Christmas Keepsakes Blog Tour and Giveaway!!!

Today is my stop on the Christmas Keepsakes Blog Tour hosted by Shabby Fabrics.  This is their very first blog tour and I am so excited to be able to be a part of it!!  

Christmas Keepsakes is the new Block of the Month exclusive to Shabby Fabrics.  It is a 10 month program offered in both Laser Cut and Traditional Applique.    This  quilt measures 36" x 36" featuring 9 adorable eight inch appliqued blocks.   

As part of the hop, we were asked to play with a block or two and share our experiences of using Laser Cut Applique.   And let's just say, I love it!!!!   I got to work on the Bell and Gingerbread House blocks.  And didn't they turn out so cute!!!

So let me share with you a bit about my experience with Laser Cut Applique!!!   To start, I received two lovely packages in the mail.  Each package had a wonderful set of instructions, and when I turned them over, I shrieked!!!  Oh yes, those are all of the applique pieces already cut!!!   

I opened the package to find that not only are the pieces already perfectly cut out for you, they also have fusible web on the back of them.   So basically, I had to trim my block background to 8 1/2" square and head over to the ironing board.   So easy!!!

Using the position guide sent with the packet, I placed all of my applique onto the block.  

And then simply pressed and fused the applique in place.   So my applique was ready to stitch about 5 minutes after opening the package.   I am so loving Laser Cut Applique!!!

The Gingerbread House had a few more pieces to place so it took me maybe 8 minutes from the time I opened the packages.   I found it helpful to use a ruler to make sure my windows and doors were all aligned nice and straight.  

So with that, 15 minutes later I was ready to stitch, which is my favorite part of applique!!!  I decided to add my batting before secure stitching all my applique so that each piece would really pop.   

I opted for a blanket stitch in black.  I think the black really complemented all of these beautiful Christmas Fabrics ;)  I find secure stitching applique to be so relaxing.

And the gingerbread house was so much fun to stitch.   So many fun little pieces!!

After everything was stitched in place it was time to quilt the background.  I did a micro stipple to add lots of fun texture.  It's been a bit since I quilted something on my home machine, I was a little rusty ;)  

Then just trim the excess batting and add on all the perfect little finishes.   Buttons, ribbons, and stitching, oh my!!!   

Then a quick binding (using some of my leftover scrappy bindings :) and in a hour and a half  from start to finish, I had two adorable Christmas mini's!!!!    

The Bell!!

And the Gingerbread House!!

So ya, pretty safe to say that I am hooked on Laser-Cut Applique!!!  It takes out all of the not so fun part of applique and leaves you with the totally fun part!!!    I can't wait to do more!!

So if you want to give the Laser-Cut Applique a try, or if you want to do the Traditional Applique, here are a few more details on the quilt.  

size: 36” x 36”

sign-up cost: $10

Traditional: $14/month

Laser-cut: $17/month

US shipping: $3/month

International shipping: $7/month

10-month program

starts in January 2015

runs through October 2015

Be sure to follow along with all of the other stops along the blog hops way.   (There will be a giveaway at each stop!!!)

Monday, October 6th

Shabby Fabrics - Kick Off

Tuesday, October 7th

Paula @ The Sassy Quilter

Erin @ Stay at Home Mummy 

Karin @ Leigh Laurel Studios 

Wednesday, October 8th

Melissa @ Happy Quilting You are Here

Kristyne @ Pretty by Hand

Thursday, October 9th

Erin @ Why Not Sew? 

Caroline @ SewCanShe 

Friday, October 10th

Shabby Fabrics - Wrap Up

And let's get to that Giveaway here!!!   Shabby Fabrics is giving away a $25.00 Gift Certificate to one lucky Happy Quilting Reader!!! 

To be entered to win, Simply leave me a comment telling me what your favorite block in this adorable Christmas Keepsakes Quilt is ;)    

That's it, super easy!!  One entry per person and international entries are welcome.  The giveaway will be open until October 15th, and I will announce a winner the morning of the 16th ;)

Thanks for stopping by and have a very Happy (and Merry) Quilting Day!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!! (The Very First One :)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Today is the very first Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day and I am super excited!!!  Just FYI, each Terrific Tuesday will start with the winner from the previous week (which we won't have one today as it is the first :)  followed by the weekly sponsor and any special promotions or coupons you will want to know about, and then followed by the giveaway ;)  But I promise to keep it short and sweet :)  So lets get to it!!!

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Green Fairy Quilts.  Along with sponsoring the giveaway, Green Fairy Quilts has currently marked down all of their Fat Eighth bundles, 35% off!!  No coupon necessary :)  And Green Fairy Quilts ships free in the US and discounted to international.

