Final Countdown to Christmas Packages

Greetings friends - happy day after Christmas! I hope your holiday was merry and bright and filled with love and joy. It was a quiet day here, just me and my hubby - lounging and watching Chiefs football, pizza and wine, a little extra sleep, and a good movie - all in all the perfect holiday. Today it was business as usual, a few errands to run and back to work.

Before I share the last presents from the Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar, I have to share what my hubby got me for Christmas. My regular readers know that our household is still on a night schedule...and my sleep tends to be all over the place (yeah, it's been almost two years and I am still not a fan of this schedule!). My husband sleeps like a baby with his eye mask and ear plugs; I don't feel comfortable wearing ear plugs to sleep (I want to make sure I wake up if there is an issue or the dogs need out, etc.) and my eye mask is pretty flimsy (it came from an airline on a recent overnight flight). My husband knows I put in one AirPod and listen to a book every night to fall asleep. He loves his Manta Sleep Mask...and gifted me the Manta SOUND Sleep Mask! It has super-thin Bluetooth headphones, nestled within a ventilated strap and has raised C-shaped eye cups that enable me to open my eyes, while providing a blackout seal. At first I thought it looked cumbersome, but once I got it adjusted for my face and set-up the Bluetooth with my iPhone, I found it to be super comfortable and the sound quality is wonderful. I used it last night and it works so good (even for this side sleeper!) - and I did notice a difference in the quality of my sleep. Let's hope this is a game changer for my sleep patterns!😴😊

Onward with the advent countdown. I wanted to stop in today and share the final 10 days from Jenny's Countdown to Christmas Box with you. It has been so much fun opening a stitchy/quilty gift each morning in December through Christmas...and every day has been useful and special! If you are not familiar with this box, it is a sewing advent calendar from the Missouri Star Quilt Company with 25 numbered and wrapped presents. I previously shared the first 15 days. Today's post includes days numbered 16 through 25. Before I go any further, this is not really a spoiler, as everyone who has this box should already have all the gifts opened - but if you do not want to know what was in each of these packages, stop reading/looking now... Click on images, if you want a larger view...

Day 16: Reusable Bowl Huggers Pattern with Fabric and Elastic

Day 17: Jenny Makes Quilting Sew Easy Button and Stickers

Day 18: Bellissimo by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake 5" Fabric Stacker

Day 19: Chenille Star Pillow Pattern and Chenille 
(uses fabric from day 18)

Day 20: Sewing Machine Brick Building Set

Day 21: Felted Wool Gnome Pincushion

Day 22: Monogram Accessories Felt Kit with
Page Marker Leather Blanks.

Day 23: Love in Every Stitch Ceramic Mug

Day 24: Jenny's Holiday Quilt Block Patterns (4)

Day 25: Cutting & Pressing Mat Travel Folio
(each side is 12" x 12") - FABULOUS!

That's a wrap on the 2024 Jenny's Countdown to Christmas Box from Missouri Star Quilt Company. A HUGE thank you to my stitching sister that sent me this incredible gift - I am still blown away by your kindness - what an incredible month it has been!

Tomorrow, I will be back with my final Christmas post - I will share photos from our annual Christmas Eve outing and give a bit of history on our tradition.

Gingerbread Cottage Pincushion

Greetings friends! Today is a very special day...it is day three of the Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown...that means only 12 days until Christmas! Poppie Cotton has been counting down the days until Christmas with fun projects, perfect for gift giving...and today I get to share one of my projects with you!

This is my "Gingerbread Cottage Pincushion" and oh, how I loved creating it! This is actually my Cosmic Cottage Pincushion (with a hidden pocket for scissors!) - a complimentary pattern on my website, with a few changes to make it a gingerbread house! For Poppie Cotton fabrics, I used Snowfall Teal from the Prairie Christmas Collection, Country Confetti in Rodeo Arena Brown, and Gingham Picnic in Cool Pool Mint. 

I took my original pattern and changed the pom pom trim to rick rack (and added a bit more around the roof and chimney). I used lovely Hand-Dyed Rick Rack from Lady Dot Creates in the color Snow on the gingerbread house and in the color Sizzle around the perimeter of the pincushion. To up the CUTE factor, I added some vintage daisy trim I had on hand...the centers of the daisies were pink, so I opted to color them red with a Sharpie to match the candy canes (more on the candy canes shortly). I used a red 1/4" button for a door knob...and I added some red, green, and white baker's twine to give it more of a gingerbread house look. For a perfect (and oh so soft!) backing fabric, I used Hand-Dyed Velveteen by Lady Dot Creates in the color Chili.

