Roll Call: More Favorite Tutorials!

I have a very dear friend that I miss greatly (Hi Dottie!) who likes to remind me regularly…. How many days until Christmas.  She loves Christmas! Can you believe just 7 more months!?!  Time to get cracking on those holiday projects!

 I have another friend (Hi Allie!) who completed a project a month last year so she could have a relaxed Christmas.  And, with summer coming up when we have the need to take portable projects with us on trips…. I thought I’d share some of my favorite project links for the last 6 months. 

Each tutorial makes a great gift for the holidays or birthdays or a guild gift or for your favorite blogger…..  These are not Christmas-specific projects.

·         Blooming Blossom Table Runner

·         Bunny Bowling Pins

·         Circle Zip Earbud Pouch

·         Clear Project Bag

·         Coffee Cup Cozies

·         Cutlery Tote

·         Denim Do-It-All Bins

·         Emergency Zippered Pouch

·         Flash Drive Cases

·         Gathered Round Baskets

·         Idle Hands Thimble Holder

·         Me & My Sister Fabric Napkin Rings

·         Moda Key Tape Fob

·         Pink Penguin’s Lunch Bag

·         Pink Penguin’s Puffy Pouch
·         Poochie Pillow

·         Quart-sized Travel Pouch with Window

·         Triangle Thread Catcher

·         Zip-it-Up Pencil Case  

You can see previous posts with more project links here, here, here and here…..  I can't guarantee all these links still work, though.

Hope this has inspired you for the summer!

Elisa

Catalicious Embroidery!

I’m in heaven!  In case you aren’t aware, the two sweetest things in my life are Oscar and Ginger.  LOVE my pretty kitties!  Imagine my thrill when I came across the free “Catalicious” embroidery patterns on Bronwyn Hayes’ Red Brolly blog!

Meet Brutus!  There are 10 free Brutus patterns (and Bronwyn promises more in the new year) as well as some other pretty amazing patterns under her Free Patterns section.

Also, Bronwyn very generously shared 3 Christmas samplers for 2011:

• Christmas Sampler 1 - Christmas
• Christmas Sampler 2 – Santa
• Christmas Sampler 3 – House

I am a believer!

Happy Stitching!
Elisa

New Gail Pan Christmas Design!

I have to admit that Gail Pan is one of the reasons I became interested in the quilt blogging world. Last year I searched on the Internet for a free embroidered Christmas tree design, and I came across her free holiday designs from years past.

Gail is an Australian quilt designer that specializes in some really amazing redwork patterns. I've been lucky enough to purchase several this summer. Just wonderful! 

It was through her designs that I started searching out other Australian designers and, eventually, joined my International Stitch-Along group.

Today she posted her 2011 free pattern - only available on her blog through this month. Here is her photo from her post:

Make sure you save this one while you have the chance!

Happy Stitching!

Elisa

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Mystery About to Begin!

Bonnie Hunter is at it again! She has announced her annual Mystery Quilt on her blog today.

Starting Nov 18th and running for approximately 8 weeks, she will post a new step every Sunday. Today’s post included fabric selection.

Now, if you haven’t seen her stuff, she does AMAZING scrap quilts – great way to use up those little pieces. Her theory is (to paraphrase) “if you think your fabric is too ugly, you haven’t cut it small enough!” She is also the brain behind “leaders and enders” (thanks to her, now I have about 3 scrap quilts “in the works” at all times!)

Even if you don’t have time to participate now, make sure you stop by each week and save the steps. She’s taking it down in May to appear in her next book. I was lucky enough to save all her previous ones including the gorgeous Roll Roll Cotton Boll (which will appear in her newest book released 2012).

Also, stop by her free tips and tutorials tabs – she gives away a ton of free pattern for some fabulous scrappy quilts. I follow her blog and her Facebook adventures – she’s a hoot!

Happy Stitchin’

Elisa

Moda Country Fair Blog Hop

Ok, gals, I'm very excited! This past Tuesday Moda started their Country Fair Blog Hop! Each day during National Sewing Month another Moda designer will blog about the great American tradition, the Country Fair!

Today is the hilarious duo, Me and My Sister! Not only is each blogger sharing a good yarn or funny story, but they're posting a free project! Aren't these napkin rings great?!  Click for pattern.

