Nurse Central Quilt – Free Quilt pattern by Quilting Treasures

Loralie Nurse Central quiltDoesn’t this Nurse Central fabric collection designed by Loralie Designs for Quilting Treasures make a gorgeous quilt!  In addition to designing fabrics for Cranston Printworks (with new lines coming out 2011), I also design some quilt patterns for their free project sheets on their websites.  I designed this quilt using this really fun fabric collection and want to share it with you.

This pattern is available for free download from their Quilting Treasures division. The quilt is pieced in a block layout. Check out all the patterns on their website and you will see that there are many wonderful free quilt patterns for you to enjoy sewing.

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 6 – Blooms Greeting Card

Greeting card made with Sizzix dieSend a warm message in a special greeting card you make! This week for the Sizzix blog hop, I created a colorful and fun card with Brenda Pinnick’s Album die from Sizzix, the featured die in this week’s hop. I also used fabric from Brenda’s Couleur Vie fabric collection from Henry Glass.

All you need is these few materials:

Album, Brackets, Bigz XL Die #656053 by Brenda Pinnick from Sizzix

Card stock, felt and fabric for the dies

Card or card stock

Felt (Felt in project from National Nonwovens)

Turquoise colored rhinestone brads

Glue (Beacon Zip Dry)

Fusible Web (Steam a Seam 2 from The Warm Company)

Instructions:

Cut each layer from the dies, alternating with cardstock, fabric and felt. The fabric was fused to the layer below with fusible web and the cardstock and felt were adhered with glue.  Punch holes in the corners and add rhinestone brads.  Glue the die layer stack to the front of a card and add your message.

For an alternative use for the die stack, add it to a present instead of a bow for a really unique look.

Be sure to hop to the other blogs to see all the fabulous projects.  Just click forward or back in the Sizzix button in the sidebar.

Wishing you a warm day – its cold here!

Phyllis

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 2 – Spot of Color Twist Box

A Spot of Color Twist BlockWhat a fun project – the twist box created with Sizzix’s die by Karen Burniston can be decorated so many ways.  I decided to create a colorful ornament that would also make a fun addition to a birthday card.

Twist Box created with Sizzix die

This was easy to make with a few embellishment items.

Materials:

Sizzix Twist Cube Die

DCWV black card stock

Large 1 1/4″ button

Assorted multi-color buttons

Rick rack

Rat tail cording – 2 pieces 14″

Beacon Paper Tac glue

Fabric – 1-1/2″ x 24″ strip

Instructions:

1. Cut and make box from black heavyweight paper.

2. Thread one piece of cording through 2 holes on the large button so that the ends of the cords are on the back side of the button. Thread the other piece of cording through the remaining 2 holes. Pull ends so that they are even and insert through hole in the top of the box by 1/2″. Glue the ends to the top inside of the box.

3. Sew a gathering stitch on one long edge of the fabric 1/4″ from edge. Cut to fringe on the opposite side edge. Do not cut through the stitches. Pull gathers to 6″ and tie off.

4. Wrap the gathered edge on the top of the box around the opening with the cords. Glue as you wrap. After the glue dries thoroughly, slide the button down the cording to sit on top of the fringe. Tie an overhand knot with the cord on top of the button.

5. Glue 2 rows of rick rack around the box, 1/2″ from the top and bottom edges. Glue buttons around box.

There are 60 designers participating in this Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop. Please check out their projects – they were all amazing last week and I know they be amazing again this week. Just click on the Sizzix blog button in the side bar to go back or forward.

Enjoy the hopping! (and check back next week).

Phyllis

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 1 – Peppermint Candy House

Christmas Candy Cane House from Sizzix diePeppermint Candy Christmas House from Sizzix die

I’m delighted to be part of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop featuring 60 designers. That’s 60 designs with instructions each week.

Christmas is just 7 weeks away!  Can you believe it? I chose to make a Peppermint Candy house since the season is so close.

It was really fun to make so here are the materials you need as well as the instructions.

Materials:

#656836; Sizzix Scoreboards Pro Die – House, 3D, by Eileen Hull

Sizzix 12×12 matboard, white

Sizzix Big Shot Pro die cutting machine

1/4 yard red/white stripe fabric

Beacon Fabric-Tac Glue

White batting

Red acrylic paint

Paint brush

Yellow and green card stock

Assorted red and white buttons

Pencil

Instructions –

1.  Fold tabs areas of the house back and trace the outline of the house on the back side of the stripe fabric with a pencil. Cut out adding 1/4″ all the way around the house outline.

2.  Lay the fabric right side  down and glue the house to the back side of the fabric.   Cut an X in the window and door areas, cutting from corner to corner.  Fold the pieces back and glue to the back side of the house.  Fold edges around the house back and glue to the back of the house.  Cut pieces for the door and windows from the card stock and glue to the back side of the house. Fold house and glue together following instructions with the die.

