Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop!

I'm Cathy and this is what I am working on!

  

Hi there!  Welcome, if you are visiting from the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop that Beth from Plum and June is hosting so fabulously!  I am Cathy and I have been blogging for about a year and a half.  I seriously love fabric.   I make mostly bed size quilts but have been known to crank out baby quilts too. I quilt all my quilts myself and I always finish bindings by hand, just so you know.  That is one of those questions that is often asked.  I also tend to mix up fabric lines and rarely use fabric from just one line in a quilt.  My husband is a great quilt colour advisor.  OH!  And Canadians spell colour with a "u".   I love scraps and try to make sure I pepper my quilting with scrap quilts as well.  I love colour and like to think that I am not afraid to use it!  I work full time as an elementary school principal but manage to find lots of sewing time at home.  We live on a small blueberry farm about an hour and a bit outside of Vancouver, Canada. I hope you have a look at some of my finished quilts while you are visiting.  You can see a few of them up on my blog header and then click on the tabs to see finishes from last year and this year. 

Beth had a few questions for us and here are a few answers...

Favourite quilting tip:  Use good thread.  Hera markers are awesome.  Be careful with your rotary cutter.  I cut my finger badly this summer.  Eek!

Favourite Quilting Book:  I have to say that as a go to book, Elizabeth Hartman's book The Practical Guide to Patchwork is fabulous.  Her blog is awesome too.  

If I had only known before I started blogging:  Hmm.  Just do it.  Make sure you are not a no reply blogger.  And comment on other blogs.  People like to read comments and will often check out your blog as a result.  Link up with lots of linky parties like Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day, Lee's Work in Progress Wednesdays and Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesdays.

And I have a tutorial for you! Beth has said something about novelty fabric and I happened to see some Tinkerbell fabric in my stash.  Then I thought that I should think about boys too and the rest just fell into place. I picked out some Bugs in a Jar scraps and a few other things.   I just love making these!  

Waldo is going camping

pillow and sleeping bag?

comfy!

would fit a teddy or a doll

and the doll version

Doll pillow and pillow case tutorial

Supplies:

Some fabric scraps that suit your fancy, a bit of lace trim (skip if making boy version) and some fiberfill stuffing for the pillow.



For the pillow: 

1 piece of fabric 8" x 10.5"  (I like to use stripes because then it looks like ticking!)

Turn under one edge 1/4" and press.  Fold in half and sew 2 sides together, leaving the end with the pressed under edge open for turning and stuffing.  Use a 1/4" seam.  Turn, stuff lightly for dolly comfort.  Sew close to the edge finishing your wee pillow.

For the Pillowcase:

1 piece of fabric 12.5" x 6.5" (main fabric choice)
1 piece of fabric 12.5" x 4"  (contrast)

Place wrong sides together.  Don't forget to place your lace trim in between the two fabrics! Sew with a 1/4" seam.  Press the seam towards the contrasting fabric and turn under 1/4" along the edge of the contrast.  Pin, carefully matching the seam.  Sew down the long side and the end of the pillow case.  Turn and very carefully fold under the contrast so the turned under edge just meets the pressed seam.  Very carefully sew along the edge.   It is a little tricky but it can be done!  I have taken lots of pictures for you.  If you mess up and you don't like your finished seam, you can very nicely hide the whole shebang with  rick rack or a strip of ribbon.  Dolls are very forgiving!

Press to make it pretty and tuck your little pillow inside the case.  Ahhh, so cute!  Don't you feel so very clever?  And what a lovely little gift for a child.  Great stocking stuffer or a little extra something with a gift.  It doesn't have to go along with a quilt although that makes it all the more special!  Doll quilts are a great way to practice your free motion quilting.  Look!  Stars!  I will put up the sleeping bag tutorial in a few days.  It was way too much fun and my husband tells me I am way too old to be playing with dolls in the woods.  Tee hee hee!  Thanks for stopping by!!!!