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Saturday, February 13

A Sweet Heart, a Sweetheart, Playful Kittens, and a Blog Hop

This sweet little heart shaped mug rug with dark brown ric-rac edging is from a pattern called
"Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug" by Amy DeCesare of Amy Made That.  I made it with lots of different chocolatey scraps of fabric and had a lot of fun putting it together.  If you click here, here, here, and here you'll get to see some of Amy's adorable renditions of her "Be My Valentine" mug rug. 

Amy also guest posted at Sew Mama Sew this week!  She created a list of her Top 5 Timesavers for Busy Sewists + Quilters and is having a giveaway to celebrate!  So hop on over and share your favorite timesaver!

I've always noticed how beautifully Amy and her sister Susie, of Susie's Sunroom stage their photos.  So when I finished my little "Be My Valentine" heart, I wanted to stage a nice photo too.


Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug
  
At first I thought it would look nice to do a scene with some chocolate candies on the mug rug.  But... There isn't any candy in the house!  Then I thought I would just have to be happy taking a photo with a nice mug full of tea and a cookie.  Except... There aren't any cookies in the house!  Dieting does not lend itself to yummy photoshoots.  LOL  


There's nothing like a nice cup of tea


Hungry Quilter and the Goblet of Fire


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We got a surprise for Kaitie & Eden from a real life Sweetheart this week.  It came all the way from Ireland!  Sandra, of Studio Sew of Course, and I became friends during the course of doing a pincushion swap together.  She sewed up this adorable little elephant zippy pouch for Eden & Kaitie.  Check out the baby bracelet beaded zipper pull and the lucky Irish baby socks too!  
Thank you Sandra - Kaitie loved your surprise and so did I!


Sandra's Zippy Bag for Eden

Complete with "Eden" zipper pull

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Playful Kittens Baby Quilt

Eden's first baby quilt is coming along nicely. (I have three quilts for her in the works, LOL)  I decided to use an Allison Harris pattern, from Cluck Cluck Sew, called "Playful"

What do you enjoy doing most?  Do you like to sew from patterns or create your own designs?  I love to use other people's patterns, just as much as I like to make patterns up on my own.  I think is is nice to vary between the two for a relaxing change of pace. Plus, you expand your skills and construction techniques by seeing how other people put their quilts together.  Allison did an excellent job with Playful"!  I ended up with all the seams pressed in the perfect directions for nesting the seam intersections between rows and blocks, which made assembly super easy.

First I sewed thirty scrappy Cookies and Cream Pinwheels.  One of them is twirling in another direction, but I left it like that because I didn't want to redo it as a reminder to do your own thing.  Yeah... I'm sticking to that.  Can you spot it in the photo of the completed flimsy a little further down the post?  I lost track of which one it was, but when I noticed it again I wondered if maybe I should have sewn a new one.  


Scrappy Cookies & Cream Pinwheels  

I cut the squares from peachy pink scraps to go along with rectangles in Heather Ross Tiger Lily fabrics.  Now I only need to quilt and bind it and it will be ready for Eden to use.  It's going to have a cream colored Minky backing.  Here's a picture of the flimsy below.  I'll get some better shots after it's all quilted. 


"Playful Kittens" quilt

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Blog Hop Time!

In another bit of exciting news: From February 9th - 22nd, a few of my very favorite bloggers are hosting stops in the "Craftsy Sweetens My Quilting Life Blog Hop"!  Below is Sandra's schedule of stops and they each are absolutely worth a look!  The posts, the fabulous giveaways, and the discounts are all Fantastic!  

Sandra, from Musings of a Menopausal Melon, aka mmm! quilts and Julie, of Pink Doxies organized this blog hop to celebrate the crush they have on Craftsy.


 photo CraftsyBlogHop1_1_zpskc4kopvj.JPG 

Blog Hop Schedule

Wednesday, Feb. 10
Judy at Quilt Paradigm: Review of classes "Design It Quilt It" and "Machine Quilting Wholecloth Quilts" both with Cindy Needham 
Helen at Midget Gem Quilts: Review of class "Creative Quilting With Your Walking Foot" with Jacquie Gering
Thursday, Feb. 11
Cindy at Stitchin At Home: Review of class "Quilting With Rulers on a Home Machine" with 
Amy Johnson
Vicki at Vicki's Crafts and Quilting: Review of fabric purchases:  Stonehenge Strips and Christmas Fat Quarter Bundle
Friday, Feb. 12
Zenia at A Quilted Passion: Review of classes "Start FMQ" with Elizabeth Dackson; "Secrets of FMQ" with Christina Cameli; "Help! How Do I Quilt It?" with Angela Walters
Jayne at Twiggy and Opal:  Review of quilting supplies: Pressing/cutting mat and mini iron 
Saturday, Feb. 13
Tish at Tish's Adventures in Wonderland: Review of classes "Dot to Dot Quilting" with Angela Walters; "Product Photography at Home" with Jessica Marquez; "Shoot It! A Product Photography Primer" with Caro Sheridan,
Anja at Anja Quilts: Review of patterns  Postcard from Sweden; 1 Hour Basket; Star Bright; Reusable Handwarmers
Sunday, Feb. 14
Beth at Cooking Up Quilts: Review of Amanda Murphy's class "20 Fresh Appliqué Techniques"
Preeti at Sew Preeti Quilts: Review of fabric purchases:  Kaffe Fassett Classics Design Strip  
Monday Feb. 15
Julie at Pink Doxies: Review of class: "Color Play for Quilters" with Joen Wolfrom
Sandra at Musings of a Menopausal Melon - mmm! quilts: Review of Classes "Machine Quilting: Small Changes, Big Variety" and "Free Motion Quilting With Feathers" with Angela Walters; review of fabric purchases: 10-yard bundle and fat quarter bundles; review of patterns:  Paper-pieced Snowflakes Snow-along



