"Tis the Season to Finish Our Quilts!

We all have our long holiday to do lists, putting this quilt together for the holidays would be worth every sewing-quilting moment you take to finish it. It will be an adorable quilt for you to put out for Christmas, also a great quilt to decorate your guest room with. Your holiday guests will love being welcomed with this cozy warm holiday quilt. I find quilting to be relaxing and enjoy doing my hand sewing in front of the TV watching movies. so when you get to the binding and embellishment stage of this quilt. Turn on the Hallmark station, (there's bound to be some traditional Hallmark Christmas shows on) sit in your favorite comfy chair and enjoy finishing your Christmas, Tis the Season quilt. Oh, and don't forget a plate of Christmas cookies and a cup of hot cocoa, (or a glass of wine). A couple of Hallmark movies and some hand stitching will surely help you relax and enjoy the holiday season.

I have all of my blocks and sashing laid out by my sewing machine.
I'm all ready to sew together my quilt top.

Here I am sewing a sashing and pinwheel strip following my quilt layout diagram.

I have my quilt top all sewn together except for the borders.

Here I am sewing on the borders, making sure to match up the seams

to set the snowmen as the corner blocks.

Here my darling nephew is posing with my quilt top.

I think he really likes it too!

You still have time to catch up if you are a block or two behind. This quilt will be so much fun to put out for the holidays. It would also make an awesome gift for someone special. The pattern for finishing the quilt up can be found for FREE this month in my Craftsy Shop and also on my website. Also, if you ever need to find past blocks or tutorials, I have a tab at the top of my blog labeled 2016 BOM that you can click on to get links to all past blog postings for this quilt. A complete listing of fabric supplies can be found on my website, Craftsy Shop and also under the 2016 BOM tab on my blog. Remember to post pictures of your progress on Instagram #quiltdoodledesignsBOM2016 (you can also tag me at Quilt Doodle Designs) There is also a flickr group you can join and post pictures. I love seeing pictures of what you guys are doing with the Tis the Season patterns. It is soooo much fun to see the quilt made in different fabrics! Love it!

Button packs are available in my Etsy Shop. I have packaged the button packs a couple of different ways. Either as one big pack with everything in it or individually for each design/row.



I hope that you have fun making this block this month. Email me if you are interested in joining in on a blog hop show and tell. Send me you email address, blog address, and name. I will put together and email you a day to present your finished quilt. If you don't have a blog and want to participate, let me know and I will post  your pictures for you.

Our blog hop will be January  19th - 22nd.

There will be all sorts of fun prizes for our blog participants and visitors!  Remember to post those calendars! I can't wait to see everyone's finish quilts!

 Happy Quilting!

Cindy

Tis the Season BOM Blog Hop

Mark your calendars for Janaury 19th - 22nd for a virtual show and tell. A group of us will be showing off our Quilt Doodle BOM 2016 blocks and finished quilts! Won't it be fun to see the quilts in different fabric choices. I'm really looking forward to it. Not only will it be fun to see everyone's projects but there is also some swag to giveaway to our lucky blog hop winners!

Even if your quilt top isn't finished, please join and show off your blocks. At the end of the hop I will announce the GRAND PRIZE winners for the BOM 2016. But to win you need to join the hop. To join, please EMAIL ME 

your name and email 

your blog if you have one

 ( if you do not have a blog)  I will host for you..

your url of your blog

More details to follow soon!

I will email a listing to all of our participants soon!

Mark your calendars for January 19-22th and post the BOM 2016 button on your blog or website. I have some wonderful prizes to give away at the end of the Quilt Doodle BOM Blog Hop. (Remember you need to participate to win)

You still have time to catch up if you are a block or two behind. This quilt will be so much fun to put out for the holidays. It would also make an awesome gift for someone special. The pattern for finishing the quilt up can be found for FREE this month in my Craftsy Shop and also on my website. Also, if you ever need to find past blocks or tutorials, I have a tab at the top of my blog labeled 2016 BOM that you can click on to get links to all past blog postings for this quilt. A complete listing of fabric supplies can be found on my website, Craftsy Shop and also under the 2016 BOM tab on my blog.

Button packs are available in my Etsy Shop. I have packaged the button packs a couple of different ways. Either as one big pack with everything in it or individually for each design/row.



 Happy Quilting!

Cindy

November's Block ~ A Kazillion Pinwheels!

Or many tiny blocks…
Please don’t hate me too much after you get done with this month’s section of the ‘Tis The Season’ BOM quilt.  You get to make what will feel like a ka-gillion pinwheels…. Tiny pinwheels… teeny... tiny pinwheels. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I drew up the pattern. In theory it was adorable. I was shooting for adorable… I did a lot of chain sewing to get these little pieces done and even contemplated drinking (not pop) by the time I got to the end, I was also ready for the pretty white jacket that ties in the back. So plan on taking breaks while working on these. Lots of breaks, watch a movie, grab a pop... (or a drink) Whatever helps you get these blocks done. Also your ¼” seam allowance is super important with this block, so make a ‘test’ block and adjust accordingly. You want these to be 2 ½” squares when you are done (this is including the seam allowance.) If after you do a few of these you are going insane and want to choke the designer. Feel free to substitute 2 ½” red blocks, or make a ‘four patch’ using red and white (or green) using 1 ½” squares. Your quilt will turn out just as cute. If you are having fun making these pinwheels, (And I have to admit, I did fall in love with my stack of double pinwheel blocks when I was done.)  make a bunch extra and set them aside for a special project that I will present this month to go with your ‘Tis The Season’ Quilt. You’re gonna love it!

