TUTORIAL: reverse applique hand print

my sister-in-law and i just finished a family tree keepsake quilt for my mother-in-law.

here's a tutorial on the reverse applique hand prints that are on the quilt. we made 23, for all of her kids, their spouses and of course the grand kids!

1. trace hand onto paper and then go around the handprint with a black marker to insure traceability.
2. tape print right side down or towards the window. tape hand fabric right side down.
3. trace around the hand with a pencil on the wrong side of the fabric.
4. find a bowl or something round that fits nicely around the hand print. trace around the bowl onto light weight fusible web.
5. ruffly cut out hand and circle.
6. iron circle onto the fabric you have chosen for the circle portion of your hand print. cut out the circle and remove paper from the back.
7. place the hand print right side down on the back of your circle piece. with your free-hand motion foot, sew around the hand print 2-3 times.

8. carefully cut the circle fabric from the inside of the handprint. trim the hand fabric on the back of the circle to insure as much fusible web is showing as possible.

voila! your completed hand print!

we added names on ours to make sure we could tell who's was who's. we then ironed them onto the quilt and blanket stitched around them.

i think with this extra one i made for the tutorial i might frame it for in my little boys room or make a throw pillow out of it!

oh the possibilities!

UPDATE * here's the post about the quilt and the inspiration behind it!

MORE pic's can be found HERE!

will you be my valentine?

it's getting close to that time of year when your children come home

with their class lists from school.

"Valentine's Day Cards...????"

no need to worry. i found these fun valentines

over at the Bunny Cakes Blog. they are a FREE downloadable PDF

which means you can print off as many as you would like!

she also has an etsy shop where you can personalize your PDF valentines for only $3.75.

the only dilemma you might have is trying to decide which one you like the best.

they are ALL so cute and i think they would be GREAT for any age!

hope this helps you in your valentines search!

xo

sandra

i LOVE...

Belgian Waffles.

here are my 2 favourite recipe's for belgian waffles and a 3rd

recipe that i just found and would LOVE to try!

Waffles

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cups oil

mix dry ingredients together. in a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. add wet ingredients to to dry and mix. if a little more moisture is needed add a little extra milk. the batter should be quite thick.

Sour Cream Waffles

1 3/4 cup flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup melted butter

mix dry ingredients together. in a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. add wet ingredients to to dry and mix. don't over mix

Authentic Belgian Waffles

here's a link to an authentic Belgium Waffle recipe that i am really excited to try! it sounds a little more difficult to make, but an entirely different taste than an Americanized Belgium waffle. i always find it exciting to try food in it's original form. YUMMM!!

PINK waffles were the order of the morning for my daughters birthday breakfast. they love it when you put some food coloring in there. i've even made green ones for Saint Patty's Day! the colors and toppings are endless!

bon appetit!

xo sandra

i found out...

it is difficult to take a self portrait of your prego belly.

lots of them are fuzzy, the lightings bad, not to mention

trying to take it one handed with the eventual

loss of feeling in your arm. lol

i look a lot smaller than i feel though... that makes me happy!

this one's funny!

it totally looks like i'm checking out my behind...

i don't think i was... i guess i was...

my sister in law's told me the other day that i have

"beaky buns"

apparently it means-

when your "cheeks" ( hahaha) are nice and round...

i guess there is a little more down there then normal. lol : )

i'm trying to think of a really GREAT boy's name...

have you heard any good ones lately?

17 weeks to GO!

hope you had a good laugh ; )

xo sandra

quilt pics coming next week, i think your going to LIKE it!

stamp of approval

thinking...rolling...

kicking...

APPROVED!

it's always good to know after you've spent hours making a quilt

that it has a stamp of approval... even though the recipient

isn't my little boy (seen in the pics) i know this blanket will be loved in it's new home,

where ever that might be : )

the inspiration for this quilt comes from one of my favourite bloggers christina, over at the sometimes crafter. LOVE her blog!

HOW TO MAKE IT: the original squares measured

5" x 5", you will need 108 of these. 9 of those squares are then sewn together. those squares are then cut in the middle vertically and then horizontally to get your disappearing 9 patch blocks. 4 of those disappearing 9 patch blocks are then sewn together to make up your 12 larger nine-patch squares. i used 2 1/2" sashing strips. the finished quilt size ends up being 45" / 60".

to see more pics check here!

oh boy...

this quilt is turning out even better than i had pictured.

i started it during my quilt class as a demonstration on

how to sew a nine-patch quilt block together.

this week i had decided to sew the top together. i must have been inspired

because the next day i got a call from a friend, saying that her mom

was interested in purchasing a little boy quilt.

sold before it was even finished!

i'm going to be sad to see this one go now that it has all come together so nicely!

finished pics to coming soon!

xo sandra

Dear Blog,

well blog, it's been a while... i've been enjoying the holidays!

sledding, skating, food, pj days and good company...

it was a fun time spent with the people i LOVE.

the NEW YEAR came with a bang! the home done fire work show at the cabin was a sight to remember and of course the day needed to be celebrated with a delicious brunch...

everything was on the MENU!

the past year has been a GREAT one, with thoughts of my son being baptised, husbands mini-tri, a girls trip to hawaii, the starting of my business and my first quilt class under my belt... to name a few.

what's on the agenda for this year, you ask?

well, i just found out that i am carrying a beautiful baby BOY!

due to arrive at the end of May! we're all EXCITED!

my 30th birthday is just around the corner...

how did that creep up so fast? i'm not dreading it though, in some ways i already feel 30. i will embrace it when it comes!

we are going to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in the summer! a lot has happened in those 10 years, i'm excited to see what NEW adventures we have in-store!

my second is turning 8 this summer, which means another baptism!

and of course there will be some quilting (i have a few i can't wait to get started on) some finishing of projects, and hopefully some pattern writing, maybe even another quilt class!

thank you 2009 for the GREAT year!

WELCOME 2010! i know you'll even be better then the last!

xo sandra