Sew Thankful Sunday, August 2020

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{I love the idea of “paying it forward”. I think the world would be a better place if we could spread some joy and acknowledgement of good deeds done by others. I try to do that once a month for my Sew Thankful Sunday posts. I highlight some great content that I’ve found on other people’s blogs that I hope will inspire you and reward the originator by bringing traffic to their site. If your blog has been mentioned without your consent, please let me know and I will take you off the current list of featured bloggers.}

Sew Thankful Sunday August 2020 has links for free tutorials with a little Christmas, a little summer and lots of stuff in between!

August, to me, is a month that has no expectations. No birthdays, no big holidays, no big events. Depending on where you live, you might be getting ready for back-to-school activities or just enjoying another month of summer. Either way, there’s a good chance you’re staying in place and need a little Sew Thankful Sunday inspiration!

Note: If you use Pinterest, please pin from the original source and not this blog post. Remember, you can click on any of the images in this post and it will open up a new tab to the associated link.

Quilters love tips, and Dawn at First Light Designs has some great ones for Perfect Star Points. You’ll love the Scattered Stars Quilt she made with her perfect Sawtooth Star Blocks.

If you enjoy applique, check out these Tips & Tricks for Fusible Applique by Susan at Quilt Fabrication. I thought I knew all about fusible applique, but I learned a few things from Susan!

Here’s a beautiful Stars & Stripes Quilt Tutorial shared by Cherry Guidry for We All Sew. This is a perfect quilt to make for Quilts of Valor!

Stars & Stripes Quilt by Cherry Guidry for We All Sew

You might know someone who could use this DIY Walker Caddy by Caroline at Sew Can She. This functional project even includes a cup holder to make it super versatile!

I’m always looking for a cute baby quilt and this Positively Plus Mini Quilt (or Crib Quilt) would be perfect. Amy at Diary of a Quilter shares her free tutorial as part of the Summer Dreams Series for Oliso Irons.

Positively Plus Mini Quilt @ Diary of A Quilter

Christmas projects are always on the docket for us Crafters, so I was excited to hear about a “Need a Little Christmas Series” by three awesome bloggers. First is this Peppermint Forest Table Runner by Amanda at Jedi Craft Girl. Such a cute design and I love those fabrics!

The second project in this Christmas Trio is this Starry Ornament Christmas Table Runner by Bev at Flamingo Toes. I love that scalloped border!

And finally here is the Mister Frosty Table Runner by Christopher at The Tattooed Quilter. This striking table runner would look great in your favorite holiday fabric!

And for more Christmas ideas, here’s a Christmas in July roundup by Anorina at Samelia’s Mum. There are lots of cute ideas here!

Christmas in July Roundup @ Samelia’s Mum

If you need a Jelly Roll project, check out this free Confetti Stars Table Runner at The Jolly Jabber. I can envision lots of color combinations for this one!

Confetti Stars Table Runner @ The Jolly Jabber

Ready for a trip around the US? Then join the Quilting Around the Block, US Tour – Block of the Month at Blockofthemo.com. “Each week a new block has been designed for each state across our US Tour. Zip back and forth across the country on a unique virtual voyage, complete with complimentary 6.5″ blocks, state & designer trivia and stories, giveaways and bonus blocks too!” It all starts August 2, 2020.

Although this isn’t crafting related, it is seasonally appropriate. If your garden is flush with zucchini, then you’ll appreciate these 35 Best Zucchini Recipes at Love and Lemons. And if fresh tomatoes are over-flowing then check out their 50 Fresh Tomato Recipes and you’ll be set!

Thanks for joining me today for Sew Thankful Sunday August 2020! I hope you found something inspiring to keep you busy while staying at home. We’re all in this together, and I know the bloggers and designers featured today appreciate your visits!

A few sewing gifts completed

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It’s nice to make gifts for others, but especially when you know that gift will be appreciated by the recipient (who is also very crafty). I recently finished a few sewing gifts that I’ve been waiting to share with you so as not to spoil the surprise for the recipient.

My oldest daughter, Kelly, had a birthday last week and I made her a Market Bag. The pattern is from the book, Handmade Style, by Anna Graham of Noodlehead. This book is full of great projects and the market bag was an easy one to make.

The Market Bag made by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter. Pattern is from the book, Handmade Style, by Anna Graham

It’s big enough to hold plenty of fresh produce from the market or take it to the beach to hold your sunscreen and towels.

The inside has two pockets. One has a zipper to keep things secure and the other one I added is just a larger open pocket.

The exterior fabric is from the Nara Homespun collection by Sevenberry for Robert Kaufman. It looks and feels like a heavier decor weight with a linen texture, but the manufacturer says it’s 100% cotton. Anyways, it was perfect for this bag. The interior lining and pocket fabric is from the Origami collection by Janet Clare for Moda Fabrics.

