Quilted Love Keychain - Free Pattern

  Valentine's Day is one of my favorite reasons to make little gifts.

I love stitching Valentines too!

Today I have a free tutorial and pattern to share.

My Quilted Love Keychain is a feature over at

Thermoweb

today.

It's a fun take on the key to your love.

The Quilted Love Keychain is a quick patchwork and applique project.

It finishes at 2" x 7" so your love will be able to find those keys easily.

Make it with a few of my favorite HeatnBond products:

HeatnBond Lite iron-on adhesive

HeatnBond Non-woven fusible interfacing, Medium weight

HeatnBond High Loft fusible fleece

Add Island Batik fabrics and Aurifil thread and you also can have my love (keychain).

Get the free pattern and tutorial

on the 

Thermoweb blog

and

spread a little love!

Practically Luminous - Project Quilting Quilting Season 12, Challenge 1

 This is the first challenge of Season 12 of Project Quilting.

I'm excited to join in the challenge -  Illuminating + Ultimate Gray

My entry:

Practically Luminous

Kim at Persimon Dreams hosts Project Quilting
and

this is the 9th year I'm participating.

Kim announces a challenge and you have one week to create something quilty.

Prizes can be won and it's a great way to meet new blogging friends.

The rules in this challenge are that the project must feature Pantone’s Color of the Year 2021 – which is actually two colors: PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating.  It must include either applique, piecing, or have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine.

I worked on a quilt top all week off and on for the challenge but in true Project Quilting style,

I had to scrap that idea because of the time and make something I could finish.

I'll be able to finish the quilt top later for my personal challenge of finishing quilts 

for all of my quilt blocks in 

30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days

To have a finish for Project Quilting,

I printed a paper pieced pattern and made myself a

Practically Luminous Pincushion.

Practically Luminous Pincushion

Project Quilting Season 12, Challenge 1 - Illuminating + Ultimate Gray

Made by Carla in Dodge City, Kansas

http://www.createinthesticks.blogspot.com/

Size: 4" x 4"

Foundation paper piecing, quilting on a domestic with Aurifil 50 wt thread

and

stuffed with crushed walnut shells

You can see all the other challenge projects

by clicking HERE.  

Show Your Stripes Blog Hop Sign Ups

 Today I am happy to announce a new stitching blog hop.

What is a Blog Hop?

It's like a "show and tell" online.

Our blog hops feature sewing and quilting and are like joining a quilt guild without leaving home.  Once the theme (challenge) is presented we set to work sewing.

We inspire each other with projects, tutorials, or patterns.

Anyone can follow along.

There are about 2 months to sew something and join in on the fun.  

It's another easy theme that should have you thinking of lots of things you could make.

The Challenge: 

Add a stripe, or two, or three to your project.

It can be striped fabric, striped binding (a favorite of mine), or strips of fabric to make stripes.

It's your interpretation of a striped project.  

Anything with a stripe.  You decide.

Just "Show Your Stripes!"

The Rules:  

Post on your assigned day at 12:00 am Eastern time.
Have a giveaway or don't have a giveaway. It's totally optional!
Visit everyone's blog on the list and leave a sweet comment. Make friends!!!!

Are you in?

Send me an email with the following information:
Your first name
Your email address
Your blog name

Your blog URL

Subject Line: Stripes

PLEASE, email me the info.

I do know most of you, but if you don't send the info, I have to look up all your information.

If you have emailed me and don't hear from me within a few days, please email me again or contact me on Facebook.  Sometimes Hotmail eats my homework...lol

Remember, this is for fun.
Let's grow together!!!!

My Stitching Resolution Blog Hop - 2021 Stitching Goals

Today is My Stitching Resolution 2021 reveal.

I have invited my blogging friends to join a blog hop that doesn't require stitching,

 it's all about their stitching plan for the new year.  

They are sharing new ideas and inspiration for stitching in 2021.  

All they have to do is finish this statement in a blog post:

My stitching resolution for 2021 is _____________________________.

We are all sharing today - it's a one day only blog hop!

