Log Cabin Euro Shams

A log cabin pattern is a good way to use up scraps or just be able to add a lot of pattern into a project! The front of the pillows are quilted with a light weight batting and backing. The backs of the pillows I added a Home Dec fabric because I just wanted the weight and durability of it. And then for ease of use and cleaning I added an invisible zipper. 

I've had the tops of these pillows done for a while but thought that I might add some piping. WELL... piping isn't my favourite to do so I decided instead of having the project sit around unfinished and unused; that I would finish them up without piping.

SO glad I did!

They add some much needed colour to my room and every time I look at them they make me smile : ) Who wouldn't looking at all those beautiful fabrics!

keepsake quilt for a teenage boy

it was really fun to take on the challenge of designing a teenage boys keepsake quilt!

his clothes were fun to work with and it was exciting to see it come together!
since the clothes were all very different color ways, i wanted to add bold prints to it for interest and continuity.
each print i added reference's at least one piece of clothing and adds variety and punches of color!

perfect for a TEENAGER!

the backing fabric is one of my all-time favourite prints by Anna Maria Horner! i love the pattern. and for some extra interest i added a strip of the left over fabrics from the front.

hope it inspires you!

xo sandra

baby keepsake quilt

i had the privilege of making a keepsake quilt out of a babies old clothes! it was difficult at first to decide how i was going to use such small clothes on a quilt, but this is what i came up with!

i was able to use some of the clothes as a full piece, which i think REALLY gives you a sense of how little that little man really was!
it was hard to cut up baby clothes... i guess that's why i haven't yet made my kids one. all of their clothes are in their keepsake bins waiting for a time when i can finally get myself to cut them.
i guess that's why it would be easier to get someone else to make it for you : )

i LOVE the free hand piecing in this one! my inspiration was a collage picture wall. i wanted each one to look like it was framed and important!

hope you like it!

xo me

P.S. i have a keepsake quilt pattern available in my etsy shop! it's not this exact pattern but it will give you the tips you need to get creating your own keepsake quilt!!

t-shirt keepsake quilts

i'm working on some custom t-shirt quilts at the moment!

a baby boy

teen boy &

little girl

here's just a peek at one of the blocks that will be in the baby boy quilt!

i don't want to wreck the surprise for the ladies that i am making these for so i probably won't post any more pictures until they are done...

i REALLY like creating these keepsake quilt's. i find that you have to be REALLY creative when your adding fabrics to the clothes and cutting the clothes in a way that will show the BEST! i just hope it all comes together how i have envisioned... sometimes i can be my biggest critic.

TUTORIAL: Decorative Sham

my friend needed some help decorating her daughters room before her twins arrive, so i dusted off my sewing machine ; ) i've had my eye on this sham from pottery barn kids for a while now. this was my chance to make my own version. my kids have already put in their orders for one. so i decided, why not make it into a tutorial!

there are 3 different ways you can choose to finish the back.

1. use a zipper (thats what i did on my back)

2. do a envelope opening on the back

3. leave a space at the bottom of the pillow that is left unstitched. stuff and stitch up the hole.

depending on which one you choose, the instructions will vary slightly

*1. cut 2 pieces of fabric 13"x17".

1 for the front

1 for the back (you can see from the pic that i've already sewn in the zipper)

*2. print desired letter off on the computer. place on window so that the letter is backwards.

*3. trace the letter using heat n bond lite paper. (or your favourite iron on adhesive)

*4. ruffly cut out letter and iron onto desired fabric.

*5. trim around letter

*6. remove paper backing.

*7. place letter in desired location. iron into place.

*8. add a decorative stitch around the outer edge.

*9. using the same technique as you did for the letter (steps 4-8). add any decorative pieces to the sham. i decided to cut out designs from the fabric that i was using for this sham.

