Patchwork Chevron Pillow

Hello 2013!!

We've got 1 week left of Christmas holidays and we are making the most of it.  Don't get me wrong- we have have next to no PLANS- but we hope to fill our days with games, snow play, naps, good healthy food and lots of cuddles on the couch.

Now if you know me well enough - I'll also be doing some sewing/painting/knitting/tidying/organizing in my "free time."

Before I begin anything new around here, I wanted to show you a patchy pillow I made just before the Christmas season arrived.  

I follow Messy Jesse's blog and I adore all of her sewing projects.  So, when she posted this tutorial I knew I wanted to give it a try.

I chose this mix of quilting cottons so that my pillow would go with my blue and brown master bedroom.  

I had never made patched chevrons before, and being mathematically and spacially challenged, I had no idea how these half triangles would fit together to make zig-zags!! 

But sure enough, following the pictures in the tutorial, I was able to stitch them together into zigs and zags.

I quilted the patched top on my machine (far too impatient for hand-quilting these days!!) and stitched it into a pillow sham that fit perfectly onto a 20"x 20" pillow form I already owned.  

TA-DA!!

I am so pleased with myself.  Look - the corners are sharp and the lines match almost perfectly.  

And it nuzzles in amongst my bed pillows in a lovely sort of way....

I've some big plans for my master bedroom in the coming months.  It's time for new night stands, new lamps and some art for above the bed.  

And before I go here is an adorable pic of my oldest son enjoying some downtime on his DS.  I love how he can't part with his LEGO men even when he is playing a completely different game!!

Top Ten Posts of 2012

Another year comes to a close.  Wow - Time flies when you have 3 children, a home, a hubby and a full-time job!!  :)

As a quick little post during these busy post-Christmas-gotta-clean up-and-re-organize days, I have put together a post featuring my TOP TEN Posts of 2012.  

These were the posts that were viewed most by visitors like you!!

So,  in reverse order, here they are:

(Click on the title and you will taken directly to the original post.)

10.  Afton's Patchwok Pencil Case

  

9.  Pretty Pastel Mantel

8. We Built a Desk for $60!!

7.  Kitchen Christmas

6. A Felt Snowflake Pillow

5.  Freshening Up the Porch

4.  One Chair - 3 Generations

3.  Nana's Sign

2.  Mom's Lemon Tea Loaf

1.  We Met, We Married, We Live, We Love

Thanks to all who popped by here on a regular basis.  I enjoyed reading every comment I received this year.  

Please come back soon and often.  I have LOTS of marvelous projects churning around in my mind and I can't wait to share them with you all!!

Here's to a smashing 2013!!

Hugs,

B.  

Merry & Happy

From my family to yours,

wishing you the very best of the season.

Warmth and love to all,

Bronwyn 

Peppermint Kiss Cookies and Crochet...

Hurray! The holidays have begun!  We started them today with some family baking.  

We used this recipe and got started!!

How many cookies  can we make?  Well, how many kisses do we have??

(Camden was so proud that he could count them all !!)

Out comes my favourite kitchen machine....

I scooped the dough using a small ice cream scoop.  That way each ball is the same size - about 1" across.  

They look like "chocolately snowballs" according to our daughter, Afton.  

Mommy did this part because the cookie sheet is SO hot!!

Let them cool and ENJOY! And that is exactly what we did.  

While the cookies baked I sat in my comfiest chair wrapped in a cozy blanket and did some Christmas crocheting.  

Holidays really are PURE BLISS!!!

Hugs,

B.  

Our Own Choir of Angels

Cathy, one of the women who teaches at the same school as I, is part of a charity that helps run an orphanage and school in Kenya.  She was sending out her thank-you cards to her many donors and wanted to enclose an angel tree ornament in each card.  She had purchased some, but needed several more.  Knowing I was "crafty," she called and asked if I could put together a few angels that were flat and small and  light enough to travel in the  mail.  Of course I agreed to help and within minutes I had an idea about how I was going to make them.  

Flat and light?? I figured paper was the best material to use.  

Now-  I needed to make several of these angels.  How can I cut them quickly and easily??

Paper punches!!

I made a few prototypes out of plain white cardstock. Once I was  happy with the construction, my daughter and I headed to Michaels to buy some pretty, sparkly paper that would be perfect for angels!

