"Scrap-a-long w/me in 2023!" Santa Bells are Ringing! (pattern directions coming soon!)

 Hey quilter's...Merry Christmas to all! It's a quiet one here...first time away from my daughter's family but I'm going to cherish the reason for the season. I wanted to give you a "sneak peek" of what's to come in 2023 so don't put away those Christmas scraps! That's right....Quilt-Mas all year in 2023! The Christmas season brings me so much joy, so I decided to quilt my stress away all year with Christmas scrap-a-longs. You know me I'm all about thread therapy so 2023 should be a great year and I hope for y'all as well. I'll be sharing a few different "scrap-a-longs" that are so versatile for any holiday decor...just change the fabric. Of course, they will be quilted with my favorite Aurifil thread :-) The quilt pattern below is designed in EQ8 (the electric quilt co) and you can see just changing the fabric choices creates a different design. "One design...Sew Many Ways!" You'll be using a lot of your scraps because they are only 2x2" squares. I'll be showing advanced techniques along the way & Mini projects using the same design. Great gifts for a less- stress year! Well, I hope you have a great Christmas and check back soon for fun & easy gifts and decor to make your 2023 quilting projects quilt-tacular! :-) Merry Christmas!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours

Cat

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www.cookinganddecorwithcat.blogspot.com

Note...pattern directions coming soon!!!!!

Sneak Peek..."Holiday's w/my Gnomies"

 Hey quilter's...hope y'all are having a great "Christmas week." Hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. This year has flown by for me and that is why I wanted to "introduce" just one of my "Scrap-a-longs" for 2023. I love gnomes...my family loves gnomes...in fact I've never met a gnome I didn't think was adorable. So, I decided to incorporate one of my fav's into a fun and easy "scrap-a-long" for 2023. You can see in pic that he's my "Coastal Gnome" and if you still need a last-minute gift just follow the directions below then pop over to previous post and complete if you wish. You would be finishing as the "Snowflake Mug mat for Mrs. Claus." If you know me by now, you'll be using your "scraps" which I'm excited about. I'll be showing different ways you can turn the same design into easy & fun gifts. I used a cute little gnome cookie cutter, but you can draw your own if you wish. I have two sizes that I'll be using throughout the year...hint :-) I love the random scrappy background, but you could do a solid piece of scrap if you wish. Less-stress-quilting in my world :-) Remember this is just "one" of my "Scrap-a-long-w/me" in 2023. So don't put away your Christmas fabric. We're going to have a great "Quilt-Mas" all year! Enjoy & Merry Christmas!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you need...

*Scrap fabric ( I used Glam & Banyan Batiks by Northcott Fabrics)

* Coordinating thread ( I used Aurifil 50 weight #3910, 2235, 2588, 2260, 4093)

* Fons & Porter 3" finished side hexagon ruler

* Gnome cookie cutter

* Heat n bond lite

* Sulky light weight tear away stabilizer

* Insul bright for hot n cold mug mat or trivet

Here's all you do...

* Scrap sew your background fabric at random using a 1/8" inch seam allowance for less bulk. Finger press as you go.

* Once you achieve desired size...iron and square up using the hexagon ruler. 

Tip...I used my small Olfa mat to "spin around" while I was rotary cutting around hexagon ruler.

* Now fuse heat n bond lite to wrong side of your scrap piece of fabric for gnome following manufacturer's directions.

* Trace around your gnome cookie cutter on paper side of fabric.

* Carefully cut out gnome and fuse to right side of scrappy hexagon following manufacturer's directions. 

Tip...I drew a "oar" for my coastal gnome design. Hint of what's to come this year :-)

Continue to fuse the same way on scrap pieces to get your desired design. 

* Using your lightweight stabilizer on back side.... applique as desired using Aurifil thread. :-)

* Carefully tear away stabilizer once done & follow previous post if you decide to "now" make a mug mat for a great gift. 

* Well, I hope you had fun with the "sneak Peek" of this fun "Scrap-a-long w/me in 2023!"

Christmas Blessings y'all!!!!