Now, about those adorable little candy cane embellishments...they are made from baker's twine and if you want to see how I created them, visit the Therm O Web Blog today, where I share a full tutorial! Yes, I made these cute embellishments...and decided to share my process with you. They would work great for adding to sewing projects or paper projects (such as cards or gift tags).
https://blog.thermoweb.com/bakers_twine_candy_cane_embellishments

About the pattern: you can find my Cosmic Cottage Pincushion FREE pattern here:
https://blueribbondesigns.com/free-charts/
This is a foundation pieced quilt block with added trim and a hidden pocket for scissors. I made the border strips a little wider for the Gingerbread Cottage, so the finished pincushion measures 7" x 7". Be creative and add your own embellishments and use what you have on  hand to make your Gingerbread Cottage unique and extra special.

You can also find the exact supplies I used in this project by visiting the post in my Amazon Shop (note, as an influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases).

I will have one more Poppie Cotton surprise next week...and I can't wait to share it with you! Be sure to check out the Poppie Cotton Blog and/or social media for their 2024 Countdown to Christmas!

If you make a Gingerbread Cottage Pincushion, I hope you will share a photo with me or post it on social media and tag me...I would love to see your finish!

I hope you have been enjoying my holiday content with complimentary patterns and tutorials! My hope is that these gifts inspire you to pay it forward by giving a holiday surprise to someone you love or someone in need! I would love to start a movement of giving and positivity. I also hope this complimentary pattern and accompanying candy cane tutorial will entice you to visit my website and/or Etsy Shop to take a look...or if you feel so inclined, you can Buy Me a Coffee...it is definitely not required, but truly appreciated. Thank you for supporting my creativity and valuing my artistry!💕

Painted Blossoms Fabric Tour

Happy Monday - welcome to my stop on the Painted Blossoms Fabric Tour - thank you so much for dropping by for a visit. I am thrilled to be sharing these fabulous floral fabrics from Poppie Cotton! I have some very special projects lined up, created with the new Painted Blossoms fabric collection designed by Amanda Cocoran for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these nature-filled prints. This brand new fabric collection (shipping to quilt shops this month) has a soothing feel to me. As with all Poppie Cotton fabric lines, the entire collection is filled with tiny details and the sweetest little motifs. These nature-inspired prints feature flower blossoms, butterflies and stripes. The colors include soft yellows, pale pinks, teals and blues...a calming and happy color palette. 

Working through my projects, I started with my Floral Charm Table Runner. This patchwork runner measures 52" x 16" and can easily be adapted to a size that works best for your table. It is 5" Precut (Charm Square) friendly and is a perfect beginner project with traditional piecing. I used Country Confetti in Strawberry Lemonade Light Pink for the binding....and put some of the fun stripe print at either end. This runner fits my farmhouse table perfectly!

Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1202693766

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1246312527

Next up, I created a couple zippered patchwork pouches. I didn't use a pattern, I just started cutting and sewing. I made one tall pouch for yarns and one short pouch for a small project or stitching/crafting tools. Both pouches have boxed bottoms and feature my favorite floral print on the lower section of the bag.

Lastly, I created a pretty little pincushion. This is a traditional log cabin quilt block that I foundation pieced. This pincushion measures 6" x 6" and has pink rick rack around the perimeter (Hand-Dyed Rick Rack from Lady Dot Creates). I found some super cute decorative pins in my collection to embellish it.

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 Painted Blossoms fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop and request it - Painted Blossoms is shipping this month.

I already have my projects in progress for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour in October - my day is October 7th. That tour will be showcasing the "Calico Cowgirls" fabric collection (click to see a preview). Plus, I have a new project tutorial posted on the Therm O Web Blog today (Monday, September 23th)…so, be sure to stop back here tomorrow to read all about it...

Prairie Christmas Fabric Tour

Happy Wednesday - welcome to my stop on the Prairie Christmas Fabric Tour - thank you so much for dropping by for a visit. I am thrilled to be sharing these wonderful holiday fabrics from Poppie Cotton! I have some very special projects lined up, created with the new Prairie Christmas fabric collection designed by Amanda Cocoron for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these farm village Christmas prints. This brand new fabric collection (shipping to quilt shops this month) has a truly wonderful country vintage feel. The entire collection is filled with perfect details and the sweetest little motifs! These charming holiday farm prints feature a village spruced up with Christmas decor - there are scenes of people ice skating, a red tractor and a red barn with farm animals...there are pine boughs, pine cones, Christmas trees, holiday ornaments, snowflakes and stars…all done in a combination of greens, teals, reds, pinks and cream. The tiny details in this collection truly inspired me! 

