Friday Funnies

#quilt #fabric #hillaryclinton #quiltclass #lovequilting

 Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

 

New Lovequilting.com Exclusive Kit!

We are proud to present a new Lovequilting.com exclusive kit called Christmas Love. Christmas Love includes the pattern and all fabrics for the top, border and binding to complete this 28” x 28” table topper. Christmas Love is a beginner friendly pattern.

 

Click here for more information and to order your Christmas Love Table Topper Kit today.
 
Be sure to check out all of our kits by clicking here.
 

 

 
Quilters gone wild with pumpkin carving and decorating! Here are some pics to enjoy of quilter inspired decorated pumpkins.
 

 
Happy Halloween!
 
If you are in a Daylight Savings Time zone, remember to set your clocks back one hour this weekend, for that extra hour of quilting!

Use coupon code PUMPKIN and receive $5 off your purchase of $50 or more.  Start shopping now!

#fabric #quilt #christmaslove #quiltkit #Christmas #tabletopper #lovequilting
 

Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com!

 

Batiks Continued

The other day, we talked about batik fabrics, their manufacturing process, appreciating the hand work that goes in to making them and applying them to projects.  Today, we will discuss the pre-cut, coordinated 2-1/2” strips, known as Bali Pops from Hoffman Fabrics. 

 

This idea was created to simplify the process for coordinating fabrics and cutting into strips.  There are many wonderfully creative designers who have put together patterns that incorporate these Bali Pops.  Some are free and some are not.  Click here to view.
 

Above are images of some of our favorites, many of which are available as a free download by clicking the image.

Of course, you can use your own 2-1/2” strips for any of these projects, but the Bali Pops are definitely put together with care and offer a substantial savings of time.  Try one today!

#fabric #balipops #quilting #freepatterns #lovequilting

Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

 

Free Tutorial Tuesday - How to Make a Zippered Pillow

Last week’s free Tuesday tutorial was how to make an envelope pillow.

http://beachquilting.blogspot.com/2014/10/free-tutorial-tuesday-how-to-make.html
 
This week’s free Tuesday tutorial is step by step instructions for making a pillow cover with a zipper (click here).

A zippered pillow can be stuffed with a pillow form or your own fluff.  

I hear very often that some quilters are intimidated by zippers.  If you are concerned about sewing with zippers, a pillow is a great way to practice and conquer that fear.  The zipper can hardly be seen at the bottom of the pillow.  Check out our selection of very inexpensive zippers.

Click here for the die cut applique pillow top kit used in the tutorial.

As you start to consider your holiday decorating and gift giving, how about a pillow?

#fabric #quilting #zippers #zipperedpillow #santaonhisway #santapillow #lovequilting

Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

What are Batiks and Why Do We Love them so Much?

At Lovequilting.com, we love batiks and we stock mainly Hoffman batiks.  This is because we find Hoffman batiks to be of the highest quality, richest colors, bleed less and portray wonderful designs.

The official definition of batik, a noun, is a technique of hand-dyeing fabrics by using wax as a dye repellent to cover parts of a design, dyeing the uncovered fabric with a color or colors, and dissolving the wax in boiling water.

The designs we often see on batiks is achieved through the use of metal plates with wooden handles that are used to place the hot wax onto the fabric.  Then the fabric is submerged into a dye bath.  The fabric under the wax resists the dye and remains the color is was before the dye bath.  Hot water is used to remove the wax from the fabric.  The fabric is then dried in the tropical sun with assistance from the trade winds of Bali.

As we see multiple colors on these lovely batiks, the above described process is repeated as many times as necessary.

Even today, most of the beautiful batiks we use in our projects are created by hand.

Another unique feature of batik fabrics is that they are the same front and back.  If you have ever experienced that “oops” moment when you were supposed to be sewing right sides together and realized you had wrong sides together or right side to wrong side, this won’t be an issue with batiks because right side and wrong side are the same!

I hope this gives you a renewed appreciation for batiks.  If you haven’t used batiks in your projects, I encourage you to give them a try, they’re fabulous to work with! 

