Blog tour with give-aways

My Day on the Blog Tour for Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 12

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I’m once again honored to be part of another volume of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks!

My block, Frosty is #1150.

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He is pieced & then his face & scarf are applique.

He’ll make a great after Christmas project when the snow starts flying.

By the way,

fabric snowmen are the only ones I truly love.

If I could move to a sunny & warm climate 365 days a year I’d be happy!

With Frosty here though, I can stay where it’s warm & sew him all day.

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How cute he would be at opposite ends of a runner for your winter table.

You would have space in the middle to put a pretty bowl of snowballs (real or the cookie kind)!

***

Nestle+Snowball+Mini+chip+cookies

                                       Mini Chip Snowball Cookies (very Best Baking by NESTLÉ)

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
  • Powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
Beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in morsels and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Store in airtight containers. Yields 5 dozen cookies

***

But don’t limit your sewing creativity to one of my ideas…

Run out to your favorite magazine stand & find your brand new copy of

Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 12 and start dreaming & sewing today!

If you would like to try & win a free copy of this issue,

just leave me a comment

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AT THE TOP OF THIS POST

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telling me your favorite season to sew for

& give your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Want to win a free Suzn Quilts pattern?

Tell me your favorite pattern from my website!

I will draw one lucky winner to receive a free copy of the issue

& another will win a free pattern from my website.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of Quiltmaker’s blog tour for more fun & freebies.

Just keep sewing!

Susan

 

Dresden Plates, Finishing up a quilt project, My Life, New tiny Dresden plate quilts

Cutie Patootie Christmas Stocking

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Several months ago (I’m not telling how many…)

I bought this pretty Barbara Brackman charm pack & two coordinating prints.Suzn+Quilts+Richmond+RedsThis is what I had in mind.

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I LOVE these stockings!!!

They’re fun to make & so darn cute!

I cut the charm squares into fourths making 2-1/2″ squares.

Then I made this.

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I love using a stripe fabric for bias binding.

It creates a nice barber pole effect around the perimeter.

How cute is this hanger?

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Instead of my usual binding loop,

I used an antique-looking twill measuring tape ribbon for the loop.

You can purchase this twill measuring tape ribbon on my website, $2.00/ yd.

Totally cute for a sewist friend, don’t you think?

Perhaps you need a secret sister gift idea?

Well, you have a special friend or two at the very least!

This is what I’ve been up to.

What about you?

Just keep sewing…

Susan

Mini Dresden Patterns, My Life, New Pattern Sample, New quilt pattern, New tiny Dresden plate quilts, Quick Little Projects, Quilt Market, Suzn Quilts Patterns, Tiny Dresden quilts

New Patterns Fall 2015

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I know I’m a bit late to the party…

International Fall Quilt Market was over two weeks ago…

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(Image from Moda’s Cutting Table Blog)

I wasn’t able to attend, but I do have new quilt patterns that would have been there. I was with my family instead since my wonderful Mother-in-law passed away the day before Chloe & I were to fly to Houston.

How appropriate that this is the first of my three new patterns.

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I’m sad, I’m tired & I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful family & such dear friends. Getting older is not an easy thing for anyone involved. I will miss my mother-in-law dearly. She was one of my best friends. I’m so thankful that she was able to live independently in her own home & will not be going into assisted living or to a nursing facility.

So, if you’ve been wondering why I’ve been lacking in presence here, she is one of the reasons. Also, my dad had heart surgery the day Chloe & I were to fly to Minneapolis for spring quilt market back in May. We did fly out the next day though so we didn’t miss that. I then spent the majority of the next six weeks at the hospital & then rehab with him helping him to recover from the surgery. I’m happy to report that he was able to resume baling hay this summer, his passion!  Once a farmer, always a farmer…

One of the reasons I do what I do is because of the ability to work around my family & its many schedules. I can work at any hour & stop at the drop of a hat to help whoever needs me at that moment. It started with raising our children but more recently it’s been helping with our parents.

I’m very fortunate & I’m so thankful they at least take turns!

How appropriate that this is my next new pattern.

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I’m definitely in “My Happy Place” with my family & in my sewing room!!!

My third & final new pattern: Suzn+Quilts+Tiny+Dresden+Happy+Birthday+cover+RGB

All three use my Tiny Dresden Template,

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& “My Happy Place” also uses my Mini Dresden Template.

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Like my previous Dresden plate patterns,

the paper template is included in the pattern, but you’ll want to also purchase the plastic template because it will make your cutting so much quicker & more accurate.

Look for them on my website & hopefully soon at your local quilt shop!

Just keep sewing…

Susan

Flea markets & antiquing, My Life

A Dolly Bed Day

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The last couple of years I’ve been on the look-out for doll beds to help display or perhaps inspire small quilts.

