Our special alphabet

This is a special alphabet I found somewhere on the net. I think anyone who loves sewing, quilting or stitching will love it.
I surely did.

Happy Halloween

To all my friends. I Wish a Happy Halloween.
May this be a first of many posts after such a long absence.

Happy Easter !!!

I wish all my friends a Happy Easter.
 I love crafts and I love cooking so this year I decided to make some treats for Easter Sunday. I made a strawberry and cream sponge cake, with three layers.

I know it looks a little crooked but I assure you it tasted delicious.

For tea I made a "Folar", it's a kind to sweet bread with cinnamon and  ground fennel. It's a tradicional  Easter cake.

HAPPY EASTER!

Some sewing and some Decoupage

I received a new bag as a Xmas present so I needed to make a bag organizer to put inside it. As i love big bags I had to make a XL organizer

 There are four inside  large pockets and a little one to put my pen.
Outside there are three pockets. I think they are enough to put all my stuff.

 I love crafts. Not only sewing and quilting but  also love decorative arts and crafts. So this Christmas I made some wooden boxes to use as presents to my friends. They are painted and decorated with decoupage technique. I used both paper and fabric .

 My ribbons were very useful in the final touches

 This Xmas fabric is wonderful

 Until the next box.....

Story of our lives! Will it be different this year?

I found this in my facebook and couldn't resist to share it with all my friends. Doesn't it happen to you too?

Happy New Year!!!

Merry X'mas to all my friends all over the world

My watercress cake!!!

I love baking and this afternoon I tried this recipe for the first time.
Watercress cake. Yes , you are reading right, it's a green and delicious watercress cake.

A very easy recipe and the cake is really good.

Robert Kaufman sale at Fat Quarter Shop

 Hi everyone, 

I just want to let you know that Fat Quarter Shop is having a fantastic sale

20% OFF ALL ROBERT KAUFMAN FABRICS with coupon code: RK2014

This includes Kona,  Ann Kelle, Carolyn Friedlander, Darlene Zimmerman, and Many more!

This offer starts TODAY, September 22^nd until SUNDAY, September 28^th  at 11:59 PM CST

Don't miss it!!!

More sewing 4 home

Last month my bathroom went through e renovation and I needed some new accessories to match the new tiles and floor.

 First , I needed to make a padded cover to my stool

 I had some leftover fabric that was right what I wanted.

 Made an envelope cover, so i can easily wash it and sew some fabric cords to tie the cover to the seat legs

 I used some foam to put inside the cover

 And here it is. My new WC seat.

 With the little bit of fabric remaining I decided to make a top for my drawer cabinet

 I followed the black lines to do my quilting

 and I instantly transformed my new bathroom

I think it looks very nice, don't you?

I love quilting because...and a big challenge

Hi, September is National Sewing & Quilting Month. I decided to join Fat Quarter Shop and celebrate this month with all my blogger friends.
They invited bloggers to share their stories and to make a new project they had never tried before.
They also asked me to finish the sentence I love quilting because...

Yes, quilting is my therapy, it always makes me feel better even when things aren't at its best.

  When it comes to creative sewing and quilting, I’ve just about done it all.  But, I will say that working with something other than quilting cotton is definitely outside of my comfort zone.  The challenge I gave myself was to make  a piece of clothing.  I've always been very afraid to make clothes but this time I gave it a try.  Well, I’m so glad I did!   So that was also my challenge, to make a Kimono out of a rectangular piece of fabric.  Here is my first attempt sewing a garment.

Also to celebrate the National Sewing and Quilting month, Fat Quarter Shop also released a new and totally Free quilt project. It's called Color of my Heart Quilt Pattern

Unfortunately I hadn't enough time to make mine and show it to you on this post but I will make it, that's for sure.
Thank you Fat quarter Shop for this opportunity to participate and show my love for sewing and quilting!

I'm late, I'm late....

This last month was a real roller coaster. I visited my daughter in London, she recently moved into a new apartment and I went there to help her.
Then, she had to come back to Portugal in a hurry because she received a call from a portuguese hospital in order to be present for a job interview.
last September1st, I started a new job. The private school I worked in closed doors for they hadn't enough children to pay the expenses.
Conclusion: I haven't been able to get much sewing done, only these two swap blocks. I have to post them very soon or my partner will think I totally forgot.

Two friendship stars ready to go.

I love quilting because...

Hello my dear blogger friends.  Today is September 1st and it's officially National Sewing and Quilting Month.

Fat Quarter Shop is celebrating this special occasion with all their friends and costumers. They invited some bloggers to make a project they had never done before. I accepted the challenge  at once, of course!

I'll be making some accessories to my new bathroom and I will try to make a Kimono sweater out of a scarf ( don't miss it, it will be my first attempt sewing garments).

Not only that but FQS also created a wonderful quilt pattern, it's called Color My Heart and is absolutely free. you can find the pattern and instructions HERE.

 I'm sure you will love it as much I as do. It's a fun project and very easy too. All you need is a bunch of 5 inches squares. Quilting as been my way to escape all the bad things that happen in my life, it really makes my heart smile while I make things to give my friends and family. Make this great pattern and you're heart will be smiling too.

Coffe Koozie Tutorial by Fat Quarter Shop

I'm not a big fan of coffee but I love a nice cup of tea and Starbuck's hot chocolate makes me fell so good!!!
In order to prevent slippery cups from falling down or burnt hands  from hot cups, this Coffee koozie is just wonderful.

It's very easy to make and you can use your scraps. I used a mini charm pack, Double Chocolate from Moda fabrics.

It can be made in a breeze, sew the squares together, use some left over fabric for the back and if you want to be on the safe side ,you can use  either a thick ou a double layer batting. Afterwards, quilt it as you like. I used a decorative stitch along the seams.

Then, just use the pattern from Fat Quarter Shop, click HERE in order to find it. If you have any doubts you can always check the great You Tube video that  Fat Quarter Shop made.

Et Voilá! A beautiful Coffee Koozie to use everywhere, to offer to a friend

or just to enjoy while you're drinking your favorite beverage.

Riley Blake sale at Fat Quarter Shop

Fat Quarter Shop is having a great sale, all Riley blake fabrics are 20% off until August 14th.
Hurry up or you will miss this great opportunity!

Finished!!!...almost

The table topper I made for my daughter's new apartment is finished. Well is almost finished. I still have to sew  and lock all the loose threads.

Instead of a hand sewn binding I used another technique and sew my biding on the right side with a decorative machine stitch. It's a very quick way to sew the biding and the final result is quite good.

To quilt the border I first made some free hand designs with a water soluble pen and then free motion quilted it following the lines as accurately as possible.

Moving forward

I'm back in business.
My daughter is moving into a new apartment next week. She and her boyfriend are moving to a small apartment in the hospital residence. they won't have to share it with no one else, YEAH!
So I had to make some stuff to help her decorate it.

A table top ready to be quilted

I had to stop my FMQ last year due to an elbow tendinitis, but today I got adventurous and tried it again

 As you can see I'm a bit pout of practice but I think my daughter won't mind

I'm half way through.