Following the directions, cut your red square and then cut the square diagonally from corner to corner and then corner to corner again to form four triangle pieces. I like to chain sew, so I cut a ton of them... repeat with the white squares of the same size.

Following the pattern... I cut the squares and cut these in half diagonally corner to corner.

I find it easier to show how this block goes together by showing you the layout.

I chained sewed the small triangles together... It took some time... but it will certainly be worth it in the end. Make sure you stay consistent with how you sew the red and white triangles together. You want your pinwheels to all spin in the same direction.

Iron your triangle sections, to the dark side and trim the 'dog ears'.

Now it's time to sew your white triangles with the red and white triangles together.

I also chain sewed these.

To form the double pinwheel block you will sew these four blocks together.

Make sure your pinwheels are spinning all in the same direction!

An adorable tiny, double pinwheel block. Make sure to square them all up to measure 2 1/2".

I love my stacks of pinwheel blocks. They are so pretty!

You still have time to catch up if you are a block or two behind. This quilt will be so much fun to put out for the holidays. It would also make an awesome gift for someone special. The pattern for the pinwheels can be found for FREE this month in my Craftsy Shop and also on my website. Also, if you ever need to find past blocks or tutorials, I have a tab at the top of my blog labeled 2016 BOM that you can click on to get links to all past blog postings for this quilt. A complete listing of fabric supplies can be found on my website, Craftsy Shop and also under the 2016 BOM tab on my blog. Remember to post pictures of your progress on Instagram #quiltdoodledesignsBOM2016 (you can also tag me at Quilt Doodle Designs) There is also a flickr group you can join and post pictures. I love seeing pictures of what you guys are doing with the Tis the Season patterns. It is soooo much fun to see the quilt made in different fabrics! Love it!

Button packs are available in my Etsy Shop. I have packaged the button packs a couple of different ways. Either as one big pack with everything in it or individually for each design/row.



I hope that you have fun making this block this month. We are all done making blocks... next month we get to sew everything together with sashing and then put on our borders. I'm sorta amazed at how quickly this year went by and I can't believe we are almost at the end of our BOM. Remember to post those pictures! I can't wait to see everyone's finish quilts!

 Happy Quilting!

Cindy

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October's Block ~ Snowmen!

Snowmen! I love snowmen!

This month’s block is pretty easy peasy compared with past months, but we are slowing getting to the end of the year. This month we will make four snowmen. They will be our corner blocks for the border. To make their sweet little faces we will sew on buttons for their eyes and mouth. (Button kits are available to purchase in my Etsy shop) Remember, you don't sew on all of the buttons until after your quilt is quilted. I appliquéd the snowmen noses, but you can use a carrot shaped button if you would like.

Have fun with this block. You will be able to get these done easily in an afternoon.

You get to make four of these sweet snowman blocks.

I have all of my pieces ready to go to assemble my snowman blocks...

I was such a lucky girl, I got to use my mom's new sewing machine.

It's the Cadillac of sewing machines and has a handy dandy laser light to help you line your blocks up while sewing. So slick! There's no guessing here!

This picture shows my corner to corner seams to form the snowman block.

Trim away the excess fabric and then iron... to the dark side.

I appliqued the noses onto the center of the block.

The button eyes and mouth won't be sewn on until after I have

my quilt quilted.

The pattern can be found for FREE this month in my Craftsy Shop and also on my website. Also, if you ever need to find past blocks or tutorials, I have a tab at the top of my blog labeled 2016 BOM that you can click on to get links to all past blog postings for this quilt. A complete listing of fabric supplies can be found on my website, Craftsy Shop and also under the 2016 BOM tab on my blog. Remember to post pictures of your progress on Instagram #quiltdoodledesignsBOM2016 (you can also tag me at Quilt Doodle Designs) There is also a flickr group you can join and post pictures. I love seeing pictures of what you guys are doing with the Tis the Season patterns. It is soooo much fun to see the quilt made in different fabrics! Love it!

Button packs are available in my Etsy Shop. I have packaged the button packs a couple of different ways. Either as one big pack with everything in it or individually for each design/row.



I hope that you have fun making this block this month. Remember to post those pictures!

 Happy Quilting!

