Archive for the ‘Folk Tales’ Category

Freespirit Friday-Folk Art Hearts

Thursday, January 18th, 2018

It is just a few weeks before St. Valentines Day. This is a holiday which is perfectly situated in the deepest heart of winter for us Midwesterners. This is a time when we need a bit of hand holding, a little encouragement and a big dose of color.

So for this weeks FreeSpirit Friday we are featuring my Simple Silhouette-Folk Art-Bleeding Heart pattern. This series of 18” quilts was designed to showcase your favorite fancy fabrics. 

Our first heart is made with my latest FreeSpirit collection, Folk Tales. The border fabric is called Flowered Coverlet and the background is Indispensable Dots. The solid black silhouette and red heart are FreeSpirit’s Designer Essentials Solids. We used my 12 wt. Sew Sassy threads for quilting (matching 50 wt in the Bobbin). It really adds a zip of electricity.

The next hearts are made from vintage Sassaman fabrics, some of which you may have buried in your stash, too. This one is made with an Early Bird border and again 12wt thread for the quilting. This piece has a nice flowery traditional look.

Finally, we have a heart stitched from the Hot House Garden collection. This piece is actually part of a larger quilt that hangs in my living room. It is definitely a nod to Mexican folk art, which I love.

There is still plenty of time to whip one of these little gems for your Valentine, so sort through your stash and get stitch’n!!

Posted in applique, Early Birds, Folk Tales, Superior Threads, Valentine's Day | No Comments »

FreeSpirit Friday – Lively Pillowcases

Friday, January 12th, 2018

If you have followed this blog over the years, you know that I am a believer in the healing power of pillowcases! There is nothing that can lift your spirit, make you feel prosperous and totally transform a tired bedroom than new pillowcases.

We must have thirty sets of pillowcases in our linen closet, one for every occasion and temperament. Going to bed and waking in the morning is a treat at our house. Even my husband likes to change the sheets so he can pick his favorite cases for the week.

And I have to admit that they are all ironed, as well. I love crisp clean pillows. Ironing the cases is almost as fun as sleeping on them. Ironing pillowcases is restful therapy for me, a colorful time-out to readjust my attitude during stressful times.

This week for FreeSpirit Friday, we have our latest batch of lively cases made with my Folk Tales collection. We chose fabrics with white and blue, always a refreshing color combination and used my “Pint Size” Pillowcase pattern which is designed for beginning stitchers. Each case is made with three coordinating fabrics. We save the contrasting one for the fun flange.

I hope these pillowcases brighten your day and inspire you to add some new color in your life!

 

Posted in accessories, Folk Tales | 1 Comment »

Introducing FreeSpirit Friday

Friday, January 5th, 2018

This week I am initiating a new blog feature called FreeSpirit Friday. The idea is to share all the awesome projects being made with my FreeSpirit fabrics. So this will be a weekly tour of the wonderful ways to use those “personality” prints to brighten your world.

My current collection FOLK TALES is just arriving at your favorite quilt shops this month and what better way to spend a winter day than fondling colorful fabrics and stitching up something delightful. These new designs celebrate classic textile patterns from around the world.

This week in the midwestern United States we are experiencing severe weather; the wind chill has been -20F degrees for two week running! The landscape is white and quite forbidding, so this colorful project was the perfect antidote!

A cup of tea is the ideal symbol for domestic comfort and hospitality. So today we set the scene for warmth and contentment. I think the rooster fabric, called Kerchief, is a perfect choice for our tea cozy. It is classic country chic. But the details are what make this cozy really fun, specially the quintessential “yo-yo” topped with felt baubles. The zip of striped trim at the base adds some pep, as well.

We could not resist  a striped lining, as well. This pattern is easy to make and suitable for any happy fabric from your stash. It is one of my Pint Size patterns which was designed for beginning stitchers. It would be a nice DIY gift with a stack of fun fabrics for an aspiring seamstress. The treasured teapot, by the way, was a hand painted gift from my nephew many years ago.

We have also made some snappy napkins as supporting characters. They really play well together! FOLK TALES comes in three color ways, although we are focusing on the purple group this week for its sunny stimulation and reassuring cheerfulness. You can see all the color ways on my Home Page.

Stay tuned for another inspiring idea next week on FreeSpirit Friday!

 

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