Here Comes Santa Claus!

I've had to take steps back in the amount of time I can work. Two out of three kids are waking at 4am on a regular basis. Yeah - boooo.

But I won't be a Grinch! In the spare 15 minutes here and there, I've been working on my Paperclay Santa Claus. He just makes me happy.

The beard was a ton of fun to create!

Lots of glitter on his hat muff and collar, but near impossible to photograph. Sigh.

And fun little chicken legs!

I tried a one-step crackle medium that was a HUGE flop! Do you have one that you like? I'd love a recommendation!

Happy holidays!

XO,
Jenny

Merry Christmas - Playing With Paperclay

I've been having so much fun with polymer clay, I thought I would experiment with Paperclay. I tried it briefly a long time ago and didn't have success. Too much or too little water and little patience or understanding. Well, now that I have three little ducks, against my nature I've actually developed some patience. I figured I would put this new skill to use and try Paperclay again. And yes, there is a learning curve. However, this is my third project with it! I'm very happy with the final piece - it's exactly what I pictured in my head. A little vintage looking, very prim and so sweet. 

These sisters are getting ready for Christmas and are wishing you the very merriest of holidays!

It maybe hard to see but there is glitter in abundance. The "merry" sign is decked out in a snowflake white glitter and the dolls' legs shimmer with a touch of silver. 

 I also have a huuuuge collection of different colored flocks. I added white flocking to both doll's mittens and their coat collars. Soft and velvety!

Even a few Paperclay ornaments on the wreath and lots of German glass glitter.

I will be getting back to to quilting after the Thanksgiving holiday. The mad dash to get all the quilty Christmas gifts done. However, I'm hooked on this Paperclay. Maybe it's because I had no interest in dolls as a child? I don't know, but my inner child is quite happy and eager to play again soon.

Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorials

Last year I designed two tree skirt tutorials, one for a Christmas tree and one for a table top tree. In case you are looking for some inspiration, I thought I would repost the tutorial links!

This is my Ribbon Candy tree skirt that I designed for Moda. You could easily change the serger thread or jelly roll fabric to any desired color for a different colored "candy".

And this is my paper pieced skirt for a table top tree that I designed for Riley Blake. If that much paper piecing gives you the shivers, you can easily replace those panels with coordinating fabric.

I have both of these skirts on our trees now and love the quilted touch. If you can believe it, I still have not made stockings for my family - we use store bought ones (boo!) That will be on my to-do list next summer.

What are your favorite holiday tutorials?

Modern Nativity

Yesterday I was able to complete my Nativity art quilt. Lots of free motion quilting, hand embroidery and it is gallery mounted. There is a little embroidered halo gracing his sweet head. Loved I was able to create what I wanted to do in a timely manner.. I must be gaining some of my old energy back. It is placed in my Etsy shop for about another week or so if you are interested.

Now off to finish some teacher gifts.. lots of needle turned applique going on here!

Starting to Look a lot Like Christmas

We have spent today decorating for Christmas. Oh isn't this the best time of the year? I love the decorations, the food, the nostalgia and cheerful mood that seems so contagious. I hope whatever holiday you celebrate, that you are having a wonderful time.

If you have followed my blog for a bit, that you are familiar with the Disneyland silhouette tree. I love having the silhouettes created with every visit. Such a treat to see how they've grown through the years on this very special Christmas tree.

And well... we have to get the doggies involved in the decorating. Needless to say they are not feeling the holiday cheer!

A sweet little candid shot of Baby enjoying the tree decorating. It's wonderful to feel their excitement!

And I was inspired to create a little holiday collage textile art. My nativity scene is almost done and will be listed in the Etsy shop tomorrow afternoon..

Happy Holidays to you!

WIPS this week

Near the end of last month it dawned on me that in the space of two weeks I had Baby's 2nd birthday, Sewing Summit, and a big Disney trip. All wonderful! Except I'm that crazy loon that thinks each event needs all kinds of handcrafted items. Gah!

So here are my WIPS for the week, note I have not even started on the Disney stuff ( don't mind me hyperventilating over here..)

For Sewing Summit.. I made my Weekender bag..

My zipped pouch for the swap and my nametag..

What's left? Well I have two days to finish a camera strap and some fun clothes. We'll see what is accomplished..

I've been slowly working on this quilt for a bit. Playing with string blocks and the idea of a deconstructed chevron. In the interest of time though this may end up being a runner or a quilt with *lots* of negative space..

Working on my next collage, which will actually be a series of sugar skulls. P.S. If the skull theme is not your taste, have no fears.. I'll be moving on to my next series in November ;o) I know it's not for everyone, but it is something I've wanted to play with for awhile now..

