Never too early challenge…

No one typically thinks of winter in the summertime but it’s the best time of all to get an early start on Christmas and holiday projects…

I love a Christmas table, filled with sparkle, so I decided to make some Christmas bauble placemats, using some gorgeous Christmas fabrics including Holly berries and Snowflake

Cute Christmas baubles you can personalize

These placemats are a perfect size for you dinner plate, and can be personalised for that extra special touch at Christmas.

I’ve used some vibrant Auriful thread, the green is 1114 and the purple is 2545 to add the wording details

Each place-mat has Vliseline Thermolam wadding inside, to give it some stability and form, with hand sewn binding, using Aurifil thread and Clover sharps black gold needles.

All finished off with a sparkly silver ribbon and bow, all I need now is the crackers and the Yorkshire puddings

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet?

Michelle x

Inspiring Placemats…

What better way to begin each day, then by setting the breakfast table with this set of inspiring placemats…

Believe, Courage, Forgive and Dream

This months Island Batik challenge was to make a set of four placemats, measuring 12″ x 18″

I used the new fabric collection ’Melody’ designed by Claudia Pfeil of Claudia Pfeil Designs for Island Batik, which i received in my first Island Batik Ambassador boxes of 2021.

To see the other amazing fabrics and products inside this years ambassador boxes, click the link below

https://wordpress.com/post/creativeblondeblog.wordpress.com/7859

Along with beautiful Aurifil thread and Hobbs wool blend batting

Download my pattern by heading to the pattern page on the home screen or clicking the link below.

https://wordpress.com/page/creativeblondeblog.wordpress.com/7758

Here is a list of this years Island Batik Ambassadors, be sure to head over to their blogs, to see all the stunning placemats created this month.

Megan Best ~ Bestquilter

Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts

Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio

Jennifer Eubank ~ Archipelago Quilting

Jennifer Fulton ~ The Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts

Joanne Hart ~ Unicorn Harts

Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts

Jane Hauprich – Stitch By Stitch Custom

QuiltingConnie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood

Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese

Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights

Sally Manke ~ Sally Manke, Fiber Artist

Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia

Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads

Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky

Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde that’s me!

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail

Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts

Jennifer Thomas ~ CurliCue Creations

Suzy Webster ~ WebsterQuilt

Janet Yamamoto ~ Whispers of Yore

qrf

Follow me here on my blog, and share with friends, you can also find/tag me on Instagram and Facebook with your makes.

‘Do what makes your heart smile’
Happy Sewing

Michelle

Christmas RAPPing… plus Giveaway

Christmas… are you for real, its not even the middle of May!! Stick with me though, you are going to like this post, plus there is a giveaway which shouldn’t be missed – be in with a chance of winning 9 Island Batik FQ’s and 3 Aurifil spools of thread to 2 lucky winner…

So why Christmas… its Margaret Willingham and Nan Baker new book of course, a book packed full of beautiful Reverse Applique & Paper Piecing projects

“The patterns in this book reflect the individual styles of both Nan and Margaret blended together to create gorgeous quilts for the Christmas season celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Some are very elegant while others are whimsical. The 20 +projects vary in size from table runners to wall hangings to full size quilts and even Christmas tree decorations.

 

There are multiple quilt size options and alternative color variations. Because they could be for all seasons! The variety of designs all include the unique Star patterns found throughout the book. Two projects,Christmas is Coming and Miracle at the Manger,are interactive quilts that help children, young and old, countdown to Christmas Day with excited anticipation! There is something for everyone.

 

All the designs feature Reverse Applique by hand or machine and Paper Piecing so quilters can learn new techniques using the book’s easier, more streamlined methods. Great for quilters to develop and grow their skills, and great for classes in shops. We hope that quilters of all abilities will enjoy making these gorgeous quilts to celebrate the Christmas season,and that they will become Christmas favorites and family heirlooms”

The book is available to purchase NOW!!

I made my block using some Island Batik pieces I had in my stash, its a 12″ x 12″ block using Paper Piecing – perfect for some Christmas place mats

 

Quilted using the luscious Vlieseline Cotton batting

 

 

Now before I go I must tell you about the giveaway being hosted by Margaret and Nan

 

–} Enter Here {–

 

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers taking part in this blog hop

• April 29 – Joan Kawano, Moosestash Quilting
• April 30 – Linda Pearl, One Quilting Circle
• May 1 – KathyBruckman, Kathy’s Kwilts and More
• May 2 – Bea Lee, Beaquilter
• May 3 – Sherry Shish, Powered by Quilting
• May 4 – Jennifer Strauser, Dizzy Quilter
• May 5 – Barbara Gaddy, Bejeweled Quilts
• May 6 – Nancy Myers, Patchwork Breeze
• May 7 – Vicki Schlimmer, Vicki’s Crafts and Quilts
• May 8 – Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
• May 9 – Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde
• May 10 – Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
• May 11 – Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
• May 12 – Maria Hrabovsky, Maria Michaels Design

 

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Check out my Instagram and Facebook page @creativeblonde66

~Michelle~

x creativeblonde x

Christmas place-mats

Christmas place-mats using beautiful fabrics from the Dear Stella range – Christmas Darlings, available now at Olive and Flo.