3.  Fold batting in half and cut a piece of batting the width of the roof and adding 1/2″ to the depth.  Lightly glue the batting together between the layers.  Align raw edges of the batting to the back edge so that the fold is over the front edge of the roof.  Glue the batting to the roof.  Put a line of glue on the front edge of the roof and press the batting over the edge. Glue the window and door frames in place.

4.  Paint the roof and door of the small house red and paint red dots on the front. Paint the fence red. Fold house together and glue on the roof. Glue the small house to the larger house, overlapping by 1/3″. Glue buttons to house. Glue fence to attach to house.

Please click on the Sizzix badge in the sidebar to visit the other blogs in the blog hop.  You will see some fabulous houses!

Phyllis

Decoupaging Red Poppies to Embellish a Table

Does a crafter/artist/quilter/sewer ever get away from creating? Even if you are away from all your stashes of products, the mind is still buzzing away on new ideas and projects to work on.

A few weeks ago, I was  work-cationing (working while on vacation, with emphasis on working).  My friend Brenda Pinnick visited for a few days, which lead our brainstorming on craft projects we loved creating. Since we didn’t have our product stashes with us, we visited local craft stores to pick up a few suppies.

We detoured by Tuesday Morning were we found a fabulous selection of paper napkins.  Hummmmm, there are so many uses for paper napkins other than the normal wiping of hands and decoupaging heads the list.  After buying a bottle of Mod Podge, we were set.

I have previously painted the legs of this coffee table a light apple green and thought the top would look great with flowers. My napkin selection included a package of red poppy shaped napkins, perfect for my project.

First, I cut the flowers and  arranged 5 down the center of the table. I painted Mod Podge to the back of the flowers to glue them to the table. After the flowers dried on the table, I added several coats of Mod Podge to the top to seal the flowers, allowing drying time between each coat of Mod Podge.

After the Mod Podge dried, I painted a leaf to each flower.

Since red poppies have always been one of my favorite flowers, I’m excited that I can enjoy them on the table for years to come.

Look around and if you have a table or other items that has gotten stale, think decoupage with fun prints.

Have a great craft day,

Phyllis

Sew a Pumpkin Placemat!

Halloween is almost here – next weekend!  I love pumpkins – they represent Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Plus they are so delicious to eat in great desserts.  You can make this easy Pumpkin placemat in time for Halloween.  This free pattern will serve double duty as you can use it for a Thanksgiving table setting – just leave off the buttons.

Click to download the free pattern and instructions and start sewing.  All you need is the background fabric, orange fabric, green bias tape, baby rick rack, fusible web and if you are making it for Halloween, buttons.

I wish you a fun Halloween! My husband will be handing out our candy since I will be in Houston for the International Quilt Market.

Happy sewing!

Phyllis

Terrorific Tuesday – Week 2 of Halloween DIY Crafts

terrorific tuesday 2010 week 2

Silvia Chenault turns a toy bat into an instant neckpiece (but will it bite your neck?)

Phyllis Dobbs shows us how to recycle a t-shirt into a really cool Halloween trick-or-treat bag!

Kate Pullen brews up adorable Paper Cone Witches!

Messy Missy makes a super spooky wreath with Duct tape!

Avalon Potter goes glam with her Halloween Masquerade Ball mask!

Patty Cappelluti goes bat crazy making this spooky bat door decoration!

Crafterella is a ghoul gone wild in her Ghoul Scout Costume. Download the custom patches she made for her costume!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner upcycles a Starbucks bottle into a swell Halloween vase!

Cheryl Ball delights us with yummy candy corn cupcakes!

Pattiewack upcycles an apple tray into a festive cupcake carrier. So inexpensive and easy!

Ann Butler crafts up a boo-tiful holder for your ATCs complete with a black cat!

Glory whips up a super fun and healthy pumpkin-inspired muffin meal for her kids. Love it!

Crafty Chica makes the perfect mask to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.

Maya in the Moment has some face painting fun with her little cousin and of course, hilarity ensues!

Eileen Hull has a ghostly good time creating this cute diecut necklace!

That’s it for this week! If you are interested in playing in the fun Terrorific Tuesday roundup, e-mail Alexa at swelldesigner (at) gmail (dot) com and she’ll send you the details!

Repurpose (recycle) a tee shirt into a Halloween Treat Bag

Repurpose one of your old tee shirts into a fun Halloween Trick-or-Treat bag for the kids (or for yourself to carry around for Halloween).  

