A Little Leprechaun

St. Patty's Day is right around the corner, and I love applique, so I came up with a cute little Leprechaun to decorate my kitchen with.  I was surprised as to how quick and easy it was to sew together.

I first appliqued St. Patty on a tea towel...

I gathered some left-over green fabric and made a cute ruffle for on the bottom of my towel...
I then used some left over binding and used it to trim off the ruffle and make a tie at the top of the towel, (it's sorta ruffles too) I tied it to my fridge...

I like it tied to the handle of my microwave, it's such a festive
addition to my kitchen. Isn't it so cute!

I do like to decorate a little bit for St. Patty's Day even though I'm not even a little bit Irish. But I think on St. Patty's Day everyone can celebrate and wear a little bit of green and exclaim,
'Kiss me, I'm Irish!'

Happy Quilting,
Cindy

Stuck in the House?

Stuck in the house? Me too... along with millions of others. It seems so surreal, this whole pandemic Covid 19... almost like a zombie apocalypses. So since I am also stuck at home, I plan on posting some fun tutorials on embroidery, do some fun projects that you can adapt using any of my applique designs and revisit some of the fun projects I've made. I'm hoping this will also make your time spent at home go quickly too. 

I have also decided to use this time to update my website. Look for a new, much easier to use site with much of the items you love, like the free PDF download page and monthly BOM page. Let me know if there is anything you would like to see on the website. I would love to hear your ideas! What excites me most, is an easier to shop, beautiful to browse, Doodle Store. I'm hoping that it will make shopping for you easy and fun. Stayed tuned for it's launch! I'm planning April 1st!

I'd love to hear from you too! What are you working on? Post your Quilt Doodle projects on Instagram and tag me! @quiltdoodledesigns

Stay safe and healthy everyone! Let's take this time to quilt. We can get thru this together!

Happy Quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

Short On Time?

It's that time of year that we are busy running around getting ready for the holidays. If you are like me, time is short and you are trying to cram as much as possible into your days. Well I've got a quick gift for you to make and I bet you already have what you need to make it in your fabric stash! Plus, spending some quiet time in your sewing room stitching will help you destress. So grab a cup of coffee and lets go do some sewing.

After you set your coffee down, go dig thru your fabric for a Charm Pack. Don't have a Charm Pack but lots of cute fabric, cut out a bunch of 5" squares. What? you say... no pattern. No not really, this is what I call mindless sewing. For my table runner I used a cute Christmas Charm pack that I've been hoarding for a few years. I used 30 squares from the package. I separated them out between light and dark so my table runner would be scrappy. I decided I would make my runner 3 x 10 squares. You can make yours longer or shorter, it's up to you!

I did not preplan how to sew my squares together, I just started sewing. I like to listen to audiobooks while I sew. I'm currently listening to a Stephen King book. Take this time to relax and stitch. Put on some Christmas music if you'd like. 

I like to chain sew... here I have my squares stitched together going 'one direction'.  I will then sew the 'rows' together, nesting my seams.

All ready to give my table runner a good press.

Now go back to your stash and dig around for something that can be used for the binding. I found this adorable fabric that worked well with the Charm Pack I used it even though they were from different designers. I then cut 2 1/2" strips for the border of my runner.

I sew the borders onto the long sides, then trim and iron. Then sew the border onto the two short ends, trim and press. Then layer your table runner top with the batting and backing and quilt. Scrap batting works well for this! I bet you have some left over from another project! I used my embroidery machine and quilted a cute holiday quilt design to the center. While that quilted I worked on binding another Christmas gift. 

After you are done quilting it's time to rummage thru your fabric stash again and find some fabric for the binding. I found a fat quarter that would work well with mine. I cut  2 1/2" strips for the binding, sewed them end to end then irons in in half lenthwise for the binding.

Sew the binding on using a 1/4" seam, remember to miter your corners.

Since I'm short on time, I just flipped the binding to the back and stitched in the ditch making sure to 'catch' the binding on the back side. In this picture you can also see the free motion quilting I did on the border, a holly leaf garland.

~ Charm Pack Table Runner ~

I hope that you find some time to make this fun table runner. Take some time for yourself and stitch! I'm really pleased with how mine turned out. I'm thinking I will be keeping this for myself. It looks so cute on my kitchen table with my snowflake lantern and gnome!

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

12 Days of Christmas, Day 3

Day 3

Welcome to the third day of Quilt Doodles 12 Days of Christmas. During the next 12 days I will share with you some fun, quick and easy projects and recipes for those last minute Christmas gifts and gatherings. Let's have some Christmas stitching fun!

