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 My crocheted rug experiment was successful!

This is the entire 8 1/3 yards of fabric I cut up and processed to crochet. It finished at 24" by 30". It's surprisingly cushiony and soft. 

I wanted to see how it would wash up so I washed it and dried it in my machines. It's now even softer, still cushiony and measures 22" by 31". I find it interesting that it shrank in one direction but grew in the other!

I'm already planning my next one, but first I need to order myself a nicer crochet hook. The ...

 I bought a large crochet hook years ago with the idea that I would use it and fabric strips to crochet a rug. You can see it in the photo below at the top right of the photo. Fast forward about 10 years, I found the unopened crochet hook! I decided it was time to give this a try. Instead of using scraps I decided to use a fun batik fabric from my shop. I got two yards, ripped it into 1" strips, made the fabric yarn and started crocheting. Well, two yards doesn't go very far!

Sorry for ...

 It's challenge time again for the San Luis Valley Quilt Guild. Every year the guild presents a challenge to it's members in January.

Below are the rules for this year.

 I've been playing with this idea of scraps and hand stitching for a while. So far I've only made small projects, pin cushions to be precise. Now I'm going to try making a larger project, a pillow for my chair. It will finish at 16" by 16".

Above you can see the layout I have chosen using scraps from my scrap basket. I have everything cut to fit and pinned in place. There is batting underneath the fabrics. When I made the pin cushions I just laid the fabrics loosely where I wanted them, took a picture ...

 I just love the Easy Striped Table Runner pattern! It's fast, fun and all four of the layout options sew up so nicely. Here is our latest version using the new Nature's Winter collection from In the Beginning Fabrics.

And here is the back.

These are the fabrics in the collection :: Nature's Winter Fabrics

The beauty of the Easy Striped Table Runner pattern is that it really only uses one fabric, a border print. You do need backing and binding fabric too plus a 60 degree ruler to cut your pieces. And it gives you four layout ...

 I have another finish!

I used the blue version of the monkeys print for the back.

I made up several kits for this quilt if you want to make one too. The Animal Crackers Quilt Kit is $59.99 plus applicable tax and shipping. The kits include all of the fabrics for the top plus the binding fabric and the pattern, with my corrections to it as it includes an error as printed. But my kits included the corrected pattern!

If you click the link to view the kit there are other links in the product description to the exact ...

 I will be offering my first virtual class through my shop later this month. Since the class is virtual (gonna use Zoom), you can participate from anywhere. Here is what we will be making:

This is a Canvas Tote Bag. The class fee is $20 and includes a copy of the pattern plus enough canvas fabric to make one bag.

Here is what the pattern looks like, Canvas Tote.

I've got a few kits cut already but I have more canvas to be able to cut quite a few more kits, if necessary.

When you sign up for the ...

 I found a free pattern online from one of the fabric companies and decided it would make a great baby quilt kit. Whenever I use a free pattern for a kit, I always make one first. I'm sure glad I have that rule because this pattern had a pretty major cutting error in it!

It turned out pretty cute though once I figured out why things weren't fitting together as they should! Because of the error, I don't have this ready for sale yet. I have to fix the pattern first and make sure that the fabric ...

 I'm having a great time with this new pattern! It's called Tourist Tote. For these next ones I shopped from my stash.

Here they are both completed and ready to use!

And check out how green the grass in my backyard is already! We've had a lot of rain here recently.

My plan for these bags was one for me and one for my son. He turns 21 on Saturday! How did that happen?! He needed a new bag to carry his dinner and snacks with him to his new job. Right now he is working nights ...

 A customer told me about her favorite tote bag pattern recently. It's called the Tourist Tote. It looked like a good pattern and I had a good recommendation for the pattern, so I ordered several copies of it.

Then I had to make one!

I used four prints from the new Serene Nature fabric collection that arrived recently. This is a very nice bag and a nice pattern. It's not a very complicated bag pattern but you could easily add some pockets (inside or outside between the handles). You could also add a magnetic snap or zipper to ...

 The name of this post is a joke. A group of us here has been making these and we joke that "we've gone down a rabbit hole." Hence the name, rabbit hole covers. Actually these will eventually be turned into pin cushions once I can stop hand sewing them and find time to turn them into pin cushions.

This first set are woven patterns. You do some stitching then you weave through the stitching to create the design.

This one is a rice pattern.

This one is just a spiral ending with an X in the middle.

We started ...

 I shared with you recently about the new Cluck, Cluck Sew patterns I just got for my shop and that I made the Boxed Up pattern using the new Swatch collection. Well, here is the completed top.

I quilted in the ditch to stabilize everything and now I am quilting the blocks. Here is what I am doing in the big squares.

I am using the Westalee 2" circle template for the circle design and the Westalee 12" Straight-Arc template for the straight lines and for the stitching in the ditch. I haven't decided what I will do for ...

 These new fabrics arrived in my shop recently from Lewis & Irene.

The name of the collection is Secret Garden.

I think these are just so lovely! I couldn't resist making something up with these. I chose the Honor pattern from Villa Rosa Designs.

The main print is the one I used in the center of the quilt. Here is a close-up photo of it.

 I have a new product in my shop that I think is very useful for both quilters and general sewists. It's called the MyPad Needle Keeper Set.

I made a short video explaining what it is, how it works and why you might want one.

 I got some new patterns in my shop recently. 

Tick Tock, Tango, Simplify, and Boxed Up

I love all of the Cluck Cluck Sew patterns because they are all well-written and include fabric requirements and directions for several different sizes of quilt.

Also new in my shop is a fabric collection called Swatch.

I decided to use some of these fabrics and make the Boxed Up pattern.

I don't have it all sewn together yet but you get the idea. This is the crib size version.

 I finally completed the Splendid Split Stars quilt.

This took me much longer than it should have because I lost steam on the project. I'm sure you know how that can be! My main issue with finishing was that I sold all of the kits before I finished the shop sample. Then I thought, "why am I bothering to finish this when all the kits are sold?" Well, I finished because I didn't want another unfinished project AND because I might be able to make a few more kits with a couple substitutions for the fabrics I no ...

 It's been a while since I've shared my progress on my version of Crimson Tweed. This is what it looked like when I finished with my hand sewing group last Thursday.

Right now I am working on the pomegranate block (left side in the upper middle). If you look closely you can see my needle and thread where I parked it in the block.

Here are a couple of close-up shots.

I still have quite a bit left to do, but I am making noticeable progress every week!

 I've had the London City Bag pattern in my shop for a while, but just got around to making up one. I shouldn't have waited so long!

It's a Pink Sand Beach Designs pattern which means it's a good bag pattern. I opted to do the B version of the bag so the outside pocket is a single fabric instead of strips like is shown on the pattern.

On one side inside it has three pockets.

On the other side inside it has a zipper pocket.

The fabrics I used are from a new collection called ...

 My second finish for this week!

This was the project from my most recent Sew Along from earlier this month. Such a fun and easy block to make!

Cindy C. also participated and sent me a photo of her completed top.

Cindy used a variety of light colored solids for the light fabric in her blocks. I love it!

Both of our quilts finish at 40" by 48" which is a great baby quilt size and charity quilt size.

If you want to make one too, the instructions for this block can be found by following the link above the ...

 I've been working to finish things recently.

Some folks have told me that it looks like a jumbled mess. Yes, it's hard to see the actual block and it's really scrappy. There was no plan for this. I just started sewing pieces together and didn't worry too much about it. But I like scrappy quilts. And I like this one. If you don't, then fine - it's not your quilt.

Barb H. participated in the Sew Along too and recently sent me a photo of her finished quilt. She took color into account when making ...