FEATURED – Page 28

Noel Mini Quilt

December 17, 2015 by Amanda 1 Comment

Hello, my name is Amanda and I am addicted to gingerbread cookies and Christmas sewing! I love this time of year!!! It’s so happy and magical and joyful! I can’t stop listening to Christmas music, baking cookies, or sewing with this Little Joys Fabric from Penny Rose! I created this little quilt pattern using Therm o Web’s EZ print sheets. All you have to do is print the applique pieces from your computer and you’re already on your way to making this quilt!

Mufasa was very helpful in the creation of this quilt as you can see.The pattern is over on the Therm O Web blog today! Hop on over to download the pattern and get the cutting instructions!!

This quilt is perfect to hang on a wall, put on a table, or give as a gift to someone special.

Because most of this quilt is applique, I didn’t want the applique pieces to puff out from the quilt so I quilted over the entire top.

Merry Christmas!!

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, Penny Rose Fabrics, Therm O Web

Santa’s Little Helper Quilt

December 12, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

Hey good lookin’! Whatcha got cookin’? How ’bout cookin’ somethin’ up for me!

I’m so excited to be participating in Riley Blake’s Stitchin’ Kitchen blog tour! Thanks for stopping by and welcome to my little corner of blog land!!! I’m a Southern California mom who loves cats, quilting and sewing!! You can follow Mufasa and I and our sewing antics on Instagram @jedicraftgirl.

I love sewing at Christmas time and I am loving all the amazing projects everyone is creating as part of the Riley Blake Stitchin’ Kitchen Blog Tour! I created this fun little throw quilt with inspiration from our elf, Ritchie. My kids love our Elf and they love writing him little notes. This special Santa’s Little Helper Quilt has a pocket on the back of the quilt for children to leave notes for their elf and for the elf to leave notes in response. It’s a magical quilt and it was created with a little help from some magical elf friends!

Let’s get cookin’! All fabrics are from the Santa Express fabric line.

Recipe yields 1 quilt 32″ x 42″

1/4 ” seam allowances

Ingredients

1/4 yard each: blue santa, green snowflake, reindeer, and stripe fabrics for strips

1/3 yard solid white for pinwheels

1/3 yard Riley Blake Basics prints in red

1/4 yard for pocket

1 1/2 yard backing

batting

1/2 yard binding

a sprinkle of elf magic

Directions

Preheat your television to play your favorite Christmas movies while you are bakin’ up this project!

Begin by cutting the red basics and the solid white fabrics into 4 1/2″ squares. You will need 20 of each.

Using a sprinkling of elf magic use the directions below to create some magical half square triangles.

It’s almost like magic how the half square triangles appear! Make sure to cut off the little “dog ears” of the pinwheels.Pressing the seams open helps the pinwheel lay flat.

Once you have pinwheel blocks constructed (dry ingredients) you can now add them to the side strips (wet ingredients).

Sewing blocks with partial seems also seems a little magical! Lay the 20 blocks out and sew them together in rows. Pressing seams alternately and pinning at intersections.

Quilt as desired 🙂 Add binding.To make the little envelope for the back, follow the instructions below:

Hand stitch the envelope on the back of the quilt as you would hand applique a quilt label or applique piece.

I just love this little pocket! You could use this same idea for a tooth fairy quilt!!

With the quilt all finished, it’s time to enjoy some homemade gingerbread cookies! These are my family’s favorite! We’ve been making this recipe every year since I was in Kindergarten!

They are so spicy and yummy and your house will smell delightful!!!

Be sure to follow along with our Stitch ‘n Kitchen blog tour for holiday project tutorials and favorite recipes!

12/1 – Riley Blake Designs

12/2 – Simple Simon

12/3 – Mode de Lis

12/4 – One Little Pooh

12/5 – A Bright Corner

12/7 – Quiltscapes

12/8 – Life After Laundry

12/9 – Crafting Chicks

12/10 – Melly Sews

12/11 – Choo Choo Skadoo

12/12 – Jedi Craft Girl

12/14 – Polka Dot Chair

12/15 – Sew Like My Mom

12/16 – Sugar Bee Crafts

12/17 – Fort Worth Fabric Studio

12/18 – Messy Jesse

12/19 – Leigh Laurel Studios

12/21 – The Happy Housie

12/22 – The Flannel Queen

12/23 – Riley Blake Designs

12/24 – Riley Blake Designs

12/25 – Riley Blake Designs

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, quilt, Riley Blake

Christmas Cat Sweater

December 7, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

I don’t know if I’ve ever posted about an item of clothing that I didn’t sew but I am so in love with my new Christmas sweater that I had to post a few pictures! The sweater has cats all over it and bells all over it and bows all over it! I JINGLE when I walk!! I got the sweater from Tipsy Elves .com. I saw them in an episode of Shark Tank – their sweaters are amazing and they even had several cat themed sweaters to choose from! I wore it to our church Christmas party and i attracted a lot of attention 🙂