And lastly, working on completing my second table runner for the holidays made with circle appliques. The ornaments were fun and I love their whimsy.

Starting to wonder how many seasonal runners I will be able to design with just the circles!

What are you working on?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. We had so much fun watching our children's excitement and awe. I didn't make as many gifts this year as I would have liked, but I did have time to make everyone an ornament. I can't not believe how expensive they have become and I wanted something a little more personal. I've had a collection of polymer clay in my studio just waiting for some fun. It was a great experience to work in a new medium. I'm not sure if I can find a way to incorporate clay into my projects, but I'm looking!

Here are my first projects..

A pink Santa bear for Baby.

She is insanely in love with teddy bears right now.

An Ariel Mermaid for kiddo.

This one I did without a tutorial.

Loved how it turned out ( though she is bustier than I planned..lol)

And this year was all about Star Wars for my husband - 

from the Blu Ray collection to a 2012 calendar.

I made him a Rebel Alliance ornament.

Did you make any gifts this year? I would love to hear about them!

Moda Bakeshop Tutorial - Ribbon Candy Tree Skirt

Ribbon Candy Tree Skirt - Tutorial for Moda Bakeshop

I'm so excited to present my next pattern for Moda's Bakeshop! "The Ribbon Candy" tree skirt is beyond easy to make and it makes such a powerful impact. Seriously, my husband wet his pants over this..and well that's saying something in this house!

I did use my serger and ruffler foot, but I provide tips on how to work around those accessories if you don't have them..but I highly recommend both of those extras! I use them a ton in my studio and they make life lovely..

All you need to make this tree skirt is a Moda Bella Solid Jelly Roll, some felt, and pretty serger thread. You could seriously whip it up tonight!

Happy Holidays from our crazy, love filled house to yours!

Oh Fudge...

Oh Fudge.. I know it's been awhile since I posted and welcome to all my new readers! I'm sure we are all busier than normal with all the holidays this month. Whatever you celebrate, I hope you are enjoying this special time of the year.

Have no fear, I have been quilting & designing.. just nothing I can show right now.. Though I have a SUPER fun Moda Bakeshop post coming on Friday.

In the meantime, I'm busy wrapping gifts, avoiding crowds, and making treats with the Kiddos. 

 Heaven help me in 10 years...

So much personality in such a little body..and her baby sister is no slouch either. While we were making fudge, Baby was rip roaring around the house in her Cozy Coupe.

Christmas Tree Outing - Art Ornament

Christmas Tree Outing - $15 plus shipping

The baby didn't nap too well yesterday, so I didn't get as much work done as I had planned. I did however, create this art ornament. I think it's my favorite one so far. We are truck people and have actually have our own big red truck. I will probably make just a few more styles later this week.

There is Valentine's Day items already appearing on Etsy and in the stores. It is amazing how fast the year seems to fly these days..

The Patchwork Stocking

Prudent Baby hosted a stocking sewing contest this month. I had to enter - I can't blow off a sewing contest with a NEW, awesome serger as the grand prize. I had the toughest time being inspired though. I drew up a ton of designs and none of them really spoke to me. It's hard for me to dedicate time during the holidays to a project that I'm not crazy about. And then it hit me as I was playing with my fabric stash,,

Patchwork stockings are nothing new,but I really hope my take on it is a fun twist. I decided that it would be awesome to create stockings for my daughters that would also be memory keepers of the year. And this year, Isabelle became obsessed with knit, upcycled dresses. After winning one of Soren Lorensen Design's dresses. , she wore it until it was threadbare (and wears it still..). My only option was to make more and I lost count as to how many I made.

This stocking is created with pieces from a few of the dresses I made for her. The only exception is the giant monkey eating a cheeseburger. He was too small to make into a dress, but I kept him around just in case. Well Isa LOVES cheeseburgers (with NO pickles) and monkeys. It's perfect. I also raw edged appliqued an "i" on the foot of the stocking. She learned to identify her written name this year and loves to see her initials. Every detail of this stocking is with her in mind, down to using her favorite color green serger thread.

Not sure yet as to who won the contest, but I'm glad it inspired me to make this stocking. Isabelle was pretty excited to see it and insisted that she immediately hang it over the fireplace. And as a crafty mother, what better present is that?

Christmas Tradition - Silhouette Ornaments

I'm a Disney nut. I grew up in Southern California and spent many birthdays at Disneyland. I love the rides, the movies, the songs. However, it wasn't until I took my first daughter there when she was 9 months old, that I went into the silhouette shop on Main Street. I'm not sure whose idea it was, probably my sweet Mother, but we decided to have a silhouette created each year for my children.

