Minnesota Winter Wonderland - November

I'm sure many of you that are quilting along with me have your strips all  sewn together on your quilt, isn't it cute! Now it's time to put on the borders, and borders are totally optional. You can do them as I have suggested or do your own. It's up to you! In the listing of supplies I recommend 1 yard for border one and 1 1/2 yards for border two. I've got the borders added to mine... You can do two borders, one border. I've also seen this quilt done with a piano key border too. Have fun it's up to you! This quilt is pretty good sized and will be a wonderful addition to put out for the holidays. You can also add your special touches to your quilt at this time too. I waited until my quilt was quilted before I sewed on the yo-yo's and buttons for the little added touches I added to my quilt. But I did do the extra appliqueing etc on my cabin and cocoa mugs at this point.

The directions for adding the borders and some fun embellishments can be found in your directions.  Now let me talk about embellishments. I am going to quilt my quilt before I do some of the special touches like sew on buttons and yo-yos. On the printed directions you will find a snowman you can add by your cabin, a wreath for the door, snow for the roof and chimney.  There are also special touches for the cocoa mugs. It's time to have fun and make this quilt your own! 

I thought my cabin needed snow and a wreath on the door.

I also had fun embellishing my mugs

On this mug I thought it needed a row of yo-yo snowmen.

These snowmen are so much fun to make! And super easy! I used my yo-yo maker and made three yo-yo's, then added orange button noses. I used black beads for the eyes. But the eyes can easily be made using some black pearl cotton to embroider French knots.

For  the snowman's mouth, I made a smile with pearl cotton using a running stitch. They are sooooo cute!

For the holly, I played around with the idea of using a jingle bell...

but decided on some 'holly berry' buttons

For the wreath on my cabin door I added some red seed beads for holly berries. I also added a button on the bow.

I used seed beads for the snowman's face, but you could stitch French knots with some black pearl cotton.

One of Santa's reindeer is checking up to see if anyone's home at the cabin.

 If you blog about it, please email me a link so that I can attach it to the Pinterest Board I have going for the Minnesota Winter Wonderland.

Let's have a blog hop in January. Let's have a virtual show and tell!

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL - October

It's the very last section to the quilt.  Well a winter themed quilt needs a string of lights. We have our lights up on our house all winter long. Every year I think it would be a good idea and string the lights outside before the snow falls. I really think the ideal time would be right before Thanksgiving but after Halloween. But my hubby always wants to wait until after Thanksgiving. We've been out in the snow hanging lights and they stay up until spring. Mainly because they are frozen in place or buried in snow until the weather warms up again. I hope that you have fun with this month's section. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's 'String of of Lights'. Remember to post your finished pictures to Instagram and tag me @quiltdoodledesigns and use the hashtag quiltdoodledesignsqal

  Again, everything is based on 2 1/2" squares, you will want to try to match this block with how you did the other blocks in this section so that it all goes together. Let me show you how I completed this month's block. It goes together pretty quickly and can be done in a weekend.

Some of what I have left from my fabrics for this project.
I picked out colors that work well as Christmas bulbs.

All of my 2 1/2" squares are all ready to start sewing.

For the triangle squares I have paired up the background
blue fabric with my brightly colored fabric for the bulbs.
I lined them all up on my 3" quilt ruler. Now watch this
nifty trick....

I can lift all of my squares to my sewing machine
with ONE hand!

I found a new use for my favorite quilt ruler....
Maybe you will find this to be a handy tip too!

Here is part of the strip all ready to be sewn together. I made the red and yellow
blocks first, then I finished the green and orange blocks, (Following the pattern)

Iron on the top of the bulb lining up the edges.
(The corners of the bulb cap lines up with the
seams of the bulb.)

String of Lights, the final section for the quilt. It's now time to piece all of the sections together.

October's layout....

 If you blog about it, please email me a link so that I can attach it to the Pinterest Board I have going for the Minnesota Winter Wonderland. I hope you have fun with this section of the mystery quilt. It can easily be done in a weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's lights! It's now time to sew your sections together! Let's share our quilts! If you would like to show everyone your quilt you can post them to Instagram... or email me a picture and I will post them on the blog. I love to see how everyone's quilts turned out! Next month I'll talk about putting on borders and finishing up your quilts. See you November 10th.

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL - September

I know, I know, it's another tree, an 'Evergreen Tree'. I hope you don't mind another tree but I can't have a forest unless there are a few trees. I hope to someday have a cabin in the woods next to a lake, doesn't that sound wonderful. A quiet place to go with no traffic noise. A place to listen to the birds sing... Belvedere would love a place to run and chase balls. This month's block is the final block for the center section. It's a cabin in the woods.  I hope that you have fun with this month's section. In the pattern there are extra embellishments. A deer, snowman, wreath etc.  This way you can make your cabin your own!
 Again, everything is based on 2 1/2" squares, you will want to try to match this block with how you did the other blocks in this section so that it all goes together. Let me show you how I completed this month's block.