Gift 4 Mrs. Claus..."Glam Mug Mat"

 Hey quilter's...hope your holiday shopping is going great. I love Christmas...not just the "gifting of a homemade gift" but the Christmas spirit and joy in the air. I was shopping yesterday and a man out of the blue said, "Have a Blessed Christmas." That kindness is wonderful. You never know how something so simple effects a person. I won't be going to have Christmas in Texas this year, so his kind words put me back into reality. The reason of the Season. Well on that note...I personally believe that behind every great man is a great woman. Yup...we can't forget Mrs. Claus. So, I'm sharing a sweet & easy gift for you to leave for Santa to take back to Mrs. Claus. I think she will love the "sentiment" of a homemade gift to use all year! This "scrap-a-long" is so much fun you might make a few extras :-) It's called a "Glam Mug Mat" due to the glam fabric designed by Patrick Lose for Northcott Fabrics. I love combining scraps with different textures 2gether. You get such a unique design. I combined scraps of Keetan by Banyan Batiks for Northcott fabrics as well. Plus, y'all know me...it's pieced and quilted with my favorite "Aurifil thread." The design is very versatile. Just change the fabric for any season. Great fun & easy gift for beginners too. It's about 7" ish mug mat. Mine got a little "wonky" cause I didn't ser my seam correctly when I took a break and came back to finish. Note...always check your settings if you walk away from your machine before you begin again...it happens. ;-( So, let's get started & make this sweet "glam mug mat" for Mrs. Claus!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you need...

Aurifil thread ( I used 50 weight #2780

Snowflake scraps from Northcott Fabrics, Banyan Batiks & Patrick Lose, glam

Backing Fabric

Batting

Insulbright lining (hot/cold)

Sulky light weight tear-away stabilizer

Fons & Porter 2" finished side Hexagon ruler

Here's all you do...

*Using your hexagon ruler..."fussy cut" your snowflake design using a rotary cutter. I positioned mine off center but do as you desire. 

* Rotary cut your border strips 1 x 6. This will give you 1/2" borders. I did a random scrappy design with my strips, but you can definitely do your strips as desired. It's your design...have fun with it! :-)

* Starting at top of hexagon square...with right sides together....sew a strip using a 1/4" seam allowance. Use your hexagon ruler to square up as you go. Keep adding border strips, finger press as you go until you get your desired size. I did 2 rows of border strips to add a "unique scrappy design" for Mrs. Claus :-)

Tip...I use my Olfa mat to use as a "spinning mat" as I rotary cut around hexagon ruler. Sew easy :-)

Border/Binding...

* Rotary cut your border strips 2 x 6 or your desired length. The 2" width will give you a 1/2" border on front and enough fold for a finished binding on back. 

* Sew in same method as above...finger pressing as you go. 

Tip...what I do at this point is "iron/press" a 1/2" binding fold to the back. I start at top and fold/press at each side until all sides are incorporated. This will give you a crisp design on front plus it's a "guide" for you to rotary cut your backing/batting & insulbright. in the next step. #less-stress-quilting! :-)

* Now rotary cut your backing...batting & insulbright to this size :-)

* Layer your hexagon block right side facing down

* Insulbright

* Batting

* Starting at top...use that "pressed fold" and fold to the back and tuck in creating a finished seam on back. Clip or pin as you go. Remember to make sure you have the 1/2" binding in the front. Continue for all 6 sides of hexagon. I use "clips" so I can secure in areas that might be a bit more difficult. Just remove clips as you are sewing :-)

This pic made me laugh so hard...reminded me as a child of my mother walking around with those colored sponge rollers in her hair...oh my gosh I would die when she would pick me up at school with those in her hair....crazy memories! :-) :-) :-) 

* Now starting at top sew in the ditch of the binding strip of hexagon until all binding seams are sewn. 

This will secure your "binding fold" on the back. No worries if you noted a part of seam on back that didn't catch...just use a touch of "washable fabric glue" to secure :-) it happens!

* Your almost done...I quilted in the ditch around the hexagon center with coordinating Aurifil thread. You can do the same or quilt as desired. 

I hope you enjoyed this fun & easy "scrap-a-long".

Stay tuned,,,I have one more fun & easy gift coming soon. This one is a sneek peek of my "coastal gnome scrap-a-long" this coming year!