And, of course, each featured blog is hosting a special giveaway on their day!

Happy Stitching!
Elisa

September 6th    Sandy Gervais of Pieces from My Heart

September 7th   Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs

September 8th Barb and Mary from Me and My Sister Designs

September 9th Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms

September 10th Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts

September 11th Basic Grey
September 12th Polly and Laurie from Minick and Simpson

September 13th Sandy Klop from American Jane (Post will be featured on Moda's blog)

September 14th Liesl from Oliver + S

September 15th Joanna from Fig Tree and Co.

September 16th Lynne from Kansas Troubles

September 17th Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs

September 18th Aneela Hoey from Comfortstitching.com

September 19th Barbara Brackman from Barbara Brackman
September 20th Bonnie from Cotton Way

September 21st Christina from Cabbages and Roses

September 22nd Deb Strain

September 23rd Jan Patek of Brannock and Patek

September 24th Lauren and Jessi Jung

September 25th Stephanie from Lily Ashbury

September 26th Julie from Cosmo Cricket

September 27th Kate Spain

September 28th Karla, Susan and Lisa from Sweetwater

September 29th Kaari from French General

September 30th Lisa from Primitive Gatherings

and the fun continues into October

October 1st Kathy from Kathy Schmitz Studio

October 2nd Liz from Liz Scott Designs

We Love French Knots

Have you visited this blog yet? It's a new blog that teaches the basics of contemporary embroidery.

Why stop by? To kick off this blog, they are having 10 (yes, TEN!) giveaways! They've also posted several fabulous stitch videos. And (in my mind, the most awesome part), an interview with Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches!

To kick off the site, Natalie is sharing this free pattern:

I have a weakness for Aussie embroidery especially free patterns!

If you need inspiration, there's also dozens of contemporary embroidery examples on the We Love French Knots Flickr page!

No affiliation - just an excited follower.

Elisa

P.s. Another awesome embroidery basics site is Hugs From Helen Stitched Sundays. She demos a stitch and then shares a fabulous stitchy so you can try it out!

Roll Call - Summer Edition

I love the internet because I’ve seen so many cool things recently.  If you haven’t visited yet, you should stop by Quilters Blog, which is a roll call of 1600+ quilt blogs daily.

In the last few months, I’ve seen some exceptional tutorials and fabulous freebies.   So in today’s post I wanted to take a few moments to share my favorites with you!  P.s. I have no tried all of these but I’m intrigued!

Basket with Bow

Beach Comber Bag  

Bias Tape Applique Tutorial

Casserole Carrier Tutorial  

Cinderberry Stitches free embroidery pattern: Woodland Faeries

Creating a Pieced Backing

Double Fat Jack Quilt

(Another and Fabulous) Fabric Basket

Faux Piped Binding Tutorial

Geta’s Flower Photo Transfer Technique

Glow Happy (Chinese Lantern) Quilt Pattern

Glue Stick Applique Tutorial – 3 parts

Hexagon Tutorial with Mylar Templates

Jillily’s Appliqué Method

Laminate Tutorial

Organizing Tote Tutorial

Pieced Centre String Quilt – block tutorial

Postage Stamp Quilt Along – I’m doing this!

Quilted Basket

Raw Edge Applique Tutorial

Scrappy Bunny and Chick dolls – quick and simple for Easter

Selvedge Phone Pouch  

Strippy Charm Pouch  

Super Easy Continuous Prairie Points

Thread Holder  

Witch’s Feet - Applique Tutorial with pattern  

This list is not all-inclusive and doesn’t include many of the amazing blocks-of-the-months out there.  Maybe I’ll do a BOM Roll Call another day!  If you missed my last Roll Call, you can see it here. 

Happy quilting!

Elisa

Don't Look Now!

Check out the amazing quilts and patterns from Kellie Wulfson blog called Don't Look Now!  MUST find someplace in the US to buy these!  Amazing quilts using the raw-edge technique.  Don't forget to participate in the Don't Look Now giveaway!

Also check out her free pattern for the Honey Bunny Pillow in time for Easter!  SOO FLUFFY!

So many ideas - so little time!

Elisa