My Day to Shake My Pom Poms!!

 

This is my day to show my take on using pom poms!  This is Pom Pom Tom, the cat! Tom's arms and legs are made from pom poms, tightly threaded on a yarn and then trimmed to give a smoother contour. (Tom's body is batik, but if you made extremely large pom poms, you could use those instead!)

It's Fiesta time in San Antonio. There are parades, parties, and celebrations everywhere! Bright colors are mandatory! My second project is a banner - complete with pom poms, beads, and bells hanging from the bottom. I hung it on my patio in preparation for a Fiesta meal! (I used the Clover pom pom maker to make all of the pom poms in both of my projects). After trying to use a cardboard circle, I found I could make about 3 times as many with the Clover tool in the time it took me to make one the old fashioned way!)
 Be sure and check out the other blogs participating today! 
 

April 30

I Like To Quilt Blog

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Thimblemouse & Spouse

Cate`s Linens

Around the Homestead

Buzzing and Bumbling

les passions de Cliodana

Bumbleberry Stitches

Sew We Quilt

Thank you to Mdm. Samm and Thearica

for being our hosts for this event. Did you know there were so many things you could do with pom poms? 

                             

         (Here I am shaking my pom poms for you!!)

 

...and here is Sugarplum trying to get in the photo. She thought I meant HER when I said I was going to photograph my cat! NOTE: No cats were harmed in the making of this post!

My Latest Wallhanging and a Giveaway Winner!

I gave you a sneak peak yesterday. This is the wallhanging I made for Arms of Hope and their silent auction that is coming up the first week in May. They are a haven for abused, neglected, and needy children. They also help single mothers through tough times. 
The verse is from Hosea 14:8 and says, "I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that's always green; all your fruit comes from me." Although I couldn't get the contrast to show it, the "fruits of the Spirit" are quilted in at the top above the tree....love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (It's like I'm creating a sermon in cloth!)
 The fabrics used (except for the brown batik used for the tree) are from Amanda Murphy's Bella collection. (You should see her new Christmas fabrics!)
  
Congratulations to Joyce Carter who was chosen by the random number generator to win a free pattern from my Craftsy shop! Thank you ALL for playing along and visiting me during the blog hop! Be sure and tune in for the Shake Your Pom Poms hop starting Wednesday. I will show my pom pom projects on the 30th.  
 

Sneak Peak at What I've Been Up To Lately!

I've been busy working on a project for a silent auction coming up very soon. You know how I love children and this is an auction to benefit a children's home. I'm only showing a sneak peak.  I'll show you the finished wall hanging soon!

               


                                                               The Shake Your Pom Poms Blog Hop starts on Wednesday! Have you seen the clever little Clover pom pom makers? You probably thought they were only for making those little pom pom critters you used to make in Girl Scouts! Well, check  with Mdm. Samm and Thearica from Pig Tails and Quilts from April 24 through April 30th! (I post on the 30th!) See what kinds of things we think up to show you! 

My Day and a Giveaway! April Showers Blog Hop!

Several years ago, when April showers were falling at home, we went to Punta Cana and watched the humpback whales.  In fact, for several years we took a cruise or had a resort vacation in the spring. So...that comes to my mind when I think of April. Not a common thought, I'm sure, but an enjoyable one! 
Here in south Texas, this is a wonderful time of year to go fishing!
My little mug rugs come complete with a row boat (with removeable oars) to hold just the right amount of snacks! I kept it very simple because I wanted the novelty fabric to stand out.

At The Beach

 

This morning I'm sitting on my patio enjoying my morning coffee and the cool Spring weather! I'm watching the bees that are busy among my flowers and thanking God that I can enjoy such a sight!

So April also reminds me of bees! (We haven't had many April showers, unfortunately!) My little bee mug rugs are complete with antennae and wings! I even made a little table runner complete with bees to go along with them!

.....and this is their favorite spot! Except that Sugarplum gives them just a little of a scare! 

April is a pretty busy sewing time for me!! BUT, sometimes I need a little break and a cup of tea in one of my pink Depression glass cups. They remind me of spring, too! They are the color of pink sweetheart roses or the pink dogwoods that we used to have that bloomed in April. So, of course, my mug rug had to be from soft pink, but with chocolate touches - since tea is no fun without little chocolate heart cookies.

My giveaway today is a free e-pattern from my Craftsy shop. My winner can choose one from any of my patterns, including the At the Beach Snack Set shown on this post.  I will email the PDF form of your choice  to one lucky winner (drawn by random generator). Everyone who comments gets a chance to win. If you follow you get a second chance (just make a second comment saying you follow.) Thank you so much!
                                
I want to thank our sweet hostesses today -  Erin at Sew at home Mummy  and Mdm.Samm at Sew We Quilt!
Be sure to visit the other bloggers on the hop today too! 

