McCall's Quilting

It may be only September, but this is a great time to start planning your holiday sewing projects. The McCall's Quilting November/December 2015 issue is shipping subscription issues now and will be available on the newsstands at the end of this month. This festive issue has 15 holiday projects and one of those projects is a quilt I have designed with my Gossamer fabrics. 

McCall's Quilting November/December 2015

The Snow and Shadow quilt is a 70-1/2" x 80-1/2" quilt made with Gossamer fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics. This is a great quilt for year-round appeal. In the winter it takes on a frosty look with angles and points. For spring and summer this has a more nautical look of beach glass and waves. McCalls Kits are available for this quilt while supplies last. 

Save up to 60% on Quilt Kits at Quilt and Sew Shop

If you are an Instagram users, follow me on IG for a chance to win one of two copies of the McCall's Quilting issue. Details on how to enter will be posted on my Instagram account and the giveaway will be an Instagram only giveaway (not part of this blog post). Be watching for an IG post about this magazine for more details. 

On Thursday, September 24th I will be guest blogging on the McCall's Quilting Blog and be talking about how to make Mitered-Corner Napkins. Cloth napkins are great anytime of the year but especially fun around the holidays. With all the fabulous printed cottons out there you can easily make napkins to go with any holiday or home decor look. Be sure to check out my guest post this week for the tutorial as well as a chance to win a Gossamer fabrics fat quarter bundle in the cool blues colorway! See McCall's Quilting Blog on Thursday September 24th, 2015 for fabric giveaway details.

Visit McCall's Quilting Blog post on 9/24/15 for information on how to win this Gossamer fabrics fat quarter bundle! 

So, what are you planning on sewing? I'd love to hear from you. Remember, stop by and say "Hi" on Instagram and be watching for how to enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 copies of the latest McCall's Quilting holiday sewing magazine. 

Labor Day Weekend

Are you having a fun Labor Day Weekend? Maybe you are using the extra time off to work on some projects around the house or yard? Maybe getting in some extra sewing time? I can check off the boxes on all those activities! 

Now, I know I rarely blog about my family because I do try to keep my personal and business lives separated but this post is dedicated to my future granddaughter. It will probably be the closest thing I will do posting an image of her. Personally, I don't like to have my children's images posted online unless they are adults and give permission.

Sunday we spent the day with my daughter, her hubby, and the in-laws because my daughter Anna was having a baby shower thrown for her by her sweet friends. Here's my lovely daughter and husband and VERY round tummy bump.

In preparation for the baby shower last week I had been 1. learning how to use my new serger sewing machine and 2. Making some adorable baby gowns for the baby using knits from my Gossamer and Sketchbook collections.

I couldn't be happier with how the baby gowns turned out! I used two different online blogs for sourcing this pattern (see next paragraph) and came up with a hybrid baby gown from the information and patterns given in the different tutorials. I always loved the little hand covers on baby gowns so I included those on each of the gowns I made. Also I only had white rib knit for the hems and used the serger stitching on the rib knit strip edges as decoration and went with a single fold binding instead of a folded edge. I also added a little crochet lace to the green sleeper to add a little extra cuteness.

To find this free baby hat pattern visit Zaaberry. For the baby sleeper I used these two resources: This Mama Makes Stuff Rockin Baby Gown and Stitched Together.

Now, my first week learning how to use the serger wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. I didn't see one of my pins and ran over it--breaking my upper knife :( so need a replacement knife. But, even with that,  I do like owning and using one and it is definitely the way to go when sewing with knits. The seams are smooth and ripple free. I haven't sewn any woven fabrics with it yet but I figure after starting with knits anything after that will be a piece-of-cake!

Before making the baby gowns, I started with an easy project. Here's what I had made for myself on my maiden voyage into serger sewing. This Syrah skirt by Baste and Gather. This skirt was super easy and a great piece to start learning on. I made it using the Wire Flowers Foil print from my Gossamer fabrics. I could live in the skirt and have already worn it twice since last week. Need to make more!

Quilt Market in Houston is just around the corner (Oct 24-26) and I will need to be proficient on my new machine for sewing samples using my third fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabric. This is a great time for me to play around and learn.

Learning new stuff can be frustrating, exciting, unnerving, but always rewarding because you have pushed yourself. Just think, last year at this time I was learning and practicing on my then new mid-arm quilting machine and now I can knock out a quilt in a day sometimes (but usually two days). I never thought that would happen--especially at first during that frustration period!

McCall's Quick Quilts

What I do for a living is a lot of fun but is also a constant reminder that I must be patient. Many hours of work goes on behind the scenes that I cannot blog about or share on social media. That's because I am either designing a new fabric collection to be released in 4-6 months or sewing up a new quilt or accessory pattern for sale or one that will be featured in a magazine. Well, my months of preparation and wait are over and the magazine projects will now start rolling in. First up is my Demilune quilt made with Gossamer fabrics, Pure Elements, and Squared Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics. McCall's Quick Quilts October/November 2015 issue hit the newsstands this week and that's where you will find instructions for making this quilt. They even have digital versions of the magazines available here. 

Save up to 60% on Quilt Kits at Quilt and Sew Shop

Demilune featured in McCall's Quick Quilts Oct/Nov 2015

Demilune by Sharon Holland

Today I am guest blogging on the McCall's Quilting blog! You'll want to take a look at the cute pot holder/hot pad tutorial I put together using a template from the Demilune quilt and left-over fabrics. It's super easy to make and fun to use or give as a gift. 

Sharon Hollnad pot holder/hot pad tutorial on McCall's Quilting Blog

But wait, there's more! Be sure to visit the McCall's Quilting Blog for a chance to win some Gossamer fabric! See the McCall's blog post for full details.