I’m not one for a lot of pictures of myself – but if I’m wearing a cat sweater it’s all right!! It was very difficult to get a picture with Mufasa – he was pushing away from me as I was trying to hug him – he ended up snagging the sweater 🙁 I can’t help but smile when I see this sweater! I wish it wasn’t 80 degrees today so I could wear it!

Filed Under: cat, Christmas, FEATURED

12 Days of Meow-y Christmas {Day 6} Gingerbread Cookie Cats

December 6, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

Today I’m taking a little break from the sewing machine and enjoying my FAVORITE gingerbread cookies – shaped like cats! This recipe has been our family’s favorite since I was in Kindergarten! It is super easy but the most flavorful gingerbread recipe you will ever have. I just brought them to our church Christmas party and a few people were fighting over them 🙂

Amanda’s Famous Gingerbread Cookies

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup water

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp + cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses. Next beat in the water. (it will look a little weird)

In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.

On a floured surface roll out the dough 1/4″ thick and cut with cookie cutters. If the dough seems a little sticky, just add more flour as you are rolling out.

Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Let cool. Dip in dipping chocolate or pipe with royal icing.

Gingerbread dipped in chocolate is one of the best flavor combinations in the whole world!!!I collect little vintage cats – they sit in my kitchen window and keep an eye on the baking! I didn’t want to cover up the detail on the cats, so I just dipped their heads in chocolate 🙂

Filed Under: cat, Christmas, FEATURED, Meowy Christmas, recipes

12 Days of Meow-y Christmas {Day 5} Kitten Softies

December 5, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

These cute cat softies are ones my mom made in the early 80’s. She is also a crazy cat lady, I think it is hereditary! These cute little kittens can sew up in a snap and look darling tucked in a Christmas tree. Download the pattern HERE. I think I will make some in some updated fabrics! Every tree needs kitties in it!!!

I have a cat themed tree upstairs in the hallway. Don’t worry, there are plenty of cat ornaments on all my other trees!!!

I bought this Mufasa ornament when I was at the Farmers Market in New Jersey!OK, I may have bought 2 Mufasa ornaments 🙂

Just a sampling of some of my favorite cat ornaments I’ve collected 🙂

Filed Under: cat, Christmas, FEATURED, Meowy Christmas

Holly Jolly Jingle Bell Key Fobs

December 3, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

I whipped up a few of these Jingle Bell Key Fobs because it’s nice to jingle everywhere you go in December! They make fun gifts and I really do love having one on my key chain. If you would like the tutorial, click HERE.

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, gift, Therm O Web

12 Days of Meow-y Christmas {Day 1}

December 1, 2015 by Amanda 1 Comment

Hi, my name is Amanda and I am a crazy cat lady – there I said it!! There is something about Christmas and cats that it so much fun! Whether the cat is climbing the tree and batting ornaments around the house, clawing at the wrapping paper on the gifts, or drinking the milk for Santa, Christmas and Cats were made to go together! Each day December 1-12 we will have a Christmas Cat themed project for you to make! I say “we” because I have teamed up with some talented ladies for some feline fun! Tina from @emilyannskloset, Melissa from the Polka Dot Chair, Bev from Flamingo Toes, Tasha from a Little Sweetness, Kerri from Sew Dearly Loved, and Lucy from Lucy Blaire Handmade will be joining in the festivities!

Today I am showing you how to make these vintage inspired cat ornaments. I LOVE vintage prints especially if they involve cats. Let’s get started!

Supplies

Sizzix Mitten Die

Small Ric Rac

White fabric

Tinsel

Felt, 2 colors

Heat n Bond EZ Print Transfer Sheets

Spray n Bond

Ribbon

Bakers Twine

Begin by printing the cat images (click here to download) in REVERSE onto the Transfer Sheets.