You might remember me showing you one here.

They’re a lot harder to find than you may think.

It seems a lot of little girls had cribs or cradles not beds,

but I prefer the way a quilt drapes over a bed instead of going down into a crib or cradle.

Well, Friday I went to an estate sale and found a bed.

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What an adorable print on the little mattress cover.

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Not sure of the era, but it reminds me of feed sack cloth.

I also found a wicker cradle.

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Although I prefer beds, I could not resist!

Then I stopped by an antique barn & found one more bed…

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I knocked off the goofle feathers (my mom’s term for cobwebs & dust) & have been admiring them up close.

This green bed appears to be home made.

Not the best craftsmanship, but my favorite just the same.

Is it because green is my favorite color?

Think of all the hours some little girl enjoyed her favorite dolly.

I’d like to make a little quilt for each one, but for now I’m just admiring their sweetness!

Just keep sewing…

Susan

My Life, New Moda Fabric Collection, New Quilt pattern sample

Laboring on Labor Day

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As it often does, my quilt piecing ironing board cover had become thread bare.

Then frustration hit hard when I realized I could no longer just run to

Walmart, Target, K-Mart, Home Depot, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Big Lots, JoAnn’s, Deals, Lowe’s

(those are the stores that I checked)

& buy a counter top ironing board cover with a silicone coating that would last more than 5 minutes in my sewing room…

I finally decided to buy some silicone coated fabric & make my own.

I found that at JoAnn’s thankfully.

So, yesterday I recovered my ironing board.

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See?  Shiny & new!

I also have a spare since the fabric is wide enough to get two from a yard.

While I was at it, I did another housekeeping task & replaced my rotary cutter blade.

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Then I set to cutting these beautiful new fabrics from my friends at Moda.

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This is actually a couple of collections,

Mille Coulores by 3 sisters &

Alice’s Scrap Bag by Barbara Brackman.

I’m working on a new sampler pattern with my Tiny & Mini Dresden plates.

Surprised???

I did a bit of sewing & made this pretty pile yesterday.

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Then I did some trimming & pressing & made these pretty stacks.

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Then more sewing & pressing & made these.

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I’m in love…  The beginning of a pretty tiny garden.

Did you do any laboring in your sewing room today? I hope so!

Just keep sewing!

Susan

My Life

Sunny Sewing

suznquilts

Once again, as I sew first thing this morning,

I realize I need sun glasses as I sew on a new Tiny Dresden sample.

The very best kind of sewing!

Suzn+Quilts+Sunny+SewingGuild meets this morning & I’m hurrying to get the quilt made & the binding sewn on so I’ll have some hand-work to do as I sit at the meeting.

Yesterday I got the hand stitching done on the letting while

sitting at the Honda dealership getting work done on our van.

Suzn+Quilts+T+D+Happy+Birthday+lettersI love this background fabric. It has bible verses on it.

I found it at O Sew Personal Fabric in O’fallon, MO last month.

OSewPersonalIt’s a Quilting Treasures fabric by Bethany Berndt Shakelford.

It’s a tiny quilt so it won’t take long to sew the binding down, but at least I’ll be that much closer to getting it into pattern form for you.

Your loved ones will love it!

I made two last summer & they loved them.

If you remember I shared one here.

I hope you’re enjoying what will inevitably the last sunny days of summer.

Before long it’ll be fall, then winter…yuk!

Just keep sewing!

Susan

My Life, Podcast with Pat Sloan

On air with Pat Sloan “The Voice of Quilting” tomorrow

suznquilts

APQ-Radio

Tomorrow,

Monday — 4pm Eastern, 3pm Central, 2pm Mountain, 1pm Pacific

I’ll be chatting about quilting with

Pat-Sloan

Pat Sloan “The Voice of Quilting“

http://www.creativetalknetwork.com/

on

American Patchwork & Quilting Radio.

Click the above link to listen.

Just back from our family vacation to the Smoky Mountains, so I’m running!

More on that later.

Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow.

Just keep sewing…

Susan

My Life

Summer-Time Sewing

suznquilts

I love this time of year when the

summer-time sun shines in my sewing studio window at 6a.m.!Suzn+Quilts+Sewing+in+the+Sunshine

This along with the new light (w/ 8 bagillion lumen) David installed for me last year

Suzn+Quilts+lightmakes to so easy to get up even in the dark & start my day.

Clare complained that it was “like Walmart in here” when he first put it up!

I said “I know! Isn’t it great?  I can see!!!”

Teenagers…

Anyway,

Suzn+Quilts+angel+parts

as I cut & stitch on a new Tiny Dresden pattern sample this morning, I can see!

What are you up to?

Whatever it is,

just keep sewing!

Susan