Appleton Dance

  by Linda Theil Alisa gave me Girardelli chocolates and pre-cut fabric as tiny gifts in my 2024 Advent calendar celebrating each December day leading up to the holiday celebration. By Christmas I had an entire "jelly-roll" of 2.5-inch-wide strips of fabric from the "Holiday Flourish-Festive Finery" collection from Robert Kaufmann fabrics. I pulled some background and a blender from my stash and started researching block options so that I would be ready to sew once holiday festivities were over. One of the options I explored is a beautiful book, I Love House Blocks: 14 Quilts from an All-time Favorite Block , published by Martingale & Co. in 2017. A house block with a shed-like addition called "Little Country Home" caught my eye. The layout was adaptable to my 2.5-inch-wide strips, so I made a sample block as proof of concept. The block has a barn-like quality that I liked, so in  honor of my snowmobile-builder son, I decided to put a snowmobile in th...

by Linda Theil I think this Hedgehog Hollow ensemble is the most beautiful quilt I have ever made. I bought the "Hedgehog Hollow" collection and printed panel by In the Beginning Fabrics in 2022. I began experimenting with the materials soon after discovering Brigitte Heitland's "Christmas Star" pattern designed for her Zen Chic "White Christmas" collection for Moda in 2018.  I fell completely in love with this elegant and complex pattern combining a cross with a ribbon-star motif.  In the meantime, I became intrigued by a kaleidoscope piecing tutorial I saw on the Missiouri Star YouTube channel. I had seen the kaleidoscope technique before, but this tutorial really caught my eye and made me want to give kaleidoscope piecing a try! The tutorial is titled "Triple Play: How to make three new kaleidoscope quilts". I began experimenting with kaleidoscope piecing as a way to highlight the many unique motifs featured in the "Hedgehog Hollow...

by Linda Theil I started this quilt during the Denyse Schmidt Cog + Wheel Sew Along 2022. I made four huge blocks, sewed them together with some black sashing and put them in my unfinished-projects box. I pulled the quilt out this fall and decided it looked great with a wide turquoise border.  With all the sashing and borders, the finished size was about 54-inches square. I sent it off to the Rockin' Bobbins long-armer, and backed the quilt with the flat sheet from a striped flanel sheet set from Target. We used a stem-punk quilting motif to augment the industrial theme. The quilt turned out so strong I thought my grandson would like it for his new basement apartment in his family home. I bought two new pillows for the cases that came with the sheet set that we used for the backing, and included the queen-sized fitted sheet to complete the ensemble.

by Linda Theil This quick-as-a-wink "DIY Gift and Goody Bag" pattern is available at no charge on the Spencer-Ogg website ; and a video tutorial can be viewed on the Spencer-Ogg YouTube channel . This pattern generated so much enthusiasm among Spencer-Ogg afficionados this holiday season that Diane Spencer-Ogg released a  "MORE sizes for the DIY Gift and Goody Bag"  auxiliary pattern with an extra-small, and a large addition to the  small and medium sizes available in the initial release. This raw-edge design can be made in a wide variety of materials. My sample shown above is the size small, measuring about three-inches-square when finished. The material I used is from a Cricut brand sampler of pebbled, faux leather that is made from polyurethane. I pulled this product from a stashed package that may no longer be available in this format or design. Be aware that your material will need to be cut almost three times the width of your finished project. In other words,...

by Linda Theil Okay, I've made a LOT of these little tiny backpacks, and they are a lot of work! Even in my stripped-down version of Carolina Little Stitches' "Bitty Bug Pack" pattern there are 20 separate pattern items that have to be cut, fused, clipped, and sewn --.not least of all, that darn gusset! But since I went completely bonkers over Mia Charro's "Christmas Squad" collection for Free Spirit Fabrics, I had to justify the purchase by actually using the fabric. Initially I thought the absolutely great "multi panel" animals could be used for the front of the little bag, but the individual animal portraits were too big, so I ended up using an all-over print from the collection. I fussy-cut the animals for each of the nine minis I decided to make for holiday luncheon favors. I also fussy-cut the backpack backs from another print in the "Christmas Squad" collection. The photo below shows one of the fussy-cut back pieces; each back ...

by Linda Theil  I recently completed the second of a pair of "Plover Pouch" bags designed by Anna Graham of Noodlehead Sewing Patterns. The pattern includes three pouch sizes -- the medium and large sizes feature an interior, zippered pocket. I made both of my pouches in the medium size that is about ten-inches wide by eight-inches high, and has a generous four-inch-wide base. The design incorporates a distinctive zipper installation with riveted zipper ends that attach to the sides of the bag. My first "Plover Pouch" was made with a novelty cotton print, and a gusset and zipper tabs of Mora faux leather. I made a second pouch with cotton from the "Best of Morris -- Fall" collection from Moda in 2020. The gusset and lining are from the "Seedling" collection by Katarina Roccella for Art Gallery Fabrics published this year.