loaded snippers fit easily into the palm of your hand and use a motion more like squeezing a stapler than traditional scissor cutting.

If you have a reasonably large project to snip for ragging, regular scissors will make your hands cramp and ache quickly. Keep your snippers sharpened to avoid achy hands, too.

If you are working on a rag quilt project using flannel and are not happy with the amount of fraying you get after a washing and drying cycle, check the quilt to see if you have made enough snips in the seams.

Generally, the snips cut into the seams should be made at about every one-quarter inch. If your cuts are already spaced at quarter inch intervals, continue washing and drying the quilt until you get the desired fraying results.

The project will plump more with each cycle through the washer and drier.

Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren
http://www.how-to-quilt.com/
http://www.thequiltingcoach.com/
http://www.quiltblocklibrary.com/
©2009-10, Penny Halgren
Penny is a quilter of more than 28 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.
This article courtesy of http://www.how-to-quilt.com/. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Thank you, Penny, for the great tips! And going back to my first flannel quilting adventures: I used regular scissors to snip the edges of my very first rag quilt. OUCH! Blisters galore. I now use the Fiskars Softouch Craft Snips. Much better.

Some Michael Miller favorites are back in stock!

2010-12-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Four Michael Miller flannel favorites are back in stock at Flannel Queen:

Flower Shower Cementine

Zoology

Dino Dudes

Carnival Bloom

For the seamstress/crafter on your Christmas list...

2010-12-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Some ideas for the seamstress/crafter on your Christmas list...

1. Ginger Designer Series Scissors. I drool over these scissors. They are absolutely gorgeous. AND they are the best quality. Perfect!

2. Boutique Pin Cushion - Sure to add some fun to the sewing room! These pin cushions are unique and beautiful. Have you seen the mini sushi?

3. Decorative Tape - For the crafter on your list. These adorable decorative tapes can be used in soooo many ways!

4. Fabric Bundles - Cotton or Flannel, seamstresses love these bundles for small projects, applique, quilting, ...

We ship quickly!

Be Merry Christmas Pillows - ADORABLE!

2010-12-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

My good friend Melissa bought a Christmas sheet set (from Target, I think) for her daughters, and she wanted to make pillows to match. The Riley Blake Be Merry flannels matched perfectly. And oh my goodness, they turned out super cute!!!

To create this ruffle pillow, cut the fabric into strips, then crinkle it as you sew the strip to the pillow front. Adorable!

Tree applique with ribbon garland.

Random-sized strips of fabric, with jumbo ric rac embellishment

Happy snowman applique with buttons. A great way to use scraps!

I love the pom pom trim used in this mini tree skirt.

With a bedroom this cute, I might even be less grumpy about the snow in my yard!