Christmas in July Throwback!..."Aurifil thread....Gege & Jingle"

 Hey quilter's...hope y'all are having a great summer. It's crazy how time flies...It's July and soon it will be Christmas. Our family loves Christmas in July. Hallmark movies...reflecting on our fun Christmas memories and seeking new recipes for the upcoming holidays. I know some might think we're rushing it a bit, but I say I'm just "extending the Joy of Christmas." One of the perks of being a Gege :-) I wanted to share another fun "throwback" with y'all along with a great gift idea for a "Elf on the Shelf" sleeping bag. When my grandson was little and the "Elf on the shelf" madness hit we all became obsessed with the little guy. I mean how could you not. Everywhere were accessories for the little guy.My grandson took him everywhere but in a special container because you couldn't "touch" him. Right? Well, here's a funny story of what Gege did...."me"... they visited for Christmas....left a not for Jingle to come with my address if he wanted too & everything was all good. We put the sleeping bag out that I made for him and made a welcome sign for him on a shelf that I had displayed past Christmas photos. He was so excited...Jingle made it...found "Geges house" and snuggled himself into the warm sleeping bag. Wow...was my grandson excited. UNTIL...I "accidently of course" knocked "Jingle" off the shelf when I was showing a Christmas photo to my grandson of when he was a baby. Oh my gosh....the horror in his voice of me touching Jingle...him losing his magic powers! After he calmed down a bit...he then stated the only way for Jongle to regain his magic powers was for me "Gege" to write an apological letter to "Santa" explaining what happened. Yes...I did...we mailed it to the North Pole and in just a few hours Jingle had his magic powers again. Oh, my word y'all...I can honestly say that was the longest time of my life anticipating what "Santa" would do :-) Needless to say to this day I do not go near the little guy when he visits. Years have passed as you can see the original pattern is on post  dated 12-18-2017 but have to say "It still feels like yesterday" when I see Jingle. We now laugh about it along with other stories of the "tooth fairy...Easter Bunny" but I told him you never stop believing in the magic of "Santa". I hope y'all make this fun sleeping bag for your Elf on the Shelf. The pattern is super easy and would make a great gift too. Enjoy!

Oh....please follow me on Instagram "link at top right" I have an exciting deal coming August 1st :-)

Quilt Blessings from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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"You're never 2 old for a baby......Babylock that is!!!!"

 Hey quilter's...hope your summer is going well & you're not dealing with this crazy weather. I'm not going to talk about it cause I know in a few hours it's going to hit again. Hmmmm....anyway :-) I've been sharing some special posts with y'all in the meantime of some fabric being delivered for my next "scrap-a-long." I've been reminiscing a lot lately cause it's the "big 6" for me soon. Seriously just saying it freaks me out so I just say the "big 6." Kinda funny cause it was soooo much cooler when my grandson said he was turning the "big 6." :-) I remember as a child learning to sew first with a "needle & thread" and constantly wanting to sew on my mother's machine. Still to this day don't know why she didn't want me to touch her machine. Maybe it's like me with my "sewing scissors" But I do remember the special day that I received my first sewing machine. Oh my gosh....it's like yesterday...ha! The machine pic below was the safest sewing machine on the market at the time for kids. Here's the kicker....it used glue to adhere the fabric together. I didn't care...what child doesn't like glue. I had so much fun making barbie clothes and even using a "needle and thread" when needed. It's funny how time has evolved especially now with the new "Barbie" movie out. I just wish I had all those barbie clothes that I made & barbie dolls. Wholly smokes all those items are selling like hot cakes now on the internet. As the old saying goes "precious memories." I do remember getting older and sewing on my grandmother's sewing machine. Those memories will be forever in my heart! When I became a "mom" I did teach my daughter to sew very early. I just "supervised." :-) It's funny cause throughout my design career I've always kept doing what I love....sewing and quilting. I always preach "sewing and thread therapy" but it's sew true especially as I've gotten older. Well...right now is the "season" to get a machine that you might have been longing for.... retailors are selling floor and demo models to make room for the new ones. So I took the advice from a Baylock educator, and this week came home with my new baby....my Baylock Jazz II...oh my gosh y'all it has the 12" throat space for quilting. I have 2 machines that I've been quilting with for over 18 yrs. but the throat space was small which made quilting a large project difficult. The Babylock Jazz II is perfect for my quilting needs. I've been asking "Santa" for a longarm for years but it seems he delivers to my neighbors instead. Hmmm maybe he doesn't have my correct address :-) So if you've been wanting to upgrade your machine, now is the time. Contact your local quilt shop to see what they have available. You never know...I was just taking in one of my machines for a tune-up and came home with a new baby! Oh, by the way be a bit more "careful" if you're my age and you tell someone you've been wanting a "baby." Make sure you mention it's a sewing machine. Ahhhh another fun memory! :-) Well....thanks so much for letting me share another memory. Please keep following...I'll be sharing "scrap-a-longs" for summer & upcoming holidays. Stay safe & check back soon!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Cooking blog:....www.cookinganddecorwithcat.blogspot.com

How to Make a What a Melon Wall Hanging - Free Project Tutorial

Hey quilter's....had to share this "sweet" watermelon design by "at home with Misty." This is such a fun tutorial. Missouri Star Quilt Co. is a wonderful site and has so many inspirational quilting tutorials! Plus a family run business!!!! Love that!!!!

