Let It Snow !

Let It Snow!!

I had some sewing  fun when we were snowed-in last week!  
(Oh darn, it was a blizzard ALL day Saturday.... so I "had" to stay inside .... and sew!!)

What did I make?

This cute little Mr Snowman block  , designed by Lori Holt, of Bee In My Bonnet  and Instagram  @beelori1   #MrSnowmanTutorial

Mr Snowman mini quilt   by  Susie's Sunroom
Design by Lori Holt  Bee In My Bonnet

I found her Instagram tutorial at  #MrSnowmanTutorial.   Lori had a Mr Snowman SewAlong in 2014, where she showed how to make this cute snowman block,  on Instagram.  I learned her technique for making the 6 1/2 inch blocks, from making the Vintage  Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt.   (here)  So these snowman made up quickly.

I  got out my shovel, and dug into some of my favorite fabric piles,  ( wink) ,  and thought that the white dots on the mint background fabric looked like snow.    The fabrics are from Vintage Summer  by Little Yellow Bicycle  , and the mint background is  by Riley Blake.  I love those little Bluebirds.

I sewed them together with some sashing, and embellished  each snowman with embroidery and buttons.

This picture is  a bit off in color,  but I wanted to show my Mr Snowman mini up against the snow on our deck!!

Mr Snowman against the snow on our deck  

This Mr Snowman mini quilt then  led to my next project....

A " Be My Valentine Heart " Mr Snowman pincushion   !
  (Bet you can't say  that three times fast!!)

Be My Valentine Heart Mrs Snowman  pincushion     by Susie's Sunroom

First, I made a "Mrs " Snowman block, wearing her  Valentine's Day' s scarf.
Next,   I made a scrappy heart- shaped front for my pincushion...  using the new
Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug pattern by Eamylove at Amy Made That!   

Amy's pattern makes an elegant scrappy flat mug rug...

Amy made this gorgeous Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug  for me as a gift!  Lucky me!!

I gathered together my red , pink and hearts fabric scraps, and some pink ric rac, to make  the patchwork square.   (I enlarged the heart template to make it just a bit bigger, so I could include more of my snowman block for the pincushion back side.)

I followed Amy's excellent tutorial style directions,  and at the end, I  filled my mug rug with polyfil stuffing until it looked  plump and cute.  

The end result is a Valentine's Day season pincushion, with two fun sides!!

Side A:   The Be My Valentine Heart

And Side B:   The Mrs Snowman 

If you live where there is not any snow....   then I hope you have enjoyed a bit of snow happiness here. (Without getting sore muscles and numb fingers and toes from shoveling!)

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:     Can I Get A Whoop Whoop! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict   and
                          Fabric Frenzy Friday  @  Fort Worth Fabric Studio   and
                         Let's Bee Social  @  Sew Fresh Fabrics        and
                     Sew Cute Tuesday @  Blossom Heart Quilts   and
                         Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story  and
                         TGIFF  @ Busy Hands Quilts

More Pups

A Lap Size Dog Gone Cute Quilt

Dog Gone Cute pattern  by  Sew Fresh Quilts (here)

I've been busy sewing up a quilt!  It's a large size "Dog Gone Cute" Quilt !  It's  for the daughter of my friend.  She has 2 dogs named  Chai and Mocha.

I knew I had the perfect pattern for a quilt... and I wanted to make it in creams and browns.  

Dog Gone Cute Quilt   Lap Size

Pattern:    Dog Gone Cute Quilt  by Lorna  of Sew Fresh Quilts  (here)

Size:  60" by 60"
Fabrics:     Grunge     Basic Grey by Moda   cream background fabric
                A Fat Quarter Bundle in browns - various
                White on pup faces-  Kona cotton White
               Backing-  brown fabric from my stash
               Batting:    Mountain Mist 100% cotton
Quilting and piecing thread:    Aurifil  # 2310    beige   50 weight


These blocks were fun to make.  I used the 12 blocks that Lorna has in the pattern, with a few variations. (Such as switching around ear colors.) Each block is 12 " by 18".