*10. lay the top of the sham and the bottom of the sham facing each other. to round the corners use a round edge (i used a bowl) and trace around each corner with a pencil. trim around the corners with scissors. (make sure both layers stay in place while you cut)

*11. cut ric rac to size.

*12. place the ric rac inside the 2 layers. make sure the ric rac is slightly in from the edge and evenly placed. PIN all three layers together. allow a little excess ric rac in the corners so that they don't pull when turned rightside out. i pleated mine slightly.

*13. stitch around the sham. turn inside right and stuff!

any way you do it, it'll look FABULOUS!

it was a fun project to make! if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

quilting...

there's something about sending a quilt off to the quilters that makes me nervous...

i think it's because i'm sending off my creation to be interpreted by someone else. what if they don't see the same vision???

that's what happened the last time i got a quilt back from the quilters... it's just not the way i envisioned it. the pieced blocks bulge slightly and the stitching is off. there are two horizontal lines across the bottom of the blocks and none on the top. i hate to spend the money to have it professionally quilted, just to have to fix it. i think that's why it's taken me so long to get around to finishing this one.

my goal for the weekend is to finish the console table (if it wasn't -21 out i think i would have checked that one off the list already. i'm just having a hard time bringing myself to the garage to sand off the legs...) and finish up this quilt.

if i can check these off the list, i think i'll be feeling pretty good! WHAT'S on your TO DO list for the weekend?

the tree skirt

is coming along nicely!

curtains

the CURTAINS that i was working on are almost complete! i just have to hem them.

it was a new process for me so i called in some back up... my friend has made many sets of curtains and she just happens to be very particular at what she does and i LOVE that about her : )

i found curtains to be alot of measuring and remeasuring but once you get to the sewing part it seems to go by fast. i am SO happy with how they turned out. they give a new look to my once colorless, living room!

THANKS!

xo sandra

ALL filled up!

i LOVE the way my cabinet looks all FULL of fabric!

it's very INSPIRING.

just a little something my friends been helping me with.

more about this to come soon!

hope your having a GREAT day!

xo sandra

left overs...

no... not the kind you eat. i'm talking about the kind that you sew.

** FABRIC **

when your buying fabric and making quilts do you find that you ALWAYS have fabric left over. i'm not talking scrap pieces, i'm talking pieces that are large enough to make another project or 2 out of.

i thinks it's inevitable.

i've only had one exception to this rule, and that was with my Deer Valley Quilt i'm currently working on. i ran out of fabric and i only needed a couple more 2 1/2" strips to complete it. (thank goodness my sister is a fabric hoarder and i was able to get some scrap pieces from her! thanks Jill)

WHAT do you do with your left overs??? do you make another quilt? a pillow? do you add them to your scraps???

here's what i made with some of my left overs.

i am in LOVE with these fabrics! they are so cute together.

and check out how the quilting turned out!

it's in the shop!

Scottie Dog

SNOW DAY PROJECT... COMPLETE

my oldest was really interested in doing a sewing

project, so i thought the SCOTTIE DOG pattern by

Denyse Schmidt would be a perfect

pattern to start out with.

he sewed all the squares together a few weeks ago and

today, thanks to the snow, we were able to finish the rest.

i quilted the top and bottom with a thin batting because

it is made out of his dad's old shirts and i wanted it to last.

i really like the way the quilting turned out. the minky

is soft and pretty but i think if i were to do it again i would try to

use a different fabric for the strip. i used fusible interfacing

to take some of the stretch out of the fabric, but i

still found it difficult to match up the front and back.

but he turned out SO cute!

it was a FUN way to spend the day!

i already have takers for a robot from my younger son.

one at a time... that way it doesn't feel to overwhelming

to teach them how and your able to spend

quality time with just them!

p.s. the snow is starting to melt!! yahoo!

can i be on your blog?

while taking pictures of a quilt that i have been

working on for the baby, my son asked,

"can i bend over the quilt so that i can be on your blog?" lol...

what a sweety... i think he was feeling a little left out after

i took all of those pictures of his sister in her new dress.