I quilted straight lines about 3/8″ apart across the entire outer bag. The handles were made from “pleather” which is a fake leather and really easy to sew with.

I also made a dress for my granddaughter, Amelia. She turned five a few days ago and we got to celebrate with her in person. I couldn’t get a good picture of her (she’s a moving target), so pardon the cropping I had to do.

A few sewing gifts include this sweet dress for my granddaughter. New Look pattern S0186

The dress is NewLook pattern S0186 and it was really easy to make. I used a border print from Paperie by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics along with a contrasting polka dot print from the Les Petits collection from Art Gallery Fabrics. I think it’s barely long enough – I didn’t realize how tall Amelia has gotten!

I made a pillowcase dress a long time ago and I gave that to Clara. It’s a little too big for her, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

A pillow case dress for my granddaughter, Clara.

It was so nice to be with all of them; Amelia is 5, Clara is 2 1/2 and Ben is 7 months old. We were glad to give their mom and dad a little break for a few hours one afternoon. Staying home with three little kids during a pandemic is hard work as many of you know. I hope there is an end in sight soon.

Now that I’m back home, I have some projects to catch up on and a garden that is overloaded with tomatoes and cucumbers. It’s a nice problem to have. I’m working on a simple triangle scarf that will be an easy gift to make. I’ll share a tutorial for that soon. I’d love to start a new quilt project, but I have a few UFO’s that need to get finished first. And when I say “a few” that translates into something like ~~ten~~ twenty. Oh boy. Time to get moving!

Thanks for visiting today. I’ll be back for Sew Thankful Sunday this weekend. I hope you’re staying safe and healthy!

15 Christmas in July sewing ideas

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I couldn’t let July pass by without sharing 15 Christmas in July sewing ideas. ‘Tis the season for crafters to start thinking about these things!

15 Christmas in July Sewing Ideas for you to get ready for the holidays @ The Crafty Quilter.

I love this Christmas Tree Table Runner (re-sized) by Connie at Free Motion by The River. It’s on my list!

I’ve always wanted to make a Quilted Christmas ornament such as this one by Jennifer Watkins for Create Kids Couture. It looks so cute in kid-friendly fabrics!

If you entertain during the holidays, these Pinwheel Star Placemats will come in handy. I made this tutorial in 2013 and I still use these placemats today!

Pinwheel Star Placemats @ The Crafty Quilter

If you enjoy a little hand embroidery, check out this Embroidered Christmas Pillow by Lindsey at Fort Worth Fabric Studio. So cute!

If you have the time, this Fir Good Measure Christmas Quilt by Fort Worth Fabric Studio would be a great place to start.

Fir Good Measure Christmas Mystery Quilt @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Setting out cookies for Santa is a fun tradition on Christmas Eve. Make it even more special with this Cookies for Santa Placemat at Skip to My Lou.

Cookies are always on the table during the holidays, so keep things tidy with this Cookie Plate Crumb Catcher by The Crafty Quilter (me!). It’s a quick and easy project that would make a great hostess gift (along with some homemade cookies).

This Christmas Gnome is the cutest ever! Caroline at Sew Can She has the free tutorial so you can make your own.

If you can’t get enough gnomes, check out my free Gnome Mug Rug tutorial. He’ll keep your cup warm on those cold nights!

This Fabric Christmas Tree Decoration at Hook Stitch Sew will brighten up your decor and use up some of your fabric stash at the same time!

Fabric Christmas Tree Decoration @ Hook Stitch Sew

Nothing is more exciting than counting down the days with and advent calendar. Make this beautiful Linen and Liberty Advent Calendar with the free tutorial by Mary at Molly Flanders.

Linen & Liberty Advent Calendar @ Molly Flanders

Wall hangings are wonderful to decorate with, so you’ll love this Holiday Amish Mini Quilt at The Crafty Quilter (me again). I made this using a mini charm pack and it was quick and easy!

Holiday Mini Amish Quilt, a free pattern @ The Crafty Quilter

If your “stockings are hung by the chimney with care”, make them extra special with this Christmas Stocking Tutorial at Sew Scrumptious Fabrics.

Add a touch of handmade to your tree with this Northern Lights – Log Cabin Tree Skirt, by Janet Houts for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download).

Northern Lights Tree Skirt @ Andover Fabrics

I love the fun and classic look of this free Pinwheels & Patchwork Quilt Pattern by Andy at A Bright Corner. It’s versatile enough for any holiday!

I know it’s a long ways off, but it really helps to start making a list now of the things you want to make (or do) for Christmas. I hope this has inspired you in that direction!