Cindy

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September's Block ~ Hats

It seems like an odd time of year to be working on a stocking cap block, but there have been times early in the morning while fishing we have worn them to keep from freezing to death on the boat. We once rented out a captain and his boat to go trout fishing on Lake Superior at the end if August, right before the beginning of the school year. Thank goodness to a group of fishermen who recommended to us that we wear warm clothes. (They had snowmobile suits for fishing) We quickly ran to Target and stocked up on warm clothes since I had only packed t-shirts and shorts! It was funny... we went out on the lake clad in long underwear and winter gear early that morning (stocking caps included), kept it on for most of the day while we were out on the lake.  As our ship/boat/rig whatever you want to call it came back to shore for the day, we were greeted by tourists in shorts and t-shirts. They looked at us as if we just arrived from the moon. It does get pretty cold out on Lake Superior, even in late August.

Have fun with this block.

Play around with colors and mix it up for your five blocks. The directions are for a plain stocking cap and for a striped stocking cap. It’s a good opportunity to tie some of your fabrics together for the quilt. I used up bits and pieces that were left from the other blocks.

I have all of my strips cut out for all of the hats for this section on the quilt.

I used leftover scraps from the other blocks

I 'chained' sewed from corner to corner on the 1 1/2" squares to form the hat shape.

Here I have the top of the hats all done and ready to

piece with the brim of the hat block.

Hat blocks all done! For the pom-pom on the hats you will

make yo-yo's and sew them onto the hats after your quilt is quilted.

The pattern can be found for FREE this month in my Craftsy Shop and also on my website. Also, if you ever need to find past blocks or tutorials, I have a tab at the top of my blog labeled 2016 BOM that you can click on to get links to all past blog postings for this quilt. A complete listing of fabric supplies can be found on my website, Craftsy Shop and also under the 2016 BOM tab on my blog. Remember to post pictures of your progress on Instagram #quiltdoodledesignsBOM2016 (you can also tag me at Quilt Doodle Designs) There is also a flickr group you can join and post pictures. I love seeing pictures of what you guys are doing with the Tis the Season patterns. It is soooo much fun to see the quilt made in different fabrics! Love it!

Button packs are available in my Etsy Shop. I have packaged the button packs a couple of different ways. Either as one big pack with everything in it or individually for each design/row.



There's also a handy dandy grab-able button to post on your blog to help me promote and get the word out about this fun Christmas BOM .  Please help to spread the word!

I hope that you have fun making this block this month. Remember to post those pictures!

 Happy Quilting!

Cindy

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August's Block ~ Santa Claus!

This month's block is Santa! Did you know that if you don’t believe in Santa, you’ll get underwear in your stocking! Well that's what I told my boys thru out the years and I can report that I have never put underwear in anyone's Christmas sock. My  boys are 30 and 21 and they still believe in the spirit of Santa and we still fill Christmas socks during the holiday season. My family certainly believes in Jolly St. Nick, so I had to include him in the BOM quilt! I love seasonal quilts and love setting quilts out for Christmas. There’s something extra special about a Christmas quilt.  Let’s have fun a make a row of Santa’s for our Christmas quilt. (If you don’t want a row of Santa’s, feel free to repeat one of the previous blocks.) So let’s get started…

Here I have all of the pieces laid out to sew the 'plain' Santa block. 

I have sewn the squares onto the rectangles to form Santa's hat.
I'm all ready to construct the Santa block. I made two for my quilt.

Love how my plain Santa block turned out. The buttons
are perfect for Santa's nose and eyes.

My picture is sideways.... but thinking about sewing all of these squares together will do that to you! lol.... you can see I have all of my blocks lined up ready to sew, but first I need to sew my triangle squares.

All of my triangle squares are done, so now I'm off to finish putting
my checkerboard Santa together.

'Checkerboard Santa'
I only used two fabrics for my Santa's hat. You can use several different red fabrics for a scrappier look. I made a total of 3 checkerboard Santa blocks for my quilt.
I didn't sew the buttons onto my quilt until I was finished quilting it. It's not pleasant working around buttons while you are machine quilting.

The pattern can be found for FREE this month in my Craftsy Shop and also on my website. Also, if you ever need to find past blocks or tutorials, I have a tab at the top of my blog labeled 2016 BOM that you can click on to get links to all past blog postings for this quilt. A complete listing of fabric supplies can be found on my website, Craftsy Shop and also under the 2016 BOM tab on my blog. Remember to post pictures of your progress on Instagram #quiltdoodledesignsBOM2016 (you can also tag me at Quilt Doodle Designs) There is also a flickr group you can join and post pictures. I love seeing pictures of what you guys are doing with the Tis the Season patterns. It is soooo much fun to see the quilt made in different fabrics! Love it!

Button packs are available in my Etsy Shop. I have packaged the button packs a couple of different ways. Either as one big pack with everything in it or individually for each design/row.



There's also a handy dandy grab-able button to post on your blog to help me promote and get the word out about this fun Christmas BOM .  Please help to spread the word!

I hope that you have fun making this block this month. It's one of my favorites to do. I made a couple extra ones for some companion projects to go with my finished quilt. The 8 1/2" Santa can be substituted in my Reindeer Pillow pattern to make a Santa pillow. Wouldn't that be adorable to put out for the holidays? Stay out of the heat, grab a glass of iced tea and do some quilting. It's a great way to spend a hot summer day!

 Happy Quilting!

Cindy

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