Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop!

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

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!!!!



24 comments:

  1. Good to learn more about you. I did not know what part of Canada were in for sure. The doll quilts are cute.

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  2. Waldo looks like he is all set to go! Too cute.

    I am also working on the Prverbial QAL, just havent finalized my quote yet.

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  3. This is so cute! Such a great idea for small friends. :)

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  4. I really like the stars on your quilt. You did a great job with them!

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  5. These are really sweet! Nice to learn more about you on the hop!

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  6. Hi Cathy, nice to meet you. That is jut too cute! Great tutorial.

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  7. Nice to meet you! I like the addition of a sleeping bag. Nice choice. I think my son would love it! :) Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Great tutorial.
    Thanks so much for sharing it.
    Nice to meet you on the blog hop.
    xxxxx

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  9. Those Waldo pics are seriously too cute and funny! Thanks for a great post.

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  10. Very cute. Like the sleeping bag and pillow idea.

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  11. So great to meet you, Cathy! I'm so impressed that you find time to sew as a principal. I was nowhere near so together back when I was an assistant principal... :)

    I just love your Waldo sleeping bag set...that Backyard Baby fabric is just the cutest!

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  12. Well Wally certainly looks like a happy customer and after your tutorial I reckon lots of other little people will be sleeping better too soon.

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  13. Catching up on my blog hopping! I love bugs in a jar, and your pictures with Waldo are too funny.

    Also, Webster (spotted a few posts down) is beautiful, as goldens are wont to be. Best. Dogs. Ever!

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  14. Ooops. I'm a few days late on Plum and June's blog hop, but it is nice to meet you. You have a darling blog!

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  15. It's nice to meet you! That little tiny pillow is so stinkin' cute. I'm going to have to make one for my daughter's doll.

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  16. Such a cute idea! I think I might have to put this on my to-do list for my daughter - maybe a Christmas present!

    Oh and I'm with you - colour definitely has a u in it (Aussie though, not Canadian ;) )

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  17. wonderful to meet you! Wlado looked so comfy that I will be making that "oh so cute" pillow and a blanket to match for my grand daughters dolly. : )

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  18. Nice to meet you! I love your project, I think it might have to be on the Christmas list for my niece and nephew :) Wally looks very happy anyway! I do wonder why he's Wally in the UK and Waldo in the Americas though...

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  19. I'm with Sarah Lou on this one - I know him as Wally also but whatever we call him I think your tutorial is fab! Great to get to know more about you on the blog hop :)

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  20. This is so cute! It's nice to get to know you :)

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  21. Nice to meet you. Your tutorial has made me smile.

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  22. Catching up on the blog hop... and your tutorial really made me smile - so cute! It's inspiring to me that you quilt while working in education too - if I go back to teaching full time, I'm definitely going to prioritize quilting:).

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  23. Curious if the tutorial for the sleeping bag is available? I took a wander on through the archives, but didn't see it. We're gearing up to go camping in a couple of weeks and I know the wee ones would be geeked if a bag for "Celia Cecelia" and George happened to show up. {grin}

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