Sunday, December 14, 2008

My cousin, Diane, asked me to make her mom a large bib. This is what I came up with. It has vining brown pumpkins on cream cotton on one side. I chose these fabrics because my aunt was always in her vegetable garden, and liked planting her flowers.

The reverse is dark brown with green vines, sweet little yellow daisies and pink baby's breath. The bib is 24 inches long and 15" across. The diameter of the neck is approximately 20".

Since there is a nice layer of cotton batting between the two layers of cotton, I quilted the entire bib using the vining pumpkins as my guide. If you need a larger size, let me know. I can also widen the bottom part that goes on the lap as well as adding ties at the waist. If you want a pocket at the bottom to catch everything, that can be added also.
The bib closes with a single snap which makes it difficult to pull off.

These bibs will be on a made to order basis, with customers picking out the color and other specifications. Contact me at my shop, quiltingcafe.etsy.com

Quilting Cafe, where something is always brewing

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

HOW TO MAKE A QUILTED FABRIC POSTCARD

What to do with those wonderful scraps of fabric, trim, appliques? Turn them into a postcard! Send the postcard for birthdays, holidays, graduations. I have sent these to all parts of the country and they arrive in perfect condition. I guarantee this card won't be thrown away.

When choosing the size for your card, why not think about frame sizes? These will be cherished and will look great in a frame. Here is the easiest step by step instructions for a 4" X 6" postcard.

  1. Supplies: 4" X 6" quilted front fabric. I like to make it a little bigger and trim it later. 4" X 6" postcard back. I madke my postcard backs on microsoft word and print it on card stock for writing ease. 4" X 6" 2-sided iron-on Timtex, a heavy interfacing stabilizer. 24" trim. Invisible thread and overcast foot.~

2. Iron quilt front to one side of Timtex. ~

3. Iron the postcard back to other side of the Timtex . ~

4. Trim all sides using postcard back as guide. It is okay if the postcard is not exactly 4" X 6".

5. Using an overcast foot and invisible thread, sew trim to edge of card. ~

6. This is what the back of the card looks like. ~

7. This is the front of the card. ~
8. Put on a 27 cent stamp and make someone smile!~
Please comment and let me know if you have any questions. Love for you to fill out your reaction to these instructions.

Quilting Cafe, where something is always brewing



Tuesday, December 9, 2008

THINGS THAT GO PLAYMAT.. designed for the autistic child

This is my newest play quilt that can be used in several different ways. It can be hung in a newborn's crib. Games that can be played with the quilt are I Spy, Matching, Memory, and Tic Tac Toe. This is also great travel game, because it can be folded up into a small packet.

I work with special needs children in an early intervention preschool. From my observations, I have designed this playmat. Using these pictures, the child can learn about different modes of transportation as well as vocabulary. The large, simple pictures that can be matched will give the child a sense of accomplishment. As the child grows, tic tac toe is a great teaching tool for socialization by learning to take turns and sharing.

Here are pictures of the nine 4" mini quilts which can also be used as imaginary vehicles.
Here is the play mat with the above 9 mini quilts.
Here are is the quilt with the X's and O's that can be played by the whole family of all pages.


These are closeups of several of the mini quilted play pieces

The quilt is made of 100% cotton and all pieced can be hand washed and dried flat.




Quilting Cafe, where something is always brewing

Sunday, December 7, 2008

CHRISTMAS MONEY HOLDERS

What a fun way to find money, not under the tree, but on the tree. These 6"inch shiny stockings have a beaded holder and a small pocket to hold something special inside. They are stuffed with polyester batting.



To fill your whimsy, here are some bright fabrics for that contemporary tree. Please note that the green dotted stocking is already sold and hanging on someone's tree!


Not into the stocking thing, these cute money holders will also hold the gift cards too! The pouch can then be used to hold those cards in your purse and the larger tag can be a great book mark.


This one has all sorts of flip flops and asia sandals on a black background.
This sweet gift card or money holder has swirling pink ladies inside a rose bud case.

For the Fashionista on your list, high heeled shoes, purses, and sunglasses are called for inside of green pouch. As always, they can be purchase on Etsy: quiltingcafe.etsy.com



Quilting Cafe, where something is always brewing

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Naughty, but funny, Postcards with Tattoo Girls

These certainly would be nontraditional Christmas card, but wouldn't your friends get a laugh. I just had to add these bad girls and their funny sayings to my tattoo girl postcards. Here's one for either side in a divorce. I can think of a few I would like to yell this to!!! Here is one for the woman with the sexually challenged man...minus the romance for sure.
Honey, if I had 4 martinis I would be in the bathroom. But doesn't Dorothy Parker say it so well? Do you know anyone this may pertain too, or would be funny just to send it to. Well, it is an old saying, but after a certain age, we ladies know it is true!
To purchase these and other fun cards...see my site: quiltingcafe.etsy.com




Tuesday, December 2, 2008

CAKE and ICE CREAM TIC TAC TOE...PLAY to LEARN QUILT



Here are some closeups of this very fun playmat with a food theme. Fun to take to a restaurant while waiting for dinner and play tic tac toe. Great to use as a placemat too!
Here are the 5 ice cream cone mini quilts to use for th tic tac toe game.



These are the closeups of the 5 pieced of cake mini quilts, also to be used for the tic tac toe game.



This bit of whimsy playmat can be bought on my site at quiltingcafe.etsy.com.

.BIRDHOUSES IN THE SNOW, paper pieced quilt









Here are more pics of my sweet, singing birdhouses in the snow for sale on quiltingcafe.etsy.com