It's Time for Another Blog Hop Party with Giveaways!

It's a Blog Hop Party with Giveaways hosted by Michele at Quilting Gallery.

Thanks Michele!

I am sharing a "New" Fabric Set.  The sets are created using the Quilter's Blenders Extra Wide Fabrics.  I have a selection of 20 Quilter's Blenders Colors and 10 other prints and solids in the Extra Wide Fabrics on my website.

Today, I am introducing my NEW Fabric Set: 

"Summer Tomatoes" !

    Tomatoes not included!

I will introduce my Summer Tomatoes Quilt Pattern in September.  It was created specially for my New "Summer Tomatoes" Fabric Set.

Leave a comment to enter the giveaway for a chance to win my New "Summer Tomatoes" Fabric Set. 

Please make sure you are a "reply blogger" or leave me your email with your comment.

I would like to invite you to follow my blog. I share all about my quilting and sewing projects. There are tons of links to previous posts in the sidebar. Thanks!

I would like to invite you to LIKE my Crafty Sewing facebook page too.  See facebook link in the sidebar.

Thanks!

YES - I will ship internationally too!

Giveaway will end at Midnight CST on Sept 3rd.  The winner will be contacted by email and announced on during the week of September 3rd.

Update:  This giveaway is now closed and the winner will be announced soon.... 

I am also hosting another giveaway on my Photo Food Blog - Lunch Looks Like a Quilt to Me.  Hop over and enter it too!

Enjoy the Blog Hop Party!

Marcia

www.craftysewing.com - Currently taking Pre orders on the Summer Tomatoes Quilt Pattern --- Pre orders include Free "Summer Tomatoes" Fabric Set, if ordered before Sept. 16th. Fabric Sets available right now.

Turn Three Pretty Fat Quarters into 6 Mug Rugs

First, I cut 12 strips from the fat quarters (4 from each color). The strips were 2 inches wide by 22 inches long. 
Next, I stitched them together in a random order. 
Press the seams all one direction on the back side. Cut strips across 2 inches wide. I was able to get 10 strips.

Then flip every other one and stitch them together. The seams will nest together and line up, because you flipped them the opposite way. It will create a pattern with the colors of the squares. 
Then add 3 inch borders to all four sides. Press it.  Now, it is ready to quilt.

I used a bright green for the quilting.

I stitched our names on the corners of each little mug rug.

It says: Made by Joanne (my Mom) and Marcia 2012

Here's how I cut the six mug rugs from the quilted piece.

The approximate size of the whole quilted piece was 21" X 20".  The mug rugs are 7" X 10 ".

Can you see how you could turn a small quilt into several mug rugs?  
Remember my post about turning a small quilt into a tote bag? 

I love how the borders end up on all different sides of the mug rugs. Gives it a little artsy look, without even trying!

I choose a yellow daisy fabric for the backing fabric.  It is not the same yellow, but it blends nicely.

They are trimmed and ready for the binding!  I will use the daisy fabric for the binding.

My Mom will love this post, as she wanted me to make some mug rugs using the three pretty fat quarters that she bought for me.  Surprise! I finally made them last weekend, when I spent a whole day, just sewing fun little projects.  I quilted them at the end of my work day today.  I plan to do the binding this weekend.  

Mug rugs make great little gifts for your friends.

Enjoy your day and remember to take time to play!
Marcia

Getting Up Close to My Quilting AND my Family

This is my favorite photo (so far), from the wedding of my daughter, Jewels and Rad. Makes me want to lift them both up and hug them! So happy!

It was a beautiful day!  It had been so hot the day before (90 something and humid), but the weather broke and it cooled to about 82.  There was a breeze.

I am not a writer. . .  I am a quilter, so bare with my choppy words, as I share about the wedding and the table runners.  Jewels asked me to make seven quilted table runners. 

She wanted them in greens and creams with kind of a vintage look.  I was to make them all different. Even different sizes.

I made some with tea dye muslin and some with cream muslin.  One of them, I used a white on white tiny flowered fabric. Nothing was to match.  All unique!

Some I quilted with a looser meandering with leaves  and others were tighter.  I really enjoyed making them!

Jewels asked us to collect assorted vintage plates for her wedding.  Our friend, Bette took on the task. She selected a beautiful collection of dinner and cake plates.

The flower arrangements on the tables were created with wild flowers and displayed in vintage blue canning jars.  They really looked great with the plates!

And now a few wedding photos.  We don't have any professional ones yet... so these are some we all took during the ceremony and reception.

Walking Jewels down the aisle.

This next photo --- I took holding the camera on my lap!

 Jewel's Siblings       Jewels and Rad        Rad's Siblings

Jewels and Rad had their sisters and brothers be their attendants. Another thing that I thought was so cool.

 A photo with Grandma Joanne as the cake top is a vintage cake topper from her wedding.

Here is a photo someone took of my Mom, when we were having our photo taken with Jewels and Rad.

I hope you enjoyed getting up close with my quilting and my family too!

Enjoy your day!
Marcia

What Does a Quilter Do On Friday Night?

I opened up the first packages of Blue Tiny Print Fabrics that I received this week in the mail. WOW!

I took photos of each one...
Packages came from Linda, Lori, Tamra, Donna, and Paulette.

Thank you, Thank you, and  Thank you!

OOOooo I love Blues...

The fabric on the top left here is one of the coolest blues I have ever seen!

I love them all!

I thought after years of sewing, that I had seen every blue print out there, but to my amazement there were several that I had not seen before and very few duplicates.  I have loved blue fabrics since I was 13!

I took some photos with a pencil eraser and a penny so you can see the small print on the fabrics.

My favorite one so far is print on the left side.  Just look at the detail!

I really like the print on the bottom right too!

Look how tiny the one in the middle is..

 And the tiny hearts and itty bitty dots!

This is a photo of some of my blue tiny print fabrics.

I really love the one in the center with the pinks, yellows, and green little flowers and the mini butterflies.

Many of you have emailed that you are sending fabrics also.  You can't even imagine the smiles I will have, when I see all your fabrics too!  I can't wait! 
  

After I took photos and Oooo and Ahhhed over the fabrics, I sat down and wrote thank you notes. I packaged up a special gift for each of you.  It means so much to me that you took the time to sort through your fabrics and packaged it up and included a note and mailed it to me.  I know all of you said, you didn't want anything in return, but you have shared... now I will share...  Thanks so much!

So now you know what a quilter does on Friday night.

What does a quilter do on Saturday?

I am going to press, starch, and cut strips.  Hopefully, I will find time on Sunday to sew some of the strips together and get started.

BUT remember, I will be cutting and sewing for a long long time.

I am not making a large quilt.
I am making mini quilts. 
I am making hot pads, place mats, mug rugs, and table runners and table toppers. Projects that I can sew and quilt and bind in an afternoon or a day.

And remember I am not matching any seams! I am going to have so much fun  --- cutting and sewing and quilting!  As I cut the strips, I am sorting them a little bit, to come up with some really cool combinations of the blues, teals, navys, aquas, and the royal blues. Just think of all the combinations.

I have tried adding rectangles to the squares too. I will share that next week.

YES ---- It is my time to play!

Some of my friends cook and bake, some scrapbook, and some of my friends fish!

I cut up fabric in tiny pieces and sew it back together. Here is the post about the tiny squares.

So.... that is what this quilter loves to do ....

What do you like to do?

Enjoy your weekend!
Marcia
P.S.
I do bake a little! Click here.