Check out my free PDF pattern here…

Christmas Mat Tutorial

These fabrics are beautiful, and so lovely to work with.

A beautiful place-mat for your Christmas table, perfect for a batch of warm mince pies – yum!!

Now available to buy

Christmas place-mats for your pets

When i was asked to make something chrismassy using the fabulous new range of Christmas fabrics available from Olive and Flo, I couldn’t resist on making something pet related. When you see the fabrics you’ll know why… after all, the pets in our lives are special, and deserve a special place to have their Christmas dinner 🙂

Check out the adorable fabric here:

Dear Stella – Christmas Darlings – Christmas Dachshunds

Dear Stella – Christmas Darlings – Meowy Christmas

Dear Stella – Christmas Darlings – Kittens in Stockings

Dear Stella – Intermix – Hearts Tomato

With the love i have for applique, and blanket stitch, this project was really exciting…

Check out my placemats at the following links below, they are a Free print friendly pdf pattern.

Christmas Cat Mat Tutorial

Christmas dinner dog Mat Tutorial

 

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy making these as much as i did.

Follow me on facebook, instagram and here on my blog 🙂

x creativeblonde x

Tilda table runner, with matching tablemats…

The beautiful bumblebee Tilda fabric, is lovely to work with, here is my step by step tutorial on how I created a table runner with matching placemats.

Tilda bumblebee fabric – Placemat tutorial…

 

The gorgeous fabric…

Purchase your tilda bumblebee fabric from poppies and polka dots.

They sell a beautiful fat quarter bundle of tilda bumblebee yumminess.

Plus you will need a metre of kona snow white fabric.

(wash, dry and press all fabric before cutting)

 

Lets begin…

Take your fat quarter bundle of bumble bee fabric and cut the following pieces:

• garden bees ginger 15” x 12”
• garden bees ginger 12.5” x 3.3”
• flowers nest teal 21” x 2” (2 of these)
• flowers nest teal 18” x 2” (2 of these)

From your snow white kona fabric cut:

• 12.5” x 5”
• 12.5” x 8.5”

You will also need:

• Wadding measuring 16” x 13”
• Small piece of interlining for the petals (measuring 4” x 4”)
• 5 petals (3 from the cherry blossom pink fabric and 2 petals from the cherry blossom blue flower fabric)
• 6 EPP hexagons, and enough fabric from the flower nest pink fabric, rosa mollis teal fabric, and the rosa mollis linen fabric to make 2 of each

 

Start by sewing the narrowest white strip to the narrow orange panel, followed by the other white piece onto the other side of the orange panel, pressing your seams open, then using 505 adhesive basting spray, create your quilt sandwich, with this piece on top, then the wadding, and finally the large orange piece as the backing fabric – see photo.

Make up your 6 EPP hexies and sew them together in a long strip, these can now be temporarily basted to the quilt in place.

Next take your fusible interlining and iron to the wrong side of the fabric you are using to create the petals, cut the petals out and baste them also in place on your placemat. Using a blanket stitch, sew around each petal leaf.

 

Sew through all the layers of your quilted placemat along the edges of your hexies, and also down each edge of the orange panel, this will make sure the wadding stays in place – see photo

 

Free motion quilting

Drop your feed dog and attach your quilting foot. Mark out where you want to draw your pattern using a removable marker, I chose a white thread, to give it a delicate feel. Once completed, remove any pen marks.

 

The reverse is kept soft and delicate, when a white bobbin thread is used

 

Attaching the binding…

Sew the long blue strips, right sides together on the reverse of the placemat, making sure each strip is evenly placed, with equal overlap at each end. Press and turn placemat over, to make life easier I then press my raw edge over, then using a whip stitch, sew your binding in place using a white top thread cotton.

 

 

 To make more of these using your tilda bumblebee fat quarters, simply swap out the orange backing fabric and the orange panel and replace with another fat quarter.

 

Makes a lovely gift, check out my tilda table runner tutorial, and create the matching set. Here is  a print friendly link for this tutorial.

tilda placemat

Thanks for reading, follow me on Instagram