I just never have enough tea towels on hand. I love displaying them around the house. I tuck them in bowls, hang them on cabinets and use them as a go to for hostess gifts. Todays project is a quick a easy one! I promise! It's an adorable
Candy Cane Snowman!
All you need is a couple of hours and some scrap fabric. The trick to this sweet design is the striped red and white fabric for the candy cane. Any red, white and green fabric will do. In fact, any striped fabric. Have you checked out the grocery store lately for candy canes. There's a kazillion flavors and colors now! Candy canes aren't just red and white anymore.

The time saver to this project is the red and white striped fabric!

All my fabric pieces are cut out and ironed onto my tea towel.

Instead of stitching with my usual dark brown thread, I used white. I like how the light edge brightened up the design.

I was lazy the evening I worked on this project. Did you know that some sewing machines have a French knot stitch. I used it to make the snowman's eyes and mouth. It was a time saver. Check to see if your machine makes little French knots. It sure is handy to make snowman faces! I used my applique scissors to clip all the threads.

~Candy Cane Snowman~

I hope that you enjoy today's pattern. It truly is a quick project to make. This is also a great design for a beginner appliquer.

Happy Quilting,
Cindy and Belvedere

12 Days of Christmas- Day 2

Day 2

Welcome to the second day of Quilt Doodles 12 Days of Christmas. During the next 12 days I will share with you some fun, quick and easy projects and recipes for those last minute Christmas gifts and gatherings. Let's have some Christmas stitching fun! Today I thought I would revisit one of my first patterns. It's a great tablerunner and placemat pattern that is fun to make. There's still time to do some quilting if you would like to stitch this up for the holidays! Remember you don't have to do a full set of placemats, you could only make one as a mini quilt to decorate a table or to give as a gift.  I used fabric from my stash in my go to colors of navy blue, red and green.

Snowman Buddies Placemat

There is nothing like a snowman
To make a person smile.
His eyes of coal, his carrot nose,
His pipe with so much style.
We all have special memories
Of fun in the snow and slush
And this will be renewed
With a little help from us!
unknown source



Snowman Buddies Table Runner

I love snowmen, living in Minnesota they grace my home year 'round.  They're always smiling, even when it's sunny outside.   How can you not love a snowman...

Happy quilting,
Cindy and Belvedere

12 Days of Christmas- Day 1

Day 1

Welcome to the first day of Quilt Doodles 12 Days of Christmas. During the next 12 days I will share with you some fun, quick and easy projects and recipes for those last minute Christmas gifts and gatherings. Let's have some Christmas stitching fun! Today we will kick off the Quilt Doodle 12 Days of Christmas with an adorable mug rug you can make for yourself to decorate your sewing space or make up a few to give to your sewing/quilting friends!

Snow Much Sewing Mug Rug is a festive mini quilt that can be used for your morning coffee or diet coke while you stitch away in your sewing room. I made this one in an evening and it was fun to make. I just love the snowman's pin cushion hair do. It reminds me of a snowman the neighbor kids made one year with the stick hair. It was adorable!

I ironed the heat n bond traced shapes onto fabric and then cut them out.

I then arranged the pieces onto the front of my mug rug following the pattern placement sheet in the pattern and ironed everything into place.

I used white thread to stitch around my snowman and then I used dark brown thread for everything else. I have the front layered with the backing and batting when I do my stitching. It's a bit of a time saver... the quilting is done as I stitch around the applique.

After all of my appliqueing is done, I stitch on the binding.

Then I do all of the hand embroidery using pearl cotton.

My stitching for the spool looks like I just wrapped the spool with thread. Shhhh…. I sorta did!

~ Snow Much Sewing Mug Rug ~

I just love how festive this turned out. This is something that can be displayed all winter long, not just for the holidays!

This is a great mini quilt to make up using some of your fun holiday fabric. I used some of my Lori Holt Cozy Christmas fabric. I'm looking forward to putting this sweet quilt on display in my sewing room. (Just as soon as I straighten it up) 

Happy quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

A Fun Trick or Treat Bag!

