Halloween Quilt

While browsing for some fabric at a local quilt shop, I saw a cute Halloween quilt hanging on the wall. This quilt must be my next project! It was colorful, relatively easy for a beginning quilter and small (26'' x 32"). I bought the pattern and the fabric and then enthusiastically started sewing. I was certain that I would be able to finish the quilt before the Halloween deadline ( 2 weeks away).

This week I came across the pattern for the Halloween quilt in my files. What ever happened to that quilt? I started looking for it and found it in the bottom of a basket of fabric pieces (remnants from previous projects). It only needs a bottom border and backing and I already have the fabric. After spending six years as a UFO (unfinished object) my Halloween quilt is finally finished and ready to hang. Just in time for Halloween!

Although it may not look like it, this is an easy quilt to make (especially if you are a beginner) because all of the pieces are appliqued onto the quilt blocks using Heat and Bond and a zig-zag stitch.




The pattern is ONE SCAREY NIGHT and is still available from Clow Creations www.thepatternpeddlers.com.

Baby Shower Cards

Brittany and I were invited to attend a cousin's baby shower. The shower theme was Winnie the Pooh. Every one loves Winnie the Pooh and we assumed that Pooh and his friends would show up several times as gifts, cards or gift wrap. Brittany and I wanted to do something different and unique to welcome the newest member of our family.

Brittany cross stitched a card. The cross stitch panel can be removed from the card to put in the baby book.








I decided to make a gift bag using the the Cricut Robotz cartridge.





Directions for the Baby Bag:

Large white bag (available from Michaels)
Cricut Robotz cartridge
Yellow, blue, black, white and green card stock
Green and blue dotted ribbon

Cut 1 inch letters out of green card stock using the Robotz cartridge. Glue welcome to the top of the bag and baby to the bottom of the bag. Leave room in the center of the bag for the robot.

Cut robot 43 at 2 1/2 inches out the yellow, blue, black and white card stock. Assemble the robot and glue it onto the front of the bag.

Make a bow from green and blue dot ribbon and glue it to the top corner of the bag.

Antique Lions Et Oiseaux Update

This is the progress that I have made after 2 weeks of stitching. I absolutely love the way that this is turning out. The copper penny Zweigart fabric gives the piece an antique look. Unfortunately it doesn't translate well to camera (the piece is much more beautiful in person).

The Gloriana silk has been joy to work with. It doesn't fray when being pulled through the fabric multiple times and very rarely knots. The over dyed colors create a shaded effect on the motifs (notice the green shading on the lion).

I can't thank the owner's of Haus Tirol enough for helping me to select the perfect materials for my sampler. The pattern (Antique Lions et Oiseaux by a mon ami Pierre) and the materials used for this project can be ordered from The Stitching Well at Haus Tirol, 1915 Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg, VA 23185 Phone: 757-220-0313. Their website is www.haustirolonline.com.

Halloween Cards

Every year I like to include some cards in my Halloween crafting because they allow me to experiment with a variety of products and techniques. Here are some of the cards that I made for 2010.



Click on the picture to enlarge the image.



Vampire Cat Directions:

Golden orange card stock
Orange card stock
Dark purple card stock
White card stock
Black card stock

Feline Count Stamp by Penny Black, Inc. (Margaret Sherry Collection)
Hampton Art Mini Flip Flops clear stamps
Sizzix Bats
Martha Stewart Bat paper punch, Martha Stewart trellis border paper punch
Dark purple ribbon
Green glitter glue
Glimmer Mist Sea Glass
Color Box black ink
Watercolors, colored pencils or markers in your choice of colors

Fold an 8 /12 inch by 11 inch piece of golden orange card stock in half.

Cut bats using the Sizzix Bat die and black card stock. Use green glitter glue for the bats eyes.
Lightly spray a piece of black card stock with Glimmer Mist Sea Glass. After the card stock is dry use the Martha Stewart punch to make three bats.

Stamp the cat on white card stock with black ink. After the ink dries color the image with watercolors, markers or colored pencils. I used watercolors for my cat. Cut the card stock to approximately 3 1/4 inches by 3 1/4 inches.

Cut the purple card stock to approximately 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. Glue the white card stock on top of the purple card stock (leaving a 1/4 inch border).

Cut the orange card stock to approximately 4 inches by 4 inches. Glue purple layered card stock on top of the orange.

Cut the black card stock to approximately 4 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches. Glue the orange layered card stock on top of the black.