Free Quilt of Valor pattern

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Hi everyone. As promised, I have a FREE Quilt of Valor pattern for you! I named it Stars of Courage, which seemed appropriate since courage is another word for valor. This is an easy, lap-size quilt that a beginner could make as well as an old-timer (like me).

Stars of Courage is a FREE Quilt of Valor pattern designed by Julie Cefalu at The Crafty Quilter.

About Quilts of Valor

At the beginning of this year, I asked if anyone had special requests for projects or tutorials. Several people asked for a Quilt of Valor project. If you’re new to QOV, it’s a non-profit foundation whose mission is to “….cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”

In my area of Northern California we have a strong and active QOV membership. In the quilt shop I work at, I often see Quilts of Valor in various stages of development. To be honest, I’m not a member of QOV, but I admire their philosophy. I appreciate the sacrifice of all veterans, past and present, and the service they have given for their country. My pattern, Stars of Courage, is my first contribution to the QOV efforts.

Free Quilt of Valor pattern

You can download the free pattern below:

This quilt measures 60″ x 72″ and contains 15 Ribbon Star blocks that measure 12″ square. These blocks are made up of half-square triangle units and they’re large, so the piecing is easy.

The pattern uses the 8-at-a-time method of making half-square triangles, but you could make them one at a time or use Triangles on a Roll (4″ finished size) if you prefer.

The Ribbon Star block is featured in the Stars of Courage quilt pattern by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter

When you string together two or more of these blocks, they look like friendship stars entwined in a ribbon. I love the affect!

The fabric requirements are shown below. If you have a large stash of fabric or lots of scraps, you could make this a scrappy quilt which would add to its charm. I’ll be making Ribbon Star blocks as an ongoing project until I have enough for my quilt. I have plenty of scraps to get started!

The first time I used Ribbon Stars in a design was back in 2015. I made these cute placemats for the Desire to Inspire Challenge at Henry Glass Fabrics. What I really love about this (besides the cute panel) is the straight line quilting that enhances the ribbon effect. So easy and it would be perfect for the Stars of Courage quilt!

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you enjoy and use this pattern. Of course, it would be beautiful in any color combination and for any occasion. Please feel free to use it however you would like!

Two quilts finished!

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Hooray! I have two quilts finished. More accurately put, I finished two quilts. It’s such a good feeling!

The first quilt is another version of my Ombre Love quilt pattern. This is such a great pattern for layer cakes (10″ squares), and I’d been hanging on to one of my favorites, Olive’s Flower Market by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics since 2017. I love the mix of colors, especially with the black added in.

Ombre Love Quilt and pattern by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter using a layer cake of Olive's Flower Market by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics

I changed up the pattern just a bit by eliminating the sashing, and I stitched the hearts together into rows, instead of off-setting them. This made the quilt slightly smaller at 54″ x 69″. The blocks are the same, 9″ square.

I had one leftover block and several 10″ squares so I used those for the backing along with some large scraps from my stash. I love a scrappy backing!

The second quilt I finished could be called a COVID quilt. It was a mystery style sew along hosted by Terri of Sweet Treasures Quilts on Instagram. She called it the Kindness Project, and the idea was to make a quilt and give it to someone who could use some extra kindness during this pandemic.

Quilt made by Julie Cefalu. Designed by Terri of Sweet Treasures Quilting for her Kindness Project on Instagram.

This was easy to piece together and everything came from my box of blue scraps along with some yellow and red. I wanted a neutral color scheme so that I could gift it to anyone.

I loved using my stash to make this quilt. The backing is a mixture of different blue fabric; I didn’t purchase anything extra to make it. And you know I could make 20 more in each color of the rainbow and still not have to buy fabric.

I quilted this one myself since it’s not too big, 50″ x 60″. I stitched a simple circle-swirl pattern all over with light blue thread. It took me four days to quilt on my Baby Lock Crescendo. It’s not perfect, but it’s done.

I love a striped binding, and I had just enough for this one. I used my all machine binding technique to get it done quick.

Striped binding by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter

I still have plenty of UFO’s to keep working on, but I also want to start something new. I’m designing a simple pattern that would be good to use for Quilts of Valor. It uses 12″ blocks and the piecing is fairly simple. This will be a free pattern that I’ll have available on my blog. I’m hoping to have it ready by the end of this month but I have other things to prioritize.

Quilt designed by Julie Cefalu for QOV — QOV pattern design by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter

July is a busy month in The Crafty Quilter household. My oldest and youngest daughter’s birthdays are this month, and my granddaughter Amelia turns five! How did that happen? The plan is to visit them in Texas in two weeks, which is a hot mess right now. So, we’re playing it by ear to see how it goes.

I hope you’re enjoying the summer. Stay positive and thanks for visiting!