I used to think that a project done in batiks needed to be done completely in batiks and a project done in screen prints, needed to be done completely in screen prints.  Recently, I tried mixing batiks with screen prints, and I am very pleased with the result.

#batiks #batikfabric #fabric #quilting #handdye #lovequilting

Do what you love - :Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

  

Rings and Bubbles AND Free Fat Quarter

As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, we start to think of the upcoming holidays. Now would be a great time to start planning your homemade holiday décor, homemade holiday gifts and your own quilts to snuggle in during the winter months.

We will continue to suggest project ideas to keep your inspiration fresh and original. This week’s recommendation is our newest kit, Rings and Bubbles, which is a super fast and beginner friendly project. Consider making one as a gift for someone with modern décor.
The Rings and Bubbles Kit includes background fabric, pre-fused and pre-die cut rings and bubbles, ready for your unique arrangement and binding fabric. Our kit features Hoffman Batiks in the cool color palette of blues, greens and purples on a white cotton background. Check out the Rings and Bubbles kit by clicking here.

 



Lovequilting.com where our everyday retail price is always BELOW manufacturer’s suggested retail. Orders received before 5:00 pm PST will be shipped same day. Orders over $50 receive FREE shipping!

Do you like free stuff?  How about a free fat quarter?  Receive a free fat quarter of a Hoffman Watercolor Batik with your $30 purchase. This week’s color is The OC.  Complete your purchase of $30 and a fat quarter will be included FREE with your package - no coupon code required.




Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

Wise Words Wednesday-Basting

I don’t know about you, but when I have to un-sew something – I find it a very frustrating task.  It’s seems counter productive and it puts me off my schedule.  

When I’m piecing, I’m a pinner by nature so that things stay lined up including edges and seam intersections.  Recently I have found that if I really want to see how it’s going to look, I use a basting stitch.  If you don’t have a basting stitch, it’s a straight stitch set to the longest possible length.  On my machine, the longest length for a straight stitch is 6 mm, but other machines may vary.  Whether satisfied or not, the basting stitch comes out real easy and saves me all that un-sewing and frustration.  That allows me more time to work on new projects!

#fabric #quilting #seamripper #unsewing #basting #quilt #lovequilting

Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

 

Free Tutorial Tuesday - How to Make An Envelope Pillow

Today’s free tutorial is instruction on how to make an envelope style pillow.  An envelope style pillow has a back that is in two pieces that overlap in the center.  The best way to stuff an envelope style pillow is with a pillow form.  Using fluff to stuff it could leak out through the gap in the back.  Or the gap in the back could be tempting to wandering fingers that mess with your fluff.

Click here for the free download.

For a pillow top, you can use a quilt block, a decorative fabric, large scale print, segment from a panel, strip sets or anything else you desire.  The pillow top should be 1/2" larger (length and width) than your desired finished pillow size.

Pillow tops can be quilted if you desire, which would be a great way to practice your free motion quilting, or using some fun decorative stitches on your machine.

With the upcoming holidays, pillows are a great way to update or change your home décor or they make a great gift for that someone on your list that “has everything”!

For the pillow top used in this tutorial, which is a die cut applique – click here.

#fabric #quilting #quilt #envelopepillow #homedecor #lovequilting

Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com

Autumn at the Beach

I love to walk on the beach at this time of the year.  It may be sweatshirt weather, but it’s certainly bearable.  I love the extreme low tides when the water is very far from the normal surf line.  I walk in my bare feet, with my sand bucket and collect seashells and sea glass.

At Lovequilting.com, we have a wonderful selection of beach/nautical fabrics.  Here are some of my favorites, as well as some of my favorite patterns.

Here’s a kit for a really easy table runner called New England Clam Bake Table Runner – bring the ocean to your table or make as a gift

 For your convenience, we also have some of these marvelous collections as pre-cut sets.  Be sure to check these out:  http://www.lovequilting.com/product-category/pre-cuts/

#fabric #quilting #quilt #beachfabric #beach #nauticalfabric #precutfabric #quiltkits #newenglandclambake #lovequilting

Do what you love - Love what you do - Lovequilting.com