Following the pattern I cut out all of my 2 1/2" blocks, 2 1/2" strips etc.

Here I am sewing my triangle squares to form the
evergreen tree. I am sewing corner to corner on my paired
2 1/2" blue and green blocks.

I find it easier to sew the sections of the block
together if I have it all laid out by my sewing machine.

Sewing the blocks all together...

'Evergreen Tree'

 If you blog about it, please email me a link so that I can attach it to the Pinterest Board I have going for the Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL. I hope you have fun with this section of the mystery quilt. It can easily be done in a weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's trees! Post those pictures to Instagram and tag me @quiltdoodledesigns and use the hashtag, quiltdoodledesignsqal. As you can see with the quilt layout that the quilt is coming along nicely. There's only one section left and then it's time to put everything together and have some fun quilting and embellishing this quilt. If you haven't yet started and want to join in on the fun, it's not too late. You'll have to do some marathon sewing but you can catch up! The pattern can be found here. I'll present the final section October 13th. Mark your calendars, I hope that you can join me.

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL-August

Do you have a 'Sweet Tooth', I know I sure do! Every Christmas I make several batches of homemade caramel. Love caramel, so yummy. My nieces and nephews help me wrap  the caramel, they enjoy the samples while they wrap away. This month's strip is a row of wrapped candy. So what kind of candy will you have? Caramel, homemade taffy, butterscotch buttons or cinnamon red hot disks? Have fun with this month's section.

You can make all the candies with the same fabric, or mix it up and make each wrapper a different color. For my candies I used a red strip since I wrap my caramels in pretty wax paper for the holidays. I have also decided to make the background scrappy using two blue fabrics of the same hue.

 

The fabrics I have chosen to do my 'Sweet Tooth' strip with...

Using a pen or pencil, draw a line from corner to corner.
 Pair with a blue background square,
right sides together, sew a scant
1/4" seam on each side of the line.

With your rotary cut, cut from corner to corner,
 then cut from corner to corner again. 

From one block your will get 8 triangle sections.

From these eight sections,  sew together 4 hour glass blocks.
Square them up to measure 2 1/2" square.  I had to pay attention
to the stripes in my fabric when piecing together my hour glass blocks.

I laid my blocks out alternating the direction of my stripe
on my 'candy' blocks (hour glass blocks) 

Following the strip layout it's time to piece your strip together. 

'Sweet Tooth'
August's section

If you blog about it, please email me a link so that I can attach it to the Pinterest Board I have going for the Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL. Remember you can post your pictures to Instagram and tag me @quiltdoodledesigns and also use the hashtag quiltdoodledesignsQAL

I'm off to get ready for quilt retreat! Can't wait to spend some time with my mom and sister and do some quilting. It'll be fun to see all my retreat quilt buddies.

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL - July

Cocoa, coffee, cappuccino, cookies and cake.... all good things start with the letter 'C'.  This month's block celebrates winter and our wintertime drinks. I love to sit in my favorite comfy chair, by the  fireplace with a nice hot cup of coffee, (or hot chocolate) on those cold, snowy Minnesota nights. A good book or a project to work on is an added bonus! This month's block is called 'Toasty Mugs'. It's a bigger section of the quilt. 

You can make all the mugs with the same fabric, or mix it up and make each mug a different color. My mugs are all red but I used different fabrics for each one. In November, instead of a block, I will be giving you some embellishment ideas to sew, add or applique onto your quilt. So keep that in mind as you work on your mugs. I have also given you two 'steam' designs, you can choose to use one or both. It's up to you. I have used both. I have also decided to make the background scrappy using several blue fabrics of the same hue. I must confess, when I first started this, I bought two different blues thinking I would use a light and dark. I have decided for mine, to use only dark snowy fabrics. Well, here's the dilemma.... I don't have enough.... so I scramble to stretch what I have originally bought with fabrics from my stash. The up side, I love the results I have so far.

Haven't joined in on the quilty fun we are having yet! You can still sew along with us and catch up in between. The complete pattern for Minnesota Winter Wonderland can be found

HERE

I have my pattern and my fabric chosen.

I have decided to make my block scrappy using fabric that
I have set aside for this quilt from my stash.

Sewing corner to corner to form my triangle blocks... 

Following the block layout for Toasty Mugs
I have one of the blocks laid out all ready to sew...

Sewing the block together using 1/4" seam. 

Tracing the steam for the mugs... 

Cutting out the mug handles...

Using dark brown thread I machine applique a buttonhole stitch
along the edge of the steam.

Toasty Mugs
July's section

Quilt layout so far!

 If you blog about it, please email me a link so that I can attach it to the Pinterest Board I have going for the Minnesota Winter Wonderland QAL. I hope you have fun with this section of the  quilt. It can easily be done in a weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's mugs! As you can see with the quilt layout that the quilt is coming along nicely. I will be working on the next section of the quilt on August 11th. I hope that you can join me.

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere