November Entry for the Patterns by Jen 2019 Monthly Color Challenge

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019Leave a comment

November Entry for the Patterns by Jen Monthly Color Challenge

Here is my November entry for the Patterns by Jen 2019 monthly color challenge. That means that there is only one month to go! I can’t believe it. I also can’t wait for December to get here so I can see the final block.

This challenge has been a joy, and the emphasis on colors has really made me think about my fabric choices and placement.

When I started this project way back in January, I decided to use batik fabrics, and this month was no exception. Yellow was the color prompt, and it was a bit of stretch for me fabric-wise. I don’t have a lot of yellow batiks on hand, so I had to use two different ones for the darker parts of the block.

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Scrappy Swimming Fish Quilt Block

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019Leave a comment

I have always been a huge fan of scrap quilts and the majority of my pieces are done this way. My scrappy swimming fish quilt block is no exception. It is a whimsical block that is fairly easy to make.

I came up with this block while I was designing the quilt “Swimming Upstream”. I had a large stash of coral fabrics and, for some reason, they reminded me of salmon. The fish has a long body and I added background sashing around it to make it look like the fish was swimming in water.

In the quilt I made using this block, each fish is made up of one coral fabric and the beige sashing is from various fabrics. For a different look, you can easily make the fish out of various fabrics and keep the sashing one fabric, or you can change it any other way you would like to.

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Christmas Rick Rack Table Runner

October 24, 2019November 6, 20192 Comments

Rick Rack Christmas Table Runner Tutorial

A number of years ago I made a Christmas quilt with festive squares and rick rack. It still comes out every year, and displaying it over a railing is now part of our holiday traditions. That quilt inspired me to make this Christmas rick rack table runner which will be decorating our dining room table throughout the season.

Adding the rick rack serves two purposes. First, it adds a lovely decorative touch and second, the quilting is done as the rick rack gets sewn down.

For some reason the rick rack reminds me of a gingerbread house. I think that is because it looks a bit like the royal icing that is piped onto gingerbread men.

This table runner is easy to make and, with the right supplies, can be finished in a couple of hours. For anyone looking for a good way to use up fabric scraps, this is the ideal project. Even better, change up the fabrics and it can easily be made for any occasion.

Please note: This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of the links, I may get a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for more information.

Here is how to make it.

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October Entry for the Patterns by Jen 2019 Monthly Color Challenge

October 16, 2019October 22, 2019Leave a comment

The prompt for the October entry for the Patterns by Jen 2019 monthly color challenge was red, like a red rose. I’ll be honest here. I was not sure I was going to love this block, and it is not because of the pattern, but because of the color.

I love reds, but I do not have a lot of them, especially in batik. Since I’m only using batiks, and I have been trying hard not to buy any new fabric for this project, I was skeptical.

However, I don’t think I needed to be. I paired these two fabrics and they work. In fact, they work really well. I’m not sure if it is because of the movement in the lighter red, or because of the black in the darker fabric, but this has ended up being one of my favorite blocks of this challenge.

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Festive Holiday Pixelated Throw Pillow Patterns

October 10, 2019October 22, 2019Leave a comment

I love decorating for the holidays. I don’t usually go way over the top, but I do like displaying things that show off the season. That is why I came up with this series of festive holiday pixelated throw pillow patterns. There’s one for almost every holiday, and each one is cuter than the next.

Whether you make them all and give them to a friend, or you just make the one that is your favorite, these designs are sure to get you in the spirit of the occasion.

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