Gnome with Sled

 

 It's the time of year that I start to pull out all of my gnomes and put them all on display. I just love gnomes because they remind me of my dad and my Norwegian family heritage from my dad's side. My grandparents were Norwegian. Dad would joke 'I'm an American made with Norwegian parts', lol!   I'd love to show you a festive gnome for the holidays. It's so cute! It's a sweet little gnome in Santa's sleigh, or it could be Santa... wink, wink.... Instead of putting this applique on a tea towel, I made my own using some green shirting fabric which I thought would make a great background. For the applique I am using scraps from my fabric line, Season Sampler by Marcus Fabrics.  

Trace the applique shapes onto the paper side of your fusible web following manufacturers directions.

Rough cut the shapes out and pair with your fabric colors. Then press onto the wrong side of your fabric.

Cut all of the shapes out and following the pattern placement sheet, arrange the pieces onto your towel, remembering to peel the paper off. Notice how some of the pieces overlap. Following the manufacturer's directions, iron in place.

Using a buttonhole stitch, I stitch around the gnome's nose, beard, mustache and sled rail with white thread. I use a brown thread to go around everything else.

~ Gnome and Sled ~

This cute new design can be found HERE and HERE.

This towel would be adorable put on display hanging out of a gift basket, wrapped around a bottle of wine or draped on a cabinet or oven door. This design would also be cute stitched onto a 10 minute table runner or turned into a quick candle mat or mug rug. There are just so many possibilities! Have fun with it!

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Josephine

Double Monkey Wrench Block - Feathered Friends BOM 2022

Our Feathered Friends quilt has two rows of blocks to frame the quilt. Today we will make 6 Double Monkey Wrench blocks. This is a fun traditional block. This is the last of the block series for this quilt. I am using a purple and blue and cream fabric for my blocks. If you are making your quilt out of your stash, find fabrics colors that can be found in your applique blocks. This will help to pull your quilt together. For my cream fabrics, I choose a different fabric for each block to make it scrappy.  The quilt block patterns will be available free until the end of the year.

 So let me show you how I have made the Double Monkey Wrench block. Go on over to the Website and download the PDF pattern. The links are below towards the end of the posting. Make sure that your email is correct so that the link for the pattern is sent to you. Also, if you don't find it, check your trash or spam folder just in case it ended up in there....

Gather your fabric and print up your pattern.

From dark fabric cut-

24- 2 5/8” x 2 5/8” squares (A)

6- 2 5/8” x 2 5/8 squares (C)

From coordinating fabric cut- 24- 1 5/8” x 2 5/8” rectangles (B) 

From light fabric cut-

24- 2 5/8” x 2 5/8” squares (A)

24- 1 5/8” x 2 5/8 squares (B)

·         Pair together light A square with dark B square right sides together. Sew corner to corner diagonally. Trim to a ¼” seam on one side to form a triangle square. Press to the dark side.  Make 24 triangle squares total, 4 for each block.

·         Pair together light B rectangle with coordinating B rectangle right sides together. Sew along the long edge using a ¼” seam. Press to the dark side. Trim up to measure 2 5/8” x 2 5/8” squares. Make a total of 24 rectangle squares. Four for each block.

     Following the block layout, stitch the block together using a scant ¼” seam.

I find it helpful to lay the block out next to my sewing machine. Make 6 Monkey Wrench blocks total.

Now this is exciting, go gather your nine patch, friendship star and double monkey wrench blocks. If you have all of the blocks done you can sew together the top and bottom border for the quilt. The order is above.... You will make 2 - 8 block strips for the top and bottom border for the quilt.

Announcement!!!!

I will be releasing the other pieces and parts that you need to complete this quilt throughout this month. Stay tuned! Visit the Quilt Doodle website for the free PDF downloads for the quilt blocks and sashing directions.

It's an adorable quilt when it is done. The finished size of the quilt is 58" x 65" Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.50 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

If you don't have a printer, you can purchase a PRINTED copy of the pattern

HERE

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 There isn't much left to make for this quilt. There is one more bird block that will be available December 1st. I will also release the border and assembly directions at that time too. I hope that you all have a wonderful day and find some time to do some stitching! I'm off to spend some time in my sewing room, I have a stack of Christmas projects.

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Josephine

Mark Your Calendars!

 Come and join the fun January 1, 2023! Help spread the word and tell all your quilting friends about this fun wintery block of the month! Each month we will work on a new section of this mystery quilt. There's basic piecing, some applique and other fun embellishments. As always, the monthly directions will be free during that month and then available for a small fee after that.

Finished measurements of the 2023 BOM quilt is 60" x 70"

Quilt kits will be available, make sure to pre-order yours now so you have your fabric in time for our quilty adventure. Kits will begin shipping out by December 15th (if not sooner) USA only. Kits include a total of 8 yards of fabric of all the fabric you need to complete the top and binding for the quilt. Fabric is 100% cotton and from Marcus Fabrics by Quilt Doodle Designs.