10 of of pup blocks assembled

This is the flimsy top-

The flimsy quilt top    Susie's  Sunroom

The quilting-   random wavy lines from top to bottom were made with my walking foot

My finished Dog Gone Cute quilt    Susie's Sunroom

There's a cute paw print  label for the back....

The back

I hope that Charlotte will like her Dog Gone Cute quilt... and maybe convince a few little cute pups to cuddle up with her when she uses it!

Quilty Chai and Mocha

I'm off to my sewing room!

PS       This pattern is sew much fun to make!  You'll want to check out my first quilt, in the Dog Gone Cute Blog Hop,  which I call " The Naughty Little Puppy, if you missed it. { Here }

The Naughty Little Puppy quilt   Here

Linking up at:    Let's  Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Fabrics  and 
                        Can I Get a Whoop Whoop! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict    and

                        Fabric Frenzy Friday @   Fort Worth Fabric Studio     and
                         TGIFF  @  Faith and Fabrics

                        

Retro Sunglasses

Paper Pieced Sunglasses

 I  made a cute  sunglasses  case project  the other day.
{Isn't this January??}
 "Sew why did I make a sunglasses pouch now?"
Even though it has  been cold here.... we have had a lot of bright, sunny days.  And , besides, it is a fast and fun Retro styled  paper pieced design by Janeen, of Quilt Art Designs.  'Nuff said!
  

Pattern:   Retro Sunglasses     design by Janeen of Quilt Art Designs blog
               -  from issue # 8   of  Paper Piecing 1/4 "  Digital Magazine  (here ) Jan-Mar 2016

Size:  4 1/2 " high by 8 " across.   I added a 2 inch band across the top .

Fabrics:  Scraps-  bright and colorful 
              Scrap Pellon fusible fleece 987  (on the outer pouch fabric wrong side)

The eyeglass  pattern is fun and easy to make.

My pouch/case is plenty wide for a large pair of sunglasses.  I could've made the pattern into a zippered  or snap pouch, too.  

I smile when I see my  brightly colored vintage style sunglasses case.

There are lots of other fun and stylish Retro patterns in this new issue of the Paper Piecing 1/4 "digital magazine ( Jan - Mar 2016).    Keep  "an eye out"  for what I make next out of it!

I'm off to my sewing room!

Pattern provided by QAD Publishing

Linking up at:     Paper Piecing Party  @ Quilt Art Designs

A Doxie Pillow

A Geometric Doxie Pillow

You may have noticed that I love to make projects with cat patterns.

Cats Projects     made by Susie's Sunroom

This week, I had the pleasure of testing a new  dog paper pieced pattern for Kristy @ Quiet Play.    Kristy has been designing the cutest geometric patterns lately !  See this adorable Geo  Little Cat block that I made earlier-

 Geometric  Little Cat pattern  ... I made mine a Fig Tree Fabrics Calico Cat

The brand new pattern:   Geometric  Doxie   will be in her pattern shop at the end of January.  ( here)


Pattern:     Geometric Doxie    - a 12 inch block   by  Kristy @ Quiet Play

My Geo Doxie block    by Susie's Sunroom

My parents had a  reddish brown miniature Dachshund, when I was growing up. So, I decided to make this block into a pillow for my mother's birthday in February.   I dug deep into my Fig Tree stash   piles for some fabrics that reminded me of our little Frauline.

Fabrics used:   Fig Tree Fabrics-   Patisserie, Millhouse Inn ( the red), and Buttercup ( the chain link),  and a brown blender from my stash ( the dark brown)
1 - 14 inch pillow form

I love using fabrics from my fabulous Fig Tree  stash!  { Are any of you crazy about Fig Tree fabrics like I am , and also have a big stash of it? }

I added a 1 inch sash on all four sides  (Buttercup)

For the quilting:  a bit of outline quilting around the pup, and a few "wiggle lines" to suggest some tail movement.    The  background fabric , with the tiny flowers, in Patisserie  Butter Cream, is one of my favorites!  It is even prettier in person.

The back has a covered zipper.... of course.  