Blessed Quilting,

Cat

"Quilter's Gift idea....4-n-1 Machine Quilting Ruler"

 Hey quilter's...hope your weekend is going great and your holiday gifts are coming along. I wanted to share a quilting ruler that I recently purchased from www.missouriquiltco.com. I am obsessed with this ruler designed by Natalia Bonner with Piece N Quilt. She is an award-winning quilter and has many "you tube" videos showing how this wonderful ruler is used. I quilt on a "domestic machine" and I love this "mini ruler" due to my space. I also use this ruler to "mark" my quilting lines. This ruler has so many possibilities and at a great price for a gift idea. Throw in a "spool of aurifil thread" and you just gave a perfect gift to a quilter. I hope this gift idea helps you and remember check back next week. I'll be sharing the "sweetest" gift for "Mrs. Claus". Let's just say have your "snowflake Christmas scraps" ready! :-) This "Christmas scrap-a-long" is so easy you'll probably make a couple and finish that quilt gift list. In the meantime, have a great Quilt-Mas weekend! Cat

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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"Give the gift of Christmas Charm"

 Hey quilters...hope your week is going great. Well as promised I'm sharing some ideas for your quilting friends. I love batiks and charm packs. You get such a variety of fabrics and if you're in a limited space like me "now" it's perfect. I love to order "charm packs" at missouriquiltco.com. Not only do they have wonderful sales, but their customer service is great. For me that's wonderful. I've recently ordered quilting tools for myself that I'll be sharing soon but what a inexpensive gift...a charm pack. If you pop on over to their website, you'll see all the wonderful Christmas sales going on. Below is just a few of my fav's from Banyan Batik... Island Barik...and Moda. Oh my gosh, seriously, plan on spending a few "moments" searching their site...they have lots of "goodies" to choose from. If you're wanting to create a gift basket throw in a spool of my favorite Aurifil thread. Lots of thread hues and weights to choose from as well. I know I would be thrilled with a thoughtful gift like these plus they are inexpensive. I love to keep a few "charm packs" on hand for that moment when I realized that I forgot someone's special day. Well. I hope this gift idea helps you out with your quilt gift giving season. Talk soon!

Blessed Quilting from my Home to Yours,

Cat

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"Quilt-Mas Blessings"

 Hey quilter's...hope all is well and you're enjoying the Christmas countdown. I will admit this morning when I noticed the "date" that I kinda panicked. I usually have my Christmas countdown on display but this year I decided not to ;-) For some odd reason it was giving me anxiety! I usually have my "Christmas Candy" finished by now and I haven't....I even limited my decor to help out. But staying focused and remembering the "reason" for the season. I'm one of the "goofy" people that still love to send out Christmas cards. There is something "nostalgic" about sending and receiving a Christmas card. So, with the Holiday approaching fast I wanted to send "Quilt-Mas Blessings" for us all to have a less-stress Christmas & may your bobbin never run out of Aurifil thread in the meantime! Remember to keep checking in for my Christmas "Suprise"...save those Christmas scraps! 

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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"Tis the Season 4 Quilt-Mas!"

 Hey quilter's...hope y'all are doing well. Can you believe it? It's December 1st....oh my gosh! Let the countdown begin as they say. I for one would love just a few more weeks but I did accomplish to finish the main gift.  Yagh...there's always a "first." Last year I determined that I was not going to be the "grinch" siting at the sewing machine the night before Christmas. I kept my handmade gifts simple but sweet this year. Decided it's ok to purchase a few things even gift cards. When grandkids get to a certain age, they are a bit difficult to purchase for so this way they can get what their hearts desire. I am thrilled to mention that soon I'll have a "surprise" that we'll be doing all year 2gether. I've been working on the design in EQ8 so I'll be able to show "options" for y'all to choose from. Oh, one hint...keep your "Christmas scraps" out! Yup...that's all y'all get for now :-) Well, don't let the "Christmas Countdown" take away your cheer. Remember to savor every moment and enjoy the festivities that are all around you this month. I'll be sharing some great "quilt gifts" this month along with some other tips so keep checking back. 

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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