Cut a piece of purple ribbon and glue across the top left corner of the layered card stock. Glue another piece of ribbon across the lower right corner of the card stock. Make a small bow and glue it to the ribbon in the left hand corner.

Center the framed cat image on the golden orange card stock and attach it to the card using foam dots.

Glue the Sizzix bats across the top of the card.

Stamp the word Fright Night in black in under the framed image. Use the Mini Flip Flops phrase (Fright Night).

Glue the Martha Stewart bats around the greeting.

Cut 1/4 inch off the long edge of the card. Punch a border out of black card stock using the Martha Stewart trellis border paper punch. Place the border slightly under the edge of the card and glue in place.


Haunted House Card Directions:

Halloween card stock: black or dark grey pattern, dot pattern
Sizzix Bats die
Martha Stewart Haunted House paper punch
Circle paper punch (large circle)
Orange plaid ribbon
Green glitter glue
Black, orange, light grey and gold card stock
Hampton Art Mini Flip Flops clear stamps
Color Box black ink

Fold a piece of 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch card stock in half.

Cut the dark grey patterned card stock approximately 5 1/4 inches long by 6 inches wide.

Punch a circle out of gold card stock using the large circle punch.

Punch the Haunted House out of black card stock using the Martha Stewart Haunted House paper punch. Glue the Haunted House on top of the gold circle.

Cut a piece of the Halloween dot card stock approximately 3 1/2 inches long by 3 3/4 inches wide. Glue the gold circle to the card stock.

Cut a piece of black card stock approximately 4 inches long by 4 1/4 inches wide. Glue the dot patterned card stock on top of the black.

Cut a piece of orange card stock approximately 4 1/4 inches long by 4 1/2 inches wide. Glue the black layered card stock on top of the orange.

Cut a piece of black card stock approximately 4 1/2 inches long by 4 3/4 inches wide. Glue the orange layered card stock on top of the black.

Glue the Haunted House framed card stock one inch from the top of the dark grey patterned card stock.

Using the Mini Flip Flop stamps and black ink stamp Have a Haunted Halloween above the framed image on the dark grey patterned card stock.

Using the Sizzix Bat die and black card stock cut out several bats. Glue the bats over the Haunted House and to the left and right sides of the greeting. Aplly a small amount of green glitter glue to the bats eyes.

Cut a 2 inch long by 5 1/4 inch wide piece of Halloween dot card stock and glue to the bottom edge of the card. Glue a piece of plaid ribbon over the area where the dark grey and dot card stock pieces meet. Make a bow and attach to the ribbon.

Halloween Tree

I can't believe it's September already and Halloween will be upon us before we know it. Therefore my next few postings will be related to Halloween projects. Denis this one is for you since you requested that I update my project postings more frequently.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because it allows a lot of room for creativity. I have never liked the gory, gross, creepy side of Halloween. I prefer to focus on the fun and whimsical side of the holiday. I decorate with witches, ghosts, bats,vampires and pumpkins. Recently I purchased the Cricut Mini Monsters cartridge because the images are so cute. I wanted to use as many images as possible in my decorations so I decided to create a Halloween tree.










Directions:

All supplies are available at Michaels Craft stores.
Cricut Mini Monsters cartridge, Bat for tree topper, cob webbing and gnarled black tree.

All ornaments were cut with the Cricut Mini Monsters cartridge at 1 1/2 inches. The spider also used the shadow feature and gray card stock as a backing for the spider image. Ornaments are made by using an awl to punch a small hole in the top of the finished design and threading a small piece of gold craft wire through the top. Twist the wire around the tree branch and tie a small bow using purple ribbon around the branch to hide the wire. Using packaged cob webbing decorate the tree to fill in open areas being careful not to cover up the ornaments. Position a bat at the top of the tree ( as a tree topper) and adjust the wings.

La Sorciere

After years of use some of our Halloween decorations were looking kind of ratty and worn. Brittany and I decided it was time to replace them and headed off to our local Home Goods store to browse the Halloween section. It was there that we found a collection of interesting colorful witches unlike any thing that we had seen before. These witches had smiling green faces carved out of resin. We couldn't decide which witch to buy because all three were cute. Unfortunately Home Goods had only one of each of the styles of witches. As we debated our choice a woman came up to us and told us the witches were so cute and then patiently hoovered over us waiting for us to put the unwanted ones back on the shelf. Still indecisive and not wanting to relinquish any of them just yet Brittany suggested that we use the Mac Beth rule. The witches in Mac Beth traveled in threes. As you can see I invoked the Mac Beth rule and we came home with all three.
We added the trick or treat sign and made the witches into a display.