Pre-order your kits HERE

Grab the button and link it to the Quilt Doodle Blog and help spread the word! 

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Josephine

Friendship Star Block - Feathered Friends BOM

Our Feathered Friends quilt has two rows of blocks to frame the quilt. Today we will make 4 Friendship Star blocks. This is a fun traditional block. I am using a green and cream fabric for my blocks. If you are making your quilt out of your stash, find a 'dark' color that can be found in your applique blocks. This will help to pull your quilt together. I used a dark green in many of my blocks. You will make 4 of these blocks for your quilt. The quilt block patterns will be available free until the end of the year.

 So let me show you how I have made the Friendship Star block. Go on over to the Website and download the PDF pattern. The links are below towards the end of the posting. Make sure that your email is correct so that the link for the pattern is sent to you. Also, if you don't find it, check your trash or spam folder just in case it ended up in there....

Gather your fabric and print up the pattern....

Cut 32 - 2 5/8" squares out of the cream fabric.
Cut 20 - 2 5/8" squares out of the green fabric.

·         Pair together light B square with dark B square right sides together. Sew corner to corner diagonally. Trim to a ¼” seam on one side to form a triangle square. Press to the dark side. Make 16 triangle squares total, 4 for each block.

I find it helpful to lay the block out next to my sewing machine.

Following the pattern sew your Friendship Star block together. Make sure to sew a scant quarter inch seam. Press to the dark side.

Make a total of 4 Friendship Star blocks for your Feathered Friends BOM quilt.

Announcement!!!!

I will be releasing the other pieces and parts that you need to complete this quilt throughout this month. Stay tuned! Visit the Quilt Doodle website for the free PDF downloads for the quilt blocks and sashing directions.

It's an adorable quilt when it is done. The finished size of the quilt is 58" x 65" Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.50 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

If you don't have a printer, you can purchase a PRINTED copy of the pattern

HERE

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

I hope that you all have a wonderful day and find some time to do some stitching! I'm off to hang out with my mom and work on some Christmas Projects.

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Josephine

Nine Patch Block - Feathered Friends BOM

Our Feathered Friends quilt has two rows of blocks to frame the quilt. We will begin and make 6 Nine Patch blocks. Super easy and quick to make. I am using a gold and cream fabric for mine. If you are making your quilt out of your stash, find a 'dark' color that can be found in your applique blocks. This will help to pull your quilt together. I used a gold color in many of my blocks. You will make 6 of these blocks for your quilt. The block quilts will be available free until the end of the year.

 So let me show you how I have made the Nine Patch block. Go on over to the Website and download the PDF pattern. The links are below towards the end of the posting. Make sure that your email is correct so that the link for the pattern is sent to you. Also, if you don't find it, check your trash or spam folder just in case it ended up in there....

Gather your fabric and print up the pattern....

Cut 30 - 2 5/8" squares out of the cream fabric.
Cut 24 - 2 5/8" squares out of the gold fabric.

Following the pattern sew your nine patch block together. Make sure to sew a scant quarter inch seam. Press to the dark side.

Make a total of 6 Nine Patch blocks for your Feathered Friends BOM quilt.

Announcement!!!!

I will be releasing the other pieces and parts that you need to complete this quilt throughout this month. Stay tuned! Visit the Quilt Doodle website for the free PDF downloads for the quilt blocks and sashing directions.

Each month will feature an applique design, I have a stash of basic colors that I use for applique, I bet you do too! You will also need a basic cream or white for the applique blocks. You will need 1 3/4 yards of a cream/white background fabric. It can be a tone on tone or neutral print. This cream fabric will also be used for the top and bottom boarders along with some pieced cornerstones. You can also get scrappy with your cream fabrics! The applique blocks will measure 8 1/2" x 10 1/2" (this includes the seam allowance).

It's an adorable quilt when it is done. The finished size of the quilt is 58" x 65" Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.50 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

If you don't have a printer, you can purchase a PRINTED copy of the pattern

HERE

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

I hope that you all have a wonderful day and find some time to do some stitching! I'm off to do some Christmas Cookie planning and making a grocery list for Thanksgiving.  

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Josephine

November's Block Minnesota Catbird

November is here and our year is quickly coming to a close! It will be New Year's Eve before we know it! This time of year just flies by with all of the family gatherings for the Holiday Season, I am including Thanksgiving in this list! It just seems like the weekends fill up with gatherings and holiday preparations.