Wednesday, December 30th

Just Let Me Quilt
MooseStashQuilting
Words & Stitches
 Sew Many Yarns
Websterquilt
Cocoa Quilts
QuiltFabrication
Stitchin At Home
Ms P Designs USA
Life in the Scrapatch
Kathy Kwilts and More
Karen's Korner
Quilt Schmilt
selina quilts
The Joyful Quilter
Becky’s adventures in quilting and travel 
Karrin's Crazy World
Quilting and Learning: What a Combo
VroomansQuilts
Cynthia's Creating Ark
PamelaQuilts
Quilting Patchwork & Appliqué
Kathleen McMusing
Quilting Gail
Homespun Hannah's Blog
appliqueand...
Songbird Designs
Storied Quilts
Susie’s World

She's Stitchin Again
Creatin' in the Sticks - me!

Visit each blog and leave a super sweet comment about their goals!

What's mine?

Here are the top 5 things I have in mind for 2021:

My stitching resolution for 2021 is

(in bold to make me accountable)

1.  Finish my goal to make quilts from the 

30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days

The blocks are so fast to make and I want a quilt to represent each block.

I have made quilts representing 10 of the blocks, only 20 to go.

(unrealistic for 1 year, probably, but a girl can try!)

2.  Write 30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days Volume 2.

I've had requests for more, so I am putting this here - accountability.

(there would have to be a blog hop too!)

3.  Continue partnering with Carol to host fun blog hops.
(behind the scenes this year, Carol at Just Let Me Quilt had my back

when I needed encouragement and more time!  Thank you, my friend!)

We have a lot of great ideas for the new year!

This is for the next hop.

  I'll announce more details tomorrow, but if you want to start a project with a stripe,

 you will be ahead of the game.

4.  Write patterns, organize patterns, fix pattern links, give needed attention to Etsy store, and Blog!

This blog needs so much attention -

(broken links, pictures disappearing, links to nowhere (thanks Craftsy), and new design?)

((this is truly unrealistic to do all, but I would like to fix all the Creatin' in the Sticks media))

5.  Keep one planner and write it down!

Keep track of schedules and ideas.

(between work, Thermoweb projects, blog hops, and designing deadlines I SHOULD keep one planner instead of 3 or 4 calendars.  I need luck with this one!)

Those are my top 5 stitching goals for the year!

(Luck is needed for sure!)

Here's to a healthy and happy 2021!

(it just has to be better)

Triangle Medallion - Island Batik Ambassador December Challenge

  The December Challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors is

"Medallion Quilt"

and

today I am excited to share my quilt

Triangle Medallion.

We are to make a medallion quilt which is all about a center block and borders

using

Island Batik fabrics.

I went in a different direction and may have stretched the challenge a bit.

I took my inspiration from an article in the Fall of 1995 magazine, Quilt, called Corn and Beans.

At first glance, the quilt in the article looked like a medallion quilt made of half-square triangles set on point.  After reading I learned the quilt was all triangles stitched in rows - perfect!

I cut the triangles for the rows with the Accuquilt GO! Half Square Triangle-4" Finished square (55710)  from the Accuquilt Go! Qube Mix and Match 8" Block.

This is my favorite way to cut triangles - the accuracy is amazing.

The fabrics are from a lot of past Island Batik quilts. I wanted to make the quilt look scrappy.

The center focus block features one of the fabrics from the new summer 2020 Island Batik collection, Bliss by Barbara Persing. (Design: Dot RIngs - Color: Ravine)

Each piece was stitched with Aurifil 50 wt and a Schmetz Microtex (Sharp) Chrome 70/10 needle.  If you haven't tried these needles, they are perfect for the tight weave of the Island Batik fabrics.

I had so much fun watching this quilt come to life with each row.

I did the quilting edge to edge with my

 Handi Quilter Avante long arm pro-stitcher

using Glide Trilobal Polyester 40 wt white thread.  

Hobbs Heirloom Premium Cotton batting is in the middle.

Triangle Medallion is about 50" x 50"

It's not a traditional medallion quilt, but it has a center and borders.

It's bright and it's so fun to see all the Island Batik fabrics come together to create this scrappy look quilt.

This is my last post as an Island Batik Ambassador.

It's been a super 2 years and I want to thank 

Island Batik and the industry partners

 for the great products and super fun challenges.

The experience has been priceless!

It's time for me to take on some new challenges.

I will miss my Island Batik Ambassador family

but I'll still be designing quilts with Island Batik fabrics

and

I am really looking forward to plans to come.