Blessed Quilting,

Cat

Christmas in July throwback..."Christmas T-shirt 2 Pillow!"

Hey quilter's...hope y'all are having a great Sunday & the weather is being kind. I can't believe we are half-way through the year. I know it's time to celebrate 4th of July but I couldn't help myself of doing a little "Christmas in July" throwback. My grandson Davin will soon be 13...seems so crazy to even say it. Time does really fly and I love reminiscing of those special times especially when he always asked me to make & quilt things for him. When I visited my daughter, he always had a stack of items for me to repair on the guest bed or a t-shirt he wanted me to incorporate into his next quilt. One memory that I will never forget was a "monster truck" toy on the bed with a wheel off to the side. I thought this was a bit different. He was about 5 at the time to give you an idea of how sweet this was....he popped in the room while I was unpacking and said "Gege can you sew my wheel back on to my monster truck?" Oh my gosh...I have tears just sharing this with y'all. Well, it took the whole 2 weeks that I was visiting to convince him at that age that I can't sew it on & Gege is not the miracle woman that he thought. Oh my gosh...he said that I can do anything. Ugh....no pressure. Needless to say we eventually went shopping for a new "monster truck." Well the pick below is one special item that he still takes out at Christmastime. He asked me to make his favorite Christmas T-shirt into a pillow so he could have forever and ever. Oh my gosh y'all...he was only 7 yrs. old. He knew exactly how to words things to steal my heart. I get so excited to this day seeing the pillow on their sofa. Even though I got a little bit crazy appliqueing all those tiny circles you can tweak the directions to your t-shirt design. The original post is "Oct. 3, 2018. Definitely a "throwback." :-) The steps are pretty simple and I used scraps from Moda....Hoffman & Quilting Treasures to compliment his t-shirt. I appliqued and pieced all with Aurifil 50 weight thread. If you need supplies you can click on the upper right side of blog and Aurifil threads site is available plus Missouri Star Quilt Co for your sewing & quilting supplies. Well thanks for letting me share this sweet story & I hope you make a memorable t-shirt as well. Thank y'all for following and please check back soon for more fun & easy 'scrap-a-longs1" If you click on the "Follow" button you'll get notified with posts. Have a safe & happy weekend!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours.

Cat

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also.... www.cookinganddecorwithcat.blogspot.com

Cats Tip of the Day!..."Re-purpose Patio Cushions"

 Hey quilter's...hope you're having a great weekend. Well Summer is officially here, and boy is it hot. I've been cleanings, freshening up my patio furniture and have to say in Florida it's a all-year chore. The humidity here is horrible and if you have a "Florida room" your furniture takes a beating. In Texas we called them "Sunrooms" :-) Anyway you call them cleaning outdoor cushions is a chore. My cushions we're getting a bit faded but still in great shape. I've recently priced new cushions to update my furniture but I was shocked with the prices. So I thought well I recently did a design using beach towels for pool and lake and thought why not do the same. Although my O.C.D. kicked in and had to run to 2 stores to get all the towels I needed but I'm happy with the results. Now when needed I just take off...wash & put back on. I saved money and have a "great look" & it actually cheers me up with the colorful design on beach towel. You can view my previous post on June 3-4th for the instructions. You will be doing the same technique but on the bottom of seat cushion as well. I did lay the towel on my cushions and marked where I would be "tucking" in the center to secure. I used Aurifil 50 weight thread for durability. I'm sure they will get a lot of washings here in Florida! There are all sizes of beach towels so measure your cushions before you go shopping to purchase the correct towel. Pop on over to Aurifil thread or Missouri Quilt Co. if you need sewing supplies. Link in upper right side of blog.  I hope you give this time-saving tip a try!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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also....www.cookinganddecorwithcat.blogspot.com

Teach the kiddos 2 Sew/Quilt this Summer..."Fun Wall Art" Phase 2 & Finishing Tip"

