Bees and Blooms Oliso Carry Bag

Greetings friends - happy Thursday! I have something extra artistic to share with you today, something I had so much fun creating. If you have been following me for a while, then you know I am obsessed with Oliso Smart Irons - my husband bought me my first one in early 2006 (yes, I had to look this up) and I have never looked back...that original white and blue iron lasted eight years with daily usage...it was a workhorse! Since then, I have had multiple Oliso Smart Irons and a couple Oliso Mini Project Irons. Even more exciting, the day before I left on vacation (last Sunday), the doorbell rang at 9:00 AM and it was FedEx delivering a new Mimi G Auto-Lift Smart Iron (SWOON!), with Mimi G’s iconic leopard skin pattern and signature colors....yes, FedEx delivered it on a Sunday! If you can't tell, I am a HUGE fan. My irons are a very important part of my studio, as good pressing is a must...

So, I was beyond excited when my collaboration with ThermOWeb, led me to a project with Oliso. In mid-January, Oliso reached out to ThermOWeb and asked if any of the Fabric Education Designers wanted to embellish one of their new Carry Bags for display at QuiltCon...YES, please! They sent me a Carry Bag for the Oliso Mini Project Iron, and then it was time to get creative...

I used HeatnBond Lite and HeatnBond Fabric Fuse to attach wool felt flowers, stems and leaves (I used happy colors of Benzie Design Wool Blend Felt)…then I did a bunch of hand stitching and attached some adorable, happy bee buttons and 1/4" round buttons. I didn't really plan it out too much, I just started playing and this was my end result...

I embellished the entire case, on all sides....and put a flower shaped label inside the zippered flap with all my details. I can't wait until I teach my next class and get to carry my iron in this HAPPY carry case. My decorated Oliso Carry Bag is on display in the Oliso Booth at QuiltCon 2023 - if you are lucky enough to be in attendance, stop by a take a look. I am looking forward to seeing other designer embellished Carry Bags on social media - if you would like to see more, search the hashtags:
#getcarriedawaywitholiso
#createwitholiso
#olisoconnects
…and visit @olisohome on Instagram

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today - I hope this post inspires you to play with wool, fabric and threads!

Studio Samplings and a Much Needed Break

Greetings friends! I am headed to Florida for some family time, along with a little rest and relaxation...I leave bright and REALLY early tomorrow (Monday) morning...but before I take off for a week, I wanted to stop by for a visit. There have been so many creative things going on in the Blue Ribbon Designs Studio - projects for ThermOWeb, Poppie Cotton, and something special coming up for Oliso…plus creating for my Etsy Shop...along with a few client orders that I managed to fit in during the last few weeks of madness. I thought I would stop by and share a few photos - these were all for clients and for my Etsy Shop...sewing, quilting and needlework finishing...the needlework finishing is not my stitching, just my finishing work...

A few notes before the photos:
While I am out of my office/studio, I will have very limited (if any) access to correspondence, so please be patient if you send me a message/comment/inquiry that requires a response. All shippable items will be deactivated in my Etsy Shop. Shippable items (paper patterns/charts, project bags, Stitch Starter Rulers, etc.) will return on Saturday, February 25th. All digital items will continue to be available. I will respond to all messages, comments and emails in the order received on February 25th. Thank you so much for your patience!

I have a blog post scheduled for while I am away - one you won't want to miss - it is a special project I did for Oliso (you know, the makers of the Auto-Lift Smart Irons...and as I have shared many times, my very favorite irons) - so please stop by on February 23rd to see my creativity at work!

Okay, now on to the eye candy...

This is my Forty-Five Tote Bag, custom created in a special size 
for a client. You can find the pattern here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/941372669/forty-five-tote-bag-quilt-pattern

An 18th Century Pinwheel by The Goode Huswife

These are my cross stitch design "Sunflower Delivery"...
you can find the pattern here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1117678715/sunflower-delivery-brd-128-counted-cross

Grateful Heart Sampler

Joy of Christmas

Thanks for visiting with me today - I hope you are feeling inspired. I've scheduled the Oliso post for Thursday, February 23rd...so stop back and visit with me! I'll return to my studio on Saturday, February 25th and I'm sure I'll be back to blog soon, with TONS of fun and creative things to share with you! Have a wonderful and productive week....

Snow Place Like Home Cocoa Jar Wrap

Greetings friends - thank you for visiting with me today! If you are a regular reader or social media follower, then you know I am a Fabric Education Designer for ThermOWeb  (they are the makers of all those wonderful HeatnBond products - adhesives, interfacings - all sorts of "must have" products for fabric crafts, paper crafts, and sewing). I create projects and tutorials for their very popular blog and give you my tips and tricks for using their products. It is Winter Vacation Week over on the ThermOWeb Blog and I created a new project that was posted yesterday - it is a complete tutorial for my "Snow Place Like Home Cocoa Jar Wrap." This tutorial contains a complete supply list, printable pattern with applique templates, a layout diagram, my recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix, and step-by-step directions with color photos...and the post includes the childhood story that inspired the design. This jar wrap fits a Half Gallon (64oz) Ball Mason Jar - have you seen these LARGE jars?? - they are perfect for all sorts of things...in fact, if this project is popular, I have plans for several more - including a couple with cross stitch designs! I hope you will stop by the ThermOWeb blog and check out my project and tutorial...and if you like it, leave a comment and let ThermOWeb (and me!) know.😊

This is a small appliqué project that is perfect for snippets and scraps. I used cotton quilting fabric, but you can use what you have on hand. I also used a couple hair elastics and a couple shank buttons, along with HeatnBond products (Lite EZ-Print Iron-On Adhesive, Fusible Fleece, Heavy Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing, Pressing Sheets, and Liquid Vinyl Gel Coating). 

