I inherited a batch of dried gourds from a lovely woman who was a fantastic gourd artist, crafting her gourds into beautiful works of art and whimsical characters. She inspired me to host a painted gourd workshop at our church for crafting some to sell at our Christmas bazaar. Some ladies in our group were a little leery about painting the gourds by hand, so I came up with this easy version to make beautiful works of art. Supplies: Dried gourd (Can be purchased online, at farmer’s markets or craft fairs.) Acrylic paint in white, khaki and Inca gold…
I love this pattern for the Fold ‘n’ Stitch Wreath from Poor House Quilt Designs. It’s so fun to make and creates a beautiful piece for the holidays. I used three gold metallic accented fabrics in a bright modern combination that I couldn’t resist. The pattern has all the detailed instructions – it’s a clever idea using 12 squares with a large print fabric appliqued on top. You can turn the squares right side without leaving and opening that needs closing, because of the “X” cut in each. The “X” is covered by the applique – so cool! Tips…
I found this beautiful fabric last year and couldn’t resist buying a couple yards for my stash. It’s unusual, because it can be fringed like linen, but it’s 100% polyester and doesn’t wrinkle at all! I love the metallic gold accents, and how the print is in long rows along the length of the fabric. It was saying, “Make me into a table runner!” This tutorial creates a 14 x 72 inch runner, but can be modified for your table size. Supplies: 2 yards Holiday Pinecone with Glitter Linen fabric (from Jo-Ann Fabrics…
This is a traditional log cabin pattern wall hanging that I spun with a modern twist. Years ago as a teen, I found Quilt in a Day by Eleanor Burns. I watched her quilt show on PBS, and was so inspired by her fun attitude. She makes quilting easy and fun, with tips like chain sewing patchwork blocks and brushing off mistakes that we all make (hello seam ripper!) I still have my first log cabin Quilt in a Day book, and my first twin-size quilt I stitched and used during college – crafted in my favorite 1990’s mauve…