Baby, it's cold outside!

It's November in the North

It's cold but beautiful as long as the sun shines. When it's dark and dreary we hibernate like the bears but when the sun comes out we frolic thru the snow like a doe. I will share the frolic.

 

 

Yesterday it was 5 degrees when we drove thru the town of Horicon on brant lake in the Adirondacks.

An icicle caught on a spiders web - suspended in midair. So weird.

 

Our walk today, the frozen tundra

 

This stream has not frozen over yet but is trying like hell.

 

Isn't Mother Nature amazing!

 

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Easy fleece neck warmer

I'm making a few of these neck warmer's today as gifts - quick and easy.

 

 

Cut a piece of fleece on the fold 23" by 17"

 

Pick up and fold on the 23" side - sew right sides together

Turn right side out

 

 

Find the middle and turn it inside so where my finger is (the middle ends up being the top.

 

Then you will pin and hem however you like. Basically you are just making a tube with two layers, right sides out inside and out. I'm sure you could figure out how to sew it so there is no hem but that's more than my feeble brain can handle at the moment. And this seems to work just fine.

 

Then you can just pull it over your head like a scarf

 

And when the wind starts blowing and it's bone chilling cold, just lift it up and cover your face.

(Or rob a bank)

:-)

If you are on twitter at all and are reading this on Friday - check in on #BFSI

(Black Friday sew in)

And join in on the quilty conversations, show and tell and giveaways.

I'm quiltscapes on twitter

Happy quilting!

 

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Vermont Whales Tails

I'm thinking Friday is my report day on what I've been doing since I like to link up with Nina's blog on Fridays.

So here it is :-)

 

 

Finally finished my Vermont Whales tails, it's been in my hand sewing basket waiting for binding for months.

Yes, the cows do the whale watching here in Vermont :-)

It's up for sale on Etsy here

And I am still obsessed with making postcards - just put the pattern for Christmas puppies on craftsy for sale

 

Then just started cutting up scraps for collages to make this

 

And this

 

This is in the works , not quilted yet

 

Last night I felt the need to use this great sky fabric so fused this small landscape together and it's getting quilted now.

 

And last but not least - the old man of the mountain pillow - done!

I'm very happy with it (the photo doesn't have a pillow insert inside)

 

But I do have a question, if anyone know about envelope style pillow shams -

Should the back flap be facing down instead of the way I did it? Or does it matter?

With the old man on the front the pillow is directional,

Have a great quilty week!

 

 

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Chopping trees

Today I am chopping down trees under a blue sky after cutting rocks off the side of a mountain

 

While my angelic dog sits by my side never even thinking about chewing up the handle of my favorite scissors or scattering everything from the sewing room trash basket all over the floor 8>}

Gotta go now and catch me an eagle

:-)

 

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DYI Quilted Fabric Postcard Tutorial

 

Why make quilted fabric postcards?

1. Making postcards is a great way to practice free motion quilting.
2. Use up scraps, all those special pieces that you just can't throw away
3. Stop sending those boring made in china holiday cards that people look at for 2 seconds then toss in a pile - send your special friends and family .......... well, something special.
4. Great way to try a new technique - fabric paint, inks, thread painting, pastels, try out new quilting designs and fillers - anything that will come out flat you can do.
5. The pleasure of making a work of art with very little commitment of time and fabric, if you make a Christmas card that's not to Christmassy you will see your friends displaying your work all year long.
6. Best of all - IT'S FUN!

This tutorial will guide you thru making a fabric postcard that can be sent in the mail just like any other postcard. I usually put a regular letter stamp on and it gets there just fine. As long as you use a stiff interfacing as directed and keep the thickness to 1/8" or so it will get to its destination. Thread painting is fine but no buttons or things that might get caught in a sorting machine. The size must be 3.5" x 5.5" minimum - most fabric postcards are 4" x6".

The pattern for the critter condo shown here can be downloaded for free on Craftsy. Check out the Craftsy craftlet button on the right to see all the patterns I have available. (Don't we all LOVE craftsy) Best thing since God created the rotary cutter. Lol!

Supplies:

1. 1/4 yard of heavy interfacing is enough for 3 postcards - peltex or timtex - no need to use the fusible kind - the sew in kind is easier on your machine needles and quilts better.
2. Card stock paper for the back - I've included a postcard template in the pattern to print or write your own
3. Assorted fabric scraps - different shades of white for snow and a 5" x 7" scrap for sky or background
4. 1/4 yard is more than enough of lite fusible web - pellon heat and bond or wonder under 805
5. Basic quilting supplies - ruler, mat rotary cutter, scissors, iron

 

Whether using my pattern or making on up yourself, make it at least a half inch bigger than your finished goal of 6" x 4". Using fusible web is probablly the easiest but you could use fabric paint, inks, crayons or just scraps that look good to you. It's your card - have fun with it!

 

 

After you are happy with how the front looks and you've fused in place (if your using fusible) then cut out a piece of the peltex an inch or so larger then your front. Put it on the back like batting (no back needed) You can trim it down later. Quilt as much or as little as you like, just make sure all the pieces are securely quilted down.

Trim off the edges to make the postcard finish no bigger than 4"x6" (but no less than 3.5" x 5.5")

Trace the finished size on the back of your card stock, cut out and place on the back of your card. I have included pre printed backs with the free pattern that you can print out on card stock.

Use a fairly narrow and close together zig zag. Somewhere between your preset zig zag and a satin stitch. Go all the way around and your done!

Address and add your message, slap on a stamp and put in the mail. You can have the post office hand stamp it but as long as you keep to the directed thickness and size it will mail fine.

Easy Peasy!

Try it, you will love making them :-)

 

 

 

 

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A new obsession and sale alert

I started a new landscape

 

But this is as far as I got because I'm on a new kick

 

Fabric postcards!

And yes, that does look like the same tree that I've been working on for it seems like forever. But this is postcard sized. I'm experimenting with peltex, something I have never used but it really does work well for postcards. I found some good information on timtex and peltex here if you are interested in using it.

I also found out you need to keep the thickness like 1/8" and it needs to be stiff to go thru the mail so I believe you really do need to use the heavy interfacing.

I finished one and didn't have any card stock for the back so I tried freezer paper.

 

Wrong move! You can see thru it showing my dark thread patches and it's all wrinkly.

Today I will go to Joannes to get some card stock and more peltex.

Which by the way is on sale right now for 40% off and you can use the friends and family extra 25% making it 65% off. Today is the day to get any pellon products you need for 65% off.

Just sayin'

 

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Dog beds

What do you do with excess gifted Christmas fabric?

 

Well make Christmas dog pillows of course :-)

 

"I'm so glad mom likes to sew"

 

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Winter hidey hole progress

In the process of quilting this winter scene. No batiks this time - I had that grey tree background stuff that I started with, looks like faraway forest (I hope)

I read someone's blog yesterday that had a winter scene and the trees had shadows. It made all the difference in her quilt. I want to try that. See where I have quilted wavy lines under the trees on the right. How to make the shadows?

Paint? Pastel crayons? Thread?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

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