The back of my pillow... mixing Patisserie with Millhouse Inn

I think that Frauline is looking for Whiskers....

Have a wonderful weekend!  

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:   Can I Get a Whoop Whoop! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and
                       Fabric Frenzy Friday  @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio   and

                             TGIFF  @  Quilt Matters   and
                      Let's Bee Social  @ Sew Fresh Quilts

Happy New Year 2016

Out with the Old and In with the New...

A dear friend of mine shared her newly chosen "personal word" for the year with me this morning.   I decided to go ahead and choose one for myself.

My word for 2016 can be.... CHERISH

To cherish every.... bit of sunshine

                             stitch

                             new thing learned

                             smile and giggle

                             kitty purr

                             hug

And , yes... even to cherish every mistake ( even my seam ripper? !)

I took a few minutes to look back at some of the  things that I made during 2015....

 Quilts:

Water Color Sea Horses     pattern by Elaine at Summercrafter
Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt     (back)  pattern by Lori Holt at Bee in My Bonnet
Irish Chain Twist Quilt Along      pattern by Melissa at Happy Quilting
Spinning In the Rain BoM  pattern by  Sew Lux Fabric Shop
Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt     (front)   pattern by Lori Holt at Bee in My Bonnet
Peppermints  pattern by Elaine at Summercrafter
Duck, Duck, Goose!  pattern by Elaine at Summercrafter
Geometric Gradation   (Penn State Whiteout!) pattern by Geta at Romanian Quilt Studio
Dog Gone Cute Quilt Along ( The Naughty Little Puppy)  pattern by Lorna at  Sew Fresh Quilts


Wallhangings:

Forest of Pieced Trees  (Low Volume Forest)  pattern by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
Cardinals  pattern by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
fREADom Bookshelf Quilt   pattern by by Soma  @ Whims and  Fancies
Sweet Treats  pattern by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
Ladybugs  pattern by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
'Lil Catz  pattern by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
Valentine Rose  by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
Kitty Deerest  by Janeen @ Quilt Art Designs
Red Letter Day mini   by  Thimbleblossoms

Now for 2016:
I  already have found a new favorite  addictive  pincushion pattern for the New Year ...
The Deluxe Pincushion  from the book, " Sew Organized or the Busy Girl" by Heidi Staples !

The top  left view is  a pincushion for.... Me !   (Happy New Year, Susie!!) 
Isn't this Miss Kate fabric luscious!!  I used both  the green fabric and the navy and green print for the back of my pincushion.  (Those are the main fabrics used in each of the bottom pincushions.)

The other 3  Deluxe Pincushions are gifts!  (Notice the bottom two are  made with that cute Miss Kate fabric again!!)  The top right hand pincushion has cat fabric on the front and back.  My daughter hand picked her little 9 patch square fabrics.

The pincushion is an adorable  little size-  5 1/2 " x 6 1/2 " ... with a little front pocket.  I like to make them plump!  I have made 4 of them already.  ( What day is it ? January 1st.)  And,   I look forward to making more projects from this book!  It is a gem!

I also made a new pillow for 2016:

The Striped Tabby Cat paper pieced design  by  Soma at Whims and Fancies

Soma designed this  14 inch square paper pieced pattern with stripes !! She has captured the perfect cat pose ( "cat"itude  and expression!   (pattern here)

I have named my sweet cat pillow "Tessie," and used  this green leafy fabric  (Michael Miller's  Asian Maple) for the background.  

The back of my Tessie Cat pillow.... with a hidden zipper

Look at the facial details in the pattern....

I added 1 inch sashing  around the block, continuing in the green leafy fabric.  Next, lines were machine quilted in the sashing border , using gold thread, at 1/4 inch apart.  I tried to give a bit of texture to the edges , by  imitating  a picture frame.

Simple quilting like a picture frame, in gold thread

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year, filled with blessings and lots of cherished moments!   
Stop by to see where this year takes me on my sewing journey!

I'm off to my sewing room!

Pattern provided by QAD Publishing

Linking up at:   Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio   and
                        Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!  @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict   and
                       Fabric Tuesday  @ Quilt Story