 Hey quilter's...hope all is well & your Friday is off to a great start. We've had crazy weather here in Florida, but I guess it's the "season." I for one do not sew/quilt during a storm. Yes, I have surge protectors, but it freaks me out! ;-) My cat "Lottie" will hide under my bed during lightening and trust me if I could fit I probably would too! Anyway....I hope y'all are having fun creating your quilting design and you may have already completed it but here's a tip if your not at the finishing stage yet. I could not "staple" my towel to the back of the canvas due to my staples. I need to get "stronger staples" probably industrial strength to go through the canvas. Well that was a bit frustrating for me cause I don't exactly live close to a hardware store. So this is why my finished design has not been posted. :-( Coming soon though! I also wanted to share that I previously stated to start at top and work your way down in sections when quilting. My pics below show why I shared that tip. Yes. it's a bit daunting changing your top threads to coordinate as you go but it does enhance the design. I suppose you could always quilt with a neutral thread to avoid this and depending on your design you might have been fine. I usually don't share the back of a design but had to show how fun thread accents your design. I really found this project to be very therapeutic. :-) Well needed now that hurricane season started! Also recently seen some stunning fabrics that would be so much fun with this technique. They would make great accent pillows for your kiddos room or your home decor. I always preach "less-stress-quilting" but tweak any of my tips & techniques to your skill level. I'll be sharing more projects soon & if you click on the "follow" button at top of blog you'll get notified right away. I thank y'all for following and allowing me to share my tips and designs with you. Enjoy your summer sewing!

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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also: www.cookinganddecorwithcat.blogspot.com

Here's all you do...

* Trim away any extra batting & stabilizer

* Start at top and secure your design to the back of the canvas. You may need "10" more fingers to help secure as you go so don't hesitate to ask for help :-)

* Then secure at bottom...smooth design as you go...then sides.

* Carefully trim away any extra fabric if needed to avoid bulk if hanging on wall. :-)

I hope you enjoyed this project & check back soon for more!

Teach the kiddos 2 Sew/Quilt this Summer! "Fun Wall Art"....Phase 1

 Hey everyone....hope y'all are doing great and weather is being kind. The heat is horrible already across the country. I plan quilting projects so when weather is crazy I have something to do. As y'all know by now I believe in thread and fabric therapy. I live in pain, and I know there are many of us that do. I even set my "kitchen timer" to 10 minutes when quilting. Don't laugh...I even have an old post stating this tip. Great tip if you have back issues like me. The timer is a "friendly reminder" to get up...stretch...and walk around. Anyway, I hope you have purchased your towel or item you are going to quilt. I should mention that many fabrics have patterns that would stunning enhanced with thread. If your still needing your item to be quilted this would be a great time to take the kiddos on a 'field trip" to your local quilt store. Let them explore the fabrics...so many designs and textures to enhance their creativity. Well before we get started on preparing your towel or item for quilting, I want to share this fun tip. I love to play with my "stitch length" on machine when quilting. It may not be the "proper" thing to do for professional quilters but their is no "quilt police" in my quilting room. :-) You achieve different textures...dimensions doing this technique and it's totally fun! I use a "small" stitch length when quilting around the small areas. This helps when "pivoting" then once I achieve the look, I then adjust my stitch length longer and quilt away. You can see the results in the pics below. Also, I use a "open toe foot" when quilting this project." This helps to see/follow the directional design on pattern. If you are a "experienced quilter" then pop your "quilting foot" on and have fun! This design is teaching basic quilting and getting comfortable with your machine. If you want to "step out of your comfort zone" then have fun meandering....stippling...endless "quilt-a-bilities" Advanced step later by accenting with beads and different thread textures after you've quilted. As I always say..."It's your project...get creative & have fun!" 

Blessed Quilting from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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www.cookinganddecorwithcat.blogspot.com

Note...see previous post for your supplies needed. You can click on upper right of my blog, and it will take you to their websites if you still need supplies :-)

Here's all you do...

* Layer stabilizer

* low loft batting

* Towel (right side facing you)  or your preferred fabiric

* Lay on top of your canvas to achieve the desired quilting area.

* Pin around area to be quilted or mark with chalk...I do both so I still have the marked area when needing to remove pins when quilting.

Tip....I quilt about an inch away from the desired quilting area. This will allow you to have a quilted area when you wrap your towel around the canvas later. Plus...it's a great "start/stopping area" :-)

Preparing to quilt...

* Depending on your machine & your item to be quilted you may need to change your needle to adjust to your project. Practice on a area that you wont see :-)

Tip...I started at top of my "quilting area" so I can smooth the towel and adjusted my pins as needed while quilting. 

In pic you can see that I followed the design on towel when quilting :-)

I changed my thread as needed to accent the color hues in towel. I can always count on Aurifil thread to compliment all my quilting projects!

* Quilt in sections....take your time & have fun!

Check back soon for Phase 2 & finishing!

Blessed quilting,

Cat