LOVE that BOY!!

it just has to be quilted and bound.

i hope to finish it this weekend!

wish me luck! i might have to call in some backup

to help me pin ; )

xo sandra

belly thread...

my daughter asked me the other

day why i always have thread on my belly.

it's just something that happens

on a regular basis around here.

you can see how it happens "sew" easily!

hope everyone had a FUN easter

weekend!

i know we did!

xo sandra

P.S. 8 more weeks to go... crazy how fast it goes.

excited and scared at the same time. is that possible???

still no names...

nothing like sewing in your pj's!

there's nothing like rolling out of bed and heading

straight to the sewing machine with your mom.

my mom is an amazing seamstress. she bought her first Bernina

when she was 16 and has been sewing clothes and quilts

ever since. it was nice to have her there on my first

attempt at clothing. she showed me some great tips and

we had some good laughs!

thanks for coming up mom and dad!

you guys are the best!

xo sandra

p.s. pictures of what we created next time... as soon as i get some shots of it!

HAPPY DECEMBER

it's been slooow goooing around here. being pregnant with my fifth and having to hold down the fort has been a challenge. i've been SO tired. i don't want to sound like a complainer, i feel SO blessed, i just have to get use to slowing down and taking it easy. which is difficult when i have a closet FULL of fabric just waiting ; )

we pulled out the christmas decorations the other day and made some salt dough decorations. i noticed our stockings were lacking in the style department and were getting pretty old and dated. actually... come to think of it, i think the kids used my husbands socks for stockings last year. that just won't do, not when i have some leftover christmas fabric lying around. so i decided it is time they got a handmade stocking, just the way they want it. i drew up some possible designs, they added some things to personalize them and here is a sneak peak of what we dreamed up!



WISH ME LUCK! it's going to be a challenge to get them done but i'll "getter done"!

xo

sandra

tired...

sometimes a snowy day is just what the doctor ordered. i have been stressed and tired lately trying to keep up with everyday things and the one's that i have added to it...

we had a yummy thanksgiving day ham on sunday, it was SO good! i had also bought a turkey for monday but i was distracted trying to make tags and finish some quilts. i accidentally left it in the sink for to long and when i checked it, it was warm... what a waste of a GOOD turkey. we decided just to go get some turkey breasts and cook those instead. (that'l work : )

i sent some quilts into Madisisiloot (the store in the mall), hopefully they sell well. i am making a children's apron for a ladies niece, it turned out so well that i made 1 for my niece and 1 for the shop. isn't that girl adorable? and she's looking SO old...

i need to prepare for my second round of quilt class's tomorrow, the first one was SO fun! it should be interesting with 7 sewing machines going at the same time, how FUN is that!!!

one thing at a time right? slowly but surely they will all get done.

i hope you don't feel to sorry for me though... on saturday i'm going with my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws to KAUAI! i'm excited and i think it comes at the perfect time.

i could really use a break...

xo

sas

birds of a feather, flock together

when i saw the Flights of Fancy line by Paula Prass, i had to have some. it's the most beautiful fabric and i new just what i wanted to make with it...

a set of 3 coordinating baby blankets. it's not fabric that you normally see on a little girl's blanket but that's what i LOVE about it! each piece was uniquely designed for it's individual purpose. you can find the original blankets for sale in my shop! i am going to be writing up a pattern that will include all 3 designs, with instructions and pictures on how to make each. there's a catch... i need your help! i have thought of a few names for the pattern but would LOVE to have your input!

how about this, post a comment with your name for the pattern and when the pattern is complete, i will reveal the pattern with the name i think suits it best. if your name was chosen i will send you the pattern for free!!

NOW get ready for the pictures ; )

The Quilt

The Lovey (i am in love with those wings)

The Receiving Blanket

hope YOU like it as much as i've liked making it!

xo sas