Trick or Treat! I know it's a bit early to think about those little goblins that ring the doorbell Halloween night, but, it's not too early to do some special sewing for the little monsters sweeties in your life. I doodled up a bat the other day, sorta a spin off of my Going Batty mug rug. It's a spooky little bat that you can applique onto a tea towel if you'd like but I decided to make a trick or treat bag. Better yet, this Trick or Treat bag will hold a ton of goodies, unlike those gimpy little plastic pumpkins. Okay, the plastic pumpkins are cute.... but my kids were hard core trick or treaters and we would walk for miles.... I carried the back up bag that my boys would dump their candy into when their plastic pumpkins filled up. When my boys got older they carried around pillowcases and I always cringed to think they were dragging these things around and I always planned on making them Halloween themed ones. Well my kids are now grown men.... no need for the cute pillowcases. Now, you're thinking why are we talking about pillowcases.... I thought this post was about a trick or treat bag.... well..... Hocus, … Pocus...… it's a treat bag that doubles as a pillowcase! So when they come home, dump the candy all over the floor for you to inspect. Take time to slip their pillowcase on their pillow for when they pass out from their sugar induced coma. (This is when I would snitch all of the Butterfingers and Baby Ruth bars)…. 

Mwhaaaa Whaaaa ha ha......

You will need

2/3 yard main color Halloween fabric (orange)

1/3 yard black fabric

2 1/2" strip wof accent color (green)

heat n bond

black thread

scrap fabrics in the following colors, black, purple, white, green

4 mini yellow buttons (for eyes)

Applique design of your choice, I used my 'Bat' applique

Let's begin!

Sew along the long edge of the 2 1/2" strip to the 1/3 yard fabric, right sides together, using a 1/4" seam. (salvage sides may not match) Iron.

With right sides together place the 2/3 yard pieces of fabric on top of the 2 1/2" strip edge. (selvage sides may not match) Then roll up the orange fabric (2/3 yard piece) to reveal the right side of the 1/3 yard piece.

Then fold the base piece up and around the rolled up orange piece lining up the long edge. Pin all three layers every few inches.

Sew a 1/4" seam.

Pull the pillowcase body out of the tube. Then iron well. You have just created a two toned hem for your pillowcase/trick or treat bag. Trim the selvage edge so that it is even on both sides.

Trace the bat design onto your heat n bond. I traced two sets of bats for my pillowcase.

Then iron onto the back side of your fabric.

I then cut all the pieces out. I'm pretty fond of my Olfa applique scissors. They cut such nice sharp corners.

Now it's time to lay your bats out onto the top of the pillowcase. At this point, you have one huge piece with a beautiful hemmed edge. Keep your design all to one side or half. Remember you will be sewing this at some point to make a pillowcase, you don't want your design in the wrong spot.

I used black thread and a buttonhole stitch and sewed along all the raw edges of the bat design.

Fold the pillowcase in half with wrong sides together. Pin. Sew along the side and bottom edge using a scant 1/4" seam. Turn wrong side out, Iron. 

With right sides together sew a 3/8 or 1/2" seam, making sure to cover the raw edges of the previous seam. (You are making a 'French' seam) When done, turn right side out and iron.

Sew on the tiny buttons for the bat's eyes.

~ Trick or Treat! ~

Doesn't it turn out to be such a festive candy sack for Halloween. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. My boys are all grown up but I do have a special little guy to give this to for Halloween. 

This Halloween pillowcase would also be fun for your college kids too. Fill it with some goodies from home and of coarse some sweet treats too, then pop it in the mail to your college kiddo. They will love the extra special treats from home and the pillowcase is a fun way to add some spooky décor to their dorm room. 

Have a great day!

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere

March's Prize

March's giveaway is awesome! 

Thank you Kimberly and Danier from the Fat Quarter Shop for your generous donation for this month's prize. A super awesome $25 gift certificate! To enter to win you need to post this month's finished blocks to the
Quilt Doodle BOM flickr group.  You can post the current March block, or pictures of January and February's blocks if you are playing catch up. You can also post pictures if you are working on the square in a square blocks that surround each month's blocks. The directions can be found on Craftsy and also my website for free. (Links are below)

 If you won this month's prize what would you get from the Fat Quarter Shop???

Finished quilt measurement 57” x 82”

This isn't my mom's actual machine, but it sure looks
like this. Don't you love the color!

This month's pattern is available for FREE HERE! and also HERE

A printable supply list can be found HERE!

Cutting instructions and quilt construction for the quilt can be found HERE!

There's a flicker group!  Please join...Every month post photos of your Quilt Doodle BOM finishes in the BOM flicker group for a chance to win this month's prize! Woot woot!

If you want to be added to the email reminder list... send me your email.

The next block pattern will be posted on April 1st!  The winner for the March block will be announced on April 1st also. I am loving everyone's sewing machines so far. Here's just a few...

Let's have some quilty fun!
Happy quilting,



Don't forget to grab the button too and post on your blog! The more the merrier!

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