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This post was packed full of so many good things. 
Thank you if you read it through to this point; whew!  
Happy Valentine's Day!




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36 comments:

  1. The chocolate colored mug rug looks lovely with your kettle and tea, Lara. I'm trying not to mind that there is no actual chocolate involved :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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  2. Thank you so much for the lovely shout out and for showing off my pattern so wonderfully!!! I enjoyed the entire post...so full of great stuff! Your rogue pinwheel is adorable and I wouldn't change a thing!

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  3. Your chocolate mug rug looks delicious even without the sweets. I love the last photo setting the best. Eden's quilt is going to be beautiful! I'd leave the block as is.

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  4. Eden's quilt is adorable! I love the design, the fabrics you used and the pinwheels. I had to really search to find the "creative" pinwheel. And you mug rug really looks like a box of chocolates. so cute. Your staged photos are so inviting, I'm ready for a cup of tea. :)

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  5. Your staged pictures are beautiful, the heart looks like a box of chocolates and cookies would have left crumbs, who needs them? I usually leave any creative mistakes, mostly because I notice them after the whole top is pieced, if I notice it early I put it right in the middle to highlight my creativity, LOL.

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  6. Om goodness Lara, that mug rug is yummy chocolately delight! No wonder you're hungry, lol! Your baby quilty things are both wonderful! I can't imagine the fun you are having, planning and sewing for your new sweetheart :) will def check out the blog hop, too :)

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  7. SEW nice to see a Valentine item in something else other than pink or red (which I admit, is totally what I was up to yesterday)...I want to lick that mug rug! (you, like my friend Tish, will get this). Eden's quilt is LOVELY!! I have a few of Allison's patterns (her Football quilt is next on the list for Brady's quilts, at least one a year). And isn't the other Sandra a gem?! Terrific idea to store smaller baby items and mama items and love the personalized zipper pull--honestly, QBL just overloads, make that BLOWS my mind with all the creative ideas! HQ and the Goblet of Fire-LAUGHED out loud!! Did you HEAR??? #8 is going to happen!!! I'm sure you know; Dayna let me know with a screaming out loud for JOY iMessage! Back to Eden's quilt, you know even with all the pinwheels together I had to hunt for the black sheep...and again in the full flimsy photo (say that 3X fast!) I like that touch, as I'm sure you know, the Amish purposely sewed in a mistake as only God is perfect. Because, as we all know, God is really Goddess, a woman...females are perfect! wink. One last note of gratitude for not only mentioning Julie's and my Craftsy hop but for putting the entire schedule out. Thank you so much my sweet friend. :-) And tea is good, especially made in a teapot!

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  8. Lovely heart and lovely creations on your blog !!!!
    Thanks for your visit !
    Have a happy Valentine's day !
    Anna

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  9. So many adorable items, Lara. I love your rich browns with the soft pink and cream; what a lovely Valentine surprise.

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  10. Your mug rug is very chocolaty looking. Just looking at it while drinking your tea may induce your mind into thinking you actually ate a few pieces of chocolate. lol All that to say that I love it. Such tiny squares assembled in neat rows create a symmetry that I very much like.
    You always have interesting quotes under your pictures. In this post, I particularly liked "Hungry Quilter and the Goblet of Fire". The picture is very beautiful and is heart warming on a morning like today (-36 C with the wind, where I am).
    Your quilt for little Eden is beautiful, with many interesting patterns and motifs. The centre is, in my opinion, the perfect place for the marginal block. An other interesting detail that Eden's eye may catch. :-)
    Pinned and shared on G+

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  11. I can verify that the mug rug is just absolutely yummy!!! Thank you Lara, you are too sweet. Eden's quilt is awesome - great pattern and colors. I think the pinwheel doing her own thing is a good reminder to be yourself (plus it took me forever to find it and only because you mentioned it!).