Roughly cut out the image and place it face down onto white cotton fabric.

Place the pressing sheet over the image and press with a hot, dry iron for 20 seconds. (Read the instructions from the manufacturer just to be safe). Let cool completely and then peel off the backing paper. Cut out with scissors.

Mufasa my Kitty Helper was sleeping on the job!!! For the mittens, die cut the felt using the Sizzix mitten die.

You can die cut up to 4 at a time. You will need (2) mittens and (2) mitten tops per ornament.

Using Spray n Bond, spray the back of the kitty image and position on the top of one of the mittens. Spray the back of the small ric rac also, and position it around the kitty image. Start and stop the Ric Rac at the top of the image. The Spray n Bond keeps all the pieces firmly set so they don’t move during sewing. Sew on top of the ric rac.

Using the basting spray, spray the wrong side of one of the mittens and stick the 2 mittens together. Choose a decorative stitch and sew around the mitten. Start and stop at the top.

Spray the (2) white mitten tops with basting spray and position them on opposite sides of the mitten. Top stitch around the mitten top in white thread. Cut a piece of narrow tinsel by the yard and zig zag it along the mitten cuff.

Thread a piece of baking twine on a needle and add a loop at the top of the mitten. Hot glue a little bow at the top of the ric rac.

Hang on your vintage tree!!! These are so fun and easy to make! They would be purrrrfect tied on top of a gift, tied on a plate of cookies, or simply tucked into a Christmas card 🙂

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, Meowy Christmas, sizzix, Therm O Web

Winterberry Quilt

November 30, 2015 by Amanda 2 Comments

I visited my friend Tina in New Jersey this summer! We sewed for 5 straight days and this is one of the quilts we put together.

I just got it back from the quilter; just in time for December! The fabrics are called Winterberry by Moda. We choose this pattern called Modern Greek Cross. It is such a FUN pattern!

I’m used to sewing with Mufasa so I was so happy to have Roo’s company while we sewed.

The blocks are so much fun to put together!

All good kitty quilters must approve the quilt layout before sewing it together!

We sewed this together in August and December seemed so far away. How time files! The quilting turned out darling – she used an allover holly design. I love it!

Mufasa totally approves! I think it’s so cute that Roo helped make the quilt that Mufasa is sitting on! They are best friends and don’t even know it!

Filed Under: Christmas, FEATURED, quilt

Patchwork Acorns

November 10, 2015 by Amanda Leave a Comment

I’m sharing my Patchwork Acorn Potholder tutorial over on the Therm O Web Blog. You can download the pattern and read the instructions!!

These are cute to use as potholders or as decorations in the kitchen! I used a kitchen towel for the backing and the inside is fusible fleece.

I also used the same pattern for the acorn and appliqued it onto burlap for a quick fall pillow!

To make the pillow, use spray an bond basting spray to hold the acorn in place. Top stitch a few times around the acorn. Then sew a 1″ seam all the way around the pillow leaving an opening for stuffing. Stuff, then sew closed. Fray the edges of the burlap as desired.

Filed Under: appliqué, fall, FEATURED, Heat n Bond, Therm O Web

Throw a Star Wars Party {Beehive-Deacon Day}

October 28, 2015 by Amanda 1 Comment

We love Star Wars! (In case you were wondering, hahahahah!!!) I helped out with our Stake’s Beehive-Deacon Day and we choose a Star Wars Theme! It was super fun! Click HERE to download all the files pictured in this post.

When the kids arrived, we had them fill out these name tags. They wrote their “Earth Name” and then determined their “Jedi Name”

Then we asked them some silly questions involving numbers and pretended to do some hi-tech calculations to determine their Medi-Chlorian level. This is how we divided the youth into 3 groups.

We had 3 mini classes on friendship, social media, and etiquette. At the end all the youth ended up in the gym where we had a Star Wars Buffet. The main course was “Bantha Burgers” which was smoked pulled pork sandwiches.

The Sarlacc Cake was a hit! I made this Magic Swirl Bundt Cake recipe which is one of my favorite cake recipes. I call it the Dark Side vs. the Light Side cake. The chocolate and vanilla are battling it out!! I covered the entire cake in chocolate ganache and put graham cracker crumbs over top for the sand. I cut 2 graham crackers to look like a mouth and piped some white frosting for “teeth”.