Are you familiar with the NEW HeatnBond Liquid Vinyl Gel Coating? With this unique liquid product, you can make any fabric stain-resistant, water-resistant and even waterproof....simply paint on a light, even coat - let it dry - and then iron to create a smooth finish. One coat makes the fabric water and stain-resistant...two coats makes the fabric waterproof and stain-resistant...and three coats makes the fabric waterproof and stain-resistant with a semi-gloss oilcloth finish. With my latest project being used in the kitchen, I put on two coats...and it worked perfectly! I like how the project is now easily wiped clean and stain-resistant.

If you have questions on any ThermOWeb HeatnBond products or would like to see a specific type of product in one of my projects, drop me a comment or email.

It really is easy to make this jar wrap project your own - you can make it as simple or as challenging as you would like! "Snow Place Like Home" is a great afternoon project that will definitely brighten up your kitchen and add a touch of whimsy to a wintry afternoon.

You will have to visit the ThermOWeb blog for my tutorial and pattern, but I am posting a few photos here...

https://blog.thermoweb.com/snow-place-like-home-cocoa-jar-wrap-with-heatnbond/

I hope this project gets you excited to create something!

I will be doing monthly projects for the ThermOWeb blog and will be sure to post here, when I do. 

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today - I always enjoy sharing with you. Enjoy the rest of your week and make time to work on something creative...

Poppies Patchwork Club Fabric Tour

Happy Monday - I am thrilled to be today's stop on the Poppies Patchwork Club Fabric Tour - thank you so much for stopping by for a visit. I have some very special projects to share...all created with the new Poppies Patchwork Club Fabric Collection designed by Lori Woods for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these gorgeous prints. This brand new collection (shipping to shops now) has lovely bunny and sewing machine motifs (with tiny tomato pincushions!), delightful florals, and fabulous blender fabrics (including a fun stripe)…all done in a happy color palette. As usual, for my projects, I didn't start with a pattern(s) - I just played in my studio. I knew when I saw these prints (months ago) that they would be great for a set of pillows, so that was my plan...and I just started cutting and sewing...

First, I made three pillows - one 14-inch, one 16-inch and one 18-inch. These combine traditional piecing and appliqué - and I backed each of them with Farmhouse Favorites - Gingham Picnic from Poppie Cotton. In my dreams, one day I will have a larger studio with a comfy stitching chair or two and these pillows would be on display. These fabrics give me a warm, cheerful feeling...and the added sewing motifs, along with the bunnies and florals are a selection of my favorite things. I took several photos of these pillows on my front porch rocking chairs...and it made me wish I had an outdoor bench where I could photograph all three together...which also made me think, I should have made a bench pillow...

18-inch

16-inch

14-inch

In usual Belinda fashion, after my pillows were complete, I just *had to* make a smaller project or two with some of my leftover fabric. We all know I love machine appliqué, so for this collection's pincushion (I seem to make a pincushion with each Poppie Cotton collection), I did an small appliqué bunny - and it turned out just as I envisioned. I trimmed my pincushion with Hand Dyed Cotton Lace from Lady Dot Creates - the color is "Firefly" and it was a perfect match! I also wanted to use some of the pretty Cotton Tail stripe and Peter Rabbit prints, so I created a couple small rounded zipper pouches. I embellished these with coordinating 3/4" rick rack. They are the perfect size for sewing and stitching tools and will be a cheerful addition to a project bag.

I have a plan for the Beatrix prints that I have left - the focal print (adorable bunnies with sewing machines and pincushions - photo below)…I love this print so much that I saved every scrap. I usually start with a fat quarter bundle and try to use as many prints in a collection, as possible for my project - I cut as conservatively as I can, so I can get the most out of each piece. I wanted to have one more thing made for this fabric tour, but just couldn't get it done with my schedule. I will share it in the next week or two...

Beatrix-Cream from the Poppies Patchwork Club Collection

I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the fabric tour and are feeling inspired - thank you for visiting with me today. For more creative projects using the Poppies Patchwork Club fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop - Poppies Patchwork Club is shipping now.

I am already working on project ideas for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour in April (I somehow missed getting the memo on the March release) - it is using the fabric collection Hollyhock Lane (click on the link to see a preview). Plus, I will have a new ThermOWeb project tutorial posted later this week (on the ThermOWeb blog on Wednesday)…so, be sure to stop back later this week...