Thanks.....

I just wanted to thank everyone for your kind comments on the scrappy cards. They are great fun to make, and once you get your shapes cut out, the whole process goes very quickly.

We have been out of town over the weekend, so I am trying to play catch up on my google reader. I don't want to miss out on any of the wonderfully creative things that you gals share. I will tell you about our trip later in the week. I always love to share about the treasures we find. We were on a search and rescue mission :-)

Happy Quilting!

Scrappy cards #2

After I have pressed my shapes onto the pieced fabric and cut them out, I then audition which color card stock I will use. You can use a premade blank card, available at craft stores and Walmart, or you can use regular card stock. I happen to have pre cut cardstock which I bought at Hollo's Stationery store in Ohio.




It is really fun to move the shapes around and see what they look like with a different colored background.


Again, following HeatnBond instructions, remove the paper piece on the back of your fabric shape.



 Position your shape onto the cardstock.
Be sure to cover your fabric shape with a pressing cloth. Here I am using a synthetic type cloth that is used for applique.
Press with a dry iron according to the HeatnBond instructions.








Now for a finishing touch, I take my Perma Pen and draw little dash marks to resemble stitching.


Your fabric card is now ready.


Here are a couple of fabric cards I have made.

And a sampling of the Christmas cards I sent last year. I made over 40 cards that were mailed all across the US and also Australia.

I hope this has been as much fun for you as it has been for me. I'd love to hear any comments you may have.

Scrappy card

Last year I was part of a Christmas card exchange with a group of quilters from all over the US and Australia. I wanted to do something related to quilting for my Christmas card. I do not know how to make the cards where you cut out the center and sew the fabric onto the cardstock. This was the method that I came up with for making a fabric card.

I use lots of different fabric scraps and snippets. First thing to do is iron all the little pieces.


Take all the pieces to the sewing machine.


Start sewing pieces and strips together. You can use as many different ones as you like. This is a great way to use up some of those little pieces of fabric that you just can't throw away.

It's sometimes easier to use my little wooden presser, or just the iron, whichever is handy. I do sometimes try to press the seams open, but there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rule that I apply.


I keep sewing pieces until I have a fairly nice size to work with.

Next I draw my pattern. I really like how the heart turns out.

It was easy to find a nice shape heart in one of my quilting books, but you could make your own by folding a piece of paper in half and drawing 1/2 of a heart. You can also do a funky heart, or a star, or wherever your imagination takes you. Copy or trace your pattern onto HeatnBond (I like the ultrahold) on the smooth side. It is easy to copy several patterns and then cut them out. Seems to save time and materials.

I position my shape on the sewn piece of fabric.

It is VERY important that you position your pattern to the wrong side of the fabric.

Press the pattern onto the fabric following the instructions from HeatnBond.

Here you see two different heart patterns that have been pressed.

Now cut them out and turn them over. Voila! Patchwork hearts!


As this post is getting long, I will continue tomorrow and show you how I finish my fabric card.

Scraps and snippets

See this pile of scraps?


Tomorrow I want to show you what I do with my scraps and snippets.

Have a happy quilting day!

Birthday pleasures

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday. I thought I would share a few of my gifts.

A friend of mine made a plastic bag holder for me. I was really needing one to handle the bags that were multiplying in the cupboard. Only a quilter would make a plastic bag holder out of toile. I love it!

A new friend, who lives way up in Wisconsin, sent this to me.





She made this from a beautiful saucer and candlestick. I have seen a few of these around, and think they are such a clever way of using a piece of beautiful china that has lost it's mate. Great for candy or a candle, or whatever your hearts desire.











My youngest son ordered this online and had it sent to me. Isn't it just the prettiest little picture? I love Sandy Lynam Clough's artwork, and this one has the Bible verse from Proverbs 31:28.
Great job for a teen, huh?

My oldest son took me out to dinner and then handed me an envelope with a lovely card. Inside the card was this -


The gift that keeps on giving. Need I say more?

In the Garden

Isn't there something just so sweet and tender about a rose in your garden?

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses,


And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.


And he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own,


And the joy we share as we tarry there,


None other has ever known.
"In the Garden" C. Austin Miles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As we meet and touch, each day,
The many travellers on our way,
Let every such brief contact be
A glorious, helpful ministry;
The contact of the soil and seed,
Each giving to the other's need,
Each helping on the other's best,
And blessing, each, as well as blest.
~ S. Coolidge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm A Fan

Wow! What a pleasant surprise from Two Succulent Sisters. They gave me a PINK Fan Award. It is my very first award and I am so pleased it came from them. I just never expected to see the Happy Cottage Quilter on the list of friends they selected. I read many of the other blogs they selected and I feel a little unworthy of being in their company. I have so enjoyed writing about my little corner of the world, and having someone actually read what I write makes it even more special. Thanks Linda. Thanks bloggers! This fan belongs to you! Because without you, there wouldn't be a blog.

Love the pink fan :-)