We haven't missed a year and quickly amassed a small bundle of them. This year was my youngest's first trip and of course we had to start this tradition for her too.

My favorite? The silhouette of the girls together.

It is amazing to watch my little munchkins grow through these little images. This year we had enough to decorate their pink Christmas tree.

Was there ever a sweeter tree? I think not..

If you aren't the Disney nut that I am, you can still replicate this tradition. There are a number of artists on Etsy that would be more than happy to create a similar ornament for you.

Do you have an ornament collection or tradition?

Riley Blake - Christmas Candy Kit

My kit for the tree skirt is up on Etsy!

It's $20, but for a limited time I have a coupon..

Enter "RILEYROCKS" for 20% the entire store!!

I'm packaging these super cute - it will make a great gift for

the sweet quilter in your life..

Christmas Mug Rug - Thimbles & Threads

I was in such a rush this month that I completely forgot to take a picture of my actual mug rug kit for Thimbles & Threads this month. Here is a picture of the layout. They are only $7.50 for the pattern & fabric! A super cute project that can be used as a mug rug, candle mat, or mantle decor.

Christmas Card Planning

Christmas cards are HUGE for me! We don't live near any family and lots of our friends live in other states. For me, Christmas cards is a sweet way to connect with those we love. I typically spend hours deciding on the right clothes for the picture and even more hours deciding on the cards. Last year I came across these new style cards that doubled as ornaments. I love this idea!

This year Tiny Prints has a huge selection of the paper card/ornaments. There are so many in fact that I'm having a tough time deciding on the one for us. Which one do you love?

I think this last one maybe my absolute favorite. I love the sweet angel image and I think my girls would look so sweet on that card.

Have you started planning your Holiday cards? I bet Tiny Prints has a perfect one for you too!

I'd love to hear what your favorite card style is!

Celebrate Christmas - Quilt Along

Welcome Quilters!

I'm so honored to be a part of Quilting Gallery's Quilt Along.

If you are new to my blog, let me give me a little background.

My name is Jennifer and I live in Utah with my 2 adorable little girls

and super supportive, handsome hubby.

I've been sewing on and off for two decades, and quilting in the more recent years.

Earlier this year I tried paper piece foundation quilting and fell in love.

I'm completely hooked on the technique and started creating my own patterns this summer.

I like to post free patterns & tutorials weekly - I highly recommend subscribing to my blog to keep up with latest!

For this Christmas quilt along, I created the paper pieced block "Santa's Mittens". If you have not done this technique before, I have a very simple tutorial here. If you have any trouble at all, please do not hesitate to email me!!

The block pattern is here. There are a total of 3 PDF pages to print - each one is a 6" printed square. ** With paper piecing you will use your add 1/4" ruler around the edge so it will be a 6.5" square upon completion.

I suggest printing out multiple copies - one to sew on and one to color in as a reference. Please remember that your block will be the mirror image of what you print.

How much fabric do you need?

I used 4 fat quarters and had LOTS leftover.

The wonderful thing about paper piecing is it's easy to use up your stash rather than having to buy new fabric, but I of course always want to buy new fabric.. I'm sure none of you can relate.. ;o)

How do you create the block?

You will do a single block of each mitten.

You will do two blocks of the 4 square. I alternated the colors in my triangles, but of course you can do what you like best.

For this block - you will need to cut the letter groups from each other - A,B,C,D,E, and F.

Complete each letter group and then sew together.

For example, sew A1 to A2, B1 to B2, and then the A group to the B group.

When you paper piece, you will leave a 1/4" border around the printed piece. Thus your printed 6" square will be a completed 6.5" square.

You will then sew the four blocks together and have a completed 12.5" square that will be 12" finished once you sew them to the additional Christmas blocks.

I thank you so much for your time and truly hope you love this block. I know that foundation piecing maybe new to some of you, but please give it a try. I personally find it much easier and I think you will have fun. Happy Holidays!

-Jennifer

It's Not Too Late To Vote

Well, it's not too late to vote for me at least!

I'm entering into Michael's Crafting Contest

and here is my Week 1 Entry.

The premise is to create a craft with 3 mystery craft items each week.

This week it was: ornaments, beads, and ribbon.

My girls of course were my inspiration!

A faux fur created wreath (Isa adores fur!!)

A pearl bracelet to hang it up on the door.

And decked out in pink boa feathers, platinum, and more pearls!

Want to help me win a crafty cruise?

First you need to have a Facebook account

(you have one don't you??)

And then go here: http://apps.facebook.com/michaels-challenge/

You can search for me by name (Jennifer R.)

and if you click "like", you'll be doing me a huge favor!

Thanks so much!

Want to know how to make the wreath?

Want a tutorial?

Let me know and I'll post one up!