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  12. I love your take on Amy's valentine's mug rug. It looks like a heart shaped box of fancy chocolates, don't let your tea melt them 😉!! I also love the colours in Eden's quilt, the pink and brown set each other off perfectly. It's been a long time since I made pin wheels, you're giving me ideas...

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  13. Your quilt is adorable! Love those tiny pinwheels in there - even if they are not all perfect.

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  14. What a perfect chocolate heart. And that baby quilt is super cute. I like your layout for the pinwheels.

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  15. Your February creative juices are really flowing now, Lara!! I love your beautiful chocolate lovers "Be My Valentine heart mug rug" It truly is pretty enough to eat ( and is low calorie!) Your staging photos are gorgeous.... I want to curl up next to the fire and drink hot tea!
    How stinkin' cute is your "Playful Kittens" quilt going to be?!! It is adorable, and I love that one block is "different" from the others!! Eden is going to love it!
    Susie

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  16. Lara, I just had an overdue catch up here. Congratualations, first of all! How beautiful Eden is, and your daughter looks as though life is complete. Lovely! I love the saying, "Babies change lives." Isn't that the truth? The best wishes are sent your way for a wonderful first year with her.

    Thank you for giving the blog hop a shout out here, too. We appreciate it so much.

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  17. What a lovey post! The chocolate with sprinkles on top just looks yummy! The rectangle blocks in Eden's baby quilt are perfect for showcasing the fox fabric. I usually start with a pattern and then change it up a bit to make it mine.

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  18. I love your quilt and mug rug!

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  19. Your chocolate mug rug is fabulous and the fireside setting is perfect. The little pouch from Ireland is just precious.

    I had to really look to see which pinwheel was wrong. That is a great quilt.

    The hop sounds like fun. I'll have to check it out..

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  20. The flimsy is really pretty. Your odd pinwheel out and your symbolism of it remind me of this Dr. Suess quote -"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you"- which I think is perfectly fitting.

    The mug rug is cute, too.

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  21. The chocolate heart mug rug turned out beautifully. Playful Kittens is gorgeous. I think the backwards pinwheel is a nice touch. It's not easy to spot unless you know to look.

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  22. Love, love the chocolate heart mug rug! So sweet. It's mind-blowing that you couldn't stage your photos with cookies or candy because you don't have any! Wow, what will power, especially around Valentine's Day when candy is everywhere! You inspire me--truly.

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  23. Adorable Playful Kitties quilt. I had to really search for the block you mentioned. Honestly, no one will notice.

    Cut mug rug, too. I love that it really looks like a box of chocolates.

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  24. Those elephants on the pouch are adorable. What a thoughtful gift.

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  25. Beautiful finishes, I really like how you composed the heart finish on the table with the fire in the background. Your pinwheels are super fun too!

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  26. So many good things in this post, alright! Your chocolate flavoured heart is gorgeous - so tempting :-) And such a thoughtful gift for wee baby Eden, too. Your Whoopie block barely shows at all, lovely baby quilt.

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  27. That is by far the cutest mug rug I have ever seen! In the thumb nail pic I thought it was a cake! I thought ooh yum I've got to check this blog out! lol! But eye candy is just as yummy (and more low cal!) cheers!

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  28. A very sweet quilt for a very darling baby!!!
    http://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com

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  29. Ooh, I love your heart shaped mug rug and your fancy photo shoot. Your quilt for Eden is looking really pretty: I love the combination of the brown pinwheels with the soft pinks.

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  30. I just love the quilt you are putting together for Eden! I'm glad you left the pinwheel ... as if it's catching a wind from the other direction ;)
    That's a lovely zippered pouch you received for the happy mom. And your heart-shaped mug rug is lovely. It looks beautiful with the fire and the teapot and all those rich brown colours in both the rug and crockery. Well done on the staging! Enjoy your day Lara ... hope you're not buried under too much snow ;)
    Wendy

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  31. our mug rug is beautiful. And such a lovely zippered pouch to receive in the mail. Blogging friends are the best.

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  32. So much chocolatey goodness in one post. What a lovely quilt you are making for Eden! I am glad you kept that one pinwheel twirling in the other direction. It's perfect! The little gift from your friend is so thoughtful. Your mug rug looks amazing! Love how you showcased it with the Brown Betty teapot. Harney has a Chocolate Mint flavoured black tea, it's would make any chocolate lover swoon :)

    -Soma

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  33. I don't know what to comment on first!! LOL!! Oh I'm so jealous of that wonderful mug rug and the little elephant gift is adorable! (You find the greatest little swaps) THe quilt for Eden is perfefct and the minky will make it a cuddling favorite! Your post made me smile!!

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  34. I'm a little behind here but your mug rug is lovely! What a great little gift for Eden :)
    The quilt is adorable Lara

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  35. Mmm, I'm drooling over all the chocolate color and your sweet projects! :) What a pretty gift, that zipper pull is great!

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  36. I love your Playful Kittens!

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