To make this easy tote bag for Halloween, all you need is the following supplies –

Black long sleeve tee shirt

Green fabric paint (great if you use glow-in-the-dark paint)

2 pieces of green ribbon

Green rattail cording

Small orange buttons

2 large orange buttons

1 large orange decorative button brad

2 small yellow buttons

1 large yellow button

1/3″ wide orange ribbon

Needle and thread or glue

Piece of cardboard

Scissors

Instructions:

Lay tee shirt flat and cut the top of the tee shirt off above the top edge of the sleeves.  The cutting line is marked on the tee shirt below.

Fold the top of the tee shirt down over the front so that the bottom of the arm hole for the sleeve is at the top and the folded piece forms a flap.

Place the piece of cardboard between the 2 layers of the tee shirt and under where you will paint. Paint a pumpkin on the front of the tee shirt below the folded over edge and 2 to 3 inches above the bottom edge.

Sew the bottom front and back of the tee shirt together, sewing the seam 1 1/4″ above the bottom edge. Twist the sleeves and over lap the cuff edges by 1″ and sew together. Cut the bottom edge below the seam to form fringe.

Sew the end of the orange ribbon to the base of one sleeve “strap” and wrap around the strap until you reach the other end, cut the ribbon and sew the ribbon end to the strap. Fold 2 different lengths of ribbon together and stitch the fold to the tee shirt centered above the pumpkin.  Arrange the green rattail cording and sew loosely to the shirt as shown.  Glue or sew the orange brad on top of the ribbon at the fold.

Sew or glue buttons – 2 small yellow buttons in the eyes, 2 large orange buttons in the bottom corners, the yellow button centered on the folded over teeshirt area, and a row of small orange buttons to the edge of the fold over.

I hope you enjoy this project!  Be creative and paint a skull or any other Halloween design or use a different color shirt – let your imagination fly or enlist the help of the kids.  Your trick or treaters will love carrying this bag.

Phyllis

Terrorific Tuesday – Halloween DIY projects for each week!

terrorific tuesday 2010 week 1

Kate Pullen shares 3 cute digital stamps Free cute spider digital stamps.

Phyllis Dobbs makes an easy Halloween Decopauge Pumpkin Treat Basket.

Jenna Excell shares her super cute and spooky Bones Halloween Apron.

Korinne Zimmerman a.k.a. Crafterella makes a wonderful spray bleach shirt using an adorable Moon Owl Stencil.

Glory’s Mischief haunts her house with her Faux Cats in window.

Ann Butler makes this boo-tiful Reverse Collage Decopauge Jack-o-Lantern.

Eileen Hull tucks away Halloween cards in this fun Sizzix ScoreBoard notebook pocket.

Silvia Chenault and Patty Cappelluti share two super spooky projects on Silvia’s blog: Vampire Art and Creepy Mirrors!

Pattiewack shows you how to make this cute and Wicked Pillow.

Messy Missy brings the LOLs with her Mean Kitteh.

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner whips up a Cute Candy Corn CD Cupcake Stand .

Kathy Murillo a.k.a. Crafty Chica delights us with glittery Skull Bookmarks.

That’s it for this week! If you are interested in playing in Swelldesigner’s Terrorific Tuesday roundup, e-mail her at swelldesigner (at) gmail (dot) com and she’ll send you the details!

Halloween Craft – Decoupaged Pumpkin Treat Basket

Make an easy Halloween Basket to hold candy for trick-or-treaters.  All is takes is a basket to decorate (I found this one at Goodwill for $1) and a few supplies.

The pumpkin was created with a paper napkin torn into pieces then decoupaged with Mod Podge.

Supplies –

Basket

Mod Podge

Assorted orange and black buttons

Green Paint (Plaid Folk Art)

Paper Napkin or other orange pattern paper

Paint brushes

I found these gorgeous paper napkins at Tuesday Morning.  They are the perfect colors for Halloween and the fall season.

After drawing pumpkin shape on the basket, I tore the napkins into assorted sizes and shapes, with curved edges on some to loosely fit the curved edge of the pumpkin. Then I applied Mod Podge with a brush to the basket inside the pumpkin area, a section at a time.  I added the pieces of torn napkin on to the area with the Mod Podge, overlapping pieces and fitting the curved edges along the outside edge of the pumpkin.

After filing the pumpkin and I keep adding the paper pieces so that there were 2 layers of paper for the pumpkin.

When all the napkin pieces were in place, I applied a final coat of Mod Podge on the top of the pumpkin to seal the paper.

After the pumpkin dried, I painted the stem and vine as well as around the rim of the basket.  I glued buttons for eyes with smaller round black buttons on larger orange buttons.  A black button was used for the nose and a row of small orange buttons for the mouth.  A large orange button was glued in the top corners.

I wish you a boo-dashious Halloween.  Please check back – I’m working on several more crafty and sewing items for Halloween!

Phyllis