                           Thursday, April 18

Merry Gay @ Merry Gay in Stitches

Mary @ Sew Maybe I Can

Joanne @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Linda @ Buzzing and Bumbling

Mary @ NeedledMom

Sherry @ Peanuts Patchwork

Fredrika @ Feltfree på Åsly

Shauna @ Welcome to Shauna's World

Sharon @ Dancing thru Threads

Madame Samm @ !Sew WE Quilt!

                

Bluebonnet Trail Shop Hop

The picture above was taken in the Valli & Kim Quilt Shop in Dripping Springs, Texas. This was the only shop I took photos in because I forgot in the other shops. They were all wonderful! The shop above really thrilled me because it was in a large, spacious, sunny, fun filled building. Quilts hung from the rafters and every place you looked held bright, colorful fabrics, projects, and "props"! The tree you can see above has cloth flowers and birds. (I used my iPhone and didn't get great photos, but I'll show what I have!)This year was my first Bluebonnet Trails Shop Hop since I moved back to Texas. In the past, I have been in a quilt shop showing my patterns and demonstrating my applique method.

First up, my group of FUN ladies had our photos taken with mustaches! (That's me on the far right.) What you can't see is that to the left of the photo opportunity is chocolate and other goodies! (Tina, you held your mustache a little low and it just looks like you have NO TEETH!)

 This birdcage had cloth birds and the nesting material in the bottom are the very thin shreds of fabric left after they cut fat quarters! The stand was also covered in fabric.

 You can't really tell how large this light fixture is in this photo, but it was probably at least 36" across. The dandelion "puffs" around the perimeter are made of paper! I thought it was beautiful! It hung down low enough that I could touch one to tell. (I know, but there was no sign telling me I couldn't!)

This valance made of strips of cloth and hanging above the check out area really caught my eye. I might have to do this as a window treatment in my sewing room!

Be sure and come back next Thursday to see my contribution to the April Showers Blog Hop! I have some fun and different things to show you! (Be sure and check out each day's contributors. You're sure to come away with lots of ideas! Just click on the button on my sidebar to see the list and the day's top picks.)
Until then..... 
 

April Showers

 

In my area, we have almost had spring weather all winter. Some flowers never stopped blooming, like the Cinco De Mayo rose above. It has bloomed like crazy since I planted it last spring, despite the lack of rain. It finally rained last week. We had two inches in about an hour! But you can have two weeks of being "showered" with creative ideas! Today is the first day of the April Showers Blog Hop! I will not be posting for that until the 18th, but starting today you will see all types of "mug rug" designs! Be sure and visit each day's blogs and comment for chances to win!

 

To see the whole schedule visit Erin at Sew At Home Mummy or Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt.

Until then, here is a picture of my loquat tree with what is left of the fruit (I picked most of it yesterday!) with rain clouds in the background. They will burn off soon and I seriously doubt we will have any rain today, but I will enjoy the "outpouring" of ideas in the hop!

Bee blessed!

Pillowcase Tutorial

Auditioning fabrics for pillow case combinations. (The green pillowcase and the yellow doll pillowcase are finished projects.)

Here's an oldie but goodie. I'm going to be demonstrating this easy pillowcase method for the ladies in my guild so that they can make pillowcases for charity. If you have not seen this method, you should give it a try. It is so easy and produces a pillowcase with all seams enclosed! It has been around for several years, but I have no idea who came up with this method.

(The pillow on the left is not made yet, but I thought you should see how cute it would be for a little boy!)

French Seam Pillowcase

(One Standard Size)

Main body of pillowcase – fabric cut 27”(length) x 42” (width). (The 27” can be adjusted if you adjust the width of the wide band. The total length of  both pieces should be 40”. )

Contrasting fabric for wide band – piece 13”(length) x 42” (width)(again, you can adjust this as long as the total length of the main body and the wide band is 40” before folding and sewing.)

Trim – This can actually be as narrow as you want. Instructions are for a piece that is 2” x 42”.

Instructions:

1.    Lay your main body fabric right side up. Press the trim piece in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and right sides out. Place along the top edge of the pillowcase, raw edges together. Baste in place using a scant ¼”.

2.    Lay the wide band piece right side up and place the pillowcase body and trim right side down on top, matching up the top edges. Pin in place.

3.    Roll the width of the pillowcase body up toward the top of the wide band.

4.    Pull the wide band up and over the roll and match the raw edges. 

5.    Pin in place and sew together using a ½” seam allowance. Backstitch at each end to secure your seams.

Pull the rolled pillowcase body through the  “tube” opening.

6.    Press well and fold in half widthwise with right sides out! Sew along the side and bottom, using a  ¼” seam.

7.    Now, turn pillowcase wrong sides out. Press. Sew the side and bottom again using a ½” seam. (You are making a French seam which encloses the raw edges inside.) 

8.    Turn right sides out and press well.

You’re finished!

You may want to try lace, tatting, cording, or rick rack as trim in place of the fabric strip.

You can use pieced or embroidered fabric for your wide band.

Use your imagination and have fun!