And today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for a beautiful A Field Guide Fat Quarter Bundle by Janet Clare for Moda.   That's 28 Fat Quarters!!!  I love the text prints :)

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.  Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that tells me what word you would want to include if you could make your own text print :)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Green Fairy Quilts love.   You can follow them on Bloglovin, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram.  You can Sign up for their Newsletter which will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales, or you can visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Green Fairy Quilt Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, October 14th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Camping Quilt with the Bees Knees

So Sept. was my month for the Bees Knees quilting group ;)  I knew right off what I wanted to ask the ladies to make ;)   Here's a little backstory :)

A while back I was chatting with my mom about how my Grandparents need a new quilt for their new Trailer.  We spent the Labor Day Weekend at a Family Reunion (that my Grandparents haven't missed a year of since I was a little girl) and we both noticed that their bed quilt is just one that comes with the trailer and goodness, it is ugly!!!  It was just meant to be!!!  

So I asked the wonderful ladies of our group to make whatever comes to your mind when you hear the words  Camping, Nature, Outdoors, the Wild, Smores,  Ect, Ect. Ect.  This block will be totally up to their imagination.  They can applique, piece, paper piece, whatever!!!  Anything that makes you feel Woodsie ;)  When all the blocks come back I plan to turn them into a fun sampler quilt :)  

So Sept has come to a close and I have a few blocks back and I am just so excited!!!  Seriously, each time I get a package in the mail I just can't wait to tear it open, every one is a special surprise!!  And oh my goodness, Talk about a cute collection of Woodsie blocks!!! They are just so fantastic!!!  I can already tell that this quilt is going to be just perfect for Grandma and Grandpa.  I can't wait to see what the other blocks are going to be.   How fun!!!  

I have to show you these blocks close up!!  They are so great!!!  .  And I was so excited to show them I didn't even iron this one, ah well ;)   This one is from Kim and it so stinking adorable!!!  I just love it, especially the little appliqued heart carving on the tree and the adorable buttons to hold up the hammock.  So cute!!!.   

And from Cynthia, this ever so cute owl!!  Isn't that just so fun!!!  She even did needle turn applique, wow!!!  You can see details about how she made it here ;)  

And from Nedra, this adorable skool of fish!!  I already am envisioning these swimming along the bottom of the quilt ;)

From Shari, this super cute Crossroads block and some bonus improv blocks with it!!  She even added in some of patches from her own adorable fabric line ;)  

And finally, from Sherri, these super fun Log Cabin blocks.  Because you can't have a camping quilt without some log cabin blocks!!!

Seriously, like I said, an adorable collection of blocks ;)  I will be sure to share more as the additional blocks come in.  I can't wait to start putting this one together!!

Be sure to pop back in tomorrow for the first Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

Crossroads and Christmas

So ya, September is come and gone, but I never posted my bee block for the month.  It actually went out in the mail on the 30th so it's not like it is that old.  Yup, Sept. was a bit of a procrastination month on the bee block.    Anywhoo, We were asked by the wonderful Celeste to make a Scrappy Crossroads block in patriotic colors.   I love this block by Lori Holt.   It is so much fun to put together and once you have all of the scraps cut out it really goes together fast!!!

And the second part of today is about Christmas.   Can you believe how quickly it is sneaking up on us.   I am totally excited to get to announce that  Shabby Fabrics is doing their first blog hop and it is all about their new and exclusive Christmas Keepsakes Block of the Month!!!    And what makes me super excited about this as part of it, I get to play with their Laser Cut Applique!!!  It is no secret that I love applique and  I have wanted to try these out ever since I found out about them.  So exciting!!   If you don't know what Laser Cut Applique is, you are in for a treat ;)

Shabby Fabrics has a great group of bloggers lined up to share with your their experiences using Laser Cut Applique and these adorable christmas blocks!!   So be sure to follow along all next week, The fun starts Monday at  The Shabby!!  (and there's going to be prizes, just sayin :)

And that's it for today ;)  

Have a Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Squishy Packages Equal New Projects

I received 2 squishy packages in the mail yesterday.   Don't you just love when those arrive!!!   I think the UPS guy thinks I am a little nuts as I am tearing them open before I even shut the front door ;)  


The first squishy package was from the lovely Frances Newcomb with cuts from her new Cherie line!!!  Oh my goodness, I love this line!!!  The script, the bikes, the dots,  Eeekk!!   I have a super chic quilt planned for these, and I am going to take pictures as I go . . . Yup, tutorial coming your way!!

And the second package was from Riley Blake Designs for my next Project Design Team tutorial.   This line is by Amanda Herring aka The Quilted Fish and is called The Cottage Garden.   And oh my goodness, I love it!!!!    I can't wait to start cutting it up!!

So I best get going.   A new blade in the rotary cutter and some tunes and I will be set ;)

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!