Fun gifts to make

 Happy Monday. Last week I shared with you a little tutorial on how to make a lanyard. This week I thought I would share with you a few other items that are fun to sew and make wonderful gifts. 

One of our favorites is the Wax and Wool Tote by Noodlehead. I have gifted many of them over the years, especially to my son's Teachers. The pattern calls for wax and wool fabrics but i always use just cotton or if I am feeling fancy I will do cork on the bottom, but cotton works wonderfully. The pattern is all rectangles so it can be cut with just a ruler, rotary cutter and a mat. It goes together really nicely, with a simple front pocket, and a nice slip pocket on the inside. Esther made this one recently and added a little hardware to bling it up some. 

This little bag is really fun to make for kids and adults. It is called the Project Bag 2.0 from By Annie. The medium size is pictured below and it fits a coloring book and pack of crayons perfectly. Which makes for a great gift for any of the littles in your life.

 I made a second one using a panel by Zen Chic and it makes a great little bag to store projects in progress, handwork or favorite tools. 

The Pencil Pouch by Noodlehead is a fun little item to make. 

I have paired these with a Lanyard and snuck some little treats inside for a nice little Teacher Gift.

They are fun to make and easy to personalize if you know the person well. If not neutral colors our always safe. I gave each of my nieces one for their birthday this year with some pencil crayons inside and a new coloring book and they were all tickled. This pattern is a free tutorial. Just click here to reach it. 

Esther has decided she is no longer buying gift wrap or gift bags for kids. Instead she wraps everyone's gifts in a pillowcase. They make a great gift by themselves and are a fantastic alternative to the gift wrap. They are easy to make and there are many many tutorials online for different methods on how to make them. Another fun idea is to spend a day or an afternoon making them with your kids or grandkids. 

Have you made any of these items for gifts before?

After my vacation I will share a tutorial for a fun little hot pad that is quick to make and so useful in the kitchen. 

Next week is the 10th month in our Bonnie and Camille Quilt Bee. And Carrie be publishing the next post of the Garden Sampler Quilt on Thursday.

Have a great week.

Midnight Clear BOM Block 5

 It is time for Midnight Clear Block 5. 

I'm finally starting to feel like we are getting close to the right season to be working on Christmas projects. Do you find it easier to sew Christmas projects when there is snow on the ground, or does it not really matter to you? 

Let's start with cutting. I cut all the pieces the same, except for the squares we are using to make half square triangles, I sized those up to the nearest inch again, in order to have some room to trim my squares again.

My Pieces

For my Half Square Triangles I used my 4-in-1 Trim Tool to square my blocks up, after sewing on either side of the diagonal line marked down the center. 

For the angles on both my red rectangles and my green squares I used my Folded Corner Clipper. Simply line up a white background square on the corner, place the ruler on top, using all the correct guidelines down the middle, up the sides and on the top, then cut and bring to your sewing machine.

I love how I can stack to cut these, and it just saves a couple steps, time, and makes me be confident I will get points and that they will all line up in the end. 

The Components. 

Once you have all your components made, we simply piece the blocks in the same 9 patch manner as the rest. 

My Block 5's

These blocks are so fun! We only have one more set of blocks after this. We are getting so close to seeing these tops finished. I'm excited to see if you have been keeping up or falling behind. Will your quilt be finished for Christmas? That is my goal. 

Carrie will be back with Block 6 on Oct. 29. 

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is less than a week away and if you have the urge to make a quilt full of hearts this weekend we have plenty of new projects for you.

Love Grows by Deb Strain for Moda is a new collection that arrived in our shop this week. It is red, pink and white and features a lot of hearts. With it came a Moda Box Kit. The kit contains the fabrics to make the tops for a small quilt and a runner. The center of the quilt is a panel, so it will be a quick sew.
We also have a new pattern for this fabric as well. It is called Cross My Heart, and we will get some kits put together of this as well.

Also new is a flannel line by Stacy Iest Hsu for Moda. This one is called Soft and Sweet and I love the Kit that came with it called I Love You. This flannel is soft, think about how warm and cozy your loved one would feel wrapped up in it.


Laura used the same pattern included in the flannel I Love You Kit and made a quilt with fabrics from Romance by Sue Zipkin.








Esther used First Romance for her I Heart You Quilt, which is a super fun little quilt to make, and we have kits available for you to make your own.

Project Red by Sweet Water is great for all year but this Love Quilt is perfectly suited for this time of year. We have a few more Moda Kits of this available as well.


We will be having a Conquer the Cold Sales Event from Saturday, February 9 until Thursday, February 14.
Saturday: Selected Fat Quarter Bundles on sale 30% off
 Monday:  Double Gauze is 20% off
Tuesday: 60" Cuddle will all be 20% off
Wednesday: Selected Kits will be 30% off
Thursday: free gift with $50 or more in our shop while supplies last.

Hope you are keeping warm,
Kayla