Here is the "how-to:"

Materials Needed:

3 hearts (for wings and skirt)

Small white circle for body

Small flesh-toned circle  for head

Half of a scalloped circle for collar

Silver or gold lacing for halo

Ink for edging the paper shapes

Chalks/inks/ pastels to add rosy cheeks

Black pen for eyes

Glue gun

To Assemble:

1. Edge hearts and collar with ink.

2. Glue skirt to body.

3.  Glue wings to body on top of skirt.

4.  Glue on collar.

5. Add "rosiness" to the cheek area of the head.  Draw on eyes.

6.  Glue a small piece of lacing on for halo.  I glued in at the back and on her "forehead" to hold it in place.  

Now isn't she sweet?

And look at her with all of her friends!!

Each one turned out slightly different because I varied the cardstock I used.  Some pieces were cut from glittery white cardstock, some from shimmery white or  shimmery grey and some from paper printed with a faint paisley design.  

A few of these heavenly  ladies landed on the Christmas tree and another joined the glittery baubles in the living room.  

And several more became a garland that hangs across the kids' well-used chalkboard. 

Don't worry- my friend Cathy received her half-dozen angels, too.  And she loved them! 

I'll be back soon,

B.  

A Christmas Quilt

Wow!  December 16th already!! Less than 10 days til the BIG day.

  Actually - we are trying not to make it all about the 25th. After all, so much festive fun can and will happen before and after that particular date.   

Our family is trying to savour these days and moments - baking, decorating, watching movies, doing puzzles.....The list goes on and on. And I love that so much of it happens at home with little or no cost and resulting in  tons of fun and laughter for all involved.  

Speaking of our cozy home...

This was one of my bigger Christmas  projects this year.  I really wanted to make a Christmas themed quilt that could be enjoyed this year then reappear for years to come.

I fell in love with this fabric and knew it would be the basis of my simple quilt.  

I didn't want to cut the fabric pieces too small for fear of losing too many of these cute little faces. So I went with a large strip and patchwork layout that was quick and easy.

I cut my 10"x10" fabric pieces into 5" squares then attached them together in long strips.

In between the patched strips I alternated in a solid piece of the elf/Santa fabric.  As an accent in between the patchwork and elf fabric strips I added these lines of red.  They added length as well as the look of candy cane stripes!

This little man couldn't wait for the quilt to be done.  For 3 evenings it sat partially finished in our family room, covered in pins because I was hand-sewing the binding on.

 It wasn't done AND IT HAD PINS ALL OVER IT!  A nightmare for my littlest boy!

But the second I completed it, he was the first to snuggle under it!

I'd say he was happy with the finished product!!

In fact, so was Hubby!!

I hope you are finding simple happiness in the everyday moments!

Hugs and love to all,

B.  

Pink on the Porch for Christmas

Pink is my favourite colour.  However, I have never used it in my Christmas decorating before.  Up until now I have been a real traditionalist when it comes to Christmas - lots of red and green.  This year I am shaking it up a bit.  Still lots of red in my kitchen, but I have chosen to use pink in my living room and now on my front porch.

I took my 6 year old daughter shopping  for Christmas greens last weekend and came upon this pre-made urn filler in the garden centre. She and I immediately fell for the shiny pink baubles and we knew this pot was coming home with us  !!

While little lady played in the light dusting of snow we had last weekend, I got to work on our simple pink porch decor.  

The urn filler went right into a shabby white plant stand we received as wedding present 10 years ago.  

I had planned to use this grapevine tree as is, but at the last moment I wrapped it with faux greenery and lights and it became an outdoor Christmas tree  !

I fell in love with this pretty pink poodle paper (Say that 5 times fast!) at a discount decor store the other day and knew I wanted to incorporate it into our pink porch.

How about a pink package, complete with jungle bells stuck into the mailbox !!??

I spray painted this pine cone wreath last year.  This year it received a new bow - pink of course  !!

On a low, white thrift store table I added a bowl of pinecones and pink baubles.  Natural greenery adds some texture.  

Here's a shot of the three elements together at sundown...

Pink is perfect  on the porch!

 Hubby said it looked pretty.  Even he enjoys some pink in small doses!!

Bye for now,

Bronwyn