This month's block features a Catbird. I have seen them on my bird feeders and just thought of them as small crows. When listening to their song online, I know I have heard them too. They have a pretty song. I am featuring them with some fall leaves and a birdhouse gourd. My dad grew birdhouse gourds, and my sister shared a box of them at our retreat. I took a few to paint. I like to paint them to look like pumpkins for the fall. I plan on painting a few to look like snowmen, I may also try painting one to look like a gnome. I think that would be super cute! My dad used to varnish them and drill a hole in them for a birdhouse. They are so pretty when they are varnished. I have one that dad made years ago on display in my coatroom. The gourd birdhouse that dad made me is too precious to put outside. I thought it would be fitting to include a gourd in November's design. Dad has inspired this year's quilt. I have his bird watching book and have been selecting birds out of it for this year's quilt. I also want to say thank you to all of you that have been sewing along with me this year! I have enjoyed seeing your progress. Stay tuned I will be announcing the 2023 Block of the Month quilt soon. It's going to be cute!

 So let me show you how I have made this month's block. Go on over to the Website and download the PDF pattern. The links are below towards the end of the posting. Make sure that your email is correct so that the link for the pattern is sent to you. Also, if you don't find it, check your trash or spam folder just in case it ended up in there....

Print up the pattern and gather your fabric for your applique block.

Trace the applique shapes onto the paper side of your fusible web. I use Flexifuse. I then group the shapes using the same color with the fabric.

Group the shapes with the fabric colors. Following the manufacturer directions, I then iron the fusible web onto the backside of my fabric. 

Cut all of the shapes out. Following the pattern placement sheet, position all the applique shapes on the cream background rectangle. Notice how some of the shapes overlap. Iron everything in place. I used a pencil; you can also use a water soluble or heat pen to mark your embroidery for the branches and gourd vine.

Your block is now all ready to be appliqued. I used dark brown thread and an applique buttonhole stitch to stitch around everything. I used an outline stitch on my machine to stitch the branches. Machine stitching is a big-time saver for me. I also test stitch my buttonhole stitch on a piece of scrap fabric before starting on my applique.

~ Minnesota Catbird ~

Isn't it a fun design? I love it! This would be a cute design on a tea towel too! 

Announcement!!!!

I will be releasing the other pieces and parts that you need to complete this quilt throughout this month. Stay tuned! Visit the Quilt Doodle website for the free PDF downloads for the quilt blocks and sashing directions.

Each month will feature an applique design, I have a stash of basic colors that I use for applique, I bet you do too! You will also need a basic cream or white for the applique blocks. You will need 1 3/4 yards of a cream/white background fabric. It can be a tone on tone or neutral print. This cream fabric will also be used for the top and bottom boarders along with some pieced cornerstones. You can also get scrappy with your cream fabrics! The applique blocks will measure 8 1/2" x 10 1/2" (this includes the seam allowance).

It's an adorable quilt when it is done. The finished size of the quilt is 58" x 65" Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.50 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

If you don't have a printer, you can purchase a PRINTED copy of the pattern

HERE

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! I will be ending this year's BOM with some giveaways. Make sure to stayed tuned for that!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day and find some time to do some stitching! I'm off to my sewing room to quilt a scrappy Christmas quilt that I pieced while on retreat.  

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Josephine

Boo!

Boo!!! Trick or Treat.... Smell my Feet.... Give me something good to eat.....

When I was a kid, we used to chant this as we went from house to house. I remember us all running around the neighborhood in our costumes. One year I was a robot... I made my costume out of a refrigerator box wrapped in tin foil. I had a small slit cut to see out of and a 'deposit candy here' opening with a pillowcase hooked to the inside of the box to catch the candy. This was one of those costumes that in theory was awesome, but the practicality of it.... not so brilliant. I could barely navigate front steps. It was hilarious! I thought it looked like a robot, but I'm sure I just looked like a huge box wrapped in tin foil hobbling down the street. It turned out to be unseasonably warm that year... so I baked inside of my toasty box... I could have been a microwave!

Are you invited to a Halloween party this year? Need a hostess gift, these Bat Mats are perfect! Hubby and I dressed up as Ragnar and Lagertha.... We looked more like Hagar the Horrible and Hilda... 

Are you decorating for the spooky holiday yet?  I've been known to decorate the day of Halloween, but I got a jump start on it a few weeks ago! But these bats are quick and easy to make last minute, I bet you even have some fabric in your stash that would work. (wink.... wink....)



Wrap a Bat Mat around a bottle of wine for an adorable
hostess gift...



Stuff a Bat Mat in a mug with candy for your friends!

Make a bunch of Bat Mats and sew them onto some orange and white
bakers twine for a batty garland to welcome the little zombies that
visit this Halloween.

I hope you have a wonderfully spooky Halloween! I'm going on a quick girl's trip to see the Dignity Statue in Chamberlain South Dakota. I'm planning on taking tons of photos to share with you when I'm back. I'll be back in time to pass out candy on Halloween.

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Josephine