applique

Here is a fun treat to share with your loved ones. Using a specially designed cookie cutter adds a personal touch to your basic sugar cookie. Also be sure to try our favorite Lemon Sugar Cookie recipe which goes great with coffee, tea or hot cocoa.

For a special afternoon treat we made our own Ice Cream Cone Tin Cookie Cutter to create our Ice Cream Cone sugar cookies. Once you learn how to make your own cookie cutter you can create custom cookies for all your holidays and special occasions. It is a great way to personalize your child’s birthday party. We decorated our cookies using simple tools found in the average kitchen… and let the kids do most of the work. We will also be sharing our favorite Lemon Sugar Cookie recipe. Yum!
 
Stay tuned this week for the appliqué pattern. The rest of the project will be shared throughout the month. From felt to sugar cookie… remember to keep thinking Out of the Block.

Click here for the applique pattern.
Click here for the cookie cutter directions.
Click here for the Lemon Sugar Cookie recipe.

Here are the directions for turning those freezer paper stenciled blocks into a toasty warm blankie. Of course, you are welcome to make up your own quilt pattern, too. Just a head's up, this isn't a step-by-step tutorial on how to quilt (I didn't take photos along the way and actually... this is a pretty old project, completed a couple cameras ago, so please forgive the photos ;) ... but I do have all the measurements and such that you will need to recreate the snowflake lap quilt. If you need more advice on how to quilt, check out our Quilting Basics Series or read over our Pinwheel Quilt Tutorial for help :)

Snowflake Freezer Paper Stenciled Lap Quilt... Finished size approx. 46" X 67"

Materials Needed:
FABRIC...
Navy A - 1/2yd
Navy B - 1/2yd
Navy C - 1/2yd
White - 1 2/3yd
Med Blue - 2 2/3yd

White Fabric Paint
Stencil Brush
Freezer paper
Batting
Embroidery Floss (gold)
Embroidery Floss (med blue - opt)
Embroidery Hoop
Thread to match
Snowflake Pattern (120%)
click here for tips on enlarging
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Pre-Wash Fabric (very important!) Due to the high contrast of Navy and White I also used a 1/4 cup of vinegar when washing the blues to help color set the fabric. Remove fabric promptly from the dryer to reduce/eliminate wrinkles. Iron if needed.

Cutting Directions:

Medium Blue:
Cut Two Pieces 34.5" wide by 47" long for backing
Cut 15 squares 3" x 3"

Navy (each):
Cut 2 strips 9" x 42", then trim to eight 9" x 9" squares
(you need 24 Navy 9" x 9" squares total)

White:
Cut 2 strips 5" x 60"
Cut 2 strip 5" x 47"
Cut 7 strips 3" x 60" then trim strips to 3" x 9" (need 38)

Quilt Directions:

Stencil the Snowflake design on 12 of the Navy squares (4 of each color) following our Snowflake Stencil directions.

Assemble the quilt top following the pattern chart bellow using a 1/2" seam allowance (the stars represent the snowflakes).

Add backing and batting (you can follow the backing/batting directions from our Pinwheel Quilt pattern). You will need to sew the two pieces of medium blue together to make a backing large enough to fit (approx 68" x 47").

Use safety pins to hold the layers in place while you quilt.

Quilt around each snowflake with gold floss.

I also used a wax pencil and traced a snowflake in center of each plain navy square. (Very hard to see in photos!) I quilted the snowflake in those squares with navy thread.

I also used 6 stranded of blue embroidery floss to tie off the small medium blue squares and white floss to tie the border.

Now, grab a book, some steamy hot beverage, and snuggle under your new Snowflake Lap Quilt!

On a cold winter afternoon, there is nothing like snuggling into your favorite reading corner with a cup of hot tea and a snowflake inspired lap quilt. Enjoy a good book or surfing your favorite blogs while staying toasty warm.

For a fun twist on a classic appliqued quilt we used Freezer Paper Stencils to create our snowflake designs instead of appliqued fabric. Once you learn this fun technique you will be using it to add your own personal touch to all kinds of fabric items... from t-shirts to tote bags. We will be using it to create the 12 snowflake squares needed for the Snowflake Lap Quilt.

Next week we will share the freezer paper stencil technique and directions for making your very own Snowflake Quilt. 

Click Here for the Snowflake Applique Block
Click Here for the Snowflake Stencil Directions
Click Here for the Snowflake Lap Quilt Pattern

Several weeks ago a reader asked me for a applique block for a cardinal. I finally got it done :) Although we have cardinals in our backyard year round, they look their loveliest in the winter world. Here, we have a male cardinal perched in a tree. I'm sure he has his eye on his mate which is always close by. BTW... although it is very hard to see in this photo, his eye is made up of 4 black seed beads. In person, the light makes his eyes twinkle, just like a real cardinal :)

Our cardinal was designed to fit a 6" x 6" block, but can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. The pattern for the cardinal can be found HERE. Enjoy!

With the 4th of July just days away, here in the USA, many streets and buildings proudly display our flag and many flag based decorations. Today we are sharing our version of the flag... an applique with lots of "heart" for our nation :) My plan was to turn this into a wooden plaque to hang off a seasonal rod I have in my house. But, alas, I didn't get to it this year. Perhaps next. As with all our appliques, this was designed to fit on a 6" x 6" block but it can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. The pattern for the Patriotic Heart can be found HERE. Enjoy :) 

NOTE: When cutting out this applique, you will notice that you are suppose to cut 3 long strips of white felt. They have not been cut to fit the heart because they can stretch and because you might not place them exactly. To attach the stripes, pin a long stripe to the heart following the placement of the pattern. Allow it to overhang at either end. Sew the stripe on. The carefully cut the strip to fit the heart being careful not to cut the heart or the blanket stitch below the stripe. You will need 1 full strip for the center stripe, but you should get two stripes from the remaining 2 strips.