RHQ in LizzieBCre8tive

We, at RHQ, are so honored to be featured in the Holiday Issue of
  LizzieBCre8tive Dream, Laugh, Create, an amazing quilty emag.
If you look at pages 34-36 of this emag, you'll see our Quilted Santa Hat project.

Not only does Dream, Laugh Create, include our Santa Hats, but this issue by LizzieBCre8tive also has 9 awesome projects, plus a cookie recipe! (How convenient to have a cookie recipe for Santa. ;-) )

Thank you LizzieBCre8tive for choseing our Quilted Santa Hat to be in your emag!

Candy Corn Pillow in 3-D

This Road Home Quilting tutorial, Candy Corn Pillow, features

a unique 3-D effect, Cookie-Cutter Quilting Trick,

and a Treat for using-up extra tiny scraps.



Don't be afraid!

I, Kitty Pearl, will guide you  

each step of the way. 

To begin with, let's do some research.

Get some Candy Corn.

Candy Corn is triangle shaped, but longer in the center than on the base. Banded with white on top, orange in the middle, and yellow or brown on the bottom. So go ahead and use any color for the bottom band. The center orange stripe is the largest of the 3 color stripes. Yum!

 

Step 1:  Choose 3 fabrics; white, orange, and something else. We are using the adorable

 Boo! to You! by My Mind's Eye from Riley Blake Designs. You will need a fat quarter of each color. [2 fat quarters of each color will make 3 pillows]

Step 2:  Cut fat quarters in half to create 9" strips.

Join the strips into 3 very long bands with orange in the middle.

Step 4:  Press seams flat. Direction doesn't matter in this step.

Step 5:  Make a Candy Corn pattern. [Recycle Tip:  We  use grocery bags for pattern papers.]  Pattern is a triangle, 24" tall with 20" base. Use a cup or bowl to help you draw round corners. Center your pattern over your stripes. Mark both edges of the orange stripe on your pattern to create "register marks," that will help accurately reposition the pattern.

Step 6:  Start cutting out some Candy Corn! [Tip:  We like pan lids for pattern weights.] Flip your pattern upside down with each cut. Remember to use the register marks to re-align your pattern.

 Step 7:  Sort pieces. Some will have white on top, some will have white on bottom. Decide if pillows will have matching backs or reversed backs. Pair pillow pieces. [If making one pillow, you will have a reversed back] Notice that orange band now appears to be the largest stripe. Spooky!

Step 8: Press pillow pieces so that seams run opposite on each piece, and will easily nest together when pillow is assembled.

Step 9:  Layer pieces with batting. No backing necessary. We like spray basting, but any method will work here. Fusible craft batting is also suitable.

Step 10:  Quilt as desired! 

 Quilting Tool TRICK: Turn cookie-cutters into quilting stencils.

Ink holiday themed Cookie Cutters with a stamp pad. Use washable ink if you are stamping on quilt top. We stamped and quilted on the batting side.

Step 11:  After quilting, trim batting with bevel cut. Hold scissors parallel to top. Batting is angle cut to reduce bulk in seam allowance area. Press one last time.

Step 12: Secret 3-D Step Baste curved edges. Pull basting bobbin to gather edges. Easy!

Step 13:  With right sides together, match orange seams, stitch around pillow leaving a hole in side.

Step 14:  Turn pillow case right side out through hole. Remove basting stitches in corners.

Step 15:  Stuff pillow then close hole by hand with blind stitch.

Because pillow is lined with batting, it will be hard to stuff with batting. The battings will want to stick together. This is an opportunity to recycle that box of cuttings and "scraps too small to use." [Admit it, you know you have one too.] Go ahead and stuff your Candy Corn Pillow with scraps. Since pillow is lined with batting, the scraps won't feel lumpy. Sweet!

Optional: Having trouble matching the orange side seams? Hide uneven seams with giant ric-rac.

Congratulations! You created a yummy Candy Corn Pillow made with Tricks and Treats. Thanks for quilting with me, Kitty Pearl, and Happy Halloween from Road Home Quilting

"Hey, where did everybody go?"

Jingle All the Way - in July

Did you hear, I won Jingle All the Way on Notions, the Connecting Threads blog!!! No, not the movie. The Nancy Halvorsen book, of course!!!

Look - it's really hear!

And just in time, too. I've learned that July is the best time to start holiday projects. Otherwise you end up putting on your binding at the Thanksgiving table...but that's another story.

So what does this have to do with Totally Tech Tuesdays? Well, it turns out the nice people at Connecting Threads understand about the the creative holiday timeline. [I wonder if they've ever had to finish a binding on Thanksgiving?]

CT started an online group for people working on holiday and gift projects in 8 craft books, including Jingle All the Way.  The Gifty Galore Quilt Along is a group in Quilt With Us, the social network hosted by our Connecting Threads friends.

Quilt With Us is alot like FB, except everyone there is quilty. There are posts, messaging, groups, chat, everything. Most of all, I like the giant album of members quilt photos. It's nice not to have to visit each friend's page in turn to see their quilts.  The CT Designers are there too, and they've made a whole library of tutorials.

So when you stop by Quilt With Us, visit my page and say "hi". Let me know where you find the quilty group of your dreams.

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS** 

Starting Summer

What could be more fun than a special sewing prize? How about two! How about combining gifts?!!

Thank you Bramcost Publications for sharing your new book, How to Make Aprons: Vintage Patterns for making Home, Garden, Utility & Craft Aprons. Sew many unique aprons here, I want to make them all!

We had so much fun at Bloggers Quiltmarket Meetup! And we won super prizes!! Thank you Daria and Megan Boutique Cafe girls who awarded us NEW Kaufman charm pack, Sweet Pickins by Darlene Zimmerman, not to mention other super cool stuff.
This super cheery 1930's reproduction fabric just screamed KITCHEN to me. What to make with this special prize? Hey, how about an Apron?

For this project, I chose one of the Patchwork Aprons (pg. 75, if you are following along), which uses 40 squares, WOW- exactly the size of my charm pack prize.  The triple-V edge is SEW VINTAGE! And I had way too much fun sorting the charm pack to align matching series. SEE?
The pattern is for 4" patches, so using the charm pack made the apron larger than usual. I decided to go ahead in the XL direction, and added 7' of ties. I know how hard it is for my big friends to find aprons that fit. So I also adapted the ties to a no-waistband style. This way apron won't look stretched at the waist.

Luckily, I had this lovely old fashioned blue calico in my stash, and there was just enough to create bias binding and matching ties. Matches great, wouldn't you say? Just right, so it doesn't fight with the blue gingham center-top either. Perfect!

Starting the summer with a new apron..... We should make this a tradition.