To start, I created a wall hanging that doubles as a table topper with pine tree appliqué blocks. I am calling this new design "Twinkling Tree Farm." The trees are machine appliqué, using a blanket stitch and I used all of the prints in this wonderful collection. This small quilt measures 24" x 24" and works perfectly as a small wall hanging or a table topper for my kitchen table. I used a fat quarter stack with each of the prints from this collection (a 5" precut pack would be suitable for the variety, plus a couple fat quarters)...and I used Country Confetti for the background and binding. The stars appliquéd above the large trees are Wool Blend Felt from Benzie Design in the color Bronze. I created this design while playing around in my studio and I am in the process of writing the pattern (it is almost complete).

Next, I made the cutest patchwork project bags - one small and one with a boxed bottom. I used each of the prints, cutting 2" squares (1.5" finished). I added color coordinated zipper pulls...I also added a fun selvage tag to the boxed pouch. I have a pile of fabric squares left on my studio table, so I plan to make a few more of these sweet little bags...

Finally, I created my usual pincushion. I knew I wanted to use little triangle scraps to make a mini tree. This pincushion measures 5" x 7.5" and is stuffed with fiberfill and sawdust shavings. I appliquéd 1" squares and 1" finished half-square triangles to create the tree. It is topped with a wool blend felt star, cut from the color Pampas from Benzie Design. I trimmed it with Hand Dyed Rick Rack from Lady Dot Creates and added a bunch of color coordinated decorative pins. This made the sweetest pincushion/bowl filler to add to my growing 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 Prairie Christmas fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop and request it - Prairie Christmas is shipping this month.

I am already have my projects completed for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour in July - it is using the fabric collection "Cottage Charm" (this is a wonderful collection - click to see a preview). Plus, I will have a new project tutorial posted on the Therm O Web Blog on June 18th - it is a summer-themed stitching portfolio…so, be sure to stop back here on June 19th for more details...

Sweet Tooth Fabric Tour

Happy Monday - welcome to my stop on the Sweet Tooth Fabric Tour - thank you so much for dropping by for a visit. I am thrilled to be sharing such spooktacular fabrics from Poppie Cotton today! I have some very special projects lined up, created with the new Sweet Tooth fabric collection designed by Elea Lutz for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these adorable Halloween prints. This brand new fabric collection (shipping to quilt shops this month) has a truly wonderful vintage feel. The entire collection is filled with perfect details and the sweetest little treats! There are prints featuring witches riding brooms, pumpkins, candy, kittens with bowties, black cats, ghosts, skeletons, stars, polka dots...and, of course, flowers…all done in a traditional vintage color palette. The tiny details in this collection truly inspired me!

To start, I created a wall hanging that doubles as a table topper with star appliqué blocks. The stars are machine appliqué, using a blanket stitch and I used all of the prints in this wonderful collection. This small quilt measures 25" x 25" and works perfectly as a small wall hanging or a table topper for my kitchen table. I used a fat quarter stack with each of the prints from this collection...and I used Jailhouse Stripes (Blondee Yellow) for the binding. I created the design, just playing around in my studio - I don't know if I will write a pattern for it - it depends on demand - leave a comment or send me a message if you would like to see me release a pattern…

Next, I made the cutest patchwork project bags - one large and one small. I used each of the prints, cutting 2.5" squares (2" finished). I added wool felt applique, designing/cutting out wool felt shapes that I thought worked well with the fabric prints (I used Wool Blend Felt from Benzie Design). I added color coordinated zipper pulls...I also added a fun selvage tag to the large project bag. I just may have to make a coordinating tote bag to hold these fun patchwork bags...

Finally, I started out creating my usual pincushion, but this one finished out a little larger, more like a small pillow. I knew I wanted to do a Dresden Plate variation to show off all the fabulous prints. I had a pile of 2.5" squares left from my patchwork bags, so trimmed them all to a wedge shape to create the blades, then used the Little Witch Black print for the center circle.  I added hand-dyed rick rack from Lady Dot Creates to complete the pillow. It measures 9" x 9" and is stuffed with fiberfill and sawdust shavings. This made the sweetest pillow/pincushion to add to my growing 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 Sweet Tooth fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop and request it - Sweet Tooth is shipping this month.

I am already working on my project ideas for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour in June - it is using the fabric collection "Prairie Christmas" (this is a charming holiday collection - click to see a preview). Plus, I will have a new project tutorial posted on the Therm O Web Blog tomorrow (May 14th), as well (it is a fun no-sew fabric project)…so, be sure to stop back on Wednesday for more details...