New Year's News

Happy New Year, Friends!

I'm terribly sorry for abandoning the blog for a bit. Seems we have a new addition to prepare for, a new baby to arrive in late July!

Unfortunately, I've been sicker than sick with this pregnancy...not morning sickness...more like morning, noon, and night sickness... Thanks for the well-wishes and encouragement I've received so far from my sweet bloggy-buds!

Hugs to you, and I hope to be back with energy soon! xo

Gift Idea: Quilted Pillow

Quilted pillows are such a GREAT gift! They can be so quick and simple to make, depending on the amount of piecing. Here is a quickie that I put together for the Pillow Talk {Swap} that is taking place on flickr....

For this pillow, I used varied-width strips of fabric (different prints) and cut them all to 5 inches in length. When I stitched them side-by-side, it made a simple patchwork strip that off-set the pillow front. I then quilted the front piece to a piece of batting, using dark chocolate brown thread in the shape of wood grain...super simple and I was able to use my regular piecing foot instead of a darning foot on the machine.

I then added a little deer silhouette and used my darning foot to applique it to the pillow top. The back of the pillow is a simple envelope closure. I was a little worried that it didn't overlap enough to hold in a thick pillow form, so I added some ties to the back, just-in-case. The sleeve fits an 18" x 18" pillow form, found at your local craft store.

I'm planning some more pillows for Christmas gifts...I'm thinking a "string quilt" pattern will look really nice! More to come!.......happy sewing!

Pre-Holiday SPECIAL at Pocketful of Pinwheels

A little savings for your pocket from Pocketful of Pinwheels....

Get two fat quarters for $18....Offer good on special order and in-stock fabrics purchased this week only!



Head on over to the SHOP for some original fabric love! Makes a very special gift for the sewist/quilter in your life :)



Mention "FATQSPECIAL" in the notes to seller during checkout for a partial refund of the sale difference to your Paypal account. *or, feel free to convo me for a custom listing.



HAPPY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!

Fall Fall Fall!

It's a pretty awesome time here in Indiana......aside from the 70-degrees-one-day and 40 degree dip the next, lots of awesome happenin's this fall.

First, I'd like to welcome my new baby nephew, Logan Bruce...weighing in at 10 lbs. 7 oz.!!! He was born yesterday morning and mommy and baby are happy and healthy!

Titus' birthday was a blast (of cold air!) We had a fun party at the park with friends and family as he turned the big TWO...

And feeling breezy here in Indiana gave me the nudge to create a fall-inspired fabric, called "Jeremy Raccoon"...available in two colorways and for sale in the shop!

I'm loaded with projects and gifts to make in time for Christmas, so I'm keeping it short and sweet! Enjoy the fresh chill in the air....unless you're one of my coastal pals who is still livin' it up in shorts weather ;) xoxo

I love Crayons

I love crayons. Love the smell of opening a brand new box....the combination of the crisp paper wrappings, cardboard, and new crayon smell. Maybe I'm just a weirdo. :) But I know that crayons will be a hit at Titus' birthday party next weekend.

In lieu of store-bought trinkets and candy, I decided to try those handy crayon rolls that I've seen in some of my favorite shops on etsy.

Thanks to a super simple tutorial found HERE, I was able to make these rather inexpensively, with fabric I already have in my stash. I substituted wide braided elastic in place of the ribbons that hold the roll in place. Hopefully, I can whip up a few extra to give in Christmas stockings this year...

Speaking of Crayons, if you love crayons like I do, please check out Sarah Costa's work here. She has an incredible etsy shop that I love to stare at. Sarah is a very talented photographer and sewer, so deck your walls with some of her artwork this season!

Happy Saturday to you....I'm off to finish scraping the cereal treat/marshmallow goo from the bottom of the pan after making a batch for a fall party this evening....and yes, I scoop the leftover goo out with my hands and shovel it into my mouth....'cause that's how I roll.

Papercraft PARTY Hat Tutorial

Boy, have I been racking my brain lately to pull off a "cute" Robot-themed birthday party for my soon-to-be TWO little guy. I could not find robot party stuff to save my life, so I decided to make my own. Here is a super easy tutorial to make your own, customized party hats....using basic scrapbooking supplies! ENJOY!

(You will also need: tape, a large dinner plate, and a slit or hole punch)

Craft Night Success

pincushions, originally uploaded by ariel quilts.

This weekend was great fun! Friday evening was our Ladies Fall "Fun-due" fondue night at church. I serve on the committee and was given the task of coming up with the evening's craft.

I stewed for awhile on what would be crafty fun, yet "grown up" enough for ladies to enjoy. I had some good suggestions from friends and family, but decided on an easy felt flower brooch pattern from mmmcrafts, thanks to an inspiring blog post by Allison at Cluck Cluck Sew. My friend Jamie then suggested we encorporate Allison's teacup pincushions at each table as giveaways.

The evening was so fun...full of chocolate, cheese, goodies, and great fellowship. It's so good for women to enjoy each other's company and grow spiritually together! (and eat, laugh, and create at the same time!!)

So, take my advice and make some time to get together with the girls this month. Whether you shop, watch a movie, or just have a play date with the kiddos, good friendship is great for the soul.

xo